Chapter 34: Malfoys Just Crawling out of the Woodwork
Draco and Krait surveyed the portrait of Abraxus Malfoy in Lucius' study, whence Draco had taken his cousin with some trepidation.
"And which cousin is that? Whey faced girl" said the picture, snippily. He was as blonde as any Malfoy, handsome in a haughty sort of way, with sideburns that Krait privately thought ridiculous.
"We were hoping you might be able to enlighten me…..grandfather" she said levelly, throwing back her head to peer down her own retrousse nose.
He peered.
"You're a child of one of my insurance policies are you?" he asked brusquely. "You're not so whey faced as I thought…"
Krait shrugged.
"How would I know the truth of mine origins?" she said. "My mother died birthing me. I have a letter referring to her father by name as Abraxus. Her name was Aurora. I think her mother was Augusta Day. Do you remember them?"
He snorted.
"A wise man keeps track of all his offspring…..stupid to die so young…Aurora was the youngest but one. There's a list in the dancing lady…you poke her nipples." He subsided into silence.
"Pictures can be huffy like that" said Draco. "I guess he means the bronze statue of the dancer…we could go look."
-/-
The dancing lady's nipples opened a compartment in her belly; and in it was a scrupulous list of all Abraxus Malfoy's children with notes.
"Excellent!" said Draco. "Now we can follow them all up….I know it would be easier to just give this to dad, but…."
Krait patted him on the arm.
"I know" she said.
Draco gave her a shaky grin.
"Severus will help" she assured him. "And David Fraser; that boy's pretty streetwise, I bet he can find out loads on the internet about their families from census returns and things."
"Internet?" Draco queried.
"A very useful muggle tool" Krait explained. "Information is stored and anyone with a computer and a telephone can….just assume he can find stuff out" she added as Draco's eyes glazed over.
Thus it was that Severus used magical means; and took David to an Internet Café in Glasgow to uncover what they could about Abraxus Malfoy's six children. Harry went along with David, having more understanding of computers than most wizards; and was impressed by the boy's aplomb with technology.`
The first two sons were hard to trace; the eldest seemed to have left the country.
"There are several outstanding paternity suits against him" reported David. "I THINK he is the father of Jonathon Malfoy, our own Snapelings' biological father."
"Nice to have that solved" grunted Krait. "The others?"
"After Horatio was Julius…he's a used car salesman in Birmingham" said David. "I think he's a bit dodgy"
"Aren't all used car salesmen?" queried Krait. "Go on"
"Casimir has two children – a nearly grown up daughter and a son, Abraxus, a year younger than me" said David quietly. "Vladimir is divorced and has three young children. And finally, Electra is at university – she seems to be known as Amber on her blogs"
Krait nodded.
"It's less outlandish in mugglespeak; though they've the same meaning, like Aurora and Dawn. No suggestion she's magically active?"
Krait shook his head.
"I'd kind of expect that she'd be investigating out of the way cults….but she's pretty down to earth, she's studying medicine. Mrs Casimir Malfoy, Wendy her name is, on the other hand owns a shop selling New Age stuff. I don't know if that's important."
"You're invaluable, David!" said Krait. "And as she has a son that age….I'll sneak a look at the book and see if he's down! Then Severus and I will pay them a visit! If everyone was contacted by Abraxus senior, it's possible the older ones know something about the wizarding world…though he may have chosen not to tell them all. If he did, why didn't they go to Hogwarts?"
"Maybe the muggle blood was too much dilution" suggested Krait "Or their muggle mothers scoffed…..Grandfather said they were his insurance, and what he wrote seems to suggest that if the Malfoy line got too inbred they'd be there to marry back into….I guess he was more obsessed with family survival than racial purity."
"Which goes to prove he was a canny old bird" approved Krait. "However daft he looks with those sideburns. Your father is an idiot….as well as being stupid enough to become Fishface's lickspittle. With all his hereditary eggs in one Krait sized basket…..the aristocracy have always done whatever it took to survive however personally distasteful they found it. I DO wonder if Lucius killed his own father."
"I'm not about to ask him" said Draco sulkily.
"Didn't even think of suggesting it….cheer up, brother mine, at least you've turned out okay"
"With a few good prods" interjected Harry, grinning at Draco and giving him a friendly punch on the arm.
Draco's face worked: he was still coming to terms with himself, and had little idea how friends behaved to each other. The blood tie helped, for he could feel that Harry meant no offence. He grinned back a little ruefully.
"When I found out that my dad could be a bully" said Harry softly "It was like I'd been kicked in the belly, even though I never really knew him….to admit to yourself that your dad's not perfect is hard. We're with you, Draco."
"Thanks" Draco nodded gratefully. "And thanks for helping me track down my er, muggle relatives."
Krait smiled to herself.
Suspicions were eroding as she had hoped.
-/-
The honey blond, pleasant faced woman who opened the door in the comfortable suburban semi raised an eyebrow when she saw the slim, pale form of Krait on the doorstep backed by a grim faced man in black.
"One of my husband's missing relatives I presume" she said calmly. "Come in, I'll put the kettle on."
