Twilight Gardens

His face damp with tears and his brow damp sweat, Severus awoke shivering. He pulled the blanket around himself and snuggled against Lucius, who was still snoozing serenely. Resting his head against Lucius' neck, Severus decided not to mention his dream to anyone. He knew it wouldn't make a difference, anyway.

When Severus left Lucius' bedroom that morning he found Lucius in the Old Man's office busily perusing a cluster of documents. The Old Man's desk was invisible beneath the pile of parchment. Lucius' forehead was creased in frustration and Severus was curious to know what was causing him such stress. After standing patiently waiting for Lucius to greet him or say anything to him, Severus asked, "What are you doing with all these papers?"

"Trying to figure out how I can get my inheritance."

"Oh," Severus nodded. He thought of what Narcissa had said to him at the funeral about Lucius' inheritance. *It can't be true though, Severus told himself, *it's too much like something out of one of those Muggle soap operas.* Severus sat down in front of the Old Man's desk, too afraid to ask Lucius exactly what he meant. *It's none of my business anyway,* noted Severus.

Finally, Lucius sighed, "Well, there's no way around it then. I have to marry an attractive, blond, pureblood witch."

"Why would the Old Man put that in his will?" Severus wondered aloud, still stunned that Narcissa had been so right the day before.

"To encourage me to fulfill my duty of fathering an heir. He must have realized his own mistake of putting it off and decided he should try to prevent me from making the same mistake," guessed Lucius.

"How thoughtful of him."

"Isn't that always the way with parents though?" Lucius mused despondently. "In death he feels inexplicably compelled to try to fix what he's been destroying for the last eighteen years."

Severus didn't respond. Instead, he peered out the window with glassy eyes.