Chapter 5
Ginny's POV
The following morning, we received an Owl saying that Wyatt was placed in Slytherin. I wasn't upset, for I had found with the Slytherin men I knew and cared for, there was a trait no one ever talks about; honour. There is honour to the things they believe in. It's not often viewed as honour to others, but look at the Slytherin men I have been connected to: Tom's honour was the sickest, really; it was to power. Severus' honour is to love; his mother, Lily, me, and our children. Lucius' honour is to his family.
We let Eva know that Lucius wanted to get to know her. For now, it's just Owls. On Halloween, we received an Owl from Lucius;
Ginevra and Severus,
I hope this Owl finds you both well.
As you know, Evangelina and I have been writing to each other. I'm sure that our relationship would benefit from her and I having some in-person interaction. With that in mind, I would like to ask for permission to invite her to spend Christmas break at the Manor.
Lucius
"Severus, she isn't ready for that!" I panicked.
"Ginny, allow me. I will Owl Lucius and explain it. He isn't thinking like the parent of a daughter. He doesn't get how teen girls are. He never did, really." At the same time, I felt bad, and Severus took one look at me and asked, "What?"
"He is trying. He doesn't have a relationship with her because we never told him," I explained.
"Okay, what are you thinking then?" Severus asked me.
"He needs to get to know her where she feels most comfortable. What if we invited him to stay here for Christmas? To give her the home field advantage."
He leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed, appraising me. "Do you think you can handle that?"
I'm a bit confused as to why Severus is asking this. "Yes honey, I'll be fine."
He turned away from me and started washing dishes by hand. "I know he hurt you," he tried to cover, causing me to realise he's a bit insecure. It makes sense; in his mind, Lily chose the rich pretty boy and Lucius fits the bill. I don't even think Severus realised this was what was bugging him.
"He did for a microsecond, Severus. There is an added benefit to this idea; Lucius will have to come face to face with the fact that we're inseparable. Wyatt might benefit from it too. It will enforce that, no matter what, we're still a family unit. Or would you rather spend the holidays in England and have Christmas dinner at the Burrow with my family and the Potters?"
He turned and looked at me, shaking his head and smiling. "The Sorting Hat really did put you in the wrong house."
I smiled back at him. "I take that as a compliment. Just don't tell my brothers I said that."
Severus wrote to Lucius, who surprisingly agreed to the idea. This honestly warmed my heart, as it told me he did care about Evangelina.
It was a cold day in December, and Severus and I were decorating for Christmas. The tree would wait til the kids were home, but garland, lights and candles, seasonal tablecloths, kitchen accessories, and things like that all went up in our house the first week of December. Severus and I both take joy in being lavish about Christmas. I think that it's because that's when we started to grow closer. I will spend the month baking and cooking, as there are so many British treats we can't buy here so I have to make them.
Severus arrived on the main floor with another box. "I think this is the box with your dust collectors," he teased, placing the box on the island.
I peer into the box and smile at the memories. "I was thinking; this is going to be quite the shock to Lucius."
Severus moved over and poured himself a cup of coffee. "How so?"
"We sort of live kind of Muggle, dear. And we both know that Marie is going to be here more than at her own home."
He sneered at the idea. He made like he dislikes Eva's best friend, but he did take the time to learn about Muggle chemistry to be able to help her when she was struggling in school. "You would think she was an orphan, with all the time she is here."
"Lucius isn't going to like not knowing things," I said, pulling out the Christmas candle holders. "He might feel a bit like a fool."
"What are you thinking?" Severus asked, then took a sip of his black coffee.
"We could invite him over a couple of days early to learn things. To get him comfortable so that he doesn't react, like we both know he will, to many things that he will be exposed to." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, then shook his head. "We caused him to have to be building a relationship with a fourteen year old. The least we can do is make it easy on him."
"Then you're writing this letter," he replied. "I think you forget that we're not talking about your father here, but Lucius Malfoy. Do you realise how poorly this will go? He's going to make me look like a bubbly teen girl by comparison."
"That's exactly what I mean; if he comes early, hopefully the bad mood we both know he will have about it all will lessen before Eva and Wyatt return."
"I have no clue how you're going to explain it to him in an Owl," he mused.
There was a knock at the door. "Mum?" Marie called from the front door. Oddly, the girl used the British 'mum' to address me, instead of 'mom' that my own children use!
"We're in the kitchen," I called out. The girl wandered in. She's the same age as Eva, but is Eva's contrast; she has olive skin with dark hair and eyes. Her ears were bright pink from the cold. "Hi, Marie. How are you?"
"I'm okay, I guess," she said as she opened the cookie jar.
"Are you doing well in school?" Severus asked.
"Good enough, I guess." She then took a bite of a cookie.
"That's good," Severus stated.
"Are Eva and Wyatt still coming home for Christmas?" she asked, sounding worried.
I smiled at her. "They are, they will arrive on the seventeenth."
She smiled wistfully. "I miss Eva. Heck, I even miss Wyatt."
This girl was over here so much, there were no secrets from her, except the fact that we aren't Muggles. "Marie, things will be a bit different this year." She took a seat at the breakfast bar.
"How so, Mum?"
"Eva's father will be joining us this year. He needs to get to know her."
She looked brokenhearted. "So you want me to stay away to give them their space?" she guessed.
"Perhaps a bit, but not totally. You're a part of Eva's world, and he needs to be exposed to her whole world. But he is a bit…"
"He's an old school British snob, very old school," Severus finished for me.
"Worse than Grandpa Weasley?" she asked, eyes widening.
"Nothing like my father in law. They are about as different as a lion and a snake," Severus explained.
I damn near choked on the sip of water I had just taken at Severus' comparison.
On December fifteenth, I answered the door to find my former lover, looking very stylish for a wizard and nothing like a Muggle. I took one look at him and could hear the neighbours talking. I reached out and pulled him in without a word.
"Ginevra, I didn't expect you to be so bold."
"You know we live in a Muggle community and you may as well have shown up on a broom!" I cursed him.
He started removing his cloak. "I arrive as I am."
I took a deep breath and rethink my own logic. Severus adapted to this easily because his father was a Muggle, I spent a fair bit of time with Muggle borns, and Dad being Dad helped. For Lucius though, this might be his first time in the Muggle world! I looked at his clothing; it was a bit over the top for Muggles, but removing his accessoires should help. "Come with me and I will show you to your room. By the time you get settled, Severus should be home."
We walked down the hall past the office area. This hall keeps the family area private from the front door. I know our open concept house is a huge contrast to the Manor. As I led him to the stairs, Lucius commented, "This is a huge improvement over the place in Cokeworth."
"Spinster's End is a convenience." I led him up the stairs, but the whole time I could feel his eyes on my arse. I showed him to the guest room.
A/N For the most apart each chapter will be told in one characters point of view. Next chapter will be Lucius' and I am torturing him... it was fun to do.