Notes: I have about another two chapters already written. One is the so-
called "kink" scene, which has been spectacularly difficult to write, so
you'll have to forgive me. After those chapters, I know how it ends but I'm
making no promises of fast updates. I have exams looming, and it's probably
time I found out what this "psychology" lark is all about.
It was at least an hour later when Wolfgang awoke in a sticky, plasticy hospital bed. His eye hurt, but this wasn't an unusual situation for him. Taking punches for Lucius Malfoy was always preferable to taking punches from Lucius Malfoy or one of his thuggish cronies, and the hospital wing had become a familiar place over the years.
"Ah," said the voice of Madame Pomfrey. The medical witch bustled into Wolfgang's line of sight. "You're awake finally. Drink this." A goblet of something thick and yellow was thrust in front of him. He sniffed.
"What is this?"
"Painkiller. Tsk. No wonder you lost your prefect badge, you haven't been a single month this year without a fight."
"Yer," said Wolfgang, then downed the disgusting yellow goo in one mouthful.
"Oh, and there's a visitor for you," added Madame Pomfrey. "It's Mr Malfoy."
Wolfgang fluffed his own pillows and sat up in bed. Lucius appeared and settled down into the chair beside the bed.
"Alright," said Wolfgang. "The money's in my bag down there."
Lucius didn't move. "I ought to apologise," he said.
"Don't be a twat; I knew all along you'd win. You'll have to get the money out yourself, I can't move, aargh, the pain. . ."
The bigger boy cleared his throat. "I may be a liar, but essentially, when you get right down to it, as I'm sure you already know, I am not a dishonest man. And, well, as an honest man, I can't take that money. Not yet."
Wolfgang stared. "You didn't do it?"
"Not in so many words. But you interrupted me. I said I ought to apologise. For, er, pushing you in the corridor. Twice."
"Eh?" said Wolfgang, and, "What?"
"Remus said it was dreadfully rude of me."
"What?"
"He wasn't impressed. He said if I was any kind of man, I'd apologise. So that's what I'm doing."
Wolfgang's jaw dropped. "What?"
"Stop saying 'what'." Malfoy slumped back in the chair and examined the slim fingers of his right hand. "It was weird, Wolf," he said distantly.
"What happened?"
"I'm not completely sure." Still staring into the middle distance, Lucius cracked his knuckles loudly. Wolfgang winced at this displacement activity.
"Spit it out."
There was a moment's silence as Lucius tried to organise things in his mind. Wolfgang soon got bored with this.
"You took Lupin to the prefects' room?" he asked. Lucius looked at him, then nodded. "And then . . . You talked to him?"
"Yes. I have no idea what about. This and that. It was weird – I tried everything."
"You flirted?"
"Of course. I tried everything."
"And you propositioned him outright?"
"Ev. Ery. Thing."
Wolfgang chewed his lower lip. "And he said no?"
Lucius shrugged. "He just talked around it. He was playing with me, I know it. Playing with ME! As if he'd planned this, as if he were trying to win some bet of his own to, I don't know, disgrace the Head Boy. The presumptuous little twat."
Wolf grinned. "So. . .What're you saying? That I win?"
"Certainly not! It's only Sunday, and you know the rules."
"Yes, yes, you have until next Saturday. Good luck with seducing someone who finds you so entertaining."
Lucius stomped from the hospital wing, fuming angrily. Twice in one day he had been made a fool of, but at least the whole school had not been watching his attempt to win Remus Lupin. If he hadn't known Bellatrix Black's family better, he would have sought instant revenge on her, but as it was he valued his own life and those of his immediate family too much to put at risk over a day or two of being sniggered at. However, he did have a use for her. He did not understand this Lupin boy, but there were those who did, and if Lucius was going to win this little game he was going to need that understanding more than anything. He knew a complex mind when he encountered one; in Lupin he had finally found a worthy opponent. Not someone who was intellectually his equal – Lupin may well have been, but that had not yet become apparent – but someone who's mind worked in a similar way to his own. Someone who not only thought about things, but thought about the way he thought; someone who could distance himself from reality and look at it from the outside. Yes, Lupin was special. And, of course, he was pretty too, thought Lucius with a smile. Yes, despite initial complications he was going to enjoy this immensely.
