The Ivory Backbone

Ch. 10: Chain Reaction

It was dinnertime before Dumbledore allowed Severus to leave. By then, Severus could walk, a little. His gait was slow and unsteady as he tried to ignore the pain shooting up his legs. He had to stop twice and take deep breaths to will away the aches. He was very clammy with the exertion by the time he made it to the Great Hall. Lily was sitting at the Slytherin table again. This time, Lucius sat next to her. There was no gaping hole. Now that she had Lucius’ approval, the rest of the table settled in around her. A flash--

"Hey, Mudblood!"

Severus turned slowly to face his tormentor, someone so much bigger than him.

"What you doing in our house, you mutt?"

"I--" Severus started.

"You--?" Crabbe mocked.

"I--I'm not a m-m-mudblood."

"O-o-oh, you're n-n-not?" Goyle teased.

Severus rubbed his forehead gently. The last thing he needed was a slough of memories to sink into. Lucius was taking Lily under his wing. This was not a good thing.

"Sev!" Lily jumped up and ran to him. Severus thought for a moment that she was going to plow into him. She stopped a foot away and gently enfolded him in her arms. Severus sighed and sank into her a bit. "Are you okay? I was so worried."

"I'm fine." He planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't worry about me."

"Let me help you." Lily pulled his arm around her shoulders and helped him to his seat.

"Thank you." Severus didn't want to lean on her, but it made walking so much easier.

"Severus!" Lucius said brightly. "Have a seat."

"Thank you," Severus said quietly. He noted that Narcissa was conspicuously missing. "Where's Narcissa?"

"Her ignorance keeps her from joining us," Lucius smiled a snake-oil smile.

Lily leaned her head on Severus' shoulder and her hand curled into his. "Don't worry about her, Sev. I might get jealous."

Severus also noticed that James Potter and company were missing. He declined to comment on that.

"You should eat something," Lily said.

"You really should." Lucius said, filling Severus' plate.

"I'm not...I'm not hungry."

Severus didn't quite know how it had come to this. When he came to Hogwarts, he had such high hopes. He didn't care that his mother was half-blooded. He never believed that anyone wouldn't respect Grandpa, the famous hunter of Dark beasts. But when Jean-Louis Thibodeaux took a muggle for a wife, many of his contacts stopped giving him information. His clientele dwindled and it forced him into early retirement. But eleven-year-old Severus never knew that. He never thought that his mother was looked down on as a half-blood. And then he had the extreme misfortune of being sorted into Slytherin House, the house of the amateur genealogist.

From the beginning, he was different. Unacceptable. He struggled through flying and breezed through potions. He was teased mercilessly. He took beatings from his housemates who didn't understand HOW he got past the sorting hat. Pain and humiliation and...

And it all stopped with eight little words.

“Hi! My name is Lucius Malfoy! What’s yours?”

Lucius Malfoy. Grandpa spoke of the Malfoys with a quiet reverence. They were royalty among wizards, rich and powerful. Severus knew what a Malfoy was. But seeing one was something entirely different.

Somehow, at the age of eleven, Lucius had cultivated this air of incredible confidence around him. Something inside Lucius glowed, destiny perhaps, and that unnamable thing was so powerfully attractive. He was so painfully nice to Severus. And soon Severus stopped flinching when his housemates passed, and even cultivated a small amount of respect for his abilities. But the years had passed and what had happened? Lucius became a Malfoy, Severus supposed. He became the icon his family worshipped; cold, hard and unfeeling. Somewhere, Lucius had stopped glowing.

And Severus would be damned if he would ruin Lily.

He ate automatically, knowing that Lily would be upset if he didn’t. He thought he tasted chicken, but he was above such trivialities now. Only one thing mattered. He had to get Lucius away from Lily. Permanently away.

He ran his fingers through Lily’s hair. She closed her eyes and smiled. She tilted her lips toward his ear and whispered, “The Fat Lady was quite angry when I came in so late last night. She teased me about you. I had to assure her that my virtue was still intact.” Lily giggled a bit. “I don’t think she likes Slytherins at all.”

Lucius smiled at the two of them. “So, I guess that’s one less final we have to take.”

“That’s a rather cold way to look at it,” Lily said quietly. “A man died. He wasn’t a very nice man, and he deserved to die...but...that’s just a really cold way to look at it.”

“I wish,” Severus said, “that he HAD lived. A life in Azkaban is worse than death-by-shovel.”

“Hear, hear!” Lucius replied. “But last night wasn’t a total loss. Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew are headed for the dungeons tonight!”

