Astoria pulled Hermione's hair back and fastened it gently into a braid and tied a green ribbon around it. "Hope you don't mind the color, Hermione," the young witch said as she worked the ribbon through the braid. "As you know, Malfoys are Slytherins at heart and they take their House rather seriously. The green color has come to symbolize the Malfoy family just as much as it does Slytherin House."
Hermione frowned at the girl as she stared in the mirror. "Yet I'm a Gryffindor. How does that work out?" she asked as she stood and wrapped her belt around her waist.
"I'm not entirely certain," Astoria admitted as she took a step back. "I do think Father had a good reason to choose you, however. I don't know whether he's said it to you yet or not, but I do believe that he cares deeply about you. May even loves you. You aren't the first non-Slytherin to be married into the family and I doubt you'll be the last."
Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. Lucius had indeed told her that he loved her, and Hermione had no reason to doubt him. Well, putting aside his previous beliefs of Pureblood supremacy, that is. Lucius didn't think that way anymore. At least, if he did, he was very good at hiding it. Hermione frowned. That would be like Lucius, wouldn't it? To hide his bigoted views until he felt safe enough to express them again, but if he did that, wouldn't even touching Hermione disgust him?
"All women look the same with the lights turned out," Hermione could hear a voice from the past whisper in her hear. But…
No. Hermione closed her eyes as she pushed the thought from her mind. Lucius has shown his affection towards her in the daylight as well as at night, so there wasn't a doubt there. There shouldn't be a doubt there. He loved her, he truly loved her. If he didn't, she would have caught on by now.
She followed Astoria through the Manor and into the back garden, but stopped before she stepped onto the pathway. Hermione remembered Lucius telling her about the destruction the Dark Lord and his followers had caused to the land. She remembered him telling her how he and Narcissa had built it back up. She also remembered walking through the gardens with Lucius before, enjoying the different flowers and listening to the birds.
As she looked over the garden, Hermione found herself astounded by how beautiful they looked. The leaves on the trees were beginning to turn yellow and orange. Though flowers were beginning to wilt, many were still in full bloom.
Hermione was dressed in deep ebony robes with dark green edges. While she didn't particularly care for the color, Astoria assured her that it was the most appropriate, given what they were doing today. The older witch felt a bit odd doing this sort of thing so soon after her own birthday.
"Father was talking about an autumn wedding. Wouldn't that be lovely? The warm autumn colors would look wonderful, I think. And Malfoy Manor is always most beautiful in autumn," Astoria had told her.
Hermione glanced at the girl now. She wasn't sure, but Astoria was looking quite peaky today, though she had denied it many times throughout the day. "Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked as she followed Astoria towards the clearing.
They passed a grand stable. Hermione didn't bother looking inside, even though Lucius had told her that he used to own winged horses, she'd never seen any. Apparently, Fenrir Greyback made it his life's mission to torment the poor beasts.
"Oh, I'm fine," Astoria replied, but Hermione noticed the younger witch closing her eyes briefly and sighing. "It's just such a long way, isn't it?"
"I could send for Lucius to fetch us a carriage?" Hermione suggested.
Astoria gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, no. Please don't bother. Honestly, I'm fine. I just need to get my strength up, is all. I am still recovering from giving birth."
Hermione frowned. Given that she was fully recovered, and she had given birth to Rose after Scorpius was born, Astoria's claim made no sense to her. Even Ginny had fully recovered within a few weeks. "Well, it's not much further, is it?" she asked, deciding to change the subject. She'll have to talk to Lucius about it.
Astoria smiled. "Right over that hill," she said, indicating a hill covered in bluebells.
Hermione's eyes widened at the sight as the wind picked up around them. "It's beautiful," she commented as she followed Astoria up the hill.
"Daphne and I used to come here as children. That was long before I thought of Draco as husband material, mind," Astoria explained, winking at Hermione. "We used to play on this hill and pick the flowers. Daphne even taught me how to weave the flowers and make crowns. Of course, Draco and his friends would come and tear them up. Oh, how we hated them. I can't tell you how many times Daphne and I would run back to the Manor, crying to Draco's mum about how they tore up our crowns." She giggled at the memory and Hermione couldn't help but smile.
"So, it's true, then? Draco has always been a prat," Hermione mused, causing Astoria to giggle more.