It was Wednesday - and Wolfgang's hopes for a sudden and significant raise to his bank balance were increasing - before they saw anything of Remus Lupin again. Wolf helpfully pointed out that it was full moon on Monday, which Lucius considered highly unfair. Monday and Tuesday had effectively been removed from his Lupin-seducing time, but the rules were the rules and the bet would stand for the duration of one week, no more, no less. No end of grumbling would sway Wolfgang, who seemed to get more cheerful as the week wore on. However, the smile vanished from his face when Remus Lupin and his three friends walked across their path during Wednesday lunchtime. Lucius put a steadying hand on Wolfgang's chest and then stepped forward so the four boys couldn't fail to see him.
James Potter started, and Sirius Black narrowed his eyes. Peter Pettigrew (Lucius had been assured that this was the fat boy's name) made a sort of high-pitched squeaking noise and hid behind them. Lupin merely raised a questioning eyebrow at them and folded his arms.
"Can we help you?" asked Potter coldly. He had never had any kind of fondness for Lucius, and merely retained an air of uninterested politeness since his appointment as Head Boy. Everyone knew Potter and Black were the smartest wizards in their year, but Lucius saw them in a different light. Brainy they may have been, but also inelegantly arrogant and horribly smug. He didn't like people with too much confidence, and Black and Potter had received double helpings. Lupin, however, was silently wise. This, Lucius admired.
"No you can't," said Lucius. "But Mr Black can."
They all looked at Sirius; even Lupin looked faintly surprised. Lucius produced a folded piece of parchment from the pocket of his robes and handed it to Sirius.
"Deliver this to your cousin."
"Bellatrix?"
"None other."
Sirius glared at Lucius, and then tucked the parchment into his own pocket. Wolfgang glanced at Remus, whose eyes were fixed on Lucius. The head boy hadn't spared the young Gryffindor prefect as much as a glance. There were signs of confusion in Lupin's eyes, and the slight nervous movements of his hands. Lucius nodded at Sirius, then began to move off, with Wolfgang in tow.
"Okay, explain," snapped the red-head.
"Black will read the note and share it with his friends," said Lucius simply.
"Yes? And what will he read, exactly?"
"A proposition to Bellatrix, obviously. Lupin will think he's caused me to lose interest in him, feel jealous of Bellatrix, and do all the work for me."
Wolfgang snorted. "Not bad, in theory, but you're making some major assumptions."
"Educated assumptions, my dear fellow. And that's the important bit."
"But they're still assumptions, Lucius. What if he just forgets about it and leaves it in his pocket for a week before putting it in the wash and melting it?"
Their casual saunter took them towards the Great Lake, where a couple of Slytherin girls from the sixth year were dangling their feet in the water. They glanced over and giggled when they saw Lucius heading toward them. Without taking his eyes off the girls he muttered in Wolfgang's ear.
"You underestimate me. This is not my only plan."
"Oh good. And what when Bellatrix receives the letter? What will you tell her?"
"I'm sure I'll think of something. Ah, ladies," he suddenly exclaimed loudly. "Nice to see you out in the sunshine; even a Slytherin should be concerned for her complexion. Can't spend our whole lives in a dungeon, can we?"
The girls climbed to their feet, and Wolfgang suddenly found himself arm-in- arm with the freckled brunette, while the slim blonde wrapped herself around Lucius. They set off along the lakeside, Lucius smiling and chatting charmingly, and Wolfgang forced to trot to keep up. This was the other perk involved in being friends with the Head Boy, and one Wolfgang was always slightly uncertain about. None of the girls ever spoke to him again afterwards, which was often a good thing, but he hated the knowledge that without Lucius there wouldn't even be an afterwards, because there would have been no event to precede anything. But now wasn't the time to fret over reasons and morals, not least because the brunette had started stroking his ear. Lucius glanced at him, winked, and then led the blonde away from the lake and towards the school. Wolfgang, suddenly feeling very awkward, made his hasty excuses and fled to the library under the pretence of studying for his long-neglected NEWTs, and left the girl at the edge of the water, screaming futile curses after him.
