54 Is love in the air tonight?

Lucas sighed, he felt like a bad person for what he was about to do. "I can't give you an answer now, because I don't even know what is going on with me."

Susan's expression fell, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. "Oh," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I understand."

He could see the hurt in her eyes, the pain of rejection clearly assaulting his senses, but yet again it failed to tug at his heartstrings.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said sincerely, "it's complicated. Let me show you."

Lucas locked eyes with her, focusing on her mind. He reached out with his senses, probing the defences she had constructed, waiting for permission to enter.

"If you let me in I will show you how I feel about you."

Susan hesitated, uncertainty evident in her expression as she weighed her options. Part of her wanted to know, to finally understand what Lucas truly felt, but another part feared what she might discover. However, she never was concerned wheter Lucas would stay true to his word or not. Eventually she took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever she would find.

"Okay," she replied softly. "You can come in."

With Susan's permission granted, Lucas gently overcame the barrier of her mind and dragged her into his. He carefully isolated her from the rest of his mind and only showed her his emotions.

Slowly, he allowed Susan to feel what he felt, to experience the strange and baffling world of his emotions.

Susan gasped as she felt the raw power coursing all around her. His Legilimency was just that developed.

She 'opened' her eyes to a sea of serenity, with not one ripple in sight. It was so clear you would mistake it for a mirror. And it took immediate effect, suppressing her reaction to the power of his mind.

Lucas watched as Susan's expression softened and then for a moment, there was a connection between them, a shared understanding that transcended words that went deeper than the surface. It was a fleeting moment of intimacy, a glimpse into the innermost depths of his mind and soul.

But as quickly as it had come, the moment passed, leaving Lucas feeling strangely exposed and vulnerable. He returned her to her own mind, severing the connection between them with a sense of doubtfulness.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, unsure if it had been a good idea. "I shouldn't have done that."

Susan blinked, a tear rolling down her cheek, before practically lunging at him, trying to crush him with a hug.

Lucas was taken aback by Susan's sudden embrace, her arms wrapping tightly around him as if she was afraid of letting go. "Susan..." he started, failing to find what he was supposed to say now.

But she shook her head, burying her face against his chest as she clung to him desperately. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice muffled against his shirt. "I didn't know."

He didn't like what was happening now. It made him feel weak and he started to regret letting her in.

Without further ado, Susan's eyes turned blank, she mechanically stood up, walked a short distance away and came to a halt behind a tree trunk while looking at him.

Once the life returned to her eyes she thought, 'the next time I won't be afraid and go up to him.' Afterwards, she walked back to the castle.

Lucas in the meantime looked at the wet spots on his shirt, followed by his hands.

Her warmth didn't feel unpleasant though.

Regardless of his thoughts, he was again sitting alone under the sweet chestnut tree.

----

"Who do we have here?"

Lucas looked up, his expression unreadable as he regarded Draco Malfoy and the group of Slytherins that followed him. It was surprising that he was looking for trouble so soon after the incident with Buckbead and with Lucas at that. Maybe his inaction towards the mockery gave Draco a false sense of security. Nevertheless, the arm sling looked ridiculous to anyone who knew just a bit about first aid.

"Well, well, if it isn't the infamous Lucas Foster," he drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What's got you hiding out here all alone?"

Lucas eyed Draco with a mix of disdain and amusement. "Just enjoying some peace and quiet away from the usual chaos of Hogwarts," he replied casually, his voice laced with a hint of mockery.

Draco's lips curled into a sneer as he stepped closer, his cronies flanking him on either side. "Peace and quiet, eh?" he scoffed. "More like running away like the coward you are."

Lucas remained unfazed, his expression remaining impassive. "I'm not the one parading around with a fake injury in order to satisfy my own overblown ego," he retorted coolly, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Draco's face flushed with anger at the jab, his fist clenching at his side. "Watch your mouth, Foster," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "You may think you're untouchable with your magic and all, but I won't hesitate to knock you down a peg or two."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by Draco's empty threats. "Is that a challenge, Malfoy?" he taunted, not hiding his amusement.

His gang grew rowdy and they yelled with anger. "You bet it is!"

Against the better wishes of his father Draco said, "So what if it is. What are you going to do about it? Run away with your tail between your legs again? And if you haven't noticed yet, no one can see us here."

Lucas chuckled softly, his gaze shifting from Draco to his companions, then back again. "Oh, I've noticed," he replied calmly.

"Is that supposed to be a threat? Are you aware that I only have to tell my father you tried to do something and you will go straight to Azkaban." Draco boasted smugly.

"Well I doubt the ministry is unaware of me at this point. So my dear Draco, answer me this question. What do I have to loose?" Lucas said menacingly as he got up.

