A/N: So... this is a very long one. In all honesty the Chapter II originally was a part of this one, so it was even longer. It follows directly after the evening of Chapter II so it should be easy to follow. And again, it's still mostly about getting to know the characters. Last chapter we ware introduced to the boys of their year, house and dorm, now some of the girls will appear. Again I will name them in the end, to make it easier for you guys ^^.I hope you're not mad at me, that the story is starting so slowly. I hope you keep reading, and maybe write your opinions. As I said, it's my first english FF and I always appreciate some feedback and help with it.
Friends or no friends?
5th September 1966
When Rod woke up in the morning, he was already late for breakfast. Aside from Tarquin who was reluctantly cleaning up his cabinet, he was alone. Shortly after that Tarquin left, too.
Swearing, he changed into his clothes, grabbed the bag and ran for the great hall. This morning was Slughorn's potions class. And he couldn't be late for that. His father absolutely expected him to make it to the Slug Club. He had no doubt in his mind, that his father would find about everything that happened in Slughorns classes. After all, Slughorn always kept close connections with his more promising former students, and Stephanus Lestrange had been a member of the Slug Club. Surely overshadowed by his peer – who happened to be the Dark Lord – but still.
When he entered the Great Hall, he found Malfoy, Janis and Aris still at the Slytherin table. Emma Rowle, who cheerfully talked with Ariadne Yayley, both were in his year, sat next to Aris. Janis was sitting next to Malfoy and Janis other side was Tarquin who munched down his breakfast before jumping up and leaving the Hall in quite a hurry. Emma and Ariadne followed him, while Rodolphus took the seat beside Janis, that Tarquin had just left.
"You've missed the postal owls," Lucius explained and threw a thick envelope on his plate. "Your father really didn't waste any time to answer your letter." He frowned slightly. "What's he doing awake that late at night. Your owl hardly arrived before midnight," he guessed. Rodolphus stared at him but didn't answer. He knew exactly what his father did at nights, he just couldn't tell Lucius – or anyone for that matter.
"Well, you should read it later," Lucius went on, looking at a classy pocket watch. "We have to go. You can eat on the way down."
Lucius seemed oddly stressed. Rod quizzically looked at Janis, but then he decided it was maybe better to follow the Malfoy's lead in this case. He grabbed two Sandwiches and his bag and followed the other boys.
"What's up with him?" he asked Janis. The halfblood shrugged smiling. He as well seemed to be quite amused to see Lucius stressed just this once.
"Family affair," Lucius answered looking back to them. "Ho... Professor Slughorn is my Mother's uncle," he explained and Rodolphus finally understood. He was afraid, about his parents hearing anything bad through letters and hearsay – Lucius family was virtually a part of Hogwarts and always there.
"Maybe he'll favor his nephew," Janis joked when they entered the classroom and Lucius pulled them in the second row.
"We'll see," the Malfoy mumbled, but he didn't seem very confident about it. "Well, even if not, I'm good at potions, and I'm a Malfoy. Worry about yourself, Janis."
Janis didn't seem to understand. He looked at Rod.
"I've heard, Slughorn prefers good students and those with the prospect of a bright future. As long as we don't fail too badly at potions, he should be interested in both Malfoy and me for our names alone," he explained. He just realized he amicably spoke with someone, who didn't really have a clue about all of this. Janis was a halfblood and a Slytherin, and he apparently didn't know all that much about the world he now was a part of. However, he caught on quickly. He had a smart mind.
"Guess, there's no Johanson-Bonus," he groaned. However, he was distracted, when Aris stumbled through a group of Gryffindor girls and sat down next to him.
"I got lost," he apologized, most likely to Lucius, since everyone knew that Aris craved for his attention. Lucius didn't answer.
"Merlin, Mason!" the annoyed voice of Emma Rowle came from behind, "two stairs, and always straight ahead. Even you should manage that much." She turned to another Slytherin girl, Diana Walker-Frei, who only smiled politely. "I mean the way to our common room is more difficult. And you can manage that, right?" Emma went on.
"Not on his own," Lucius answered, smiling almost pleasantly in the girl's direction. They stopped their little flirt when the teacher entered.
