Come What May
Chapter Five
AN: I am feeling so ill at the moment it isn't even funny, there are about fifty bugs going round work and I'm sure that I have ALL of them! Thanks for your amazing comments guys; I have to say that a few new plot twists have been going round in my head in regards to this story. Anyway, don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine, please feel free to point them out!!
I also want to apologise for being off the writing scene for a while, I have been on a few back to back business trips which have seen me truly exhausted. I have also had a stint in hospital after a car accident; I plan to never again get in a car with the colleague who was driving at the time. Then low and behold my laptop decided that it wanted to die, but thankfully I now have a new one...well a borrowed one (Thank you once again Sarah)...and am feeling quite well and rested. Now I guess I had better get along with my writing hadn't I, please enjoy.
The moonlight filtered slowly through the tiny gap between the drapes. The silvery rays illuminated the face of the sleeping child in the bed, smiling down at his sleeping son a blonde haired young man reached out to feel the youngster's clammy brow.
He had been sick with dragon flu for over a month now, but the fever was finally breaking.
He turned his attention to the book that lay open upon his lap, a hidden treasure which he had indulged himself in whilst he sat in solidarity at his sons side. A book filled with beautiful pictures and lovingly written poetry...a gift from his secret lover to himself. Sometimes he wondered what he had done to get so lucky, the only taint was that he could not see his lover as much as he would like.
Sighing he leant back in his chair, his face an expression of tenderness as his gaze once again rested on the child nestled so peacefully in his blankets. A love so fierce that it took his breath away burned in his veins, he wondered if his own father had felt such a deep seated devotion for him when he was a small child...he highly doubted it
Running a hand through his hair he bit his lip, Draco was young, idealistic and full of future dreams just as a child should be. But his wife had already started to make plans for him, his son was barely six years old and his wife was already setting a future in stone for him to follow.
He didn't want his son to have to follow family rules and tradition; he wanted Draco to follow his heart.
It was strange really, as a Malfoy himself he should have been ecstatic that his son would be able to follow the family rites of old. But he wasn't. When had tradition brought anyone within their family happiness? It had not always been marriages of convenience because it helped the family prestige and name, but now it was always duty over love, family pride over self honour. He did not want Draco to have to lead a life where he had no say in his own future.
He was a hypocrite really.
He sat and he inwardly seethed over the injustice of it all when really he was just as responsible as his wife. He'd done nothing to dissuade her from her planning, done nothing to put her off the route she wanted to take. But he was just so tired of fighting with her all the time, he only hoped that Draco would be strong willed or else his mothers hold on him would be absolute.
"Father" Draco's sleepy voice broke through his inner turmoil and he smiled at his son as he blinked up at him.
"I'm here Draco, go back to sleep little man you need your rest to get better" he soothed. He noticed that Draco's stuffed dragon had fallen to the floor and he reached down to retrieve it, it had been a present from his lover which he'd given him just after Draco was born. Narcissa did not know that of course otherwise he doubted the dragon would have lasted as long as it had as Draco's favoured stuffed toy.
Tucking it in next to Draco he started when an abrupt knock sounded on the door.
Silently making his way across the room he opened it as slowly as he could to avoid noise and came face to face with his wife. Her eyes were almost cold as she looked up at him and a feeling akin to dread spread within the pit of his stomach; keeping his expression as neutral as possible he eyed her back.
"Lucius" she said in greeting and he inclined his head to acknowledge and greet her in return.
"I have to say that up until now I have been a very understanding woman, but I feel a change in you which I know has to do with the mutt you are seeing" she kept her voice low but the anger in it was clear. He fought back the urge to snarl at her as she insulted his lover; he did not want to wake his son with an argument.
"I surmise you have a point for being here Narcissa" he asked, his voice sounded almost bored and he noticed the slight flair in her nostrils at his tone.
"Well my darling husband, I have decided that the time has come for you to swear your fidelity to me. I will not play second fiddle to the likes of your mangy lover, I want you to end it Lucius and you will end it soon" her tone as well as her words were clipped. He raised an eyebrow in response to her request before bursting out in hushed laughter.
"Do you really think I will give up the second most important person in my life on your say so? I do not deny you the right to take up your own lover and you will not dictate what I do with mine" he responded, his words heavy with amusement at her audacity.
