Damitri had dedicated the last three weeks to chasing down every tiny snippet of information he could regarding James Potter's final week or so at school, just before he left Hogwarts for Easter Holiday. He was beginning to grow rather frustrated at the lack of information he was finding in his search. No wonder Lucius had lost patience searching on his own, and why every year around Easter he displayed signs of such despondency. He thought there were no leads left, but Damitri was not about to give up.
Lucius had begun working at Hogwarts the year after his graduation as a special tutor in Transfigurations, helping students who were focused on learning as much as possible to prepare for their OWLs and NEWTs. He had been offered a similar position by Horace Slughorn but had refused; he had reportedly had no taste for the manual labor required to produce quality potions and preferred to leave such work to others.
One of those few who remembered any sort of relationship between James and Lucius had been the Madam Poppy Pomfrey; the school nurse who had served in the infirmary during those years. She stated that James began coming in for regular checkups of his pregnancy early in his fifth school year and she, of course, had given him the best care she had been able to provide. She had asked who the father was, but he had refused to divulge the information. It had taken threatening to tell his parents of his pregnancy before James had finally shared with her the truth. Poppy had, of course, been appalled that a student and a teacher had become intimate and felt it was necessary to at least let the Headmaster know. As the student involved actually seemed to benefit from the relationship, he had found it unnecessary to intervene as long as they were discrete.
The blossoming love affair between the fifth year student and the young assistant teacher had been developing through James' fourth year and on into the summertime; the day that they had become intimate must have been the month before the start of the new school semester.
James' year-mates, specifically Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, remembered little about the details of the affair. James had managed to keep his relationship with Lucius Malfoy out of the knowledge of even his closest friends. They did remember visits from the older blonde wizard and small hints here and there of some sort of friendship, but any visits ceased completely in the sixth year. Until Damitri asked them for the details, both admitted that they had never thought about it beyond that year.
Interviews with various teachers still living turned up very little additional information. Some teachers recalled that James had been pregnant but others had paid little to no attention to the situation. They only confirmed what Lucius had told him; that the young man had been with child when he left the castle but was not when he returned and had no recall of even being with child.
Since he found nothing with that direction, he turned instead his attention to the house elves. He decided that since the Wizarding population had taken no notice that he should instead turn to question those who also went regularly ignored. Wizards rarely appreciated the attention span and the value of information that House Elves could provide.
Before any of them would speak a word to him, the house elves had to be instructed by Lucius to be completely honest and to answer any questions that Damitri might have. Damitri spoke with each and every one of them, asking simple non-threatening questions about the family and which house elves had been working for the Malfoy family back then. Of the house elf contingency that manned the manor's many duties; two remembered the pregnancy of James Potter. One remembered two separate visits by James and the other had been assigned by Abraxas to work in the castle.
The house elf who had worked in the castle, under direct orders from Lucius, told in a trembling and very nervous voice about frequent visits from James Potter to Lucius' rooms, and tending to them both to the best of his abilities. He could give no reasoning for James' sudden reversal of feelings; his information was not useful at all.
The one who remembered James at the house had something no one else had been able to give him. As a personal servant of Abraxas Malfoy, he knew of a name of a person who had ceased to visit the manor after the Potter boy had stopped visiting the young master. That name was the first solid clue that Damitri felt he had gotten; Douglas Caruthers.
For the next step of his investigation, Damitri decided to see if Abraxas himself could assist in solving this little riddle. He went to the north wing where Lucius himself rarely visited, since that wing was the one that his father had chosen to dwell in during the final years of his life. Had Abraxas, in his final years, left something there as a taunt for his son who had lost everything? Narcissa had escorted him to the office for Lucius refused to set foot here.
"Lucius has been through all of that a thousand times, Damitri, I don't see how looking again is going to find anything at all." She said softly, resting one hand on the doorframe to her father-in-law's old study. The house elves kept it free of dust and everything was in place. Just standing in this door and looking at all the furniture she could almost see her husband as a young man, standing defeated and bowed as he endured the remonstrations of his authoritarian father. The painting over the fireplace of Abraxas Malfoy gazed down his nose at them with his arrogant sneer on his face; it almost seemed that he knew he had beaten his son in a way that he would never recover. That painting had never deigned to speak with Lucius since his death.
"I doubt that he ever would have found anything in here, no matter how long he searched." Damitri answered, taking down one book at a time and checking through it carefully. "All it really takes is a good concealment spell..."
"I know... good luck, Damitri. Lucius has taken Angel shopping for the newest baby that ought to be born sometime next week." she said, meaning of course one of the young mothers that had been taken in that was pregnant.
"I'll let you know if I find anything." he said, turning to face the elegantly appointed room. There was a huge amount of things to go through; there was no doubt about that.
Damitri sighed softly as he moved forward to the desk. "You always looked on your own, Lucius, not with the assistance of others. And your father was a master of deception and mind magic..." he said to himself, as he was quite alone in the room.
"Of course I was." The painting agreed readily.
He glanced at the painting. "I don't suppose you could help me out." he suggested with a wry grin.
The painting shrugged. "I see no point in either aiding or blocking your attempts to help my son. But I will tell you that you are on the right track. Why waste time and magic concealing from the entire world? There's only one who I did not wish to find things. I was sure that Lucius would never call anyone in to look for what he'd lost..."
"So you DID do a simple concealment..." Damitri began to use his wand to do a slow scan of the room, searching for any sort of magical trace. He paused over several places and did find some items; a neck chain, a simple gold ring with Lucius' name engraved within it, and a folder holding some paperwork. He piled up the items he found then began another search, checking every item and nook and cranny. He discovered a hidden compartment behind one of the bookcases, locatable only by the faint magic trace of the items concealed there, and almost concealed by the spell books that were on the shelf before it.
He worked a while to release the lock, trying several methods but nothing seemed to work. Finally he tried a repulsing spell and the door of the small space was all but blasted into unrecognizable shards. There was nothing to damage inside; all that was stored there was a small rack that was used for the storage of memory phials; quite empty. Damitri kept several of these himself to keep his own stored memories organized. So Abraxas had kept those memories, outside of his own mind so Lucius would NEVER access them. Had he destroyed them? Certainly he couldn't have; just looking about this room the man never got rid of anything that could have a use sometime in the future.
Several more scans of the room found nothing else. He gathered up the few items he had and sat a while in the chair to think. There had to be somewhere else he was not looking; something right in front of him that he was missing.
Well, perhaps he had put them in the most obvious place; his own tomb. He wanted next to search the tomb of the man himself, Abraxas Malfoy.
The tomb was an impressive affair of black marble and ostentatiously designed, but he had little interest in such obvious displays of wealth. He had found the proper tomb and first took precautions; this man had died of Dragon Pox. Not deadly to dragons, it was very quickly terminal when contracted by humans. No one truly knew the endurance of the disease's spores. He cast an imperturbable charm on himself then opened the sarcophagus that had sealed away the diseased body and bones of the man since his death.
Preservation spells had clearly been used; the man almost looked like he was simply sleeping. His face was clearly ravaged by the disease that had taken his life; pockmarked with the pox. His skin had begun to dry and sink toward his bones giving him a gaunt and skeletal appearance. It was clear to see still, though, that Lucius did indeed resemble his father a great deal.
