This is for Callywaggy who prompted me over at hpcon_envy on LJ with: Lucius (who's secretly on our side) accidentally gets locked in a room for a weekend, with Luna.
I very rarely write Lucius, and never write Luna, so this was an interesting journey. I hope they aren't too out of character. It didn't exactly go in the direction I thought it would; there's no smut.
Fated "Carrow, give me back my wand and let me out of here! You can't lock me in here with a student." Lucius said, his teeth and fists clenched in anger. His wand may have been confiscated, but he could take out Amycus with his bare hands, he was sure of it. Though, unless he killed him, Luna Lovegood would probably not be long for this world. Amycus didn't appreciate being embarrassed in front of an audience. Those unfortunate enough to bear witness to his humiliation had a bad habit of disappearing forever.
"Oh, yes I can, Lucius. I can do whatever I want. The Dark Lord no longer favors you, or your brat. Wait till I tell him you were snooping. It'll be so enjoyable watching your punishment, you arrogant fuck." He spat at Lucius feet.
He shot a glance at Luna. "Hmmm, yes, we'll have to deal with the girl, too." He barked out a wheezy laugh. "Maybe you could take care of her for us. You like your bitches blonde. Why don't you show us your true colors, heh, Malfoy? Or are you to 'good' for that? Too principled perhaps? You're a sodding wimp if you ask me." With that he slammed the door on Lucius' appalled face and turned the lock.
Lucius smirked at the man's stupidity; he could take care of a locked door even without his wand.
A moment later a green glow slowly spread around the edges of the door, starting at the floor and sliding up the sides before meeting at the top.
Shit.
They were magically sealed in. It would take a lot of effort but he might be able to break the wards and get the two of them out of here before the psychopath returned.
"That's pretty," Luna said softly, her head tilted to one side and her eyes scrunched together. "It really emphasizes the colors of the Dustmote Nargle. Their wings sparkle in the light."
Lucius looked from the door to the girl and back to the door again. He even scrunched up his eyes like she did, but didn't see a thing other than the sickly green glow.
"They don't like being locked in. Honestly, neither do I. Though I'm quite used to it. I'm constantly finding myself locked in closets." She took off her robe and folded it neatly, placing it on the floor before she sat down on it. "Professor Snape will come and rescue us, don't worry. I know he isn't the bad man he pretends to be. He has Reedymoths follow him everywhere. They wouldn't do that if he wasn't trustworthy."
The night just kept getting better. He was locked in a broom closet with a delusional underage student.
"Yours aren't as brightly colored as his, but the family living in your hair is very lovely."
Lucius flipped his hair and gave Luna an incredulous glare. Snape had promised him that he would have free reign to search for the artifact they needed. Instead he was caught by Carrow and this unfortunate girl. He had to get the hell out of here.
Without a word to her about Nargles or Reedymoths, or anything else, he began his efforts to dismantle the wards on the door.
Two long hours later he shrugged off his robes and sat on the floor. Luna had finally fallen silent about thirty minutes ago and was studying him intently.
"What?" he asked a moment later when she edged closer to him and stared at his left ear.
He moved his head away and glared at her. "What are you doing? Get away from me, girl."
Luna settled back against the wall, quiet, but still staring at him. He was exhausted, not only from the expenditure of energy from trying to breaks the wards without a wand, but also from something niggling at the back of his brain. Something about this girl was familiar. Her incessant chatter, the curve of her upper lip, but mostly it was her eyes that bothered him, they stared so intently that he felt she was looking at his soul. She reminded him of someone but he couldn't quite place it.
He peeked out from hooded eyes and studied her, trying to place her features. Her nose was similar to Draco's, her hair color was darker but the texture was similar to Lucius' own. Could it be that she was a distant cousin.
Her gaze was on his hands, her eyebrows knitted together, and he watched with an impending sense of doom as she seem to take in every last detail of his physical form.
"Mr Malfoy. Sir. May I ask you a question?"
Lucius stomach lurched.
She continued before he had a chance to answer. "Did you know my mother?" Her eyes were wide and innocent.
