FICLET: Protection (Lucius/Amos)
Title: Protection
Character Pairing: Lucius/Amos
Prompt: wither
Rating: PG
Word Count: 777
Summary: "The war is over, but we still have a ways to go, don't we?"
Author's Notes: Fic Six of Table Three.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/57921.html
"Oh, Merlin," Amos muttered, wiping his brow as he leaned heavily against the wall, wishing there were a spell to make the lift arrive faster. He was nearly at the point of casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, so that he could disappear.
"Hello there, Amos," said Arthur Weasley, stopping beside him with a friendly smile. "What's got you worked up today?"
"Oh." Amos stared dumbly at Arthur for a moment, unsure of what to say. Lacking any sort of proper excuse, he allowed the truth to slip out of his mouth. "Lucius Malfoy is here."
Immediately, Arthur's face darkened considerably. "Ah. Well, then. Completely understandable." The lift arrived, and the two men stepped inside, Amos taking a deep breath to control his shaking hands. "Pushing his influence on you, is he?" Arthur asked, pressing a button to send the lift off again.
"You have no idea," Amos replied, with a bark of a laugh. He felt Lucius Malfoy's influence pushing down on him every instant, following him from work to home and back again.
"It's quite sad, actually," said Arthur, shifting the papers in his hands. "Using his money and power for such dark deeds. Sad that they couldn't see how obvious his true allignment is. I mean, he's bound to follow in You-Know-Who's footsteps in some form or another, don't you agree?"
Amos stared at him with raised eyebrows. "I do, actually," he said, surprising himself with the words. "Lucius and I, we, er, had our run-ins back at Hogwarts. I know what he's capable of."
"And yet they send him off with a slap on the wrist," Arthur said. "Just because of his name."
"I suppose he could have been influenced, or tricked," Amos suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "A lot of them were."
Arthur regarded him sternly. "I don't see any of those others in here buying off officials to prevent proper laws being passed," he said. "I'm still trying to get my Muggle Protection Act looked at." He smiled ruefully. "But those such as Malfoy will never stop blocking the way towards equality, will they?"
Amos weakly smiled back. "Tell me about the Protection Act, Arthur," he said. "I haven't heard much about it."
Arthur's smile widened. "I really think it will revolutionize our relations with Muggles," he said eagerly. "Or at least, that's my hope." He chuckled. "The war is over, but we still have a ways to go, don't we?"
"The war is never over," Amos replied; he was still smiling, though it was laced with sadness and fear. "We'll always have a ways to go."
"Well, here's hoping it's not as bad as all that." The lift opened, and Arthur stepped out, nodding his head at Amos. "Good luck avoiding Malfoy." He grinned just before disappearing behind the closing doors.
Amos leaned back and sighed heavily, closing his eyes as the lift soared away, taking him further and further away from Lucius. It was bad enough, he reasoned, that he had to deal with this problem outside of work; he couldn't deal with it at the Ministry as well. Lucius should know better than to come lurking about in Amos Diggory's own Department, where people could see the two of them together. Georgiana very rarely came to the Ministry, but she still had ways of finding things out.
The doors swept open once more, and Amos walked out into the Atrium, which was filled with witches and wizards coming and going. Amos liked to wander the floor here from time to time, when he was feeling particularly stressed. It was refreshing to lose himself in the natural flow of transportation, of limbo. It was better than being left alone, with only his circling thoughts for company.
"Ah, Amos." Lucius was there in an instant, one hand pressing into Amos's back. "I've been searching for you."
"How in the name of Merlin did you manage to get down here before me?" Amos asked, stepping away quickly and fixing Lucius with a stern glare.
Lucius smirked at him. "Why must you always insist on questioning my methods?"
"Stop standing in the way of the Muggle Protection Act," Amos said, crossing his arms over his chest.
He had the pleasure of seeing Lucius confused for once. "Pardon?"
"Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act. He says you're paying off the officials not to look at it."
Lucius laughed. "Pray tell, Amos, why would I do such a thing?"
Amos gave him a knowing look. "Lucius."
"Amos." Lucius touched him again, his fingers lightly closing around Amos's wrist. "My resistances all wither for you."
