Disclaimer: still don't own anything.
Summary: Voldemort visits Malfoy manor.
Warnings: Crucio jinx and murder
Chapter 8: Diseased
The dining hall was lined with white marble shining bright in the sunlight. It was 10 o'clock in the morning and the sun shone directly through the huge glass facade painting the room in a friendly golden tone.
A man with long silvery blond hair stood on the large window front, casting a huge shadow behind him that even touched the huge oaken door with the silver snakelike doorknops on the other side. His green eyes, now shimmering golden in the sunlight, were transfixed at only one point in his garden.
And what a rich garden it was.
All kind of flowers in all kind of shapes and colours grew in huge wonderfully designed flowerbeds. On the right side flew white doves around a silver pavilion which was decorated with red roses. A huge green maze grew around it and between parts of the flowerbeds. To the left danced sparkling green and silver fishes in a small stream, which itself poured forth into a pond. The pond were with its water lilies as neatly decorated as the rest of the garden. A crane stood at the edge of the water grooming its feathers.
But Abraxas Malfoy did not see any of this. His attention was grabbed by the entrance gate to the Malfoy estate.
It was quiet there and not one soul could be seen nearby.
But Abraxas knew this will soon change.
His right hand fidgeted with the snake shaped silver knob on his black cane, causing it to tap on the grey-white stone in an unnerving rhythm.
He glanced down on himself, checking his appearance for about a hundredth time this morning and plucked a silver hair from his dark blue cloak.
He had put on his best garment along with his heirloom, a star shaped brooch made of goblin silver. The brooch was quite a sight and absolutely unique, always flowing slightly in and out of shape but never loosing its shape. It was a pretty sight, yes, but it also could neutralize minor jinxes. Many wizards would pay a fortune for it, but it was worth much more.
A slight poping sound behind him announced the presence of another being.
"He will be here soon, master. May I bring some refreshments?"
The man did not even bother to look at his house elf. „Yes. Bring some wine too, Shagrim."
„As it pleases you, Master Malfoy."
The elf with the dark olive skin bowed so deep, that his nose touched the floor and vanished with the same popping sound.
Abraxas Malfoy sighed.
He had come near the prime minister in the last few months but the man still didn't trust him enough. Not enough for what he had in mind for the man in charge of the whole wizarding world.
Nobby Leach was a man born into a muggle family who happened to be gifted with magic. He had graduated from Hogwarts as top of his class and had soon started his career in the Ministry for Magic. A few years ago some stupid fools had decided it would be a good idea to make him Minister for Magic. Of course Abraxas was among many others who layed down their seats in the Wizengamot on the day Leach took his office. But that turned out to be a mistake. With all the old wizard families gone, Leach could decide whatever he wanted and had closed off any former member of the Wizengamot. Bit by bit the leech guzzled the might till it had the control over nearly everything. Half a year ago a law protecting muggle rights enetered into force. But that was not enough! It was followed by a second law cutting the already diminished rights of the old wizard families!
That had been been the last straw. He had to act.
But in order to do so he had needed some of his old influence back.
And there was only one man who could give him that.
Voldemort.
And now Abraxas had everything and had started to carry out his plan.
Last week, he had invited Leach to dinner who had come with his Muggle woman and his mudblood son. He scoffed.
„Well, well. You don't seem delighted to see me today, Abraxas."
Abraxas spun around, startled by the high voice disrupting his thoughts.
Lord Voldemort stood in the doorway leaning casually against the oaken entrance door. His arms were crossed over his chest and he smiled lazily. Someone could have thought that he was just making fun of an old friend but Abraxas knew it better and Voldemort was quite aware of that. His crimson eyes glimmered dangerously, warning everyone who dared to look into them not to mess with him.
„My Lord! Pardon me! I did not… hear you enter.", stammered Abraxas whilst bowing as low as his house elf had to him just a moment ago. His eyes were fixed on the stone floor before him: „Of course I am honoured to welcome you in my humble home, my Lord. May I offer you some refreshments?"
He had not even finished his last sentence when Voldemort spoke again in a slow , bored voice:" I don't intend to stay long, my friend. I do have a lot of business to attend to, as you well know. Why don't we get started and you tell me of your progress with the leech currently sucking on the Prime Ministers seat? You do have some progress to offer, I assume?"
The piercing red eyes stared intensely, forcing Abraxas to fix his own gaze at them.
„So?", the high voice asked, or more likely demanded to know.
„I managed to get closer to him. I invited him to dinner last week. It went good. He starts to trust me."
A taunting smirk crept over the dark Lords white face: „He starts to trust you. Is that so? After half a year of your desperate attempts he finally starts to trust you. He even entered your house and ate from your plates. My good friend, what an achievement! You must be proud of yourself. Do you think that I am proud of you? „
Whilst he spoke in a mocking tone he drew nearer to the nervous blonde, who had started to tap his cane again in a nervous rhythm. He stopped only a few inches before him, ending the last sentences in a whisper but never loosing the mocking tone.
Abraxas swallowed heavily:" No, my Lord, I…"
A raised white hand stopped him mid-sentence and the unknown force of the crimson eyes forced the head of house Malfoy to look again into them and get drowned by his own fear.
Voldemort was angry.
„Crucio"
The word was spoken softly but the screams that followed soon suffocated any other sound.
The crimson eyes were fixed upon the twitching and screaming figure on the floor, cold and calculating. After a few seconds Voldemort swung his wand again and silence returned.
„I thought you already understood, Abraxas. I do not need you to have his trust. I do need you to kill him without anyone noticing the murder. He just needs to die by any kind of disease. It will weaken the ministry and warn the mudbloods. And it certainly will not be connected to me. We need to repair all the damage this leech has done."
Voldemort started to walk slightly around Abraxas and out of his sight. The blonde had to shift his aching body to watch his Lords every step. He clearly feared another punishment.
„You are a great potions master, Abraxas, or at least this is what I believed. Now tell me, my friend, was I wrong? Did I overestimated your capabilities? Was it my fault to pick you for such a delicate task?"
„No, my Lord.", came the stammered answer.
The Dark Lord raised his wand again. His blood red eyes transfixed on the white wood, when he started to drawl in a casual tone: „ Then I suggest, you prove it to me. And to yourself too, of course. One month."
He swung the wand and Apraxas flinched, but the spell was not directed at him.
Voldemort had vanished.
Abraxas Malfoy stood up slowly, looked around and left.
He had work to do.
After all, he was the potion master of the man who will rule this world.
XXX
Two weeks later Nobby Leach resigned from his post due to an unknown illness and died shortly after.
Red eyes glowed satisfied in the light of a candle.
This was only the beginning.
I am really sorry for the long wait but it cant be helped.
I don't have a lot of time due to my studies and when I finally take a break, my brain refuses to work on anything.
I just wanted you to know that I did not lose interest in the story. I just dont have the time. I am sorry.
I wont be able to update regularly but I will update. At the moment I do have at least a bit time so I think I will be able to write a few chapters in the next few weeks. Hope you are still with me. :)
Besides, I did not beta-read this one because I simply did not wanted to. I wanted to start with the next chapter. Hope it is readable.
