Chapter 8 - The Blue Bracelet

The Malfoy Manor rose majestically under the overcast sky, its towering spires and imposing stone walls surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens. Upon entering the mansion, silence reigned supreme in the long marble corridors, where finely woven carpets muffled any sound of footsteps. The walls, adorned with ancestral portraits, seemed to scrutinize every visitor with penetrating eyes.

As one advanced through the corridors illuminated by floating candelabras, the air gradually grew denser, almost palpable with the history and magic that permeated the place. Finally, a heavy oak door opened, revealing the library, a sanctuary of wisdom and mystery.

Inside, the silence was profound, broken only by the soft sound of a quill moving magically over parchment. Lucius had enchanted the quill to transcribe, with impeccable precision, the inventory list for the large conference board. The bookshelves surrounding the room, filled with ancient and rare tomes, seemed to watch every movement of the quill, while the fire in the hearth cast dancing shadows across the stone walls. Allowing magic to carry out the task, Lucius observed every detail with a keen and critical eye.

Lucius paused for a moment, letting out a sigh as he consulted his pocket watch. Time seemed to drip slowly in the quiet of the library. Fleur Delacour, who had initially joined him in the cataloging task, noting that the work would take longer than expected, had withdrawn to take a bath and arrange dinner for the both of them. However, her absence had already stretched far beyond what Lucius had anticipated. For an instant, the crackling of the fire in the hearth was the only sound filling the room as he wondered what could be taking so long. Then he heard soft footsteps echoing down the corridor. Lucius looked up and saw Fleur entering the library, holding a brown paper bag from which a delicious aroma of Italian pasta wafted. She appeared slightly embarrassed, aware of her delay.

"I hope I didn't take too long" she said, with an apologetic smile. "Your butler let me in before he left."

Lucius arched an eyebrow, glancing at his watch and then at her. "I thought you'd return in 30 minutes, Fleur. It's been nearly two hours."

Fleur, surprised, cast a quick look at the clock before turning her attention back to Lucius, with a slightly shy smile. "In fact, it took me an hour and a half."

Lucius, maintaining a serious expression, replied with a touch of reproach, "One hour and thirty-two minutes, to be exact. Which, let's be honest, is closer to two hours than to one."

Fleur shook her head, letting out a soft laugh. "The pasta took longer to be ready than I imagined. I took the opportunity to visit my sister, who lives nearby, and thought you wouldn't mind." She paused briefly, as if pondering what she was about to say, before continuing with a slightly amused smile. "By coincidence, my mother and grandmother were also there, visiting Gabrielle, and, of course, I couldn't escape telling them all about the incident in Diagon Alley and our... partnership. They demanded every detail, leaving nothing out."

Fleur took a deep breath, as if still recovering from the marathon of explanations, and then added with a touch of irony, "After that, I had to quickly stop by home to check on my basilisk, who, by the way, was quite annoyed with my prolonged absence. Considering everything I did, one hour and thirty-two minutes is practically a record for so many tasks."

Lucius could barely process the information Fleur had just shared. The word "basilisk" lingered in the air, overshadowing everything else. He raised an eyebrow, half intrigued, half amused. "Your basilisk? I'm assuming that's a metaphor?"

Fleur chuckled as she placed the pasta boxes on the table. "Sometimes I wish it were a metaphor, but it isn't. And today, he was particularly annoyed because I had been gone for so long. I need to keep our bond strong, or else he simply won't obey my verbal commands."

Lucius was silent for a few seconds, trying to process what she had said. The idea of Fleur owning a basilisk was so unexpected that he needed a moment to comprehend. Finally, he asked, slowly, "You have a basilisk?"

She smiled shyly, as if accustomed to such reactions. "No, Lucius, I don't own a basilisk. Owning a basilisk is a crime under Ministry of Magic law. I'm merely the temporary guardian of Zaino, duly registered, while we wait for a place in a colony for him."

Lucius smiled, still incredulous, not yet sure if Fleur was joking. Then she continued, seeming to enjoy his reaction: "Actually, my grandmother is registered as the guardian, but caring for him has become part of my training. And we're doing quite well, barring a few incidents, I'd say Zaino is a perfect guardian."

Lucius, still trying to assimilate the situation, commented, "I thought only Parselmouths could control basilisks."

Fleur smiled, correcting him patiently, "Parselmouths speak to snakes. Veelas, on the other hand, have a deep connection with nature in general. We don't control basilisks, we communicate with them and try to help them understand how to live more harmoniously in their environment. For veelas, the stronger the connection with the animal, the easier the communication. But with a basilisk, it's very different, they demand total attention. I don't know how it is with others, but with Zaino, this is taken to the extreme. If I stay away from him for 24 hours, he starts showing signs of disobedience. I think if I were to stay away for a week, he would ignore me completely."

