I blame Livia! She talked me into it!

[12:06] In particular, he hated the tall black-haired man he'd spotted over his shoulder several times already. He suspected the man was a lackey of some sort. Probably one of that bastard Hardwick's.

[12:07] He slipped into an alley and twisted the handle of his umbrella to loosen the blade.

[12:09] The black-haired man came around the corner, and Lionel jumped him from behind, wrapping his arm around the man's neck and dragging him into the alley. He flung the man against a wall and pressed the sword to his neck. "Who the hell are you?"

[12:10] The man narrowed his eyes. "I might ask the same of *you*."

[12:10] "Why are you following me? Who sent you?"

[12:10] He let the blade cut into the man's neck, just enough to draw blood.

[12:10] "A little paranoid, aren't we?"

[12:11] Lionel was in no mood for this fucking bastard and his fucking British stiff-upper-lip *crap*. He was Lionel Luthor, and he did *not* have to take this.

[12:12] He moved in close and backhanded the man across the face.

[12:12] As he drew his arm back for another blow, the other man caught it. "Do. Not. Do. That. Again."

[12:13] Lionel wrenched his arm free. "Tell me who you are."

[12:14] The man pushed him back, hard enough that he smacked into the building on the other side of the alley. "You first."

[12:14] "You're the one following me!"

[12:16] Lionel raised his sword again, but the other man moved in quickly, slamming his hand against the side of the building, pinning him. "I am Snape."

[12:16] Lionel shoved at him, but he was well and truly pinned. "Why are you following me, *Snape*?"

[12:18] Snape leaned closer, his mouth brushing Lionel's ear. "Tell me. Do you know a woman named Lily Lestrange?"

[12:18] Lionel froze. "She's dead."

[12:18] "Ah."

[12:18] "How do you know about Lily?"

[12:19] Snape let him go. "She was the sister of a colleague of mine."

[12:20] Lionel straightened his overcoat. "Lily had no family." She would have told him, he was certain.

[12:20] Snape threw his head back and laughed. The blood was drying on his throat, dark red against white.

[12:22] "Lily Lestrange, have no family? The Lestranges are an old, old family." He shook his head. "Granted. She hated her brother like poison, which I cannot entirely blame her for."

[12:24] He leaned in again. "Her brother was poison. Her family was poison." His breath flickered over Lionel's skin like a serpent's tongue. "She spent her life trying to escape their poison." He laughed softly in Lionel's ear. "And found yours instead, I see. I read her love on your skin, but I can taste the poison on you."

[12:25] Lionel stepped to the side. "You're insane."

[12:25] Snape straightened. "Am I? Tell me. How did she die?"

[12:26] Toxins in the groundwater. Eaten alive by her own bones. Her heart stuttering to a stop. "Cancer."

[12:26] Snape laughed again. "No Lestrange ever died of cancer. You poisoned her. Viper."

[12:26] "You dare..." Lionel breathed.

[12:28] "I dare," Snape answered. "I dare because I, too, am a viper." And he wrapped one hand around Lionel's neck and pulled him in, pulled him close, kissed him. His teeth were razor-sharp against Lionel's lips, cutting deeply, drawing blood.

[12:30] Lionel pulled back, furious, blotting blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "You *fucking* homo--"

[12:31] Snape smiled and murmured something; Lionel felt his muscles tighten. He couldn't move. Snape took his hand and licked the blood from it, his lips moving subltly against Lionel's skin.

[12:33] Snape kissed blood onto Lionel's palm and released him. "Viper," he whispered. "With a viper's blood. Lily's destiny."

[12:36] He ran sharp nails over Lionel's chest, under his overcoat; down to his waist, over his traitorously erect penis.

[12:38] "You poisoned her with this--" a rough squeeze-- "and with *this*--" and those long bloody fingers touched his head-- "and *this*--" and his heart.

[12:38] "I did nothing to her. I loved her. She died of cancer."

[12:39] "Hm." Snape squeezed Lionel's dick again, and Lionel was coming, helplessly, jerking as if seeking the touch of skin rather than of fabric.

[12:40] When Snape released him, he fell as though his strings had been cut.

[12:40] "Tell me," Snape said. "Did Lily bear you a child?"

[12:40] "Yes."

[12:40] "Boy or girl?"

[12:40] Lionel tried to push himself upright, but his arms gave out. "Boy."

[12:41] "Ah." Snape looked into the distance, and Lionel fumbled for his sword. He was going to *kill* this *fucking* *British* *homo* mother*fucker*--

[12:44] "Blood to blood," Snape said, putting his foot down on Lionel's arm. "So Lily Lestrange had a son." He looked down at Lionel, his eyes narrowed. "I should keep the child out of Britain, were I in your place."

[12:44] "Fuck you."

[12:47] Snape knelt next to him. "I know your name from your blood. I would know your child, Lily's child, on first sight. Keep him out of Britain. He is in danger here." He spat on the ground next to Lionel's hand; there was blood in the spittle. "I cannot protect him from you in any way Lily has not. But from her family--there, I have some small power. Keep the boy out of Britain."

[12:48] He stood up quickly and vanished in what appeared to be a small thunderclap. Lionel lay on the ground for a moment, then rose to his feet and brushed himself off. Put his sword back in his umbrella. Straightened his coat.

[12:49] He walked calmly back to his hotel to shower and change his clothing.

[12:49] He'd intended to pull Lex out of school here anyway.

[12:49] The End!