By Fair Means or Foul

Chapter 21

An hour and a half after the incident in the back corridor, Snape was walking towards the main doors, wand out, threatening any others from coming near him. Personally, he couldn’t wait until the wedding announcement was posted in the Daily Prophet the next morning. Then perhaps he could avoid being a trout in a room full of Kneazles.

As the cold evening air wrapped about him, Snape spotted a head of blond hair at the bottom of the steps. Stalking downwards he greeted Draco with a nod. Just as they were about to set out for their walk they heard the distinct clip-clop of hooves. Out of the darkness a grey-coated Sleipner, all eight of its legs wrapped in black, pulling an elegant black coach. It stopped right in front of them and the door opened.

“Ha, guess Father took your poem to heart!” Draco crowed and he stepped into the conveyance. Snape smirked and followed. Inside was done in a muted grey. The seats were plush and thick. Once they were settled facing each other, the carriage began its journey into the village.

“So you really married Father, then.” Draco said with certainty.

“Yes.” Snape looked at Draco for a moment and then added, “Will that be a problem, Mr. Malfoy?”

“I should say not. Why should having the only other person I respect become my step-father be a problem?” He smirked. “And you’re a ‘Mr. Malfoy’ now, too.”

“No, I have kept my name, much to your Father’s annoyance.” Snape said with obvious relish. “How did you ferret out the information of our marriage so quickly?” Catching the angry look Draco threw at him, Snape smirked and said, “My apologies for that reference.”

Eyes still narrowed, Draco answered. “The messenger and poem were so arrogant and blatant that it had to have been my father. I put that together with the fact that I overheard the ménage a twits talking to one of the house elves, the one that used to work for us. Apparently the thing had been terrified when he came to clean away the dinner dishes in your room and heard my father’s voice from your bedroom.” Draco laughed. “You should have seen the know-it-all bint trying to keep her composure when stupid Weasley asked what my father was doing in your room?” Draco laughed again. Snape was not as amused at having his sex life bandied about in the school hallways. “Anyway, once I put that together with what I saw the other night at home, I knew that the poem sender was my father and he wouldn’t lie about being anyone’s husband.”

His lips tight with annoyance, Snape still managed to be pleased. “Very good, Draco. There is still hope for you yet.”

They fell into a silence until Draco broke it again.

“I know you hated my mother.”

“Yes,” Snape answered baldly.

“Why?” Draco asked just as plainly.

“Because she knew that she had what I had wanted and made sure to flaunt that fact every chance she had. Your father was oblivious to this, of course. But your mother, as you know, could be, and was, a very cruel and vindictive woman. She had what I wanted but it did not bring her any pleasure.”

“My father,” Draco stated knowingly. Snape nodded.

“Needless to say the animosity was mutual.”

“Will you get rid of all her belongings in the house?” Draco asked carefully. Snape studied him but there did not appear to be any anguish in the boy’s face at the thought. But being the son of a master liar meant that any feelings could be hidden deep.

“I will need to stay at Hogwarts until the end of term. What you and your father decide to do with her personal affects are between the two of you entirely.” Draco nodded, satisfied with the answer. They again lapsed into silence. Again Draco broke it just as they reached the village’s outskirts.

“So, will I be an elder brother soon then?” he asked with a smirk and mischief in his eyes. “Father said he always wanted at least one more. You know, an heir and a spare.” Snape calculated the odds that Draco had deduced that bit of information as well but came to the conclusion it was only a jibe at him.

Using his most censuring teacher’s voice he said, “That is an inappropriate comment to make, Mr. Malfoy, and as it has nothing to do with you, will not be answered.”

They arrived at their destination before Draco could form a response. Soon they were taking their seats at the table reserved for them where Lucius had been waiting. Snape could literally see the circle of influence that Lucius was wielding as the few men who had followed Snape here stopped four meters away in all directions and dared not come any closer. Snape repressed the extremely odd and childish urge to stick his tongue out at them. Looking at Lucius he could see that his new husband had deduced the thought in his head.

“Lovely carriage, Lucius,” he said in way of distraction. Lucius smiled.

“I am capable of catching even the most broadest of hints. And I do endeavour to please my family, do I not, Draco?”

“Yes, sir.”

