Pairing: HP/LM
Rating: R
Warning: Slash, angst, M/M, Mpreg
Disclaimer: All characters from Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I'm just an obsessed maniac who is also an insomniac thanks to the voices in her head. The Thistleton Hotel really exists and I have never been in there. I am not making any money out of this and use the Hotel name purely because it was in the right local and I liked how it looked from the outside. Trust me, if you try to sue me, it won't get you any money cos I'm dirt broke already!
Archived: ask please
Feedback: Desperately needed…
A/N: Hi! Ok, here you go, as promised, the next chapter. It's shorter then I intended it to be but I wanted to get it out this weekend. Again, thanks to Linda and Lillian for Betaing this for me. I really don't have the time to reply to your reviews again. I'm sorry!!! I appreciated all of them and wish I could but if I did, then this chapter would only come out tomorrow so... I Swear I'll get to them next time. I only got home today at midnight and straight away received this back from my beta, made the corrections and posted it. So, I'm sorry!! Threats of Misery just really scare me. Anyways, some of you guessed right and some guessed wrong but, not to worry, here ya go. Enjoy!!!Suite 7310, Thistleton Hotel, Bayswater, London
Before Lucius could voice the curse, Waz' direction shifted slightly to the left and fell into a deep crouch, shaking his head and growling at something he held in between his teeth. Apparently the boy wasn't insane or hit by a curse after all but had attacked some creature of some kind. Puzzled, Lucius wondered at this unusual behavior. Even when Harry was at the park with so much wild life around, he would mock attack but never actually hurt a living creature without just cause. Deciding that this deserved a closer look and it wasn't just Harry giving into his animal side, Lucius approached cautiously, and gasped as he took a good gander at the animal that Harry currently held suspended in his jaws.
Not bothering to hide his laughter and scorn, Lucius sneered and said, " I see that you have finally met my newest pet Wormtail. Impressive isn't he? A wonderful protector with an especial taste for getting rid of vermin and pests. Let this be a lesson to you, rat, never to sneak up on a Malfoy again."
At that, the rat started squeaking loudly and squirming, trying to worm his way out of the sharp jaws enclosed around him. Waz only tightened his jaws, snarling. He looked pleadingly at Malfoy, as if asking permission to eat the traitor that ruined his life.
Again Lucius barked out a short burst of laughter, " Looks like Waz is getting hungry Wormtail, I wonder how much our master would miss you if I allowed my pet here an afternoon snack. Although, perhaps you might give him a stomach ache, pestilence that you are."
The squeaks grew louder and more desperate in volume and the struggles of the trapped rat increased drastically. Suddenly though, Waz choked in the middle of a growl and made a distasteful face at Lucius, working his mouth as much as possible to remove the taste without loosening his grip on the rat. Wormtail was so scared he lost control of his bowels and his bladder.
Glaring balefully at Lucius when he just laughed harder at Harry's predicament, Waz shifted his grip on the squirming rat, careful to only harm the small creature slightly and waited for Lucius to tell him what to do. His heart was screaming at him to just bite down a little harder and kill the bastard who betrayed his parents as well as caused his godfather so much trouble not to mention almost single handedly bringing Voldemort back to life, but Harry had been trained by Severus and Lucius and thus had finally learned to think with his head. He knew that Lucius would get into trouble if Wormtail were to come to any harm while visiting him. Well, at least if Wormtail were to end up dead. There were always minor squabbles and much infighting among the Death Eaters. Hexes and curses were a regular occurrence, even expected by most, especially if the recipient was Wormtail. No one had much respect for the sniveling ex-Gryffindor.
Still, Harry didn't want Malfoy to come to any harm. These past few weeks with the man had given Harry a healthy respect for the man, as well as some empathy. Malfoy had had a miserable life, and Harry could identify with him, just as much as he identified with Severus. The three of them were shadows, forever dark and yet creatures of light. All three yearned to be able to bask in the sun just like everybody else. However, their fate was not to be. Unable to exist in the dark and but also unable to exist in pure light, that was their destiny. Shadows flickering in the wall. They would serve their purpose and then when the need for shadows to hide among diminished, they would be forgotten until needed again.
As all this was running through Harry's mind, Lucius was also wondering what to do with the situation. Just like Harry he had just cause to hate the bastard. It was Wormtail who resurrected the cruel monster he had to call master and watch as evil incarnate slept in his bed night after night and listen as his /wife/ screamed her pleasure and pain. Because of this wimp, his son would never be able to grow up without the horror of war hanging over him. His precious Dray would one day be a part if all this pain and torture, bearing the monsters mark forever cursed to carry out his bidding. However, no matter how much Lucius wanted to kill Wormtail himself much less allow Harry to avenge his parents, he wasn't a Slytherin for nothing, so, he weighed the pro's and cons of the situation carefully. On one hand, killing Wormtail would help the cause greatly. His current animagus shape gave him too much license to spy undetected on too many people. On the other hand, how was he going to explain to Voldemort that his favorite toady was unfortunately killed before he could pass on any messages to him?
