Grace of the Devil
Part Eleven:
By the time Grace turned ten, she'd begun to grow into a lovely young woman. And though Lucius was proud of his beautiful daughter, he was also scared. She was getting older, and in a year...she'd be going to school.
Lucius was determined to enjoy the last year with his little girl. And at first, things were as they'd always been.
Until one morning.
Lucius sat at the end of the table, waiting for Grace to arrive for breakfast. As usual, she always came in after he'd sat down. But he never minded waiting for his little girl. When she finally came in, she was wearing a new dress of green satin. "Good morning, beautiful," Lucius greeted her, as he always did.
"Good morning," she said, not as cheerfully as usual. She kissed his cheek before sitting down.
"Darling, what's the matter?"
Grace shook her head. "Nothing," she murmured with a little sigh.
"Gracie, tell Daddy what's wrong." But Grace only shook her head, her black curls flouncing.
"I can't," she muttered.
"Gracie, you must. Please."
Grace sighed and looked at her father, her blue eyes wide. She appeared...nervous? She isn't afraid of me, is she? Lucius wondered franticly. No, no, I've always been so good to her. Please...
But Grace finally spoke. And what she said nearly knocked Lucius from his chair. "What do you know about...my real father?"
Lucius gaped at her for a moment, hardly believing his ears. Her REAL father? How... "Gracie, have you been speaking to your mother?"
"No, Daddy!" she insisted quickly. "You know I haven't spoken to Mother in ages!"
"Then...HOW?"
Grace gave him a small, sad smile. "How long did you think you could keep it from me? I mean, look at us. It's too obvious."
"Grace..."
"What do you know about him?" she asked quickly, as if trying to get it out before she lost her nerve.
"Grace, you listen to me," Lucius said sternly. "You are to forget all about this. You're real father doesn't matter."
"But-"
"Whose raised you all your life? Whose always been there for you?"
Grace sighed and looked at her lap again. "You, Daddy."
"Then why does this...PERSON matter? I'm all you need, Grace."
"I just want to know who I am."
"Darling!" Lucius exclaimed. "You are Lenore Grace Malfoy, my daughter. What more do you need to know?"
"WHAT am I? Italian, or Greek, or-"
"I don't know," Lucius snapped, so harshly that Grace flinched and looked away. Lucius felt guilty, and he put a hand over her's. "Darling, please. For the both of us, just forget all about this. I am your real father, alright? That's all you need to know."
"Yes, Daddy," Grace said in defeat. "I'll forget all about it."
"Promise?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"That's my girl," Lucius said, satisfied. He leaned over and kissed his daughter on the forehead, and she gave him a little smile.
The rest of the day went by normally, and Grace was back in her normal, high spirits as she practiced her French and piano. Grace is not only beautiful, but talented, Lucius thought proudly as he listened to her play in the drawing room. At least I can be credited for SOMETHING.
In the afternoon, Lucius sent Grace up to her room for a nap. Though she was becoming a young woman, he still believed that she needed to rest in the afternoon. He didn't particularly know or care what she did during this time, as long as she stayed in her room and was quiet. While Grace was napping, Lucius read the newspaper in his study. He got so absorbed in it that he didn't even notice how late it became: five o'clock, and Grace still hadn't come downstairs! Lucius rose from his favorite chair to go upstairs: perhaps she actually fell asleep today, he thought with a smile.
Lucius opened the door to Grace's room (no longer called a 'nursary', as she was ten years old now), and found it dark. Lucius went over to the bed, but when he got close, he gasped.
It was empty.
It didn't even look like anyone had been sleeping in it. The house elves always made it back up after Grace woke up, and it was still made up. Maybe she's in her bathroom, Lucius thought, becoming worried. He knocked on the door. "Grace? Darling?" No reply, and Lucius pushed the door open.
The bathroom was dark and empty.
Lucius was becoming frantic now. "Grace? Grace! Gracie, where are you, darling?" He headed out of the room and into the hall. Maybe she went into another room? he thought desperatly. He searched every room in the hall, even Draco's, which hadn't been entered since his death nine years before. He knew that Grace couldn't possibly be in there, but still...
