Lucius Malfoy straightened his summer-weight robes in an almost unconscious gesture after he appeared at the apparition point near the entrance to Hogwarts. He was running late for a meeting with Horace Slughorn because Hermione had delayed him in a most pleasant way that morning.
Despite his tardiness, Lucius did not hurry, as hurrying was not behavior befitting a Malfoy. Instead, he walked up to the gate at a normal pace, where Argus Filch, with Mrs Norris winding herself around his legs, stood waiting to let him in
"Go right on up," Filch said, unnecessarily. "The Headmaster is waiting for you."
Lucius acknowledged the squib caretaker with a curt nod, then strode confidently up the path to the front entrance.
A few moments later, the elegant wizard stood at the bottom of the moving spiral staircase that led to the headmaster's offce. He quietly spoke the password that Slughorn had supplied in his last owl message: "Influence".
As he slipped into the office proper, he found Horace Slughorn sitting behind the desk, a thin pile of parchment on one side, a cup of tea on the other. A house elf stood at his left side, waiting to assist.
"Come in, come in, m'boy," Slughorn said genially. "Have a seat." As Lucius took an armchair next to Snape's portrait, the Headmaster continued, "Can I get you anything? Tea? Something stronger?"
"Tea would be nice," Lucius allowed.
After the elf served the Malfoy patriarch, Slughorn said, "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here on such short notice." Without waiting for a reply, he gestured to the pile of parchment and continued, "I've been going through the list of applicants for the Potions position with Severus and neither of us is happy with what we have to choose from. One applicant is blind, another was fired from his last position for blowing up the potions lab, another cannot speak English. Shall I go on?"
"Do continue," Lucius said, waiting for the older man to get to the point.
"What Horace is saying is that we find all the candidates unacceptable," Snape's portrait put in. "I've never seen such a lot of dunderheads in my life...err...in my experience."
"That is a problem," Lucius drawled "Especially with the start of the school year drawing so close."
Slughorn looked up at Snape's portrait, with Snape looking back at him. "Severus and I have come up with a possible solution, however," the old wizard told him. "We've decided we'd like to ask Draco to come in and be an interim professor. If it works out, we'd consider offering him the job permanently. If not, that would give us time to find another candidate."
"Draco?" Lucius raised one eyebrow. "He's just barely out of school."
"I think he can handle it, Lucius," Snape told his old friend. "Don't underestimate him. He's always been a dab hand at potions and with an extra year of more intensive study at Salem, I would imagine he would be more than qualified to teach. I would also consent to have another portrait of myself put into my old office, so he could always consult me if necessary."
"I would also be available for any guidance he might need," Slughorn added. "It would be a great opportunity for him."
"Now that I think about it, you're right," Lucius conceded. "It could be a stepping stone for him to one day have a position of real influence." The haughty wizard closed his eyes briefly and visualized Draco one day as Headmaster of Hogwarts, every bit as influential as Dumbledore was in his day.
"So, we're all in agreement?" Slughorn inquired. After both Lucius and the Snape portrait nodded, the elder wizard said, "Now, we need to run it by young Mr Malfoy to make sure he's interested in the position before we take it to the other Governors."
"Oh, I'll make sure he sees the benefit to accepting your offer, make no mistake about that," Lucius assured them.
"Why don't we pay him a visit right now," Slughorn suggested. "The sooner we get this position filled, the happier I'll be."
"All right," Lucius agreed. "I would imagine he is at home at the present time."
After promising to fill Snape in on the details of the visit later, Horace Slughorn accompanied Lucius to the apparition point right outside the front gates of the school, where they apparated to Draco's new home.
Lucius rang the bell, which was opened almost immediately by Bippy.
"Master Lucius!" Bippy squeaked. "Come in, please. Master Draco did not tell me he was expecting you."
"He wasn't expecting us," Lucius said smoothly, as he and Slughorn brushed past the elf. "We just thought we'd drop by for awhile."
Lucius entered the main lounge where, to his surprise, he found Draco playing chess with Harry Potter, of all people. Luna sat on the nearby sofa, contentedly reading the Quibbler, as the two men joined the young people. Ginny Potter was nowhere in sight, so Lucius assumed that Potter had wisely left his mouthy wife at home.
"Mr Potter," Lucius drawled, raising one eyebrow. "What a surprise."