"How do you feel about divorce Lucius?" she asked after a pause, her voice was sickly sweet as she spoke.
All traces of amusement left him as her words sank in, divorce was heavily frowned upon in his family...not only that but it also tended to favour women for custody of any child within the marriage. He noted a satisfied smirk settle on her mouth as his mask fell from his face.
"I have the papers in my rooms Lucius, if you do not comply with my wishes then I will have no choice but to file for divorce...I have proof of your infidelities against me so I think that any court would rule in my favour. So you have a choice my sweet, your lover or your son."
He could feel an almost physical pain in his heart at her ultimatum; the scheming bitch had had this idea in her head for a while. She had probably been planning something like this for years now, watching as he fell more and more in love with his lover. She didn't love him, he knew that, but she obviously wanted to make sure he was as unhappy with life as he began to suspect she herself was.
"I'll give you twenty-four hours to decide your answer my darling" she stated softly and with a billowing of her silken dressing gown she was striding away from him.
Numbly he closed the door and almost staggered back to his seat next to Draco's bed, how could she do this to him? Did the woman truly not possess a heart, and if she really did have evidence of his affair with his lover then he would not be able to sway a court...he may have been a powerful man but in a courtroom power meant nothing when put against cold hard facts.
He glanced down again at the book he now held, he had not been aware he had reached for it. Turning to the previously opened page he eyed the moving picture there, he looked so happy and carefree as he frolicked with his lover. They were happy and he knew that without the other man in his life he would be miserable, his heart would break without him.
But glancing at the bed before him, his sons beautiful face caught his attention. So pale in the moonlight and so utterly adorable, his small hands curled around the stuffed dragon and his blonde hair curling against his temple. This was his son, the only good thing to have come out of this sham of a marriage...could he really give him up to Narcissa. Could he run the risk of losing him in a custody battle?
Sighing he closed his eyes and a single tear fell softly down his face, there really wasn't a choice in which decision he made. No matter how much he loved his lover, he could not allow Narcissa free reign over his son.
Tracing a hand lovingly over his partner in the picture a tender smile touched his lips, in that smile a multitude of sorrow could be seen just at the edges. He only hoped that he would have the strength to do what needed to be done.
"Please forgive me" he whispered and closed the book with a resounding thud.
Draco stood stiffly by the library window, a slender glass of sauvignon held in his hand. It wasn't usually the type of drink he preferred but it was his father's favourite. Sipping idly at it he cast his gaze over the gardens beyond the window, this was where he had grown up, every happy memory he had as a child was built in this house. A shame it also came tainted with the unhappy ones.
"So, when did the truth about your daughter come to light then Draco" his father asked softly. Draco had had his suspicions that his father may have known, he should have known better than to doubt the older man. The Malfoy patriarch knew nothing; he had also been very displeased in that lack of knowledge.
"Yesterday" Draco replied just as softly.
Turning he regarded his father over the rim of the glass as he took another sip; Lucius was perched on the corner of his rich mahogany desk. A glass was held languidly within his slim fingertips and a pensive look was upon his face. It looked as though he were waging some inner war that Draco knew nothing about, he continued to silently scrutinise the older blonde whilst waiting for him to finally speak.
"I was involved with a man once" Lucius finally murmured. He was looking directly at Draco but his eyes saw right through him...as though it were not his son he was seeing but a distant memory somewhere beyond him. Draco's breath caught at the statement but he did not comment on it, his father would continue on when he was ready to. He'd always had his suspicions of course but had never really thought his father would confirm them.
"He wasn't the type of man you would expect a Malfoy to fall in love with...not that you would expect a Malfoy to fall for a man back then...in fact he was as far a cry from our circle as one could get. He was naive, shy, totally innocent and so very beautiful." Lucius's voice was choked lightly as he spoke, but Draco made no move to comfort him...his father needed to rely on his own strength to tell his tale.
"I remember the first time he allowed me to make love to him, I remember the emotion that shone in his eyes as I looked down at him and I knew that I would treasure that time always."
