Delivering Medicine

Knowing he wouldn't be the first to hear about the trio's escape, Snape decided to find Lucius the next day. To his surprise, as soon as he got up the following morning, he saw a Malfoy family owl outside his office door.

Snape raised an eyebrow in surprise when Lucius mentioned in the letter that he wanted to see him. He picked up his quill and wrote back, "I'm always available," then paused. He figured that while Lucius, as a school governor, could enter Hogwarts and Dumbledore would be aware and agree, his office still wasn't the best place to discuss such matters. So, he added, "At Spinner's End."

Snape had expected his friend to arrive that afternoon. However, as soon as he returned to Spinner's End and was about to sit down with his copied ancient potions book, his fireplace flared to life—and a rather dejected-looking Lucius emerged.

Seeing Lucius, who always paid such attention to his appearance, looking so dispirited with dark circles under his eyes, Snape was inwardly shocked. On the surface, however, he merely opened his mouth slightly before asking, "The Malfoy patriarch, who drinks beauty potions like water... planning to quit?"

Lucius shot him an annoyed look before slumping onto the small sofa in Snape's living room. Leaning on his cane, his back hunched, he rested his forehead on his hand and let out a heavy, ungentlemanly sigh.

Snape's gaze immediately shifted to him as if he were observing a rare specimen.

But then, remembering the news he'd received last night, he abandoned any thought of mockery and asked hesitantly, "Could it be... you received a summons?"

"What summons?" Lucius, who hadn't slept all night, was clearly still groggy. He looked up sharply at Snape, blinked for a few seconds, and then slowly said, "No, I didn't. I just... can you imagine? Draco's all grown up, and I still got lectured by my father and grandfather for a whole night! And I had to stand the entire time—oh, sorry Severus, I didn't mean to. I just forgot you couldn't imagine that."

"...I'm glad you remembered after you finished," Snape said, curling his lips inward slightly and pressing them together. He looked speechlessly at the dazed Lucius. "So, may I ask what great feat the current Malfoy patriarch accomplished to have two former Malfoy patriarchs unite in making you stand for an entire night?"

"I put the Dark Lord into Hogwarts."

"?" Snape doubted his ears. "What did you say?"

Realizing his wording was imprecise, Lucius replied earnestly, "Because I put the diary containing part of the Dark Lord's soul into Hogwarts."

Snape was silent for two seconds, then abruptly stood up, looking at Lucius in disbelief. "You put it in?!"

Lucius stared blankly at Snape, equally incredulous. "You didn't know?"

"Why would I know?" Snape felt utterly bewildered. His mind raced back over the past decade, wondering if he'd seen the diary before and forgotten.

"Ms. Sekerei told me to find you."

"..." Snape felt a peculiar mix of shock and a strange sense of inevitability. "Why would she have you—" Suddenly, he recalled Dumbledore's thoughtful expression on numerous occasions when he reported on Cyberlina's whereabouts. A flash of insight struck him, and he changed his question, "What does she want me to do?"

"Teach me Occlumency?" Seeing Snape's ignorance, Lucius said uncertainly, "At least, that's what I understood."

Snape sat back down in his chair, his expression unreadable.

"First, tell me about your foolish act," Snape said, levitating the book back to the shelf before handing Lucius a vial of invigorating potion. "And about yesterday—I think we're still in the same boat, Lucius."

Lucius had understood this when Cyberlina told him to seek tutoring from Snape, so he nodded and took the potion.

As he was gulping it down, he thought about how generous his junior was today. The moment he finished, however, he heard Snape say—

"It'll be charged to your next batch of beauty potions."

"...Fine."

Lucius explained that the Dark Lord had once hinted he should put the diary into Hogwarts. But because he had been busy absolving himself of past crimes and the Dark Lord was dead, he had put the matter aside and locked the diary away. It wasn't until the Ministry of Magic began investigating contraband items this year that he remembered it. He then planned to slip the diary to the Weasleys, who were in charge of the inspections, to make them look guilty while being the ones to report it.

The incident at the beginning of the term involving Harry and Ron had been an unexpected boon for Lucius. He had immediately intended to use it to sideline Arthur. However, Cyberlina's appearance had caught everyone off guard. After a significant delay, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had helped Arthur resolve the issue.

Lucius was still puzzled—was it because that Weasley was so well-liked, or was Carverlin from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement too meddlesome—that they intervened so quickly?

In the end, the Weasleys had still managed to search Malfoy Manor.

