FHB: Chapter 32

“Get out of here,” Lucius whispered harshly.

Tanya simply stared at him blankly and when she made no move, he threw her his wand. Instinctively, she caught it and snapped out of her frozen state.

“Go!” Lucius urged, “now!”

Doing as she was told her, she ran. As she did, a spell shot from behind Lucius towards her. Not knowing what to do, Lucius watched as Tanya dodged, made a quick turn, and shouted, “Incarcerous!”

If Tanya had her wand, the spell would have hit the death eater square in the chest and burst into tentacle like ropes that would wrap around her assailant. Unfortunately, Lucius’ wand was more loyal than he was and the spell backfired. There was a bright spark that escaped the tip of his wand before a series of ropes slithered up her arm and bound tightly around her. Within seconds, she was on the ground, immobile.

The death eater laughed when he saw what had happened, and used his wand to drag Tanya closer to him. When she was at his feet, he snatched Lucius’ wand from her hand and threw it at him.

“Did you just hand it to her?” he asked.

Lucius was not sure if he was being sarcastic or serious, and decided not to answer him. Lucius did not want to make things worse for himself and silence was the only option.

“Come along. We’re going home,” he said.

The death eater took the lead with Tanya dragging on the ground behind him, and Lucius quietly followed. They did not need to walk for long as the other death eaters had gathered nearby with the other captives, all bound up with terrified eyes.

Lucius did not know what to do at that moment. He knew which side he was playing for, but he felt slightly sorry for the ones on the losing end. When he realized what he was feeling, it scared him. So he quickly thought about his father and reminded himself why he was there.

“Think of home Malfoy, and take one of them with you,” the death eater said.

“Home?” Lucius asked.

“Yes, home. The big, black house you grew up in. Or do you need your mummy to come get you?”

The other death eaters chuckled and Lucius snapped, “I know where home is. Show some respect to the host.”

He did not wait for a reply and reached for the body closest to him. It was not Tanya, and he was glad it wasn’t. In a quick swirling motion, he felt himself being pulled away from the forest as his bedroom materialized. Seconds after his arrival, he knew he was at the wrong location. Quickly reacting before the stranger could see where they were, Lucius apparated the two of them into the dungeon underneath his home.

“Got lost?” the death eater asked when Lucius appeared coughing, as his stomach had not gotten used to that mode of transportation yet.

Lucius rolled his eyes in response and turned his attention to a few death eaters who were lining up the captives  against a wall.

“The Dark Lord will be here soon,” another death eater announced.

“Good. Have you killed someone before, Malfoy?” the same obnoxious death eater asked.

Silence was Lucius’ best friend that day, as he chose not to entertain the death eater.

“Scared, Malfoy? You have to kill to be in. Today is a great day to do it, since we have spares,” he added.

Not wanting to deal with him any longer, Lucius decided to turn away. And when he did, he found the Dark Lord standing behind them.

“My lord,” Lucius quickly greeted, and the rest followed suit.

“What do we have here?” the Dark Lord asked.

“Ministry workers. We found them sneaking in the forest,” a female death eater replied.

“They look so young,” the Dark Lord stated as he gently placed a hand on Lucius’ shoulder. “And how was the meeting?”

“It went well, my lord. They have agreed to work with us,” she answered.

“That’s good,” the Dark Lord said, moving to stand directly behind Lucius as he placed both hands on Lucius’ shoulders.

The Dark Lord said nothing as he began ushering Lucius down the line of young aurors in training. There were ten of them in total with two looking slightly older than the rest. When they had reached the end of the line, the Dark Lord asked, “Which one do you want?”

Lucius swallowed hard as his heart continued to race madly. What was already an uncomfortable situation became unbearably uncomfortable.

“How about that one?” the death eater Lucius grew to hate suggested. “The girl that disarmed our little friend.”

“Is that true?” the Dark Lord asked in a curious tone. He then pulled out his wand and sent a spell that disintegrated the rope around Tanya’s mouth.

Lucius hesitated to answer and Tanya did not say a word either. The Dark Lord was determined to find out, so he ushered Lucius towards her and waved for the rest to take position. It was as though an execution by firing spells was about to take place.

“Answer me, girl. Did you disarm my favourite death eater?” the Dark Lord asked.

Tanya could not have made things worse for Lucius at that moment, as she began to plead; not for her life but for Lucius’ change of ways.

“Please Lucius. Don’t do this, don’t be one of them. You’re not a killer, you’re not evil.”

At the sound of her words, Lucius’ heart stopped. He had the urge to ask her to shut up, but he was too terrified to say anything.

“Is she your friend, Lucius?” the Dark Lord asked, with more curiosity than he had before.

Lucius knew he had to answer him, because if he didn’t, something would go terribly wrong.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment or vote on whether Lucius should acknowledge Tanya or deny their relationship!)

Advertisement

FHB: Chapter 29

Lucius did not expect it to be so soon. Barely a week after his little meet up with the Dark Lord, he was called to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Lucius never liked Professor Dumbledore and was rather glad Professor Slughorn was also present when he entered the circular room.

“Professor, you have requested for me?” Lucius asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid something has happened,” Professor Dumbledore said as he handed Lucius a letter.

Without hesitation, Lucius tore the letter open and gazed at the words on the brown parchment.

“Your mother. She wrote us a letter too, explaining-”

“Professor, this is…” Lucius interrupted Professor Slughorn, but immediately stopped himself from continuing. What he intended to say would have ruined the Dark Lord’s plan of getting him out of school, and it was a good thing he caught on fast.

“Don’t worry, Lucius. You will board the train right away,” Professor Slughorn said as he placed a comforting hand on Lucius’ shoulder.

“Thank you, sir,” Lucius replied, keeping his gaze on the handwriting that was clearly not his mother’s. He was afraid that if he looked up, he would not be able to hide the truth from Professor Dumbledore.

“Pack what you need and I’ll send someone to escort you to the station,” Professor Dumbledore said.

