Meeting in the Dark

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WC: 522

Lucius wasn’t sure how many people he could truly say he trusted. Right now, it would likely be limited to Severus Snape and his wife. But he was becoming less sure about his wife. They had been drifting ever since he got back from Azkaban and for the longest time she could not even stand to be in the same room as him. They had gotten beyond that but just barely. But Severus had watched over his son in Hogwarts and while he was in Azkaban, and had recently gotten Lucius out of being arrested at the Attack on Hogsmeade. No, he still could trust them both, though perhaps Snape more than his wife right now. He knew that she had been doing things not really for him but more as damage control for Draco. He might be able to deal with the disgrace of being a disgrace but Draco didn’t deserve to suffer for it.

He leaned back in a rather comfortable armchair in his recliner. He had asked Snape to come to the Manor to discuss how his son was doing, and perhaps what exactly was going on in Narcissa's head regarding him. The two of them had been close at Hogwarts and they kept a rather close friendship ever since. He called for a House Elf to bring him some coffee and the Elf had brought it and left it. He poured himself a cup of the dark, fragrant brew and slowly sipped it. He liked his coffee strong and black, though he occasionally put some Firewhiskey in it, though not tonight.

The chill was mostly gone and the coffee and the fire he had going was certainly helping. His sleeves were rolled up and the neck of his shirt was open, revealing the only two marks on his body: The Dark Mark which he had willingly received, and the scars from being branded with numbers and symbols from his time in Azkaban. They both sometimes bothered him, though he never said so to anyone, not even his wife, or at least not about the Dark Mark bothering him. He actually made little secret how much his marks from Azkaban bothered him, though only to a few. He didn’t need for everyone to know how weak he was.

Lucius' appearance was mostly like before his time in prison. His hair might have been a bit duller but he had been shaving somewhat regularly and he wasn’t as thin as when he got home. But there was still a slightly haunted look in his eyes sometimes and he often looked tired and like he had aged much too fast. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before he sat up slightly and put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Merlin, he was exhausted. But he needed to talk to Severus before he could sink into his bed. Luckily it was dusk and coffee didn’t bother him at night. Sleep had never been the same as before Azkaban, with fairly frequent nightmares, most of which he refused to tell the details of to Narcissa.

