It's All Just Temporary with a Bit of Necromancy

Chapter 42: We Need A Plan

We Need A Plan

Lucius Malfoy clutched the worn and wrinkled paper between his hands tighter, the only outlet he allowed himself for releasing his anxiety. He'd answered the summons and arrived in the foyer at the same time as the rest of the Inner Circle. Any delay or hesitation in responding would not be met favorably. The foyer had been cleared of all of those Yule decorations and the pristine cleanliness was much more preferable. Why the Dark Lord had allowed Potter the frivolity of decorating was lost on Lucius. He knew that Avery and the Lestrange brothers and Severus had their theories. Well, Severus hadn't actually said anything but Lucius knew the man suspected something, even though he wouldn't say no matter how much Lucius needled and pressed. It was ridiculously unfair.

It was all ludicrous theories though. The very thought of the Dark Lord being fond or affectionate towards anyone especially a teenager – an immensely powerful teenager but a teenager nonetheless – who was only just learning politics and couldn't offer much of anything at the moment was the epitome of ridiculousness. It was true that Lucius didn't interact with Potter more than he needed to. He still remembered his previous encounters with the boy such as when the brat stole his house-elf or how the boy was the reason that he spent a few months in Azkaban just that summer. So Lucius would do as necessary and obey his Masters' orders to aide Potter in the Wizengamot but he wasn't going to go needlessly out of his way to ingratiate himself to a sixteen-year-old. He had pride, more than Avery anyway. Avery was even actually bowing and scraping to the boy at every opportunity, disgusting. Lucius knew that Avery was technically still owned by Potter but the subservience was a bit much and Lucius was surprised that the Dark Lord hadn't tortured Avery for being such a sniveling worm yet.

Even Narcissa was always going on about Potters' influence and his favorability for future potential matches, but Lucius still thought it a stretch. Thankfully his delightful wife didn't agree with the theories either. As if the Dark Lord would ever need or desire a partner. The Dark Lord was untouchable, the nearest thing to a god that Lucius could fathom, and deities didn't succumb to basic human needs. Besides, Lucius knew he was highly observant and he hadn't noticed anything to support those theories.

Lucius glanced at the others of the Inner Circle, their faces tight and pale, no one was eager to begin this meeting with the Dark Lord. In recent weeks and months, Lucius had been feeling hopeful, uplifted even, in regards to his future and the future of the Wizarding World. However now, with the release of the Prophet and Skeeters' article and Yaxley dying, things were a mess and from the burning in his Mark, Lucius knew the Dark Lord was furious.

Memories of their last summons still haunted him, it hadn't been that bad in months; not since Potter had joined at least. A sudden crash sounded in the Gathering Room causing Lennox Avery, Thorfin Rowle, and Patrick Parkinson to jump, and the Lestrange brothers and Emerson Greengrass spun to face the large double doors, wands at the ready. Lucius's own hand had landed on his wand but he hadn't drawn it. To draw his wand in his Lord's home would only be asking for further punishment. But he, along with the others, crept closer to the double doors and he withheld the wince at the other crashing sounds he heard.

"– calm down –" a muffled voice shouted.

"– plans – calm –" another voice replied and then the sound of something else breaking. Lucius and the rest of the Inner Circle all stood facing the double doors, trepidation, and anxiety rising. Did they be on time and invoke his wrath for interrupting or not interrupt and be late and invoke their Lord's anger for that reason?

No one made a move to open the door.

Another crash and then an indistinct voice – not shouting – speaking now. Suddenly, the center of the doors turned transparent, a perfect circle of visibility, and sound penetrated the foyer. Lucius quickly glanced at the other men but couldn't tell who had cast the spells necessary to achieve this. It had to have been more than one for the different senses to happen simultaneously and so strongly because the circle of visibility was larger than normal. It could have been any of them, these were spells that any worthy Slytherin learned and they weren't all Inner Circle without being consummate Slytherins. The transparency was only one way, allowing the viewers to see into the room without being noticed. He decided not to call anyone out though and focus back on the glimpse inside the Gathering Room. In Lucius' life, he had learned one thing above all else: any intelligence was good intelligence.