He went on his guard immediately. "I don't have a clue." Her face fell. "I've no idea who your mother is," he finished, finding oddly enough, that he hated the feeling of her being disappointed.
"Was. She passed away when I was nine. She was a wonderful person and very smart. I love her very much and of course, I've always respected her, but I found out something this summer that made me question some things. I don't think my father is really my father," she said matter-of-factly.
How was he supposed to respond to that? What was this girl saying?
"I've been looking at you. Watching you work. And I've noticed some interesting things. Look," she pointed to her ear, "we have the same earlobes. And look at our thumbs, they're exactly alike."
He couldn't help himself, he looked at their thumbs.
She reached over and delicately picked up a strand of his hair. "As I suspected. Exactly the same texture." She dropped his hair and quickly looked at his knee before hiking up her robe to show him hers. "Our kneecaps. Exactly the same shape. Do you think you could be my father?"
He scrambled to a standing position and moved as far away from her as he could in the tiny closet. She was insane. Her father! He couldn't be her father.
"I really look nothing like Xenophilius. I don't even have the same type of eyelashes as him. Not like you. Our eyelashes curl in the exact same way. Plus their wedding date was after my birth. He is a wonderful man, and has been a terrific father - I mean I would never have seen a Crumple-Horned Snorkack if it wasn't for him - but I want to know whose blood runs through my veins." She looked up at him with doleful eyes.
"It couldn't possibly be me," he stammered, subconsciously batting his curly eyelashes. "I mean, really. Draco is older than you. I don't have a clue who your mother is for that matter," he said more firmly. "What is it that you really want from me?" She had to have a motive.
"Nothing. I can see you're a good man." She waved her hand to his hair to prove her point. "I'm just curious. I wouldn't want to hurt Xenophilius, he has been a terrific father and I love him very much. But I'm," she shrugged, "curious."
He slid back down to a seated position on the floor and scrutinized the girl in front of him while she continued to blabber away. He'd had his share of indiscretions in the past but he had always been extremely careful. His wife's family was notoriously proud and if he had embarrassed Narcissa he would have surely kissed his bits goodbye. Perhaps he hadn't been as cautious as he had thought.
Luna was talking, waving her hands in the air and when she smiled at him her left cheek dimpled —just like Draco's. Her hand gestures had stirred up the dust in the closet and she suddenly sneezed —sounding just like Lucius' father. Her hair fell forward and when she brushed it back from her face it was with a gesture reminiscent of one of his own.
Could it be possible?
Her dreamy voice continued to drone on but it wasn't until she giggled that he knew who her mother was. A clear picture of tossing the witch on his shoulder and tumbling with her into bed as she giggled playful crossed his mind. She was smart and beautiful, and one of the most innocent people he had ever met. A virgin the first time they had made love. She had disappeared after they had been together a few times. He had searched for her but then Draco had been born. After seeing his son for the first time he had tried being faithful to Narcissa. It hadn't lasted for long but by then he'd forgotten about the golden haired witch.
"Luna?"
She stopped talking and smiled at him, her silvery blue eyes staring through his soul again. "Yes, Mr Malfoy?"
"May I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"What is your mother's name?"
She said the name of the witch from his past as he knew she would and he felt a little light-headed.
This was his daughter.
She had to be.
Before he could react the wards around the door sizzled and flashed a violent green before flickering out.
"Lucius?" Severus called as he yanked open the door. "That fucker Carrow told me he'd caught you sneaking around. I stunned him and wiped his memory of the incident but it's taken me forever to find you. I hope the ..." He stopped talking when he saw Luna standing up from the corner.
"Damn it." Snape mumbled, and without another word he aimed his wand at Luna. A moment later she was walking down the hallway a dazed look on her face—one even more dazed than usual.
Lucius stared after her, his mouth hanging open and his chest tightening with an unfamiliar yearning. His daughter—there was no doubt in his mind that she was his—was walking away from him without any recollection of the nights events. Fate was cruel. Just like that she had come into his life and just like that she was gone.
She may not remember, but he'd never forget.
As she turned the corner she looked back at him knowingly—and smiled.