Abraxas' hands were folded over what looked like a book that rested on his chest. Not trusting simple appearances, he cast the revealing charm once more and it was actually a box. Elated at his discovery, he used a levitation spell to lift the man's dead decaying fingers and another to slip the box free without touching it. He let the box drift to the floor before he used another spell to open it. Inside the box, held upright by a framework of latticed wood and resting on a pillow of satin, stood his final and most spectacular lead; the box was filled with memory phials.
The house elf had given him a name; the memories of Abraxas Malfoy had given him a destination. Damitri followed the leads through several small towns in England until he found someone who remembered the individual he sought had moved somewhere in Switzerland. From there he had followed the elusive trail to the Netherlands, to a small town just down the mountain from where he was sure that the child of Lucius and James had been born.
Now he stood in a quiet little cemetery in a field behind a small church. He reached out and ran his fingers over the name on the headstone with a soft sigh. Millicent Caruthers, the headstone stated, died less than six days ago. Millicent had been the sister of the man who had been present for the birth of the baby; according to his research her brother lay in this cemetery as well. He had been hoping to get some information from her, to fill in some of what others had not known.
This family plot displayed the end of the Caruthers family line; her older brother's grave was beside hers and the youngest brother's grave was beyond theirs. He examined the date of death on the other headstones. The youngest brother had passed away over fifty years ago; he could not have been the one.
The eldest brother on the other hand, had died only a week after James had been taken from his home that Easter holiday. He frowned slightly and drew his wand, aiming at the headstone. Could there be something hidden there? He murmured a soft spell to reveal hidden magic. Nothing was revealed, but when he performed the same spell on the headstone of the sister, another line was engraved magically and concealed from those who did not think to reveal the hidden line.
Below her name and the burial dates were the words 'Beloved Sister.' He felt a smile touch his lips. There was only one person who could have put that there… and that meant the elder brother Douglas could not be truly dead.
His investigations and multiple leads had led him here, to this small town retirement home for wizards in a quiet little backwater town. The wizard he had sought was round-faced and his crinkled sunken eyes were round as well, and at his advanced age the size and shape of his head with his large almost pendulous ears and round-ended nose almost made him look like a child's caricature of what a person would look like.
"You're sure you don't mind talking to me? I know you lost a family member recently..." he said tactfully.
The elderly wizard who lay in the bed gazed up at Damitri with a bemused smile on his face. "I lost my wife eight years ago; I have no idea what you're talking about..."
"The staff said you went to a funeral recently."
"Old friend, actually; she was a sweet old lady but mad as a hatter. She was really something in her prime, though." he shrugged. "She was telling me the week before she died that she wished she'd just snuff it and get it over with... she was over a hundred, you know, and she was the only one who bothered to visit me in this blasted prison they call a hospital. I could use a bit of company for a change, it's been weeks and I can't stand most of the staff here..."
"They say you're a mite balmy yourself, truthfully."
He chuckled slightly. "Not balmy, just extremely particular about several things. I think I've earned the right to demand things to be as I please. Got to have my tea for breakfast, nice and hot."
"That explains why I heard the nickname of 'the Mad Hatter' for you." Damitri smiled.
"Yeah; I think I've heard that one. I think I like you." He said with a bit of a chuckle. "So tell me, what is it that drags a sharp-looking boy like you all the way from London to this backwater nothing hospital?"
Damitri smiled back at the man. He wasn't young by any stretch of the imagination but this man was so much older than he, at least fifty years, so he would imagine he was just a boy to him. "Do you mind if I sit down first?"
"Oh, please have a seat, sit as long as you like. I might fall asleep on you though, I have a tendency to do that pretty often lately. I don't get visitors often anymore, but any of the nurses can tell you that much." He said waving at a chair with a heavily wrinkled hand.
Zabini bowed his head respectfully and took a seat, pulling it close to the bed before he sat down. "I know who you really are." he said quietly after he was seated for a moment or two. "You faked your own death, thirty-five years ago. There was a horrible potions accident; the lab imploded. There wasn't much left to examine, but there were traces of a body. It wasn't you, Mr. Caruthers."
The old man laughed merrily, his eyes nearly lost in the wrinkles on his face. "Lab experiment...? Me? Haven't done your background checks, have you boy? I'm a squib! I don't even own a wand, how the bloody hell would I be doing a potions experiment...? And why are you calling me Caruthers? My name is John Chapman. Name is on the plate thing outside my room if you want to check it."
"The remains of your wand, Mr. Caruthers, were found in the debris. But you weren't because you weren't there."
He snickered. "I can't wait to tell the fellows that I was some sort of a mad scientist wizard who blew up in a potions lab." he said, eyes twinkling. "Tell me more; I gotta have details if they're gonna believe me."
Damitri couldn't help but grin at the man's merriment, though he was truly hoping it was a smokescreen. Could it be possible that he had actually forgotten who he had been...? "You weren't any sort of a mad scientist, Douglas. You are the last of a rather wealthy line of wizards, and you graduated rather near the top of your classes at Durmstrang, where your parents decided you should be educated..."
"Me? Near the top of a class of Durmstrang? Merlin's Blue Balls; I was a bloody genius!" He giggled.
Zabini laughed softly. "Not quite a genius, but very good in the healing arts and particularly in transfiguration. These skills got you little recognition at your school; if your parents would have sent you to Hogwarts your life would have been quite different, I think."
"My life would have been different if I had gone to ANY Wizarding school. But transfiguration...? Was I an animagus? If I was that clever I would have been, but not registered of course..."
He smirked. "You were an unregistered animagus, yes. Don't you recall? You didn't want it to be common knowledge that your animagus form was a pigeon."
That got him chortling. "A pigeon? One of those horrid flying bird dropping factories...? Gads, I never would have changed again if that was the form I had to take!" he daubed at his eyes; he was laughing so much they were tearing up. "Oh, Merlin, you are the funniest boy I've ever met...!"
"Glad to entertain you sir... from what I understand you have quite an altruistic nature..."
"A what?"
"A giving nature. Not thinking of yourself before you think of others." he explained patiently.
He shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I ran a muggle magic shop for thirty years, taught a lot of muggles how to do sleight of hand. It's all I can do anyway, I got quite good at it."
"You did that, yes..." Damitri began.
The old man pushed himself up onto one elbow with quite a bit of effort. "So tell me what this Caruthers did to make him so important that someone goes lookin' for him thirty five years after he croaks off?" he asked.
"I'm a private detective." he answered. "I was hired by a man to find a child."
"I only had one and she's not exactly a kid anymore." he said, eyes narrowing. "Who the bloody hell is tryin' to poke around at my girl's life? That's MY daughter and no one has any business pokin' into her life!"
"No one is. Mr. Caruthers..."
"Chapman!" he interrupted.
"Mr. Chapman." he said in agreement, mollifying the man somewhat. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but Abraxas Malfoy died of Dragon Pox over thirty years ago."
"Did he? Well that's what he gets for mucking about with dragons, I suppose." He grunted, lying back down onto the bed with a slight groan. "Bloody hell I hate being old..."
Damitri gazed at the man, believing he saw much more behind those eyes than the simple persona he was projecting now. "Thirty five years ago Abraxas Malfoy brought a sixteen year old boy to your cabin in the mountains..." he said softly.