Draco murmured an agreement to the statement. He remembered how he had felt when he had first made love with Harry, how he knew that no matter what happened in his life he would treasure the gift Harry had given him. Even now Draco could recall with perfect clarity the way the raven haired Gryffindor had looked at him with nothing but trust love and absolute need in his eyes.
"When your grandfather told me of my impending marriage to your mother I was heartbroken, I didn't want to marry a woman and certainly not someone who I didn't love. But I accepted it as my duty, and I had an obligation to my family to produce the heir that they wanted. But I made it clear that I would not present her with the Malfoy engagement ring...that was reserved for couples who loved each other." Lucius looked down at his glass studying the wine intently.
"He understood when I told him, I think his quiet understanding that he would be my secret lover hurt more than I expected. But at the time I was unable to give him up...so I married your mother, then you were born and all the while I continued to see him. I was torn in two but he'd just smile at me and offer his love to me and for the few hours I spent in his arms everything was ok."
"What happened" Draco asked, his voice quiet.
"Narcissa gave me an ultimatum, I had to give him up or she would file for divorce...at the time it was frowned upon in our family and I couldn't run the risk of losing custody of you to her. I went to see him the next day and told him that I couldn't be with him anymore. He looked at me with those damn beautiful eyes and told me that he understood...then I walked away" Lucius finished. His looked up and Draco saw there was depth of pain in that gaze that he could well relate to.
"Who was it" the question sprung past his lips before he was aware of his need to know. He had thought he had known who his father's lover might have been, but the description of his character didn't fit.
"Remus Lupin."
The soft omission floored Draco; of all the people he would have picked as a candidate for his father's lover...Remus Lupin had not even held a place on the list. He'd expected anyone, hell he'd expected Severus or Sirius, but never Lupin.
"Is that why you and Sirius are such good friends?" Draco asked.
"Sirius is an easy man to get along with; he was actually involved with Severus at the time. I suspect that sometime soon they will eventually get back together, I always thought that they complimented each other rather well" Lucius mused. Draco didn't know what to say, he'd always assumed that Sirius and Severus hated each other...obviously he'd been wrong.
"Does Sirius know...about Abbey being mine I mean" Draco asked, adding the last part of the question when his father raised a questioning brow at the first.
"I can honestly say that I do not know. Harry is not as close to Sirius as most people would believe. They do have a deep seated bond; there can be no denying that they mean a lot to each other. But contrary to popular belief Sirius did tell me once that he often thought Harry kept too many secrets from him" Lucius answered after a pause.
"Do you think he would have told you if he had known?" Draco pressed the point, he wouldn't blame Sirius for keeping the secret from him and he did not want his father to blame him either. But it was so unlike the other man to not say anything, Sirius was the type of person who for lack of a better term really couldn't hold his own piss if his life depended on it.
"It depends really, if Harry made him swear an oath then he would not have been able to tell anybody no matter how much he wanted to" Lucius responded, a frown marred his brow and Draco hoped that he had not upset his father's friendship with the other man. He was glad that Lucius and Sirius were such good friends, Sirius was light-hearted in a way Severus was not so therefore able to draw a smile from anyone he was around.
"I'm sorry" Draco said after a while as a way to change the subject.
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Lucius asked softly, his eyes were lit with a confused hue and Draco felt a wave of love wash through him. His father had never really thought to blame Draco for the loss of his lover, could not understand that Draco was apologising for being its cause because he did not see it that way at all.
"That you had to choose between me and Remus, had I not been a part of the equation then you could have stayed with him" Draco clarified. Lucius grimaced at the answer and took a slow sip of his drink, he regarded Draco over its rim for a few moments and then placing the glass on his desk he made his way towards him. Tentatively he reached out and pulled Draco's frame into a loving embrace.
"You are my son; my one saving grace in the marriage I have been trapped in, I love you more than anything I have ever loved on this earth. You have nothing to apologise to me for...if anything the person who should be issuing out apologies is me" he said against his hair. His hands were running in soothing motions over his back in much the same way he had done when Draco had been a child and in need of comfort.
"I should not have let Narcissa interfere, I should have realised sooner that she was up to something or at least followed my suspicions. I stood in the background and allowed you to go along with her plans when I should have dissuaded you from them. I have failed you in ways I know I will never be able to make up for and I am so sorry my boy."
