Disclaimer: I don't own hp
(Saturday, May 13th, Waxing Moon. 38 days.)
"I have a new project I wish to work on," Severus said upon entering Zeus's office, walking directly to the brewing station.
"Hello to you too, Severus," Zeus said, bemused, but used to the teen and his direct manner. "What do you have in mind this time?"
"A cure for lycanthropy," he said as he unpacked his bag, setting out jars upon jars of ingredients he and Remus collected from the forest.
"That is… no small feat," Zeus said cautiously. "What brought this on?"
"I…" Severus paused in unpacking his bag. "My friend. He was infected when he was a child. It's hard on him, and I want to help. I know a cure will take time, and likely will be more than just a potion - perhaps a ritual since it is a curse - but at least in the meantime I can work on something that will ease the pain of the transformation."
"There is pain during the transformation?" Zeus asked, his brow furrowed.
"Enough to drive a man mad," Severus said gravely. "That is why those who are infected do not live long - they either give completely over to the wolf, the madness, or they… kill themselves."
"I see," Zeus said softly. "Well then, let's see what you have so far. I wager between the two of us we can at least have a working symptom reducer by the end of the day."
" Thank you ," Severus said, heartfelt. "I believe aconite may be central to any attempt at a cure due to its medicinal properties. I've built upon the Wiggenweld potion, and attempted to combine it with a diluted form of the Draught of Living Death. Here - I've worked out a preliminary formula."
"You intend for them to sleep through the transformation?" Zeus asked, looking over the formula Severus handed him.
"I think it's a good way to keep him from harming himself once transformed, I just can't seem to get it to work , however."
"It may not…" Zeus said, his brows furrowed as he looked over the formula. "See here - these ingredients would cancel each other out, regardless of how you added them."
Severus looked over his mentor's shoulder, frowning. "You're right," he said unhappily.
"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with you attempting to become an animagus, would it?" Zeus asked abruptly, looking up from the parchment.
"No," Severus said, a little taken aback by the new line of questioning. "There is a group of boys at school who have tormented me and they managed to achieve animagus forms - it's more to prove to myself they aren't any better than I am."
Zeus held his gaze for a moment, before relenting. "Good. We don't know that having an animagus form would save you from a werewolf. No unsanctioned experiments that endanger your life, please."
"I'm a Slytherin, Zeus, if I think something could injure me I tend to go the other way. With haste."
"Keep it that way," Zeus said, uncharacteristically stern.
Severus gave an awkward shrug before he returned to unpacking his bag; he still wasn't used to people voicing concern for his well being. "I hope to stick to ingredients that can easily be harvested by anyone, to keep the cost of the potion down," he said to change the subject.
"It is your potion, you can sell it for as little or as much as you'd like," Zeus pointed out.
"And if it requires phoenix tears? Peryton blood? Any unicorn byproduct? Basilisk byproducts? As you said, breaking a curse is no small feat and I don't want to create a cure if the people who need it most cannot afford it."
Zeus took a moment to think. "If we can break this curse, and if we can provide proof of it, I believe I would be able to negotiate with suppliers of such costly ingredients to sell them at a reduced price, if they are indeed necessary for the cure."
"Would having an English Lord on board help with that?" Severus asked curiously. The way Regulus talked about the ton made wiccan high society in England sound all powerful. Certainly they were within England, but outside of it?
"Depends on the Lord," Zeus said. He watched as Severus put his bag to the side, finally empty.
"How about Lord Prince?" he said casually.
"You could get Lord Prince to help with this?" Zeus asked, incredulous. "The Prince family has produced more world renown potioneers than any other."
"Well, I am Lord Prince, so yes."
Zeus stared at him, unblinking. "I beg your pardon?" he wheezed.
"Lord Severus Tiberius Furius Draconis Verus Prince, at your service," Severus said, giving a sarcastic little bow.
"Since when ?! Severus! That - what? How? "
"Couple months ago?" Severus said with a shrug, idly pushing a jar back inline with the rest of the jars on the worktable. "My mother is Eileen Prince. She… isn't doing well, and when the former Lord Prince learned of that, he named me his heir and then stepped down immediately so I would be able to take care of her."
Zeus summoned his stool and sat down heavily. "Merciful Merlin, Severus. You are… something else. If I may, what's wrong with your mother?"
"Wild Magick," he said tightly. "It's progressed greatly since I first noticed it after Fourth Year."
"Oh, Severus," Zeus said. "I am sorry, truly."
"It's alright," he said with a ghost of a smile. "I've known for a while."
"Will you let me know if there is anything I can do for you?" Zeus said. "I know potions would be less than helpful for your mother now, but I am capable of more than just potions."
"I appreciate that, Zeus," Severus said softly.
"Of course, my young friend," Zeus said. "Now, let's see what we can do with this potion, shall we?"
{Furius Draconis}
(Saturday, May 20th. Waxing Moon. 31 days.)
"Are you ready?" Severus asked, standing at the threshold of Narcissa's dorm room.
"I am," Narcissa said, putting in her earrings. She looked at him in the reflection of her vanity mirror. "But you aren't."
"What?"
"Your hair, Severus," she said, turning where she sat to face him. She beckoned him closer with an outstretched hand. "Come here. You can't go out looking like that."
"What's wrong with my hair now?" he said. "I braided it."
"You're a Lord, you need to look the part," she said patiently. "Come here."
He complied with a sigh. She had him take her place in front of her vanity and she undid his braid and brushed through his hair. "It's gotten quite long," she commented.
"You banned me from cutting it, remember?"
"So I did," she said, a small smile on her face. "And a good thing too - all of the Lords have long hair. Heirs traditionally only grow their hair to their shoulders. You should grow it to your lower back, I think. You certainly have the magical power to justify that length, and the Prince Family has always wielded an exceptional amount of political power."
