Author's Note: Thank you for all your encouraging reviews. Please keep them coming.

Chapter 18 Lucius' Decision

    Lucius Malfoy stared down at his sleeping son. He had sat himself besides Draco's hospital bed, one hand supporting his chin. His face was impassive, but his thoughts were grim.

    His son risking his life to save, of all people, a Weasley……It……disturbed him.

    Lucius prided himself on knowning his only son inside out. They share a bond. He had personally see to Draco's education and influence his character formation in his most impressionable teenage years. Surely……

    But, at the back of his mind, Lucius had sensed that Draco wasn't entirely conforming to his influence. Blame on late education, and Narcissa, who, in Draco's earlier years, had totally spoilt the boy. Draco had a soft side to him, a feminine trait probably inherited from Narcissa, although Lucius had tried all means to stamp it out……

    But Lucius could never bring himself to educate Draco in the same way that his father educated him. Cruciatus curses, that was what Lucius could remember of his own childhood. Not that he was bitter about it, Malfoys are never known to be compassionate to their kin. But somehow, when Draco was born and Lucius first set eyes on the adorable baby with the silver-blond hair, that was his son……Lucius vowed to himself that he would be a harsh, demanding parent, but he would not resort to physical or mental torture to bring across his point.

    Compared to me, and generations of Malfoys before us, Draco must be the happiest Malfoy child ever, Lucius thought half-amusingly. But happy, spoilt children do not make good heirs, they do not have character resilence.

    He turned his thoughts to the Weasley girl, and he sneered. Weasley! A name which, in his opinion, is a total disgrace to the wizarding world. What with Arthur Weasley and his muggle-loving ways. That man (and his whole family) had no pride whatsoever, consorting with Muggles and Mudbloods. And loving every minute of it. Dirty blood.

    But the Weasley girl had certainly grown up to be a fine young lady, even with her flaming red hair. She was no longer the plain, awkward child that he saw in Flourish & Blotts, when he slipped Tom Riddle's diary in her book pile. Too bad it didn't work out (to bring back Voldemort), the Basilisk didn't manage to kill even one Mudblood in Hogwarts. Pity. Anyway, Lucius had then decided (after he was exposed in front of Dumbledore by Harry Potter about the diary) that perhaps he should lay off murder for a while. Not that he ever committed one himself. Not that he couldn't, but it hadn't be necessary. Money could do almost everything these days. And money was what Lucius Malfoy has plenty of.

    Back to the Weasley girl. Did Draco saved her because he attracted to her, loved her maybe? If it was because of her looks……but Draco could not have been so shallow, could he? Maybe, he was a sixteen year old with raging hormones, after all. But there were plenty of pretty girls, ones that Lucius approve of……

    It must be more than her looks. It is that mysterious factor, something only Draco knows and I would never know, Lucius mused. Lucius Malfoy had never felt for a woman, not even Narcissa, in the truest sense of the word. But Lucius Malfoy was a keen observer of life, and he could cite countless examples where men of great bearing had given up empires just to be with the love of their life. Idiots, in Lucius' opinion, they are. Pig-headed is the word.

    Not his son. Whatever it is, he would never approve of his son with a Weasley. Hell, Malfoys are highborns, and Weasleys……well, in the medieval times, they would be the equivalent of peasants.

    Lucius stood up. Being swift in decision-making was one of his strongest traits. He wasn't going to wait around to see if his son was in love with the Weasley girl or not. Him saving her was disturbing enough. And he intends to put a stop to all silly teenage puppy love before it festers and corrupts his son.

    He walked firmly to the fireplace at the other end of the hospital wing and seized a fistful of glittering powder from a jar on the wall, and threw it into the flames.

    "I would like a word with……" he began.

Author's Note: Now, what do you think will happen? Make a guess……