AS A SPECIAL FOR THE TENTH CHAPTER- WE WILL READ IN LUCIUS' INTERESTING POINT OF VIEW. YAY!

As a note, I hope you all read in my profile about the lack of delays. Real-life gets in the way quite often. (Aka, I have crew, AP classes, college visits, friends, Prom, and many other boatloads of shit.)

Thanks to notwolf (2x!), Angelpris, Alatarielf who all three reviewed. You three get cookies. Those of you who read and didn't review- shame!

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Chapter 10:

1969, October 31st – November 2nd.

The Halloween Feast was atrocious in Lucius' opinion. Lucius had opinions about a number of items and like most of his opinions Narcissa Black played a large role in his decisions. It went down quite simply in his head- Narcissa was not at the Halloween Feast. She had not come to school for the beginning of her fourth year. The lack of Narcissa made everything quite atrocious in his mind.

Besides whatever house elf- although, technically, he figured they were school elves- had made the pumpkins look more like carved banana squashes.

It was atrocious.

He slowly peeled apart a piece of pumpkin pie and ate it while becoming more and more unhappy. His mates, Alphard and Harfang, shied away from him and kept the Lucius' younger followers- Abner Crabbe and Yaphet Bulstrode- clear. Though they weren't entirely sure of why he was in such a foul mood this year- although they had a very good guess- the four boys respected their leader's strange mood.

Sure, you know, at first Narcissa had been gone because of her eldest sister's extremely quick engagement and following marriage to the eldest Lestrange. Lucius hated that name. Lestrange. The Strange. Lucius had often wondered why they had such an awful name.

And then, she had a fashion show in Paris. Great. Awesome. Lucius was delighted for her- but honestly he was selfish. She was even technically his and he had considered sending her an owl asking her to come back to Hogwarts.

Lucius stabbed his pumpkin pie.

Now- SCANDAL!- the middle Black child had estranged herself from her family by announcing her betrothal- a very unapproved of betrothal- to a mudblood of some sort. Lucius wasn't entirely sure of the man's name or even of the sister's name. Lucius remembered her as a eccentric sort who always sent the older wizards into a frenzy of stories that began with 'In-my-day.'

Lucius was going to murder his pumpkin pie.

"Lucius, mate, that pie isn't going to hurt anyone." It was Harfang. Why was it always Harfang? Lucius looked at his young friend. Although Harfang was a year younger than Lucius- Narcissa's year, Lucius sighed- he had the ambitions and thoughts of someone at least Lucius' age if not older.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just really worried about an essay for Astrology." Lucius lied. Harfang would know it was lie and hopefully leave. Lucius was not so lucky. Perhaps Lucius thought- before he crashed back to reality- he could stab Harfang with a butter knife until the other boy left.

"That's a lie and everyone knows it. You could teach Astrology. Why are you lying?" Lucius let his ego take the trip on the Astrology comment. It probably wasn't true- but Lucius wouldn't deny he really loved Astrology. He- and some girl named Aurora Sinistra from Ravenclaw- were extremely gifted with Astrology. But, that didn't have anything to do with the fact that Harfang was prying.

"Oh, you're right. It was an essay for Potions." Lucius said. It was the politest way he could tell Harfang to go away. And technically Lucius did have an essay for Potions. But, he had already finished it.

"Perhaps you miss Narcissa?"

What?

In?

The?

World?

"She has been gone for quite some time. But, I'm just really worried about my essays." Lucius said, barely controlling his face and maintaining just enough of his brain to form a coherent sentence.

"Well, good luck with those essays."

"Yeah."
Lucius went back to stabbing his pumpkin pie.

Was he that obvious? Yes. Lucius hadn't made it hard for people to realize who he'd set his sights on. And, Lucius thought, Narcissa certainly knew and that was what mattered.

But, why in the world had Harfang asked that question out loud?

Lucius left his piece of pie and waved a small goodbye at his Slytherins.

He had some thinking to do.

If you had asked Lucius later he would have told you that he had done most of his thinking that night and had figured it all out in one big eureka moment before bed.

It did not go that simply.

He'd actually been sitting on the toilette when his first idea came to him. Perhaps Harfang had simply been trying to deepen their friendship?

But, while he'd soaped and washed his hands, Lucius had discredited this idea. Harfang and he were already quite close and known as friends to all of Slytherin. Lucius had encouraged Harfang to play Quidditch and the boys had frequented each others house's over the summer.

It was not a question of friendship.

And so, Lucius went back to Herbology with a considerably smaller amount of trust for his friend.

His second idea came to him while he skipping stones with Alphard on the Lake. He'd skipped one stone at least seven times and was cheering said stone on when he thought-

Perhaps he was just trying to find a legitimate reason?

Lucius had skipped another stone and decided that that motive was far too simple for a Slytherin. And so he was at a loss.

His third idea came much later- but since the Halloween festival it had been growing as a suspicion.

The day Narcissa returned all of Slytherin was abuzz. There had been a power vacuum in the girl's part of the house, and here she was- the power- returning. Lucius went with the normal group of friends and enemies to greet her at the main entrance.

She looked stunning- because that was how Narcissa always looked. Her robes were cut in a somber black- but one could see a faintly playful design in dark grey. Her long hair was swept up into a messy looking bun. She barely wore any makeup. Narcissa looked beautiful.

Lucius however was not content. Because Narcissa didn't feel right. Not that she didn't physically feel right- no one touched her, not even he. Her aura- and Lucius hated to use such terms to describe people- felt off.

Lucius was not content.

He supposed that this was probably because of the scandals her sister's had caused. Bellatrix' hasty marriage and the other girl becoming a blood traitor- these scandals would have certainly worn on Narcissa.

Lucius cursed himself for not thinking of this.

He went forward to speak to her but found that another boy had already done so. Looking at Harfang, Lucius caught his eye, and suddenly his third suspicion became a full-blown fact in Lucius' mind.

Harfang, like Rabastan, was rivaling Lucius.

Lucius had no doubt that Harfang had been his rival from Valentine's Day.

The worst part was perhaps that Lucius knew Harfang would not be taken care of by way of pureblood culture like Rabastan had been.

In the eyes of the pureblood world, Harfang and Lucius were equal rivals for Narcissa's hand.

And in many eyes, Lucius was the clear loser. Or at least, Lucius believed this to be so.

Lucius quickly brushed Narcissa mind- found that she had no idea of Harfang's affections- and then, Lucius smiled at his rival and went off to prepare for war.

And so the rival is finally revealed! I wonder how'll they'll fight it out. And remember, the next chapters are through Narcissa's eyes and she don't know yet! I'm pretty psyched... are you?

Also, sorry that it's a bit short, but I felt this was the best way to present the next couple of chapters (as in, Harfang= the unknown rival) without being really confusing.

Chapter Notes:

All of the dates, names, and abilities of these wizards come from:

h t t p : / / h a r r y p o t t e r . w i k i a . c o m

Names and their meanings can be found on:

h t t p : / / w w w . b a b y n a m e s . c o m /

And all of these 'pureblood' families are connected through the books- in either rarely or frequently mentioned Slytherins.

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