The man in the bed closed his eyes, but a muscle in his jaw twitched. "Ain't got no mountain cabin!" He grumbled.
"...and from that boy came a child; an infant. Abraxas wanted it killed and forced you to deliver the child..."
"That Caruthers man did that? Go look for him then! Doesn't sound like he had anyone's interests in mind but his own!"
"The girl that was delivered was not unwanted, no matter what Abraxas Malfoy told you. She had two parents; one had his mind twisted by torture to think that he had never had a child; the other thought she had been killed at birth. Her father has been looking for her for thirty five years, with spell and tracking and blood potions... everything he could do..."
"Not everything, if the father was truly a Malfoy..." the aged wizard snorted.
"On the contrary; he did everything a young man estranged and at odds with his own father could do." He answered quietly. "You, on the other hand, vanished with the baby..."
"It weren't me!"
"I have all the time in the world, Mr. Caruthers." Damitri said softly. "I need to get the truth, for an old friend. I looked into your school records; you were good in things that Abraxas would have valued for this. And I also know that there is no way that you could bring yourself to kill an innocent, despite your Durmstrang education."
"Caruthers is dead. He died a long time ago." he said, turning his face away. "Go away, young man. I'm tired. I want to sleep."
"He died the day you appeared, coincidentally. I think you were him, once upon a time. You found yourself alone with a new baby, so you had to find a wife. It did not take you long to find one; a pretty muggle girl from the village. She didn't need any sort of potions or spells, she really did love you didn't she?"
The old man cracked open an eye to look at him. "She fancied me, she did… I wouldn't have used anything on her…"
"But you did." He said softly. "You confounded that pretty little thing into believing that she had given birth to your daughter."
"I never would have harmed a hair on her head!"
"Of course not; you didn't harm her, not ever. The confundus didn't hurt her, just gave you a way to care for the baby." He said soothingly. "I know you never meant to hurt her."
The old man subsided, still frowning slightly. "She loved our baby. She was OURS, not some random boy who came to some cabin…"
"Did you have any idea who that 'random boy' was?"
"He called him…" The man started, then groaned slightly and closed her eyes as he realized he'd just given away the truth. "Oh, bloody hell." He grumbled.
"It's all right." Damitri reassured. "What did he call him?" he encouraged him to go ahead and speak.
The old wizard grimaced. "I don't… I mean…" he attempted, then sighed. "He called him a harlot, a catamite… I think he may have called him James or something..."
"He was Harry Potter's father." He said clearly. "James Potter."
The old man stared at him, disbelief on his face. "What…?"
"You didn't know?" He asked softly.
"No, I… I didn't." he murmured, looking rather shaken. "That was… I mean, he was Harry Potter's father…" he repeated as if trying to wrap his mind around it all. Damitri waited patiently for the man to gather his thoughts and make up his mind. Finally, in an unsteady voice, he began to explain.
Damitri returned to visit the elderly wizard several more times over the next two days, listening to the old man reveal as much as he could remember about the birth of the little baby girl and what had occurred directly after. On the second day he did finally admit that he had once been called Caruthers, but figured since more of his life had been lived under another name he shouldn't claim that name any more.
The details that Caruthers provided filled in the last details of that night. One of the places that Damitri had searched had been the crypt of Abraxas Malfoy himself with Lucius' permission, and he had located there several phials of memories. With those memories and the details provided by Caruthers, Damitri knew now exactly what the night of his daughter's birth had been like for James. The last detail now, was to track down Adrianna herself.
-------------------TIME SHIFT TO THE PAST-----------
April 13, 1976
It had been a very pleasant spring; cool misty mornings that cleared into bright and warm days. James had reveled in every moment of it. Everything seemed so beautiful; his mother's garden and the grounds were in full bloom and the fragrance of flowers was everywhere. He threw open the windows and sat on the windowsill, smiling as he took it all in, one hand slowly caressing his swollen stomach. He was in love, he was going to have a baby, and when the year was ended he was going to be bonded and to hell with what was proper.
He remembered how Christmas break had been; his mother shocked and his father highly uncomfortable with the prospect of his son having a child with anyone just after he turned sixteen, especially not a Malfoy. That had been a rather tense holiday, but he had talked to them every day about how Lucius behaved around him and how different he was in private. He'd continued to reassure them by letters daily and now, at Easter break, his mother was eagerly anticipating the baby's arrival. His father was more cautious in his enthusiasm; he kept worrying about what Abraxas Malfoy was going to say when the truth came out, because Lucius' public betrothal to Narcissa Black had been in the papers just this past Christmas as well.
Mum had set aside two full rooms in the big old house for the baby; one was for a nursery and the other a playroom. Both were stuffed with toys and things and all that was left was the waiting. Mum was sure it was going to be a boy, but Lucius was sure it was a girl. James didn't care which it was; he was busy envisioning how happy his life was going to be once he was free of school and able to do as he wished. Lucius was already looking for a house for them, somewhere over in America.
James' smile widened as he thought of Lucius. Tall, slim, handsome Lucius... He rose and moved to the desk, taking a few moments to write out a note to his lover.
I miss you Lucius, and wish the holiday were over already. Mum is making such a fuss over me and the baby. I wish it was just the two of us already; well, three with our little one. I can't wait until the baby is born, just two more months! Write soon - Your James.
He slipped it into a message tube on the leg of the owl that was perched beside the window and watched the bird fly away with it, taking a moment to imagine his lover's face when he read the note. Movement below him drew his eye down and to the front of the house; someone was arriving. His smile faded. Bloody hell; was that Abraxas Malfoy...?
"My son has a binding contract, and it cannot be broken, Potter." Abraxas said quietly, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he fought to control his temper. He must not reveal his true anger over the entire situation to this old fool; he would never allow him to take the boy in hand and do what must be done if he knew how much he truly hated that boy. "The birth of this child cannot happen. Your son will not be harmed, I promise this to you upon my honor as a Malfoy and a Slytherin."
Mr. Potter frowned, not liking the situation at all. "But it's a baby, Abraxas... you can't just get rid of a baby..."
"It will have no claim upon my household, nor yours if you disinherit it." he answered, indicating he intended to allow the child to live. He narrowed his eyes, focusing all his power to insinuate his own mind within this man's mind. If he could just get in without being noticed...
"It doesn't seem the right thing to do at all." he mumbled, scowling slightly.
Abraxas did not blink nor break eye contact. "But it is the right thing to do. The child will not be missed by James, I will see to that. Your son will return to you hale and sound and he will continue the schooling that he needs so much. You must agree that your son should continue his training at Hogwarts through his seventh year, yes?"
"Oh, yes, yes of course he should keep going to school..." Potter said in agreement, not realizing that thoughts were being implanted into his mind. "I'm hoping he will straighten out and be a prefect next year; he has the strength and the mind to do so."
"Perhaps he can even be Head Boy." Abraxas agreed. "But that cannot happen if things are to proceed without intervention. Your son will leave you and your wife; perhaps even leave the country before he even finishes school..." he chose his words carefully; he was making no reference to the result of the relationship between their sons.
"But Abraxas, James is so happy. I could never..."