"That long?" he questioned incredulously. She gave him a look in the mirror and he shifted in the seat. "It's already a bloody nuisance," he grumbled.
"I manage to survive with long hair," she said primly. "You can as well."
"If you say so," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I do. Now, be still, I'm nearly finished."
In truth, she could have done his hair with a simple spell, but she enjoyed doing it by hand. They had grown apart since the train ride back, but they hadn't stopped the ritual of doing his hair. And for that, she was grateful. It was the closest she could get to the way they used to be, and she would cherish every moment of it.
"There," she said, smoothing her hands over his shoulders. She felt him tense and she withdrew her hands as if burned, her heart stinging. "What do you think?" her voice had a slight tremor in it.
He was staring at her intently through the mirror, his face inscrutable. "It's fancier than I could've done," he said at last. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said, forcing a smile. "Shall we go?"
"Yes," he said, standing. He hesitated at her side for a moment, looking like he might say something, before turning on his heel and striding out of her room.
She couldn't help but feel like he was running away.
When had things gone so wrong , she wondered, that Severus would flee from her presence?
Bella did not know Severus better than she did, nor did Regulus. She knew Severus did not care for her the way they claimed he did. And that hurt. It was getting harder to deny her own feelings for him, and lately every interaction she had with him felt like a forest of rejections.
She wished with all her heart that she could marry him instead of Malfoy, but she would not be so selfish with him. Not when she knew of all he had endured in his life, how often others took advantage of him and how little he got in return. She would not do that to him. Could not.
A phoenix wasn't meant to be caged, a dragon wasn't meant to be tamed. He deserved his freedom, and the freedom to actually choose who he wished to marry and when. She would not shackle him with her problems.
"Are you - Narcissa, are you alright?" Severus asked, reappearing in her doorway.
"Yes, of course," she said automatically. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You're crying," he said. He had that inscrutable look on his face once more.
She reached up and felt her cheek, surprised to find it wet. "So I was," she said, distantly. It was times like this that she wished she were better at occlumency. "It's no matter," she said, pulling herself together and wiping her cheeks clean. "Shall we go?"
He seemed to be at a loss for words. "I - are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes," she said, forcing another smile. It felt brittle on her face. "Shall we go?" she asked again.
"Alright," he said after a moment.
She strode from her room and brushed past him, standing in her doorway as he was. He trailed closely behind her hovering over her shoulder, radiating an unsure air.
Their walk out of the dungeons, through the castle, and across the school grounds was shrouded in a tense silence. She knew he would not breach it. It wasn't in his nature. She didn't know if she had the heart to do so either.
He shot inscrutable looks her way every so often as they walked the path to Hogsmeade, but she didn't know what to make of them. She hated not being able to read him anymore, as he was constantly heavily occluding these days to the point that he barely felt human to her. She hated that he felt the need to hide himself away so thoroughly from her, and she hated that she didn't know why .
Why had they drifted apart? What had she done to cause this? Obviously, it occurred during their conversation on the train, but she didn't understand what happened. Didn't understand how their close friendship went up in smoke in the span of just a few seconds.
Narcissa didn't know what hurt the worst: losing her closeness with Severus, or knowing he did not return her feelings.
"It's our last Hogsmeade visit," Narcissa said, her voice fragile as a flitterby. The need to fill the tense silence between them, and to drown out her cycling thoughts outweighed the potential risks of facing yet more rejection.
"So it is," Severus agreed. He walked with his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
"It's bittersweet, in a way," she continued. "I won't miss certain parts of being a student, but I will miss Hogwarts."
"I will as well," he said.
"I suppose we could always come back to visit," she said, clinging to their conversation desperately. "But it won't be the same as it is now."
"Mn."
She bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything else.
They drifted aimlessly around Hogsmeade, ensuring Severus was seen so his absence would be less likely to be noted. She was uncharacteristically quiet as they wandered, unwilling to attempt idle conversation. She had been burned enough for one day. Severus's inscrutable looks took on a more probing edge as the day wore on, but he did not voice his thoughts, whatever they may be.
The sun was nearing its zenith, but still there was no sign of Bella, or even Malfoy. This was the longest it had taken for anyone to come collect Severus for his training with the Dark Lord.
"It's unlike Bella to be late," she said more to herself than to him, worried that something had gone wrong.
"Mn," he agreed, slightly more focused on the brooms on display in the window of Spintwitches Sporting Needs. She knew he liked to keep up with the specs of the newer brooms, so he could have a better idea of what he would be defending against on the Quidditch pitch.
Movement in the reflection of the glass caught both of their attention. Turning, they saw it was Jugson and Avery. As soon as they laid eyes on them, the pair scuttled down the street, making Severus narrow his eyes after them.
"Severus?"
"Yes?" he answered, not taking his eyes off of the pair's retreating backs.
"What is it?"
He shook his head. "It's nothing."
"Very well," she said. The hollow feeling in her chest deepened; the distance between them stung. He never kept such blatant secrets from her. She felt as if she needed to crawl out of her skin just to escape this - whatever this was. Either crawl out of her skin or try to fix this-
"Severus?" she said before she could stop herself.
"Mn?"
"Might we… might we pretend that things have not changed between us? Just for today?" she asked, spurred by the manic energy writhing within her at the wrongness of their estrangement. "It is selfish to ask, I know, but I've always been a little selfish. I don't care if it's just pretending, I miss you. I miss our closeness."
"I-"
Bellatrix appeared between them, looped her arms through theirs, and began steering them towards the woods. "Apologies for the delay!" she said. "Had the duel bloody Malfoy to come collect Severus today. Arrogant prick. Know he relies far too heavily on powerful dark curses, inevitably wearing himself out early on in the duel."
Severus was too busy staring at Narcissa to reply to Bellatrix, but she didn't seem to expect him to. Narcissa was pulling on what little training she had in occlumency to wrestle with her emotions to keep herself from utterly breaking down.
