Title: Chaleur
Rated: K+
Pairing: Lucius Malfoy/Arthur Weasley
Summary: Arthur's put in charge of Lucius's redemption back into wizarding society after his deflection from Voldemort. A conversation between them during one of these check in sessions opens up difficult memories.
Disclaimer: You all know I'm not JK Rowling. Or I wouldn't be bitching about student loans so much.
NOTE: This is a fanfic. If you don't like what I've written here, please don't read it. I am aware that the adults went to Hogwarts at different years, but when I was a big fan of this series- we didn't really know how old the adults were. I just found out this information recently- but have decided to completely disregard it because it's a fanfic and I can do what I want.
Lucius took a seat on the chaise lounge in front of his fireplace in his bedroom. The clock against the wall chimed five o clock sharp, and sure enough the fire flickered and formed into the shape of Arthur Weasley. "Hello, Arthur." He said in a reserved, slow tone that was far better suited to a few years ago than in present day.
"Lucius, a pleasure."
"Oh, I doubt that highly. Why you may be in charge of my recovery, this is at the very least highly embarrassing to me as you would assume- given our positions were reversed." He smoothed out a wrinkle in his robe, and glanced back at the fire. "But for you? I have no doubt in my mind that this is very pleasurable thing to behold. I am certain though that you must be pleased to be in charge of ordering me around. I assure you though I haven't been going around torching muggles or…" He paused nearly letting a word so often used in his earlier years slip past his lips. "Muggle born wizards."
Arthur's face in the fire blinked. "I… know. You have been good."
"Very well. Is this meeting over or would you like to prolong my discomfort?" Lucius reached out and crossed his hands over his knee, the cuff of his shirt riding up over his wrist revealing the glint of the tail of a tarnished snake cuff bracelet.
The fire crackled in the dark room as a small noise escaped Arthur's throat. "You kept it?"
"Of course." He leaned back against the chair, enjoying watching the image of Arthur's face look uncomfortable in the flames. He waited patiently, knowing what question was going to come next.
"W-Why?"
Lucius gave him a disinterested look as he cast his cold gaze down to his wrist. He casually unbuttoned his shirt, rolling it down to reveal the old bracelet. It was tarnished all over, and one of the stone eyes was missing. He ran his fingernail delicately over the scales in appraising manner. "Because it means something to me. Because some red headed Gryffindor bought it for me in an attempt to impress me on an ill fated date that he only won because I lost a duel to dear Severus in our school days. …You know, Arthur-" He leaned over his legs, folding his elbows over them. "You were the only person who ever gave me a gift where the sole attempt of the gift was to make me happy because you wanted me to be happy."
Arthur's face stared up at him, searching Lucius's calm, regal expression as his long tendrils of platinum hair framed his face after spilling over his shoulders. The orange flames flickered across his pale skin, casting warmth Arthur knew existed somewhere inside him. He knew it was there, albeit it briefly before it was stamped out in their school years, only to resurface again for a fleeting moment when the Malfoys as a whole defected from Voldemort in order to save their son. It was then that Arthur was reminded that even the coldest exterior might have something good lurking underneath. It was the whole reason he was staring at Lucius right now in the comfort of his home- rather than behind a cell at Azkaban. In a moment he was paralyzed, staring into the grey eyes of a former enemy, a former flame- grasping at straws to assure himself that maybe the warmth might still exist inside.
No one was ever born evil, as so he was told. It has to be learned, and Lucius was no different. He kept his gaze on him, and for a brief, fleeting second the man sitting in front of the fireplace let his guard down- his expression softening as his eyes looked down again at the cuff on his wrist. His lips threatened to pull back into a smile- a real one. His graceful fingers traced the pattern of scales again, before turning his attention quickly back to Arthur, his expression cold and hard again. That was all Arthur needed to know- Lucius was an expert at fooling many, but a real expression for him was impossible to fake. He swallowed a bit. "I'm glad it made you happy."
"It did. Our whole ridiculous date, on some level, did." Lucius watched as Arthur's expression quickly changed to one of great surprise.
"I thought you hated it!"
"At first yes, but after I thought about it- I did have a good time. Unfortunately some emotions are more difficult for me to process- a downfall of good grooming."
Arthur's look of astonishment only grew. "But you were so mad! I was terrified to even think of asking you for a second one-"
"Arthur?"
He swallowed, which transferred over to the fire as a loud popping sound. "Yes?"
"I would have said yes."
Arthur's expression melted away, as if he had been told he won the lotto but threw out the winning ticket. He watched Lucius shift in the chaise, resting his arm it while the other brushed his long hair back over his shoulder- his eyes looking straight past the fire as if he were in Arthur's office with him. Not long after his doomed date with Lucius, he fell for Molly- but the icy blonde haired boy from Slytherin never really left his thoughts. As they drifted further into their adult years, Arthur watched Lucius make all of the wrong decisions, over and over again. He hated it, he hated seeing a talented wizard give into hatred and evil over something that was so trivial. But still, he wondered. What would have happened if he got his second date?
Sensing that his ministry contact was distracted, Lucius stood up and gracefully made his way over to the fire place- his elegant robes barely kissing the floor. He knelt down beside the opening to the fireplace. "Don't trouble yourself with what ifs, Arthur. Whatever it is, it is. That time has passed. And so has our required amount of meeting time. I'm hoping you've received enough information from this little meeting to report to the Ministry that I've been a good boy. Until our next appointment then, I suppose."
"Lucius-"
"Goodnight, Arthur."
He watched as the other man stood up, walking away from the fireplace in the elegant stride he had regained since the second war, his long hair slowly draining of the warmth it had from the reds and oranges of the fireplace. For a moment, he felt like he was back on the grounds outside of Hogwarts watching as a belligerent teenaged Lucius Malfoy first walked away from him. All he could do was stand there, much like he was doing now- transfixed by cold beauty and traces of the faintest warmth.
End