-a fine line- part two/ sequal

Chapter 5- Unexpected visitor

Y/N felt herself waking up upon voices in the sitting room. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep quiet and hoped it wasn't an intruder. She briefly thought that Poppy came to check up or perhaps even Minerva to see how he was doing, but the voice was clearly attached to a man's but not Severus'. It was a bit higher and had a whole different tone filled with malice even though that person obviously tried to filter that out.

There was another voice, a woman's, but after saying a few words she didn't hear that one anymore and it was silent in the quarters again.

Y/N slipped out of bed and threw on some somewhat decent clothes and ignored the way her hair was all knotted.

The floor under her bare feet kept quiet and she couldn't be more grateful that this part had been renovated as well. This part hadn't taken a lot of damage but they still decided it was best to give it a fast refurbish.

"-Have to. After all that had happened he has the right for a proper apology," Y/N heard a muffled voice say. She glanced around the corner and got a brief look to scan the two people standing there. She frowned when the figure turned slightly to face the woman better and she saw the glimpse of blond hair going mid waist.

"I won't stop you if this is really something you have to get over with. Just remember that that girl is here. He didn't kill her back then." Now she could recognize her as well. Narcissa and Lucius.

Y/N stood there frozen. Were they here to kill her because they figured out Severus let her go unharmed?
She clenched her fists and tried to calm herself down. How did they get in here anyways? Sure, the war was over but Death Eaters were still loose and being hunted on by the Ministry. No one had seen the Malfoy's ever since that day. Most had expected that they completely disappeared from the Wizarding World and they'd start a new life in the muggle world. Yet here they were.

"What?" Lucius growled. Narcissa sighed and stepped around him to let her fingers slide over the shelves full with books. She grimaced when a layer of dust stuck to the fingertips and she cleared her throat.

"Haven't I told you? Our dear son Draco heard rumors. One of his Slytherin friends saw Severus and that girl walk to the dungeons together. Well, close to walking that is." She laughed elegantly and Y/N immediately knew she was talking about the wheelchair. If they weren't so much more powerful than her, she would've swiped her wand out of her pocket a long time ago. She couldn't figure out their motives to visit this place, it scared her.

"Ah, he always had a habit of gossiping. Now, I'll go visit my old friend and I won't be back for another three hours." Narcissa nodded and threw some powder on the floo. That's how they got in. Did Severus connect them with it or did he never remove them?

Lucius remained standing and scanned the area as if something changed even though it had been the same for years.

"You can come out now." Y/N flinched at the harsh tone and went out of her hiding place. "You underestimate my powers, love." She tried to ignore the last word, knowing he only said it to get on her nerves and swallowed her pride to correct him.
"What are you doing here?" He straightened up his posture and jutted up his chin to look down on her, making her want to disappear through the ground. Suddenly Y/N felt silly at him being so overdressed while she was dressed in some clothing laying on the ground that morning and hair unkempt.

"Business," His response was, as short as it could be. She narrowed her eyes and forced herself to not appear as nervous as she was.

"Care to be a bit more specific?" He smirked at her and clutched his cane tighter. For a second, Y/N would believe he was going to hit her with it but he loosened his grip on the object.

"That's private. Where's Severus?" As he said those words, Lucius searched the room with his eyes. "Bedroom, then?" When he took off to stride towards the door that was his bedroom Y/N ran after him and stopped him by standing in front of him protectively.

"No," She snapped. Having lived with Severus for so long had gotten her into learning some of his habits to be more daring. Occasionally, it could be a good thing but often got her in trouble. "If you really wish to speak to him at 4 in the morning, you ought to wait in the living room while I wake him."

Lucius laughed and shook his head but turned around anyways while muttering something under his breath.

"He took another person under his wing then. Shouldn't be surprised." Y/N took the change to slip into the bedroom and ignored the strange comment. What did he mean by taking another person under his wing? There was never anyone else except for her, right?

The room was dark and she knew he must still be sleeping when she heard the soft intake of breathing in a steady rhythm. Y/N smiled at the sight of the same glasses with that chain attached to the ends to keep around his neck. It was that same night where he got drunk and told her he loved him for the first time. The timing was a bit off, she had to admit, after he threatened to go to Lupin to end the werewolf, and when he stumbled over his own feet while going to the floo and fell multiple times when going upstairs.

That was when she had taken care of him as he was too off to his own world. The same glasses on the same nightstand. The one he refused to wear and claimed his eyesight was 'just fine'.

She sighed and took a step towards the bed, ignoring the times they've spent in there under the covers. Act professional.

"Severus, you have to get up. There's a visitor." Almost laughing at the fact that Lucius wasn't a visitor and merely broke in without permission. Severus groaned and batted her hand that shook his shoulder away as he turned around to face the other side with his back towards her. Y/N chuckled.

"None of that. It's Malfoy and I won't have him in here longer than necessary." Upon hearing the name, he snapped his eyes open and abruptly sat up on the mattress. The covers fell down on his lap and exposed his bare chest. Y/N was sure she had given him a nightshirt but she could be mistaken.

"It was rather hot at night," he said as he quickly pulled the covers under his chin and flushed red. It was even visible in the dark room with the thin trail of light coming from under the door.

She laughed and went to his wardrobe to get some fresh clothes for him after turning on a dim light, trying not to harm his eyes.

In the meantime he patiently waited for her to pick an outfit.

"Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy you said?" When she hummed in agreement, he shook his head with a sigh.

"Thought I was done with this."

She helped him get dressed and tried to force him into the wheelchair but he refused and simply said he could lean on her during the walk to the couch. He explained he wasn't going to let himself be mocked with Lucius' arrival.

That's how she finally lowered him on the couch as Lucius took an armchair.

"I'll be in the kitchen," She said mostly to Severus.

Y/N had to stay for over half an hour until they were done. She caught glimpses of words and tried to stay as close to the door as possible in case it leaked out into a fight.

At the end, all she knew were some words about the Dark Lord and the war. When Severus informed her she could come out, she listened to what he had to tell.

"He apologized for everything he did to me." His voice was rough and shaky. Y/N didn't want to even know what else Lucius had said to him. Maybe he really did apologize but also brought up old memories and things he had forgotten due to the memory loss. She nodded as it was obvious he wasn't going to tell more.

They stayed in a comfortable silence like that until she excused herself to go and shower.