Once far away enough from the village, and thus prying eyes and ears, Bellatrix stopped and spun to face them.
"Before I send you off, Severus, I believe the three of us have a conversation that needs finishing."
"Not this again, Bella," Narcissa said, nearly on the verge of tears. This day really was too much.
"Yes, this again!" she snapped. " This is the best plan we have! Should you marry Malfoy, not even the Dark Lord's Right and Left Hands could keep him from abusing you!
"And, yes Severus, you are on your way to being our Lord's Left Hand. I am already his Right Hand," she added at his bewildered look.
"What does that mean, exactly?" he asked.
"We will discuss it later," she dismissed. "What's important right now, is that I get it through those thick skulls of yours that you two are going to marry because it is the best possible plan to protect my dear darling sister."
"I have told you, I will not take advantage of Severus in that way. Nor do I wish to steal his chance at, at finding happiness," Narcissa said, stumbling over her words.
Bellatrix blinked slowly at her. "You know," she said casually, "Father and Uncle have been considering setting up a contract between myself and Severus - what would you say to that, little sister?"
"No," Narcissa said immediately, harshly, viciously. Severus blinked at her in shock, but she couldn't look at him right now. She felt too raw as it was, she could not handle seeing the rejection that was surely on his face.
"And why is that?" Bellatrix asked. She moved languidly towards Severus, draping herself across his side, pressing against him - Narcissa could kill her right then. " I wouldn't be opposed to marrying Severus. He's by far the nicest Lord there is, he's powerful, and we work well together. What more could I ask for in a husband?"
" No ," Narcissa said again. Her sister knew how best to pull her anger out and ignite it - the only thing that stayed her hand was that she did not wish to lose her head in such an unseemly manner in front of Severus.
"What if he could find happiness with me ?" Bellatrix pushed, running a suggestive hand down his chest. "Would you deny him that chance?"
"Severus, would you excuse us?" Narcissa asked, her teeth clenched together.
He immediately tried to leave, but Bellatrix tightened her grip on him, keeping him where he was. "No, no, you stay little Dragon. I imagine you need to hear this argument as much as Narcissa needs to say it. The Dark Lord won't mind if you're a few minutes late."
He looked back and forth between them, only moving his eyes to do so. He was so tense she wondered if he had been hit by the body binding curse.
"At least get off of him," Narcissa snapped. "He doesn't like to be touched."
"Of course," she said, smiling devilishly. Bellatrix relinquished him, slowly, her hands lingering on his chest and down his arms. Narcissa's eye twitched in unison with her hand - itching to go for her wand. She didn't have the same practice that her sister did with dueling, but Severus was not the only one to benefit from her tutelage. Surely she could land a vicious curse or two.
"Now, why shouldn't I marry Severus, Cissa? Might it have something to do with what you told me last we met in Hogsmeade?" Narcissa went rigidly still - had she not endured enough humiliation because of her sister?
"Bella," she said weakly, a plea for her to leave well enough alone. To not expose her so thoroughly to Severus, who she was certain was beyond tired of the topic by now.
" What was it that you had said?" Bellatrix said, heedless of Narcissa's distress. "That the thought of him being with someone else made you as mad as a werewolf on the full moon? That if you lost him, you didn't know if you could continue breathing? That you would forgo your own wellbeing to keep him close, to not abandon him, despite Malfoy having gone running to father, spinning tales of you not being as committed to the betrothal as him? Might it have something to do with that?"
There was a stunned silence in the grove, but Bellatrix wasn't done. She moved closer to Narcissa and took her sister's hands in her own. "You love him, Cissa. I know you better than anyone in the world, and you love him. You know I would move mountains for you - and I am , to get you what you want and to keep you safe. Severus is willing to do the same because he loves you."
Narcissa jerked her hands out of her sister's grasp and harshly wiped the tears from her face. "He does not - this is just how he is with his friends. You do not know Severus better than I do," she spat. "He does not love me," she said, her voice breaking with fresh tears falling down her face. Narcissa took in a shuddering breath, utterly unable to look at her dear friend now. "Tell her, Severus, tell her how you go above and beyond for your friends. That this is nothing special."
"Yes, Severus. Tell her," Bellatrix said, her eyes boring holes into him.
He looked back and forth between them, before inhaling deeply through his nose. He moved closer to Narcissa, taking her hand in both of his gently, reverently. She flinched at the contact, but did not pull away.
"I… am not like this with Remus, or Regulus," he said softly, causing her to jerk her head up to look at him, searching his face for deceit. "I was not like this with Evans. Would not be like this for her. Just you. My oath to Protection was not done lightly - I would not call upon the Names for friends, regardless of how much I cherish them.
"You are… the most important person in my life; there is nothing I would not do for you." Bellatrix glared at him, spurring him on to say more. "Narcissa, I - I don't know what love is, what it feels like, what it's supposed to be, but it's probably what I feel towards you. I care for you deeply and I never want to be parted from your side. I crave your attention, your affection, your presence. There is no one else I would rather spend my life with, and there never will be anyone else because they aren't you."
"Oh," she said, her breath catching in her throat.
"Yes, oh ," Bellatrix said. "Here, the portkey, off you go little Dragon. You two can finish sorting this out later, our lord is waiting for you."
Severus reluctantly let go of Narcissa's hand to take the golden rod. Bellatrix held fast to it however, and looked him in the eye. "I don't think I need to tell you this, but it would best to occlude this away where no one but you can find it. I know you've the skill for such a feat.
"I say this to you here and now in this situation only because I know you are loyal to our lord and I know you are loyal to my sister. The Dark Lord does not… tolerate his Chosen having split loyalties. He is first. Do not give him reason to doubt that. You would not survive if he learns of this. We will come up with a cover for this plan, one that will not make the Dark Lord suspect anything."
