Stone Soul | Open

It was the sort of chilling morning that brought with it cold winds and light, misty fog. The sun was just a blurry, off-white sphere in the sky, covered by dense clouds. The stars had long since faded into the blue-grey of the sky and the unnatural paleness of the castle grounds made everything seem as if the world was only half-awake. It was a quiet day, devoid of much life, it seemed. However, if one were to listen closely, they could hear the quick pattering of shoes on cobblestone paths. And the sound of music.

Lately, the youngest Malfoy had been taken to running. He'd never been especially interested in athletics before, having never been involved in a sport of any kind. In fact, the Slytherin absolutely loathed the wizard-favorite, Quidditch; everything about it was pure torture. Moreover, he was naturally thin. So on the basis of ego, Lucius didn't see much point. He was a bit lanky and boyish, he supposed, but there were worse things in the world. Like refusing to educate yourself. Lucius had always been much more interested in the academic aspect of Hogwarts rather than the sports. An exemplary student (until recently), he took a considerable amount of pride in the work he'd accomplished throughout the years. He was finding out though that running cleared his head, kept him energized, got his mind off things. He preferred running in the morning when the sun was just peeking above the horizon and the other students were still sleeping. It was peaceful. Was it strange that he felt more at home in this castle than in his own home?

He was in the middle of doing such a morning routine, jogging across the grounds of Hogwarts. The air was cool and crisp all around, but he felt none of it. He's been running for quite a bit of time and no longer felt the autumn chill. His mind was elsewhere, to the point that he hardly registered what was going on in front of him. Lucius was thinking about his recent chance encounter with Professor Riddle and the things the mysterious man had whispered to him. Bringing the Dark Arts to his students... that was what the man wanted more than anything. That was exactly what he had told Lucius, and he had been going over it and over it ever since. He couldn't get the temptation out of his head. The worry. The awe. And the slight quiver of fear. He knew what his father would want him to do, and that weighed down his shoulders more than anything else.

Why am I so incapable of thinking for myself? he thought bitterly to himself. He dug the heels of his shoes harder into the earth as he ran, propelling himself faster. He thought about how his father had showed up to his Wizard's Cup interview, imperious and nauseating, telling him how he should be, what he should want. It made Lucius sick. He remembered the scathing letter he had sent him, belittling him, crushing him. He thought about all those afternoons when he was a kid and he implored Abraxas to play with him, but he'd wave him off with a distracted wave of his hand. His father was never there unless there was something to pick apart. Biting his lower lip, he hardly realized how fast he was going. Faster, faster, faster. All that was going through his head were images of his father, the he was constantly disappointing. The world was rushing by him and suddenly Lucius' legs got tangled together and he went crashing to the ground.

"Blast!" he cursed loudly. He looked down, realizing he'd scraped his knee on the stone path. "Idiot..." he spat. After he said it though, he wasn't sure if he was referring to his father or to himself.

Hearing something in the distance, Lucius stood, heaving loud and heavy breaths. Furrowing his brow, he realized what it was that had caught his attention so suddenly. It was music. The violin. He paused for a moment, wondering if it was just dehydration that was making him hear things. Most students were asleep or just waking up, after all. But the more he listened, the more he realized it was real. After a moment, he stepped forward, going wherever the music lead him. Eventually, he found himself in a courtyard, seemingly vacant, until he saw the girl standing by a fountain, the violin tucked within her chin.

When the girl stopped, frustrated by her mistake, Lucius stepped slightly forward. "Niccolò Paganini," he stated simply. Lucius stood there, covered in dirt and sweat; his fine hair was clinging to his forehead, and there was a trail of blood dripping down his calf. Realizing how strange all of it might seem to her, he shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry. I heard the music. I was running. I'm Lucius Malfoy. I hope I didn't distract you." Still breathing heavily, Lucius ruffled his hair, waiting to see what the girl would say to all of this.

