Grace of the Devil
Part Twenty-Two:
Grace and Micheal stood before the gates of Malfoy Manor, suitcases in hand. That's as far as they could Apparate, and they'd have to walk to the rest of the way to the house. "Ready?" Grace whispered.
"Yeah," Micheal said, looking up at the huge house. He'd grown up in a fairly nice sized home, for both of his parents worked for Gringotts, but it didn't even come CLOSE to the size of Malfoy Manor. Grace was embarressed to show him her childhood home, this dark, foreboding place.
They headed up the gravel drive, and Grace turnd to Micheal. "Am I pale?"
"Yes. Are you alright?"
Grace ignored the question, and began to pinch some color into her cheeks. "Watch that be the first thing he comments about," she said, pinching as hard as she could.
"Grace, just relax," Micheal said lightly. "He's your FATHER. How bad could it be?"
"I'm not worried for myself," she lied. "I'm worried for YOU."
Micheal laughed. "I'm not scared."
Grace turned to him, a serious expression on her face. "Maybe you should be." SHE certainly wasn't afraid of her father, just of making him disapointed in her. But she'd seen people who were terrified of him, and had seen why. Lucius Malfoy could be a very intimidating, scary man.
They reached the front doors, and Grace turned to Micheal and laughed a little, before letting the knocker fall. As though they were expected, the doors burst open, and Trixie was waiting. "Miss Grace!"
"Hi, Trixie."
"Come in, come in. 'Tis chilly today, and you is looking cold. Give Trixie your cloak, that's a girl." Trixie led them inside, and when the doors were shut, she finally noticed Micheal. "A...friend of Miss Grace's?"
"He's staying with us for the weekend," Grace said simply.
"Is Master knowing this?" Trixie asked suspiciously.
"No. It is a surprise."
A group of house elves greeted Grace warmly and took her's and Micheal's suitcases up the stairs. "Separate rooms," Trixie said pointedly, and Grace wanted to pound the elf's furry head in. "Right this way, Miss Grace. Master is to be expecting you."
Grace felt her heart rate pick up as Trixie led her and Micheal to the drawing room. This was it: Lucius was finally going to meet Micheal. Grace had an urge to turn and run, but she kept going, until she was right outside the room. Lucius sat in a chair facing the door, and smiled when he saw her. "Gracie!" He stood up, with difficulty, and grabbed his cane. Grace hated that cane, black with a silver serpents head on top. Lucius had used it as a fashion accessory before she was born, but had recently dug it from the closet. As he neared seventy, his body wasn't as able as it used to be.
But, in spite of his slight handicap, he hurried to her and kissed her cheek. "My dear. I pray that you got here well?"
"Yes, Daddy. Always."
Lucius stood back to examine her, and frowned slightly. "You're so pale, my dear. Are you alright?"
Dammmit, she thought in frustration, but shot him a smile. "Yes, Daddy. I'm just a little tired."
"You work much too hard," Lucius said coldly. "Perhaps you should take a short nap before dinner."
Grace shook her head, embarressed to be treated like a child with her boyfriend just around the door. "No, Daddy. I'm more hungry then tired." At the disaproving look on his face, she added hastily, "I'll sleep after dinner, I promise."
"Very well, Gracie," Lucius said softly. He smiled again and patted her arm. "You sweet little thing. You just get more and more beautiful all the time."
"Daddy, I brought someone with me."
Lucius frowned. "A guest?"
"Yes," Grace said, with fake enthusiasm. "For a change in pace."
"A friend of yours?"
"Yes," Grace lied, a little. "Sort of."
"Sort of-"
"Micheal!" Grace called to the hall. "Come in here!" In came Micheal, looking much less confident then he had on the way to the manor. Grace saw her father's back straighten and his chin rise. He looked almost scary now. "Daddy," she said, trying to smile, "this is Micheal. My boyfriend."
"Boyfriend," Lucius said coldly, glaring at Micheal. The younger man squirmed a bit, but he held out a hand for Lucius to shake.
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"Yes," Lucius said sarcasticly, not taking the outstretched hand. Micheal let it drop. Lucius cleared his throat. "Dinner is ready. I just hope that the house elves have prepared enough for our, erm, GUEST." Lucius took Grace's arm, in a grip that was a bit too tight, and steered her from the room, the cane in his other hand. Grace didn't dare turn her head to see Micheal walking behind them, but she could hear the sound of his shoes on the wooden floors.
