ButtheForestwasn’tsobad,onethemorehostilereatureshadfiguredoutthatyououldaptlyprotetyourselfatanymomentyouhoseto.Theentaurswere,well,theywerequiteweirdattimes,yethelpfulatothers.TheyweremuhmoreopentohimnowthathewasseenasanotheroftheForest’sreaturesandnotjustaroguewizardwhohappenedtobeintheviinity.ThisattitudeirkedDraoforsomereason,butitdidn’treallymatter,hedeided.Yes,itwouldbeiingwhenPotterfinallyfiguredoutthathewouldhavetogorootingaroundintheForestforertainingredients…sraththat,mostoftheingredients.Thisouldhavesomeiingprospetsafterall.
Luiuspaedupanddowninfrontofthefirepeangrily.Up.Down.Up.Down.IfSnapehadeverwathedmuggletennis,hewouldhavebeenabletomakeaomparison,butsinehedidn’tmakeapointofwathingmugglesports,heouldonlywathasLuiuswalkedfromoneendofhisrangeofvisiontotheotherandbakagainwithaforefulstride.
“StoppaingLuius,you’regivingmeaheadahe.”Hespokefinally.
TheelderMalfoystoppedandinsteadturnedtowaththeslightlygreenfmesthatwereraklingnoisilyinthefirepe.
“Hedoesn’tgetityet.”Luiusspokefinally.“HewassopreoupiedoverthatPotionsassigyougavehimtothinklearlyatall.”
“Itmightnotbeasbad—”
LuiusturnedtofixtheotherSlytheringraduatewithagre.Snapeshutupquikly.
“Notasbad.Justwaituntiltherumormillgetsw.Bym,theleastdesriptivestorywillbesomethingalongthelinesof‘TheDarkLordistryingtoomeupwiththeperfetmixofbloodformagiandsohismosttrustedfamilydeidedtoexperimentwiththeirownson’andthatwillprobablyomefromtheSlytherinswhohaveknownDrao.”
“TheGryffindorswillmerelystopat‘He’safreak.’”Snapeputinhelpfully.
“AndtheRavenwswillwanttostudyhim,”Luiussnapped.“IfIdidn’talreadywanttoringWeasley’snek,Isurelywouldnow!”
“Whihone?”Snapeaskedsarastially.“BeauseI’llhelp.”HepausedtohandLuiusagssofbrandy,whihtheelderMalfoypromptlydrankinoneshot.“Luius,Draomaybethetalkoftheshooltomorrow,buthe’llhandleit.He’llprobablyenjoyit,strangelyenough.Thefirstrealhanehe’shadtousethefullreputationoftheMalfoyfamily,youan’ttellmehewon’tliveituptoitsfullpotential.Hewouldn’tbeDraoifhedidn’t.”
AnythingelseSeveruswouldhaveaddedwasutoffbyaburningpainonhisarm.Hehissed,atthesametimeasLuiusdid,andwhilehishandwenttohisarminanattempttonumbtheburningfeeling,Luiuswasbusywsomethingoffthemiddlefingerofhisrighthand.SeverusblinkedaswhateverLuiuswaswonameoffandflewtondonthefloorwithatter.Small,golden,andirur.SnapelookedatLuiusinsurpriseashereognizedthetell-talerestoftheMalfoyfamilythatwasethedintothebkstoneofthering,thebkstonethatwasglowingabrightred.
“I’mhavinganotheronemade,butitwilltakeamonthorso.”Luiusspoke,answeringtheunspokenquestion.“UntilthenitwouldbeunbeomingoftheheadoftheMalfoyhouseholdnottowearthesigring,don’tyouthink?”Snape’seyestraveledtoLuius’shandwhereheouldseeabandofsartissuethatmarkedthespotonLuius’sfingerwherethemetalhadmetskin.
“Areyougoing?”
“No.”
“I’llhavetotellhimthen.”
“FivemeforsayingI’mgdit’syouandnotme.”
Snapesmiledruefullyashemadehiswaytowardsthedoor.
“Doyouwantmetowaitupforyou?”thequestionamesoftly,butfirmlyfrominfrontofthefirepe.
“Somebrandywouldbenie,”Snaperepliedequallyassoftlybeforeheleft.