The afternoon breeze rustles through Malfoy's hair, whipping it into his face as he stands on his balcony, looking out over his vast estate. How much does this mean to him? Two days ago, he would have said 'everything', but now, he's wondering just how much it's all worth. He thinks of the tiny house and the tiny pond, and how happy Snape was, how happy Elsbet was...could he be happy with less? He walks to the other end of the balcony, smiling when he sees his white peacocks. Gods, he loves those things. How would they look with the little pond? Sighing deeply he turns to walk back into the house.
Feeling peckish, he thinks about a light lunch, and decides to have it in the study. He doesn't make it. "Lucius," he hears from the stairway, "you were in very late last night..." he takes a deep breath and thinks of what to say to her. "Yes, I had business to take care of." He hears a footstep on the stairs. "Something you can't tell your wife about?" He bites his lip, and before he says anything, she asks, "who were you with, Lucius? Will you please tell me that, at least? Bella thinks--" he interrupts her, trying not to sound irritated. "I was with Severus, Narcissa." He looks back at her and sees the relief on her face, then decides he'd best put on a good show.
He turns and heads down the stairs toward her and asks, "really, Cissy, who else would I be with?" She looks down for just a moment, then up to his eyes. "I'm sorry, Lucius...Bella was just...being silly." He takes her hand, wishing it was Snape's, and can't help but chuckle at himself. "She thought you were seeing another witch." Ah, now he has to laugh, but Narcissa doesn't find it funny. "Cissy, Bella sees conspiricies everywhere she looks." They reach the dining room and Narcissa says, "she said you'd say that." They stop and he faces her. "What do you want me to tell you?" She looks into those grey eyes and reaches for his other hand. "That you still love me," she says softly, and he forces himself to smile.
He doesn't get the chance to reply. "Of course dear Lucius still loves you," Rastaban says loudly, almost tauntingly, as he walks down into the dining room from the other entrance. "You look like you need a shave, Lucius," he says as he comes closer to them. "You have any business to attend to tonight? I understand we're having company..." Rastaban smirks as he walks passed them, and Lucius doesn't know how much more of this he can take. He leaves Narcissa there, her question unanswered, and heads to the kitchen, simply because he knows it's the one place in the grand house besides his private room where he's unlikely to be bothered by anyone.
~*~
Snape sits quietly at his desk, going over the day's reports of student misconduct. He has decidedly mixed feelings about all of it. On the one hand, some of the students show amazing courage; he has come to expect it from several of them, but he has to admit he is surprised by one or two. They're going to need that courage to see them through. On the other hand, these are just children! Children should never be placed in situations such as these. He looks over the reports again and gives a soft, mirthful snort. "Something amuses you, Severus?" Dumbledore asks him over his shoulder and he tells the Elder wizard what Neville Longbottom was alleged to have done. "He has developed considerable intestinal fortitude," Snape says.
Dumbledore nods and smiles knowingly. "You forced him to do so, Severus. You were always very hard on the boy." Before Phineas Nigellus can interject anything about anything, Dumbledore continues as Snape turns to face him. "They do not understand it now, of course, but you have helped them more than they realize." Snape inclines his head. "By being hard on them, Severus, you made them stronger." Dumbledore's eyes twinkle from behind his specticles and Snape looks away. He can not help but think of Harry, and hope the boy is safe, wherever he is. But how safe can he be? Snape wishes he could risk a night flight, but he knows it's just too dangerous. Besides, the trio could be anywhere.
He turns back to the desk as someone requests entry. It's McGonagall, Snape knows, and he tells her to come in. She looks...unsettled, and that's never good. "More disobedience, Minerva?" He smirks, but only until she hands him the small scrap of parchment. "Not quite, Headmaster," she says as though she hates to say the word. "It was delivered by raven, Severus...what does it mean?" He recognizes the handwriting, and it's not from whom he expects it to be. "It means I will be leaving again tonight, Minerva. In fact, as soon as possible." She nods and takes note of Dumbledore's look of concern. She wants to know more but dares not ask; the Headmaster's business is the Headmaster's business, and if he wishes to enlighten her, she knows he will.
Snape thanks her and she gives a nod, then promptly leaves. As soon as she does, Phineas Nigellus and Dumbledore both ask him what has happened. He gives them just a flick of his head in answer, mastering all of his self-control to keep himself calm, to keep his heart from racing. The message is simple: Come to the dojo, but he can not help but worry. The last time he received something like this, Elsbet had been seriously injured. Serious enough to make him fear he was going to lose her. Dilys Derwent asks from her portrait, "is it your friend, Severus? Is she alright?" Hurriedly he packs a few things in his travel bag and tells her quietly that he doesn't know.
"If it is necessary, Severus, a room can be arranged for her at St. Mungo's, we've cared for Muggles before," she tells him kindly, and he nods. "I thank you, Dilys, but I sincerely hope it will not be not necessary." He shoulders the bag, puts on his travelling cloak, then steadies himself as he heads out of his office. As soon as he's out, he hears glass breaking, Peeves cackling merrily and Amycus shouting at him, and he has to give McGonagall credit; she does know how to create a diversion. He slips out of the castle unnoticed, heads without delay toward Hogsmede, then Disapparates once outside Hogwarts boundary.
