Winter was standing at the front door of Malfoy Manor, holding her broomstick in one hand and a small purse in the other. She was wearing a short black dress and a beige cardigan. Her hair was styled in loose curls, pulled backward off her face. Her attire was far more casual than it had been the week before, which made her feel slightly more comfortable, but she was still nervous beyond belief.
In her purse she held a small Draught of Peace potion that she had taken from Brielle's bedroom.
Professor Snape had once told Winter that Brielle had a natural gift for brewing potions, and that she should envy her sisters talent. Winter wasn't terrible at potions, but she certainly wasn't skilled like Brielle.
She considered drinking the potion several times before she stood on the doorstep, however her fear of Brielle finding a potion missing from her shelf was slightly greater than her nerves about dinner with the Malfoy family, and she had decided she would place it back in her sisters room at the end of the evening.
Winter took hold of the door knocker and gently tapped it against the large door a few times. She took a deep breath and held it while she waited.
When the door opened she expected to see Draco, but instead she was greeted by Lucius.
At first glance his expression looked stern, but he let a small smile grow on his face before he spoke.
"Good evening, Miss Bradshaw."
Winter felt her heart rate increase and she suddenly wished she had drank the Draught of Peace potion.
"H-hello, Mr Malfoy," she stammered, and looked down at her feet.
Lucius chuckled lightly and stepped to the side.
"Please come in," he held a hand out toward her.
She made eye contact with him. Despite his intimidating demeanour his eyes were soft, and for a moment she felt less nervous.
She handed her broomstick to Lucius and stepped inside, flinching as he closed the door behind her. He sent her another smile, before setting her broomstick down in the foyer.
Winter followed Lucius to a large, dimly lit dining room. Draco and Narcissa were nowhere to be seen.
Winter wondered if she had arrived too early, and if they were still getting ready for dinner. She felt out of place, as if she was in their home when she shouldn't be.
Lucius gestured for Winter to come to the table, and he pulled out a seat for her, unfazed by the absence of his wife and son.
"Please, sit."
The moment he spoke Winter did as she was told.
Lucius sat beside her at the head of the table, in a chair much larger and more grand than the chair she was sitting in.
At the table there were only two place settings, as if there were nobody else there other than Lucius and Winter.
Lucius cleared his throat before speaking, "unfortunately my family are unable to attend dinner this evening."
He reached for a bottle of wine and poured it into his glass.
"There was something of... well... an emergency, I suppose. They had to go away for a few days."
Winter gulped, feeling a lump beginning to form in the back of her throat. She was now one-on-one with Lucius Malfoy for the evening, and that alone was reason to make anybody nervous.
Lucius then poured the red wine into a second glass, before setting the bottle back down on the table and placing the glass in front of Winter.
"I hope you weren't too excited to see Draco," he said, sipping his wine, before smiling. "I will do my best to keep you entertained for the evening."
Winter smiled meekly without responding, and her fingers clutched her purse tightly. She desperately wanted to ask to use the bathroom so she could drink the potion, but she was too afraid to do anything.
Lucius chuckled again, "go on dear, have a drink."
Winter thought about how Draco had convinced her to drink alcohol last time she had attended Malfoy Manor. In this moment it seemed more necessary. Saying no to Lucius wasn't an option.
She took a sip of wine as Lucius watched her.
She wondered why he hadn't cancelled dinner, but she didn't want to question him because it would be rude, and if she were rude she was certain her mother would hear about it.
However, she was also certain she couldn't bare to sit in the presence of Lucius Malfoy all evening because he was so intimidating, so she decided she would leave soon after finishing dinner, with the excuse that she had to finish packing for school.
It wasn't entirely a lie, she really did need to finish packing for school. September was only 5 days away and she wasn't nearly prepared for her return to Hogwarts.
Before Lucius could begin a conversation an old looking house elf came into the dining room holding a silver serving tray. Though Winter wasn't surprised that there would be a house elf in Malfoy Manor, the sight of him took her by surprise. She hadn't met many house elves, and she definitely didn't have her own.
"Your soup, Sir." The elf spoke in a low voice, placing a bowl in front of Lucius.
Lucius said nothing in response to the elf. Not a thank you, not even a head nod to acknowledge the frail little creature.
Winter felt sorry for him, he looked weathered and like he needed a rest. The least she could do was thank him for his service.
The elf placed a bowl in front of Winter, speaking to her without making eye contact, "and for you, Miss."
"Thank you." Winter said quickly, watching as the elf's eyes darted toward her.
He said nothing in response, and quickly excused himself.
Lucius laughed warmly, sipping his wine again.
"You shouldn't waste pleasantries on a servant, Winter."
Winter didn't argue. Although she didn't agree with Lucius, she nodded and turned her attention toward the bowl of orange soup in front of her. It was pumpkin topped with a dash of cream. It smelled better than anything she had ever eaten in her home, and she wondered if Draco got to eat delicious meals served by his house elf every day.
