"You look so much like your mother. Why are you here Luna?"
Luna looked through the bars and into the cell; she'd just arrived at Azkaban. It seemed strange to her that those would be the first words out of Lucius' mouth when she came in. She's expected that he would perhaps say something else, perhaps comment on the person who'd just walked in with Luna.
Lucius Malfoy looked much different now than the last time she'd seen him. His beautiful, long blonde hair was in naps. Beneath his stunning gray eyes there were dark bags. His face had aged much in the time that he's spent in Azkaban. He looked considerably thinner and weaker. He was currently sitting on his stone bed, leaning against a wall behind him.
"I actually came to talk to you about her," Luna responded as she looked into the cell at the man that once imbedded fear in so many people. Luna looked down at her hands over her long silver cloak. She was standing close to the bars of the cell; Professor Lupin was standing against the wall looking into the cell with disgust. However, Luna hardly took any notice at all that there was someone else in the room with her.
"Ah, I see. I was wondering if you would ever come around to ask me about her death. I assume that you've finally found out the truth," he said. Luna walked closer to the bars and held them in her hands. Lucius Malfoy continued to stare into her eyes from were he sat. His knees were nearly brought up to his chest; his arms were resting on his knees. Despite the fact that he looked so decrepit in his once fine clothing, he still managed to speak as regally as ever.
"Well that isn't the only reason that I came, but it is most of it. But I was also wondering why you treated me like I was a normal human being when I was at your home. Everyone else treated me like a child, an invalid or a lunatic, but you treated me like a normal human being. I was always curious to know why," Luna said as she looked into the cell. Lucius stared over at her, thinking about what she said. Luna guessed that he'd never truly thought about it.
"Like I said Luna, you are a lot like your mother. I remember when we were growing up; she was a lot like you. I was very fond of her," he said. A look of surprise came over her face and Lucius immediately noted this. "Do not be so surprised Luna. She was my baby sister. I am not as cold as you may think. I did love your mother very much; she simply disappointed me when she married that Larry Lovegood. It seemed like such a shame. I treated you, very much the same way as I treated her, I hoped that you would make the right decision and have more sense than her, but by our pleasant company I can see that you are in fact your mother's daughter."
Luna turned around to look at Remus and could see that he was glaring at Lucius. She'd almost forgotten that he was in the room with her. He'd gone early, right after breakfast to go pick her up at Snape's Manor. They left very soon after his arrival and came straight towards, Azkaban. They had not yet exchanged many words with each other. Luna turned back around to find that Lucius had his eyes closed, as if he was trying to remember something. There was a small smile in his face. "What was she like when you were growing up?"
"She looked exactly like you, except her blonde hair was straight like mine. She was brilliant, but of course, like you she had a couple of screws loose. She walked around the same way that you do, like your floating in a dream," Lucius said with his eyes still closed. There was a small fondness in his voice. He than opened his eyes and looked over at Luna. "She was very graceful, however, our mother despised the way that she always spoke in riddles. Our mother wasn't much of a thinker and didn't understand her. But I did love to see her try. We got along well, but became estranged when I went to Hogwarts. She hated me when I got married. I think she hated me more than she hated Narcissa. But of course we disowned your mother as soon as she married Lovegood."
"Do you know why she did, what she did?" Luna asked as she looked into the bars.
"You were young to understand it than and I think that you are too young to understand it now," Lucius responded as she looked at him.
"I don't care, I just need to know." Luna said as she looked at him.
"All right, if you really must know, but I don't mean to disillusion you my dear," he said as he looked up at her. "I don't understand why, but your mother was desperately in love with your father. She fell entirely too hard for him, a great disappointment she got when she found out the truth of her little saint, but of course I'd warned her of this. As you already know, no one in our family wanted your mother to marry Larry Lovegood, but do you know why my dear?"
"Because he did not come from a wealthy family like my mother," she responded as she looked at him. Lucius shook his long, thin, index finger while shaking his head at the same time.
