Family History
"I don' wanna go! I wanna stay!" The little girl sat in her bed with a stuffed hippogriff clutched tightly in her arms. She shook her strawberry-blonde hair, but she'd seen that look on her Mummy's face enough to know that the whining was not going to work.
"Kitty, it's just for the weekend. You and your sisters will be back home soon, honey, but I have to go out of town with your father. It won't be long. Besides, your Gran is looking forward to your visit. Blip has laid your clothes out, so get dressed. We'll be leaving soon."
After Mummy left Kitty slowly swung her legs over the edge of her bed and found her purple and pink fuzzy slippers. Ignoring her Mum's directions she pulled her hippogriff off of the bed and walked down the hall in her nightgown to her biggest sister's room. Karen was the oldest so maybe she'd be able to talk Mummy into letting them stay at home. Before she could try and convince her biggest sister of anything, her bossy bigger sister stood in front of her.
"Where are your clothes, Kitty? Blink laid them out. You're such a baby."
"Am NOT a baby!"
"You are too, Kitty."
"Lyra, are you teasing Kitty again?" Their Mum's voice echoed from downstairs, causing the sisters to walk to the stairway and look down through the railing posts. "Stop being mean to each other, get dressed and get down here. We have to leave soon."
Kitty looked at her sister and stuck out her tongue. Lyra walked by her sister, hitting her on the arm on the way downstairs, causing Kitty to cry.
"Lyra! Stop being mean to your sister and come downstairs!" The voice from downstairs was closer and louder this time, causing Lyra to begin to move at a quicker pace.
"I didn't do anything, Mummy!" Lyra began stomping loudly down the stairs, making sure to land heavily on each step.
"She did too, Mummy, I saw it!"
Kitty looked up to find her big sister Petal standing next to her, holding out her arms for a hug. Kitty went over to Petal, who hugged her and patted her back. Eventually the little girls held hands and walked back into Kitty's room, where the house-elf was holding Kitty's clothes.
"See Kitty, Blinky will fix it." Petal smiled at the house elf.
Before Kitty could move, she heard her biggest sister's voice. "Come on, Kitty. Get dressed. Mum's waiting for us and you know how she is when she has to wait. You need to wake up when you're supposed to."
"No, don't wanna go!" Kitty stomped a fuzzy slipper, causing everyone in the room to shake their head slightly. They were all used to the routine.
Karen, the biggest sister played her trump card. "Kitty, Mum said that she talked to Gran and we can play dress-up."
"Wif Gran's pretties?" Kitty pulled her nightgown over her head as she kicked off a slipper.
"Yes, with Gran's pretties. Blink will help you, Kitty. Come on, Petal, let's go downstairs."
Astoria Malfoy was always amazed at the commotion that occurred every time her granddaughters arrived; the quiet manor changed immediately with the high-pitched little voices, usually arguing. This time was no different, as apparently Lyra and Kitty were at it again. After assuring her daughter-in-law that watching the girls was no trouble at all, she led her girls into the sitting room. After the girls had settled into their usual spots, treats arrived, served by Trilby, Astoria's elderly house elf.
Astoria sipped her tea and looked at her granddaughters. Karen, the oldest, would be going to Hogwarts next year. Her very curly blonde hair was the same as her mother's, and Astoria was amazed at how much she looked like her mother at that age. Lyra, sitting somewhat apart from her sisters, was definitely the independent one of the four. The fact that her older sister would be going to Hogwarts while she still had to wait another three years was not going over well with her dark-headed granddaughter. Petal had inherited the Malfoy white-blonde hair and grey eyes, but the six year old was currently interested in nothing but animals, especially owls. Kitty, the baby, sat in a big chair with her legs dangling over the seat, her reddish-blonde hair a mess as she apparently had decided that she could brush her own hair. Four year olds are independent, but her youngest granddaughter was a study in willfulness.
After the plates and cups had been cleared away, the deluge began, with the three youngest girls crowding around her chair. "Yes, girls, we can go upstairs and play dress-up. Kitty, you can ride." The littlest girl climbed up into her lap, and Astoria had to lift up her hand to stop the complaining. "Petal, Lyra, I'm sorry but you're just too big now. You're growing up. Karen, can you push me over to the staircase, please?"
Karen took the handles of her grandmother's wheelchair and eased it through the furniture towards the staircase. At the bottom of the stairs Astoria took out her wand, waved it around her head, and the wheelchair floated upstairs. Once everyone had arrived at the next floor the procession down the hallway to their destination seemed to make Lyra, in particular, become even more excited. Finally the long trip down the hallway was over and Trilby held open the doors, the signal for the main event.
