Chapter 3: Exchange of Favors

Mircea and Lucius had made a good show of tolerating one another for an entire week. As it was now in the midst of one of the hottest months of the year, Lucius had even agreed to postpone walking the grounds until later in the evening. Mircea was actually getting work done (currently plans for the overturn of the Ministry) and the Dark Lord was very pleased with the progress of his plans. And if Mircea knew nothing else, she knew it was vital that he be pleased.

She had also begun teaching Draco strategy. He had been reading over her shoulder one evening and had surprised her by asking if the Queen's Sacrifice really worked. Her own disbelief that anyone did not know the effectiveness of this basic strategy had lead to a discussion, which then led to a sort of mini-class. Draco seemed to believe that if you proved yourself to be superior in measurable power and wealth then the upper hand was granted to you. She had gradually beaten it into his head that this could never be more untrue, using his own family as the painful testimony to this. It was a distraction but it was not one she minded; the boy was a worthwhile pupil after he had been humbled somewhat and she enjoyed explaining and mapping out the different theories and tactics.

It was during one of these lessons that Lucius approached him with his most absurd idea yet.

"I wish to go to Knockturn Alley."

Both Mircea and Draco stared at him openly before Mircea actually laughed and went back to what she had been explaining before.

"I will go, with or without you. As it will fall on your head, it seemed fitting to tell you."

Glowering, Mircea told Draco it might be best if they finished later and the boy left quickly. "I thought we were past all of this."

"This is different. I have certain items I must sell."

"So I'll sell them for you. No one knows me so it cannot hurt."

"Bourgin will not trust anyone but myself. I must be the one to arrive with them."

Mircea rubbed at her temples, suppressing her bad temper. "You do realize the Ministry has not reported the breakout? For all intents and purposes, you are in Azkaban. You cannot just walk into Knockturn Alley."

"I shall."

"We cannot remove you from this place."

"You cannot remove my face, but as any other, you may."

"But Polyjuice takes quite some time —"

"And I have been working on it for quite some time. It is now ready."

He could feel her analyzing him, her almond shaped eyes boring into him, and he met her gaze. He just needed her to go along with it. Surely she was as bored and claustrophobic as he was.

"And who exactly will you be?" she asked, not giving consent or refusal.

Lucius pulled three black hairs from a vial in his pocket. "Severus Snape."

Mircea looked him over after he had taken the potion, which he claimed tasted like smoke. In her arms she carried Transfigured robes, which she tossed at Lucius before walking to the other end of the room and turning her back to him.

"You will afford me no privacy?" he drawled, now in Snape's deep tones.

"In a room with a fire and Floo and you with another face? I'm not an idiot. Dress."

A grin spread across his face. "If you wanted to get me alone and undressed all you had to do was ask."

"Oh don't flatter yourself. It's Severus I'm dying to see."

He chuckled at her sarcasm and she felt herself lighten up slightly. Once he was dressed she looked over the robes. "They're still off... Let me fix them."

"With me in them?" Lucius sounded alarmed.

"Would you rather be naked?" she shot back.

"Fine. Fine." Lucius held up his hands in a gesture of surrender and she pulled her wand out of her sleeve.

"You've got to stop moving or I'm going to stab you," Mircea grumped at him, concentrating as she guided the spell across the hems of the robes. Magical sewing had never been her forte.

"I'm surprised you've waited this long, to be honest."

Lucius watched a smirk grow across her face and she did not answer him. She finished sewing and walked around him. "You must blend in," were the first words out of her mouth.

"Don't sound so scolding. I haven't done anything yet."

"Use the word 'yet' again and you'll be staying here."

Pushing away his annoyance, he looked calmly at Mircea. "Ready then?"

"Where exactly it is that we are going?"

"Hocus and Hoax."

"Seriously? Someone named their store such a thing?"

"I did not so spare me, if you please. I'll go first."

She gave him a look, still unable to trust him and he raised his right hand in a gesture of honesty. He disappeared through the burst of green flame and she followed close behind.

