FHB: Chapter 33

“She was a student at Hogwarts,” Lucius replied.

“Someone you know?” the Dark Lord asked.

“I,” Lucius hesitated before continuing, “knew her. Yes.”

There was a short moment of silence that lasted longer than it was supposed to, before the Dark Lord spoke in a tone that was too friendly.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Lucius? We could have struck a deal.”

“I…” That was the only word that Lucius could think of at that moment. His head could not work quickly under the pressure of self-preservation. Before time could shove him into saying another word, Tanya’s voice echoed in the cold dungeon.

“I will never strike a deal with you,” Tanya spat. “You are a psychotic, cold-blooded murderer. A guiltless hypocrite who preach about blood purity but isn’t even a pure blood!”

Silence greeted them again, as though the dungeon had frozen from the cold air. No lips parted to utter a word, but all eyes were wide open.

“And what blood are you, child?” the Dark Lord asked Tanya rather calmly.

Tanya merely narrowed her eyes at him and glared boldly at the man so many people feared. The sorting hat must have placed her in the wrong house, because her bravery took Lucius by surprise.

With Tanya’s refusal to answer, the Dark Lord turned to Lucius instead. “What is her blood, Lucius?”

Lucius swallowed hard before he answered softly, “Muggle born.”

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that,” the Dark Lord said, as he and the death eaters waited for a clear answer.

“Mudblood,” Lucius quickly muttered.

The death eater Lucius loved to loath burst into a nervous laugh. “A Malfoy is friends with a mudblood? Wait till your father hears about this,” he said.

He was the only one bold enough to speak at that moment, but he immediately held his tongue when the Dark Lord surprisingly took Lucius’ side.

“We all make mistakes. I can even recall some of yours,” the Dark Lord said before turning to Lucius, “I’m sure you won’t make the same mistake again.”

Lucius was about to nod his head in reply when Tanya spoke on his behalf, “The only mistake is you, Voldemort.”

If one could die and resurrect as many times as they wished, Lucius would have done so uncountable amount of times in that very brief period. Having your heart constantly stopped by fear was the worst thing that can happen on your first day as a death eater.

“A fiery one, aren’t you?” the Dark Lord asked, still too calmly. His composure reflected a predator playing with its helpless dinner.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Tanya said with emphasis on all her words.

“You will make a great asset to my team,” the Dark Lord stated.

Tanya gave a false laughter before saying, “I would rather die.”

All Lucius could think of at that very moment was a dark hole, where he could climb into and stay hidden. He was afraid, afraid for his life and afraid for his parents’. He immediately regretted having met Tanya. The logic his brain could deduce was simple; if he had not befriended her, she would not be there, but even if she still ended up there, he would not know her. There would be no questions and death-defying answers, there would only be bodies and a warm bed to put Lucius to sleep after. Why did he choose to disobey his father? Lucius did not know. It was not intentional, but it happened anyway. Regret, that was all he had.

The Dark Lord chuckled in reply and began patting Lucius on the back. Lucius died and resurrected again as the Dark Lord reached into his coat and pulled out his wand. Everyone watched closely as the Dark Lord held Lucius’ wand in his hand.

“Lucius,” the Dark Lord said as he offered Lucius’ his wand, “it is only appropriate for you to grant your friend her final wish.”

Lucius wanted to ask if he had to, but his body worked in opposition to his want. As he took the wand, the Dark Lord gently guided his arm towards Tanya.

“Lucius, please don’t do this! This is not you!” Tanya urged.

“Go on, now,” the Dark Lord said.

There was so much hesitation, as Lucius tried to keep his arm up. He did not want to do it, but he had a feeling he had to. And when Lucius took too long to cast the curse, he heard someone shout, “Avada kedavra!”

Immediately, he turned his head to the right and saw a young auror at the end of the line slump dead to the ground. Tanya was in shock as much as Lucius was, and then it happened again. This time it was to his left, and another body fell lifelessly on the cold floor.

“It’s very easy, Malfoy,” the vocal death eater said. Lucius watched him as he did a stupid dance before shouting the killing curse at the boy right next to Tanya.

Tanya screamed in response as tears began streaming down her cheeks. “Please make this stop. Lucius, please make this stop!” Tanya pleaded.

Lucius knew he could not make it stop. He could either end her traumatizing experience or refuse to kill his only friend. The options he had were so limited, he wished his heart would stop and not beat again.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment or vote on whether Lucius should cast the curse or refuse to do so!)

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FHB: Chapter 31

As Lucius contemplated his decision, he heard it again. Polkus seemed so focused on the meeting that he did not even notice when Lucius slowly slipped away. Watching human and dementor strike a deal was no doubt educational, but Lucius did not like the idea of being watched.

Pulling out his wand, Lucius crept away and kept his eyes and ears open. If he listened closely, he could hear the sound more clearly. It was very subtle but audibly present in the still forest. Following the sound, Lucius used the little moonlight to guide his path. He was careful not to make any sound himself, but with one wrong footing, a twig snapped.

