A Seventh Year Scene
He ran a long slender finger along her jaw line and studied her
intently. His depthless eyes penetrated where she did not wish him to see. But
she could not stop him. He had her pinned against the wall. He was strong. Surprisingly
strong. She had gasped when he’d grabbed her and shoved her against it.
“Lovely. Such a lovely creature… Do
I frighten you, lovely one?”
She narrowed her eyes, “No. Why
should I fear you? You are nothing to me.”
“I see the lies in your eyes, witch.
Do not lie to me. You have never liked me when I am angry.” His finger
was now tracing around her lips.
She tried to reach her wand.
He gripped her arm, “None of that,
girl. I’ve let you run from me for too long. You will not walk away from me tonight.”
“I will not stay either, Lucius. You
will have to kill me first.”
He narrowed his eyes, “Do you really
know so little? I shall have what I want of you tonight, willingly or not.”
“No you won’t. Cructatius and
Imperius don’t work on me, Lucius. You should know that by now. The only way
you will destroy me is with Avada Kedavra. The sooner you finish me, the sooner
we can stop this pathetic banter.”
Lucius did not receive a chance to
answer.
“You will not touch her for a moment
longer, Lucius. Step away.”
“Severus! No!”
“Silence, foolish woman! Lucius, I’m
warning you…”
“Severus, old friend, you wouldn’t
risk so much over such a trifle, would you? She is hardly worth it.”
“She is much more than she seems,
Lucius. Release her to me and I shall let you live another day.”
Lucius laughed, “You? You
will let me live? Severus, I don’t think you’ve got quite a grasp on the
situation…”
“No, I believe you don’t
understand the situation, friend. Draco!”
A young, pale, blond wizard stepped
out of the shadows, wand pointed steadily at Lucius. “Father.”
“Draco, put that away this instant!”
“No, Father. I can’t do that. Let
them go. We have things to discuss, Father.”
“Boy, I don’t know what you think
you’re playing at, but I swear—”
“Swear all you want, Father, but I
cannot go back. I will not. Voldemort is wrong. You are wrong. Let them
go. Now.”
Lucius gaped at his son. The boy had
never, in all his seventeen years, stood up to his father. Lucius was shocked.
Draco had never interrupted him mid-sentence. And the boy had never had such a
mastery of Lucius’s own manipulative, soft voice.
“I know what you are thinking.
Again, Father, you are wrong. I did not learn it from you. I have had far
better teachers, two of which stand before you now. Release her, or I will kill
you, Father.”
“You? You kill me? Boy, I don’t know
what sort of thoughts these mudblood-loving fools have made you believe, but
surely you don’t think that you are capable of killing me!”
“They never asked me to, I volunteered.
You are going to pay, Father.”
Lucius was enraged, he flung the
woman aside and whirled on his son, wand pointed straight at the boy.
Severus calmly lifted the woman to
her feet and pulled her away from the Malfoys.
“Severus! We can’t let him do this!
Lucius will kill him!”
“No, love, he won’t. Draco has been
preparing for this day for a very long time. It has nothing to do with Hogwarts
or purebloods or anything else. It has everything to do with Draco discovering
the truth of what his father is. What his father nearly forced him to become.”
She fell against him, tears stinging
her eyes, “I know, Severus, but… I can’t lose him… I… he… oh, Draco!”
He held her tightly to him, gently.
So gently! None of his students would ever believe he could be so gentle. She
clung to him. It was all she could do. Her strength was gone.
Severus didn’t mind at all. He had
loved her all his life, though he’d never admitted it. His feelings for her
were so deeply ingrained in him, that love seemed too trivial a word to place
on them. He held her close and let her weep. He pulled her farther from Lucius
and Draco as the father and son took the combative stance of a duel.
This duel would be nothing like
Draco’s first had been. His opponent was far more formidable than Harry Potter.
And this fight would be to the death.
Draco was well aware of all of this,
but he refused to think of it. Now was not the time to second-guess his choice.
There was no chance to go back, not that he wanted to. His father had become the
one person he hated most in all the world. Unfortunately, he was still the one
person Draco feared most as well. He fell into the combat stance that was
second nature and narrowed his eyes at his father. His opponent. He struck
first.