"Get to the point," Snape interrupted his monologue. "I have no interest in your melodrama with the Weasleys."

Lucius choked on the word and shot Snape a disgusted look.

"Ms. Sekerei never brought it up again, so I thought the matter had passed..." With his spirits somewhat recovered, Lucius was no longer dazed. Although his complexion was still haggard, his demeanor was at least normal. He leaned back casually on the small sofa, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees. "But when she finally inquired about items similar to dark magic artifacts, my father and grandfather overheard... They believed this had angered—well, and something I shouldn't have said at the end of the banquet, they thought the Lady was angry."

Snape didn't even want to comment on his quick change of tune. He merely sneered with a hint of amusement, "How could you possibly think she wasn't angry?"

Lucius blinked and quickly sat up straight, awaiting Snape's explanation.

Snape, in a good mood, magnanimously pointed out, "The timing of her bringing it up with you was too coincidental, don't you think?"

Lucius's mind immediately flashed to the teasing look Cyberlina had given him after he'd closed the door... Lucius decided to remain silent for the moment.

Seeing Lucius looking at him but clearly lost in thought, Snape's lips twitched slightly. Then, looking into those gray eyes, he asked, "So, what did you say when Ms. Sekerei inquired about similar items?"

"I..." Lucius hesitated for a moment, thinking of the prison break incident.

"Was it related to the Lestranges?" Snape asked expressionlessly. Seeing Lucius's suspicious expression, he continued, "What happened last night is common knowledge now."

Lucius paused. It was true. He nodded in agreement with Snape and mentally reviewed the events of the previous night, trying to figure out how to explain them to Snape. Just as he had organized his thoughts, he heard Snape say—

"You should consider yourself fortunate that Sekerei didn't interpret that remark as a provocation." Snape raised his eyebrows high, his dark eyes holding a hint of surprise. He truly couldn't fathom how his old schoolmate's mind worked.

While Lucius had felt a twinge of fear the moment he realized what Cyberlina had done, he had put on a good act in front of Flint and the other guests who hadn't left yet. Why had he blurted out that remark at the end? Honestly, after spending so much time with her, Snape found Cyberlina's final smile sent a shiver down his spine.

"?" Lucius paused, then after two seconds of thought, he understood. "You Legilimized me?!"

"Teaching, Lucius," Snape replied, shrugging and turning down the corners of his mouth. "No wonder Sekerei asked you to improve your Occlumency."

Frankly, Lucius's Occlumency was decent, as befitting the patriarch of the Malfoy family, who constantly socialized.

However, Snape, realizing his own Legilimency and Occlumency were no match for Cyberlina's, had practiced relentlessly. He had even set aside his prejudice and sought help from Dumbledore, who knew many of his secrets, to practice. This had significantly improved his mental magic skills. Therefore, performing Legilimency without Lucius noticing was effortless.

Lucius's face was a mask of shock. He immediately insisted it was because he hadn't been on guard against Snape and vehemently demanded a rematch—only to be successfully Legilimized by Snape again.

Lucius stared wide-eyed at Snape. He remembered feeling something when Voldemort had Legilimized him, so why had he felt nothing this time before his memories were read?

"Because he has a wicked sense of humor when it comes to deliberately scrambling memories... and he enjoys seeing people in pain," Snape explained, lowering his gaze.

Lucius was silent for a moment. So, it wasn't because his Occlumency was strong that the Dark Lord had to use such a brutal method of Legilimency...

"Again!" the Malfoy patriarch gritted out, unconvinced.

He really couldn't believe his junior had such a talent for his mind, especially since he hadn't seemed this impressive over ten years ago in front of the Dark Lord—

Lucius froze, his Occlumency momentarily faltering, allowing Snape to glimpse what he was recalling—Snape being subjected to Voldemort's Legilimency, and... Voldemort demanding he act as a spy by Dumbledore's side.

Snape paused, ending the Legilimency, and asked as if he'd seen nothing, "Are you ready? Shall we begin again?"

Lucius nodded in silence, then reactivated his Occlumency.

He sensed that his old junior's spy career was perhaps more complicated than it seemed, but those past events were no longer that important. They were all on Sekerei's side now—even Dumbledore was clearly on this side, so who was spying for whom back then no longer mattered.

The two men's training concluded with Fawkes' arrival.