There was a part of him that immediately regretted distracting the Ravenclaw girl with his stupid talk; he wanted to listen to her play the violin, fill the silent courtyard with her music again. The melody had been so calming. If he'd stood there long enough, he was certain the music could have transported him to other places entirely. That was the point of music, anyway, right? He hated that it had ended so quickly, and all because he had decided to open his mouth.

He nodded when she spoke, recognizing the name. Truthfully, he wasn't especially familiar with the Giovanni family nor their relatives, the Mortelles. From what he understood, one pure-blood family to the other, her parents were revered Aurors in the Ministry of Magic, famous for putting away many a dark wizard. The Mortelles were even more mysterious to Lucius, knowing nothing about the family history or origins, nor the professions of any of the members. The only direct contact he had with the Mortelle family was Rodolphus Lestrange who was best mates with Adeline's cousin Joram. One observation he'd been able to make in the past was that Joram and Adeline never seemed to care for each other very much, for unknown reasons. Other than that, the girl with the reddish-blonde hair was a stranger to him.

After he'd distracted her, he realized the polite thing to do would be to make conversation now. It would've been completely rude and unnecessary to pull her away from what she was doing with no evident reason. Glancing around the courtyard for a moment, his serious, grey eyes landed on her striking blue ones. There was something about the foggy day that made her eyes stand out even more. "The violin," he began. "How long have you been playing? You sounded very accomplished."

As he stood there, he squinted his eyes. He looked up, seeing the sunlight break through the dark grey clouds that had once been so impenetrable. He brought his hand to his forehead, not sure if he appreciated the golden rays or not. Lucius was usually much more partial to calm, dark days with just a hint of mist and drizzle. They were perfect for reading, taking strolls, and simply relaxing. Admittedly, the castle was always a bit extra crowded on such days because no one felt like going outside. For Lucius though, there was something about the smell of rain that put him at ease. He took in a deep breath, taking in that smell of morning dew and light rain before it disappeared altogether.

"Um, yeah, that sounds--" his voice faltered when she took his hand, surprising him. Lucius watched her turn it over in her own small, pale hands, examining the small cuts and irritated redness. He thought he should be speaking up, protesting in some way. After all, he didn't know this girl at all. But he let her, not sure what his reasoning behind it was. Searching for the words, he realized he'd momentarily forgotten what they'd been talking about. Then he remembered. "If you think it'll work then you're welcome to give it a go." He nodded his approval, knowing he hadn't brought a wand with him to do the spell himself.

Are you going to be okay? she had asked him. His mind lingered on that question, and he felt the overwhelming need to scoff. Lucius didn't answer her though, thinking hard on it. He still didn't have the answer to that one. Did anyone?

In spite of himself, he gave a small smile as he watched her struggle for the words she was trying to say. Was she always this inarticulate? What was making her so nervous? Her cheeks were turning a bright shade of pink as she spoke, and he wondered if it was because of the chilly air. That would explain the stuttering, as well. He brought his right hand to the nape of his neck, resting it there. Nodding his head, Lucius couldn't help but wish he knew how to play an instrument. He wasn't exactly sure what instrument he would play, but it was nice to think about. Never too late to take lessons, he thought to himself, but he knew his father wouldn't approve. "You play it very well. Your dedication shows." Lucius offered a slight shrug of his shoulders and then added, "I don't play anything. Never have. But I suppose if I did, I might like the piano. I have long fingers." Briefly he waggled his fingers for her to see; they were pale and bony, sometimes reminding him of a skeleton.

"I can't say I've ever been to this courtyard before. How'd you find it? It's lovely." His grey eyes drifted across the grassy courtyard, lingering on the ornate fountain and the trees scattered throughout. He made a mental note to come back to this place when he had the chance. A cold wind swept through the air just then, and Lucius brought his arms around him. The heat from his run was beginning to wear off, and he suddenly wished he was wearing more than shorts and a shirt. He just didn't wear much for jogging because he knew he'd be burning up afterward. Suddenly he was grateful for the warmth the sun brought, even if it meant it was going to chase away the fog and drizzle he so loved.

