Chapter 3

Lucius' POV

Running into Ginevra was a surprise. The youngest Weasley was my only regret in life. I had her, and she was mine. We were together for two years; the two best years of my life! She had everything; me, my home to live in, my gold to spend, but she wanted to have it legitimized. I refused, thinking she would cave in and I would win. She pushed the matter by claiming to want children. 'I already have an heir.' was my cold reply. It was too cold for her, I guess. She left me. I told myself it was a bluff and that she would return. No one could hope to give her the life I had. I was wrong. By the time I caved and went looking for her, she was nowhere to be found. Served me right for waiting six months.

Clearly, when she left she wasn't telling me everything. One look at this teenage girl and I knew the child Ginevra wanted wasn't hypothetical, but was already on her way when Ginevra asked for more.

But how had she ended up with my once closest friend, Severus? He was everything I wasn't. He was dark, I was fair. He grew up poor, I have more money than God. He found his way to the winning side of the war, I didn't and only escaped jail time because I didn't do anything at the end of the war. Now it would seem he has her, and I don't. "It would seem we have things to discuss," I stated.

Severus looked at Ginevra, saying something without words, then turned his attention to me. "We do and we will, but not today. We will Owl you with a time and place."

"Might I know the name of the young lady?" I inquired, praying it wasn't something pathetic like Betty.

"Evangelina," Ginevra supplied. She looked concerned.

I reached forward for my daughter's hand. "Evangelina, I'm Lucius Malfoy."

She allowed me to take her hand, shaking it. "A pleasure. I'm sure I have heard your name," she offered.

"I'm sure you have. I once knew Severus and Ginevra quite well."

Ginevra shot me a look I knew was of thanks.

"Lucius, we must be going, but I will Owl you tonight," Severus vowed, reaching for Ginevra and placing his arm around her. She was totally comfortable with this! She's mine, not his! They turned away from me. I watched as Severus leaned in and whispered something to her. She looked up at him with a look she used to save for me.

Severus' POV

I knew Ginny was bothered by the run in with Lucius, but for the last four years, we knew this day would come when Lucius would finally see Evangelina. There was a time that I feared this day, but that has passed. Ginny is my wife and the only woman I could ever be with. I won't lie; I did, and do, love Lily Evans, but that has nothing to do with Ginny. Lily was a person who was a friend that I cared for and loved, but in the years since her death, I can now admit I built her up to be this perfect, unflawed woman. It took losing Ginny and getting her back for me to realise that.

"It will be fine, " I vowed to her.

She smiled at me. "I know, because I have you."

Ginny's POV

Once we finished our shopping, Severus insisted on taking us to dinner out to my favorite restaurant. He knows I have a weakness for their stuffed mushrooms. Severus is really amazing with children. I had a few doubts about what type of parent he would be until about two weeks after Eva was born. She was one of those babies who woke every time you put her down, or even thought of putting her down. I had hardly slept, since I was breastfeeding her. I woke after four glorious hours of sleep to find him asleep with her on our chesterfield, lying chest to chest with a blanket draped over both of them. It was something so totally simple, but it was in that moment I knew he would be an amazing father. He was now trying hard to be sweet as he knew I was stressing about Lucius.

"You both will need to finish your packing when we get back to the house. There will be no excuses for not being ready on time," Severus said.

"Yes Dad," the kids said together jokingly. They both find it funny how scared their cousins, and even a few of their aunts and uncles, are of their dad, but our children never sat in a class with Gryffindors and Slytherins, or have seen him react to an exploding cauldron. They have learned that when Severus questions them, or tests their knowledge, they should be honest with him. If they really don't know, fine to say so, but don't waste his time with trash.

Once back at Spinster's End, I went to oversee Wyatt's and Eva's packing.

I knew Severus was sending an Owl to Lucius. Severus would do everything to take the stress off me on this issue. This was one of the thousand reasons I loved him. Later, once the kids were in bed, Severus and I snuggled on the very bed where I told him about Eva. "I wrote to Lucius that we would meet him after the children are on the Hogwarts Express. but, my sweet wife, we should decide here and now what we tell Lucius."

"You mean about us," I finished.

"Correct." He was quiet for a moment, "I have something to admit."

