The Other Potter

Debrief

Upon arrival at the Manor he was brought to Lucius' office, apparently the Dark Lord was out and he'd left Malfoy with all the tasks of admin. He supposed that came with the territory of being a gracious host.

He sat opposite the other, waiting patiently as Malfoy read the letter silently. Two other Death Eaters stood guarding the door, for what reason Elijah didn't know, it wasn't like he was about to flee, he didn't think he body would carry him far even if he wanted to.

"I suppose a well done is due, the werewolves have agreed to take their position as they did last war... With a few added terms and conditions, mind you."

Elijah didn't even need to look up to know that Lucius was smirking smugly. He kept his head down and pulled at loose threads on his jacket.

"Great, can I go now?" He asked tiredly.

He wanted nothing more than to shower the night off of him and collapse into bed. He didn't want to talk to anyone, he knew that within the week every Death Eater would know Greybacks terms and what happened back there, and either they'd pity him or believe he deserved it. He didn't care what they thought, but he didn't want them to view him as weak, which is exactly what it would do. He was nothing more than a pawn in this game for both sides, and he was tired of it already.

"Now you understand why we don't want our kind associated with those savages, no?" Lucius hummed.

"Yet you'll use them to fight your battles. If you're so inferior to all of these beings then why aren't you able to fight yourself?"

Lucius tutted his tongue, getting up from his seat and moving to lean on the desk in front of Elijah, grilling his chin to force him to look up at him.

"My dear boy, perhaps it's your muddied blood that fogs your mind.. Why would we get our hands dirty when lesser beings such as yourself will do it for us?" He released the boys chin and patted his cheek patronisingly before nodding to the other Death Eaters to stand down. "You may go." He told the boy before returning to his desk.

He didn't have to be told twice, getting up and walking out of the office as quickly as his legs would allow it. He stumbled, a few times, catching himself on the narrow walls and using them to guide him back to his room.

He removed his clothes, thanking his past self for wearing black so the blood hadn't shown on the train. He didn't want to keep the clothes, throwing them in the bin, and hopping straight into the shower.

He couldn't stand up, so he sat, letting the hot water wash over him, feeling every droplet ripple pain over him as if it were tiny electric shocks and not simply water. It was only whilst the sat there that he allowed himself to feel it all, as soon as the water shut off he pulled himself together again, wrapping a towel around him before stepping into his bedroom.

He stopped in the doorway between the bedroom and his bathroom once he spotted Narcissa sat on the edge of his bed.

"I heard what happened." She said softly.

"Ok." Elijah said coldly, still not moving.

"I brought potions and ointments."

"I don't want them."

She softened her gaze, "But you'll need them."

He shook his head, "I'll be fine, they'll heal."

She shook her head, "Magical wounds won't heal the same way others do. You'll be left with scars."

"I'm aware of how magical scars work, I was gifted a rather prominent one by our master when I was young." He huffed, still unmoving.

She bit her lip, and nodded. "I know you're upset, and that's understandable. I shouldn't have just come in. But those scratches will hurt and they could get infected if you don't treat them."