As they reached the top of the hill, Hermione saw Lucius and Draco standing in front of a large mound of clothing. The area around them was clear of grass and trees. Hermione's frown returned as she approached the two wizards.
Like her, both men were dressed in all black, though as Hermione looked at Lucius, she was reminded of the Death Eater she had once feared. She paused for a moment and closed her eyes, remembered that he was now a different person.
Opening her eyes, she stepped forward and beside him. He glanced down at her and the look in his eyes startled her. In that moment, he was not the man she had come to know and love.
Once Astoria moved to her place beside Draco, Lucius pulled his wand out of his cane and raised it up, pointing it towards the pile. "Narcissa Black Malfoy, from the moment you gave me your Vow, you were a strong, and loyal wife. You stood by my side both through the First and Second wars. You gave me a son and were a favorable mother to him. Because of you, our son has become the strong and powerful man he is today."
Hermione bit her lower lip and glanced at Draco, but Draco wasn't really paying attention to his father. Hermione watched, worriedly, as Draco soothed his wife's back and kissed her temple. Though Astoria claimed she was "fine" before, it was clear to the older witch that she was anything but.
Hermione looked up at her future husband, wondering if she should say something, to stop this and tend to Astoria, but Lucius was paying her no mind. "Now that you are gone from us, Narcissa, I shall release you so you may join your ancestors in the afterlife. With my blessing, you are free to rest in peace," he said. As he finished, he flicked his wand and sent a jet of fire to the clothing.
Hermione took out her own wand. "Rest in peace, Narcissa Black," she said as she sent her own jet of flames to the pile.
The two couples watched as the flames reached the sky. "Rest in peace, Mother," Hermione heard both Draco and Astoria say. The bushy-haired witch watched as an unchecked tear fell from Draco's eye, but said nothing.
As much as she hated what Narcissa had done to Lucius, in the end, she couldn't hate Narcissa entirely. The woman had lived her life for her family, especially her son. The mystery of her betrayal, Hermione knew, would always be as such, but something told the young witch that there had to be a reason.
Hermione glanced up at Lucius as he stared at the flames, his wand lowered. The witch felt her heart break for him as she could not imagine the internal pain he must be feeling. Leaning against him, she rested her head on his shoulder in comfort and slipped a hand into his free one. Closing her eyes, she just listened to his heartbeat and the fire as it crackled. Her lips twitched when she felt Lucius's hand tighten around hers.
He kissed the top of her head and Hermione had to stop herself from moaning. She looked up at him and noticed a strange look in his eyes. "Let's go in, shall we?" he croaked.
Hermione glanced at the fire. "Shouldn't we wait until the flames die?" she asked.
He shook his head. "They're quite contained, darling," he assured her. "Besides, with all those clothes, this fire is liable to last all night. I don't know about you, but I am hungry."
Hermione glanced over to where Draco and Astoria had been standing to see that they were gone. "Where -?"
Lucius nodded his head towards the Manor. "They've already gone to the house. Come, Mia," he urged as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her away from the fire.
As they walked along the path back towards the Manor, Hermione burst out with the question that had been bothering her the most. "Why did you lie?" she asked, glancing up at Lucius.
His brow furrowed. "Did I?" he wondered. When she opened her mouth to point out that, yes, in fact, he had, he shook his head. "The truth is, my Mia, for most of her life, Narcissa was religiously loyal to our family, particularly Draco."
"But she cheated on you. That doesn't make her loyal," she said.
He gave a slight nod. "Draco doesn't know about her transgressions," he reminded her. "As I've said before, she and I were separated at the time, so I believe she thought she could..." he waved a hand, "I don't know who she had been seeing, not that it would matter. The Vows are designed to dissuade couples from getting divorces, so even if we were divorced, it wouldn't have mattered."
"Wouldn't she know that, though? I mean, the Blacks and Malfoys have always been well connected with one another. Surely she knew how your Vows worked?" she pressed, still uncertain. Being permanently married to Lucius sounded wonderful to Hermione and she knew such a plunge was coming for her.
Lucius frowned as he thought over her question. "I wish I knew the answer to your question, darling," he told her finally. "She was a different person those last few years, which I fear is partly my fault. I made a grave mistake in trusting the Dark Lord, but I had done so because I believed so fervently in his cause. I think the term is 'blind faith'?"
