This here is known as the next chapter in the series.


Chapter: Lucius


"Now Draco, your father will be arriving within the minute," Severus told his godson, "You are to be prudent and polite. Keep your wits about you, and do not under any circumstances anger him with teenage tantrums."

Draco scuffled away from the tight enclosure his godfather had made between them.

"The way you talk godfather, you could promise that I had never encountered the wrath of my father. I know very well how to deal with him."

"So is that why you decided to run away?" Severus questioned sarcastically, "Because you knew that Lucius would favour your departure."

"You were not there, therefore you do not understand."

Severus sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was proving to more difficult. "Draco listen to me," he sighed, "I have been to school with your father, I grew up with your father and I would consider him as a close friend. I am aware of his temper and attitude towards silly stunts like running away. Please, try to be mature about this."

"I understand. I will try."

Severus squeezed his shoulder. "Now let us be quick about this."

Punctuality is possibly one of the most important things a Malfoy should possess. That is why at exactly 3:30, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy flooed proud and expertly into Grimmauled Place. As ever, both were dressed in elegant clothing. One would almost expect them to be attending some sort of royal banquet, not recovering their son. Narcissa turned her nose up at the not so decorative furniture.

Severus nodded politely, and took a step forwards.

"Severus!" she cried, bouncing forwards and embracing him within a hug, "Where is my son?"

"I'm right here mother." Draco answered, protruding from behind the security of his godfather.

"Oh Draco!"

Narcissa swiftly rushed towards her son, embracing him and smothering him in brisk kisses. Draco struggled against her grip, not wanting to make a show of himself in front of Severus. He grunted, and removed her arms from his neck.

"Mother please," he pleaded, "Allow me to breath, will you?"

On command, Narcissa released her son, standing back to admire him. As if by remote her eyes began to water and silent whimpers echoed across the room. "Draco," she sniffed, "You gave me such a scare."

"I assure you mother, with or without magic I would have survived leisurely in the muggle world."

Severus paced towards the weeping woman. Supportively wrapping an arm around her, he led Narcissa to the couch to weep in peace. Draco rolled his eyes. One down, one to go.

Without flinching, Draco stiffly acknowledged his fathers presence. A swift bow of the head from Lucius formed some sort of peace within the room.

"I have nought but one question for you, son," said Lucius, striking his cane outwards and leaning on it.

"I would be glad to answer that question for you, if I can." Draco replied.

"Why would you take pleasure in inflicting such pain upon your mother and I, by vagabonding across areas which you know nothing about?"

Draco stiffened. Not even now could his father be pleasant. "I have not been vagabonding, as you call it, across areas with which I have no knowledge of. I am very capable of looking after myself in this world."

"The Wizarding world!" Lucius stressed, gripping his cane tightly.

"The muggle world!" Draco retorted, "Had you taken interest in me, you would have been familiar with what I like to do."

"What you like to do! What you …" Words at this time seemed to tumble about in Lucius' mouth. He couldn't decide what to say to his cheeky son. Deeply inhaling through his teeth, Lucius closed his eyes. "Look at you."

"What is wrong with me?" Draco questioned, glancing down the length of his body, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

Lucius raised his cane in the air and pointed at Draco's body. "That attire you are wearing. Excuse for clothing! Where have you found such rags?"

"This excuse for clothing has kept me feeling like every other child my age. Your conservative, pure-blooded prattle is absurd."

Lucius crisply smacked his son across the face, receiving a gasp in response. Narcissa howled alongside Severus, completely powerless in the showdown between the two men in her life.

"Now Lucius," Severus warned getting to his feet and standing between father and son, "If today you are hoping to return home with your son, the use of violence will not help you."

"Ridiculous!" Lucius shouted, banging his cane against the floor, "That was nought but disciplinary skill. Don't you lecture me on how to raise my child, Severus Snape."

"For all the good intentions you hold, Lucius," Severus hissed, "Right about now hitting your son for expressing emotion does not strike me as good intent."

"It's alright, Godfather," Draco said, "I'll not be going home. I've had enough."