“Thank you, professor,” Lucius said, quickly turning on his heels.

“And Lucius,” Professor Dumbledore called out. When Lucius turned but did not look him in the eye, there was a short awkward moment of silence. Professor Dumbledore did not speak until Lucius forced his gaze upon him. “Your father will be fine.”

Lucius gave him a firm nod before he hurried off. Letter still clutched in his hand, Lucius headed to the empty dungeons and went straight to his room. Once alone, he heaved a sigh of relief; relief that no one called the letter a bluff. What would happen if Professor Dumbledore knew he was working for the Dark Lord? Lucius can only imagine the horror his family would have to go through.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Lucius changed into something more muggle-like and began packing. The letter said he would be away for one week, so he decided to pack light. One suitcase should suffice, so Lucius swiftly grabbed what he needed before running into Professor Slughorn outside the common room.

“I told Dumbledore I’d escort you. Better if no one else knows what is going on,” Professor Slughorn said.

“Thank you, sir,” Lucius replied.

“So much gossiping among the students these days, this is the least I can do for you.”

Lucius gave a nod and followed after Professor Slughorn. As the two made their way to the train station in Hogsmead, an unwanted conversation took place.

“Ms Lovegood has been writing to me, you know,” Professor Slughorn said. “She’s doing very well in her training. They even sent her on field!”

“That’s good to hear,” Lucius responded shortly.

“Don’t you two write to one another? I thought you were friends.”

“Well, sometimes. She’s been busy,” Lucius lied, not knowing why he did.

“Yes, yes. A clever girl she is.”

Lucius merely nodded.

“I wish she could have finished her studies here. But I guess it is better for her to start her training now.”

“It is.” Two words that were the opposite of what Lucius was thinking.

“Can you believe it? I do not even have a picture of her!” Professor Slughorn exclaimed.

Thankfully, the conversation could not continue on the Hogwarts Express, as Lucius thanked Professor Slughorn again and boarded the train. When the train started to move, he heaved another sigh. This time, it was not a sigh of relief but a sigh of uncertainty.

As the train chugged into the night, Lucius found himself slowly drifting off into dream world. The scenery could not keep him awake and the thoughts he had became tiring. When he finally realized he had dozed off, the Hogwarts Express hissed and screeched as it came to a stop. Pulling himself up, Lucius wasted no time and hopped off the train.

Platform 9 ¾ was awfully quiet that night. The last time he stood on the platform, it was full of noisy students. Now, it was dead with not a single soul lurking about. Lucius did not like how the atmosphere felt and headed straight for the pillar. Once through, the stillness was ripped from him.

King’s Cross Station was busy, with muggles transiting home after a long day. Lucius blended in with the crowd and casually strolled to the exit. The moment he stepped outside, he felt lost. He always had an escort, but that night was different. Even though the letter said he would have a pick-up, he did not see anyone waiting for him. Lucius looked up and down the sidewalk he was on, hoping to see a chauffeur and a car, but when no one fit his mental description he gave up.

Lucius decided that since waiting did him no good, he should start walking. As he headed down his right, slipping past strangers, he kept his eye out for someone who might be waiting for him. When he saw someone leaning against a car, he decided to try his luck. But just before he could approach that man, a stranger brushed past him and whispered in his ear.

Not catching the whispered words, Lucius spun around to see who it was, but it was impossible to play the guessing game in such a crowd. A few seconds later, the same stranger bump into his shoulder and whispered again. This time, Lucius heard him.

“Follow me,” he said, as he continued walking ahead rather slowly.

Lucius was not sure if he could trust that man. He had never seen him before, and he couldn’t help but doubt. Things could go wrong very quickly if he made the wrong decision. Was following the stranger the wrong decision?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should follow the stranger or keep on looking!)

FHB: Chapter 14

“He’s my father’s friend,” Lucius replied.

“Oh, he is? Does he work in the ministry?” Tanya asked.

“Yes. My father asked me to return him some money.”

“Can’t your father do it himself?”

“He’s busy.”

“I see. Well, I thought you should know that the professors think some students are buying papers. Apparently, the deal is always struck here.”

“Really? I didn’t know.”

“Of course not. You’re not the type to be buying papers.”

Lucius chuckled and said, “You know me so well.”

Tanya replied with a smile and Lucius nodded before hurrying down the stairs. When he was back on his chair surrounded by his housemates, he found the uneasiness had not left him.

Entering the great hall the next morning, Lucius took quick glances at the professors and found them acting suspicious. He briefly wondered if his perception was altered by his cautiousness, and found it to be true when Professor Dumbledore left the hall just before the arrival of the owls.

Lucius caught himself heaving a sigh, as the professors did not act out of the ordinary when the parcels began falling. His attention was so focused on them that when a parcel fell onto his lap, he jumped out of his seat.

Students turned their heads almost immediately, but when Lucius glared back they quickly looked away. Not thinking twice on how suspicious his next action may seem, Lucius slid the parcel under his cloak and left the great hall.

There was some time before his first class, so Lucius hurried back to the common room and unwrapped the parcel on his feathered bed. Beneath the string and brown paper, Lucius found three thick parchments, each binded with string. The cover page had the official ministry chop and right below it was the name of the subject.

Lucius flipped through the pages quickly and was convinced he was holding the real deal. Hiding the papers at the bottom of his trunk, Lucius hurried back to class and lied about handling a sick student.

As the day carried on, Lucius found himself counting down the hours. He was both fearful and excited at the same time, and that concoction of emotions sent him straight to his feet when the last class of the day ended. But as he strode out of class, he found himself stopping in his tracks. Down the hallway were three older prefects, and they were storming towards them.

In his mind, Lucius weighed out the option of running or waiting, and when he chose both he walked towards the perfects and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Do you know who Gilbert Puffett is?” the Gryffindor prefect asked.

It was hard not to know Gilbert Puffett. He was the Hufflepuff boy that bragged about his mother’s self-soaping dishcloth all the time.

