Snape received a firecall from Dumbledore later in the afternoon; Harry's heart picked up a beat as the man's black robes disappeared from sight. Snape had informed him the night of Lucius's arrival that they would leave as soon as Dumbledore could confirm that Voldemort was not monitoring the floo network. The boy was not certain whether the end of his time at Snape's house would be good news or bad.

Obviously it would be a pleasure to escape the greasy git's company. Even spending the last six days of vacation alone in Gryffindor tower would be an improvement over this. Yet he couldn't help but regret the possibility of leaving before trying out one of the curses he intended for Bellatrix. Lucius Malfoy was a decent teacher, as well as a convenient guinea pig; the man certainly deserved a good hex for fathering Draco, if not for trying to kill Ginny, brutalizing Dobby, and helping to murder Sirius.

On the other hand, it would be good to leave, because Harry found himself rather liking the man. Was it the contrast between his father's treatment of him and Lucius Malfoy's that simply made Malfoy suddenly seem like a decent man? Or had Azkaban genuinely changed him for the better?

He pondered the troubling thought until Snape was out of sight. Malfoy then smiled winningly, and gestured for Harry to stretch out on the grass beside him. Quietly, he whispered to the boy about the Infervesco Sanguis curse.

"Infervesco Sanguis…" Harry murmured, trying to remember just what that one was.

Malfoy glanced over at him through cold gray eyes that stood starkly from his now-gaunt face. "It's a blood-boiling curse. One of the variations, at least."

Harry swallowed hard. He'd read about that one. It really sounded quite… harsh.

"Oh, come now, boy," Lucius chided gently. "It's actually quite delicious to watch, really. If it helps you with your squeamishness, I'll assure you that it does not literally boil one's blood; the pain receptors merely react as though it does."

"So, excruciating agony," Harry said blandly, trying to picture casting this on Malfoy, and faltering at the image. "Er… I don't know."

Malfoy looked severely displeased, and Harry felt an absurd twinge of worry at the disappointment in his eyes.

"It's not that I don't like the idea," Harry said quickly. "It's just that, well, it seems like you hurt them and then it's over. No damage done. I guess maybe I'd want something a little more… lasting."

The statement seemed to gratify Malfoy, and Harry found himself far too pleased with the pride in the man's expression.

"That's my boy," Malfoy whispered softly, smiling. "Something slightly more… malignant, shall we say?" He rolled over onto his back, gazing thoughtfully into the sky rapidly fading into early evening. "A pity I can't teach you the Cruciatus Curse."

Harry caught his breath.

"Severus would surely murder me while I slept for bringing the ministry down on his head," Malfoy said, glancing over in the direction where Snape had departed for the house. "And it does take a certain…" his eyes found Harry again, lingering on him heavily, "disposition to pull off such a curse."

Harry disliked the way the man's gaze rested upon him, and he threaded his fingers in the grass, curling them into fists and tearing several blades from the earth.

"Perhaps you don’t have it," Lucius continued. "But I must admit, Septimus, your relation to Severus, and the fact that you were reading a book of dark curses," amusement stole into his voice, "as well as plotting vengeance when first I spoke to you yesterday, leads me to think you just might."

Harry hesitated.

"Well, boy?" Malfoy demanded tersely.

"I don't want to go to Azkaban," he whispered, fumbling for some excuse for what Lucius clearly perceived as an inadequacy. He then winced, realizing what he'd said.

"A legitimate fear," Lucius acknowledged, sensing Harry's discomfort. He chuckled mirthlessly. "If a Malfoy can be sent there, I suppose anyone can." He rolled easily back onto his side, facing Harry again, so the boy could feel his breath tickling over his cheek. "But I assure you," he purred softly. "You need not fear Azkaban for much longer. The Dark Lord will prevail, and then none of our ilk will see the insides of those accursed walls ever again."

"I've tried to before," Harry confessed, unsettled by the gray eyes boring into his from a scant few inches distance. "The Cruciatus Curse, I mean."

"And it didn't work."

Harry closed his eyes; he swore he could still see those enticing, soulless gray eyes even through his lids.

"I was angry, but I just-- I couldn't--"

"Shh…"

Lucius's fingers threaded themselves parentally through his hair, and Harry found the gesture oddly comforting, even though the man was consoling him on his failure to execute a curse it still made him sick to remember he'd even attempted.

"Very few succeed on their first try," Lucius murmured. "It took me two months of practice on the house-elves before I could make a man scream."

Coldness seeped through Harry, and he kept his eyes determinedly shut. Goosebumps prickled down his spine as he fully comprehended that he was discussing the Cruciatus Curse with one of his worst enemies.

How easy it had been over the course of the day, as Malfoy sought a confidant in him, as Malfoy saw a boy to indulge in him, as Malfoy stood up to Snape for him, to forget that this man was a ruthless killer who would murder Harry in an instant, were he somehow to see the scar on his forehead through Snape's glamour.