When he still didn't find her, he was now in a panic. "Trixie! Get up here!" The elf, who'd been Grace's nurse elf for years, was there quickly.
"Master, what is you needing?"
"Where is Miss Grace?" he asked, not bothering to lower his voice. He knew he should calm down and be rational, but...his little girl was missing!
"Trixie is not knowing, Master," and for the first time in her life, Lucius saw fear in the elf's eyes. Not of his rage, but for Grace's concern.
"Oh, GODS! Where is she!" he cried loudly.
"Master must calm himself!" Trixie cried, slightly annoyed. "Maybe Miss Grace is hiding..."
"She's NEVER hidden from me before!" Lucius cried. "And she's grown out of those little games! Oh, Gracie, where ARE you?"
Trixie went past Lucius and into Grace's room. Lucius followed her as she looked around, and she stopped in front of Grace's desk. On the desk sat a few books...and a note. Trixie held it out for Lucius, who hastily snatched it from the elf's hand and read:
DEAR DADDY,
I DON'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU LIKE THIS, BUT I MUST FIND MY REAL FATHER.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME: I HAVE MONEY, AND I'M
TAKING JINGLE WITH ME. SHE'LL LOOK AFTER ME. I'LL WRITE SOON. I LOVE
YOU.
-GRACE
Lucius stared at the letter, reading it over and over again. "You don't understand"...that would haunt him forever. With a cry of frustration and sorrow, Lucius tore the letter up and flung it to the floor, and threw himself down on Grace's bed to cry into her pillows. He felt Trixie's furry hand on his back.
"Is Trixie to get anything for Master?"
Lucius raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "You can leave me, you beast. This is you're fault!"
"Master, I is not letting Grace leave!"
"You should've been watching her! YOU'RE her nurse! You're lucky I don't present you with clothes! Now leave me be!" He watched Trixie stomped out of the room, spitefully slamming the door behind her. Lucius buried his head in the pillows again.
"Gracie, Gracie," he murmured sadly. "My little baby, why did you leave me?" And he lay there, for a very long time.
The next day, Lucius got a letter by owl post. But it wasn't from Grace: it was from Narcissa. Narcissa never sent him anything, though he sent her some part of her fortune every month. The return address for the letter was from Naples, Italy: she'd apparently left her Paris lover and taken one eleswhere, Lucius supposed.
He ripped open the envelope and read:
LUCIUS-
WELL, YOU WOUDLN'T BELIEVE MY SHOCK LAST NIGHT WHEN ONE OF MY HOUSE
ELVES BROUGHT IN A LITTLE GIRL TO SEE ME. THAT GIRL WAS OUR DAUGHTER,
COMING ALL THE WAY TO ITALY WITH ONLY AN INCOMPITANT HOUSE ELF TO
ACCOMPANY HER! SO MUCH FOR TAKING GOOD CARE OF HER, EH?
ANYWAY, SHE ASKS ME ABOUT HER REAL FATHER. YOU NEVER TOLD HER, DID YOU?
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SHOCKING HER WITH THE TRUTH: A MUGGLE IN GREECE!
MY, CAN HER EYES GET BIG. NAIVE LITTLE MUDBLOOD SHE IS. ANYWAY, I
KINDLY LET HER STAY THE NIGHT AND GAVE HER SOME MONEY. YOU MAY REPAY
ME THE THIRTY GALLEONS IN MY NEXT PAY NOTE NEXT MONTH. SHE'S QUITE
EAGER TO MEET HER REAL FATHER. I GUESS YOU JUST WEREN'T GOOD ENOUGH
FOR HER.
-NARCISSA.
Spiteful bitch, Lucius thought, ripping up the note as he had Grace's. But he felt a little comforted: Grace was alright, at least for now. And she had some money. Lucius was tempted to go to Naples and find her, but who knew where she was now? Knowing his daughter, he knew that she'd probably left early this morning. And frankly, he couldn't blame her: Narcissa was quite unbarable.