Nodding his head, Lucius led the prefects to the group of Hufflepuffs he just had class with and pointed at the unsuspecting boy.

“Gilbert Puffett, you’re called to the disciplinary office,” the Hufflepuff prefect said with a croak, clearly embarrassed at whatever offence Gilbert had made.

“Why? What did I do?”

“You know what you did, unless you want us to tell your friends?”

Lucius saw Gilbert hesitating, but eventually he nodded his head. Just as the prefects were about to escort Gilbert, one of them turned to Lucius and said, “We need an extra hand. Could you head to the prefect’s lounge right away?”

Lucius was tempted to ask what for, but instead he said, “Sure.”

The prefect’s lounge was just beside the teachers’ office. As Lucius entered the cosy room, he saw a group of prefects his age. An older prefect was briefing them, and when they saw him they gestured him over.

“Split up in twos or threes and take a list. Leave the N.E.W.T students to us,” the older prefect ended.

“What’s going on?” Lucius asked.

“There was a spot check and O.W.L and N.E.W.T exam papers were found in students’ possessions. Weren’t you assigned to do the checking?” a Ravenclaw prefect asked.

Lucius shook his head as his throat dried up. He wished he was among those assigned for the spot check and couldn’t help but wonder if his name was on the list.

Just as he decided to find out, a group of prefects returned and among them was Tanya. Tanya waved him over and gestured to leave the room. Without hesitation, Lucius hurried after her.

Once outside and out of earshot, Lucius asked, “You knew about the spot check?”

“I told you at The Three Broomsticks didn’t I?”

“Well, not exactly,” Lucius replied, struggling to hide the internal turmoil.

“Why are you so nervous?” Tanya asked.

“Were you assigned to do a spot check?” Lucius asked in reply.

“I was given the Slytherin common room.”

“Did you find anything?”

“We found quite a fair bit. I found yours too,” Tanya answered so casually that Lucius felt his heart falling out of his chest.

Immediately, his head began ringing with his mother’s disappointed voice and his father’s angry shouts. A wave of nausea also swept over him but before it did any damage, Tanya said, “I burnt them.”

“You… what?”

“I burnt them. Or did you want me to hand them in?”

What she did was very unlike her. Lucius could not believe how a law-abiding witch would break the rules for him. But just as he was about to thank her, Tanya added, “So, are you going to turn yourself in?”

“What?” Lucius asked in disbelief.

“What you did was wrong. You should turn yourself in.”

“I’m grateful you helped me, but you can’t tell me what to do. Friends don’t tell each other what to do,” Lucius quickly replied.

“I’m telling you as a friend, you have to make up for it.”

“Hey, what you think is wrong might not be wrong to me.”

“Your choice, Lucius,” Tanya simply replied.

“Is that a threat?”

“I burnt your papers, what can I threaten you with?” Tanya asked before turning on her heels and heading back to the prefect’s lounge.

Lucius knew the easiest decision was to return to the group and pretend nothing happened, but something inside him urged him to do the right thing. Lucius hated his conscience but in order to shut it up, he had to make a firm choice.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should say something or leave it as it is!)

FHB: Chapter 12

Lucius did not want to do it, but the grip he was losing on the banner forced him into action.

“Tanya!” Lucius shouted, hoping his words could cut through the deafening crowd. And to his surprise, it did.

Tanya swerved her broom towards his direction and hesitated for a few seconds before coming to his aid.

“What on earth are you doing here?!”

“Wild bludger. I need your help,” Lucius replied as he struggled to hold on.

“Why should I help you? You’re not my friend,” Tanya said, turning her broom away.

Lucius was in shock at her response but he still managed a few words. “Please, I could die!”

“Why don’t you call your friends for help?”

It wasn’t the right moment to make a point but it was the perfect moment. Lucius was starting to think of descending by himself when the question caught him off guard. No matter who he was or how influential he became, Lucius did not have friends. It was the way he did things that put him above his housemates but made him alone.

As he shook his head in reply, Lucius felt his sweaty palms slipping from the banner. When he realized what was happening, he was already sliding down with his hands barely gripping onto the cloth.

“I can’t die like this!” Lucius thought out loud.

Just as those words escaped his lips, Tanya swooped down and reached for the back of his cloak. She was not strong enough to pull him up and her broom began tilting to his side.

“Grab the broom!” Tanya yelled.

Lucius flailed his hands and managed to grip onto the broom with one hand, but that did not stop them from the fall. As Tanya struggled to pull him up and control her broom, Lucius’ attempt to climb up made it worse.

“Stop! Just hold on!” Tanya said.

For once in his schooling life, he listened to another student and halted his attempts. Tanya tilted her body to the other side and slowly descended towards the black lake. When Lucius’ legs touched the waters, the drag pulled them both in.

 As the two of them pushed their heads out of the water, Tanya said, “Great! We’ll lose the game now.”

“You can still get back in,” Lucius replied.

“And what? Leave you here for the giant squid?”

“He’s quite docile,” Lucius said.

“I’m not that kind of a person,” Tanya simply replied and reached for her broom that was hovering above the water.

As she climbed on, she said, “Come on, I’ll get you back on solid ground.”

Lucius did not need to think twice about following her orders and he pulled himself up. He did however, hesitate on holding her waist but when they took flight there was no hesitation left.

When they finally landed in a school courtyard, Lucius awkwardly thanked Tanya for saving his life. Tanya merely responded with a nod before disappearing into the sky. She had a game to get back to, and when Lucius heard that the match dragged on for another hour, he didn’t feel so bad about the handicap he caused Ravenclaw briefly.

Strangely, when he found himself feeling sorry, he did not stop himself. He used to shut out thoughts that would alter his judgement, but he could not bring himself to do so that day. The thought of almost dying or being at risk to death made him think about his life. Maybe Lucius really needed friends after all? Maybe they were more of a help than a liability?

As the match ended and the news of Slytherin’s victory reached Lucius’ ears, he decided not to gloat over it. And during dinner that night, Lucius kept to his own promise.

