(no subject)
Bill was staring at the ceiling again, having nothing else to do but sit there and think. It had been a good three or so weeks that he had been here, but it felt as though he never left. Except, things were a bit more comfortable than it had been before. Still, he wished sometimes that he could do something other than staring at the ceiling. Sighing, he closed his eyes and wondered if Lucius would come and see him today. Either way, he was getting tired (sitting around doing nothing was exhausting) and a nap sounded good.
At first, Lucius wondered why the crup was to friendly to him, obeying orders and acting as a little puppy generally did to one it knew was its owner, but it was easy to remember that some animals were smarter than humans gave them credit for, and crups especially. "Sit," he instructed, and the pup did. "Stay there, and don't come until he calls you, is that understood? You'll hear your name." The look Esmond gave made Lucius think he understood, and he opened the door to Bill's room, leaving it open a bit behind him. "Hello William. I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
The sound of the door caused Bill's eyes to open, and the sound of Lucius' voice made him turn on his side. "Of course not," he said as he sat up. "I wasn't doing anything important, as usual. Just watching the sky from the window." He glanced up once before looking back to Lucius, offering a smile. "Is there something going on? Or is this just a normal visit?" There was usually never anything going on, but Bill just felt like asking. It was better than staring at the man and hoping he offered the answer without him asking.
Lucius grinned at the idea of Bill being marginally happy even before he said anything. "I wish I could say this was a normal visit, but it isn't. Would you like to know what happened earlier, William? I suspect it will be more interesting than the sky."
Bill's face fell, his mind turning toward the worst as Lucius said that it wasn't a normal visit. He hesitated a moment before nodding his head, sliding until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "What happened earlier?" he asked, hoping he sounded calmer than he suddenly felt.
"My house elf informed me there was a visitor - an uninvited visitor - to my home. Naturally, my first instincts were to kill or obliviate anyone who would dare show up unannounced, but I believe in this case there was no need." Lucius paused, folding his arms as a smile continued to play on his lips. "You'd be surprised who I would let into my home. Especially if they're as willing as this visitor to be quite submissive to me."
Hermione was the first person that came to his mind. He told her not to come, but he honestly didn't expect her to stay behind. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and stared at his feet. "I told her not to follow me, Sir. I had hoped that she listened to me and didn't, but I suppose that isn't the case." He rubbed his hands together, glancing back up at Lucius. "I'm sorry..."
Lucius smirked. "Not she, William, he."
He? Bill frowned at that. There wasn't a 'he' that would follow him, especially to Malfoy Manor. "I have no idea who you're talking about. I don't know a 'he' that would be stupid enough to risk getting you angry just to see me."
"Shockingly enough I am not angry." On the contrary, Lucius was smiling. "Can you name those males who you have had as an acquaintance? While you were on the run, that is. Every male that comes to mind."
Bill thought for a moment, going over the list. Oliver was the first to come to mind, but he didn't dare say that. He wasn't stupid enough to blow the cover of Tonks. "Just a few where I was at. None of them were close enough. Unless Hermione asked that they come, which I doubt. She would have gotten here herself."
"Not a single one?" Lucius sighed. "That's sad. I might have let you see him, but if you can't even recall one, then perhaps it's pointless."
"Sir, Master, I don't think that's fair." Bill stood up, taking a few steps toward Lucius, a frown on his face. "He made it this far and he hasn't died yet, I think I deserve to know who he is. I may not think of any names, but there are people out there that do odd things in times like these."
"Your only acquaintances were people?" Lucius tilted his head, wondering if it would dawn on Bill who was waiting in just the other room, or if he would have to continue the game longer. He was enjoying it, but he could see Bill wasn't. "Surely you had more than that."
The question had Bill frowning further, his mind trying to figure out exactly what Lucius was talking about. If he wasn't talking about people like Hermione and the contention, then what was he talking about? If it turned out to be a house elf... but even a house elf would have just came into his room without actually going to Lucius first. And if it wasn't a house elf then- it dawned on him. Bill took in a sharp breath and glanced to the doorway before looking back at Lucius, worrying more than before now. "I... I'm sorry. I told him to wait with Hermione. He wasn't supposed to follow me." He knew Esmond was worried (the crup was attached to him more than anything he had known before), but to come here? It was crazy and Bill had to admit that he expected it somewhat.
"You look disturbed, William." Lucius had to admit he was impressed with the way the crup was waiting for his name to be spoken before bothering to come in, and was staying quiet. "Who wasn't supposed to follow you? I have an idea you might know who came for a visit after all."
A thousand scenarios moved through Bill's head. Ones of Lucius forcing the crup to go back to Hogwarts and the following him, one of Narcissa getting hold of the crup, another of Esmond caged and fed scraps. He knew (or hoped) that Lucius would never do that, but it didn't stop the worry from moving through his system. "Please tell me that you won't hurt him? He doesn't know any better."
Lucius turned his head away with a forced look of indifference. "I don't know who you're talking about."
"My crup." Bill clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay where he was. If he tried to run, Lucius might not ever open the door again. "You told me before to forget him and now he's here and I just want to know if he's okay." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Once he felt that he wasn't going to do something stupid, he reopened his eyes and stared at Lucius. "So, is Esmond okay?"
Esmond had been sitting out of the way of the door, waiting until he heard his name as instructed. He had almost jumped a few times and just went in, but he didn't want to get Bill in trouble. But, as soon as he finally heard 'Esmond' fall from Bill's lips, he forgot his earlier command to be quiet and ran into the room, letting out a bark. He saw Lucius first and then he saw Bill, standing there looking both worried and shocked. Tail wagging, he got on his hind legs and scratched at Bill's leg as if letting the man know he was okay.
