Title: The Life I Now Lead

Rating: M – Due to the adult themes involved and mentions of sex and violence.

Genre: Action/Adventure, Romance, Angst. SLASH!

Summary: Harry has moved away from his old life and is trying to get on away from the world he once knew.

Word Count: 1700

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Seriously.

Pairings: LM/HP. DM/AU. HG/RW

Thanks To: The Reviewers

A/N: So very sorry about the once again long delay in update. When I started this I promise I did have buffer but that's all gone and its as I do them. (I have other writing commitments besides this you know and arty farty things. I have an account on Deviant Art, under 'corcalamus' if you're interested) I'll try for fornightly updates, I promise ye nothing but I will try. Shall email to anyone who wishes reminders and any reviews do spur me on and make me want to update faster. So if you review I'd be more likely to update.

Thanks to everyone who is reading and especially to those who review

All that noise and all that sound

All the spaces that I've found

I've got us both flying at the speed of sound

To show you how it all began

Speed of Sound – Cold Play

September 1

Hermione and Ron sat in the Leaky Cauldron having just waved Alexander off to school. He'd looked very excited at the prospect of going off to school with his trunk full of schoolbooks and pranks from his uncle's Fred and George. Hermione pretended she hadn't seen them. She knew taking them would just dishearten her son so this year she'd let it go.

"He looked so excited," Ron said with a smile.

Hermione nodded, also smiling, "Yes… he did didn't he? He wants to follow in our footsteps. I wonder which house he'll be sorted into…"

Ron shrugged, "So long as it's not Slytherin," he said with a frown. Hermione frowned a little, "If it is Slytherin we'll just accept it Ron… don't you remember what Harry had told us?"

Ron sighed, he remembered the conversation well. Lucius and Draco had just come to stay at the Order Headquarters. Ron had, had a few choice words about 'dirty Slytherin bastards' being in the Order. Harry had promptly told him to shut up as he had almost been sorted into Slytherin.

Ron couldn't imagine Harry being in Slytherin… he was too… too nice to be in Slytherin. Ron couldn't imagine his boy in Slytherin either, hopefully it'd be either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw… he'd even take Hufflepuff over Slytherin, not that he'd let on to Alexander about that.

Hermione smiled at Ron, knowing full well that he was praying for another Gryffindor. Hermione truly didn't care, so long as Alex found some friends, somewhere to fit in, something that took herself a little while to find.

There hadn't been a word about Severus and his band of dark arts followers. Many were calling them 'new Death Eaters' but there had not been the death and destruction following Voldemort's rise. Others speculated that the plan was simply for him to escape Azkaban and the Dementors.

The world moved past slowly for many, all waiting for Snape's first move, one of those being Tonks. She was on high alert from her office, and told to keep her eyes open for anything odd.

Remus was now working as an editor for the Quibbler, which still had rather a large reading base with its amusing ideas, many people thought it was a novel magazine. He was sitting at the breakfast table waiting on Tonks coming home from another long day.

He had, in his long years of solitude, learnt how to cook. He had already eaten his dinner, chicken with a white wine sauce and rice, about two hours before and it was now 9pm, late even for the state of matters currently.

Finally there was a pop and Tonks appeared in the kitchen. She looked rather tired and looked to Remus who motioned for her to come towards him. She moved to him and he pulled her into a hug.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"He killed three people at the old Malfoy Manor site… we couldn't catch him… a man, a boy and a woman… It was like…" she paused, sighing.

"What love?" Remus asked softly, knowing that she might not be able to tell him due to the need to keep things confidential.

"It was like he was re-enacting the incident with Draco, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, except this time it went how it was planned… it was… horrible Remmy… blood was everywhere…" she buried her face into Remus' chest and sobbed softly. Remus ran his hand through her hair. Tonks had been one of the first to reach Malfoy Manor all those years before and helped to rescue Draco and Lucius…

"Severus Snape staged a gruesome re-enactment of the attack on Malfoy Manor 13 years ago to the day. We tried to get Draco Malfoy for a comment but he told us, well, he wasn't happy with the line of questioning…"

Lucius read the report in the newspaper, his blood running cold remembering with perfect clarity the events that took place that day in Malfoy Manor… the reason he had escaped from Azkaban in the first place.

McNair had sent word to Lucius in Azkaban that his family was in danger from Voldemort. Never did he think just how far his once master would go. Now he knew better as he knelt between his wife and son, hands bound behind his back.