When she opened her eyes, she was quickly aware of "Snape" in the corner of her vision, busily disappearing into a crowd. Her fists clenched in anger and she ground her teeth. Of course. What else could she expect from a low, cowardly snake?

In her anger and need for action, she tried to run after him. She was immediately reminded that she was, in fact, in a fireplace with a grate as she tripped over said grate. The metal caught her right along the shins, and, while it did no harm, she fell forward into the busy lane. Tumbling forward she felt herself slamming into a much bigger wizard and swearing loudly at him. The wizard's eyes flashed and he grabbed her by the shoulders before throwing her away from him and into a corner where two stores joined.

Lucius began to bolt when he saw her curly head appear in the grate, ready to leave her behind. He had no intention of staying with her and she could fend for herself. But the shrill sound she made stopped him in his tracks; he had never heard her make such a sound before but something in his gut told him that it was her. As Lucius, turned he saw her forehead connect with a window sill. She toppled over into a large puddle and did not move for a few moments. Lucius told himself she had faced worse and that she was a more than competent witch, but when she tried to stand she lost balance and ended up sitting on the ground. A crimson smear was blooming on her forehead and running into her sandy hair.

The man who had thrown her was starting to shout at her, but Lucius could not hear his words; there was a loud roaring sound in his ears. His quick temper blazed into life, carrying him away with it. This was not how a Death Eater or a Pureblood woman ought be treated.

Mircea saw, in a tilted and slanted sort of way, Lucius-as-Snape storming up behind the man, grab him, spin him around, and punch him full in the face. It could almost have been comical if the man hadn't been much bigger than Severus Snape. What might have been a forceful blow in Lucius's original body was not nearly as effective in his current form and the man stared at him in disbelief, hand to his bruising jaw. Knowing Lucius was about to get a thrashing, Mircea managed a rather well aimed stunning spell, which was impressive considering things still tilted and slanted when she tried to focus on them. Any stragglers who had been watching cleared away quickly as the man crashed into some rubbish bins; no one wanted to be around when the authorities showed up to break up the fight.

"Come! Mircea, move!"

Shaking his right hand to try to ease the stinging of his bleeding knuckles, Lucius took Mircea's hand in his left one. He pulled her to her feet but she lurched forward and fell into his arms. She could hardly walk in a straight line.

"How on earth did you survive this long?" he asked nastily.

"By avoiding you, apparently!" she retaliated. "If you hadn't tried to run away, this would not have happened! Worthless coward!" Mircea saw him flush a little and felt somewhat vindicated.

"Which is why I bloodied my knuckles for you, you stupid woman!" he snarled back at her.

Ears still slightly red, Lucius caught the sound of whistles in the distance. He looked her over efficiently and he quickly scooped her up in his arms before she could protest, not that she waited long.

"Put me down!"

"And let you walk?" he snorted in reply. She felt too unstable to argue with his logic. Giving in, she slipped her arms around his neck and let her head droop against his chest.

As Lucius carried her, a task made much harder by Severus's weaker body, he could feel his clothes being soaked through with the mud and water from her dress and he shivered. He could now see just how stupid this idea had been. For all intents and purposes, Severus Snape had just decked a man and was now carrying a woman around: two more unlikely acts could hardly be found.

Mircea began to protest again when he carried her out into Diagon Alley. "We should go the other way."

"I know full well where I am," he snapped at her.

She found herself sitting in an apothecary with Lucius barking an order to the witch at the counter. He was handed a bag of small lily pad shaped herbs and Mircea found herself being carried away again. Lucius's pulse jumped and she blushed when her lips brushed his neck as he shifted his hold on her and Mircea would have died rather than admit it, but she found him carrying her to be…galant.

Lucius finally set her on a bench, and Mircea watched as he took two of the little lily pads from the bag and began to chew them slowly. Sitting beside her, he very gently lifted her hair away from her face, dividing it back from the cut, and began to place the chewed leaves along the cut in her scalp. She started to jerk away from him but his grip on her shoulder was firm. He continued pasting the chewed leaves along the cut and Mircea felt the pain seep from the gash on her head. Her thoughts cleared and she looked at him wonder.

"What is that?"

