The Malfoy Inheritance
Chapter 10: Freedom's PriceJust as Pansy's hands fell back onto her lap, sore from brushing for so long; Lucivar's head snapped towards the Slytherin entrance; he rose in one fluid movement and crept closer; he leaned his head closer towards the door; listening to something that only he could hear.
His lips quirked up into a smile,
"What is it Lucivar?" Millicent asked softly; Pansy half rose from her seat.
Draco got up from his chair and strode wordlessly to stand at Lucivar's side; straining his ears to hear whatever was being said.
"-Why are we here? Are you sure the password will even work?" came Ronald Weasley's voice.
"-Because Ron- we're going to perform this spell I found from the restricted section of the library-" Hermione's voice answered
Damn they work fast…Draco thought absently.
"Yeah the password will work, I heard a couple of first years say it when I was on my way to the kitchens…" Harry's voice spoke up.
The smile on Lucivar's face died, a blaze of bright red fire lighting up his previously dulled red ones; the room became noticeably colder as the three Slytherins began breathing out fog.
With a slight wave of his right arm, Pansy, Millicent, and Draco were plucked from the ground to float in midair, their calls of alarm muffled by magic as he moved them off to the side of the entrance, setting them gently on their feet.
"Serpent Sortia!" came a whispered password.
The door opened just wide enough to admit three bodies single file.
Lucivar's tail lashed out and yanked the invisibility cloak off the trio, he raised the same arm to lift the shocked Gryffindor named Hermione off the ground as his other arm snapped out to grab the brewed potion in the young woman's hand.
He let his arm fall to his side; Hermione fell to the ground with a half shriek, both Ron and Harry braced her fall.
A bubbling navy blue potion simmered within the large glass beaker stopped with a wooden cork; Lucivar glared at the concoction, so tempting, within his grasp…to drink, and he'd be free…but at what cost? Too high a price to just go home and return to his old life…he couldn't do that, not this way…never this way...how easy it could be…
A snarl ripped from his throat as he threw the potion against the stonewall, little comforted when it smashed into millions of glass fragments, leaving the spoilt potion to dribble to the floor.
Turning hateful eyes upon the young witchling, Lucivar growled low, not at all pleased with her deplorable habit of dabbling in other's affairs. He glanced at the trembling redhead and knew he had played a large part in helping the child; his eyes turned to bright green ones that attempted to appear fearless before him.
"Did you have a hand in helping with that?" Lucivar's cold demeanor grew even more icy as he flicked his eyes to the destroyed potion on the wall just beside the entrance.
The green eyes seemed to falter as his pale lip trembled ever so slightly but the human held his ground, and because of that, Lucivar's respect for this particular human grew.
"The intentions for making the potion I believed, and so I did." Harry spoke carefully; he didn't know why, but something about Lucivar commanded something of obedience from him; similar to the way a nobleman commanded respect and obedience from a peasant or someone of lesser rank.
And even worse, he couldn't seem to shake the notion from his mind either.
"And ever so crystal those intentions were to free me from the 'Malfoys Evil clutches'…am I not correct in saying so?" Lucivar's eyes settled into a hateful glare that was directed at Hermione.
"Well isn't it true? I mean seriously! Malfoy is one evil, barmy git if I ever knew one!" Ron piped up as he held an arm to steady the shaking Hermione.
"Oh sure~! And the Weasleys are as poor and stupid as they come." Draco snapped, okay it wasn't one of his better insults but the entire situation was seriously weirding him out.
"Appearances can be deceiving," Lucivar said simply, closing the matter, "Now, children, you will promise me to never try to 'free' me like that again. Are we clear?" he intoned seriously, obviously quite pissed at the entire situation.
"Wha~?" Hermione practically gaped, "We were trying to give you back your freedom!!"
"At a price I'm not willing to pay!" He snarled, glaring at the young woman crossly.
"Now promise you won't try it again!"
"I-I promise." Ron squeeked, desperately wanting to get out of the room; he was freezing and he did not like the way those blood-red eyes were swirling.
Hermione looked about ready to retaliate, but under Lucivar's unwavering, heatedly furious gaze…she'd better comply.