Draco had never heard his father so distressed before, but he would not allow the older man to think he had caused him any pain. Lucius was not a seer and he could not have predicted the future, what he needed to see was that Draco had needed to make the mistake of following his mother so that he could learn from the experience of it. He had come of out the inferno of what had happened to him and from the ashes he had been born a better man.
"You do not need to say you are sorry to me father, you have done nothing wrong. Even if you had I would forgive you anything, but sorrow for the past does not help with our future. We need to concentrate on the here and now...the now being how we are going to deal with Narcissa" Draco soothed.
Lucius loosened his hold before finally stepping away from him; his eyes were lit with a fiery need for vengeance. Draco knew that the need was not only for Draco himself but for his father's own unhappiness at the hands of his wife. Narcissa may have called herself a deadly Malfoy but she was only a Malfoy by marriage, Lucius and Draco were Malfoy's by blood and Narcissa would finally learn the true meaning of what it meant to cross a Malfoy.
"I suggest that we sit and have a talk about what happens from here, but mark my words Draco...your mother will be buried so far down by what will be done to her that she will have no hope of climbing from the debris. She may have contacts but she does not weald the power which I have, I swear to you that she will be broken so badly that no matter how hard she tries she will never be able to piece back together what I intend to shatter."
Draco felt a thrill shoot through him at his father's words, if anybody could make his mother suffer it was Lucius Malfoy.
The Rhinestone was blessedly empty by the time Harry arrived, his chef was more than likely in the kitchen and he could make out the dull blonde of Luna's hair as she stacked glasses below the counter. Running a hand through his hair he made his way to the bar and sank into one of the stools there.
"Gin and tonic please Luna, heavy on the gin" he muttered, he folded his arms on the counter and let his head fall onto them. A slight twinge shot up his back and he felt like crying, a painful reminder of what had happened the night before and the fact that Draco had thought it a mistake. He should not have been so naive as to think he and Draco would get back together, that ship had long since sailed he was sure.
But the way the blonde had looked at him, the way he had all but worshipped his body. How he had been so tender yet so utterly savage in his passion...was it really too much to hope that something fundamental had changed during the course of their lovemaking?
He guessed that the answer was yes, yes it was.
"Rough night I take it Harry?"
Smiling he turned towards the speaker and launched himself from his chair, arms instantly wrapped him in an embrace and he melted into it. It had been so long since he had seen the other man; he'd missed his calmness and his rationalising words. Smiling he pulled away and regarded him with joy in his eyes.
Sandy hair threaded through with strands of silver, a face that was still boyishly handsome and slightly crinkled with laughter lines. Slender frame covered by simple khaki pants and a t shirt, skin a healthy tan from his overseas trip.
"It's good to finally have you back Remus, did you enjoy your round the world trip?" Harry asked excitedly. The other man had gone almost muggle and backpacked around most of the world, the money he had earned from his different jobs bought him passage on a ship for the remainder of the journey. In his last letter to Harry he had told him that he was working as an entertainer, a magician for the children on board the ship.
"I did thank you" Remus responded enthusiastically. A small smile crept across his lips and Harry imagined that the other man was remembering his journey and how much fun he had had.
"Where's Abby today then, out terrorising some unfortunate person I take it" Remus mused after noting the absence of Harry's daughter. Harry imagined that his smile must have fallen abruptly from his face, Remus looked at him with a worried frown and he turned his own face away from the older man.
"She's with her father" he finally admitted.
Remus was the only person he had originally entrusted with the secret of Abby's parentage, perhaps it had been because Remus had told him of his own Malfoy related problems. Sometimes Harry had found it hard to imagine someone as gentle and caring as Remus to be involved with someone seemingly as aloof as Lucius Malfoy...but then Harry obviously did not know the older Malfoy as well as he could have done.
"When did this happen?" Remus asked, he manoeuvred Harry back into his stool and seated himself on one next to him. His eyes never left his face and Harry felt himself crack under their gentle persuasion, with a sob he broke down and told the older man everything.
"He said it was a mistake Remus, the best night of my life since my Hogwarts days and all it was to him was a stupid mistake" Harry managed to get out. His vision was blurred by his tears and his heart broke as the words tripped out from his lips. He'd broken Draco's heart once upon a time, this was only what he deserved, but god it hurt so much that he didn't think he would recover from it.