"Piqurek Leaves," Malfoy explained, stiffly. "It's a very fast healing agent for minor injuries."

Mircea nodded, knowing she had a tube of the paste knocking around somewhere at the Manor. But she had never seen the actual leaves before.

"That's your specialty, isn't it?"

An expression that was pure Malfoy took over "Snape's" features, and she smirked in spite of the situation. Knowing the leaves needed a while to work fully, Lucius decided to answer her.

"Indeed. My family long owned an apothecary. It… stopped when I left, but it has always been of the highest quality."

Mircea nodded then took some leaves out of the bag and popped them into her mouth.

"What I applied should be sufficient," Lucius tried to explain.

Mircea just nodded and then took his right hand in both of her own. He began to jerk away but she tightened her hold on it. Her eyes dropped and she began to apply the leaves to the busted knuckles.

"You do not need –" he began, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

But she cut him off. "As you say, you bloodied your knuckles for me. You have my appreciation…Lucius."

That was the first time she had really deliberately used his first name and her accent gave it a different, deeper quality than the bored tones of the English. He rather liked hearing her say it.

After she had finished with his hand, Mircea aimed a cleaning spell at both her skirts and his own clothing, whisking away mud and water expertly.

"Things should have died down by now," she murmured, not meeting his eyes.

"We need to get you a new dress first. You stand out."

Mircea gave him a "look" but didn't fight him. In an almost bored fashion, she flicked her wand at her skirts. Lucius watched as the dress slimmed and the sleeves changed to long dark gloves reaching to the newly short cape sleeves.

When she looked up, she could clearly see "Snape's" eyebrows jump.

"What?" she bit at him.

"Not every emotion of mine is negative, believe it or not. Let me look at your head." Again, with very gentle fingers he pulled away the leaf-paste and a pink fresh scar graced her forehead, just below her hairline. Pulling a pocket square from his vest, he wiped away the blood that stained her hairline and then did the same for his hand. "Keep your hair over it until it looks less fresh. Wouldn't want the Dark Lord asking too many questions."

"You mean other than 'Why did you punch that bloke in Diagon Alley, Severus?'"

"Yes, well, you'll think of something."

"Me! Why me?!"

He stepped back and rubbed the paste off of his hand. "Because it's your job. Come on."

It was no small mercy that they were able to get through the rest of their trip without further incident. The Polyjuice wore off just when they arrived, with Lucius blossoming out of Severus's body and tearing through the robes. Obviously this shocked Bourgin but the explanation was simple enough and he was happy to hear it. It was a surprising relief to see Lucius as himself. She could read the cold face and the piercing eyes, even if the emotions were so often anger or frustration.

The repercussions of their little outing did not come down on them until two days later. They both happened to be at dinner, now habitually taken together in the hauntingly big dining hall, when Severus Snape blew into the room like a tornado.

"Do explain to me, Mircea, why I am credited with bashing a man in the face on your behalf?" he snarled, pulling her bodily out of her chair.

Lucius watched her closely this time; he saw her muscles tighten as Severus approached, ready to move, and saw her pull her wand out of her hair after Snape grabbed her out of the chair. In only a few moments, Snape had her wand aimed at his large nose. Lucius sat back in his chair with a smirk.

"If you wish to talk to me, then talk. But the next time you lay a hand on me you will lose it."

Snape's eyes smoldered at her but he gave a short nod of agreement. Her wand disappeared back into her hair, but Lucius knew it would be somewhere else tomorrow; she never kept it in the same place twice.

"Do you realize what you have done?" Snape hissed at her. "Do you realize what could have happened?"

"I do. You know I do."

"And you left with this idiot in my guise?"

The insult made Lucius bristle and he was on his feet in a moment.

"I did."

"And what would possess you to do such a thing?"

"I am not to be made prisoner in this house!" Her voice rose to a shout and it rang through the hall. "If I cannot leave without him then I will leave with him!"

"You would argue with the Dark Lord's direct orders?"

"No. I would argue with you." Her tone changed quickly. "Severus, he was your friend. If he wishes to leave his own home, why should he not?"

"The last time he 'left his own home' he managed to get himself dropped in Azkaban."