Horace Slughorn entered through a side entrance. For a moment Rod thought, the man was already drunk, because of his beat red cheeks, but when he started talking, he sounded excited but sober. Suddenly the door burst open again, and Tarquin stumbled in. He looked around for a second, then found Rodolphus and made his way in Rod's direction. Slughorn stared at the boy as if he saw a ghost – not that ghosts were anything special here. Rodolphus was rather surprised, the other boy had chosen to sit next to him. Lucius, quite obviously, was furious – for whatever reason.
"Sorry," Tarquin murmured way too late and more in Rod's than in Slughorn's general direction, and apparently that was it for Slughorn. Tarquin lost 10 points for Slytherin and Lucius, if possible, looked even more irate. Also afterwards, when all was said and done, and they had to brew their first potion, Tarquin, who seemed to have absolutely no talent with potions, was the most frequent victim of Slughorn's examinations and questions.
With that, however, Malfoy seemed to be absolutely fine, since every time Slughorn passed to check on Tarquin's work, he didn't fail to notice the brilliance that was Lucius Malfoy. Rodolphus on the other side was increasingly annoyed, by the repeated visit of his teacher. He wanted to read his father's letter, and he couldn't really do so, as long as Slughorn was watching.
A suspicious blubbery sound suddenly drew Rod's attention to Tarquin's cauldron. The potion inside was not only of a totally different color than what was expected, but boiling and splattering. On reflex, he grabbed the cauldron with his bare hand and took it off the flames before the apparently acrid fluid would explode in their faces.
When Tarquin and he screamed simultaneously – Tarquin from shock, Rodolphus from the sudden pain – all eyes were on them. Slughorn was there immediately. A knowing glance, a short nod and he knew what was going on.
"Well done, Mr. Lestrange," he praised with beaming eyes and Rodolphus had the odd impression, Slughorn was even more excited about what had happened, just because the savior came from his house. "Very good reflexes," he commented, "go and get your hand treated in the infirmary." He looked around for a second. "Mr. Malfoy, please accompany Mr. Lestrange. You know the way?" Malfoy nodded. "Fantastic. 20 Points for Slytherin for Mr. Lestrang here. And...," he peaked over Lucius perfect brewage, "5 points for you for your good work, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. McTavish...", Slughorn went on in Tarquin's direction, "you'll clean up that mess. Everyone else – back to work."
Rodolphus still felt the pain throbbing in his hand. Just when he left the classroom, he noticed the displeased scowls from nearly every Gryffindor in the room. He guessed, they were less enraged about his 20 points than about Malfoy's 5, but he didn't really care anyway. He just registered the happy faces of Janis and Aris as well as the bright smile on Diana Walker-Frei's face. Those were his first points for Slytherin, he realized, they were well deserved and they'd – surely – find their way to his father's ears.
He couldn't really enjoy his glory when Lucius grabbed onto his hurting arm and dragged him out of the room. Only outside he started to register, what was actually going on around him. Lucius was sporting his normal arrogant look when he put Rod's bag in his healthy hand.
"That was rather Gryffindorish of you," he sneered. "Maybe I was wrong back then. Did the hat really offer to put you to the lions?" Rodolphus scowled at him, then walked away.
"Eh!" Lucius followed him, but his call sounded halfheartedly. "I didn't mean to offend you..." It was close to an apology, Rodolphus decided and slowed down. He hadn't been angry to begin with.
"Which way?" he asked Malfoy after he'd caught up to him, but Malfoy only shrugged.
"You said you knew, where the infirmary was?" Rodolphus frowned. "I don't want to search the whole castle in this state. It hurts like hell..."
"Well, I lied. But did you want Slughorn personally carrying you through the castle?" Malfoy answered smiling his haughty smile. "And this way it's more fun, don't you think?" But when Rod just scowled at him even darker, he pointed upwards. "Well, I know we have to go up. I think, I know the general direction, anyway."
"What?" Rodolphus hissed through gritted teeth. "Let me guess, you just saw the chance for a free double period?"
"Of course. If I'd stayed any longer, Aris would have asked me to brew his bloody potion. He didn't even get the Knotgrass right," the Malfoy seemed annoyed. "Seriously, that potion was just about as difficult as a vegetable soup, and half of our year can't even do it right. Couldn't really see what the girls were doing, but Tarquin is the worst I've ever seen, and Aris is nearly as bad." Rodolphus doubted Lucius had ever brewed a vegetable soup or any soup. He had heard that Slytherins were the unquestioned masters of potions though, but that didn't mean every single Slytherin hat to be good at it, did it?