Lucius gazed deeply at her, his eyes narrowing as he tried to decipher the truth behind her words.

"And do you not fear the basilisk's deadly gaze? Or do you consider it adventurous to have to avoid it at every corner of your own home?" asked Lucius.

Fleur let out a hearty laugh. "That's why veelas are chosen to be guardians of basilisks. We can simply instruct them to keep their eyes closed when they're not hunting or defending themselves. Besides, Zaino is just a hatchling, at most, he could manage to petrify."

There was something about the natural way Fleur spoke that made Lucius question the improbability of it all.

"Guardian of a basilisk, teaching it to behave in nature." he repeated, savoring each word as if searching for a flaw in the narrative. After a brief silence, he added, with a sigh of admiration: "Will you ever cease to surprise me?"

Fleur smiled, holding Lucius's gaze. As her grandmother had warned, Lucius might realize just how important being recognized as a skilled witch was to her, and now she was becoming aware that he might be using this to make her feel valued and, with that, try to influence her. She was well aware of Lucius's reputation for manipulating others to get what he wanted, which made her guard go up. Fleur mentally noted that she needed to stay focused on her primary mission: uncovering the truth about the suitcase left behind at the scene of the incident and clearing their names, not getting swayed by Lucius Malfoy's charming words.

She then added, in a more serious tone, "But the visit turned out to be quite productive for our interests. My mother mentioned that reporters from the Daily Prophet have caught wind of a rumor about Alastor Moody requesting a meeting with the Minister of Magic, Wilma Dean. It is said that he intends to press the Minister to have Gringotts hand over a complete list of the items you withdrew from your vault on the day of the incident."

Lucius sighed, casting a glance of mild exasperation at the brown paper bag. "I do hope this matter is resolved swiftly. Once they verify that I did not withdraw any jewelry that day, I hope the pressure on me will lessen." He paused, letting out a sigh of displeasure before adding, with a note of elegant irony in his voice: "Shall we have our meal? You convinced me to dismiss the servants, and now I'm at the mercy of this inconvenient hunger."

Fleur smiled as she began to serve the pasta. "You're not a child, Lucius. You can get something to eat when you're hungry. Besides, your servants aren't your toys. They need to rest, sleep, have fun, you know... live their lives."

Lucius rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile. Even though he didn't want to admit it, there was something refreshing about the lightness with which she approached life.

Lucius opened the box with elegance, and the warm aroma of authentic Italian Bolognese pasta spread through the library, mingling with the scent of old wood and books. He inhaled deeply, savoring the delicious fragrance of the meal before him. With a refined gesture, he sat down in the large chair at the library table, though his discomfort was evident.

"Are you quite certain we shouldn't adjourn to the dining room and transfer our meal to proper plates?" he asked, with a slight note of disapproval in his voice.

Fleur laughed, the clear and carefree sound filling the room. "No, Lucius. That would defeat the entire purpose of eating the pasta in the box. Besides, you need to get with the new wizarding trends. There's nothing more modern than enjoying a meal practically."

Lucius hesitated for a moment but soon relented, picking up the cutlery with elegance. He twirled a small piece of pasta and brought it to his mouth, tasting it cautiously. Fleur watched closely, ready to offer a warning.

"Careful, it's hot" she said, a playful smile on her lips.

Lucius paused for a brief moment, feeling the pleasant warmth of the freshly prepared food, before allowing a slight smile to form on his lips. "It is indeed superior to what I anticipated" he admitted, his voice carrying a note of contained satisfaction.

Lucius inquired, with a carefully controlled curiosity, "You mentioned that you informed the Delacour clan about what transpired between us in Diagon Alley?"

Fleur smiled, a mysterious gleam in her eyes. "When we're together, we're not the Delacour clan, we're the Jolie clan, after my grandmother's surname. And yes, I told them everything."

Lucius visibly tensed, he hadn't expected Fleur to share details about them with her family.

Fleur nodded slowly, a soft smile playing on her lips as she spoke. "Yes, the connection between veelas and their lineages is something deeply rooted. The core of my wand, for example, is made from a strand of my grandmother's hair. And her wand was crafted from her grandmother's hair."

Fleur continued, "Moreover, all the witches in our family leave their mark on the wands of the younger generations, which binds us together perpetually. We are united not just by blood but also by the magic that flows through generations. I couldn't hide anything from them even if I wanted to" she said, as she displayed her wand, her words echoing the depth of that ancestral bond.

Lucius, intrigued, asked, "May I see it?"

