Empire and Exigency
Chapter 3 : Circumstantial
by Annie B

Rated PG-13

JKR still owns all things Hogwarts. I still don't. Too bad for me.

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Draco focused on his breakfast. Not that sausage and eggs were particularly fascinating, but it spared him from the effort of *not* looking at the Gryffindor table. Where - he was certain - three certain persons were just as determinedly *not* looking at him. Because why would they be? This was a perfectly ordinary breakfast on a perfectly ordinary morning on a perfectly ordinary school day at a...

"Bloody bangers!" Draco Malfoy pretended to miss a breakfast sausage. Not the greatest excuse, but plausible. Certainly better then admitting he had jumped at the first flutter of wings as the morning post-owls swooped into the great hall. After all, he most certainly was *not* expecting a message of any sort, and as he didn't subscribe to the Daily Prophet there was no reason he would ever expect this mornings headlines to read...

"LUCIUS MALFOY DEAD!" Pansy Parkinson - who did subscribe - held up the front page. As if her voice was not loud enough - or as if merely reading there words was...

"Lemmie see that!" Crabbe snatched the sheets.

... as difficult for her as it was for Vincent.

"Draco?" Crabbe held out the front page. "It says... your father..."

"Was found this morning, when Minister Fudge went to his cell." Pansy was a quick reader. She had finished most of the story before handing it over. "He was..."

"Dead?" Draco blinked quickly, bringing up tears.

"Struck...down...by ... dark... magic... of...unknown...origin." Goyle read out slowly, leaning over Crabbe's shoulder.

"Guards are being questioned." Crabbe picked up the story. "So far no prison personnel have been implicated in any way. Unofficial sources have suggested..."

"They're not quite saying... you know..." Pansy mouthed the word 'suicide' - as if saying it silently was somehow less real then saying out out loud. "But Fudge was there to deliver the Wizmot verdict and..."

She broke down in tears. Everyone knew what that verdict was mostly likely to be - the Dementor's Kiss. Even if Pansy hadn't been half in love with Draco ( and the other half in love with the idea of being the future Mrs. Malfoy ) she still would have been sickened at ... THAT... happening to anyone as handsome and charming and *elegant* as Lucius Malfoy.

"I don't believe it! If Lucius Malfoy is dead, then it was murder! I'd swear to that under Veritiserum!" Draco lifted himself to his feet. "Whatever that rag says, my father would never..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy." In the clatter, Dumbledore had made his way to the Slytherin table.

"You mean?" Draco raised his napkin to his watering eyes.

"It is unfortunate you had to learn the news this way,but I also had an owl from the Ministry and in this instance the Daily Prophet is regrettably accurate." He rested his hand on Draco's shoulder. "If you would come to my office after you have seen the younger students to their classes? A representative from the Magical Probate Office will be here to handle the formalities."

"Formalities?"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. However premature, it seems you must take over as head of House Malfoy."

"I...had not thought of that." Draco visibly centered himself, reigning in all emotion. "My mother...?"

"We will try to contact her in time."

"I think she's in France. With relatives. I think." Draco stared at his hands. "It's been a ... difficult time."

"So I would imagine." Dumbledore nodded wisely. "Professor Snape has spoken of your courage and dignity, which I'm sure you will continue to show."

"As you say, Headmaster. A Malfoy does as he must."

"That's the spirit."

The rest of the breakfast passed in silence - at least as far as Draco was concerned. The school would gossip- that was inevitable - but not with him. His Slytherin house mates were either decent enough or cautious enough to wait until Draco was politely out of earshot. The Ravenclaws didn't yet know enough. And the Hufflepuffs didn't want to chance the loss of house points. (Professor Sprout - like all Hufflepuffs - was a fiend when it came to enforcing 'nice'.) As for Gryffindor? Draco had a policy of selective deafness when it came to Godric's table.

Soon the meal was over. Draco, as prefect. collected the first years and sent them off to their morning class.

Ronald Weasley brushed against Draco as they filled down the hall - just close enough for a quick elbow jab. "Back on schedule," he whispered. "Good."

End Chapter Three

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