"I'm not asking you to do anything, Potter. What I will do will actually make your son better off in the long run. My son has his life already set and will be married before the year is done. Simply give me permission to take matters in hand. You will see; your son will be quite happy to return to his normal life, as if none of this had ever happened."
"And you won't harm him?" he asked.
"I will protect his health as much as I am able." he promised vaguely, intent on plucking certain thoughts away from the old man's mind and implanting others, keeping him talking as he worked. No baby. There is no baby. Your son has been never truly been pregnant... there is no baby. He meticulously removed all images of a baby or his son fully pregnant from the older man's mind. "You must agree that your son's attachment to my son is more than inconvenient; it interferes with a contract I hold with Mrs. Black and I do not relish the thought of crossing that woman. You understand my situation; this marriage was arranged when our children were infants..."
"Oh, yes, yes, I know Mrs. Black very well she is quite a highly-strung woman..." he said instantly with a grimace, having had more than one run-in with the extremely vocal head of the Black household. "Very well, Abraxas, I do give my permission. But I want my son back within two days, no more. My wife misses him so when he is away at school..."
Abraxas smiled. "Of course, Potter. I don't think I will need to have him away for long at all." he assured. "I'll certainly have him back for Easter Sunday."
James fell to the ground, his entire body in shock from the after-effects of forced side-along apparition. He retched, feeling horrible and wretched, his baby kicking in discomfort as well. He had gone out to his parent's garden and was seized from behind and swept away from everything he knew; they had already apparated twice now. He hadn't even had half a minute to throw up before they had been off again.
He was so disoriented and ill from the apparition he had hardly had a chance to look around. He took a moment to do so now; they were now in a deserted field, the grass everywhere still dead and the chill bite of winter still gripping this country. James shivered, wrapping his arms about himself in misery. He was not dressed for the cold and he was so worried about the baby. Apparition was dangerous when you were pregnant; everyone warned against what could happen to the child if you did it incorrectly.
"How could my son ever fancy anyone like you?" Abraxas asked in a cold tone, eyes narrow as he watched but did not aid the young man. "Get up. We have a long way to go."
"What...? No... no, I'm not going anywhere with you..." He began but Abraxas spat a curse and seized him, apparating away again.
James lost count of how many times they apparated; everything was lost in a miasma of confusion and sickness. He was almost happy to see the little cabin nestled between the trees, surrounded by a thick blanket of snow. He had no idea where they were or why, but he knew it was important to get inside. He was only wearing a light shirt and pants, and no shoes at all.
James hurried toward the building and was allowed to do so, but when he hesitated in the doorway he was shoved roughly from behind. "Get inside, you useless little harlot." he snapped.
The teen staggered forward into the room, barely keeping his balance. He put one hand on his rounded stomach, terror building inside him but he fought to keep it in check. He mustn't allow himself to get so afraid that he lost his ability to think! He had his wand, but he knew that spell from Abraxas could easily kill the young life inside him. He would have to wait for the proper moment to draw that wand and with a quick attack, escape.
"Stupid, idiotic, thoughtless INFANTS!" Abraxas thundered, glaring at James before he stalked past the boy. "How long did you and my foolish son think you could HIDE this from me?!"
"We weren't hiding anything; I simply don't like to be around you!" James retorted defiantly, pale and shaken, arms around his stomach. "All the teachers at school knew, as did my parents! How is it our fault you pay no attention to your son other than to further your own glory?!" He knew that Abraxas had his wand out but had no idea if he would use it, or how.
"Crucio!" Abraxas snarled, sending James to the floor writhing in agony. Abraxas held it on him for nearly a full minute, watching impassively as screams were ripped out of his throat before he allowed the torture to end. "You will not speak to me so, you little catamite. If your father weren't a valuable man to have on my side, I certainly would have killed you the moment I found out you were carrying my son's child." he snarled dangerously. "Now get up!"
Weakened from the apparition travel and the torture, he fought to get enough strength back into his arms and legs to rise to his feet. "My father will have a contract put on you for doing this to me." He said quietly, not raising his voice this time. He'd learned his lesson; he wasn't going to do that again and risk any more damage to his baby.
"Your father gave me permission to take you, little fool." He retorted with a sneer. "You have no one to turn to. Lucius doesn't want this baby; he's been leading you on. You're a child; a toy to him. He's always loved Narcissa and will be marrying her in the summer."
"No...! He and I are going to be bonded in June..."
Abraxas laughed callously at his defense. "Absolutely not, James... I'm sure you've read in the Daily Prophet how the wedding plans are progressing. That could not happen without willing participation from Lucius." He watched James closely and was quite pleased to see the lad seemed to be in more pain than the torture spell would leave upon him. The miscarriage had begun; excellent.
"He's just doing that to make you happy." James said, and then winced in confused pain, his stomach contracting painfully. "Oh... oh fuck!" he hissed, eyes closing as the first contraction hit him.
"You should have used the floo network, Mr. Malfoy." Another man spoke up, off to the side. James forced himself to look over, seeing a man of no real distinction besides his rather well-cut robes. He had a round face, round eyes, even a round nose. His eyes were a strangely bright shade of blue, but his build was rather short and thin. "Apparating is dangerous for the baby..."
Abraxas whirled on the man, scowling at him darkly. "There is no baby; it never existed!" He snarled at him. "Get the room ready, Caruthers. I will not have my plans for my son's glorious future squelched because he is besotted with childish dreams of love." He glared at James and stalked back to him, pointing his wand at him. "Go. Now, or you'll suffer dearly for resisting, as will your offspring."
When James hesitated just a moment more, Abraxas smiled in satisfaction. He wanted to have an excuse to curse this little catamite again. "Imperio!" he snapped. "Now get on your feet." He commanded. James shuddered, but came slowly to his feet. "You will obey my every command. I don't care how many times I have to use the Imperious curse on you, boy. I WILL have my way!" he snarled, directing the spellbound young man up the hallway and following him, giving him no chance to resist.
Abraxas said nothing, lip curled with clear distaste as he bound James to the bed magically by one leg and one arm. "You will lie there until you are commanded to do something else, by me." He commanded. He then turned to the other person in the room. "Take the parasite out of his stomach, Caruthers." He ordered.
The round-faced man paled. "You know Durmstrang doesn't have proper classes to train healers, I'm not really trained to do things like this...! If he starts bleeding I won't be able to do much to stop it...!" he objected. "Abraxas, I could kill him trying to do this!"
"Either you remove it, or you allow it to die and allow the parasite to take its cursed catamite father with it." he said with an evil smile. "Nature has already begun its course; the beast is too young to live on its own and will die at birth. Now remove it! I gave my vow I would return a living son!"
James' mind screamed with panic. No! They were going to kill his child! He focused and struggled mentally to move... he only needed to move a little... just enough to get his wand. He would rather die than lose his child and his link to Lucius. He felt his fingers respond and slowly began to move them toward his wand pocket on the leg of his pants. No one noticed his movements; the round-faced Caruthers was bustling about, opening James' shirt to check his stomach and probe at already sore and aching muscles to check whatever mad thing he was checking.
James felt his fingers touch the wand and his heart soared. He would not lose his child; if the babe died so would he, defending the infant. He drew the wand out of his pants pocket and slipped it beneath his back to conceal it. Another contraction struck and for a moment he could not think, could not focus on anything but the pain as it washed over him, leaving him exhausted and drained when it ended. He could hear them talking but he felt so drained...