"Because you believed in eradicating all Mudbloods," she said, her face contorting.
He glanced at her. "Not just Muggleborns, love. But everyone who did not fit our ideas of utopia. If the people couldn't be enslaved, then disposing of them was the only option."
He had said this so callously, without emotion, that Hermione felt a chill run down her spine. "And what of me?" she asked, staring at the field of bluebonnets. She noticed that they were taking their time going back to the Manor.
"These aren't my current beliefs, darling," he assured her. "During that time, you weren't even a thought in my mind, save for how annoying you were in helping Mr. Potter."
She frowned up at him. "You said that you had kept tabs on me in Hogwarts."
He nodded. "And I did, but not for the reasons you think. Draco was consistently just a few points below you in school. Somehow, you always managed to beat him, no matter the subject. You were also hailed as the brightest witch of your age," he explained. "Tell me, my love, how does a Muggleborn become so powerful, so intelligent, to beat out even the highest class of Purebloods?"
"By studying," she said simply. She could feel her anger just below the surface.
He rubbed her back and rested his hand on the curve of her waist. "I was intrigued by you, my love," he admitted. "Intrigued, and a bit infuriated, but I couldn't allow my interest to evolve much further than that. After the Dark Lord's return, I had tucked my interest in you away into a small little box in the back of my mind. I knew, even then, if Mr. Potter had any plans to destroy the Dark Lord, it would be with your help."
"You wanted him destroyed? I thought you -"
"It didn't matter to me by then," he said. "When the Dark Lord was first defeated, it had become a task of mine to prove my innocence. Draco was just a babe, and I was carted off to Azkaban until my trial. After I had won my case, shown I had been Imperiused, I became quite comfortable in my position. Narcissa was a constant pillar of support and I was content. When the Dark Lord returned, I was shocked, to say the least, and I struggled to reclaim my position among his followers. But things were different now. His faith in me had wavered, mostly due to my lack of incarceration, and my hesitance to search for someone I believed to be dead, or at the very least, vanquished."
"And when you were caught and brought to Azkaban?" she prodded.
Lucius closed his eyes and shook his head. "I never believed I would get captured. Worse still, I had lost the prophecy the Dark Lord wanted. Any faith he might have had in me had vanished the moment that prophecy was destroyed," he told her. He glanced up at the sky, watching as a thin tendril of smoke came from the fire they had placed on the clothes.
Hermione followed his line of sight. "Do you think we should check on those? Make sure the fire hasn't spread?" she asked, concerned.
"It won't," he said, repeating his assurances from early. "As I said, it is contained."
They became quiet as they entered the back garden, nearest the Manor. Both were a bit lost in their thoughts as Hermione digested what Lucius had told her. "You and Narcissa were separated," she commented, "which is why she felt she had the freedom to find another man, but you knew it would be futile, which is why you didn't bother with another woman?"
He nodded. "Though, my interest in you had begun to pick up again," he admitted. "It was a foolish fantasy, in my mind, but I found my fascination in you had returned with a vengeance. I knew nothing would come of it, but fantasies are quite safe in that regard."
"But my blood status has never changed, nor will it. You hated my kind," she told him, frowning.
He pinched his lips. "Narcissa had grown distant, and, eventually, left me. Nearly fifty years of believing in one thing, the superiority of being Pureblood, had been brought down by a little half-blood and his doe-eyed Muggleborn companion. And I had been keeping a watch on you while you were in Hogwarts," he reminded her with a small smirk. "My interest in you had turned into a sort of obsession and, without even realizing it, I found myself donating to your causes. An anonymous donor, of course. Anything to catch glimpses of you smiling for the Prophet."
"And now we're getting married," she replied.
He smiled. "That we are," he confirmed as he pulled her close and kissed her gently. "I do not know what I did to deserve you, but I am grateful for it. I will admit that I did fight the idea for the longest time, too. I made it a point to avoid the public, but I am glad I made the decision to go to the Yule Ball."
"I almost didn't go myself," she admitted sheepishly. "Ginny had been the one to insist, but Ron had done such a terrible number to my heart."
His smile turned into a smirk. "I can't say I am displeased with your friend's insistence."
