Prologue: To Honor a Wizard

The Great Banquet Hall, Ministry of Magic Offices, Wizarding World...

Malfoy had been the name on the lips of every prominent figure in the wizarding world since the epic fall of the now twice vanquished despot, Voldemort. Hogwarts' own Governor Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, had been instrumental in said fall along with the participation of Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and who can forget Severus Snape. The notoriously handsome platinum blonde wizard, had been in good spirits as of late with The Hero's Ball slated in his honor. Although, the only reason why it had been in his honor was because none of the others wanted to have to contend with the pressures of being pulled into the spotlight.

Which was just fine for current Governor, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.

He had a knack for the flashing cameras and the appeal of the public eye.

Everyone else had figured he had been better suited for such grand occasions however, they attended this particular celebration in a bid to show the Malfoy Sr. support, with the exception of Snape of course.

Severus Snape had been more than happy to be left out of all "the pomp and circumstance".

It had seemed like a good deal for all involved if anything, Lucius had even been up for the prestigious "Medal of Merlin".

Yes, one could say that it had been a glorious triumph for the Malfoy family as a whole. Their role in helping destroy the despot Voldemort proved to be very beneficial and lucrative. Narcissa had been happy to have survived along with her young son and husband. Draco would have been happy never to speak of that despot or anything to do with him ever again.

But Alas, they were dragged out of their homes and paraded before the entire wizarding community. And they loved every minute of it.

The Ministry of Magic Banquet Hall, had been packed to the brim. Everyone, wither they were anyone or not, had attended.

No one was going to miss "Mr.-Pale-Blonde-And-Beautiful" getting his shiny golden trinket.

As the music played, people chatted and wine flowed a dark figure loomed in the shadows of the ball room. Unseen and unheard the figure crept toward the guest of honor's massive table. With all the jeering and glasses clanking no one noticed the figure or the two servants who had conveniently placed themselves within reach of Lucius Malfoy.

Malfoy had been rather busy chatting up a storm with Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"And I am telling you, Red is the new It...color." he said continuing some meaningless dribble about fashion.

"And how do you figure that?" asked The big oaf Kingsley. Proudly. displaying his non-red frock to the guests centered around their argument. "I regret to inform you Mr. Malfoy but you are behind the times when it comes to fashion, Blue-green is what's IN these days."

The dark figure inched near Lucius Malfoy. The Governor seemed not to take notice. Perhaps becoming a bit too complacent in post war times.

"As I said Kingsley..." he retorted. "Red is..."

Before the Senior Malfoy could finish his no doubt charming speech, he was suddenly jerked out of the direction of two curses flying straight for him.

Kingsley and the rest of the gathered crowd had barley any time to react. It seemed that despite none of them being the intended target there was a chance for them to be caught in the cross-fire.

"Damn it Malfoy!, What is it going to take to get you to realize you need to be on guard!" said the rather irate baritone voice of Severus Snape giving one of his trademark sneers.

Lucius had been relieved to see his old friend had been the one to come to his rescue.

"Severus!?" he said almost in disbelief, the shock from the sudden force of action had gotten the better of him and he'd been at a loss for words.

"Who the bloody hell else would I be?" retorted Snape not at all hiding his annoyance. "Get moving!"

The two servants had pulled their wands and began their assault on the guest of honor. Snape blocked curse after curse. Lucius followed his lead as the two men escaped the ensuing fray. Witches and Wizards everywhere ran in all directions in a bid to avoid the series of nasty curses causing a widespread panic. Snape managed to pull the Governor out of the Hall and both wizards made it outside the building. The servants had been hot on their heels with murderous intent behind their dark eyes.

"I should have let them kill you." muttered the still irate Snape bitterly, as they ran trying to dodge both a series of hexes and curses along the way.

The handsome notorious blond wizard smiled rather charmingly, knowing his old friend all too well.

"Oh...You'd never do that ol' boy..." replied Lucius keeping up with him. "How else would you get shameless droves of unattached and highly attractive women to spread their legs for you...being in my company does have it's perks."

"Sod off Malfoy...your company is more trouble than it's worth, and I haven't needed your assistance in that regard for quite some time...you aren't the only surviving ex-death eater war veteran." replied Snape snidely. "In any case you should have known better than to let your guard down in a public place...just because the war is over, it does not mean the sentiment would have dissipated."