"The Lovegood family was far better off than you think, my dear. It was a very respectable family until your father scandalized it," Lucius explained. Luna was somewhat confused, so Lucius went on. "You're father was disinherited by the Lovegood's because of a very colorful rumor that was spread about him. It was never fully confirmed, but why else would Larry Lovegood be disinherited when he was your grandfather's eldest and favorite son?"
"You didn't wish my mother to marry my father because he was disinherited by an otherwise decent family. Just for a simply rumor. What rumor are you talking about?" Luna said with her brows furrowed.
"It's no rumor my dear, because if it were truly a rumor, your mother would still be around and I wouldn't be explaining this to you," Lucius said as he looked into Luna's eyes. "It's such a shame, she could have been spared had she married who our family wished her to marry."
"I don't understand, what rumor?"
"The Lovegood family was respectable, however, Larry Lovegood was not a respectable suitor for someone of high society. We didn't want her to marry a black sheep, but your mother would not listen. She refused to believe in the rumors about Larry Lovegood and she fell deeply in love with him. When she married him all connections with her were severed. The only people your mother had were you and your father. Your father proved to be a disappointment, proved the rumors about him to be more than rumors. Your mother simply couldn't take it," Lucius said as he looked at her.
"What was the rumor Lucius? Tell me!" Luna said as she was becoming frustrated and she wanted to know the rumor. She also wanted to know how her mother found out it was true. However, the grave look on Lucius' face told her that she would not know.
"I'm sorry Luna, but I cannot tell you. I love you, though, I've never showed it and I do not want to be the cause of your pain. This is something that you must speak with your father. It is best that you hear it from him, rather instead of finding it out from me," Lucius said as he looked into her eyes. She could hear sincerity in his voice and see that it was shining from his eyes as well.
"Just tell me, please," she said as she looked at him.
"Luna, I think that he is right. You should hear it from your father," Lupin said as he came forward and grabbed Luna by her arms lightly. He pulled her away from the bars. At that moment a guard escorted them out of the cell, but Luna was too busy thinking on what Lucius had said and was racking her head for an answer to her question. What was so horrible about her father that drove her mother to suicide? She wondered if perhaps she truly wanted to know.
"Do you know what it is? Do you know my father's dark secret?" Luna asked as she looked over at Lupin. She than noted that they were sitting in the Knight Bus. Lupin had a very thoughtful expression on his face, and it was than that Luna knew that Lupin had not known it before but he'd just figured it out. There was a very grave expression in his face.
"Yes I do believe that I know what Lucius was speaking of, but I believe that it is best that you find out through your father," he responded as he looked down at her. Luna stared at him and tried to take her mind off the dark matter for it was causing her to have the beginnings of a major headache.
"Are you excited about your upcoming wedding?" Luna asked as she looked into his amber eyes. A smile spread across Lupin's face. It seemed that he was happy for the change of subject.
"I'm nervous about the wedding, but I'm completely sure about the marriage. Will you be coming to the wedding? Tonks and I would really love it if you were there," he said with a small smile on his face. Luna smiled at him brightly.
"Well Professor Snape said that he would take me, I'm really looking forward to seeing Ginny again. It's nice to see other people other than Professor Snape," she responded as she looked up at him.
"So how has your time been with Professor Snape? I do hope that he's been treating you well," Lupin said as he looked into her eyes.
"Professor Snape has been great, of course it took him a bit to get used to my presence. Surprisingly enough, Professor Snape and I are getting along," she said as she looked at him. Lupin merely nodded in response.
"Well that is good to hear. Luna, you do know of course that Harry will be attending the wedding. I hope that it doesn't affect you," Remus said as he looked at her. Luna looked out the window and thought about it. She then turned back around to find that Remus was staring at her with concern.
"This is the first time that I've thought of Harry in a long time. I think that I've finally moved on. I haven't thought of him in a long time and now that I come to think of it, I don't really care anymore," Luna said as she looked up at Remus Lupin. He stared down at her in thought. After a moment of considering what she said, he smiled at her and nodded.
"That is good to hear Luna," he said as he looked at her.
TBC…
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but there will be more. Hopefully someone is actually reading this. Please leave a review and tell me what you think.