the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 68 The Pursuit of Power

And then she'd rolled over onto her back and opened her eyes, and in a blinding flash of insight he'd had his answer. Lucius had climbed swiftly out of bed, shocked at himself. Her eyes were green - brilliant, emerald green. If he were to draw a scar upon her forehead she might pass for Harry Potter's sister.

She said nothing as he had gathered up his clothing. Considering how roughly he had used her last night, he suspected she was too leery of drawing his attention back to her to risk speaking. He couldn't help but think about the way he had taken her last night - she could have been male and he would not have noticed. It didn't bare further examination - at least not now.

Determined to learn what state the world lay in and whether or not anyone had discovered some reason for Voldemort's actions, Lucius had headed immediately for the Ministry of Magic. But shortly after he had arrived, things had quickly snowballed out of control.

Fudge had been screaming for the arrest of Harry Potter and Sirius Black, demanding that the Wizengamot and the Aurors act on his orders immediately. The Wizengamot reacted much as they usually did in such circumstances - they wanted to argue, discuss, and form a committee. The Aurors on the other hand had outright refused the orders, and that was when Fudge had done the unforgivable - he'd sent for the Muggle authorities.

The decision to lock down the building had come from a dozen different people - all panicking that after all this time their presence would be revealed to the Muggle World. While the building was being locked down, and Fudge was being taken into custody for his very obvious nervous breakdown, Lucius had taken advantage of the chaos and had searched the Minister's office. There he had learned a large number of rather alarming things which had driven him to make a fateful decision which would alter the course of his life.

He'd known for a while now that he had no future with Voldemort. Even though he did not truly believe that the Potter boy had any hope against him, he suspected a world under Voldemort's rule would not be worth living in. Knowing now what had been taken from him, he was even more determined to find some way of stabbing that traitorous creature in the back before the end came.

And now with this talk of Kingship he was even more determined than ever to switch sides. Perhaps there was even some cause to hope that Potter might again do the impossible and win the war. If nothing else his son, Draco, certainly had the opportunity to play some role in things ahead.

He knew the law better than most members of the Wizengamot and had taken advantage of the situation immediately - systematically eliminating Fudge's strongest supporters. Knowing that Potter and Dumbledore would never condone his position if he killed to get it, he overcame his natural instincts and merely stunned his opponents, though there were several that he would have been quite happy to kill. Professional politicians were some of the most annoying people on the planet.

But no sooner had he finished his first duel when Valerian Ventus had issued a challenge to a rather prominent member of the Wizengamot in the name of the Vampire Lord Aventine. Lucius knew the significance of the seat Aventine took - as well as the one Merik Volpine took moments later. Both seats had formerly belonged to the Vampire and Werewolf clans over four hundred years ago. Lucius had some definite ideas about Vampires and Werewolves and their proper place in the world - but in this instance he was caught between his prejudice and necessity. To duel with either man without first knowing a bit more about their fighting styles, was too great a risk. He couldn't afford a loss at this point.

There was the added issue of Potter's own view of Werewolves. Lucius knew Potter's biggest issue with him would be his recent treatment of Remus Lupin. That would be the hardest hurdle he would have to overcome.

As it was all three men eyed each other during a brief lull in the activities, each sizing each other up. They all seemed to come to the same conclusion and silently agreed to avoid one another for the moment.