Important: This story is filed under LM/HG. While it is that, it's also a SS/LM/HG. There really should be an option for more than 2 characters. If ménage a trois squicks you in any way, you might not want to read this. Let this be your warning.

Might as well put a disclaimer here. I don't claim any rights to anything from the Potterverse. I write original fiction and have my own characters to play with. It's just loads of fun to borrow JKR's.

Life After Darkness

Chapter 1: The Mocking Cruelty of Fate

Lucius Malfoy sat stiff-backed in the uncomfortable wooden chair that leaned against one of the walls in the small makeshift waiting room. His eyes were slightly downcast, his gaze pointed in the general area of the opposing wall's floorboards. There was a piece of bluish lint on the concrete floor. Perhaps the room had had a blue-grey carpet when it had been used as an office for one of the junior Aurors. Stripped bare of any human comforts, except for the blasted excuse for a chair he was currently sitting in, the room was almost disturbingly barren.

Not unlike the cells of Azkaban, he thought. Though of course, there weren't any Dementors in the newly created Department of Restoration. Four weeks after Voldemort's destruction, it was a wonder Lucius wasn't already back in prison, with the way people who'd either supported or fought with the winning team were practically fighting amongst themselves in their eagerness to make damn sure no dark wizard, or witch for that matter, ever again took it upon themselves to try and take over the entire fucking world. He had been under house arrest ever since the day after Voldemort's demise. When that decision had been made, the Ministry had thought Malfoy Manor was empty. Draco, young as he was, had gotten a clean slate and was living in Ministry funded housing until he could find a job and get on his feet. And it had been over a year since Narcissa had been killed in the battle at Hogwarts that had also resulted in Albus Dumbledore's death. But Lucius was not alone at Malfoy Manor. The manor's other occupant had no idea he was here now. Considering what was at stake, it might have been a good idea for Lucius to tell his guest that his verdict had been reached. For all he knew, he might not be returning to his family home.

There were many, Lucius knew, who would love to see him receive the Dementor's Kiss. And if truth be told, there were no guarantees that would not be his fate. For the first time since arriving in the waiting room close to half an hour ago, Lucius's stomach contracted sharply. They had already taken his wand and seized control of his bank accounts. There was talk that he'd been strangely compliant with the confiscations. The details of his fall from grace were plastered across several front page headlines of the Daily Prophet, the printed words almost crowing in triumph. People were laughing at him, mocking him.

And he didn't say so much as one word in response. Lucius swallowed hard. He was such a shadow of what he once had been. If he only had himself to think about, he might have ended it all himself. But Lucius had a secret. His chest tightened painfully when he allowed himself to imagine the Ministry's reaction if they knew what, or more precisely who he was hiding. If that happened . . . two fates would be sealed and decrees of execution would immediately be written.

He couldn't think about what could happen. He mustn't. Not when he was minutes away from hearing the Board's decision on his future. The seconds seemed to stretch on for far longer than they should have as he waited to be called into the Ministry's new Review Room.

Finally the door to the waiting room opened and a young female auror with curly blonde hair opened the door.

"Mr Lucius Malfoy, a delegate from the Board will see you now."

Lucius rose rather mechanically from his chair. He vaguely realized he had a rather bad ache in his neck, undoubtedly from all the tension in his body. He walked out of the room and entered the office directly across from it. The new room was decidedly bigger and looked exactly like what it was. A bureaucrat's office, albeit an obsessively organized one. Papers were stacked neatly in plastic bins on top of the wide oak desk. There was a flat calendar on the desk's surface big enough to allow ample room to write several appointments on each day's square. At the top of the desk was a very expensive ink and quill stand with several types of inks and quills neatly contained in its slots. The room's carpet was a midnight blue. There was a large painting on the back wall, a mountaintop scene at sunset with a group of hippogriffs. They appeared to be sleeping though their wings twitched every now and again as proof that they were in a wizard painting. The shadows on the painting were done in tones of blue and grey and matched the carpet well.

While Lucius noticed the room's details, his attention was solely focused on the room's seated occupant. The man was tall with ginger curls and gold-flecked hazel eyes. He was handsome to be sure, but his beauty was more of the effeminate kind a la Gilderoy Lockhart. Lucius hoped the man's character wasn't similar.

The man proceeded to introduce himself. "Mr. Malfoy, my name is Elliot Miller. The Board has reached an unanimous decision. If you agree to comply with our one condition, you will be granted access to all of your money and most of your freedom will be restored. If, in six month's time my reports are satisfactory, you will then be given back your wand."

Lucius looked at the man, surprise not quite showing on his face. Elliot graced him with a small smile.

"If you were hoping to be thrown into the deepest darkest cell Azkaban has to offer for the rest of your natural life, you have only to refuse to sign this contract," he said, gesturing to a piece of expensive parchment in front of him. "And if truth be told, once you hear what the condition is, I'm not entirely sure you will."

Lucius found that his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He opened his mouth to force himself to ask what the one condition was, but Elliot beat him to it.

"In order to gain your freedom in its entirety, you must prove that you can harmoniously exist in post-Voldemort wizarding society. You must never again practise Dark Magic of any kind, but that isn't the main condition of the contract." Elliot looked at Lucius almost appraisingly, carefully hiding any telltale expression as he studied Lucius's face. The look made Lucius wonder what house the man had been in when he'd been at Hogwarts. Just seconds ago, Lucius would have marked him down for Ravenclaw or possibly Hufflepuff. But the look the man was leveling at him now, that look was decidedly Slytherin. "Your bigotry is quite legendary, as I'm sure you know. The last thing you'd want to do is have anything to do with a Muggleborn. Would you not say that's so?"

