D/C: I do not own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, nor to I profit from any of her works/characters.
A/N: Thank you to my first reviewer, Loverofallthings. I decided to carry on this story for you. Thank you.
If you have not read: Dark as Death: How I Began then this story may not make a whole lot of sense.
Lucius turned the ring over in his fingers. The same white gold and diamond ring he placed on Athena's hand. The same ring she had been buried with. The overwhelming hopelessness that built up in Lucius's chest was only released by the tears that fell silently down his cheeks. As strong as he tried to be, as he always acted, he was thwarted by his memory and his love.
A few hours had passed when he heard Draco, his son calling for him. Quickly, Lucius wiped away his tears and composed himself the best he could, tucking her ring away in his pocket. As if nothing happened, he walked towards the entrance where his miniature self was standing. "What do you need, Draco?" He stood straighter, expecting his slouching son to do the same. "It's grandpa. He's dying." Draco sniffed, holding a piece of parchment.
Narcissa was already waiting at the door when Lucius walked in. He breezed past her, not even noticing she was standing there, shaking. "Momma, is grandpa going to get better?" The young boy rested he head in his mother's skirt, wiping away a tear. She rested a polished hand on his head and sighed. "I don't know Sweetheart. I just don't know." She looked at Lucius who was already throwing on a traveling cloak. As she caught his eye, he raised an eyebrow in expectance. "Well? Are you coming or not?" He turned away from her in time to miss her bite her quivering lip.
After his wife had gotten Draco ready, they apparated to his father's home. Abraxas Malfoy was the one who got the Malfoy family missed in with Voldemort. He served for the Dark Lord when he was still in school, and Lucius only followed in his steps. The house was very much like his. Ominous and foreboding, cool and suffocating at once, they stepped into the foyer waiting for the house elf to lead them.
An old house elf finally appeared. His feet were large and darkened with years of dirt and grime; his eyes reflected the same deep color. The elf looked as though it had been passed through the family for a hundred years. "Inky will take you to Master now. Follow me." He managed to groan with what seemed to be a strenuous effort.
Narcissa brushed a few stray hairs form her face as the trio ascended the steps from the foyer. Down a dim hall lined with heavy wood doors, was the one door that seemed occupied, judging by the dancing light that seeped through the cracks. Inky knocked and opened the door, not waiting for an answer. "Master, your family has arrived."
"Good, good." Abraxas coughed violently. He lifted a boney hand and waved for Lucius and his son to enter.
Lucius looked at the old man. He looked exactly like his father. Only, now, the sins of his father were written on his face as age caught up to him. Sunspots now blemished his once perfect skin. His hair, though still long and full, receded from where it once had been. His cold eyes were sunken, and dark, lips thin and chapped. "
I imagine it must be a shock to see your future Lucius, and yours too, Draco." Abraxas coughed again, before gasping for air. A small chuckle emanated through the room.
"Don't worry; I don't look as terrible as you think I do." He rested his hand back on his stomach. The bed seemed to swallow his thin frame, as he was propped up on large pillows and tucked beneath heavy comforters. Even on a day as warm as this, Lucius thought of the macabre breeze that always lingered. It was as though the house was breathing; at least that's what he thought when he was younger.
Draco sat up next to the shell of a man, grabbing some candy from the night stand. "Always looking for the next sweetest thing, aren't you?" He ruffled Draco's hair as Draco just nodded, too absorbed in the next piece of caramel. "Narcissa, why don't you take Draco downstairs? I need to speak with Lucius privately." Narcissa's voice quivered back. "Certainly, sir, Draco, come on, Mommy wants to show you some stuff." She extended her hand for Draco to take as she led them out of the room.
"What is it, father?" Lucius conjured a luxurious chair and sat beside his fathers' bed. "Lucius, I am going to die. I wanted to see my sons one last time." Lucius chuckled for a moment before something struck him. "Your sons, you never mentioned that you had another child." Lucius gripped the arm of the chair, his heart racing. "I know, I did not, but you know him so well already." Abraxas sighed. "I am sorry, Lucius." He laid he head down and closed his eyes.
"A year before Voldemort fell, your mother passed away. I was, very sad and well, vulnerable. I did not want to stay here, so, I stayed with you for a brief period of time. In that period of time, the Dark Lord sent you out on a mission. You were gone for a month, do you remember that mission?" Lucius could feel his anger rising, as he recalled that moment in his life.
"Your wife was a very good host. She insisted on tending to all of my needs, and I was weak. My body, it caved to her advances. I was old, and she, a fresh young tart, showed interest in me" He gripped Lucius's hand, desperately. "I should have never given in, but if it weren't for that moment, I would not have Draco, and you would still be an only child."
Lucius could hear no more of this. He snatched his hand back, his cheeks burning. "Narcissa!" He yelled for her. She looked at him, confused as she emerged from the dining room. "I'm right here, Lucius, sweetheart. What do you need?" He stormed up to her, slapping her hard across the face. "I need to know why you never told me he was my father's son!" He pointed at Draco.
"What did you expect? That I was just going to lie down and wait for you?" She screamed at him, running to the other side of the table, she hid behind one of the chairs, glaring daggers at him. "You were always gone! You never cared about me at home, you only cared about your stupid mission, and pleasing your master like a dog, Lucius. That is what you are, and that is all you'll ever be a dog trying to please its master!" She cackled evilly, reaching for her wand.
"All you will ever be is a harlot, and a charlatan. You have nothing now, you worthless bitch!" He directed a spell at her, but she deflected it. His anger made his aim off target. "Yes, I may be a bitch, but I will tell you what. I will never be somebodies bitch, like you are, Lucius. Always your father's bitch or the Dark Lords bitch. You were ALWAYS Athena's bitch! Once your father is dead, I will have EVERYTHING and you will have nothing! Once he leaves it all to me and Draco, you will be left in the dark with nothing to go to, but a dirty grave just like that decaying whore of yours!"