"I hope you don't mind that it's just the two of us this evening," Lucius said suddenly. "It felt impolite to un-invite you, and I did enjoy your company last week."
"I don't mind," Winter said, finally making eye contact with Lucius. "I can't stay too long though, I really need to finish packing for school."
"Oh?" He smiled, eating some soup. "Have you collected your supplies from Diagon Alley yet?"
"Not yet. My mother seems really busy, but I think my older sister might go with me in the next few days."
Winter tasted the soup, and suddenly decided having dinner at Malfoy Manor wasn't so bad after all, if only for the delicious food.
"I would be quite happy to take you," Lucius suggested, "I will write to your mother."
She wasn't sure why Lucius would offer to take her to Diagon Alley, she was sure he had plenty of better things to do. However, she knew Lucius was a close friend of her father, so she assumed he felt obliged to help her in some sort of way considering the circumstances.
"Thank you," she smiled slightly, thinking of how awkward the outing would be.
The two had small talk while finishing the soup, and shortly after the house elf returned to serve them a main course of roast lamb and an array of vegetables. The meal was just as nice as the soup, though Winter didn't eat much because she wasn't used to eating more than one course for dinner.
Lucius asked Winter about her home life; they spoke about Brielle and her mother. He asked about her friends, her interests, and school.
"Professor Snape always tries to help me, but he is quite harsh sometimes. He says I should envy my sister." Winter explained, discussing the topic of potions class.
Lucius nodded. "Your sister has a talent for potions? So what is it you are best at, Winter?"
Winter thought hard about her answer. She wasn't the best at potions because it required a great deal of knowledge, and she didn't have much patience reading potions books because she found them boring.
She preferred the excitement in Professor Flitwick's charms class, and she received a lot of positive feedback from him. She also enjoyed divination class because she thought Professor Trelawney was one of the funniest and most entertaining people she had ever met. Professor Trelawney also praised Winter very highly, unlike Professor Snape who was quick to scold her.
Professor Snape was one of her favourite teachers regardless of his stern demeanour, because he was the head of Slytherin house and he was emotionally supportive to Winter outside of the potions class room, but as for classes she excelled in, Professor Trelawney made sure to let Winter know she was her best student.
"I guess I'm quite good at charms, and divination. Professor Trelawney is very wise."
Lucius smirked. "You know they say Sybill Trelawney isn't a real seer?"
Winter felt embarrassed by his comment. She knew even some of the other teachers doubted Professor Trelawney's ability to foresee the future.
"Um, yeah." Winter said in thought. "I have heard a few people make that comment, but I happen to believe she has a gift. She's also very nice to me."
"Of course." Lucius agreed, and his eyes almost seemed to sparkle. "Well if Albus Dumbledore has her teaching she must have some ability. They do say Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our time, though that is also a matter of great dispute."
Winter furrowed her eyebrows.
"Who could possibly be greater than Professor Dumbledore?"
Lucius continued to smile, and turned his attention to his wine. He drank a large gulp as Winter sat there studying him.
When he placed his glass back down on the table he began tapping his index finger against the arm of his chair, and narrowed his eyes, as if he were in thought about something.
Finally he sighed, and stood up from his place at the table.
He stood beside Winter's chair, pulled it out from the table, and took hold of her hand to lift her to her feet.
"Some say the Dark Lord is a greater wizard than Dumbledore."
His eyes were heavy, watching Winter's face for a reaction as she stood beside him.
Her heart was hammering in her chest at the mention of the Dark Lord. The topic was rarely raised in conversation, because many people feared him.
Lucius chuckled at her silence, and began leading her out of the dining room.
She certainly didn't believe anybody had more power than Albus Dumbledore. He was the most brilliant man she had ever met, though she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to continue the conversation, so she said nothing.
Winter followed Lucius into a large lounge room with an elegant lounge suite and tall bookshelves. This was the room Draco had used to host the quidditch team. The walls wore an array of interesting art, and in one corner sat a large gramophone which Draco had used to play music.
Lucius was eyeing Winter intently, as he had all evening. She wondered if he knew how intimidating his stare was.
He gestured for her to sit down on the deep red lounge, and he sat beside her, not taking his eyes off of her for a second.
Winter was avoiding eye contact, because she didn't know what to say. She also felt afraid. Something about Lucius began to feel dangerous, and she wasn't sure why.
"Draco tells me you're quite talented on the quidditch pitch." Lucius said suddenly, as if the last topic hadn't been mentioned.
Winter looked up now, still avoiding his eyes. "I guess," she shrugged slightly, though she was pleased for the change in the tone of the conversation. "I do enjoy quidditch, but I don't think I'm particularly skilled or anything."
"Hmm," Lucius hummed, "I suppose I'll see for myself. I plan on attending the first game of the year."
"You're coming?" Winter asked, suddenly feeling nerves creep over her. She wasn't sure why knowing he would be watching made her nervous, but it did.
She clenched her fists in her lap, feeling her fingernails against the palms of her hands.
