ask what exactly Lucius had done to the boy. Snape located and then brought forth a mental image of Draco, from when the boy had come to speak to him upon his return from Malfoy Manor. Draco had looked tired, but otherwise well.
"It is a case of bad judgment which will be rectified very shortly," Lucius assured.
Snape sucked in a long breath. How little Lucius knew about the person that Draco had become, and at the same time, how desperately he loved the boy. There was only one plausible reason as to why Draco had risked the formidable wrath of his father, instead of simply coming to see his Head of House.
If Draco had set out to garner his father's complete and unwavering attention with this recent folly, he had certainly succeeded.
And he had unwittingly dragged Hermione Granger along for the ride.
Boy, what have you done?
"Lucius, this is more than a mere case of bad judgment. Fida Mia is irreversible! And you are willing to send them to the likes of Emmanuel Borgin to counter it?"
"Au contraire dear Sev." Lucius folded his arms, a pointed look on his elegant face. "There are ways, and then there are ways."
Snape's eyebrows snapped together. "Dark Magic?" He snorted. "I doubt Granger would consent to it."
Lucius remained confident. "I have spoken to the girl. She'll do what she must to correct this monumental blunder, and for a price, Borgin will assist them."
"Two things" Snape began, pacing his study.
Lucius made a 'carry on' gesture.
"Technically, a counter spell to Fida Mia may be devised, but in order for the incantation to take effect, both parties must be entirely willing to dissolve the marital bond. And given the complexity and" Snape paused, a weary look passing over his face, "...intimacy of the original ritual, I'm assuming that neither Draco nor Miss Granger were tattooed at wand point?"
"Your meaning?" Lucius snapped, although his tone implied that he already knew.
"Draco does not dislike the girl," said Snape, ignoring Lucius' overly dramatic, choked expression. "If they are to attempt a spell reversal, it' s best they do it before he accustoms himself to this fact."
Lucius looked pained. "Yes, I had noticed that. He seemed concerned that I was going to do away with her."
Snape paused in the act of reaching for his coffee cup. "Should he have been?"
"I suppose it' s not for lack of trying," Lucius shrugged, sounding as if they were discussing such mundane topics as the weather, rather than previous attempts at murdering bothersome children.
"Your attempt at humour is lost on me," Snape admonished. "You of course told him that your days of doing away with innocent Muggleborns are long over."
Lucius smiled and spread his hands in a gesture of supplication. The look he gave Snape could best be described as playfully malevolent. It was vintage Lucius, and it was ridiculously charming.
"As you can see, dear Severus, I may not lack the motive, but the means are another matter. What is this other concern you have?"
It probably wasn't prudent to tell him, Snape decided, but at that point there was hardly anything to be done about it. "The Order has it on good authority that Voldemort' s recruitment campaign has arrived at Hogwarts again," Snape revealed.
The dark revelation was followed by period of long silence. Lucius' expression was inscrutable, as was Snape' s. Both men were deep in thought, however, and both were acutely aware of this fact. Snape made a show of swilling the murky contents of his cup.
"Draco is neither a leader nor a follower," Lucius said, very carefully.
"He will not join, nor will he experience any real temptation to do so," Snape confirmed, momentarily pleased with Lucius' take on the matter. "But the recruitment will complicate current matters. Your son is a prized commodity. Certainfactions might not be terribly impressed with the boy's stupefying ambivalence to the Dark Lord's cause. There may be repercussions, particularly if his marriage to Granger comes to light."
Lucius' eyes narrowed. "Then it must not come to light."
"This matter will be a challenge for them," Snape continued. "And a timely one. If Draco is occupied on his errands with Granger, the Recruiter may bypass him altogether. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. The boy has a natural, pervasive curiosity, which tends to land him in strife more often than not. Bearing in mind that I am trying not to swallow my tongue as I say this, but given their predisposition towards