Help
Disclaimer: I don't own HP.
A/N: This for Monse who wished to see more Nice!Lucius stories. Enjoy and R and R!
Lucius was a pureblood, which meant he was educated in manners and he knew what was always expected of him. He knew what not to do and he could figure out the consequences of one action and then, if they were unfavorable to him, figure out an alternative response. He was the Malfoy head and he was raising the newest heir of his bloodline. He was in constant scrutiny and he was a former Death Eater. All of these things required him to stay on top of his game and be a good and honorable man. Lucius was always expected to be something, wherever he was.
That's why when a boy with messy black hair fell before him and dropped one of his pieces of luggage he could do nothing but help. The situation called for it. Besides the boy had just become the "boy who tripped" or "the fool" to any observant classmates, he needed all the help he could get. Well except any help that would harm his family or went beyond his limits. He was a Slytherin and so he had a line where if someone crossed it he refused to help that person anymore. He could only help so much before he kicked the baby bird out of the nest. Yet, the child had done none of this and he looked very distressed so why shouldn't Lucius help him? Besides, Lucius thought the boy would be good to get to know.
"Oh, thank you! I've been so nervous and I can't believe I just did that! I'm terribly sorry." The boy apologized. He was flustered and his cheeks were crimson with embarrassment. Didn't the child know he needed to regain his composure? He needed to be on top of his game. He nodded in Draco and Narcissa's direction to alert them that everything was okay. They had turned around as the scene occurred and were waiting for the results of the incident.
Lucius opened his mouth to stop the boy from speaking but stopped noticing at the center of the boy's forehead, right above his emerald eyes and thin unfashionable glasses, a lightning bolt scar. This wasn't happening. This was Harry Potter. This was the boy who had defeated the Dark Lord and had allowed him to escape his tyranny.
Yes, Lucius although a Slytherin, didn't agree with the Dark Lord. Sure he believed that purebloods were the best and mudbloods shouldn't be in Hogwarts. That wasn't the issue. The issue was that while the Dark Lord had respectable values he had murdered and tortured so many people. The blood that seemed to soak his hands and left him "red-handed" didn't bother him. He killed children and adults all the same. He had tried to kill the young man before him when he was an infant! Lucius believed in the values he had been raised up in devotedly but there was a line, as thin as it may be, that he dared not to cross. But anyhow, this flustered boy before him with too big clothes on was the boy who, as an infant, defeated him. He freed him from having to be apart of something anymore that was one, threatening to his family, and two, leaving more destruction than anything else. He, the child with the messy mop of ebony hair on his head, was the boy so many cheered for. He was a hero and Lucius respected him, even though because of the tattoo on his left arm he shouldn't.
Lucius nodded, "It is quite well though you might want to hurry to the train boy." Lucius watched the boy smile in agreement and quickly take off. Lucius continued walking forward, hearing the slight clang of his snake headed cane against the floor, and caught up with Narcissa and Draco but not before hearing another crash. The boy was helpless really. How had he saved the Wizarding World exactly?
Lucius let out a chuckle at the boy's apologizes to another victim. Then, noticing the strange look on Narcissa's face he turned his attention to his only child. Lucius knew that with the Boy-Who-Lived in Draco's year that he needed to tell his son something before he went on the train and Lucius couldn't see him until the holidays.
"Draco," Lucius began looking into his son's innocent steel eyes, "tell me if anything should happen. I will take care of anything. People may say cruel things and if so don't let them see you fall. Keep strong and I promise I will help you all I can, my son."
Lucius didn't want to believe that someone would bring up his Death Eater ties or would ridicule Draco for being in one of the most pureblooded families because the Death Eaters had lost but still. He could only prepare for the worst and hope to get the best. Lucius had taken care of the damage control long ago with powerful friends in the Ministry but there was still that sliver of misfortune that it would happen.
Draco naively smiled and nodded clutching a suitcase slightly too big for himself in an iron grip. "Yes father," he replied back. Lucius could tell how excited he was for Hogwarts, as he should be.
"Your father and I will see you soon. Good bye, Draco." Narcissa hugged him tight and Lucius shook his son's hand. The loud and clear chime of the whistle was followed by the various noises as children, including Potter and his boy, climbed into the Hogwarts Express.
Narcissa and Lucius then swiftly, without a word as both lost in their thoughts, arrived to the Apparation point and returned home. Lucius still couldn't get the encounter with the Potter child out of his head and so he told Narcissa of it later that evening.
"You helped him?" She asked to reassure herself.
"Yes. Narcissa, did I make a mistake?" Lucius questioned. He had a nagging feeling about what he had done.
"No. You are not a man that will ignore a child that needs help. He wasn't a Muggle or a mudblood. So I believe it's fine and if not you can always excuse it by saying you wanted to get close to the child to end his life, or something of the sort. Besides, Lucius it was just picking up his bags. It wasn't like it was a tea party or a hug." Narcissa informed him.
"I'm still a Malfoy. I'm still a Death Eater. I'm still me, I just did something that none of the aforementioned would do." Lucius added. After his thinking when he Apparated home he was worried that if the Dark Lord were to arise again, hopefully never, then someone would tell him of what he had done. He didn't want to be labeled something in the future because of one act and he didn't want his family to suffer.
"Lucius, you're not a bad man. I wouldn't have married you if you were. It's fine. It's late, let's go to bed." Narcissa pleaded. Lucius, feeling comforted, stood and began to head to their bedroom.
"Thank you." Lucius was very grateful for his loving wife.
"You're welcome."
Lucius wasn't a bad man. He just wanted to help the boy and he wasn't a sadistic murderer. He wasn't insensitive to children. He wasn't a prick. He was simply Lucius, the man who had some morals no matter how much they didn't come up in his past. He could be good, he could try to get to know Harry.
He hadn't known the clumsy boy was Harry Potter and if he had Lucius wasn't sure he would have done anything the opposite. Now that the Dark Lord was gone, and surely he wouldn't come back, he could get to know the boy that had broken the fetters, or chains, on his feet. No, not could, he would.