How Severus Spends His Summer Hols

DISCLAIMER: JKR owns everything that is in reference to the Harry Potter world if it is in one of my works of fiction. If it is not found in one of her creations, then it is mine unless otherwise stated. I am not making any profit from the writing of this story.


Lucius Malfoy aparated outside Morgan Taylor’s townhouse in the wee hours of the London morning, he was counting on the fog coming in from the Thymes hiding his arrival from any curious predawn joggers. He waited for a brief moment to see if anyone had noticed his arrival. Satisfied that he had been unnoticed, he picked his way up the stone steps and whispered a soft “Alohomora,” and let himself in.

Looking about himself, he noted the clutter of macabre artifacts the squib seemed to have a penchant for collecting. Pity there was truly nothing here of worth. Lucius stopped at the foot of the staircase and listened to the sound of a man snoring upstairs. Nodding to himself, he moved deeper into the house, there was just one thing he wanted to bring back to his friend’s mate. Standing in the center of the house, Lucius raised his wand and summoned out loud, “Accio Harry Potter’s wand!” After maybe forty-five seconds, three pieces of a broken holly shaft fly through the air to be neatly caught in Malfoy’s gloved hand and pocketed in his great coat.

Now that he had that taken care of, he had one nasty little piece of business to attend to. With a feral smirk on his handsome features he went back to the staircase and stood looking up at the landing. Raising his snake cane in his left hand, he swung and struck the wall with it. Chuckling as he heard a sleepy surprised shoot from above.

“Wha..who’s there?” shouted out a confused male voice. Lucius smirked and placed one shiny boot on the first riser.

“Now now, no need to be frightened. It’s only the bogeyman,” Lucius called back mockingly as he climbed the staircase slowly, taking his time and slapping the head of the snake cane against the wall with each step.

“Who the bloody hell are you? I’ve rang the police you know,” Taylor shrilled. Lucius chuckled as he heard a door slam and a key being turned in the lock.

“Dear me Mister Taylor, I am simply here to offer you traveling arrangements. Surely you wish to visit West Virginia, don’t you?” Lucius mocked reassuringly as he reached the landing and smashed the silver head through a vase sitting on an end table.

“What are you talking about? Who are you?” Lucius could almost taste the man’s fear and he simply enjoyed this particular vintage. He slowly slid his tongue over his upper lip and took a deep breath, oh yes; he could taste the fear in the air. Exquisite. Severus would enjoy this bastard. Shaking himself slightly from him revelry, he brought himself back to the task at hand.

“What am I talking about, you ask? Why young Harry Snape, nee Potter, of course. You are looking for him, aren’t you?” Lucius asked as he crept silently to the outside of the frightened man’s door. He could hear the man inside pacing and the heavy breathing of someone who was very frightened.

“And if I were looking for him?”

“I am here to take you to him,” Lucius said with a smile as he tucked his cane under his arm and stepped back as he heard the trusting fool come to the door.

“Did Weasley send you?” came the question he had almost been expecting and dreading to hear. Taking out his wand, he stood ready.

“Yes he did, he got the last bit of information just moments earlier, we must hurry if you are to retrieve the brat,” Lucius snarled to sound convincing. He willed the greedy bastard to open the door so he could hex him on sight. His eyes caught the movement of the doorknob in the moonlight and he smiled.

Morgan Taylor opened his bedroom door with nothing on his mind except getting Potter back in his cellar where he belonged. He didn’t even think to ask for the identification of the messenger Percy Weasley had sent to take him on the Trans-Atlantic port key. Now he stood in shock as he stared up into the icy grey eyes of none other than Lucius Sodding Malfoy.

“Mister Taylor,” Lucius purred with a feral little smile as he reached out and grabbed his shoulder. “It is my pleasure to be able to escort you to West Virginia.”

Morgan looked up at him with uncomprehending eyes and then started to laugh as he thought he understood.

“Oh my, you gave me a fright man. I thought you were about to kill me,” he laughed. “So you are going to help me get that little Potter bastard back where he belongs?”

Lucius laughed right along with the man as they descended the stairs and the man got his shoes and coat, he had no clue Lucius was compelling him to move. As they stood at the front door, Lucius turned and looked down at Taylor once and spoke.

“What plans do you have for young Harry?”

“After he has the bastard, he’ll bring a pretty bit of gold from those that like a bit of twisted tail, you know. Why, are you interested in a go with him?” Taylor asked as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I suppose since you are helping me get the little blighter back, I can give you a good price with him.”

Once down the front steps, Lucius turned and aimed his wand at the open door of the townhouse and a jet of blue flame shot from the tip. Within minutes the house was engulfed in fire. Casting a partial binding spell on Taylor, Malfoy led the silenced but livid man away before he was calm enough to speak.

Entering a small park at the end of the block, the sounds of sirens filling the early morning air, Lucius turned to Morgan Taylor and gave him a smile that made the other man’s bladder lose control. Lucius smirked as the sharp tang of fear and urine filled the air.

“I, Mister Taylor, am not going to deliver Harry Snape to you. No, I am going to deliver you to Severus Snape as a wedding gift. However, you are not to be delivered for some time yet, so you shall be my ‘guest’. By the way, did you happen to know your brother murdered my daughter-in-law?” Lucius asked as he pulled the port key from his pocket and held it out to the wild-eyed man who had, if his sense of smell was correct, just lost control of his bowels as well. Touching the sock to the trembling man and tapping it with his wand, they were both port keyed back to Malfoy Manor, and into the dungeons that most had forgotten existed.

A few moments later, Lucius strolled up the staircase, glad for fresher air, while pleas for mercy rent the air around him. He had of course felt compelled to remind the monster that between him and Severus, he was the kinder one after all.