"Your potion was absolutely fine," Lucius finally ended. "Janis' too"
"How would you know?"
"Didn't I tell you about how the potions teacher is my great uncle? Anyway, father taught me Potions since I can read. We own an apothecary, after all." Malfoy shrugged, while they climbed the stairs to the entrance hall. When Lucius turned for the next staircase, Rodolphus realized that he just followed Lucius' lead again, even though the boy had no clue where to go, too.
"I didn't think you were the type to skip classes," Rodolphus murmured to keep himself distracted from the pain and from the fact, that he was once again following Malfoy.
"I don't skip class. I am exempted."
"You know what I mean..."
Lucius shrugged and once again smiled his casual smile. "I won't get anything out of sitting there and brewing Aris' potion. It would have been a waste of time, really." He halted for a second, oriented himself, and then thoughtfully glanced at Rod. He smiled eventually and chose a direction. Rodolphus followed, hoping they weren't lost. He himself hadn't been in those higher floors very often, so far. "I could learn defense instead, for example..."
"We didn't have a single lesson in Defense against the Dark Arts, yet," Rodolphus groaned, but he didn't really try to change Malfoy's mind.
They had just turned into another corridor when Lucius suddenly halted. He turned around and looked straight at Rodolphus. The dark haired boy felt uncomfortable. "Yesterday, you knew, that idiot would play his prank," he noted. Rodolphus stared at him blankly. He remembered Malfoy's wrath last night and didn't really want to have that directed at him. "You didn't warn me about it." Lucius didn't seem to be aggressive, rather... disappointed. The Lestrange frowned.
"Why should I?" he mumbled, but under Lucius glare, he felt ashamed all of a sudden. "We hardly know each other..."
The blonde sighed. "We must stick together," he explained.
"Who is 'we'?" Rod asked nearly aggressive. "Us Slytherins? Us purebloods? Us old families?"
Lucius cocked his head in quiet amusement. "All of it." He turned around, leading the way further down the corridor.
"Where are we?" Rodolphus asked when they came upon the huge portrait of an even bigger Lady.
"Not at the infirmary," Lucius grumbled. "Maybe we should ask someone..." But nobody was there and there surely were no signs to point them in the right direction.
"Shit!" Rod hissed, wrapping his hand in his robes as if that would help the pain. "If we can't find it soon, I won't ever be able to use it painlessly. That's my wand hand, Merlin!" he complained in a pained voice.
"Oh, don't exaggerate," Lucius groaned back at him, but there was something apologetic in his voice, "don't worry. Just pull yourself together for a little longer, alright? If you can't bear it anymore, I could try to...–"
"Don't even think about it! The most impressing thing, I've ever seen you do was an 'Incendio'. I doubt that would help."
Lucius looked as if Rod's words had wounded him, but he didn't offer his help again. "Did you memorize our way so far?" he asked after a while. Rodolphus didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "We'd sooner find somebody closer to the Great Hall, I think...–"
"SALAZAR!" Rodolphus screamed at him. "The next time I meet you in the owlery I'll throw you down that belfry window! I swear!"
Rodolphus meant it. Lucius didn't really seem to care, though, sporting his typical sneer. "You haven't read daddy's letter yet, have you?" Rodolphus just stared at him. 'Daddy's letter?' Did he wish for a bloody nose? "If not, we would at least have something to entertain ourselves with, should we never find our way back."
Rodolphus leaped at Lucius, the Moment he'd finished his sentence, but the Malfoy dodged with ease, maybe because he'd deliberately provoked Rodolphus and saw it coming. He made a casual step to the side. "No muggle methods. That's against the school...–"
He paused, and Rodolphus too froze, when suddenly the portrait of the big lady swung to the side, opening the way to a new corridor. That, however, wasn't what occupied their minds, but rather the group of students filing out of the new tunnel, clad in red and gold. They suddenly knew, where they were. They'd found the Gryffindor common room.
"Now, look at that!" one of the older students, with short dark stubbles on his head and the first shade of a beard, though he could hardly be any older than fifteen, bleated, "the Slytherin first years."
