Title: Seeing the Light (2/?)
Author: QueenC
Feedback: queenc@HotPOP.com
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius. Mentions Draco/Hermione.
Disclaimer: AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and the Potterverse is J. K. Rowling's playground. Any original characters belong to my muse. I'm making no money from this so please don't sue me.
Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.
Spoilers: Goes way AU after 'Birthday' on AtS. All four HP books, although this takes place long after Harry and co. graduate Hogwarts.
Summary: Five years later, the PTB decide to intervene once again. Sequel to 'Shadows and Glimpses'.
Author's Notes: Okay, as stated above in the summary, this fic takes place five years after 'Shadows and Glimpses'. If you haven't read that fic already, you might want to do so before reading this one. Otherwise, you'll probably be a little confused. The same basic changes apply here that did in that fic. No Cordelia/Angel romance, no Holtz, no Quor-toth, no ascension. I think that pretty much covers it for the Angelverse. Now, about the Potterverse. Basically, I'm making up everything after GoF. Anything you need to know between their fifth year and now, I'll explain in the fic. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in /'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!
Dedicated: To Child for all the help. You rock my face off, hun!
Special Thanks: To the wonderful people who reviewed 'Shadows and Glimpses' and gave me the encouragement to continue. Especially to 'houses', who gave me one of the nicest reviews I've ever received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
******
For a good minute, no one said a word. They were all too busy trying to comprehend what was happening, Lucius especially. Reminding himself he needed to breathe, he looked from Cordelia to the two children while his mind screamed for him to *do* something. Slowly, everyone else began to come around.
Draco narrowed his eyes, glaring at the woman who had occupied his father's thoughts for the past five years. All of the resentment that he felt toward her came rushing to the surface and it took everything he had within him not to pull out his wand and toss an Unforgivable or two in her direction. Instead, he clenched his fists and spat, "That isn't possible."
Harry, meanwhile, was removing his glasses and placing them back on his face, as if trying to determine what he was seeing was real. Staring at the two small children, he shook his head. "I don't believe it," he whispered. "How did the Ministry not know about them? They were supposed to be keeping an eye on Los Angeles for months after we left."
Hermione shook her head, still a bit sore at the insult Cordelia had thrown at her. "It does seem rather odd, doesn't it? One would think, if they were watching Angel Investigations, they would have noticed if Cordelia were pregnant," she murmured.
Cordelia shot the woman a dark look. "Hey! Standing right here, you know. And, they did know about it. I just wasn't honest about who the father was," she said, giving Lucius an apologetic look.
Ron opened and closed his mouth a few times, scarcely able to tear his eyes away from the little girl. Save the brown hair, she looked so much like Draco it was downright frightening. Finally, he managed a weak, "Then why come clean now?"
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, scowling at her redheaded friend.
Cordelia chuckled. "No, it's okay. I hadn't planned on the truth ever coming out, actually. But then, some things happened and the choice was out of my hands," she said vaguely.
Lucius finally found his voice, his tone almost awestruck. "Are you certain? That they are..." He trailed off, not wanting to anger her by questioning her claims. However, he also *had* to know the truth.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Yours?" she asked. Chuckling softly, she nodded. "Yes. First of all, it isn't like I've been...close with many guys. And second...well, just trust me Lucius. They're your children."
Draco snorted. "Trust you? Why in the name of Merlin should we trust you?" he sneered, still unwilling to accept what he was hearing. He was Lucius son! His *only* son. The idea of suddenly having a half-brother and sister was not an option.
Before Cordelia could respond, the little boy pulled his head away from his mother's leg and gave Draco a dark look. "Don't talk to my momma that way!" he growled.
Cordelia sighed. "Korben, honey, it's okay."
This time, it was the little girl who spoke up. Shaking her head, she also gave Draco a glare. "No, it's not! He's being mean," she insisted.
Upset at having his sister try and out do him, Korben turned his attention to her. "You're the mean one, Bella!" he stated fiercely.
Arabella looked at her twin brother. "You take that back!" she exclaimed, her voice becoming shrill.
"No!" he replied. "You *are* mean!"
