"Grace of the Devil"
Part Five:
After Lucius and a small group of Death Eaters completed their spy mission, Lucius was sent on various missions over the next few months. When he was gone from Malfoy Manor, he left Grace to the care of Trixie, his most compitant house elf. "You're the only one I can count on," he'd told the small elf. She was the only one who didn't cower in his presence, and he wasn't sure if this annoyed him or made him respect her.
Instead of grinning with stupid pride like any other house elf, Trixie took the compliment with a quiet dignity, so rare in house elves. "Yes, Master. Trixie will take good care of Miss Grace."
Narcissa continued to stay away from the manor, and only wrote occasionally to ask for money. Lucius was more then glad to oblidge: if money was what it took to keep his wife away, so be it. Things were quieter at home without her raging around.
Grace was growing, rapidly. She was soon able to sit up by herself, and Lucius had to keep an eye out when she began crawling around the manor. He put up barriers on all the stairs, ones that only he could pass through. The house elves were forced to climb up them to get around, but they did so without complaining. Lucius didn't care about their inconviences: all that mattered was his little Gracie.
She also began "talking": baby babble, nothing more. But Lucius knew that she was trying to say SOMETHING, and he pretended to understand her.
"Bababababa booooo," she'd say.
"Oh, really?" Lucius said, with a tone of interest. "What eles, my dear?" Whenever they had their "conversations", the pretty little girl would grin at him, showing her few teeth.
Teething was a nightmare. But Lucius bore it with a patience that only the best parents could. The house, once so clean, had countless teething rings and toys scattered about. No mattter what room they were in, Lucius had something to shove in Grace's mouth when she began to fuss. He told the house elves not to pick anything up, but to keep the floors spotlessly clean: he didn't want his Grace chewing germ-covered things.
All in all, being a single parent was a delight for the man. He found that he was in a better mood all the time, with the exception of when he was on his Death Eater missions. They were few and far between, however, and most of the time Lucius was left home with his lovely Grace.
By that spring, Lucius could tell that changes were occuring. His missions became less and less, and he kept reading in the "Daily Prophet" about the Ministry catching important Death Eaters, and how Azkaban was finally holding up. Dementors had even started returning. What is happening? Lucius wondered.
One night, his arm began to have that familiar ache. He was in the dining room, feeding Grace her dinner. She was nearly a year old now, and she still had a dark complexion and hair. Draco's had faded within his first six months, but Lucius didn't think much of his daughter's appearance. Except, of course, that she was the loveliest girl in the entire world.
When Lucius saw that his Death Eater mark had returned, he called Trixie to finish feeding the baby. "When she is finished, give her a bath and put her down for bed. Remember, she can't sleep without her-"
"Yes, Master," Trixie interuppted patiently. "Trixie is knowing what to do."
Lucius bent down and kissed his daughter on the forehead. "Goodbye, darling. Daddy will be back soon."
"Da-dee!" the girl said with a smile. Lucius smiled and walked out of the room. He didn't want to Apparate in front of his daughter. In the drawing room, he sighed and Apparated to the Death Eaters' meeting place.
When Lucius arrived, Tom Riddle's sitting room was already crowded with Death Eaters. Lucius soon found his "friends", Crabbe, Goyle, and Macnair, and they stood together, waiting for their master to appear.
Finally, Pettigrew came out from the back room, followed by Lord Voldemort. The Death Eaters all dutifully fell to their knees, and Lord Voldemort stood in the center of them. "Rise," he commanded.
The Death Eaters scurried to their feet, and Voldemort looked around at all of them. "Anyone missing?" he asked himself softly. "Where is Macnair?"
"I am here, my Lord," Macnair said dutifully, bowing. Voldemort nodded in aknowledgment and keep looking around at the crowd. A flint of a smile, an evil smile, came to his snake-like face.
"Good, all my faithful servants have arrived." He stood in the center of them all, and all eyes were on him. Lucius wondered vaguely what he had called them here for. Something big, he suspected. The last full meeting they'd had was the night of Lord Voldemort's resurrection, three years ago.
"You are probably wondering why I called you here," Voldemort said, as though he'd read their minds. Then again, he probably had. "As I'm sure you've all heard, scores of our faithful ones have been captured and thrown into Azkaban." Lucius looked around at the circle. Yes, undoubtedly there were many gaps amoungst them. Voldemort continued: "What are we to do, Death Eaters? Are we to keep letting the Ministry of Magic capture us all, until there's no one left? No...we must stand and fight them."