Why would fate be so cruel as to allow him a taste of heaven only to snatch it back from him?
Harry felt warm arms circle around him and he sank into the comfort Remus offered, without Remus and Sirius in his life to help shape him into the person he had become he doubted he would have been able to endure anything. Clutching at the material beneath his fingertips as he let his tears flow he was thankful that he had someone to comfort him, even if it wasn't the person he wished it to be.
"Please Remus make it stop, I can't hurt like this anymore. Please tell me how you managed to get over your heartbreak when Lucius left you" he cried. Lifting his head he looked into pained amber orbs which regarded him with their own pain and a small hue of pity.
"I didn't" Remus whispered in reply.
The manor library was blessedly empty; it was at times like this that Remus enjoyed the solitude living alone gave him. The Lupin manor was all he had left of his heritage...all that remained from the parents who had seen past his impurity and still loved him regardless.
Veronica and Bernard Lupin had been a different breed of wizard, they had been genuinely warm and caring people. They had not involved themselves in the politics and power struggles that constantly laid siege to the Wizarding world; they had remained neutral and unaffected by it all. He supposed that this was the reason that they had been amongst the first casualties of the war.
Apart from his friends he had seriously doubted that he would find someone to love him unconditionally, someone who would look past his curse and realise he was worth loving. He had resigned himself to a life of loneliness with nothing but his love of books and his empty hallways to keep him company for the rest of his days...then it had all changed with a single chance encounter with someone he should have regarded as an enemy.
Lucius Malfoy should have been the embodiment of everything he hated, believing in the madness that Lord Voldemort spouted and following his orders. But underneath it all he was really a generous and decent man, he'd had everyone fooled, even Remus himself.
A small smile touched his lips and he pictured their first encounter, a detention in potions for fighting which had led to something more. Their professor had only popped out for a moment and they had been arguing again, then fighting and then Malfoy had been slamming him against the wall. He remembered looking into those beautiful blue eyes as they looked down at him, how his gaze had dropped briefly to those sinful looking lips and then they had been kissing with a need that had made them breathless.
He'd expected Lucius to deny it, to scoff and say it had been a fluke.
But none of that had happened, the blonde had admitted an attraction to him and that had been it. Their relationship had been born that very night and it had flourished, even now that Lucius was married and had a son they still remained together in a fashion...it wasn't ideal and sometimes Remus found it difficult, but if it was all he could get then he would willingly take it.
He felt a small twinge beneath his skin and recognised it as the wards allowing someone access to the grounds. He smiled softly to himself when he realised that it was Lucius, his lover hadn't said he would be visiting him today but it was a nice surprise to have him drop by.
Marking his place in the book that he had been reading he placed it on the coffee table in front of him just as a house elf popped into sight in front of him. With a quivering voice it informed him that 'Lord Malfoy' was here and requesting an audience with him. Remus raised a brow at that; it was not like Lucius to use such formality when visiting him.
"Of course, send him in Jinx" he answered warmly, after a moment of wringing its hands the elf disappeared to do as requested...the action was rather odd.
Remus didn't really have time to ponder the sudden change in his house elf's behaviour. Lucius walked stiffly into the room, his face emotionless as he looked at him. The blondes robes billowed about him and Remus smiled to himself as he compared his lover to Severus Snape in that moment.
"Lucius what a pleasant surprise, I wasn't expecting you today. If you give me a moment I'm sure I can arrange for some refreshments to..." his voice trailed off as Lucius held up a hand to silence him. It was then that Remus truly looked at the expression on his face...or lack of expression would be more accurate...and came to the realisation that something was wrong with his lover.
"Is everything all right?" he asked after a short pause.
Lucius seemed to need a moment to decide on what he wanted to say, Remus was adept at reading the other man all too well. The way his arms suddenly folded across his chest defensively, the way his whole body seemed ridged with some undefined emotion and how he took a deep breath before speaking. It all pointed to the fact that the other man was struggling to put whatever he wanted to say into words.
"We can't do this anymore Lupin" he finally rasped out, his voice so brittle and Remus fancied he could actually see the words break as they left his lovers lips.
