The Sufferer & The Witness
Chapter 25: The Chosen One
Usually weather in London on a late November makes spending time outside rather unpleasant, and this particular Monday morning reinforced that point. Despite being only half seven in the morning, the weather prognosticators were predicting a daytime high of only 3 degrees Centigrade – which incidentally was the current temperature. They warned the populace that yet another storm bringing wind, rain, and possible sleet later on would be coming in off the North Atlantic later today.
Periodically the commuting masses emerged from various Underground stops bundled up in coats and hats, trying valiantly to keep the cold, wet weather from soiling their work attire. If you had to leave home, being in an office cubicle wasn't a bad way to spend your day today; at least you would be inside and dry.
Lucius Malfoy did not have the benefit of an office cubicle to escape to. Instead, he stood under the eaves of yet another glassy-looking office building whilst surveying the passing muggles. Lucius never thought too much of the muggle world and certainly didn't spend any length of time in it. Except lately, of course.
Every day for the past month Lucius would leave Malfoy Manor early, trying to slip out without waking Narcissa, and head into muggle London. He spent his time wandering around the core business districts, the underground platforms, the shopping promenades … always looking. So far, the only thing he found – beyond a much greater understanding of how to navigate London's neighborhoods – was that he appreciated a good cup of cappuccino, enjoyed reading the Guardian, and rather disliked the heavy feeling in his stomach after a couple pints of Guinness.
Despite having a self-imposed timeline to complete his search by the New Year, Lucius was ready to call it a day. This weather, along with all the early mornings, was catching up to him as he sniffled slightly with the beginnings of a cold. "Maybe just a quick cappuccino and I'll head back to the Manor," he thought, tugging his glove off to fish around in his overcoat for the curious paper money muggles used.
As he crossed the street he noticed a promising mark and immediately abandoned all thoughts of a cappuccino. Instead he followed the man at a discrete distance, mentally checking off each of the criteria. Tall and thin? Check. Late forties but still-dark hair? Check. Dark eyes and fair skin? Check. Lucius was also delighted to see that the man walked with a certain … superiority … amongst the other muggles. He didn't wear glasses and looked to be fit enough; he could be the one …
"Before the Christmas hols I thought it would be good to have a group project."
I groaned internally, joining the audible groans erupting from nearly every student. I hated group projects; it just brought to the fore that the majority of students still were either scared of me or just ignored me. Not that I minded the latter – I came to grips with that years ago. But the former still bothered me, mostly because I wasn't sure whether that fear was warranted or not.
Remus took the groans in stride with a small smile as he counted names on his latest class roster. Our class sizes stabilized now that we were second years, but you never knew if yet another student decided the magical world wasn't for them.
"Okay, we have 21 students right now, so I think seven groups of three would be appropriate. I'll let you choose who you would like to partner with." I didn't even bother to look around; I just waited for the last group of two to realize they were stuck with me and passed the time by doodling on my parchment.
Daphne, sitting together with Blaise near the windows, merely looked over to the boy and caught his eye. With a slight nod, he confirmed they would partner for this project just like all the other ones over the past year and a half. But this project required a third. If this were Charms with the Hufflepuffs Blaise would already be approaching either Susan or Hannah – Daphne couldn't help but stifle a giggle at how 'suave Blaise' would appear any time the two Hufflepuffs were in the vicinity. But this was History with the Ravenclaws. She made a concerted effort to mingle with the other houses more this year but neither she nor Blaise had reached more than acquaintance status with any of them.
Just when Daphne was about to suggest maybe Ted Nott or Tracey Davis (if Pansy would let her out of her sight) she heard Blaise's voice softly call out, "Hey, Potter …"
I stopped my doodling and looked up at Remus, but he was preoccupied with guiding our latest reports back into his office using a levitation charm of some sort. "Great, now I am going mental and hearing things," I thought and resumed doodling. A few beats later I felt a history book softly thumping into the side of my head and immediately turned to shoot a dark glare at whoever thought this was a fun prank. Only then did I notice Blaise, with wand in hand, looking slightly smug.
"I said," Blaise commented in a slightly sing-song voice, "Potter, do you want to work with us?" I quickly scrutinized Blaise to see if this was some elaborate joke or whether he was serious. If I was honest, Blaise never really made fun of me the way others did; he seemed to prefer staring at me as if he was trying to figure out whether I was even worth his time to acknowledge.
Daphne I really didn't know at all. I vaguely remember her telling me that I would get in trouble if I tracked mud or water in the Great Hall, but that was about the sum total of our interaction so far. Looking at her now, I realized I mostly saw her with Blaise; she didn't seem to hang out with Pansy as much as the other Slytherin girls. But I suppose she seemed nice enough …
"Umm …" I began elegantly, " Yeah, sure."