They stared at each other for a moment, some sort of understanding that was lost on Narcissa passed between them. "I understand," he said, taking the portkey.
He then looked at Narcissa and blushed something fierce, suddenly shy in her presence when he never had been before. "I'll see you when I return," he mumbled before beating a hasty retreat by activating the portkey.
"I told you so," Bellatrix said, surprising a choked laugh out of Narcissa.
"Yes, I supposed you did," she said, breathless in the face of what Severus just confessed to her.
"Come, I could do with a walk about the village with my favorite sister on my arm."
}~{
Severus barely made it back to Hogsmeade in time to walk back up to the castle with the last few students still in the sleepy village. He was slow in leaving the village, keeping an eye out for Bellatrix to return the portkey to her. He didn't know if he hoped Narcissa was with her or not - his emotions were a jumbled mess even with occlumency to help.
He found her walking at a sedate pace towards the castle, well away from the other students. He caught up to her with ease.
"Severus," she greeted, eyeing him shrewdly.
"Bellatrix," he said. He passed her the golden rod with a nod that all was well.
"I sent Narcissa ahead to the castle, not knowing when you would return," she said, tucking the portkey away in a pocket of her robes.
He hummed but said nothing else as they walked towards the castle. The blush that blossomed on his face said enough for him.
"Have you responded to my father's letter yet?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I wished to have our plan settled before I did so."
"Probably for the best," she allowed. "But you cannot leave it for much longer. Have Regulus help you with it tonight."
"I will," he said. "Do you have any suggestions as to what should be said?"
"I would not be blunt in your wording," she said, giving him a look . Obviously Regulus had complained to her about the way he imparted information.
"Regulus will make sure I am not," he said, a hint of humor in his voice.
"Good," she said. "Beyond that, I would make no mention of the mutual affection between the two of you, that would only weaken your claim. Be sure to mention that as the Prince Family has been in seclusion the past twenty years you as Lord Prince feel it would be beneficial to have direct ties to the Black Family. We Blacks are rightfully proud of our Family and our influence among the ton, but that pride is something that can be manipulated easily. To sidestep becoming betrothed to me rather than Narcissa, I would allude to how much Malfoy has annoyed you lately. I have already made inroads on that front."
"He has annoyed me to the point that I'm willing to try to steal that which he covets," Severus said with a nod.
"Yes," she said. "That is a good angle to use for this - with Lord Black and with the Dark Lord. Neither need to know of your affection for her."
"I will be sure to occlude if I am ever with Narcissa in the presence of either," Severus promised.
"Did Lord Black ask what your intentions are in his letter?" she asked.
"Yes," Severus said. "Should I mention I wish to petition for her hand by the Old Ways? That I have sworn an Oath on her behalf?"
"No…" she said slowly. "That should be done in person. Such a meeting will have to wait until you have graduated, however.
"Tell me, did the previous Lord Prince entrust you with the Prince Grimoire?" she asked, abruptly changing topics.
"He did," he said. "Why?"
"There should be spells in there specifically for mail; all families have their own way of safeguarding mail they send. Be sure to make use of those spells - without it, anyone could read your mail, but it also serves to authenticate your identity."
"I'm going to have to learn to identify the different ways that families safeguard their mail, aren't I?"
"Of course, you are a Lord. Ordinarily, you would have learned that as an Heir from your Lord, but you were only an Heir for a few days."
"I'll add it to the list," he snorted.
"It is a Family matter. If the previous Lord Prince does not teach you, I will," she said. "If - when - this plan works, you will be as good as my brother."
"Thank you," he said, a little bewildered at her offer, but grateful nonetheless.
They came to a stop in front of the north gates leading into grounds within the walls. "I shall leave you here, little Dragon. Give Narcissa and Regulus my love."
"Of course," he said. "Fair night."
When she lingered, appearing on the verge of saying something, he raised a privacy ward and asked, "Bellatrix?"
"You… you hold Narcissa over the Dark Lord, don't you?" she asked, her voice low. "You are loyal to her first and the Dark Lord second."
He narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what her motive was for voicing something that could get not only the pair of them killed but Narcissa as well. "As are you," he said.
She gave a jerky nod. He was not used to seeing the normally confident witch shaken.
"Good," she said. "I thought - I thought I read you right earlier, but this is not something to be left to assumptions."
He stayed silent, letting her work through her thoughts.
"Are we in agreement, that should Narcissa become threatened…"
"We leave the Dark Lord," he finished for her. She gave a quick nod. "Yes," he said. "We are. I do what I do for her, her safety. It is not why I agreed to join the Dark Lord's cause, but it has become a means to an end."
"You are too trusting," she scolded him lightly. "It is bad enough to admit what we have, but to call your service to the Dark Lord a means to an end?"
Severus gave a shrug. "We have already admitted treason to each other, the whole truth of it cannot be worse than that."
She huffed a quiet laugh. "Regulus was not exaggerating your bluntness. I find it refreshing in this instance, but you cannot afford to be so blunt with anyone else, Severus. Not on this topic."
"I haven't even voiced it aloud to Narcissa," he said.
"Good," she said. "Best to keep it that way."
"Mn."
"I am… glad to have you as an ally in this," she said, earning a nod in return. The confident witch returned, all traces of her hesitation gone. "Fair night, Severus."
"Fair night," he echoed. She spun on her heel and disapparated, leaving him alone. He released the ward and walked through the gate. He was also glad to have an ally in keeping Narcissa safe, he would not have been able to accomplish half of what they hoped to without her.
It was not yet curfew, but he would have to walk with haste if he wanted to make it to the common room before then. However, his rumbling stomach had different plans.
A few shortcuts he knew of had him down by the kitchens sooner rather than later. He managed to snag a sandwich, and only a sandwich rather than a veritable feast, from the elves to eat on his way to the Slytherin common room.
