Chapter IV - Prettyboy and Headboy
When Lucius entered the Great Hall Friday morning for breakfast the first thing he saw was Arthur at the Slytherin table making some very severe remarks at some second-year boys.
Arthur was Headboy and Lucius resented that very deeply as he always knew the title would have to be chosen between the two of them. The fact that a Weasley, and very particularly, that Weasley had beaten him was a thing he was still fighting to accept. He had always been very practical. He believed that we must accept the things we cannot change... at least for the moment. But it was costing him every strength he had to be able to talk to Arthur in a civilized manner instead of pulling his wand out and curse him right then and there.
He and Arthur had almost been good friends. They had actually come aboard the Hogwarts Express together on their first journey. Lucius was holding a grudge against the relatives he had in Hogwarts (a couple of cousins) and Arthur was feeling very lonely because his older brothers didn't want to hang around him and just left for another compartment. There was a strange connection between them from the start. Somehow, they just started talking about their fears and expectations towards their first year. Lucius was a very confident boy, but he was as eager to learn as Arthur, and the journey was a very pleasant one.
They shared the same sense of awe as they travelled in the boats towards the castle, they experienced the same anxiety as Prof. McGonagall told them about the Sorting Ceremony, and they both seated for no more than 3 seconds in the stool before the Sorting Hat cried their Houses. Slytherin... and Gryffindor.
That should have told them right away that there was no way such different and strong characters could survive a friendship, but that didn't keep them from doing homework together at the Library and joining in snow fights during all winter.
But with few lessons in common and a lot to learn, their friendship didn't have much room to develop. And as they finished their first year meeting such few times, Arthur decided to invite Lucius to spend some days with him during the summer holidays, back at his house. That was the second sign they should have read.
Arthur was poor, while Lucius was so rich it had never occurred to him that people could actually live in houses with less then 10 rooms. And the Weasley family didn't have house-elfs. Which was something Lucius found absolutely insane.
At first, Arthur tried to make it up for his rich friend by showing him around the village where he lived. And although they could fly and play one to one Quidditch in a very cool clearing near his house, everything else just bored Lucius to death.
The third sign they should have noticed about their impossible friendship was that Lucius decided to end those tedious days by inviting Arthur to join him at the Malfoy Manor for a few days as well.
Arthur wasn't used to such wealth and he made a fool of himself on some occasions like the old classical blunder of not knowing which fork matched which knife, which made Lucius blush in embarrassment.
But even thought those signs were clear from the beginning, another thing that was clear was that they could not be simply indifferent to each other. Not even now, when they were as different and as unfriendly as they could get. True friends, or true enemies, Lucius and Arthur always had something to say to each other.
And, as expected, even though Arthur was just leaving when Lucius reached the table, the Weasley could not resist a "Good morning" sarcastic smile, together with "And how was Potions class yesterday?"
"Good, thank you." replied Lucius, rather coldly. "How was your caring for magical beasts?"
"Wonderful. And it's caring of magical creatures."
"Actually, I was talking about that red-haired that follows you everywhere."
Arthur blushed to the hears and opened his mouth to reply. But he was Headboy and he knew he couldn't do it in front of other students. That was another difference between the two of them that very early started breaking their friendship. Arthur was as cool as Lucius, but he could never get so low and especially when other things were at stake.
"Changing subjects, you know Molly, my girlfriend, I don't know if you've met her?" Lucius smiled to himself "Nice try..."
"Yes, I might have even mentioned her a couple of times." said Lucius casually.
"Yes, well, she had Potions yesterday too. Right before lunch. She doesn't remember having seeing you in her classes..."
"Well, I didn't say I needed it for that class. Actually, I was just doing some homework."
"Or a Potion for yourself, maybe? Because she told me Licca leaves are rarely used as ingredients in Potions."
"Tell me about it" thought Lucius, who didn't even know what they were.
"Actually, there was only one potion she could remember that needed it." said Arthur, suddenly raising his voice as he saw some Gryffindor girls passing by. "But I really hope you wouldn't need that kind of potion..." and he looked down significantly while the girls started to giggle "would you?"
A few other girls laughed at the nearby Ravenclaw table and Arthur left, with a gracious smile before Lucius could even reply.
Rodolphus, who had joined the girls in their laughs, took Lucius by the arm and sat with him at their table.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked Rod, narrowing his eyes.
"Sorry, Lucius, but that was a clear score. 10-0, my friend." and he winked. "You know, I should start a betting every time you and that Weasley meet."
"Actually," said Lucius staring at his toast, suddenly very grumpy "it's 20- 0."
"Well, I'm not counting the fact that he beat you becoming Headboy."
"30-0 then." said Lucius "And thanks for reminding me of that."
"Come on," said Rodolphus, patting his shoulder "don't let him get to you. Like you so wisely taught me: we must accept the things we cannot change. At least while we cannot change them."
"I never thought you listened to me." he said, still staring at the toast as if trying to curse it with the eyes.
"I don't. But the fact is... the winds are changing, my friend." Lucius lifted his eyes from the toast (who sighed relieved) and stared at him.
"What the hell happened to you today? Did Alice finally-"
"No no no no no, my friend, and don't bring Alice into this or I'll have to challenge you to a mortal duel."
"You're really spirituous today..." Lucius remarked, rolling his eyes.
Rodolphus leaned closer to Lucius and whispered "Brother Rabastan sent me another owl."
Lucius looked at him very seriously this time.
"He did?"
"The winds are changing, my friend, and we're gonna take part in it." and winking again he took a toast and started humming happily.