She chuckled. Looking up at him, she asked, "Are you certain you want to marry me?"
"I am," he told her.
(II)(II)
The day that Ron Weasley was set to arrive at the Manor, Lucius made sure to convince Hermione to take Rose shopping, along with Mrs. Potter and Astoria. Soon, all three women were gone with their children, and both Mr. Potter and Draco were at work.
Lucius had called Geoffrey over and, with the man's consent, transfigured him into an old Irish Wolfhound, which currently laid across Lucius's leather couch.
"I would offer you a brandy, but I doubt that would go over well should Mr. Weasley appear whilst you are drinking," Lucius commented as he poured himself a drink.
He walked quietly around his desk to sit in his seat. He took a few moments to read over some ledgers and figures while he waited for the upstart to show up. He took a sip from his drink when the flames of his fireplace turned green.
The blond Pureblood looked up, a bit confused. Weasley was supposed to be announced by Poppet, as he had no clearance to enter through the grate. "Malfoy?" the caller said, and Lucius rolled his eyes.
He sneered slightly. "Yes, Potter?" he growled.
"May I come over? I have something I wish to discuss with you."
Lucius gave Geoffrey a droll look and sat back in his chair. "As if I would deny you entry. Yes, Mr. Potter, you may enter."
Harry stepped into the office and dusted off his robes. Lucius stared at the man with a single raised eyebrow as the young wizard ran a hand through his hair. "How may I help you, Mr. Potter?" Lucius question, attempting, and failing, to curb his annoyance.
Harry straightened his robes and looked up, meeting the man's eyes fearlessly. "Ron told me he was coming here today," he said by way of explanation. "I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly. Nice dog." Geoffrey thumped his tail on the couch as Harry reached out to pet him. "Surprise for Hermione?"
Lucius gave a small shake of his head in answer. "I was under the impression that Hermione preferred cats," he replied.
Harry shrugged as he patted Geoffrey on the head and continued to the desk. "Hermione likes any animal that is intelligent," he answered. "Though, honestly, I don't think even that matters much to her. She's not had an animal besides Crookshanks. I think she would be pleased with another."
Lucius nodded and indicated the dog with a wave of his hand. "That isn't my dog. However, I will keep that in mind. I had been juggling with the idea of getting a crup, so maybe I will. Or perhaps kneazle."
"Why not both?" Harry suggested as he sat in one of the chairs in front of Lucius's desk.
"Perhaps," Lucius mused as the door to his office opened.
"Master, Poppet would like to announced Mr. Ronald Weas-"
Ron pushed passed the little house-elf and entered the room. "Malfoy," he said, snidely. "What's all this about? Where's my daughter?"
Lucius stood as the ginger entered. "I see your mannerisms haven't improved," he commented.
"Well?" Ron demanded, glaring at the aristocrat. "You said it had something to do with my daughter. What is it?"
"Have a seat, Mr. Weasley, and we can speak civilly," Lucius offered, indicating the chair next to Harry with a nod.
"Like hell we will!"
"Ron, sit down," Harry snapped, looking at his friend angrily.
To Lucius's surprise, the man sat, though Lucius gave no indication of his approval. Instead, he simply returned to his own seat. "Might I offer either of you a drink?" Lucius asked as he looked at the two men.
"You got any scotch?" Harry asked.
Lucius glanced at his house-elf. "Poppet? Would you mind pouring Mr. Potter a scotch?" he asked and glanced at Ron. "Mr. Weasley?"
Ron shook his head. "Why the hell am I here, Malfoy? I know it's not to share drinks, not that I would have any that you offered." he said, repeating his question from earlier.
Lucius waited until Poppet handed Harry his drink. He took another sip of his brandy and looked down at his charts. "According to this report, you are two months behind on your rent of that lavish penthouse, and are at least three to five months behind on your other bills," Lucius said as he picked up a slip of parchment and handed it over to Ron.
"Been snooping in my mail, Malfoy?" the ginger asked, nastily. "You know that's illegal. Guess they are right in what they say, huh? Death Eaters never change."
"It isn't illegal to request financial records, Mr. Weasley. Particularly when asking on behalf of children," Lucius replied as he sat back in his chair and steepled his hands. "With Rose reaching 2 months of age and her mother and I preparing for our marriage, I felt it necessary to see what awaits the child for the future."
