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Chapter 1:
Lucius Malfoy couldn't believe it when he returned back from the Graveyard in Little Hangleton – the Dark Lord was back. Never did Lucius imagine this day would come so soon; some would say that thirteen years was a long time, but after living in peace with his wife Narcissa and his son, Draco, after being a powerful political figure that claimed he was under the effects of the Imperius Curse, narrowly escaping Azkaban prison and finally having that oaf of a Minister Cornelius Fudge in his pocket with the mere jingling of his pocket filled with gold – Lucius Malfoy revered in his freedom.
Now that the Dark Lord was back, he was going to have to share all the gold in the Malfoy vault, go back to killing and torturing, fretting for the safety of his family and give up his son to the Dark Lord's clutches – for Lucius was no fool, and he knew that once Draco was sixteen or if he was lucky, eighteen, the Dark Lord would want his only son and heir to the Malfoy line, to be inducted into his ranks as a Death Eater and most probably a spy in Hogwarts.
Lucius cursed his father, the late Abraxas Malfoy, for placing their family in such a position.
Lucius wanted out and the next morning, Narcissa and he discussed plans of freeing themselves from a life sentence of being servants to the Dark Lord or a prisoner of Azkaban. Lucius didn't want any of those possibilities, but the only other choice he had, the only option left, and Lucius was adamant to avoid it of all costs, was to plead Albus Dumbledore for help.
The fool that called himself Minister of Magic, was adamantly denying that the Dark Lord was back, stating that Harry Potter was an attention-loving liar and that Albus Dumbledore, defeater of Grindelwald and most revered wizard to ever live, the wizard that everyone knew Lord Voldemort feared, was a daft and dangerous man who was getting senile in his old age, disrupting their thirteen years of peace. Fudge was actually thinking of discrediting him by removing his post as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, going as far as to threaten to retract the Order of Merlin, First Class – moron!
It was a problematic situation the Malfoys had found themselves in. If they ran away, then the Dark Lord would go through hell and fire to find him and his family and kill them. Draco had to continue his education in Hogwarts – they could not run. Lucius didn't find being a spy appealing, and so Lucius had no choice but to swallow his pride and ask the old codger for help.
The next day, Lucius made his way to Hogwarts; there was still a day remaining until his son would come back to Malfoy Manor for the summer, which was the perfect time for Lucius to ask for an audience with Dumbledore. Upon arrival, instead of guessing the many, odd sweets that the Headmaster chose as a rightful password, Lucius asked the gargoyle to inform the Headmaster that he would like to have a word of grave importance.
Lucius took delight in seeing the shock on the all-knowing old man's face at seeing him in his office, and Lucius wasted no time in confiding in him all his worries and preference to avoid the war. Albus Dumbledore was shocked; it was clearly written all over his face and Lucius inwardly reveled in the fact that he pulled the rug from under the Headmaster.
The Headmaster was very generous in offering a way out and together the two of them hashed out many ideas. They scratched out faking the Malfoys death as Draco had to get his education from somewhere and Narcissa preferred her only son to be under the watchful eye of the Headmaster and the protection he offered. Faking only Lucius and Narcissa's death could lead to many problems for Draco as well, as they Draco would be expected to live with someone else, who would probably end up in the presence of the Dark Lord himself, who was very skilled in Legilimency and provides a great risk in finding out that his parents are indeed alive. Lucius acting as a spy still had him being a slave to the Dark Lord, which was exactly what Lucius was avoiding.
In the end, it was decided that Lucius declare him and his family as neutral, just like the Greengrass family, the Davis family and the Zabini family were. It was a well-known fact that Voldemort preferred there to be more neutral families than light families, as the neutrals would stay out of the way no matter which side won. Albus and Lucius planned everything from the note Lucius were to send the Dark Lord, to where they would live. It was also a definite fact that Draco would be in Hogwarts under the watchful eye of the Headmaster and the Order of the Phoenix' protection.
The only snag they hit, was where the Malfoys new home would be as the Dark Lord knew were all his manors and chalets were situated in … all except for one.
A manor were he swore he would never return to – a place he swore he would never return to.
Lucius Malfoy had no choice, it was either he returned to Malfoy manor in San Francisco, or he endangers his family due to his father and his mistake. And so, with a heavy heart, Lucius related to Dumbledore about his mansion located in San Francisco, Prescott Street. They also came to an agreement for some of the Order members to visit him temporarily for his and his family's protection.
Upon returning to his wife, Lucius sat down with her and told her the whole story of Patricia Halliwell and the daughter he gave birth to. He informed her that other than the first hour of her life, he never returned or asked about her – he never even found out her name.
Narcissa was mad at first, but after Lucius finished telling her everything, she got over it stating that they were never even married yet neither had they began their first step of courting so it was none of her business to judge him for his actions done before her. She did feel uneasy that she would be living opposite to the Halliwells and that Lucius would be around his ex-girlfriend and daughter for a prolonged period of time, but Lucius assured her that he has no feelings for her anymore and that if he wanted to know his daughter, he had many opportunities to do so seeing as he had a manor sitting right across theirs.
After Draco came back from Hogwarts, he proved a bit more troublesome about all the new changes that were happening in their lives and with the new status as a neutral family, but he later admitted that he never had the heart to kill or torture another human being, whether it was a muggle or not.
Draco's discovery at having an older sister got him excited, but after Lucius and Narcissa informed him that they are to have nothing to do with them and that they wanted her as far away from them as possible – Draco threw a hissy fit, stating that he hated them and that he had always wanted another sibling.
For a week Draco ignored them, but the day before they were to collect a portkey to San Francisco, he grudgingly told them that he understood and would keep his distance from his unknown older sister.
The three Malfoys stared at the manor that had always been bustling with members of the Malfoy families' throughout the generations; Lucius prayed that Voldemort would be defeated by the light side so that he could return to his home as soon as possible. Five of their elves, Mopey, Dopey, Sockey, Lilu and Milu were already ordered a week ago to clean up the manor in San Francisco for their arrival and to make it more habitual with the usual orders not to be seen as it was situated in a muggle street.
They made their way to the Ministry of Magic, avoiding as many people as possible and made their way to the Portkey registration were Dumbledore had a member of the Order of the Phoenix to retrieve them a portkey without the usual filled destination lest it falls into the Dark Lord's clutches.
The three Malfoys said goodbye to the dreary, gloomy Britain and got ready for sunny San Francisco.