The Slytherins were having a celebration, while the Ravenclaws tried not to look too upset. There were still a few more games to go so neither Gryffindor nor Hufflepuff felt the sting of the win. It was a pretty ordinary night in the great hall, except for the occasional cheers.

When dinner was over, everyone headed back to their common rooms in a not so orderly manner. Lucius neglected his prefect duties again and decided to have a talk with Tanya.

“Tanya, wait up,” Lucius called out when he saw Tanya monitoring the Ravenclaws.

“I’m on duty, you should be too,” Tanya pointed out.

“Just one second.”

“You don’t owe me alright, I don’t keep tabs when I help someone,” Tanya replied.

“No, that’s not what I wanted to say,” Lucius quickly said.

“Then?”

“I just wanted to say thank you, again. And you’re right, I don’t have friends.”

“You’re welcome. Maybe you should start making some.”

Lucius gave an awkward chuckle. “It doesn’t work that way for me.”

“Right, because you’re a pureblood and all that.”

“No. It’s just not the way I was brought up. My father always said that friends would do me more harm than good.”

“No offense to your bloodline, but your father is wrong.”

“Maybe…” Lucius trailed off as he recalled his father’s story about the Dark Lord while he was in Hogwarts.

“You know what, let’s prove your father wrong. Do you want to be friends?”

Lucius was not sure if he heard her right, as he last recalled Tanya hating him. Was she really offering her friendship? There was an internal tug-of-war, and Lucius could not believe it was such a difficult question to answer.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should say yes or no to Tanya’s offer!)

FHB: Chapter 11

Lucius got out of bed the next morning so close to forgetting about Severus’ little problem.  It was only until he witnessed the bullying himself did he act on it.

It was right after breakfast. Students were heading to their classes and Lucius was heading to his. As he walked past a small garden within the school compound, he spotted three boys standing by a tree.

Curiosity struck him as he walked towards them.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” Lucius asked.

The boys spun around immediately, and behind them was Severus sitting against the bark of the tree.

“Oh yes, we should get going,” the boy with messy black hair said as he signalled his friends to follow after him.

Though they took big strides, they did not manage to escape. Oddly, it was not Lucius who stopped them but Ms Evans.

Ms Evans walked up to them and demanded, “Apologize.”

“For what?” the boy replied.

“Apologize, Potter,” Ms Evans repeated.

The Potter boy chuckled and said, “I did nothing wrong, Lily. Why should I apologize?”

Ms Evans seemed to be struggling in holding in her anger, and when she gave up, she swung her hand right across the boy’s cheek.

Severus scrambled to his feet at the sound of the slap. The Potter boy said nothing while his friend turned to Lucius and said, “She hit him! She should be punished!”

Lucius had no problem punishing them both, after all, it was Gryffindor losing points.

“Fifteen points from all four of you,” Lucius said, and before the boys could question why, he continued, “Fifteen points for bullying a fellow student and fifteen points for physical violence.”

“That’s sixty points from Gryffindor!” the Potter boy finally spoke.

“You count well, Potter. Next time, think before you act,” Lucius merely said before ushering Severus away from the scene.

When Severus tried to protest, Lucius held on to his shoulder and led him away.

Lucius brought Severus to class before heading to his, but the day was not over. During lunch, Lucius invited Severus for a walk and he intended to give a pretty good lecture.

“Do you know why those boys keep bullying you?” Lucius asked.

“Because I’m weird?” Severus replied.

“Well, partly. I think they bully you because you need a girl to stand up for you,” Lucius pointed out.

“Lily was just helping me. She’s a good friend-”

“She’s not worthy to be your friend. In fact, you don’t need a friend like her. She’s a mudblood after all,” Lucius interrupted.

“What’s wrong with mudbloods? They are just like us,” Severus asked innocently.

“They’re not. They are outsiders hoping to take what is rightfully ours. They don’t deserve it. Your friend, Lily, doesn’t deserve it.”

“But I can’t leave her,” Severus almost whispered his words.

“Make new friends Lucius, then you can leave her,” Lucius advised.

As Lucius left Severus pondering, he began to wonder. Why did Severus need Ms Evans? What kind of a friendship did they have? Was it something so inseparable that the thought of parting ways sounded impossible?

Lucius never had a friend that meant that much to him. He didn’t like being tied down. He was the lone ranger who preferred working by himself, and that worked well for him all these years.

Friend, who invented that word anyway? Lucius silently asked himself.

As Quidditch season started drawing in, Lucius noticed Severus taking his advice. Severus stopped hanging out with Ms Evans as much as he used to, and started hanging out with other Slytherin boys. He also started using the word ‘mudblood’ when Ms Evans wasn’t around.

Lucius had a feeling that one day, a slip of a tongue would end Severus’ ties with Ms Evans altogether. Now wouldn’t that be something to celebrate? Lucius smiled at the idea.

But that was one celebration he would reconsider in due time.

One sunny morning, the match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw began at the blow of a whistle. Lucius enjoyed watching a Quidditch match, but he never liked the idea of playing it. Let’s just say he wasn’t a big fan of heights.

As the quaffle changed hands and the bludgers shot at unsuspecting players, something unexpected happened.

Lucius was climbing up to the professors’ watchtower when a wild bludger crashed into the wooden structure. It rammed against the stairs and the inner pillars like a loose cannon, and it cut through Lucius’ path. Immediately, Lucius scrambled for his wand but before a spell could be cast, the bludger hit him in the stomach and forced him through the supposedly thick wooden panels.

The bludger free itself from him and swerve back into the Quidditch field while Lucius madly waved his arms and grabbed onto the Ravenclaw banner around the tower.

When he finally had a firm grip, Lucius braved himself and took a look down. He was dangling high above the dark waters of the lake, and his heartbeat rose almost instantly. When Lucius tried calling for help, the loud cheering students had their back against him and he was completely out sight.

Nobody knew he was there, not even his ‘friends’.

