(Untitled)
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy
Where: Spinner's End
When: Monday night, late (January 28, 2002)
Rating: Going to head for R already
( one good turn deserves another )
Where: Spinner's End
When: Monday night, late (January 28, 2002)
Rating: Going to head for R already
( one good turn deserves another )
Comments 36
This was a common refrain he would tell himself in the sardonic self-mocking recesses of his mind. He always paced a bit on full moon nights. Werewolves were powerfully magical creatures to be sure, but they were still more vulnerable in many ways when in their wolf form.
The disconcerting letter he'd received scarcely two hours before was also weighing heavily on his mind.
So when his wards sent a magic tingle down his spine, alerting him that something human had passed his furthest boundary, he rose from his chair and began his sweep of the house again, peering suspiciously out through the curtained windows.
When he reached the window in the kitchen door, he positively started. There, huddled in the snow like a beaten, stray animal, was none other than Draco Malfoy.
Had it only been yesterday that he believed all ties between them to be forever severed?
He snorted derisively.
Apparently 'forever' meant only until he was of bloody use again ( ... )
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"Didn't come here to bother you," he muttered, standing. "I'll just go..."
He stood rooted to the spot though, staring at some imaginary spot on the ground. He really hadn't meant to disturb the man, or the house in general. Still, he knew that if he upset Severus, Lupin, as wolf, wouldn't be far behind. WHich meant he needed to move.
"I'm sorry...shouldn't...be here."
He hadn't answered the question, yet his feet drew him woodenly towards the house, following the orders with all too much familiarity.
"Just...came to...think...is all." he whispered.
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There was no need to panic anyone over the blasted letter. He couldn't even be certain Lucius had received anything similar. He received hate-mail all the time. Probably just some nutter and nothing to his more immediate concerns.
"Come on, then," he added, irritably to hurry the boy along. Though Spinner's End was not quite as cold as Hogwarts, the weather being slightly milder here, it was still January in England!
Once Draco was inside the house, Severus closed the door and flicked his wand to stoke the fire in the kitchen.
"Tea?" he asked, automatically shifting into the instinctive care-taker role he'd always played whenever Draco needed him. He had told the boy his door would always be open - he just handn't imagined the offer to be taken up scarcely 24 hours later. "Have you eaten ( ... )
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Right, food, drink...yeah, no. His stomach turned.
How had he gotten into this? And still worse, here he was, at Severus' house, the reason his mood had gone from foul to hellish yesterday. The reason he had drunk himself deeper into insanity. The reason he answered an owl with a visit instead of a return owl.
At the question, he snorted. "You could say that. Stupid bint lured me out beyond curfew."
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If June or Zak had been entertaining at the house, they were going to have words! Everyone was supposed to know that no visitors were allowed on full-moon nights ( ... )
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"Severus," he said, stepping towards the half-open door the instant the offer was made.
"I--" With barely two feet inside the door, Lucius almost fell out of it again. His eyes widened, fingers already wrapped around his wand.
"Is that---what the fuck!" He half lifted his wand, too taken back for any action. With his eye-line full of teeth, his memory failed to serve him the information that of course Severus lived in a house full of them. Lucius swore again loudly, attempting to retreat back behind the door.
Werewolves were not an unfamiliar sight to Lucius, and he was not a coward, but he wasn't a fool either. He was no match for three large werewolves.
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Now, the merest fraction of a second and sharp reflexes were all that stood between him and tragedy.
The tiny, frightened movement of Lucius with his wand might have easily been enough to frighten less battle-honed werewolves into attacking. The sudden, instinctive near shout of threatening roars from three werewolves and the way four bodies inside the house moved as though each were determined to shield the others from wand-fire, might have easily terrified a less war-hardened wizard into uttering a fatal curse.
Any of those things would have quickly threatened to be fatal for all of them, bringing the Ministry down on their heads like what had happened to Mandy ( ... )
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He waited a few more minutes, perhaps ten? Maybe not that long, before he headed out of the kitchen. He stopped a moment, staring at Lupin, then nodded, "Can't tell me you didn't smell me before I came out." He tried not to look at them, knowing he wasn't Lupin's favorite person considering his stand on their bonding.
Carefully moving past the wolf guarding the stairs, he headed up and took a breath, knocking quickly, soundly before he lost his nerve.
"Father?" he called into the room, wincing in anticipation.
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Since presumably Draco could not have walked into the house and past werewolves without detection, Lucius could only surmise that he'd been here the entire time.
"He's been here the whole fucking time?" Lucius said angrily, but quietly. He'd been sitting here wondering where Draco was, wondering if his son was safe, had intimated as much to Severus and he'd known where the boy was the whole time.
He stalked to the door, and pulled it open.
"Draco Malfoy," he said as evenly as possible. His voice had taken on a cold tone that went beyond fury.
It was past curfew and Draco was here, he was away from home on a night when there had been a threat on his life. The Ministry were going to punish him. Severus had lied to him. Lucius was filled with the manipulable form of anger ( ... )
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"I was trying to think. He found me," he motioned to Severus. "I only got here tonight. It wasn't...exactly where I'd planned on being tonight." He admitted slowly.
His father's wrath was obvious, and while he knew things were going to get difficult, he couldn't just turn away. Showing that he was willing to face his father had to count for something?
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"Did it never occur to you to send an owl? You could have been dead for all we knew." Lucius realised Severus had been busy with the full moon, but there was no excuse for Draco. Besides, there had been plenty of opportunity for Severus to tell him that Draco was here.
"You cannot possibly imagine," he said a little louder.
He was annoyed. Once again everything was upside down. Once again he knew nothing of what was happening with his own son. He shook his head, then moved past Draco to leave the room. Lucius refused to be a part of this scene again. He had believed Draco to be in danger, and even then Severus had not shared the information. It was simply too far. And for his part, Draco had not come home, had allowed him to think the worst. He was careless, thoughtless, feckless...
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As they spoke - or didn't speak - Severus watched in silence, unable to defend the boy's actions indefensible actions and unwilling to defend himself, thereby making Draco's situation worse.
But when Lucius made to leave, Severus followed him out the door, closing it softly behind him.
"Lucius, a word," he said firmly.
Now that they were outside of the safety of the silencing wards, he flicked his wand to do a simple Muffliato. Remus, at the base of the stairs, would realise they were speaking, but the spell should be sufficient to jumble the meaning of the words exchanged.
Still, he spoke very quietly.
"Considering our present issue, I did not think it wise to shoo the boy home when I found him within my wards. Nor did I have means by which to contact you, considering my first obligation is to my own household tonight ( ... )
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