Everyone began muttering amoungst themselves. Fight? Was this goign to be it? The Final Battle? Lucius was the only one not speaking, until the Dark Lord demanded silence again.
"Yes," he said, with a snake-like hiss. "You all know what has come. This is it, my Death Eaters. In two weeks, we will have our attack on Azkaban. We must wait...we have some new faithfuls joining us from the students of Hogwarts." Lucius felt his stomach lurch. Not...Draco?
Lord Voldemort continued. "I will call for you in two weeks. You will all come here, and we will go to Azkaban. Any of you who try to get out of it will be found and killed..." Lucius wasn't sure, but he could've sworn that Voldemort's cold red eyes looked his way when he spoke those final words. Lucius tried to remain calm.
"I send you on your way now," Voldemort said. "Be ready. The battle is coming."
There were loud popping all around as the Death Eaters hurried away. Lucius stood in a daze for a moment. When Voldemort's eyes met his again, Lucius Disapparated.
The Final Battle, he thought when he arrived to his drawing room. We're going to storm Azkaban. Of course, some of us will die...what if I die? What will become of Grace?'
Thinking of his daughter sent Lucius quickly up the stairs and to the nursery. He found Trixie in the rocking chair, feeding Grace her before-bed bottle. Trixie looked up when Lucius burst in and put a finger to her lips, looking irritated. "Master must be quiet, Miss Grace is going to sleep."
"Give her to me, Trixie," Lucius whispered. The house elf obeyed, and Lucius took her place in the rocking chair. Grace looked up at him with big blue eyes, and smiled. "Drink up, darling," he said gently.
I can't leave her, he told himself as she drank her bottle. When she finished, he held her to his shoulder and burped her. She snuggled against him, and Lucius leaned back and closed his eyes. I won't leave her, he told himself. I don't care what I have to do. I'm not going to that battle.
In the darkness of the nursery, as the baby girl slept on his shoulder, Lucius cried softly as he held her daughter tightly in his arms.
Part Five:
After Lucius and a small group of Death Eaters completed their spy mission, Lucius was sent on various missions over the next few months. When he was gone from Malfoy Manor, he left Grace to the care of Trixie, his most compitant house elf. "You're the only one I can count on," he'd told the small elf. She was the only one who didn't cower in his presence, and he wasn't sure if this annoyed him or made him respect her.
Instead of grinning with stupid pride like any other house elf, Trixie took the compliment with a quiet dignity, so rare in house elves. "Yes, Master. Trixie will take good care of Miss Grace."
Narcissa continued to stay away from the manor, and only wrote occasionally to ask for money. Lucius was more then glad to oblidge: if money was what it took to keep his wife away, so be it. Things were quieter at home without her raging around.
Grace was growing, rapidly. She was soon able to sit up by herself, and Lucius had to keep an eye out when she began crawling around the manor. He put up barriers on all the stairs, ones that only he could pass through. The house elves were forced to climb up them to get around, but they did so without complaining. Lucius didn't care about their inconviences: all that mattered was his little Gracie.
She also began "talking": baby babble, nothing more. But Lucius knew that she was trying to say SOMETHING, and he pretended to understand her.
"Bababababa booooo," she'd say.
"Oh, really?" Lucius said, with a tone of interest. "What eles, my dear?" Whenever they had their "conversations", the pretty little girl would grin at him, showing her few teeth.
Teething was a nightmare. But Lucius bore it with a patience that only the best parents could. The house, once so clean, had countless teething rings and toys scattered about. No mattter what room they were in, Lucius had something to shove in Grace's mouth when she began to fuss. He told the house elves not to pick anything up, but to keep the floors spotlessly clean: he didn't want his Grace chewing germ-covered things.
All in all, being a single parent was a delight for the man. He found that he was in a better mood all the time, with the exception of when he was on his Death Eater missions. They were few and far between, however, and most of the time Lucius was left home with his lovely Grace.
By that spring, Lucius could tell that changes were occuring. His missions became less and less, and he kept reading in the "Daily Prophet" about the Ministry catching important Death Eaters, and how Azkaban was finally holding up. Dementors had even started returning. What is happening? Lucius wondered.