It was at least an hour later when Wolfgang awoke in a sticky, plasticy hospital bed. His eye hurt, but this wasn't an unusual situation for him. Taking punches for Lucius Malfoy was always preferable to taking punches from Lucius Malfoy or one of his thuggish cronies, and the hospital wing had become a familiar place over the years.
"Ah," said the voice of Madame Pomfrey. The medical witch bustled into Wolfgang's line of sight. "You're awake finally. Drink this." A goblet of something thick and yellow was thrust in front of him. He sniffed.
"What is this?"
"Painkiller. Tsk. No wonder you lost your prefect badge, you haven't been a single month this year without a fight."
"Yer," said Wolfgang, then downed the disgusting yellow goo in one mouthful.
"Oh, and there's a visitor for you," added Madame Pomfrey. "It's Mr Malfoy."
Wolfgang fluffed his own pillows and sat up in bed. Lucius appeared and settled down into the chair beside the bed.
"Alright," said Wolfgang. "The money's in my bag down there."
Lucius didn't move. "I ought to apologise," he said.
"Don't be a twat; I knew all along you'd win. You'll have to get the money out yourself, I can't move, aargh, the pain. . ."
The bigger boy cleared his throat. "I may be a liar, but essentially, when you get right down to it, as I'm sure you already know, I am not a dishonest man. And, well, as an honest man, I can't take that money. Not yet."
Wolfgang stared. "You didn't do it?"
"Not in so many words. But you interrupted me. I said I ought to apologise. For, er, pushing you in the corridor. Twice."
"Eh?" said Wolfgang, and, "What?"
"Remus said it was dreadfully rude of me."
"What?"
"He wasn't impressed. He said if I was any kind of man, I'd apologise. So that's what I'm doing."
Wolfgang's jaw dropped. "What?"
"Stop saying 'what'." Malfoy slumped back in the chair and examined the slim fingers of his right hand. "It was weird, Wolf," he said distantly.
"What happened?"
"I'm not completely sure." Still staring into the middle distance, Lucius cracked his knuckles loudly. Wolfgang winced at this displacement activity.
"Spit it out."
There was a moment's silence as Lucius tried to organise things in his mind. Wolfgang soon got bored with this.
"You took Lupin to the prefects' room?" he asked. Lucius looked at him, then nodded. "And then . . . You talked to him?"
"Yes. I have no idea what about. This and that. It was weird – I tried everything."
"You flirted?"
"Of course. I tried everything."
"And you propositioned him outright?"
"Ev. Ery. Thing."
Wolfgang chewed his lower lip. "And he said no?"
Lucius shrugged. "He just talked around it. He was playing with me, I know it. Playing with ME! As if he'd planned this, as if he were trying to win some bet of his own to, I don't know, disgrace the Head Boy. The presumptuous little twat."
Wolf grinned. "So. . .What're you saying? That I win?"
"Certainly not! It's only Sunday, and you know the rules."
"Yes, yes, you have until next Saturday. Good luck with seducing someone who finds you so entertaining."
Lucius stomped from the hospital wing, fuming angrily. Twice in one day he had been made a fool of, but at least the whole school had not been watching his attempt to win Remus Lupin. If he hadn't known Bellatrix Black's family better, he would have sought instant revenge on her, but as it was he valued his own life and those of his immediate family too much to put at risk over a day or two of being sniggered at. However, he did have a use for her. He did not understand this Lupin boy, but there were those who did, and if Lucius was going to win this little game he was going to need that understanding more than anything. He knew a complex mind when he encountered one; in Lupin he had finally found a worthy opponent. Not someone who was intellectually his equal – Lupin may well have been, but that had not yet become apparent – but someone who's mind worked in a similar way to his own. Someone who not only thought about things, but thought about the way he thought; someone who could distance himself from reality and look at it from the outside. Yes, Lupin was special. And, of course, he was pretty too, thought Lucius with a smile. Yes, despite initial complications he was going to enjoy this immensely.
