QLFC submission
Season 6: Caerphilly Catapults
Round 10, Chaser 2: Write about a characters will.
Prompts: (dialogue) "That's ridiculous. If he's the father than call me Godric Gryffindor.", (object) potion vial, (dialogue) "Sure, let's all get matching tattoos and we can dance the polka."
Word Count: 1,561
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"What is he doing here?" Lucius asks immediately. I keep my retort back by the skin of my teeth. It's a will reading, obviously, and his father had asked for Xenophilius Lovegood to be there. Instead, I send him an annoyed look and take my seat at the rounded table. Lucius, myself, Xenophilius, and Abraxas' longtime friend, Xerxes Lestrange, were the only ones here.
"He was asked to come by your father at the event of his death. Now sit," Ragnok, the Malfoy account manager, says crisply as he enters behind us. Lucius drops into the chair next to me a little less gracefully than I expected him to.
"Severus! Wh-"
"Do not speak until I am done with the reading, Mr. Malfoy," Ragnok cuts in again. I smirk in his direction, just to antagonize him, and he sneers.
"I will read the will. Lord Abraxas Malfoy knows that there will be some fighting, which is why Lord Lestrange, and this, are here." He pulls a potion vial out of his pocket and puts it on the counter.
"I will silence the first person who talks, and they will not be unsilenced until they leave the bank. That is your only warning." He glares specifically at Lucius, who glares back halfheartedly. As the goblin clears his throat, I glance at Xenophilius again. He was only a few months older than Lucius, so I couldn't think why the blond was here, but he didn't look surprised. In fact, he looked… resigned. And what was in the potions vial? It was a black glass, so I could see liquid inside but not what color it was.
"I will begin now. This is the last will and Testament of Lord Abraxas Malfoy. I, Abraxas Malfoy, of sound mind and body, checked by a goblin healer who is also a witness to this will, revoke any and all previous will's or testimonies written in my name." The goblin begins. I see Lucius stiffen, and I glance his way. If it was possible, the man has gotten even paler. He'd told me weeks ago that his father had made him a witness to his last will, so surely he already knew a goblin had been present for the last signing. Unless Abraxas changed his mind and made a whole new Will? But why would he do that?
"To Severus Snape."
I snap my attention to the goblin, surprised at being addressed first.
"I leave the vault 394, with instructions to open the chest inside immediately. So long as Severus is completing his Mastery, all expenses will be paid by the Malfoy name. He will also receive a Malfoy family ring, claiming him in a way I could not while his family was alive." The goblin pauses to place a key and a ring on his desk to the left. I'm shocked. I knew that Abraxas saw me as Lucius' friend, but to have him claim me as an honorary family member was… not what I had been expecting.
"To Narcissa Malfoy, my new daughter in law. I leave vault…" he starts naming all the things he wants to leave her, mostly his wife's possessions. As the wife of a Malfoy, she wasn't required to be at the reading. After her comes Lord Lestrange. Several vaults for various charity events, and even a few to rebuild a wing of St. Mungos. I focus again when I hear Lucius' name.
"To my son, Lucius. If I had my way, I would be leaving you with nothing." The goblin pauses at this like he's waiting for a reaction. His threat hangs in the air though, because, after the lengthy pause, he continue.
"However, Xeno has convinced me that not everything is black and white when it comes to this recent war. As such, I will be leaving you the contents of vault 700 to do with as you please. Vault 710-715 will be held for your future children as trust vaults. I would have left it there, but Xeno believes in the good of people.
"Now, Ragnok will hand you the family ring. If you have no dark mark, you will become the lord of the family, as per Xeno's request. If you have the mark and put it on, pain beyond your imagination will go through your body until you take it off." The goblin pulls the ring out of his desk and slides it on the table, to where it rests tauntingly in front of Lucius. I knew as well as he did that he would not be able to take the ring. I watch his jaw tick, and his lips part for just an instant before he slams his mouth closed and glares at the goblin.