Cordelia sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Here we go," she murmured, taking a step away from her children.
Lucius frowned, about to ask why she wasn't preventing the obvious fight that was about to break out between the children, when he received an answer.
Narrowing her eyes, Bella's arm shot out, her hand aimed at her brother. For a moment, everyone thought she was going to slap him. Then, something unbelievable happened.
Taking off like a rocket, Korben shot into the air, nearly colliding with the chandelier. Pressing his hands against the ceiling, he scowled down at his sister. "Stop it!" he exclaimed. Looking at Cordelia, he whined, "Momma! Bella won't put me down!"
Quickly, everyone looked from the floating little boy to the little girl. However, as far as they could see, she was merely standing there, a very Malfoy smirk on her face. She had her hand raised and was staring at her brother with intense concentration.
Gasping, Hermione audibly stated what they all were realizing. "She's the one doing it!"
Cordelia cleared her throat, giving her daughter a stern look. "Bella, put your brother down before he beams you to the roof, or whatever," she said firmly.
Ron's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Beams? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Harry bit his lip. "I think she means apparate. But, that isn't possible, is it? To apparate someone else with merely your mind?" he questioned to no one in particular.
Hermione slowly shook her head. "I've certainly never heard of it before," she replied.
Harry turned toward Draco, only to find that the former prince of Slytherin looked as though he were going to pass out at any moment. Licking his lips, the blonde man whispered, "I don't believe it. They're incredible. Their power..."
Lucius merely nodded silently with his son's statement. If there was any doubt in his mind that these children were his, it had vanished. Between their ice blue eyes with specks of silver, to their facial expressions and demeanor, to their unbelievable magical abilities, they were quite obviously Malfoy's.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes, becoming irritated with her daughter's blatant disregard for rules. In a voice that left no room for argument, she stated, "Arabella Alana Chase, you put your brother down right this minute!"
The little girl sighed, doing as she was told. Slowly, Korben floated down until his feet were touching the ground.
His face set in a scowl, he spun toward his sister, his hand raised. "You're a brat!" he cried.
Bella gasped, her eyes widening as the unseen power slammed into her. Then, she was gone.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes, glaring at her son. "Korben Francis, you have exactly *three* seconds to bring her back. One. Two."
Korben quickly waved his hand, and Bella appeared in the same spot she'd just been in. Except now she was soaking wet, with small leaves littered about her hair.
Stomping her foot, she glared at her brother. Then, she closed her eyes and the water and leaves disappeared. Opening them again, she gazed at her mother. "He sent me to the lake, momma!" she whined.
The brunette Seer sighed, looking at Lucius. "Sorry about this. Normally they're well behaved. I think it has something to do with the magic around here. They act the same way when they're in Sunnydale," she apologized. Chuckling, she added, "So, anymore questions about who's kids they are?"
No one said a word.
******
Cordelia smiled down at her children, who were snuggled close together in the enormous bed Lucius had ordered the house elves to prepare. Leaning over, she kissed Bella on the forehead, then Korben. "You two have a nice nap. I'll be downstairs when you wake up," she said softly.
Standing up, she turned to the door, smiling at the picture of Lucius standing there, a wistful expression on his face. Walking toward him, she shooed him into the hallway, then shut the door quietly.
"Okay. So, the kids have been fed, cleaned up, and are now taking a nap. I guess it's time I tell everyone what I'm doing here, huh?" she exclaimed.
Lucius nodded, staring at her. He still couldn't believe this was happening. Cordelia was here. She had two children.
And he was their father.
Swallowing, he motioned toward the staircase. "I believe the others settled in the sitting room to have some tea and no doubt guess on your being here," he said dryly.
Chuckling, the Seer followed him down the stairs, every so often glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Finally, as they neared the doors to the sitting room, she turned to face him. "Look, about me just showing up like that. I'm sorry. I would have called, but hey! No phones. And, the whole owl thing kinda freaked me out. Plus, telling you about the twins was something I needed to do face to face. And...well, there are some other things you need to know, too. But that can wait for everyone."
Lucius nodded. "I feel I must also apologize for my initial reaction to you and the children. I normally am much more composed," he replied evenly.
