A Cloud Before the Moon

Chapter 7

By the time Severus arrived home, the house was dark and quiet. When he softly rapped at the door, the house-elf came to let him in. "Master Severus," she squealed, "you looks happy!"

"I am." He flashed a smile at the house-elf, which broadened as he regarded her utter astonishment.

"Then, I is happy too, sir." She lowered her voice. "But sir, bestest not to look too happy."

He frowned at her, puzzled. "Why not?"

"Master Lucius is here to see you, and he be's mad for waiting so long. He will be to wondering why you looks so cheerful, sir."

"Good point." It was an event worth noting, when the expression on the face of young Snape could be described as 'cheerful.' He stood up a bit straighter, wiped the smile off his face and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Walking into the parlor, he was equally careful to keep any signs of unease out of his face, while he wondered what had brought Lucius over at this hour.

"Late evening, Severus?" asked Malfoy in a soft drawl. Severus turned around. "Your little friend again? She's a bit - immature - but some are partial to the taste of spring's greenest fruit."

"No, no," he cut in with alarm, his poise instantly shattered. "That is not - I never - that is . . ."

Lucius smiled at him curiously. "Far be it from me to judge you." He stepped closer. "Tell me, then," he said in a conspiratorial tone, "how do you spend your time with that girl?"

Severus shifted uncomfortably. He had no desire to explain to Malfoy about his friendship with Letha. It was unfortunate that Lucius had run into the two of them together, but, no doubt, he'd have already known. Lucius' appearance at such an inopportune moment had not been a coincidence; of this he was certain. Now here he was demanding details. As much as he might like to do so, it never would have occurred to Severus to tell Lucius Malfoy to bugger off. "I suppose we - mostly - we talk," he answered awkwardly.

"You talk?" Lucius lifted his hand and placed it on the back of Severus' neck. He ran his tapered fingers softly down the younger boy's neck and shoulders. Severus swallowed hard as the fingers crept across to the front of his throat. "What on earth could the two of you have to talk about?"

Severus wracked his mind for a satisfactory answer, but words seemed to elude him. Lucius seemed terribly amused, and brought his face very close to his. Severus faced a pair of hooded, languorous eyes. "Does she ever talk about her parents?"

"N-no, I do not recall..."

"A young girl, and she never talks about her family?" A finger traced a slow outline over Severus' lips.

"Only her grandmother." He took a deep breath, adding "I've been to her grandmother's house." Damn! he thought. Damn! Why did you tell him?

"Really?" Lucius' eyebrows rose slightly. "Why on earth...? No, don't tell me. That must have been an unusual experience, I would think."

It was always difficult to maintain his composure around Lucius Malfoy. "It was. Very unusual."

Lucius smiled his lips near Severus'. "Anything you think I should know about?"

Severus closed his eyes and caught his breath. He thought about the delicious food. Lucius doesn't want to hear about food. He thought about the paintings. Lucius doesn't want to hear about paintings. He thought about the Muggle woman with the strange way of speaking. Funny about that one. Very unusual. The fingers on his face had a hypnotic effect on him. "She lives with another woman. I think they are lovers," he blurted out.

"How bizarre!"

"And," Severus wet his lips, which felt cold and dry. "The other woman is a Muggle."

Lucius took his hand away and stepped back, smiling oddly. The spell broken, clarity of thought returned. Severus felt ill. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause trouble for Letha or her family.

". . . Prepared the potion?"

Severus looked up and realized Lucius had been asking him a question. "Excuse me?"

Lucius regarded him curiously. "Unusual behavior seems to be prevalent tonight. I've never known you to be absent-minded."

The subject of Malfoy's query became apparent to him. "I am not certain I can produce an effective Veritaserum that will overcome the effects of a good mind-clarifying draft."

"Perhaps it might have helped if you had actually been working on it."

He met Lucius' eyes, and this time, his own black eyes carefully revealed nothing. "I have been doing that, Lucius."

Lucius frowned at him. "Really? The only cauldron I found sitting in your charming workroom had some sort of colorful residue in it; it certainly looks nothing like what I asked you for. What were you so busy with?"

He tried to keep the panic out of his voice. "It was nothing really - just," he thought quickly, "something slippery to toss in the path of your comrades Crabbe and Goyle, next time they stop by to make my life a living hell."

Malfoy shrugged. "I didn't know they were bothering you."

No, of course you didn't, Severus thought. It comes as a real shock to you, doesn't it?

"Why didn't you simply ask me to talk to them? You know I'm always here to help. Really, if you need anything, please let me know. Father does have such a high opinion of you; I know you would hate to disappoint him."

Severus nodded glumly, and Lucius silently took his leave. He would have preferred engaging in physical combat with the Trolls to wrestling with his own feelings about Lucius Malfoy. Again and again, he found himself losing his sense of self in Lucius' presence. He was not sure if what he felt uppermost was hatred or love, admiration or fear, or some grotesque combination. In some ways, it seemed that his feelings, whatever they might be, really had nothing to do with it at all. He did know that he had better do as Lucius had asked. He also knew that he had probably made a serious blunder by talking about Letha and her grandmother. Why had she befriended him? Why had she invited him into her grandmother's home? She knew perfectly well what sort of person he was, who his friends were. Why had she trusted him? It was her fault, really; didn't she know that one's private family matters should be kept private? Why did things have to be so complicated?