Following What's Beneath the Darkness

Summary: When all else is lost, and the final decision was upon them, Severus Snape was a man who lived by his word and protected those he was responsible for. And Lucius Malfoy was a father and a husband, trying desperately to save his family. But how would things have gone, if they'd both learned that truth about themselves sooner, and decided to act on it? When the Dark Lord falls, two men get together to discuss what's really important to them, and the choices they wish to make. And the consequences of protecting what they most value.

Prologue: A Winter Meeting (Mid December after Voldemort's fall)

Severus Snape stared at the fire burning in the grate. The heat it produced seemed raw, inconsequential, next to the burning pain that engulfed his heart, filled his being from the inside out.

Lily was dead. That thought filled him with pain. Unbearable pain. He had not lied to Dumbledore, a month and a half ago in his office, when he had declared that he wished that he were dead. The pain that surged through him was all-encompassing, a twisting, agonizing knot of grief that clogged his throat and made his head pound, that made his very soul burn in anguish. It was a torture that was worse than anything that had ever, ever been inflicted on him by the Dark Lord, or any other person. He'd have almost preferred a Dementor's touch to this.

James was dead. That should have filled him with joy, with satisfaction. It didn't. Instead, it left a bitter, ugly taste in his mouth. He would never get to challenge the former Marauder now. There would be no closure, no chance to confront the man James had reportedly become, to challenge Lily's husband. No chance for a final victory, or even a way to force the man to acknowledge him. Even if it had been as Death Eater vs Auror, or Dumbledore's man, he'd wanted to fight the man once, one-on-one, and prove that James wasn't nearly as strong without his little friends backing him up. But the Dark Lord had killed him, and it would never happen. Odd, he would have thought he wanted to see the Marauder dead. But now that he was, and Black was in Azkaban, he felt lost, without even a rival to hate and distract himself from his grief and his shame.

Dumbledore had asked...ordered and emotionally blackmailed him, rather...for him to watch over Harry Potter. Lily's son. James' son. A boy who it was reported had his father's messy black hair and his mother's vibrant green eyes. The child who had destroyed, at least temporarily, the Dark Lord. The child of the prophecy that he himself had delivered to Voldemort, thus starting the whole chain of events that had led to this. To him, sitting in a chair in Spinner's End, working his way through his second bottle of wine tonight, occupied with the same thoughts that had tortured him for the past month and a half.

He hated the boy for being James' son. Hated him for being the reason Voldemort had attacked the Potters and killed Lily. He wanted to protect him, for Lily's sake, and to atone for his own part in her death. The thought of the boy filled him with terrible, grinding shame. Harry Potter was far from the first child the Dark Lord had attacked, but he was the first to be a specific target of the Dark Lord. And the child had become a target because he, Severus Snape, had been fool enough to tell the Dark Lord the fragment of prophecy he had heard, in an effort to gain further favor. The irony made him feel almost ill. He'd delivered the Potters' doom, for a position that he'd promptly betrayed the minute he'd learned they were in danger, and a moment of glory that he'd lost when he'd displeased the Dark Lord by having the temerity to ask for Lily Potter to be spared.

He drank another long swallow from the bottle. He couldn't feel the burn of the wine as it slid down his throat, and he knew getting drunk would not help. But the hangover would distract him tomorrow morning. Being physically ill would distract him. At least if he was suffering from bodily misery, he would have less energy to ruminate over the mental and emotional torment he suffered. And passing out might let him sleep without dreams, or the nightmares that had woken him with his own muffled screams bouncing off the walls of his house for the past three nights. Dreamless Sleep would have worked as well, and he was more than competent to brew it, but he wanted this. Dreamless Sleep was both dangerous and addicting if taken too long. And there was a catharsis of sorts in drinking oneself stupid. He had once hated his father for doing so, but he was beginning to see the point to it after all.