Lucius easily blocked Draco’s first
spell, but was unprepared for his son’s speed. Draco’s second curse struck its
mark. Lucius quickly countered, perhaps too lightly, still not believing that
his son would aim to kill. Draco blocked and countered. He again struck home. Lucius
felt pain shoot through him, but ignored it. He blasted back and hit Draco. The
boy faltered, but refused to fall. He cast another curse and another; carefully
calculating the few openings Lucius gave him.
Soon, Draco was on his knees, pain
wrenching through him, but sheer determination drove him. He had to win. There
was no other option.
Lucius, too, was on his knees,
amazed at the pain. He had underestimated his son, and he knew it would be his
downfall. The boy had surpassed his father at last. Lucius felt a cruel smirk
curl on his lips. He knew that he would not walk away from this duel, but he
was determined to take his heir with him. This time, he will follow me. This
time, he will bend to my will. He will be mine again.
As Lucius fell, the fatal blow
reaching him at last, he cast one last curse through his strangled throat.
Draco fell, a scream escaping his
lips.
Severus could not hold her. She
cried out as she heard the boy and ran to him. “Draco! Oh, please, Draco…” She
pulled him off the ground and into her lap. She wept over him, and held him
close, whispering to him desperately.
“Stop. I’m all right. I’ve done it.
At last. Please, don’t cry. Don’t be sad…”
“Draco! Please, don’t talk like
that! You’re going to be fine! You’re going to… Draco, please, don’t leave me!”
“I won’t. I’m fine… really, just…”
Severus didn’t speak. He didn’t need
to. He simply knelt down and, pulling a small phial from within his robes,
gripped the boy’s head. He tilted Draco’s head back and poured the liquid down
his throat. Draco went still.
“Severus! No! Draco! Please!”
“He’s fine. He is not dead. That
potion is very powerful. He will live, but now, he must sleep.”
“Severus, are you sure? He’s so…
pale, so still!”
“Yes, but he won’t be forever. Don’t
worry. Please.”
She looked at him, his choked voice
tugging at her heart. “Severus? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m fine. He’ll be fine.
Everyone and everything is bloody fine!” He said, standing and brushing off his
robes. He began stalking away.
“Severus! Don’t go! Don’t leave me!”
He froze. She was unaware of the
power she held over him, “What?” He coated his voice with impatience, quickly
hiding behind his well-crafted mask.
“Please, don’t go… Severus, I need
you… I…”
He wasn’t sure, but he felt something more lurking beneath her words. It terrified him, but he could not leave her. He stayed exactly where he was and did not move at all.
“Severus… Gods, Severus! I love you.
Bloody bastard.”
He turned to face her.
She looked up at him, her soul laid
bare before him. She wasn’t lying to him. She was offering him the one thing he
had always craved.
“Narcissa… I…”
“I know, Severus. I’ve always known.
Longer than even you did. I made a terrible mistake, but I was scared and I
thought… Gods, I thought he was the safe choice… I was an idiot. I admit
it. But now… Severus, I don’t want to hide any more. And neither should you.
We’re free, Severus. Everyone is free. Even me. Even you.”
Free? He didn’t believe it.
He couldn’t. He’d never been free. There had always been someone. Father.
Lucius. Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore. And… No, he still wasn’t free. He still
belonged to someone. There was one person who still owned him, mind, body,
heart, and soul. He would never be free, not of her.
And he would never dream of it. He
didn’t mind belonging to her. Narcissa. She was the only one he’d ever wanted
to belong to, and now, she was claiming him.
“Severus. Please. Say something.”
“Something.”
She laughed, “All your wit gone? How
shameful, Severus. You’re at a loss for words. Never thought such a day would
come. I love you, Severus. Merlin help me, but I do. Don’t you have something
to say to that? Some witty retort to put me in my place?”
“It’s not worth it.”
“Bollocks, Severus. Fine. Hide. Go
right ahead. I don’t give a damn anymore. I love you. But you’re going to have
to do something about it. I’m not doing a damn thing. I’m not lifting a damn
finger for you, Severus Snape.”
There was a very long pause.
“We should take him to Poppy.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and
studied him for a moment. “All right.”