To Eat Death or Not To Eat Death?

Chapter 4: Snape's Beauty Parlor and Bums

Lucius watched Severus as he peered into the telescope. Long dark hair hid part of his face. Lucius noticed how the dim light of a couple candles and some moonlight made Severus look mysterious. Lucius saw something in Severus, or rather Sevvy, that no one else saw. Lucius saw the human lying not far beneath the surface of a hard exterior. Severus was strong. No one knew what he was feeling. They thought he was either angry, annoyed, or both. Lucius knew better. It was all an act. He couldn't let other's know when he was hurt, as Sirius and his little friends often did to him.

Lucius understood completely. He was a Malfoy and that was how he was to be as well. If understood it was him. It was a sign of strength. Do not let your enemies know what you feel, of course unless you're lying. Lucius wasn't nearly as good as Severus. Lucius got angry to quickly and threw prima donna fits, and when Lucius was around Severus he barely tried anymore. Severus on the other hand took a little while before he loosened up. Once he did it was amazing. It was a shame no one else got to know the real him. But that's fine Lucius didn't really want to share any way. Somehow their friendship just clicked. Something more had clicked for Lucius and it was getting harder to ignore. It felt like he had known Severus all his life. Strange they only had been friends a few months.

Severus pulled away from the telescope and took a few notes. He brushed his hair behind his ear. To Lucius he looked beautiful. He was supposed to be doing a plant chart but instead spent his time watching Severus. Lucius tried to blame it on hero worship, but he knew better deep inside.

Lucius hoped to death that he hadn't started becoming noticeable. He didn't want to lose Sevvy's friendship. Severus had made it clear a couple days ago that he did not support any homosexuality, especially with Lucius. Lucius cringed. It wasn't like he was a total pouf. He liked women, he just liked men too. He liked Severus. Lucius knew he carried a certain amount of Nancy boy tendencies but that was really because he was spoiled and rich and had exceptional taste...or at least he hoped that was the reason.

Severus turned back to look at Lucius. He gave a warm smile with a generally puzzled look on his face. He let out a soft laugh.

"Lucius, why are you looking at me like that?"

Lucius was sitting on an old pillow on the wooden floor. His astronomy book was open in his lap and parchment was open on the floor. Lucius's face was propped with one hand, quill in it. Altogether he looked like he was literally staring off into space or like one of his own female admirers. Lucius smiled back.

"Like what Sevvy?"

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Lucius ignored his comment. Severus swirled around on his stool to face Lucius completely. "I don't know you look all spaced out. What were you thinking about? Because from your parchment it hasn't been the skies."

Lucius glanced down at his parchment. There was only two lines written on it, and one was his name. "Hmm, you caught me. I haven't been do planetary charts at all." Lucius racked his brain for something to make a plausible excuse. He very well couldn't tell Severus that he was thinking about him. As Lucius brainstormed he twirled a long strand of his silvery-white hair.

"So what were you thinking about," Severus repeated. "It has to be good for you to be dazed this long."

Suddenly Lucius got a brainwave. "I was thinking...um... Severus, what would you think if I cut my hair?"

Severus burst out laughing so hard he slipped off his stool. Lucius's face took on an annoyed expression. He sat up and crossed his arms.

"What is so funny?"

Severus calmed himself down. "Oh god that was a good one. Lucius if you weren't my friend I'd keep you around because you're so funny." Severus accidentally laughed again.

"What is so funny? I don't see anything funny."

Severus looked at him pouting. "You are what is so funny. I thought you were thinking about a girl or something. You're so vain, Lucius. It struck me as funny." Lucius continued to pout. "Oh come Lucius, lighten up. Cut you're hair if you want. In fact I'll cut it for you if you wipe that horrid look off your face."

At this Lucius perked up. "You'll cut it for me?"

"Well, wasn't serious," Severus stated uneasily.

"Can you though?" Lucius implored.

"Well I have cut my grandfather's hair and I used to do my own, but I don't' know if this is such a great idea."