Over the next several hours Astoria and Trilby helped the girls put on dresses, jewelry and makeup. Astoria assisted in adjusting the clothing to fit slightly better with a few wand-waves, but for the most part the girls didn't care how well the clothing fit. Astoria noted that Karen was definitely growing up, as she didn't immerse herself in the clothing and jewelry as before, but took her time looking through the jewelry box and tried on a few pieces. Lyra, on the other hand, seemed to be wearing the entire contents of one of the jewelry boxes, as multiple bracelets seemed to go to her elbows, a tiara seemed slightly off-center on her head and she could barely move her neck due to the amount of necklaces.
"Like my makeup, Gran?" Petal sat across the room from Astoria with her hair pulled back and makeup that seemed to have been applied in the dark. "Kitty did it!"
"Very nice, my dear. Very nice."
"Pretty!" Kitty bounded over to her grandmother's chair wearing dark purple eye-shadow and a lipstick shade that could only be described as incredibly bright red.
Astoria laughed. "Very pretty, my dear. I had no idea I even had that makeup. Probably your grandfather's doing."
"Where is Grandpa D?" Karen sat on a small sofa next to the window. "Is he coming back tonight?"
"Perhaps." Astoria noticed an apprehensive look on Karen's face. "You can owl him later if you'd like."
"I'LL DO IT!" Petal ran over to her grandmother's chair, almost falling over in the process due to the heels and silk cocktail dress. "OWLS LOVE ME!"
"You don't even know how to write yet." Lyra rolled her eyes at Petal.
"Karen can write the note, you can all sign your names and Petal can send it." Astoria was happy that the dilemma was over, and signaled Trilby. "Now I believe we shall have lunch in here, and then nap time."
"After the owl?" Petal looked up hopefully to her grandmother.
Astoria smoothed Petal's hair. "Yes, dear, after the owl."
The late afternoon sun faintly streamed through the window of the manor, giving the house an appearance of drowsing, along with several of the occupants who actually were sleeping. The owl had been sent to Draco, or Grandpa D as the girls called him, and Astoria sat in her library with Karen. Both of the Malfoy women were reading, enjoying the relative silence of the house. Astoria looked over to see Karen in a window seat, curled up with a large book on her lap. The sight of her oldest granddaughter, with her curly hair reading that book, took Astoria back several years, causing her to chuckle.
"What's so funny, Gran?"
"You look just like your mother, especially reading that book."
Karen looked at the big, heavy book with the green leather cover. "Mum read this book? When?"
"After your parents were married. Your father and grandfather would have one of their talks, and she would ask me about history, especially family history. I gave her that book to read, to help understand our family." Astoria noticed the somewhat worried look return to her granddaughter's face. "Is something wrong, Karen?"
"Gran, what will they say to me at Hogwarts? About Grandpa?"
Astoria knew this fear well; she and Draco had spent countless hours worrying over Scorpius that first year. "Well, Karen, it is something that you might have to deal with. Unfortunately, you know some of the history of the Malfoys. I think it's time you learned some more. Close your book; we're going on a tour."
"A tour?" Karen put a bookmark in the book, closed it and walked over to her grandmother's wheelchair. "Where?"
"To the old part of the house."
Karen shivered involuntarily after her grandmother opened the door to the "old wing" with her wand; she'd been afraid of this part of the manor ever since she was little. Nobody lived in that part of the house, and her Dad said to just ignore it. The hallway was dimly lit, and only after her Gran waved her wand did the darkness recede. She walked closely next to her Gran's chair as they made their way through the halls, eventually arriving at a large door with an ornate silver doorknob.
"It's not locked, Karen. Do you mind opening it for me?"
Karen glanced at her Gran and then walked forward, turned the knob and pulled open the door. After her Gran entered the room Karen trailed behind her nervously.
"Where are we, Gran?"
"This was your Great-Grandfather's study. What do you know about him?"
Karen thought about what she'd read and all of the things she'd heard from her family. "He wasn't a nice person. Wasn't he a…Death Eater?"
"Yes, he was. And you are correct; he wasn't a very nice person at all. When your Grandfather told him that we were getting married, he threatened to disown his only son. If it wasn't for your Great-Grandmother Narcissa I'm not sure what would have happened."
Out of the corner of her eye Karen saw a grey, misty form materialize near the bookcase, causing her to shriek in surprise. Only her Gran's hand on her arm kept Karen from running from the room.