He thought of climbing back up to the platform or lowering himself to the lake, but while he tried to rationalize both options he saw a Ravenclaw player swerving around a nearby watchtower. Without having to squint much, he knew who it was.

What should he do? Lucius would rather save himself, but a broom ride to solid ground was much more safer. If only that player wasn’t Tanya, he wouldn’t have to contemplate so much.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should save himself or ask for help!)

FHB: Chapter 9

“Well, how about you join me for dinner this Friday, at Professor Slughorn’s office?” Lucius casually asked.

“Why does Pro-”

“Oh, he likes bonding with his students,” Lucius interrupted.

“Can anyone join?”

“Anyone I invite can join.”

Tanya’s eyes dropped to the floor as she thought silently.

“Stop thinking so much, I’ll see you on Friday,” Lucius said, and hurried off before Tanya could say anything else.

That Friday’s dinner was a special one, as Professor Slughorn had previously informed Lucius that he would be introducing new members to the Slug Club. Did Lucius forget? Of course not.

So, when the day finally arrived and the anticipated hour chimed down the hallways, Lucius met Tanya outside the great hall and walked with her to Professor Slughorn’s office.

“Are you sure about this?” Tanya asked, as they neared the office door.

“Of course,” Lucius said with a grin. “But just to play it safe, I’ll go in first and you’ll come in later.”

“Why? I’m your guest, shouldn’t I-”

“It’s best I inform Professor Slughorn first,” Lucius quickly said.

Tanya did not have much of a choice, so she nodded her head in reply.

As Lucius entered Professor Slughorn’s office, he realized the rest had already arrived. Some of them he did not bother to learn their names, while others he gave a thin smile. Lucius also spotted two new students sitting awkwardly near the fireplace.

He could not see their faces from where he was standing, but when he tried to take a look, Professor Slughorn placed his hand heavily on his shoulder.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it!” Professor Slughorn said.

“I’m really sorry for being late, sir. I was being followed,” Lucius replied.

“Followed?”

“Yes, sir,” Lucius said with a sigh.

“Who is it that followed you?”

“Tanya Lovegood, sir. She wants you to like her,” Lucius answered in a sympathetic tone.

Professor Slughorn gave a chuckle, and just then Tanya walked through the door.

“Sorry I’m late,” Tanya said cheerfully.

Before Professor Slughorn could address her, Lucius quickly whispered to him, “Professor, she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Let’s just carry on to spare her the embarrassment. After all, she’s still new.”

Professor Slughorn thought for a moment before he gave Lucius’ shoulder a squeeze and announced, “Take your seats everyone!”

Everyone quickly sat themselves at a brown oval table that was filled with all sorts of dishes. A tall pudding sat in the middle, two roasted turkeys at both sides, a beef casserole not too far away, sausages and bacon stacked up high at a corner, a large bowl of magically bubbling beef stew that was a little out of reach, a small custard tart by each plate, and a shepherd’s pie right in front of Lucius. The steam was rising from its golden crust and it made his mouth water immediately.

Lucius would have been easily distracted by the food that evening, but when he saw a familiar looking girl staring at him from across the table, Lucius was completely oblivious to the fact that Tanya had seated herself next to him.

“Wow, look at the food!” Tanya whispered.

Yes, the food was good but he was so close to figuring out who the new girl was that he ignored their calls to be eaten.

Finally, when his stomach gave his brain a wake up call, the memory that was trying so hard to stay hidden popped right in front of him.

That first year Gryffindor girl with green eyes, was none other than Severus’ little friend; the one that tried to protect him from Lucius. Ah, that brat! Lucius thought.

As Lucius continued watching her, Professor Slughorn decided to be a little more observant that night and asked, “Aren’t you hungry, boy?”

Just like that, everyone stopped eating and looked at him. Oh, how Lucius hated it when everyone was trying to be the teacher’s pet at the same time.

“I was just wondering, sir, who are the new students that are joining us tonight?”

“Ah, I almost forgot! Thank you for reminding me,” Professor Slughorn said with a smile, before getting up from his seat.

As he stood at the front of the table, he cleared his throat and said, “Today, I’ve invited a few special guests to join us. Most of you don’t know them because they just enrolled, but my eye for spotting talent has not rusted!”

There was a short pause; enough time for everyone in the room to mumble praises, before Professor Slughorn continued, “So let me introduce Ms. Lily Evans, Mr. Dirk Cresswell, and Ms. Tanya Lovegood. Three extraordinary students!”

It was a big mistake to be taking a gulp of sweet sparkling juice at that moment, as Lucius almost spat his drink out. Did he hear him right?

When Lucius turned to Tanya, she gave him a smile and almost immediately he felt betrayed. She played him, and he fell for it thinking he was the game master!

What a fool! Lucius silently scolded himself.

The night went on ignoring Lucius’ raging emotions, but when it was over, Lucius was so tempted to confront her. Except that before he could, sweet little Ms. Evans requested to talk to him.

Now, he had to choose between the bold little Gryffindor and the not so innocent Ravenclaw. Who should it be?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on who Lucius should pick!)

FHB: Chapter 8

As quickly as her words left her lips, as quickly Lucius made up his mind. No, he was not going to fail his potion’s test. Especially when a goody-two-shoes was involved. Did Tanya really think a Malfoy would give in? Lucius could not blame her ignorance. Her morality, however, was starting to bother him.

When Professor Slughorn shook his little golden bell to start the test, Lucius turned to Tanya and smiled. He nodded his head gently and Tanya misunderstood immediately, just as how he wanted her to.

Lucius had to admit that it was rather fun playing her. He also did not feel a single pinch of guilt and wondered if he ever would. He had feelings after all, just not enough to move him.

As the test carried on, Lucius did everything he memorized from Professor Slughorn’s special instructions. He did not miss a single ingredient, and his steps were almost flawless. That would have been a dead giveaway that he cheated, but Professor Slughorn never saw past Lucius’ false gratitude.