Lucius nodded his head, smiling.
"Do you often watch Draco play?" She asked another question, wanting to bring attention to Draco rather than herself. "I'd say he's the best seeker at Hogwarts."
Lucius smirked proudly, "I'm not surprised to hear that. Unfortunately I haven't been able to attend many matches. I don't believe I have seen you play."
Winter's fists tightened.
"Well I don't come close to the skills of Draco or many other players, but I do enjoy quidditch. I've loved flying for as long as I can remember."
Lucius hummed again, this time placing his hand on top of Winter's closed fist. Her heart practically leapt out of her chest.
It seemed to frighten her at first, but his hand was warm and his face was soft, so she knew he had no ill intentions.
"So modest." He smiled, blinking heavily.
Winter could still feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she knew she wasn't reacting in this way out of shock.
Lucius Malfoy made her nervous, despite how kind he may have been acting toward her.
She thought he was a very good looking man and he certainly was beginning to charm her.
But he was much older than Winter, and there seemed to be something dark about him.
And then he sighed, releasing her hand from his hold.
He looked away from her, and the atmosphere seemed to change.
"I must tell you something that has been playing on my mind since we first spoke a week ago."
Lucius shifted his knees so he was almost facing Winter now, with one arm on the back of the lounge behind her. His face looked softer, less intimidating.
He was silent for a while, and Winter thought he almost looked sad.
"You see," Lucius began, hesitantly. "I've been feeling quite awful that I didn't think to be involved in your life. Your father was a good friend of mine, and it feels as though I have failed him in a way."
He wasn't looking at Winter when he said this, his voice was lower and he seemed less confident.
"I should have ensured you weren't faced with any hardship in his absence."
For a moment a silence fell over the room, and Lucius turned his gaze back to Winter as if to study what her face may be expressing. She didn't feel nervous because his intentions felt entirely sincere.
She wanted to smile because it was very kind of him to think of her, but smiling didn't seem appropriate when Lucius seemed to be troubled by the whole thing.
"You shouldn't feel bad," Winter said cautiously. "If anything my life has been good really, even without my father."
Lucius nodded his head slightly while narrowing his eyes, as if he were in thought about something. He then got to his feet and wandered over to the gramophone.
It began playing a tune Winter was unfamiliar with, and Lucius stood by it for a while.
"I feel I should explain some things to you," he began, walking back to the lounge to sit next to her again.
"Do you know why your father is in Azkaban?"
Winter nodded briskly, "he was a follower of the Dark Lord."
"I felt I had to distance myself from your mother following his arrest," Lucius spoke slowly, carefully planning his words. "At the time many people wanted to see me sentenced to a life in Azkaban, so being connected to Gene Bradshaw's wife... it seemed foolish."
Winter nodded in agreement. "I don't blame you," she said. "My mother doesn't speak of him. I suppose she doesn't want people to associate her with the crimes my father commited, she wants to move on."
Lucius's eyes seemed to sparkle. "Exactly. You know, you are a very bright young girl. You seem wise beyond your years."
Her heart leapt in her chest. No one had ever told her such a thing before.
"I don't think so." She said quickly. "My sister, Brielle, she can't stand how naive I am."
Lucius smiled, and he reached for her hand again.
She didn't feel as uncomfortable under his touch this time, but she could still feel her heart hammering pathetically in her chest.
"My dear," he said with his voice coming out smooth like velvet as he traced his thumb back and forth over the skin on Winter's hand. "You are far from naive. It sounds as if your sister just enjoys tormenting you."
Winter felt her heart flutter in her chest as Lucius smiled down at her. She wasn't sure what to say or how to react to the attention he was giving her, she could barely process it in her own mind.
She knew it wasn't entirely insane to have a small crush on an older man, her best friend, Daphne, spoke about the topic often during their third year at Hogwarts when Professor Lupin was the defence against the dark arts teacher. Apparently had a rough kind of charm to him, according to Daphne, and she often tried to stay back after class to spend time with him.
This seemed different though.
Finally Lucius stood from his place on the lounge.
"Well, Miss Bradshaw. Shouldn't you be getting home? Packing for Hogwarts, I believe you said?"
Winter internally scolded herself for telling Lucius she couldn't stay long, because suddenly she didn't want to leave.
She nodded, quickly getting to her feet.
When Winter got home that evening her mother had prodded her with questions. She wanted to know if Winter was polite, if she made a good impression on the Malfoy's, and if she was going to date Draco.
Winter didn't have the stomach to tell her mother that Draco hadn't been there the entire evening. She thought maybe it would seem strange, as if she were doing something wrong to have dinner alone with an older man. She shrugged and didn't answered the question about Draco because it made her blatantly aware of how odd her feelings about Lucius were. Any normal girl would have been crushing on Draco, not his 40-something year old father.
After the avoiding answering most of the questions thrown at her, Winter went straight to bed, but she hardly slept that night. Her mind replayed the evening over and over, analysing the way Lucius had touched her hand and the way he stared at her.