A knock on the door roused him from his thoughts. He debated not answering, but if it was Dumbledore, the old man would come in anyway. If it was a messenger from Dumbledore, they'd stay out there and pound on his door until he did answer. And if it wasn't, then he had no idea what the person knocking on his front door wanted, especially at this hour of the night, and the distraction of figuring it out might be a welcome one. At least he'd have something else to think about for a few minutes, even if it was how to get a drunken Muggle tramp off his doorstep without getting arrested. He shoved himself to his feet, not even swaying (he'd always had a decent head for drink, legacy of his father) and stalked to the door as his uninvited guest knocked again, sounding far more impatient this time.

He threw open the door, not bothering to alter the black scowl on his face, and stared at his visitor in surprise. "Lucius. Or..." He raised an eyebrow as he took in the tasteful but expensive robes the other man wore. "Perhaps you prefer Lord Malfoy?"

"Lucius will do, Severus. And do invite me in. Surely your mother at least taught you that it's rude to keep guests standing at the door." Lucius matched him drawl for drawl, raised eyebrow with raised eyebrow. The aristocrat had much more grace and refinement in his gestures, but Severus knew for a fact that he could win an intimidation contest any day of the week.

"My mother taught me very little worth knowing. And she would have said that unexpected, uninvited guests deserve whatever courtesy, or not, they are afforded." Still, he let the other man in, and gestured him through to the sitting room. Fortunately, there was another chair. A gesture moved it closer to the fire.

Lucius eyed the empty bottle by his chair, and the half-full one, and his eyebrow arched again. "You've been busy, I see." The lack of a glass anywhere nearby was also noted, and a faint sneer curled the older man's lip. "Really Severus...your taste in wine is adequate, at least, but your manners..."

Severus snorted and summoned two glasses, and another bottle for good measure. "I was not expecting company. My taste in wine was largely acquired with my drinking habits in your social circle, so kindly do not criticize it. As for my manners...how I choose to behave in my own home, in private, is none of your business. Nor anyone else's." His voice was harsh.

"True. But I did name you to be one of my son's guardians, if need arises. I should hope you would make a better showing, should I allow you to care for him." Lucius took the glass he handed him and sipped at the wine he'd poured.

Severus snorted again. "Were your son in my charge, I wouldn't be drinking. My father..." he bit the word out in tones of disgust. "...taught me that much, at least." A bitter smirk curled his mouth. "And there are only two circumstances in which your son might come to my hands. One, that you and your better off, elite social friends are all indisposed, in which manners would be the least of the boy's problems, or two, your son being a student at Hogwarts. Which, admittedly, is far more likely to happen, but will also insure that there are plenty of other influences to offset my poor example, should the boy even bother looking to someone as lowly as a teacher for any sort of guidance."

He didn't miss the way Lucius' eyes sharpened at the mention of Hogwarts. He had said it deliberately anyway, knowing that Lucius hadn't come to complain about his social habits. Better to give the man an opening now. He was in no mood to tiptoe around the subject for the next twenty minutes before coming to the point of the other man's visit. Even if it was amusing to see the polished, well dressed aristocrat trying to look comfortable and at ease in Spinner's End, one of the poorer neighborhoods in Britain, Muggle or magical. He could see the minute stiffness in the man's shoulders, the sidelong looks he was giving the dust covered shelves, as if he expected the air of the run-down, barely maintained house to stick to him, and magically plaster dust and poverty all over his person.

"Ah yes...Hogwarts. I understand you are a professor there." Lucius sipped his wine again. "A matter about which I've heard several...interesting rumors."

Severus scowled. "You already knew I worked there. And why."

"That you worked there...of course. Everyone knows. As to why...there is the question." Lucius shot him a calculated, enigmatic smile over the wine glass, a subtle challenge.

Severus allowed himself a bitter, edged smile, and all but slammed his wine glass down. "If you have a point, Lucius, then speak it. If not, leave, and leave me to my drinking. I was making excellent progress before you came, and I would like to get back to it, unless you've a better distraction to offer." He was in no mood for subtleties, and enough of the wine had settled into his system to eliminate a fair amount of courtesy. Besides, Lucius knew he was sarcastic and irritable when he'd been drinking. If he chose now to speak with him, then that was the other man's fault. He lifted his cup to take another swallow.