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

The snow masked the sound of a man's steps as he made his way through forbidden grounds, unimpressed by the magnificent age of all that surrounded him as he concentrated solely on his mission. Ever since the death of Eric, Severus had been dabbling more and more in things he knew he had sworn to avoid. The trouble with darkness was that it could sense the shadows in others and, when kneeling before the Dark Lord, it was inherently unwise to appear untainted in his eyes. There were ways to mark a mans blood with the depravity sought out by the Dark Lord, but not a one of them were safe to perform under the ever tightening hold of the Ministry’s presence at Hogwarts. What Albus might forgive, that lot would see him Kissed for. Slipping around a particularly ancient oak, Severus held out a hand gloved handsomely in dark dragonhide, clicking his fingers to draw the attention of the curse-ridden bird that he had sent fore this morning after receiving the request from Lucius to attend him at the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire. An etherworldly screech rent the air as something black dropped from the sky, moments before a wide wingspan snapped open and overgrown talons snagged into the leather at Severus' wrist. The goshawk was a small, lovely female - or would have been, if her feathers were not all an unnatural shade of tar black, granting her the appearance of a crow, and her eyes not blood-red in their sockets. It was said by the hunters of the olden days that a goshawk's eyes turned red as it aged because of all the blood it spilled in its years. Of all the hunting birds, the goshawk was the only one that could be trained to hunt not for the meat it would be fed afterward, or for the pelt of the being whose life it rent apart with its formidable predatory gifts, but for the pleasure of the kill itself. It was for this attribute that they made brilliant Voifayden, or Blood Birds. The magic needed to turn a goshawk - or any bird, for that matter - into a Voifayden was inherently Dark by nature and required the death of the animal in question, the blood of the caster, the blood and life of another animal and the blood of its chosen 'prey' - the last of which often being the hardest thing to acquire. The blood of Rodolphus Lestrange had been much harder to acquire than that of Albus Dumbledore, but Severus refused to reflect on that. Thanks to Lucas, it had been acquired, and that was all that mattered. A Voifayden had many uses - primarily that of a watcher and spy. The other animal chosen as a sacrifice would be bound to the bird, creating an infernal shapeshifter that would obey only the command of its creator. For his purposes, Severus had used a dungeon rat - taking perhaps a little too much pleasure in the torturous manner of its death, imagining all too easily another rat in its place. At the beginning of the year, he'd had this Voifayden tail Dumbledore to keep tabs on the Headmaster when he was gone, and as such was very well aware of how much the Headmaster was struggling to achieve his goal of locating the Dark Lord’s horcruxes. During the first attack of Hogsmeade, Severus had made another Voifayden to locate Potter and Granger, that he had promptly destroyed lest anyone discover it. This one however, old as it was, had adapted quickly to the new blood it was meant to hunt and had been very keen on locating Lestrange for Severus. As predicted, he had not been in Azkaban. Naturally the Dark Lord had seen fit to break him and his wife out, though Severus cared little either way. The Voifayden kept tabs on Rodolphus and that was all Severus desired – for now. Today, he had another mission for his little pet, and with a few whispered words of Latin, he disillusioned the creature and Apparated from the Forbidden Forest to the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire. Setting the undead creature to flight ahead of him as he made his way through the expansive grounds toward the manor, Severus set his jaw slightly at the sight of it. Above him, the Voifayden let out another unearthly caw before descending upon a tree, its demonic red eye piercing through an upper window. With a whisper, Severus could see through that eye, in shades of red and black. The room that had paid witness to Severus’ display of loyalty to the Dark Lord swam into view, the bloodstains gone as surely as the Dark wizard himself was. In their place was Lucius, looking far better than he had the last time they had met, though clearly exhausted. Why he had chosen to summon Severus as opposed to getting some decent sleep in, the Potions Master couldn’t imagine. A whisper of Latin later, and Severus blinked away the after images of the birds-eye view as the cursed bird launched up to circle the manor. It knew what to look for and if it found it, Severus would see it. Slipping through the halls of Malfoy Manor with the confidence of one who frequented the place, Severus made his way to Lucius’ study and gave three sharp taps to announce himself before stepping in and closing the door behind him. His motions were succinct as ever as he strode into the room, consciously striding over the place upon the fine rug where he had, only a few months ago, been subjected to his own potions to prove himself to the Dark Lord. Doubtless Lucius knew nothing of it, and Severus had no wish to indicate it to the man. As surely as he hid the depths of his injuries from Albus, Severus was keen to keep them from Lucius as well. Though the elder man knew full well the Dark Lord’s rage, Severus owed Lucius enough as it was without bringing forth the man’s pity. Pity was, after all, a filthy emotion to manage. ”Is everything well, Lucius?” Severus inquired, stopping near the man and waiting, as was polite, for an invitation to sit down. Unlike the others, who seemed to think that with the Malfoy’s fall from grace there was no further need to respect them in their own home, Severus had no wish to disrespect his old friends at any point. Though, the fact Severus did not take Lucius being seated as an automatic invitation between friends was in fact due to the dressing down he had granted Lucius on the night he had rescued the man. Severus was still somewhat unsure of where they stood after that, though he imagined Lucius understood well enough and had forgiven him the trespass, Severus refused to assume it was so.

Lucius | 1151 | Sorry its so long @@ Severus went on a ramble.

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WC: 532

Lucius was a bit deep in thought when the three knocks on his door came and he jumped slightly as the door opened and Severus stepped in, closing the door behind him. Lucius gave an actually, albeit brief, smile at the appearance of one of his few true friends and people that he trusted. Severus was direct and dispensed with all pleasantries, something that Lucius appreciated right now. He shook his head at the question and gave the smallest sigh. He might seem a bit weak to Snape right now, but Lucius didn’t care about that right now, though he did gesture for the other man to sit down. "Sit. I have an extra cup here and hot coffee if you want?"

He waited for Snape to get settled before he went into why he had asked the Potions professor here. "I'm worried, both about my son and my wife." He pursed his lips as he considered which one to deal with first. "Draco…how is he handling everything? You see him more often than I, especially since he doesn’t come here as often as he used to." Not that Lucius blamed his son. If he could be anywhere else right now, he would be. Having your home taken over while you were in prison at the invitation of your wife was not the best thing that Lucius could have hoped for upon getting out. "I'm pretty sure our Lord is doing this to punish me. He means for my son to fail." He took a sip of his coffee, glad for the warm that it brought.