Lucius let a smile curl one end of his lips, glancing down at Esmond as the crup ran in. "It looks as though someone else was as impatient to hear his name as I was getting. You had better be glad these walls are soundproof." He smirked, looking between Bill and the pup. "Does that answer your question, William?"
Bill looked uncertainly to Lucius before kneeling on the floor, letting Esmond lick his face. He felt like he was dreaming, especially since the night before he had thought he felt Esmond next to him again. Still, the crup was here and healthy; it was more than Bill could have asked for. "I just can't believe... You won't take him away from me?" He rubbed on Esmond's back, glad to have him back and playful. He could be great company when Lucius was away somewhere.
Lucius snerked, shaking his head. "William, if I let him go, he'll only come back in search of you, and as cruel a wizard as I am, I refuse to kill a harmless creature like him. He didn't attack me when he saw me, so he may stay. I'm afraid he won't be let out for walks, though, or he'll be discovered and Circe only knows what will happen to him then." His eyebrow arched. "You don't mind keeping watch over him in here, do you?"
"Of course not," Bill told Lucius quickly. "He'll just need a place to go to the bathroom and to eat... but I'm sure we can both adjust. It's not like I never stayed in my room with me for a few weeks at a time before. I promise he won't get out." He glanced down to Esmond, making a mental note to talk to him later about what he could and couldn't do. It wouldn't be good for him to get in trouble. Smiling softly, he leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of the crup's head. That's when he noticed the collar, snug around his neck. "What...?" Bill narrowed his eyes, looking up to Lucius. "He doesn't need this," he insisted, pointing to the unneeded addition.
Lucius narrowed his eyes and pointed his wand at the pup's neck. "Oh he doesn't? I thought it looked too loose for him." A wordless spell later and the collar fell off, the paper inside rolling away from it. Instead of crouching down, he pointed at it for Bill to see, in case he missed it. "What is that?"
"There wasn't a need to put it on him in the first place," Bill snapped, rubbing at Esmond's neck once the collar was off. He couldn't think of anyone at Hogwarts putting the collar on since they all knew he hated it. He honestly didn't think Lucius did either, but that didn't mean the house elf didn't do it. His attention was brought down to the paper that he hadn't seen. "I don't know," he told Lucius, before picking it up. Esmond jumped out of his arms and moved to the side to scratch at his neck, glad to have the collar gone.
His eyebrows lifted at Bill snapping about the collar. At least he knew it wasn't Bill's idea. Lucius moved over to the side of the bed, pointing at it. "Esmond, here." He smiled lightly as the pup obeyed, and rewarded him with a scratch behind one ear, watching Bill carefully. "Well? It was obviously meant for you. What is it?"
Bill watched Esmond and Lucius for a moment before shaking his head and opening the letter. His eyes scanned it for a moment, a frown coming on his face. The collar made sense now, but sending Esmond here still didn't. He left the crup with Hermione so she wouldn't be lonely. Biting his lip, he glanced back up at Esmond and sighed. He needed to contact Oliver somehow and get a message to Hogwarts so someone could make sure she didn't do anything stupid.
Lucius sighed. "I am losing my patience with you, William. What is that?" He glanced at the paper, seeing nothing, and narrowed his eyes again. "I'll not punish you if you tell me what it is, but you're making me angry by keeping it secret from me."
Telling the truth would get Lucius upset, but telling a lie would do the same. Bill glanced back down at the parchment and shrugged once. "It's blank," he told the other man. "I mean, there's spots here and there that look like someone was going to write, but otherwise it's blank."
"Of course," Lucius stared, every inch of his face showing he didn't believe a word Bill said. "A blank parchment makes you frown and stare at your pet, sighing." He lifted his wand, pointing it at Bill with a new surge of anger in his features. "I told you, William...don't lie to me."
The wand pointing at him caused Bill to tense, his fingers tightening on the parchment. He could see Esmond from the corner of his eye, watching both of them with his tail down. He knew that the crup would try to protect him if Lucius actually tried to put a curse on him and he couldn't allow that. So he decided on half the truth. "It just ... it explained why Esmond ... and things were fine. That's all."
Lucius was beyond annoyance and snatched the paper out of Bill's hand. He was aware of several revealing spells, and tried two on the parchment before the words became visible to him. There was an advantage to having a wand and years more training than someone his son's age. Slowly, he read the letter, his brow furrowing with nearly every word. "She's right," he finally said, crumpling it up into a ball and holding it in his hand, "she is hopelessly optimistic." Pointing his wand at the ball, he turned it into large spider, Crucio'd it, then killed it with unnerving ease. He flicked his hand into the air, sending the dead body upwards, and quickly cast a spell to set it on fire, so that only remnants of ashes reached the floor. His free hand pointed to the collar, his voice almost cold, but not completely uncaring. "What do you want to do with that?"
Bill jumped back a bit as the letter was taken from his hands. When Lucius revealed the actual words, he closed his eyes and looked away. He had a feeling that things were not going to go smoothly for a while, but whether that was because of the letter or him lying about it, Bill wasn't sure. Esmond nudged of his arm and Bill let the crup settle onto his lap. He kept his eyes closed, wincing as he heard what Lucius was doing and hoping that the curse wouldn't turn on him. Not that it did many times, but the fear was still there. "I'm sorry," he whispered as the ashes fell to the floor. "I just... I don't know. Esmond doesn't need it."
