A/N:
A/N: Well, I have a feeling these are going to be some long replies. So many chapters and then I finally get to reply.
Signeus: Not for a while I'm afraid. But it is coming, I can guarantee you that.
toffee: Glad you like it!
Shinigami Liliz Black: Yup, a whole month. I've been writing out the fic for what happens in that month but I've hit a massive case of writer's block. I blame all the classes for actually being interesting and filling my head with information instead of me being bored to come up with raunchy ideas.
lucius sikilmituile: Shucks…. lol More chapters here.
Strawberry Pavlova: Nah, I'm not. Enjoy these chapters!
xikum: lol More chapters posted! I'm not saying anything on the whole Hermione thing. Lips are sealed on that. Oooh dear, you're treading onto slightly dangerous territory with that thought of yours. If you keep on, you just might give something away. Just how Valencia was able to keep Voldemort out of her mind is explained in a later chapter in a conversation between Harry and Dumbledore. And the fact that Umbridge is only there as an observer is precisely why Harry could talk to her like that. I'm trying to work around my writer's block for the fic that explains what happens in the room for a month. It isn't easy. Androids, Confucius, Chaucher, Japanese word particles and East Asian history continually float around in my head.
cottoncandy: Thank you. Updates are here!
Dyane: lol Thanks. I still not used to such… glowing comments, really. I'm glad I could convince you this pairing was possible. Maeglin Yedi did it for me and I thought I would do my bit to spread some Harry/Lucius around. I know, I am horrible for leaving it like that. These new chapters are loooooong overdue, don't' ya think? The fic about what happened in the room should be coming soon… once I get over my writer's block.
Punk-FairyDragon: Updated! Glad you're enjoying it.
Cat323: Onwards I go! runs off to type up a bit more
leia105: lol Glad you like it so much. If you want to love me, um, all right. Worshiping makes me feel kind odd but by all mean preach, spread the Harry/Lucius love around, baby! …….All right, I am laying off the Coke.
Peanut Gallery – Alaska's Own: Yeah, cliffies are not fun. Second time I've done it. Soiee.
Evia le Fay: Updated! Read chapters and be happy. )
Mikito: Thankies. I have posted new chapters.
Rieina Bara: Silly me; I'm so used to using acronyms. Heh. Anyways, ETC is Evil Twin City – www. etc. slashcity. Net – where Beloved Enemies (Harry/Lucius), After Class (Harry/Severus) and Canis Major (Harry/Sirius) is now hosted.
You guys are awesome for being uber-patient with me. Guess what? I have five chapters to post. They might be posted at different times; it really depends on how nice wants to be to me. But they will be posted. Enjoy the five chapters!
P.S. – The side fic will be posted once I work out my writer's block and the finer mechanics of the Cruoris potion. I'm up to page 5 of the rough draft for the thing and I'm not halfway through yet.
Come the Maëlstrom
Chapter Fourteen
Silence was supposed to be golden. At this particular moment, Lucius found himself wishing for any sort of noise. Even someone dropping their wand would have been welcome. It would have drawn the attention away from him. And all he had simply done was walk out of the room with Harry and Severus with the Cruoris potion tucked inside his robe pocket. They had come out to find Albus standing there with Ron and Hermione.
Their gazes first fell to Harry in shock. And then they snapped right to Lucius, with a rabid sort of protective look in their eyes. This was the silence he wanted gone. Weasley was the first one to break it.
"What the hell did you do to Harry, Malfoy?" he demanded furiously, wand drawn and face a glowing red.Lucius couldn't resist the urge to sneer slightly. "He looks perfectly fine to me Weasley. Disgustingly healthy if I do say so myself; for once in his life that is. What a change of company can do for a person..."
Ron growled and lunged at him and he took a step back, reaching for his wand when Harry stepped in and stopped Ron easily with two hands gripping the shoulders.
"Don't, Ron," Harry said slowly and quietly. "He's done us a major favour; we owe him now. We. Owe. Him."
"Argh..." Ron looked as if he was forcing down something very bitter and very difficult.
After a long moment, Ron cast one last malevolent glare at Lucius before stomping off down the hallway.
"Come on Harry," Hermione said as she tugged lightly on Harry's arm, eyeing Lucius uneasily. "I'll explain it to you. It's been a long day and it hasn't been very good one for Ron..."
Lucius pursed his lips together slightly as he looked at Severus. "Are there any particulars I should be informed of?"