Cordelia snorted, rolling her eyes. "Please. You're talking to a demonic Seer who gave birth to kids that can levitate and apparate people at will. Normal stopped being in my vocabulary a *long* time ago, Lucius. And, the way I see it, you did fine. If it had been me in that situation, there would have been a lot more yelling and fainting involved," she said.
Lucius smiled, enjoying listening to her unique way of saying things. "I don't believe I realized how much I truly missed you until I saw you again," he suddenly whispered. Then, before he could think about what he was doing, he was running his hand along the side of her face.
Giving him a small smile, she gently took his hand in hers and squeezed it softly. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but now isn't the time for this. We'll have plenty of time to talk privately once I've explained a few things to everyone," she stated.
Nodding, he dropped his hand. "Very well." Looking at the closed doors, he took a deep breath. "Let's get on with it, shall we?"
******
While Cordelia and Lucius were overseeing the feeding and preparation of naps of the twins, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had retreated to a corner of the sitting room, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Draco, meanwhile, had disappeared outside, claiming the need for fresh air.
Ron shook his head, watching as the blonde stormed out the front doors, his face set in a scowl. "Git's probably so jealous he can't stand it," he commented. "Going from only child to oldest of three in one day. Imagine he's wondering what's going to happen to his precious Malfoy Millions."
Hermione gave the redhead a dark look. "Ronald Weasley, you stop that this instant! Imagine how you would feel, to suddenly find out you had a brother and sister you didn't even know about," she exclaimed.
Ron merely grinned at her. "Mione, I've already got five brothers and a sister. Two more would hardly make a difference," he responded cheekily.
Harry spoke up, trying to prevent the verbal battle that was about to occur. "Well, I think it would be wonderful. If I were Draco, I would be thrilled at the idea of helping to train two powerful children. Just think of all the good they could do when they got older," he stated.
"Yeah, or all the evil. They *are* Malfoy's, Harry. And, while Draco and his father may have turned a new leaf, they're entire ancestry is full of Dark Magic. You ask me, those kids don't stand a chance. Cordelia would be smart to get them out of here while she still can," Ron muttered.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, it's a lucky thing no one is asking for your opinion, Ron. I agree with Harry. And personally, I think they're adorable," she stated, smiling in a purely female way. Thoughts of her own children, should she ever meet someone, settle down, and have any, entered her mind. Would they be able to do magic? Shaking her head, she focused back in the here and now.
Harry frowned, something suddenly occurring to him. "Hey, I've got a question. Do you all remember what Cordelia said when she first arrived? Something about Wormtail..."
Hermione thought for a moment, then gasped. "You're right, Harry! She *did* say something about him!" she exclaimed. Ron frowned in confusion. "But how would she know about him?" he wondered.
Harry slowly smiled, an idea coming to mind. "I think I know," he said slowly. "She must have had a vision. That's why she's here!"
Cordelia laughed, walking into the room. "Very good, Harry. You know, for a while there I was starting to get worried that no one would figure it out," she stated.
Lucius chuckled at the shocked and embarrassed faces of the three Aurors. Frowning, he paused on his way to his chair. "Where's Draco?" he questioned.
Hermione bit her lip, exchanging worried glances with her friends. Finally, she looked back at Lucius. "He went for a walk," she said, hoping she hadn't just gotten the blonde in trouble for leaving when they had yet to hear Cordelia's story.
Lucius nodded evenly. Smiling at Cordelia, he murmured, "If you'll excuse me, I'll go find my son." Then, with his cloak billowing behind him, he exited the room.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow, watching him leave. Looking back at the Golden Trio, she laughed. "So, who wants to fill me in on the last five years?" she asked, dropping into one of the chairs.
******
Draco squinted at the sunlight in his eyes, his breathing coming in sharp gasps as he pointed his broom higher toward the sky. Ignoring the part of him that wanted desperately to keep going, away from the Manor, away from the emotions, away from everything, he pulled sharply to the right, then down, aiming directly for the ground.
