Path of the serpent

Title: Path of the serpent
Author: ejab
Pairing: SS/LM with a little SS/RL and SS/DM on the side
Rating: story is slash and NC-17
Feedback: highly appreciated
Disclaimer: a woman called J.K. Rowling owns them
Warnings: not really
Category: all over the place
Summary: Severus finally wins the battle with Narcissa
A/N: as always a big 'thank you!' to my beta underlucius. All remaining mistakes are mine


27/?

Lucius awoke with the feeling of soft warm lips on his chest.

"Mmm…" With his mind still fogged with sleep, he slowly moved his hand until it found what it looked for - his fingers lazily tangled themselves in familiar black hair. Severus kept on placing soft warm kisses all over his chest, swirling his tongue around the hardening nipples and gently biting down on them.

"I could get used to - ah, nice one - waking up like that, you know.." Lucius sighed contentedly, shivering the moment a tongue started playing with his belly button.

"I never withheld it from you." More gentle kisses. Sev really was very relaxed then.

"I am more than willing to accept it from now on," Lucius said airily.

The kissing and fondling stopped immediately as Snape literally froze in his movements.

"What are you babbling about, Lucius?" Dark eyes stared up at him warily and suspiciously.

Okay, Lucius, no need to feel so nervous now. You're a Death Eater, remember? Just take that bloody plunge and get it over with, you sickening softie! The aristocrat took a deep breath.

"Marry me."

"Marry yo-WHAT?!" The bed shifted violently as the potions master almost jumped to a sitting position, his face twisted with pure rage now. "What kind of sick joke is this, Lucius? You are already married! There is really no need to rub that in any further, I certainly do not deserve that!"

"I divorced Narcissa," Lucius stated calmly.

"You di… Lucius! How could you!" All rage instantly evaporated while Severus eyed his lover completely bewildered for a minute. "How c-wait…" The potions master started to get off the bed but flopped right back down on it because of the sudden refusal of his legs to obey any command. Lucius watched with amusement - the famous control of Severus Snape obviously had totally left him and he just sat there, gaping at him with wide open mouth and big eyes.

"Wait… wait a moment…." Severus coughed and shook his head. "Did I actually just heard you say you divorced Narcissa?"

"Yes, you did." His dark angel looked absolutely gorgeous when shocked like that- he really should do that more often.

"Ah-hhmpf…. "

"Excuse me? Is that an actual langauge?" Lucius couldn't resist a smirk.

"Oh, shut up!" the potions master snapped, inwardly kicking his braincells. "You divorced Narcissa? When and how come she is still around then?"

"I divorced her when you were still sick and looked after here and she is still here because her family on the continent had to be prepared for her return. Now that all has been taken care of and she will leave coming Monday."

"Does Draco know yet?" Snape fidgeted with the sheets and pulled them over his groin.

"No, although he already suspects it, I think. We will inform him tomorrow. And stop doing that - I enjoy the view too much." His lover pulled the sheets down again."

She actually agreed to a divorce?" Severus would believe anything but THAT.

"Of course not but I managed to… persuade her. She will live quite comfortably, I can assure you," Lucius said in a bored tone.

"I don't think I want to know how you managed to pull that off," Snape snorted.

"No, you wouldn't," his lover agreed matter-of-factly.

"And your reputation? It is so 'not-done' for someone of your class to divorce his wife! The impact it will have on your prestige, not to mention the gossip and slander you will have to endure!"

"I do not care." Lucius gave him an unconcerned stare.

"But Dumbledore and The Dark Lord… they will ne-"

"I can assure you that I have my plans concerning those two and we will discuss them later but for now I just want to hear you say 'yes'," Lucius sighed, fighting the upcoming nerves again. Merlin, arranged marriages were so much easier and so less stressful! "Well?"

"No, we will NOT discuss that later," Severus straightened his back. "Have you lost your mind,
Lucius? You KNOW I am no longer a true Death Eater. You could turn me over to The Dark lord any time it pleases you! Can you ho-"

"Oh, shut up, you stupid idiot! All you have to do is mention to him that I knew all along and I will be in the same amount of trouble!"

"He is highly skilled at Legilimency."

"Then I'll better convince him that I married you just to stay close and keep an eye on you, now won't I? Do you really think I came unprepared? How well do you know me? We WILL discuss it. Thoroughly. But NOT now! This is between you and me and no fucking other! I am sick and tired of o-"

"…yes." One tiny word. Very, very softly spoken with eyes cast down.

"Did you just say something?" Lucius stopped his tirade immediately and started to grin. Ah, the immense relief that now washed through him… it made it all worth it. All those nerves and sleepless nights. So, no fried potions master for dinner then tonight.

"You heard me." The potions master refused to repeat himself - it would make him feel too vulnerable. "One condition, though." He looked up defiantly. A supercilious raised eyebrow greeted his addition.

"You'll get the idea soon enough, just play along. So, how about breakfast? I'm starving."

"You're noing ing to tell me, are you?" Lucius walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

"And spoil the fun?" Severus shook his head and gestured his lover to hurry and get on with it.

"You're not joining me?"

