Lucius Malfoy, at one time, had been the patriarch to one of the most prominent families in wizarding Britain. His family, a picture of the Pureblood legacy. His wife was beautiful and elegant, with a sense of grace and class that could bring even the strongest of men to their knees. His son, his legacy, a handsome replica of his aristocratic father, had never wanted for anything and shared the some arrogance and prejudice views of his pureblood parents. Then there was the man himself. He stood tall and proud with an air of entitlement and arrogance. His steely grey eyes were offset by his smooth, platinum hair and the sharp chiseled features of his handsome face seemed only possible in the finest works of art.

At one point he had had it all, money, power, influence and just like that it was gone. His lineage had always been held at the highest of esteem and envied throughout the wizarding world and fear by anyone that crossed them. However, after the war, his support and involvement with the Dark Lord had marked him a criminal and an outcast. Trials had been held for the offenders they managed to catch, many found guilty of their crimes and sent to serve various sentences in Azkaban prison. For Lucius though, life held another fate. He had been offered a choice, you see. A lifetime in Azkaban or to leave Britain with the promise never to return.

Well, as you can imagine with Azkaban being the true hell on Earth it was intended to be, he chose the latter. Though, with his choice come equally painful consequences. After his trial and very public fall from grace, his wife divorced him claiming she was no longer able to carry the name Malfoy. His son distanced himself from his father with the hopes of rebuilding his still salvageable, young life. So, with nothing left to even keep him on the continent, he took what was left of his fortune and fled for the states.

Now, although it may come to a surprise to most, if not all, the war had affected him in many ways. The regrets he carried with him weighed on his conscience like a ton of bricks, barely visible in his cool grey eyes. Nightmares of the Dark Lord and his snake, mixed with the screams of multiple victims and a bloody battle field almost always found a way to haunt his slumber, he hadn't slept properly in ages. But, after all of his wrong doings, he finally saw the evil in his actions and figured simply it would be his cross to bear. Although, no one would be around to witness it, Lucius was making an honest effort at change. He would start over, right his wrongs and be a better man. Change wasn't always easy, but he would damn sure try.

When he appartated from Britain, he had a vision in his head of what type of place in America he would like to go. He didn't want to be in a large city, nor did he fancy a small town. Somewhere the climate was diverse. Growing up in the region he had been all his life, he has come quite accustom to the winter, but at the same time, he rather enjoyed the summer months as well. He found himself in Pennsylvania, just outside of a city called Pittsburgh. The country was beautiful with its rolling hills and lush foliage. The wizarding community in the city itself was substantial enough to keep him occupied, should he need anything and yet not large enough to be a bother.

In his vow to turn over a new leaf, Lucius was also spending more time in the Muggle world. At first it was a painful, rather daunting task. But, after some time to adjust, he found he was rather fascinated by them. Their inventions in the place of magic were really quite innovative if he must say, and their simplicity of mind made them slightly endearing. He had adopted some of the finer Muggle fashion and in an attempt to fly under the radar had retired his walking stick. His smug aristocratic nature however, was not so easily concealed, but he found most people just attributed to his land of origin.

On this particular fall day, he found himself taking an afternoon stroll through a local park on his way to the local equivalent to Diagon Alley. The day was clear and comfortable with a slight breeze that rustled the changing leaves. Dressed in a dark park of perfectly tailored slacks, a crisp dress shirt and well fitted vest, he earned a few glances from women as he walked by. He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle to himself, "If the innocent, unsuspecting Muggles only knew."

Suddenly, something a few yards a head caught his eye. A beautiful, young woman sitting on a bench, smiling sweetly into the book in her hand. Lucius stopped in his tracks to observe her a moment. He couldn't help but stare as her long black hair moved effortlessly in the wind. She was dressed in a pair of tight, distressed skinny jeans, a thin sweater and a pair of heels. He watched as she sighed heavily and with a small smile, closed her book, slipped it into her purse and rose from her place on the bench. By the time she has taken her first step away from Lucius, he had already committed to following her.

She walked with confidence and grace, completely unaware that a particular wizard had taken to following her, observing her every move. He followed her into town before he realized she was walking towards the entrance of Merlin's Beard, a local pub that also happened to lead to the wizarding part of town. He quickened his strides when she was thought the door so not to lose her on the crowded streets, but much to his surprise he found her taking a seat at the slightly crowded bar, an empty seat to her left.

"Excuse me Miss, are you expecting anyone?" He asked in his smooth English accent.

She turned at the sound of his voice, her bright, piercing blue eyes finding his. A friendly smile appeared on her pink lips before she replied, "No sir, I am not. You are welcomed to sit, if you like".

"Thank you," Lucius said with a bow of his platinum head.

"You're quite welcome," she responding before turning back to her drink.

After receiving his firewiskey, he turned his attention back to the attractive woman.

"If I may introduce myself miss, my name is Lucius," he said extending his hand, palm side up.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lucius, I am Maria," she replied slipping her hand into his only to watch as he raised it to his lips to place a small kiss, just above her knuckles.

"I must say Lucius, your impeccable manners are quite the breath of fresh air, especially around here. And, if I might add that your accent is simply… Elegant," she said smiling into her drink as a slight blush crept up her features.

Lucius had the feeling she had intended to say something else, but he would leave it go for now.