Lucius immediately stopped in his tracks and silence greeted him instantly. The subtle sound of what seemed like walking was gone. He must have alerted whoever it was he was following, and now he and the stranger were on the lookout for one another.

Not daring to take another step, Lucius looked around hoping to see an outline of a being. It was then that he realized he had gone too far, and Polkus was no longer in sight. Now worried that he might have made the wrong decision, Lucius stretched his wand hand forward as he was prepared to use it. Unfortunately, someone beat him to it. Before he could even utter a spell, a dim light whizzed in his direction and hit his wand out of his hand. Lucius watched as his wand flew from his grip and landed in a bush far from him.

Panicking, Lucius ignored the fact that his footsteps were waking the forest and dashed towards the bush. He could barely see where he was going and with another wrong footing, he found himself landing face flat on the ground. When Lucius attempted to recover from the fall, he turned on his back only to find a wand in his face.

“Lumos,” the owner of the wand said and light shone on his face, temporarily blinding him.

Lucius could not see who the stranger was but the stranger could see him clearly. If only his wildly thumping heart did not drown the voice of that stranger, he would have been able to guess who it was.

“Lucius?” the owner of the wand asked.

Not knowing if he should answer, Lucius propped himself on his arm and began shuffling backwards. The bush was within reach and when his hand found his wand, he did not hesitate to use it.

“Impedimenta!” Lucius shouted and watched, as the stranger flew backwards and landed with a thud.

Scrambling to his feet, it was now his turn to see who his enemy was and when he did, he immediately sent her wand flying in the opposite direction. She growled angrily at him as she got to her feet, but she did not make a move to retrieve her wand.

“What are you doing here?” Tanya demanded.

“What are YOU doing here?” Lucius asked in return.

“You should get out of here if you don’t want any trouble,” Tanya warned. It sounded less of a threat and more of genuine concern.

“You should get out of here too,” Lucius said.

“I’m serious.”

(“No, you’re Tanya.” Sorry, I had to)

“So am I.”

“We have aurors all over. We heard about this meeting and…” Tanya trailed off, suddenly aware that she should not be sharing too much.

“You’re lying. There is no way the ministry would send a rookie like you out on a dangerous mission,” Lucius replied.

Tanya looked slightly offended, but she wiped that expression off her face when Lucius continued, “You’re probably here on a rumour, and I doubt there are aurors all over.”

“We have called for backup,” Tanya quickly said.

“No you have not.”

And just as Lucius said so, a spell shot right past them and hit a tree directly behind Tanya. The bark of the tree snapped and both Lucius and Tanya scrambled out of the way as it came crashing down.

“I told you,” Tanya said unconvincingly.

Lucius would have laughed at her lie, but flashes of light and yells of spells distracted him. The forest was no longer dark and still, as the birds fluttered from their nests and out of harms way.

“Where’s my wand?” Tanya quickly asked.

Before Lucius could vaguely point at where her wand had flew to, a painful scream echoed throughout the forest

“Gavin?” Tanya asked softly as fear swept across her face.

There was another scream and Tanya immediately cupped her mouth. Shortly after, Lucius heard his name being hollered.

“Malfoy! Who do you have there?” the voice called out. It was one of his own, even though he did not recognize the voice.

Lucius froze at that very moment. The hand that was holding his wand began to sweat as he stared at Tanya, who was also frozen in place.

“Malfoy! You hearing me, boy?”

Lucius swallowed dryly as he raised his wand at Tanya. He was not sure on what to do. Should he cast a spell on her or tell her to run? Tanya watched Lucius with her eyes wide open, but not a word escaped her lips. Lucius only had two options at that moment; bring her in or let her go.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should bring Tanya in or let her go!)

FHB: Chapter 24

As Lucius swaggered down the hallways, heading towards the direction of his first class, his mind formed a trail of thoughts that shifted away from Tanya to something as minute as Severus’ tutoring request early that morning. His mind was so used to transitioning that it was slowly moving to nothingness when he entered the courtyard. But it was there that he saw Tanya.

Tanya was chatting with a few girls and Lucius immediately stopped in his tracks. He contemplated walking up to her, but was tempted to slip past her at the same time. Lucius would admit he wanted to find out why Tanya was leaving, but he was afraid that he was the cause of it. How would he feel if that was the truth?

Fortunately for him, his lingering caught the attention of Tanya’s friends and they did not hesitate to point him out. When Tanya saw him, she excused herself from the group and walked towards him. Lucius was surprise at her reaction, but he played it cool.

“I heard you’re leaving,” Lucius said.

“Yes, I am,” Tanya replied.

Lucius nodded his head. The question he wanted to ask was at the tip of his tongue but he held on to it.

“I’m moving to home schooling,” Tanya added.

“I see. Why the change?” Lucius finally let out the ‘why’.

“It will be easier for me to do my training.”

“What training?”

“Auror training. After the internship, they told me they wanted to train me.”

“But aren’t you too young? You haven’t graduated yet.”

“No one is too young to fight for a cause,” Tanya said.

There was a short moment of silence before Tanya added, “Besides, with home school I graduate faster.”

“Ah. So you’re going to be an auror,” Lucius said what meant to be a thought.