"No, he doesn't," Lucius agreed. He looked at Bill, catching the way he looked. "What's wrong now?"
"Nothing you can help." Bill took a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes. "It's really nothing at all anyway." He scratched behind Esmond's ear, still staring at the wall across from him instead of Lucius. "I'm sorry Esmond bothered you when he came."
"He didn't, not entirely. Caused more punishment for a house elf, but that's normal." Lucius levitated the collar and set it down in front of Bill's sight range. He stepped around so that he was standing alongside Bill, turning his wand around to offer it. "What do you want to do with it? The collar, I mean."
Esmond growled at the collar as it came in front of Bill. He didn't like the collar and was glad that it was off, but he didn't want to see it again. Bill scratched under his jaw once before looking to the wand, licking his lips. "I don't want to see it anymore. Burn it or let Esmond eat it, I don't care."
His eyebrows lifted as the wand remained close enough for Bill to take. It could have been taken as a show of good faith that Lucius even offered it freely to begin with, and probably was. "You don't want to do it yourself?" He shrugged. "I suppose I could burn it or transfigure it into something edible. We wouldn't want Esmond with a stomach ache."
"He liked to eat Hermione's shoes," Bill told him with a small smile. "I doubt he'd be disturbed by it." He watched the wand carefully, unsure whether he should really take it. There hadn't been a spell cast by his magic in five years now and he wasn't sure if anything would come out right. "Are you sure?" he asked, nodding to the wand. "You're not afraid that I'd hex you and then run off?"
Lucius looked directly at Bill and replied calmly. "No, for two reasons. One, if my wife caught you running off, she'd punish you her way. Two, you wouldn't." It wasn't a challenging 'you wouldn't' it was a calm 'I know better' attitude he carried as he continued to hold the wand close enough for Bill to take. "You can remember what a shoe of hers looked like, can't you?"
The mention of Narcissa finding him had Bill shivering a little. He didn't even want to be in the same wing of the house as the woman. Ginny was with her and that would be the only reason he'd brave her. "You have a point. And yes... I can. I don't know how well it'll work considering that I haven't done magic since they snapped my wand." He hesitated a moment before reaching for the wand. It felt like a foreign object now, unfamiliar on his fingers. It was an odd feeling.
"You'll be fine," Lucius said, almost encouraging the younger man. Taking his hand away from the wand so that only Bill was holding it, he shrugged slightly. "Try lumos once before attempting transfiguration. It should remind you that you still have magic in your veins."
Bill stared at the wand for a long moment and, after Esmond moved off his lap, he murmured 'lumos' under his breath. The light wasn't as bright as he last remembered, but it was still there. A smile tugged at his lips as he muttered 'nox' and let the light go out. Lucius' wand wasn't like his old one, but it was still a wand and it worked. "All right, Esmond's favorite shoe to chew on..." He held the image in his head and then with a small flick, transformed the collar into a shoe. It wasn't perfect, but the shape was there for the most part. He could hear Professor McGonagall now, telling him that he hadn't flicked his wrist just right and that the shoe should be perfect. The mental image of her stern face made him almost laugh and he had to hold it back, even as Esmond carefully approached the 'shoe' to inspect it.
Lucius smirked, shaking his head a bit. "I figured you might have wanted to go for the 'uneaten' shoe look, but that works too." He didn't reach out for the wand, but merely looked at Bill, ignoring the crup for a bit. "Try lumos again and focus this time, William."
"Why?" Bill asked, feeling a bit stupid in asking the question. "I changed it into a shoe and Esmond doesn't seem to have a problem with it." Indeed, Esmond was biting at the toe of the shoe, his tail wagging. "There's not much use in relearning magic, especially if I won't use a wand for the rest of my life."
Lucius folded his arms and gave Bill a look as though he had just asked why he had to breathe. "Because I said to try it again. I know you have your pet back, but that doesn't mean I want you questioning me when I tell you to do something. Now try lumos again with more focus."
"I'm just wondering why you want me to do this. It's your wand and I technically shouldn't be touching it." Bill wanted to toss the wand back in Lucius' direction, but thought better of it. There was no need to get the older man even more upset with him, so he held the wand and muttered 'lumos' again.
Lucius ignored the young man's words, watching Bill and his feeble attempt, and wrinkled his nose. "I said try and focus, William. I want to see you get that brighter."
Bill gave Lucius a look, feeling like a first year all over again. "I still don't see the point." He repeated the spell again, not even paying attention to how bright it got. "I can't exactly do this again in my life. Slaves aren't allowed wands."
"Do it!" Lucius snapped, rather annoyed. "You don't need to see the point to it, you're not the one making the decision. And you're not paying attention; I said I want to see that brighter."
"You sound like a professor from Hell," Bill muttered before casting the spell again. If Lucius wasn't so annoyed, he would have just put the wand on the side table and ignored it. But, even he wasn't stupid enough to test the man when he was like this. It was better just to do as he said, even if Bill didn't understand. "Bright enough yet?"
Lucius snorted, but shook his head. "No. Again, William." He pointed to the light on the wall. "Brighter than that candle before you give up. Then by all means feel free."
Bill glanced to the candle and sighed. Five years ago, he could do that easily and he knew that, but it didn't help that he was out of practice and let himself get lazy (not that he had a choice, either way). Esmond let out a small bark and Bill glanced over to see that he had nearly eaten half the 'shoe' already. He smiled a bit as the crup went back to his eating before looking back to his wand. "Fine. I don't know why you're doing this, but I'll do it." He glanced at Lucius once before muttering 'lumos' again.