One night, his arm began to have that familiar ache. He was in the dining room, feeding Grace her dinner. She was nearly a year old now, and she still had a dark complexion and hair. Draco's had faded within his first six months, but Lucius didn't think much of his daughter's appearance. Except, of course, that she was the loveliest girl in the entire world.
When Lucius saw that his Death Eater mark had returned, he called Trixie to finish feeding the baby. "When she is finished, give her a bath and put her down for bed. Remember, she can't sleep without her-"
"Yes, Master," Trixie interuppted patiently. "Trixie is knowing what to do."
Lucius bent down and kissed his daughter on the forehead. "Goodbye, darling. Daddy will be back soon."
"Da-dee!" the girl said with a smile. Lucius smiled and walked out of the room. He didn't want to Apparate in front of his daughter. In the drawing room, he sighed and Apparated to the Death Eaters' meeting place.
When Lucius arrived, Tom Riddle's sitting room was already crowded with Death Eaters. Lucius soon found his "friends", Crabbe, Goyle, and Macnair, and they stood together, waiting for their master to appear.
Finally, Pettigrew came out from the back room, followed by Lord Voldemort. The Death Eaters all dutifully fell to their knees, and Lord Voldemort stood in the center of them. "Rise," he commanded.
The Death Eaters scurried to their feet, and Voldemort looked around at all of them. "Anyone missing?" he asked himself softly. "Where is Macnair?"
"I am here, my Lord," Macnair said dutifully, bowing. Voldemort nodded in aknowledgment and keep looking around at the crowd. A flint of a smile, an evil smile, came to his snake-like face.
"Good, all my faithful servants have arrived." He stood in the center of them all, and all eyes were on him. Lucius wondered vaguely what he had called them here for. Something big, he suspected. The last full meeting they'd had was the night of Lord Voldemort's resurrection, three years ago.
"You are probably wondering why I called you here," Voldemort said, as though he'd read their minds. Then again, he probably had. "As I'm sure you've all heard, scores of our faithful ones have been captured and thrown into Azkaban." Lucius looked around at the circle. Yes, undoubtedly there were many gaps amoungst them. Voldemort continued: "What are we to do, Death Eaters? Are we to keep letting the Ministry of Magic capture us all, until there's no one left? No...we must stand and fight them."
Everyone began muttering amoungst themselves. Fight? Was this goign to be it? The Final Battle? Lucius was the only one not speaking, until the Dark Lord demanded silence again.
"Yes," he said, with a snake-like hiss. "You all know what has come. This is it, my Death Eaters. In two weeks, we will have our attack on Azkaban. We must wait...we have some new faithfuls joining us from the students of Hogwarts." Lucius felt his stomach lurch. Not...Draco?
Lord Voldemort continued. "I will call for you in two weeks. You will all come here, and we will go to Azkaban. Any of you who try to get out of it will be found and killed..." Lucius wasn't sure, but he could've sworn that Voldemort's cold red eyes looked his way when he spoke those final words. Lucius tried to remain calm.
"I send you on your way now," Voldemort said. "Be ready. The battle is coming."
There were loud popping all around as the Death Eaters hurried away. Lucius stood in a daze for a moment. When Voldemort's eyes met his again, Lucius Disapparated.
The Final Battle, he thought when he arrived to his drawing room. We're going to storm Azkaban. Of course, some of us will die...what if I die? What will become of Grace?'
Thinking of his daughter sent Lucius quickly up the stairs and to the nursery. He found Trixie in the rocking chair, feeding Grace her before-bed bottle. Trixie looked up when Lucius burst in and put a finger to her lips, looking irritated. "Master must be quiet, Miss Grace is going to sleep."
"Give her to me, Trixie," Lucius whispered. The house elf obeyed, and Lucius took her place in the rocking chair. Grace looked up at him with big blue eyes, and smiled. "Drink up, darling," he said gently.
I can't leave her, he told himself as she drank her bottle. When she finished, he held her to his shoulder and burped her. She snuggled against him, and Lucius leaned back and closed his eyes. I won't leave her, he told himself. I don't care what I have to do. I'm not going to that battle.
In the darkness of the nursery, as the baby girl slept on his shoulder, Lucius cried softly as he held her daughter tightly in his arms.