"Indeed." Lucius quirked an eyebrow, and looked somewhat amused for a moment. Then the amusement disappeared, his gray eyes solemn as he set his own wine glass down. "According to the information we of the inner circle received, you entered Dumbledore's service on the Dark Lord's orders, as a spy. However...I have heard rumors of an entirely different story. Rumors that you were arrested, and Dumbledore himself spoke for you. Rumors that Dumbledore testified in a closed session that you were a spy...for him. Against the Dark Lord."

Danger warnings sparked in his mind. The faint alcohol haze that had settled over him, the lassitude born of grief and indifference, vanished like morning fog on a summer day. He scowled and set his own glass down. "Rumors are always drifting around. I've heard rumors that you testified to being under the Imperious Curse as well. We both know the truth of that claim."

Lucius chuckled, a low, dark sound that had no humor in it, only appreciation for Severus' response in the dancing battle of wits they both so often engaged in. "Quite. And in truth, I do not care, not at this time. The Dark Lord is defeated. That fact cannot be challenged. If you wish to hide in Dumbledore's shadow to avoid Azkaban, it is of no importance to me. As you say, I have taken my own measures to avoid imprisonment. And I know well you do not have my...resources, shall we say."

Meaning he wasn't rich enough to bribe the Minister of Magic, or various members of the Wizengamot into giving an implausible story a little more credence than it deserved. He scowled, but let the barb pass him by, and waited for Lucius to make the next move.

Lucius lifted his glass once more, sipped, studying the wine in a feigned nonchalance that fooled neither of them for a second. Severus didn't move. After a long moment, Lucius replaced the glass on the table. "Indeed. It was an inspired move. However...there are several things that puzzle me, Severus." He turned his gaze gray eyes meeting black. "I wonder if I might trouble you for answers."

Severus shrugged, a relaxation as feigned as Lucius' own, and just as recognized as the act it was. "If you wish. I cannot promise to provide them, but you may as well ask your questions. Everyone else has done." He'd received multiple owls a day for the first few weeks. More from his colleagues at Hogwarts, who had resorted to everything from pointed inquiries in the staff room to piercing glances and muttering when they thought he wasn't paying attention.

"Of course." Lucius nodded his acknowledgment, hiving doubtless had a similar situation. "These then, are the facts that concern me." His hands fidgeted on his snake handled cane, then stilled.

"Dumbledore spoke for you. Well enough to convince the Wizengamot, well enough that even my best information sources can reveal no more than that he spoke for you. It is...a great deal of trouble to go through, for one man. Enough to make me wonder. After all...Dumbledore is many things, including rather soft-hearted, if it comes to that. But he is not a fool. Nor, may I add, is he particularly easy to fool. He is misguided, perhaps, but he is well versed in both spotting and guarding against those that act against his aims and interests."

Severus grimaced. "Dumbledore is a believer in second chances. He has a soft spot for a well told tale of remorse."

"Perhaps. But...I know exactly how well he cared for you as a student, Severus. I wonder what inspired you to seek his protection, after all this time." Lucius leveled a firm stare at him. "And I wonder why he should give it...when he gave you none as a student, back when it was far more likely that you were an innocent boy. More to the point...I myself spoke before the Wizengamot, spun my own story of remorse and regret...and Dumbledore did not look upon me so favorably. He could not condemn me, but he granted me no grace either, save that I have a young son who needs a father." Lucius tipped his head, regarding him with shuttered eyes that gave no hint to his own thoughts. "It makes me wonder, Severus, what you told him, or what you did...to grant you such a mighty protector."