He should return to the house and get away from Lucius…

But Snape was in the house.

Harry's thoughts involuntarily turned back to the night before, to Snape's vitriol.

"I suppose you're feeling quite smug you helped your poor, pitiful professor.."

"Perhaps those Muggles left you so pathetically desperate for attention that you hope to win my affection with this."

"Out-- you sad, pathetic, little boy!"

He couldn't bear to face Snape after the humiliating words.

Harry opened his eyes, feeling Lucius's hand still resting comfortingly on top of his head, seeing those gray eyes filled with such understanding… and such evil.

Am I really 'pathetically desperate for attention'? Harry wondered, thinking of the odd, childish delight he'd felt earlier when Malfoy had given him some bread to feed the ducks.

Honestly, he could have conjured it himself. He just hadn't thought to do so.

And Malfoy had looked so pleased when he'd declared he was avenging his father. Harry had been thinking of Sirius, the closest thing to a father Harry'd ever had; in all likelihood, the man had been hoping for some similar gesture on Draco's part. Lucius had probably looked misty-eyed, thinking longingly of Draco avenging him by punishing Harry.

It now seemed unbelievable to him that a few moments earlier, he'd exaggerated his own evil just to win a look of approval from Malfoy.

Oh, he was pathetic.

It was humiliating to realize Snape had been right. What in the hell was wrong with him, that he was stretched out here on the grass next to Lucius Malfoy, exchanging secrets as though the man were a friend?

Malfoy was out to kill him; he should be out to destroy Malfoy.

And he'd be damned if he'd forget it again.

"On second thought," Harry heard himself say, "Tell me about that blood-boiling curse."

* * *

The Dark Lord had discovered somehow that Potter had left school grounds. The Headmaster was certain of it, because the webs of spells the aurors had unearthed throughout the floo network were of a sophistication and design that could only be constructed by a wizard of exceptional ability.

"The moment Harry enters the network, Voldemort will sense him," Dumbledore informed Snape as soon as they switched from the fireplace to the more confidential mirror exchange. "I'm afraid you'll have to tip toe around Lucius Malfoy, at least for a few more days."

Snape scowled, and glared determinedly at the desk instead of meeting Dumbledore's eyes. "I suppose this is the point you remind me that youbelieved this entire visit to be a bad idea in the first place."

Dumbledore gazed at him for a long, silent moment. "No, Severus," he finally admitted. "I think perhaps you were in the right. It was high time that all of our secrets were unveiled, including this one… Especially this one."

"Yes, secrets," Snape sneered. He turned his scathing glare to Dumbledore. "We have far too many of those, don't we? Have I told you yet that the boy shrunk when I removed the glamour? He literally shrunk several inches because those Muggles neglected to feed him."

Dumbledore's eyes flickered sadly, but he looked unsurprised.

"How could you have let that happen?" Snape demanded, feeling a prickle of anger at the man's lack of reaction "How could you designate me an unsuitable parent and send him home to that?" When Dumbledore did not immediately answer, Severus pressed on viciously, "He slept in a cupboard. They imprisoned him for weeks on end--"

"I know all of this, Severus," Dumbledore said regretfully, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can tell me nothing new."

"Then explain it to me!" Snape cried. "Why was I so much worse than those wretched Muggles? Do you truly loathe me so much--"

"I don't--"

"You hate me!" Snape suddenly felt like that shattered sixth-year, railing at the Headmaster again. "You always have! Pathetic, miserable Snivellus--"

"Get a hold of yourself, Severus!" Dumbledore roared.

Snape felt an immediate wave of disgust at the self-pitying words that had been coming from his lips. Shame crashed over him, and he glared at Dumbledore lest the man perceive the emotions raging through him.

"Get a hold of yourself," Dumbledore repeated, quietly. "There is a time and a place to discuss these matters, Severus, and this is not it."

Snape closed his eyes; his head was throbbing with a fresh headache. "Disregard those words. I am… stressed by recent events. " His eyes slipped open again. "The boy is outside right now with Lucius Malfoy."

Alarm passed over Dumbledore's expression. "Is it wise to leave them alone together?"

"Potter has a certain amount of discretion." Oh, that burned him to say. "I don't have any immediate excuse for keeping them apart, and Lucius seems to have taken a liking to the boy."

Dumbledore frowned. Severus could tell the Headmaster didn't care for the news any more than he did.

"I am hoping he merely longs for his son," Snape continued, scowling. "However, there's a possibility he's thinking of using the boy against me."

"You're certain it's… so straightforward?" Dumbledore asked, still troubled.

Snape understood the implication. It hadn't occurred to him that Lucius might have a sordid interest in the boy.

"I'm certain," he stated confidently.