Looking at the phoenix, which wasn't overly affectionate but was clearly familiar with Snape, Lucius fell silent yet again—Wait, just as he was starting to understand things, Dumbledore was acting so openly? Should he praise him for being truly omniscient or for being fearless?

Snape frowned as he read the note Fawkes had brought, his expression growing serious.

Lucius, being perceptive, took his leave.

However, after he left, the serious-faced Snape directed a seemingly less serious question at Fawkes: "Has your master really started eating the Tooth- укрепляющий Potion like it's his daily meal?"

Fawkes let out a displeased chirp, shook its little head, then fluttered its wings against Snape's arm before vanishing from the spot.

"Tsk, stupid phoenix," Snape muttered, nudging the arm the phoenix had flapped.

Since November, he had entrusted Sekerei with the monthly order of the Tooth- укрепляющий Potion. She had indeed brewed it in the Potions office, though the quantity wasn't quite enough. But she had said she intended to limit Dumbledore's sugar intake, so he hadn't interfered.

It was a matter between the two of them, teacher and student.

Later, Dumbledore had requested the Tooth- укрепляющий Potion from him twice more. He had brewed it for him after charging extra, and considering the timing—Sekerei delivered the medicine at the beginning of the month, he had sent an extra dose in mid-November and mid-December—and now it was the end of December—

Did that old bee really not want his teeth anymore???

Snape was shocked and angrily thought to himself that he absolutely wouldn't send any more. But in the end, he still returned to the school—he had to report today's events to Dumbledore.

Then, carrying the extra Tooth- укрепляющий Potion Sekerei had brewed, he entered the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, you're here, Severus," Dumbledore said, standing in the middle of his office with his hands tucked into his sleeves, seemingly chatting with the portraits of past Headmasters.

"Yes, just checking if our Headmaster still has any teeth," Snape replied with a cold snort.

Dumbledore looked at Snape helplessly. "Severus..."

"Calculate for yourself how many times you've asked for the Tooth- укрепляющий Potion this month."

"This is only the second time," Dumbledore said with a hint of grievance. "And the amount was very small."

Snape's skin crawled at his tone. He frowned deeply. "Be normal, Dumbledore—wait, you said the second time? Didn't Sekerei give you medicine at the beginning of the month?"

Dumbledore blinked. "Sekerei? Did you ask her to deliver the medicine?"

Snape fell silent, hesitating as he spoke. "Since November... Sekerei has been brewing and delivering the Tooth- укрепляющий Potion to you... You haven't received any?"

"No," Dumbledore's mouth tightened beneath his beard, his lips curving upwards in displeasure. "Not a single time!"

Laughter erupted from the portraits of the former Headmasters.

Snape was also at a loss for words. Suppressing the urge to smile, he took out the Tooth- укрепляющий Potion and walked forward, placing it on the Headmaster's desk. He suspected this might be Sekerei's method of punishing Dumbledore for his voyeuristic tendencies—it was outlandish, but it made sense—forcing Dumbledore to eat less sugar would cause him immense harm.

But upon closer thought, the timing didn't quite add up.

Dumbledore also thought it was Sekerei's punishment for him, but he believed it was related to the previous reprimand he'd received for favoritism, and the timing fit—so he sighed slowly, muttering to himself that Sekerei was going too far, and walked behind the desk.

"Has Sekerei returned to the school?" Dumbledore asked, sitting down and looking at the bottles of Tooth- укрепляющий Potion.

"Not yet. She mentioned after the Malfoy family banquet she'd go find some ingredients that were farther away—" Snape trailed off, thinking of the African Teebo Warthog, his voice lacking conviction, "—but close enough to collect together."

"She didn't refuse your requests, though."

Thinking of the fresh blood on the ingredients, Snape's expression turned grim. He was beginning to suspect that Sekerei just wanted to fight fierce magical creatures and that finding ingredients for him was just an excuse.

He voiced his thoughts.

Dumbledore chuckled at this. "That truly sounds like something Sekerei would do. Which poor magical creatures are left?"

"The remaining ones aren't magical creatures, they're plants."

"Oh? What plants?" Dumbledore picked up a bottle of Tooth- укрепляющий Potion from the desk, asking curiously.

Snape pursed his lips, somewhat reluctant to answer, as it was his "after-school work," facilitated by the Malfoy family. But then he considered that if Dumbledore asked Sekerei, she probably wouldn't hide it from him, so he finally answered with some reluctance, "Bavarian Dragon Blood Tree sap and Vienna Magic Vine."