The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Season 2 Finals Round 2

Team: Falmouth Falcons

Author: MaryRoyale

Position: Beater #2

Finals Round 2 Challenge: Beater #2 must use the phrase "those were the words he needed to hear" EXACTLY.

Official Disclaimer: The original characters of this story are the property of the J.K. Rowling. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. It is my contention that this work of fan fiction is fair use under copyright law. No monies received for receipt of this work.

Pairing: Harry/Draco (background—mostly as a shameless excuse for Lucius to be a pseudo-grandpa to Lily Luna)

Prompts: garnet, "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." ― Gloria Steinem, and snow

Rating: T
Word Count: approx. 1700

Warning: Lucius as a department store Santa. Schmoop and fluff as far as the eye can see.

A/N: This is all because of a running Falmouth joke about ways to "torture" Lucius because he's so stiff and proper.

/\/\/\/\

"Ah, there you are Lucius." Narcissa moved into his study with what could only be described as a smirk on her lips.

Lucius eyed her warily. "It is Saturday afternoon. Where else would I be?"

His wife glided forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Nowhere," she admitted. The smirk grew slightly. "This is exactly where one could expect to find you on a Saturday afternoon."

Lucius' gaze narrowed suspiciously on Narcissa's face. She was still beautiful, even after all of their years together, but he didn't care for the cunning look in her dark eyes. "You're plotting something," he accused her.

Narcissa's tinkling laugh rang out in his study. "I? Plotting something? Oh, darling, you flatter me."

Lucius pressed his lips together and waited.

"Draco Floo called me." Narcissa perched on the edge of his desk and canted her body toward him. "He was positively frantic."

"Draco? What's wrong?" Lucius demanded sitting up straight. "Is it Scorpius?"

"Scorpius is fine," Narcissa rushed to assure him.

Lucius sagged back into the chair. "If Scorpius is well then what would have upset Draco?"

"Lily Luna." Narcissa was watching him carefully.

Lucius frowned. "The little Potter witch? What about her?"

Lucius wasn't an idiot. He knew that Narcissa longed for a granddaughter, and Lily Luna appeared to be as close as she was going to come to getting one. After Astoria had been killed in a tragic, stupid magical accident Draco had been… oddly relieved. Lucius had known that his son had been somewhat less than thrilled to marry the Greengrass witch, but he had hoped that Draco would come to love his wife as Lucius had with Narcissa.

What was it his mother used to say? "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." How right she had been. It had taken time for Draco to gather up the courage to tell them that there would be no second marriage, and why. It had taken time for Lucius to adjust to his new reality. It wasn't as though he loved his son any less, or that he detested his son's boyfriend, Harry Potter. It was more that he had conceived a specific plan for Draco, and it had taken some time for him to adjust his new paradigm.

The one person who had been truly thrilled about the whole situation was Narcissa. She had gotten three new children to spoil and cosset in one fell swoop. The boys were older, and they viewed her rather warily at first, but they had eventually warmed up to Narcissa. His wife positively doted on the girl who had been young enough to have only distant, fuzzy memories of her mother. This, whatever his wife was angling for, was going to be a big, most likely unpleasant, task.

"Apparently Harry was going to take Lily Luna to Harrods to see Father Christmas," Narcissa began to explain, but she paused at the confused expression on Lucius's face. "What is it, darling?"

"Harrods?" Lucius frowned. "I thought his name was Hagrid. And why on earth would she go there to see Father Christmas?"

"No, Harrods is a… well, it's a Muggle store. It's quite large, and it has a variety of things under one roof. Draco took me there last summer," Narcissa explained.

"But why would Father Christmas be there?" Lucius asked.

"It's not the real Father Christmas, of course," Narcissa temporized. "He's far too busy to be hanging about Muggle shops and visiting with small children. It's a Muggle tradition from what Harry has explained. Apparently, his cousin went every year, but Harry was never allowed to go. So he's taken his children every year."

Lucius' lips pressed together again. He had never supposed that his son's relationship with Harry Potter would actually make him detest Muggles more than he had previously, but he loathed Potter's uncle and aunt.

"Why is Draco upset about Harry taking Lily Luna?" Lucius asked.

"He isn't. Harry was called in on an Auror emergency, but you have to buy tickets in advance and Harry had purchased the tickets months ago. If they don't go today they can't go at all because it's completely sold out," Narcissa explained.

Lucius frowned and rubbed at his temple. "I'm still not certain why Draco would be upset. Use the tickets and take the little witch to see Father Christmas. How difficult could that be?"

"It isn't difficult at all," Narcissa agreed. "It's just that their Father Christmas has taken ill, and they're going to have to cancel until they can get a replacement Father Christmas."

"No." Lucius glared at his wife. "Absolutely not."

"But, darling," Narcissa wheedled. "Think of Lily Luna. The boys are all older, and they were only going to humour Harry. They don't give a toss if it's cancelled or not, but Lily Luna will be heartbroken."