Waiting until he'd gotten close enough that he could almost touch the blades of grass, he straightened back out and continued zooming along, the wind blowing his robes into the air. He tried to focus on his flying, to clear his mind of his conflicting emotions. However, it was useless. No matter what he did, he could still see the look of awe on his father's face when those two brats had conducted their magic show earlier.
Scowling, he shook his head. There wasn't one single time in his life that he could ever remember Lucius looking at him like that. No, his entire childhood was full of memories of 'try harder', 'do better', 'be worthy of the Malfoy name'. No matter *what* he'd done it hadn't been good enough for that man. And now, just when he was starting to feel as though Lucius was taking notice in his accomplishments, *she* had to show up.
He hated Cordelia Chase.
He tried not to. It wasn't like he wanted to or anything. After all, hating someone for no good reason was something the old Draco would do. However, he couldn't help it. He really, truly hated that woman. Not only had she seen a side of his father that he never would, but now her two mudblood brats were getting the recognition that he deserved.
Blinking furiously, he fought back the tears that suddenly blurred his vision. He knew he was being petty. He should be happy for his father. The woman that he loved was here, and now they could finally be together. But, Draco just couldn't do it. No matter how much he wanted to say he had grown up since his years at Hogwarts, no matter how badly he wanted to claim to be a new and improved Draco Malfoy, he just couldn't do it.
Sighing, he flew himself higher in the air, gazing at the wide stretch of land underneath him. Idly, he wondered if crashing into the ground and breaking a few bones would get Lucius' attention.
Frowning, he shook his head. What was the matter with him? Had he really slipped that far into his old self that he was entertaining thoughts of injury for attention?
Hovering in the air, he weighed his choices. He could swallow his anger and bitterness and go back to the Manor. Pretend to be happy for his father and feign interest in his new siblings. Or, he could keep flying, see how far he made it before his arms and legs gave out and he was forced to land. Perhaps then he could apparate to the Ministry and request an assignment far away from here.
Shaking his head, he once more berated himself. He was Draco Malfoy! He was *not* going to run away from his own home like a coward. No, instead he would do what he did best.
He would stay and fight for what was rightfully his.
******
Author: QueenC
Feedback: queenc@HotPOP.com
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius. Mentions Draco/Hermione.
Disclaimer: AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and the Potterverse is J. K. Rowling's playground. Any original characters belong to my muse. I'm making no money from this so please don't sue me.
Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.
Spoilers: Goes way AU after 'Birthday' on AtS. All four HP books, although this takes place long after Harry and co. graduate Hogwarts.
Summary: Five years later, the PTB decide to intervene once again. Sequel to 'Shadows and Glimpses'.
Author's Notes: Okay, as stated above in the summary, this fic takes place five years after 'Shadows and Glimpses'. If you haven't read that fic already, you might want to do so before reading this one. Otherwise, you'll probably be a little confused. The same basic changes apply here that did in that fic. No Cordelia/Angel romance, no Holtz, no Quor-toth, no ascension. I think that pretty much covers it for the Angelverse. Now, about the Potterverse. Basically, I'm making up everything after GoF. Anything you need to know between their fifth year and now, I'll explain in the fic. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in /'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!
Dedicated: To Child for all the help. You rock my face off, hun!
Special Thanks: To the wonderful people who reviewed 'Shadows and Glimpses' and gave me the encouragement to continue. Especially to 'houses', who gave me one of the nicest reviews I've ever received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
******
For a good minute, no one said a word. They were all too busy trying to comprehend what was happening, Lucius especially. Reminding himself he needed to breathe, he looked from Cordelia to the two children while his mind screamed for him to *do* something. Slowly, everyone else began to come around.
Draco narrowed his eyes, glaring at the woman who had occupied his father's thoughts for the past five years. All of the resentment that he felt toward her came rushing to the surface and it took everything he had within him not to pull out his wand and toss an Unforgivable or two in her direction. Instead, he clenched his fists and spat, "That isn't possible."
Harry, meanwhile, was removing his glasses and placing them back on his face, as if trying to determine what he was seeing was real. Staring at the two small children, he shook his head. "I don't believe it," he whispered. "How did the Ministry not know about them? They were supposed to be keeping an eye on Los Angeles for months after we left."
