FHB: Chapter 2

As he gave his mother a peck on the cheek and his father an awkward handshake, Lucius couldn’t have felt more relieved that he was going to board the train soon. The days before his departure was filled with frequent breath catching and heart pumping moments as Lucius tried to avoid his father at all cost. He knew that if his father caught him alone, he would have to tell him his decision… and it was one decision that his father would have hated enough not to speak to him again.

Lucius never wanted to be a disappointment to either of his parents, but he knew that some of the choices he had to make would inevitably disappoint one of them. This thought had created uneasiness in his chest and when the Hogwart’s Express blew its last call, Lucius quickly said his goodbyes and hurried off.

Once he had entered the narrow walkway of the train, Lucius headed straight to the prefects cabin. He did not have to walk far while pulling his luggage as a group of Slytherins immediately came to his side when they saw him. One took his luggage from him and another pulled on a smug looking face as he shouted for students to make way.

Lucius merely smirked at all the attention he was getting. It was no stranger to him and he found the familiarity rather comforting. Everything seemed to be falling into place and the uneasiness in his chest soon disappeared.

Upon reaching the prefects cabin, the Slytherins said courteous goodbyes and gave offers of assistance. Lucius merely waved them off and left them standing outside the sliding door as he entered.

You would think that only younger Slytherins would take on house elf duty around Lucius, but that was not true. The Malfoys were so well known in the ministry that most pure-blood families, who were dying for some status, would make their children suck up to Lucius.

From the first day he boarded that train… till his last, Lucius would never have to lift a finger. That day was no exception as older Slytherin prefects came to greet and congratulate him. Being that Lucius never really said much, as he found himself thinking more that he should, he just gave the warm welcome a smile.

“We have saved a place for you, Lucius,” a tall blond girl said.

“No one would bother you there,” another female prefect added.

Lucius nodded as they led him to the back of the cabin, where it was quieter and far away from the other houses’ prefects’ eyes. They seem to envy his status, and yet Lucius found it funny how some of them would actually try to talk to him when he was alone. Sure, they stayed away when he was surrounded with his house mates, but they were never far when he was alone.

When Lucius finally settled down, the other Slytherin prefects weren’t sure if they should join him.

“Not tired standing, are you?” Lucius merely asked.

A few of them gave nervous chuckles before they took a seat across from him. None sat next to him and when the train started moving, those who were still contemplating decided to sit somewhere else.

It was an awkward few minutes for the other prefects as the train started to exit the station. But Lucius was pretty fine with the silence as he began his own internal conversation. Those usually revolved around how he could get favours from professors and his studying schedule for the year, after all, he had O.W.Ls that year.

Just as he was finally mentally laying down his plans for the year, he heard someone walk up to his section of the cabin.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” a tanned skinned girl asked politely.

Her brown eyes went from one Slytherin prefect to another before it finally stopped at Lucius.

“It’s taken,” a Slytherin prefect immediately answered.

“But no one is sitting here, or are they invisible?” the girl joked.

There was no laughter as everyone in that section merely looked at her, some with narrowed glares.

After a few minutes of silence, which the girl did not seem to mind, Lucius asked, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Tanya, Tanya Lovegood,” Tanya answered with a smile.

“Haven’t seen you around before,” a Slytherin prefect pointed out.

“I’m new. Just transferred.” The cheery tone in her voice never died down.

“She’s related to that psycho second year… Lovegood,” one of the Slytherin prefects said to the other.

“Who?” that prefect responded with a question.

“That boy people call Xeno. Not right in the head I tell you, talks to himself all the time,” the prefect replied, not at all concerned of offending Tanya.

“He’s my second cousin. I’ve only met him once. He’s a nice boy,” Tanya said to Lucius.

Just then, an odd thought crossed his mind. Lucius noticed that all the other seats were already occupied, and this girl desperately needed a seat even though she had a weird way of showing it.

Lucius wondered if he should just let her join them, or would it be more fun to just let her stand there.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should make the offer!)

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