"I promise." She murmured defeatedly, fingers crossed behind her back.
Red eyes stared levelly at green ones, "And?" Lucivar prompted.
Harry looked from Hermione and Ron to Draco and then Lucivar, "What would be the price that you said you wouldn't pay?"
Lucivar looked slightly surprised, just a mere flicker of his eyes. His body stilled and he averted his eyes, a single word falling from his lips as he seemed to fold back into himself.
"…Death…"
"Yours? Or…" Harry broke off, suddenly knowing who would die.
It was then that he truly looked at Lucivar, I mean really looked at him; despite all the masks he hid behind, the simple fact that he valued life, no matter whose it was, became painfully clear to him them. That he would never willingly take a life, no matter how much the person deserved to die…and the one who managed to enslave him, all those years ago- knew it.
Knew it, and used it against him…if he were to ever accept help in being freed, or freeing himself, the one who placed the spell on him, would die…and since the one who first had cast the spell is long gone…
Through the blood of the Malfoy line…
If Lucivar had drank that potion, the entire Malfoy line would've died, Draco Malfoy along with them.
The sudden thought of Malfoy, dying, brought an odd sort of pang into his heart… But it was a fleeting thing…
When Harry returned his attention to the front, he met with warm, blood-red eyes.
Those same eyes widened then flicked to Draco for a moment before resting on the floor.
"I promise." Harry agreed, taking the invisibility cloak back from the white-skinned creature and quietly ushering his friends out of Slytherin house
"You're lucky we're feeling so charitable today Gryffindorks! Otherwise you'd be having a years worth of detentions and hundreds of house points taken away for pulling a stunt like this!!" Pansy called to there retreating backs, covering up for Draco's silence.
-r/r people,
and to everyone else that reviewed, that I didn't respond too down here, thanks for typin a comment to me.
Meni Mine Moe : Hunh, didn't know only chits could get migraines…I suppose I could've called mum to ask about it, she being the nurse of the family and all that rot…thanks for the input- never took into consideration their ages, probably because my mind just can't add numbers to faces…my left brain and right brain have never really been on friendly terms…
Saffy : Yes, I know all about the different students and rather mixed up places containing more than the normal two house types. But this is my fanfic and so- I can do whatever I bloody well fancy. I have never had any intentions of being spot on concerning the classes and time frames, I know I've someone screwed up and placed several different systems of dozens of lower and higher ranking schools all into one.
Simply, I'm messed up in the head and generally find it better not to question the right side of it since that happens to be reigning supreme over the rest of me.
I wasn't looking for names, I don't really care for them; concerning how colin, a few years younger than Hermione got into an excel class the same as her- well it's not like Rowling ever went into detail concerning each character so you can't say that Colin isn't smart enough to get his arse into higher classes. Also, you can't prove Colin's an idiot or any of that by judging on his personality as the stalker-kid with a camera.
Some of the most idiotic people I know happen to be borderline geniuses believe it or not.
And yes I was also aware of how much older Marcus is compared to others, for all you or anyone else reading this fic could know, Marcus may have been held back a year or two, or just taking the class because he feels like it.
Another good point you've made concerning how the people distract from the story, but the people come in even if I've yet to think of why, in life, there isn't no main person and every other creature is shoved into the backround, I tend to bring in other characters because they are there, and I'm acknowledging them as such.
My spelling and general grammar of the fanfic is rather poor and I'm sure I could use a beta but I prefer to suffer and generally have a few other readers get peeved about it because- shyte like that makes my day as of late since I've sadly given up the nice days of bdsm~ so forgive it and live with it.
Also, concerning the sidenote, 'what's with the stereotype?' I've never directly said that Lucivar was goth, just that his appearance simply looked it- I think Draco may have thought that somewhere in a previous chapter. Sure, your goth, maybe your friends too, so what? You wear black and matching make-up? Jollies for you then.
I like braids, and to you, they seem classless, to me, it's how you appear as a person that defines whether you're classless or not. Silly? Hardly, we're simply two different in perceptions for me to explain or define so I won't bother to waste my bloody time.
So...where you are; only punks braid their hair? Hunh, well I'm not about to go further into anymore explaining, I believe this is a long enough review response as it is.
