Okay, let's try this again...
Date: October 31st
Time: 9:30 A.M.
Place: Malfoy Manor, then Knockturn Alley
Characters involved: OPEN, once the Malfoys leave the manor
Rating: since it's Knockturn Alley, probably about PG-13
Lucius lay propped up in bed, today's newspaper, folded, on his lap. A glance to the right showed Narcissa, still sound asleep. Perfect. Surrepticiously, Lucius opened the paper as quietly as he could, flipping past the news and sports pages to the little insert on horoscopes. Not even an Imperius Curse would wring the information from him, but he actually slightly believed the suggestions they made for the day. Well, at least for more important days and festivals, like, of course, today's Halloween. Days of real importance simply had to have enough magical impression on an important day to guide the analysts a little more directly. Oveall, it was most likely simply a case of the mind moulding one's day to what the horoscope said, but if the horoscope was a good one, why should that be a problem?
Lucius scanned the page and then smiled. Scorpios were promised ambient aid with big decisions. The day could only go up from here. Lucius had been brooding for the past few weeks. Ever since he'd returned home, or, frankly, even before then, things had simply not been right. There had never been any room in his mind for self-doubt, but since Narcissa's dinner party and his little 'talk' with his Ministry official, his son seemingly forcing himself from the family, and Lucius's own funk for the past few weeks over where to go next--the tiniest worm of indecision had crawled its hated way into the back of his mind. And Lucius HATED IT. Deep down, he also suspected it was because he would be another year older in only a little over a week. The dreaded 'half-century' birthday would only be four years away come the eighth, and even thinking '50' made him feel old.
He certainly wasn't losing his touch, but...There were so many questions and--he would only admit to himself--a need to retest himself and find himself still worthy of something of substance. This playing 'reborn into the Light' role was becoming incredibly constricting, as good as it was for current Dark Lord-free public relations. Not only was he becoming bored with his current lot, but he almost felt a little useless. There was no one Cause that he could organise his mind and life around. To ward off feeling rudderless, a little speck of an idea had begun to grow in the back of his mind, warring with the doubt also trying to grow there, until he had awoken this morning with a full-blown Idea. And, now, the horoscopes were promising him luck with any decision he made today. It was almost too perfect. He smiled to himself for the first time in weeks.
Lucius had bought several new books and other dark paraphenalia whilst on his 'Ministry sponsored mission of friendship' (Eckheart had, at least, been good for something in setting that up.). One or two of them he refused to part with, but there were others that had simply been a whim that could be easily sold. Much as he hated to admit it, what Eckheart had told him about possible strengthening of the Registry had him slightly nervous. The Ministry was incompetent; everyone knew that. But they had managed to find a good portion of his more benign paraphenalia after the last war. Lucius had no doubt that it would have taken much more money and effort to free him from Azkaban had they found any of the truly important relics. Therefore, ridding himself of some less-than-necessary goods before any such trouble might arise could certainly not hurt.
But, more importantly, the flying of the Dark Mark and his own subsequent confusion over who in blue blazes was left to have flown it only deeped Lucius's sense of having been pushed to the periphery. He simply hadn't figured on his absence leaving him so out-of-the-loop. He had made discrete enquiries and even wrung every last drop of information from all his various sources, but nothing he'd heard had been particularly useful or helpful. Lucius wondered, if he went to dispose of any superfluous goods in the best place to do so, he could find out a little something more. At the very least, he could plumb some of the others outside of the thrice-damned contraining public eye that still wore rose-tinted glasses of Lucius from his booksigning.
He flipped the paper back to the news, scanning it briefly by habit. Nothing of interest. Another glance at Narcissa found her still asleep, so he turned to the sports section. There certainly had been much of interest happening on the quidditch pitch of late. Perhaps if everything fared well today and he threw off this funk that gripped him, he might just find out of the Set he belong to showed interest in gracing the final match of the season. It would be socially awkward to attend alone, but as a social gathering with sports involved, it could prove of interest.
Lucius shook off his thoughts and turned to look down at his wife. Had he just heard her stir? "Narcissa?" he asked softly, quietly enough not to wake her if she were still asleep. "Are you awake?"
