Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Nor do I make any money.
Your Human Side
The trial had not gone well today. Not by anyone's standards.
Ron patiently followed Lucius through the Floo into the Manor before watching the elder Malfoy start throwing hexes at every item in his path. Sighing, Ron continued to follow the raging Lucius who was now stalking towards his library. He just kept righting the items that he had knocked over or fixed what he had broken as they passed them without a word because he knew it wouldn't do any good.
Lucius continued the behaviour into the library and headed towards his desk. With a subtle shake of his head and a quiet sigh of exasperation, Ron took a seat on one of the sofas while he waited out the storm that was Lucius Malfoy at the moment.
The past few day had been distinctly different since they stopped being so formal with each other. Though neither were considerably more verbose than before; they had stopped trying to force conversations that weren't there. Instead they reacted naturally to one another: if one wanted a conversation then it was to be had; if one didn't then it was set aside. No complaints, no arguments, nothing but an understood friendship between the two men.
"What?" Lucius finally yelled in the direction of Ron as he broke the same lamp for the fourth time.
Shaking his head softly, Ron replied, "Nothing. Just waiting for you to calm down."
Lucius just stopped in his tracks and stared at him. After a few minutes, Ron raised an eyebrow towards Lucius and asked, "Does this mean you're done?"
Fighting back the smile that kept wanting to creep onto his face, Ron waited as he watched Lucius start and stop so many things: his mouth starting and stopping, his hands beginning to gesture only to stop, his feet starting to pace as his mouth and hands tried to work. Ron found the whole scene more than mildly amusing but laughing at Lucius' behaviour wouldn't be good for either of them.
Finally, Lucius collapsed onto the sofa in front of where Ron was sitting. Ron kept his mouth shut as he watched the other gentleman lay down on the couch. His beautiful white blond hair pulled free from the band, now spread around his head as his hands folded behind his head.
"I don't understand how you can be so calm. The Lestrange brothers may have found a way out of Azkaban and that is good for no one."
"I doubt that," Ron replied, allowing Lucius to dictate the conversation though both were well aware that his tantrum had nothing to do with the possibility of the Lestrange brothers getting out of jail. "No one in the Ministry is going to let them go free. Remember, you should know better than anybody, they aren't exactly the most careful of criminals as they aren't sane by any ones standards."
"Well then, you be the optimist and I'll be a realist here," Lucius snapped.
Rolling his eyes, knowing Lucius was just trying to find other things to bitch about then what was really bothering him, Ron asked, "I have a question."
Lucius turned his head to look at him and responded, "What?"
"So when are you going to stop beating yourself up about losing control today while the Lestrange brothers' solicitor questioned you?"
"You wouldn't understand," Lucius growled, his head pivoting so his eyes once again were staring at the ceiling.
Ron waited for him to continue but when he didn't, he pushed the point with a firm "Try me" but Lucius didn't respond, he just continued to stare at the ceiling.
Shaking his head, Ron stood and said, "You are allowed to show the world that you do have feelings and can lose control like the rest of us. Remember even the sky has limits too," before moving to exit the library.
"So you don't think I ruined the case?" he heard Lucius ask just as he reached the door.
Turning around with a soft smile, he saw Lucius was sitting up on the sofa. His long white hair spilling over his shoulders. His sharp grey eyes and dark grey shirt providing a stunning contrast that momentarily took Ron's breath away. Collecting himself, Ron shook his head gently, "No. You aren't the first person to have shown such raw emotions during Death Eater trials and you won't be the last. In fact, I think you finally showed the world what I've come to know."
"And what is that?"
"Malfoys are human just like the rest of us."
"But..."
Ron wouldn't let him finish where ever he was going, "Lucius, I like seeing your human side."
He watched Lucius' eyes widen, casually Ron bit his lip and with a soft laugh, "I'm going to go change for dinner. I'll see you then."
Turning he left the room before Lucius could say anything. Ron's mind filled with thoughts of Lucius Malfoy and how he had never seen anything more beautiful than Lucius raging at the Lestrange brothers' solicitor earlier today and making the poor man cower into his own seat.
