A/N: WARNING! This story depicts Lucius Malfoy in a new way. I remember reading the review for a story awhile back, where the reviewer mentioned that it would be nice to see Lucius as "human", or "not evil". Well, he IS evil...at least, from what we've seen in Ms. Rowling's works. I've written a story showing him as evil...check out "The Woes of Mrs. Malfoy", it's not bad. But this story shows him in a new light, loving and caring. After all, there is some good in everyone...
"Grace of the Devil"
Part One:
Lucius winced at the sound coming from the bathroom: Narcissa's dry heaves. She'd been throwing up like this for days. She must've gotten sick from her trip to Greece, he thought with a smirk. I hope I don't get it...
The toilet flushed, and a pale, messy-haired Narcissa stumpled out of the bathroom. Lucius hated seeing her like this: he could barely stand her when she was looking her best, let alone sickly and reeking of puke. Narcissa sat down at the edge of the bed next to her husband, and Lucius scowled.
"Don't come close to me, woman. I don't want what you have."
"You can't get it," she snarled impatiently.
"What is it, then? A diese for heartless people?"
"Well, if it were that, you'd have had it for a long time, wouldn't you?"
Lucius rolled his eyes. He always HATED this, their childish bittering. They were worse then Draco and the children at his school. "Well," Lucius said, trying hard to keep the bitterness from his voice, "what have you got, then?"
Narcissa looked her husband in the eye, and it was all he could do to not look away. Her sapphire-blue eyes, the ones he'd fallen in love with years ago, had lost their spark of youth and life long ago. It didn't that they were bloodshot and watery now, but the dead blankness was the worst of it. But Lucius knew he couldn't look away. "Lucius," she whispered, her voice devoid of any of it's previous mocking, "I'm late."
"Late?" Lucius narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by LATE?"
"What do you THINK I mean?" Narcissa snapped in irritation. "Late, as in, I'm pregnaut."
Time stood still. Lucius stared at his wife, awestruck. Surely she couldn't be...but the look in her eyes told him it was true. After a long minute, Lucius managed to whisper, "Pregnaut?"
Narcissa nodded wordlessly, and Lucius was thrown back into a memory. Just days ago, he and his wife had engaged in a night of love-making, something they hadn't done in...how long? Years, it seemed. It had been the night after she returned from her vacation, looking very tan and enticing. "Lucius," she'd purred, half-drunken, "I want you."
And he'd given in. It had felt nice to be with his wife again. She was an excellent love-maker, no denying. But he hated her too much to be around her to TALK, let along share something as intimate as sex. Yes, Lucius had a very romantic opinion about this practice as old as time. He believed that, to throughly enjoy it, he had to care for the person. Or at least be able to stand them. But he'd been glad after he and Narcissa lay in bed together, for the first time in a LONG time.
But now, there would be a price to pay for their night of lustful passion.
"What are we going to do?" Lucius finally asked. This time, it was Narcissa's turn to roll her eyes.
"Well, what do you THINK I'll do? Get an abor-"
"Don't SAY it!" Lucius snapped, causing his wife to jump in surprise. "Don't even think about it. Out of the question."
"What?" She was clearly surprised by this. "Lucius, are you mad? What other choice do we have?"
"We're going to have another child, I suppose..."
"Are you out of your mind?" Narcissa demanded. She managed to jump up, even in her weak state. "I am NOT having another child for you! One was enough, a son to carry on the family name. And he's sixteen years old! We're too old for another child!"
"Speak for yourself," Lucius mumbled, and Narcissa narrowed her eyes at him. "You're having that baby."
"It's not your choice to make."
"Oh, it's not?" Lucius gave his wife a pointed look. "Fine. You do as you please...but not in my house."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Lucius said slowly, "that you will leave. Get out. Never come back."
"You can't-"
"I CAN," Lucius said pointedly. "Care to change your mind, then?"
"That's...that's blackmail."
"Well," Lucius said with the Malfoy smirk, "if that's what it takes to keep you from being a murderer..."
"YOU'RE a murderer."