“Oh really?” Lily smirked. “And what did that obnoxious prat and his obsequious minions do this time?”

“Set up some sort of trap for me,” Severus said. “Cadogan told me about it.”

“He’s been nothing but trouble for me, too.” Lily snuggled closer to Severus. “If he calls me the ‘whore of Slytherin’ one more time, I’ll kill him.”

“‘Whore of Slytherin?’” Lucius laughed. “I doubt you’ve gotten so far with the--er--‘prude of Slytherin.’”

“This from the ‘pride of Slytherin’ who dates the ‘ride of Slytherin,’” said Severus dryly.

Lily snorted. “That’s not nice, Sev.”

“You laughed,” Lucius pointed out.

“Against my will.”

Lucius smirked.

Dinner was long and leisurely. Lily had a very important Charms assignment due the next day and would have to work on it right after dinner. So she compromised by stretching dinner out as long as she could. This gave Severus more than enough time to work on Lucius. At first he would stare until Lucius looked up, then quickly look away. After that, he “accidentally” brushed Lucius’ hand when he reached for the rolls. He even managed to make himself blush. Twice.

It was almost eight when he kissed Lily goodnight and she left the Great Hall. There weren’t many other people left eating. Now was the time.

“Lucius?”

“Yes.”

“I--I’m still in a lot of pain. It’s hard to walk. I hate to ask.” Severus stared at the table. “But it’s going to be hard to get back to the dorm on my own.”

“I’ll help you.” Lucius’ voice was like silk. He oozed out of his chair and very gently lifted Severus out of his. “And I’ll be very careful.”

Severus shivered, unintentionally. “Merlin’s beard, I hope I can do this.” “Thank you, Lucius.”

Slowly, they made their way down the hall to Slytherin dormitory. Lucius half-carried Severus easily, but Severus’ legs still wouldn’t work the way he wanted them to.

“Let’s stop by the infirmary. I need some Good as New,” Severus whimpered.

Lucius nodded. The infirmary was on the way, anyhow.

When they arrived, Madam Pomfrey made a great show of examining Severus.

“You’re not as bad as I thought you would be,” she finally reported.

“I need some Good as New,” Severus said quietly. “Please.”

“I agree. Here’s a flask of it. Take a swallow every hour or so until bed.” She wrung her hands. “You really should be staying here tonight.”

“I’ll be fine,” Severus said, with a smile. “I’ll sleep better in my own bed, anyways.”

“Hmph. Dumbledore’s orders and all. If it were up to me...” But she didn’t finish that comment.

Their pace quickened with the Good as New. Severus discreetly brushed up against Lucius to check his pocket. He still carried the wand.

Lucius pulled Severus through the door to their dormitory. The stairs were tricky, but at least they didn’t have far to go. Finally, Lucius sat Severus down on his bed.

Severus gave a whimper that he hoped sounded absolutely pathetic.

“What’s wrong?” Lucius asked, his brow knit in concern. “Are you alright?”

“I hurt,” Severus said, allowing weakness to creep into his voice. “Yes...take the bait Lucius, let your hormones be your guide.”

“I...could help that.” Lucius feigned innocence but could not keep the lust completely out of his words. His voice was like crushed velvet.

Severus played dumb. “Could you?” he asked. “Like this morning?”

“More. If you’d let me.” Lucius ran his fingers over Severus’ cheekbone. Severus beautifully repressed the urge to wretch and even managed a coy smile. “Did I pique your curiosity this morning?”

Severus closed his eyes. This would be easier if he didn’t have to look at Lucius, whose hands were slipping down the collar of his school robes. “I...” he said hesitantly. “It did feel good.”

“Yes...”

Lucius was quite engrossed in undoing the clasps on Severus’ robes. Here was his chance, before Lucius got any more ideas. Severus casually slid his arm around Lucius’ waist and found the wand pocket. Slowly, he eased the wand out of Lucius’ loose robes. Lucius didn’t feel a thing. Severus tossed the wand onto a pile of parchment under his bed.

Lucius gently lowered Severus to the bed and the look of abject terror in Severus’ eyes was quite real. “Lucius...just a massage, okay?”

Lucius smirked. “Why won’t you let me ease your pain, Sev? I could relax all this tension...I could do the most wonderful things...” Lucius lowered his lips to Severus’ ear and whispered, “I could make you forget Lily Evans forever.”

Severus felt panic rising into his throat. Every other Slytherin was in the common room discussing the sudden departure of Sullivan. Even if someone were to walk in, no Slytherin would dare cross Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius untied the curtains around Severus’ bed and closed them. Severus was still weak from Sullivan and now paralyzed with fear. So much for his great scheme.