When Lucius entered the Great Hall Friday morning for breakfast the first thing he saw was Arthur at the Slytherin table making some very severe remarks at some second-year boys.
Arthur was Headboy and Lucius resented that very deeply as he always knew the title would have to be chosen between the two of them. The fact that a Weasley, and very particularly, that Weasley had beaten him was a thing he was still fighting to accept. He had always been very practical. He believed that we must accept the things we cannot change... at least for the moment. But it was costing him every strength he had to be able to talk to Arthur in a civilized manner instead of pulling his wand out and curse him right then and there.
He and Arthur had almost been good friends. They had actually come aboard the Hogwarts Express together on their first journey. Lucius was holding a grudge against the relatives he had in Hogwarts (a couple of cousins) and Arthur was feeling very lonely because his older brothers didn't want to hang around him and just left for another compartment. There was a strange connection between them from the start. Somehow, they just started talking about their fears and expectations towards their first year. Lucius was a very confident boy, but he was as eager to learn as Arthur, and the journey was a very pleasant one.
They shared the same sense of awe as they travelled in the boats towards the castle, they experienced the same anxiety as Prof. McGonagall told them about the Sorting Ceremony, and they both seated for no more than 3 seconds in the stool before the Sorting Hat cried their Houses. Slytherin... and Gryffindor.
That should have told them right away that there was no way such different and strong characters could survive a friendship, but that didn't keep them from doing homework together at the Library and joining in snow fights during all winter.
But with few lessons in common and a lot to learn, their friendship didn't have much room to develop. And as they finished their first year meeting such few times, Arthur decided to invite Lucius to spend some days with him during the summer holidays, back at his house. That was the second sign they should have read.
Arthur was poor, while Lucius was so rich it had never occurred to him that people could actually live in houses with less then 10 rooms. And the Weasley family didn't have house-elfs. Which was something Lucius found absolutely insane.
At first, Arthur tried to make it up for his rich friend by showing him around the village where he lived. And although they could fly and play one to one Quidditch in a very cool clearing near his house, everything else just bored Lucius to death.
The third sign they should have noticed about their impossible friendship was that Lucius decided to end those tedious days by inviting Arthur to join him at the Malfoy Manor for a few days as well.
Arthur wasn't used to such wealth and he made a fool of himself on some occasions like the old classical blunder of not knowing which fork matched which knife, which made Lucius blush in embarrassment.
But even thought those signs were clear from the beginning, another thing that was clear was that they could not be simply indifferent to each other. Not even now, when they were as different and as unfriendly as they could get. True friends, or true enemies, Lucius and Arthur always had something to say to each other.
And, as expected, even though Arthur was just leaving when Lucius reached the table, the Weasley could not resist a "Good morning" sarcastic smile, together with "And how was Potions class yesterday?"
"Good, thank you." replied Lucius, rather coldly. "How was your caring for magical beasts?"
"Wonderful. And it's caring of magical creatures."
"Actually, I was talking about that red-haired that follows you everywhere."
Arthur blushed to the hears and opened his mouth to reply. But he was Headboy and he knew he couldn't do it in front of other students. That was another difference between the two of them that very early started breaking their friendship. Arthur was as cool as Lucius, but he could never get so low and especially when other things were at stake.
"Changing subjects, you know Molly, my girlfriend, I don't know if you've met her?" Lucius smiled to himself "Nice try..."
"Yes, I might have even mentioned her a couple of times." said Lucius casually.
"Yes, well, she had Potions yesterday too. Right before lunch. She doesn't remember having seeing you in her classes..."
"Well, I didn't say I needed it for that class. Actually, I was just doing some homework."
"Or a Potion for yourself, maybe? Because she told me Licca leaves are rarely used as ingredients in Potions."
"Tell me about it" thought Lucius, who didn't even know what they were.
"Actually, there was only one potion she could remember that needed it." said Arthur, suddenly raising his voice as he saw some Gryffindor girls passing by. "But I really hope you wouldn't need that kind of potion..." and he looked down significantly while the girls started to giggle "would you?"
A few other girls laughed at the nearby Ravenclaw table and Arthur left, with a gracious smile before Lucius could even reply.
Rodolphus, who had joined the girls in their laughs, took Lucius by the arm and sat with him at their table.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked Rod, narrowing his eyes.
"Sorry, Lucius, but that was a clear score. 10-0, my friend." and he winked. "You know, I should start a betting every time you and that Weasley meet."
"Actually," said Lucius staring at his toast, suddenly very grumpy "it's 20- 0."
"Well, I'm not counting the fact that he beat you becoming Headboy."
"30-0 then." said Lucius "And thanks for reminding me of that."
"Come on," said Rodolphus, patting his shoulder "don't let him get to you. Like you so wisely taught me: we must accept the things we cannot change. At least while we cannot change them."
"I never thought you listened to me." he said, still staring at the toast as if trying to curse it with the eyes.
"I don't. But the fact is... the winds are changing, my friend." Lucius lifted his eyes from the toast (who sighed relieved) and stared at him.
"What the hell happened to you today? Did Alice finally-"
"No no no no no, my friend, and don't bring Alice into this or I'll have to challenge you to a mortal duel."
"You're really spirituous today..." Lucius remarked, rolling his eyes.
Rodolphus leaned closer to Lucius and whispered "Brother Rabastan sent me another owl."
Lucius looked at him very seriously this time.
"He did?"
"The winds are changing, my friend, and we're gonna take part in it." and winking again he took a toast and started humming happily.