"What do you care about Rose's future?" Ron demanded.
"I care a great deal," Lucius said. "I'll be her stepfather soon, and I want to ensure she is well cared for."
"Sure you do," Ron commented, slouching in his seat. "And what do you want to know my finances for? Gonna ask for child support? I think you got that covered, don't you, Malfoy?"
"As you were quick to point out, Mr. Weasley, she is your child. Shouldn't you offer to help support her?" Lucius asked, his eyes flashing as he watched the wizard's response.
Ron slouched some more and rolled his eyes. "What's the point? I haven't even met her yet," he said, practically whining.
"That is your choice, Mr. Weasley. We have offered you ample opportunity to meet her, and you could have easily been at the hospital while Hermione was giving birth," Lucius pointed out. "Merlin knows Hermione wanted you there."
Harry nodded in agreement.
Ron sat up and looked at his friend in shock. "I tried to be there!" He pointed accusingly at Lucius. "You're the one who stops me every bloody time!"
"Have you gotten any of Hermione's owls, Ron?" Harry asked curiously.
"Yeah. And she picks random times when she knows I'm running the shop! I can't just lock up and leave. George'll have my head!" he shouted. "And then the day I do have off, she claims to have a Healer's appointment, when I know she was just holed up here, keeping my daughter away from me!"
"Would you like to see the receipt?" Lucius asked as he lifted his wand and pointed it to a file cabinet that rested against the wall.
The moment Lucius had pulled out his wand, Ron made a move to do the same. Harry placed a hand on him to stop him. "Calm down, Ron," the bespectacled man implored.
"Why should I trust you, Malfoy?" Ron growled. "You're a Death Eater, a liar, a sleezeball, a rapist, and -"
Lucius stared coldly at Ron, lowering his wand. "I am many things, Mr. Weasley, but a rapist isn't one of them, so I would suggest you choose different terminology when referencing me," he replied in a deadly calm voice.
Ron scoffed. "Yeah. And Hermione slept with a scumbag like you willingly, huh?" he spat.
"We do more than sleep, Mr. Weasley," Lucius commented, his eyes glittering maliciously.
Harry cringed. "Please keep such details to yourself, if you don't mind? I'd like to keep my lunch," he said.
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Though, I would like to know exactly when you Imperiused her, Malfoy."
Lucius tilted his head slightly at that. "Mr. Potter, would you care to cast a Priori Incantatem on my wand? I am certain you will not find any Unforgivables within."
"Don't need an Unforgivable for a love potion," Ron pointed out.
"Now you're grasping at straws, Ron," Harry said. "He still reports to the Ministry, and as such, I am aware of any and all spells he produces on a daily basis."
"Don't need a spell for a potion," Ron repeated.
Lucius frowned. "Nor did I need either to win Hermione's heart," he said. "I did not request you here to defend my relationship with her, however. I wish to discuss Rose and your financial troubles. I am under the impression that you wish to properly court Miss McLaggen, but do not have the necessary funds for her fee."
"She has a fee?" Ron asked. He sneered. "What do you know about my relationship with Susan?"
"Her family may be new money, so to speak, but they are still quite important," Lucius reasoned. "More to the point, her father placed a dowry upon her the moment she was born because he became wealthy. As such, you must purchase the right to marry her. If you wish to marry her, Geoffrey won't accept less than five million Galleons."
"But that doesn't make any sense! She has a dowry, but he wants me to pay for her? If I want to marry her, I damn well will!" he yelled, causing the dog on the couch to growl a little.
Lucius looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "The McLaggens may be new money, but they are an old family. They may not have made the Sacred Twenty-eight, with their perchance for marrying Muggleborns, but -"
"And what does that make you, Malfoy?" Ron snapped. "You're gonna marry a Muggleborn yourself, aren't you?"
"I have a Pureblood heir," Lucius pointed out, cutting him off. "And he has a Pureblood heir as well. However, I don't see a need to worry over my own family. One thing the war has taught me is that time is changing. If we don't change with it, we will die out."
"Wow, Malfoy. It took old Voldy knocking you in the head a few times to get that message into your skull?" Ron asked.
Lucius glanced back down at the parchment on his desk. "Now, back pay for the penthouse, plus the other bills that you have occurred and a few other debts. Was it really necessary to buy the newest broomstick model?"