"I don't understand" he replied, his own voice showing his clear confusion and his obvious distress at the way the blonde was looking at him, at how he had referred to him by using his last name and how he seemed to have closed in on himself.
"I have decided that our arrangement as it were is no longer beneficial to me" the voice was cold now, Remus shivered under the velocity of the words and felt the first crack form in his heart. Was Lucius saying he didn't want to be with him anymore? Was he ending their relationship?
"We had fun, but I think it's time we ended the farce Lupin. We were living in a dream world; I have decided that the time for us to wake from it has long since passed. I'm sorry it took me so long to do it but I guess I wanted to be selfish for a little while longer." No emotion in the words, nothing at all other than the flat tone with which they were delivered.
"You don't want to be with me" Remus finally whispered.
"No...I don't."
Three words, just three little words, Remus never knew that three words could hurt him more than anything he had experienced in his life thus far. He had given Lucius everything, and now after so long it was to be ended by three words that were uttered with no feeling...was he not worth the effort of having emotion behind them?
"Why?" he needed to know, he'd had no warning that the blonde was unhappy, had not read any clue that things between them had changed to the point where Lucius no longer wanted him to be a part of life. When had he missed it? When had he lost the ability to read this man as easily as he read himself?
"Let's not make a song and dance of it Lupin, flames always start with roaring intent...but after a while they die to embers before finally being snuffed out all together."
A snarl ripped itself from his throat and he hauled himself to his feet, Lucius's eyes widened at the unusual show of temper from him but at that moment he didn't care. How could he just stand there and break his heart so easily as a dropped glass vase without so much as an explanation as to why.
"That's fucking bullshit and you know it" he fumed, not caring that he was swearing. His manner was usually mild and he hated vulgar language, but at the moment he felt so angry that he didn't care about using profanities. He wanted proper answers, not some half-cocked story about fires and embers, they were more than that.
Sighing Lucius threaded a hand through his hair, the low lights in the room glinted off his wedding band and Remus felt utter jealousy coil in the pit of his stomach.
"It's her isn't it, she's decided that we've become too close and she can't stand it" he finally said completely unaware just how true his words were.
"Don't be ridiculous Lupin, Narcissa may be a powerful woman but she is not a woman I would ever bend to" Lucius shot back, but it was noted that he could not meet his eyes when he denied the accusation. Remus took a deep breath to quell his anger and took a small step forward.
"Please Lucius, give me the truth. I think I deserve to know that much at least" he asked, his voice defeated yet gentle. Lucius looked into his eyes and he could plainly see the internal struggle his lover was suffering in those beautiful blue hues.
"I can't be with you Remus, please just understand...I...I...I just can't, I'm sorry." There was the emotion that Remus had been looking for, the utter acceptance of the end of their relationship. The resignation that there was no way for them to continue to be together, although his lover had not told him the reason why, Remus could guess all too well what had led to this conversation.
"I understand" he said at last, and he did.
Lucius's eyes rose at that, widened and suspiciously shiny. Remus's own vision blurred but he bit the inside of his cheek to curb the need to cry, he would be the strong one here, he would be strong for Lucius being as though he was unable to be strong for himself.
Walking forward he lifted his arms and pulled the taller man to him, nuzzling into his neck and memorising the slight musk to his skin. He wanted to take the scent of it with him, so that when he lay alone and cold in his bed he would have something at least to comfort him.
Stepping back he offered a small smile, Lucius seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before finally nodding his head. He turned away from him and with his shoulders stiffly set walked from the room.
The smile stayed on Remus's face after the blonde had gone; it stayed on his face as he felt the wards twinge again signalling that Lucius had left. It stayed on his face as he strode from the room, it stayed on his face as he made his way up the stairs to the wing that held his bedroom, it stayed on his face as he sank down onto his bed and pulled the pillow Lucius had always slept upon close to his body.
Finally the tears came, rivers of utter sorrow falling from his lashes, trailing his cheeks and kissing his lips with their salty bitterness.
The smile still stayed, and it was the smile itself that showed the totality of his heartbreak.
AN: I decided to satisfy everyone's curiosity at who Lucius could have possibly been involved with, I'm sure you all thought it was Sirius though (admit it guys). I like Remus; I think he's an interesting character yet far too understanding for his own good. The reason why I have shown their flashbacks will be revealed soon enough!!
