melting ice (Son)

[Lucius Malfoy]

the sweetest of words have the bitterest taste

He walked down the hall alone, dark grey eyes slightly tense. Lucius didn't like hospitals, not just because he didn't like being treated in the places, but because he didn't like the sterilized cleanliness of the place. That wasn't to say he liked mess, but the hospital lacked a human touch, it was bare and emotionless and it made him feel weak. Lucius Malfoy never felt weak.

Nevertheless he was there and of his own accord surprisingly enough, though when he had agreed he had been under the impression that Narcissa or Draco would be accompanying him. However they had been otherwise engaged in very important matters and were unable to make it that day. He resented them for that. Instead he had been sent along to visit Nellie Diggory. The Diggorys had been friends of the Malfoys for a long time and when Lucius was younger, they had got on very well. However as the war took hold they had become separated by their loyalties.
Things hadn't been the same since the war ended, they had endeavored to meet up regularly as their children grew up, but their had always been a tension in the air between the adults. Lucius found himself disliking the parents more and more as time went on, but he had always found Nellie charming and had been glad she got on so well with his son.

He reached her door and paused outside for a moment, debating whether or not to go in. He hadn't brought flowers, though Narcissa had tried to convince him otherwise, instead he had brought Nellie a book she had been interested in, from the Malfoy's personal library, of course. It should keep her interested for a while. He tried to convince himself that the internal debate was about whether or not he should go in, in case she was sleeping. But in reality he was not sure how the girl would react to seeing him alone.
Lucius was not a nice man and had never tried to convince her otherwise, not that he had ever been rude, or anything less than charming to her. He did like her, but his main problem had always stemmed from her naivety and gentle Hufflepuff ways. Lucius had always found such innocence and loyalty impossible to understand and they were the values he looked for least in a person. He had always tried to force himself not to manipulate the Diggory family, though it went against everything he believed in. But some how he managed, transferring his dislike to the parents had made feeling some apathy toward the children easier.

He pushed the door open and looked at the girl in the bed, his hatred for muggles increasing more and more as he thought of the terrible illness that had plagued her so badly.
Nellie. How are you my dear?"
He gave her a stunning smile and moved closer, offering the book to her.

[nellie]

Nellie lay motionless in her bed in St. Mungo's. She was here because she'd blacked out a few days back and the staff just wanted to make sure she was alright to start school once again. On top of that they were teaching her how to take her medication correctly. Her luekemia had come out of remission and she hoped no one knew that except maybe her parents. She didn't want anyone worrying about her. Some people thought that she should take the kindness and pity she was shown. She didn't like the pity or the kindness because one pittied her. She just wanted to be a regular kid which she had never actually been. On top of that other things were plaguing the young girls mind. Things like rumors about a tournament and bad dreams. She hatedd bad dreams with a passion but what she hated more was that her dreams often times came true. She shook her head and made to sit up in her bed to drink the tea sitting next to it.

Her small hand grasped the cup a little shakey. She hadn't sleep in twenty four hours though she had convinced her medical staff that she had. All she really had to do was pretend to be asleep when they walked in that was all. She put the glass down and looked towards the door as she heard footsteps approaching. It was visitation hours and she'd seen her brother already so maybe it was one of her parents or friends of the family coming now. The footsteps stopped at her door and no one came in for a long time. It almost made her wonder if she was imagining it. She resolved that it would probably be a good idea to at least try to fall asleep tonight after lights out in the hospital were called. It would save her from becoming completely delusional. Least she hoped that it would.

Then the door opened and in walked Lucius Malfoy. She gave him a small smile and wondered what had brought him here without his wife and son. She figured they were probably out getting Draco's things for school. It was rare that Lucius showed up on his how free will without them. She was rather glad that he had. He handed her a book which she took tenderly into her hands. "I feel much better now Mister Malfoy." It the thirteen years that she had known the Malfoy family she was very formal and proper when she spoke to Lucius and Narcissia. She examined the book gently. She loved books and was sure that it was Draco who told his father so.

"I am glad you came to visit." A bright yet tired smile spread across her face for him.

[/center][/blockquote]

[Lucius Malfoy]

He could tell she was lying. Not only the fact that he himself was an expert on lying, but she was no master at the art. She gave it away in the first seconds, her eyes tired and her body looking weak. He felt his hand tighten around his cane and resisted the urge to storm out and threaten a random muggle. It might be illogical but his anger was driving him wild. Nellie had always been such a good girl and to have such a horrible illness try and destroy her made his mercury eyes glint in the harsh hospital light.

He was glad to see the happiness in her eyes when she took the book though, she needed something to cheer her up in such a boring place. It was good to see Draco had been right with his suggestions of a book to give her. Lucius wasn't sure what was between them, his son could be just as guarded as he was, but he was fairly certain Nellie was interested. While she wouldn't be his first choice for a potential wife for Draco, she was far from the last.

"Lucius, call me Lucius" He murmured quietly, looking down at his hands as he took a seat by her bed. He was all for formalities, but in her vulnerable state, referring to him in such a formal way made his urge to try and twist her emotional attachment for his own personal gain.
" Narcissa and Draco send their regard and they wish you well as soon as possible. They might try to visit you at some point. He paused.
"How are you really feelings?"

[nellie]

Nellie was surprised and internal grateful that Lucius had come by to see her. Usually the man was not there without the rest of his family. She was glad however that he came on his own. She has spent so much time with the malfoy family that she was like a sister in ways to Draco's sister. She opened the book that he had given her smiling at that fact that there was a not in the book from both Draco and his mother. The other one all on its own from Draco's sister. She wondered exactly what it was that the others were doing. She shrugged it off and put the letters on the table next to her almost empty cup of tea. She was hoping that Mr. Malfoy has not picked up on her lie about how she felt. She was sure her probably has as she was not at all good at lying. It wasn't that she felt all that bad either. She just wanted to be home and out of the hospital ws all. She was sure that that would make her ten times better then she was at the moment.

A nurse walked in seconds later with a tray of food. She nodded to both Lucius and Nellie as she walked back out. Nellie let out a small groan. She was in no mood to eat. She'd eaten earlier and she didn't want anymore. Of course the staff would worry about her if she didn't eat. If it wasn't for her brother at school or those few friends that she did have she probably wouldn't eat while she was at school either. It wasn't that Nellie never got hungry. It was just she got so wrapped up in things food was no where in her mind. She ate very little as it was and to have the staff of St. Mungo's constantly bringing in food made her want to hurl at times. Of couse she did not and politely disregarded the food on the table and looked back up at Lucius as he started to speak to her.

The first words out of his mouth was to call her Lucius. She didn't have an issues with that but she had been raised to call her elders sir or ma'am or use the last name. Formalities were something that were engrained in the young teens mind. "Alright Lucius. Thank you for coming. And I get to leave for home today when my father comes to get me." There was a type of brightness in the words about being able to leave soon. She gave out a sigh as she realized that he had indeed caught her in a lie. she knew in the first place that she couldn't exactly lie to him anyways. He was more experienced in that department she was sure. She gave him a half smile. "I'm not really feeling too hot. But I want to go home and I think I'll feel much better then. I was in here for blacking out and I think that has passed thankfully. Still I can't stand being in here. I'm well enough by their standards to go home so I should be much better in a couple of days." That was the truth. She was still leaving out the part that her leukemia has come out of remission but he didn't exactly need to know that. The Malfoy family new well what the young girl was going through. "How are you Lucius?" She made sure to call him by his first name and not fall back in the formality again.

[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]