"Hm?" Severus looked back at Lucius, clearly startled from watching the trio disappear around the corner.
"Is there anything I should know about the potion?" Lucius repeated; this had to be the first time in the twenty five years that he'd known Severus that he ever had to repeat himself.
"Nothing much really. It's good for three weeks and should be ingested a few hours beforehand. Other than that... no other stipulations."
"Good," Lucius said easily as he tugged a wrinkle from his robe sleeve. "Now that our business has been completed, I believe I should –"
"Join me for a cup of tea?" Albus said suddenly.
Both Severus and Lucius looked at Albus slowly. Severus stepped back, muttering something about Lucius having to deal with the old man for once and slipped past them for the downwards staircase. Lucius watched him for a moment, wondering if that was driven by exasperation of the old man or if he simply couldn't deal with him at all. He turned his attention back to Albus who was looking at him expectantly.
"I believe I should take my leave before I have the pleasure of running into Dolores Umbridge." He finished crisply.
"Not to worry," Albus replied easily. "I asked Remus to keep her occupied for a bit." He gestured to the staircase.
Lucius snorted but made his way down. It was the only way to get out of the building from the sixth floor anyhow. Albus followed behind him, humming some strange tune. What was Albus thinking, sending in the werewolf to deal with Umbridge? Despite Lupin's fairly easygoing nature, he wondered how the man was going to keep Umbridge occupied for so long in a manner that didn't include some form of bodily harm and or torture. They stepped onto the second floor landing and before long the familiar gargoyle came into view. It sprang aside as Albus walked up to it with a grin on its already leering face. Lucius wasn't sure how that was possible and he didn't want to know.
Albus made his way to the seat behind the desk, easing into it with a soft sigh. Lucius sat down in one of the guest seats a bit gingerly while Albus waved his hand in front of a tray and a tea set appeared.
"Something to drink?" Albus offered.
Lucius shook his head slightly. "No, thank you."
Albus gave him a chiding look. "You would deny having a cup of tea with an old man?"
"Fine. Half a sugar, touch of cream," Lucius replied with a slight scowl. What Albus wanted from him was starting to grate on his nerves.
Albus smiled as he fixed Lucius' cup of tea before sliding it across the desk. Lucius took it and sipped politely while Albus fixed his own cup up and started looking over the biscuits. By the time Albus finally picked one, Lucius had taken another polite sip of tea. Nothing was said as Lucius contemplated the opaque depths of his tea and Albus happily munched his way through three biscuits and drank his tea. He gave a satisfied sigh as he drank the last dregs and started fixing himself another cup.
"Now that you've temporarily sated your appetite..." Lucius said simply, placing his cup on the table as well.
"You haven't drank your tea."
"I've drank enough."
Albus shrugged as he reclined slightly in his chair, stirring the sugar in his tea. "This was the only opportune time I could have this talk with you and not arouse any sort of suspicion."
"And why, in Salazar's name, would you want to have a talk with me?" Lucius mused in a slightly disdainful voice.
"Why, to thank you," Albus replied with a twinkle in his eye. "I don't scheme all the time."
That was a partiality if Lucius ever heard it; this old man was always scheming. "I highly doubt you have brought me up here and gone through all of this," he gestured at the tea set. "In order to give me a simple thank you. What's your true motive behind this?"
The twinkle in Albus' eyes died down a little. "I did wish to thank you for your help. It is quite invaluable and without it –"
Lucius gave an impressive scowl. "Skip the pleasantries."
"As you wish," Albus said after a moment. "I wished to talk to you concerning afterwards."
Lucius had a distinct feeling that he should have seen this one coming. "And? What of it?"
"While the help you have provided us with has proved invaluable, I doubt many others would believe it to be a genuine act, or even view it in the same light as Harry or I,"
Lucius felt a bit irritated that Albus dared to speak of himself and Harry in the same sentence. It took a lot of gall to sit there and say something like that, as if you yourself had done nothing wrong at all to a person who had once been nothing more than a helpless baby.
"I do not know for sure if assistance would be readily available to you afterwards."
He should have expected as much. The time when Albus wasn't willing to stick out his wand into danger just happened to be this one time; this one time that comprised of very little danger in actuality compared to the mess that vouching for Severus Snape had caused. Nothing was coincidence with this man. He simply chose to accept the help of a particular Death Eater and then turn his back as if they weren't needed anymore; an expendable commodity. At least with Voldemort, you always had an idea of where you stood. Albus was like dealing with quicksand in a small desert; by the time you found out, it was too late to do much of anything about it. In some ways, Voldemort was much more humane than Albus.