Severus reached for his wine, sipping it as if Lucius' words had no effect, but his mind was spinning. Lucius was far from the only one to have recognized the oddity of how Dumbledore had sheltered him. He was, however, the only one to analyze it, to focus on it with such intensity. Most of the others had been satisfied with the explanation he had already given. Followers of the Headmaster had accepted his tale of being reformed, sickened by Voldemort's actions, albeit with varying degrees of skepticism. Followers of the Dark Lord had been placated with his tale of being a spy in Albus' camp.

Lucius was different. And there was something about the tone of the older man's questions that he couldn't pin down. Some undercurrent he could not quite grasp. He took another sip, then decided to go with an edited version of the truth, to see what it brought him.

"Dumbledore's previous Potion's Instructor and Head of Slytherin wanted out. Wanted to retire. As I am qualified, the old man would prefer to keep me close and use my skills, rather than seek another to fill the position."

Lucius made a sound that would have been a snort, on anyone less refined, or laughter, in a less tense situation. "You do not have a temperament for teaching. Though I'll grant your skill in Potions is impressive."

A grimace curled Severus' mouth. "So Dumbledore said. I believe he simply wants to keep an eye on me. Regardless, if teaching brats and idiots can keep me out of Azkaban, it's a price I can afford."

"Quite reasonable. However...with your temperament...I wonder that he trusts you with your students. Unless...there is another price tag attached. Dumbledore is a shrewd bargainer. And he takes precautions when he must, whatever weaknesses he has."

Severus scowled, hand tightening on his glass in unfeigned anger as the memory rose up inside him. The memory of Dumbledore's words. The words he had used to trap him.

Lucius noticed. "I see...another price indeed." He picked up the wine bottle and poured a few more ounces into Severus' glass and his own, a silent invitation, and admonishment to calm down.

He took the wine and the admonishment in a long slow gulp, swallowing half the glass empty as Lucius sipped his own in a slower manner.

At length, he felt calm enough to speak again, though his tone was acidic. He knew that, at least, wouldn't bother the man sitting across from him. "Dumbledore...recalls that I was...associated with Lily Evans."

"Ah yes. The Mud..." Severus shot Lucius a snarling glare over his cup, and Lucius amended his phrasing. "The Muggleborn girl. The redhead from Gryffindor. You two had quite the relationship, as I recall...though I was under the impression that it ended in your Fifth Year. Something involving Potter..."

"Finish that sentence, and I will curse you, guest in my house or not." The shame and rage of that day had never left him, and even hearing Lucius reference it brought a red haze to his vision. His hand tightened on the glass again, and he set it down before he shattered it in his fist.

Lucius nodded, accepting the warning and the rebuke. "Still...I fail to see what your childhood connection to Potter's wife has to do with Dumbledore protecting you."

An angry snarl crossed Severus' face, and he shoved himself to his feet, to stare into the fire. "Albus Dumbledore issued me an...ultimatum. His exact words were this: 'If you are truly remorseful, then you will protect Lily's child.' He even went so far as to tell me exactly the ways in which the brat resembles her. As if that was meant to sway me." He had demanded that Dumbledore never reveal the truth of their bargain, but it was the only argument he had left. Lucius could take it as he chose. He hoped he'd left the statement ambiguous enough.

"Ah..." There was a wealth of understanding in the Malfoy lord's tone, as if the pieces of a puzzle had clicked into place for him. "And you...agreed, I take it?" He didn't answer, and after a moment, he heard Lucius rise and stand beside him. "Interesting."

There was a small pause, the silence interrupted only by the cracking of the fire, then Lucius spoke again, his words slow and thoughtful. "That Albus would arrange for someone such as you to protect the boy, that he has spirited him away to a 'safe location' that no one I have access to knows the location of...means he fears the child is in danger. But what danger, I wonder?"

"The Dark Lord." There was no reason to be anything other than blunt for this. "No one knows what happened in Godric's Hollow. The only true witness is not even old enough to stop needing nappies, let alone speak. And as Albus Dumbledore knows well, 'defeat', 'destroy', and 'kill' do not mean the same thing in every case. The Dark Lord was defeated. That is known. He was damaged, possibly destroyed. That is not guaranteed. There is no proof at all, no body, no nothing, to verify his death. Given his quest for immortality, which even the most ignorant street urchin could have guessed at or known about, Albus Dumbledore is not nearly as ready to believe he is gone for good as the rest of the wizarding world."