"Alas, I was hoping to have a little fun tonight." said Lucius in a rather bored tone. "It's been so long since I've had a good duel with the dark lord's passing and all."

"Oh bloody hell." replied Snape not at all hiding his rising temper, while looking around for a place to make a quick exit and seeing their pursuers follow them.

"Let me guess...the two lovely gentlemen or rather inbred Nutters have found us..." said Lucius unimpressed. " and their names are LeStrange and McNair."

"Right in one." replied Snape with a glare of concentration filed across his sallow pale face.

"Still sore about the dark lord business I'd wager." said Senior Malfoy in a tone of fond recollection as his mind briefly wandered to the old days when lives hung in the balance at a moment's notice.

"Or about Bellatrix." muttered Snape for good measure.

"You're the bloody one that killed her, not me." replied Lucius as if he'd been highly offended. "They should be trying to kill you."

"Why not announce it to the whole wizarding world." replied Snape annoyed. "I'm sure Narcissa heard you all the way back in the banquet hall!"

"Cissy will understand." replied Lucius. "After all, her sister was a deranged nutter bitch."

"And lousy in the sack." muttered Snape once more.

Lucius had heard every word his old friend had said and his elegant ears perked with delight. This was turning out to be quite the exciting evening with his heart racing due to being on the run and the rather juicy gossip in terms of his former Sister In Law's demise.

"I for one, cannot believe the dark lord made you DO her." he said with a wicked smirk. "Was IT that bad?"

They rounded a corner to a clearing and Snape prepared to apparate.

"Can we not talk about this now." he said trying his hardest to concentrate.

"But I'm saying.... could she at least.. you know..." started Lucius not in the least ready to give up on the unwanted topic given how invested he'd been to finally hear it.

"Quiet it Malfoy!" replied Snape annoyed by his old friend's innate curiousity. "I'm trying to concentrate!"

Lucius held up his hands in a seemingly innocent "don't shoot the messenger" pose.

"Fine by me." he said slyly although the gleam behind his silver eyes had suggested he'd still plan to probe his old friend for more information about his time with Bellatrix the first chance he got.

Snape stopped short in the middle of the clearing scanning it for the best possible solution. Lucius stood next to him fiddling with his already well manicured and oddly shiny fingernails as if bored out of his mind despite the numerous attempts on his life in one night.

"So on a scale of one to ten how were her tits?" asked the gray eyed blond wizard wishing to get back to favorite subject.

"Next encounter...I'm leaving you to die.." muttered Snape irate. "Providing that I do not kill you myself."

As the two wizards spoke the servants better known as Rodolphus LeStrange and his low rent flunky McNair came upon them.

"Well...well...look what we have here." said McNair with a nasty glare. "Two traitors for the price of one."

"Snape!" shouted LeStrange enraged. "How I dreamed of the moment I would finally get you alone."

"So sorry to disappoint you Rodolphus, but you're not my type." replied Snape with a sneer. "Although, I am flattered that you would dream of me with all the other death eaters to choose from...might I suggest an alternative...Malfoy Perhaps?"

"Sod off Severus." replied Lucius highly offended. "I wouldn't touch him with your tool even, if I did play for the bloody home team."

"Silence!" demanded LeStrange. "Snape, you will pay for your hand in what happened to the dark lord...but not before you pay for what you did to my wife!"

"If it's any consolation she wasn't worth the shag." replied Snape with a sneer. "I would have had better if I had been drunk while shagging a blind Hippogriff."

Lucius chuckled at this.

"You insolent Half-blood!" shouted LeStrange bitterly. "You were never even worthy to polish her boots!"

"Yes, I'm a half-blood." replied Snape in a bored tone. "And I was good enough to be The Dark Lord's right hand, and have Bellatrix on the business end of my wand."

At this Lucius couldn't help but smirk at the comment his friend made. Sexual innuendo had been his cup of tea for years. Snape's snarky comments about his experience with Bellatrix LeStrange had been the icing on the cake with Rodolphus' reaction.

"Do you mean the real one or the one within your trousers?" asked Lucius in a side whisper.

"Both." replied Snape loud enough for everyone to hear though he did not take his eyes off LeStrange.

Lucius didn't hide the chuckle from his friend's response from their attackers. It had only served to enrage LeStrange all the more.

"DEATH TO THE TRAITORS!" shouted the shaken death eater in servant's clothing.