The next two days were torture for Lucius. He didn't recieve any more letters, from Grace or otherwise. Why couldn't she have taken Trixie with her? Trixie was able to write home, at least, and could take better care of her then Jingle could. Then again, Lucius thought, Trixie would've never agreed to go with her, and Jingle must've been easier to trick.
Lucius spent those two days in his study, staying awake nearly 24-hours a day. Just sitting in his favorite chair. He only ate once, when Trixie threatened to force-fed him. There were just some lines that she had to draw, but he could tell that she felt guilty about letting him sit around for two days. I guess she must understand my grief, he thought gratefully as he stared at the opposite wall.
On Thursday, three days after Grace had left, Lucius was sitting in the study, as usual. It was late evening, and the sun had just set. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the front door opening.
And yet, he didn't move. He waited for Grace to come to him.
He could hear an unfamiliar squeak that sounded like Draco's old tennis shoes, that he'd worn before he started at Hogwarts. So many years ago, Lucius thought. Usually, Grace wore fancy slippers to match her dresses, and he could always hear them tapping as she walked on the wooden floors. I guess she didn't want to travel in her dresses and slippers, Lucius thought.
The squeaking grew louder, until Lucius could tell that it was right outside the study door. The back of his chair was to it, and Lucius still didn't turn around. "Daddy?" he heard a soft, timid voice call.
"Come in, darling," Lucius said, as calmly as he could. He fought the urge to jump up and wrap Grace in a hug. She came around to the front of the chair, and stood before him, her head hanging. She wore some of Draco's old clothing. I guess that she was in his room, after all, Lucius thought. "You're home," he said softly, after a long silence.
Grace nodded.
"I was very worried, Gracie."
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered, and he could see tears in her eyes. He softened.
"Come sit on my lap, darling," Lucius said kindly. Grace looked up at him, and then came and sat on his lap, just as she had many times before. Lucius wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you," he whispered, kissed her head.
"I missed you, too, Daddy."
"Why did you go, then?"
Grace turned around and looked at him. "I HAD to, Daddy. I...just had to know."
"Know what, darling?"
"I'm not sure," Grace admitted. "I was just...curious."
"Did you meet him, then? What was he like?" Because, in spite of himself, Lucius was curious, too.
But Grace shook her head. "I didn't meet him."
"You couldn't find him?"
"I did," Grace said softly. "Find him, I mean. But I didn't meet him."
"He isn't...dead, is he?"
"No," Grace said quickly. "He's alive, I saw him. He lives in a small house in Athens. No, he's not dead."
"You saw him, and know where he lives, and yet you didn't meet him?" Lucius was now more curious then ever. "My dear, why?"
"I...was scared," Grace began. "I arrived at his house last night, and I was scared. So, I decided to just peek in the window, to see what he was like, you know?"
"Go on."
"Well, I saw him," Grace said slowly. "And...his family. He has a wife, a big lady. Greek, of course. And...kids, too. I have half brothers and sisters." Grace sighed. "And they looked so happy. I couldn't ruin it, and bust in on them. They had a kid that was OLDER then me. They were already married when Mother got pregnant! I couldn't just...I couldn't..."
"It's alright, darling," Lucius said soothingly, pulling his daughter closer. "It's alright."
"I worried you for nothing," Grace said sadly. "I'm sorry, Daddy."
"Hush," Lucius said softly, kissing his daughter's head again. "I forgive you, darling. Are you satisfied, now?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Gracie," Lucius sighed. "You're going to grow up. You already are. And you're gonna break my heart."
Grace looked horrified. "No, Daddy! I won't do that!"
Lucius smiled. "It's already, Gracie. It happens. I'm just not sure I'm ready for you to grow up."
"I wouldn't, Daddy!" Grace insisted. "I promise, I won't!"
"I know, sweetheart," Lucius sighed. "I know that you won't hurt me." And Lucius held his daughter close, and he wasn't sure how he'd be able to let her go.