A girl laughed almost carefully, one of Shade-of-a-beard's friends laughed harder. "Standing there all dressed up and nowhere to go," he commented, revealing to rows of perfectly white teeth. "What are you two scheming, eh? This is no place for snakes. It's the lion's den." He smiled dangerously, though Rodolphus doubted he actually meant to harm them. He just seemed overly proud of his houses sigil.
"How splendid, that the lion's den hides behind a fat Lady", Lucius answered against Rodolphus better judgement. His first call would have been flight, or humbly standing aside, even if it was against his pride.
"You have a quick tongue, blondie," the girl said. "Sure, you're in the right house. Courage isn't really among your virtues." The question seemed justified, Rodolphus thought, who was close to doubting Lucius' sanity.
"Do you want to poach me?" Malfoy answered casually. But even he had to be intimidated, Rodolphus thought. Gryffindors and Slytherins weren't known to be the best of friends and even if Rodolphus didn't think, they meant to harm them, Malfoy was downright asking for it.
The girl chuckled. But then the Shade-of-a-beard-guy shoved her aside to angrily stare down at the blonde Slytherin himself.
"I'll warn you, kiddo. This is our territory. Go back to your cuddly dungeons."
"What do you think, you are? You know, you're no true lions. You don't need to mark nor defend your territory," Malfoy hissed snarkily.
The Gryffindor's patience finally snapped. He angrily shoved Lucius against the wall, but before he could actually hit the Slytherin, Toothy-smile intervened.
"Hey... let him be," he warned intently. Then he turned to the Malfoy. "What do you want?" he repeated the initial question. "I doubt you just want to visit a Gryffindor friend. Don't you have classes?"
Before Lucius could possibly ruin or deny the offered peace, Rodolphus answered, "we're searching for the infirmary." He shot Malfoy a warning glance.
"The infirmary? Well, you're at the absolutely wrong place, then."
"We figured..." Rodolphus didn't feel at ease at all. Shade-of-a-beard was still glowering over both of them.
Toothy-smile sighed, then pointed in a direction and gave directions. Judging from Malfoy impression, he didn't really trust the Gryffindor. Rodolphus memorized them anyway.
When the Gryffindor finished, Rodolphus thanked as politely as he could, trying to ignore Lucius' dark scowl. Well, it would have been nice, if that was all that happened, but when they passed, Shade-of-a-beard shoved heavily against Lucius' head, effectively – though Rodolphus doubted Shade-of-a-beard had actually planned to hit him that badly – squashing his head between his hand and the wall.
Lucius screamed furiously. He did look a little stunned though and he wouldn't be able to avoid the bruises, though, Rodolphus feared, but he wasn't really hurt.
"Freaking Troll", Lucius screamed at the Gryffindor's back. "Crumple-horned snorkack!" He obviously didn't think about it, because he hardly made the situation any better with it. Maybe it was his luck, that in his spontaneous rant no really offending more specific names came in his mind. There were some insults that served to make the entirety of house Gryffindor your enemy. Now, however, Toothy-smile just grabbed onto his friend and pushed him down the corridor.
"I'd advise your friend, to turn down his provocativeness", the girl warned Rod, "we don't really like to be bullied by first year snakes."
Rodolphus nodded. Lucius however, rubbing his temples, scowled at her before he bent forward as if he felt dizzy. He apparently wanted to say something, but didn't due to his dizziness, and maybe that was for the better. Rod held his shoulders tentatively, to prevent him from falling over.
"What in Merlin's name was that?", Rod ranted at him when they were alone. But even if he was mad with Malfoy, he didn't leave him, but supported him and helped him shaking off his giddiness.
"I won't let myself be laughed at by bloody lions", Malfoy drawled. "And you shouldn't either. You're a Slytherin!" He said with a fervor and passion that stood in stark contrast to his normal composure and casualness. "Fourth graders and still have nothing better to do than getting annoyed by first years. And then attack like lowlife muggles," he huffed, "that's their chivalry for you." He hesitated, then smiled, when he carefully straightened again. "I think it gets better. I wanted to get you to the infirmary. I think I might get myself checked, too. Where did they say, do we have to go?"
Rodolphus had the odd feeling, that Malfoy, over his anger, didn't hear a word of what the Gryffindor had said.