Snape strongly repressed the ridiculous feeling of giddiness at being considered a family member that deserved pleasing. He made a mental note to investigate potions that could control mood swings in pregnant people, disregarding the fact that he was not nearly pregnant enough to be having mood swings. During dinner they conversed on casual topics. There were many glances and outright stares that Draco was happy to return with a sneer. His father looked on in pride.

“Lucius, I am afraid that we are required to attend a reception in our honour tonight after dinner,” Snape said as they finished their meals. Lucius swallowed the last of his wine and with exaggerated care put the delicate glass down. He appeared to glare at the tableware.

“Yes, I know. Dumbledore called on me earlier and informed me of it.” Glancing up, a reproachful smile overcame the grimace on his lips. “Shame on you, Severus. I would like to be given a bit more notice when you have accepted a social invitation for us.”

“Yes, well, I assure you the occurrences of that happening will be relatively small,” Snape said dryly.

“Draco, you may accompany us as well,” Lucius turned to his son. “I trust that this short notice will not hinder any other social plans you may have had?”

“Or any studying,” Snape added. “There will be a test on Wednesday, need I remind you?”

“No, sir, I remember. I guarantee I will out score Granger this time.” Draco practically growled. He sipped from his own wine glass and then turned to his father. “I would be happy to attend the party, Father. Thank you.”

“Of course. I want you there as we celebrate the beginning of our happy little family, hmm?” Snape cast a suspicious eye at him at the wording of that sentence but only received an innocent look back, which did not mean much coming from Lucius. But the dinner was finished and the three of them strode out and into the waiting coach.

`~*~`

Lucius led the way to Albus’s office. The hallways were dark and quiet at this time of night. Most of the students were in their common rooms working on schoolwork, chatting or other such student-like things. There would, of course, be a few who would take it upon themselves to create mischief about the castle and Snape only hoped that Filch would be able to do his worst without him later on tonight. Between catching recalcitrant students or a warm Lucius-filled bed, Snape would definitely have a straightforward decision. Even if the former choice was one he well loved.

Striding through the quiet corridors, Snape realized there was something wrong. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was out of place, but the feeling was definitely there. Riding up the staircase Snape realized that just a year ago, the feeling would have been enough for him to draw his wand and go on the defensive, but Snape could sense that this particular wrongness wasn’t a life and death situation. Just a simple thing, like not having seen your cat for a while and realizing that it was lying behind your head on the chair back. Nothing to be alarmed about, just out of place.

When the office door opened, Snape immediately knew what had been missing and where they had been. All of his nuisances were inside the room chatting, having punch and milling about instead of lining the hallways and hounding his every step.

“And here they are! Our guests of honour!”

Snape snapped his eyes away from his gone-astray court and onto the bearer of that pronouncement. Albus, wearing his eye-catching purple dress robes with the gold sparkles, hurried over to them and clasped his arm around Lucius’s shoulders. He must be hallucinating to think that he had witnessed Albus Dumbledore embrace Lucius Malfoy as if they were long time bosom buddies instead of long time I’ll-see-you-dead rivals. But after carefully rubbing his eyes, discreetly pinching himself, and seeing that Draco was just as shocked as he was, Snape came to the conclusion that he was fine but the world had just gone a bit mad. Then he realized that Albus was speaking discreetly to Lucius and decided he had better find out what was going on.

“…appear to believe that this afternoon’s lunch event was merely the presumption of one of their fellows,” Albus was saying. “In fact, I have overheard several conversations in which they believe that Severus will be choosing one of them tonight.”

“Then we shall have to disabuse them of that belief as soon as possible.” Lucius practically oozed malevolence. Looking again at Draco to see if he had heard aright, he saw that the boy was watching his father in gleeful anticipation. Turning again to Lucius, he felt a hand on his elbow that steered him to the raised dais where Albus’s desk sat. Snape could only hope that the utter confusion he felt could not be seen on his face by the watchful eyes of his colleagues and admirers, all of whom cast suspicious eyes at Lucius. Albus and Draco were the only ones who did not and it actually sent a frisson of concern through his confusion when he realized that the headmaster shared Draco’s eager expression.

“Severus and I would like to thank you all for coming to our reception,” Lucius addressed the crowd. The men in the group who were not faculty had looks of shock at those words. But Lucius continued on with malicious intent. “We are, of course, very sorry that you could not all be invited to our wedding earlier today. But please know that you were all in our thoughts.” He looked directly at the crowd of men whose crestfallen faces were appallingly evident. “But, I must admit, that my excitement overtook me when Severus told me some very special news.” Snape’s head whipped around and because of the hair that had flown into his face, only Lucius could see the threatening expression he speared him with, which was ignored. “So please know that you will all be invited to our child’s Presentation Ceremony this November.”

