"Grace of the Devil"
Part Eight:
During the year in Azkaban, Lucius suffered a broken heart. He missed Grace horribly, and the Dementors enjoyed being around his cell when he thought about her: his emotional aching was a feast for them. Damn them, he thought weakly as he lay on the floor of his cell. Oh, Gracie. My poor, poor baby...
He wrote to her, once a week. He hoped that Narcissa or Trixie (one of the few literate house elves around) would read it to her. He wrote lies, saying that he was in Africa buying her presents and exploring the jungle. He smiled as he remembered the stories he told her of wizards in the jungle, but a Dementor would float by and leave him sad all over again.
Lucius also wrote that he was buying her presents, and he intended to do that when he got out. IF I get out, he thought sadly. The only true thing he wrote her was that he loved her. "Be good for Mummy," all his letters would end. "I love you so much, my Gracie." And out the letters would go, once a week.
A little over a year after his incarseration began, Lucius recieved his very first visitor. During his whole stay, his wife hadn't come to see him once. Grace hadn't been by, and he preferred it that way: he didn't want his little baby to see him this way, dirty and weak, though he missed her horribly. He'd rather have her live in a wonderful lie then the horrible truth. I must protect her, he told himself.
His visitor came right to his cell, completly unexpected. Lucius knew the drill for visitors, though he'd never recieved one: you were given a day's notice, and would be led to a meeting room, guarded by Dementors, to see them. So when Lucius woke from his nap and found Cornelius Fudge looking in at him, he was a little more then surprised. He jumped and stared at the fat man on the other side of the cell, and the Minister smiled.
"Well, well," Fudge said mockingly, "how the mighty have fallen."
Lucius slowly got to his feet, glaring at his former ally. "Nice to see you, too, Cornelius."
The Minister snickered. "You look...well, I've seen you better, Lucius."
Lucius looked down at his dirty grey robes and his shaggy, blond hair. Damn bastard. "Yes, well...hard to keep yourself in this place. Although I see that you managed to let yourself go without Azkaban to help," he added with a sneer, glaring at Fudge's pot belly.
Fudge gave him an indignant look. "You better watch your mouth, Malfoy. I came here for business, and I thought you'd be interested."
"I see," Lucius said, going over to the bars. Startled, Fudge took a step back. "What sort of business?"
"I've been working to have you released," Fudge said, causing Lucius's blond eyebrows to arch. "It hasn't been easy, but I managed to break the members of the Wizenmagot. You're up for a trial, and if you do everything I say, your release will be most certain."
Lucius eyed the Minister with suspicion. "All right, then. What do I have to do?"
"Well, you will, of course, have to swear your loyalty to the Ministry and the wizarding community."
"Go on..."
"You'll have to name names," Fudge said, and Lucius could've sworn that some of the prisoners in the cells around them looked out at them. "But you don't have to come up with the names yourself," Fudge continued. He pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Lucius. Listed were the names of some of Lucius's fellow Death Eaters. "Just read this list. Some of these people are under suspicion, some have already been caught. You won't be giving them anything to go on, just a way to prove your loyalty."
Lucius pocketed the list. "I have a feeling that there's more."
"Ah, yes," Fudge said. "I have gone to a lot of trouble for you. I feel that it's worth...one hundred thousand?"
"One hundred thousand!" Lucius thundered.
"Calm down, or the Dementors will be here in a minute!" Fudge scolded. "Well? Do we have a deal?"
One hundred thousand galleons! That was more then he'd ever given Fudge at one time. It was robbery! But it was his key to freedom...his way back to Grace...
"Yes, a deal," Lucius said bitterly. Fudge smiled in triumph and held out a hand to shake on the deal. Lucius pointed ignored the outstretched hand. Embarressed, Fudge cleared his throat and put his hand down.
"Your trial is tomorrow morning. I will be here to pick you up myself. Rest well."
"Yes. Thank you, Minister." Fudge walked swiftly down the cooridor, his expensive shoes banging against the cement floors. Lucius retreated to the corner of his cell and sank to the floor. Damn him! One hundred thousand galleons! But it would all be worth it, if he could only be with his daughter again...she was all he had now.
The next day, Lucius took his list to the courtroom in the Ministry of Magic. He took the oath of loyalty, read the list of names, and left, arm in arm, with the Minister. He was free.
Lucius hastily got the Minister to Gringotts and got one hundred thousand galleons from his account transferred to Fudge's. When the transaction was complete, Fudge turned to him with a triumphant grin and handed Lucius his wand. "Congratulations, Malfoy. You are free."
Before Apparating home, Lucius took a quick shopping trip around Diagon Alley, buying every expensive toy he could find. With bags bulging with toys for Grace, he finally Apparated home.