They still needed a while, before they finally found the infirmary. Malfoy had dragged his feet a little bit on their way here, and Rodolphus was sure, he still felt dizzy. It was his own fault, though. He himself still had to fight the pain in his throbbing hand.
Madam Pomfrey turned out to be a plump young woman with a pleasant smile, but a strict presence about her, that nearly reminded him of McGonagall. Rodolphus didn't remember seeing her in the Great Hall before, but he never really watched the staff table that intently. Now she stood directly in front of him, eying the children with indulgent, but strict eyes.
"What do we have here?", she asked but didn't really demand an answer, as her bright eyes already zoomed in on their injuries. Despite her plain youth, she didn't need a minute, to first focus on Malfoy's face, than Rodolphus' hand, that he still held title wrapped in his robes.
"Let me see it, boy", she demanded, first turning to Rodolphus whose pain was written all over his face. "What happened to you two?"
Rodolphus showed her the hand, hissing from the pain when the cloth scraped over his burns. The burned skin already stuck to his robes, making it only more painful to unwrap the hand. Pomfrey's cool fingers gave him relief, and he realized that her healing magic was already at work.
Malfoy answered, "potions. He touched the hot cauldron."
"And Professor Slughorn didn't have a painkilling potion?" the matron asked frowning.
"He might have forgotten. Or didn't think it was necessary. Rodolphus didn't really show the pain until we were already out of the classroom," Malfoy offered as an explanation.
Pomfrey's eyes were lurking on Rodolphus. "Too proud to show your pain? Well, that's what you got from it. Had you told Professor Slughorn about it, he'd surely helped you. Well, maybe your pride is worth it..." she sighed almost tiredly and tentatively touched his sore skin. Rodolphus gritted his teeth to not object. Instead, Malfoy spoke again.
"I don't think it was his pride. He'd just won our house his first 20 points. I think he was merely distracted...," he reckoned casually and Rodolphus felt the embarrassment rushing to his head, about how right Malfoy was. Apparently, however, this explanation seemed to appease Madam Pomfrey.
"Was that it? Well then, let me help you, Mr. Lestrange..." Rodolphus frowned, amazed how she knew his name. "Please follow me. You, Mr. Malfoy please sit down on one of the beds and stay here. It seems, you have a light concussion, and if you don't want to carry a red hand on your handsome face, for the next week, I'd recommend you to heed my advise." She walked through a door in a small room. Rod threw a last glance at Malfoy, who just turned a little redder again, before he followed the matron.
She gave him a few potions he had to drink. It didn't take long for a painkilling potion to take effect, then for the burned tissue to fall off, and the new skin to grow smooth and pink. After a few minutes, there was nothing left of his injury but a light shade of red, where the skin was newer and a little thinner still.
"This should be enough," Pomfrey observed satisfied, "I think, you should still remain here until the next lesson begins. We don't want you getting in another find straight away," she warned. She glanced meaningfully at Lucius in the other room. "Well let's take care of your friend."
For a moment, Rodolphus wanted to object, that he hadn't yet decided, whether or not he was friends with Malfoy, whether or not he even liked him, and that it was only him, who had been involved in the argument. Instead, he just followed quietly.
Malfoy had actually spent the time, skipping through his Defense against the Dark Arts book. He intensely squinted at it, obviously having trouble reading the letters, until Madam Pomfrey took the book from his hands.
"You have a concussion. Reading will only make you feel sick." Lucius didn't object. Instead, he silently endured the procedure, while Rodolphus slit into the chair next to him, finally opening the letter.
Over the rustling parchment, he observed the matron's work. His father worked in the same area. Well, she was the matron at the Hogwarts infirmary, he was a healer-in-charge in St. Mungo's. But still, when it came down to it, Rodolphus thought, they were both healers. She was so different from him, though. They were both strict and demanding, but the Hogwarts matron emitted warmth, commitment and concern for her patients so unlike his father. He knew that his father had chosen his job because it was expected. The Lestranges always had high positions in St. Mungo's. There was a time when it was common for the director of St. Mungo's to be a Lestrange. That was, however, before the Mudbloods and halfbloods had stolen their right to that position, condemning his family to serve under them as common healers. His father had at least made it all the way to the position of healer-in-charge of one of the many different departments. He wondered why Pomfrey had chosen to heal people for a living. Frowning he turned to his letter.