"He is nearly ready... the baby has already moved to position..." Caruthers said quietly.
"Do it." Abraxas commanded, moving out of the room. He did not care to view the birthing; he would rather just cut it out with a spell and dispose of the dead tissue, for that was what it would be if he did this. But then, so would the boy. He did not know which method his companion would use; the birthing either required being cut open carefully, as muggles did, but with magic to stem the bleeding, or a highly skilled wizard was required to perform a temporary transfiguration of the male genitalia to female genitalia that would last only until the afterbirth had been passed. He didn't care which was used, but he knew that Caruthers was skilled enough to do what was necessary. And Caruthers owed him enough to have to complete this without complaint.
James looked at the wizard standing over him, stripping his lower body and covering it with a blanket in a very professional and disconnected manner. "Please... don't do this; you don't even know me and I've done no harm to anyone... don't kill my baby..." he whispered, tears welling in his eyes.
"This isn't just about you and who you choose to sleep with anymore, boy. And at this moment this has nothing to do with Abraxas Malfoy, either. If I don't deliver your baby right now, young man, you're going to die along with your baby. Let me do my work, understand?"
"No, please..." James began, and then cried out as another wave of pain hit.
"That pain you're feeling is a birthing pain, boy. And if I don't do what I have to, you'll die from the pain alone. Your baby will be born tonight, nothing will change that now." He said, drawing his wand. "Könförändring." he stated in a calm and powerful voice.
**Swedish for "Sex Change" according to ""**
James felt a wave of power wash over him, but felt nothing at all. He was both confused and terrified; he knew they meant to kill his child and he had no idea what the bloody hell that spell had been. He took a shaky breath, letting his eyes close. "What are you gonna do…?" the sixteen year-old asked in a quiet, unsure tone; he really didn't expect any answer at all.
"Me? Nothing, just yet. It's going to take a while for things to happen. You're going to do all the work, all I'm going to do is deliver this baby of yours. Now this may take a while; I'm going to let the baby come naturally."
"Naturally…?" James stared at him in horror. "How the bloody hell am I going to deliver a baby naturally?"
"You've female bits now; the spell will return you to your normal self when the birthing is over." He answered, draping a sheet over James' legs, concealing the change from the boy. "Now just relax. This can take hours and I'm not letting even Abraxas Malfoy hurry this along."
Reluctantly, James tried to relax. Under the blanket, he had his hand on his wand; he had no intention of releasing it. He intended to blast Abraxas straight through the wall if he even tried to touch the baby.
Hours later James was still fighting through the waves of pain. Abraxas had come in several times only to be told in a voice that accepted no argument that this birth was to proceed normally.
"Just take the damned thing out!"
"You want this boy to recover quickly? You want him healthy to return to his family? Then he has to go through this in the normal manner to allow his body the positive energy to recover!" he snapped back. "I don't tell you how to do what you do best, Abraxas. Don't try to tell me how to do my work!"
Abraxas scowled, glaring at him. "You can't hurry it along at all?!"
"No. Mr. Malfoy, why don't you just go home and check on your wife and son? I doubt this baby will be born before midnight; I'm thinking more along the lines of dawn for the final push. Come back by full morning and I will be done with all I need to do." Caruthers said in an even tone, using every bit of his ability to convince others to do as was needed on this man.
Mr. Malfoy's scowl deepened, but he turned away. "I will return to finish with this little catamite by nine in the morning; if the thing has not emerged by then I will remove it my own way." he stated as he walked out.
James lost track of the time; every minute seemed to stretch into hours. Simply breathing seemed to be a worse torture than the Cruciatus curse had put him through when the contractions hit. He wept in pain, demanded that this Caruthers do something to make the pain easier. Caruthers simply shook his head, sitting beside the bed maddeningly just out of reach. James begged and pleaded the man to bring Lucius to him, but nothing seemed to chink the man's impassive exterior as he waited for the birthing to progress far enough. He tried to endure the pain to the best of his ability but swung between crying for Lucius and wanting him here just to hold him while the pain rolled over him and wanting to blow Lucius' bits off for doing this to him. The length of time between the waves of pain seemed to be only moments before he was hit with more pain…
Caruthers stayed quietly by his side, tending the teen and ensuring that he remained hydrated and by feeding him chips of ice and he gave him a stimulant when he seemed to be weakening too far to go on.
James lay back upon the sheets dampened by his sweat, his hair sticking to his brow, turning his eyes to the window. He'd thought a year must have passed, this pain was absolutely horrible. He'd never had greater respect for his mother than at that point in his life. The sun had not risen; it would be a while before Lucius' father returned. "Will this ever end…? I never knew it would hurt so much…" he whispered in a shaky voice.
Caruthers shifted the blanket for what seemed to be the thousandth time, but this time he kept the blanket up. "No one's ever really prepared for it; we're men. We don't handle pain as well as women do, and any man who tells you he can hasn't experienced what you have. You're nearly done, lad." He said in a gentle voice. "Now; when I tell you, you must push."
"Push?"
"Bear down with everything you have, and help your child come into the world." He said, locking eyes with the exhausted boy. "You must push. I can't do this for you. If you don't push, you'll both die, you don't have a choice anymore."
James simply nodded, swallowing, his throat horribly dry and sore.
"Alright… push now." Caruthers instructed. The teen pushed up to his elbows and bore down, pushing as hard as he could, crying out as he did so. "That's it… a few of those and you can sleep…"
"I can't possibly do that more…" James mumbled, falling back on the bed. The pain wasn't lapsing this time.
"The head is nearly clear, PUSH!" he commanded, glaring at him.
James pushed again, feeling something strange happening and almost unbearable pain as he bore down. Then there was a sudden relief of pressure and he almost wept for the momentary lapse of pain.
"Yes! That's it! I have the head clear… one more to get the shoulders…" he instructed.
Though he was sure he had nothing left, James tried once more. He knew he didn't push as hard but the cessation of pressure as the baby slipped out of the birth canal did bring him to relieved tears. "Oh Merlin…!"
"There you go… all the fingers and toes… not a bad looking infant, overall…" Caruthers murmured, though he did not lift the baby nor did James hear any crying.
"Is it okay…? Is it a boy or girl…? Please, just… please…" he whispered shakily, reaching for the child.
"The baby is perfect, and very healthy." He said, cleaning the baby busily. Before he cut the cord, he pinched the baby's foot to make it cry. James found himself relaxing on the soggy sheets, beginning to weep. "She's got quite a bit of hair…" he said, wrapping the baby up.
"Can I hold her?" He whispered, though he expected to be denied that one kindness. To his surprise and delight, Caruthers placed the newborn into his arms. James found his tears increasing as he held the delicate newborn baby girl in his arms. He touched her cheek with a trembling hand. "Oh… my little girl… your father knew you were a girl, he just knew…" he told her, trying to take in every detail of her little pink face, her tiny hands… he was only going to have her a short time. "You're everything I ever wanted, everything we ever wanted…"
Caruthers did not disturb him, proceeding with the delivery of the afterbirth and ensuring that the spell he had cast to change the teen's genitals reversed itself. He then used a spell to clean the sheets before he lowered the blanket again, moving up to the side of the bed.