Hermione shook her head, still a bit sore at the insult Cordelia had thrown at her. "It does seem rather odd, doesn't it? One would think, if they were watching Angel Investigations, they would have noticed if Cordelia were pregnant," she murmured.
Cordelia shot the woman a dark look. "Hey! Standing right here, you know. And, they did know about it. I just wasn't honest about who the father was," she said, giving Lucius an apologetic look.
Ron opened and closed his mouth a few times, scarcely able to tear his eyes away from the little girl. Save the brown hair, she looked so much like Draco it was downright frightening. Finally, he managed a weak, "Then why come clean now?"
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, scowling at her redheaded friend.
Cordelia chuckled. "No, it's okay. I hadn't planned on the truth ever coming out, actually. But then, some things happened and the choice was out of my hands," she said vaguely.
Lucius finally found his voice, his tone almost awestruck. "Are you certain? That they are..." He trailed off, not wanting to anger her by questioning her claims. However, he also *had* to know the truth.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Yours?" she asked. Chuckling softly, she nodded. "Yes. First of all, it isn't like I've been...close with many guys. And second...well, just trust me Lucius. They're your children."
Draco snorted. "Trust you? Why in the name of Merlin should we trust you?" he sneered, still unwilling to accept what he was hearing. He was Lucius son! His *only* son. The idea of suddenly having a half-brother and sister was not an option.
Before Cordelia could respond, the little boy pulled his head away from his mother's leg and gave Draco a dark look. "Don't talk to my momma that way!" he growled.
Cordelia sighed. "Korben, honey, it's okay."
This time, it was the little girl who spoke up. Shaking her head, she also gave Draco a glare. "No, it's not! He's being mean," she insisted.
Upset at having his sister try and out do him, Korben turned his attention to her. "You're the mean one, Bella!" he stated fiercely.
Arabella looked at her twin brother. "You take that back!" she exclaimed, her voice becoming shrill.
"No!" he replied. "You *are* mean!"
Cordelia sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Here we go," she murmured, taking a step away from her children.
Lucius frowned, about to ask why she wasn't preventing the obvious fight that was about to break out between the children, when he received an answer.
Narrowing her eyes, Bella's arm shot out, her hand aimed at her brother. For a moment, everyone thought she was going to slap him. Then, something unbelievable happened.
Taking off like a rocket, Korben shot into the air, nearly colliding with the chandelier. Pressing his hands against the ceiling, he scowled down at his sister. "Stop it!" he exclaimed. Looking at Cordelia, he whined, "Momma! Bella won't put me down!"
Quickly, everyone looked from the floating little boy to the little girl. However, as far as they could see, she was merely standing there, a very Malfoy smirk on her face. She had her hand raised and was staring at her brother with intense concentration.
Gasping, Hermione audibly stated what they all were realizing. "She's the one doing it!"
Cordelia cleared her throat, giving her daughter a stern look. "Bella, put your brother down before he beams you to the roof, or whatever," she said firmly.
Ron's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Beams? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Harry bit his lip. "I think she means apparate. But, that isn't possible, is it? To apparate someone else with merely your mind?" he questioned to no one in particular.
Hermione slowly shook her head. "I've certainly never heard of it before," she replied.
Harry turned toward Draco, only to find that the former prince of Slytherin looked as though he were going to pass out at any moment. Licking his lips, the blonde man whispered, "I don't believe it. They're incredible. Their power..."
Lucius merely nodded silently with his son's statement. If there was any doubt in his mind that these children were his, it had vanished. Between their ice blue eyes with specks of silver, to their facial expressions and demeanor, to their unbelievable magical abilities, they were quite obviously Malfoy's.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes, becoming irritated with her daughter's blatant disregard for rules. In a voice that left no room for argument, she stated, "Arabella Alana Chase, you put your brother down right this minute!"
The little girl sighed, doing as she was told. Slowly, Korben floated down until his feet were touching the ground.
His face set in a scowl, he spun toward his sister, his hand raised. "You're a brat!" he cried.
