Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are the property of Queen Rowling and are only used for fan related purposes. Any original characters featured are the intellectual property of their creators. Part one lyrics borrowed from Brand New's song "The No Seatbelt Song."
Warning: This story contains mucho amounts of flashbacks as a storytelling device. You've been warned.
Sins of the Father ; Part One
So take me and break me,
And make me strong like you,
I'll be forever grateful to, this and you.
It's only you, beautiful.
Or I don't want anyone.
If I can choose,
It's only you.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A loud crack woke Luxy a few hours later, and she rolled over to see her house-elf Trinky holding up a tray with a tea cup and a tea pot on it. Trinky had been on of her very good confidantes when she was a young girl. Though many pureblood families regarded their house elves as simple workers (and things to abuse), Luxy found herself drawn to the little elf, because they had many adventures together, and always covered up for Luxy when she would get in trouble. Yes, they were quite a pair.
Luxy sat up and rubbed her eyes, surprised when her brain finally registered the fact that Trinky was indeed standing there, staring up at her. Trinky padded over to her bedside table, placing the tray on it.
"Trinky hopes she didn't wake Mistress," Trinky squeaked, eyeballing the tea as if ready to douse herself with it.
"Not at all. I was actually just laying in bed thinking," Luxy said, not wanting her elf to do anything rash.
Trinky beamed. "Good, then, Trinky is pleased." She poured Luxy a cup of tea, dropping two cubes of sugar in and a small splash of milk before materializing a spoon to stir it all together. Trinky handed the cup to Luxy when she was finished.
"Thank you, Trinky," Luxy said gratefully. "Tea always does make me feel better."
"Trinky knew tea still made Mistress Luxy happy," Trinky said proudly. "Does Mistress require anything else?"
Luxy shook her head, holding the steaming cup under her nose, inhaling the faint scent of peppermint, something Muggle use to calm stomachs and soothe stress. Trinky nodded, thoroughly satisfied with her work, and then left with another crack, without another word.
Adalia rushed up the steps and stopped in the middle of the doorway, seeing Luxy sitting calmly, sipping tea out of one of her mother's good china tea cups. She blinked, utterly confused. "Luxy? You okay? You weren't in class all afternoon. I thought you might've gotten hurt. But I saw you sleeping right before I went to dinner and..."
Luxy turned and smiled at her friend. "I guess I'm all right, Dal. A little tired, but all right. Is dinner over?"
Adalia shook her head and came to sit beside Luxy. "No. I just ate quickly so I could come and see if you were awake yet. What happened?"
"My father is in a Muggle hospital, in delicate condition," Luxy recited, trying to remember Dumbledore's words. "That's why I went to see Dumbledore this afternoon. He wanted to tell me about my father. I'll have to wait until the weekend to see him, I suppose. Or maybe he can write to me. I don't know. I guess we'll see."
"You're dad's going to be okay, Luxy. So he got sick. He's around animals all the time. He was bound to get sick eventually," Adalia said, trying her hand at comfort. "I just really hope they don't put this in the Prophet, since you're dad works at the Ministry and all."
Luxy laughed. "The only time my dad gets in the Prophet is when he makes some advance in the knowledge of magical creatures."
"Regardless, I'm glad you're awake now," Adalia said decidedly. "However, your boyfriend is pacing the floor downstairs. Shall I send him up?"
"Which boyfriend?" Luxy asked, leaning back on her hand with a cheeky grin. Adalia scoffed. "All right. Tell him not to get his wand in a knot."
Adalia leaned over, gave her friend a quick hug and then descended the spiral staircase. Not a second later, the (self-proclaimed, mind you) Slytherin Prince himself came bounding up, looking to have taken the steps three or four at a time. Luxy set her tea cup down and braced herself as he pulled her into him tightly.
"What are you doing here?" Luxy muttered, leaning against his shoulder regardless. "You shouldn't be here. I was mean to you."
"I don't want to fight with you," he said gruffly, sounding like he wanted her to know he cared, but held back all the mushy feelings because of who he was.
Luxy tucked her arms around his waist and sighed, though she said nothing.
"So how's your father?" Draco asked, sitting her back down on her bed before taking a seat next to her.
Luxy didn't even want to know how hew knew. "Fragile, I suppose. Dumbledore said he was in some Muggle hospital, so he's probably in London right now." Luxy sighed and stared at her hands. "He's gotten sick before, Draco. Only once before, when I was younger. Ever heard the expression 'worried sick'? Well, I think that's what's going on now. He's worried, probably about my mother."
"Yeah, she was round the Manor quite a lot this summer," Draco agreed, looking away from her. "Your father must really love your mum."
"Yeah, he does love her."
Silence.
"So what's with that?"
She looked up at him in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"That," he said, motioning to the parchment laying on her night stand.
"Oh." Luxy stared at it for a moment. "It's from my father. He wrote me a lullaby when I was younger, and played it on that huge piano in our ballroom. You know the one?" Draco nodded. "It's enchanted as well. It only shows up when you start playing it."
