Chapter Seven: Lesson The First

"You wanted to see me Father?"

"Yes. Morgaine," Lucius said motioning for his daughter to enter. "Please take a seat."

Cautiously Morgaine Malfoy walked into her father's study. Taking a seat at the large maroon chair opposite his desk.

"Morgaine, do you know why I called you here?"

"No, Father."

"I received a rather interesting letter from Prunus Parkinson last night."

"Prunus?"

"Yes, Prunus," Lucius replied.

"Why would Prunus be writing to you?"

"I would like you to read over what he has said Morgaine and then I would like you to tell me what it means."

Morgaine took the parchment from her father's hands. As she read Lucius could see them begin to tremble.

"Well?"

Morgaine slowly raised her head to face Lucius, he could see that she was beginning to cry.

"Father, its not --" her voiced faltered. "Its not how he makes it seem. Its not like this."

"Well then," Lucius said with a menacing sneer. "Was is it like? Care to explain to me what it is that you find at fault with Prunus' accusation?"

"Everything!" she exclaimed in a manner that made Lucius jump. "Prunus sees thru jealous eyes. He doesn't see things as they are."

"And that would be?"

Morgaine hesitated, taking in a moment to compose herself before she continued. "I love him."

"Do you really?"

"Yes," she whispered quietly. "Very much. He's an exceptional wizard. Seeker on his house Quidditch game. They are in the running of winning the Quidditch cup this year. He's pure blood. He's everything that you've always said you wanted for me."

With a swift motion Lucius lifted himself from his chair and brought himself within inches of his terrified daughter.

"What I wanted Morgaine, was for you to live up to your potential. Not to parade yourself around Hogsmeade with a Weasley!"

"But Father, I -- "

"Silence!" Lucius said as he pulled a piece of parchment from his desk. "You are to walk this down and owl it to Mr. Weasley."

"What is it?" she asked as she grabbed the parchment from her father.

"Its an announcement of your engagement to Prunus Parkinson."

"What!"

"You made this mess for yourself and it is up to me to fix it for you."

"Father, I don't love Prunus."

"Need I remind you Morgaine what lies ahead for you. The position of power that you are to inherit. The time for childish games are over. It is time that you put your future and the future of this family before things such as love."

In that one moment, unsure of what was happening inside of her. Whether it was a moment of courage or of growing fear Morgaine Malfoy placed the parchment back on her father's desk.

"I could give a damn about power. About darkness. About the things that you hold so dear. It isn't about me. Its about you! Your legacy. Your power and position within the ranks of the Dark Lord. I will have none of it. I will not follow your footsteps into the Death Eaters. I will not marry Prunus Parkinson. And most importantly, I definitely will not allow someone like you, a man who has never known love or knows how to show it to other, tell me who I can and cannot fall in love with."

"You don't know what you're saying child."

"I know exactly what I am saying! If you don't approve of myself and the Weasley then that is a problem you will have to deal with yourself."

Lucius gave Morgaine a murderous look, however the girl did not back down.

"If you do not give up your relationship with the Muggle loving Weasley then you are no longer a Malfoy."

"Then I guess I am not."

With that Morgaine Malfoy turned around and walked out the door. A strange sense of freedom had overcome her. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. As Lucius watched her leave, he gave his daughter credit for standing up to him, however foolish. She would have to be punished for her insolence. He was not about to let a child, especially his own, become involved with a Weasley.

"Dobby!"

The scruffy house-elf came barreling into Lucius study tripping on the carpet and falling on the marble floor. Quickly picking himself up he stood at Lucius' feet.

"Yes, Master Lucius?"

"First I want you to go down into the kitchen to check on the status of tonight's feast. I am having very important Wizards over and I don't want anything to mess it up."

"Y-yes sir."

Secondly Dobby, I want you to go out into the garden and pick some Hemlock and bring it to me along with that blue crystal goblet that Mistress Morgaine fancies so much."

Dobby looked up at Lucius in horror, "H-her goblet sir."

"Yes, Dobby," Lucius seethed picking the elf up by his ears. "And if you so much as whisper this to another soul, especially Draco or Narcissa, so help me I will split you in half."

Letting go of Dobby's ears Lucius watched as he hit the floor with a large thud and soon scurry off down the hall. His daughter needed to be taught a lesson. No matter how painful it was going to be for her or him. However Lucius told himself that in the end, she would be better off for it.

Now Lucius Malfoy sat in the same chair he did all those years ago. This time across from his only son, in an attempt to squelch any of the defiance that had cost his sister her life.

Draco sat patiently in the chair in front of his father. The two had been totally silent since he had motioned for Draco to take his seat. He wondered what he was going to talk to him about. In his wildest dreams he would open up to Draco his feeling about Morgaine's death. Today on what would have been her birthday. However Draco knew that with school vastly approaching it was probably something along the lines of the Death Eaters or Potter, something completely contrived that Draco could care less about.

"There's something I need to tell you," Lucius said in a soft manor as if it seemed he was trying to carefully choose his words.

"About what Father?"

"Draco, I know what today is. Today would have been your sister's birthday."

Draco couldn't believe his ears. Too shocked to really say anything he simply replied, "I know."

"I realize that since that happened we haven't spoken of the circumstances surrounding her death. This was a decision that I made all those years ago because I felt that you needed to be old enough to understand the full extent of that night. Now, as you enter your fifth year at Hogwarts, a Prefect, congratulations by the way, I feel that the time has come for you to know what happened to her that night. Do you remember what your mother and I told you had happened when we returned from St. Mungo's?"

"That it had been some kind of virus and if it had been found in time she would have survived."

Lucius studied Draco carefully, again with a look that say he was choosing his words, "Now I want you to let me explain in detail before you react to what I am about to tell you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father."

"Your sister did not die of any illness Draco," Lucius said pausing before he finished his sentence.

"I accidentally killed her."