Epilogue - Twenty Years Later
Lucius Malfoy stepped into Hogwarts and his lip immediately curled in distaste. Nothing could have convinced him to let Draco teach at this wretched school, but the boy had insisted. Twenty years old and the only thing he wanted to do was teach flying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lucius and Narcissa had hoped for so much more than that.
"Lucius!"
With a snarl of disgust and anger, Lucius turned to see Albus Dumbledore's coming down the hall toward him. Doddering old fool, he thought. Muggle loving imbecile.
"What brings you here on Christmas?" Dumbledore asked, smiling kindly.
"A word with my son," Lucius said icily. "Is he nearby?"
"In the Great Hall, I believe," Dumbledore replied. "I can take you there and you can-"
"I know the way," Lucius interrupted, brushing off the Headmaster. "Thank you for your time, Albus."
He walked away briskly, hoping to get away from Hogwarts and soon as possible and back to his own home. The last place he wanted to be during the holidays was at the place he most despised, not that his home was pleasantly cheery either. In the twenty years since Severus Snape had left the Death Eaters Narcissa had never let a single day go by without mentioning the relationship they had had.
That was another reason he wanted to leave Hogwarts as soon as was humanly possible. He did not want to come face to face with Snape after so long.
Unfortunately, as he turned the corner toward the Great Hall, the end of Lucius' walking stick rapped sharply against the shins of Hogwarts resident Potions Master. Each of them stopped and studied each other for a long moment. While Lucius had barely changed, Snape looked far older than his years. His eyes were lined and his expression was absolutely foul.
Lucius arched an eyebrow. "I can only imagine what dreadful student put that absolutely abysmal expression on your face."
Snape straightened his back. "Only your bloodline makes me grimace like this, Lucius . . . you ought to know that."
"So, Draco is keeping you on your toes then. I'll have to thank him."
Snape's frown grew deeper and he hunched over again. "If there's nothing else, I'd like to return to my chambers."
"I wouldn't dream of keeping you," Lucius said, stepping aside. "You must have some terribly important potion to concoct for your children, I imagine."
Snape glared at him, but said nothing as he walked past.
"This certainly doesn't compare to what you could have had, Severus," Lucius called after him.
Snape stopped and turned back, his black eyes narrowed into slits. "What, exactly, could I have had?" he asked. "Tell me, Lucius, what would my life have been like if I had stayed with you?"
"Well, you wouldn't be working in this dreary place, for one thing," Lucius said, waving his stick at the hall.
"No, perhaps not. But would I have been in Azkaban?"
Lucius snorted. "I wouldn't have let you go to Azkaban."
"Oh no?" Snape asked. "You would have done what, exactly? Saved my life? Paid my way out of jail?"
"Perhaps," Lucius replied.
"I prefer being here," Snape said angrily. "I prefer being a human to whatever you've turned into."
A smile crossed Lucius' lips. "Oh yes, Severus, you act so very much like a human. In fact, you fit right in with everyone!"
"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."
"Ah, but isn't it fun anyway?"
"Go home, Lucius," Snape growled. "Just leave and never show your face here again. It disgusts me after everything you've done."
Lucius grinned again. "Temper, temper, Severus. You've turned into quite the bitter old man."
Snape glared at him. "And I still blame you for that," he said, then turned and walked down the hall.
He wouldn't submit himself to Lucius' jeers any longer, twenty years had passed and both men had changed. Snape had become a recluse and Lucius had become a heartless monster. Whatever had once been between them was long gone and there would be no fairy tale ending.
End
Lucius Malfoy stepped into Hogwarts and his lip immediately curled in distaste. Nothing could have convinced him to let Draco teach at this wretched school, but the boy had insisted. Twenty years old and the only thing he wanted to do was teach flying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lucius and Narcissa had hoped for so much more than that.
"Lucius!"
With a snarl of disgust and anger, Lucius turned to see Albus Dumbledore's coming down the hall toward him. Doddering old fool, he thought. Muggle loving imbecile.
"What brings you here on Christmas?" Dumbledore asked, smiling kindly.
"A word with my son," Lucius said icily. "Is he nearby?"
"In the Great Hall, I believe," Dumbledore replied. "I can take you there and you can-"
"I know the way," Lucius interrupted, brushing off the Headmaster. "Thank you for your time, Albus."
He walked away briskly, hoping to get away from Hogwarts and soon as possible and back to his own home. The last place he wanted to be during the holidays was at the place he most despised, not that his home was pleasantly cheery either. In the twenty years since Severus Snape had left the Death Eaters Narcissa had never let a single day go by without mentioning the relationship they had had.
That was another reason he wanted to leave Hogwarts as soon as was humanly possible. He did not want to come face to face with Snape after so long.
Unfortunately, as he turned the corner toward the Great Hall, the end of Lucius' walking stick rapped sharply against the shins of Hogwarts resident Potions Master. Each of them stopped and studied each other for a long moment. While Lucius had barely changed, Snape looked far older than his years. His eyes were lined and his expression was absolutely foul.
Lucius arched an eyebrow. "I can only imagine what dreadful student put that absolutely abysmal expression on your face."
Snape straightened his back. "Only your bloodline makes me grimace like this, Lucius . . . you ought to know that."
"So, Draco is keeping you on your toes then. I'll have to thank him."
Snape's frown grew deeper and he hunched over again. "If there's nothing else, I'd like to return to my chambers."
"I wouldn't dream of keeping you," Lucius said, stepping aside. "You must have some terribly important potion to concoct for your children, I imagine."
Snape glared at him, but said nothing as he walked past.
"This certainly doesn't compare to what you could have had, Severus," Lucius called after him.
Snape stopped and turned back, his black eyes narrowed into slits. "What, exactly, could I have had?" he asked. "Tell me, Lucius, what would my life have been like if I had stayed with you?"
"Well, you wouldn't be working in this dreary place, for one thing," Lucius said, waving his stick at the hall.
"No, perhaps not. But would I have been in Azkaban?"
Lucius snorted. "I wouldn't have let you go to Azkaban."
"Oh no?" Snape asked. "You would have done what, exactly? Saved my life? Paid my way out of jail?"
"Perhaps," Lucius replied.
"I prefer being here," Snape said angrily. "I prefer being a human to whatever you've turned into."
A smile crossed Lucius' lips. "Oh yes, Severus, you act so very much like a human. In fact, you fit right in with everyone!"
"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."
"Ah, but isn't it fun anyway?"
"Go home, Lucius," Snape growled. "Just leave and never show your face here again. It disgusts me after everything you've done."
Lucius grinned again. "Temper, temper, Severus. You've turned into quite the bitter old man."
Snape glared at him. "And I still blame you for that," he said, then turned and walked down the hall.
He wouldn't submit himself to Lucius' jeers any longer, twenty years had passed and both men had changed. Snape had become a recluse and Lucius had become a heartless monster. Whatever had once been between them was long gone and there would be no fairy tale ending.
End