Voldemort stood with several Death Eaters, Severus Snape included; Severus didn't even bother to have his mask on.

"Lord…please… spare my family, I - "

Voldemort grabbed Lucius' hair and pulled his face up to meet his, "Do I look like I am in a charitable mood Lucius? No, you will pay dearly for your failings and the failings of your son. I wanted him to kill Dumbledore or die trying, and your wife was the one that prevented that, she made Severus make an unbreakable vow tying him to kill Dumbledore."

He released Lucius' hair and kicked him hard in the chest sending the elder Malfoy flying back. He moved to Narcissa and grabbed her robe, pulling her up harshly to her feet, he threw her forcefully to the Death Eaters. "Rape her then kill her…"

Narcissa cried harshly, screaming, struggling against the three men who pulled her down. Lucius turned his face away, Draco closed his eyes, tears running down his face.

"Oh no, no Lucius… you watch…"

He moved and pulled Lucius so that he had a perfect view of his wife's torture, she cried, begged and screamed throughout the ordeal. Voldemort smiled cruelly, "The Killing curse is too kind for you three…" he threw a knife to Severus, "Finish her quickly, Severus."

Severus moved towards Narcissa and her screams fell silent.

Draco sobbed openly, unable to contain his grief and his fear at what would befall him. Voldemort looked to Severus and smiled cruelly once more, "Take the boy's eyes…"

Draco looked up and shook his head, panic rising. "No… please, please Lord no…"

"And his tongue…" Voldemort added as Severus moved towards him, Draco moved backwards, Severus motioned for Wormtail to hold him.

"Hold him still Wormtail… I only want his eyes right now."

Draco's eyes closed instinctively but there was nothing the soft flesh could do to guard against the sharp blade piercing the skin and through his eye.

Lucius struggled against his magical bonds, horrified at his situation when something extraordinary happened.

Three members of the Order of the Phoenix appeared, Tonks, Ginny Weasley and Minerva McGonagall.

The fight was extreme, magic flying everywhere, Tonks found time to untie Lucius who moved towards his son and cradled him against his chest as he began to go into shock.

As the battle raged, the most unlikely person came to help them.

Harry Potter, who had just turned 18, moved towards Lucius and Draco and quickly helped them leave Malfoy Manor, taking them back to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, sensing perhaps that somehow Malfoys were more loyal to family than to any other cause.

He quietly took Draco and Lucius to one of the top most rooms in the house, told Lucius that there were medical supplies in the cupboard and then left father and son to be alone.

Lucius had always thought Harry a good man for that deed, so many would have taken advantage of the situation, not Harry, he just did what needed to be done.

Perhaps it was that day that the seeds of love were planted. That day, so grief stricken, a man who had been a vile enemy but a few days before had become an ally in a matter of hours.

As Lucius came out of his thoughts he was aware of the arms of his younger lover wrapped around him. He sighed softly and Harry spoke quietly in his ear, "I know where your mind was… I'll fix it Luce… I promise."

He kissed Lucius' cheek, feeling a little guilty at the realisation of just how much Lucius had gone through in the war as well. It wasn't just him that had suffered, he found it easy to forget that sometimes.

Draco too, that day in Malfoy Manor had really changed Draco, Harry figured it was shock, the kick up the arse he perhaps needed. If that hadn't happened, Draco wouldn't be living with his wife and children right now. His eye was the sacrifice to forget his old life.

They had all made sacrifices over the years.

Harry sat beside Lucius who looked at him, "That memory will always haunt me… I loved her so much Harry…to watch her go through that… and my son…"

Harry stroked his cheek gently and nodded, "I know Luce… I know. Narcissa is at peace where she is now… and you have me here."

Lucius smiled, "I do, don't I? And I still have my son… less an eye."

"Yeah… and Draco says the eye patch makes him look like a pirate anyway, which is amusing. Jonathan is starting to get into ships and pirate tales…" Harry said, smiling softly.

"Well… we have some things to be doing today, we should get started. The cupboards aren't going to clean themselves," Lucius said with a groan as he stood.

Harry looked at him with a frown, "You're getting worse… are you sick again?"

Lucius shook his head, "No… I'm just creaky… comes with age Harry." He held his hand out for Harry who sighed, knowing it pointless to pry further. He took Lucius' hand and they both moved into the kitchen to begin their yearly clear out.