Unable to take any more of the blatant disrespect of his departed wife, LeStrange launched his attack. Firing curse after curse at Snape, who skillfully blocked them all. Seeing the time for fun and games had come to an end, Lucius pulled his wand from his trademark cane and began to curse and counter-curse McNair.

After a rather short battle, Snape had been grazed with a few curses resulting in minor cuts and scrapes. Lucius had been holding his own until LeStrange turned his attention to him and delivered two dastardly curses. Snape managed to hold off McNair and prepare for the apparation.

He grabbed Lucius and pulled him toward him.

The two wizards became a mass of black silken smoke.

Seconds before their departure LeStrange's curses hit.

Then the wizards were gone.

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Outskirts Of The Forbidden Forest, Wizarding World...

The newly apparated forms of Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape appeared just on the outskirts of the forbidden forest. The governor landed on his feet while his companion had landed in a writhing heap on the ground below. Malfoy looked around with a smirk on his face taking in the welcome sight of Hogwarts.

It had turned out to be quite the interesting night indeed.

"Severus, I really must thank you." he said cheery for the first time since the evening got under way. "I haven't had this much fun since we were children tormenting the whole lot of uppity Gryffindors."

Not one instance of a reply came from the still downed Severus Snape.

"Are you still sore about me not taking precautions?" asked Malfoy bored. "Honestly, I had everything under control...I simply wanted to have a bit of fun for a change."

Not even a hint of a whisper or so much as an exasperated sigh on the part of the Potions Master which had begun to cause the seemingly self absorbed governor to question the situation.

"Really Severus, this is getting tiresome." replied Lucius becoming quite annoyed.

More silence as the building tension began to get to the handsome blond wizard.

Finally caving to his need to answer the questions that began to slowly flood his weary mind, Lucius Malfoy found himself kneeling beside the heap of black robes and raven hair that had been the only sign that Severus Snape had been with him following their rather hasty journey.

"Severus?" he said as concern began to creep into his normally charm filled voice.

Severus Snape had not moved an inch, his breath seemed quite shallow as it took real effort for Lucius to make note if he had been breathing or not. Not one finger twitched nor one limb stretched as The Potions Master continued to remain out cold on the hard forrest ground.

"Severus, don't you die on me." said Lucius now dropping to his knees checking for signs of life in his long-time friend. "We've been through hell and back...there is no way a weakling like LeStrange can just take your life when not even the dark lord dared!"

Malfoy Sr. checked him over frantically with his wand. It was a relief to know he had been very much alive but still unconscious. His vitals seemed to be in working order from what the frantic blond wizard could tell it was just that he wouldn't or rather couldn't awaken.

"Sod it all!", shouted Lucius shooting back to his feet.

He looked over the vast field and took a deep breath.

"Hold on Severus." he said in a serious tone, it was clear that he no longer had been in the mood for jokes given the drastic shift in of their current situation. "I'll find some way to get you assistance."

The handsome pure blood flicked his wand once more and cast a levitating spell on the body of the unconscious Severus Snape, then made his way to Hogwarts hoping that whatever had been ailing the dour wizard could be seen to there.

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The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...

Argus Filch had been making his rounds trying his best to catch any and all students parading the grounds past curfew. He had been on the tail of what he believed to have been a red-haired Weasley when he saw someone approach the gates. Swiftly, he made his way over to the black bars and looked over the new arrivals with a stern eye.

"Open the gates squib!" demanded Lucius Malfoy impatient in his manner due to his mounting bouts of worry.

Filch grunted at the pure blood's rude comment but had been use to his treatment.

"Give me one good reason why I should Malfoy?" replied the rather embittered caretaker.

Lucius glared at him not in the least in the mood for games or grandstanding with Severus being ill and desperation to see him well again getting the better of the Senior Malfoy.

"I have no time for games Squib, Severus has been injured!" he replied in a none too friendly tone as if to convey just how short his normally long standing patience had been at the moment.

Filch took a good look at the unconscious Snape being levitated by Lucius Malfoy's spell.

An expression of sympathy filed across the rather grotesque man's face. He had known Severus Snape for most of the younger man's life. He had even been the one to let him into the castle when he could hardly apparate after running a foul one too many times of the not so kind aspects of his former position as Spy within the Order of Phoenix and Death Eater ranks.