"I wonder when it was that I had to start explaining myself to you." He tilted his head, glancing at Esmond with a slight lip curl before looking at Bill again. "There isn't anyone else here, you know, you don't have to mutter. In fact, it might help if you don't just mutter."
"I feel like a bloody first year," Bill complained under his breath. Taking a better grip with the wand, he sat up a bit straighter and repeated the spell, this time saying it louder.
"You complain too much. Again."
Bill wanted to tell Lucius that he demanded too much, but he already knew what the response to that would have been. So instead, he forced his eyes to stay on the wand as he repeated the spell again. All he wanted to know was why Lucius insisted on him doing this; was that so hard to answer?
"Better," Lucius said, his eyes looking like they were brightening with the spell. "Once more with feeling and you can return my wand to me." He didn't add that he might explain himself as well, but as he was the Master, and Bill the Slave, he knew he didn't have to.
"Yes, sir," Bill told him, face still focused on the wand. He reached out a hand as Esmond came to sit in his lap (the half-eaten shoe with him), stroking the crup's head. "Lumos," he said, putting at least a little bit of feeling behind it so Lucius would be satisfied.
Lucius quirked a brow. "Do you want to try again, or do you want to give me my wand back?" It was an honest inquiry he made, and he didn't lift his hand to see if Bill was so willing to give the wand back, he just watched the younger man and the crup as he waited for an answer.
Bill turned his eyes to Lucius, watching him for a moment before raising the wand and offering it back to him. "I'd rather give it back." The longer he held it, the more Lucius would want him to do; Bill felt uncomfortable holding it anyway. "Thank you... sir."
Lucius nodded, taking his wand back. "I appreciate your eventual compliance, William." Wordlessly, he cast the same spell Bill had been fiddling with, making the tip glow brightly before wordlessly stopping it. He reached over to scratch behind Esmond's ear as he stared at his wand, seeming to speak to it. "There has never been a time when I've not been around magic. Did you know? It's been beaten into me from infancy that magic is a staple of life, and that I am to respect it, control it, and bend it to my whim. My first word set one of the House Elves on fire in my anger before I was even a year old." He turned to smile at the crup. "I refuse to surround myself with anything that doesn't have magic surging through it." The smile faded slightly as he glanced up at Bill, but it didn't disappear entirely. "Do I make myself clear?"
As Lucius cast the spell, Bill looked away. He didn't really want to see how simple it was for the older man, even though he knew that it was just a matter of who was in practice and who wasn't. He listened quietly to the explanation, but it didn't make him feel better. To him, any pureblood was raised around magic from birth and all of them were used to it being around. "You have," he answered at the question, "but that still doesn't matter." Esmond wagged his tail once, turning to lick the side of Lucius' hand. "I'm not allowed a wand and using yours feels... wrong."
Lucius gave the crup a final scratch before standing and stepping toward the door. "You're not allowed a wand if your Master says you're not. No one else decides that." He paused, looking back to Bill. "Is there anything else, William? I have the feeling you want to be left alone with your pet."
"And how in Merlin's name will I even get a wand without testing them?" Bill watched Lucius go toward the door, but he didn't say anything against it.
Folding his arms, Lucius arched an eyebrow. "I wonder if you recall a close personal friend of mine: Severus Snape. It's rumored, so don't quote me, that he may have some skills in making potions. One potion might even be able to - dare I say - change an outward appearance. Now, Merlin forbid, but it may prove useful sometime...though I can't tell why."
"How are you going to convince him that you need one?" Bill was worried that it wouldn't work, especially since he had his cuff and mark (and wasn't sure if any kind of potion could make both temporarily be removed). He knew Lucius could take care of the cuff, but the mark? That was a different story and he was unsure of it all.
Lucius laughed. "Do you think it would be difficult? I could get him to give it to me with no questions asked, or I could say I'm using it for personal reasons and make something up. Either way, it's a matter of asking and nothing more." He shook his head. "Sometimes you make me wonder, William, if you think things through."
Bill shrugged, playing a bit of tug-of-war with Esmond and the shoe. "The war and events that happened after made me paranoid. I'd rather ask questions than blindly follow."
"There's one reason you're still alive and in my care," he smiled. "Not the paranoia, of course, but the other thing."
"Asking questions instead of blindly following?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Finding your free will," Lucius nodded, "in spite of your situation. Sometimes your questions annoy me, but they're at least understandable at times."
Esmond nibbled on Bill's fingers before taking the last scrap of the shoe and bounded off of Bill and to the bed. "I just have it because you haven't beaten it out of me. I've changed, yes, but not so much that I've lost everything." When he had first arrived at Hogwarts, he had been terrified of leaving and having someone not send him back to Lucius, but Narcissa first. He didn't want that.
"And that's important." He didn't add that he'd deliberately not beaten it out of Bill, but he left it remaining unspoken in the air between them. Why repeat something you already know? "Perhaps you'll grow again."
Bill heard the unspoken part of Lucius' statement, feeling as though he had known it from the beginning. "Perhaps," he agreed, shifting until he could lean his back against something. "I guess we'll have to see."
Lucius nodded again. "Is that all?"
"I suppose," Bill told him. "Unless you had something."
Lucius looked at him long and hard, as though studying the younger man before answering. "No, I suppose not." He paused. "You have everything you require now, do you not?"
"Yes, sir," Bill answered. He did have everything he needed (except, of course, the ability to see his sister, but he wouldn't push it) for the moment. "Thank you."