It seemed that the house was expecting him. Narcissa was sitting in the drawing room, her fingers drumming nervously against the arm of the leather couch. She jumped up when her husband came in. "I got word from the Ministry yesterday, but I could hardly believe it...you are home." But there was no affection in her eyes, only mild relief. Lucius barely looked at her before turning away.
"Where is my daughter?"
Narcissa looked very annoyed. "In her room. She is asleep."
"You've been taking care of her, I trust?"
Narcissa snorted. "No. The day you left, I sent out for a nurse."
"I see." Lucius wasn't angry: he wasn't even surprised. "I will be dismissing her, then. How much have you been paying her?"
"One thousand a month."
"I will give her a note for twelve thousand more and send her on her way." He was throwing money left and right on this day, but hell...he felt generous.
"Fine," Narcissa said bitterly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I was getting ready for a trip to the states when the letter came. I am leaving tonight."
"Good." Narcissa stormed out of the room, and Lucius sank down into his favorite armchair, exhausted after the long day. He'd woken up in his cell in Azkaban, and now he was finally home. Home...to his Grace...
Lucius quickly rose and went up the stairs. He started down the hall to Grace's nursery, when he saw that the door to one of the guest rooms was open. Lucius looked in and saw a stout, grey-haired woman, packing things into a trunk. She looked to the doorway, as if she sensed his presence, and smiled. "Mr. Malfoy, I assume?"
"Yes," he said, coming in. "I hope I wasn't interuppting anything?"
"Not at all. I was expecting you." She shut her full trunk and turned back to him. "Your wife told me you'd be coming home, and that I would no longer be needed."
"Yes," Lucius said. "But, I very much appreciate all you've done. Grace...she's very important to me."
"I know," the nurse said kindly. "I read all the letters you sent. She keeps them in a box in her room."
"Thank you," Lucius said curtiously. "I was wondering if Grace was getting them."
"She was facinated by her daddy's trips around the world," the nurse said with a grin. "She was very excited, saying that you'd be buying her presents..." She eyed the many shopping bags. "I see that you were good to your word."
"Nothing is too good for her."
"She's wonderful," the nurse said softly. "I took care of her as if she were my own."
"I'm sorry to turn you away," Lucius said. "I would keep you if I thought we needed you..." The nurse held up her hand to stop him.
"Don't worry," the nurse said. "I've had plenty of jobs in my time. I will find another."
"You can stay, until you do."
"That is kind of you, but I really must be going. I can stay with my daughter in London, until I find work."
"Here," Lucius said quickly. He pulled his Gringotts book out of his cloak and wrote out a note. "What is your name?" he asked, embarressed that he hadn't asked before.
"Europa Starsky," the nurse answered without a pause. Lucius made a note to have twelve thousand galleons transfered from his acount to hers. He held out the note for her to take, but she drew back from it. "Oh, sir, I couldn't."
"Please," Lucius begged, holding the note out. "You've been so good to my Gracie, I want to repay you."
"You don't have to," Europa insisted. "If you give me the note, I'll burn it. Put it away."
Lucius sighed in defeat. "You are a good woman."
Europa shook her head. "Don't praise me, sir. I only do what's right." She pulled out her wand and muttered a spell to make her trunk float. "I will take the Knight Bus to London now."
"Thank you...for everything."
Europa smiled kindly and shook Lucius's hand. "You must be itching to see her."
"Oh, yes."
"Alright, but try not to wake her too soon. She hasn't been well lately."
"Oh, my poor baby," Lucius muttered in distress. The nurse smiled again.
"Not to worry, she's just fine. A little cold, nothing more. But she needs to rest."
"Of course, I'll only see her for a moment. I won't even wake her up."
"Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy." And with that, Europa Starsky took her levitated trunk and left the room. Lucius remained in her room-the guest room-until she had gone out the front door. Thank goodness she was here, Lucius thought. She took care of Grace when I couldn't.
The reminder of his daughter drew him quickly from the room and down the hall to his original destination: Grace's nursary. Lucius opened the door carefully, and found the small room lit with only one candle. In the light, he could see Grace sleeping in her bed. Just as I left her, he thought. It's almost like nothing has changed. He sat down in the chair next to the bed...he imaged that Europa had been sitting there earlier, nursing the sick child.
Lucius watched his daughter sleep for several minutes. When he couldn't resist it any longer, he reached out with a gentle finger and brushed a black curl off her forehead. But that was enough to make the girl's blue eyes open. She blinked at him in surprise. "Daddy?" she whispered.
She remembered! Lucius felt his heart begin to thump happily. "Yes, Sweetheart. I'm home." He reached over and wrapped his little girl in a hug. "Oh, I missed you."
"I missed you, too," the child whispered. Lucius kissed her head and held her close.
"I'll never leave you again," he promised. "Never again..."