"If you do not take the ring, then by rights, anything else in my name, along with the title of Lord Malfoy, will go to my first born and rightful heir, Xenophilus Abraxas Lovegood. That is the last of my will. Signed, Abraxas Draconis Malfoy, Healer Ragnoor, and Lord Xerxes Lestrange."
It is silent as the goblin folds the paper up and places it in a drawer. I watch him with growing amusement as he takes his time sitting behind his desk and even crossing his hands in front of him.
"Questions?"
"How is it that Xenophilius is his heir?" Lucius bites out immediately.
"He slept with Xenophilius' mother, Xenophera Lovegood, a few days before he married your mother." The goblin says a little smugly. He was enjoying poking at Lucius, obviously.
"He is illegitimate, so that doesn't mean anything!"
"Are you willing to put on the ring to dispute it?" Ragnok snaps back. At his icy silence, the goblin glances at Xenophilius.
"As Lord-"
"If he was his father, I'm Godric Gryffindor! I want a test done!" Lucius cuts in, twitching like he wants to stand. I look at the potion vial sitting on the desk innocently in a new light. Was that what it was? A paternity test? That wouldn't be unreasonable.
"Very well. Xenophilius?"
The blond man leans towards the desk, letting the goblin slice his finger. The potion is opened, the blood dropped in, and then he shakes it for thirty seconds before spilling it on a piece of paper. After a few moments, the names of Xenophilius' mother and father shows, clearly stating Abraxas under the paternal slot.
"Now can we please act like civilized men? I know this a lot to learn, but we are family. At least stop the accusations?" Xenophilius speaks up for the first time. I give him an incredulous look, and then it was Lord Lestrange's turn to speak. Of course, I give him an alarmed look as well.
"Sure, let's all get matching tattoos and we can dance the polka. That would be a wonderful ending for this little family gathering," he says, chuckling. Xenophilius cracks a smile and I realize that he must have known Xerxes better than I or Lucius, because he doesn't seem surprised by the muggle terms. At our alarmed looks, Xenophilius sighs.
"Xerxes was named my godfather. He was the one who took me to muggle museums and things. The only reason you weren't told or raised that way, was your mother." Xenophilius says tiredly.
"You know nothing about my mother!" Lucius raises his voice again. To my surprise Xenophilius nods in agreement.
"If I could continue so that you can get on with your day?" Ragnok asks in a bored tone.
"Of course. Continue." Lord Lestrange says with a smile.
"As Lord, you will be responsible for maintaining the allowances of the family. Traditionally, the allowances are 1500 galleons a month, with the expectancy of them getting a job. A vacation home and three elves are also standard for the family, per person."
"So long as the nonviolent clause is in the house elves contracts, I see no need to change that," Xenophilius says with a glance at Lucius. It was no secret that in the week since his father's death, he'd already punished four house-elves violently because the contract was void until the will was read and the new lord instated. He growls at his supposed half-brother, and Ragnok clears his throat.
"I also must inform you that as a legal Lord now, you must report any and all illegal activity to the Aurors, including suspected death eaters," he says, glancing at the ring still sitting between Xenophilius and Lucius. Lucius stiffens immediately.
"All I saw was my younger brother gracefully giving the ring to the rightful heir. Now that I am the lord of the house, I will expect any and all illegal activities to stop, or the Malfoy law will be invoked," Xenophilius says after a strained silence.
The Malfoy law. Abraxas once said that he would rather be sent to Azkaban than deal with that nasty piece of magic. Seeing the whitened face of Lucius, it seems he would agree. In the silence that follows that statement, Xenophilius reaches for the lord ring and slides it on smoothly. He stands and offers me his hand, startling me.
"I suppose I should say, welcome to the family," he greets me for the first time. I feel the smirk on my face before I can hide it, and I shake his hand.
"It seems I could say the same to you."