Title: Silver Curtains
Rating: PG13 (sexual situations)
Genre: Horro/Tragedy
Characters: Severus Snape/Lucius Malfoy, mention of Voldemort
Summary: Severus's point of view. Written in response to a challenge with Leigh. Yay, slash.
Additional Copyrights: None

There are ghosts in his house and in his eyes; I can see them sometimes, flitting behind the windows of his manor, and staring out when his eyelids flutter, and when his cheeks are flushed and his breath is quick. I can see them, and I bet they can see me.

But it didn't matter. Not then. Not when I had him in my arms, hair like golden silver pooling on the pillow. It never really mattered then, but that was before; and before is always different from now.

I'd say, "Lucius." and he'd look at me, and he'd say, "Severus." and that would usually be that, because he never talked to me much about the really important stuff.

Perhaps that's a good thing.

I think he knows about the ghosts. And I don't think he cares. But I'm always wrong about him, and so is everyone else, so at least I'm not alone in that, really.

And so in truth, there's something wonderful about him that I can never explain - the way he arranges his hair is wonderful; the way he smiles is wonderful; and it's just wonderful being there, when he presses his palm against my chest, and tells me I made the right choice.

But you can never trust a man with death in his head. And with Lucius it's up there, behind his eyes and white smile, under the pale skin so bruised from my fingernails. It jumps so rapidly in his throat when I bite him there; and it's still present when, the next day, his robes are high-collared.

I told him that I loved him, once. I don't think he believed me. But I don't believe it either.

Because there's so much to love about Lucius, but it's still so hard to love him. Because Lucius likes to wear masks, and he's always, always laughing behind them. Voldemort said that. And Voldemort's always right.

Death is right up there Lucius' head, and she's laughing away; and she trills in my ear whenever Lucius slumbers beside me, and tells me that I'm next.