Part Eight:
During the year in Azkaban, Lucius suffered a broken heart. He missed Grace horribly, and the Dementors enjoyed being around his cell when he thought about her: his emotional aching was a feast for them. Damn them, he thought weakly as he lay on the floor of his cell. Oh, Gracie. My poor, poor baby...
He wrote to her, once a week. He hoped that Narcissa or Trixie (one of the few literate house elves around) would read it to her. He wrote lies, saying that he was in Africa buying her presents and exploring the jungle. He smiled as he remembered the stories he told her of wizards in the jungle, but a Dementor would float by and leave him sad all over again.
Lucius also wrote that he was buying her presents, and he intended to do that when he got out. IF I get out, he thought sadly. The only true thing he wrote her was that he loved her. "Be good for Mummy," all his letters would end. "I love you so much, my Gracie." And out the letters would go, once a week.
A little over a year after his incarseration began, Lucius recieved his very first visitor. During his whole stay, his wife hadn't come to see him once. Grace hadn't been by, and he preferred it that way: he didn't want his little baby to see him this way, dirty and weak, though he missed her horribly. He'd rather have her live in a wonderful lie then the horrible truth. I must protect her, he told himself.
His visitor came right to his cell, completly unexpected. Lucius knew the drill for visitors, though he'd never recieved one: you were given a day's notice, and would be led to a meeting room, guarded by Dementors, to see them. So when Lucius woke from his nap and found Cornelius Fudge looking in at him, he was a little more then surprised. He jumped and stared at the fat man on the other side of the cell, and the Minister smiled.
"Well, well," Fudge said mockingly, "how the mighty have fallen."
Lucius slowly got to his feet, glaring at his former ally. "Nice to see you, too, Cornelius."
The Minister snickered. "You look...well, I've seen you better, Lucius."
Lucius looked down at his dirty grey robes and his shaggy, blond hair. Damn bastard. "Yes, well...hard to keep yourself in this place. Although I see that you managed to let yourself go without Azkaban to help," he added with a sneer, glaring at Fudge's pot belly.
Fudge gave him an indignant look. "You better watch your mouth, Malfoy. I came here for business, and I thought you'd be interested."
"I see," Lucius said, going over to the bars. Startled, Fudge took a step back. "What sort of business?"
"I've been working to have you released," Fudge said, causing Lucius's blond eyebrows to arch. "It hasn't been easy, but I managed to break the members of the Wizenmagot. You're up for a trial, and if you do everything I say, your release will be most certain."
Lucius eyed the Minister with suspicion. "All right, then. What do I have to do?"
"Well, you will, of course, have to swear your loyalty to the Ministry and the wizarding community."
"Go on..."
"You'll have to name names," Fudge said, and Lucius could've sworn that some of the prisoners in the cells around them looked out at them. "But you don't have to come up with the names yourself," Fudge continued. He pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Lucius. Listed were the names of some of Lucius's fellow Death Eaters. "Just read this list. Some of these people are under suspicion, some have already been caught. You won't be giving them anything to go on, just a way to prove your loyalty."
Lucius pocketed the list. "I have a feeling that there's more."
"Ah, yes," Fudge said. "I have gone to a lot of trouble for you. I feel that it's worth...one hundred thousand?"
"One hundred thousand!" Lucius thundered.
"Calm down, or the Dementors will be here in a minute!" Fudge scolded. "Well? Do we have a deal?"
One hundred thousand galleons! That was more then he'd ever given Fudge at one time. It was robbery! But it was his key to freedom...his way back to Grace...
"Yes, a deal," Lucius said bitterly. Fudge smiled in triumph and held out a hand to shake on the deal. Lucius pointed ignored the outstretched hand. Embarressed, Fudge cleared his throat and put his hand down.
"Your trial is tomorrow morning. I will be here to pick you up myself. Rest well."
"Yes. Thank you, Minister." Fudge walked swiftly down the cooridor, his expensive shoes banging against the cement floors. Lucius retreated to the corner of his cell and sank to the floor. Damn him! One hundred thousand galleons! But it would all be worth it, if he could only be with his daughter again...she was all he had now.
The next day, Lucius took his list to the courtroom in the Ministry of Magic. He took the oath of loyalty, read the list of names, and left, arm in arm, with the Minister. He was free.
Lucius hastily got the Minister to Gringotts and got one hundred thousand galleons from his account transferred to Fudge's. When the transaction was complete, Fudge turned to him with a triumphant grin and handed Lucius his wand. "Congratulations, Malfoy. You are free."
Before Apparating home, Lucius took a quick shopping trip around Diagon Alley, buying every expensive toy he could find. With bags bulging with toys for Grace, he finally Apparated home.