Amos sighed and did not shake his hand away. "As do mine."
Character Pairing: Lucius/Amos
Prompt: wither
Rating: PG
Word Count: 777
Summary: "The war is over, but we still have a ways to go, don't we?"
Author's Notes: Fic Six of Table Three.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/57921.html
"Oh, Merlin," Amos muttered, wiping his brow as he leaned heavily against the wall, wishing there were a spell to make the lift arrive faster. He was nearly at the point of casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, so that he could disappear.
"Hello there, Amos," said Arthur Weasley, stopping beside him with a friendly smile. "What's got you worked up today?"
"Oh." Amos stared dumbly at Arthur for a moment, unsure of what to say. Lacking any sort of proper excuse, he allowed the truth to slip out of his mouth. "Lucius Malfoy is here."
Immediately, Arthur's face darkened considerably. "Ah. Well, then. Completely understandable." The lift arrived, and the two men stepped inside, Amos taking a deep breath to control his shaking hands. "Pushing his influence on you, is he?" Arthur asked, pressing a button to send the lift off again.
"You have no idea," Amos replied, with a bark of a laugh. He felt Lucius Malfoy's influence pushing down on him every instant, following him from work to home and back again.
"It's quite sad, actually," said Arthur, shifting the papers in his hands. "Using his money and power for such dark deeds. Sad that they couldn't see how obvious his true allignment is. I mean, he's bound to follow in You-Know-Who's footsteps in some form or another, don't you agree?"
Amos stared at him with raised eyebrows. "I do, actually," he said, surprising himself with the words. "Lucius and I, we, er, had our run-ins back at Hogwarts. I know what he's capable of."
"And yet they send him off with a slap on the wrist," Arthur said. "Just because of his name."
"I suppose he could have been influenced, or tricked," Amos suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "A lot of them were."
Arthur regarded him sternly. "I don't see any of those others in here buying off officials to prevent proper laws being passed," he said. "I'm still trying to get my Muggle Protection Act looked at." He smiled ruefully. "But those such as Malfoy will never stop blocking the way towards equality, will they?"
Amos weakly smiled back. "Tell me about the Protection Act, Arthur," he said. "I haven't heard much about it."
Arthur's smile widened. "I really think it will revolutionize our relations with Muggles," he said eagerly. "Or at least, that's my hope." He chuckled. "The war is over, but we still have a ways to go, don't we?"
"The war is never over," Amos replied; he was still smiling, though it was laced with sadness and fear. "We'll always have a ways to go."
"Well, here's hoping it's not as bad as all that." The lift opened, and Arthur stepped out, nodding his head at Amos. "Good luck avoiding Malfoy." He grinned just before disappearing behind the closing doors.
Amos leaned back and sighed heavily, closing his eyes as the lift soared away, taking him further and further away from Lucius. It was bad enough, he reasoned, that he had to deal with this problem outside of work; he couldn't deal with it at the Ministry as well. Lucius should know better than to come lurking about in Amos Diggory's own Department, where people could see the two of them together. Georgiana very rarely came to the Ministry, but she still had ways of finding things out.
The doors swept open once more, and Amos walked out into the Atrium, which was filled with witches and wizards coming and going. Amos liked to wander the floor here from time to time, when he was feeling particularly stressed. It was refreshing to lose himself in the natural flow of transportation, of limbo. It was better than being left alone, with only his circling thoughts for company.
"Ah, Amos." Lucius was there in an instant, one hand pressing into Amos's back. "I've been searching for you."
"How in the name of Merlin did you manage to get down here before me?" Amos asked, stepping away quickly and fixing Lucius with a stern glare.
Lucius smirked at him. "Why must you always insist on questioning my methods?"
"Stop standing in the way of the Muggle Protection Act," Amos said, crossing his arms over his chest.
He had the pleasure of seeing Lucius confused for once. "Pardon?"
"Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act. He says you're paying off the officials not to look at it."
Lucius laughed. "Pray tell, Amos, why would I do such a thing?"
Amos gave him a knowing look. "Lucius."
"Amos." Lucius touched him again, his fingers lightly closing around Amos's wrist. "My resistances all wither for you."
Amos sighed and did not shake his hand away. "As do mine."