Chapter 10 ? A Talk Amongst Friends

Thank you to those who have left me such wonderful reviews. I appreciate all of your kind words.

Just a small warning, there is a teensy weensy male/male kiss in this chapter.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thanks to June for all of her help and suggestions.

Chapter 10 – A Talk Amongst Friends

It was Friday, the day after Voldemort's raids on the Muggle banks and "boarding school." Severus went early to Malfoy Manor; one of the house-elves told him Lucius was already up, so Severus was allowed in and directed to the library.

"Wrapping gifts?" said Severus as he approached Lucius from behind.

The blond wizard chuckled and looked over his shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked as he held up his handiwork. Lucius was finally able to finish wrapping his present to Ginny.

Severus raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Not bad, but your bow is crooked." He turned and took several grapes from the fruit bowl and sat on the couch.

Lucius looked at the bow and scoffed. It was perfect.

Severus popped a grape into his mouth as he looked at him. "Lucius, are you certain that you can trust Rodolphus?"

"I believe I can." Lucius set Ginny's gift on the table and sat next to Severus. "Rodolphus is a dead man, Severus. He knows that he will either be killed on the battlefield or in Azkaban. He cares very little of what happens to him anymore."

"All the more reason to wonder if he can be trusted."

Lucius shook his head. "He's been teetering for a long time. I see it in the way he looks at his wife sitting at the feet of Dark Lord. And now, after watching his own brother burned alive, I think something inside of Rodolphus has snapped. There will be no questions from him."

"Hermione doesn't want me to go along with your plan," said Severus. "She reminds me that I'm supposed to be dead, and that I will be truly dead if I am caught."

Lucius smiled. "Things are quite serious between you two then."

"We have been friends for quite some time. It's only recently that we have taken our relationship to the next level."

"Severus, I want to thank you for watching over Draco all these years." Lucius leaned forward. "You knew that he and Harry were together?"

"I did," said Severus quietly.

"I told him, about...about my experience with another man." Lucius looked at Severus now. "I didn't tell him you were the man in question. It isn't my place to tell anyone. But I feel that I should tell you, I am interested in Miss Weasley...Ginny." Lucius looked thoughtful for a moment. "I realize that it has only been a short time since Narcissa's death..."

"There is no need to explain yourself to me. I don't see anything wrong with you wanting to pursue something with Ginny. I'm actually happy for you, to see you taking an interest in someone." Severus moved closer to Lucius. "I'm assuming you are telling me this because at some point you are going to tell Ginny about your past."

"I think she should know," said Lucius, "as I think Hermione should know."

"She will, when the time is right." Severus stood and walked to the window. "I just don't know how she would take something like that. She accepted her best friend having a man as a lover, but how would she feel if she knew her own lover once had a relationship with a man. That he once..." He stopped. He felt Lucius behind him.

"That he once what?" asked his friend.

"Once was in love with a man." Severus turned and looked into Lucius' eyes.

"Was?" asked Lucius.

"Still." Severus kissed Lucius' soft lips as the other man held him tightly against him. There had been too much passion shared between them in their youth for it to have all faded away. But they had grown into men with different pursuits now.

"I've always missed not being able to kiss you," said Lucius softly as they broke apart.

Severus smiled, knowing that there were many a time when he often thought the same thing. Neither had any interest in being together physically again, but they had missed the intimacy of the kiss and there was nothing wrong with a kiss among two friends now and then after all.

"We should start planning," said Severus as leaned against the window frame. "I still don't know about Rodolphus, but if you trust him, then I suppose I should give him the benefit of the doubt." Severus felt uncomfortable knowing their lives could possibly be in the hands of Rodolphus Lestrange, but they had no choice; the Order needed both spies.

Lucius walked back to his gift and picked up some parchment and a quill to write a short note to place on the package to Ginny. He would send it off to her soon.

