A/N: Have been very busy, so couldn't update. Sorry. Please, forgive me and enjoy this chapter.
Fallen & Risen 27. A Father's and Son's Devotion History
Previously…
That Dracocorico Malodorant-Frog took Sirius' place as her warden… No. No, she wasn't going to cope with that! In fact, she resented it. She hated it!
No. Scratch it.
She despised it from the very abysmal bottom of her heart! This maledictory foible of a man just took Sirius' place as her guardian without asking her permission! And she hated it even more because it was this foppish person who was giving her what she missed so much: a hug. A warm and loving hug that only Sirius knew how to give her.
'Sirius…' More tears escaped out her eye.
Draco understood. He knew who Heley was talking about. Draco tightened his arms around her, not caring that she was making his pristine tailor gala suit wet. He whispered soothing words to comfort her.
"Cry… Cry everything you need to cry… It will be all right… It will be all right…" he repeated like a litany. Heley finally freed the tears that she hadn't discharged at Sirius' little funeral.
Draco understood now why the news of him being her new guardian was so hard for Heley to hear. By becoming the new Lord Black, Draco had just stolen the name of someone who was very dear to her. Draco had been happy when he learned that he was the new head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. But now, he wasn't proud of himself for committing this shameful crime - for reminding Heley of the loss of her godfather. The only thing he could do for her was giving her what his older cousin couldn't give to his ward anymore: the missing embraced she longed to feel again.
"Sirius… Sirius… Hmmmmmmph… I miss you…" Heley whimpered, burying her face in Draco's chest. Draco tightened his arms around Heley's shoulders, holding her closer to him.
"Heley," Draco spoke, "I understand now why you hate having me as your new guardian. You see me as a thief who stole my cousin Sirius' name and title. And that just gives you another reason for you to dislike me more than you did before."
Heley froze, stopped crying. She hadn't thought that he'd be so perceptive of her feelings against him. She had always been careful not to make it too evident. Draco felt her tension, but continued.
"There is no point denying it, Heley," he said. "By the way you behave when I'm around, I know that you are not too fond on me, though I don't know why or for what reason. Is it because I did something that hurt you in the past? If it is, then I'm sorry, for whatever I did that hurt you so much."
Heley bite her lips, feeling ashamed. It wasn't like Draco really did anything against her, Heley, but seven years of animosity to her other self Harry were hard to forget. Yet he, Draco Malfoy, had damped all hard feelings for his archenemy. He proved himself to be more mature than before.
'Unlike me…' Heley inwardly groaned, annoyed by her lack of maturity in this situation.
"Heley, believe me, I had wanted it to tell you earlier about this guardianship, but I couldn't find the time to talk about it. I've been very busy since I learned about my new title. Even if I'm not twenty-one yet, I'm already taking the responsibilities as the head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black under my mother's guidance. That implies that I also have to accept the full extent of the responsibilities as your new warden. I understand that you blame me for taking my cousin Sirius' place without your prior consent, but if there is anything that you want me to do for you, then feel free to ask me…"
Heley's eyes lit and she looked up at him. There was still a hope. She would just have to ask him to give up his tutorship over h-…
"…except for breaking the guardianship over you. That, I cannot do," Draco continued, as if he knew that she intended to ask him. Heley's hope crumbled. She slumped and looked down. "If I have to give up the tutorship over you, that would also mean that I have to give up the title of head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. For the Malfoy family's name, for my parents and for myself, I will keep the name of Lord Black."
Draco paused a moment, his face saddened. "Heley, I need to be the head of the Black House. I need to become the head of the Black House. Please, accept me as your guardian," Draco pleaded.
"Why? What for? Why do you need to become the head of the Black so badly?" Heley asked.
Draco took a deep breath. "I need to become the next head of the Black family because of the favor the ministry owes to every new Lord Black," he explained.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Heley stuttered.
"Over centuries ago, the wizarding world was struck by a strange sickness. Everyone hit by that sickness got their magic gradually sucked out of them. After that all the magic was sucked out, it was their life energy next – until they died. The strange disease spread so fast that the magical population declined by half in a span of only a few years. Thankfully, Regulus Orion Black discovered the cause of the strange sickness, which was an old curse. He succeeded in breaking the curse as well as finding the remedy to restore the lost magic. The Black family saved the British wizarding population from extinction. For saving them, the Ministry of Magic at that time made a contract with the Black family: every new Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is granted a special favor by the ministry. I must become the new Lord Black because I need that special favor."
"Why do you need it?" Heley asked.
". . ." Draco didn't respond first. He closed his eyes for a moment. "For my father. I want to use that special favor for my father. "
"Heh? What?" Heley chewed her lips. Draco Malfoy was asking her help to help Lucius Malfoy when the later had tried to kill her countless times in the past. That was asking too much from her.
"Basically, you ask me to help you to help Lucius Malfoy?" Heley said, hints of venom laced in her voice. Heley stared at him, waiting for an explanation. "Are you planning to have your father freed from Azkaban?" Heley almost shouted.
"No. Not for that reason. Not for freeing my father from Azkaban, even if the ministry would have no choice but to do it if I asked, " Draco responded.
Heley frowned, curious. From what it sounded, Lucius Malfoy could be freed from Azkaban if the new Lord Black asked for it. Then why not?
"Then why not asking for your father to be freed from Azkaban?" Heley questioned.
Draco looked away for a moment, remembering the conversation he had with his father before the later was taken to Azkaban.
"Father didn't want me to do it," Draco whispered. Heley wasn't sure she had clearly heard Draco's answer.
"He… He… didn't want…?" Heley tentatively asked.
"Yes, he didn't want to be freed," Draco confirmed. "Father wants to do his time in Azkaban."