"Good," Lucius grinned at Esmond and briefly inclined his head to Bill. "I will see you later, William." Before he could continue their conversation further, Lucius left the room and closed the door behind him.
At first, Lucius wondered why the crup was to friendly to him, obeying orders and acting as a little puppy generally did to one it knew was its owner, but it was easy to remember that some animals were smarter than humans gave them credit for, and crups especially. "Sit," he instructed, and the pup did. "Stay there, and don't come until he calls you, is that understood? You'll hear your name." The look Esmond gave made Lucius think he understood, and he opened the door to Bill's room, leaving it open a bit behind him. "Hello William. I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
The sound of the door caused Bill's eyes to open, and the sound of Lucius' voice made him turn on his side. "Of course not," he said as he sat up. "I wasn't doing anything important, as usual. Just watching the sky from the window." He glanced up once before looking back to Lucius, offering a smile. "Is there something going on? Or is this just a normal visit?" There was usually never anything going on, but Bill just felt like asking. It was better than staring at the man and hoping he offered the answer without him asking.
Lucius grinned at the idea of Bill being marginally happy even before he said anything. "I wish I could say this was a normal visit, but it isn't. Would you like to know what happened earlier, William? I suspect it will be more interesting than the sky."
Bill's face fell, his mind turning toward the worst as Lucius said that it wasn't a normal visit. He hesitated a moment before nodding his head, sliding until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "What happened earlier?" he asked, hoping he sounded calmer than he suddenly felt.
"My house elf informed me there was a visitor - an uninvited visitor - to my home. Naturally, my first instincts were to kill or obliviate anyone who would dare show up unannounced, but I believe in this case there was no need." Lucius paused, folding his arms as a smile continued to play on his lips. "You'd be surprised who I would let into my home. Especially if they're as willing as this visitor to be quite submissive to me."
Hermione was the first person that came to his mind. He told her not to come, but he honestly didn't expect her to stay behind. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and stared at his feet. "I told her not to follow me, Sir. I had hoped that she listened to me and didn't, but I suppose that isn't the case." He rubbed his hands together, glancing back up at Lucius. "I'm sorry..."
Lucius smirked. "Not she, William, he."
He? Bill frowned at that. There wasn't a 'he' that would follow him, especially to Malfoy Manor. "I have no idea who you're talking about. I don't know a 'he' that would be stupid enough to risk getting you angry just to see me."
"Shockingly enough I am not angry." On the contrary, Lucius was smiling. "Can you name those males who you have had as an acquaintance? While you were on the run, that is. Every male that comes to mind."
Bill thought for a moment, going over the list. Oliver was the first to come to mind, but he didn't dare say that. He wasn't stupid enough to blow the cover of Tonks. "Just a few where I was at. None of them were close enough. Unless Hermione asked that they come, which I doubt. She would have gotten here herself."
"Not a single one?" Lucius sighed. "That's sad. I might have let you see him, but if you can't even recall one, then perhaps it's pointless."
"Sir, Master, I don't think that's fair." Bill stood up, taking a few steps toward Lucius, a frown on his face. "He made it this far and he hasn't died yet, I think I deserve to know who he is. I may not think of any names, but there are people out there that do odd things in times like these."
"Your only acquaintances were people?" Lucius tilted his head, wondering if it would dawn on Bill who was waiting in just the other room, or if he would have to continue the game longer. He was enjoying it, but he could see Bill wasn't. "Surely you had more than that."
The question had Bill frowning further, his mind trying to figure out exactly what Lucius was talking about. If he wasn't talking about people like Hermione and the contention, then what was he talking about? If it turned out to be a house elf... but even a house elf would have just came into his room without actually going to Lucius first. And if it wasn't a house elf then- it dawned on him. Bill took in a sharp breath and glanced to the doorway before looking back at Lucius, worrying more than before now. "I... I'm sorry. I told him to wait with Hermione. He wasn't supposed to follow me." He knew Esmond was worried (the crup was attached to him more than anything he had known before), but to come here? It was crazy and Bill had to admit that he expected it somewhat.
"You look disturbed, William." Lucius had to admit he was impressed with the way the crup was waiting for his name to be spoken before bothering to come in, and was staying quiet. "Who wasn't supposed to follow you? I have an idea you might know who came for a visit after all."
A thousand scenarios moved through Bill's head. Ones of Lucius forcing the crup to go back to Hogwarts and the following him, one of Narcissa getting hold of the crup, another of Esmond caged and fed scraps. He knew (or hoped) that Lucius would never do that, but it didn't stop the worry from moving through his system. "Please tell me that you won't hurt him? He doesn't know any better."
Lucius turned his head away with a forced look of indifference. "I don't know who you're talking about."
"My crup." Bill clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay where he was. If he tried to run, Lucius might not ever open the door again. "You told me before to forget him and now he's here and I just want to know if he's okay." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Once he felt that he wasn't going to do something stupid, he reopened his eyes and stared at Lucius. "So, is Esmond okay?"
Esmond had been sitting out of the way of the door, waiting until he heard his name as instructed. He had almost jumped a few times and just went in, but he didn't want to get Bill in trouble. But, as soon as he finally heard 'Esmond' fall from Bill's lips, he forgot his earlier command to be quiet and ran into the room, letting out a bark. He saw Lucius first and then he saw Bill, standing there looking both worried and shocked. Tail wagging, he got on his hind legs and scratched at Bill's leg as if letting the man know he was okay.