You see, he had a habit of thanking Professor Slughorn whenever he did well. Those praises not only made Professor Slughorn blush but extremely proud. And Lucius knew his weakness all too well to use it to his advantage.

When the bell on the table rang for the second time, everyone pulled their hands away from the cauldron and waited. There was a strange smell in the air as the different coloured brews evaporated above their heads. Professor Slughorn scrunched his nose as he went from one cauldron to another. His words were simple, and those who have had him before would know exactly how he judged random tests as such.

“Fail. Fail. Not bad, ten points for Slytherin. Fail. Fail. What is this? Ah, good job, ten points for Slytherin. Terrible. Could have been better, 5 points for Slytherin. Fail,” Professor Slughorn went on.

No one found it suspicious that the only students scoring points were the Slytherins, as the common misconception that Slytherins are naturally good at potions have been around for ages. Tanya however, thought it strange and decided to bring it up.

“Professor, can I say something?” Tanya asked.

“Sure. Your potion is not too bad, but I’m afraid it’s not worthy of points,” Professor Slughorn replied.

“No, that was not what I wanted to say. I’m just wondering, why are all the Slytherins doing so well?”

Immediately, the Slytherins in the classroom turned to her and demanded an explanation for her statement. Professor Slughorn had to quiet them down by saying, “Ms. Lovegood, that is a very rude thing to say. My students always do well.”

“But-“

“It is not their fault that you are not prepared,” Professor Slughorn cut her off. “Ten points from Ravenclaw. You may be clever, but that attitude of yours is unacceptable.”

Tanya was dumbstruck and Professor Slughorn left her as she was. He then headed up to Lucius and his frown immediately turned into a wide smile.

“My boy! You did it!”

“I did?” Lucius tried to sound clueless.

“Yes, you did! Twenty-five points for Slytherin!”

“Thank you, sir. You’re a good teacher,” Lucius said.

Professor Slughorn blushed as he gave Lucius a squeeze on the shoulder. Just then, Lucius caught Tanya looking at him in a look he had not expected. She didn’t look angry or shock, she looked worried. The strangeness of her reaction made Lucius rather curious, so he decided to find out after class.

It was not easy though, as Tanya left the class the quickest. Lucius had to gently excuse himself from Professor Slughorn, and when he finally managed to leave, he saw Tanya turning a corner.

“Tanya, wait up!” Lucius shouted.

Tanya did not respond, so he chased after her. When Lucius finally caught her, he asked, “Didn’t you hear me?”

“Yes, I did,” Tanya replied.

“Why didn’t you stop?”

“Is something wrong with Professor Slughorn?” Tanya asked worriedly, ignoring his question.

“What?” Lucius was honestly confused.

“He doesn’t seem right,” Tanya said thoughtfully.

Was she for real? Lucius was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with Tanya instead. Can someone be that straightforward?

“He’s alright. Don’t worry,” Lucius responded after a few minutes of hesitation.

Tanya was not convinced but she nodded her head anyways.

“Professor Slughorn is a special kind of teacher. If he likes you, he’ll help you,” Lucius added.

If Tanya could not catch what Lucius was saying, he knew she was definitely one of a kind. True enough, she was.

“I don’t… understand.”

“Do you want him to help you? Well, obviously, you need his help. O.W.Ls won’t be easy. I can help you make it right with Professor Slughorn if you like?”

No, he was not genuinely helping her. To Lucius, Tanya was a toy that just upgraded with her innocence.

“I don’t trust you, Lucius. You lied to me, you used me, and you cheated,” Tanya said.

“Hey, nobody’s perfect. I just want to make it up to you,” Lucius simply replied.

Tanya thought for a while before she asked, “What do you have in mind?”

The thought that had been lingering at the back of his head shot forward immediately. But even so, he wondered. Should he invite Tanya to Professor Slughorn’s Slug Club dinner? This was not an easy decision.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should invite Tanya to the dinner or not!)

FHB: Chapter 7

“Hey boy, what did I say about lurking around the Gryffindor table?” Lucius called out to Severus.

Tanya narrowed her eyes at Lucius before taking a quick glimpse behind her.

Severus, who had no idea what was going on, nervously walked up to the two of them.

“I didn’t ask you to come here. Get back to your seat,” Lucius shot.

The look on Severus’ face was rather pitiful, and as expected, Tanya stood up for him.

“You shouldn’t treat first years like that,” Tanya said.

“I’m only following the rules,” Lucius replied with a shrug.

“There is no such rule.”

“You have to read the rule book again, Tanya,” Lucius casually said as he reached for Severus and pulled him towards him.

Before Tanya could defend Severus once more, Lucius quickly whispered in his ear, “Get the parchment and run.”

“Let go of him!” Tanya demanded as she gently pulled Severus away from him.

Then turning to Severus she said in a gentle voice, “Go back to your seat. You’ll be safe there.”

Lucius wanted to laugh. He could not take her seriously, and her mother duck gesture tickled his funny bone.

“Tanya, please. I was not going to hurt him,” Lucius said with a chuckle.

“You don’t need to pretend anymore, Lucius. I know what kind of a person you are. My friends told me about you.”

“Your friends? I was your only friend when you arrived. Is this how you treat friends?”

Lucius had a guilty pleasure of making people feel bad about themselves.

“I thought so too, until I realized you were just using me,” Tanya pointed out.

Enough talk. Get a move on it boy, Lucius thought as he made eye contact with Severus.

“Friends help each other. If you don’t want to help me, you can just say so,” Lucius replied, hoping to buy more time for Severus to act.

Unfortunately, Severus was going back and forth with his decision. It was agonizing to watch this first year struggle with such a simple instruction.

Unable to take anymore of Severus’ hesitation, Lucius turned to him and asked, “Didn’t we tell you to get a move on it?”

That question must have set off the ‘go’ switch in his brain and immediately, Severus snatched the parchment from Tanya’s hand and ran out of the great hall.

Tanya watched in shock as Lucius shrugged and said, “See, I told you he was trouble.”