Tanya simply nodded and silence fell between the two of them once again. When it lingered too long, Tanya broke it with a smile.

“Well, all the best Mr Malfoy. I hope we never see each other again.”

Tanya gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder before walking off, leaving Lucius wondering what she meant.

There was no hate in her voice yet her words were like a punch in the stomach. Something about the whole goodbye did not seem right either. Tanya acted as though nothing happened between them but her last words did not sound too kind. Was it a jab at what he did or was it something else? Was Tanya planning on telling the ministry about him and his family, or was she just saying that to scare him?

It was an uneasy ending to an odd friendship, but Lucius knew that overthinking only wasted time. So, he decided to pack the conversation at the back of his mind and leave it there to collect dust. After all, he and Tanya were no more.

The rest of the day continued on in a slow pace. It was not just the classes, but the weeks before were slow in letters too. It was either the Dark Lord wanted to give him a break or something big was coming his way. Lucius could only wait and hope the next letter he finds would not be it.

When the weekend finally arrived, Lucius was told that Tanya would be boarding the train on Saturday evening. The prefects were urging those who knew her to see her off, but Lucius declined. She made it clear that she did not want to see him again, and Lucius silently agreed to that. So, while some went to the station to say their goodbyes, Lucius was in the common room being Severus’ worst tutor.

“No, you cannot mix snake fangs and billywig stings in a single bowl,” Lucius said.

“But if you add the standard ingredients in between, you can,” Severus replied.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at him.

“Look, it says here,” Severus said, as he showed Lucius a book he borrowed from the library.

Lucius took the book but he did not bother to read it. He wondered why Severus needed his help when clearly the boy knew much more than he did.

“It seems so,” Lucius said.

Severus nodded with a wide smile, as though it was the first time someone agreed with him.

“You’re doing a great job. Now excuse me, I want to get some rest,” Lucius said.

“Thank you for your help, Lucius,” Severus said.

Lucius waved him off and disappeared up the stairs to his bedroom. He was in a dull mood the whole day and he simply wanted it to end. Sadly, rest was the least of his worries.

As Lucius’ eyes gazed at the steps, the platform before his bedroom door greeted him with a white envelope. Shutting his eyes, Lucius wished the letter away. But when he opened his eyes, it was still there.

Picking up the envelope, Lucius took in a deep, tired breath before tearing it open. Inside, he found a letter that read, “Hogsmead, next week. Potage Cauldron Shop. Let’s meet.”

The letter was not signed with ‘your friend’ but the handwriting resembled the Dark Lord’s. Was it meant for him or was this letter actually meant for someone else? Lucius was not sure if he should go, but if the letter was really for him he better be at Potage Cauldron Shop next week. After all, the Dark Lord might not appreciate being stood up.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should follow the letter’s instructions or not!)

FHB: Chapter 23

Tanya pushed herself to a seated position on a table and waited. When Lucius remained silent, she said, “You can trust me.”

Lucius contemplated about telling her the truth. The idea itself was risky and to share such a secret could do more harm than good.

Finally, Lucius spoke with words as indirect as possible, “All you need to know is that my family is fighting for a cause, and I am as well.”

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“What makes you think I don’t want to?” Lucius asked.

“You don’t look happy about it,” Tanya answered with a shrug.

“Even if I don’t want to, I can’t.”

“You have a choice Lu-”

“I don’t have a choice. A particular someone will not let my family go if I turn on him. I cannot do that to my family,” Lucius interrupted.

Tanya’s persistence and the lack of knowledge on his situation were starting to annoy him. Why couldn’t she mind her own business?

“Then we will find a way to help your family. The ministry can protect you and keep you hidden,” Tanya said.

“We Malfoys don’t need protection nor do we hide,” Lucius snapped.

He did not want to continue with the conversation, so he strode to the door ready to leave. Just as he was about to reach for the exit, Tanya jumped off the table and grabbed his arm.

“Wait! We’re not done!”

“We are done.” Lucius yanked himself free from her grip and added, “You and I, we’re done as well.”

Lucius left it as it is and stormed out of the room. He took the biggest strides he could take hoping to get as far away from Tanya as possible. With the hallways almost completely lifeless, Lucius was tempted to burst into a jogged. Unfortunately, before he could disappear around a corner, Tanya called out to him.

“Lucius, wait! What do you mean?” Tanya yelled as she chased after him.

Not bothering to take a look behind, Lucius kept on walking. It was only when she caught up with him did he stop.

“What do you want?” Lucius asked.

“I want to know what you meant back there,” Tanya immediately answered.

“It’s straight forward, Tanya. We’re not friends anymore. I don’t understand why you even want to be friends,” Lucius said before turning on his heels and continuing down his path.

Tanya did not follow after him this time, she simply said, “Because we’re the same.”

That itself stopped Lucius again. He needed to tell her she was wrong.

“We are not the same. You’re a mu…ggle born and I’m a pure blood. I have a duty to bring honour to my family. We are not the same.”

