Trials - Part 2
It's been less than two months since his son was born. He knew it was impossible, but he secretly hoped that he could spend more time with him before the Dark Lord sent him on his next mission. They waited a long time for their first child to be born. Each of Narcissa's previous pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Draco was so delicate that they feared he wouldn't live to see the day he took his first steps.
He stood with his father and an unknown wizard in front of the house belonging to one of the Muggle-borns they were supposed to visit today. They only learned that a young witch lived here. A witch named Granger.
"I'm sorry son..." - Abraxas whisper was barely audible - "I'm really sorry."
Lucius immediately understood what he meant. The older wizard couldn't forgive himself for unknowingly putting shackles on his family. Tom Riddle enslaved many wizards by forcing the Wizard Oath under Imperio. It didn't matter to the oath that it was taken under duress. The most important thing was to confirm the will.
"We'll get through this together. Like family. However, you must hold down that wizard. I'll go inside alone. We can't risk it. You know who it could be inside this house."
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He watched as Hermione Black stood proudly in front the judges who would try him for his part in Tom Riddle's crimes. Finally, she was just as he remembered her from childhood. She wasn't the child he met at her house. She wasn't the girl he'd seen in the bookstore. She looked like a witch who had lost her husband. He feared that just as it had been more than two decades for him since Alphard had died, it might have been only days, if not hours, for her.
He was glad that his wife and son were waiting in the ministerial corridor. He wasn't sure if he would be able to look Narcissa in the eyes now.
"What are you talking about child?" - Kingsley's voice was condescending, too condescending. - "We haven't recorded any attacks other than the one on the Potters' house."
"Because this house was the only thing you cared about. This house was the only thing Dumbledore cared about. The fact that, apart from James and Lilly Potter, more than fifty children died that night is of no concern to anyone. Nobody remembers it. For most, the only thing that matters is that this day ended the First Wizarding War." - Even from this distance, Lucius could see her body begin to tremble. - "That what was important was Lily Evans sacrifice. A mother who sacrificed herself for HER OWN child. That Abraxas and Lucius sacrificed themselves for NOT THEIR children hasn't been recorded by history. Probably because it didn't fit the post-war propaganda."
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"Why are you helping them?" - It wasn't hard to sense the irritation in the voice of the older of the Rosier brothers, Lucius didn't even know that Evan had an older brother before meeting this wizard. - "Our task was simple."
He looked at the wizard, who was restlessly playing with his wand in his hands. He wasn't sure how much to tell him. He couldn't endanger a witch who was so important to them. - "It's not your business. Now leave before I kill you."
"You'll kill a pureblood wizard for a mudblood? I wonder what the Dark Lord would say about that... Malfoy turn into a blood traitor?"
Before Lucius could say anything, he heard the soft but confident sound 'Avada Kedavra'. He looked towards the source of the sound. He saw his father there. A father who looked at him as if he didn't see him. His eyes were fixed on the less than two-year-old Hermione Granger.
xxx
He saw the witch, despite her apparent self-confidence, nervously rubbing her wrist. He saw a fresh tattoo on it. Two words. Cor Hydrae. Latin name for the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. Alphard. A tattoo that was done on the day her beloved died.
xxx
"He is dead." - He saw the pain appear in her eyes. - "Alphard died this morning."
He didn't know what to do when she fell to the floor. He wanted to hug her like she used to when he was a kid. He wanted to give her some reassurance. However, he was stopped by his father. - "Let her cry. She need it."
"I don't want to say anything, just hug her."
At the older wizard's nod, he knelt and wrapped his arms around Aunt Hermione's body. Since he was a child, he saw how the love between these two and he dreamed of meeting someone who would be able to give love to someone at least in part like Hermione and Alphard Black. He loved Narcissa with reciprocity, but they were far from the connection that the witch held in his arms had with the wizard who died at the hands of one of the Aurors only because he belonged to a family famous for practicing dark magic.
At first she resisted. After a moment, she turned so that she could hide her hands under his robes and rest her neck on his shoulder. She pulled him so close to her that he could feel her heartbeat and the warmth of the tears streaming down her cheek.
"Lucius, I'm pregnant. I didn't manage to tell him…" - He knew that these words would haunt him for the rest of his life.
xxx
She waited outside the courtroom for more than an hour. She didn't dare go to talk to Lucius' wife. She wasn't sure what to say. What would she say if she felt they had lost? The eyes of the present Lord Malfoy were as dim as they had been on the day she had come to Malfoy Manor with Harry and Ron during the war. He seemed resigned. As if he was afraid that everything was for nothing.
Hermione wanted him to serve his sentence at home. So that at least he doesn't lose a minute of the time he could spend with his beloved. Her heart broke as she looked at Draco. He was so like Abraxas, and in his veins flowed the blood of her beloved's father. After all, Cygnus, his grandfather, was her Alphard's brother.
She sat down on the bench and tried to focus on her last happy memory. But it was so hard that tears started to come to her eyes.
It pained her that she would never see HER wizard's smile again. It hurt her that although she had friends around her, she missed those who were mostly dead. Lucius was one of the last wizards to connect her with those people.
Her body reacted almost immediately when she heard the sound of the door opening. She looked there and her body flooded with relief as she saw a spark of joy in the older wizard's eyes.
Lucius Malfoy wordlessly walked over to her and after a moment of silence said. - "I don't know how you blackmailed him and how you got this information, but you made me free. Although I don't have access to magic until my grandchildren go to Hogwarts, but… I will be able to watch them grow up." - He sighed before adding, in a less confident voice. - And how are you feeling? Are you still pregnant?
"Yes, with twins. Pollux and Castor."
She saw a mixture of disappointment and joy on his face. She furtively looked at where his gaze went. Lady Malfoy seemed concerned. Malfoy looked like he didn't like something. - "Apparently I waited unnecessarily to draw up the engagement contract for Draco. Uncle Alphard told me about your arrangement for the big family you're dreaming of. Regulus is dead. Sirius was in Azbakan then..."
"Have you considered that your son might be a good match?"
The wounds were still too fresh for her. She's only talked to Ron about it so far. She explained to him that there would never be anything more than friendship between them. He understood and was even glad, because he didn't understand his feelings. He loved her but had developed feelings for Daphne Greengrass, whom he got to know better when she came to the twins' store.
"It's still too early for me. However, if he is willing to accept my complicated situation and give me some time, I will sign all the papers that are currently required to start the courtship period. I hope it's less than it used to be. When Pollux, Alphard's father, gave me paper to sign, he gave me forms for everything. Literally everything."
Lucius laughed. She hadn't heard the sound of his genuine laughter in a long time.
"I wonder how my son will react to the fact that the witch he has had a crush on since the day he saw you searching for Mr. Longbottom's toad with angelic patience is the witch who gave birth to me. In fact, that was the only reason I was nervous about his feelings. I was afraid that my own son would prevent my birth. Just think. My son would fuck the woman who gave birth to me BEFORE she gave birth to me."
"LUCIUS!"
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I hope you liked it. I enjoyed this story even though it was quite difficult to write. If I wanted to include everything I wrote down in the notes, two more volumes would have to be written. One about Hermione and Alphard and the other about Hermione, Malfoy and the Twins. Regards, Katie Krum.