"Snape's met a bad curse or two again eh?" asked Filch not taking his eyes off the younger wizard.

"Yes...Argus." replied Lucius sensing the old squib's understanding of the gravity of the rather tragic situation. "I aim to get him seen to."

"Alright." stand back." replied Filch.

The creaking of the large gate had sent chills down the spine of the handsome blond wizard, as he stepped inside bringing Snape along. While he did his best to conceal it, the worry for the injured Potions Master had been etched all over his face. Filch resealed the gates and lead the way towards the infirmary hoping in his own right that Snape could be saved after all he had been through.

"Argus." said Lucius feeling a bit guilty for his rude behavior before hand. "I apologize for my comments...It's just...I am not use to seeing him this way."

Filch made a grunt in reply and continued to lead the way to the infirmary. The walk had been silent after that with the blonde wizard occasionally looking in the direction of the unconscious Snape and wondering just what he had been hit with before they were able to make their escape and just how close he had come to being murdered that night.

"Hold on Severus." he said softly with a voice filled with concern. "I'm sure Poppy can fix you up....and when she does, we have to very rude party crashers to do away with."

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The Infirmary, Hogwarts's Castle. Wizarding World...

It had not taken them long to reached the infirmary, as Lucius saw to placing the still unconscious Severus Snape in a nearby empty bed. It had been a strange sight given how packed the infirmary had looked following the final battle and the improvements made when the dust and debris had been swept away. Not too long ago, Snape had been resting in a bed in this very room beforehand as he made his slow recovery from the insidious bite of that vile serpent Nagini. Poppy looked him over for the sixth time that night. She shook her head and looked back up at Lucius who had been patiently awaiting her words. He had not been the only one waiting, as word had been sent back to Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, himself and the resident Head of Gryffindor, Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.

"Severus." said McGonagall immediately upset at the sight of the younger wizard in such a state.

"Who has done this to him?" asked Dumbledore without taking his own sorrowful blue eyes off the young wizard draped in ebony robes.

"LeStrange and McNair...." replied Lucius in a manner similar to when he had been a student at Hogwarts.

"They were after him for months." chimed Poppy.

"Why didn't he tell anyone?" asked McGonagall.

"You know Severus." replied Lucius. "He believes the more people involved the less likely the chances are to contain the situation."

Professor McGonagall shot a glance at Albus Dumbledore.

"I wonder where he picked up such ridiculous logic." she said snidely.

Dumbledore gave a half smile and turned his attention back toward Severus Snape.

"He's been through so much." he said in a father-like tone.

"I'll say." replied Poppy. "But, I'm afraid it will only get worse."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucius giving her his full attention.

"Severus, has been hit with a memory suppressing spell." she replied. "The cuts and bruises are easy to heal, but that will take some time, especially when we have no idea what the counter-curse is."

"So until he has his memories back, he's an open target for rouge death eaters." said Lucius drawing a rather unsettling conclusion.

"How will we keep an eye on him if he doesn't even remember who we are?" asked McGonagall concerned. "Severus is not the most trusting man....even when he was a boy he was prone to mistrust and suspicion.....how do we expect him to trust us now with him in an incapacitated mental state?"

Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes looked over Severus Snape once more.

The other's couldn't see the twinkle in them as he mentally began to form a hasty plan of sorts to see to the welfare of the ailing Potions Master at once.

"You might be on to something Minerva." he said with a warm smile. "I might have just the solution."

Minerva McGonagall looked at The Headmaster for a few moments, she could now see that unsettling twinkle behind his blue eyes and a feeling of utter dread passed over her.

"Why do I get the feeling that neither Severus nor I will like this outcome?" she asked knowing the old wizard all too well.

Lucius watched them puzzled in his own right, from the moment they arrived neither of them took their eyes off the unconscious Severus Snape.

If he had not known them or Severus for years he would have sworn the two were a couple and that Severus had been their child the way they carried on about him. He had no idea what the old man had planned, but he agreed with Minerva about it being an outcome that Severus would not like and the more he thought about it. He didn't believe he would like it all that well either.

He had been quite intrigued none the less and wanted to see more of this "plan" the old man had come up with. It had been sure to be amusing and no doubt would be in Severus' best interest given his current condition. Of course in true Slytherin fashion, Lucius knew all too well that there would be consequences for such an up coming course of action and if it meant keeping the dour wizard safe, he'd gladly brave them.