Chapter 10
He was nervous the entire way. Some part of him was grateful for Lucius lingering around, as it meant that he would not be jumped on unawares by the mauraders, but another part of him felt anxious as to how others would talk when they noticed that the Malfoy Heir was hovering about him. He supposed it was not his job to worry over petty rumors, that was the the Malfoy heir's own prerogative. Who was he to say if he wanted rumors to bide about. Severus certainly was not able to do anything about them one way or another. In the end, there was little to do outside of just accept the fete of defeat. He did not like it. Knowing that he was helpless against the Slytherin Prefect was unnerving to him. Then again, despite anything that may occur, Severus knew that he was undoubtedly getting more through this deal than Lucius was.
Something which made him quite wary of everything going on. Lucius was not one to approach people he did not know. Perhaps, and most likely, he saw Severus as some sort of project in his little scheme. Whilst he could not necessarily say he was happy being a project of another's, it was better than his current situation. He hated being a bowling bawl for those...those...It was too late to change things even if he wanted to, Severus knew. He had already agreed to these terms. If he tried to back out he knew that Lucius would undoubtedly have something far worse under his thumb for Severus. The Mauraders were merely spineless bullies who got off on hurting Severus, but Lucius was of a different league, and even he was not that suicidal. He may not have the best self preservation in the grand scheme of things, particularly when angry or upset, but he was not entirely stupid.
This last moment in the hall merely reinforced his thoughts. Lucius was dangerous. Severus, who was quite good at noticing anger, had not even seen the slap coming. He had not expected it, and perhaps there was a part of him that did not expect the Malfoy to get so physically violent, but it did mean that Severus was quite off track when it came to him. At the very minimum, Lucius was not what he expected, which at times could be far more dangerous than if he were. It was good, in some cases, it meant that the gryffindor quad would not know what was coming to them, though perhaps they knew Lucius far better than he himself did-something quite likely as he knew at the very least Potter and Black had run the same circles as Malfoy for a while-they still did not know what he would be planning. Still, he found himself anxious. A curl of anxiety that he could not quite quell, something that told Severus that there was more to what was going on then what he was prepared to acknowledge.
"Sit with me," It was not a request, and Severus was too stunned to even bother thinking straight, let alone to startled from the slap to bother trying to argue against the Malfoy Heir. It was not like he could risk doing such a thing in the middle of the damned Great Hall of all things. On top of that, Lucius had grabbed his wrist firmly, jerking him along so that Severus was not going to be able to wrench himself out of the grip even if he wanted to. Lucius steered him straight to the Malfoy's normal spot at the table. Ignoring the curious stares of their peers, and merely yanking him down to sit besides him. He felt his nails dig into the wood on the table, ignoring the leers of everyone, and he could practically see the narrowed gaze of the Mauraders, even though his back was to them. He tried his best to ignore the negative feeling churning in his stomach, reluctantly accepting Lucius' plate of food.
He was not sure this was a good idea, and merely ignored everyone as he sat besides the Heir. For once, there was no speaking to Lucius from the part of the other Wealthy purebloods, all of them likely waiting until they got back to the common room to ask Lucius what the fuck he was thinking. Severus figured that it was better than demanding answers at the table. Slytherin never addressed their fucked up situations outside of the common room after all. It showed a lack of house unity, something they could not risk. Particularly since it was obvious that Lucius seemed to be planning something that the others were not necessarily privy to yet. They could not risk angering the Malfoy Heir if it was something important, or of a rather interesting vein of political inquiry. They would all interrogate the pureblood later, of course.
Severus choked down the food that Lucius placed before him, knowing that it would do him no good to fight him on the topic. His mind was still curving around the words that Lucius had spoken to him earlier, in the hall, after he had slapped him. Something about a pet...it unnerved him. It was more than just what Lucius had said, or how the Malfoy Heir had said it. Severus, after all, was not entirely sure what he had meant, but he could not help but feel that it was not...it was not a good thing. Definitely not something Severus wanted to be...or deal with. It was just worry some. Not knowing Lucius' thoughts, or desires...it left him anxious and feeling wrong footed. There was nothing to be done about that, unfortunately. He just wished he understood things a bit more.
"Are you done, Severus?" Lucius asked, the first speaking since they sat down. Severus nodded, placing his silverware on the plate and shoving it away from him. To be honest, he had been done long ago, and was now grateful for something else to address. "Good, let us go. We have things to speak over." Lucius did not bother waiting for him, grabbing him once more by the wrist and yanking him up and out of the hall. Severus, stumbling in his wake, felt quite a huge level of humiliation curve through his veins.