Of Shadow, Shine, and Shades

Ch.5 Not So Subtle Threats

Blood, silver hair marred with blood. Tangled. Bruises on the neck. Cruel laughter in his ears. No death by magic for Lucius Malfoy.

Caelum had strangled him with his own hands.

And laughed in the dead man's face.

The mage had to blink away the hallucination that for a moment blended with his reality. He realized Lucius was still extending his hand and was beginning to get anxious, and that soon Caelum would have to give an answer of some kind. Just what exactly? His body was screaming for him to act, to erase a possible threat before it became one. But logic told him this Lucius had yet to do anything to harm him and it was not up to Caelum to kill another man without a real cause. But even this reasoning was not strong enough to force him to touch this... man. He was so tense he knew his body would soon take over and... take revenge he still owed the Dark wizard. So he smiled, though it came out more as a grimace.

"What a surprise to run into you here. On Christmas Eve, nonetheless." Lucius retrieved his hand when it became apparent Caelum was not going to grasp it, only answer him verbally. The Dark wizard's eyes were now cold, calculating, and he seemed to be just as aware of the looks they were receiving from the passersby as Caelum was. Additionally the snake tightened around Caelum's neck in response to the Dark magic Lucius seemed to carry with him. How everyone around them couldn't sense it, Caelum did not understand. The hawk on his shoulder preened her feathers but Caelum could feel her tense as her claws dug into his shoulder. "What can I do for you?" Caelum managed a passable smile and in his opinion it was more than Lucius Malfoy – no matter which dimension's – deserved from him.

"Word travels fast. When someone of Black blood steps forward to claim the name, people get curious. And of course I have a personal interest." Lucius nodded. "I am, after all, married to a Black."

"Yes, I look forward to meeting Narcissa and Draco." The mage tried to inconspicuously loosen the snake's hold on his throat. He couldn't hiss nor reveal the snake's presence to someone like Lucius. Scratch that. He better not reveal his serpentish tendencies to anyone. And first mind contact always took time and eye contact to establish so that was not an option either.

"My wife was quite interested to find out about you. Perhaps I could invite you to a dinner tomorrow?" The man smiled apologetically. "Or of course you would be welcome to join myself and my family at the Ministry Ball tonight. The Ministry being what it is I doubt an invitation has reached you." Malfoy smiled in what anyone else might have described as charmingly. Too bad for him Caelum had no intentions of letting Malfoy dominate his entrance into the wizarding politics."

"I am sorry to disappoint but I already have a prior engagement tonight." The snake finally loosened his hold and Caelum could turn his full attention to the Dark wizard in front of him. "And I couldn't possibly intrude on a family Christmas dinner. Perhaps some other time? I have settled in Grimmauld Place and you can owl me?" It was sheer survival instinct that had him offer. The same instinct made him continue, "I do look forward to meeting relatives but I have been in the country only for three days and would like to get more settled first. I am sure you can believe the house especially isn't in its best shape after Walburga."

"Yes." Was that mirth in Lucius' eyes? Was Caelum amusing the Dark wizard someway? Dark thoughts and memories fought to be recognized as he flashed on another occasion when Lucius had been amused. "I remember one quite unforgettable painting of her." What? Oh, yes, Walburga.

"It is no more. One of the first things I took care of. Please give my apologies to your wife if she found the painting... acceptable." Caelum gave his old enemy an impromptu grin, more out of confusion than anything else. How did one behave when he came face to face with a man he had personally killed? Without warning Lucius chuckled and Caelum had stop himself from gawking. Who was this man? Or was it all for show?