He knew Lucius. The man enjoyed a pure-blooded woman, not boys his son's age.

"Very well then. Keep an eye on the situation, Severus."

Snape nodded sharply, and moved to terminate the connection on his end of the mirror.

"Severus…"

Snape paused, and glanced at Dumbledore in some trepidation.

"I wasn't aware of the extent of Harry's mistreatment until he arrived at Hogwarts," Dumbledore confessed. "If I had, it might have been different. It's too late now to change the past."

His clear, blue eyes flitted up to Snape's.

"As for the other issue, Severus," he continued softly, "I believe you already know the answers to them. Do I loathe you? Do I think so little of you? You saw the pensieve. Do you need to hear it from my lips? Will that make it real for you?"

Snape drew in a sharp breath to deny it, but Dumbledore raised an aged hand to forestall him.

"I respect you as a man, and as a wizard," Dumbledore said sincerely. "And whether you're willing to believe it or not, I care for you deeply. Whatever choices, or mistakes I've made, they were never because I thought little of you. If anything, Severus, I wanted to save you… From a responsibility you weren't yet ready to handle, and perhaps, to some extent, from yourself. You might even say, Severus, that although I perhaps went about it the wrong way, I hoped to protect you as a father might his son."

Snape felt an unpleasant emotion churn in his gut. With a sharp wave of his wand, he broke the connection. The Headmaster's visage faded from the mirror, and Snape was left staring at himself.

* * *

His assertion that Lucius Malfoy's fondness for Harry was entirely innocent was rather shaken when he emerged outside to discover them lying inches from each other, Malfoy running a gentle hand through the boy's hair.

The sight shook him tremendously, and Snape even found himself retreating an appalled step. It couldn't be… Lucius couldn't be…

Malfoy's gray eyes found him suddenly over Harry's shoulder, scrutinizing Snape's pale face for a long moment before a smirk curled across his lips. His eyes were glittering with that rekindled flame of interest. Pointedly, his elegant hand strayed from the boy's hair, to his neck, to the extent that Harry himself seemed to sense the change and withdrew from the man's reach.

Snape retreated. Potter hadn't seen him; he was probably entirely unaware of the silent exchange between Lucius and Severus. Lucius had noticed Snape's reaction to the perceived intimacy; the damage was done. He knew the man would use it against him now.

Severus crossed his arms, pondering just how to extricate the boy from Lucius's grasp without openly demanding Potter return to the house. He knew he'd roused Lucius's interest earlier, reacting to the man's comment about 'kin', and any indication he felt some sort of overt concern for the boy-- which he truly did not-- would merely stoke Lucius's dangerous curiosity.

Five minutes later found him casting a sleeping spell on Lucius and a cooling charm on Potter. He watched as Harry folded scrawny arms over his chest, shivering violently. The boy cast a several glances at Lucius, who had now been lulled into a heavy doze. He watched Potter say something to Lucius, and wait for an answer that never came. Instead of surrendering to the inevitable and returning back indoors, Harry cast a dubious glance at the house, then curled his legs up against his chest in a futile attempt to gather more warmth.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake--" Snape grumbled, pulling out his wand, certain Lucius was sound asleep. "Silencio!" He didn't need the boy to let out of a startled cry. "Accio Harry!"

Potter looked positively shocked when an invisible force suddenly propelled him from his spot next to the slumbering Malfoy and hurtled him through the air. He collided with Snape just inside the doorway.

Severus caught the shivering form, nearly stumbling backwards from the impact. He ignored the startled green eyes that flew to his, and the objection unheard on the boy's muted lips. By the time he hauled the half-frozen form into the warmth of the parlor, and tossed him into a seat, the boy was seething with fury.

"The Headmaster has informed me we will have to wait a little longer before returning you to the school," Snape told him as he waved his wand to undo the silencing and cooling charms. As expected, the change of subject seemed to immediately blunt the boy's anger at Snape's rough handling.

"How long?" Harry asked intently.

"Two days, maybe three," Snape said carelessly, waiting for the dismay to steal into the boy's expression. He was disconcerted when it did not. "It depends upon how long it takes to dismantle the Dark Lord's spells across the floo network."

"Can't we just… fly on our brooms, or something?" Harry asked. "You refereed that Quidditch match first year; I know you can fly."

"We're nowhere near Hogwarts, Potter," Snape informed him. "In fact, we're nowhere near Scotland at the moment." At the boy's surprised look, Snape sneered, "I suppose you thought the tolerable climate outside was simply an anomaly?"

"I thought you'd charmed your garden," Harry replied. He rubbed his hands over his arms. "I guess you cast a cooling charm on me."

Snape raised an eyebrow, surprised the boy had figured it out.

"You could have just told me you wanted me inside," Harry said snidely.

"And alert Malfoy? I think not."