"Rodolphus,
I've already wondered when I'd hear from you. Of course I've already corresponded with Mr. Malfoy, and he'd informed me about your sorting into Slytherin. I congratulate you. You've overcome the first hurdle, even though I'm concerned to read that the hat wasn't sure. I do hope, you know to follow the teachings of your one true house, as can be expected from the heir to our family. I'm glad you like Slytherin.
It's always disappointing to here how many halfbloods flood into Slytherin every year – even more disappointing how many Muggles gather at Hogwarts these days, with magic they stole from our ancestors. I hope intently that you keep away from that pack. In fact, I think you'd do good to socialize with the young Malfoy. I don't mean to ever again have to read about your doubts about the boy and how you apparently can't stand him. These connections from your early school days are important and the impression you leave in Hogwarts can be essential for your future live. I raised you to know that. It's not important what you think of him, the Malfoy family is an old house, like ours, and I couldn't wish for better company for my sons. I'm also glad to hear you already met the Black sisters. You know, that we share a long and fruitful relationship with the Black family. I also expect you to bond with young Sirius when he enters Hogwarts. However, that still lies in the not so distant future. I can't emphasize it strongly enough, how important it is, that you keep up our family's image in school and bond with these families. Ms. Rowle is a part of that as well, of whom you write you think her an 'annoying doe'. I won't have any more of those insults or allegations or slight remarks. Do you hear me? Mr. Selwyn most surprisingly made it to Ravenclaw. He's only from a sub-branch, but Name and Blood are still right. That aside, I heard there is an Ollivander in your year. You know how useful it can be to have a connection to this family. The Ollivanders are, more so than many others, traditionally rooted in our society. You know what I demand from you... Stay away from the Weasleys, Abbotts, Longbottoms, Macmillans and the muggle rabble and don't get too involved or influenced by your halfblood housemates. Don't let them dissuade you from your path...
I have the utmost trust in you and your capability to judge right from wrong.
Know, however, that I am proud to finally know my elder son in Slytherin under Professor Slughorn's watchful eye. You surely remember he was my potions teacher too? I'm sure even our Lord will be pleased to hear the news. After all, it's you I place my hopes in that our family will stand strongly at his sides for future generations to come.
Behave and learn diligently,
your father."
Rodolphus lowered the letter into his lap. Words of love and affection were nearly vacant in all of his father's letters, and if ever, they were found in formal phrases. Still, he felt disappointed. He couldn't even place his disappointment. His father's letters were almost nicer than he was himself.
Only now did he realize that Malfoy was surveying him expectantly. Madam Pomfrey was in her office, he reckoned. She'd put some sort of ointment on Malfoy's face to cool the swelling that made his skin shine unnaturally.
"What did he write?" Malfoy asked eventually.
"What do you care? It's none of your business anyway," he rumbled almost hostile.
Lucius curiosity didn't vanish, however, but a shadow of disappointment flashed over his face. "Come on... Most likely, he writes the same stuff my father writes, right? 'Welcome to Slytherin, nothing else was expected. We're proud of you, son. Stay away from the Muggles. Mother is looking forward to your visit at Christmas'," summarized Malfoy.
Rodolphus nodded sighing. There was a small mistake in Malfoy's assumptions, though, and he was puzzled that the Malfoy didn't know about it. Still, he was right, for the most part. "Mother is dead, but right. More or less," he mumbled. Then he examined the beginning of his father's letter. "You didn't tell your father, that the hat took a while to sort me into Slytherin?" he asked frowning without looking at the other boy. He was almost ashamed to ask.
"Why should I?" Malfoy asked amused. "I mean, sure, I told him about my housemates, but who care about how long the hat had taken to sort you?"
Rodolphus looked up startled. He had been sure, Lucius, who had only taken two seconds, of which three were needed to put the hat on alone, would always ridicule the 'shaky candidate' Rodolphus.
"What?" Malfoy laughed surprised. "You've actually thought I'd tell everybody? Did you tell your father so he wouldn't have to hear it from mine, or what?" With a lightning-fast motion, he'd picked the letter from Rod's fingers and before Rod could get it back, he'd already jumped off his bed and brought enough space between the two that Rod couldn't hope to get it back through force. The blueish grey eyes quickly flew over the lines. He kept a straight face while reading, but when he threw the letter back to Rodolphus, he looked more sincere.
