"Taking off my pants?" Lucius raised his eyebrows, "So it's a boy." He looked up at his wife quizzically.
"Lucius- do put it away. What you're doing is most reprehensible. Draco's correspondence is his own affair."
"Not this Narcissa!" He hissed, getting to his feet. "This concerns the future of the Malfoy line. Do you say that you can stomach the idea of our son…" he paused and took a deep breath.
"I don't mind that he lusts for this boy. But I will not have him throw away the Malfoy line for some obsession!"
"Lucius, it's his choice."
"NO Narcissa! It isn't." he spat, "I will not have my line ended by my son. Because of my son."
"You cannot ask him to just forget this boy- whoever he is." Narcissa said coolly.
"I'm not that heartless, Narcissa." He sneered, "He can keep the boy. Merlin knows we have enough houses to set one up as a love-shack for Draco. But he will marry a Pureblood girl, Narcissa. And produce Pureblood heirs."
Narcissa shrugged, "It sounds generous enough. But convince him, not me."
"Oh I will, Narcissa, don't worry. Draco, you see, is only too eager to please me. Any way he can. This should be a piece of cake."
"You're my husband Lucius. And my lover. And everything else I could wish you to be. But at times like these I'd like to curse you into oblivion." Narcissa hissed, heading for the door. There, she turned, "Remember Lucius, just as I have stood by you all these years as a wife, I shall now stand by Draco as a mother."
Lucius bowed mockingly, "If that is a challenge Madame Malfoy, it is one I would be delighted to take up." Turning away from her ,he summoned a house-elf.
"Tell Draco to report to the study immediately."
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"Oh hell!" Draco cursed under his breath as the House-elf disappeared. What now? All these days he'd been waiting to speak to his father. Now the one time he was exhausted beyond belief Lucius had to be filled with this sudden urge to meet him. Slowly getting to his feet he walked to the study.
"Sit, Draco." Lucius nodded at a chair, "I have some important papers I would like you to read."
Draco replied, his tone as respectful as his weariness would allow, "Forgive me, Father. But I am just back from a swim. Would it not be better if I saw these papers when I have a little more energy to concentrate?"
"Oh no, Draco! I insist." Lucius said smoothly, "besides, I do think these will- stir you up." He leant across and dropped a folded parchment before his son.
The effect was instantaneous. Draco jerked back as if it was a scorpion. His face whitened.
"Does it seem familiar, Draco?" his father as quietly.
"You- you touched my private papers?" he blazed, trembling. Whether with fear or rage, even he couldn't say.
"What an accusation to make of your Father, Draco. No. I found this lying on your bed when I went to retrieve my quill from your table."
Draco mentally kicked himself. How could he have left it there. How could he? He tried to calm his breathing and looked up at Lucius' eyes.
"I presume this is what you were trying to hide from me, Draco." It was a statement.
"Yes." He could see no point in denying it. Oh! If only he wasn't so tired!
"Why Draco?" Was his Father's tone actually gentle? He looked up, the weariness in the gray eyes replaced by a spark of hope.
"I thought…you would disapprove…the line…"
"So you did think of your line." Lucius stood up with a smile. Draco's instinctively moved back in his chair. Sudden moves on Lucius' part were not encouraging. But what was he doing? He was still smiling. The nearest to a warm smile he'd ever get. And he was waking towards Draco. When he was directly in front of his bewildered son, Lucius spoke again, placing a hand gently on Draco's shoulder.
"Today, you have gladdened my heart, Draco. My chief sorrow used to be that I felt you never realized what you owe your line. But today you have cleared that cloud and made me proud of you."
Draco listened as if in a dream. This couldn't be Lucius. A wild suspicion that his Father had ingested Charm-enhanced LSD shot across his mind. But Lucius' eyes were clear and his guileless smile was stone cold sober.
"So you don't…mind?" he asked hesitantly.
"Draco. My only son has bestowed his heart on someone he feels is worthy of it. Would I deny any person that honour? The honour of the love of a Malfoy? And he must be some person to be able to make my son to kneel before him." He chuckled, gesturing at the letter. Draco blushed. This interview had gone beyond embarrassing. And his Father still didn't know the worst.
Lucius sat on the arm of his son's chair, an arm around Draco. This position was so unfamiliar that Draco nearly recoiled. But there was also that wild joy of having his father happy with him. As he gazed up at the face so like his, above him, he smiled.
"I have just one condition Draco…" he paused artfully.
That smile drove everything else out of Draco's mind. His lover and who he was.
"What is it, Father?" Then as Lucius paused, "Father, tell me. I will comply with whatever you ask." Lucius chuckled inwardly. Oh! This was too easy!
"I should never have doubted you Draco, " he smiled, "I believe now that you care as much for our line as do I. And so I will tell you- your mother and I desire you to marry a Pureblood girl. Produce an heir Draco. And keep this boy as your lover."
The manipulative bastard!! Draco did recoil now.
"You have to be joking." He whispered.
"Joking, Draco? Why, no! And your marriage need last only till the heir is produced. I'll make sure the girl troubles you no more after that."
Draco got up, nearly pushing Lucius off the chair, "How could even think I would agree to this?" he spat, "I could never ruin anyone's life in this way. And I cannot share a bed with anyone but Harry."
"You refuse?" Lucius was too amazed to notice the name- just yet.
"Yes! Absolutely, positively, categorically YES! You disgust me, Father. And I see no point in continuing this interview." For the first time in 19 years, he turned his back on his Father and walked out.
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