Lucius could just picture the meeting now, " But my Lord, how was I to know he would come sniffing around just as my latest acquisition was hunting?" Grimacing at the image and the imagined pain of the numerous curses Voldemort will no doubt cast on him, Lucius shook his head, knowing that it would be too suspicious if Wormtail were to end up dead while on a mission to spy on Lucius. Others had been accused and killed for treason based on milder circumstances.
Sighing with disappointment, Lucius opened his mouth to order Waz to drop the rat. A split second before the words left his mouth though, the panther and man caught each other's eyes, and immediately, the animal opened his mouth and rudely deposited Wormtail on the ground.
Shivering and quaking, the rat quickly transformed into his human form and stood shakily, glancing nervously and sidestepping to put as much distance between the jungle cat and himself as possible. " L-lll-lluc-c-s-s-i-ius" the scared excuse for a human being stuttered, desperately trying to pull himself together while warily eyeing the animal that was still growling, albeit softly. " O-o-our m-mm-master sends word. He wants to know your progress and if you have found the boy yet. He grows tired of waiting and wants the boy found as soon as possible." His voice steadily grew stronger as he puffed out his chest, reminding himself that Lucius was probably going to be punished by Voldemort soon for taking so long.
Unfortunately, his new found confidence and assertiveness faltered under the harsh glare Malfoy sent his way, and his gaze was drawn to the image of forty five kilograms of man-killing flesh pacing restlessly between Malfoy and him, eyeing him hungrily, snarling quietly while licking its chops. "Eeek!!" Pettigrew squealed. Uncontrollably, his trembling started all over again, and nervously, he edged closer to the door.
Lucius smirked and kept silent, enjoying the look of fright and horror on Pettigrew's face and wanting to prolong the other man's torture. Hey, he may be a spy for the side of light but no one ever said he was a bloody Gryffindor! He was a /Malfoy/ after all, there were certain inherent qualities that came with the name and the blood.
"Lucius, Master wants a reply as soon as possible. He agrees to your request not to summon you until you have fulfilled your mission but grows weary of the wait. He wants results. What shall I tell him? " Wormtail tried again, wanting to get out of that room fast and as far away as possible.
Oh, now this was not very good. No way did he want to see Voldemort. Not right now. Not ever. Besides, that would leave Harry vulnerable and alone in the room. But, there was no getting out of it. He had to go and give a report. Damn it! Lucius silently cursed while outwardly he gave a regal nod to Wormtail and replies in calm, cultured tones, " Tell our Lord although I have not found the exact whereabouts of the brat yet, I am hot on his trail. I am to meet with several informants over the next few days. I will learn more from them. Now, begone and don't you dare come snooping around here again. I may not be around to control Waz next time or might just forget that I know a rat."
Quaking, the miserable rat disapparated with a 'pop' after walking out of the suite door.
Once the wards certified that Wormtail had truly gone and no one else was snooping around the suite, Lucius spelled the door closed again and turned to his, no, not his, to /Potter/. Crouching next to the animagus, Lucius admired the boy's instincts and caution of not changing back into his human form in case there were other threats, even though the wards had given the all clear.
Bringing his head close to the panther's ear, and pretending to be just playing with the animal, praising him for his performance and soothing the big cat, Lucius murmured in soft undertones, telling the boy that he did well and to calm down. Even though the threat had left, the cat was all tensed up, trembling minutely in anger and rage not to mention a slight tinge of fear. Lucius had to calm the animal down before he lost control of himself. Luckily, the soothing seemed to be working and the growling slowly quieted down and then came to a stop.
Walking around the suite, sweeping his wand over corners and shadows while Waz paced the length trying to sniff out intruders, Lucius finally gave the full all clear and removed the collar from the panther, allowing Harry to change back into his human form.
Both released a deep breath of relief and fell unto the sofa, limp and tired. After a few minutes of lassitude, Lucius suddenly arose from his seat and walked to the mini-bar, gathering as many of the little bottles as possible and then retired to the bedroom. Harry stared after him, confused and a little hurt that he was going to be left alone out in the sitting room. However, just after entering the bedroom, Malfoy stood still and turned his head slightly, " Aren't coming? This is the best way to forget about what just happened. I find it very therapeutic."
Staring at the man who still managed to confuse him, Harry weighed the pro's and cons. He had never really gotten drunk before, heck, had never drunk anything stronger then butterbeer. It might be a good time to just lose all his problems and float for a while. With that, he rose gracefully and followed Malfoy into the bedroom. shutting the door behind him.
TBC...