Time: 9:30 A.M.
Place: Malfoy Manor, then Knockturn Alley
Characters involved: OPEN, once the Malfoys leave the manor
Rating: since it's Knockturn Alley, probably about PG-13
Lucius lay propped up in bed, today's newspaper, folded, on his lap. A glance to the right showed Narcissa, still sound asleep. Perfect. Surrepticiously, Lucius opened the paper as quietly as he could, flipping past the news and sports pages to the little insert on horoscopes. Not even an Imperius Curse would wring the information from him, but he actually slightly believed the suggestions they made for the day. Well, at least for more important days and festivals, like, of course, today's Halloween. Days of real importance simply had to have enough magical impression on an important day to guide the analysts a little more directly. Oveall, it was most likely simply a case of the mind moulding one's day to what the horoscope said, but if the horoscope was a good one, why should that be a problem?
Lucius scanned the page and then smiled. Scorpios were promised ambient aid with big decisions. The day could only go up from here. Lucius had been brooding for the past few weeks. Ever since he'd returned home, or, frankly, even before then, things had simply not been right. There had never been any room in his mind for self-doubt, but since Narcissa's dinner party and his little 'talk' with his Ministry official, his son seemingly forcing himself from the family, and Lucius's own funk for the past few weeks over where to go next--the tiniest worm of indecision had crawled its hated way into the back of his mind. And Lucius HATED IT. Deep down, he also suspected it was because he would be another year older in only a little over a week. The dreaded 'half-century' birthday would only be four years away come the eighth, and even thinking '50' made him feel old.
He certainly wasn't losing his touch, but...There were so many questions and--he would only admit to himself--a need to retest himself and find himself still worthy of something of substance. This playing 'reborn into the Light' role was becoming incredibly constricting, as good as it was for current Dark Lord-free public relations. Not only was he becoming bored with his current lot, but he almost felt a little useless. There was no one Cause that he could organise his mind and life around. To ward off feeling rudderless, a little speck of an idea had begun to grow in the back of his mind, warring with the doubt also trying to grow there, until he had awoken this morning with a full-blown Idea. And, now, the horoscopes were promising him luck with any decision he made today. It was almost too perfect. He smiled to himself for the first time in weeks.
Lucius had bought several new books and other dark paraphenalia whilst on his 'Ministry sponsored mission of friendship' (Eckheart had, at least, been good for something in setting that up.). One or two of them he refused to part with, but there were others that had simply been a whim that could be easily sold. Much as he hated to admit it, what Eckheart had told him about possible strengthening of the Registry had him slightly nervous. The Ministry was incompetent; everyone knew that. But they had managed to find a good portion of his more benign paraphenalia after the last war. Lucius had no doubt that it would have taken much more money and effort to free him from Azkaban had they found any of the truly important relics. Therefore, ridding himself of some less-than-necessary goods before any such trouble might arise could certainly not hurt.
But, more importantly, the flying of the Dark Mark and his own subsequent confusion over who in blue blazes was left to have flown it only deeped Lucius's sense of having been pushed to the periphery. He simply hadn't figured on his absence leaving him so out-of-the-loop. He had made discrete enquiries and even wrung every last drop of information from all his various sources, but nothing he'd heard had been particularly useful or helpful. Lucius wondered, if he went to dispose of any superfluous goods in the best place to do so, he could find out a little something more. At the very least, he could plumb some of the others outside of the thrice-damned contraining public eye that still wore rose-tinted glasses of Lucius from his booksigning.
He flipped the paper back to the news, scanning it briefly by habit. Nothing of interest. Another glance at Narcissa found her still asleep, so he turned to the sports section. There certainly had been much of interest happening on the quidditch pitch of late. Perhaps if everything fared well today and he threw off this funk that gripped him, he might just find out of the Set he belong to showed interest in gracing the final match of the season. It would be socially awkward to attend alone, but as a social gathering with sports involved, it could prove of interest.
Lucius shook off his thoughts and turned to look down at his wife. Had he just heard her stir? "Narcissa?" he asked softly, quietly enough not to wake her if she were still asleep. "Are you awake?"