"Ah," Lucius said slowly, "that is another subject, my dear." That loving sentiment was hurled at Narcissa like a dirty insult, and she look a step back.
"Fine," she said after staring at her husband for a long minute. "Fine. I'll have the blasted child. But you see how well Draco takes it."
"I don't care HOW he takes it," Lucius said slowly. "It's none of his concern, now, is it?"
"Oh!" With an impatient cry, Narcissa stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Lucius sighed and lay back down on his pillows.
A baby. Narcissa was going to have a baby. He was going to be a father, all over again. Do I want that? he thought.
Yes.
He'd wanted more children for quite some time. Draco was a good child, the perfect son. But Lucius had always wanted a daughter. A little girl of his own.
Of course, Narcissa had refused to produce any more children for him, claiming that Draco had nearly killed her during childbirth. Besides, she'd always say, who in their right mind would want to have more children then necessary? Just enough to pass on the family name.
Well, Lucius thought with a small smile, I may finally get that daughter. Yes, a little girl to dress pretty and show off. A sweet, kind child. Lucius sighed. In a family like this, that wouldn't be likely. But having a daughter would be a dream come true for Lucius.
A little Lenore Grace, after his late mother.
******************************************************************
That night at dinner, Lucius and Narcissa announced the news of the pregnancy to Draco. The boy, who'd already been growing distant that summer after his father's escape from Azkaban, got even more quiet. It saddened Lucius to see his son so miserable. But he'll get used to the idea, he assured himself.
Narcissa picked up a goblet of wine and put it to her lips. In a panic, Lucius slapped it out of her hand, spilling wine everywhere. "Lucius, what in the WORLD-"
"What are you thinking, you foolish twit?" Lucius demanded angrily. "You are PREGNAUT. You can't drink that when you're pregnaut!"
Narcissa scowled as Lucius used his wand to clean the spilled wine. Draco threw down his napkin and asked to be excused, and Lucius refused. "You're going away to school in a week. We're going to be together as a family before you go." Draco looked at his father like the man had suddenly grown two heads. Needless to say, the rest of the meal was silent and uncomfortable for everyone there.
It doesn't matter, Lucius told himself. Soon, they'll be as happy about the news as I am.
Soon, we'll have a baby. And everyone will finally be happy again...
"Grace of the Devil"
Part One:
Lucius winced at the sound coming from the bathroom: Narcissa's dry heaves. She'd been throwing up like this for days. She must've gotten sick from her trip to Greece, he thought with a smirk. I hope I don't get it...
The toilet flushed, and a pale, messy-haired Narcissa stumpled out of the bathroom. Lucius hated seeing her like this: he could barely stand her when she was looking her best, let alone sickly and reeking of puke. Narcissa sat down at the edge of the bed next to her husband, and Lucius scowled.
"Don't come close to me, woman. I don't want what you have."
"You can't get it," she snarled impatiently.
"What is it, then? A diese for heartless people?"
"Well, if it were that, you'd have had it for a long time, wouldn't you?"
Lucius rolled his eyes. He always HATED this, their childish bittering. They were worse then Draco and the children at his school. "Well," Lucius said, trying hard to keep the bitterness from his voice, "what have you got, then?"
Narcissa looked her husband in the eye, and it was all he could do to not look away. Her sapphire-blue eyes, the ones he'd fallen in love with years ago, had lost their spark of youth and life long ago. It didn't that they were bloodshot and watery now, but the dead blankness was the worst of it. But Lucius knew he couldn't look away. "Lucius," she whispered, her voice devoid of any of it's previous mocking, "I'm late."
"Late?" Lucius narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by LATE?"
"What do you THINK I mean?" Narcissa snapped in irritation. "Late, as in, I'm pregnaut."
Time stood still. Lucius stared at his wife, awestruck. Surely she couldn't be...but the look in her eyes told him it was true. After a long minute, Lucius managed to whisper, "Pregnaut?"
Narcissa nodded wordlessly, and Lucius was thrown back into a memory. Just days ago, he and his wife had engaged in a night of love-making, something they hadn't done in...how long? Years, it seemed. It had been the night after she returned from her vacation, looking very tan and enticing. "Lucius," she'd purred, half-drunken, "I want you."
