εթίթհαηу // fred weasley

07

Slam!

The newspaper hit the table, breaking the silence. Lucius jumped, then looked up from his newspaper and stared at his daughter. Narcissa was taken aback, frightened herself from the sudden noise.

"Cassiopeia!" Narcissa scolded.

"Oh, my Lord!" Zach had run down from upstairs and into the drawing-room. He entered the threshold and grabbed Cassie's wrist. "Apologies— "

Zach tried pulling Cassie away but failed miserably. She was a lot stronger than one would think, having been Chaser at Hogwarts.

Earlier that day, Cassie had found something important. How? Her research skills were that great, though Zach would argue it was he who found the set of information first. And the reason he was hesitant to tell Cassie at that moment for he knew this would play out.

"Father, you know Derek?" she asked. "Well, knew him."

Narcissa laughed, glancing at her husband. "We've never met anyone named Derek. Nor did we even talk to the Death Eater on the loose — Morrighan."

"Maybe you haven't but Father has," Cassie said, still staring at her father's nervous expression. "Dad... talk to me. You remember what we said, don't you? No secrets, no lies."

"If you want to talk about lies, I really don't think I will come out on top," Lucius sneered.

"I would like to know as well, dear," Narcissa said. She took the paper in his hands and folded it onto the table.

Lucius sighed and massaged his temple. He tried gathering his memories and the words to speak.

"Derek was... He was an ambitious man," he said. "Had been a Slytherin in his time at Hogwarts though he had an intelligent mind — maybe a reason the Dark Lord recruited him and made him a spy in the Ministry... "

"I never heard of his name before," Cassie said. "The Dark Lord had never called out his name or anything."

"You were away teaching at Hogwarts," Lucius said. "There is a lot you probably do not know."

"I do know he probably trusted me a lot more than he trusted you," Cassie remarked. "Why else would he have me keeping an eye over Hogwarts and given the diadem?"

"Because... " Lucius had raised his voice. He exhaled as he glanced at Narcissa. "He may have wanted you there to guard his precious tiara and watch when Potter had come back to the castle, but... he wanted you away from the world. You wanted people to be spared. With you gone, he killed many. That Mudblood— "

"Dad, I told you not to say those terms anymore," Cassie said quietly.

"Ted Tonks was killed, every person you wanted to be spared was killed," Lucius went on. "You killed Morrighan's brother, he wants you and everyone you love — the people you wanted spared — dead."

"So what reason did Derek follow him?" Cassie asked, sitting in front of him. "He said to ask you. Why does he want to kill me and everyone I love, too?"

"He has a grudge against me," Lucius answered weakly. "Must have. It was years ago. Don't recall how many years ago... I caught him doing some immoral things— "

"What immoral thing?" Zach asked, interested.

"I caught him cheating on his wife," Lucius said. "Well, fiancée — weren't married yet. I said to him, 'You should either end this and confess or your name will be a disgrace.' Loyalty is very important, especially in your own family."

"He didn't confess," Cassie figured.

Lucius sighed. "I told his fiancée. He found out. He went after me at work which cost him his job. I assume he wants to get back at me. He can't do that anymore now that he's apparently going insane in Azkaban."