"Harry came to give us our wedding gift," Luna told her father-in-law calmly from the sofa.
"Yes," Draco confirmed. "It was this chess set we've been playing." He indicated the gift with a sweep of the hand.
Lucius examined the chess set that Draco had indicated. Noting the obviously fine quality of materials and workmanship of the gift, the elder Malfoy realized that Potter had taken some care into choosing such a gift, which pleased him. It was a gift truly worthy of a Malfoy.
Turning back to Harry, he said in a warmer tone of voice, "Thank you, Mr Potter. You have excellent taste and I'm sure Draco and Luna will derive years of enjoyment from your thoughtful gift."
"I was glad to give it," Harry replied awkwardly, nonplussed by Malfoy's uncharacteristic tone. "Perhaps I should be going now and leave all of you to your privacy."
Horace Slughorn looked quickly at Lucius, who intuited his silent thoughts and nodded. "Please remain, Mr Potter," he said. "You might have some interest in what we have to say. Both Horace and I would be most interested in your input. We have a proposal for Draco you might find interesting."
Now curious, Harry resumed his seat at the chess table, while Draco joined Luna on the sofa. He remained silent as Lucius and Slughorn each took easy chairs facing the sofa.
Once everyone was settled, Horace Slughorn looked at Draco and said, "As you probably know, my recent appointment as Headmaster of Hogwarts left a vacancy for Potions Professor. Since that time, I've been working with your father and the other Governors to find a suitable candidate to replace me."
Pausing to take a cup of tea that Bippy offered to him, he continued, "Unfortunately, no candidates even remotely qualified have applied and, now that the new school year is rapidly approaching, we find ourselves pressed for time. But then Severus' portrait came up with the perfect solution."
Looking intently at the young man, he paused again for effect, then said, "Severus suggested we ask you to be interim Professor until a more qualified candidate or, if you and we find it a congenial fit, you accept the position permanently after a year.
Draco sat in stunned silence as he digested Slughorn's words.
"Though you are not a fully accredited Potions Master here at home, both Severus and I know that the accelerated Potions study course you took at Salem was a rigorous one, which should have prepared you sufficiently to pass the Master's exam," Slughorn continued. "I contacted your professor in Salem, who assured me that you would be qualified for the position we are offering you."
"I don't quite know what to say," Draco finally managed. "Luna and I have only just been married and we're expecting a baby."
"It's an excellent opportunity I'd urge you to accept," Lucius told his son, giving him a meaningful glance. "Think it over carefully, but don't take too long. Remember, we have to run it by the Governors' Board for a vote to make it official, but we came to you first to make sure you're interested before presenting it to them."
"I think you ought to accept, too," Harry said quietly. "You were always at the top of the class in Potions. I remember how much you and Hermione always competed with one another in that class."
"Full family quarters would be available to you on Hogwarts grounds, though you'd not be required to live on the grounds," Slughorn told Draco.
"You could always build a another home in Hogsmeade," Lucius put in. "You were already considering building a home; you'd just not yet picked a location."
"I'll be happy with whatever you choose," Luna said serenely. "Do what makes you happy. I'll be happy anywhere, as long as I'm with you."
After giving Luna a smile and a brief kiss on the cheek, Draco remained silent for a moment, then said, "How long do I have to make a decision?"
"There's a Governors' Board meeting the day after tomorrow," Lucius told him. "We'll need to know your decision by then. Remember, you'd not be agreeing to a long term commitment, but only to an interim agreement until another person could be found or if you decide to accept the job permanently."
"All right, I'll do it," Draco announced. "That is, if the Governors' Board approves."
"Excellent," Lucius said, giving his son a tight smile. "I don't anticipate a problem in getting sufficient votes for confirmation, especially after Horace fully explains the situation to them."
"We'll leave you and Luna to discuss it, then," Slughorn said, awkwardly rising from his chair. "I'm sure you both will have a lot to talk about."
"I'll pick you up before the meeting," Lucius promised him. "Or perhaps you and Luna could come for dinner at the penthouse and we could leave from there?"
"That would be fine," Draco said, as he escorted the men to the door.
"I'd better be going as well," Harry said, following the older wizards out. "Congratulations, by the way."
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A/N Thanks once again to all the loyal supporters of this story.
A/N Nest Chapter yet to be named.