By the time he gave the password and entered, it was only a few minutes past curfew. So it wasn't terribly surprising that there were still students out in the common room. Few paid him any attention, which is how he preferred it. He was too bloody tired to try to play at politics with his housemates.
He nearly made it to his dorm when he heard his name called in the silvery tones of Narcissa's voice.
"Severus, there you are," she said, approaching him. "I was worried."
His mind went utterly blank upon seeing her. She looked no different than she had last time he saw her, but still he felt his knees go weak in the face of her beauty. If he didn't have a hand on his door, he was sure that he would have fallen to the floor in an undignified heap.
"Narcissa," he said, breathless.
"Hello, my darling," she said once she was within an arm's length of him. She smiled brightly at him, a blush dusting her cheeks, causing his heart to flutter in such a way he thought it might just fly away and take him with it. He didn't know what was going on with his emotions.
"Hello," he said.
"Are you well?"
"I, uh, yes," he stammered. "Do you want to come in to talk?" he asked, realizing they were in fact in front of his room.
She nodded and smiled sweetly at him and Merlin the atrocities he would commit just to have her look at him like that again. He let them into his room, and luckily had enough of his wits about him to raise his normal wards. She settled into the loveseat and beckoned for him to join her.
"I must admit, I have never been more relieved in my life than I was at the end of our conversation earlier today," she said softly.
"Mn," he agreed, settling into the small couch stiffly.
"What is troubling you, Severus?"
He gave a snort - trust that Narcissa would pick up on his underlying unease. "I don't, I don't know how to act around you. How I should act, now that… well after our conversation earlier today," he confessed.
"I expect nothing from you, Severus, just your friendship," Narcissa said, reaching for his hand. He flinched away, but as she began to withdraw her hand, he latched on to it, letting their joined hands rest on his knee.
"I told you I don't know what love is, what it should be," he said. "All I have to go off of is the poor excuse of my parent's love, which was anything but that. I do not want that to happen between us."
"So then we will not allow it to," she said, rubbing circles on his hand with her thumb. "But to do that, you cannot avoid me as you have been, just as I cannot avoid you the way I have been."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't, I didn't mean to cause you pain… I'm sorry."
She reached for his face, slowly, and turned it so she could look at him. "You are forgiven, my darling," she said. "I am sorry for any pain I caused you in these past few weeks when I was trying to protect you in turn."
"It's okay," he said, slowly leaning into her hand on his face. She swiped her thumb across his cheek, sending a tingle down his spine.
"I should also be apologizing to you for inadvertently forcing marriage upon you so soon," she said, pulling her hand away from his face.
"Don't apologize," he said, shaking his head. "Not for that. I will have to marry within a year of graduating - another of Severance's stipulations. I can't imagine anyone else being by my side than you, Narcissa. You aren't forcing anything, so you do not have to be sorry."
She smiled at him, and oh, what a lovely smile it was. He found that he couldn't stare at her too long, her radiance too close to the sun, too bright, too overwhelming for him. His eyes returned to his feet, heart thudding in his chest, even as he held on to her hand tightly.
"I should probably go to my dorm," she said reluctantly. "Bella's warning from when she was here last has been ringing in my ears as if I have my own personal fwooper in my head."
That startled a laugh out of Severus, and he gave her hand a squeeze. "It has been on repeat in my mind as well," he admitted.
"Will you give me a kiss good night then, since I cannot in good conscience stay here for much longer?"
His breath caught in his throat, and he looked at her in a near panic.
"It can just be on my cheek, Severus," she said softly. "You can also say no."
"I want to kiss you," he said at once. "I do."
"I'm glad to hear that," she said, her smile growing wider.
They sat and stared at each other for several breathless moments, neither moving an inch. "May I?" she whispered. He was only capable of a jerky head nod in return.
She leaned closer, her eyes darting back and forth between his eyes and his lips. His heart was thundering so loudly in his chest he was certain she could hear it-
Her lips touched his in a brief, chaste kiss and Severus's mind froze once more. She pulled away and he followed. He opened his eyes and found her smiling sweetly at him and he couldn't help but return the smile.
"Fair night, my dear," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Fair night, Narcissa," he said belatedly, teasing a laugh out of her.
"Oh, my darling, you have no idea how happy I am," she said. Her eyes twinkled and danced - he had never seen her be so happy and free.
"I think I have an inkling," he said, teasing lightly.
{Furius Draconis}
(Tuesday, May 23rd. Waning Moon. 29 days.)
"C'mon, Madam Pomfrey," Sirius wheedled. "We behaved so well last time! No shenanigans! Won't you let us all in? I bet Remus is pining away in there for us."
"Absolutely not," she said sternly. "I told you three what would happen should you continue to disrupt my Hospital Wing, you must bear the consequences. Only one visitor at a time for Mr. Lupin."
They were so lost in pleading their case to the matron, they missed Severus walking up behind them. "Giving you trouble, Madam Pomfrey?" he asked, causing the three boys to startle and whirl around to stare at him.
"Prince!" James said, immediately going on the defensive.
"Potter," he said placidly. "Black, Pettigrew." His calm demeanor threw the Gryffindors for a loop.
"Severus, I'm glad you're here," Madam Pomfrey said. "He's been asking for you."
"Did it help?" he asked urgently.
"I think so," she said with a small smile. "Go on in."
Severus didn't hesitate; hearing Black splutter in protest as he entered the Hospital Wing made him smirk.
Luckily, there were no other patients in the Hospital Wing, so Severus didn't have to be sneaky walking up to Remus's private room.
He knocked on the frame of the door, announcing his presence. "Hello, wolf," he said, his voice low.
"'Lo, Russ," Remus replied, his voice gravelly.
