Chapter V - Friday
Lucius left his Defence Against the Dark Arts class feeling very morose. It was a cloudy Friday, and he felt as gloomy as the sky for he still didn't have a clue on what Alexis and Andromeda were up to. He had, of course, checked every corner of the place where he and Alexis had met the day before, but she had obviously suspected something and moved the potion somewhere else. He was just starting to consider giving up on the subject, as he had to be quite alert for the Quidditch game the next morning, when he saw her crossing the lawn alone and looking a bit more fat than usual under her robes.
Forgetting all about his next class, he followed her as discreetly as he could and he found himself leaving in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch.
Following her in the whereabouts of the Pitch was much more difficult, as the surroundings were almost deprived of hiding places. But it was much easier to keep an eye on her as there were no places where he could loose sight of her either. His fear was that she would go far enough without him getting closer and loosing her when she turned somewhere over the hills beyond the field.
He was looking at her crossing the Pitch, hidden behind the broomshed where they kept all Quidditch equipment. He saw her turning around to check if she was being followed and he hid behind the broomshed, hoping she hadn't seen him. A few seconds later, he risked looking again... but he couldn't see her anymore.
He looked all around the lawn, the Pitch itself, the surroundings... and nothing. She was too far away from the locker rooms to have hide there so quickly. She should still be somewhere in the Pitch. But both the fields and the stands were empty.
Puzzled (and frustrated) he came out from behind the broomshed and looked around once more. And there was no doubt. Alexis was nowhere to be seen.
***
He entered the Great Hall feeling even more morose. Where had she gone to? As he sat on the table, a hand taped on his shoulder. It was Arthur Weasley.
"I heard you skipped another lesson, Lucius." he said with a suspicious look.
"Yes, mum, I have." he answered rather sarcastically. "But I really don't see how that can be any of your business, Mr. Headboy."
"I have to keep an eye on the students, remember? And you're starting to behave too strangely, even for you. What are you really up to? I'll be cursed if you ever skipped a class before."
"And what does that prove?"
"That you're up to something. And I don't like the sound of it. You usually keep trouble to yourself, but I'm pretty sure you're not alone this time."
"No, Arthur, it proves that you need to get a life. I'm not the only one who skips classes, so why don't you go bother somebody else?"
"No, I'm well aware you're not the only one. Miss Tonks has been missing in some classes as well. And she skipped Transfiguration today... like you."
"Alexis?" and he tried to hide his sudden worries. He didn't want to bring Alexis into this. Arthur was too nosy sometimes and he certainly didn't want him to even imagine there was something going on before he could find out what it was. Especially because, since it seemed illegal, he would stop them and Lucius was now almost as anxious as the girls themselves.
Right on cue, Alexis herself entered the Great Hall. She had obviously got rid of something (preparations for the full moon?) as she was again thinner. Arthur looked at her and Lucius saw that he was prepared to confront her as well.
"Well, Arthur" said Lucius in a certain urgency but trying to remain his coolness "you wouldn't bother Alexis with this, would you? I thought we had been discreet... But it seems-"
"What?" asked Arthur suddenly, looking at him again "You and Alexis?"
"What can I say? It seems I didn't need that potion after all..." and he grinned very nastily. But he could see that Arthur was having a hard time buying that.
"I can't believe you-"
"Arthur, be a gentleman." he said "You wouldn't go bothering her, would you? It's all my fault. You know I am a bit... hum... over-enthusiastic with the ladies..."
"I still think-"
"Yes, I know. She does hide very well what she feels about me. I know she despises me in public, but I can guarantee that in private-"
"Enough details, Lucius. Listen, if you're lying to me-"
"Why would I lie? Why would I protect her?"
Arthur still didn't seem convinced. But he just gave him a warning look and joined his fellow Gryffindors.
Lucius sighed. Good thing Arthur was so naïve. How could he ever believe that Lucius Malfoy could roll in the grass with a mudblood? But as he seat down to have some lunch, Rodolphus sat next to him.
"Lucius, where the hell have you been?"
"Why?"
"I heard that the Big Head was inquiring about you. Are you insane? We can't arouse suspicious at this moment!"
"Relax, Rod. Arthur is a good person, and as all good people, he is naïve and trusting. Easily manipulated."
Rod eyed him sideways.
"I hope you're right, Lucius. But don't go spoiling it now."
"I wouldn't think about it" he thought to himself. Although he had no idea where Alexis had been, he was now willingly sharing the secret with them, whether they wanted or not. And if all else fails, he thought, I can always blackmail about calling our Headboy into this. I'm sure they'd rather have an accomplice than suffer punishment or expulsion.