So I just wanted to say thank you for all the people who have been reviewing this, also to the people who have added me to their author alerts, favourites and favourite authors list, it is all very much appreciated I can assure you. I'm also quite please that my story 'Siren's Song' has been recommended on a website, it's always nice to know when others recommend your work, for those reading that story also you will be pleased to note that the next chapter is very near completion.
For those of you who have sent me PM's offering to beta I am very thankful for the offer, I am considering them at the moment and should decide soon. If any other people want to take on the challenge of being my beta reader please let me know, I am also available to chat online if you want to add me, I'm on Yahoo messenger and my e-mail address can be found on my bio page. I am always happy to talk with people, and have also had the pleasure of other authors asking me for ideas; I'm very flattered that you like my own ideas enough to ask.
So here comes the thank you to the wonderful people who have been sticking with me and for all the lovely comments they have made in my absence:
Codeigh: Thanks, it'll be fun having Draco make up to Harry, I do so like to torture the poor blonde (it helps build character, or so I'm told lol)
gemlou137: Oh yes, lots and lots of interesting personalities in that mix. Narcissa will most definitely be in for a nasty treat, I have been making many plots for her demise. Not sure which one I'll use yet, I may just be vindictive and use them all. Thanks for the review.
celestialuna: I think it's safe to say Narcissa is going to be in lots of trouble. Thanks for the comments, glad you liked the flashbacks.
StunningSpellRocks2345: Glad your enjoying it, sorry it took so long for the update. Thanks for reviewing
DramaQueen1193: Thanks a lot for the review. Yes Draco is an idiot sometimes isn't he, but he's hot so I guess we can forgive him. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, hope you liked the new one as well.
Grace: I'm glad my story has captured your interest. I will most definitely be continuing this, I'm not really in the habit of abandoning anything. Procrastination is usually my flaw lol Thanks for the review.
-Purple Smile-: Thank you very more for reviewing. I'm glad that you like the story, sorry that my next update was not as quick as I would of liked but I hope that you enjoy it just the same.
BadFaith2207: I have this theory that Lucius is a misunderstood character, don't get me wrong, I do think he's a cunning nasty bastard at times but completely misunderstood. Thanks for reviewing, hope you liked the new instalment.
txcalbud: As always, your comments do wonders for my ego. Thank you very much for your review, I hope that the new chapter is enjoyable for you as well.
animegurl088: Thanks for the review, glad you like it.
Robin the bird: I'm a mean authoress (hence the cliff hangers). Thanks for the review, here's the update, although not as speedy as I suspect you would have liked so apologies. Hope you enjoy.
JennBenn3148: I like Lucius this way, I mean I do think he can be a nasty bastard but I like to think of him as a character with more layers than that. Yes, Draco does have a knack for doing that doesn't he lol. Glad you enjoyed, hope you liked the new one as well.
litlittledragon: Sorry for interrupting your sleeping plans, I thank you for your review and am glad you enjoyed reading. Here's the update, I hope you enjoy.
starz4evr: Thanks for the review, here's the update so hope you enjoy it.
Fmh: It's an interesting question, which I have partly addressed in this chapter. Do not worry though, all will be revealed in due course. I'm glad your liking the story though, thank you very much for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
Sara: Thank you very much for the review and I'm sorry about the slow update. Hope that you enjoy the new chapter and yes I prefer Lucius when he's not like a robot as well.
sweetteetwo: I always thought that Lucius would be exceptionally doting on a girl, be it a daughter or a granddaughter. I mean he's got a son and a grandson, so it's a new experience. Ah yes, I have plans for Narcissa, mark my words. Thanks for the review.
Mouse: Well here's that update your were asking for, lucky you that you didn't have to wait as long for it lol. Thanks for the review, glad that you enjoyed the story.
AN: As usual, if I have missed anyone then I apologise for doing so. I hope that you are all enjoying your stops here so far, thank you again for all your encouraging words and for waiting nicely for an update. I'm sorry if you don't think this chapter is as action packed, but there is always a method to my madness. Review if you like, if not thanks for dropping by anyway. Ciao for now –x-