Chapter 12
Lucius' POV
I was in my room reading when I heard the unmistakable sound I haven't heard in forever; Ginevra clearly enjoying sex! She always did get rather loud. I couldn't help but enjoy the sounds, as they take me back to a different time when I caused her to make those sounds. At the same time, I recognize this is simply a case of Severus staking claim to her. Both he and I have a jealous streak in us. I finally placed a muffling charm on the room to block the noise. I tried to settle in for the night as I am clearly going to need every ounce of patience to deal with the Muggles tomorrow.
The following morning, I came down the stairs to find Ginevra and Evangeline in a battle of wills. "Mom, the stop is at the end of the road! There's no good reason why I can't walk her to the bus myself!"
"Eva, the police still haven't found the men from the other night, so it's not safe! I will be driving her to the school. I don't see the big deal; you will see more people when we drop her off than you would at the stop."
"God, you don't get it!" Evangelina retorted. "I'm enough of a freak going to a boarding school on the other side of the planet! I just want to see some of my friends!"
I went to say something, to which Marie touched my arm and caused me to look at her. "Don't," she mouthed.
"You are not a freak!" Ginevra exclaimed. "You will see everyone at the New Year's Day skate and tubing bonfire! Unless you continue to argue, in which case I'm sure your dad has some nasty things in the lab he would rather not clean that you could take care of on New Year's Day while we are all out."
Evangelina backed down; she walked over to the sectional and slouched down in it with her arms crossed, muttering under her breath.
Marie went over to Ginny and I made my way to Evangelina. I took the seat next to her. "She made this decision because she loves you," I advised.
"Well, a little more freedom would be nice!"
"I once took your attitude with her, and it turned out to be the biggest mistake I ever made."
She rolled her eyes at me. "It's not the same; she controls my whole life!"
"It is, Evangelina. The decision she made for me was that we should marry. She moved out the next day, and that was fifteen years back."
The teen's eyes grew big. "What?"
I patted her knee. "We can talk about it while we shop today."
"Kay, and thanks." She gave me a little smile.
"Lucius? Are you going to eat?" Ginevra asked.
"Thank you, Ginevra." I got up and headed over to the breakfast bar where she handed me a plate of french toast. "I trust you were relaxed enough to get a good night's sleep?" I used to ask her if she thought she was relaxed enough to get a good night's sleep after sex.
She turned bright red at the question, knowing I had heard them. "Sorry about that," she muttered to me.
I was tempted to tease her more.
A couple of hours later, Ginevra actually demanded Severus' and my wands before we left. "She IS sorta scary at times," Wyatt stated to me. I admit it; the witch showed no fear in demanding the wands of two Death Eaters! The sad part about it is we both turned them over to her without argument.
"She has more power than HE did," Severus whispered to me, showing he's thinking the same thing as I.
When we arrived at 'The Mall,' Evangelina and I headed off on our own. "What are you shopping for?" I asked her.
"I want to pick up some cool clothing. I need some new runners, and I still need a gift for Marie," she replied.
"Nothing for your mother, Severus, and Wyatt?" I asked.
"I got all that in Hogsmeade."
The place is huge and quickly filled with Muggles. We headed into a shoe shop. I was pleased to see that my daughter knows exactly what she's looking for. She catches an employee. "I need this in a women's size 7 and a half," she ordered. While we waited, she eyed me up and down. "You stick out like a sore thumb. You're staying for the whole break, right?"
"That's the plan," I said.
She came closer. "You need to look a bit more norm-, er, Muggle. I think we need to buy you some stuff."
The employee returned with the shoes she requested. Before she tried them on, she inspected them for defects, proving she's a Malfoy. It made me smile. As she slipped the footwear on, I caught my reflection in a mirror. I looked fine, for a wizard. But yes, I didn't fit in with the Muggles.
She walked around the area with one shoe on before announcing, "I'll take them."
As she removed the shoe, I asked, "What are you thinking of?"
"Well, you're going to need outerwear for the bonfire. A few different shirts, a sweater, and a pair of slacks. Maybe you should have gone with Mom and Wyatt." She put on the shoe she came in with and then went to the till to pay.
"Is that everything for you?" the employee asked.
"Yes, thank you." Evangelina pulled out a card like Ginevra had used. I reached out and covered her hand.
"That will be $132.99."
"I will buy this," I explained.
"You don't have to."
"I'm your father, so I do." As we walked out of the shop, I asked, "Why didn't you suggest shoes for me there?"