James held his baby closer. "No… you can't, please don't take my girl, she's not his to take away…!"
"I don't have any intention of harming that innocent child, boy." he said softly, and for the first time James could see pity and empathy in the man's eyes. "Right now, at this moment only, you have a choice. If you keep that baby in your arms, she won't have a prayer at surviving this day. Abraxas will use the killing curse on her the moment he sees she is breathing." he told him in a quiet tone. "But if you give her to me, lad, I swear to you she will live."
"What the hell kind of a choice is that? I want to keep her and I want her to be alive! My mother knows she's coming; she has a whole nursery set up. What the bloody hell is he going to do to my parents?!" James demanded, staring up at the man.
Caruthers had no answers to give him, just a solution and quietly awaited his decision. James began to cry brokenly, knowing he really had no choice; he had to give his girl up. With great reluctance, he handed the bundled child over to this strange man. "When will I see her again?"
"You will never see this child again, son; it's better that way. When Abraxas has finished what he intends to do, you won't even know she exists." He said softly. "But I will ensure that she is kept safe, and he never finds her. I will never allow him to take your daughter's life from her."
James had tearfully nodded, but had lain back on the bed, feeling empty and hollow and full of grief and pain. He was losing everything and he had no choice. And his father had allowed this… why would his father approved of this?!
Caruthers looked at the face of the baby, then turned and hurried out of the room. James would never see the baby again. He had fallen into a restless pained sleep then, gaining little rest.
When he opened his eyes Abraxas was standing over him. James did not care anymore; he tightened his grip on his wand. "Expelliarmus!" He snapped. The flare of red light blasted through the layer of sheets and blankets, striking Abraxas full in the chest and sending him flying. James tried to snatch the wand that was shot out of the older man's hand and soared through the air toward him, but the bindings holding him to the bed kept him from reaching it and it tumbled to the floor.
"Accio wand!" Abraxas snarled, out of sight of the bound boy on the floor.
James felt his own wand ripped from his hand, and it flew out of his reach and out of sight. His last defense was gone; he'd not yet begun to learn wandless magic at school.
Slowly Abraxas Malfoy rose to his feet; he was a menacing black form with a smoking blackened patch clear upon his white surcoat, his face twisted with fury. "You're going to pay for that, you dirty little catamite. And I can enjoy this because I'm going to ensure that you don't remember any of it." He smiled evilly as he magically bound James' other limbs, securing him in place on the bed.
"You're a sick bastard; I'm glad that Lucius is NOTHING like you!" James snarled defiantly.
That made Abraxas laugh. "And you think that you know him so well." he sneered at him. "Lucius is going to turn out just like me, as I am the mirror image of my own father. And there is absolutely nothing you can do that will ever change it." He said, leveling his wand at the boy's chest. "Crucio!" he snapped, and then laughed as he enjoyed the boy's screams.
Abraxas Malfoy apparated to the outer gates of the Potter's grounds, bearing the weight of an unconscious boy in his arms. He'd taken many hours to prepare this boy for his return to his family, and would be quite delighted if he never laid eyes upon him again. He had drained his supply of forgetfulness potions and had used obliviate several times on the boy, choosing selected memories to eliminate. Now he simply felt exhausted and would be calling for some assistance for his journey home; it would be better if he could talk Potter into allowing him to use floo powder to travel home and not risk splinching himself by travelling without enough magical power.
He pushed through the gates and walked with a as quickly as he could toward the house. The spell he had cast on the boy to make him lighter to carry was beginning to wear off and it would not do to drop the boy on his front lawn; that was not the image he intended to present. He was to be seen as the rescuer, not the abuser though he had actually caused all the damage this boy had to recover from.
He was nearly halfway down the walkway, his feet crunching on the gravel path when to his great relief he saw the house, the door flying open. Three house elves bustled out, a pallet of a mattress and blankets hovering in the center of the trio. He was more than happy to lay the boy on the floating mattress and allow the elves to cover up their young master, whispering amongst themselves. He ignored them; house elves were inconsequential little rats and not worthy of note. He stretched his weary arms, glaring at one of the elves. "Fetch your master immediately." he ordered one of the house elves, who vanished with a loud pop.
He allowed the house elves and their floating burden to take the lead, following them as they magically carried the pallet to the house. By the time he reached the front step, the elderly Mr. Potter was at the top step, looking at his son with horrified worry. "What...? What happened to my boy?!" he demanded, glaring at Abraxas. "You said you would keep him safe!"
"So he was, until less than an hour ago. I'm very sorry, Mr. Potter, but it seems our sons do not like each other at all. I did not know the depths of that animosity until just today." he said, knowing he had already manipulated his memories so that there had been no pregnancy in his mind.
"What happened?" He asked, gazing down at the peaceful sleeping face of his son, highly worried. The boy did not show any physical injury...
"I'd finished our business for the day and had taken the two of them to Diagon Alley to do a bit of shopping; you see James said he wished to purchase something special for your wife for Easter. I left the two of them for only a moment; when I returned Lucius was nowhere to be seen and your son was unconscious."
"Did you find your son?"
"I thought it more important to tend to the health of your son. I could find no injury on him but there is clearly something wrong. I know that your wife was a healer at St. Mungo's; I felt she would wish to tend him herself; she is certainly more than capable of caring for him as he needs to be. I know he is your only child and heir; you would want him home with you as I would want my son home with me."
"She has kept her skills sharp since she retired from St. Mungo's when James was born." he said, looking up at Abraxas. "Do you know what was used?"
Abraxas sighed, putting on his 'worried father' expression. "I must admit I have seen my son studying more than is his habit, among my more advanced books. I do not know why he would target your son for experimental practice with such spells, if only I had known I would never have left them alone together. I suspect he used one of the darker spells; a power-drainage spell that struck him in the abdominal region. There is no mark on him, as you can see, and he does not seem to be in pain at the moment. Only sleep will cure power drainage; could be as many as two days, but his stomach region seems especially sensitive." he explained, then glared at a house elf. "Take him to his room!" he ordered. "Useless little beasts." He mumbled under his breath.
"Your son cannot simply go about injuring young wizards...!" he said, angry at the thought. Lucius was out of school by several years already, and James was only in fifth year. How could he think it would be all right to attack someone who had not yet reached the age of majority? "Your son is an adult and mine is not! I will have him brought before the Wizarding Council...!"
"I am aware of the discrepancy, Mr. Potter, and I assure you that the punishment I will be giving my son for his actions will far outstrip anything that the Ministry of Magic could do to him." he said, projecting quiet and calm. The last thing he wanted was to involve the Ministry at this point. Lucius would love that but he would not allow it to happen. "Please believe that my son will experience the worst punishment he has ever endured; he may be a grown man but he is still my son. And for both our sakes, do not allow my son onto your property any further. I would hate to have a repeat of this event."
"He will not cross one inch of these grounds!" Mr. Potter said in an angered yet worried tone. "You keep him far away from my home!"
"I shall do all I can, but as you said, he is an adult. I advise you keep your son home until next semester to ensure that he does not attempt to associate with him at school, as he does work there with the Transfigurations teacher. As a member of the school board and I will ensure that he receives all his assignments here at your house, and I assure you I will have him employed elsewhere before the end of the school year as well." he assured.