The dining hall was all set, with three places instead of two. Lucius pulled out Grace's chair for her, and she sat. Lucius motioned to the place across from Grace to Micheal, who took his place. Lucius sat, as usual, at the head of the table, his cane propped up next to him.
The meal began silently, until Micheal dared to speak: "The food is delicious, Mr. Malfoy."
"It's quite lucky that we had enough," Lucius said coldly. Micheal didn't dare speak again. Lucius lifted up the wine bottle and poured himself a glass. "Grace, I picked this up in Diagon Alley. I believe you asked me about this? Care to try?"
Grace couldn't, for she was pregnant, so she just faked a smile. "Not tonight, Daddy, but thank you."
"Gracie-"
"I think Micheal might like some wine," Grace said swiftly. Lucius cast his eyes at the unwelcome guest.
"Wine?" he asked coldly.
"Thank you, sir," Micheal said timidly. Grace felt so sorry for him as Lucius poured the goblet full, a disgusted look on his face. The meal was silent for a few moments longer, until Lucius spoke again.
"So, Micheal, how did you manage to run into my daughter?"
Either Micheal ignored the coldness of the question or he chose not to hear it, because he said, "Why, we met on the first day of school. On the train to Hogwarts."
"Really?" Lucius shot Grace a glance, but she turned away. "And, how long have you two been...SEEING each other."
"Since...when was it, Grace?" Grace shot Micheal a cold look, then looked down at her lap.
"Fifth year. Six years."
"Six year," Lucius said slowly. "My, what a long time. And I was never informed, because...?" There was no real answer for this, and Lucius sighed. "I see. Well, enjoy your dinner." He got to his feet, grabbed his cane, and left the room. Grace threw down her napkin in anger.
"He's impossible!"
"Grace-"
"I KNEW he'd be this way!" Grace cried. "Didn't I TELL you he was impossible? NOW do you know why I can't talk to him about anything?" Grace got up so quickly that she almost knocked her chair over. Without another word, she left Micheal alone in the dining hall as she stormed after her father.
As she predicted, she found him in his chair in the drawing room. He seemed to be waiting for her, because he didn't look surprised as she stomped in. "What is your problem?" she demanded angrily.
Lucius gave his daughter a long, cold look. "My problem," he said slowly, "is that you've brought trash into our home."
"Trash?" Grace was near hysterics. "How DARE you be so...ARISTOCRATIC! Not to mention snobby and RUDE. He is my guest!"
"I didn't want him here," Lucius said coldly. "And I don't want him around you."
"Well, that's just too damn bad!" Grace cried. "We've been together for SIX YEARS, in case you didn't get that memo. And we're living together!"
"I see," Lucius said, his voice rising slightly. "I've been supporting a dirty little Weasle-"
"He makes his own money!" Grace cried impatienly.
"He is trash," Lucius repeated. "And I am ashamed that you ever associated with him."
ASHAMED. It was the first time she'd ever heard her father address that word to her. She'd always feared this, but now...she was on too much of a roll to stop. "Oh, yeah?" she asked defensively. "Well, I'M ashamed that you've murdered people, supported the Dark Lord, and been to Azkaban!"
Lucius sat back in his chair, his eyes wide. "How did you-"
"Oh, GODS, Daddy! Do you think I'm so sheltered? People talk...oh, how they've talked! I've suffered quite a bit because of your mistakes. So don't talk to me about being ashamed!"
Lucius grabbed his cane and rose to his feet slowly. "Now, you listen to me, Lenore Grace Malfoy, and you listen carefully," he said coldly. "You are going to break up with that piece of trash, right this second. And you're coming to stay here. You are never to associate with him again."
"Or what?" Grace demanded. "Huh? What will you did if I don't follow your orders for once?"
Lucius looked shocked. "Grace, you are wayward!"
"Wayward, am I?" she demanded.
"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Lucius said softly. "You're...just like your mother."
Grace couldn't take this. Before she could burst into tears, she felt from the room and up the stairs. She didn't stop running until she'd made it to her room, thrown the lock, and fallen, sobbing onto her bed.
He was impossible. And there was nothing she could do.
