"Oh, you know Lucius," Regulus reasoned, not quite knowing why he was coming to the young man's defense, "He's preoccupied with certain things. You know very well that you have him wrapped around your little finger." He would be the first to admit that he took pleasure in watching someone like Lucius Malfoy bend over backwards for the sake of courting his cousin. It just went to show the kind of power these bloody women had over them. Well, at least Narcissa was indulging the<em>right</em>sort of men. He didn't even want to think about Andromeda and her 'faults' for lack of a better word.<br/><br/>Severus kept his silence. He assumed that Narcissa and Lucius would wed sooner or later. It was a proper match if he ever saw one. They both shared in their appreciation for wealth and Lucius could properly indulge someone like Narcissa. He didn't particularly care, nor did he think he'd be granted an invite. Though, Severus hadn't forgotten the unexpected show of kindness Lucius had shown him in his first year. But Severus was far from stupid, that kindness clearly stemmed from the Slytherin idea of seizing opportunities when they were presented. Clearly, Lucius had seen something in him. He was one of the few people who had and unlike this other person, Lucius hadn't given up on him.<br/><br/>Severus frowned, silently berating himself for once again dwelling on the past. What good was Lily Evans to him now? He just needed to let go but try as hard as he might, he couldn't shake the image of the hurt in those brilliant emerald eyes that fateful day.