It was Wednesday - and Wolfgang's hopes for a sudden and significant raise to his bank balance were increasing - before they saw anything of Remus Lupin again. Wolf helpfully pointed out that it was full moon on Monday, which Lucius considered highly unfair. Monday and Tuesday had effectively been removed from his Lupin-seducing time, but the rules were the rules and the bet would stand for the duration of one week, no more, no less. No end of grumbling would sway Wolfgang, who seemed to get more cheerful as the week wore on. However, the smile vanished from his face when Remus Lupin and his three friends walked across their path during Wednesday lunchtime. Lucius put a steadying hand on Wolfgang's chest and then stepped forward so the four boys couldn't fail to see him.
James Potter started, and Sirius Black narrowed his eyes. Peter Pettigrew (Lucius had been assured that this was the fat boy's name) made a sort of high-pitched squeaking noise and hid behind them. Lupin merely raised a questioning eyebrow at them and folded his arms.
"Can we help you?" asked Potter coldly. He had never had any kind of fondness for Lucius, and merely retained an air of uninterested politeness since his appointment as Head Boy. Everyone knew Potter and Black were the smartest wizards in their year, but Lucius saw them in a different light. Brainy they may have been, but also inelegantly arrogant and horribly smug. He didn't like people with too much confidence, and Black and Potter had received double helpings. Lupin, however, was silently wise. This, Lucius admired.
"No you can't," said Lucius. "But Mr Black can."
They all looked at Sirius; even Lupin looked faintly surprised. Lucius produced a folded piece of parchment from the pocket of his robes and handed it to Sirius.
"Deliver this to your cousin."
"Bellatrix?"
"None other."
Sirius glared at Lucius, and then tucked the parchment into his own pocket. Wolfgang glanced at Remus, whose eyes were fixed on Lucius. The head boy hadn't spared the young Gryffindor prefect as much as a glance. There were signs of confusion in Lupin's eyes, and the slight nervous movements of his hands. Lucius nodded at Sirius, then began to move off, with Wolfgang in tow.
"Okay, explain," snapped the red-head.
"Black will read the note and share it with his friends," said Lucius simply.
"Yes? And what will he read, exactly?"
"A proposition to Bellatrix, obviously. Lupin will think he's caused me to lose interest in him, feel jealous of Bellatrix, and do all the work for me."
Wolfgang snorted. "Not bad, in theory, but you're making some major assumptions."
"Educated assumptions, my dear fellow. And that's the important bit."
"But they're still assumptions, Lucius. What if he just forgets about it and leaves it in his pocket for a week before putting it in the wash and melting it?"
Their casual saunter took them towards the Great Lake, where a couple of Slytherin girls from the sixth year were dangling their feet in the water. They glanced over and giggled when they saw Lucius heading toward them. Without taking his eyes off the girls he muttered in Wolfgang's ear.
"You underestimate me. This is not my only plan."
"Oh good. And what when Bellatrix receives the letter? What will you tell her?"
"I'm sure I'll think of something. Ah, ladies," he suddenly exclaimed loudly. "Nice to see you out in the sunshine; even a Slytherin should be concerned for her complexion. Can't spend our whole lives in a dungeon, can we?"
The girls climbed to their feet, and Wolfgang suddenly found himself arm-in- arm with the freckled brunette, while the slim blonde wrapped herself around Lucius. They set off along the lakeside, Lucius smiling and chatting charmingly, and Wolfgang forced to trot to keep up. This was the other perk involved in being friends with the Head Boy, and one Wolfgang was always slightly uncertain about. None of the girls ever spoke to him again afterwards, which was often a good thing, but he hated the knowledge that without Lucius there wouldn't even be an afterwards, because there would have been no event to precede anything. But now wasn't the time to fret over reasons and morals, not least because the brunette had started stroking his ear. Lucius glanced at him, winked, and then led the blonde away from the lake and towards the school. Wolfgang, suddenly feeling very awkward, made his hasty excuses and fled to the library under the pretence of studying for his long-neglected NEWTs, and left the girl at the edge of the water, screaming futile curses after him.