Chapter 12
"Lucius you must understand that the legal sides of things with your son at the moment are at least complicated."
Talk about an understatement. Talk about stating the obvious.
Grimm, his lawyer who lived up to his name too often, had arrived with him at the Malfoy manor. They had left for it as soon as the trial had been let out. Lucius had wanted to go straight to the Tonks, but his head told him he had to go straight and get Draco back through formalities, even if his heart disagreed. He could not afford to get himself in any more trouble at the moment, he knew that. He really did have too much to lose.
He knew he should be glad to be at home. He should reveal in it. But as far as he was concerned till he had his son home the manor was going to be cold as his cell had been in Azkaban.
"Well give me the simple version will you?" He demanded. He didn't want the bull. Only the facts.
"Since your sister in law has him in her custody at the moment and has no criminal record, she may potentially have a better case for custody. Not only that but she can use Azkaban against you if you are not careful. She will say you are unbalanced and not fit to take care of your son."
"But that is simply not the truth - I am more than capable of taking care of my own child." He said furiously. That would be - lies, slander. It was something he knew were he in her position he would do.
"You and me both now the truth has little to do with the law. But you have to play this carefully if you are going to get the boy home. First of all on no occasion must you see your son before the custody hearing."
"How long will that be." He didn't know who long he was going to be able the urge to go and visit his son. His eyes desired him above all other things. Even his wife. He just wanted his son. His arms and his heart ached for him.
"It could be a number of weeks," It hadn't been what he had wanted to say to Lucius. But the fact was they had to be realistic. If they were going to get the lad back they were going to have to be in it for the long game.
"I can not wait that long. I have been apart from the boy for a month already. I am not going to let it go further to two. It is going to be Christmas soon. He is going to spend his first one here with me where he belongs."
"You may have to face up to the fact that just might not be."
Lucius looked at him, as if he wanted to do nothing more than curse him into the next week. But what could he say really. He had let himself into this.
***
Andy sat in her night clothes on the edge of her bed clutching her baby nephew in her arms. He was asleep and had been for a while. But when her husband got home and had told her the trial had not gone the way she had wanted it to she had had to hold the child in her arms. She had been devastated by the fact his father had got off. She was going to fight for the boy every step of the way.
There was no way she was giving up on him. He was more like a son than a nephew to her now. She didn't want to give him up.
"we are going to fight for him to stay with us aren't we?" she asked Ted.
"If that is what you want to do."
Personally he wasn't so sure. What he has seen in court he knew should have made him more determined to keep him. But when a man was that broken. It had been clear to him all he cared for was getting out and getting to back son. No longer did he doubt the love Lucius had for his son. But neither did he doubt the love his wife felt for their nephew. The boy was the object of much affection. At least he was lucky in that. Despite not having a mother he was never going to have to crave for love.
"It is. Ted you don't know what he means to me. The last part of my poor sister. He means so much to me." she admitted to him near tears. It was obvious to him how much of her heart the occupied. He was so dear to her. But not only to her.
"I rather think his father feels the same way as you do." It wasn't what she wanted to hear he knew. But it didn't change the fact she had to hear it. In his heart he felt the child had to go home. It was right for him. It was natural a child should be raised by his father. Not his aunt and uncle.
Andy froze. "Don't you dare compare me to him." She was nothing like that monster of a man. She never had been and she never would be.
"Why, you both love Draco." he pointed out.
"That man does not know how to love.""After what I saw today I think I am going to have to disagree." He shrugged. He had known all along she wasn't going to like what he was telling her.
"Well then we are going to agree to disagree." she said to him harshly, unsettling the little one. Getting up, she rocked him, pacing the room. She couldn't sit still while she was trying to think all of this through.
If Lucius came after them, then maybe she could persuade him to go the run with the kids, but that wasn't fair on Nymph. She had friends. They could be safe.
No she had to be practical.
"We are going to have to arrange a meeting with the solicitor about what to do."
"Ok." he nodded.
He knew she wasn't going to be persuaded out of this. She wasn't going to let herself be talked out of this.
"Why don't you put him in his cot and come to bed." he advised her. If they were going to fight then she needed her strength.
"I don't want too."She said to him. She didn't want any of this to be happening. Why didn't he get that? So much was going on in her head she felt as if it was going to blast open if she thought any more.
"Just because Lucius is out you cannot hold on to the boy constantly. Andy come to bed!" he said.
She nodded. She would have to put him in the nursery. Her husband was right.
"Come on then baby," she said as she got in to the nursery.
As she put him down she felt tears sting her. She had been so sure that he was going to go down for life. She had made herself believe it and that had been foolish. So stupid of her.
"Its ok sweetheart, I'm here."
He was obviously sleepily. Did he feel safe with her she wondered? Had she been as good to him as she hoped? Would Narcissa have been proud of her? and what would she want her sister to do?
Give the boy back to his father or not.
"This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do." she confided in him, but he was already asleep. "Goodnight my darling." he said as she left the room.
Before going back into her room with her husband she checked in on their baby girl. At least no one would take her away.
***
Lucius had known he wasn't going to last. It had been an obvious fact to his heart all along. He had to see his son and see he was ok. It was just to check on him. Nothing more.
The day after he had been set free he found himself down in the village where he knew his sister in law lived, she had sent the address to Narcissa when they had moved there. He was glad now she hadn't thrown it away as he had told her too.
He knew it was not signified but he found himself hiding in the bushes, camping outside there felt as if he was some king of spy. Like he wasn't meant to be there. But all he wanted was to check on his son. Surely that wasn't so wrong.
Thirty minutes after he had arrived at last the door opened. All he wanted was a glance of his son.
That was all. Yet he wasn't even sure if he was going to get that. What if Draco didn't leave. Or wasn't brought to the front door?
First of all a little girl came out of the house. That must be his niece. She had bright orange hair that day. He knew she had been blessed with a rare gift.
Then after he saw his brother in law came out carrying a book bag. He was doing the school run that day then. He turned about and leant in to kiss his wife who had Draco in her arm who had just appeared in the door frame.
"Son…baby…" he said. It was like a dream.
There was his boy. He was there. He was so close to him. If the wind blew maybe he would smell him. The aching was even harder to take.
"Give me a kiss then.," he heard Andy say to her daughter.
"Bye bye, have a good day mum."
"You too baby. Say bye to Nymph," she said as she gave her kiss.
"Bye Draco." she said.
Taking Ted's hand, he and Nymph left.
Lucius was dumb struck. His baby had got so big. He wasn't much like them baby he left in some ways. But in other ways all in that moment it was as if he had never been away. The way he was feeling now - it was magical. Everything - all the pain had been worth it. For this one moment.
Son…his son.
All he wanted know was to hold him, kiss and cuddle him, tell him it was all going to be ok .To tell him that he loved him and he hadn't wanted to go away.
Because he hadn't. it was ok. They were going to be back together soon.
The separation wasn't going to be forever. That he truly believed that. Now he could see he was ok and he had been well taken cared for. Things would be fine. They were going to be back together soon and he knew that in his heart.