"And if he was such a liability, maybe you should have left him there. If I shall be held personally responsible for every failure we retrieve, I can assure you the Ministry will be left completely in your capable hands."

Lucius had the good sense to keep his mouth shut, even if they talked about him as if he were not in the room. He needed these negotiations to work.

Snape measured up Mircea. The Dark Lord had been very clear about her value and the need to keep her happy enough to continue working.

"Very well. You disguise him how you will but if my face leaves house on any body but mine, the Dark Lord will hear of it. You'll pay with your own neck, witch."

Not until the black cloak disappeared through the door did Mircea unclench her fists. She sunk wearily into her chair and began to rub her temples.

She had bargained for his right to leave the Manor even after their escapade had resulted in a blow to the head and after he had abandoned her. Like it or not, Lucius could feel some of his resentment for the witch slipping away.

Certain figures had become more and more common in the Manor and conflicts were bound to arise given who these figures were. The Dark Lord arrived almost daily now and with him came Bellatrix. The merest hint of her presence sent Lucius into his study or the rooftop greenhouse for the rest of the day; she blamed him exclusively for Narcissa's death and she was a terror under the best circumstances. And then there was Fenrir. The favoritism Mircea had showed in order to upset Lucius was now coming back to bite her. He frequently hung about the Manor looking for her, following her about if he found her.

It was on one of these occasions that Mircea earned her own personal brand of dislike from Bellatrix.

The Ministry coup was organized to the smallest detail, but Mircea needed to map out the movements of the night staff and any significant rooms or persons who might get in the way of the quick and efficient takeover. She had been working on a map that would trace and label the people within the building over every inch and for every moment that they were in the building. It had been a massive undertaking, mainly because of the size of the building and the sheer number of people within it.

Hours and hours had gone into the map and she had gone so far as banning Lucius and Draco from the dining room when she had the map there. She had promised to personally damage anyone who harmed the map as the Dark Lord was expecting it within the next day. It was now nearly done and Mircea realized she needed a book she had left in the main library.

So she did not hear Bellatrix enter the Manor and she did not expect to see her leaning over the map when she returned. An overturned glass lay at the edge of the map and Bellatrix was watching the liquid spread across the massive parchment, blurring and melting the ink on the page.

Mircea's fury erupted in a wordless roar, and without thinking she shoved Bellatrix away. Acting as quickly as she could, Mircea siphoned off as much of the water as possible but the damage was done. She stared at the parchment she had invested so many hours on in disbelief, now a three-fourths ruined mess.

"You idiot bitch!" she shrilled at Bellatrix, who had watched in detached amusement. "Do you know who that was for?"

"Make another," the older witch shrugged, picking up her glass and refilling it with wine from the sideboard.

"Do you have ANY IDEA how long that takes?"

"No," Bella sneered.

Lucius had heard screaming and, despite his deep desire to avoid his ex-sister-in-law, he entered the dining room. If something had happened to Mircea's map there was bound to be blood.

"What have you done now, Bella?" he drawled at her, his face a mask of indifference.

"I spilled my drink. Wasn't my fault she had her things all over the table."

"And when you are in my home you will ask of me before you drink and certainly before you interfere in the work of someone the Dark Lord has chosen himself."

Bella snickered and Lucius could see Mircea stiffen. "Chosen? That thing?" She looked back down at the ruined map. "It didn't even work, worthless piece of parchment."

Mircea's hand jerked towards her wand and Lucius knew with certainty that she was going to try to attack Bella. And if that happened Bella would deal with her very cruelly indeed.

Before he could give it any thought, Lucius caught Mircea in his arms, pinning her arms by her sides in a bear hug. She struggled against him but he only increased his hold on her, pressing her tightly to him.

"Hours of work, thrown away at the hands of a wasted lush!" Mircea shrilled lividly. "You explain to your master why his map is ruined then! I'll not take the blame for your idiocy!"

Bella opened her mouth to fight back but Lucius was in no temper to deal with her.

"You will find your own way out, Bella dear. As Lord of the Manor, I command it."