"Lovely man, your father," he commented and slit passed Rodolphus back to his bed. Maybe he still felt dizzy, when moving.
"Don't say that! Don't talk about him that way!" Rodolphus defended him and sank back in his chair, scowling.
"Forgive me," Malfoy apologized formally and examined him out of the corner of his eyes.
"What?" Rodolphus asked.
"Your father is even deeper in all of this old family stuff than mine," he commented thoughtfully, "I mean, not that I see that differently, but...," he hesitated and straightened a little bit, "don't show your ideals outside of the common room, okay?" It sounded suspiciously like a warning. Rodolphus cocked his eyebrows at him. Until now, he hadn't exactly behaved conspicuous as far as he could tell, unlike Lucius who was already hated by half of his halfblood housemates. Still, Malfoy seemed worried about him. "Professor Dumbledore is a strong muggle friend," he explained shrugging, "it wouldn't be clever to make him aware of what we think, as long as we go to school." Rodolphus nodded understandingly. But before he could even answer, Lucius haughty, self-confident smile flashed again. Rodolphus scowled. Every time, Malfoy was grinning that way, he wanted to hit him in his face.
"So you don't like me?" Lucius asked eventually, a mist of disappointment in his voice, but still sporting his casual sneer.
"Don't say you're surprised," Rod shot back, still pulling himself together, not to hit that smug smile off his face.
Lucius took a while to answer. "Well, not really," he admitted maybe to his own astonishment. "I just thought, we could get along rather nicely during the ceremony...," he added pensively.
"Even back then you were an arrogant prick", Rodolphus rumbled. He thought he saw Lucius wince ever so slightly. "But afterwards it only got worse. You behave, as if the whole school is yours and you appear to think, everyone was just there for your amusement. And just now, with the Gryffindors, that was absolutely unnecessary!"
Lucius laughed quietly. "I guess I might have gone a bit too far," he admitted, "I'm sorry... but I won't let myself get pushed around by those blockheads... And we were on our way to the infirmary, anyway." He got serious again. "But your father is right. We should try to get along. Seriously, you and Janis, are the only real Slytherins in our dormitory," he nearly groaned, "so we should get along." His eyes narrowed on him. "Unless you really hate my guts that badly...," he added grumbling.
"Janis is a halfblood, isn't he?" Rodolphus pressed, ignoring Lucius implied question. "You sure, he's a true Slytherin?"
There it was again. Lucius' smug sneer. "Whatever? Janis has a bright head. If he uses that, he can get far in this world. Halfblood or no. I can't hang around trolls like Aris my whole live, only because they have the right blood," he moaned defiantly. "But right, your father would see that differently," something flashed in the Slytherin's icy grey eyes.
Rodolphus stared at him. "My father wouldn't approve," he agreed. His father would probably punish him for sporting such a traitorous thought alone. "You don't really think, yours might see this differently?" He wouldn't believe it. Abraxas Malfoy might not be as conservative as Stephanus Lestrange, but he couldn't possibly agree with his son on this matter.
"Of course not," Malfoy grinned, "but I don't have to rub it in his face. As long as I don't plan to marry a halfblood – and believe me, that's about the furthest thing from my mind – he hardly has any reason to complain. After all, I only ever do, what's good for the family. Aris Mason is a troll. A pureblood from an unknown family. He has just about as much in his brain as a potholder and an everyday life house elf would be more useful. He'll, however, one day surely be a decent beater for our Quidditch team, but hardly good enough, to fly professionally after school. I won't have to trouble myself about him, he's already following me around," Malfoy explained, before his typical sneer flashed again, "Janis, on the other side, has everything you need to get a decent job and be a valuable ally." Malfoy put a pillow behind his back to sit more comfortably. "I know your father tells you to keep away from everything that's not pure since at least three generations. Mine says the same... But we can't just distance ourselves from halfbloods completely, there are too few purebloods around to live completely secluded. It's hard enough to keep the muggleborn away." He emphasized the word 'muggleborn' as if to show him not to use the not so nice version. "We need a few talented people at or side, even if we have to draw on Halfbloods. I'd prefer someone like Janis to have my back over Aris any day."