"Your pack is out there pestering Madam Pomfrey to come in, so I won't stay long, lest I incite a riot," Severus said, entering the dimly lit room. "How are you feeling? Notice anything different?"
"Didn't mutilate myself this time," Remus said. He showed off his arms that were bare when they were usually swaddled in bandages after the full moon. "That's a plus."
"I am glad to hear it," Severus said. "Any other differences? How is the pain?"
"Y'know," Remus said, his face scrunched up. "S'not that bad - I'm used to ignoring the pain, s'this is nice."
"Is slurring your words together normal?" Severus asked.
"Can't always be a cultured swot like you," Remus teased, causing Severus to roll his eyes.
"I'll take that as a yes, then. You said it wasn't that bad, meaning you do have some pain still."
Remus gave a shrug. "Hardly notice it."
"I would like to negate your pain altogether," Severus said with a slight frown. "I will make some adjustments to the potion. Is there anything else you noticed? Any other symptoms you want me to try to ease?"
"I'd prefer to not be aware of the whole transformation itself," Remus said. "S'not fun."
"I will see what I can do about that," Severus said softly.
"Thank you, Russ," Remus said, reaching for his hand. Severus took the offered hand and had to suppress a wince at the vice grip. "Honestly, thank you . This improvement s'more than enough-"
"I won't stop until I break this curse," Severus interrupted him gently but firmly. "In the meantime, I'll keep improving this potion so the transformations aren't as horrid for you."
"I… I don't know what to say," Remus said, his voice soft.
"You're my friend," Severus said with a shrug. "Nothing is too much for my friends."
"Obviously," Remus said. "Jus' don't overwork yourself, NEWTs are coming up, and I don't want to be the reason you don't get all O's on your tests."
"You underestimate my ability to juggle multiple projects," Severus said snootily.
"I don't think I do - you've got dark circles under your eyes, I know you've been skipping meals, and I know you haven't changed your robes in a few days. This potion's seriously more than enough for now - keep working on it after NEWTs, yeah?"
Severus stared at him for a moment before sighing and slumping where he sat. "Fine," he said. "But I'm picking it back up the moment I finish with NEWTs. You're my friend, and I hate to see you suffer."
"Thank you Russ," Remus said, a faint smile on his face. "As much as I enjoy hearing you profess your undying love for me, you probably better let one of the boys in before they resort to drastic measures."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Prat," he said, standing and adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "When you're more coherent, don't forget to write down everything you can remember of this transformation and give it to me - don't you dare send it with an owl. I will hunt you down and flog you with the parchment if you do."
"Yes mum ," Remus said.
"Cretin," Severus said. "I'll see you in class."
{Furius Draconis}
(Saturday, May 27th. Waning Moon. 24 days.)
Knock, knock.
Severus stirred in his sleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
He cracked open an eye and willed it to have been part of a dream. He might be able to go back to sleep if it had been.
Knock, knock.
Muttering expletives under his breath, he threw back his covers and shuffled to his door and cracked it open, glaring with one eye at the person who woke him up.
"What?"
"Let me in, darling."
He blinked in confusion, but stepped to the side to let her in. His wards would stop them if they weren't actually Narcissa, but he knew of no one else who would come knocking on his door in the middle of the night.
"Thank you," she said, hugging herself tightly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"I was hoping we could talk…" she said, fiddling with the ends of her sleeves.
"Cocoa?" he asked, summoning his bathrobe.
"Not tonight," she said, making him slow his motions of putting his bathrobe on.
"I see…" he said, tying his robe shut. "Shall we sit?"
"Do you really think this plan will work?" she asked instead.
"I do," he said without hesitation. "The Blacks follow the Old Ways more so than any other Family. Lord Black will have no choice but to honor my petition. My Oath to you gives me primacy when it comes to you as well, Lord Black really will have no choice but to allow my petition."
"But the duel…" she said. "Malfoy is ruthless, Severus, I worry-"
"I'm not worried about the duel," he interrupted. "I have been training with both the Dark Lord and with Bellatrix. Obviously I never win against the Dark Lord, but I have bested Bellatrix nearly as many times as she has bested me. If I am confident in anything, it is in my ability to end a duel quickly and efficiently and with an overabundance of force. Malfoy doesn't stand a chance against me, and I am not above using lethal force against him."
"He is also not above using lethal force against you," Narcissa countered. "And that worries me."
"I will not lose," Severus said. "Not when your safety is on the line. My ridiculous middle names may have been where my title of Dragon came from, but I have since earned it through my ruthlessness and ferocity in a duel. Malfoy has no such title."
"I will still worry," she said, biting her lip.
"All will be well," he said. "Any other outcome is unacceptable, therefore I will not allow it. I mean it, Narcissa. Trust that I will not fail you, that I will do everything possible to protect you."
In the face of his earnestness, she couldn't help but believe him. He saw the tension bleed out of her shoulders.
"You are a wonder among men, Severus," she said. She bowed her head, letting it rest against his chest. Slowly, tentatively, his arms came up and wrapped around her. Taking that as the permission it was, she hugged him tightly, fisting her hands in the back of his robe.
"Only for you," he said in her hair. "The rest of the world can go hang for all I care."
{Furius Draconis}
(Saturday, June 10th. Waxing Moon. 10 days.)
To say that NEWTs were nastily exhausting was a gross understatement in Severus's opinion, and they were probably only halfway through the week. He didn't know anymore. Days blurred together to the point he wasn't even sure which way was up and which way was down.
"Um, Prince?"
They ought to fire whoever named the tests, for being so misleading with just how bad they were. If you asked him to point out which color was green and which was blue, Severus didn't think he could do that. That's how bad the tests were. Scrambled his brain worse than… he didn't know what.
"Prince?"
He was sitting at what he hoped was the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, staring blankly at the bowl of porridge in front of him. He wasn't even really sure how he got there.
