When you are the second wealthiest magical family in Great Britain, a lot of people speak about. There is always a new rumour published in all press and the paparazzi are always looking for reasons to blow things out of proportion. I was probably an expert on telling the difference between rumour and fact because I was a freelance reporter for the magical community and I have always been proud of the fact that what I report is just that – fact. However, wherever you go you hear about the Malfoy family. It wasn't their wealth that made them famous so much as it was the notoriety of the Patriarch of the family – Lucius Malfoy.
His name had been cleared twice in two separate Major Wizarding Wars even though every Witch and Wizard in the world clearly knew it was a load of hogwash. Despite the fact that his family name should have been in ruin after all he had done, torturing Muggle Borns as well as naming Purebloods who had willing joined Voldemort, he had managed to somehow rebuild his wealth, his stature and most important the respect and fear people had lost at the mention of his name. Now, almost twenty years after Harry Potter defeated Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts, Mr Malfoy had retreated from the public eye and kept mostly to himself in his mansion, apparently tending to his business's in private and allowing his son Draco to be the image for The Malfoy Magical Medical Corporation – a collection of privately owned hospitals that only catered for the super rich.
These were the most common known facts about Lucius Malfoy and his family. To me, it got a bit dull after some time because it went from being facts to a mixture of rumours and facts to mostly just rumours now. I almost never read a story about the Malfoy's that is published anymore because I can walk into any magical hangout and most people will be discussing it like it's the biggest news. This happened to me on such occasion when I was getting a cup of coffee with my husband, Kevin Weasley, during his lunch break. My husband had just opened his own tattoo shop and was busy explaining how he wanted to redecorate the shop. I was trying my hardest to listen to him, the new shop had taken up most of his time and we met for coffee everyday because I was always asleep by the time he got home.
This time, however, there was a bunch of old hags who were sitting at the table next to ours and their cackling and loud voices kept distracting me. Kevin noticed this and smiled at my impatience. He reached across the table and squeezed my hand to indicate I should keep calm. He knew me and he knew how much I hated trying to talk over people. I loved everything about him. I was just about to turn around and say something however when the conversation topic made me pause. They were, like most people, discussing the Malfoy's. However, the eldest of the group had captivated everyone's attention, including mine. She was telling everyone that she had lived next door to the Malfoy's when she was a young a girl and she was informing the group that Lucius Malfoy, the second richest Wizard and largest supporter of Pureblood families had once been in love with a Muggle Born witch and that he had been disowned for disobeying his father and pursuing the relationship with the girl. Apparently she had met an untimely death. The woman said that many claimed it was his father who did the deed while others say it was Lucius himself who had performed the killing curse after finding his true love in bed with another man.
Kevin knew what the look in my eyes meant and as the Coven of Elderly Hag's packed their handbags up and started to leave he finally said to me, "It's probably a load of hogwash babe. I mean, Lucius Malfoy hates all Muggle born magical children and Muggles themselves." I leant forward, "I know babe but this could explain why. I mean could you imagine uncovering that truth? Could you imagine being the person who exposed that truth to the world? It would make Lucius Malfoy..." I paused. I hated it when I was explaining something to Kevin and the word just escaped me. Kevin smiled, "it would make him human," he said quietly. I nodded and slammed my hand on the table to emphasise my point, "Exactly."
Kevin studied my face and sat back, "you know how my family feels about the Malfoy's, don't you?" I look at Kevin with a frown, "of course I do baby, and I'm not saying that the man's an angel." Kevin sipped his coffee and smiled, "But you smell a story just the same." I smile, "I smell a story and if it pans out it'll be the one that makes my career." Kevin sighs and smiles, "I love you." I drain the rest of my coffee before getting up and kissing him deeply, "I love you too and thanks for understanding." I head of the coffee shop and disapparate back to the office.