Oddly enough, Rodolphus had to admit that Malfoy was right. Even in his father's letters, he didn't write not to socialize with halfbloods but not to let himself be manipulated by them. He thoughtfully looked down at the letter.
"You know I'm right," Lucius said knowingly and nodded with a satisfied look. "So, what is it? Do we hold together, or can you really not stand me?"
"I don't plan to just follow you around like a lap dog," Rodolphus explained shrugging. The blonde chuckled.
"I understand. That's the problem," he nodded, "we are Slytherins, we can't just bustle around each other like a headless horde of Hufflepuffs. We need someone at the top of the hierarchy and most obviously, it doesn't work when a Lestrange and a Malfoy both are too stubborn to yield to the other."
He didn't seem to be mad at Rod, but with that, the decision seemed to be final. They won't be friends, at least Rodolphus wouldn't follow Lucius around like Aris and Janis did.
"So you and Tarquin," Malfoy assessed amused. Rod's countenance darkened. "He likes you well enough. Better than me, anyway," the blonde shrugged, "and thank Merlin for that. I couldn't bear two trolls following me around. That odd version of a Weasley," he exclaimed obviously thinking about Tarquin's strong outer resemblance with the Weasely family, that, now that Lucius mentioned it, was astonishing.
"I don't think I could bear with Tarquin in the long run either. Just another halfblood. Above all, one that wouldn't really be useful at all." Lucius nodded agreement.
"Your father would be disappointed," he warned. "So who else? Do you want to join the girl's club? Or play the lone wolf?"
Rodolphus shrugged. "Father does wish for me to bond with Rowle and Yaxley, anyway."
Lucius chuckled quietly. "I think, my head's fine. This ointment does wonders. What's in the afternoon?"
"Defense"
"Oh? I'm looking forward to that..." Malfoy watched Rodolphus tucking the letter in his bag, frowning suddenly.
"What is it?" Rodolphus asked when he became aware of it.
"I'm just thinking," he seemed to be unsure, whether to ask him or not. Then, however, he came to a decision. "Who was it your father meant?" he asked. "At the end of his letter. 'Our Lord'?"
Rodolphus froze. He felt all the color draining from his face. He would be even paler than Malfoy was naturally, if that was even possible. Of course, he had read that part as well. And he couldn't really answer that question. Partly because he didn't know half of what was actually going on, partly because he just couldn't, wasn't allowed to and would bring his family in potential danger. He anxiously watched Lucius, unable to answer. It was the first time when he was actually relieved, to see that typical smile on his face.
"Don't tell me, if you don't want to," the blonde said evenly, "but we're no friends, so I might use it against you," he warned, though it was impossible to say, whether he meant it. "We should hurry." He looked at his pocket watch.
A/N: I apologize it was so long... I didn't want to split it though... Especially since – despite it's length – it's not that important or exciting so make it worth waiting to more weaks for the story to move on. I hope it wasn't too long...
Anyway... As you learned, Horace Slughorn, in this story, is Lucius great uncle. Meaning Lucius' Mother is a Slughorn and daughter of Horace elder brother Vibius, who however died 5 years after Lucius birth. Lucius Mother is still alive though. Aside from Slughorn though, there's no more family from his mothers side. In this story though, he father Abraxas has a younger brother Brutus, who's married to a witch of a lower pureblood family and has two daughters.
Rodolphus mother on the other hand is a Greengrass, and by coincidence great aunt to the not yet born Astoria and Daphne Greengrass. However Rodolphus mother died shortly after Rabastans birth, when Rodolphus was around 4 years old. Aside from Esther Greengrasses brother Hyperion and his son Ableros (who will be the father of Astoria and Daphne) there are no other known or important family members of the Rodolphus. His father Stephanus Lestrange was a single child.
So now, here are the girls of their year and house:
Diana Walker-Frei (who is a Pureblood of German descent)
Sabine Gallerhart (who is a halfblood)
Emma Rowle (who is a pureblood and member of the sacred 28. She's Cousin to the later death eater Rowle, who's a few years older than her)
Ariadne Yaxley (who is also pureblood and member of the sacred 28. She's the Sister of Jaremy Yaxley, who's four years older than her and currently in fifth grade in Slytherin)
Ann Carsten (who is a halfblood)
Next weak we'll get to know some of the people from their year from the other houses.