It seemed that the house was expecting him. Narcissa was sitting in the drawing room, her fingers drumming nervously against the arm of the leather couch. She jumped up when her husband came in. "I got word from the Ministry yesterday, but I could hardly believe it...you are home." But there was no affection in her eyes, only mild relief. Lucius barely looked at her before turning away.
"Where is my daughter?"
Narcissa looked very annoyed. "In her room. She is asleep."
"You've been taking care of her, I trust?"
Narcissa snorted. "No. The day you left, I sent out for a nurse."
"I see." Lucius wasn't angry: he wasn't even surprised. "I will be dismissing her, then. How much have you been paying her?"
"One thousand a month."
"I will give her a note for twelve thousand more and send her on her way." He was throwing money left and right on this day, but hell...he felt generous.
"Fine," Narcissa said bitterly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I was getting ready for a trip to the states when the letter came. I am leaving tonight."
"Good." Narcissa stormed out of the room, and Lucius sank down into his favorite armchair, exhausted after the long day. He'd woken up in his cell in Azkaban, and now he was finally home. Home...to his Grace...
Lucius quickly rose and went up the stairs. He started down the hall to Grace's nursery, when he saw that the door to one of the guest rooms was open. Lucius looked in and saw a stout, grey-haired woman, packing things into a trunk. She looked to the doorway, as if she sensed his presence, and smiled. "Mr. Malfoy, I assume?"
"Yes," he said, coming in. "I hope I wasn't interuppting anything?"
"Not at all. I was expecting you." She shut her full trunk and turned back to him. "Your wife told me you'd be coming home, and that I would no longer be needed."
"Yes," Lucius said. "But, I very much appreciate all you've done. Grace...she's very important to me."
"I know," the nurse said kindly. "I read all the letters you sent. She keeps them in a box in her room."
"Thank you," Lucius said curtiously. "I was wondering if Grace was getting them."
"She was facinated by her daddy's trips around the world," the nurse said with a grin. "She was very excited, saying that you'd be buying her presents..." She eyed the many shopping bags. "I see that you were good to your word."
"Nothing is too good for her."
"She's wonderful," the nurse said softly. "I took care of her as if she were my own."
"I'm sorry to turn you away," Lucius said. "I would keep you if I thought we needed you..." The nurse held up her hand to stop him.
"Don't worry," the nurse said. "I've had plenty of jobs in my time. I will find another."
"You can stay, until you do."
"That is kind of you, but I really must be going. I can stay with my daughter in London, until I find work."
"Here," Lucius said quickly. He pulled his Gringotts book out of his cloak and wrote out a note. "What is your name?" he asked, embarressed that he hadn't asked before.
"Europa Starsky," the nurse answered without a pause. Lucius made a note to have twelve thousand galleons transfered from his acount to hers. He held out the note for her to take, but she drew back from it. "Oh, sir, I couldn't."
"Please," Lucius begged, holding the note out. "You've been so good to my Gracie, I want to repay you."
"You don't have to," Europa insisted. "If you give me the note, I'll burn it. Put it away."
Lucius sighed in defeat. "You are a good woman."
Europa shook her head. "Don't praise me, sir. I only do what's right." She pulled out her wand and muttered a spell to make her trunk float. "I will take the Knight Bus to London now."
"Thank you...for everything."
Europa smiled kindly and shook Lucius's hand. "You must be itching to see her."
"Oh, yes."
"Alright, but try not to wake her too soon. She hasn't been well lately."
"Oh, my poor baby," Lucius muttered in distress. The nurse smiled again.
"Not to worry, she's just fine. A little cold, nothing more. But she needs to rest."
"Of course, I'll only see her for a moment. I won't even wake her up."
"Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy." And with that, Europa Starsky took her levitated trunk and left the room. Lucius remained in her room-the guest room-until she had gone out the front door. Thank goodness she was here, Lucius thought. She took care of Grace when I couldn't.
The reminder of his daughter drew him quickly from the room and down the hall to his original destination: Grace's nursary. Lucius opened the door carefully, and found the small room lit with only one candle. In the light, he could see Grace sleeping in her bed. Just as I left her, he thought. It's almost like nothing has changed. He sat down in the chair next to the bed...he imaged that Europa had been sitting there earlier, nursing the sick child.
Lucius watched his daughter sleep for several minutes. When he couldn't resist it any longer, he reached out with a gentle finger and brushed a black curl off her forehead. But that was enough to make the girl's blue eyes open. She blinked at him in surprise. "Daddy?" she whispered.
She remembered! Lucius felt his heart begin to thump happily. "Yes, Sweetheart. I'm home." He reached over and wrapped his little girl in a hug. "Oh, I missed you."
"I missed you, too," the child whispered. Lucius kissed her head and held her close.
"I'll never leave you again," he promised. "Never again..."