DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The storyline, all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property. Glorioux .
A/N For those that read the old version, there have been many changes here, and more to come.
Father's fears and Reality check
Draco and a Big Dog.
Birds and bright sunshine roused her from sleep. She groaned. She'd forgotten to close the drapes the night before, and now there was no point in staying abed any longer.
She looked at the time. The lighted digital clock read 6:05 Maddy knew the drill; it took her over a week to get used to the time change. Her usual bedtime was between 12:00 and 1:00, when she was in Boston, with the five hours difference it would be just around bedtime there.
Just as well, she consoled her sleepy-self.
Maddy needed coffee. Granted that it was a bad habit to be addicted to the taste and the accompanying caffeine. It was a hold-over from her days abroad.
She opened the door to her room and looked down. A big black dog lay sprawled across her doorstep. She crouched, kissed the top of his head and burrowed her fingertips, gently, into his thick fur.
Dogs, in general, didn't smile. But this wasn't a 'normal' dog, and the black dog had 'smiled' when Maddy's hand caressed him. She quietly slipped back into her room and brought out a blanket-sized light cashmere wrap. It was one she liked to cover her legs with when she read.
A strange warm feeling ran through her when she draped it over the sleeping Animagus.
After getting the job done, she left to get the coffee. She hadn't gone halfway down the long hallway when Draco came around the opposite corridor's direction right behind her, and she missed him. Had she seen him, she would have taken him back to his room; they all had enough scares for a lifetime.
Draco woke up from a vivid nightmare and started screaming for Mimi, "Mimi, the devils, Mimi. The munster with the white beard, he kills the doggies and Mr. Remy, MIMI!" But Narcissa was dead asleep. Lucius wasn't in the room, and the elves were helping to bake.
When nobody came, he took matters into his own hands and ran to find her, looking wild. Maddy didn't hear Draco; her back faced him; this was to be expected because she was a zombie until she had her morning caffeine jolt.
Draco had seen Maddy, but this wasn't his home, and he knew not to scream; besides his attention was captivated by the lump with a furry tail sticking out. He ran to it and stopped at the sight of Sirius covered with the wrap, fully admiring the pillows and blankets on the floor.
The idea of sleeping in a hallway with his older cousin seemed different and adventurous; something his parents wouldn't allow. So it was that young Draco, without fussing and making as little noise as possible, got under the wrap, held on to Sirius-Dog with one hand around the furry neck, and stuck the free thumb in his mouth. Once he was comfortable, he sighed with content.
Before he fell asleep, he pulled his thumb out his mouth, "Bad devils, bad munster wizard, if you comes he'll bite you hard, Uncle Siri will get you." He whispered and went back to sleep. Uncle Siri wouldn't let anything terrible happen to Draco. No way, he was big and powerful and would stop them all.
About five minutes later a frazzled Lucius, wearing a robe and bare feet, was looking inside each alcove for Draco. His face was ashen, and his eyes disturbed. His family stayed in one of the suites of the L-shaped family wing, but around the corner from Maddy's room, so unless Lucius walked around the bent corridor, Draco remained hidden to him.
He panicked, mostly for his inability to figure out what had happened; Draco slept in the receiving room attached to their bedroom and was fast sleep when Lucius went into the bathroom. Ten minutes later he came out and peeked-in to check on his son, only to find Draco gone.
Further inspection revealed that Draco probably moved a nearby chair to unlock the door, pushed it back a bit, not quite back in place, and left.
Lucius was sweating. In the few minutes before he turned the L-shaped intersection and saw him, he had made a decision. The first thing that they needed to do was to arrange the trip. Draco wouldn't tolerate sleeping at Malfoy Manor without Mimi around; not after all the things that had happened.
Last night Draco woke up twice. The demons and the red eye thing were coming. Lucius was afraid that he knew about the red eyes. And then he was screaming about the monster with the white beard. Severus had seen it; he said it was Albus. Why was Draco dreaming of Albus, of Albus killing dogs?
Since before the incident, the children were already inseparable. And now, they were presently stuck to one another as if they were extensions of each other. The four children were scared of everything and were especially afraid if one of them weren't around.
In her capacity as a child-welfare officer, Elly had advised all the adults that it would be a while before the children's fears abated.
Elly explained that in a few weeks of uneventful days, they would nearly forget the incident. However, the next weeks in between would be touchy. Additionally, everyone would have to remember to make allowances for them. Even for an adult, it would have been traumatic.
Lucius forgot the warning when Draco wasn't any longer safely tucked in his bed, and all kind of nightmare images circled his mind.
He now knew with certainty that Voldemort was somewhere, in some form or another, and he was alive. This knowledge alone magnified the fear for his son.
Horror scenarios went on a carousel around his mind; he tried to lessen his fears by admonishing his worrisome self. He also told himself that he was overreacting. Other parents wouldn't worry so much that their children could be in danger.,
No, it wasn't working. He was perfectly aware that not every parent had to worry about Voldemort.
Lucius had to assume that the Dark Lord was aware of the little ones that he'd sworn to protect. He could only surmise that Voldemort had sensed the power of the children himself, or that the sentient portal had alerted creatures who allied with the monster.
Either way, the monster knows about them. Perhaps Voldemort doesn't know the children's identity or the portal's location—, he sighed. One thing that he knows is that one of the children is Harry Potter.