"I see." Lucius said politely before he rose from his seat a bit stiffly and made his way to the door.
"Lucius,"
He paused but didn't turn around, not saying anything.
"I really did want to thank you for your assistance. We couldn't –"
Lucius wasn't about to stand in that room and listen to Albus finish that sentence. He simply walked out and closed the door behind him.
"What a load. You certainly have a funny way of showing your gratitude, Headmaster." He muttered in a vicious sarcastic tone as he walked down the steps.
His mind was already turning over the possibilities. While having a testimony from Albus on his behalf would simplify things, it wasn't exactly needed. He just needed to walk a finer line in order to walk away a free man. His reputation might suffer a bit but he would be free and as far away from Azkaban as humanly possible. Draco and Narcissa...well, he would address that issue when it arose. All in all, he would probably leave England all together, and come back only to summer here.
It still stung him though; out of all the people Albus chose to help, he chose to turn his back now. It stung even more that these people that had overlooked him when he actually wanted the aid in breaking free from Dark Lord in the early days were now the ones that despised and spit on him for being the Dark Lord's top Death Eater.
He stepped onto the second floor and was immediately struck by the emptiness of it. It seemed off to not have the hustle and bustle of students along with the accompanying swell of their voices. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows and minute motes of dust were lazily winding their way down in the late afternoon. It seemed a bit eerie.
The sound of running steps caught his attention and he looked up to find Harry flying down the steps from the third floor, jumping the last few to land easily on the landing. Lucius didn't say anything as Harry looked at him intently. The growth spurt that Harry hit was nothing short of magnificent. He'd shot up an additional four inches and was now just an inch short of meeting Lucius. His features had sharpened a bit and played up to a rugged yet refined sort of elegance. His long hair now reached his shoulders and was loosely bound back and his face was thrown into sharp profile, accented by the few strands that broke free. Those eyes seemed to be a darker green and the lashes and eyebrows a bit sootier. So maybe he was exaggerating on those last two a little bit but Harry looked like sex on two legs; two legs that seemed to stretch on forever and had to be finely muscled, as well as the rest of him, judging the way the clothing fit on his body. Salazar, he could just imagine the rest of his body...
"Where are you off to now?" Harry asked a moment later.
"I was hoping the Ministry but I believe that may have to wait until tomorrow at this hour. Fudge seems to be especially stupid at this time of day."
"Oh," Harry swallowed a bit, still looking at Lucius. "Well, be careful..."
For the first time in his life, Lucius was finding it fairly difficult to breathe. It seemed to him that his breath rasped in and out of his lungs loud enough for the giant squid to hear outside. It felt like something was smothering him inside.
"Yes, because Salazar knows that the worst will happen when I get there." He managed.
Something flashed in Harry's eyes. "I know I don't have to worry about you. I hate the fact that you make me this worried and... and I just can't help it."
Lucius heard the faint step of his feet starting to move across the floor towards Harry. Harry's eyes never left Lucius and his chest was moving far too rapidly now to be attributed to lack of breath from running.
"I hate the fact that I'm stuck in here, so... so... useless until... and then..." he trailed off in a hoarse voice.
"You hate it all don't you?" Lucius murmured softly as he came to a halt in front of Harry. "You want it to be done and over with... you want to escape."
Harry nodded, looking at his hands for a moment. "They all look at me like..." his eyes moved back up to Lucius' face. "But you..."
Lucius looked at Harry for a long moment before he realised exactly what it was he was seeing there and recognised it in himself. That realisation that this could very well be the last time they saw one another before the battle. And that this could well be their very last time together. It all seemed to crash over Lucius like a tsunami and he felt as if it was even harder to breathe the stifling air.
He was the first one to crack. He grabbed Harry and crushed him against him before delivering a bruising kiss. Harry whimpered and kissed him back just as hard, pressing himself even tighter. Lips were mashed, teeth were scraped and tongues slid against one another in a harsh battle before Lucius pulled away abruptly and breathless.
"Your fr–"
"Gone. And Ernesto and Valencia are asleep already," Harry murmured as he started nibbling his way down Lucius' neck and undoing robe buttons. "I have a suite on the third floor."
"Umbridge?" Lucius said in an unsteady voice as Harry started moving to his collarbone.
