Lucius walked alone down the corridor, boots scraping gently over the old wood. His father had said he was entertaining a prominent guest this evening and had instructed his heir to attend. Beside him Narcissa kept her head slightly lowered, behaving modestly to all the relatives and friends that had gathered for the yearly Christmas celebration. She paused when they reached the door, shooting her betrothed a (I'll wait here) glance. Lucius nodded dismissively, but pleased, and stepped inside.
He had spent many hours in his fathers study, where he had learned all the true magic, and more, where ha had been painstakingly taught how to manage and maintain the family fortune. The room felt different tonight, cooler, and almost oppressive in its quiet. Abraxas looked up from his conversation and nodded, his companion was not so inclined.
Lucius barely saw the form rise from the chair before it had slid out of reach. But when it grew still Lucius took a good, hard look.
The face was masculine, and appeared a tad younger than his father, though his instinct told him he was equal or older. The hair was strait, and bore the look that it was commonly cropped slightly below the shoulders, but had been allowed to grow wild down to the base of his shoulder blades. His height was not impressive, his clothing seemed worn. But then his gaze moved to the stranger's eyes, and were transfixed. A cobra looked back at him, wild and irate; he could almost hear the hiss… "My son, this is…"
"I know him." Abraxas seemed taken back.
"…but surely you have never met before?"
"I know him; if I was blind I would know him. …You must be the last of them then, your presence makes an echo where they once were. Yes, I know you…" The form was silent, the eyes held him still. "I know you, I've heard of you. I can't say I'm surprised to find you here either. Word was that you had gone seeking again."
Finally a voice, light, as if it had not been used for some time. "So I am indeed known outside my circle." Lucius moved closer, not breaking eye contact.
"Grinderwald had an apprentice, Salthazar had an heir. Anyone who keeps their ears open knows another dark lord has come into his time." He inched closer, and like mist the Dark lord had eluded him again. Abraxas cleared his throat.
"Lucius, I wanted you two to meet for a reason, you will let me get to it." Lucius bowed his head in silent agreement. Abraxas turned to the dark one, looking to all the world perfectly collected, but to Lucius slightly tense. "My lord, what do you think of him?" The red eyes held Lucius, and the dark lord was silent.
A form moved silently onto the hill, and looked down at the fallen figure in the moonlight. Lucius bent and turned the dark ones head to the side, his fingers searched for a pulse, found it. "…what possesses you?" he shook his hair from his face and conjured a stretcher. Voldemort did not stir. For a moment, Lucius looked quietly down at the lank form with deep-set eyes. His wand wavered, the tip turning slightly green. "…a pity, that it came to this. That by killing you I would assist most to serve your own cause… my cause, it's hunting you, I know it… and it will stop with your death… I should, I should… …" he grew still again, his wand lowered. Voldemort's breaths had turned deeper, his chest rose and fell.
…"When it is over my lord, will any know how hard we tried, how fiercely we fought, …how far you fell?"
Authors note: sorry it took so long! the non-inspiration bugs were biting!