Lucius had heard enough. He shot spell after spell at her. She deflected them until one hit her in the face. Lucius held it, as she writhed and screamed in pain on the floor. "DADDY, what are you doing? Stop it, please!" Draco screamed from a chair at the end of the table. He had not even stopped to notice that his son… Brother was in the room with them. That was the only reason he lifted the curse. He could not hate his brother for who his mother is.
Lucius apparated back to his home. The first place he went to was her room. It was her own private room that she wanted to get away from it all. Her collections of books from famous witches and wizards, most of them signed works, were incinerated. Her clothes, shredded, her furniture, destroyed. Nothing was fixable, not even through magic, and nothing mattered to him. Sure, it meant he had to deal with her screaming at him when she got back, but it was worth it.
Lucius had the house elves pack all of Narcissa's belongings and left it outside for them. "You know, Lucius. I am right, and you know that. When Abraxas is dead, he will give me every last Knut in his vaults, and you will have nothing left." She huffed and stormed out. He watched the two disappear, most likely back to the Black family manor. Lucius did not care, though. The only thought on his mind was the collection of whiskey that waited for him.
Abraxas had been right about everything he said. The very next day, he died. Lucius just felt his life going in a downward spiral. His father was the last person he had left to look up to. He sat in the study, firewhiskey still lingering on his breath. He was waiting for the ministry official to come by with his father's last will and testimony. Lucius looked down at himself. He was still in the clothes from the day before, which were now wrinkled and dirty. A quick wave of his wand fixed that just in time to hear the knock on the door.
"Yes, enter." Lucius waved his hand, as he rubbed his temples with the other. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm Arthur Weasley here to settle your father's estate." Lucius lifted his head in confusion. "Weasley," he drawled out smoothly. "I thought you worked in some sort of muggle department." He questioned. "I do, but they chose to send someone who is unaffiliated with the Malfoy family. Due to your influence in the ministry, they felt it best that someone, out of the circle, conduct this meeting." Arthur tried his best to give a genuine smile.
Lucius just stared at him. "Well? Sit down." He gestured towards a seat. Arthur sat, and looked uneasily at Lucius. "What are we waiting for?" Lucius folded he hands after a few moments of silence. "Well, we have the matter of Draco Malfoy today as well." Arthur nervously strummed his fingers over his briefcase. Lucius looked at it in slight disgust. It was old and brown, and made of what looked to be faux leather.
"Well, that did not take very long, then, did it." Lucius smirked as he looked up to see Draco slipping into the study, Narcissa following behind him. "What are you doing here?" Lucius sneered at her violently. "I am here as this pertains to Draco and me as well." She smirked. That was all it took for Lucius to feel as though he needed to purge the contents of his stomach.
"Well now, if we can all have a seat, we can begin." Arthur snapped open the brass clips that held the briefcase closed and ruffled through the papers. Donning he spectacles, he began to read from the piece of parchment that was not levitating beside him.
"To my youngest son, Draco, I leave my home. May this become your home upon your graduation from Hogwarts so you may start your life off on a stable foot. Until that day, however, the home will be in the guardianship0 and care of your brother, Lucius." Arthur began to read slowly through the last part, questioning the words. He shook his head once he realized all eyes were on him. "Sorry, ahem, and to Narcissa, I leave you the second greatest thing in my life; I leave to you, Draco. May he serve as a reminder of what you once had. Lastly, to my son, Lucius, I leave everything else I own. My money and my properties are all yours. May you always carry the Malfoy name with pride"
Narcissa looked around the table, panting. "What? That can't be all he leaves me!" She snatched the paper out of the air and read frantically through the lines. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Malfoy but I-. " Lucius cut her off. "It's Miss Black now, I can assure you. I do believe your paper has updated itself, has it not?" Arthur took a second look over his papers, and watched as the name Narcissa Malfoy was replaced with Narcissa Black. "Yes, well them, um, Miss Black, I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do. What is on the paper is what we must abide by." Arthur quickly took back the paper, leaving a stack of papers with Lucius and bidding farewell.
"Lucius, you can't just do this to me." Narcissa sniffed, as she looked into his cold eyes. "I believe, I can, you see." Lucius just gazed. "But, I have a child, Lucius, this is where we lived, won't you let us stay? Please, Lucius, I'm begging you." She let the tears fall harder. "If you begged as hard as you begged my father, then I may have sympathy, but you were expelled from the Malfoy manor as soon as I found out."
Narcissa sneered through her tears. "That's alright, Lucius, I still get spousal support, and I will take you through the ringer to get it!" She hissed. "Lucius chuckled again. "I don't think so. A part of our marriage contract stated fidelity. I have been faithful to you, but, the moment you were unfaithful to me, was the moment, unknowingly, that our marriage contract was dissolved. I owe you nothing, for all these years, other than an official divorce through the ministry." Lucius raised his brow in victory as she stormed out, crying into her hands.
Draco sat still, his chin in his hands. "So, does this mean I have to leave too?" He looked at his brother sadly. "For now, Draco, but you can always come and visit me when your mother permits it." He smiled at him. "Just write to me if you ever need anything, Draco. I mean anything." Lucius stood and hugged the boy, sighing before letting him go to catch up with his mother.
Arthur Weasley stood at the ministry filing away the paperwork accordingly. He knew he could never breathe a word of this around the office, as they either wouldn't believe him, or they would penalize him, no doubt the order coming from Lucius himself. "Dear me, someone call Maury." He sighed.