"What's it to you?" Ron grumbled, slouching back in his chair again and folding his arms.
Lucius looked up at him, frowning. "You don't play Quidditch," he said. Looking back down at the ledger, he continued. "The Quidditch team you purchased has players that are in need of retirement soon, which means that, you'll need to purchase new ones, unless you decide to sell the team." He looked at Ron. "Honestly, Mr. Weasley, selling them might be your best bet. They haven't won a match in years, and if they don't win something soon, the league might cease to acknowledge them as a professional team. Might be better to just count your losses..."
"I'm not getting rid of my team," Ron announced, glaring at Lucius.
"Then you need new players," Lucius concluded. "Which will cost you money that, frankly, you don't have. You are so far in debt, Mr. Weasley, that you can't even afford to eat supper tonight."
"Blimey, Ron!" Harry breathed. "You went through all that money the Ministry gave you that quickly?"
Ron gave his friend a withering look. "They didn't give me nearly as much as they gave you," he explained.
"They gave you half a million Galleons!" Harry told him, a little angrily. "And they didn't give me much more. My God, Ron. What did you do?!"
Lucius scoffed. "The Savior of the Wizarding World, and they paid you how much?" he drawled. "I suppose saving the world truly doesn't pay, does it?"
Harry glared at the man. "I didn't do it for the money," he said. He looked at his friend. "Ron, what the hell happened, mate? How does five hundred thousand Galleons disappear in such a short period of time?"
"There was mine and Hermione's wedding," Ron began.
"Which Hermione's parents paid for."
"And our honeymoon to the Americas."
"Which George paid for."
"And the apartment."
"Which mostly came out of Hermione's paycheck," Harry continued, still staring at his friend.
"And the divorce," Ron continued, looking at his friend in annoyance.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Which was another expense that Hermione took care of because you didn't pay the solicitor."
Ron's mouth clamped shut as he stared at his friend in annoyance.
"Well, if I may," Lucius intervened. "The Chudley Canons ended up costing three hundred thousand Galleons, which is rather cheap for a Quidditch team, mind. The penthouse costs twenty-six hundred Galleons each month, and that's not including monthly food expenses, pretty much all of which comes from dining out and a new wardrobe. I had to prevent your landlord from locking you out of your home, Mr. Weasley. If you don't come up with the money soon, you will be living with your parents again, if they'll have you."
Ron glowered, staring at a spot on the side of the desk. He glanced up at the aristocrat. "So, what do you want? Called me here to gloat, have you?"
"Not exactly," Lucius replied as he leaned back in his seat. Picking up his cane, he looked at the silver snake head, admiring the way the emerald eyes caught the light. "I wish to make you a deal."
Ron stared at the man warily. "What sort of deal?"
Lucius gave a small smirk as he looked at the young wizard. Setting his cane down beside him, he leaned forward. "I am willing to pay off your debt, buy your little penthouse for you, and even pay Miss McLaggen's bridal fee for you. I can even help you purchase better teammates for your team so that, maybe, the Canons can win a few games. We can send the players you have into a comfortable retirement, and I'll even purchase a set of new broomsticks for the new players."
"What's the catch?" Ron asked, eyeing the man.
Lucius pushed another piece of parchment closer to Ron. "I want you to sign this," he said. "Just sign it, and I will see that it's done."
Ron reached over and picked up the paper. One glance, and he tossed the parchment back onto the desk. "Fuck that, Malfoy. I'm not signing that shit!" he spat. He looked at Harry. "He's bonkers!"
Harry frowned as he looked at the parchment. He reached out to take it himself, and both of his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Adoption papers?" he said. He looked at Lucius. "You want to adopt Rose?"
Lucius shrugged. "I don't see why I shouldn't. Aside from Hermione, I am her main provider. I feed her, bathe her, change her diaper, rock her to sleep, and generally everything a father does."
"Only because you're keeping her away from me!" Ron shouted.
