And I Lied To All My Friends

[Tiberius Lestrange]

Tiberius was nervous. It was becoming an alarmingly familiar feeling since the events of late September, but he was hoping that if he could successfully pass this last remaining barrier he'd be through having conversations he didn't particularly want to have for the foreseeable future. Getting Cassius onboard with the plan had been the biggest obstacle, he knew, at least in terms of what he was actually asking. The conversation with Lucius to merely steer the family in the right direction was nothing at all, by comparison. It was nothing more than a suggestion, and a very low-stakes one, for him.

Lucius was different, though; Lucius was the first man that Tiberius had ever come to truly respect. He'd obeyed his father and been fascinated by him in the way that children invariably are by their parents, but his uncle had always been rather on a pedestal in his mind. He had never lied to him before. He had, on occasions, omitted things that Lucius might have been interested to know--his knowledge for years of Cassius' malady standing out as the forefront example, before he'd finally had to tell him that past spring--but he had never outright lied, as he intended to do today.

As eager as he was to be done with the conversation, for better or for worse, he knew it could not be rushed. He'd gotten Cassius' letter with the girl's name near the beginning of the month, but it had taken time to arrange an unobtrusive meeting. Tiberius knew himself to be a good liar, but he still had the strong feeling that somehow Lucius would know, despite all his cautions. It was crucial that no safety be overlooked, no red flags raised. When Tiberius eventually reported for a dinner--shared, unfortunately, with Lucius' new wife and Antigone, though he'd chosen a night when he knew Quidditch would get his younger cousin away from the house--he had filled the meal with all the necessary pleasantries and courtesies. He had even, for the sake of the charade, feigned some interest in the well being of that infant.

After dinner the women retired to do whatever it was women did after dinners, and a servant saw Tiberius and his uncle outfitted with drinks before leaving them alone.

"I did want to talk to you," Tiberius began, as casually as he could manage, "About Cassius."

@'Lucius Lestrange' @'Aldous Crouch'

  

[Lucius Lestrange]

The last time that uncle and nephew had truly spoken about Cassius had been regarding the boy’s deranged proclivities. At the mention of his name, Lucius searched Tiberius’ face for any inclination that he should be wary now, but his search bore no fruit.

He gave a non-committal nod.

I SUCK BUT YOU KNOW THIS
xoxo
@'Tiberius Lestrange'

  

[Tiberius Lestrange]

The nod was hardly as blatant of an indication of his uncle's feelings as Tiberius might have wished for, but it was all he had hoped for, truthfully. Lucius Lestrange had never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve, so to speak, and Tiberius was dense enough at discerning emotional cues even when they were obvious. He'd simply have to forge ahead and hope he wasn't stepping into any perilous waters.

"I," he started, hesitant both because he wasn't entirely sure how to begin, but also because he thought it suited his purpose to appear more hesitant than he was. "I hope you won't think this presumptuous, but I—have been doing some research over the past few months." The phrase itself may have seemed cryptic, but given that Tiberius had already brought up Cassius, he assumed Lucius already had a very solid idea as to what, exactly, he'd been researching.

He had been doing research; that was not a lie. The implication that the research had something to do with Cassius was also not a lie. What followed next, of course, was: "I think there may be a way to... well, I hesitate to say cure, but—I may have found a way to... redirect his attentions."

There was nothing, Tiberius thought, that would cure Cassius. Rationally, he thought anyone probably knew as much. He hoped, however, that there was some part of Lucius that would want to believe such a ridiculous lie. He had evidence, after all, that there had been an attempt at this sort of thing (not, in his opinion, a very successful one, but then he had hardly loitered in Cassius' mind to really find out), which was a pull in his favor. Perhaps his uncle would want to pursue a 'cure', however farfetched, on the grounds of familial pride, or only to stave off some future discovery of Cassius' perversions by less circumspect parties. Tiberius could not believe that any effort on his uncle's part to see his cousin amend his ways could stem from any sort of affection or paternal care. Under these circumstances, in Lucius' shoes Tiberius would not have even considered Cassius a Lestrange any more, much less a son.

He didn't have to understand it, though, in order to use it to his benefit. Lucius had already made one attempt to cure Cassius; he may be open to another.

@'Lucius Lestrange' @'Aldous Crouch'