September, 2037
"Mira, would you come here a moment?"
The young witch rolled her eyes. She'd known he'd call her back. How? Because he did it every year. At the very last moment, when she'd already said goodbye to her family and was about to greet her friends at the other side of the platform, her father would call out to her. Her friends just laughed at her when she stopped in her tracks and sighed. They were just as used to this routine as she was, and simply told her that they would take her luggage on board and urged her to hurry up.
Mira gave them a grateful wave and turned back to her father, who waited for her with an amused glint in his eyes. Tall, crisply dressed, foreboding and utterly harmless, he watched make her way back to him for the single purpose of giving her some unwanted and decidedly weird piece of advice. Why he insisted on doing that every year? She had no idea.
When they were close enough for conversation, Mira crossed her arms and impatiently tossed her curly silver blond hair across her shoulder. "Yes, father? The train's leaving any moment now."
"You'd better hurry then", he said smugly and motioned for her to come even closer.
Mira rolled her eyes but did as he bid. She threw a glance at her mum, who was talking to Harry and Ginny. Their son, who was starting his first year, had long since vanished out of sight. He - like everyone else who had normal parents - was probably already on board. Mira, on the other hand, was stuck with a father who loved to be a nuisance and a mother who pretended not to notice.
"Well, what is it this time?" she asked suspiciously as her father put an arm around her shoulders and they started to stroll down the platform. "I've stayed away from kids that buy me candy, and I've befriended not one but two Slytherins. What's it gonna be this time? I have to poison a Gryffindor? Or only wear purple PJ's?"
"I'm glad you've taken my previous advice to heart", he chuckled. "Good girl."
Mira rolled her eyes and glanced longingly at the train. More and more students were boarding.
"But this time, I have something important to tell you, my dear", he said and looked her in the eye. "Mira, you are turning into a young woman now."
No kidding, I'm almost sixteen! Mira could only guess where this conversation was going, but her cheeks already burned with embarrassment.
"You are also very pretty", he continued, "and much as I loathe the idea, I must accept that there will be boys trying to get your attention..."
For a second, he seemed to cast a withering glare across her shoulder, but he held her in such an iron grip as to make it impossible for her to see who he had been looking at.
"And there are a few things you need to know about boys", he continued.
"Do we have to talk about this now?" Mira hissed, looking at the people around her. The platform was full of people. Most of them were adults, but what if someone heard him? Especially those nosy Gryffindors would be a nuisance all year...
"We do", Lucius said. His face and voice were perfectly serious, but she knew - she just knew - he was laughing internally at her discomfort.
She groaned internally, but knew better than to object. It was his fault too, she thought irritably, that her skin was so fair that even the hint of a blush made her face look pink. If he continued like this, she was sure no one needed to hear them - the entire platform would be able to see plainly that he'd embarrassed her somehow.
"My advice is very simple", Lucius stated, apparently oblivious to her worries. "If you think a boy might like you, you need to carefully consider whether you like him back or not."
"Obviously", Mira muttered. What lame advice...
"If you don't", her father continued unperturbed, "you must speedily and decisively make that clear to him. If necessary, you may use violence. Do you understand?"
Mira rolled her eyes but nodded. "And if I do like him?" she asked just as a cute seventh-year Ravenclaw caught her eye.
"If you like a boy, you must be honest with yourself and try to understand if you like him because he seems like a good guy or a bad guy."
Mira nodded.
"If there's nothing wrong with him whatsoever, he's not worth your time", Lucius dismised. "And if you think you might like him because he's got some sort of bad boy vibe..."
"Yes?" Mira asked curiously. One of the Slytherins she'd made a friend of was obviously into her - he might go into that category.
"The boy's bound to be just as worthless as he seems - so don't even think about it", her father warned sternly.
They had stopped, and Mira broke free so she could look him in the eye. His grey eyes were serious enough.
"But doesn't that mean they can't do anything right?" she objected.
"Exactly", he nodded sagely.
"Father", Mira whined, "you're not making any sense."
"Which is my point exactly", Lucius said smugly. "You are too young to associate with boys."
Mira crossed her arms. "You're just making these things up to annoy me!" she accused, but he stepped forward and folded her into his arms. His robes were soft and smooth and smelled safe.
