Chapter 26: The Bonds Of Family
{A/N: Here's Another Update...Lack of sleep and constant moving has contributed to quite a few delays but none the less...I've managed to come up with something...}
{"...Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me...'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me...Once I was twenty years old, my story got told...Before the morning sun, when life was lonely...Once I was twenty years old...I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure...'Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major...I got my boys with me at least those in favor...And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later...} 7 Years Old, Lukas Graham
My Thanks To All My Reader And Reviewers...enjoy S.S.
The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Lucius Abraxas Malfoy had been watching the new Slytherins like a hawk given it was his job as Prefect. He had not noted any with very much appeal until his seemingly intelligent gray eyes noted a frail looking lad with raven hair and sorrowful eyes of obsidian. The charming teen wizard had liked the look of the boy whom had not been much of anything given his appearance but there seemed to be a good deal more to him than anyone would have believed.
Never on for associating with anyone else often, Lucius had commanded the respect of his Slytherin peers given his status as one of the most wealthy and influential wizards despite his young age and not to mention his line had come from the sacred twenty eight.
His opinion was highly respected among the other Slytherin students despite his lack of association. His original assumption of the young wizard's greatness had been proven when the sorting hat placed him in Slytherin house before all of Hogwarts.
Not long after that Lucius had been witness to what he would later come to know as "The Marauders" attacking the young boy and casting him into the lake. The boy evidently could not swim and without a single thought to the contrary the handsome young Prefect discarded his robes and leapt into the water.
He pulled the young wizard from the murky depths and onto the grounds. His obsidian eyes filled with fear and self loathing had somehow only made Lucius care for him all the more.
"T-Thank you for saving my life, Sir." young Severus said.
"There is no need for that trivial formalities, we Slytherins have to look out for one another." said Lucius with a charming smile. "Come along Little Brother...I imagine you are quite famished by now."
Young Severus looked up at Lucius with a strange expression filed across his sallow pale face. No one had ever wanted to be associated with him before. Let alone a notoriously wealthy Pureblood wizard like Lucius Malfoy.
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Front Entrance, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Lucius Malfoy stood with the only living son of Severus Snape as they entered Malfoy Manor. The boy had been seemingly impressed with the magnitude of Malfoy Manor despite it not at all being anywhere near it's former prominence as it had before the second wizarding war. In fact it was quite gray and grim much as it had been when the despot Voldemort entered the manor and imprinted his taint of death and soullessness into the very walls.
"Welcome home." said the Senior Malfoy pleased for the first time in nineteen years to welcome his young nephew into the family fold.
Regulus had his hands in his pockets as he looked around the place. He noted the seemingly antique furniture and the eerie quiet that filled the place. It was exactly the kind of place his father would have been hold up in there was no doubt about that.
"I'm assuming it looked better back in the day." he said.
Lucius chuckled.
"Such cynical wit, like your father." he said evidently pleased. "To answer your non question, yes it looked vastly better than it does at this point but due to our funds being drained by the dark lord and the lack of resources given to former death eaters without employ, we simply make due."
Regulus nodded.
He knew all too well that death eaters were not treated kindly since Voldemort's second fall. The stigma still remained from the war even for those whom had defected. The news of The Malfoy families suffering only increased in a bid to put a scare in others whom had not gone to Azkaban but hid in the wake of the war.
"Ain't right what they did to you all." said the raven haired wizard.
He continued to look around before he caught sight of an older woman with graying hair and sorrowful eyes.
"Narcissa." said Lucius meeting the gaze of his long suffering wife.
"I-I believed you'd be dead this time." she said in a shaken tone. "You know how I worry when you are away too long..."
Her sorrowful eyes fell upon Regulus and without another word she swiftly walked over toward him placing a trembling hand upon his paled cheek and meeting his obsidian gaze with tears streaming down her own ghastly pale cheek.
"S-Severus?" she said confused as she looked over the younger raven haired wizard.
"Cissy, this is...Regulus." The Senior Malfoy attempted to explain.
"R-Regulus?" she said pausing at the mention of her long deceased cousin's name.
"Regulus Prince." said the obsidian eyed wizard noting her familiarity with his first name. "My father named me after..."
"My cousin." replied Narcissa stunned by the revelation of this boy being the son of Severus Snape. "S-Severus had a child?"
She looked up at Lucius.
"Apparently, he had impregnated one of the girls from the revel and spared her life." explained Lucius. "He kept her and the boy hidden in North America for the duration of both wars."
"B-But why didn't he tell us...why did he not mention...?" she suddenly froze. "Draco."
Narcissa burst into tears as she recalled what she had asked of her dearest friend.
Regulus looked at her more than a bit confused.
"Who's Draco?" He asked.
"Our son, and your father's godson." said Lucius. "Your father made an unbreakable vow to save his life and that of Potter's."
Regulus felt a surge of rage fill him.
"Explains why he left us." he said almost bitterly. "I mean dying for Draco I get but Geek boy...didn't he have enough loyal followers worshiping at his feet...did he really need my father too?"
The Senior Malfoy sighed.
"I believe it was a bit more complicated than that..." he said not sure of the whole ordeal himself.
"Doesn't matter." replied Regulus with his fists balled in frustration. "Evidently he cared more for that geeky bastard than me."
Narcissa could see the pain behind the younger wizard's eyes.
"Why'd he give you the last name Prince?" she asked. "And what of your mother...does she yet live?"
Regulus sighed not at all wishing to discuss his mother with anyone.
"So much like Severus." said Lucius with a smile. "It took time for him to open up to either of us also."
Regulus had been surprised by this.
"Y-You mean...he didn't tell you much about his life either?" he asked curious.
Narcissa sighed this time.
"Severus was quite the closed book mostly...unless he loved and trusted you enough to say what he needed to say." she said. "He had been hurt quite a bit and found trust to be hard to come by...whatever his reasons for helping Harry Potter, they were not a reflection of his caring for that boy any more than he cared for you but quite possibly a reflection of it."
Regulus had not thought of it that way and it was good to have some kind of perspective.
"He said he gave me his mother's last name so that I would never need to suffer the stigma of being the related to Tobias as he had." replied the raven haired wizard. "As for my mother...she passed away some weeks ago...couldn't get over the old man's death I suppose."
Narcissa wrapped her arms around the young wizard.
"Well...we have indeed suffered a good bit of tragedy in these nineteen years...but the important thing is that you found your home...and your true family." she said spoken every bit like an experienced mother.
Lucius placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"As I said before, welcome home...son." he said with a serious expression filed across his pale face.
Regulus nodded in agreement. Perhaps this family, his father's family was whom he had been meant to find.