"Narcissa," Lucius growled.

"Lucius, please," Narcissa begged. "For me?"

/\/\/\/\

How Muggles managed to perfectly replicate the proper robes of wizarding Scandinavia Lucius would never know. They had even copied the deep garnet velvet that Father Christmas had favoured for centuries. He tugged at the belt, perfectly situating it and adjusting the robe. His overcoat was a bit much, but cooling charms made sure that he wasn't uncomfortable.

"Almost perfect." Narcissa patted him smugly.

"Almost?" Lucius protested.

"Father Christmas needs a bit more padding, and a nice, full beard," Narcissa reminded him.

Lucius scowled at the mirror. "I'll look like bloody Dumbledore."

"No, you won't," Narcissa contradicted him easily. "You'll look like Father Christmas. Now hold still, darling."

The face that peered out at him from the mirror was disturbingly different. His eyes twinkled. His cheeks dimpled at him as he attempted a smile. Lucius shivered.

"Don't worry, Lucius. It's only for the day," Narcissa comforted him.

"Hmph."

"There you are," a strident voice called urgently. It was a strange-looking Muggle woman with what appeared to be antlers growing out of her head.

Lucius blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"They're waiting for you Father Christmas," the woman told him urgently. She grabbed his elbow and tugged him after her.

A small cabin meant to represent Father Christmas' cabin held pride of place in what was helpfully labeled 'Father Christmas' Grotto'. Lucius eyed it warily. He doubted that this… cabin… was anything like Father Christmas' actual cabin. The antlered woman held open the door and shooed him in like a naughty schoolboy. He throttled down the urge to smite her and peered about with a frown. This wouldn't do at all.

Muttering under his breath he pulled his wand out of his robes and began casting the sorts of charms that were normally put on camping tents. First was the expansion charm, and Lucius breathed a sigh of relief as the roof moved away from the dangerously close proximity it had shared with his head. Next he quickly redecorated the inside to resemble a Norwegian hunting lodge he'd visited as a young wizard. A roaring fire in the fireplace, a few quick changes to the large throne-like bench, and he was done. He settled onto the now extremely comfortable bench and nodded to himself.

The small gasp of wonder from the first Muggle child had him feeling rather smug. The boy moved closer to Lucius, and he used a quick surface Legilimens to discover the boy's name.

"Good afternoon, Todd," he greeted the boy in a deep, booming voice.

The boy's eyes widened and he squeaked. "G-good afternoon, Father Christmas," Todd whispered. He shifted nervously on his feet. "I didn't mean to break Mummy's tea pot," he confessed.

Lucius blinked. "I'm sure you didn't," he agreed.

"I panicked," Todd added and bit his lip. "So I blamed it on the cat."

Lucius nodded. "Thinking on your feet," he murmured. "A clever lad. Have a peppermint stick." Maybe being Father Christmas wasn't all that difficult after all.

The morning and afternoon passed quickly, and before he knew it a familiar redhead was cautiously entering Lucius' cabin. She looked around in surprise and then turned to eye Lucius suspiciously.

"You're a wizard," she accused, pointing a tiny finger at him.

Lucius put his finger to his lips. "Can't tell the Muggles now can we, Lily Luna," he reminded her gently.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You know my name?"

"Of course. Father Christmas is a skilled Legilimens," Lucius scoffed. "How else could he know if you've been bad or good?"

Lily Luna's mouth dropped open. "Daddy never told me that!"

Lucius shrugged. "Well, Mr. Potter was raised by Muggles. Now, would you like to sit on my lap, or would you rather just stand there?"

"Can I sit next to you?" Lily Luna asked curiously.

"Of course," Lucius agreed. He patted the cushioned seat. "Now, I believe it is customary for you to ask me to bring you something for Christmas."

"I was going to ask for you to make it snow," Lily Luna mused aloud, "but Scorpius and James weminded me that Daddy or Dwaco can do that."

"They could," Lucius agreed.

Lily Luna fidgeted on the seat next to Lucius. "Father Chwistmas?"

"Yes?" Lucius leaned closer and tried to appear comforting.

"Can you… can you make Wooshus my other grandpa?" Lily Luna asked in a small voice. "And Nawcissa my other grandma?" She bit her lip and stared up at him with wide eyes. "It's only… all of the other kids at school have two grandpas and two grandmas, and I don't, and Daddy says that Dwaco and Scorpius are famiwy, and Grandma Weasley told him to call her grandma, and so… can you?"

Lucius blinked rapidly, and cleared his throat. Lily Luna's face fell.

"You can't, can you?" She guessed and her shoulders slumped.

"No, no, I can," Lucius assured her. "I think that Lucius and Narcissa would love to be your 'other' grandparents."

"You do?" Lily Luna's whole face lit up and she threw her arms around Lucius. "Thank you, Father Christmas!"

Lucius hugged her back and cleared his throat again. Those were the words he needed to hear. He hadn't realized it, but it was true. "Thank you, Lily Luna," he whispered.