"I see." Severus had no doubt that Lucius did, in fact, see the situation. "So...the Potter boy, the Boy-who-lived, will return to the wizarding world at some point. And Dumbledore expects the Dark Lord to return in some form or fashion as well."

He didn't bother to refute or confirm the other man's statement. Instead he waited. Lucius would either say his farewells and get out of the house, or he had something else he wished to discuss, and he would say so eventually.

Lucius kept silent for a while, long enough for it to grow oppressive. Then he spoke. "You were high in the Dark Lord's favor. I must admit, potion skills and spying aside...I was astounded at how fast you rose in his esteem." Another pause, then: "Tell me, Severus, why did the Dark Lord attack the Potters? They were a nuisance, I grant you, and rather troublesome, but as they were evidently hiding under Fidelius, and saddled with a new child, they could not have been much threat. Why did he go after them?"

Severus snorted. "Why do you ask me what the Dark Lord was thinking? Perhaps I was favored, for a time, but the Dark Lord was ever cautious with his words and plans."

"Perhaps. But I know for a fact that you know more than you are admitting. After all, did you not ask our lord to spare Lily Evans Potter? Were you not punished for your temerity, only to be granted our master's indulgence?" Severus spun at that, to find Lucius regarding him with a thin, cold smile upon his face. "One hears...many things, when one is playing host to the Dark Lord, or seeking his advice on various matters. A matter that might cause one to delay departure can lead to...interesting windfalls of information."

Cold understanding swept through him, clearing any possible lingering fog from his mind. Lucius knew too much for him to hide. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to make it easy. "I thought it would be...amusing, to take James Potter's wife from him. To prove to Lily Evans that she had chosen the wrong man after all."

"Perhaps. But I am not so sure I believe that. A bit...passionate, for a schoolboy grudge and a Mudblood who held no interest for you other than idle conquest. And idle conquest has never been a particular indulgence of yours, Severus." Lucius' eyes gleamed hard and predatory in the firelight. "And were she or her husband the purpose of the assault, not even our lord's most forgiving mood would have earned your forgiveness for daring to question their deaths." His mouth tightened into a sharp, hard line. "Tell me, Severus, why our lord and master was targeting an infant in the cradle. What importance did Harry Potter have that the Dark Lord would actively hunt him, and Dumbledore would so tightly shield him. I am certain you know the answers." His fingers flexed on the handle of his cane in warning.

Lucius would hex him. He was a good duelist, better than the Malfoy lord. However, he'd also been drinking, and however sharp his mind was, he knew his reflexes would not be. Besides...this house was all he had, poor refuge though it was, and he didn't want to risk a spell battle being seen. Too many complications could arise from that.

There was nothing to do but tell the truth, albeit as little as possible. He was sure Dumbledore would want him to lie, but he also knew that the lie would, one way or another, be revealed eventually, and that would be...problematic. At best. "There was a prophecy. The Dark Lord believed the Potter's son was the one to whom the prophecy referred. He wished to deal with the matter before the boy became troublesome." His mouth twisted. "The prophecy was given to Dumbledore. I was there, and heard a part of it, before I was ejected from the premises. Clearly, something in the part I did not hear was...unfavorable. Regardless, I did not know that before I took the words I had overheard to our lord. Words he then acted upon."

"Ah." Lucius nodded. His grip relaxed. "A prophecy. I suppose you cannot tell me it's contents."

"No. I am sworn to silence." By Dumbledore and the Dark Lord both, and he'd come close to breaking the vows and suffering the consequences with as much as he'd said.

Lucius nodded and, after a moment, returned to his chair and settled into it. Gray eyes returned to staring at the fire. Severus took his own seat. He still didn't know what Lucius wanted, but the explanation was apparently not the end of it.

