Suffering Part 6: No Longer

Chapter 42

It's a quiet Friday afternoon, the house bathed in the soft golden glow of the late afternoon sun. The girls are off at their music lesson with Nadia, the au pair, leaving the house still and peaceful.

You sit comfortably in your favorite chair, legs curled up beneath you as you scroll through your spellphone, engrossed in a dark romance on EnchantedScrolls. The story has you captivated, the tension between the characters mirroring some of the complexity of your own relationships.

Baron is playing happily on the floor near your feet, his giggles filling the air as he stacks blocks and knocks them over, utterly content in his own world. The peace of the moment is almost intoxicating, a brief respite from the usual busyness of the household.

Your spellphone buzzes in your hand, and you glance down to see a message from Pansy.

Pansy:
Drinks tonight? Let's get out of here. I need a night out.

A rush of excitement surges through you as you read the text. The idea of going out for drinks, letting loose with Pansy, is exactly what you need. You immediately type back:

You:
Yes! I can't wait. I'm so in.

The excitement bubbling inside you is almost palpable, a feeling you haven't had in a while. You glance over at Severus and Lucius, both of them absorbed in their own activities.

Lucius is seated across from you, leisurely flipping through the Daily Prophet, the soft rustle of the paper the only sound he's making. Severus, as always, is immersed in a thick book, his posture relaxed but focused.

You sit up a little straighter, the decision forming solidly in your mind. You're done asking permission. Tonight, you're going out, and they'll just have to deal with it.

Clearing your throat, you catch their attention. "I'm going out tonight," you say, your tone firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "With Pansy. We're going for drinks."

Lucius's eyes flick up from the Daily Prophet, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, but he doesn't say anything immediately. He just watches you, that familiar glint of curiosity in his pale blue eyes.

Severus, on the other hand, lowers his book slightly, his dark gaze settling on you with a mixture of interest and something more unreadable.

"I'm not asking permission," you add, your voice stronger now, holding both their gazes. "I've already made plans. I'll be going."

Lucius finally folds the newspaper and sets it aside, his smirk growing a little wider. "Is that so?" he asks, his tone dripping with amusement, though there's an edge beneath it, a silent challenge.

Severus's gaze darkens slightly, though he doesn't immediately respond. His eyes are trained on you, assessing, as if waiting to see how far you'll push.

You hold your ground, heart racing but determined. "Yes," you reply, your voice steady. "That's exactly how it is."

For a moment, the room is filled with a tense silence, the weight of your words hanging in the air. You can feel the tension between the three of you shifting, the dynamic changing in subtle, unspoken ways. Lucius leans back slightly in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, his smirk never fading.

"Well," he says slowly, his voice smooth, "I suppose we'll have to see how this little rebellion of yours plays out, won't we?"

Severus's lips press into a thin line, though he still says nothing, his gaze dark and intense as he watches you, his grip tightening slightly on the edge of the book.

But you've made your decision. Tonight is yours, and you're done asking for their approval.