"As I said, I do trust him, and I plan on watching the others as well. I saw the look on everyone's faces as Rabastan burned. No one was permitted to leave or turn away, and while they had to keep still, I knew they all wanted to run – they did not want to be next. I have never seen Death Eaters with such an expression of horror while watching something like that." Lucius sat at his desk. He looked down at the parchment, then looked back to Severus. "They are afraid, Severus. I think the Dark Lord has truly gone mad. If he was just evil, that would be one thing."

Severus nodded. "But evil and insane make for a very dangerous combination."

Just then, an owl arrived. Lucius read the message. "It's from Rodolphus. He has the items and wants to meet me in Knockturn Alley." He turned to Severus. "Send word to Albus our plan is ready to start. Wait for me here."

Severus nodded. No need to tell Lucius to be careful; he was a Slytherin.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at Hogwarts, Hermione was sitting in the staff lounge reading when she heard the door open behind her. She turned and saw Ginny.

"What brings you here?" Hermione stood and hugged her friend.

"Well, since I know you have the afternoon free, I thought you might feel like to do some shopping with me in Diagon Alley. I'll buy you lunch."

Hermione laughed. She hadn't been on a shopping spree in ages; quite frankly, by the look of her current robes, she needed it.

"You've talked me into it. Let's go to my rooms first and then we can go from there."

They walked to Hermione's rooms, where she left Severus a note. She really had very few expenses, so she had plenty of galleons to spend. She lived at Hogwarts during the school year, and spent most of the summer in a small cottage that overlooked the moors of Scotland. It was owned by her parents, who rarely had time to visit there since summer was their most busy time, so Hermione usually had it all to herself.

Hermione's parents had taught her to save her money, and that she did. The young witch kept herself on a tight budget, but every once in a while – like today – she was easily persuaded to spend a bit on herself.

The two women walked past the gates of Hogwarts and Apparated away to Diagon Alley.

"I think Madam Malkin's should be our first stop," said Hermione. "These robes have seen better days."

Ginny smirked. "Your entire closet has seen better days."

After spending a hefty amount buying themselves new robes and several mix-and-match skirts and blouses, they decided lunch was in order and headed towards the Leaky Cauldron. They ordered a pint of ale for each of them and sat at a booth, where they unloaded their shopping bags under the table.

"Well, we've shopped, we have some ale, and now," said Ginny as she sipped her drink, "I want all of the details on you and Severus."

Hermione nearly spit out her drink. "I knew you had an ulterior motive, you little gossip monger," she said in jest.

"Oh, come off it, I have to live vicariously through someone, don't I?" Ginny began to pick through the nuts in the bowl in front of her. "It isn't as though my love life will ever amount to anything but a disappointing page in the story of my life."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ginny, I've heard this a million times from you."

"Yes, but I've never been engaged and then unceremoniously kicked to the proverbial curb." The redhead sulked.

"Seamus did come back," said Hermione lamely.

"Are you saying I should have taken him back?"

"No, not at all, especially since he never really supported your career." Hermione reached across the table and took Ginny's hand. "You just haven't met the right man for you, that's all."

Ginny covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

"Oh, no, don't say what my mum keeps telling me. 'Ginny, when it's the right time the Fates will put him in your path.'" Ginny took a long swig of her ale. "Bah! The Fates can bloody well go shove a broom up their bums." She rolled her eyes. "Please, as if I'm going to run into the man of my dreams just like that."

"All right, we'll say nothing more about men or fate for the rest of the afternoon," Hermione promised.

As the two women finished their meal, they decided to walk to Flourish and Blotts to have a look at some of the newest books. On their way, Ginny realized she'd left something at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hermione, you go on ahead, I left one of my bags back there," said Ginny. Hermione nodded and went on ahead. As Ginny turned, she literally bumped into one Lucius Malfoy.

"I'm sorry, sir, I...oh, Lucius." Ginny unconsciously smoothed her hair down and began adjusting her dress.

Lucius smiled, trying to hide the packages he held in his hands.