"Oi, Prince."
He blinked and looked up, his eyes unfocused. "Yes?" he rasped.
"This is the Hufflepuff table," the student said. "Slytherin's over there."
"Oh."
"Just leave him mate, NEWTs mess with you in weird ways. My brother told me he wound up convincing himself he was a wombat when he was taking his NEWTs. Couldn't finish them because he swore he had paws, not hands, so he couldn't write anything."
"What day is it?" Severus asked, his tongue felt heavy and unfamiliar in his mouth.
"Er, it's Saturday," one of the students said. "No tests today."
"Should we get one of your friends, Prince?" the other asked. "You hang out with Black a lot, right?"
"Who?" Severus asked, his brows furrowed.
"Narcissa Black," the other student said.
"Oh. No, thank you. I don't want to bother her."
"Can you even find your way back to your common room?"
"This is my common room," Severus answered, his brows furrowed.
The two boys shared a look. "We're in the Great Hall."
"I think he might need to go to the Hospital Wing."
"Nonsense," Severus said. "I'm fine."
"Prince, you are very much so not fine," one of the Hufflepuffs said.
"Of course I'm not, who said I was?"
"Bloody hell," one of the Hufflepuffs said. "I'm getting Slughorn."
"Why would you be getting horned slugs?" Severus asked in confusion, but the Hufflepuff didn't answer him.
He went back to staring blankly at his breakfast, when a hand on his shoulder startled him. His body reacted before his mind, and in a flash his attacker was on the ground and he stood over them with his wand pulled on them. He blinked at the person on the ground, trying to place their face.
"Mr. Prince," the assailant said. "Please put your wand away, you aren't in any danger here."
"Professor Slughorn?" Severus asked. "What are you doing on the ground?"
"You put me here, lad, now help me up," Slughorn said. Severus did as he was directed. "Thank you, now come along, I think you had better spend some time in Madam Pomfrey's domain."
"I… yes sir," Severus said. He helped his Housemaster to his feet which was easier said than done. They left the Great Hall with Slughorn noticeably not touching him.
"Forgive me, Mr. Prince, I did not know you would startle so badly," Slughorn said.
"I don't like to be touched," Severus said, hunching his shoulders.
"I've gathered that," the professor said. "I think perhaps letting you sit every NEWT was a mistake."
"I need every advantage I can get," Severus argued by rote.
"You're exhausted, lad," Slughorn said, shaking his head. "Advantages are not worth it if they incapacitate you."
Severus gave his professor a weird look. "Not when you're a half-blooded Lord," he said. "I have to prove myself to the ton or else they'll never accept me."
Slughorn had nothing to say to that, knowing it for the truth that it was. "Let's just get you to Madam Pomfrey, she'll fix you right up, my boy."
{Furius Draconis}
(Thursday, June 15th. Waxing Moon. 5 days.)
"If I have to read another word for the rest of my life, I'm gonna fight the sun," Sirius said, his hands over his face.
"It's been a week since the tests, why are you still moaning about them?" Lily asked.
"Because my brain melted and ran out my ears and this is all I know," Sirius said.
"Drama queen," Remus teased.
"I am," Sirius said. "I'm the biggest drama queen ever ."
"You've got that right," Lily said with a snort.
"How are you two playing chess of all things?" he asked, rolling over on the couch to get a better look at them. "That requires thinking ."
"Some of us have brains made of sturdier stuff than yours, Pads," Remus said.
"What, like Prince?" he said. "He was in the Hospital Wing for a few days, wasn't he?"
"That idiot took every NEWT possible," Remus said, shaking his head. "I'm surprised he made it through the week."
"All of them?" Lily asked incredulously. "I didn't think that was physically possible."
"The professors worked it out with him," Remus said with a shrug. "I think only McGonagall tried to talk him out of it. I knew better than to try. Bloody stubborn idiot."
"You two seem to be getting on alright," Lily said carefully.
"It was rough at first," Remus admitted, studying the board. "But you were right about him being a decent bloke. Just had to break through that tough exterior of his."
Lily and Sirius exchanged a look. "He hasn't been, I dunno, weird this year?" she asked.
"Russ is always weird, he's a bloody potioneer," Remus huffed. "You'll have to be more specific than that."
"What Lily-flower means to ask is does he seem like a homicidal maniac?"
Remus looked up from the board and at the two of them. "Where's this coming from, eh?"
Lily bit her lip before saying, "He and I had a run in this summer, and he was… different."
"Elaborate," Remus said flatly.
"Dark," Lily said. "Darker than I've ever seen him. And Malfoy had been at his house, reeking of Dark Magic himself."
Remus narrowed his eyes at the pair of them. "What are you trying to say?"
Lily sighed. "I'm afraid he's involved with the Knights of Walpurgis," she said in a low voice. "I don't want you getting hurt, Remus."
"He's trying to create a cure for my furry little problem !" Remus hissed, before belatedly raising a privacy ward he learned from Severus. "He's the reason my last transformation wasn't as hellish as they normally are. Do you really think a Knight would go to such lengths for a Gryffindor, a werewolf ?"
"I honestly don't see it," Sirius admitted, uncomfortably aware that he was inadvertently defending Snivellus . "I grew up with evil bastards, Prince is a bastard alright, but he lacks the evilness you've got to have to be a Knight."
"You two didn't see him this summer," Lily said, looking back and forth between them. "Haven't seen him the way I can."
"I'll give you that," Remus said. "But Lily, I don't think he's with them . Not Russ. He, he's a decent bloke," a light blush crept up his neck. "He's, well I wouldn't say he's been patient with me and our coursework, but he's helped tremendously in his own gruff way. He's willing to explain things to me - hell, he lets me steal from his cigarette stash. He's got a bloody apprenticeship on top of classes and he still makes time for me, to study, or to just… hang out."
