A/N-1: Sorry it's been awhile since I last updated, every time I got online ffn would be down L

In the Company of Snakes

By: Cousin Mary

Part13

Over the next few weeks the Malfoy family fell into a comfortable routine. Draco and Maggie would wake and have breakfast together before slipping outside to walk the grounds and generally get better acquainted. Sometimes Draco would bring out his text books and attempt to catch his sister up on Hogwart's classes, but while she might not have the formal schooling of most wizards or witches, there didn't seem to be too many holes in her education.

The children would return to the house around noon to lunch with their father and Professor Snape, both of whom had usually just woken up. The conversation was for the most part pleasant, but always formal. Though Lucius was healing quickly, he still tired easily and more often than not he and the potion master would retire to the library immediately after the meal. Draco and Maggie were then left to their own devices until supper, when they were expected to change into more formal clothes and meet the adults in the dining hall. Once there, the children had learned to stay relatively quiet as their father and Snape discussed current events or whatever intellectual or business related subjects that had occupied their afternoon.

Maggie enjoyed her new life, she enjoyed the predictability of it. Predictability, to her, meant safety. As long as she knew where she was supposed to be and how she was supposed to act, she was happy. She'd grown close to her brother, and while he could be a bit arrogant and occasionally moody, she also knew that he cared about her. She trusted Draco, and she hadn't been able to say that about anyone for a long time.

She still wasn't sure what to make of Professor Snape. He rarely spoke directly to her, even though at lunch they were encouraged to ask questions of both him and Father to 'further their understanding,' the black eyed man usually remained silent, or failing that, directed his comments to their father. Still, he seemed content to spend his afternoons with Father, caring for him without making the proud man feel incompetent, and for that she was indebted to him.

The there was her father, Maggie sighed as she looked across the dining room table at Lucius Malfoy. It was another of their formal dinners, so her father and Snape were quietly talking as Draco and herself remained relatively silent. She studied the elder Malfoy as she pushed untouched lobster risotto around her plate. His hair nearly regrown, his skin unblemished, the only thing that gave away the fact that something had happened was the slightly haunted look that crept into his eyes occasionally. Oh he was fine usually, as long as he was concentrating on something. Like now for instance, now Lucius was talking with the Professor about potion ingredients originating from the Amazon basin. Now he was in his element: lecturing, teasing, ever so charming and just slightly sneering as he spoke on subjects he knew backwards and forwards. But then there'd be a lull in the conversation, Snape would reach for his goblet or look to his food and Lucius's thoughts would wander. His steel blue eyes would unfocus just a bit as he gazed inwards, his lips would press together. You could tell then, tell he wasn't the same as he'd been.

It was in those moments that Maggie didn't know what to do, she'd look to Draco, but he always pretended not to notice their father's behavior, though she could see his jaw clench as he looked down at his plate. Maggie bit her lip and went back to her food. Father's mood would pass soon, he and Snape would go back to discussing fire-ant paste and sloth bile. Everything would go back to normal, and things would be fine again.

Later that night, Severus Snape roamed the halls of Malfoy Manor as if he were patrolling the halls of Hogwarts. Lucius was long ago retired for the night, but the potion master was used to late hours and much more physical activity during his days. He was restless and didn't know what to do with himself, so he walked. He kept as brisk pace as he strode through the winding halls of the Manor. He soon found himself in the South Hall, where the children stayed.

Pausing, he noted the flickering light coming from beneath one of the doors. He wasn't sure if this were the boy or the girl's room, but he frowned as a trace of something sulfuric hit his nose. Snape's eyes narrowed as he drew in a deep breath, tasting the air. Sulfur, holly and, was that umber? Raising his hand to knock, he dropped it when the sound of something heavy hitting the floor reached his ears. Grabbing the doorknob, he twisted and let himself in.

Snape wasn't sure why he'd expected something malevolent to be taking place in the bedroom, too many years in the company of death eaters he supposed, but the sight that greeted him as he rushed into the room was merely Draco leaning over to pick up a fallen potion's book. He glanced about, but other than the small cauldron simmering away on a table by the window, there was nothing of any interest in the dimly lit chamber.

"Mr. Malfoy…" Snape trailed off, not sure how to explain his presence in the room. He stared down his hawk-like nose at his student before approaching the cauldron and peering at its contents. He frowned, he didn't recognize it, "Just what are you brewing, boy?"