There were gasps, Professor Flitwick clapped his hands in delight and Hagrid called out a great booming congratulation that neatly covered up the groans of despair and hisses of anger from the crowd of men in the corner. Many of them stormed out but others remained as good manners dictated. Snape was absolutely livid and he expressed this to Lucius in a hissed whisper in his ear. Had he known it made it look to the party guests that he was hiding a blushing kiss, he would have yelled it out instead.

“What in Great Hecate’s name are you doing, you evil bastard?” Snape emphasized his ire by digging his fingers into Lucius’s forearm. Lucius merely smiled and nodded his head at the congratulations being called out to them. Then he pulled a seething Severus back away from the gathering and into the shadows by a bookcase where only Fawkes could see them.

“How was your day, Severus?” Lucius asked politely.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Snape rasped. “We had agreed to keep the news of my…my pregnancy to ourselves! Now you may as well have put an advertisement in the Prophet!” Lucius still had a pleasant smile but his eyes were as hard and flashing as diamonds.

“I just want to know how your day was,” he said nonchalantly ignoring Snape’s tirade. “That is what happily married people do, you know. For example, I had a rather unproductive day due to my wandering attention which sought to focus on you.” Lucius ran a finger alongside Snape’s flushed face. “Now your turn. Anything of note happen today?” Lucius’s voice hardened and the smile fell from his lips. “Something you would like to tell me, perhaps?” Snape’s narrowed eyes opened wider and his jaw un-tightened.

“Ah, so you know about the incident,” he said.

“I had a rather enlightening conversation with Dumbledore this evening. I would rather have had this information brought to me by you, but we shall just have to work on your marital skills.”

“Albus told you?” Snape asked, outraged.

“Yes, he told me. In fact, he gave me their names. You may rest assured that they have been dealt with.” Lucius moved closer, crowding Snape into the wall. “Can you imagine my feelings when I was informed that my husband of but a few hours was attacked and nearly kidnapped and raped?”

“You’re being exceedingly dramatic,” Snape began but was cut off by Lucius’s cane slamming into the stone wall beside his head. His hand held it there, further caging Snape.

Lucius continued as if he had not been interrupted. “Can you imagine, Severus, my thoughts when you sat across the table this evening nonchalantly discussing the attributes of eight-legged horse hair after being assaulted, with nary a thought of mentioning it to me?” Snape knew he was on the wrong end of the dangerous voice he hadn’t heard since before Voldemort’s fall.

“I suppose I was to mention it as Draco ate his soup, then?”

“Do not dare use my son as an excuse. He has heard and seen far worse at the dinner table, as you well know.”

“Lucius, this is ridiculous. If I had felt a need to inform you, I would have. If I had needed assistance in seeking retribution, I would have asked.”

“I will not put up with decisions being made for me, Severus-“

“And I will, I suppose?” Snape broke in. “You have made me the laughing stock of this school due to your need to mark your territory.”

“What I have done is to make sure no other such attempts will be made.”

“The announcement in the paper tomorrow morning would have sufficed, Lucius.”

“Come now, Sev, use that fine intellect of yours. Or perhaps that is the problem. You have been in your halls of academia a bit too long. So shall I elucidate the matter for you?” Not allowing a response he continued ruthlessly. “Obviously, my display today at lunch and the announcement tomorrow will not be enough. A marriage can be ignored and forgotten. A child cannot; nor can its father. Those jackals out there have now had the issue made plain for them. You are taken. Irrevocably.”

Snape glared at Lucius but heard the ring of truth in his words. Ellicott had had the same intent in his grand plan. A child was an immeasurable tool.

“I seriously doubt that you could be made a laughing stock, Sev. Perhaps I took a bit of the polish off your sword, but I assure you, that tongue of yours is still sharp enough to impale a person. Only fools would test its aim.” Lucius’s voice had become lighter now that his point had been made and received. He moved forward and placed his lips to Snape’s. The kiss was meant to be consoling to his husband’s hurt pride but quickly became wetter and more passionate.

“Now you two, plenty of time for that. You have guests waiting.”