Lucius let a smile curl one end of his lips, glancing down at Esmond as the crup ran in. "It looks as though someone else was as impatient to hear his name as I was getting. You had better be glad these walls are soundproof." He smirked, looking between Bill and the pup. "Does that answer your question, William?"
Bill looked uncertainly to Lucius before kneeling on the floor, letting Esmond lick his face. He felt like he was dreaming, especially since the night before he had thought he felt Esmond next to him again. Still, the crup was here and healthy; it was more than Bill could have asked for. "I just can't believe... You won't take him away from me?" He rubbed on Esmond's back, glad to have him back and playful. He could be great company when Lucius was away somewhere.
Lucius snerked, shaking his head. "William, if I let him go, he'll only come back in search of you, and as cruel a wizard as I am, I refuse to kill a harmless creature like him. He didn't attack me when he saw me, so he may stay. I'm afraid he won't be let out for walks, though, or he'll be discovered and Circe only knows what will happen to him then." His eyebrow arched. "You don't mind keeping watch over him in here, do you?"
"Of course not," Bill told Lucius quickly. "He'll just need a place to go to the bathroom and to eat... but I'm sure we can both adjust. It's not like I never stayed in my room with me for a few weeks at a time before. I promise he won't get out." He glanced down to Esmond, making a mental note to talk to him later about what he could and couldn't do. It wouldn't be good for him to get in trouble. Smiling softly, he leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of the crup's head. That's when he noticed the collar, snug around his neck. "What...?" Bill narrowed his eyes, looking up to Lucius. "He doesn't need this," he insisted, pointing to the unneeded addition.
Lucius narrowed his eyes and pointed his wand at the pup's neck. "Oh he doesn't? I thought it looked too loose for him." A wordless spell later and the collar fell off, the paper inside rolling away from it. Instead of crouching down, he pointed at it for Bill to see, in case he missed it. "What is that?"
"There wasn't a need to put it on him in the first place," Bill snapped, rubbing at Esmond's neck once the collar was off. He couldn't think of anyone at Hogwarts putting the collar on since they all knew he hated it. He honestly didn't think Lucius did either, but that didn't mean the house elf didn't do it. His attention was brought down to the paper that he hadn't seen. "I don't know," he told Lucius, before picking it up. Esmond jumped out of his arms and moved to the side to scratch at his neck, glad to have the collar gone.
His eyebrows lifted at Bill snapping about the collar. At least he knew it wasn't Bill's idea. Lucius moved over to the side of the bed, pointing at it. "Esmond, here." He smiled lightly as the pup obeyed, and rewarded him with a scratch behind one ear, watching Bill carefully. "Well? It was obviously meant for you. What is it?"
Bill watched Esmond and Lucius for a moment before shaking his head and opening the letter. His eyes scanned it for a moment, a frown coming on his face. The collar made sense now, but sending Esmond here still didn't. He left the crup with Hermione so she wouldn't be lonely. Biting his lip, he glanced back up at Esmond and sighed. He needed to contact Oliver somehow and get a message to Hogwarts so someone could make sure she didn't do anything stupid.
Lucius sighed. "I am losing my patience with you, William. What is that?" He glanced at the paper, seeing nothing, and narrowed his eyes again. "I'll not punish you if you tell me what it is, but you're making me angry by keeping it secret from me."
Telling the truth would get Lucius upset, but telling a lie would do the same. Bill glanced back down at the parchment and shrugged once. "It's blank," he told the other man. "I mean, there's spots here and there that look like someone was going to write, but otherwise it's blank."
"Of course," Lucius stared, every inch of his face showing he didn't believe a word Bill said. "A blank parchment makes you frown and stare at your pet, sighing." He lifted his wand, pointing it at Bill with a new surge of anger in his features. "I told you, William...don't lie to me."
The wand pointing at him caused Bill to tense, his fingers tightening on the parchment. He could see Esmond from the corner of his eye, watching both of them with his tail down. He knew that the crup would try to protect him if Lucius actually tried to put a curse on him and he couldn't allow that. So he decided on half the truth. "It just ... it explained why Esmond ... and things were fine. That's all."
Lucius was beyond annoyance and snatched the paper out of Bill's hand. He was aware of several revealing spells, and tried two on the parchment before the words became visible to him. There was an advantage to having a wand and years more training than someone his son's age. Slowly, he read the letter, his brow furrowing with nearly every word. "She's right," he finally said, crumpling it up into a ball and holding it in his hand, "she is hopelessly optimistic." Pointing his wand at the ball, he turned it into large spider, Crucio'd it, then killed it with unnerving ease. He flicked his hand into the air, sending the dead body upwards, and quickly cast a spell to set it on fire, so that only remnants of ashes reached the floor. His free hand pointed to the collar, his voice almost cold, but not completely uncaring. "What do you want to do with that?"
Bill jumped back a bit as the letter was taken from his hands. When Lucius revealed the actual words, he closed his eyes and looked away. He had a feeling that things were not going to go smoothly for a while, but whether that was because of the letter or him lying about it, Bill wasn't sure. Esmond nudged of his arm and Bill let the crup settle onto his lap. He kept his eyes closed, wincing as he heard what Lucius was doing and hoping that the curse wouldn't turn on him. Not that it did many times, but the fear was still there. "I'm sorry," he whispered as the ashes fell to the floor. "I just... I don't know. Esmond doesn't need it."
"No, he doesn't," Lucius agreed. He looked at Bill, catching the way he looked. "What's wrong now?"
