Lucius would give credit, but it's easier to take. (grandiloquent) wrote in find_horcruxes, @ 2009-09-29 02:16:00 |
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Malfoy Manor was quiet and still. In most homes, such an aura was conducive to intense study, but in both Grimmauld and Malfoy Manor, Regulus had always found the silence to be distracting. There was all manner of creeping things, of eavesdropping spells, and sudden shrieks from various banshees and ghouls to prey upon one's mind when it was so deadly quiet. It also didn't help that while Lucius was one of his less-overtly discomfitting relatives, Lucius had a timeline mapped out for assisting the Dark Lord, and Regulus knew that he was approaching that precise moment of Nott's stern dedication taking a more... sinister side. And so despite his jumpy attention-span, Regulus poured over the books on Godric Gryffindor's life and history, gratefully accepting the coffee and pastries that the creepy house elves offered every few hours. "Have you talked Cissy into seeing a Healer yet?" he asked, his eyes still on the words of the book but the question had to be asked. Cissy had been pale for too long. Maybe Regulus was having a flitting focus on his reading material, but Lucius had driven his attention so deeply into the books sprawled out in front of him. His sullen expression and the way his eyes were locked on the open page seemed to suggest that any moment that book would burn up. Nott was awaiting progress that was more than merely confiding in him that the search was still going. ...And going. The steps of the hierarchy were all bearing down, and Lucius was well beyond the point of forfeit. They were going to find something if he had to forgo sleep. Regulus's question was what plucked Lucius out from the tangle of words the older tome before him was presenting. At first, he looked up, hopeful of some good news. But his near-smile faded directly out. "Not yet, no," he replied. "She insists that she's been faring better, and she seems it." "Hmm." Regulus's eyes scanned the book, but he wasn't really reading it. Narcissa was worrying him, and while Lucius had summarily dismissed it, he knew that she worried her husband as well. "Glad to hear it." He sighed. Fidgeted. The text remained just as thick and unmanageable as it had ten seconds before. There was birdsong outside, warm late-afternoon sunlight filtering in through the windows and sweet Merlin, he wanted to be out there, doing anything but this. It wasn't just the fact that he'd been sitting still for what felt like days. It was the fact that this wasn't exactly his first time going over this information. Nor the second. More like... the fifth, if one counted some of the research he'd done previously to Lucius and Nott receiving their orders directly from the Dark Lord. Regulus took a sip of his coffee; it was barely lukewarm. He flipped through a book - a book that was going to be forever etched into his brain at this rate - and was about to close it up altogether when he noticed something odd. There was a carefully inked picture of a Medieval-looking wizard holding a book above some generic information on Godric Gryffindor's shield. Nothing unusual there. But what was unusual was the fact that the wizard held what looked like the same book as the book Regulus was currently peering at - only the miniature, barely visible picture that the wizard stared at a picture of what was actually a shield. Regulus blinked. The image didn't go away. Now... that was odd... He sneaked a glance at Lucius, slowly drawing out his wand from his pocket. This was warding work. There was a briefly lingering look that Lucius gave Regulus as the neutral reply, but it was only time squandered to keep that line going. There was far too much to read, and to check, and to double check, and worried as he was for Narcissa, there would be only worse to not turn up promised information. It was not a natural order of priorities, but Lucius grasped enough of what happened to those that failed their Lord to know how to adjust. A page flipped, turned by Lucius's fingers, and the sound reverberated around the high ceiling. It was the nature of the architecture to amplify noises, and when Regulus began to move for his wand, so had a minor movement been able to reach Lucius's ears. It was pure coincidence -- luck even, depending on the perspective -- that Lucius had drawn his own glance at Regulus. "You've found something?" If Regulus was to reply against it, it wouldn't have mattered. Lucius was already to his feet and approaching, hopeful as ever that days upon days might finally yield a solid lead. Bollocks. Regulus should have known that Lucius was a diplomat at heart, and could read people as well as Regulus could read the dusty books in front of him. The slightest mood change, the mildest cough or tension, and Lucius could sniff it out like sharks smelled blood. It was foolish to lie at this point. Regulus couldn't help but feel the desperate swell of anger and disappointment. Why did he have to see this with Lucius Malfoy present? He might've found a possible Horcrux by himself had he bothered to notice the peculiarities of the woodprint. Not that he really knew what he'd have done with said possible Horcrux if he'd found it. "I don't know," he murmured, waving his wand over the pages of the book carefully. There it was - a trompe l'oeil ward. Not that difficult to undo; the hardest part of it was always seeing that it was actually there. "There's hidden information here. Give me a moment to break into this ward; we might have something." That was the response that