It seemed an eternity before the older wizard spoke. "Perhaps, for this time, we may lay aside our masks and speak plainly, Severus. I will do you that courtesy, if you will swear to do the same."

A puzzling request, even more so coming from Lucius Malfoy, of all people. Severus considered a moment, then nodded. Lucius was not a good enough Occlumens to know if he lied. And he wanted to know what Lucius was thinking. To have brought him to Spinner's End, to have him speak those words, it was serious indeed.

"I have long thought that I agreed with the Dark Lord's goals to purify wizarding society, to stamp out those who were unfit, Mudbloods and half-bloods. To strengthen our government, and make wizard-kind a force to be reckoned with and feared. However...I have a son."

"And your point, Lucius? Having second thoughts?" That surprised him.

Sharp gray eyes snapped to meet his, and Lucius scowled. Then he huffed in exasperation and looked away, and the tension in his frame melted, leaving him looking tired, in a way Lucius had never looked before, not even in the aftermath of the worst of situations.

The blond took a sip of his drink, so long left alone, then spoke in a low, thoughtful tone, his words coming slow, as if he were still putting his thoughts together. "I have a son, Severus. He is Harry Potter's age, his elder by only a few months. Harry Potter will surely come to Hogwarts. And so will Draco. If the Dark Lord chooses to hunt the boy, my own son may lie inadvertently in his path. My son may be endangered, even with all of Albus Dumbledore's protections. For, you know as well as I, Slytherin blood and the sons of accused Death Eaters are unlikely to rank high on the list of things Albus Dumbledore wishes to protect."

Severus nodded. "I would be there. And I would protect the boy for you, as much as I can. But my actions are likely to be limited by circumstances, and Dumbledore's leash."

Lucius tipped his head in response, lifting his glass to acknowledge the promise. "So...it will come to war on children, among children, unless you think that Dumbledore and the Dark Lord will wait for the boy to reach his majority."

"Considering they did not even wait for him to begin walking and talking, it is doubtful." Severus picked up his own drink. There was still the possibility that Lucius' words were a trap, to get him to betray himself, but so far Malfoy had said far more damaging things than he had. At least, in so far as any other Death Eater would be concerned. "This concerns you?"

"It does. I do not wish for my son and heir to be placed recklessly into danger. And while I am well aware that children are frequent victims of the things that must be done...I cannot say that it sits entirely well with me, to make war on children. Nor does the thought of my son being caught up in this war sit well with me. Should Draco choose to stand beside me as a man, all well and good. I shall certainly raise him to do so. But I do not want my son to wander into this conflict as an untried youth, nor be sacrificed to blind ambition or Dumbledore's plans."

Severus said the first thing that came to mind. "There will be no way of keeping Draco entirely out of the conflict. None of us will be able to avoid it. The best you can do is keep him from declaring one side or the other. Keep him from the Dark Lord's camp, and as far out of Dumbledore's eye as possible. And even neutrality will be no guarantee of safety. It is simply the best you can hope for."

"I am aware of all these things. And you...you will stand between both sides, will you not? Whichever side you truly work and spy for..." Lucius gave him a cold smile. "You will play the man in between, won't you? Neutral, as you say?"

"I will do as I must." He had given his word to protect the Potter brat, but beyond that, he had no idea. He was Dumbledore's and he had learnt a few hard lessons, in this past year or so. Painful ones. He had been changed. Long before Halloween Night and Lily's death, he had lost his ability to view death and torture with jaded, uncaring eyes. In truth, he'd had little stomach for it. Too many Death Eater revels reminded him of the Marauder's own torment of him. And the victims often bore far more resemblance to him than they did to the spoiled callous brats that Potter and Black had been. For a while, he'd been able to maintain a savage delight in getting some of his own, in the freedom of being oppressor rather than victim, but none of the victims had been the targets he'd wanted, really, and the brief headiness of it had worn off rather fast, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"So...we agreed to speak without masks, Severus. So tell me...will you protect the Potter boy, as Dumbledore has ordered? Or, shall I say...will you protect him with the skill you truly possess, or simply go through the motions and make your excuses?"