Lucius left his Defence Against the Dark Arts class feeling very morose. It was a cloudy Friday, and he felt as gloomy as the sky for he still didn't have a clue on what Alexis and Andromeda were up to. He had, of course, checked every corner of the place where he and Alexis had met the day before, but she had obviously suspected something and moved the potion somewhere else. He was just starting to consider giving up on the subject, as he had to be quite alert for the Quidditch game the next morning, when he saw her crossing the lawn alone and looking a bit more fat than usual under her robes.
Forgetting all about his next class, he followed her as discreetly as he could and he found himself leaving in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch.
Following her in the whereabouts of the Pitch was much more difficult, as the surroundings were almost deprived of hiding places. But it was much easier to keep an eye on her as there were no places where he could loose sight of her either. His fear was that she would go far enough without him getting closer and loosing her when she turned somewhere over the hills beyond the field.
He was looking at her crossing the Pitch, hidden behind the broomshed where they kept all Quidditch equipment. He saw her turning around to check if she was being followed and he hid behind the broomshed, hoping she hadn't seen him. A few seconds later, he risked looking again... but he couldn't see her anymore.
He looked all around the lawn, the Pitch itself, the surroundings... and nothing. She was too far away from the locker rooms to have hide there so quickly. She should still be somewhere in the Pitch. But both the fields and the stands were empty.
Puzzled (and frustrated) he came out from behind the broomshed and looked around once more. And there was no doubt. Alexis was nowhere to be seen.
***
He entered the Great Hall feeling even more morose. Where had she gone to? As he sat on the table, a hand taped on his shoulder. It was Arthur Weasley.
"I heard you skipped another lesson, Lucius." he said with a suspicious look.
"Yes, mum, I have." he answered rather sarcastically. "But I really don't see how that can be any of your business, Mr. Headboy."
"I have to keep an eye on the students, remember? And you're starting to behave too strangely, even for you. What are you really up to? I'll be cursed if you ever skipped a class before."
"And what does that prove?"
"That you're up to something. And I don't like the sound of it. You usually keep trouble to yourself, but I'm pretty sure you're not alone this time."
"No, Arthur, it proves that you need to get a life. I'm not the only one who skips classes, so why don't you go bother somebody else?"
"No, I'm well aware you're not the only one. Miss Tonks has been missing in some classes as well. And she skipped Transfiguration today... like you."
"Alexis?" and he tried to hide his sudden worries. He didn't want to bring Alexis into this. Arthur was too nosy sometimes and he certainly didn't want him to even imagine there was something going on before he could find out what it was. Especially because, since it seemed illegal, he would stop them and Lucius was now almost as anxious as the girls themselves.
Right on cue, Alexis herself entered the Great Hall. She had obviously got rid of something (preparations for the full moon?) as she was again thinner. Arthur looked at her and Lucius saw that he was prepared to confront her as well.
"Well, Arthur" said Lucius in a certain urgency but trying to remain his coolness "you wouldn't bother Alexis with this, would you? I thought we had been discreet... But it seems-"
"What?" asked Arthur suddenly, looking at him again "You and Alexis?"
"What can I say? It seems I didn't need that potion after all..." and he grinned very nastily. But he could see that Arthur was having a hard time buying that.
"I can't believe you-"
"Arthur, be a gentleman." he said "You wouldn't go bothering her, would you? It's all my fault. You know I am a bit... hum... over-enthusiastic with the ladies..."
"I still think-"
"Yes, I know. She does hide very well what she feels about me. I know she despises me in public, but I can guarantee that in private-"
"Enough details, Lucius. Listen, if you're lying to me-"
"Why would I lie? Why would I protect her?"
Arthur still didn't seem convinced. But he just gave him a warning look and joined his fellow Gryffindors.
Lucius sighed. Good thing Arthur was so naïve. How could he ever believe that Lucius Malfoy could roll in the grass with a mudblood? But as he seat down to have some lunch, Rodolphus sat next to him.
"Lucius, where the hell have you been?"
"Why?"
"I heard that the Big Head was inquiring about you. Are you insane? We can't arouse suspicious at this moment!"
"Relax, Rod. Arthur is a good person, and as all good people, he is naïve and trusting. Easily manipulated."
Rod eyed him sideways.
"I hope you're right, Lucius. But don't go spoiling it now."
"I wouldn't think about it" he thought to himself. Although he had no idea where Alexis had been, he was now willingly sharing the secret with them, whether they wanted or not. And if all else fails, he thought, I can always blackmail about calling our Headboy into this. I'm sure they'd rather have an accomplice than suffer punishment or expulsion.