Part Twenty-Two:
Grace and Micheal stood before the gates of Malfoy Manor, suitcases in hand. That's as far as they could Apparate, and they'd have to walk to the rest of the way to the house. "Ready?" Grace whispered.
"Yeah," Micheal said, looking up at the huge house. He'd grown up in a fairly nice sized home, for both of his parents worked for Gringotts, but it didn't even come CLOSE to the size of Malfoy Manor. Grace was embarressed to show him her childhood home, this dark, foreboding place.
They headed up the gravel drive, and Grace turnd to Micheal. "Am I pale?"
"Yes. Are you alright?"
Grace ignored the question, and began to pinch some color into her cheeks. "Watch that be the first thing he comments about," she said, pinching as hard as she could.
"Grace, just relax," Micheal said lightly. "He's your FATHER. How bad could it be?"
"I'm not worried for myself," she lied. "I'm worried for YOU."
Micheal laughed. "I'm not scared."
Grace turned to him, a serious expression on her face. "Maybe you should be." SHE certainly wasn't afraid of her father, just of making him disapointed in her. But she'd seen people who were terrified of him, and had seen why. Lucius Malfoy could be a very intimidating, scary man.
They reached the front doors, and Grace turned to Micheal and laughed a little, before letting the knocker fall. As though they were expected, the doors burst open, and Trixie was waiting. "Miss Grace!"
"Hi, Trixie."
"Come in, come in. 'Tis chilly today, and you is looking cold. Give Trixie your cloak, that's a girl." Trixie led them inside, and when the doors were shut, she finally noticed Micheal. "A...friend of Miss Grace's?"
"He's staying with us for the weekend," Grace said simply.
"Is Master knowing this?" Trixie asked suspiciously.
"No. It is a surprise."
A group of house elves greeted Grace warmly and took her's and Micheal's suitcases up the stairs. "Separate rooms," Trixie said pointedly, and Grace wanted to pound the elf's furry head in. "Right this way, Miss Grace. Master is to be expecting you."
Grace felt her heart rate pick up as Trixie led her and Micheal to the drawing room. This was it: Lucius was finally going to meet Micheal. Grace had an urge to turn and run, but she kept going, until she was right outside the room. Lucius sat in a chair facing the door, and smiled when he saw her. "Gracie!" He stood up, with difficulty, and grabbed his cane. Grace hated that cane, black with a silver serpents head on top. Lucius had used it as a fashion accessory before she was born, but had recently dug it from the closet. As he neared seventy, his body wasn't as able as it used to be.
But, in spite of his slight handicap, he hurried to her and kissed her cheek. "My dear. I pray that you got here well?"
"Yes, Daddy. Always."
Lucius stood back to examine her, and frowned slightly. "You're so pale, my dear. Are you alright?"
Dammmit, she thought in frustration, but shot him a smile. "Yes, Daddy. I'm just a little tired."
"You work much too hard," Lucius said coldly. "Perhaps you should take a short nap before dinner."
Grace shook her head, embarressed to be treated like a child with her boyfriend just around the door. "No, Daddy. I'm more hungry then tired." At the disaproving look on his face, she added hastily, "I'll sleep after dinner, I promise."
"Very well, Gracie," Lucius said softly. He smiled again and patted her arm. "You sweet little thing. You just get more and more beautiful all the time."
"Daddy, I brought someone with me."
Lucius frowned. "A guest?"
"Yes," Grace said, with fake enthusiasm. "For a change in pace."
"A friend of yours?"
"Yes," Grace lied, a little. "Sort of."
"Sort of-"
"Micheal!" Grace called to the hall. "Come in here!" In came Micheal, looking much less confident then he had on the way to the manor. Grace saw her father's back straighten and his chin rise. He looked almost scary now. "Daddy," she said, trying to smile, "this is Micheal. My boyfriend."
"Boyfriend," Lucius said coldly, glaring at Micheal. The younger man squirmed a bit, but he held out a hand for Lucius to shake.
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"Yes," Lucius said sarcasticly, not taking the outstretched hand. Micheal let it drop. Lucius cleared his throat. "Dinner is ready. I just hope that the house elves have prepared enough for our, erm, GUEST." Lucius took Grace's arm, in a grip that was a bit too tight, and steered her from the room, the cane in his other hand. Grace didn't dare turn her head to see Micheal walking behind them, but she could hear the sound of his shoes on the wooden floors.