Although Harry kept repeating about the red eyes, the fact Draco did as well, scared him.
Why Albus? A premonition? Ah, are their minds linked? He pondered.
In any case, the only way any of the Grangers or Malfoys, or any of others now connected to his son and his mate could act, was to be aware and alert. But first they had to accept that Voldemort knew of their magic, and the war with Voldemort had begun.
His paternal nature feared for his little son. Not that the Dark Lord recognized Draco per se, but that he knew of the children's existence. The concept of blood-based wards was one that he and the others had to investigate and implement.
It would be a crucial element to protect Draco, Mimi, and little Harry. Harry that was a beacon attracting Voldemort; he was the baby who had survived a Death Curse and a de-facto enemy of the Dark Lord, but without Harry, there was no fight. The Dark Lord would have won.
Now, he just imagined, for brief seconds, that Albus and others found out about Grindelwald's family; and their reactions at their existence and the children's extraordinary powers, and the things they could do together.
Lucius shivered at the image. Imagine worse, Voldemort using the Pixies, the thought was making him ill. Now, what if the children born to any of Paul's or Jeanie's siblings had the healing powers, or the powers already exhibited by Mimi's parents?
The Pixies and any future ones were at risk; and all the factions would be going after his future grandchildren, not very good. He had read about the L'orcs, and maybe about the Grangers; he needed to look, the magic exhibited by Jeanie when reaching his head effortlessly, of Grant's apparating in seconds without training, all was short of amazing.
People outside of their close circle could never find out about the children. What a chain of events Draco finding his little mate had triggered, what a mess. So many terrible possibilities, so many dangers for all the little ones.
Maybe Mimi was waking up their powers, Draco's had surprised him. Could the little enchantress had a way to wake up dormant powers? He needed to explore the idea.
All these thoughts were firing away in his head when upon rounding the corner, he finally spotted the suspicious bundle a little ahead. His mouth was dry, and his heart was beating disorderly. He couldn't breathe when he finally came upon the blanket-wrapped sight.
Lucius smiled reflecting the love for his child. Draco knew Sirius, his cousin or uncle, as he called him, was the dog. His Pixie was using Sirius as a body pillow; he had draped his small body over the dog. Lucius, quietly as to not to awaken either child or animal, walked to the alcove across the room.
He watched the scene, which to his eyes was more beautiful than any of the priceless paintings at the Manor. With his heart full of fatherly love, he admired Draco's porcelain complexion off-set by one of Mimi's cat jumpers, and its contrast with the large dog's black fur.
The sound of another person striding down the hallway broke his introspection. Narcissa was coming around; she was trembling and visibly upset. Upon seeing her, Lucius rose to meet her. Within a moment, he had gained her side and set to soothe her.
His finger was on his lips, indicating that they should be quiet and not disturb the sleepers. With a subtle tug on Narcissa's hand, he drew her into the alcove and settled her.
She sat on Lucius' lap to admire the living portrait in front of them. This was a moment they would preserve for Draco, for themselves, for the future.
A warm feeling swelled within Lucius's chest. The darkness that had dogged him for almost all of his life no longer troubled him. The angry and nasty feelings that once clung to his soul were all but gone.
He was still Lucius, he knew who and what he was but uncontrollable evil no longer drove him. He was able to choose his way.
Narcissa knew at that moment that something was wrong inside her. She loved Lucius and her son and needed to trust somebody. She hoped she didn't have the Black madness growing inside. She wanted this love to last, she sighed and leaned on Lucius.
A wizard's best friend—
After getting her coffee, Maddy was walking back from the common rooms when she spotted Lucius and Narcissa; in her hands, she carried two mugs, one was for 'Sleeping beauty'-dog.
The Malfoys pointed at the child half-under the wrap, sucking his finger and laying on the soft, furry and snoring mattress. The beauty of the wood and the sun rays coming in through the many stained windows, creating bright and shiny colors along the dark wooden walls, made the scene magic.
Maddy's eyes revealed an emotion that she didn't recognize, and a chunk of ice broke in her heart, uncovering a spark of love for the tormented Wizard.
Her eyes filled with moisture and her heart fluttered. If anyone were to ask Maddy, "Tells us the precise moment when you realized your true feelings for Sirius." She would tell them the story of a little wizard, an early morning, and a not-so-vacant hallway.
Suddenly, her rush to leave and the plans for her summer semester no longer held the previous appeal. It was time to check as to whether or not Thalia's offer still stood when her semester was over. She knew that she would be his wife before one year was out. She always knew.
She went into the bedroom and came out with her professional camera. As she took pictures, she had the fleeting images of dark-haired babies, with grey or deep black eyes, sleeping on top of their daddies' chests.
Yes, babies, more pixies were due to arrive in the years to come. Those new pixies would follow the older Pixies, she knew this. She could see the future. She was amazed how things had worked out.
Lucius had just noticed a shadow on Draco's forehead, it must be the light, he hoped, but it didn't and expected the Pixies hadn't compounded the problem.
A headache was coming back, the more he looked, the more that it looked like a permanent mark. No, it couldn't be. Narcissa had seen it, and she looked at him questioningly.
x0x
A/N P Thus, he finds justifications for all his deeds. Hmm, what have the Pixies done? Hermione reads a lot and gets ideas, some not so good, from her books. Running away was one of hers. :)