"Do you think I want to be bothered about the bint now?" Harry muttered as he drew back for a moment and looked at Lucius. "Merlin, I'll worry about getting you out of here later. I want you now like you would not believe...I just want you..." he started up the stairs.
"Hm," Lucius followed after him. "For once," he murmured as he leaned in and nipped Harry's neck once they reached the third floor landing. "I applaud your foolish Gryffindor bravery."
Lucius was very accustomed to rising early. What he wasn't accustomed to was having to leave a place around five in the morning at the crack of dawn after not getting any sleep at all during the night. It had been rather gentle the second time afterwards, until Harry mentioned one of his former boyfriend's attempt on him. That riled up his jealous side and the entire night was a blur of words, pleas, hisses, bites, Parseltongue, conjured silk ties, gasps, moans and the sound of flesh smacking against flesh, anything to mark Harry as his and his alone in some way.
Leaving Hogwarts hadn't been much fun in the slightest; stalking his way under an invisibility cloak to the statue of the one eyed witch while being led by Harry was not his ideal way of sneaking out of the castle. After a rather impassioned kiss, he had to slither down a cramped passageway that deposited him in a pitch black room. He pushed up on the stone above his head and found himself in a basement of some sort. When he walked up the stairs, he found himself in Honeyduke's. The entire shop was silent and he managed to slip out into the street. He walked out of town close to the Shrieking Shack before he Apparated home.
No one was up when he arrived in the front hallway. Narcissa didn't come descending on him with some new gripe and there was no sign of Bwink anywhere. Deciding to not stick around to see if anyone did show up, he hurried up to his chambers and stripped off before soaking in the bath for a bit. A quick change of clothes two hours later, a small vial of Pepper-Up potion to remain alert for a bit longer, fending off Bwink's teary, vocal protestations that she was worried about her wonderful Master and an excellent breakfast, he found himself stepping out of the fireplace into the Ministry of Magic lobby.
"Morning Mr. Malfoy; you're here early."
He simply let his eyes flicker over the watchwizard before he held his hand out for his clearance badge. The watchwizard's face went red and the badge was promptly handed over quickly. Lucius pinned it to his robe and made his way over to the lift. Honestly, if that was all the guard they left during the night, any idiot with a wand could break in here. It certainly hadn't been that hard the last time when the Dark Lord had ordered him to ambush Harry in the Department of Mysteries.
Bored, he pressed the button for the lift, waiting for it to come down. It arrived rather promptly and he stepped in. The doors were just closing when a freckled hand was stuck in. The doors opened once more to reveal the flustered face of Percy Weasley. He looked a bit shocked to see Lucius in the lift but he must have brushed it aside as he stepped in, a large, overstuffed portfolio banging against his leg.
"Malfoy." He said with a curt nod of his head.
"Weasley." He acknowledged.
The entire ride up to the first floor was tense and awkward with the sound of one lone memo flapping overhead. Once the doors opened on the first floor, Percy hurried out, heading in the direction away from Fudge's office. Lucius arched an eyebrow in surprise; considering how the third eldest Weasley had been unable to pry himself away from Fudge's side in the first year of his new position, this was a surprise. And he could still recall the look in Percy's eyes during his interrogation. He and Fudge must have had a falling out of some kind.
With a dry snort, he walked down the hallway until he came to the door with the ornate plaque of 'Cornelius Fudge – Minister for Magic'. He sneered, and was just about to turn the doorknob when a flurry of noise made him turn to look. Percy seemed to be attempting to get into the lift with files spilling from his hands. His four free fingers were clutching his wand and barely keeping them all off the ground, but fluttering around his feet. He looked away, turned the doorknob and walked in. The dry sitting room greeted him as well as the new assistant who was sitting in Percy's former seat.
For a fleeting moment Lucius was truck with the impression that this girl could be related to either Umbridge or Trelawney. Neither prospect seemed preferable. He cleared his throat and managed a polite but charming smile as he walked up to the desk as the girl looked up at him.
"I was wondering if the Minister was in." he asked, fingers starting to stroke his cane absently.
"He's taking an important firecall at the moment, Mr..."
"Malfoy."
"Mr. Malfoy." A steady flush crept up the girl's pasty face. "He's been talking to Miss Umbridge for the past forty minutes. If you want, you can take a seat and wait." She gestured to the chair that looked extremely uncomfortable.
"No, that's quite all right, Miss..."