"Oh, well... yes, thank you... that is very generous of you, Abraxas."
"It is the least I can do." Abraxas smiled; everything was working out according to his plan. The baby had been disposed of, and the implanted memories within the boy's mind should be activated and rooted by what the father would tell him when he woke. Excellent.
At that point Mrs. Potter came down the stairs, nearly in a panic as she saw her precious boy, her only child, lay unconscious and being carried up the stairs. Mr. Potter moved to her, his arm about her as he soothed her and explained what had happened.
"But where's the baby...?" she asked, confused and upset.
"There isn't a baby, dear..." he said soothingly. "Come along, James needs our attention now." he said, leading her after the boy.
"I must be going to find my son; I'd like to check my home first. If I could use your fireplace...?"
"Oh, oh yes of course; right through there." he gestured to a room, preoccupied with his son and wife.
James awoke in his own bed, looking up at the canopy over it and feeling greatly comforted by the familiarity of it all. He started to drift back asleep again, but his mind had completely woken up and would not allow his eyes to close. He frowned, feeling like something was... wrong. But he couldn't put his finger on it.
He looked over as his mother came into the room, carrying a tray of medicines and other items. She brightened as she saw he was awake. "Oh, James, thank goodness. How are you feeling, dear?" she asked, hurrying to his side and setting the tray down on the side table.
"I'm fine, mum, I... I feel a bit off, but I'm fine, really. No need to worry..."
"You've slept two full days. Mr. Malfoy brought you home and you were unconscious. If you'd slept any longer I was insisting that we take you to St. Mungo's..."
"Malfoy...?" a rush of negative thoughts crowded his mind at the name but everything seemed horribly jumbled.
"Yes, dear; Abraxas Malfoy... he brought you home apologizing for his son, saying that his boy had attacked you in Diagon Alley, he'd come on you from behind..."
"His son? Lucius...?"
"He only has one son dear. Shame, really, I thought that boy liked you. Are you sure you're all right?"
"Um... yeah, I just feel a bit muddled." he said, frowning. Something was not right about all this. Something was missing but he had no idea what it was. The harder he tried to remember, the farther away any sort of an answer seemed to be.
"Mr. Malfoy said his son used a spell to drain your energy, son. Here, I want you to drink this, every drop…" she said, removing the stopper from the bottle of potion. "It's a healing draught, and quite a strong one..."
"I don't need..." he began, and then tried to simply sit up. The pain that lanced through him from the simple act of trying use his stomach muscles to sit up convinced him to lie still and NOT try that again. "Ow! What the bloody hell...?"
"James, you know I don't approve of that language!" she scolded.
"Sorry mum…" he mumbled.
"I know you're hurting, dear. Now you'll feel better if you take your potion. Come along, drink up…" she encouraged.
"All right, mum." he said, allowing her to administer the potion to him by helping him to sit up and aiding him in the taking of the potion. He sighed, closing his eyes a moment as the potion went into effect. "What day is it...?"
"Its the day before Easter, love. But you're not in any shape to return to Hogwarts to finish term. You need time to recover and I'm not sending you off to school to be nursed to health in someone else's hands." she said, arranging the blankets over him. "You always wanted to skive off school and go on a holiday with us; now is your chance dear. We'll be going away until you're strong again."
Lucius Malfoy had returned to Hogwarts as was expected of him, quite eager to see James again. He had not heard from him at all during the time they had been apart other than that one note. That wasn't all too unusual; actually. James often got too busy to remember to send letters. He settled into his room and called for a house elf, unpacking a moment before the creature appeared.
"You is calling?" the house elf asked, bowing to the floor.
"Yes; take this message to James Potter." He said, pulling an envelope out of his bag.
"James Potter is not being here, Master." The elf answered.
"Not here? Why isn't he here?" he frowned.
"I is not knowing, Master… is Master needing anythings else…?"
"No, no that will do." he said softly, confused. He walked to the fireplace, ignoring the loud noise of the house elf vanishing from his quarters. He threw floo powder into the fireplace and said "Potter Cottage" before he began to put his head and shoulders only into the green glowing flames that flared to life.
He found himself face to face with a member of the Ministry of Magic's Floo Network Regulators. The woman was very old and her face had a pinched expression as if she had just eaten something intolerably sour. "You no longer have access to this home, Mr. Malfoy." She said in an official tone.
"What? Why?" he asked, his confusion only growing. "James would never…"
"I do not make up the rules, Mr. Malfoy!" she interrupted him. "But you are NOT allowed to contact this household via the floo network. An order has been registered with the Floo Network Authority and you no longer will have access. Good day."
"Wait!" he began, but she just harrumphed and was gone from the fireplace in a swirl and flash of green sparks that extinguished the magical flames. Lucius stared at the empty, cold fireplace for a long time, unsure of what exactly to do from now. What he done…? Why was James angry with him? Cutting him off from the Floo network was almost a slap in the face… did James' parents suddenly change their mind about the baby? He had told Lucius that his parents were so excited about the coming child…
Whatever had happened had nothing to do with school, he was sure of that. James hadn't had any troubles here when he had left, no one would know what had occurred. There was no reason for him to stay here; he certainly couldn't stay here and tend to tutoring and assisting the teacher if his future and his child were in jeopardy. He left his things and threw another fistful of floo powder into the fireplace, stepping into the swirling vortex of green flame and was gone from the castle.
He stepped out of the fireplace and set off to find his mother. He found her in her solarium, sitting in the early morning sunlight with her fine needlework and her little circle of friends. "Mother, I need to talk to you…" he began.
She smiled up at him, her needlework continuing on at her side magically. "Oh, Lucius; how wonderful." She said. "We were just discussing your wedding…"
"Can I speak to you in private, mother?" he asked urgently.
She gestured to the sewing as she rose, it fell neatly back into its basket. "Of course, my son. I will return, ladies." She said as she took her son's arm and walked out of the room with him.
He remained quiet until the door closed behind them in her room. "Mother, have you heard anything about James Potter…?"
"James? Why no. Why do you ask?"
"Mother, I told you, he and I were going to leave for America…"
"Don't be silly, son." She laughed softly, looking away from him but he did not miss the slightly glazed look in her eyes. "You're going to have your wedding in only a few months. Narcissa is going to look so beautiful in my mother's gown; I've had it fitted and…"
"Mother!" he interrupted, earning her a surprised glare from him. "Mother, he didn't show back up at school and I can't reach him…"
"Well perhaps its time you turned your attention away from your little fling, son. You're to be married soon…" she said, reaching for the door.
He caught her hand, pulling her around to face him. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you mother?!" he demanded, staring at her. "You know it's more than that to me! I love him!"
His mother looked angry now. "Let go of my hand, Lucius." She said quietly and he immediately did so, very confused. She rubbed at her wrist. "You are not one of the rabble you deal with every day, Lucius. We are wizarding royalty. We can visibly trace over ten generations of pure wizarding blood through our family tree…"
"James is a pure blood…"
"James Potter is a child!" she snapped in a low hiss. "You have a responsibility to your bloodline and your family, and you will be wedded as has been planned. Your father wishes it so, your grandfather wished it to be so, it will be as they desire. After the wedding is the time for such trysts and foolishness, not before! And things like this are to be done in complete discretion!"