Feeling peckish, he thinks about a light lunch, and decides to have it in the study. He doesn't make it. "Lucius," he hears from the stairway, "you were in very late last night..." he takes a deep breath and thinks of what to say to her. "Yes, I had business to take care of." He hears a footstep on the stairs. "Something you can't tell your wife about?" He bites his lip, and before he says anything, she asks, "who were you with, Lucius? Will you please tell me that, at least? Bella thinks--" he interrupts her, trying not to sound irritated. "I was with Severus, Narcissa." He looks back at her and sees the relief on her face, then decides he'd best put on a good show.
He turns and heads down the stairs toward her and asks, "really, Cissy, who else would I be with?" She looks down for just a moment, then up to his eyes. "I'm sorry, Lucius...Bella was just...being silly." He takes her hand, wishing it was Snape's, and can't help but chuckle at himself. "She thought you were seeing another witch." Ah, now he has to laugh, but Narcissa doesn't find it funny. "Cissy, Bella sees conspiricies everywhere she looks." They reach the dining room and Narcissa says, "she said you'd say that." They stop and he faces her. "What do you want me to tell you?" She looks into those grey eyes and reaches for his other hand. "That you still love me," she says softly, and he forces himself to smile.
He doesn't get the chance to reply. "Of course dear Lucius still loves you," Rastaban says loudly, almost tauntingly, as he walks down into the dining room from the other entrance. "You look like you need a shave, Lucius," he says as he comes closer to them. "You have any business to attend to tonight? I understand we're having company..." Rastaban smirks as he walks passed them, and Lucius doesn't know how much more of this he can take. He leaves Narcissa there, her question unanswered, and heads to the kitchen, simply because he knows it's the one place in the grand house besides his private room where he's unlikely to be bothered by anyone.
~*~
Snape sits quietly at his desk, going over the day's reports of student misconduct. He has decidedly mixed feelings about all of it. On the one hand, some of the students show amazing courage; he has come to expect it from several of them, but he has to admit he is surprised by one or two. They're going to need that courage to see them through. On the other hand, these are just children! Children should never be placed in situations such as these. He looks over the reports again and gives a soft, mirthful snort. "Something amuses you, Severus?" Dumbledore asks him over his shoulder and he tells the Elder wizard what Neville Longbottom was alleged to have done. "He has developed considerable intestinal fortitude," Snape says.
Dumbledore nods and smiles knowingly. "You forced him to do so, Severus. You were always very hard on the boy." Before Phineas Nigellus can interject anything about anything, Dumbledore continues as Snape turns to face him. "They do not understand it now, of course, but you have helped them more than they realize." Snape inclines his head. "By being hard on them, Severus, you made them stronger." Dumbledore's eyes twinkle from behind his specticles and Snape looks away. He can not help but think of Harry, and hope the boy is safe, wherever he is. But how safe can he be? Snape wishes he could risk a night flight, but he knows it's just too dangerous. Besides, the trio could be anywhere.
He turns back to the desk as someone requests entry. It's McGonagall, Snape knows, and he tells her to come in. She looks...unsettled, and that's never good. "More disobedience, Minerva?" He smirks, but only until she hands him the small scrap of parchment. "Not quite, Headmaster," she says as though she hates to say the word. "It was delivered by raven, Severus...what does it mean?" He recognizes the handwriting, and it's not from whom he expects it to be. "It means I will be leaving again tonight, Minerva. In fact, as soon as possible." She nods and takes note of Dumbledore's look of concern. She wants to know more but dares not ask; the Headmaster's business is the Headmaster's business, and if he wishes to enlighten her, she knows he will.
Snape thanks her and she gives a nod, then promptly leaves. As soon as she does, Phineas Nigellus and Dumbledore both ask him what has happened. He gives them just a flick of his head in answer, mastering all of his self-control to keep himself calm, to keep his heart from racing. The message is simple: Come to the dojo, but he can not help but worry. The last time he received something like this, Elsbet had been seriously injured. Serious enough to make him fear he was going to lose her. Dilys Derwent asks from her portrait, "is it your friend, Severus? Is she alright?" Hurriedly he packs a few things in his travel bag and tells her quietly that he doesn't know.
"If it is necessary, Severus, a room can be arranged for her at St. Mungo's, we've cared for Muggles before," she tells him kindly, and he nods. "I thank you, Dilys, but I sincerely hope it will not be not necessary." He shoulders the bag, puts on his travelling cloak, then steadies himself as he heads out of his office. As soon as he's out, he hears glass breaking, Peeves cackling merrily and Amycus shouting at him, and he has to give McGonagall credit; she does know how to create a diversion. He slips out of the castle unnoticed, heads without delay toward Hogsmede, then Disapparates once outside Hogwarts boundary.