Prologue

Severus Snape sat at a fine mahogany table surrounded by stacks of rare and forbidden texts. His chair cushion was covered in a luminous blue silk, completely hidden by the folds of his black robes. The walls were studded in bookshelves that boasted ancient knowledge, and a marble fireplace glimmered with flames. A grandfather clocked chimed in the far corner, playing an excerpt of Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Where was this quaint and ostentatiously ornate setting? It was the private study of one Lucius Malfoy, and he and Severus Snape were engaging in another weekly session of Slytherin Charades: Malfoy pretending to read and Snape pretending to listen.

It was an old habit of theirs during the summer; both Slytherins knew the game and played their parts well. It was a profitable arrangement – Severus was free to browse his bitter heart's content, and Lucius had a captive audience. With the added pressure of the Dark Lord's return, there was a new desperation to their association.

The room was quiet except for the crackling of the perpetually lit fireplace, and the gently swish of a turned page. Lucius was sitting sprawled on one of the blue silk couches, his left arm slung across the backrest, and his right hand nursing a glass of a rather fine scotch, and an open book forgotten in his lap. He watched Severus turn a page with a sigh.

"Severus?"

"Yes?" He replied without looking up. Severus was absorbed by the book in front of him. He thought that by now Lucius should have learned better than to disturb him during research... or was his last accidental hexing not reminder enough?

"How can you spend all of your days engaged in such academic tedium…Surely you are in need of amusement?" Lucius flashed a devilishly brilliant smile. It was completely wasted on his taciturn guest. "I know a lovely courtesan by the name of Maria – she's Spanish, you know – the things she can do with her fingers…"

Severus felt his fingers begin to curl around the edges of the book. He affected a bored tone, "You know I don't find pleasure in such casual acquaintance." He finished with a sneer, "After all, I don't know where she's been."

Lucius let out a dramatic sigh, and ceased to mime the castanets. "If you insist... I never wanted to share her with you, anyway." He gave a delicate, offended sniff and focused once more on the amber liquid swirling in the crystal tumbler he held in his hand.

A few minutes passed, and another snick of a flipped page.

"Severus?"

"Yes?" came the gritted reply.

"You aren't still pining for that mudbood, are you? What's her name? Gardenia, Tulip?"

Severus gripped the book so hard the page he was on began to rip at the seam.

"No..."

Oblivious to his friend's discomfort, he blathered on.

"Ah, of course. No casual dalliance would do for you, old friend. I know what you need…" Lucius snapped his fingers as if suddenly filled with inspiration. "A wife!"

Severus sputtered, completely caught off guard. He looked up in disbelief. "A…a what?"

"A wife." Lucius stood up and began to pace in front of the fire place. "You know, free to still do as you please, but still someone warm to come home to and rub your feet…if you know what I mean."

Rub his feet? "I'm sure I don't…"

He looked Severus up and down. "You certainly aren't getting any younger."

"And you're not getting any thinner," was the snarled reply.

Acting as if he hadn't heard the insult, Lucius walked over to where Severus was sitting. He placed his scotch on the table, grabbed the book from Severus' hands, shut it with a snap, and tucked it under his arm. Severus stood in outrage and made a grab for the book. Lucius side-stepped him with practiced ease, and shoved the sputtering potions master over towards the fireplace.

"Lucius, I swear if you even think about doing what I think you are, I will—"

Tossing the Floo powder into the fire, he cut off the beginning tirade and steered the potions master towards the flames. "Go home and don't worry about a thing, I should have a pretty surprise for you in a few weeks."

"Lucius Malfoy!"

"See you later, old chap. Spinner's End!"

With that, Lucius shoved Severus through and turned with a snap.

He had some planning to do.

Severus skidded across the floor like a boulder across water, and landed with a thud in his sitting room, having been all but thrown through the Floo. He stood and whipped out his wand, thinking to Apparate back immediately and show Malfoy the errors of presumptive ways, and stilled. Surely his friend wasn't serious about this half-hatched plan. No, it was simply Lucius being Lucius, he thought. Nothing would come of it. He would probably pursue it for about an hour before his aristocratic mind would grow bored and move on to other pursuits.

He tucked his wand back into his sleeve and shook his head. If he went back it would only antagonise Lucius into actually following through for once, he reasoned. Yes, better leave this one battle alone.

After all, Severus reminded himself, nothing would come of it.