And he'd given in. It had felt nice to be with his wife again. She was an excellent love-maker, no denying. But he hated her too much to be around her to TALK, let along share something as intimate as sex. Yes, Lucius had a very romantic opinion about this practice as old as time. He believed that, to throughly enjoy it, he had to care for the person. Or at least be able to stand them. But he'd been glad after he and Narcissa lay in bed together, for the first time in a LONG time.
But now, there would be a price to pay for their night of lustful passion.
"What are we going to do?" Lucius finally asked. This time, it was Narcissa's turn to roll her eyes.
"Well, what do you THINK I'll do? Get an abor-"
"Don't SAY it!" Lucius snapped, causing his wife to jump in surprise. "Don't even think about it. Out of the question."
"What?" She was clearly surprised by this. "Lucius, are you mad? What other choice do we have?"
"We're going to have another child, I suppose..."
"Are you out of your mind?" Narcissa demanded. She managed to jump up, even in her weak state. "I am NOT having another child for you! One was enough, a son to carry on the family name. And he's sixteen years old! We're too old for another child!"
"Speak for yourself," Lucius mumbled, and Narcissa narrowed her eyes at him. "You're having that baby."
"It's not your choice to make."
"Oh, it's not?" Lucius gave his wife a pointed look. "Fine. You do as you please...but not in my house."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Lucius said slowly, "that you will leave. Get out. Never come back."
"You can't-"
"I CAN," Lucius said pointedly. "Care to change your mind, then?"
"That's...that's blackmail."
"Well," Lucius said with the Malfoy smirk, "if that's what it takes to keep you from being a murderer..."
"YOU'RE a murderer."
"Ah," Lucius said slowly, "that is another subject, my dear." That loving sentiment was hurled at Narcissa like a dirty insult, and she look a step back.
"Fine," she said after staring at her husband for a long minute. "Fine. I'll have the blasted child. But you see how well Draco takes it."
"I don't care HOW he takes it," Lucius said slowly. "It's none of his concern, now, is it?"
"Oh!" With an impatient cry, Narcissa stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Lucius sighed and lay back down on his pillows.
A baby. Narcissa was going to have a baby. He was going to be a father, all over again. Do I want that? he thought.
Yes.
He'd wanted more children for quite some time. Draco was a good child, the perfect son. But Lucius had always wanted a daughter. A little girl of his own.
Of course, Narcissa had refused to produce any more children for him, claiming that Draco had nearly killed her during childbirth. Besides, she'd always say, who in their right mind would want to have more children then necessary? Just enough to pass on the family name.
Well, Lucius thought with a small smile, I may finally get that daughter. Yes, a little girl to dress pretty and show off. A sweet, kind child. Lucius sighed. In a family like this, that wouldn't be likely. But having a daughter would be a dream come true for Lucius.
A little Lenore Grace, after his late mother.
******************************************************************
That night at dinner, Lucius and Narcissa announced the news of the pregnancy to Draco. The boy, who'd already been growing distant that summer after his father's escape from Azkaban, got even more quiet. It saddened Lucius to see his son so miserable. But he'll get used to the idea, he assured himself.
Narcissa picked up a goblet of wine and put it to her lips. In a panic, Lucius slapped it out of her hand, spilling wine everywhere. "Lucius, what in the WORLD-"
"What are you thinking, you foolish twit?" Lucius demanded angrily. "You are PREGNAUT. You can't drink that when you're pregnaut!"
Narcissa scowled as Lucius used his wand to clean the spilled wine. Draco threw down his napkin and asked to be excused, and Lucius refused. "You're going away to school in a week. We're going to be together as a family before you go." Draco looked at his father like the man had suddenly grown two heads. Needless to say, the rest of the meal was silent and uncomfortable for everyone there.
It doesn't matter, Lucius told himself. Soon, they'll be as happy about the news as I am.
Soon, we'll have a baby. And everyone will finally be happy again...