'Um…' Beth lost words and cautiously stepped forward, head bowed, and handed the letter over. She backed away, but Lucius gestured for her to wait with a hold up of a hand. His eyes scanned the letter and then he sat back, the letter sat abandoned at his desk and his hands folded in his lap.
'Interesting' he picked up the letter folded it and placed it in the pocket of his dress coat underneath his robes. His eyes looked at Beth curiously. 'It seems I may need your assistance, Yaxley has discovered something in my interest, but he believes it is too dangerous to acquire alone and he will be unable to join me until tomorrow. Tomorrow is too late', he stood up, his hair swept forward over his shoulder 'and I wish to go today, but should anything happen then I will need assistance or at the least, someone to get some. You will come with me and go fetch Yaxley if I am in need of him'. Beth froze, Lucius gracefully flew around the desk and pulled on his cloak, he attached his holster to his belt and leant back to pick up his wand. When he turned around, he stepped forward with haste and almost knocked into Beth, who hadn't moved since he had read the letter.
'Well, are you just going to stand there?' when Beth didn't move, Lucius took her by the shoulders and turned her around, and with a press of his wand pushed her towards the door. Beth stumbled forwards, pulled the door open and then moved back into the corridor to go back towards the elevators. 'No, this way' Lucius shut the door and then gestured with his wand towards the deeper part of the department of Mysteries, past the prophecies and the artefacts rooms, down towards the staircase that led to deeper levels.
Lucius stalked forward not glancing back to see if Beth was following, Beth had to jog to keep up with his stride, he had long legs. At the end of the corridor, Lucius mumbled a few words under his breath and the heavy oak door clicked and opened inwards. Lucius stepped into the dark passageway and Beth followed. She couldn't contemplate that she was spending time with Lucius, but she was also terrified of the situation she found herself in.
The corridor ahead of them grew darker and Lucius cast a Lumos spell to brighter their journey. He turned then to check behind him, a small smirk playing across his lips.
'Well, aren't you going to do the same' Lucius' eyebrows went up again.
Beth's stomach felt as if it had become weightless. Beth pulled out her wand, her hand shook and she inwardly cursed herself for being so obviously nervous and afraid. Although she hoped he thought it was about their trip not the quickening hopes of her heart. Lucius stepped forward and gripped the hand holding her wand. 'Do not be afraid, we haven't got to anything worth fretting about yet' his hand steadied hers and his wand touched the tip of her wand and it lit up, like passing on the flame from a candle in the Muggle world. He frowned then, his fingers pulling back from her as if he had been stung.
'Do not hold me up this is important!' Lucius turned around sharply, putting a few paces between himself and Beth. Beth let out a long awaited breath and let what just happened adjust in her mind. The feel of his hand on hers stayed like a ghostly imprint, she dare not move her fingers in case it went away.
After walking down the never ending corridor for another ten minutes in silence, the floor began to slope and stairs appeared out of the gloom. Lucius' shoulder relaxed ever so slightly as he began to descend.
'So what do you do apart from silently get into sticky situations far too many times?' Beth stumbled on the step and fell into Lucius, who put an arm out to steady himself on the wall. Pressed against his back Beth realised just how small she was next to him. She stepped back up, watching her feet this time, glad her face was hidden as she did so.
Lucius continued on without a word. Waiting for a response. Beth took in a breath, steadied her hand on her wand so the light didn't flick across the stone walls erratically and took a leap of faith.
'I…I'm here to gain experience from the Ministry as I grew up with little magical background' Beth blushed, she felt for the first time ashamed of her muggle born heritage. 'I was set up under Yaxley to act as his temporary assistant, but when I got the internship they said they would consider a more permanent position in Muggle artefacts depending on my review at the end of the year', she paused, 'so I will probably end up nowhere as Yaxley feels I'm not worthy of magical blood, let alone an actual job'. Beth was surprised at herself, her outburst was unlike her and she felt suddenly vulnerable. Yaxley and Lucius talked a lot, she had probably just ended her internship because this was the one time she had admitted how futile this position was.
'Pure blood is often biased, the ministry has worked so long with only witches and wizards that are of the original wizard blood that some people cannot contemplate… tainted blood' Lucius spoke without judgement but there was an underlying bitterness. She wasn't sure if it was directed at her or towards some other association with magical blood.
'I wish I had pure blood, then I wouldn't even be in this position. I'm on a road to nowhere.' Beth spoke honestly and felt a burden lift from her shoulders.
Lucius turned his head to catch Beth's frowning face, he stopped but didn't turn. 'Trust me, pure blood may get you many things, but it was just as much of a burden as blood like yours. There are too many expectations and considerations and judgements…sometimes it feels like you're drowning in magical expectation', Lucius considered himself and carried on down the stairs.
'Even still, a respected family of pure blood must have some benefits' Beth didn't pose it as a question but Lucius still answered.
'It isn't as great as it seems, I never really got on with my family. There is so much they want for me, but I don't. I mean now they want to arrange…' Lucius stopped, he didn't continue and his postured stiffened again. Beth felt a sudden wrench in her chest, she felt for him, she had known all along that there was more to him than the stoic demeanour and the fear she saw in other people's eyes.
'Do you ever want to change everything?' Beth asked, hesitancy in her voice.
This time he did stop, he turned and his wand tip illuminated his face. The warm light making his eyes look a startling blue.
'Yes. But doesn't everyone?' Lucius waited for her to speak, but Beth's throat was dry and she just nodded with enthusiasm. She was rewarded with a small smile and then he returned to the climb down.
There were half a dozen stairs left and then they were in a wide corridor with short doors lining the sides. Numbers were painted in black above each door and a big brass lock dominated the middle of each one. The doors themselves appeared to be falling apart, the wood disintegrating in some areas and one or two doors were completely covered in moss. It seemed that there was no charm to protect these doors, despite the locks that buzzed with a strong locking spell.
Lucius consulted the paper from Yaxley and then counted the doors on the left hand side till they reached the number 44. Lucius glanced nervously at Beth, then pulled a large brass key from another pocket on the inside of his cloak. It leapt from his grip and into the lock, it turned of its own accord and the door pulsed a blue light and then dimmed to its normal colour. Lucius placed his hand on the door, above the lock, but before he could push he hesitated.
'Your concern here is to project me, understand? If I am in danger it is up to you to protect me! You are less important.' Lucius pushed the door and it swung open silently. A thin mist cloaked the room.
Beth was stung by Lucius' words, she was confused by his continual change in attitude. Sometimes he seemed to bring down his guard, but at others he was the strict and the ultimate much-feared Mr Malfoy. Beth pushed past him in anger.
'I might as well go first, then', she pushed her wand into the mist triumphantly and whispered a spell to dispel the suffocating fog.