The Christmas holidays hit Scotland with partly sunny skies, allowing most of the Hogwarts denizens who were staying at the castle to enjoy a bit of time outside. Dumbledore stood in his office and watched the exodus with a small smile, but his mind was focused on one person who was not present: Severus Snape.
In the nearly twelve years since Severus joined the Hogwarts faculty, he had not once taken time away from the castle over the Christmas hols. Sure he may have gone into Diagon Alley for a few hours, or picked up a pint down in Hogsmeade. But he had never spent more than one night away, much less the several nights he planned on being gone this year. Albus felt a sense of foreboding for the first time in many years, but unfortunately he was at a loss as to why.
"Are you sure you've combined the potions correctly?" Lucius questioned for what must have been the hundredth time.
"Yes," Severus responded curtly has he continued his precise stirring – nine times clockwise followed by 2 times counter-clockwise, pause ten seconds, then repeat. Repeat for three more days straight, that is. Severus wasn't sure what would happen first – his arm falling off or Lucius wearing a groove in the wooden floor. Unfortunately this step wasn't something he trusted to do with magic; at least not with this particular potion.
"Perhaps you should amuse yourself with … other endeavors, Lucius."
Malfoy stopped his pacing to sneer at the man softly. But even he knew the look wouldn't achieve its desired effect; not against Severus, and certainly not when his own thoughts were so apprehensive. The potion brewing was only part of the problem and Severus clearly had that under control. Lucius' contribution was something much more macabre – he needed to collect his mark.
"Where are you going, Lucius?" Narcissa called after her husband when he abruptly got up from their late afternoon tea. Her husband's behavior worried her, as lately he seemed to spend more time away from the Manor than ever. She knew his imminent appointment as the Minister's Advisor represented a much larger time commitment, but it was the Christmas hols! Usually Lucius spent as much time as he could at the Manor so that he could see Draco.
"Hmm?" Lucius commented distractedly has he began buttoning up the black overcoat and scanning the floor for his shoes.
"Lucius?" Narcissa questioned again, this time standing and walking over to where he was now summoning his missing left shoe from under the credenza.
The shoe now safely on his foot, Lucius looked up at his wife and gave her a tight smile. "I'm sorry, dear. Another meeting tonight; it seems like they just won't end. I should be back by around seven though, so perhaps you can discuss a later dinner with the house elves?"
Narcissa noticed the tension in her husband's face and manner, but chose to let it pass. Instead she nodded slightly to acknowledge the change in dinner plans and gave him a quick hug before he departed again. Something was going on, but what that 'something' was she had no idea.
Lucius peered at the passing throngs that were illuminated by only the streetlights and shop windows. The winter darkness plus the gloomy artificial light made the muggle world seem more sinister somehow. He silently wished he could cast a bright lumos spell to ensure he wouldn't miss his mark yet again, but knew it was out of the question. He had no choice but to do this task the muggle way; at least this part of the task, that is.
For a moment he felt rising frustration that he perhaps missed him again, but there – across the street – he saw the mark. For a moment he watched in fascination as the man's tall build and important air caused the people on the sidewalk to seemingly cleave in front of him, clearing a path for a man they seemed to subconsciously know was somehow more important than they were. "Yes, I have chosen well".
Breaking out of his reverie, Lucius followed on his side of the road, crossing over only when it became apparent the mark was heading for the underground station. After a moment's confusion, Lucius successfully paid fare and boarded the same car as his mark before the doors closed and he sped off east.
At the Mile End stop, both the mark and Lucius departed the underground station onto the still-busy surface streets. After pulling his overcoat tighter around his neck to try and block out the chill and drizzle, he followed the man north for a few blocks before turning down a residential street. The man opened a garden gate in front of one of the many flats and headed up the steps to the dark residence. Unlocking the door he entered and turned on a light inside.
Lucius waited for a good twenty minutes for the commuters heading home to thin out. Finally once only one or two people were walking home, Lucius approached the garden gate and swung it open quietly. With a whispered alohomora the front door clicked and Lucius stepped through into the light and warmth of the flat.
The flat itself was nicely appointed, though definitely masculine. It was clear that the mark was not married, although the pictures on the wall indicated that perhaps that was not always the case. Nevertheless, Lucius breathed a sigh of relief that it appeared he would not encounter complications with this aspect of his business.
The man stood in his kitchen, chopping up chicken like a common house elf, while watching that brightly-lit box that so many muggles seemed enamored with. He didn't hear a sound until Lucius whispered in a clear, icy tone, "Imperio."