Bella gasped, her eyes widening as the unseen power slammed into her. Then, she was gone.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes, glaring at her son. "Korben Francis, you have exactly *three* seconds to bring her back. One. Two."
Korben quickly waved his hand, and Bella appeared in the same spot she'd just been in. Except now she was soaking wet, with small leaves littered about her hair.
Stomping her foot, she glared at her brother. Then, she closed her eyes and the water and leaves disappeared. Opening them again, she gazed at her mother. "He sent me to the lake, momma!" she whined.
The brunette Seer sighed, looking at Lucius. "Sorry about this. Normally they're well behaved. I think it has something to do with the magic around here. They act the same way when they're in Sunnydale," she apologized. Chuckling, she added, "So, anymore questions about who's kids they are?"
No one said a word.
******
Cordelia smiled down at her children, who were snuggled close together in the enormous bed Lucius had ordered the house elves to prepare. Leaning over, she kissed Bella on the forehead, then Korben. "You two have a nice nap. I'll be downstairs when you wake up," she said softly.
Standing up, she turned to the door, smiling at the picture of Lucius standing there, a wistful expression on his face. Walking toward him, she shooed him into the hallway, then shut the door quietly.
"Okay. So, the kids have been fed, cleaned up, and are now taking a nap. I guess it's time I tell everyone what I'm doing here, huh?" she exclaimed.
Lucius nodded, staring at her. He still couldn't believe this was happening. Cordelia was here. She had two children.
And he was their father.
Swallowing, he motioned toward the staircase. "I believe the others settled in the sitting room to have some tea and no doubt guess on your being here," he said dryly.
Chuckling, the Seer followed him down the stairs, every so often glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Finally, as they neared the doors to the sitting room, she turned to face him. "Look, about me just showing up like that. I'm sorry. I would have called, but hey! No phones. And, the whole owl thing kinda freaked me out. Plus, telling you about the twins was something I needed to do face to face. And...well, there are some other things you need to know, too. But that can wait for everyone."
Lucius nodded. "I feel I must also apologize for my initial reaction to you and the children. I normally am much more composed," he replied evenly.
Cordelia snorted, rolling her eyes. "Please. You're talking to a demonic Seer who gave birth to kids that can levitate and apparate people at will. Normal stopped being in my vocabulary a *long* time ago, Lucius. And, the way I see it, you did fine. If it had been me in that situation, there would have been a lot more yelling and fainting involved," she said.
Lucius smiled, enjoying listening to her unique way of saying things. "I don't believe I realized how much I truly missed you until I saw you again," he suddenly whispered. Then, before he could think about what he was doing, he was running his hand along the side of her face.
Giving him a small smile, she gently took his hand in hers and squeezed it softly. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but now isn't the time for this. We'll have plenty of time to talk privately once I've explained a few things to everyone," she stated.
Nodding, he dropped his hand. "Very well." Looking at the closed doors, he took a deep breath. "Let's get on with it, shall we?"
******
While Cordelia and Lucius were overseeing the feeding and preparation of naps of the twins, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had retreated to a corner of the sitting room, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Draco, meanwhile, had disappeared outside, claiming the need for fresh air.
Ron shook his head, watching as the blonde stormed out the front doors, his face set in a scowl. "Git's probably so jealous he can't stand it," he commented. "Going from only child to oldest of three in one day. Imagine he's wondering what's going to happen to his precious Malfoy Millions."
Hermione gave the redhead a dark look. "Ronald Weasley, you stop that this instant! Imagine how you would feel, to suddenly find out you had a brother and sister you didn't even know about," she exclaimed.
Ron merely grinned at her. "Mione, I've already got five brothers and a sister. Two more would hardly make a difference," he responded cheekily.
Harry spoke up, trying to prevent the verbal battle that was about to occur. "Well, I think it would be wonderful. If I were Draco, I would be thrilled at the idea of helping to train two powerful children. Just think of all the good they could do when they got older," he stated.