Lucius sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers down Severus’ back. They were like this for quite some time. “I can’t,” he said finally. “You really don’t want this, do you?”

Severus shook his head no. “I’m sorry,” he said, trying to sound sincere.

“Congratulations, Severus. You’re the first person who has ever consistently turned me down.” Lucius stopped stroking Severus’ back and turned him over. His hands shook as he redid all of the silver clasps on Severus’ robes. “I respect you for that. It shows a strength of character, I suppose. Either that, or a strange aversion to getting laid.”

“Why don’t you go play with Narcissa?” Severus suggested.

“I tried...last night...” Lucius held his face in his hands. “I swear, if you ever tell anybody this...I’ll wait for the bloody potion to wear off and I’ll disembowel you with a spoon. I tried, and Narcissa was perfect...Gods, what a body. I wanted the release...but I didn’t want her...and I couldn’t--well--get it up.”

Severus nodded. “Oh...The potion?”

“OF COURSE the bloody potion! What?! Do you think I’ve had this trouble before?! For Narcissa, who is definitely more attractive, it just lays there. But with you; skinny, pale, greasy-skinned little you, it jumps up like Jesus Christ on a pogo stick and there’s nothing I can do about it!”

Severus kept a perfect mask of compassion on the outside, but inside, he was rolling with laughter. Now that he knew he was out of danger, he enjoyed Lucius’ predicament. That also explained why Narcissa wasn’t at dinner.

“I’m going downstairs,” Lucius said in disgust as he adjusted his robes. “Get some sleep. I’m going to try and find Narcissa while I still can.”

Severus pretended to cuddle up under the blankets and close his eyes. He waited until Lucius’ voice joined the din downstairs before he retrieved the wand from under his bed. He pulled out his own wand and felt a rush of giddiness. He was about to embark on a great adventure, probably greater than his werewolf hunt and it all began here. He laid a Hermit’s Charm around his bed. Anybody who went looking for him in bed would suddenly decide not to disturb him. He took a long swig of Good as New. Then he went to Lucius’ trunk.

“Alohomora!” The lock popped open. Severus picked through the piles of clean socks and underwear to the item he needed. Cadogan had taken it after the Splinching, but Severus knew that Lucius was resourceful enough to get it back. There it was, on the bottom, a cloak that shimmered silver in the shaft of pale moonlight that fell on the trunk. Severus pulled it on and watched his body disappear.

It was the simplest of matters to slip out of the dormitory. He waited very patiently in the common room for someone (in this case, Goyle) to leave the common room and slipped out with him. He headed toward the painting of the Fat Lady, where Lily had told him her dorm was.

It took him a long time to find the Fat Lady. Some of the paintings were quite helpful, especially when he pretended to be James Potter. They were used to Potter and his friends sneaking about unseen. He found the Fat Lady at 9:25. Potter and his friends had detention at ten.

The Fat Lady swung open at 10:32. Potter lead, followed by Lupin and then Pettigrew.

“I still don’t understand what she sees in him,” Potter said loudly. “He’s a Slytherin. And an ugly one. If it were Malfoy, maybe I could understand. But Snape? The guy’s a walking greaseball.”

“Let it go, James,” Lupin said. “I’m sick of it.”

Pettigrew mumbled something as they passed Severus in the hall. In a single fluid motion, Severus reached out and grabbed Pettigrew and forced him under the cloak. He kept his hand clamped over Peter’s mouth, but the boy’s squeaks wouldn’t have attracted much attention. Potter was raging at Lupin for daring to cross him.

Severus pulled Lucius’ wand out of his left pocket and pointed it into Peter’s back. “Imperio.”

Pettigrew’s meager willpower crumbled. “Yes, Master?”

Severus steadied his voice into Lucius’ silky tone. “Kill Dumbledore, Peter Pettigrew.” The next part would be hard, after his recent experience. “Kill him for the Dark Lord.”

“Yes, Master.” The boy’s watery eyes were clear and full of rage as he left the confines of Lucius’ cloak.

Severus watched Pettigrew walk with purpose to Dumbledore’s office. Now, for Cadogan’s part in all of this.

Severus walked with haste to Cadogan’s dungeon. He passed Lupin and Potter, who were now arguing over where Peter had gotten to. Cadogan and Filch were checking their equipment for Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew. A pile of chains sat in the corner...perfect. Severus stood up and kicked the pile. Lucius never was terribly careful when he was invisible.