Lucius did not wait for her reply as he walked back to his seat. He noticed Tanya contemplating on going after Severus, but she soon made up her mind to return to her newfound friends.

The bunch of giggling girls stopped when they saw her and quickly got the juicy story out of her. Lucius noticed that after Tanya was done, three of them turned to his direction and gave him a glare.

Ignoring their obvious finger pointing and dissatisfied expressions, Lucius went back to his meal. He knew they could not do anything about it, but he also knew Tanya was no longer useable. Well, at least there was still that first year, right?

After dinner, Lucius decided to head back to the common room. He had rounds to make, but the parchment was much more important. Upon arrival, he asked the head boy for the room list before asking if he could do his rounds for him. Of course, the head boy had no objections to either request.

Once he had learned of Severus’ room, Lucius got his hands on the parchment almost immediately. Thankfully, Severus had safely returned to their common room, and when he handed the parchment to Lucius he did not ask what it was but pulled his blanket over his head.

From the look on his face, Lucius know he was still hungry. Strangely, he felt sorry for the boy. So he pulled out a chocolate bar and placed it on the side table.

“Eat this,” Lucius merely said before he left.

That night, Lucius spent a few hours memorizing Professor Slughorn’s instructions. By the time the clock stroke 12, Lucius went to bed.

The following days went rather well, and Lucius did short revisions on the potion before bed every night. It was until the night before his next potion class that he gathered his classmates.

About thirty-five of them stayed up in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed. Lucius was sitting near the fireplace when he told them that the potion’s test would be a Polyjuice Potion. No one bothered asking where he had gotten the information from, but they thanked him instead.

It was a common practice for Lucius to share last minute tips with his classmates. He knew none of them could outdo him and most of them would barely pass. But even so, that would mean more house points.

When Potions Class was in session the next day, Lucius was confident in acing the test. That was until Tanya came up to him.

“I’ll give you the chance to do it right, Lucius,” Tanya whispered.

“Do what right?”

“You cannot cheat,” Tanya replied.

“I’m not. In fact, you’re cheating. You stole the parchment after all.”

“I know you have the parchment. I’m not stupid.”

“So, what are you saying? You want me to fail?”

“Yes. You’re not supposed to know about the potion before the test. It’s not fair.”

“I’m not going to fail. Instead, I’ll do so well that Slytherin will take the lead in house points again,” Lucius replied with a smile.

“Then I’ll have to tell Professor Slughorn,” Tanya said.

Was that a threat? It sure sounded like one. Lucius thought about it and it became a little worrying. If Tanya told Professor Slughorn, it could go two ways.

One, he would brush it off because he did tell Lucius about it to begin with. But, he might no longer give Lucius hints. Two, he would ask Lucius about the missing parchment and stop trusting Lucius all together.

Lucius wondered if he should actually fail this time, or just wiggle his way out of Tanya’s blabbering words later.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should ace the test or fail it!)

FHB: Chapter 5

After class was over, Lucius lingered outside the classroom waiting for Tanya. His gang insisted on staying with him, but he told them to go on without him. Yes, he did not want anyone to know what he knew. Lucius was a very self-preserving person and he didn’t want someone else reaping from his special privileges.

When Tanya finally exited the classroom, she did so with Professor Slughorn.

“What are you still doing here, Mr. Malfoy?” Slughorn asked.

“Oh, just waiting for Tanya. She’s new and I thought I should help her, lest she gets lost,” Lucius answered with a genuinely fake smile.

“Ah, how kind of you boy,” Slughorn said before he turned to Tanya, “Don’t forget our extra class on Friday. But before that, you should get some tips from Lucius. He’s my best student!”

“You think too highly of me, professor,” Lucius immediately said.

“I know talent when I see one,” Slughorn replied with a wink before he walked off.

The two of them watched him disappear down a hallway before Tanya turned to Lucius. But before she could speak or say something Lucius did not want to hear, he asked, “So, you’re having extra classes with Professor Slughorn?”

“Yup. Home schooling makes me a little behind, and I need to catch up,” Tanya answered.

A little behind is an understatement, Lucius thought to himself.

“You’re so kind to be waiting for me, Lucius, but we have different classes now and I know where it is,” Tanya added.

“Well, I thought I should inform you about the cure to mudblood-ism,” Lucius said. “But, if you want to head on to class first…”

“Oh yes, I almost forgot! What is it?” Tanya was eager to know.

Lucius pulled her to a corner, away from the crowd that was slowly dispersing to their classrooms.

“You need to get something from Professor Slughorn, but he must not know about it. It’s an ingredient list to a potion that can cure you,” Lucius said softly.

“A potion? Why can’t I just ask him for it?” Tanya replied.

Lucius quickly shook his head.

“You have to know something about Professor Slughorn. He doesn’t like mudbloods. If you tell him what you are, he won’t give you extra classes and you’ll eventually fail your OWLS,” Lucius explained so confidently, one would never be able to call it a bluff.

Tanya looked at Lucius with conflicted eyes. Lucius knew she was thinking really hard about it, and her goody-two-shoes values were kicking in.

“You can think about it, but don’t think for long. Imagine what would happen if you keep spreading your mudblood curse.”

Her eyes grew more worrisome and after a short moment of silence, Tanya nodded her head. “I’ll do it. What potion is this?”

“It’s the polyjuice potion,” Lucius immediately replied.

“But, isn’t a polyjuice potion for physical transformation?”

Lucius was not expecting that reply, especially when Tanya claimed to be behind in her studies.

“My grandfather said he used it once,” Tanya added.

“Er, well, it is for physical transformation but a little tweak in the ingredients would make it perfect for supernatural transformations.”

Lucius had to thank his quick thinking as Tanya bought his answer. This Ravenclaw was not as smart as she thought she was… especially when she’s so easily fooled.

“O.k. I’ll get it then.”

“You’ll have to get it by tonight, and you’ll have to give to me. Understand?”

