Closed Post; macnair et lucius; lambs to the slaughter

[herr_malfoy]

Who: Walden Macnair and Lucius Malfoy
Where: The Owlery
What: Macnair made a mistake and Lucius has been ignoring him, but now it's time that things be explained.

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[macnair]

Standing at the foot of the Owlery, Macnair felt the first stab of unease as his eyes adjusted in the gloom and found the back of Lucius Malfoy. Years of friendship had made his brooding stance a simple one to translate, as though Macnair had even needed a translation of Lucius's silence these past few nights. Walden had made a mistake. It was an error that may have cost them everything; not just the torment of the Mudblood, but Lucius's trust, their friendship. Walden was here to correct it.

He crossed the floor to stand by Lucius's side, painfully aware at how the other man had neglected to acknowledge his presence. Walden swallowed, steeled himself against this unfamiliar feeling settling in his stomach: Anxiety.

"I've disappointed you." he stated. The gentle pressure as his own owl found its way to his shoulder was ignored. Macnair only stared straight ahead, waiting for his judgment to come.

[herr_malfoy]

Lucius reached up to scratch at Orion's chin, trying to give as unaffected an air as possible. "Disappointed? I don't know if that's quite the right word, Walden."

He paused to feed his owl another treat, his voice took on an almost friendly tone when he spoke again, "I am beginning to wonder if my faith in you was ill-founded."

He let out a slight laugh, "Imagine if I'd responded to that journal entry before our head girl had? Imagine if we'd made plans in it before she'd stumbled upon it! How did you fail to charm it? Why did you not immediately tear the page from your journal to erase it?"

He turned to face his friend, "And why, Walden, after so thoroughly making a mess of things, did you engage in small talk with her?"

He huffed out a sigh, turning his attention back to Orion. "No, you were right, disappointed is exactly the right word."

[macnair]

Macnair couldn't bear the attack on his loyalty

[herr_malfoy]

Lucius rounded on Walden, his carefully composed mask of cool indifference shattering and his rage bared for his friend to see. Orion let out a loud cry and took off in a frantic beat of wings. "I expect you to be above such incompetence!" he spat, "It's a simple charm, Macnair. Third year Hufflepuffs can do it!"

He forced himself to calm, his nostrils flaring. "Enlighten me, Mr. Macnair. How can this situation be turned to our advantage?"