Severus was going to die, wasn't he?

Or he was going to go to Azkaban for murder.

He had been putting a meeting with Lucius Malfoy off ever since his confrontation with Quirrell and The Dark Lord, citing his injuries as a reason for the delay.

But Lucius Malfoy was not a person to be put off forever, and he was demanding a meeting with Severus now. He was demanding answers.

Severus still didn't know what he should say.

The Dark Lord knew he was a traitor. There was no walking that back or making excuses. If The Dark Lord ever rose again, Severus was a dead man. A tortured, mutilated dead man.

Lucius didn't know that yet, though.

Probably.

And he was still disturbingly close to Harry. Severus needed to keep that line of communication open if he had any hope of keeping the boy safe.

He also needed to pass information of Lucius' plans on to Dumbledore if he planned to keep his boss' good graces and protection.

Which he desperately needed. Because he was a dead man.

But The Dark Lord was out there, capable of movement and capable of communication. He could inform Lucius of Severus' treachery at any moment.

Death or Azkaban.

Severus wasn't seeing any other inevitabilities for his future.

He could run, of course, and try to eek out a life worth living for a year or two before Voldemort tracked him down. Maybe he could even find a moment of true happiness or peace.

But he'd sworn to Dumbledore that he would protect Harry Potter. He'd sworn to himself that he'd do what he must to right his past wrongs.

He was needed here.

The last school year had proven that.

Dumbledore couldn't be trusted to put the boy's needs and safety first. To the old man, Harry was a chess piece. A rare and valuable one to be sure, but something to be maneuvered and gambled and sacrificed in needed for 'the greater good'.

Severus couldn't allow that.

With a heavy sigh, Severus gathered his nerves, straightened his spine, and flooed over to Malfoy Manor.

Lucius did nothing to steady him as he stumbled out of the fireplace with a limp, but he did offer him a drink.

Severus accepted the offering but didn't partake. Not yet.

It would be too embarrassing for a Potion Master and spy to die by poisoning.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Severus asked pointedly.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Have a seat, my friend. I see you're still recovering."

Ah yes, the classic Lucius Malfoy concern-wrapped-in-an-insult.

Severus still sat. He was too sore not to.

"What are we going to do about next year?" Lucius asked, pacing the room.

Severus blinked. That was not what he'd been expecting. "What?"

"There's a lot to consider, isn't there?" Lucius said, running a hand through his immaculate hair. Vain bastard. "Dumbledore is finally under some scrutiny. Little Harry Potter is already throwing his political weight around. Doing it quite adeptly, too, I might add. Slytherin is more unified than it's been in generations, but the parents are no where near that level of solidarity. There are whispers and rumors that The Dark Lord is indeed still alive somewhere and either in hiding or incapacitated. And have you seen the list of potential DADA professors for this coming year? It's dire. I'm going to have to hire a private tutor for Draco and Harry over the summer, just in case. Thoughts?"

Severus set down his drink and steepled his fingers together. "That's… a lot. As for Potter and The Dark Lord, I suggest we hold our course for now. Reacting to vague rumors can only end badly. As loathed as I am to admit it, the boy isn't bad at politicking or at seeing the right of things, especially for a Potter. He isn't at all what I would have expected, before meeting him. He could still be a valuable tool, if not an ally, I think. Only time will tell, of course.

"As for Dumbledore, we both know this scandal won't be enough to bring him down. If we push too hard, we'll be the ones destroyed by it. We need to keep gathering evidence and staying vigilant. I've got the Slytherin Prefects looking out for the younger students. We can only hope that will be enough to weather whatever catastrophe Dumbledore allows to fester this year. And yes, I've seen the short list. Any idea who'll get the job?"

Lucius gave a disgusted sigh. "Dumbledore keeps pushing for Lupin, a man with no credentials and no discernable employment history. Sadly, the majority of the Board want Lockhart."

Snape shuddered. "I can't possibly imagine who'd be worse. Are there no other viable options you can back?"

"None the others will go for, I'm afraid. I haven't given up hope that a better candidate will present themselves, but I'm not holding my breathe either. It's probably going to be one of them. You went to school with Lupin, right? Any idea why Dumbledore is pushing for him so hard?"

"There are certain things I can't say. Magical vows were involved. He was one of Potter's groupies, though, and very against dark magic. He owes Dumbledore a great deal. I'm sure he's already Dumbledore's sworn man. He'd be a great tool to manipulate Potter with, too. But he is dangerous. I can't explain how or why, but he isn't safe to have around children."

"Well that certainly fits with Dumbledore's tastes, doesn't it?" Lucius said snidely.

"Tragically so. Are the rumors true that the Ministry is cracking down on Dark Artifacts again?"

"Mmm, yes. Thankfully I'd already refreshed my security measures before inviting Potter over for Christmas, or I'm sure I'd be out of sorts. If the aurors do anything to traumatize my son again with their raids, though, there will be hel to pay."

"I don't doubt it. You're certain they won't find anything?"

"Positive. I've enlisted the spirits of the Mael Faes. It cost a heavy bit of my magic to do, but I've already recovered well enough from the toll. Enough of that, though. Was Dumbledore really keeping a Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts? A real one?"

"He was. I can't vouch for its authenticity one way or the other, though. I never saw it firsthand. It was rather pathetically guarded, so I wouldn't be surprised if it proved to be a fake. It was a trap for Quirrell and a test for Harry, either way."

"And you've no idea what motivated Quirrell to go after it? Or what convinced Dumbledore that he would?"

"Nothing definitive. I was too busy fighting for my life to ask questions, Lucius."

"Don't be dramatic. I'm not blaming you. It is troubling though, no? What if he was working for Our Lord? Worse, what if there's a new faction out there, quietly amassing power? Every time a powerful wizard gets notions of immortality, the Wizarding World bleeds. Every. Single. Time."

"That's true enough. We'll keep our eyes and ears open. The truth will come out sooner or later. In the meantime, we'll keep building alliances and taking precautions. What else can we do?"

"I don't like waiting, Severus. This whole thing has me anxious."

"Neither do I."

Well, at least his cover with Lucius wasn't blown yet. That didn't make Severus safe, far from it, but it was something. He settled in to have a talk and a drink with an old colleague and friend, and to learn as much as possible in the pursuit of keeping Harry safe.