Draco smirked. "That's really cheeky, Lux."
Luxy snorted. "Yeah, I suppose it is, isn't it?"
"So," Draco said and stood up. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, Lux, to make sure you're all right in the head."
"Draco, that is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you suggest," Luxy told him, peering at him, wondering if he was all right in the head.
"Humor me." Luxy sighed and then nodded. "All right, first question, what's your favorite class?"
Luxy crossed her arms, watching him pace. "Draco, you know my favorite class." He threw her a stern look and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, you big baby. It's Charms."
"Why don't you like Divination?"
"Bloody hell," Luxy muttered. "I don't like it because I think it's wrong for wizards, or anyone, really, to know the future."
"Greatest fear?"
Luxy hesitated for a moment. "Water."
"Where'd your name come from?"
"Luxuria, which was Latin for lust or extravagance. It's one of the seven deadly sins, and it got shortened to Luxy because my mother didn't like the idea that my name meant lust."
"Good. Your head seems fine," Draco decided and sat down beside her again.
"Thank you for your diagnosis, Healer Malfoy," Luxy said and then laughed.
Draco smirked. "I wasn't trying to see if you'd hit your head, you know. I was just trying to make you laugh. And it worked, of course."
Luxy stopped laughing and then looked at him. Wow. That was possibly the most kind thing he'd ever done in front of her.
"Stop gaping at me like a fish, Listin. Now let's go get dinner before I starve and all my good looks go to waste," Draco said and stood up.
Blinking, and shocked as hell, Luxy stood up and gave chase, since Draco was all ready down the stairs and out the portrait hole when she finally regained herself. Luxy smiled and hooked her arm through his again, the most comfortable thing in the world to do with him, it seemed. He smirked at her and she grinned.
He was just glad to see her smiling again.
They sat down at the Slytherin table and Luxy piled food on her plate. She'd skipped lunch and she was absolute starving. The Slytherins that were left sitting at the table stopped and stared, watching Luxy as she shoved food into her mouth, chewing three times it seemed, before swallowing. She didn't notice them staring, too hungry to care, but about halfway through, she looked up and saw at least ten pairs of eyes staring at her.
Luxy hadn't realized she was eating like an animal. Draco had his hand over his mouth, covering laughter, and Pansy Parkinson looked a cross between hideously satisfied to see Luxy acting unlike a lady, and thoroughly disgusted.
"Good to know you have manners, Listin," Pansy commented, looking a bit concerned since Draco had taken a seat next to Luxy instead of her.
Luxy placed a hand over her chest in mock delight. "I cannot believe you have taken time out of your busy schedule to notice something in little old me, Pansy. Wow. You truly are the most thoughtful girl at Hogwarts."
The boys around her snickered and Pansy looked as if she didn't know whether to thank Luxy or get angry. Luxy simply resumed shoving food in her mouth like nothing had happened. Draco was loving it, really. He loved that Luxy simply spoke however she wanted to, not caring about anything else. If it were anyone else, it would be misplaced, but it was Luxy, and it just seemed to fit.
Besides, Luxy was the only Slytherin that Pansy gave a hard time to. Every other girl, she left them be, sticking to making fun of the girls in the other Houses. Draco suspected it was being Luxy was a threat to whatever 'relationship' Pansy thought she and Draco had. Unknowingly to Pansy, Draco hadn't really been into Pansy at all. Ever. Not once. And that was even before he'd met Luxy.
Pansy was too much like Draco himself, perhaps even a little more ruthless, if it were possible. It would never work out between them. However, Draco was not unwilling to be followed after and doted on like Pansy did. He'd enjoy it while it lasted, since he knew that when Luxy agreed to be his girlfriend, she would do no such thing.
Dinner was over pretty quickly after Luxy and Draco arrived and everyone was headed back to the dorms for studying. Luxy walked beside Draco, watching carefully from the corner of her eye.
"So are you going to make rounds with Pansy now?" she asked him casually.
Draco actually looked slightly surprised. "I'm not a prefect anymore, Luxy. You knew that."
"Right, you're right," Luxy said, shaking her head, actually surprised that she'd forgotten.
Luxy spent the rest of the night working on her conjuring spells, trying to conjure a small piano that she could jinx to play her lullaby.
Draco didn't fall asleep until he heard the sounds of a tinkling piano.
End Note: Happy December, friends! :) Anybody else see DH Part 1? Supermegafoxyawesomehot! I loved it. I cried the first time I saw it though... It was intense. Sorry I've been absent for this long. End of term always hits me freakishly hard. xD
If anyone's curious, I put the link to what I think the lullaby would be on my profile. Stories always play like movies in my head, so I figure that some actual, tangible music might help things?
I tried to get Luxy and Draco back on friend-only terms, but with that undercurrent that both of them are aware of. I think I did it pretty well. What do you think?
Love me with a review?
- skylight; 12.03.10