"I'm going to give him something, a pocket watch that's more than that. It will allow someone he names to know that he's in trouble and where he is, as well as apparate somewhere if need be. I want you to be one of the few people he names when he's in trouble." He left it unsaid that it was a Dark Artefact. His eyes were bright as he regarded Snape, hopeful that his son's godfather would agree to this. "I may also need your help hiding its true nature from those that might look for that sort of thing." His words were a bit careful as he asked this part.

Now for his wife. "Narcissa has changed towards me, Severus. Since I got back, she could barely look at me much less be in the same room as me alone." He stood suddenly and started to pace around the room. "I think we're getting better but you know her well. What should I do?" He was aware that Severus might not do feelings very well but he and Narcissa had been close and still were. "I know…you don't do feelings very well, but…I love her and I don't know if I've lost her or not." The last was said in a bit of a rush and he stopped in front of the fire, staring at it but also glancing at Severus out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know what to do." He knew he sounded a bit broken but he didn’t care about that right now. He just wanted his wife back.

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

Severus inclined his head toward Lucius respectfully before taking up the man’s offer of a chair, situating himself comfortably before responding mildly, ”Coffee would be most welcome, thank you Lucius.” In truth, Severus was not a fan of the dark and bitter brew, which so frequently brought to mind recollections of Tobias. Severus comforted these memories with the cold recall of the day he’d put an end to his father once and for all and accepted coffee every time Lucius offered it, without complaint or hesitation. It was a favorite of Lucius’, and far be it from Severus to ever insult the man. Accepting his cup, Severus listened with due gravity to Lucius’ concerns which were, in all honesty, rather understandable all things considered. Severus was quiet a moment, choosing his words with care before speaking. ”Draco has retreated into himself in a way that would strike me as alarming if I did not recognize his reasons for it.” Those reasons were desperately alarming and had left Severus pacing his office on more than one occasion, but for the sake of his friend and the father of his godson, the Potions Master knew better than to explain them. Instead, he allowed Lucius to draw the obvious conclusion – that Draco was stressed by the task set upon him by the Dark Lord and was doing what he believed to be the noble thing by keeping it to himself. A true Slytherin in that regard, to be sure. Turning his cup idly in his hands, Severus had to bite back his preferred response in favor of something far more tempered. ”The Dark Lord wishes to punish you, to be sure Lucius. That does not, however, mean that Draco is bound to failure.” He still had yet to inform Lucius of the Vow he had made for Narcissa, though by this point Severus imagined that she and Bellatrix had made it known and to point it out now would be an unnecessary redundancy. As Lucius continued speaking, Severus drew his full attention to precisely what Lucius was asking of him. He was familiar with the artifact in question to some degree. They had been outlawed as a result of the First War if he remembered correctly. His interests in protecting Draco, as well as his interests in ensuring the sanctity of Hogwarts for his students, saw little issue with this particular gift. The only moral weight would be deceiving Albus, as Severus cared little for the law on the matter. That said, Severus knew full well he could swing the venerable old man to his side if he played matters accurately and so, he replied with full confidence, ”I can ascertain that Draco will receive no difficulty for having such a watch in his possession so long as he is wise enough to be discreet about it.” Certain that this was all which Lucius had cause to be concerned over, Severus brought the mug to his lips at last and was just taking a sip when the man brought up his marital concerns of all the bloody things. The Potions Master nearly choked on the mixture of coffee and marital problems before he managed to snap himself together and give Lucius the best you cannot be serious expression in his arsenal. Clearly his friend caught the hint as he swiftly followed up with the fact that Severus was not, by any means, the most open of men where emotions were concerned, yet it seemed the concerns were strong enough that Lucius was honestly willing to overlook this. Setting the coffee down with a whole new distaste for it, Severus gave Lucius a somewhat horrified look when the man confessed his love and his fear in one swift sentence that never should have been spoken. Were this anyone else, Severus would have got up and left, but for Lucius the younger man was at a complete loss. Finally, for the first time in years, Severus simply responded with the most obvious point as though he wasn’t entirely certain how Lucius had managed to miss it. ”You do realize that I have not courted anyone since my Hogwarts days, Lucius? Surely there is someone more – experienced – in this area to whom you could turn?” Severus was careful with how much disdain he used on the word ‘experienced’ so as not to give the wrong impression. He did, of course, wish to be of service to Lucius, but the fact remained that Severus had no long term relationship to speak of upon which to draw opinions from. After a moment of hesitation, Severus did see fit to add, ”Narcissa has never been one to air such concerns with me. If there is a problem with your marriage, Lucius, it is not one that I was meant to be party to.”

