Last Witness: Detached (Snape Love Story)

Treason of the Peacocks

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Severus was still wondering why he decided to show up at this party when he could always push the excuse that Dumbledore needed him. He tired of the endless pleasantries between all the pureblood guests and their families rather quickly and headed outside into the garden. The garden of Malfoy Manor was always a place of peace and solitude; he has passed an entire party there before.

As a Potion Master, he often grew to appreciate the way in which Narcissa managed such enormous grounds. He could see the traces of her magic everywhere, and the care that all the plants on the grounds received was far beyond the kind that the house elves could manage.

Severus knew that she took pride especially in the ivory colored roses became the new symbol of the Malfoy family just like the peacocks did. But he was yet to see some of them tonight.

Searching for a sight of a butterfly, he noticed a cloaked figure that was standing nearby.  He didn’t notice it because there would be something interesting about the figure itself, it was more due to the peacocks that decided to sit down upon it like its cloak was soaked in flower nectar. The image was incredibly peaceful as one of the peacocks started to flutter its wings on one of the outstretched fingers of whoever this person was.

“What are you doing here? The Dark Lord will be here any minute to introduce you; go inside!”

The peacocks flurried away at the sound of intrusion. It didn’t take much effort for Severus to recognize Yaxley as he loomed arrogantly over this cloaked person. He listened curiously; it didn’t happen very often that someone would have the honor of being introduced by the Dark Lord personally.

The person in cloak came to take Yaxley’s arm.

“Always polite aren’t you Yaxley?”

That voice couldn’t belong to anyone else but a young woman and Severus doubted that she was here to fill in for Yaxley’s wife.

Intrigued, Severus gave up his idea of a quiet evening in Narcissa’s flowery kingdom and headed back. The sights of politely conversing purebloods who, coincidentally of course, seemed to have misunderstood that this was meant to be a professional party and not a way to introduce their marriageable daughters to the group of men who fought for the rights of pureblood wizarding families didn’t annoy him as much now that he had somewhat of an interest to be here.

He carefully avoided two or three mothers who decided to meet him and introduce their desperate progeny and searched for the host until he found him drinking in the corner of the room.

“Lucius,” he said quietly and tapped on the man’s shoulder.

“Ah, where have you been hiding; in the garden again?”

The two men couldn’t differ more in looks or personality, yet they were dearest friends since the first day they’ve met in Hogwarts. In fact, it was Lucius who sought Severus out to join Voldemort and his noble cause of maintaining a Pure Society of Wizards that would rule the Muggles and entire world. Severus was reminded of that moment every day of his life and regretted that he allowed himself to be blinded with the hatred he felt for his Muggle father.

“Where else would I be?” he growled a little. “Hiding somewhere around here in fear of some adolescent daughter running into me in what these women call ‘a happy accident’? I prefer  not to give them the chance.”

Lucius leaned closer to him.

“If you would be married my friend you wouldn’t have to worry about this.”

It was an old argument between them: marriage. Whenever they saw each other, Lucius never failed to forget to mention how happy he was with Narcissa and how married life was in fact a pure bliss.