She glanced sideways at me. "You're not the sports shoe type. I'm thinking about loafers and a pair of boots."
In a menswear store, Evangelina shopped for me like a personal shopper would. She chose a few button up shirts for me in colours I don't normally wear; blue to bring out my eyes, burgundy because she liked the colour on me, and a purple one. She allowed me a black jumper. I'm pleased she picked out high end things and not wanting to put me in the t-shirts I have already seen a high number of Muggle men wearing. When we looked at coats, she looked at wool coats, but a nice, lined, leather jacket caught my eye. I tried it on and I liked it. "That looks really good on you! I didn't think you would like it because it's not dragon skin." She whispered the last bit.
Oh, what the young girl doesn't know about me! That will come with time. Some time later, we were in a large book shop, in the paranormal section. She picked up book after book on witches and magic. "I wish I could get Marie a book from the," she glanced around, seeing a Muggle, "the shop in London."
"What are you looking for in these?" I asked.
"Something that's somewhat correct. Marie just seems to know what's right and what's not. She's nearly obsessed with magic."
"What have you told her?" I know girls tend to share secrets.
"Nothing! Mom and Dad drill that into us all the time," she complained.
It bothered me to hear her call Severus 'Dad.' I am her father. But I knew better than to battle this with her; not now, at least. She finally settled on a book. "Is that all you're getting her?"
She smirked at me. "I got her some candy from Honeydukes. Nothing that is actually magical."
I was proud of her. "I feel like I should get your mother a gift," I admitted. When I left to come here, I was still angry and bitter towards her, but being here allowed me to see that she does feel remorse. She's still the same woman she was back then, and my feelings for her never died. As for our daughter; yes, she should've told me, but she didn't because of my own words.
"What were you thinking?" Evangelina asks.
"A jeweler, maybe. A high quality one, not a mass market one," I stated.
She smiled. "Dad's a bit too practical that way."
Later, we were looking at a ruby ring. It's Evangelina's birthstone and it's a very nice ring. "What do you think?" she asked.
"It's not goblin made," I stated.
The shopkeeper smiled. "Lord of the Rings fan?"
I had no clue what the shopkeeper meant. Evangelina covered for me. "Yes, my mom's a huge fan."
"I'll take it," I declared.
"Would you like it wrapped?"
"Yes," I stated.
At the same moment, "No, thank you. I can do a better job," Evangelina vowed. As we walked out of the shop, she asked me, "Earlier, you said we would talk about you and mom."
"I did. Let's sit down." She and I found a bench. "I will answer any questions you have."
"What happened?" Her eyes bore into mine.
I thought back; my mind went all the way back to the day I first met her when she was eleven. "I don't know where to start."
"I know nothing, other than that you and Dad were both Death Eaters and that Mom was living with you when she became pregnant. That's all."
"I never saw your mother and Severus together until that day we, you and I, met. The day she left me is burned into my mind. The day before, she talked about it being time for us to get married." I paused, taking a deep breath, "We are both stubborn, very stubborn. I resented her trying to take control; so much so, I never asked why she was trying to take control. When I asked her to marry me, I wanted it to be on my terms, not hers. I have always had a cool and cutting tongue and I always enjoyed getting a reaction from people."
"What did you say?" Her eyes narrowed.
Did I want to admit this to my daughter? I didn't want to hurt her like I had Ginevra, but there was also a chance she already knew and was asking to see if I would be honest with her. "I am ashamed to admit that I told her I already had an heir and that I was not her father. He and I never saw eye to eye on things."
"Then what happened?"
"She got mad and walked away that night. I thought she would calm down in a day or two. I would later ask when she accepted that it wasn't going to happen. Instead, the next day when I returned to the Manor, she was finishing packing her things. She was set that we were over. I told myself she was bluffing. I told myself that for six months. I wasn't going to have my hand forced."
"So she married Dad."
"She did."
"Did you know they were together before the end of the war? That's why I thought that perhaps I was the product of something like a threesome," Evangelina explained.
I reached out and cupped her cheek. "No, you are the product of love. Never forget that. It's something your brother can't say."
"Wyatt?"
"I mean your other brother, Draco."
Her eyes grew big. "Uncle Ron mentioned him, but I never linked it together!"
"Can I ask what you were told about myself?"
"Not much. I always knew that Dad wasn't my real dad. It was never a huge thing. It didn't need to be." She looked down into her lap. "I never had reason to ask about you until we met, but I knew as soon as I met you."