The dining hall was all set, with three places instead of two. Lucius pulled out Grace's chair for her, and she sat. Lucius motioned to the place across from Grace to Micheal, who took his place. Lucius sat, as usual, at the head of the table, his cane propped up next to him.
The meal began silently, until Micheal dared to speak: "The food is delicious, Mr. Malfoy."
"It's quite lucky that we had enough," Lucius said coldly. Micheal didn't dare speak again. Lucius lifted up the wine bottle and poured himself a glass. "Grace, I picked this up in Diagon Alley. I believe you asked me about this? Care to try?"
Grace couldn't, for she was pregnant, so she just faked a smile. "Not tonight, Daddy, but thank you."
"Gracie-"
"I think Micheal might like some wine," Grace said swiftly. Lucius cast his eyes at the unwelcome guest.
"Wine?" he asked coldly.
"Thank you, sir," Micheal said timidly. Grace felt so sorry for him as Lucius poured the goblet full, a disgusted look on his face. The meal was silent for a few moments longer, until Lucius spoke again.
"So, Micheal, how did you manage to run into my daughter?"
Either Micheal ignored the coldness of the question or he chose not to hear it, because he said, "Why, we met on the first day of school. On the train to Hogwarts."
"Really?" Lucius shot Grace a glance, but she turned away. "And, how long have you two been...SEEING each other."
"Since...when was it, Grace?" Grace shot Micheal a cold look, then looked down at her lap.
"Fifth year. Six years."
"Six year," Lucius said slowly. "My, what a long time. And I was never informed, because...?" There was no real answer for this, and Lucius sighed. "I see. Well, enjoy your dinner." He got to his feet, grabbed his cane, and left the room. Grace threw down her napkin in anger.
"He's impossible!"
"Grace-"
"I KNEW he'd be this way!" Grace cried. "Didn't I TELL you he was impossible? NOW do you know why I can't talk to him about anything?" Grace got up so quickly that she almost knocked her chair over. Without another word, she left Micheal alone in the dining hall as she stormed after her father.
As she predicted, she found him in his chair in the drawing room. He seemed to be waiting for her, because he didn't look surprised as she stomped in. "What is your problem?" she demanded angrily.
Lucius gave his daughter a long, cold look. "My problem," he said slowly, "is that you've brought trash into our home."
"Trash?" Grace was near hysterics. "How DARE you be so...ARISTOCRATIC! Not to mention snobby and RUDE. He is my guest!"
"I didn't want him here," Lucius said coldly. "And I don't want him around you."
"Well, that's just too damn bad!" Grace cried. "We've been together for SIX YEARS, in case you didn't get that memo. And we're living together!"
"I see," Lucius said, his voice rising slightly. "I've been supporting a dirty little Weasle-"
"He makes his own money!" Grace cried impatienly.
"He is trash," Lucius repeated. "And I am ashamed that you ever associated with him."
ASHAMED. It was the first time she'd ever heard her father address that word to her. She'd always feared this, but now...she was on too much of a roll to stop. "Oh, yeah?" she asked defensively. "Well, I'M ashamed that you've murdered people, supported the Dark Lord, and been to Azkaban!"
Lucius sat back in his chair, his eyes wide. "How did you-"
"Oh, GODS, Daddy! Do you think I'm so sheltered? People talk...oh, how they've talked! I've suffered quite a bit because of your mistakes. So don't talk to me about being ashamed!"
Lucius grabbed his cane and rose to his feet slowly. "Now, you listen to me, Lenore Grace Malfoy, and you listen carefully," he said coldly. "You are going to break up with that piece of trash, right this second. And you're coming to stay here. You are never to associate with him again."
"Or what?" Grace demanded. "Huh? What will you did if I don't follow your orders for once?"
Lucius looked shocked. "Grace, you are wayward!"
"Wayward, am I?" she demanded.
"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Lucius said softly. "You're...just like your mother."
Grace couldn't take this. Before she could burst into tears, she felt from the room and up the stairs. She didn't stop running until she'd made it to her room, thrown the lock, and fallen, sobbing onto her bed.
He was impossible. And there was nothing she could do.