He considered lying. But if it was a trap, Lucius had already damned himself by saying he did not wish to risk his son, by hinting that he would dare to challenge the Dark Lord's will in any way. Besides...he was not in the mood to lie. "I will protect him. I swore I would, if only for the fact that he is Lily Evan's son."

A brief smirk twisted across the older man's mouth. "It was more than a boyhood grudge then." Severus scowled at him, and was surprised by the odd look of relief in the older man's eyes. Well, he supposed Lucius was glad someone else was fool enough to admit that they might oppose the Dark Lord. "I had wondered, given what I overheard."

Severus scowled. "Your mother should have taught you that eavesdropping was impolite."

Lucius only waved the rebuff aside. "My parents were true Slytherins. Survival above all. A bit of listening at keyholes can save your life. Or alter it forever, as you seem to know...quite well."

That hurt. Severus fought the urge to hurl his glass into the fire, just to listen to it shatter. He only had so many cups, and he didn't need the hassle of buying more, not right now. Instead, he poured more wine into his glass, deliberately ignoring Lucius, and swallowed a fair amount. The slight heat of the wine was an effective counter to the simmering rage boiling in his gut. "What is it you really want here, Lucius?"

"To know where you stand. To know what you will do, when Harry Potter returns, and if the Dark Lord rises once more." Lucius studied him for a moment, then set his glass down and leaned forward, his eyes serious and hard with determination. "I mean to protect my son, Severus. My son and my wife. I will not permit either of them to die, nor to be harmed if the madness of war returns to us. I will have little choice, should our lord return..." His left hand flexed, and Severus felt his own fingers twitch in sympathetic response. "...but I will see my son and my wife as safe as possible. Thus, I must consider all potential avenues of protection for them." A brief grimace drifted across his features. "Dumbledore has ordered you to protect Potter, and you have agreed. So...answer me honestly, do you think the boy has a chance?"

"I have no idea. Dumbledore is a mighty protector, as you have noticed, but his protection did not shield the Potters. Not adequately." Severus scowled. "Had you asked me a year ago...six months ago, I would have told you that the child was simply bait, and helpless bait at that. But with what has happened...the boy survived the Killing Curse, and not even Dumbledore knows why for certain. It is just as evident that the Dark Lord was severely damaged, if not killed outright. This turn of events is something no one could possibly have predicted. Given that...the odds of his survival are impossible to predict at this point."

"True. But Dumbledore is a mighty shield, as you say. And you are not an inconsiderable wizard yourself. That adds to the odds in the boy's favor, does it not?" Lucius toyed with his cane. "I cannot be seen to aid Potter, not directly. However...Draco will be in his year. If he is raised neutral, if he and Potter come to know one another..."

"Then he can at least make his own decision. And I can protect him as well." Severus downed another swallow of wine. "To be neutral is not the safest place to be, but it is far less dangerous than choosing a side, particularly at this point. And it will leave you an opening, to stand on Potter's side, supporting your son, or at the Dark Lord's side, trying to train your son."

"Indeed." Lucius nodded. "However...the proper mindset will need to be established."

Severus snorted. "Which will require some alterations on your part." Lucius scowled, lips thinning in distaste, and Severus fixed him with a stern expression. "You cannot tout blood superiority and pureblood supremacy and hope for Draco to remain unaffected. Even should you choose for me to have a greater prominence in his life. My presence as your associate will only change so much." Lucius knew well he was a half blood. He considered. "Perhaps, a better position to take might be that you feel muggleborns and half bloods have less chance to behold the...advantages of wizarding society, and are not...adequately informed."

"Ah...training and educating, as opposed to elimination?" Lucius looked thoughtful. "Perhaps...you would support me in this?"

"I would." That much he could promise. Dumbledore would no doubt suspect Lucius' motives. Well, he did as well. Fair enough. And they had 10 years before Potter would grace Hogwarts. Long enough that even Lucius might change.

