Biweekly reponse: Handling with care.

[yes_peacocks]

Who? The Ministry of Magic 
What? Damage Control and waking the dead
When? Very early Thursday morning in

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[dadnamedme]

Scorpius could be found in the library at the manor. He found comfort in books. More comfort than he often found in people. Books were to Scorpius what the peacocks were to Lucius. He was worried, but not for the reasons he probably should be. Coming home to find his grandfather gone had made him panic. Having his grandmother tell him that he left for important Ministry business had invoked a bit of relief.

If Lucius was able to work that meant he was getting better right?

It did not occur to him that perhaps the reason his grandfather was taken from his death bed was to deal with what had happened on the full moon. Yes, he could not remember what happened the night before, but he refused to panic about it.

It was animal blood. It had to be animal blood. To keep his mind from working triple time picking apart something that was virtually blank in his memory, he read from a book in the library.

[yes_peacocks]

A grandson was attacked, probably in retaliation for his grandfather's very public accusations and threats.

In truth, Lucius hadn't made the connections in his head soon enough. At the meeting, he had been scrambling for details, for some part of understanding and plotting his next personal course of action that he hadn't even gotten down the details and let them sink in.

A grandson paying for the foolishness of his grandfather.

Lucius felt his chest twist painfully, but it did nothing to break his stride. His heart was accustomed to breaking by now. He didn't stop his feverish pace until he was in the library, staring at his grandson.

He let out a choked sob of relief and pure joy at the sight of his grandson.

"Oh Scorpius...you had me wor-" No. The politician snapped. Or was it the Death Eater. Malfoy was accustomed to so many masks and they each came so easily, he couldn't be sure who was pushing now. But it wasn't the dying grandfather. He would accomplish nothing. "...tell me about last night?"

[dadnamedme]

His head snapped up at the sound of the heart beat.

It had been a heart beat that led him away from following Moony. It had been a heart beat that carried him out of the woods and toward the neighborhood.

Scorpius shook those thoughts away as he carefully closed his book. When he looked up at his grandfather he smiled at first, looking puzzled a moment later at the question. His mask was firmly in place. If he was suspicious of the question or defensive it didn't show.

"What about last night?" Tell him about last night? Scorpius would need to remember the events of the previous night for him to be able to do that. Taking in the man before him he asked quietly, "Did something happen?"

It was animal blood. Simply animal blood. It had to be animal blood.

"Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

[yes_peacocks]

Lucius took one look at those clear blue eyes and careful, impassive mask before he felt the world tumble around him. He remembered what he had told Moody in his dream. About Monsters...

He realizes now, in a split second at Scorpius' questions, that Lucius hadn't even considered it could have been someone else. Of course, it had to be the Malfoy...

This is how they dealt with those who disrespected them, wasn't it? It's just how Lucius taught him.

No.

Not here.

Lucius pushed back the fear, the weakness, the clawing sense of complete powerlessness and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He forced out another breath. It was hard to breath in this room. It felt like the room was spinning. "Good. You were with the Professor and his child, then? The entire time...good. You don't know anything about it yet." He was rambling. His grandson asked him a question. Focus. "...Heim and his grandson was attacked last night. By a werewolf."