why don't we make it rain like we used to

[amourpropre]

Who: Lucius Malfoy (Sr) and Severus Snape β
What: Picking up some shopping, as you do, and chance of civil conversation.
Where: Severus' apothecary in Sobek Croix
When: Sssslightly backdated?

He arrives when the store is near closing, the sun reaching for the horizon as the clock ticks inevitably towards six. It's to avoid people in general, even if the only people that Lucius finds sharing the same space with to be remotely awkward would be his fellow wizards, both from his time and otherwise. He wasn't lying, however, about what ingredients he was having difficulty obtaining.

He wasn't lying about needing them either.

Sweeping inside, he pauses to both look around as well as loosen his coat a little against the change of temperature, as haggard as anyone has left him but still dressed in expensively cut wools and cottons and satin linings, shoes polished.

Comments

[subtlescience]

The only indication Severus gives to suggest he found humour in Lucius's reply is a slight raise of his eyebrows. No laughter; just the barest suggestion of a retort in his expression: And you think I won't?

It's gone almost immediately, however, at the mention of Martha. All levity sapped from the conversation because he's either not fool enough or too paranoid to think Lucius is truly going to let it lie at that. But the other man does have one fair point: this dynamic is the one he'll uphold. He doesn't know where to move next. Where the traps lie.

Neither of them are open enough to outright say what they want, but Lucius doesn't have a want pointed at his throat. That's...something. So he offers something. "For the record, she has nothing to do with how I treat you."

[amourpropre]

Lucius pauses there, attempting to read any lie in Severus' expression and tone, but ultimately finds nothing sufficient to challenge. So, he takes up his cane and purchases, because if anything, he at least got what he officially came for. Sleeping dreamlessly for ten hours is going to be fun.

There's a silver lining for everything.

"Well, if you ever felt moved to enlighten me further, you know how to find me," he says in the moment before he will be making for the exit.