"Why not? It'll be fun Sevvy."

"Lucius you'll castrate me if I fuck up."

"I trust you Sevvy with more than my hair" Lucius replied.

"Well how much of a cut do you want? A trim? I could deal with that."

"No Sevvy. I want it all off. I give you artistic license to my beautiful head of hair to do with as you see fit."

Severus waved his hands in the air. "No way, now I know this is a bad idea. What if you hate it?"

Lucius shrugged as he gathered their things. "I don't' know I guess I'll just have to kill you."

"You know, I wouldn't put it past you," Severus said wearily as they both exited the room.

~*.*~

An hour and a half later in the Slytherin Prefect's bathroom Severus announced he was finished and turned Lucius around to see his handy work. Severus closed his eyes and braced himself as he waited for the crying and angry shouts to fill the room.

Lucius stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn't believe the transformation in front of him. Before when he looked in the mirror he saw an attractive yet girly looking boy. Now he looked much older. His hair was short in the back but he had bangs in the front that he could tuck behind his ears while a few pieces hung down resting on his forehead. It looked good. He looked sophisticated yet sexy at the same time. Lucius always knew he was good looking, everyone told him so. Girls latched themselves to him. But he never looked like this. He never thought he had sex appeal and all it took was a few snips with the scissors. Severus wasn't just a potions genius, maybe he should be an image consultant, although he didn't do much with himself.

Severus opened one eye. The screaming and crying hadn't ensued yet. Lucius was just staring at himself in the mirror. Maybe he had traumatized him, though he hadn't thought he was that vain.

"I like it," Lucius simply stated.

Severus desperately wanted to let out a big sigh but thought better of it. He looked at the image of Lucius in the mirror. He hadn't actually looked at the full effect. He just had wanted to get the hair even and the shape right. Lucius looked different. He looked older. He looked like he could lead the world just by walking to the room with those silver-gray eyes. Well Lucius was in training to lead masses. He looked sexy...as far as men go, Severus noted to himself. Severus dusted some more hair off Lucius bare shoulder and coughed.

"Thanks Sev. I really like it." Lucius took his eyes off the mirror to look at Severus and smile.

"Well I'm glad you don't have to kill me then."

"Yeah me too," Lucius laughed

*Did his laugh sound different? Wow, I must be really tired. It is late. He's still not wearing a shirt.*

"You ought to put your shirt back on."

"Oh yeah," Lucius mumbled as he put on his shirt and buttoned it. Severus did a quick cleaning spell. He performed one on Lucius to get rid of the unwanted hairs that he didn't brush off.

"You ought to open a shop. You can call it Snape's Beauty Parlor," Lucius drawled with a smirk.

"Um no. They'd take one look at me and go running the other way. The only customers I'd get are you and people that want green Mohawks." Both laughed.

Severus cleared his throat. "If you thought you had a problem of too many ladies before...," he trailed off.

Lucius laughed, "Oh please, no more. Maybe we should give you a hair cut and you can have them."

"Please I wish," Severus looked down at the tile floor. "I'd never look like you. I'm just ugly. Everyone knows that. I got severely beat with the ugly stick or something" Severus looked up again. "Besides, it sounds like torture from the way you speak about it," he joked.

"Don't talk rubbish. I don't think you're ugly, Sevvy. You're not at all. You're masculine. You let Sirius Black get to you to much. And trust me. You don't want to look like me. I look like a white, girly, mouse."

"I'd rather look like a mouse."

"A girly one," Lucius said with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe not a girly one," Severus laughed.

"You know I think I have a tail somewhere back there."

"Get up, let's see," Severus command and motioned for Lucius to turn around with his hand. Lucius got up and did so wiggling his bum.

"Yes most definitely. You do have a rat's tail," he joked. Lucius swatted at him as he walked out the door. Severus took a second look at Lucius's bum as he walked behind him. It didn't go unnoticed how nice it was.

*It's just a nice bum. No harm in noticing a nice bum.*