Lucius stared at his mother in disbelief. She was supportive of him only last week… "Father… what did father do to you?"
"This has nothing to do with your father; this has to do with you! Stop acting moonstruck and go back to work. You have students to tend to as well as a job to keep; I will take care of all the details of the wedding…"
"I'm not getting married, mother!"
"…and if he still cares for you, you can see him again once you've conceived a child with your wife! You WILL get married, Lucius. You will." She said, turning away and taking hold of the door knob again.
"James and I are having a baby!" He snapped at her, trying to get through to her.
She hesitated at his words, and then turned back to him. "A baby…?" James is a wizard, dear. That rarely happens…"
"Well it happened, it's a girl, she's due in June. I have to find him; I have to get him to safety, before father…"
Her face went blank a moment, and then she frowned at him. "Enough fairy tales, Lucius; you'd have told me if there was a baby; there is no child to be thinking of…"
"I did tell you…" He insisted.
She shook her head. "You never did. Lucius, I haven't time for this. I have to get back to my guests…"
"I need your help…" he started, but she had moved out of the room. She wasn't listening anymore. Lucius stared after her, then spat a curse and stalked out of the manor. If he could have found his father at that moment he would have challenged him to a duel.
He apparated off grounds the moment he reached the gate; appearing outside the grounds of the Potter's land. He strode to the gate and pulled on it; the gate did not budge and he got a mild shock simply touching it. He stepped back, startled. A spell of protection against him…? He tried again, and then began pacing down the length of the fenceline until he could see the house.
He knew well how the house usually looked; with windows flung wide to the early spring days and curtains blowing in the breeze, brightly lit inside as if the sun shone out of every room. Mrs. Potter did like her home bright and airy… but it was closed up. The windows were all closed and the curtains hung like funeral drapes. Everything was as dark as a tomb.
It was nearly midnight before he returned to Malfoy Manor. He didn't know what else to do; he couldn't possibly work. Maybe he could talk to the Ministry and get them to help him find James; they would know where he was because of the Trace… He would have to wait until morning, though.
He moved into the house, striding quickly through and up to his own rooms. He slammed the door behind him.
The next three days with his father out of the house on business, he spent out at the Potter's land, watching and waiting. Nothing changed; the place was dark and empty as if completely abandoned by its owners. He rarely ate and began to drink to get to sleep at night, and spent his nights in his room with the door spelled shut against his parents.
It was nightfall on the fourth night when the visitor he had both expected and dreaded showed up; Narcissa Black. She was his best friend since their infancy, being only a year younger than he. She was his confidante, his support, and his dearest friend... the only reason he dreaded seeing her is their parents were forcing them to marry.
Narcissa bit her lip when she saw him sitting beside the fireplace and staring at the empty square, looking defeated. "Are you all right, Luc...?" she asked softly, moving to him and kneeling by his side.
"No Cissy, I'm not... something is wrong. Horribly wrong." he said softly, not looking at her, letting his eyes close. "The Potter house is abandoned; nothing has moved there in days. I know it for a fact; I've been there the entire time and nothing… nothing… Something has happened and I have no idea what and no way to find out…!"
She rested her slim hands over his, looking worried for him. "I've been to the Ministry, my friend, when I got your owl. I found out they've simply gone on holiday, to the seashore. I'm not certain where, but they do not plan to return until after the summer is over." she said softly. "James is healthy, I was told. Miss Bones saw him at the ministry, just before the family left the estate."
"What about the baby?" he asked in a voice laced with fear and worry.
"He is not carrying a child anymore. No one knows what happened." she whispered softly. "I've spoken to many different people but... I can tell you that he didn't go to St. Mungo's. His mother used to work there before he was born, though; maybe she... took care of it..."
"She was ours... he would have come to me. He would have told me. He wouldn't treat me as if I was a leper trying to give him some sort of bloody disease!" he said in an almost desperate tone.
"Miss Black." Both of them jumped to hear Abraxas' voice from the doorway. He was supposed to be out this week on business. "Although I appreciate your concern for my son, he and I need to have a... discussion... about his refusing to report to work."
She looked over at Abraxas then lowered her eyes as she rose to her feet. "Of course... I will talk to you soon, alright, Lucius...?"
"Yes; thank you Narcissa." he said softly, sliding the letter away in his pocket. His father wasn't going to have any clues from him; he'd destroy the last communication he had from James before his father touched it. She rose quietly, bowed to Abraxas in the proper manner, and then slipped out of the room, her feet making little to no noise as she left. "I'm not going to work, father." he said softly.
"You will go to work. You have a job and a career to start before you can retire to play your little games. You will not shame the Malfoy name by sitting around here all day long..."
"Malfoy name. If renouncing everything meant I could be happy that's exactly what I'd do." he said bitterly.
"Renouncing the family name will change nothing. Why don't you understand? Your little love affair with Potter is over. He and his father have filed a formal restraining order against you for harassment and they have even gone away to give you time to gather your thoughts..."
"Restraining order? But... that's not possible." he gazed at his father in shock.
Abraxas produced the paper wordlessly from his pocket. "It was served this morning, and as you would not come to answer the door, I accepted it in your stead." he handed the document to him. Lucius' eyes ran down the paper to the signatures at the bottom, his finger moving to drift over the second signature. James Potter. James had willingly filed a restraining order against him...? "Get your head out of the clouds, Lucius, and back to your real life. Narcissa is the one who came to console you today. Narcissa is the one you will be spending the rest of your life with. Narcissa is going to be your wife."
Lucius found himself at a loss for words. He could not deny what he saw right before his eyes. If only he could just talk to James, just once!
Abraxas watched his son then found himself smiling. No argument meant that the boy was finally accepting the facts of life and he would finally get on with business. "You will be returning to work on Monday, Lucius; even if I have to drag you in there like a spoiled brat." He turned away to leave Lucius alone with his thoughts. He had not lied to Potter either; his son had been quite severely punished for 'what he had done' to that Potter child.
~~~~~~TIME SHIFT BACK TO PRESENT DAY~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucius relaxed back in his favorite chair before the fire, running his finger over the ring that now hung on a chain about his neck. It had been the ring that he had given James, one that his young love had worn when he had left the castle for Easter break but had vanished upon his return. He frowned slightly in thought. "Well it's nice to know the entire story." He said quietly.
"I'm not finished yet." Damitri assured. "She is alive; she had a good childhood safe from the manipulation of your father and the obsessions of the Dark Lord."
"That's the only consolation I take from all of this… you have not found her?"
"I have put out every lead I can; if nothing pays off soon I will return to the town and see if her stepfather cannot get her to come and speak with me and in turn, you."
"You think she may not wish to meet me?" Lucius asked.
"She may not even know you were her father; the man who raised her did not even want to divulge that she was not his. Your time spent in Azkaban during Draco's final year in school was not kept quiet, Lucius. Once she knows the entire truth, she may not trust you."
He sighed softly. "At that time, I didn't trust myself. All I could think about was the safety and security of my wife and son…"
"I will see what I can do… don't give up hope, old friend."
"To hope." He said, raising his glass to Damitri, who raised his glass to join in the salute.
"To hope."