There were three rules in Potions class:
1. Don't antagonize Slughorn.
2.Don't breathe in too deep when an Omega's in heat.
3. Don't get paired with Lucius Malfoy.
Snape had broken all three.
He hadn't meant to. But Lillian Evans had flared into his early heat right in the middle of class—poppy and lavender practically exploding in the air. Every Alpha in the room had gone glassy-eyed except Lucius, who looked merely bored.
And then Slughorn had clapped his hands and said, "Snape, Malfoy, you're working together today!"
Merlin have mercy.
Lucius slid onto the stool beside Severus like a sin, like he was folding himself into the space between shadows. His thigh pressed against Snape's. On purpose. Not moving.
Severus stiffened.
"Relax," Lucius said, voice low. "You'll snap the vial."
"I'm relaxed," Severus hissed, trying to shift away.
Lucius followed the movement like a predator. "Funny. You smell anything but relaxed."
Snape didn't answer. His hands moved, measured, pouring essence of aconite. His pulse betrayed him.
Lucius leaned closer.
"So quiet," he said softly. "But your body doesn't lie. Betas don't go into heats, Snape. So what's this… trembling?"
"It's disgust," Snape muttered.
Lucius dipped his fingers into the mortar, swirling powdered root of ginger with a fingertip. "You sure it's not arousal?"
Snape's jaw clenched. "You think everyone wants you."
"No," Lucius said, his breath ghosting against Severus's ear, "I think you do."
There was a crack. The glass stirrer in Snape's hand had snapped in half.
Slughorn was too distracted with Lillian and James posturing like stags in heat to notice.
Lucius reached over and slowly, deliberately, took Severus's hand.
"Careful, Severus," he said, thumb brushing a drop of blood from the Beta's skin. "One day, I might make you prove it."
Snape didn't say a word. He couldn't. Not when his body was burning like cursed fire and his scent, usually dull and forgettable, had turned the air electric.
Lucius just smiled, licked the blood from his thumb, and returned to grinding roots like nothing had happened.