Ad Mortem Festinamus

He was unfamiliar to the whole concept of sadness. He had a faint acquaintance with frustration when things didn't go the way he wanted them to take, but mostly they did anyhow. Disappointment and depression were new for him and he had no clue how to handle them. And he was depressed, there could be no doubt about it.

So far, he had comforted himself with the notion that deep down, she might like him a little, enough to allow him to make her like him a little more - damn it! He was charming! He could be! All those girls were crazy for him, so why couldn't she be?! But no, no, she wouldn't stand to be in his company for more than five minutes! She'd rather go to a nunnery than go out with him only once! She -

In his fury, he knocked over a pile of books, making the lunatic librarian throw a tantrum, but he wasn't in the mood to simply excuse or go. Instead, he yelled back at her, that it was her damn job to collect books and store them away, that it wasn't his fault in the first place that the entire place was a mess, topping it all by calling her an 'evil vulture'. He received three nights of detentions from Professor McGonagall for this, who had heard the argument - well, hardly anyone in the castle could have missed it, they had both been screaming on top of their voices - and rushed by.

"Are you out of your senses, Mr Malfoy?!" Her lips were thinner than he had ever seen when she jerked him to follow her to this Head of House.

"And if I am?"

She drew her breath, doubtless to give him an exhausting lecture on manners and rules, but for now he was spared from this because she had found another object for her anger. "Mr Tonks!" She snapped. "You are Prefects! You ought to give younger students an example! And as for you, Miss Black - I am very surprised with you!"

Lucius suppressed a laugh; there stood Narcissa's big sister, and three seconds ago she had still been tightly enwrapped by a Ravenclaw mudblood. That sister at least knew how to have fun! Even if she had a bad taste with whom, but that was another story! McGonagall docked five points each from Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and another five from Slytherin because Andromeda had given a saucy reply - "We are giving a good example for cordiality among the Houses, Professor!" - but then his close season was over.

"Only because you are your father's son, Mr Malfoy, or because you are Captain of your House Team, you are still not entitled to any privileges! Speaking like this to Madam Pince! I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't heard you with my own two ears! I've never met with such insolence, and if you were in my house -"

"Which I am luckily not -"

"Oh, be still! I know that Professor Slughorn thinks very highly of you, but don't you believe you get away this time!" She continued in this manner, and he simply did what he was used to - his father couldn't get through the day without at least one of those speeches - he completely ignored her and let his thoughts trail back to his real problems. Narcissa Black. How was she to be worked on? What should he do? He made a mental note to send her some flowers for a start. He didn't believe it'd work, that was the crux about it, and he racked his brains what else he could try.

One good thing had come out of this - he smiled with the notion. So long he had wondered how her eyes would look in close-up, and at last he had had the chance to get to inspect them! Good Lord! Her eyes were of the darkest blue on the outside, getting brighter and brighter the closer it came to her pupils, and tiny sparkles of turquoise were sprinkled in. Had the world ever seen such eyes? Certainly not! Like a well, like -

He was crudely disturbed in his reverie because McGonagall hammered on his Head of House's door. Predictably, old Slughorn wasn't exactly pleased with his favourite's performance, but also far from McGonagall's level of just outrage. He tried to soothe her, but she wouldn't calm down. "Such a behaviour must meet consequences, Horace!"

"Three nights of cauldron cleaning will surely do the job, Minerva."

"No, it will not, and you know it! I demand that he is banned from the next match, perhaps that suffices to make an impression!"

Both the old Potions Master and Lucius gasped. "What?!" Lucius burst out, goggling at her in incredulity.

Old Sluggy stared, too, but broke out in merry laughter then. "That was a good one, Minerva, I give you that! Yes, you've given him a good fright there!"

"I was perfectly serious!"

Lucius protested heatedly, "That's not up to you to decide!"

"Seriously, Minerva! I know you must be sore for losing the Quidditch Cup once again, I must say, to Slytherin, but sabotaging the team in such a blatant way should be out of the question!"

"I don't care for the Cup - not in this case, anyway! But you, as the Deputy Headmaster, cannot possibly allow any student to walk around and mortify staff members in such a way! And mere detentions are a joke for him!"

"No!" Lucius knew when it was the right time to fall down to his knees, and this was it. "Professor McGonagall - Madam - I know I've behaved very badly, and I can only assure you that I do not take detentions as a joke! Make it a week if you will! A fortnight! I will do whatever you think is right, but please! You only want to punish me, and I surely deserve it, please do not punish the whole team, I pray you!"

"Spare your smooth talking, Mr Malfoy! I have no wish to punish your team, but if I do, you've only got yourself to blame!"

Honest repentance on Lucius' part, dextrous negotiating on Professor Slughorn's and most of all, a soft core underneath McGonagall's iron-hard case, finally achieved a fair deal, or the best they could get out of it. A whole month of detentions - two weeks with Mr Filch, two with McGonagall herself - and a formal apology for Madam Pince. The punishment was ridiculous, compared with the offence, Lucius still found, but he would not complain, as long as he could play. There was one condition though - the next major offence, and he'd be banned from the team for the rest of the year.

As soon as McGonagall had grudgingly left, Lucius inquired what exactly was a 'major offence'. Slughorn grinned slyly. "You will not insult staff members, and this includes Mr Ogg and Mr Filch. You will not curse anyone -"

"Oh, come on!"

"No curses, Mr Malfoy. I may turn a blind eye on jinxes and hexes though. And if I might give you a word of advise - try to avoid all other Heads of House, they could want to better the chances for their own House Team by taking you out."

Lucius nodded and trotted out, back to his dorm. To be honest - he was pretty certain that McGonagall, as well as Flitwick and Sprout, were above such underhanded tricks. That was rather Slughorn's domain. Still he had to be careful; sometimes he tended to act a bit too rash, or too strongly. He was more inclined to curse someone than endure cheek - or mediocre performances from his team mates - and every now and then he would curse someone because he didn't like their faces, okay, okay. So he had to give up that habit. Term was about to end soon, he would get along without cursing anyone in the coming two months. Should be easy, shouldn't it?