A Wizard's Debt

Hermione.



“It must be a desperate situation for you to turn to Fire whiskey.” Drawled a familiar voice from the fireplace, I was just more used to that voice throwing hexes and curses.



“Lucius, my friend – what brings you to my floo?” Severus said taking my hand in reassurance as the senior Malfoy entered the room. “And you know I do not enjoy alcohol, it is apple juice.”



“Indeed. Miss Granger, what are you doing here?” he asked, looking down his sharp nose at me; I gripped Severus’s hand tighter as I answered.



“I was talking with Severus.” I said, my voice not trembling, unlike my hands.



The blonde raised one gold eyebrow before saying, “Indeed, well run along little girl, I need to speak to your professor.”



“He is no longer my professor, and neither am I a little girl!” I said firmly, managing to hold back the snapping tone I wanted to use.



“Whatever you are, and however you see Severus is not my concern, leave so I can speak with him.” He said with a sneer.



“Luicus. You were raised to have better manners than that – use them.” Severus said in warning, I half expected the words to be followed with a ‘ten points from Slytherin’ or ‘that will be a month’s detention’.



“She is nothing more than a girl, and a mu…”



“Finish that sentence, Lucius, and I will forget you are my closest and dearest friend.” Severus growled, Hermes fluttering to the other side of the room to his stand. “Lucius, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Hermione Jane Granger, and the future Mrs. Snape.” He said calmly, gently tugging my hand from the sofa and showing the beautiful ring on my left hand.



“You jest.” Lucius said with a sly grin.



“I do not. We are going to wed, as demanded by the marriage law that was recently passed; the wedding will be before the month end.”



“You have run mad.” He answered, sitting in a wing-backed chair that suddenly appeared opposite the sofa.



“I’m getting rather insulted with what you are saying!” I said to Malfoy.



“I do apologise.” He said without sincerity.



“Like. You. Mean. It. Lucius.” Severus warned, pulling his wand from his robes in a blink of an eye and aiming at the other man.



“You are serious?” he blinked in shock, “Well, please accept my apology, Miss Granger.” He said with a small bow.



“Better.” Severus said, once again taking my shaking hand in his to hide the trembles, he had taught me that showing any weakness in front of a Slytherin would lead to exploitation; and he hid my fear in large, warm hands. “Why are you here, Lucius?”



“I know you know where he is, tell me.” He said angrily.



“Yes, I know exactly where he is; and as I have told you before, I am unable to speak of it as I am not their secret keeper!”



“So its true?” I asked, faking ignorance of the fact that I know exactly where they are as their secret keeper, “Draco really did marry Oliver Wood?! Poor Oliver, Draco was a little pain in the backside through school. A real brat.” I deserve an Oscar for this performance.



“Yes, my son did indeed wed another male – which is why I need to see him!” Lucius said, staring into Severus’s eyes.



“Get out of my head, Lucius, you won’t find it in there due to me not being their secret keeper. You can calm down before you see them, if you go now you’ll end up in Azkaban for cursing them!”



“It is an abomination! Malfoys are not lovers of men!” he hissed.



“The youngest, and incidentally last Malfoy, most certainly is – and you cannot change that. Accept him as he is and cease pressuring him to marry and Father children to continue the name. He is happy, they are happy, leave them be.”



“I didn’t realise the magical world was so homophobic!” I said, genuinely shocked by Lucius’s behaviour.



“It isn’t, generally, but Luicus may be an exception.” Severus said, rubbing the pad of his thumb against the back of my hand.



“I am in the room, you may recall.” He said sarcastically. “Do you really intend on wedding this… child… before the month end?”



“She is no child, and yes, we will be wed.” he replied calmly.



“Ah – and you would know?” he grinned slyly. Severus looked unimpressed.



“I didn’t get that.” I said quietly, looking to my fiancé. Goodness, I’m engaged! Oh my.



“What I mean to say is…” Luicus began before Severus cut him off.



“Choose. Your. Words. With. Care.” Severus hissed from beside me.



“I am not so tactless, Severus. You wound me with your words…”



“I will wound you with sharp, pointy objects in a moment.” He mumbled back.



“What I mean to say, Miss Granger, is the reason my dear friend says you are not a child may be due to the fact that he has made you a woman.” He chuckled.



I looked down at my appearance, I don’t look like a child, I have been a woman for quite a while; “How can he do that? Surely I am already a woman and our engagement has no say in my age?”



Lucius laughed, a full laugh of pure mirth, and at my expense. “I take that as a ‘no’ then.”



“Lucius get out, go back to your wife in your Manor and laugh where we cannot hear you. Unlike at your wedding, my wife has the right to wear white.”



Lucius’s face fell from glee to dismay before moving into a hard expression, “A low blow, my friend, a low blow.”



“Behave like the ‘thoroughbred’ you are and stop nagging at me. As my closest friend I was going to ask you to stand at my side as best man – I may change that. Draco and Oliver will come to you when they wish to come out from their little honeymoon paradise.”



“I am sorry, so much has happened within the last two months. I always aim my frustration at those I love and care for. I am angry with Draco, but I’d rather see him in a relationship with a man than in a grave due to a dictatorial dark wizard.” Lucius Malfoy hung his head as Severus spoke.



“Apology accepted, Hermione?”



“I accept you apology Lucius.” I said moving to him and bending down to see his face hidden behind ridiculously glossy and perfect hair. Oh, how I am jealous of him for that. “Please do not hate me, the war is over and there are no sides to fight on, just peace. I do not want to be an enemy of my husband’s closest friend, can we be civil to each other?” I pleaded, hoping I was doing the right thing.



“No. Not a child, like so many of this generation you have grown old too quickly.” He said, raising his head and looking down at where I kneeled at his feet. “I will place the precedent where it should be – in the past; and I accept your offer of civility and match it with an offer of amity of my own.” He removed one leather glove and presented his hand, which I tentatively shook.



“Such limp wrists! A handshake should be firm, showing confidence – a firm handshake shows you are positive and sure of yourself and your actions! Try that again!” he said with a smile, letting go of me and shaking my hand again. “Better! That was an improvement.”



“Severus!” yelled another voice from the fireplace, “Is my husband with you?”



“Yes, Narcissa. I am here.” Lucius sighed.



“I was talking to Severus, not you.” She snapped, stepping through.



“What have you done now?” Severus asked, hiding a snigger behind a fake cough.



“Not sure.” He chuckled back.



“I am standing within the room, gentlemen!” Narcissa snipped, looking at me and shaking her head, “Men, can’t live with them, can’t cast the Avada Kedavra at them and escape Azkaban either.”



“What has he done now?” Severus asked the angry woman dressed in perfect ice blue robes and a few select, but huge diamonds.



“Draco and Oliver are at the Manor, they came to see you, Lucius – and lo and behold you were not there! Get your backside back through the floo and speak with your son and his husband.” Narcissa was a terrifying beauty when angry, and I didn’t envy Lucius one bit.



“I’m coming, Petal.” He said before stepping into the floo after his wife; not bothering to say goodbye.



“Petal?” I said with a smile.



“If you find that amusing, you’ll like what she calls him…”



“What?” I asked, curious. If I were a cat, I’d be very dead.



“Custard.” He grinned, throwing his head back and laughing.