FicWad

Lucius tried to remain composed and not make a sound while he listened to Arthur. Nobody, who didn't look very closely, would've been able to guess that these were the worst minutes of his life, at least until that point. He felt nauseous and wanted to just run away, but forced himself to sit motionless and hear everything out to the end. He still had a dwindling hope that this was all just the most stupid and mean joke, that Arthur would jump up with laugher and say that he was kidding - that didn't happen.

At last, after a little over ten exceptionally long minutes, Arthur fell silent and was seemingly done.

"Finished?" asked Lucius in the most even voice he was able to master.

"Yes," said Arthur, still not raising his eyes from the table. "I'm really sorry. It wasn't supposed -"

"Stand up," said Malfoy in a commanding tone as his own chair scrapped the stone.

Arthur obeyed, still not daring to look up.

A sound of a slap has drawn the attention of several other people in the outdoor cafe. Malfoy didn't care - nobody in that muggle place knew who they were.

It took Arthur a second to realize what just happened; never before he was hit in the face like that. He touched his prickling cheek with shock and finally looked at Lucius, only to freeze. He didn't hear Lucius making a sound while he spoke, but now looking at Lucius, it was apparent that he has cried.

Without saying another word Malfoy turned on his heels and started to walk away.

"Lucy!" called Arthur after him as he was a few steps away. "We still can be friends!"

Malfoy turned and rapidly strode back to Arthur. He then grabbed him by the front of his shirt and said, "I don't want to hear any Lucy from you ever again! I'm Lucius... No! I'm Malfoy to you from now on. Or better say I'm nobody to you. Friends?" He huffed. "You think we can remain friends after all that?! I don't want to see your face. I don't want to hear your name. Or your voice. You don't write me. Ever. You see me in public - you turn the other way." He relaxed his grip, lowered his arm dejectedly and took a few calming breaths, feeling like he was about to burst into tears anew, but managed to hold himself in check. "I would've done anything for you... I've lost friends. I barely spoke with my parents for the past few years and they almost disowned me because of you." Arthur's eyes widened, he didn't know that it had gotten so bad. "We could've moved out of this shit-of-a-country to somewhere where nobody knows us. Even into muggle world. We could've... And you... Behind my back..." Malfoy sniffled, tears started rolling down his cheeks once again. "I hope you would find your happiness with Prewett and have a dozen of kids that you always wanted. But I wish I never met you."

"I'm sorry," said Arthur.

"I won't come back to the flat, so do whatever you want with my things. Throw them away. Burn them. I don't care. I don't want them. ... The lease is on for another 8 months, and since I don't care enough to go and terminate it, you may keep living there. It's all paid." He smirked bitterly. "Might as well move your harlot in." Lucius was about to turn to leave as an idea struck him, and even though he felt ashamed of even thinking that, he wasn't able not to ask it. "Have... Have my parents paid you to do this?"

"What?!" Arthur exclaimed and looked at him with shock. "No! How could you even ask something like this?"

"I don't know what or who to believe now. Maybe it's Prewett who they got on the payroll."

"No, that's out of the question."

"To pay her to spread her legs for you - that sounds just like a thing they would do. Well... It's not like it matters now. It wouldn't change a thing. So why do I care? They got what they wanted regardless of doing something for it or not. One of the two remaining Black sisters, here I come..."

"I'm really sorry," mumbled Arthur again. "It doesn't mean that you should follow -"

The repeated apology started sound hollow for Lucius and he decided to ignore what came after that. "And when and if you break up with her, be sure not to do the same thing you did with me."

"The same thing?"

Malfoy grit his teeth. "Five months, Arthur! You went behind my back for five bloody months!"

"I haven't slept with her until August."

Lucius stared at him in disbelief. "It's like I don't know you anymore. Can't believe you would say it like that. As if it's some kind of justification." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, an image of them sneaking around, years ago while they were still in Hogwarts, flashed in his mind momentarily, making it all even harder on him, as it all was truly in the past for them.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. It just happened."

Lucius wanted to say something mean, just to hurt Arthur the way those words hurt him, but decided against it. As he thought about what he wanted to say, or whether he wanted to say anything else at all, he caught himself staring at Arthur's lips and realized that he will never kiss him again. Noticing Arthur's left cheek burning red, he felt a pang of shame for the slap, and was about to apologize, but decided not to.

Finally, after almost a minute of silence between them, Lucius pointed his wand at Arthur and healed his cheek.

"Good bye," said Malfoy barely audibly, almost more to their relationship than to Arthur. Then put his wand back in his pocket and just walked past him onto the pavement.