"How did you know?" I asked.
"I have your eyes, and you looked intently at me. Other people we meet that know Mom or Dad don't look that closely at us. Either you were my father or a real creep."
"The second I saw you, I knew you were my daughter. You're a perfect blend of Ginevra and I."
"I did some research on you," she admitted. "I realise how far this is from your comfort zone. It means alot that you're doing this to get to know me."
"I think we need to head over to meet your mother," I declared.
As we waited for Ginevra and the others, Evangelina showed me this mall has an indoor beach. "Why?"
"It's winter for so long and flights are expensive. Not everyone can afford to go to a real beach," she informed me.
"Wow! It looks like you two got a lot done," Ginevra said as they joined us. She eyed the bags I was holding.
"I made him get some normal stuff," Evangelina bragged to her mother.
"Nobody makes Lucius Malfoy do anything he doesn't want to," Ginevra stated. She looked straight into my eyes.
"Perhaps I'm learning that sometimes there are reasons to do as others suggest," I offered.
As we made our way to the 'food court,' Evangelina and Wyatt looked at each other. "McDonalds!" they said in unison.
"Do you want McDonalds?" Evangelina questioned us.
Severus shook his head. Ginevra laughed. "No, go ahead. Find us out here."
"I think we should get something to drink here and eat later back at the house," Severus suggested. "None of this is real food."
"It's real food; it's just not the best quality food. But there is that place with the mini doughnuts. Those are good," Ginevra explained.
Severus smiled at her. "I'll get you a bag."
"Thanks, luv." He then headed off.
She smiled at me. "You finally got some one on one time with her. What do you think?"
"Evangelina is bloody amazing! Much like her mother," I slipped in.
"She's a lot like you as well, Lucius."
"I noticed she shops like myself." I smiled, recalling how she seemed to know what the best quality things were.
"I know! She's done that since she was four. How did she talk you into Muggle clothing?" she asked, pointing at the bags.
I pointed to a table that had just been wiped down. "It was something my daughter wanted to do with me. I felt I couldn't say no." We took a seat at the table, and I sat across from her. "She is strong and confident."
"Most of the time she is."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She smiled at me. "Just that fourteen year old girls all have times of being insecure."
"Really, Ginevra?I doubt you did. I recall Draco stating you had half the school wanting to date you," I teased her.
"Yes, half the school, but the boy I wanted at the time hardly recalled my name."
I knew she meant Potter. "Yes, but you later cancelled your wedding to the foolish boy." Severus rejoined us. As he handed her the bag of doughnuts, their fingers touched for longer than required, which earned him an adoring smile.
"Thank you, dear," she said.
"So which place should we get coffee from?" Severus asked.
"Well, there isn't a Timmy's here, but there is a Starbucks," Ginevra pointed out, like I knew what she was talking about.
"We'll get the coffees. You wait for our urchins to return. A mocha for you?" Severus asked.
"Please." She smiled at him, again.
Severus and I go to get the coffees. "Anytime you want to quit flirting with my wife, I would appreciate it," he stated coolly.
"Why is that, Severus? Are you concerned she might be liking it?"
"Of course she enjoys it, Lucius; she did love you. However, I am secure in my relationship with Ginny. It could upset the children," he covered.
"I could have her back," I stated.
He stared me down. "I highly doubt that. You don't realise how much you hurt her. She might forgive, but that doesn't mean she forgets."
"Severus, you also hurt her once. When she and I got together, she was a shell, like an Inferi. She forgave you."
"She and I had issues. She thought she was simply a replacement, or a body to be used. I allowed my own past pain to affect how I treated her. We were able to admit our own mistakes, understand where the other was coming from, and move past that."
We placed our orders and then continued chatting. "And you don't think the same is possible for us?"
"Lucius, the difference is my actions were those of a man who had been hurt in the past by the father of the man I believed she loved, whereas you simply did not want to not be in control."
"She could be mine again," I stated again.
He laughed at me. "I don't fear that. She's mine, she loves me, and she's not going anywhere, but you're welcome to try, Lucius. It will only show you how wrong you are. However, I strongly advise not to do anything to upset the children, as it could harm your budding relationship with Eva."
A/N The last 30 days have been insane, first I and my husband tested postive for covid-19, recovered from that and yesterday the other half of our duplex went up in flames. Thankfully all the humans lived. But I am sitting in a hotel room posting this, because there is to much smoke in my place. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, hearing your thoughts on my writing is such a huge boost for me. Please give me a boost!