“But why?” Tanya asked, as she slowly raised an eyebrow.

“You can’t delay any longer, Tanya. I’m afraid you might cause trouble to others. And I want to help you. After all, I’m the only one who knows how to tweak the ingredients.” Lucius’ answer immediately doused her suspicion

“O.k. Thank you, Lucius. I’ll get it before dinner,” Tanya said confidently.

“Good. And be careful,” Lucius replied.

Lucius had no idea how she was going to do it, and was a little afraid she might fail. If she did fail, he would have to send someone else and that would be a waste of time. Lucius had no choice but to have faith in a naive girl who might just find out he was lying from the very beginning. Those thoughts left him standing there until the hallway was almost quiet.

When he finally had enough of thinking in one position, Lucius turned towards the direction of his next class. That was when he spotted a small sized boy with black hair, standing not too far away from him. That boy was probably close enough to have heard what he told Tanya, but from the looks of it, that first year could not have known what they were talking about.

Lucius decided to play safe with this one and called out, “Hey, boy!”

The boy took one quick glance at him before he began to run. Lucius had barely caught his appearance as the boy took off at top speed.

Why did he run? Lucius wondered. It couldn’t be his sudden realization that he was late for class, could it?

Lucius was too suspicious now and he was tempted to chase after him.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should go after him or let him go!)

FHB: Chapter 3

Lucius casually slid from the center of the seat to the side before saying, “Have a seat.”

The rest of the Slytherin prefects immediately fell silent as Tanya happily sat down.

“Thank you. You are so very kind,” she said with a smile.

Nobody said anything after that, as the other prefects were surprised and confused by Lucius’ sudden kindness.  Lucius did not break the silence either as he casually pulled out a small black book from under his jacket. Those who followed him knew what the book was for, and they never asked. He usually carried it around and wrote small notes and reminders. Yes, he could have been mistaken for a Ravenclaw.

Tanya sat quietly like the rest, watching the train roll into the outskirts. The lush greenery was a striking resemblance to the initials, ‘L.M’, that was written at the bottom of the book cover. The silence was soon broken by the odd question Tanya brought up.

“Did you write that in ink? Is it Mont Blanc?”

“Who?” Lucius asked in replied.

Tanya laughed before saying, “Not ‘who’ silly, ‘what’.”

Lucius merely looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

“Have you not heard of Mont Blanc? It is only one of the most famous brand for fountain pens.”

Not wanting to look dumb,  Lucius turned to one of the Slytherins across him and the male prefect immediately asked, “What are fountain pens?”

Tanya laughed even harder. “Pens are like quills! You just don’t have to dip it in ink.”

“Which wizard made it?” another prefect asked.

Everyone was now keen to hear of this item that none of them knew about, including Lucius.

“Not a wizard, a muggle!” Tanya replied with the widest smile.

That word immediately sent all of them scoffing.

“What are you, a muggle lover?”

“What’s wrong with muggles? I’m actually muggle born. I mean, my dad is a squib and my mum is a muggle. That makes me a muggle born, right?” Tanya said and turned her last question to Lucius.

Their side of the prefects cabin immediately rose with unsettling words. Lucius did not answer Tanya’s question and wrote three words on an empty page of his notebook.

Tanya, who was already confused at the reaction of the other prefects, saw what Lucius wrote and did not hold back another question.

“What is mudblood?”

Lucius looked up from the fresh black ink that read, ‘She’s a mudblood’, and said, “You.”

“What does it mean?” Tanya asked seriously. She was no longer smiling.

“Dirty blood,” a few prefects answered simultaneously.

Tanya looked from one prefect to the other, extremely confused and worried at the same time. Lucius knew she still did not get what it meant, and he found himself feeling sorry for her.

“Don’t worry, it can be cured,” Lucius said.

Everyone turned to him, and he saw the disgusted looks on the prefects faces slowly turning to grins.

“It can?” Tanya asked eagerly.

“Yes, you just need to do what I tell you to.”

Tanya nodded thoughtfully.

“What house are you in, Tanya?” Lucius casually asked, as though the mudblood issue was settled.

“Ravenclaw,” Tanya replied, and her smile was back.

“When did you get sorted?”

“A month ago, during your school break.”

“And you studied where, previously?”

“Home schooled. My grandfather taught me all he knew.” Tanya seemed rather proud of her grandfather as she said so.

“I see. Well, he hasn’t taught you enough.”

Tanya was taken aback, as though she was the one insulted, but that reaction soon faded into a laugh. She must have convinced herself Lucius was joking.

Lucius said nothing after that, and the other prefects decided to start their own conversations. They were definitely talking about Tanya, yet she seemed to be able to block out their sarcastic and crude comments about her and her family.

After Tanya had enough of gazing at the scenery, she pulled out a text book and started reading. Lucius was also caught doing his own thing, which was scribbling a to-do list in his book followed by mentally listing down the things he could make Tanya do for him.

Her ignorance was going to make a good game, even though he knew the game wouldn’t last long. Her soon to be new found friends would educate her enough, so he better make use of this situation as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he had no good ideas just yet.

When the train finally stopped at Hogwart’s station, prefects scrambled to carry out their duties. Tanya excused herself too, but Lucius stayed. He waited till his usual followers nervously entered the prefects cabin to carry his stuff for him.

Everything from then till dinner at the great hall went smoothly. Lucius briefly forgot about Tanya as he enjoyed his return to school. It was only after dinner did he bump into Tanya. She was attempting to gather the students as her fellow 5th year prefect headed the group.

Lucius had his fellow prefects do all the work since they offered and when Tanya saw, she found it odd.

“Don’t all prefects have to-“

“I don’t,” Lucius cut her short.

“I do, and I have no idea where we are going,” Tanya replied with a chuckle.

That was when an idea came to him. Maybe he could offer Tanya a tour, they did not have an early curfew after all. But was it too much of an effort, considering he had no proper plans for the tour?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether to give Tanya a tour or chill in the Slytherin common room!)