"Not at all", he said, as Mira sank into his embrace. "Ask your mother, she'll agree."
"You always say that, but she never does", Mira muttered.
Lucius chuckled. "That's because no matter what she thinks, I'm the clever one."
"As if", Mira mumbled.
The train whistle blew. It was high time to board the train, but Mira kept her face hidden in his robes.
"You'll write to me, won't you?" she asked. Then, a sudden memory made her look up with a grin on her face. "Or are you gonna disown me again?"
Her father looked down at her with a look of disapproval, but she had always been able to see right through him. Right now, he may look stern, but there was also warmth in his gaze.
"If you pull a stunt like you did in your first year", he warned, "I will. And it will last for more than ten minutes this time1"
Mira laughed, and felt him tenderly caress her hair.
"I'll miss you, father", she whispered.
"And I love you dearly, my little curse-breaker."
"Are you ever going to tell me why you always call me that?"
"If you heed my advice, I might."
The final whistle blew, and Mira reluctantly broke away from her father's embrace to board the train. Two minutes later, she threw herself into an empty seat in the compartment her friends had chosen. Slightly out of breath, she finally greeted her friends warmly. She was glad her father had called her back. His advice might be absolute rubbish, but without it, she wouldn't feel the same. Only now was she ready for a new year of school.
As Lucius despondently watched the train depart, he felt a warm hand take his. He squeezed it tightly.
"I'm getting old", he said just as the train disappeared from view.
"You are", Hermione confirmed. "You've got gray hair."
"That's not what I meant", he said with a frown, looking down at his wife.
She met his gaze with a smirk. "Oh, you meant the wrinkles at the corners of your eyes?"
"I do not have wrinkles!" he objected.
"You do", she affirmed confidently.
Lucius muttered under his breath and turned more fully towards her. His hands found their way to her waist, and hers sneaked up to rest on his shoulders. He knew very well that almost everyone knew them and that their embrace - if there were no more exciting news - consequently might make the papers tomorrow. But they had long since stopped caring about the gossip that was printed. The only one bothered about it would be Mira, and it would only serve her well for leaving her poor father like this.
"You know very well that I am extremely fit for my age", Lucius said in a warning tone.
"Oh, I know", Hermione answered innocently. "But you're the one who said you're getting old."
"I take that back", Lucius muttered. "I meant that I'm turning sentimental."
"Oh, please", Hermione scoffed. "You've been like this every year since Mira started school."
"And every year, you have consoled me", he suggested.
Hermione tilted her head as she looked up at him. In the filtered daylight of King's Cross Station, he thought she looked just like she had all those years ago when they fist met: bright, youthful, stubborn and dangerously attractive. He might be biased, but surely no other wizard in history had a wife quite like his.
"If that's what you want to call it", Hermione said with a smirk.
Lucius tightened his grip on her waist. "I have to say that I like your method of consoling me."
"Oh yes, you always liked to be annoyed, didn't you", Hermione commented innocently.
"That wasn't the kind of diversion I was thinking about", Lucius corrected, hungrily gazing at her lips. Mira was off to school and the younger children were staying with their grandparents.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course not."
"Then shall we go home, my dear?"
Lucius stepped back and offered her his hand. Seventeen years had passed since he first did that, and she took it without hesitation.
They were going home.
The End.
And finally, we have reached the end!
I swear, I didn't intend for this story to become so long! Nor so compicated. In April last year, I suddenly started to write Forbidden. It just sort of flowed out, and remains my favourite story of the two. A Price To Pay has been more challenging, but I found it fun to try my hand at a completely different kind of plot and to delve deeper into Lucius's character. THANK YOU so much for reading until the very end! I hope it was worth it, and I promise: this time they really do live happily ever after!
A special heartfelt thanks goes to those of you who have reviewed - particularly zeeksmom, Natstar888 and pgoodrichboggs who have so frequently encouraged me with your kind words! Without your support, I'm not sure I would have made it through the difficult parts and periods.
I admit I have been tempted to write The Adventures of Mira Irena Malfoy, and perhaps I will some day, but it is high time I take a break from fan-fic writing. If you made it this far, however, and liked the story in spite of its many flaws: please write a review before you leave! It would make me so very happy to hear what you thought!
Love,
Ida