Twilight Gardens

As in the recent summers, Severus was staying with Lucius at Malfoy Manor. When the two returned to the mansion only hours before dawn after the meeting at Knockturn Alley Lucius smiled at Severus happily, "We are all brothers now and Lord Voldemort is our father. Our pureblood unites us and we will triumph together!"

Lucius' exclamations frightened Severus a great deal. Though he thought Lucius sounded delirious and even a little maniacal, he remained loyally wordless and merely tilted his head.

Lucius continued, "And to think you were predicting our doom two years ago! Honestly, whatever made you think of that rubbish? Were you just trying to curse us all?"

"I haven't cursed us all," said Severus gravely. "History has cursed us. Our own wicked minds have cursed us. The universe itself has cursed us."

Lucius gazed adoringly at the brand on his forearm, "How can you say that when you have jsut sworn allegiance to the one who can grant you eternal life? We aren't doomed -- we're immortal."

Seeing Lucius on such a high over what was certainly the settling of hopelessness, filled Severus heart with despair. He knew he was all but useless -- no amount of sweet-voiced pleas could change what had been fated to occur along. Lucius continued to buzz about the room like mad fly, "How precisely did you receive this premonition, my love? Since when do you have the insight of an oracle?"

"I do not claim to have an oracle's insight," Severus answered, in spite of himself. "This premonition is not really a premonition but a fact I have known for years. You have always been my only friend, Lucius, and I have spent much of my life alone, just watching. I have watched everything. All logical calculations of everything point to the damnation of all Slytherins."

"Logical?" hissed Lucius. "When have those morbuid ramblings of yours ever had any semblance of logic? It makes no sense. You're worried about not and and it's driving you crazy."

This was a hurtful thing for Severus to hear from Lucius. As fast as he could, he hardened the pain in his chest to indifference and said, "If you don't mind, Lucius, I'd like to get some sleep now."