"Ginny, how lovely to see you. I, um..." For the first time in his life Lucius felt awkward. He'd hoped she didn't see him coming from Knockturn Alley. "I was just doing a bit of shopping."

"So was I. Hermione and I just had lunch and I forgot one of my packages at the Leaky Cauldron," she said nervously.

"Then I won't keep you. I...I wanted to thank you again for coming to my aid. Perhaps you would allow me to take you to dinner some time?" He could have kicked himself. He hadn't even sent her the thank-you gift yet and now he was asking her to dinner. She was a young woman, and most probably wasn't even interested in being seen with a man who was old enough to be her father, on top of the fact that he was still very new to being a Death Eater turned spy instead of a Death Eater. Expecting her to be horrified, he readied himself to just tell her to forget he even mentioned dinner.

But Ginny spoke before he did.

"I'd love to have dinner with you some time." She inwardly cringed, hoping she didn't sound as desperate as she thought she had.

Lucius smiled.

"Ah, well, that's wonderful. I will owl you soon then." He bowed slightly and walked away, making sure to keep his packages hidden from her view.

Ginny retrieved her own package and ran to Flourish and Blotts to tell Hermione the news.

~*~*~*~*~

Lucius went home where Severus as well as Albus were waiting for him. He held packages containing a small Pensieve and a pouch filled with hair.

"We were about to send out a search party," said Severus.

Albus nodded his head. "Yes, we thought Rodolphus might have changed his mind and you ran into some trouble."

"No, everything went as planned. I was slightly detained, however, on my way back. Nothing worth mentioning."

Albus and Severus noticed the blush on the man's cheeks. Deciding that whatever he was blushing about was none of their business, they quickly turned to the task at hand.

Lucius opened the packages and took out the Pensieve with Samuel Higgenbottom's memories, setting it on a table. He then handed Severus the pouch that held the potions maker's hair.

"Was the man staying at the Riddle home, Lucius?" asked Albus.

"No, he was not. From what Rodolphus has told me, Samuel Higgenbottom was a minor Death Eater and did not stay at the home fulltime."

"That's good, I don't know if we could get away with my staying under Riddle's nose. I have a limited amount of Polyjuice ready made and I am currently brewing more. If I have to stay there for longer than a few hours at a time, we may be in trouble," said Severus.

"I doubt you would. The Dark Lord spends much of his time in his rooms, either alone or with Bella or..." Lucius paused, he'd almost said Narcissa. "Well, I suppose with another concubine. Rodolphus did tell me one bit of news, though. This morning, Bella told him the Dark Lord is planning to venture out in the evenings to Muggle towns."

Albus looked thoughtful. "Tom is most likely looking for the weakest spots. After the disappointment of last night's raids on the Muggle banks and West Point, even Tom must admit he needs more research."

Both younger wizards agreed.

"Our only problem is knowing when Voldemort will contact his potions maker. He would contact Higgenbottom directly thorough his own Mark." Said Albus.

Lucius reached into his pocket and produced a thin piece of what looked like old and worn parchment.

"Rodolphus also gave this to me." He handed it to Severus quickly, as though just touching it was burning his fingers.

Severus took the object and realized it was skin – human skin that held the tattooed Dark Mark on it. Severus looked back at Lucius.

"Don't ask. Just put it in your pocket for now. When you have the Polyjuice ready to become Higgenbottom, use a Sticking Charm on this and place it over your own Mark. I don't know how it works, so don't ask me," said Lucius tersely.

Albus and Severus looked at each other. They didn't even want to know what else Rodolphus had done to the Death Eater.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I wanted to address the issue of the kiss between Severus and Lucius, just in case people had questions. In my story as you may have noticed they have a very special bond. I wanted to show that there was something deeper than just mere friendship. They were very passionate at one point and those still waters are running there, deep, but still there.

While they are moving on with their lives and are pursuing two women, I felt that I still wanted them to have the same feelings for each other that they have always had.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.