"Nonsense Draco!" Narcissa shrieked, "Please now don't act as if you were five years old, you shall be coming home."

"I'm not leaving!" Draco yelled, turning his back on the three adults.

"Don't you speak to your mother that way boy!" Lucius shouted, roughly grabbing Draco by the shoulder and spinning him around.

"I bet you feel dirty now that you've touched mudblood clothing!" Draco roared, balling his fists tightly, "Shall I go and fetch you a basin of water to remove the 'filth'!"

"That is it, Draco. March yourself into that fireplace this instant you insolent brat!"

Draco angrily kicked at a small table, shattering the miniature legs. Something within him had snapped, releasing a flow of adrenaline. It was now or never. Stand my ground and I'll be happy!

Storming across the room, Draco viciously grabbed a hand full of floo powder and flung in into the grate.

"You may now take your leave, Father," he spat, retreating behind Severus and folding his arms, "Mother, I apologise for my radical behaviour but I do solemnly promise to visit when things are right."

"Dragon, stop this," Severus said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Return to your family and make things well."

"I'll not leave!" he replied stubbornly, "I'm wanted there as much as I'm wanted in the Gryffindor tower. Can I not stay with you?"

"Don't be so childish, Draco." Lucius snapped, "Come now!"

"Godfather, please!"

"Draco! The fire, immediately."

Draco looked with pleading eyes up at Severus. Biting his bottom lip, he mentally prayed that Severus would come through for him.

"Sweetheart, please don't do this," Narcissa begged.

"Mother, you have no understanding of what it is like to grow up in this day and age in a conservative household," Draco explained, now feeling fierce sympathy and pity. "I want to be free of the burden of marriage. I want to live my life like every other child my age."

He turned to his father. "Why can you not understand that?"

The wooden door crashed open and Remus and Sirius spilled into the room.

"Mrs Malfoy." Remus greeted, bending into a bow, "Mr Malfoy," he added, nodding at the blonde ball of frustration. He elbowed Sirius in the ribs.

"Oh, err, yes," Sirius continued, "My pleasure to meet you both. We couldn't help but over hear the raised voices and the mention of Draco staying here."

"Remus what are y-" Severus began.

"We would be honoured to have you place Draco within our guardianship, for such a length of time that he should feel confident with returning home." Remus declared, moving towards Severus and the smaller blonde.

"Not a fucking hope in Slytherin!" Lucius roared, banging his cane against a chair, "My son shall be returning home tonight and he will take his future in his stride."

"Look Malfoy, the ki-" Sirius tried to say, but was intently cut off with another bang of Lucius' cane to the chair.

"Mr Malfoy to you, traitor." Lucius hissed.

"Right, Mr Malfoy," Sirius corrected sarcastically with an odd angled bow, "As I was saying, the kid doesn't want to return home with you. Isn't his happiness the most important thing?"

"Do yourself a favour, Black, and remove yourself from the adults within this room," Narcissa said.

"Hello cousin!" Sirius beamed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Father, can you not understand now," Draco asked, "I'll be fine here."

"Draco, you're safer at home," Severus told him.

Draco glared up at his godfather, his top lip curling and his cheeks flaming red in anger.

"Listen to Severus, Draco," Lucius added furiously.

"You're going to side with him!" Draco spat in a disgusted tone, "You're supposed to be there for me when no one else comes to my aid."

"I am there for you," Severus whispered, "I'm doing what I think is best for you."

"Sending me back will not do me any good."

"Mrs Malfoy," Remus butted in, stepping into the middle of the room, "I know Draco is your only son, and you must cherish him like you would a rare jewel. Nevertheless, Sirius is right; your sons' happiness should come first. Can you not see past continuing the family pureblood enough to allow him freedom? Let him experience life at its fullest. Allow him to stay."

Another bang to the couch alerted people that Lucius would be next to make a comment. "Oh, so now the knocked up werewolf wants to interrupt with his ramblings of the immaculate life that glistens like some rare, bloody jewel!"