Lucius did not reply to what had so obviously been a rhetorical question.

"We've decided there's only one way for you to prove you're fully capable of reforming. We've noted that it's been over a year since your wife died."

Lucius stared. What the hell did that have to do with this? Elliot sat back in his chair, the black leather creaking slightly as he shifted his weight.

"If you sign this parchment, the Ministry will arrange a new marriage for you."

Lucius blinked twice and suddenly it felt as if the air in his lungs had turned to ice. He looked at Elliot, knowing his shock was apparent on his features. At the moment he couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't even sure he could bring himself to speak. Was he supposed to say something now? If Elliot was waiting for him to respond, the man was going to be waiting a damn long time.

Marriage? How the devil would marriage prove he could reform? Elliot turned his head slightly to the side, studying Lucius's reaction.

"You're bride will be Muggleborn," he said.

During the next few seconds, Lucius had to remind himself to breathe. His chest had constricted so intensely it was painful. He swallowed hard. He knew he was quickly approaching the point where he was required to do more than stare and look like some kind of gobsmacked fool. He was vaguely aware of a nauseous feeling in the deepest recesses of his stomach but the shock of the Auror's words was too overpowering to allow him to feel much else.

Elliot Miller grimaced slightly. "If you're going to be sick, please refrain from spewing vomit on my carpet. I've always found that even with the most adept cleansing spells the smell lingers for hours."

Lucius forced his body under control. "I'm . . . I'm all right."

Elliot threw him a look that clearly said he didn't necessarily agree. Lucius took a slow, fortifying deep breath and let it out slowly. When he thought he could find his voice he asked, "How precisely would a wife be chosen?"

"As we want to find you a willing bride, an announcement will be posted and any Muggleborn witch of child-bearing age will be able to enter herself into the pool of prospective brides."

Child-bearing age?! Lucius thought. They wanted him to procreate with this woman? He kept any feelings from showing on his face. It wouldn't do for the man seated behind the desk to make note that he displayed negative feelings. Elliot watched his face and Lucius knew he was looking for some kind of bad reaction. The man forged onwards.

"She'll be required to fill out an introductory profile about herself which you'll be able to read after the deadline for entry. The contract establishes that the announcement will be active for a fortnight. If at the end of that span of time, no witches have stepped forward, the contract will be amended to allow for more time. Though somehow," Elliot said, raking his eyes over Lucius's body, "I rather doubt that will be necessary. There are always women willing to marry men such as yourself. I'm sure you'll have more than one woman to pick from."

Indeed.

"Are the terms of the marriage outlined in the contract?"

Elliot answered by pushing the contract towards Lucius so he could read it. Lucius's scanned the carefully scripted writing on the parchment. It stated that co-habitation with his new wife was mandatory. And he was required to have at least one child with her. At that he felt the nausea creep up again. However it didn't say that he couldn't have a lover outside of the marriage. He let out the breath he hadn't truly even realized he'd been holding. That at least was something to be thankful for. However it did clearly state that the Board would be visiting his home to make regular progress reports and interview his new bride. In bold lettering it said that if those reports weren't satisfactory Lucius would be sent to prison.

What kind of wife wouldn't be upset with her husband for having another lover?

Well, the situation was damnably unusual. Perhaps he could find a bride who also had a preferred partner? Though of course that would be next to impossible. The Ministry announcement would certainly only ask that single witches apply to be considered. And they'd probably have spells on the parchment to detect if the witches weren't being truthful. Damn it all to hell.

Lucius really wished he could have refused. His inner discomfort was quickly coalescing into something threateningly close to actual fear, though he'd be damned if he gave anything away in front of Elliot Miller, Senior Auror and member of the new Judgment Board.

I have no choice.

Wishing for a different option was futile. A third option was as likely to appear as the painted hippogriffs were likely to jump out of the painting and tear Elliot to shreds right before Lucius's eyes.

Lucius reread the contract for about the fourth time. There really was nothing he could do to change his fate. Elliot placed a quill and an open inkwell on top of the desk near the parchment. Lucius made no move to put his signature on the dotted line. Elliot arched a brow.

"Are you going to sign it? Staring at it won't make it change, Lucius."

Lucius met the man's gaze. If the contract was less extreme, Lucius might have been tempted to see if the man could be persuaded to offer him a better deal. But even if Elliot had been willing to negotiate, Lucius had to bear in mind that it was not Elliot alone who commanded the Judgment Board.

Without further preamble, Lucius took the quill from the desk, dipped it in the golden ink and legibly signed his name at the bottom of the parchment. As the signature magically glowed when he lifted the quill, Lucius felt his heart stop for a beat. It was done. His fate was sealed.

Elliot rolled up the parchment and stuck it inside a silver tube. He then placed the tube in a wooden container attached to the right side of his desk.

"You'll be informed by owl when we have witches for you to consider. In the meantime, your funds are completely accessible and you may go anywhere you like as long as it isn't Knockturn Alley. Good day to you."

"And to you," Lucius said automatically, not wanting to do anything that would cause the man to think badly of him. He really couldn't afford a bad reputation with the Ministry. Lucius exited the office and also the Ministry building before he Apparated to the front hall of Malfoy Manor.

Now all he had to do was go upstairs and tell the person who was sleeping in his bed that he was going to be marrying again. And unlike him, that person happened to possess a wand.