"LeCron."
"Miss LeCron. Tell him to feel free to firecall me when he has a free moment, if he can be bothered to."
"I'll make sure to tell him." She said with a smile.
Lucius nodded his head and turned to leave before he turned back around. "If I may be so bold," he asked a second later. "What happened to the... other assistant that used to be here?"
"Percy Weasley?" Miss LeCron gave a highly disapproving sniff. "He went to work for the Wizengamot. They have a branch in the ministry. They just have him here spying. He was working for them for at least a year on the side. When Minister Fudge found out, he was mad. Fired him on the spot. So far as I know, Weasley still works for them," she glanced back at the door. "So far as I know, Weasley accused the Minster of some horrible untrue things. That's why he got fired."
Lucius had a very good feeling that whatever Percy had accused the Minister of had been true to every last word. An ambitious wizard wasn't apt to screw up what could be a very promising bureaucratic career. He scrutinised the girl with feigned interest.
"And how long have you been in this position?"
"A few weeks now. My aunt's cousin recommended me," Miss LeCron beamed. "Dolores was so kind to get me this position."
"Ah, Miss Umbridge," Lucius managed to not look horrified or revulsed. "And I suppose you have her same... zeal for the job?"
Miss LeCron took that as a compliment and giggled. Lucius found that the sound immediately raised his hackles. "Oh yes! Minister Fudge is wonderful! I couldn't imagine working anywhere else."
Lucius watched Miss LeCron for a moment; so Fudge now had himself two lapdogs. "I can't help but wonder how such a talented young witch was able to secure such a plum position in the Ministry in such a trying time. You must have some very good friends in some very influential places."
"I suppose that's thanks to Dolores. I told her I was willing to do just about anything to work with Fudge. She made a few firecalls and a few meetings later..." she shrugged.
"How fortunate for you," Lucius inclined his head genially. "It's refreshing to see such enthusiasm for one's occupation in one so young."
"Thank you!" Miss LeCron said a bit breathlessly. "I'm learning from Minister Fudge; he's a very tough teacher but it'll all be for the best in the end!"
Lucius didn't reply as Miss LeCron stiffened for a moment, as if she said too much. "Yes, I'm quite sure the Minister has everything under control and needs not fear the Dark Lord and what he has planned, correct?"
"Quite right," she said a bit stiffly, and looking back down at her parchment covered desk. "Quite right indeed Mr. Malfoy. If that is all..."
"I wish you luck in your... new position then," Lucius bowed slightly. "And hope that no... misfortune befalls you. Please tell the Minister to firecall me as soon as possible."
"I'll do that." Miss LeCron said curtly as she leafed through the stack of parchment.
Lucius turned and walked to the door with a smirk on his face. How relieving that it wasn't Percy he didn't have to deal with. Silly idealistic young witches were much easier to deal with rather than an ambitious young wizard out to make a name for himself. He walked back to the lift and pressed the button. The sound of a commotion from down the hallway came a moment later as Percy approached with another armload of files. Lucius smirked as Percy came to a halt, looking red-faced and winded. Those blue eyes narrowed slightly in anger before he looked stonily ahead.
"Working overtime?" Lucius asked softly in a mocking tone.
"More than you could possibly say. I haven't seen you lurking around in the Department of Ministry Investments lately. You're on the verge of being fired."
"Yes, I suppose I should worry because I am in dire need of the funds." Lucius replied in a bored tone.
Percy's face went red just as the lift arrived with a 'ding'. A few memos zipped out and some zipped in as they stepped on, Percy struggling to push the button with his arms full. The doors closed and Lucius watched as the numbers ticked down slowly. He watched as the numbers drew closer to Percy's floor before he cleared his throat.
"I believe you should take a look at your replacement's credentials."
"What?" Percy looked at him in surprise.
"Are your ears caked with filth, Weasley? Inspect her qualifications."
The tips of Percy's ears went bright red at that and the lift's 'ding' told them that they had arrived at the fifth floor. Once the doors opened, Percy stepped out and turned to face Lucius.
"What exactly do you mean?" he asked.
"You heard me the first two time you dolt." Lucius lifted his cane and pressed the button for the doors to close once more.
He had the great satisfaction of leaving the truly smart Percy Weasley looking absolutely stunned and in a state of shock. He chuckled softly as the lift started back down. For once, he'd managed to finish his business here in record time. Now, he was going to head back home and catch up on some sleep.