Lucius | 804 | Coffee though XD

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WC: 657

Lucius usually poured his own cups of coffee so he poured one for his old friend and they began to speak about Draco. He frowned at Severus' words about his son retreating inside himself. "Just because you know the reasons, does not make it less worrisome." He kept his voice from being accusatory or harsh. "Has he been taking care of himself and doing well in classes?" He hoped that his son was and though he might understand why he didn’t, it was not a good thing. Lucius for while after Azkaban let his appearance stay scraggly and unkempt, though he did wash himself. It had taken him realizing that if he didn’t care about how he looked or how people treated him, they wouldn’t either. He still likely looked awful but far better than when he had gotten home.

He nodded at Snape's words about the Dark Lord and his son is not necessarily bound to fail. "I know he might not. But I still…wish that the task had gone to someone else." He gave a bitter laugh. "Merlin, I wish for a good many things." He didn’t elaborate nor did he plan to but if pushed, then he would. He closed his eyes briefly and before giving his friend a slightly hard look, "Narcissa and I would be devastated if something happened to Draco, Severus. And I won't be held responsible for my actions if something did happen. Plus, Cissa would likely have your head." His voice was still hard and serious and so were his eyes. he wasn’t threatening his friend but more trying impress on him how important his job of protecting his son was to he and his wife. He did soften his tone considerably. "Thank you for doing the Vow with my wife to protect my son." He wished that they didn’t have to do so but there was little he could do to change that and he tried not to dwell on it.

At Severus' words about he could make sure that Draco had no issues with having it as long as his son was discrete, Lucius let out a soft breath of relief. "Thank you. I have two more favors to ask of you. One, I would prefer to give it to Draco personally. It is not exactly something I can send to him at Hogwarts, especially not with an explanation of how it works. And I don't want to make you my errand boy." His lips twitched at that. "Two, I'm not sure if it works at Hogwarts. When I give it to him, can you see if there is a way it works there, the apparition part? I understand if not, but…" He didn’t quite know how to finish that thought so he didn't.

He saw that he made the Potions Master nearly choke and he had to give a small amused smile, even if it wasn’t particularly funny. At Severus' question about there being more experienced people to go to, Lucius gave a sad shrug. "There may be others more experienced but none that I would want to go to." But he did raise an eyebrow about the comment of not courting someone since he was at Hogwarts. "Really? I never saw that happen." But Snape said what Lucius knew and feared and he leaned heavily against the mantle of the fireplace, glad for the warm the fire gave him. "I know. She's just so distant from since I got back from Azkaban and I don’t know what to do. And I'm aware that a large problem is getting put into Azkaban but I'm not sure how to repair things right now." He knew he was rambling a bit and drew away from the fire, sitting back down wearily into his seat and taking a large sip of his coffee, suddenly wishing for something stronger. "What would you say, Severus, to some Firewhiskey instead of coffee?"