"Well I-I was just…I thought that I-if… maybe…" Remus stuttered, feeling essentially awkward beneath the elder Malfoy.

"Don't. you. Ever. Insult. Remus. Around. Me. Again." Severus hissed, with every step, advancing upon his old friend.

Narcissa stepped between them. "Severus, stand back please, "she pleaded weakly, "Lucius, for once, just hold your tongue."

"Stop hitting my furniture with your fancy twig, Malfoy," Sirius grumbled, glowering at the taller man.

"Narcissa, darling, why are you not responding to the realisation of this situation?" Lucius mused, ignoring Sirius comment about his twig.

Turning upon her husband and placing a small hand on his cheek, Narcissa Malfoy sighed. "Because in some weird and extreme sense, they are right," she answered.

"Draco," Lucius said in a barely audible. He crossed the room in three swift steps, and knelt before his small son, "Your are my only son. You are my only child. Regardless of things that I have said to hurt you or that seem un-fare, I do not want to lose you."

"And father you shan't be losing me," Draco replied, willing himself to keep the tears at bay, "You shall only be allowing me to do what I desire. I do not want to live in luxury when I am of age, nor do I want to settle down so young."

Sighing in defeat, Lucius placed a firm hand on his sons' shoulder. "I shall only allow it if you are to be taken under the wing of Severus."

Five heads swivelled in the direction of Severus Snape. The leering potions master looked deeply into the eyes of each head and nodded. "I will graciously accept Draco."

"Yes!" Draco screeched, wrapping his arms around Lucius' neck, "Father thank you!"

"You are all my witnesses'," Lucius stated firmly, recomposing his strict demeanour, "I am wilfully placing my only son, Draco Malfoy, within the care of his esteemed Godfather and guardian, Severus Snape, until such time as it is seen fit for him to return home upon his own will."

"Father, mother, thank you for this. You are not losing a son, rather gaining a more open minded wizard, who will some day continue the name Malfoy."

Narcissa crossed the room and embraced Severus within a deep hug. "Take care of him, won't you?" she sniffed, dripping tears onto his shoulder.

"As if he were my own," Severus promised. He turned to Lucius and shook his hand.

"I am trusting you with my son, who is worth more then my life." Lucius reminded him.

"Lucius, I have been your friend since we were 6 years old. I have kept your deepest and darkest secrets from the prying eyes of tainted Slytherins. I am now taking your son within my own care. Everything will be fine!"

Yes," agreed Remus stepping towards the older man, "if it gives you any peace of mind, at all, I would like you to know that I too, will be here if Draco ever needs me. As will Sirius."

"Aye!" Sirius cheered, flopping onto one of the chairs. There were just some things a man should not have to get up and make an effort to cheer about. Sitting on the chair and cheering from that position was much more gratifying.

"Knowing that my son is within the care of a werewolf does not ease my loss, nor does him being in the care of an Azkaban convict," Lucius sneered, purposely whacking his cane against the chair Sirius was seated at.

"Knowing that our son is within the care of Severus, and the people that he trusts, is enough to settle our thoughts," Narcissa interrupted.

"Mother, thank you for being so understanding," Draco said, allowing her this time to hug him tightly.

"It's not as if your losing him forever," Sirius added wisely, "He can write to you and I'm pretty sure he knows how to work the floo networks. He just wants to stay with a different group of people and learn something new about life."

"Exactly." agreed Severus and Remus together.

Nodding, Lucius turned towards the fireplace. "I think we should take our leave now, darling," he announced, producing his arm for her to link it.

Draco hugged his mother and planted a kiss on her cheek, and then shook his fathers hand and smiled proudly up at him, mouthing a thank you. In return, he received a wink.


End of the chapter! You kie. No like? Whatever ...

Ok, so now that is the "get Lucius mad, make Narcissa cry and allow Draco to stay with Sevvie for a bit" scenario over and done with.

Now i can move on to working on poor Remmie and his pregnant self. I am now telling you that the baby will NOT! be a werewolf. So don't even suggest it.

Thank you for everything!

ValidHacker

(Remus && Mike Dirnt Pwn)