Part Eleven:
By the time Grace turned ten, she'd begun to grow into a lovely young woman. And though Lucius was proud of his beautiful daughter, he was also scared. She was getting older, and in a year...she'd be going to school.
Lucius was determined to enjoy the last year with his little girl. And at first, things were as they'd always been.
Until one morning.
Lucius sat at the end of the table, waiting for Grace to arrive for breakfast. As usual, she always came in after he'd sat down. But he never minded waiting for his little girl. When she finally came in, she was wearing a new dress of green satin. "Good morning, beautiful," Lucius greeted her, as he always did.
"Good morning," she said, not as cheerfully as usual. She kissed his cheek before sitting down.
"Darling, what's the matter?"
Grace shook her head. "Nothing," she murmured with a little sigh.
"Gracie, tell Daddy what's wrong." But Grace only shook her head, her black curls flouncing.
"I can't," she muttered.
"Gracie, you must. Please."
Grace sighed and looked at her father, her blue eyes wide. She appeared...nervous? She isn't afraid of me, is she? Lucius wondered franticly. No, no, I've always been so good to her. Please...
But Grace finally spoke. And what she said nearly knocked Lucius from his chair. "What do you know about...my real father?"
Lucius gaped at her for a moment, hardly believing his ears. Her REAL father? How... "Gracie, have you been speaking to your mother?"
"No, Daddy!" she insisted quickly. "You know I haven't spoken to Mother in ages!"
"Then...HOW?"
Grace gave him a small, sad smile. "How long did you think you could keep it from me? I mean, look at us. It's too obvious."
"Grace..."
"What do you know about him?" she asked quickly, as if trying to get it out before she lost her nerve.
"Grace, you listen to me," Lucius said sternly. "You are to forget all about this. You're real father doesn't matter."
"But-"
"Whose raised you all your life? Whose always been there for you?"
Grace sighed and looked at her lap again. "You, Daddy."
"Then why does this...PERSON matter? I'm all you need, Grace."
"I just want to know who I am."
"Darling!" Lucius exclaimed. "You are Lenore Grace Malfoy, my daughter. What more do you need to know?"
"WHAT am I? Italian, or Greek, or-"
"I don't know," Lucius snapped, so harshly that Grace flinched and looked away. Lucius felt guilty, and he put a hand over her's. "Darling, please. For the both of us, just forget all about this. I am your real father, alright? That's all you need to know."
"Yes, Daddy," Grace said in defeat. "I'll forget all about it."
"Promise?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"That's my girl," Lucius said, satisfied. He leaned over and kissed his daughter on the forehead, and she gave him a little smile.
The rest of the day went by normally, and Grace was back in her normal, high spirits as she practiced her French and piano. Grace is not only beautiful, but talented, Lucius thought proudly as he listened to her play in the drawing room. At least I can be credited for SOMETHING.
In the afternoon, Lucius sent Grace up to her room for a nap. Though she was becoming a young woman, he still believed that she needed to rest in the afternoon. He didn't particularly know or care what she did during this time, as long as she stayed in her room and was quiet. While Grace was napping, Lucius read the newspaper in his study. He got so absorbed in it that he didn't even notice how late it became: five o'clock, and Grace still hadn't come downstairs! Lucius rose from his favorite chair to go upstairs: perhaps she actually fell asleep today, he thought with a smile.
Lucius opened the door to Grace's room (no longer called a 'nursary', as she was ten years old now), and found it dark. Lucius went over to the bed, but when he got close, he gasped.
It was empty.
It didn't even look like anyone had been sleeping in it. The house elves always made it back up after Grace woke up, and it was still made up. Maybe she's in her bathroom, Lucius thought, becoming worried. He knocked on the door. "Grace? Darling?" No reply, and Lucius pushed the door open.
The bathroom was dark and empty.
Lucius was becoming frantic now. "Grace? Grace! Gracie, where are you, darling?" He headed out of the room and into the hall. Maybe she went into another room? he thought desperatly. He searched every room in the hall, even Draco's, which hadn't been entered since his death nine years before. He knew that Grace couldn't possibly be in there, but still...