“Yes, we are. We are the same, Lucius. We’re both lonely. We’re lonely because no one is willing to accept us for who we really are. I act like a flipping coin that never lands, and nobody gets it. But you do, you’ve been-”

Lucius did not want to hear anymore, so he decided to cut her off.

“I don’t get you, Tanya.”

“But-”

“I honestly don’t. I put up with you because I need you. You’re the kind of flipping coin I wouldn’t bother guessing head or tails. You’re expendable, and I don’t need you anymore. Why else would a Malfoy befriend a,” Lucius paused before emphasizing on his last word, “mudblood?”

It was harsh, but he said it. He did not like the thought of being similar to Tanya in any way, and he wanted to make sure she understood it. When Lucius caught the pain in Tanya’s eyes, he moved his feet and never stopped until he reached his bedroom.

The journey back to isolation was a strange one. Lucius’ mind bore no thought until he took a seat on his bed. Only then did his last words replay in the silence.

Part of what he said earlier was true. He never understood why Tanya wanted to be his friend; she was strange and overly righteous. And though he felt bad for calling her a mudblood, he knew it was better this way. She could hate him all she wanted and he wouldn’t mind. As long as they were no longer friends, Lucius was fine.

One would think that ending any form of relationship would affect Lucius emotionally. To his surprise, he had no emotional response. He was not sad, nor was he happy about it. He simply did not know how to feel, so he did not feel at all.

The next few weeks were pretty awkward for him. He tried to avoid Tanya as much as possible, but if he did bump into her he would pretend he had not seen her. Lucius wished it was easier, and his wish soon came true.

During breakfast on a typical Tuesday morning, the Slytherins around him brought Tanya’s name to the table.

“Did you here? T. Lovegood is dropping out,” a girl said.

“How do you know that?” the boy across Lucius asked.

“The prefects were discussing about nominating next year’s head girl when they said Tanya won’t be around to take up the post.”

A few Slytherins listening in on the conversation turned to Lucius hoping he would clear things up, but when he remained silent they returned to their food.

After hearing her name, Lucius did not want to stick around any longer. The conversation was not for him and he left without a word. As he made his way to Herbology, he began wondering if Tanya’s leaving had something to do with him. Lucius was curious to find out why but he was not sure if he should.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment or vote on whether Lucius should or should not find out why!)

FHB: Chapter 22

Lucius stood his ground, standing too still for that matter. When the office door opened, revealing Mr Barrow’s secretary, Lucius quickly said, “Heard sounds. Came in. Found this.”

If someone who knew Lucius personally heard what he had just said, they would have known he was lying. Lucius was not a fan of direct sentences; he rarely could hide his intentions in the spaces between the words. But thankfully, the secretary was someone he had not even spoken to since he started his internship.

“What madness swept through here?” she asked in horror.

“I don’t know. It looks like a prank. Maybe somebody wanted to prove muggle locks aren’t as useful as they seem,” Lucius replied with a shrug.

The secretary narrowed her eyes at him before turning away and shaking her head.

“I told him. I told him a hundred times. That stubborn man,” she said, and she continued mumbling under her breath as she stormed out of the office.

Lucius did not want to stick around any longer, so he followed after her and quickly returned to his desk. The rest of the day, Lucius kept the stolen file in his bottom drawer and pretended not to listen as his colleagues made guesses on who blew open Mr Barrow’s cabinet. Soon, the day was over and the file magically disappeared when Lucius took a toilet break.

It was like that the whole internship. Lucius found letters in strange places and things went missing when he was not around. Lucius was generally curious on the others that worked for the Dark Lord, but he never once saw them. As quickly as Lucius adapted to such a subservient lifestyle, the internship ended and he could not be happier.

If there was anything Lucius learned during the internship, it was the power of the Dark Lord and how horrible it felt to submit under his authority. No other witch or wizard ordered him around as much as his dear friend, and Lucius hated it. But after returning home and finally getting the chance to sleep on his own bed, he decided that it was for the best. If Lucius had to put up with the Dark Lord to fight for the cause, he would. He was not very different from his father after all.

A few weeks after the internship, Lucius was to start his sixth year at Hogwarts. He had two more years of schooling, but he had a feeling his freedom had been revoked. What he feared the most decided to haunt him, all because of one midnight conversation with a houseguest.

As Lucius hopped onto the Hogwarts Express that sunny September 1^st, he was once again ushered to the prefects cabin. Time flew so quickly, that it felt like he was just boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time. He knew he would soon find himself in places he did not want to be, and his only hope was to play it smart. Surely he could do that.

After the welcoming feast that night, Lucius ignored his prefect’s duty again only to find a ruffled owl sitting on his bed. The owl had a letter at its foot and it contained an assignment. Unfortunately, shrugging off the letter was not an option, and after each completed assignment, there was another letter. It was never ending and he could not even tell his parents about them, as he feared the Dark Lord might find out.

Half a year later, Lucius was finally confronted with a life-changing question. It was a rainy Sunday when he heard it. Tanya had found him and forced him into a conversation in an empty classroom.

“I haven’t seen you in a while. You’re always running off doing something, and I’m sure it’s not prefect’s duty,” Tanya said as she shut the door behind her.