Fleur hesitated for a moment, knowing how risky it was to hand her wand to someone else. In the wizarding world, it was something completely inadvisable, especially for someone with the reputation of Lucius Malfoy. However, after a brief moment of reflection, she extended the wand to him with cautious confidence.

Lucius held the wand carefully, noting the intricate inscriptions that covered its surface. "These inscriptions... they are remarkably similar to those on my ring" he commented, surprised. "I've never seen a wand like this before."

Fleur, still somewhat tense, relaxed slightly and smiled. "These inscriptions are protection vows from the entire veela clan that owns the wand. These are from my grandmother, my mother, my great-aunts and this one here is from my sister." As her fingers traced the inscriptions, they brushed against Lucius's, who smiled at the proximity.

He returned the wand to Fleur with a solemn gesture, holding it for a moment before handing it back. "I hope your family was satisfied with the details you provided" he commented, the gentle irony in his voice accompanied by a penetrating gaze, alluding to the time she had taken.

Fleur laughed softly, feeling a bit more at ease. "My mother yelled, threatened to call the Aurors and then my father. My grandmother was somewhat concerned about me being so close to the infamous Lucius Malfoy, but, curiously, she was quite proud that I had put Diagon Alley to sleep. As for my sister, well, it's not even worth mentioning what Gabrielle said. But after a cup of chamomile tea and a lot of talking, they finally let me go."

Lucius smiled, slightly taken aback: "I imagine your sister suggested a powerful veela curse should I attempt to lure you into the shadows."

Fleur let out a vibrant laugh, her face lighting up. "Something along those lines. Do you know Gabrielle?"

Lucius shrugged, with a touch of irony in his voice: "No, but I'm starting to know her sister rather well."

Fleur, wanting to change the subject, asked with a smile, "And how about the pasta?"

Lucius shrugged with a neutral expression. "I still prefer a full meal, served with the proper cutlery. But I admit the taste is indeed superior to most pastas I've had. It's an interesting alternative to improvised sandwiches when one needs something quick and satisfying."

Fleur opened her mouth to say something, but Lucius didn't notice. His eyes had fixed on the study table, where a lapis lazuli bracelet lay silently, almost forgotten. With a subtle smile of satisfaction, he stood up, walking to the table with calculated steps. He picked up the jewelry with a deliberate gesture, his mind already beginning to plan the next move.

"While you were away, I found something that caught my attention," Lucius said with an enigmatic smile. Unhurried, he approached Fleur, asking for her hand with a discreet gesture, and began to fasten the bracelet around her wrist. "This jewelry" he explained as he adjusted the bracelet on her wrist, "has the ability to amplify persuasion spells when performed without a wand. I would like you to accept it as a gift. If possible, use it in your next training sessions, as a symbol of my gratitude for your help during this confusing period, and, of course, to elevate the level of our duels."

Fleur admired the bracelet on her wrist, impressed by its beauty and power. The bracelet was dazzling, and its evident value made her hesitant. With a serious expression, she attempted to decline. "Lucius, I cannot accept this."

Lucius stood, his intense gaze locking onto Fleur's, and he declared with firmness: "I won't accept a refusal. This jewelry would be much more useful to you. Your powers of persuasion, as a veela, are naturally used without a wand, so it only makes sense that you should have it. Although I hope my wandless spells will improve greatly, there are limits to what I can do. The only persuasion spell I might attempt would be the Imperius Curse, and frankly, casting an Unforgivable Curse without a wand is something I don't believe I'll ever do. Therefore, this jewelry will be in better hands with you."

He paused briefly, allowing his words to sink in before adding with a softer tone, with a hint of flirtation: "Besides, the blue of the stone complements your eyes beautifully."

Fleur, surprised by Lucius's sincerity and generosity, observed the jewelry for a moment before finally smiling, resigned. "You really leave me no choice, do you?" she said, appreciating the bracelet's feel on her wrist. "Thank you, Lucius. I don't even know what to say."

After gazing at the bracelet on her wrist and accepting the gift with a resigned smile, Fleur couldn't resist teasing Lucius. "But perhaps it's not a good idea for you to enhance my powers, Lucius" she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "If I managed to defeat you without any enhancement, this will only make things more complicated for you."

Lucius, initially incredulous, paused for a moment before letting out a low, ironic laugh. "Delacour" he began, his voice carrying a mix of challenge and admiration, "last time, you caught me off guard."

He leaned in slightly closer, his intense gaze fixed on hers. "And don't think, for a second, that I would want you to present anything less than your full capability. I want to experience everything."

The air between them seemed electrified, charged with a tension that went beyond words. It was a mutual challenge, a promise that in their next encounters, both would bring out the best in themselves. Fleur, still smiling, simply nodded, accepting the challenge and letting the moment linger, aware that Lucius was just as eager as she was for the next confrontation of skills.