"Yeah, or all the evil. They *are* Malfoy's, Harry. And, while Draco and his father may have turned a new leaf, they're entire ancestry is full of Dark Magic. You ask me, those kids don't stand a chance. Cordelia would be smart to get them out of here while she still can," Ron muttered.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, it's a lucky thing no one is asking for your opinion, Ron. I agree with Harry. And personally, I think they're adorable," she stated, smiling in a purely female way. Thoughts of her own children, should she ever meet someone, settle down, and have any, entered her mind. Would they be able to do magic? Shaking her head, she focused back in the here and now.
Harry frowned, something suddenly occurring to him. "Hey, I've got a question. Do you all remember what Cordelia said when she first arrived? Something about Wormtail..."
Hermione thought for a moment, then gasped. "You're right, Harry! She *did* say something about him!" she exclaimed. Ron frowned in confusion. "But how would she know about him?" he wondered.
Harry slowly smiled, an idea coming to mind. "I think I know," he said slowly. "She must have had a vision. That's why she's here!"
Cordelia laughed, walking into the room. "Very good, Harry. You know, for a while there I was starting to get worried that no one would figure it out," she stated.
Lucius chuckled at the shocked and embarrassed faces of the three Aurors. Frowning, he paused on his way to his chair. "Where's Draco?" he questioned.
Hermione bit her lip, exchanging worried glances with her friends. Finally, she looked back at Lucius. "He went for a walk," she said, hoping she hadn't just gotten the blonde in trouble for leaving when they had yet to hear Cordelia's story.
Lucius nodded evenly. Smiling at Cordelia, he murmured, "If you'll excuse me, I'll go find my son." Then, with his cloak billowing behind him, he exited the room.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow, watching him leave. Looking back at the Golden Trio, she laughed. "So, who wants to fill me in on the last five years?" she asked, dropping into one of the chairs.
******
Draco squinted at the sunlight in his eyes, his breathing coming in sharp gasps as he pointed his broom higher toward the sky. Ignoring the part of him that wanted desperately to keep going, away from the Manor, away from the emotions, away from everything, he pulled sharply to the right, then down, aiming directly for the ground.
Waiting until he'd gotten close enough that he could almost touch the blades of grass, he straightened back out and continued zooming along, the wind blowing his robes into the air. He tried to focus on his flying, to clear his mind of his conflicting emotions. However, it was useless. No matter what he did, he could still see the look of awe on his father's face when those two brats had conducted their magic show earlier.
Scowling, he shook his head. There wasn't one single time in his life that he could ever remember Lucius looking at him like that. No, his entire childhood was full of memories of 'try harder', 'do better', 'be worthy of the Malfoy name'. No matter *what* he'd done it hadn't been good enough for that man. And now, just when he was starting to feel as though Lucius was taking notice in his accomplishments, *she* had to show up.
He hated Cordelia Chase.
He tried not to. It wasn't like he wanted to or anything. After all, hating someone for no good reason was something the old Draco would do. However, he couldn't help it. He really, truly hated that woman. Not only had she seen a side of his father that he never would, but now her two mudblood brats were getting the recognition that he deserved.
Blinking furiously, he fought back the tears that suddenly blurred his vision. He knew he was being petty. He should be happy for his father. The woman that he loved was here, and now they could finally be together. But, Draco just couldn't do it. No matter how much he wanted to say he had grown up since his years at Hogwarts, no matter how badly he wanted to claim to be a new and improved Draco Malfoy, he just couldn't do it.
Sighing, he flew himself higher in the air, gazing at the wide stretch of land underneath him. Idly, he wondered if crashing into the ground and breaking a few bones would get Lucius' attention.
Frowning, he shook his head. What was the matter with him? Had he really slipped that far into his old self that he was entertaining thoughts of injury for attention?
Hovering in the air, he weighed his choices. He could swallow his anger and bitterness and go back to the Manor. Pretend to be happy for his father and feign interest in his new siblings. Or, he could keep flying, see how far he made it before his arms and legs gave out and he was forced to land. Perhaps then he could apparate to the Ministry and request an assignment far away from here.
Shaking his head, he once more berated himself. He was Draco Malfoy! He was *not* going to run away from his own home like a coward. No, instead he would do what he did best.
He would stay and fight for what was rightfully his.
******