Per her request, Lucius sat down on the cement slab, slumping forward and outstretching his hands so she could heal them. He felt a wave rush over him when she reached for them again, gently tracing the creases of his skin. His face remained still and expressionless, however. If it had been anyone else trying to perform a spell on him, Lucius might not have so readily agreed. But for whatever, inexplicable reason, he felt he could trust. At the very least, the girl was a Ravenclaw, so she couldn't be a complete dolt.

He nodded in agreement and laughed softly. Lucius didn't know how he had managed to hurt himself so bad. One moment he'd been jogging and the next he was on his knees. Lucius wouldn't exactly describe himself as graceful, but he didn't trip that often, either. What had he been thinking about? He nodded to himself, remembering. No point in bringing that up though. "Yeah... I don't know how I did that. I was just running. Guess my feet got caught on something or other." He willed himself not to roll his eyes at his own stupidity. Merlin, he made himself sound like some oafish clown. Then again, why should he even care what she think of him?

His lips parted slightly as her hand went to his bare knee. It was but for an instant though and she was seated next to him by the fountain. "Again, I'm sorry if I completely made a muck of your day. You can... kick me out whenever you want."

At her sarcastic comment, Lucius' mouth opened in a small laugh. The girl was funny. It wasn't often you could get a laugh out of him. Usually he was far too brooding to let go, not even for a few moments. Lucius had always been a considerably serious sort, but even last year he was a lot more amiable than he was now. Granted, he spent his time torturing muggle-borns and hanging out with his nasty, rich-kid cohorts. But at least he'd managed to have a good time whilst doing so. It had only been a year ago, but it felt like a completely different lifetime to the seventh year Slytherin boy. Nowadays, every day was a bad day for Lucius Malfoy. And frankly, he hadn't the foggiest when things would go back to the way they were. He wasn't even sure if he wanted it to.

Despite his better efforts not to, a part of Lucius occasionally missed that side of him. Sure, he didn't think for himself then and only did as he believed he should. As a Slytherin. As a pure-blood. As a Malfoy. He'd been a brainless lemming, a slave to his father's will and the judgment of his narrow-minded friends. Perhaps there was something to salvage from that former life of his. He'd been happier then. A drone, but a happy drone. He missed the confidence he had then and he'd been quite a bit better looking then, as superficial as it was. He'd been letting himself go lately. Running his fingers across his stubbly chin, a slight frown crossed his features.

Beginning to realize that he was zoning out, he met Adeline's gaze again. He didn't want her to think he was some kind of absent-minded brooder. Which, ok, he was. But she hardly needed to know that within the first five minutes of meeting him. Smiling slightly, Lucius nodded a thank you in her direction. ''I'd really like that actually. I feel like... I could use a hobby." That was probably the understatement of the century. Lucius was always so wrapped in his head, to the point that he could get lost in there. It was about time he find something to keep him focused and grounded. There was no good in obsessing over things, and that was something Lucius had a habit of doing if he wasn't careful.

It suddenly occurred to him that Addie might only know him as the selfish prick he'd been before. He wasn't about to bring up that slight concern, lest he embarrass himself. But that worry was tugging at the back of his conscious, wondering what she was really thinking about him. Perhaps she was just being polite. Perhaps she was desperately wishing he'd leave her be and let her get back to her music. The last thing she wanted to probably was instruct him in music. His lips thinned into a tight line as thought about this all-too-plausible possibility.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Lucius looked down at his muddied sneakers. He wanted to say something, anything that might dissipate the silence that had settled between them. Lucius wasn't exactly the best conversationalist however. He ran his finger along his lower lip. Bringing his gaze upward to the overcast sky, he searched his brain. "Um.." he began uncertainly. "The weather's... nice." Fail.