The Slytherin faltered for a moment, his confidence wavering in front of Lucas, whose posture radiated an aura of quiet menace. His cronies shuffled uneasily beside him, exchanging nervous glances as they realized they might have bitten off more than they could chew. The rumours had escalated to such a point that Lucas' eyes were regularly compared to the mythical Basilisk's now.

But Draco wasn't one to back down easily, especially not in front of his goons. He squared his shoulders, trying to regain his composure as he met Lucas's gaze with a defiant glare.

"You think you're so tough, Foster?" Draco sneered, his voice trembling slightly despite his bravado. "Well, let's see if you can back up that big mouth of yours."

With that, Draco raised his wand, his cronies following suit as they prepared to duel. Lucas didn't flinch, his own hands loosely at his side as he waited for Draco to make the first move.

But before Malfoy or any of them could cast a spell, a voice rang out from behind them, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Snape in his usual slow and calculating voice said, "What is the meaning of this?"

Draco turned around, his face pale as he saw Professor Snape standing there, his dark eyes fixed on the group with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Professor Snape," Draco began, his voice faltering slightly. "We were just..."

But Snape cut him off with a sharp gesture. "I don't want to hear it, Mr. Malfoy," he said coldly. "Duelling is strictly prohibited outside of the official club. You and your companions will come with me to my office. Immediately."

Lucas watched with mild amusement as Draco and his gang reluctantly followed Snape, their heads hanging low in shame. It was true that the ministry knew that he was a Legilimens, at least Amelia and Lucius knew. But probably more than that if not all.

He was kind of tricked by Dumbledore at the end of last year, because the old goat never said he would help him hide his secret, he merely said he wouldn't tell the ministry. But either way he wouldn't have been able to do anything against it, it was already too late once he had woken up.

With a sigh he too walked back to the castle.

----

Snape was breathing down Draco's neck in his office, after he had let the rest go. "Mr. Malfoy, do you have any idea in what kind of danger you were in? Has your father not told you anything?"

Draco was too ashamed to even talk, his father had explicitly told him he should refrain from approaching Lucas with malicious intent, even though he had given him a few artifacts for protection.

"It seems your father's warnings have fallen on deaf ears," he remarked acidly, his tone dripping with disdain. "I doubt you would become anything less than a vegetable if he actually wanted to crush you."

With an exacerbated sigh Snape said his last words, before letting the disheartened Malfoy go. "Your father paid me to make your stay at Hogwarts as pleasant as possible, however, I can not save you from yourself, Mr. Malfoy. Even with my lessons in Occlumency you are not his match."

----

In the ministry Amelia Bones panicked when the artifact she had given Susan at the beginning of the year went off. She hastily wrote two letters, one to Dumbledore and the other to her niece. There was no way she would loose the last part of her family to another mind rapist.

----

The next day the Great Hall was even louder than normally. Word had spread about yesterday's incident at the lake. Not by Draco. He wouldn't dare to, but he wasn't the only one present there. It was inevitable that anything related to Lucas caught on like a wildfire.

The students were heatedly discussing the matter when the owl post came. 

Susan was crestfallen at the content of her letter. She wouldn't be able to confess her feelings any time soon, now that her aunt forced her to leave Hogwarts until discussed further.

Draco got a stern talking to by a Howler from his mother, who still vividly remembered how she had felt in the presence of a skilled Legilimens. Of course the letter didn't mention anything that could tarnish the Malfoy's reputation. Nevertheless, it was embarrassing.

Harry got a letter as well, his parents were concerned about his lesson with Lucas. It wasn't anything bad, they just wanted to know what had happened.

Unexpectantly, another Slytherin received a little something per mail.

----

Lucas was on his way back after finishing breakfast, when he felt a presence waiting for him in a secluded corner away from prying eyes. He felt her green eyes following his every move and as he was about to walk past her, she opened her mouth. "Mr. Foster, may I have a word with you?" she asked, her tone polite but with an underlying seriousness.

Lucas stopped in his tracks, turning to face her with a curious expression. "Of course, Daphne."

She stepped forward, her posture exuding confidence despite the fear she felt for the person in front of her. She glanced around briefly, ensuring they were indeed alone before she spoke. "My father would like to have a word with you."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Daphne's unexpected request. "Your father? About what?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Daphne hesitated for a moment before responding, choosing to use the words from the letter. "It concerns a matter of... mutual interest," she replied cryptically.

He studied her for a moment, there was no hint to what her father would want to talk about. Maybe she didn't know either. "Very well," Lucas eventually said, "When are we supposed to meet?"

"Next weekend in Hogsmead, my father will wait for you near the Shrieking Shack at 4 o'clock. You will now where he is when you arrive." Daphne told him everything she had received in the letter.

Lucas nodded in acknowledgment. "Understood. I'll be there."

Daphne gave him a curt nod before turning on her heel and walking away.