All the way II: And Even Further

Severus was leaving the great hall that night, when some one called his name.

"Professor Snape!"

Hermione smiled at him and carried on down to the dungeons. Scowling like death, Severus turned to whoever had called him.

That bloody boy was striding towards him, "Professor, I need to talk to you."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Really? I would never have guessed."

"Could we please go some where a bit more private?" Malfoy asked.

Severus gave a small nod and headed for his office, not really caring whether the boy was following or not. When he got to his office he realized that Malfoy had, unfortunately, been following. Severus sat down behind his desk and gestured for Malfoy to sit the other side.

When the blonde was seated, he began to speak. "Professor," he started, "As you know, I have never met any of my mothers' half of my family, but the man that Hermione brought home from Hogsmeade has turned out to be... my Grandfather."

Severus frowned slightly. How had this happened?

"I fail to see what this has to do with me." he stated, leaning back in his chair.

Malfoy sighed, "Ask Hermione if you want the whole story, but basically he was living with my mum and they were attacked by Death Eaters. Or rather, Lucius Malfoy senior." The boy sneered, "They took my mother and... well, I think you can figure out what happened next. My fathers’ father put some kind of curse on my mothers’ father and that’s why he's mad. I want to know what happened when he was attacked. I happen to know that you are a Legilimens..."

Severus cursed his wife, "No."

"I won't beg you, sir, but I would... be grateful..."

Severus could see how much he had to try and say those words. Well, the boy was a Slytherin.

What would a little bit of mind reading hurt? Severus asked himself. Well, Hermione would very probably hurt him if he didn't do it. And the boy was only looking to patch his life together, right? There was nothing terrible in that.

"Hermione said she would ask you, but I wanted to do it myself." Malfoy went on "I wanted to ask you, so that you would know that I’m not scared of talking to you and also, because I want to thank you for looking after me. After everything my family's done, I never expected you to like me very much, just letting me stay with you and Hermione and Eileen was enough, and I would hope that perhaps I could ask this last thing, because I know by the time that it's legal you'll want me out of the house. And more than anything I can do for you, or anything you can do for me - anything Slytherin - I want you to know that in all honesty, while the same can't be said for you, I do love Hermione and Eileen."

Strange. This was very strange indeed. A Slytherin, expressing some emotion, and still Severus couldn't sense any underlying messages. Could Malfoy be being honest? Yes. Perhaps.

Severus sighed, "Alright. I'll do it, if only for the reason that your heart seems to be in the right place."

Impressively, the boy merely nodded, "Thank you, Professor Snape."

When he was gone, Severus put his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.

Merlin, he was going soft.

""""""""""""""""""""

That week end, Hermione, Severus and Lucius found themselves at St. Mungo's. Lucius kept a look out for any healers, while Hermione put Bill to sleep and Severus slipped into his mind.

Hermione watched her husbands’ expressions change. He was tense, until he found the memory he was looking for and then he scowled.

When he was finished, Lucius moved over to them.

"What happened?" he asked immediately.

"Hermione, a word." Severus said tersely.

Nodding, Hermione followed him out into the corridor.

"He cannot be told what happened." Severus stated firmly.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione blinked hard, "Was it bad?"

"Worse. Lucius Malfoy did not go to the house that night. Goyle Senior did. He kidnapped both of them, because he was too clumsy to do the job properly." Severus sighed, "It was not a spell that turned that man mad."

Hermione bit her lip, "Like Neville’s parents."

He nodded, "When the daughter was pregnant, Lucius took Bill back to the house and a friend found him. His head is a mess; I had a job sorting one memory from another. That child must not be told all that."

"He's not a child, Severus." Hermione told him, "He would want to know."

"Yes, but just think about what it would do to him." Severus pressed, "He shouldn't have to live with something like that."

"Don't you think I would take it away if I could?" Hermione snapped, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that..."

"I know..." Severus moved forwards and pulled her into his arms, "Maybe when he's older, he might be able to cope with it better..."

"Well thanks for trying to protect me." Said weak a voice from behind them.

Hermione and Severus whirled around. Lucius sagged down into one of the chairs lined up along the wall. Hermione went and sat next to him. She put her arms around him and he leaned against her.

"I'm sorry, darling," She whispered, "I'm so sorry."

After a few minutes, Lucius got up and looked at Severus, "Thank you... for every thing."

The blonde strode of along the corridor. Hermione went back into the ward. Severus slumped into a chair along the wall.

""""""""""""""""""""

Annie listened to the story silently. When Lucius finished, he looked out over the lake.

"But you can still go and see him, right?" She asked, "Bill, I mean."

Lucius nodded, "yeah, but he won't know who I am."

There was silence, until Annie thought of something, "And Snape tried to stop you hearing all that? He actually tried to stop you getting hurt?"

"Yeah," Lucius sighed, "Strange, I guess, but I think after our little chat the other day he's realized that I’m actually a human being."

Annie shuffled closer to him; over the rock they were sitting on, putting her arm around his shoulders, "It's not your fault, you know."

"No, it was my dads’ fault." he said firmly.

"Yeah, I suppose..." Annie said slowly, "But he was only young, he couldn't have stopped his father."

"He could have." He said with conviction, "He could have if he wasn't such a coward. Harry Potter was fighting Voldemort at the same age that my father was being asked to shag some one that looked like the girl he had a crush on. Hmm?" he said sarcastically, "Now which do you think was harder?"

"I'm not defending him!" Annie frowned, "I'm just saying..."

"And I’m just saying that my family is the most demented, dysfunctional, deluded people on this earth." Lucius sneered. He was quiet for a moment, then, "Come with me."

"Where?" Annie asked.

"Just... come with me." he sighed, "I need you as a guide to apperate any way."

"When?"

"Now."

Annie stared at him with wide eyes, "We can't just run out of school!"

"We've done it before." Lucius shrugged.

"Yeah, and you didn't hear the howler my Gran sent me..." Annie shuddered at the memory. It was lucky that it hadn't been sent during breakfast; it was only all the girls her dormitory that heard. "She would kill me - kill me. I would be dead. Gone. It's not worth the agro for a run around in Hogsmeade."

"Fine, I’ll go on my own." Lucius got up and started over to the school gates.

"You can't!" Annie ran after him, "You can't even apperate properly! You'll hurt yourself!"

"Well, if you won't help me, I’ll have to take the chance..." he shrugged.

"That's emotional blackmail!"

"Yeah. I know."

"Fine!" Annie gave in as they slipped out of the school grounds, "but if any one asks, you kidnapped me! I am not getting in trouble again!"

"Whatever -"

"Wait!" Annie stopped, "Let me get my wand..."

"You haven't got it with you?" Lucius said, exasperated.

"No. I... I left it in the common room..." Annie lied.

"Hurry up then!"

Annie ran to her common room as fast as she could, praying that Pat would be there.