Lucius had been waiting on, and as much as he'd been counting on it, the truth was that he'd nearly convinced himself of the find before Regulus could even speak it. Something was bound to give sooner or later, and they all -- himself, Severus, and Regulus -- had poured over everything in no short attention to details. As if Godric Gryffindor hadn't already cast his plague the Wizarding World through that imbecilic lot of a house back at Hogwarts, then having to scrutinise every last letter the man wrote was more than enough to cement hatred to last through for the next few generations of the Malfoy name. ...If there were any. That was neither here, nor there, though. Finally, a smile was curling the end of Lucius's mouth as he rounded to where Regulus was seated and already working on stripping back the ward. "I knew I could trust in you to turn up something," he remarked, eyes fixed on the open page and unmoving now. There was victory here if something useful was revealed. More than getting one up on the Lestrange camp, even -- not that it was his intention to best them, but bonuses came with the territory. Might as well enjoy the spoils as they were rewarded. "Well?" Lucius asked, trying not to sound outright impatient, but intentionally letting a hint of that slip into his voice. "Give me another moment," Regulus groused, his eyes narrowed as he fiddled with the ward. Having someone staring over his shoulder always gave him the heebie jeebies. Just a little bit of a push... and there, the Jeffersonian ward snapped, and Regulus backed up a little, watching how the picture on the book glimmered and faded. The black ink melted into a solid puddle in the corner of the page before finally rearranging itself into text. Regulus blinked, leaning over. It was still archaic French, of course, and it took him a moment to translate. Particularly when the translation was just far too insane. "It says that Godric Gryffindor's shield was part of the Gryffindor's Army suit of armor," he said slowly. "It describes it here as a plain wooden shield. Nothing ornate. Just a humble wooden weapon. Lucius..." Regulus couldn't help it; he stood, leaning his hands against the table, his dark eyes excited and faintly disbelieving. "I've seen it. The Gryffindor's Army suit of armor is on show at the Brookstanton Memorial Library!" Lucius faltered, looking between Regulus and the book and then back to Regulus. His journal was just on the far side of the table, but it wouldn't be worth reporting to Nott unless they were certain without doubt of this. After so long of searching, and of digging, and of reading until he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer, the last thing Lucius was inclined to seek out was Patrice Nott's berating for leading the effort astray. Potentially landing Nott on their Lord's decidedly foul side meant it would only descend down the hierarchy, and the moment it reached him in ten-fold... No, he could stand to verify. "And you're absolutely positive of that?" Lucius asked, leaning over the book to examine the print now upon it. He pried his eyes up to lock Regulus in his view, looking to read the reaction as much as the response. Regulus shrank back from the magma-like glare currently focused in his direction. Lucius might have been somewhat of a diplomatic weasel, but he was no joke all the same. If Lucius got in trouble for a bad translation, than Regulus knew he'd really be getting in trouble. "Let me double-- yes." He didn't need to double-check. It was what it was. He could close his eyes and picture the shield in his head. "It's at the library," he said, and his voice was quiet. "With the rest of the exhibit. I'm positive." It was hardly another second's pause before Lucius nodded, assured, then, that it was information suited to pass along. If that blade fell on him, Regulus would be next in line; certain things never needed to be said within the Death Eater ranks. It was almost a small leisure, if not for the ultimate fear of one's fate being left to a legion of imaginative and occasionally murderous individuals. Lucius wasn't certain which was the worst of that set, and he never aimed to find out. "Good." The book was snatched up -- delicately, even so -- as Lucius finger-marked the page. "I think that's all we'll need for today with these books. I'll handle it from here," he carried on, in all the tone of teacher about to pat a student on the head for a job well done. 'Run along now' may well have followed. He was already starting for his journal, teeth gritted as it struck him that he did owe Regulus a good amount for the save. Lucius turned, adding one more thing: "Thank you, Regulus." Regulus had been waiting for that. He didn't require much. Just enough to know that should his loyalties ever be questioned, at least there was this particular moment that reflected well upon him, even if he'd have preferred it not have taken place. "Thank you, Lucius," he replied evenly. "And credit should go to Severus as well. He worked just as long as I did." There. That had been his good deed of the century. Regulus felt the oddest mixture of relief and disappointment. On one hand, he'd just done enough good works to give him some leeway within the Death Eaters, and if they were able to take on the shield... well, he'd know what the Dark Lord's Horcrux was. On the other hand... well. He really, really wished he could've found out this information on his own. "I'll go say hello to Cissy," he said lightly, knowing full well that he'd be dismissed. "Have fun giving our good news to Mr. Nott." Regulus knew how much Lucius adored Mr. Nott, after all. |