She stared wide-eyed for a moment, unable to believe he had stooped to that level. The laws of Manor Lords were deeper magic than even she could afford to toy with. Lucius only used it rarely against her when he and Narcissa had been together, but now there was little motivation for him to resist. It was that or risk a duel with Voldemort's pet.

"You have no right!" she hissed at him. "Cissy was so much better than you; she never stooped so low. You brought her to your level, you worm, and you're the reason she's dead!"

A tiny flicker of pain flashed in Lucius's eyes at the mention of his dead wife and Bellatrix drew closer to him. "The lowest she ever reached was when she married you. And here you stand, defending this little upstart!"

But whatever Bellatrix may have wanted to pursue with that comment was cut off as her face went white and sweat beaded on her forehead. She was apparently struggling mightily against some force that was trying to physically remove her from the Manor.

"Time to go, Bella dear."

With one last rude gesture, Bellatrix stormed from the room. Mircea realized that though she was standing completely still, Lucius still held her to him. Shoving him away, she grabbed the map off of the table and threw it on the floor before hurrying out of the opposite door.

Lucius watched her go and slowly he picked up the map and inspected it. The damage was not irreversible, but it required a certain solution… Folding it neatly, he tucked it into his pocket and headed for the cellars.

When Mircea returned to her room that evening, she did not notice the owl.

She had walked through the Manor's grounds until she reached a sufficiently remote patch of forest. The rest of her absence had been spent in regaining her composure. She had to fix the map; it was to be presented to the Dark Lord the following afternoon and it had taken her a week to create. And if it was not done…there had been certain 'promises' of what would happen to anyone who set the plans back even a day.

But the owl did not want to wait and did not want to be ignored. The great grey hooted petulantly and Mircea jumped. She took the thick letter from the bird and carried it to the window. Leaning outside, she watched it fly to the owlery of the Manor itself. So it was a Malfoy owl…

She opened the envelope gently and was stunned when she unfolded the contents. Her map was restored. Some features here and there were still blurred and the edges of the spill were a different color from the rest of the parchment, but it had been repaired. She could read the magic embedded in it clearly and it would only take an hour to finish the map as it now was.

She was boggled. Lucius had repaired her map. He had saved her from certain punishment. She had no idea how he had done it, but it didn't matter. He had, and he had done it for her.

Mircea forced that train of thought from her mind and cleared papers off of her desk. She could finish this cursed thing now and then sleep off the frustration of the day.

Mircea had tried to ignore Fenrir as best as she could but he had risen above the level of a nuisance now. He had followed her for half of the day and he was currently perched in a corner of the study, drinking and watching her in a thoroughly creepy way. She was wishing that she had some sort of claim to the laws of the Manor herself so she could banish him when the door opened and Lucius Malfoy entered the room.

"At your earliest convenience, I would like to tour about the grounds."

"Yes! Now. Please."

The look she gave him made Lucius smile. It was one of complete desperation and it did not take a lot of brainpower to figure out why.

"Crawling to your keeper, Malfoy?" Fenrir sneered, puffing out his broad chest.

Lucius's temper changed instantly and he could feel his face burning. How dare that creature speak to him like this?

"What on earth do you mean?"

Both Lucius and Fenrir looked at Mircea with equal amounts of surprise.

"We all know. You've got him on a leash to keep him out of the Dark Lord's hair," Fenrir snickered.

"That is why I am in this house," she replied coolly. "But I accompany Lucius for a stroll across his lovely grounds because I wish to and for no other reason. Is that not right?"

Her dark eyes locked on Lucius and he joined in quickly. "Of course. I greatly enjoy the pleasure of Mircea's presence." He even went as far as to place a hand on her shoulder.

Fenrir looked between them like someone who had been tricked and was trying to see how it was done. Finally, he left the room, growling to himself and not making eye contact with either of them.

They waited a sufficiently long time before they both turned to one another.

"Thank you," they said in unison. There was a pause and for the first time since they had met, they both laughed.

"You have my appreciation. Even if I swore to kill you if you became inconvenient," Mircea ribbed.

A real smile softened Lucius's face. "I'd like to see you try, witch."