"Nothing you can help." Bill took a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes. "It's really nothing at all anyway." He scratched behind Esmond's ear, still staring at the wall across from him instead of Lucius. "I'm sorry Esmond bothered you when he came."
"He didn't, not entirely. Caused more punishment for a house elf, but that's normal." Lucius levitated the collar and set it down in front of Bill's sight range. He stepped around so that he was standing alongside Bill, turning his wand around to offer it. "What do you want to do with it? The collar, I mean."
Esmond growled at the collar as it came in front of Bill. He didn't like the collar and was glad that it was off, but he didn't want to see it again. Bill scratched under his jaw once before looking to the wand, licking his lips. "I don't want to see it anymore. Burn it or let Esmond eat it, I don't care."
His eyebrows lifted as the wand remained close enough for Bill to take. It could have been taken as a show of good faith that Lucius even offered it freely to begin with, and probably was. "You don't want to do it yourself?" He shrugged. "I suppose I could burn it or transfigure it into something edible. We wouldn't want Esmond with a stomach ache."
"He liked to eat Hermione's shoes," Bill told him with a small smile. "I doubt he'd be disturbed by it." He watched the wand carefully, unsure whether he should really take it. There hadn't been a spell cast by his magic in five years now and he wasn't sure if anything would come out right. "Are you sure?" he asked, nodding to the wand. "You're not afraid that I'd hex you and then run off?"
Lucius looked directly at Bill and replied calmly. "No, for two reasons. One, if my wife caught you running off, she'd punish you her way. Two, you wouldn't." It wasn't a challenging 'you wouldn't' it was a calm 'I know better' attitude he carried as he continued to hold the wand close enough for Bill to take. "You can remember what a shoe of hers looked like, can't you?"
The mention of Narcissa finding him had Bill shivering a little. He didn't even want to be in the same wing of the house as the woman. Ginny was with her and that would be the only reason he'd brave her. "You have a point. And yes... I can. I don't know how well it'll work considering that I haven't done magic since they snapped my wand." He hesitated a moment before reaching for the wand. It felt like a foreign object now, unfamiliar on his fingers. It was an odd feeling.
"You'll be fine," Lucius said, almost encouraging the younger man. Taking his hand away from the wand so that only Bill was holding it, he shrugged slightly. "Try lumos once before attempting transfiguration. It should remind you that you still have magic in your veins."
Bill stared at the wand for a long moment and, after Esmond moved off his lap, he murmured 'lumos' under his breath. The light wasn't as bright as he last remembered, but it was still there. A smile tugged at his lips as he muttered 'nox' and let the light go out. Lucius' wand wasn't like his old one, but it was still a wand and it worked. "All right, Esmond's favorite shoe to chew on..." He held the image in his head and then with a small flick, transformed the collar into a shoe. It wasn't perfect, but the shape was there for the most part. He could hear Professor McGonagall now, telling him that he hadn't flicked his wrist just right and that the shoe should be perfect. The mental image of her stern face made him almost laugh and he had to hold it back, even as Esmond carefully approached the 'shoe' to inspect it.
Lucius smirked, shaking his head a bit. "I figured you might have wanted to go for the 'uneaten' shoe look, but that works too." He didn't reach out for the wand, but merely looked at Bill, ignoring the crup for a bit. "Try lumos again and focus this time, William."
"Why?" Bill asked, feeling a bit stupid in asking the question. "I changed it into a shoe and Esmond doesn't seem to have a problem with it." Indeed, Esmond was biting at the toe of the shoe, his tail wagging. "There's not much use in relearning magic, especially if I won't use a wand for the rest of my life."
Lucius folded his arms and gave Bill a look as though he had just asked why he had to breathe. "Because I said to try it again. I know you have your pet back, but that doesn't mean I want you questioning me when I tell you to do something. Now try lumos again with more focus."
"I'm just wondering why you want me to do this. It's your wand and I technically shouldn't be touching it." Bill wanted to toss the wand back in Lucius' direction, but thought better of it. There was no need to get the older man even more upset with him, so he held the wand and muttered 'lumos' again.
Lucius ignored the young man's words, watching Bill and his feeble attempt, and wrinkled his nose. "I said try and focus, William. I want to see you get that brighter."
Bill gave Lucius a look, feeling like a first year all over again. "I still don't see the point." He repeated the spell again, not even paying attention to how bright it got. "I can't exactly do this again in my life. Slaves aren't allowed wands."
"Do it!" Lucius snapped, rather annoyed. "You don't need to see the point to it, you're not the one making the decision. And you're not paying attention; I said I want to see that brighter."
"You sound like a professor from Hell," Bill muttered before casting the spell again. If Lucius wasn't so annoyed, he would have just put the wand on the side table and ignored it. But, even he wasn't stupid enough to test the man when he was like this. It was better just to do as he said, even if Bill didn't understand. "Bright enough yet?"
Lucius snorted, but shook his head. "No. Again, William." He pointed to the light on the wall. "Brighter than that candle before you give up. Then by all means feel free."
Bill glanced to the candle and sighed. Five years ago, he could do that easily and he knew that, but it didn't help that he was out of practice and let himself get lazy (not that he had a choice, either way). Esmond let out a small bark and Bill glanced over to see that he had nearly eaten half the 'shoe' already. He smiled a bit as the crup went back to his eating before looking back to his wand. "Fine. I don't know why you're doing this, but I'll do it." He glanced at Lucius once before muttering 'lumos' again.