"What's that, love?" I asked.

"I don't think you ever were just a plaything to Lucius. He did, and possibly still does, love you."

"Why are you telling me this?" I wondered.

"Before I married you, I went to see Lucius once more. I was wanting to hear that he didn't want you."

"A matter of respect between Death Eaters?"

"Something like that," he stated.

"What did he say when you asked?"

"He confirmed your beliefs. I didn't believe him at the time, but it was his chance to claim you."

I sat up and looked down at Severus. "Why are you telling me this?"

"It will come up when we meet."

"Severus, I see the things that make you a Slytherin in those actions, but it's my turn to confess: the night I arrived here and we laid together, right here, I made up my mind I was only going to leave if you demanded it." I paused, "I won't say I didn't love Lucius, because I did, but you; I love you even when you're being a total ass. I stopped feeling for years because you didn't want me."

"Lucius made you feel again," he surmised.

"Severus, I'm here with you, my husband, because I love you. The very man who will sit at the same table as Harry Potter tomorrow because he's a member of my family. You might even be polite to him," I laughed, "mostly out of fear my mum will string you up. I love you for that." I leaned in to kiss him. It started as a slow, deep kiss.

Just as he reached to remove my top, there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Dad, Mom, are you decent?" Eva's voice came through the door.

Severus groans. "Sadly, yes." It's the least British thing about Severus; the kids are fully aware of the passion he has for me.

"Ignore your dad. Come in, dear," I said as I shifted on the bed.

The door opened and she slipped in, closing the door behind herself. She draped her body across the foot of the bed, tossed an arm across her forehead, and looked hard at us. "That man, Mr. Malfoy; he's my father, right?"

"Yes, he is," Severus admitted. We never lied to her about Severus not being her biological father.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"You mean besides him having my eyes?" Eva answered. "There was how he looked at me. It wasn't like other friends of yours; it was that or he's a pedophile. And Mom, you've been off since seeing him and not talking as much. Dad is being extra caring. Really, you both just give off this odd vibe I haven't seen from you. So does he know?"

I smiled at her. "About you, yes, but he just found out today."

She sat up cross-legged, facing both of us. "You both knew him?"

"Yes."

"It wasn't some weird sex thing. That's not why I exist, is it?"

I glanced at Severus. "No, nothing like you're thinking! I was living with Lucius when I got pregnant with you."

"What happened?" she asked.

I felt Severus' hand on the small of my back, rubbing circles. "I found out about you, but I didn't want to get married because I was expecting. I asked him for marriage, but he didn't want to marry again. I didn't want a life where I always felt that I was married because of a baby, so I left."

"Your mother and I had been close before she was ever with Potter," Severus explained further. "When I was a spy, she protected me. After the war, Lucius was the only person I kept in touch with, but when I found they were together, I reached out to her to let her know I would always be here for her."

"My family never liked Lucius, so staying there after leaving him, even though I was carrying you, was less than pleasant. I came here, to Severus, and less than two months later, we got married and headed for the place we now call home."

"What happens now?" she asked after digesting this information for a few seconds.

"A lot of that depends on you," Severus stated. "What do you want to happen?"

"I don't know. I know only one thing about him. Dad, how did you know him?"

"We were both in Slytherin together, and Eva, he was the one who introduced me to Voldemort."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh, but…" she fell quiet.

Severus and I looked at each other. She knew enough of Severus' story, but some of my family's beliefs are there too. "Eva, just like everything else, there are so many shades of grey. Think of this, and I'm going to tell you this before your Uncle Ron lets it slip; Lucius handed me to Voldemort at age eleven, Harry saved me from Voldemort, Lucius saved me from Harry, and you, my dear child, freed me from Lucius so I could get my happily ever after." I gave Severus' knee a squeeze.

"Eva, think of it this way; Lucius didn't know about you, and we don't know how knowing about you would have changed things. The man had been in not the best marriage before, so it's little wonder he didn't want to marry again."

"I don't know what I want," she confessed.

I smiled at her. "That's fine, dear. We're going to meet with him after you head to school. We'll see where he's at, and we'll let you know what he says."

"Do we have to tell everyone else?"

"Not yet, not if you don't want to," Severus stated.

She smiled at us. "I love you both."