"Nothing sir," Draco shrugged, "Just a variation on a sleep draught."

"Mr. Malfoy, you can lie as smoothly as your father, but I can catch him as well," Snape sneered, looming over Draco as if they were in class, "Now, what are you making and to what end?"

"We aren't on school grounds, Professor," Draco started out quietly, but as he spoke his voice grew louder and angrier. He was tired of not being told what was going on, tired of biting his tongue when his father and Snape talked over his head, just tired in general. "Look, you are a guest in –my- house and I owe you no explanation!"

"You are right Mr. Malfoy, we aren't on school grounds," Snape's eyes flashed dangerously as he grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and drew him closer to the cauldron. "And therefore I need not follow Hogwart's rules. Now, what are you brewing."

Draco swallowed audibly at Snape's quiet, menacing tone, not sure how to answer.

"What's going on?" Maggie's voice came from the doorway.

Snape turned slightly, his hand still on the back of Draco's neck. He glanced at Lucius's daughter, she stood there, obviously just awoken, wrapped up in a ridiculous fluffy blue comforter, her wand trembling in her hand… pointed at him. He sighed and shook his head, "Put that away you silly girl."

"L-let him go," Maggie answered back, her voice shaking nearly as much as her hands.

Draco broke away then and stood in front of him, blocking his sister's aim, "It's all right Maggie, Snape's just being Snape." His words were careless, but the tension was easily visible in his nearly hunched shoulders.

Maggie reluctantly lowered her wand and shuffled into the room. "What's going on then?" She turned wide eyes first on her brother, then on Snape.

The dark hared man rolled his eyes as the siblings huddled together like scared rabbits. "Bloody children," Snape breathed, turning back to the cauldron, "I could smell this all through the hall, Mr. Malfoy, you should know better than to brew untested potions outside a laboratory setting."

"It's been tested," Draco picked up his book and began flipping through the pages.

"Have you brewed it before?" Snape asked.

"No, but-" Draco began only to be cut off.

"Then as far as you are concerned it has –not- been tested," Snape lectured, "You have no idea how the potion will perform as it is being brewed, any warning signs the mix is incorrect will be overlooked by an inexperienced brewer. Potions' work requires proper ventilation, ready containment spells. Really, if this is how you've taught yourself so many potions, it's a wonder you haven't blown your fool self up long before now."

Draco's eyes lowered to the floor as he frowned. "You're right, of course, Professor."

Snape looked down at the boy, who now wouldn't meet his gaze. He sighed again, wondering if it was because he was Lucius's son, or his obvious talent for potions that made him reach out to the boy, "Draco, you did a fine job with your father, but you shouldn't take unnecessary chances. You have a gift."

Draco glanced up, surprised to hear Snape use his given name. He hadn't done that since he was a small child, since before he'd started Hogwarts 5 years ago. "Thank you sir."

Snape felt uncomfortable at the wonder he saw in the boy's face and looked back at the cauldron, "Now, the potion?"

Draco stepped forward a bit, "Ah, it's for Maggie, sir."

"Me?" The girl stepped up next to table too, mimicking her brother's stance. Suddenly Snape found himself surrounded by mini-Malfoys.

"It's supposed to help block empaths, I thought it might help," Draco flipped a few more pages in his book before stopping on dog-eared page, "So you don't wake up screaming every time Father rubs a burn too hard."

"You're an empath?" Snape's eyes widened as he looked down at the blonde head on his left.

"N-not really, I- get feelings sometimes though." She turned and walked to the window and looked out almost fearfully, as if she expected someone to be there, listening in, "Father's been keeping me awake… He's troubled."

"Well, this potion might help," Draco explained, watching her with concern as he stirred the potion as Snape looked on, "It shouldn't hurt to try it."

"Finish the potion, but before taking anything, allow me to look over it at least," Snape shook his head, taking up the book, "No need for anyone to get poisoned this close to the start of the school year after all."

"Thank you sir," Draco nearly smiled as he went back to his cauldron.

Maggie did smile, right at Snape with such a look of gratitude that the potion master again had to look uncomfortably away. As he began to go over the complicated potion, Snape was surprised to realize how fond he was growing of Lucius's children. Quiet Maggie with her sad eyes and quiet smiles, arrogant Draco, so strikingly like his father, Snape shook his head. Fond of Malfoys, what was the world coming to?

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