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

Severus inclined his head at Lucius when the man insisted on the relevance of his concerns. He understood the worry Lucius had for Draco all too well. To Severus, Draco was in every way the closest thing that he had as a son of his own. His own concerns for the boy were considerably high as well and he had far more access to Draco than Lucius did. Rather than state anything that could cause further concern, Severus chose to alleviate some matters by addressing his friend's question. "Draco is performing as impressively as ever in his coursework. He remains consistently in the top five students for the vast majority of his classes. Those he struggles in, he still maintains an average among the top ten. He has kept himself out of trouble, which is more than I can say for some of our other serpents," Severus stated, his tone growing bland toward the end. He doubted Lucius knew anything, but in the event that he did it was a good opportunity for the man to speak up. Severus gave Lucius an odd look, but did not press for the man to explain his wishes - they were not for Severus to know. Instead, he simply leveled a grave look at the man and stated coolly, "I would not have taken the Vow, Lucius, if I had not been fully prepared to do everything in my power to protect my godson. I assure you, that he will be fine. Cuirfidh an duine a rachaidh faoin mionn a lámh leis, Lucius. My word is my bond." The words were solemn and sincere, among the gravest of oaths he could make beyond the Unbreakable. He did not tell Lucius that he was welcome - that much, Severus felt, was clearly implied. Instead, Severus addressed the requests Lucius had made of him. "I will see to it that Draco is capable of coming by tomorrow evening after his classes are complete and dinner has been attended. It would not do at this juncture for any of the faculty to note him missing. As to the functionality of the watch, I will see what can be done but you must understand Lucius, since the recent attacks at Hogsmeade every imaginable security measure has been tightened. What might have been probable before could well be impossible now, and I will not place Draco nor myself into undo risk by tampering too much with these matters. It would be counterproductive in the extreme." Severus would not be able to keep his Vow if he was arrested, nor if Draco was, after all. Severus was growing keen to leave, if only to avoid the awkward turn this conversation had unfortunately taken. Thinning his lips as he accepted the fact Lucius did not trust anyone else enough to turn to them on this matter - which was, essentially, what his words translated to - Severus wondered precisely what it was that Lucius expected or needed him to say. The last thing he wanted to face was the eyebrow he was given on his confession to the completeness of his bachelorhood. Shoulders stiffening as Severus straightened defiantly beneath his friends gaze, Severus stated calmly, "Have you considered speaking with her, Lucius? She is, after all, a reasonable woman. Perhaps bringing your concerns to the source would alleviate them to some degree?" Honestly, Severus had no blessed clue how a proper couple was meant to go about resolving their differences, but he saw no reason as to how communicating the problem would be anything short of logical. So, from that standpoint, it was the soundest advice he could give. Sighing, Severus shook his head and denied the offer of Firewhiskey. "Thank you Lucius, but I am not in the mood for alcohol tonight." A lie, that. Severus could have sorely used a stiff drink after that discussion, but it was his policy to never consume alcohol when angered or otherwise upset or disgruntled. Nothing good would come of it.

Lucius | Severus translated the Gaelic there himself; he was enforcing the point, mainly.

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WC: 463

Severus explained that Draco had been doing well in all his classes and Lucius let out a breath that he wasn’t aware that he had been holding in. "That is good to hear. I assume he's been eating alright as well?" His tone was hopeful but he knew that Severus would not cushion the truth when it came to concerns for Draco. He raised his eyebrow at the words about others not keeping out of trouble. "Oh? And who might that be?" He wasn’t sure if Snape was talking about Death Eaters or Slytherins.

Lucius ignored the odd look he got and instead took a sip of coffee, letting the bitter brew ease his nerves somewhat. He did nod at Severus' words about his words being his bond. "I know that, but…I'm still worried about him, Severus. He has a lot of pressure with everything going on. I fear he has taken this as his personal mission to fix the mistakes I've made in regards to our family name. He is a child. He should not have to be punished for the sins of his elder!" He took a calming breath and let out a long sigh through his nose.

Severus agreed to send Draco over after classes were done and dinner had been eaten and Lucius gave the man a grateful nod, not feeling like he needed to thank him in words. He did sigh at his words about the watch. "I'm aware that it might not be possible. But if you could still try…?" He did however wonder about increased security. "A lot?" He was on the Hogwarts Board of Governors and knew that they would be increasing security but not how much exactly. Of course, it might be useful to know for things he could tell the Dark Lord but he also wanted his son to be safe.

Lucius pursed his lips. "I have talked to her but I fear that she is still upset with me. She does seem willing to give us a chance and for us to work things out. But…that seems a bit daunting, trying to make things up to her." In truth, it was not so much he wanted Severus' help with fixing things but rather he could use a sympathetic ear to listen to him. He gave a short laugh. "I am not the most patient man, Severus, especially with regards to my wife." He did nod at Severus not wanting a drink, despite the fact that he looked like he could use one, which was likely his fault for dragging Severus into his marital problems with Cissa. But despite his asking about a drink, he made no motions towards getting up and getting it, instead swirling the dark liquid in his cup absently.