“I don’t have time for this. What do you want to talk about?” Lucius asked.

“I want to talk about you, FRIEND.”

“You will never get it. No one gets it,” Lucius simply said. It was true, no one understood him. He never felt so alone and isolated before.

“I get it. Your family is involved in a political game and you’re caught in the middle.”

“What do you know?” Lucius asked with a chuckle.

“A lot. I’ve kept in contact with some people in the ministry. Situations regarding a certain wizard always reach my ears.”

“Aren’t you too young?” Lucius found the question more suited towards him.

“No one is too young. They promised me a spot on the team once I graduate. I’m going to be an auror!”

Lucius raised his eyebrows. The more we can’t be friends, Lucius thought to himself.

“I can help you Lucius. Get you away from your family or find a way to help them.”

“My family does not need your help. And my family isn’t the problem,” Lucius said, regretting his last sentence that gave too much away.

“Then what is the problem? Tell me, I’m your friend. I can help you.”

Friend. The Dark Lord loved using that word in his letters, and so did Tanya. His father even warned him about ‘friends’. Should he tell this friend the truth or should he leave her to her crazy speculations?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should reveal his secret!)

FHB: Chapter 20

Lucius shifted his weight uncomfortably, contemplating on making a move. When he found a short burst of bravery matching up his desperation, he strode up to Tanya.

“Tanya,” Lucius greeted.

Tanya turned to see who it was and replied, “Why am I not surprise?”

“I take that as a compliment,” Lucius replied.

“Well, you should go find someone to pair with.”

Lucius shifted his weight again, this time too obvious too ignore.

“Wait, are you here to ask me to be your partner?” Tanya asked, drowning the pride Lucius was attempting to keep afloat.

Before Lucius could reply, Tanya added, “But I already have a partner.”

The girl standing with them smiled and said, “It’s alright. I don’t mind making new friends.”

When the girl left, the sharp pinch from her words remained. But instead of defending his already hurt ego, Lucius turned to Tanya.

“You didn’t have to say that,” Lucius said.

“Say what?”

“Point out that I’m here to ask you to be my partner,” Lucius answered almost immediately.

“Why? Isn’t that so?”

Lucius narrowed his eyes, and then he said, “Sometimes, I’m not sure if you’re really that naïve or just playing me.”

Tanya shrugged in reply and began walking towards the exit. Lucius simply followed her, and continued doing so as the group broke off in their pairs and headed to the ministry headquarters.

The city was bustling that day, and it took Tanya only ten minutes to find the lifeless boutique they were instructed to find. Her sense of direction amidst the rushing muggle crowd was rather impressive.

Once in the shop, Tanya whispered the numbers ‘62442’ to the shopkeeper and they were immediately led to a fireplace in a hidden room behind an old bookshelf.

“Ladies first,” Lucius said.

Tanya took a handful of floo powder from a deep bowl, stepped into the fireplace, and said the magic words. When the flames shot up and died down, Lucius went next.

The heatless flames engulfed Lucius and a second later he arrived in the ministry headquarters. The ministry was as busy as the streets above, and Lucius began imagining what it would be like to be a minister. He could see himself climbing his way up and achieving greatness, and the thought of controlling the magical community gave him shivers of excitement. Unfortunately for him, his imagination was cut short with Tanya’s call.

“Lucius, come on! Which department are you in? We can’t be late.”

Despite the urgency in her tone, Lucius took his time. When they finally arrived at the elevators, Tanya said, “You could walk faster.”

“We’re not late,” Lucius replied with a shrug.

“We have five minutes to get to our departments. We will be late. Anyway, which department are you going?”

“Department of Magical Education,” Lucius replied.

The answer gave Tanya a strange look on her face. She seemed to be having a hard time digesting his words.

“Don’t look so surprise. What department are you in?”

“I’m hoping you have no ulterior motive for choosing that department.”

“You can’t choose where they place you,” Lucius pointed out.

Tanya chuckled and said, “I’m sure YOU were given an option. Well, I’m off to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I don’t want to be late, so you can take the next ride. Meet you here at five!”

With that, Tanya squeezed into a crowded elevator and waved goodbye. The elevator shot backwards and then sideways, with Tanya’s startled scream bouncing down the tricky elevator tunnels. Shortly after that, Lucius found a rather empty elevator and headed to his department.

The first day as an intern was rather satisfactory for Lucius. He was the only one placed in that department so there were no other interns outdoing him. The people also knew who he was, and they praised him for his little act during the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s examination. Lucius was sort of an ideal intern in their book, and they treated him way better than he had expected. He did not have to make the coffee or copy letters, he simply sat in their meetings and discussions, taking in more information than he should.

When the clock on the wall finally ticked five, Lucius left his bare desk and met up with Tanya at the atrium.

“So, how was your first day?” Tanya asked excitedly.

“It was fine. How was yours?”

“Splendid!” Tanya continued on with how much she had learned about the dark arts, which made Lucius a little uncomfortable. He was no stranger to it, but the fact that the ministry knew so much was not comforting.