When he still didn't find her, he was now in a panic. "Trixie! Get up here!" The elf, who'd been Grace's nurse elf for years, was there quickly.
"Master, what is you needing?"
"Where is Miss Grace?" he asked, not bothering to lower his voice. He knew he should calm down and be rational, but...his little girl was missing!
"Trixie is not knowing, Master," and for the first time in her life, Lucius saw fear in the elf's eyes. Not of his rage, but for Grace's concern.
"Oh, GODS! Where is she!" he cried loudly.
"Master must calm himself!" Trixie cried, slightly annoyed. "Maybe Miss Grace is hiding..."
"She's NEVER hidden from me before!" Lucius cried. "And she's grown out of those little games! Oh, Gracie, where ARE you?"
Trixie went past Lucius and into Grace's room. Lucius followed her as she looked around, and she stopped in front of Grace's desk. On the desk sat a few books...and a note. Trixie held it out for Lucius, who hastily snatched it from the elf's hand and read:
DEAR DADDY,
I DON'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU LIKE THIS, BUT I MUST FIND MY REAL FATHER.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME: I HAVE MONEY, AND I'M
TAKING JINGLE WITH ME. SHE'LL LOOK AFTER ME. I'LL WRITE SOON. I LOVE
YOU.
-GRACE
Lucius stared at the letter, reading it over and over again. "You don't understand"...that would haunt him forever. With a cry of frustration and sorrow, Lucius tore the letter up and flung it to the floor, and threw himself down on Grace's bed to cry into her pillows. He felt Trixie's furry hand on his back.
"Is Trixie to get anything for Master?"
Lucius raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "You can leave me, you beast. This is you're fault!"
"Master, I is not letting Grace leave!"
"You should've been watching her! YOU'RE her nurse! You're lucky I don't present you with clothes! Now leave me be!" He watched Trixie stomped out of the room, spitefully slamming the door behind her. Lucius buried his head in the pillows again.
"Gracie, Gracie," he murmured sadly. "My little baby, why did you leave me?" And he lay there, for a very long time.
The next day, Lucius got a letter by owl post. But it wasn't from Grace: it was from Narcissa. Narcissa never sent him anything, though he sent her some part of her fortune every month. The return address for the letter was from Naples, Italy: she'd apparently left her Paris lover and taken one eleswhere, Lucius supposed.
He ripped open the envelope and read:
LUCIUS-
WELL, YOU WOUDLN'T BELIEVE MY SHOCK LAST NIGHT WHEN ONE OF MY HOUSE
ELVES BROUGHT IN A LITTLE GIRL TO SEE ME. THAT GIRL WAS OUR DAUGHTER,
COMING ALL THE WAY TO ITALY WITH ONLY AN INCOMPITANT HOUSE ELF TO
ACCOMPANY HER! SO MUCH FOR TAKING GOOD CARE OF HER, EH?
ANYWAY, SHE ASKS ME ABOUT HER REAL FATHER. YOU NEVER TOLD HER, DID YOU?
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SHOCKING HER WITH THE TRUTH: A MUGGLE IN GREECE!
MY, CAN HER EYES GET BIG. NAIVE LITTLE MUDBLOOD SHE IS. ANYWAY, I
KINDLY LET HER STAY THE NIGHT AND GAVE HER SOME MONEY. YOU MAY REPAY
ME THE THIRTY GALLEONS IN MY NEXT PAY NOTE NEXT MONTH. SHE'S QUITE
EAGER TO MEET HER REAL FATHER. I GUESS YOU JUST WEREN'T GOOD ENOUGH
FOR HER.
-NARCISSA.
Spiteful bitch, Lucius thought, ripping up the note as he had Grace's. But he felt a little comforted: Grace was alright, at least for now. And she had some money. Lucius was tempted to go to Naples and find her, but who knew where she was now? Knowing his daughter, he knew that she'd probably left early this morning. And frankly, he couldn't blame her: Narcissa was quite unbarable.