Harry glanced at him keenly. "You're really afraid of him, aren't you?"

"I'm not afraid of him, Potter," Snape retorted. His black eyes narrowed. "But you would be wise to learn some caution. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were pleased to be staying. Do you wish to spend more time with Draco's father?"

"No," Harry replied shortly, rising to his feet and attempting to bypass Snape.

Snape's fingers grasped his arm. "Have you any idea the dangerous ground you are treading on?" he hissed. "Draco Malfoy is a sadistic little bastard. Do you know how he got that way?"

"Inbreeding?" Harry suggested flippantly.

"No!" Snape growled, although it was true, a little bit. Narcissa and Lucius were cousins. "It is because of that man. Malfoy may smile at you and indulge your immature impulses, but he is a cruel and sadistic monster, Potter! The only reason he is bothering with you is because Azkaban shook him to the core, and it makes him feel comfortable to play the father again. You are nothing more than a substitute for him, at best, an instrument in his schemes at worst. "

Or at least Severus hoped.

Harry smirked. "Well, between Malfoy gratifying his need to be a father, and me gratifying my hero complex, I guess we're all pretty happy with this arrangement, aren't we? Let me go."

"I've warned you, Potter," Snape said coldly, releasing the boy. "Do not be a fool."

"You always think I'm a fool," Harry retorted hatefully.

For a moment, Snape was startled by the sheer hostility in the boy's eyes.

With a dirty parting look, Harry fled the parlor.

* * *

A somewhat disgruntled Lucius Malfoy returned to the house that night, quite disconcerted he'd fallen asleep outside like some farm animal, and he beckoned for Harry to follow him to his chamber.

He spent twenty minutes or so explaining to the boy just how to shed his own blood in order to begin the Infervesco Sanguis curse.

"Because of your shared lineage," Lucius told him for the third time, "Your blood will contain the properties necessary for the spell to reach her through her blood"

"Right. I think I have it," Harry stated crisply. He was eager to leave the room before Snape found out he was with Malfoy again; he might ask questions, after all, about what they were doing, and Snape always seemed to detect a lie. He somehow knew Snape wouldn't be as thrilled about Harry cursing a fellow wizard as he had been at the prospect of Harry cursing the Dursleys.

"Is that all for tonight?" Harry inquired, rising to his feet, stifling a fake yawn. "I'm a bit tired."

Lucius cocked his head to the side, watching the boy oddly. "Severus does not trust me," he stated abruptly.

"Oh." Harry wasn't sure just what to say.

"Do you trust me?" Malfoy asked the boy bluntly.

Harry stared at him, uncertain where this was going.

"Er, yes?" he offered cautiously.

Lucius smiled in satisfaction. "Good." The man glanced at the closed door, then back to Harry. "Imperio."

A wonderful, floating sensation descended upon Harry, the fears and anxieties of the last weeks evaporating from his consciousness.

The command filled his mind. Sit down.

His body automatically moved to obey, sinking into a chair, although another voice, his own voice, penetrated the blank euphoria of his mind.

Fight this, it urged.

The command again. Sit down.

He could fight the Imperius Curse; he didn't need to obey… Yet some instinct screamed at him not to resist the voice.

It can't hurt to sit, he reasoned, still holding out against the hazy urge to surrender to the will of another. Just sit.

When Harry found himself sitting, the noxious tendrils of the spell crept from his mind, and Lucius retreated several steps, looking at him appraisingly. Harry's mind was slowly returning to his control, and it dawned on him in some shock that Lucius had actually used the Imperius Curse on him right under Snape's nose!

He wondered how he should react under Lucius's intent scrutiny. He was thankful for whatever instinct had curtailed his resistance; it would have raised questions, had Malfoy perceived him to be resistant to the Imperius Curse, yet he was utterly confused as to why Malfoy had cast it in the first place.

If he'd simply asked me to sit, I would have sat, Harry thought bewilderedly.

He finally met Lucius's eyes, gazing at the man blankly for a long moment; he wasn't sure just how he should be reacting, so he did not. A satisfied glint crept into Malfoy's eyes when the man perceived the boy was not going to confront him about taking control of his mind for those fleeting seconds; perhaps he believed Harry unaware of what he'd done. Or perhaps this had to do with that 'trust' Lucius had asked him about.

Lucius's wand suddenly emitted a faint trickle of violet sparks. The man's attention was caught by them, and he looked back up at Harry with even greater satisfaction in his countenance.

"You may go now," Malfoy said smoothly, gesturing with a sardonic nod of his head towards the door.

Still confused, Harry nodded shakily and slipped back out into the hallway.

He did not notice that Snape had just ascended the staircase at the other end of the hallway. The Professor stood, staring, utterly stunned, at the boy who had just emerged from Lucius's bedroom.

Harry also missed the smirk Malfoy sent Snape's way before shutting his door.