Tanya recited her whole day while they had dinner in a cafe in the ministry headquarters, and then she went into the littlest details as they made their way to their muggle apartment. Tanya only stopped her ‘daily report’ when they entered their living quarters and found it ten times larger than what it seemed from the outside. That would explain why they placed all the interns in one place.

“This is amazing!” Tanya said in awe. She was acting like a typical mudblood the whole day and Lucius was feeling a little sick from it.

Excusing himself, Lucius went to look for his room. When he finally found it, he wondered how he was going to survive for the whole month. Sharing the tiny room with a stranger put a lump in his throat.

Muttering under his breath, Lucius dragged his legs in and slumped on a bed. Just as he did, an envelope bounced off the soft comforter and landed gently on the floor. Was the letter for his roommate, or was it for him? It was addressed to no one and Lucius wondered if he should take a peek.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should read it or leave it!)

FHB: Chapter 19

“I’ve accepted an internship with the Ministry of Magic. I know-” Lucius paused when his father gave him a strange look.

Abraxas Malfoy turned to face Lucius as the room began drowning in darkness. The flame in the fireplace was dying from the strange chill in the air.

“I know you don’t-”

“I’m not talking about the internship, Lucius. I’m talking about your conversation with the Dark Lord,” his father interrupted him.

Lucius did not see why it was such a big deal. His father had always wanted him to join the death eaters, so what was the problem with Lucius speaking to the Dark Lord?

“I-”

“He left you a letter,” his father cut him off again.

Lucius stared at the letter in his father’s hand and wondered what was in it. What words did the Dark Lord spare him before he left? Were they orders, were they praises, or were they encouragements? Lucius could not imagine the Dark Lord giving praises or encouragements, but reality was surprising.

“I do hope your internship would do you good, young Lucius. I’m looking forward to seeing you as my death eater in the near future as I thoroughly enjoyed your company. Best wishes, your friend,” his father read, failing to supress the anger inside of him.

“What’s the matter, father? I thought that would make you proud,” Lucius boldly ask.

“Proud? Proud that my son is having little chats with the house guest?”

“Yes,” Lucius simply answered, unable to understand what the fuss was all about.

“The Dark Lord is not your friend, Lucius. Cozying up with him will not make your life easier!”

“I thought you wanted me to be a death eater?”

“Yes, I do, but under my supervision! You are treading in dangerous water, son.”

“I don’t understand. The Dark Lord is not a stranger to us, why does it bother you when he’s being nice-”

“The Dark Lord is not nice or friendly, he simply has a way with words. You’re too naïve to see this, but whatever he says carries an ulterior motive, Lucius. I have been with him for years and I know him well enough to know that.”

The flickering flames in his father’s eyes disappeared, just as the fire in the fireplace went out in a poof. The moment the fireplace lit up from a spell his father casted, Lucius began to understand where his father was coming from. His father was not great with words, but as a son not seeking an argument, Lucius caught his intentions pretty quickly.

“So, what do you want me to do? I can’t be a death eater without being loyal to the Dark Lord.”

“Be loyal to the cause, not to the man. Fly when he soars but swim when he drowns.”

“You don’t do that,” Lucius pointed out. His father seemed more loyal to the man than the cause for blood purity.

“I don’t do that so that you can. His faith in us Malfoys are strong, and he would not suspect a lack of loyalty from you.”

Lucius remained silent as his father continued, “The next time he talks to you, come to me right away. Remember, our loyalty lies with our family.”

His father placed the letter on the table and gave Lucius’ shoulder a squeeze before he left. Lucius stood listening as his father’s footsteps travelled down the hallway and disappeared behind a door. Once Lucius was in the presence of no one but the breathing fire, he shut his bedroom door and reached for the letter. He hesitated for a moment but soon decided not to look at it as he fed it to the flames.

Lucius knew there was truth in his father’s words. Loyalty was to the family and their cause, not to any man. That night, Lucius drifted into dream world with the words ‘fly when he soars, swim when he drowns’ echoing in his head.

After the father-son conversation, Lucius found his father more vocal during mealtimes. It was as though a wall had been broken down and Abraxas could now relate to his son. Lucius could see why, as his father no longer needed to struggle with the thought of loosing his only son to his master. Knowing that, Lucius was determined to not let it happen. He was smart; smarter than most people thought he was.

A week later, Lucius bid farewell to his parents as he left for his internship. He was driven to a little office in the city where all the interns were instructed to meet. When he arrived, he was brought to a briefing room filled with forty over students. Lucius did not expect a low number and felt rather proud of being among the chosen few.

As Lucius took a seat at the back of the room, the last few students scrambled in and the briefing began. They were told the procedure of entering the ministry headquarters and were then briefed on the rules of their stay in the muggle apartments. Once the two-hour long briefing was over, they were told to pair up; the pair would be travelling mates for the duration of the internship. Hearing that, Lucius immediately responded with a grunt.