"I wonder when it was that I had to start explaining myself to you." He tilted his head, glancing at Esmond with a slight lip curl before looking at Bill again. "There isn't anyone else here, you know, you don't have to mutter. In fact, it might help if you don't just mutter."
"I feel like a bloody first year," Bill complained under his breath. Taking a better grip with the wand, he sat up a bit straighter and repeated the spell, this time saying it louder.
"You complain too much. Again."
Bill wanted to tell Lucius that he demanded too much, but he already knew what the response to that would have been. So instead, he forced his eyes to stay on the wand as he repeated the spell again. All he wanted to know was why Lucius insisted on him doing this; was that so hard to answer?
"Better," Lucius said, his eyes looking like they were brightening with the spell. "Once more with feeling and you can return my wand to me." He didn't add that he might explain himself as well, but as he was the Master, and Bill the Slave, he knew he didn't have to.
"Yes, sir," Bill told him, face still focused on the wand. He reached out a hand as Esmond came to sit in his lap (the half-eaten shoe with him), stroking the crup's head. "Lumos," he said, putting at least a little bit of feeling behind it so Lucius would be satisfied.
Lucius quirked a brow. "Do you want to try again, or do you want to give me my wand back?" It was an honest inquiry he made, and he didn't lift his hand to see if Bill was so willing to give the wand back, he just watched the younger man and the crup as he waited for an answer.
Bill turned his eyes to Lucius, watching him for a moment before raising the wand and offering it back to him. "I'd rather give it back." The longer he held it, the more Lucius would want him to do; Bill felt uncomfortable holding it anyway. "Thank you... sir."
Lucius nodded, taking his wand back. "I appreciate your eventual compliance, William." Wordlessly, he cast the same spell Bill had been fiddling with, making the tip glow brightly before wordlessly stopping it. He reached over to scratch behind Esmond's ear as he stared at his wand, seeming to speak to it. "There has never been a time when I've not been around magic. Did you know? It's been beaten into me from infancy that magic is a staple of life, and that I am to respect it, control it, and bend it to my whim. My first word set one of the House Elves on fire in my anger before I was even a year old." He turned to smile at the crup. "I refuse to surround myself with anything that doesn't have magic surging through it." The smile faded slightly as he glanced up at Bill, but it didn't disappear entirely. "Do I make myself clear?"
As Lucius cast the spell, Bill looked away. He didn't really want to see how simple it was for the older man, even though he knew that it was just a matter of who was in practice and who wasn't. He listened quietly to the explanation, but it didn't make him feel better. To him, any pureblood was raised around magic from birth and all of them were used to it being around. "You have," he answered at the question, "but that still doesn't matter." Esmond wagged his tail once, turning to lick the side of Lucius' hand. "I'm not allowed a wand and using yours feels... wrong."
Lucius gave the crup a final scratch before standing and stepping toward the door. "You're not allowed a wand if your Master says you're not. No one else decides that." He paused, looking back to Bill. "Is there anything else, William? I have the feeling you want to be left alone with your pet."
"And how in Merlin's name will I even get a wand without testing them?" Bill watched Lucius go toward the door, but he didn't say anything against it.
Folding his arms, Lucius arched an eyebrow. "I wonder if you recall a close personal friend of mine: Severus Snape. It's rumored, so don't quote me, that he may have some skills in making potions. One potion might even be able to - dare I say - change an outward appearance. Now, Merlin forbid, but it may prove useful sometime...though I can't tell why."
"How are you going to convince him that you need one?" Bill was worried that it wouldn't work, especially since he had his cuff and mark (and wasn't sure if any kind of potion could make both temporarily be removed). He knew Lucius could take care of the cuff, but the mark? That was a different story and he was unsure of it all.
Lucius laughed. "Do you think it would be difficult? I could get him to give it to me with no questions asked, or I could say I'm using it for personal reasons and make something up. Either way, it's a matter of asking and nothing more." He shook his head. "Sometimes you make me wonder, William, if you think things through."
Bill shrugged, playing a bit of tug-of-war with Esmond and the shoe. "The war and events that happened after made me paranoid. I'd rather ask questions than blindly follow."
"There's one reason you're still alive and in my care," he smiled. "Not the paranoia, of course, but the other thing."
"Asking questions instead of blindly following?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Finding your free will," Lucius nodded, "in spite of your situation. Sometimes your questions annoy me, but they're at least understandable at times."
Esmond nibbled on Bill's fingers before taking the last scrap of the shoe and bounded off of Bill and to the bed. "I just have it because you haven't beaten it out of me. I've changed, yes, but not so much that I've lost everything." When he had first arrived at Hogwarts, he had been terrified of leaving and having someone not send him back to Lucius, but Narcissa first. He didn't want that.
"And that's important." He didn't add that he'd deliberately not beaten it out of Bill, but he left it remaining unspoken in the air between them. Why repeat something you already know? "Perhaps you'll grow again."
Bill heard the unspoken part of Lucius' statement, feeling as though he had known it from the beginning. "Perhaps," he agreed, shifting until he could lean his back against something. "I guess we'll have to see."
Lucius nodded again. "Is that all?"
"I suppose," Bill told him. "Unless you had something."
Lucius looked at him long and hard, as though studying the younger man before answering. "No, I suppose not." He paused. "You have everything you require now, do you not?"
"Yes, sir," Bill answered. He did have everything he needed (except, of course, the ability to see his sister, but he wouldn't push it) for the moment. "Thank you."
"Good," Lucius grinned at Esmond and briefly inclined his head to Bill. "I will see you later, William." Before he could continue their conversation further, Lucius left the room and closed the door behind him.