"Not now. Go and take your bloody shower and hurry up, will you?" Snape laid back down on the bed and watched the other man go before closing his eyes and grinning wickedly.

When Lucius had taken his shower, Severus took his. After that they walked to the dining room for a good breakfast, which they enjoyed in amicable silence. Until the sound of a tea-set in use drifted into the room. Severus looked up questionably.

"Narcissa. She's in the room next door, going through her mail and the Daily Prophet," Lucius explained, pouring some milk in his own teacup.

Ah? Narcissa in the room next door? How… convenient. The potions master smiled.

"She no longer wishes to dine with you, then?" he asked sweetly. Lucius shook his head. He obviously couldn't care less.

"Well, I do. Better still, I'll even butter your bread for you." Severus picked up his knife, put some butter on it and smeared it on his lover's hand.

"Sev? What do you think you are doing?" Lucius quickly tried to pull back his hand but couldn't since it was held in a tight grip. He was about to sneer when Snape bent forward and licked the butter of. Slowly and seductively. When Severus rose, it all started to make sense to him now.

"You are such a bastard…" Lucius let himself be pulled up without any form of protest.

"Yes, I am, aren't I?" the potions master admitted calmly, pushing the other man back until he was laying on his back over the table, then opened his shirt and proceeded with kissing that delicious bare chest in front of him.

In the room next door, Narcissa was reading through her last mail when she heard the sound of shattering porcelain. At first she did it of as imagination. But then she heard it again. AND a muffled moan. What the…? She quickly dropped her parchment and made her way to the sliding-doors, slowly opening them a little. She froze on the spot. And would have screamed when she wasn't perfectly trained in self-control. There, on the table in front of her, lay her now ex-husband. Naked. Being thoroughly fucked by that despicable, loathing poofter of a potions master! The humiliation! The - no! She forced herself to stay restrained and swallowed, unable to take her eyes of the sight in front of her. What hurt the most was the obvious pleasure and lust radiating from Lucius, his stiffled moans and gasps and his face twisted in pure ecstasy. He was clearly very close to coming. And all that because of that… that… that MONSTER who was now staring directly at her, smirking!

Narcissa closed the doors with a loud 'bang!' and ran towards her rooms. She would no longer stay here and be under one roof with THAT! Even if it meant acknowledging defeat. There was only so much a woman could take, after all. She never would have thought it possible, but Snape had won. And there was nothing she could do to get back at him. One of the many contracts Lucius had forced her to sign had seen to that. Damn them. Damn damn damn.

Within record time she packed all her belongings and without further delay left the Manor.

"What was that?" Still a bit drowsy from an all-consuming orgasm, Lucius heard doors slamming and raised his head a bit.

"That would be Narcissa leaving the premisses," Snape remarked off-handedly, muttering something about having to take a shower all over again while straightening his own clothes again.

"Gods, you are evil…" Lucius lazily followed his example and led them straight back to his own
quarters to take that shower, wasting no more words over his former wife.

They spent the rest of the day talking business. How to bring the doubtlessly earth-shattering news of their upcoming wedding to the world and in particular to Draco, Dumbledore and The Dark Lord. The rest of humanity could 'stuff it', as Lucius fiercely pointed out. Then there was the issue of were they would get married and the type of ceremony they both preferred. And who to invite. Snape just wanted a 'closed informal ceremony without any intruders' but finally gave in, reluctantly, after Lucius slyly pointed out that he would miss the horrified looks on all those countless faces. Because horrified they all would be, without doubt. A marriage between a very rich and influential, powerful aristocrat (accused twice of being a follower of You-Know-Who) and an extremely intelligent, exceptionally skilled potions master with an alleged love for the darker side of life would make sure of that. The speculations it would start!

Severus also enjoyed his lunch at the manor but then had to go. Lucius would want to prepate for his talk with Draco the next day and it was about time he took up that Wolfsbane Potion again. He really wanted to solve that problem before his big day came up.

"It's agreed, then? I'll deal with the formalities and all the necessary arrangements and you make your plans about what you want. Owl it to me as soon as you have everything written down so we can set that process to work as soon as possible." Lucius walked his husband-to-be to the door. "The announcement of our wedding will appear in the Daily Prophet on Tuesday so be prepared to be summoned in case the Dark Lord wishes to speak to you also. I will pay him a visit on Monday and bring him the news…"

"And I'll be more than happy to shock Dumbledor Mon Monday as well. I'm quite looking forward to that, I must say," Severus chuckled, then added more seriously, "but do let me know how Draco is taking it. I like to be prepared before I see him."

"I promise. You'll know the minute he leaves the Manor," his lover nodded, then pulled him in a tight embrace before letting go and taking a step back. "Go on, you stupid git. Go."

"Just remember to never let your guard down - we do not know how both Dumbledore and The Dark Lord will take the news," the potions master warned him before Apparating.

"Don't I know it…" Lucius mumbled, feeling his body instantly tense, wondering how many Cruciatus curses he would have to suffer before his Lord would give his permission. And what would happen if he didn't…?


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Anon - thanks! And glad you think they are in character. I tend to worry about that sometimes…