Getting to his feet, Lucius scanned the room for someone worthy. Some of the students looked familiar while others were complete strangers, but one caught his eye. Tanya Lovegood stood a few feet away from him talking to a girl, and Lucius was not surprise to see her. The only thing that surprised him was the urge to hurry up to her and ask her to be his partner. Lucius would rather not ask, but it was either her or a stranger he would be forced to pair with.

He had to decide… to move fast or to not move at all.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should ask or wait to be asked!)

FHB: Chapter 16

“I think it’s a great opportunity, boy,” Professor Slughorn said.

Lucius acknowledged Professor Slughorn with a nod before turning to the official. “That’s one offer I cannot turn down, sir,” Lucius said.

That night, Lucius wrote a letter to his mother to tell her about the internship. He would have addressed the letter to both his parents, but he feared his father would send him a howler in return. When his letter took flight the following morning, he pushed the internship out of his head and shifted his focus to the upcoming exam.

Now that Lucius’ plan to ace all his subjects failed, he was forced to study. He spent whatever time he had left poring over his Divination textbook and drinking in the horrible taste of Herbology. When the exam weeks finally arrived, Lucius chucked his books aside and hoped none of the information he stored in his brain would leak out unexpectedly.

Strangely, Lucius got through the two weeks pretty well. He knew he would score ‘O’s’ for most of his subjects, and a few ‘A’s’ for those he made mental gagging reflexes at the sound of their names. As long as he passed with more ‘O’s’ than ‘A’s’, he shouldn’t have a problem with his parents.

Shortly after the exams, the school year was wrapped up. That year flew by so quickly, Lucius could not even remember Christmas. His memory of the year was like a misty morning with only a few patches of incidences he could recall. Typically, Lucius blamed the exam for robbing what could have been a great year.

As Lucius boarded the train that late sunny afternoon, his fellow prefects gave him the same train hospitality. It was just like the last time he boarded, except that Tanya helped herself to the seat beside him without question.

“So, are you ready to go home?” Tanya asked.

The Slytherin prefects seated across them ignored her and pretended to look busy. It became a habit as they did it every time Tanya came to speak to Lucius. Lucius wouldn’t mind them leaving as he did not have to watch what he said if they weren’t around, but he assumed they were either afraid or too prideful to let go of their cushioned seats.

“That depends on the welcome party,” Lucius replied.

“Why? Do all the house elves come to greet you?” Tanya asked cheekily.

A question as such would have gotten a student a curse in the stomach, but Lucius was now immune to Tanya’s choice of words.

“No. The family does,” Lucius answered.

“Oh, what if the family doesn’t?”

“Then we have a guest,” Lucius simply said. His answer raised a head across him, but Lucius paid no attention to the subtle yet obvious response.

“Do you like this guest?”

“He’s one of a kind. How about you?”

“I can’t wait to go home! We’re having a picnic once I get home,” Tanya said.

“Won’t it be dark then?”

“Can’t you have a dinner picnic? We do it all the time.”

“Right, I forgot.”

“You should come visit me one day. That’s what friends do.”

Lucius shrugged with a chuckle. He would rather live with his weird grandaunt than visit a mixed blood family. Not forgetting how his father would ignore him for the rest of his life if he did.

By the time the train stopped, Lucius allowed his little helpers to drag his bag out to the walkway before taking over himself. He preferred to look independent when he got off the train, after all, his mother did not enjoy giving the other mothers a thin smile for their children’s submissive behaviour.

As he headed to the exit and alighted from the Hogwarts Express, he searched the crowd for his parents. There were so many people calling out names that Lucius strained his ears to hear his. When he did, a mixed emotion swept over him.

“Mr Malfoy!” a deep voice called out.

Lucius was hoping for ‘Lucius dear’ or Lucius, my boy’ but that evening he responded to the formality and handed his belongings to the chauffeur.

“Your parents-”

“I know, let’s go,” Lucius interrupted.

He gave one last wave to Tanya, who was seen with her strange cousin, before striding toward the big black car outside the station. It was going to be another long journey, and by the time he reached home he would be crashing into bed.

True enough, Lucius had his dinner in the car and caught up with the family business from a report book his father left in the backseat for him. Even though many people knew who the Malfoys were, they did not gain their fame from working in the ministry. They owned a wine and an antique business, with branches all over the world. They were also shareholders for larger companies and had investments in different stocks, all in wizard currency of course. That was why Lucius did not need an internship.

By the time Lucius had finished updating himself with the family business, the car rolled in front of the white porch with the full moon buried beneath the clouds overhead.

Lucius did not wait to have his door opened as he exited the car and walked right into his home. He took quick peeks into the different rooms on the ground floor in search for his parents, but when he found neither of them he headed straight to his bedroom. Lucius was exhausted, not because he did anything but because his day was so uneventful. By the time he hit his large, soft bed he drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

Unlike its predecessors, that night was rather still. Lucius would have slept through it if not for the floorboard the house elves had not fixed. When it made a loud creak, Lucius barely opened his eyes and winced at his surroundings. The moment he spotted something at the end of his bed, Lucius stared long and hard.

The fireplace was dead, the curtains were drawn shut, and the darkness made it impossible for Lucius’ foggy brain to make out what it was. He contemplated calling out but sleep was beckoning him. It was a petty decision, but Lucius did not know what to do.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should call out or go back to sleep!)