"Lucius, I see you still keep to your study." Astoria nodded at the ghost, who looked at her in disgust.
"Gone grey and lame, have we, Narcissa? Time has not been kind." He looked to Karen with an oily smile. "As for Draco, I should have disowned him."
"Azkhaban taught you nothing, Lucius." Astoria shook her head. "This is your Great-Granddaughter Karen, Scorpius' oldest. She will be attending Hogwarts next year and was asking about the history of the Malfoys."
The ghostly form of Lucius glided over near them, and he looked at his great-granddaughter. "Your name is Karen? That is not a fitting name for a Malfoy."
"I was named after my Great-Grandmum. She lived in America." Karen's right leg trembled slightly as she held on to the handle of her Gran's wheelchair. "She was a Muggle."
Lucius' expression turned into one of severe disgust. "A Muggle? My grandson married an American Muggle?"
"No Lucius, Scorpius married a witch." Astoria shook her head. "Karen's mother is not from one of your precious pureblood families. They've lived in England for quite some time. I'm sure that you would never have approved, just as you've never approved of me."
"Quite right. I warned Draco that if he married you the Malfoy name would fall into disgrace." Lucius moved around the room until he was at his old desk. He pointed to a portrait on the wall which depicted a very old wizard. "Abraxas Malfoy brought this family into its rightful place of prominence, and you and Draco have done nothing but destroy his legacy."
Karen watched her Gran stiffen in her wheelchair. She knew what that meant, and watched her Gran wheel over towards the desk.
"And what a legacy he left, Lucius. You and Narcissa used that legacy to brainwash Draco into believing things that aren't true. It's taken him years to build up the reputation of the Malfoys. It's only been in the last fifteen years that people don't say the name Malfoy in disgust. When I met Draco the name Malfoy was only a shade better than Voldemort."
"HOW DARE YOU SAY HIS NAME!" Lucius floated through the desk until his form was only inches away from Astoria. "If Draco had only done his part we would have been victorious!"
"If Narcissa had been like you then the world would be a horrible place. She and I may not have agreed on much, but both of us care more for Draco than you ever did. I can see now that this was not a good idea. Come, Karen, let's leave this part of the house, it's nothing but a tomb for hatred."
As Astoria started to move her wheelchair, Lucius' ghost moved between Karen and her Gran. "So you want to know about the Malfoy family, do you? And you're going to Hogwarts next year? Do not believe the lies they tell. The true history of the Malfoys has been distorted and twisted by those like Harry Potter. Do not trust them. Trust only those in Slytherin. That is, if they'll let you in, with your Muggle heritage."
Karen shrank back from the ghost until her back was against the door. Mustering all of her courage, she looked directly at her Great-Grandfather. "I don't want to be in Slytherin. I want to be in Gryffindor like my Mum."
"A Malfoy in Gryffindor?" Lucius went to go into a rage and immediately vanished through the floor.
Astoria moved her wheelchair close to Karen, and motioned for her move away from the door. After Karen complied, Astoria waved her wand and they exited the study through the newly opened door. "Well, that should keep Lucius in a right state for a few more years. Come now; let's go see if your sisters are awake and if Lyra has put on all of my jewelry."
As they moved through the old part of the house to the new wing, something kept nagging at the back of Karen's mind, and finally she hit upon it. "Gran, why didn't they want you to marry Grandpa D?"
Astoria stopped her wheelchair and looked at Karen. "My family, according to Lucius' twisted mind, was considered traitorous to the cause. My father had dealt with Death Eaters, and after the war gave evidence against them to the Wizangamot. Lucius had spent time in Azkhaban, and after he returned he thought about nothing but revenge and the restoration of the Malfoy name. To him, I was the daughter of a traitor and nothing could be worse than having his only son marry me. He also thought that I was trying to steal the Malfoy fortune; he didn't realize that he and Narcissa had squandered what money they once had. When your grandfather and I met he was almost destitute except for this house."
After resuming their walk, Karen opened the door to the new wing, and she and her Gran entered the brightly lit hallway. "How did you meet Grandpa D, Gran?"
"In jail, my dear."
"In jail?" Karen looked incredulously at her Gran. "Why were you in jail?"
"Sins of the father. Your grandfather was still under arrest for his involvement with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and I was under arrest for helping my father with his dealings with Voldemort. We both gave evidence against our fathers, and it was only after appearing before the Wizangamot that we were both freed. I believe your grandfather spent a few more months incarcerated than I did, but mostly we saw each other before we testified. Right before I gave my last evidence in front of the Wizangamot your grandfather asked if I would have dinner with him. I agreed, and after he was released the next month we began dating. We dated for a year and then he asked me to marry him one night at a Muggle pub."