The grim faced man's face relaxed and he laughed abruptly.
"THAT is what I call calm and panache" said Severus approvingly.
Wendy Malfoy grinned.
"I don't do excitable" she said. "I'm far too phlegmatic."
Krait surveyed her – aunt by marriage, she supposed – and liked what she saw. Wendy wore a long dress but it was neither ridiculously floaty nor adorned with scarves and beads nor the sort of vaguely mystical appurtenances that Krait associated with those involved in New Age stuff. The dress had long sleeves and seemed to be designed to protect a fair skinned person from too much sun – it was hot for early summer, especially in London – than as a statement. Her hair was short and bobbed and held ruthlessly away from her face by a pair of clips. Her hands showed signs of terracotta clay. Wendy noticed Krait noticing.
"I dabble in sculpture" she laughed. "Casimir is the artistic one – he carves wood and some stone. It all helps boost the old income, my pottery dragons seem very popular, and he can carve anything people want. Do sit down." She waved a hand at a bright, pretty kitchen with notes on the fridge held by small pottery dragon magnets missing the odd ear or tail. "Failures" she said waving to them. "But I get too sorry for them to throw them away….there are several big ones in the garden. Sugar?"
Severus and Krait sipped tea.
"Tell me Madam Malfoy" said Severus "How much do you know about your husband's father?"
Wendy regarded him thoughtfully.
"A question to be pondered before answering" she said gravely. "If you are not from the same….background….as he, any straight answer could have me dragged off to the funny farm….yet your mode of address to me, and your style of clothing suggest you are from the same world, as you might say. My husband's father was a wizard."
"Ah!" said Severus in satisfaction. "That means I don't have to go through so much explanation. Good. Krait here is your husband's niece. Her mother died birthing her so her….exposure to the wizarding world was….truncated."
"That's Severus-speak for the whole thing went SNAFU" supplied Krait. Wendy smiled at her gravely.
"I think I'd better get Casimir" she said.
"I'm already here" said a voice from the doorway. "One of those feelings….."
"Just picture a jolly Lucius…..almost scary" murmured Krait.
"Pardon?" Casimir was confused.
"You bear a striking physical resemblance to your half brother the wizard Lucius Malfoy" it was Severus' turn to translate. "Tell me, why did you not attend Hogwarts?"
Casimir shrugged and sighed.
"My mother was very much opposed to the idea….partly at the whole concept, partly because she feared I'd make enemies from the legitimate side of the family. She and her sister blocked Vladimir and me from going. Vladimir is my aunt's child, we're cousins as well as brothers" he explained.
"You're in contact with Vladimir? That's fantastic!" said Krait. "All my life I've had no relatives and suddenly I've got three uncles in as many months!"
Casimir laughed.
"I don't see him that often….he's fighting over custody rights at the moment, his ex wants to pick up the kids and swan off with them whenever she feels it would enhance her image to have them looking cute. Yes, Wendy, I know that's bitchy, but I loathe the woman."
Wendy shrugged.
"She's not my favourite person….stop hedging, Cas, and ask the gentleman what's really on your mind."
Casimir nodded and gulped.
"My chance for Hogwarts went by….and my daughter pretends very hard that she doesn't hear us discuss magic….but my son….is there a chance for him to go to a school for Wizards?"
"Most certainly" said Severus promptly. "His name appears in the book of magically active people to be contacted – Professor Dumbledore would have contacted you later on formally. It's just because Krait is so keen to track down her relatives that we were visiting. It is a shame about your daughter. Morgan is a year or so older than Krait, I believe….it would have been nice for her to have had a convivial girl cousin. She gets on well enough with her cousin Draco – the legitimate arm of the family – and he would have liked to have come too had he been able to get time off from his holidays for more than a brief trip to research your existence. He too will be sorry about your daughter, I'm sure."
Wendy sighed.
"Morgan has always been very literal…we seemed to lose touch with her after Abrax was born, though God knows I tried not to let her feel left out. She's studying as a nurse."
"Runs in the family" said Severus dryly.
"It does?" asked Casimir.
"You've a sister training in medicine…..and Krait fixes people who are unhappy in innovative ways. When she's not damaging them" he smiled at Krait.
Krait stuck her tongue out.
-/-
The door crashed and a small boy as blonde as Draco but infinitely more dishevelled burst in.
"Mum, can I take sandwiches and go watch the skateboarding in the park?" he demanded. "Oh, sorry, hello!" he said to Severus and Krait.
"Meet your cousin Krait and…."
"Professor Severus Snape" supplied Snape. "Krait's guardian."
Wendy gave him a steady look and a dull flush crept up his sallow face. Krait scowled at Wendy.
Abrax Malfoy didn't notice.
"Are you a wizard, sir?" he demanded in awed tones.
"I am" said Severus. "Your cousin is a witch."
"Cuh! Show me? please?" Skateboarding took second place.
Krait grinned and shifted gently into the great ivory snake. Her forked tongue tasted the air in front of her cousin's face; than she resumed her own form.
"Wow! Cool!" said Abrax, approvingly. "Can I learn to do that?"