Lucius's eyes narrowed. "You've had over a month to be a part of her life, Mr. Weasley. Hermione writes you every day, except when we go to St. Mungo's for a check-up, asking if you would like to come over to see the child. You were neither there for her birth, nor for the small celebratory supper we had when she turned a month old. When you do decide to make your presence known, you come unannounced and you verbally abuse my house-elf and my daughter-in-law. Or, you meet, privately, with Hermione to complain about how you aren't allowed to see Rose. You were allowed, Mr. Weasley. You chose not to see her," he said, his voice deadly, but calm.
"I'm not signing over my daughter," Ron said stubbornly.
Lucius licked his lips, and raised an eyebrow. "You were the one who asked Mr. Potter here, knowing he's an Auror. If you don't sign, you won't get anything, which means that, by law, Mr. Potter will be obligated to bring you in. You won't have the money to pay for Miss McLaggen, which means you won't get her dowry, and I assure you, her dowry is more than generous. Geoffrey loves his daughter, after all, and he has the money to dote upon her," he said, watching the young wizard.
Ron stared at the papers that signaled his mounting debt. He squared his jaw stubbornly. "I'm not signing my daughter over to you, of all people."
Lucius could see the look in Ron's eyes. He may not want to sign, but he needed that money. The aristocrat raised an eyebrow. "I will throw in an additional hundred thousand Galleons each year for the next seventeen years," he countered.
Ron's eyes shot up to meet Lucius's and Lucius had to hold back his grin. "My daughter is worth more than that," he said, challenging the Slytherin.
Lucius's lip twitched. "Fifteen hundred," he offered. "Fifteen hundred every year for seventeen years."
"Five hundred thousand," Ron countered. "And I want it in writing."
"Ron!" Harry protested, staring at the ginger in shock.
"Two hundred thousand and not a Knut more," Lucius said finally. He watched as the man mulled the thought over in his mind. "Sign, and it's all yours. The money, the penthouse, the team, with the brooms and the new team members, and Miss McLaggen's hand in marriage. Her dowry includes a beachfront summer cottage in Greece and over ten million Galleons. Your debt will be paid, in full, and you will be set for life."
Ron stared at the parchments a little longer, and glanced at Lucius. "I want it in writing, with your signature. I sign this, and you will do as you promised," he said.
Lucius grabbed another sheet of parchment and handed it to Ron. On it, everything he promised was written. It was even signed. "It will only go into effect when I send it off to my solicitor, which will only happen after you've signed, Mr. Weasley."
"Ron," Harry said, staring at his friend.
Ron took a deep breath and looked at Lucius again. "You're going to marry Hermione, yes?"
"Our wedding is set for the third of November," the aristocrat assured him.
With another heavily, deep breath, Ron reached for the quill on Lucius's desk.
(III)(III)
"What the bloody hell was that about?!" Harry demanded the moment Ron was gone. "Jesus Christ, Malfoy, I should have you arrested!"
Lucius calmly stood, still dumbstruck and barely able to contain his excitement. He flicked his wand at the dog on the couch and watched as the dog became a man. Harry looked at the man in disbelief. "He was here the whole time?"
"Good Lord, Lucius! Are you sure I should let my daughter marry that?" Geoffrey asked as he straightened his robes.
The aristocrat shrugged. "Honestly, Geoffrey, I really don't give a damn. I did, however, promise to pay her fee," he said. "You know I'm a man of my word."
Geoffrey snorted. "Yes, well, Susan's fee was only 4 million, but since you told Mr. Weasley it was 5, I expect you to pay up," he said. "You know the only reason I'm agreeing to this is because I know you'll make sure everything is taken care of. Sweet Merlin's lacy knickers, Malfoy! You must really love that little girl."
Lucius grinned. "Yes, well, I've already decided to set Rose's bridal fee to ten million," he told Geoffrey. "And her dowry..."
"Malfoy!" Harry spat. "You know Hermione is going to be madder than a hippogriff when she finds out what you've done!"
Lucius frowned at Harry. "What I've done? I just adopted little Rosie. If anything, Hermione will be pleased, though probably quite disappointed in Mr. Weasley. Rose is a Malfoy now, though, and once Hermione and I are married, our family will be complete."
"When are you planning on telling her exactly?" Harry questioned.
Lucius smiled. "On our wedding day. It'll be my gift to her."
Author's Note: Lots of thanks to cowgalnina! Seriously. And OMG, Lucius! 3
I want to thank you all for the reviews and faves! You're all awesome! Until next chapter! 3