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

Severus was reluctant to admit that Draco was falling back on bad habits. As much as he understood the concerns Lucius had, Severus also understood the desperate situation Draco was in better than Lucius himself did. Lucius was accustomed to having things handed to him and had taught Draco to expect much the same. Draco had never known struggle, but now that he did he was deliberately doing everything he could to keep that struggle off his parents. He was a dedicated child, a devoted one to be sure. He was under enough pressure was it was, without adding to it by having him hounded by his parents. So it was with a calm, yet almost chiding tone that Severus responded, "Of course he is, Lucius. The boy knows better than to starve himself." Which was true. Though Draco was obviously reluctant to eat, the boy did do so, even if it was a limited amount. Leaning back in his chair, Severus crossed his arms and thinned his lips, debating how much to tell Lucius, when it could so easily fall to the Dark Lord's ear and reveal precisely how much Severus knew. It was clear that if Lucius knew anything, he wasn't affording Severus any informational favors. Finally, he chose to simply respond, "It is of no concern, Lucius. Little more than the usual adolescent delinquencies I assure you." Severus shifted then, a bit uncomfortable with Lucius' outburst. He knew for a fact that Draco had taken this on himself, as surely as he knew that children would always be judged and even punished for the sins of their parents. Instead, he simply chose to respond to Lucius' continued insistence, his tone a bit cool as though to make it clear that this would be his last assurance. "I will do what I can Lucius." Severus was not a man who repeated himself. Nor was he a man who went back on his word to those he counted as dear to him. He had done so once in his life, just the once. He had not allowed it to come to pass since and he would hardly be starting now. Considering Lucius knew the former and had no notion that Severus had ever broken his word, he was finding the harping on this matter to be wearisome. Though, perhaps wearisome was favorable to blatantly uncomfortable. He was not a marriage councilor. He was hardly qualified in relationships let alone in this sort of affair, but he kept his discomfort to himself. He simply chose to face this the same way he faced his elder students when they came to him with their relationship dramas. He simply inclined his head slightly to show that he was listening, allowing the one in question to let out their frustrations without prompting anything further. When the words came to rest, Severus allowed silence to reign, before stating finally, "You'll figure something out, Lucius." Because, invariably, these situations were resolved by the parties in question and such resolutions were best found without interfering parties. Shifting subtly in a way that indicated he was ready to rise to his feet, Severus stated, "If that is all, Lucius, I had best be on my way."

Lucius | SORRY THIS IS SO LATE T__T

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Severus explained that Draco was indeed eating and Lucius had a feeling that there was more to his son's eating habits then his friend was letting on. But he also knew if there truly was an issue with Draco's health and safety that Severus would let him know. But he nodded at Severus' reassurances. "That's good to know." It eased his mind that Draco was at least taking care of himself somewhat well. He'd hate to have to go over there and force the boy to do so, despite the fact that he couldn’t really go there without likely getting arrested on sight. Lucius raised his eyebrow at the sight of Snape thinning his lips and crossing his arms across his chest. It seemed he was debating how much to tell him and the blond Death Eater wondered how much, if anything, the younger man would tell him. But he waited for Severus to speak, lips twitching in an incredulous smile but deciding not to say more. "There is a saying: Boys will be boys. Though also works for girls, I suppose." He smirked, remembering some of the shenanigans that he had caused when he was at Hogwarts. He ignored Severus obvious discomfort, scowling in general at the thought that his cowardice was the reason for his son to be in such a position. He had at first wanted Draco to be a Death Eater, though to join of his own free will. But now that their family was in shambles…he wasn’t so sure he'd wish this upon anyone. The dark-haired man's voice broke through his reverie and Lucius had to think for a moment which thing Snape was giving his assurance of before he gave a sharp nod, indicating that he understood that Severus would do what he could and that the topic was over. Lucius did not expect that Severus would have any solutions for him or that he would say anything. Instead the blond was glad to have someone just listen to his issues and let him vent without judging him. He gave a tired-sounding laugh and then a sigh. "I hope we will." He rubbed his neck absently, feeling the chill come back even as he sipped his warm coffee. He did notice Snape's shifting as though he wished to leave and Lucius gave a smirk that was more like before Azkaban. "Ready to leave my lovely company so soon, Severus?" He sobered and shook his head softly. "No, go. You're needed at Hogwarts more than by me and my marital problems." He vaguely waved Severus off.

Severus | 431 | End with yous post or mine?