"You MAY" said Severus "Whether you CAN or not remains to be seen. Your cousin has a remarkable ability at transfiguration – shape shifting. MY specialities lie in potion making and protection spells. We will see where your talents lie when you start Hogwarts in September. Perhaps you will speak to your brother, Mr Malfoy, and find out whether he is interested in further contact with this side of the family too. We must be getting back, your great nieces, whom I have adopted, will be getting jumpy….they have had an unfortunate start in life. We would not bring them in case you were…..unwilling to know us. As the opposite seems true, I look forward to future, er, family meetings."
He took Krait by the hand, bowed stiffly; and they apparated.
"Nothing like making an exit" murmured Krait in Hogsmeade.
-/-
"That" said Wendy, reflectively "Is a man so much in love and so unsure of himself he could be destroyed if she ever rejected him"
Casimir looked surprised.
"He seemed to brim with self confidence to me" he said. "I wasn't sure if I liked him…he's rather snide."
Wendy sniffed.
"Armour" she said.
"They're awesome!" was Abrax's contribution.
-/-
Back at Hogwarts, end of year exams were approaching fast, earlier than usual to accommodate the Triwizard competition. Krait had elected to enter some O.W.L.s as she had caught up very quickly, relying on those her talents could see her through practicals or those closely allied to skills she already had. Arithmancy came easily to her, having already been very good at Mathematics and recognising that certain principles could readily be applied to both; transfiguration was so very much a part of her nature that she felt no trepidation in attempting that; and Severus had so ruthlessly driven her forward in Defence against the Dark arts for her own protection that she knew she surpassed many fifth years in that knowledge. Her knowledge of Potions came partly from what she had assimilated in the Joining she and Severus had undertaken; but her knowledge of Chemistry too stood her in good stead, and Severus deemed her ready, which (as he rather pithily said) was more than he could say for many of her seniors. She elected to try Muggle Studies as well; for though questions were set from the point of view of wizards studying a foreign culture Krait felt confident enough to tackle the questions as she would explain things to a classmate, even though she had not taken the course.
"It doesn't matter how well you do anyway" said Severus "For you can always retake next year, and coming so late no-one will think any the worse of you."
Krait shrugged.
"I'd be disappointed not to do well" she said "But it would be nice if I can get some out of the way so as not to be distracted when we face all those REAL tests of defending against darkness….Speaking of which, are we going to tell my father that I suspect I may be pregnant?"
Severus blinked.
"Why lie? It shortens the time we can protect Harry…..Krait, do you mean…..?" he tailed off.
She nodded.
"Might be wrong….but I'm not usually late, not this late…I've been feeling queasy in the mornings…it's another reason I'd like some O.W.L.s under my belt so to speak."
"My dear!" Severus sounded quite choked. "Did you want….I have potions that can…I mean if you didn't want…."
She flung herself into his arms.
"Don't you want our baby?" she demanded. "I though…I thought you'd be happy…."
He kissed her tenderly and lingeringly.
"Of course I do" he said roughly. "I – I just don't want you to feel forced into motherhood before you've finished your schooling, before you've finished growing up…."
She clung to him.
"I did all my growing up long ago, love" she said. "I want your baby. If I don't finish school, so be it. It doesn't mean I need stop learning. And…whilst it may not be the best time to bring a child into the world, we have to hope that we will live to see our baby grow up…..in freedom. And if we die fighting for that freedom, assuming I survive to birthing, there are plenty of others who will raise our child, our bloodkin….the Weasleys… Professor Dumbledore….Casimir and Wendy, in all likelihood and for them with the same blood oath that protects Harry at the Dursleys…."
"You know about that?" he was surprised. "I didn't think we had mentioned that side of blood magic."
She nodded.
"Harry mentioned that Dumbledore had made some off the cuff remark….so I went and looked things up in your books, about blood relatives, oaths and the protection of sacrifice. An irony that the only place he's safe from Fishface is the place he's most miserable because of his aunt's tie of blood to his mother."
"Indeed" said Severus softly. "Well, we shall rejoice in secret about our good news I think….perhaps I should speak to your father and urge him to let me, er, school you so that you can get further with Harry – to catch him after the euphoria of winning or disappointment of losing the Triwizard…. Then we can hedge to persuade him that Harry cannot be killed until after the child is born to make sure it is healthy - and Harry's!"
"You are wise, love….dearest, Abigail was asking questions about Jade and Lydia, he knows about them….tell him you found further Malfoys in the orphanage and are raising them, because you want some insurance against Lucius, you're not sure what yet, but that you'll train them to be loyal….volunteering information will win his trust. Tell him you wanted to wait until you were sure they displayed magical capabilities."
"Sensible….we will do that. I will speak to him now before I lose my nerve…..go and read through chapters twelve and thirteen in 'Magical Draughts and Potions' again to make sure you've assimilated it all. You might as well do as well as you can….and cross reference with my copy of 'Advanced Potion making'. It has my own notes in."
She smiled at him and went to take herself out of earshot, recognising the hint that he wished to do this unpleasant task alone!