The next two days were torture for Lucius. He didn't recieve any more letters, from Grace or otherwise. Why couldn't she have taken Trixie with her? Trixie was able to write home, at least, and could take better care of her then Jingle could. Then again, Lucius thought, Trixie would've never agreed to go with her, and Jingle must've been easier to trick.
Lucius spent those two days in his study, staying awake nearly 24-hours a day. Just sitting in his favorite chair. He only ate once, when Trixie threatened to force-fed him. There were just some lines that she had to draw, but he could tell that she felt guilty about letting him sit around for two days. I guess she must understand my grief, he thought gratefully as he stared at the opposite wall.
On Thursday, three days after Grace had left, Lucius was sitting in the study, as usual. It was late evening, and the sun had just set. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the front door opening.
And yet, he didn't move. He waited for Grace to come to him.
He could hear an unfamiliar squeak that sounded like Draco's old tennis shoes, that he'd worn before he started at Hogwarts. So many years ago, Lucius thought. Usually, Grace wore fancy slippers to match her dresses, and he could always hear them tapping as she walked on the wooden floors. I guess she didn't want to travel in her dresses and slippers, Lucius thought.
The squeaking grew louder, until Lucius could tell that it was right outside the study door. The back of his chair was to it, and Lucius still didn't turn around. "Daddy?" he heard a soft, timid voice call.
"Come in, darling," Lucius said, as calmly as he could. He fought the urge to jump up and wrap Grace in a hug. She came around to the front of the chair, and stood before him, her head hanging. She wore some of Draco's old clothing. I guess that she was in his room, after all, Lucius thought. "You're home," he said softly, after a long silence.
Grace nodded.
"I was very worried, Gracie."
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered, and he could see tears in her eyes. He softened.
"Come sit on my lap, darling," Lucius said kindly. Grace looked up at him, and then came and sat on his lap, just as she had many times before. Lucius wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you," he whispered, kissed her head.
"I missed you, too, Daddy."
"Why did you go, then?"
Grace turned around and looked at him. "I HAD to, Daddy. I...just had to know."
"Know what, darling?"
"I'm not sure," Grace admitted. "I was just...curious."
"Did you meet him, then? What was he like?" Because, in spite of himself, Lucius was curious, too.
But Grace shook her head. "I didn't meet him."
"You couldn't find him?"
"I did," Grace said softly. "Find him, I mean. But I didn't meet him."
"He isn't...dead, is he?"
"No," Grace said quickly. "He's alive, I saw him. He lives in a small house in Athens. No, he's not dead."
"You saw him, and know where he lives, and yet you didn't meet him?" Lucius was now more curious then ever. "My dear, why?"
"I...was scared," Grace began. "I arrived at his house last night, and I was scared. So, I decided to just peek in the window, to see what he was like, you know?"
"Go on."
"Well, I saw him," Grace said slowly. "And...his family. He has a wife, a big lady. Greek, of course. And...kids, too. I have half brothers and sisters." Grace sighed. "And they looked so happy. I couldn't ruin it, and bust in on them. They had a kid that was OLDER then me. They were already married when Mother got pregnant! I couldn't just...I couldn't..."
"It's alright, darling," Lucius said soothingly, pulling his daughter closer. "It's alright."
"I worried you for nothing," Grace said sadly. "I'm sorry, Daddy."
"Hush," Lucius said softly, kissing his daughter's head again. "I forgive you, darling. Are you satisfied, now?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Gracie," Lucius sighed. "You're going to grow up. You already are. And you're gonna break my heart."
Grace looked horrified. "No, Daddy! I won't do that!"
Lucius smiled. "It's already, Gracie. It happens. I'm just not sure I'm ready for you to grow up."
"I wouldn't, Daddy!" Grace insisted. "I promise, I won't!"
"I know, sweetheart," Lucius sighed. "I know that you won't hurt me." And Lucius held his daughter close, and he wasn't sure how he'd be able to let her go.