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 10

“Can I speak with you?” Ms Evans asked.

“Regarding?” Lucius replied, as he watched Tanya say her goodbyes and leave.

“I want you to leave Severus alone,” she said.

“Who?” Lucius responded. His honest question for being temporarily distracted came off sarcastically.

“Severus, my friend?”

Lucius gave her a long look before asking, “Why?”

“You’re bad for him,” Ms Evans answered boldly.

Lucius gave a false chuckle. “I think you are mistaken. The poor boy has no other friend but you, and one day you’ll leave him too. When that happens, I’ll be the only one he has left.”

“I won’t leave him.”

Lucius smirked. “We’ll see.”

He didn’t bother to stick around and argue with the girl any longer, as he walked off and politely excused himself from Professor Slughorn’s dinner party.

Lucius thought he had managed to leave Ms Evans behind, but when she left the office after him, he knew she was not done.

“Malfoy!”

Did she just call me by my family name? Lucius asked himself silently. She was not going to get away with it.

“I’ll have points deducted from your house for your lack of manners,” Lucius immediately replied.

“I don’t care. I don’t know who you are or why you act like you own this school, but I’m not letting you bully me,” Ms Evans shot back.

“You don’t know who I am?” Lucius asked, curious as to why.

“Why should I?”

“Don’t your parents teach you?”

“They taught me well enough,” Ms Evans paused before she continued, “just not about this world.”

“Oh, so you’re a mudblood too.”

What’s wrong with Dumbledore? All these mudbloods are ruining our prestigious institute. Father must hear about this, Lucius told himself.

“What’s a-”

“Dirty blood. You don’t belong here. You’re not a real witch, you’re filth to our society,” Lucius answered her unfinished question.

“That’s discrimination! I’m just like you, I-”

“Don’t ever compare yourself to me, Ms. Evans. You are nothing like me. I’m of noble birth and my bloodline is pure. Yours however, won’t account for anything if it’s spilled,” Lucius spat.

Ms Evans innocent looking face flared up. She looked like she was about to throw a punch.

“Touch me, Ms Evans, and you will be expelled,” Lucius warned.

“How low can you go to threaten a child?” a familiar voice asked from behind him.

When Lucius turned his head to look, he saw Tanya standing a few feet away. Almost instantly, his anger turned towards her.

“You lied to me! You almost made me a fool!”

“You are, for thinking yourself better than everyone else,” Tanya replied.

Lucius shook his head to calm himself down. After weighing out the different replies he had in his head, Lucius said, “You see, that’s the problem with you mudbloods. You are all ignorant fools, thinking you are special being here. Go on and live in your fantasy world, but be careful, you don’t want death bursting your little bubble.”

Lucius did not stick around to explain further and he stormed off. When he finally returned to the common room, he swung his hand at a lamp on the nearby table and with a crash the room fell silent.

“What, what happened?” one of his so-called friends asked.

“Severus!” Lucius called out instead. When nobody responded, Lucius demanded, “Where’s that boy?”

“He’s not back yet, I think,” another so-called friend replied.

Just then, the common room door swung open and Severus entered. His eyes were locked on the ground and he only looked up when Lucius blocked his way.

“What’s with you?” Lucius asked.

Severus looked as though someone had called him a mudblood. It was the kind of reaction Lucius was hoping from the little brat just now.

Severus gave no reply as he looked at everyone in the room. All eyes were on him, and his mind was visibly blank.

Noticing the problem, Lucius turned and asked, “What are you guys doing standing around? Shouldn’t you all be in bed?”

An older prefect immediately started ordering the crowd to their warm beds, and soon Lucius and Severus were the only ones left.

“So, what’s with you?” Lucius asked again.

“Nothing,” Severus replied softly.

“What do you mean nothing?” Lucius gave Severus’ shoulder a squeeze in hopes to lead him to the sofa by the fireplace, but as he did Severus quickly pulled away and yelped in pain.

“What happened? Did you forget to jump on the enchanted stairs?”

Severus shook his head, but his lips were still sealed.

“Stop being a coward and tell me what happened,” Lucius demanded.

“I- I- the other boys were rough,” Severus managed a reply.

“What other boys? Boys from our house?”

“Gryffindor,” Severus said softly, as though saying the house name might do more damage.

“Name,” Lucius merely said. It sounded like a statement more than a question and Severus took a while to get it. When he finally did, he muttered, “Potter.”

So the rough little boy went by the name of Potter, eh? Lucius thought as Severus stood awkwardly with a hand rubbing his shoulder.

“I’ll handle this, Severus. But tomorrow, tomorrow you’ll be hanging out with Avery and Mulciber. They are very funny boys,” Lucius simply said.

Severus nodded and headed straight to bed. Lucius however, stayed a while longer. What should he do? Should he leave it to the professors or should he handle it himself?

“You see Ms Evans, Severus needs me,” Lucius whispered just as the flames in the fireplace puffed out.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should leave it to the professors or handle it himself!)