Choices Without Regrets

Chapter IV: Fragile Alliances

Lucius was wearing the widest smirk on his face as he noticed the two others finally almost being done in viewing the memories within the pensieve that he provided to them. He had set this up in time well; for while they were immersed, he had eaten a meal, gone about his morning routine and bathed, and now was fully dressed for the day as he sat in the office waiting.

He wore and extremely expensive muggle suit and wizarding robe mix. It was constructed of fine materials; the vast majority of the suit was white in color, while the shirt under the jacket was a pale blue to offset the rest of the white.

His hair was washed and groomed to perfection as it hung loosely. The jacket of the outer robe; left open with his shirt having left the top three buttons undone. His chest was clean of any hair and the muscles displayed there were clearly on show; to give the appearance of comfortable power.

He sat as every pureblood male heir was taught to, and he sipped a brandy. It was now after one in the afternoon; the memories taking time to view due to how many there were. Two dogs of a purebred pedigree sat on either side of him; they were panting softly and behaving themselves while looking as relaxed as ever in his presence.

Like they had no reason whatsoever to fear the man they sat beside of.

His smirk grew as he heard Alastor come out of the pensieve swearing like a sailor in every manner he could rightly think of to use. It was clear that he was disturbed by the memories; though Lucius bet the man was more disturbed by the content of them and who was portrayed in them than the actual memories altogether.

Albus Dumbledore, however, he sat there before the swirling liquid in the bowl and he was wide-eyed with stunned shock and near disbelief to what he witnessed. That only lasted momentarily, because he then sat stiffly on the chair he occupied, and had expressed a rather peculiar look to his face; one that Lucius almost would have said was familiarity to the situation.

"Albus, I am going to kill you..." Alastor muttered, "I didn't need to see that nor ever to have a reason to envision anything of the sort. I really don't know how to get all this out of my head now that it's there.

At least not without erasing all the vital information contained within it to do so." He grumbled irritably at the man

Lucius smirked wide as his mercurial eyes shined with amusement, "I could offer to obliviate you Alastor, but I fear that might not be the best solution. I don't get to pick and choose what parts of each memory to leave alone and to erase."

Both then looked up and saw exactly how wide his smirk was; it was offsetting for them.

Alastor growled, "You! You bloody well knew that we'd see all of that! You knew."

Lucius shrugged and grinned feral, "Of course I did, Alastor. After all, I had to witness the memories for myself when they first came to me." He leered at them with vague amusement and mocking humor, "And I take far too much enjoyment in your reactions."

He stood slow and dignified whilst he grinned with an untamed glee before he gazed out the window softly and his expression relaxed, "To know how much the whole of the Light side misjudged Harry. How much was done to force him into hiding his true self and then to break free."

He sipped his drink and smirked at the edges; looking very much like an apex predator after its game, "And I won't deny that I am...flattered by his...attentions that were spent on me while they lasted. Prideful of the fact that his image of me was what he used and turned to; instead of anyone closer to him."

Lucius's eyes shadowed then, "But I do not like the reasons for all of why he has acted as he has. Neither Tom nor I do; some of what Harry has gone through...it is nightmarish."