Cadogan startled. “Who’s there?”

Severus muttered an expletive under his breath. Just as Lucius would.

“Who is it?” Filch asked. “Peeves, I swear I’ll...”
Cadogan started walking toward the corner, waving his lantern like a talisman. “Potter? If it’s you under that derned cloak of yours...”

Severus darted away from Cadogan. He scraped his feet when he ran, creating noise that Cadogan and Filch could follow. Cadogan and Filch swung their arms out clumsily to snag the invisible presence. Cadogan finally started fumbling with his wand. Severus turned around and aimed Lucius’ wand.

He whispered the jelly-legs curse and watched them fall all over themselves. Cadogan tried to pull himself up on a set of shelves, but the whole thing crashed down on them, including about fifteen racks of various potions Severus had made for them. They began to sprout the foulest boils and tentacles. Their screams rang out louder and stronger than any Kyle Klingerman ever produced.

Severus was back at the door to Slytherin dormitory before Goyle was back with his midnight snack. He slipped into the common room when Goyle opened the door. Then he climbed the stairs, and slid open the door to the dormitory. He folded up the cloak and replaced it in Lucius’ trunk, trying to make everything look as undisturbed as possible. He set Lucius’ wand on his bedside table, where Lucius himself normally laid it. Finally, Severus finished off the Good as New and crawled into bed, exhausted.

He woke up very late the next morning. Classes had been cancelled unexpectedly for the second day in a row. Lucius had his dominos out. He was trying to set up a figure eight. Lucius had very steady hands when it came to dominos. A steady hand that seemed to vanish in potions, leading to horrible wastefulness. Lucius looked up when Severus pulled his curtains apart.

“Hey, Sev.” Lucius smiled weakly. “Class was cancelled...there was another attack...on Dumbledore...”

Severus feigned shock. “Really? Who?”

“Peter Pettigrew.”

“Pettigrew? I didn’t think he was a Death Eater.”

“He’s not. There was word at breakfast that...he was under the influence of Imperio. He hasn’t given up any names. But...” Lucius took a deep breath. “But they’re checking students for the Dark Mark.”

“Oh no!” Severus was genuinely upset. He didn’t want Lucius to go to Azkaban. The Juvenile Offender’s Act would have to save him. But Severus already doubted whether such an act would save a Death Eater.

“They’re doing it in alphabetical order. They’re on the K’s.”

Narcissa burst into the room. “They got Klingerman!”

“Kyle? Fat little Kyle?” Lucius cocked his head in confusion. “But he’s not--”

“No. He’s not.” Narcissa noticed that Severus was awake and smiled wickedly at him. She walked over to his bed with a gentle sway to her hips and sat down. “So good to see you, Severus. Hope you’re feeling better.”

“I am, thank you.” Severus didn’t know what was wrong with her and didn’t really want to find out.

“I want to thank you...” She took his hands in hers and lowered her voice to a velvety whisper. “I had the most wonderful time last night...and Lucius said it was you that inspired him...”

“No problem,” Severus said flatly, pulling his hands away. She sounded way too much like Lucius.

Lucius would have shot a leer at them, but he was sick with worry. “I don’t know...what I’m going to do...”

Narcissa walked back to him and folded him up in her arms. Slowly, they sank to his bed. “They wouldn’t dare put you in Azkaban, darling,” Narcissa cooed. “Your father pays half those Aurors’ salaries in his taxes.”

Lucius shuddered in Narcissa’s arms, and cried into her breasts. She rocked him, making little reassuring noises until he collected himself. “It’s not fair.”

Severus couldn’t help but think that it was really perfectly fair, but he kept his face sympathetic and his mouth shut.

Two hours passed before Dumbledore’s magically amplified voice called for the M’s. Lucius’ face was a mask of stone by that point. His back was straight as he stood up.

He stared at the almost-finished figure eight on his bedside tables. He picked up the last domino and put it in place. Then, with a steady hand, he knocked the first domino down. He waited for the pattern to finish before leaving the dormitory. Steady of pace and cold as ice, he walked to the infirmary, leaving Narcissa quietly weeping on his bed.

Severus walked to the bedside table and looked down at the dominos. He couldn’t help but think that he was one of them. One of Lucius’ dominos, a plaything to set up and knock down. Then, it occurred to Severus that a line of dominos that’s been knocked down bore a strange resemblance to a column of vertebrae. Severus laughed and Narcissa glared at him for it, but he didn’t care. He had built his spine out of dominos. Love potions and scheming and plotting had grown him a backbone. An ivory backbone.