Sirius narrowed his eyes at Remus suspiciously. "Moony, do you have feelings for Prince?" he asked, making Lily choke on air and Remus's eyes bug out of his head.
"I, uh, don't know?" Remus said, his voice strangled.
"Either you do or you don't," Sirius said with a shrug. "I won't judge you for it, rule 27. I might question your sanity, but I won't judge you."
Remus relaxed fractionally. "I don't know, Pads," he said with a sigh. "It doesn't matter, though, because he's head over heels for your cousin."
"Narcissa?" he said incredulously. "She's betrothed to that ponce Malfoy. That won't end well for Prince, even if he is a Lord now."
Remus gave a noncommittal shrug, unwilling to disagree since that likely would betray Russ's confidence. "Regardless, I don't think he's attracted to blokes."
"He can be," Lily spoke up. "He, er, doesn't really care for what gender a person is. He just has to get to know them first, before he develops any sort of feelings."
"Oh," Remus said dumbly.
"What kind of super secret meeting are you three having and should I be concerned?" James asked, walking through the privacy ward Remus had up, startling the three of them. He had his broom slung over his shoulder and his hair was wilder than normal.
"Nothing," Remus said, dismissing the ward. He gave his best innocent, disarming smile which instantly set James on edge.
"Riiiight," he said, but let it go. "If it's a prank, let me know. We wouldn't be the Marauders if we didn't finish out the school year with a bang."
"Speaking of," Lily said, pinning James with an unimpressed stare causing him to wilt. "You need to talk to Peter. You haven't been fair to him, James, and you know it."
Sirius and Remus exchanged a look, neither willing to get involved in the looming argument. They knew how James was when he got it in his head to be mad about something. With subtle gestures, they began plotting their evacuation plan.
"Yeah, alright," James said, startling his two friends.
"Lily, how'd you do that?" Sirius asked, awed. "You have to tell me."
"Girlfriend privileges," she dismissed.
"She's bloody scary," James countered. "And knows how to make antlers grow out of my arse." She shot him another look and he grimaced. "She's also right, I haven't been fair to Peter. What happened… that wasn't his fault."
"You're a miracle worker, Lily," Remus said.
"I'll go talk to him," James promised. By the set of his jaw and shoulders, they knew he was telling the truth.
"He's up in the dorm," Sirius said. "We'll stay down here to give you two space to talk it out."
James gave a nod and then went up the stairs to the dorms.
"I despaired of ever getting him to get his head out of his arse," Sirius said, turning back to Lily and Remus.
"I know what buttons to press with him," Lily explained. "I'm also well versed in dealing with stubborn idiots and talking them 'round."
"Well, we're grateful," Remus said. "Prongs is as stubborn as he is proud, and it's not always a good thing. Longtooth is too timid to stand up for himself most of the time."
"So I'm learning," Lily said. She looked at the chessboard and couldn't help but chuckle. "I think the pieces got bored of us not playing the game, Remus."
He looked down and saw they had repositioned themselves in their starting places and huffed a laugh. "Apparently."
{Furius Draconis}
(Tuesday, June 20th. Full Moon. 0 days.)
"Avery, Avery, Avery, look . He's getting up, we have to do it now," Jugson hissed.
"The common room is packed , you idiot, how the hell are we supposed to do it?" Avery snapped.
"We need him to get down there before the moon rises," Jugson said. "It's already mid-afternoon - look, he's going towards the dorms. We need to move ."
"Fuck," Avery swore, also tracking Prince's movement through the packed common room. He was going alone, his head down and shoulders hunched, and no one else seemed to be paying attention to him. "Fine. We go one at a time. Did you get the ward-eating potion?"
"Yes, yes," Jugson said, practically vibrating in his seat, eyes glued on the entrance to the dorms.
"Go," Avery said. "I'll follow in a moment. Wait. For. Me. Before you do anything ."
Jugson grinned like a shark, before stretching and standing. He gave a jaunty little salute and then sauntered towards the dorms. Avery watched him out of the corner of his eye, wondering for the nth time how he wound up plotting alongside that idiot.
A few moments passed before he stood and made his way toward the dorms as well. Snape's dorm was, luckily, towards the back, so there was less of a chance that someone would come across them. A proximity ward would at least give them enough warning if someone was coming. A silencing ward was likely necessary as well.
"Do you have your mask?" He asked, approaching Jugson. He kept his voice pitched low on the off chance that Prince heard them outside his dorm.
The boy took it from his pocket and waved it in the air. "Do you?"
"Yes," Avery said. "And remember: don't say a word - Prince can recognize us by our voices."
"I know, I know," Jugson said, a manic gleam in his eye.
"Give me the flask," he said, hand out expectantly. Jugson complied, bouncing where he stood.
Avery took the stopper out and very carefully poured it across the threshold of Snape's dorm. Purple smoke rose lazily from the ground until it obscured Prince's door entirely. They waited in a tense silence until the smoke had fully dissipated. Malfoy had promised that this potion would dismantle any wards without alerting anyone inside them. Hopefully, Prince wouldn't notice, but with his heightened connection to magic, Avery really wasn't sure.
The smoke disappeared, signaling that it had destroyed the wards. They shared a look and put their masks on silently. Pulling his wand, Avery nodded to Jugson and together they blasted Prince's door off the hinges.
ehehehe ohohoh hahahaha… don't hate me for the cliffhanger
The next chapter is done and I shall post it next week, if my restraint lasts that long (y'all are gonna hate me, but it's fInE everything is fine)
This fic will have 21 chapters, which means next one is the last one! It's about damn time! Furius Draconis II will be born hopefully not too long after ch21 is posted since the first chapter for that is almost done but y'all know me and my haphazard updating schedule (if it can even be called a schedule)
Many thanks to BurningRosesAmongstLilies for all of your help with everything!