Lucius was still thinking. "I wonder...do you think Potter might be swayed?"

Severus considered. "If he is at all like his parents, he will never join the Dark Lord. As a matter of fact, even if he were not like his parents...to join the man who murdered them...it would be the work of either a truly dangerous individual, or a coward. However...it might be possible to influence him somewhat, to at least present alternative viewpoints. But it would have to be handled very carefully." The thought appealed to him, now that he was considering it.

He had lost his interest in the Dark Lord's campaign, and his methods, a long time ago. And yet, he could not help his anger, at Dumbledore who manipulated even his grief for Lily to serve his causes, and at all those who had stood by. Fools who had not fought for the wizarding world. Government officials who were so quick to issue orders and cause panic, but would not take the front lines. And even older wounds, from all those who had stood by in his youth. Those who had never helped him, in his lonely childhood. Those who had stood by and watched, as the Marauders had tormented him. Thinking of those things...raising a Harry Potter who understood those things, who was controlled by neither side and might be persuaded to find a balance for all...that idea did hold appeal.

"I take it this idea meets with your approval?" Lucius sounded amused, and Severus new his old friend had read his thoughts in his face. He was annoyed with himself, but he couldn't bring himself to worry too much.

"I find myself...intrigued by the possibilities. However, at present, the boy is beyond our reach." he sighed. Dumbledore had told Minerva McGonnagall and Hagrid where Potter had been placed, but his best efforts couldn't pry that information out of any of them.

"We will not be ready to act for some time, in any case. Both of us have reputations to establish. And it will be years before the boy is of an age to be influenced." Lucius drained his wine, then rose to his feet. Severus mirrored his gesture as he followed his guest to the front door. "It is enough to have a plan in place, my friend. We can afford to wait, and prepare, until Potter comes to the wizarding world. To Hogwarts."

Severus raised one eyebrow. Lucius had never called him 'my friend' before. He'd called him by his given name, and frequently, but never something like that. The closest he'd gotten was the rare occasions where he'd introduced him as 'my associate' or 'my colleague'. Or in Hogwarts, as 'my housemate'.

Lucius caught his expression, and returned a sardonic smile. "Well, we must start somewhere." He raised his cane in a small salute. "I bid you good evening, Severus. Do stop by the manor soon. I believe...we have much more to discuss. And I'm sure Narcissa would love to see you." Lucius stepped off his doorstep and Apparated away without waiting for a reply.

Severus snorted and shut the door. Narcissa was not that fond of him, but they tolerated each other well enough. And he was sure he and Lucius did have much more to discuss. He turned back to his sitting room and surveyed the wine bottles and two glasses.

He felt nowhere near drunk. But now he also felt very little desire to be drunk. Lucius and his surprising revelations and proposals had distracted him. Even as he reached for the melancholy that had enveloped him before, his mind was distracted by the things that would need to be done, for their efforts to have any chance of success. And to be able to plan, to be distracted from his grief...he felt as if some sort of weight had been taken from him. His heart still ached, and would forever he felt, but the anguish had been eased by a hope that the future might be swayed. Swayed by his hand. Not Dumbledore's, or the Dark Lord's.

He considered a moment longer, then capped the wine bottles and put them away, then set the glasses in the sink. There was a mild sleeping potion he could take that would leave him refreshed, without the heaviness of Dreamless Sleep. And then, tomorrow...

Tomorrow he would begin his planning, for what to do when Harry Potter returned to the wizarding world.

Author's Note: So it begins. What do you think?

I was always intrigued by the way the portrayal of Malfoy and Snap shifted during the series. I wanted to write something where the two of them started in the position that they ended in in the original stories, and see how that changed the outcome. Would Draco be such a prat, if his father and mentor weren't so biased? How would Harry interact with these types of people, both of whom are dark (or at least have been) but have something they've found that was more important. And what will happen to Snape and Lucius, later on?

We'll just have to wait and see.