from Time to Time | Lucius Malfoy

Slytherin

1971, September 1st

The locomotive's booming whistle announced the departure of the Hogwarts Express. For Lucius it was the last time he would embark on this journey. He was in his senior year and oh boy what had become of him! On the Quidditch team he had been a chaser since his second year and team captain since his fifth year. He also became a prefect in his 5th and head boy in his 6th year. He always got good grades, muggle studies was his hated subject but both he and his father could live with an "Acceptable". After all, he had an "Outstanding" in every other subject.

He sat back, Narcissa glued to his side once again, shooting menacing looks at the other girls. That summer, the bombshell broke and his father proudly announced Lucius Abraxas Malfoy's engagement to Narcissa Black in The Daily Prophet. Thank Merlin he read the newspaper that day! His father did not consider it as necessary to inform him in advance. So it should be the youngest Black sister then... Before the train ride Lucius had already dreaded it at home. Narcissa would prefer to sit on top of him rather than next to him if she only could. He had to go through with that.

Suddenly it got loud in front of the train compartment. Some boys attacked a small, skinny guy and finally pushed him against the door of the compartment where Lucius, Narcissa, Marcus Parkinson and Vincent Crabbe were sitting in. "First years..." Marcus rolled his eyes. "Looks bad. Do something, Lucy." Narcissa tugged at his sleeve. He rolled his eyes and pushed her hand away. "Stop that, don't wrinkle my shirt." Narcissa looked at him with wide eyes. As if that look would pull anything, he thought to himself and now rolled his eyes again. The boy in front of the compartment was pushed against the door once more and now Lucius also had enough of it.

He got up, ripped open the compartment door and looked at the 5 boys. "Narcissa, isn't that your relative?" He raised his brow menacingly and glared at Sirius Black. He had seen the boy in the Black's family album. "Sirius! Are you causing us trouble again? If I tell aunty about it, you'll spend your next holiday in the basement!", the shrill voice of his future wife ran through his bones. Merlin, why did she have to be so terribly loud? Sirius Black seemed unfazed by his cousin's words and grinned to himself. "Get out." Lucius whispered and when all 5 wanted to leave the corridor he grabbed the black-haired, pale boy and pulled him into the compartment. "Not you."

"I-I didn't do anything, sir..." the boy stammered. Vincent and Marcus burst out laughing. "Sir! Finally someone who has respect for the authorities. We'll keep him!" Vincent couldn't contain himself from laughing. Narcissa rolled her eyes as usual and snorted. "Lucius. Lucius Malfoy. Slytherin. And you are?" Lucius raised an eyebrow waiting for the boy's answer. If there was anything he learned from his father, it was how to raise a brow. It intimidated people, it came across as overbearing and condescending. He loved it..

"Severus. Severus Snape. I'm not sorted yet..." the boy looked at the floor. "Look at me when you talk to me." Lucius felt a little like his father. The boy was getting more and more nervous, Vincent and Marcus were still grinning. He took a closer look at the boy, his clothes were odd, probably muggle clothes. Besides, they were worn out and old. The boy's hair was greasy and his skin was almost snow white. He felt sorry for him. Why did he feel so sorry for this boy? "Half-blood? Who's the muggle with you guys?" Narcissa blurted out. "My father, but he's an asshole. Can I... can I go now?" the boy whispered. Lucius thought for a moment. "No. You'll stay. You're with us now." Lucius pushed the boy into an empty seat, sat down on his own and smirked. The boy called his own father an asshole. At 11 years old. He liked that, his own father was an asshole too but he had never dared to say it like that before.

"Are you crazy? A halfblood? No, Lucius-" Narcissa started but he held up his hand and waved it away. The girl immediately stopped and said nothing. "You don't make decisions here. He'll stay. And you will be nice to him too.", he turned his head to her and smiled at her for the first time.

Narcissa blushed crimson red and grinned from ear to ear. She didn't care at all what Lucius had said. He smiled at her, that was all that mattered. And obviously the boy had something to do with it. She looked at him and cleared her throat. "Maybe we can get you some clean clothes in Hogsmeade. For the weekends." The boy shrugged. Actually, he wanted to avoid everything and everyone in this school, but these older students seemed to be okay. At least they didn't push him through the train or tease him. Severus had long since forgotten that his girlfriend Lily was sitting in another compartment with the 4 idiots. This Lucius seemed stern but kind. He wanted him as a friend and he liked that idea.

"Who were these guys?" Severus looked up. The tall blond boy spoke to him again. "I don't know. Your cousin and a few others.", he mumbled under his breath. Lucius smirked. Yes, Narcissa's cousin and a few others. For better or for worse, he would have to keep an eye on these 4 troublemakers. And little Severus... One could only hope that he would end up in Slytherin too.

"SLYTHERIN!", the Sorting Hat had rendered its verdict and Severus was welcomed to the Slytherin table with thunderous applause - just like any other Slytherin too.

For ages there had been an untouchable seating arrangement at the Slytherin table and Lucius, as head boy, sat at the front. Next to him the prefects, then descending from senior years to the 1st years all the other female students on the left and male students on the right. One of the advantages of this arrangement was that Narcissa would not be stuck next to Lucius, at least not during breakfast, lunch and dinner. When Severus approached to the table Lucius broke divine order and pulled the boy towards him, making a mark. Severus was one of them now, one of the older, important, influential students.

Lucius' eyes swept the room. Yes, they noticed. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor noticed and stared at the Slytherin table. As it should be, respect for the authorities...