'Grandpa D took you to a Muggle pub? That doesn't sound like him."
"You have to understand, Karen, that he was not particularly well-received in the Wizarding world, even after his testimony. At Muggle places he didn't have to worry about being a Malfoy, he could just be Draco."
As they finally entered the warmth of the sitting room, Karen sat down in the window seat. "Wow, Gran. Dad's never told me any of that."
"I don't think he knows the entire story. Ask your mother, as she has always taken a great interest in family history. You'll find that on some topics boys do not have the same interests as girls. As far as your father's concerned, I think he believes that your grandfather and I have just always been together, that we were Slytherin sweethearts." Astoria laughed quietly. "A Malfoy in Gryffindor. That will truly be something, if it happens. We will be happy for you no matter what house you are sorted into, Karen."
"There you are!" Lyra walked into the room wearing only five necklaces, one of which was a locket. "Gran I can't open this one."
"Ah, that one is enchanted. Your grandfather gave that to me when we first started dating. It was my Christmas present, and he had to save for months. He was working in the Ministry, part of his sentence for his part in the war, and he barely made any money. Come here, Lyra, and I'll show you how to open it."
Lyra walked over to her Gran and gave her the locket. Astoria turned the gold locket over in her hand and pointed to the engraving.
"This is the Malfoy crest. It was the last time that your grandfather used the crest on anything. On the other side is a large letter M. Lyra, take your finger and trace the letter M on the locket, then say the word amor."
After tracing the letter Lyra looked at her Gran and said "amor." The locket opened slightly, and after gently opening the two sides Astoria sighed deeply. She heard Draco's voice, much younger, say "No matter what people say, what my parents say, what anyone says, you will always be my love."
"What was that?" Karen had left the window seat and was now at the other side of her Gran's wheelchair.
Astoria smiled wistfully. "It is part of the charm on the locket. Your grandfather recorded that message for me. It plays whenever the locket is opened."
"Gran and Grandpa D look different!" Lyra looked to her Gran in amazement. "Your hair…"
"It was the same color as yours is now, Lyra. It turned grey not too long after your parents were married." Astoria touched the large pearl earrings that Lyra was wearing. "You take after me, it seems, in more ways than one."
Lyra looked expectantly towards her Gran. "Can I keep it?"
"Not today, but soon." Astoria watched her granddaughter's face fall. "But I have a bracelet that I think you might like, and that your Mum would approve of…and don't fret, Karen, I have something for you and your sisters as well."
The door to the sitting room opened some time later, revealing a smiling Draco Malfoy carrying his two youngest granddaughters. "An owl told me to come home as soon as possible. It appears that two little girls have been busy in your dressing room, my dear." He sat them on the sofa and leaned over and kissed his wife.
"Yes, we've had quite the afternoon." Astoria looked over to Karen briefly, then back to her husband. "I should warn you that…"
"Grandpa D, did you and Gran really meet in jail?"
Draco looked over to his oldest granddaughter with a shocked look on his face.
"And you used to have hair! I saw it in the locket!"
After looking at his dark-headed granddaughter, Draco returned to Astoria. "It appears you did have a very interesting afternoon."
"I met Great-Grandpa Lucius, too. He wasn't nice at all." Karen shook her head. "I'm glad you're not like him."
Astoria nodded. "We are all glad that your grandfather isn't like him."
Late that night, after all of the Malfoy girls were sound asleep, Draco picked up Astoria from her wheelchair and placed her in bed. He watched her brush her long, grey hair in slow, even strokes as she had done every night for decades. After removing his dressing robe he slid into bed beside her.
"Why in Merlin's name did you take Karen to see my father?"
"She's worried about Hogwarts, Draco. About being a Malfoy, and the questions and comments she'll receive. She was reading the family history book and I decided she was old enough to know the truth. You should make some time to talk to her tomorrow."
Draco sighed. "I will. I wish Scorpius would have that talk with her, but I suppose it should be me. How did she react to Lucius?"
"She was very brave, as he was his usual self. Years of being a ghost alone in the old wing of the house have done nothing to change him. You might not want to go down there for a while, though." Astoria put her brush on the bedside table and laughed. "Karen sent him off in a fit."
"What did she do?"
"She told him she wants to be in Gryffindor like her mum."
Draco laughed loudly. "Serves him right."