Heley's jaw dropped. Did Draco really say that his father didn't want to be freed? Now Heley was starting to doubt Lucius Malfoy's common sense. Why would Malfoy senior want to spend time in Azkaban when anyone right in their mind would do anything to get away from that hellish prison?
"But… But why?"
Draco bite his lips, refraining them from trembling.
"He wanted to 'amend for all his faults by serving his time in Azkaban' - he said those words himself. And before being conducted to Azkaban, he forbade me from doing anything to free him before the end of his sentence," Draco elaborated. "But knowing he is surrounded by Dementors daily, I…" Draco stopped, unable to continue.
He took a deep breath again to give himself courage. "I… I almost lost my father when he begged Voldemort to spare my life… For months, I lived in a nightmare because I couldn't forget it…" His voice was trembling. "I don't want to live through that nightmarish fear of losing him again…" he finished in a whisper.
Heley felt her own heart ached at the pain in Draco's voice. Draco continued.
"I don't intend to use the special favor to free my father from Azkaban, but only to make his stay easier for the length of his imprisonment. I want to ask the Ministry to have my father guarded by Aurors and not by Dementors. That way, he won't go insane. But to get that permission, I must become the next Lord Black. That is only possible if you consent to have me as your new guardian," Draco finished explaining, staring directly (and hopefully) at Heley.
"Please Heley, please help me…"
Draco remembered the trial day at the Wizengamot of the Malfoy family and his father's sentencing.
Flashback
Thanks to Harry Potter's testimony, Draco and his mother were forgiven. They were asked to stay for the judgment of the defendant after them, Lucius Malfoy.
Draco watched his father being conducted toward the middle of the Wizengamot courtroom, at the exact place he was a moment ago. After that, the Aurors left Lucius there, alone. Malfoy senior faced all the members of the trial court by himself. Despite that, he looked straight in front of him, not letting anyone or anything intimidate him. He was a Malfoy, and Malfoys were never intimidated by anyone or anything. If there was intimidation, then it would be from a Malfoy and not to a Malfoy.
After he failed to retrieve the Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort was displeased with Lucius and treated him with disdain. Lucius Malfoy may be a servant, but he was still a Malfoy with a Malfoy's pride. That was when Lucius started seeing other sides of Voldemort he never saw before.
Voldemort wasn't really a grand wizard, nor was he a good leader. To Lucius, a true leader was someone who knew how to value his underlings. Despite so many years working for him, the Dark Lord didn't know how to appreciate Lucius' loyalty to him. And worse, the Dark Lord put the low peasant and feeble rat Pettigrew above him – Lucius Malfoy, a noble pure blood. If Voldemort could return, it was all thanks to Lucius' underground work and preparations for many long years. Lucius knew that without him, Voldemort couldn't do anything because none of Voldemort's Death Eaters were as rich and as politically powerful as him. Yet, Voldemort didn't know how to value Lucius' services. From that moment, Lucius' (blind) trust of Voldemort started to crumble.
And when Voldemort punished Lucius by sending Draco on mission to kill Dumbledore, Lucius' loyalty burnt to ash. That was when he finally understand why James Potter had refused to side with Voldemort. But Lucius also knew that he understood it when it was too late to turn back. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were already inside the Malfoy Manor. Lucius had to be cautious not let Voldemort doubt him because his wife's and his son's lives were at the bay. During the last battle, Lucius no longer cared about Voldemort or his orders to fight. His only son wasn't seen anywhere and Lucius had decided that his son was more important than a Moldywart and his nonsense beliefs.
If Lucius had brought up what he really did during the Battle of Hogwarts, his sentence would have been less harsh, but Lucius said nothing. Even a pensive memory would prove his point, but he chose to stay silent and remained quiet the whole time in front of the Wizengamot. He chose to let himself be condemned to Azkaban. After everything he did for so many years, the Malfoy name was tainted. It was impossible for him to clean it again. The only hope left to make the Malfoy name shine again was Draco. But for that, Lucius needed to retreat from the world. Without him in the way, no one would doubt Draco because he wouldn't be there to influence his son. He trusted - knew - that Draco could restore the Malfoy name and make it shine again.
"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, as punishment for your crimes against the wizard world, you are hereby sentence to Azkaban for…"
Lucius didn't heard the last part of his sentences because he caught the distress in Draco's eyes. Lucius panicked.
'Foolish son!' Lucius' eyes yelled.
It was clear: Draco intended to free him from Azkaban and by any means. Draco eyes loudly spoke (screamed even!) his intentions. And if Draco tried to do it, he would succeed because Lucius had taught him everything. For only that second, Lucius regretted that his son was such an intelligent and capable man. He couldn't allow it to be done.
"Is there anything you want to say before you're taken away?" the judge asked Lucius.
'Chance!' Lucius thanked whoever gave him that opportunity.
"Yes," Lucius said. "I want to speak with my wife and son before being taken to Azkaban." Lucius looked straight at Harry Potter. "Please," he finished.
Harry tensed in his seat. Lucius Malfoy got him.
If Lucius had asked directly the jury, he would certainly by refused. But by asking Harry Potter, the Savior who owed Narcissa Malfoy a life debt, the favor couldn't be refused. Lucius also bet on another side of Harry to have his request granted: Harry's lost father, James Potter. Potter must know of the pain of not having a father, and Draco was on the way to losing his own. Harry, who had lived all his life without a father nearby, was used to the pain of that lost. But not Draco. And the Gryffindor side of Harry would make him do anything to ease the pain Draco would soon live through, after that Lucius was sent to Azkaban. And both Lucius and Harry knew the Wizengamot could not refuse anything to their Savior if he asked for it. Lucius got his permission to talk with his family, but for only an hour. It was more than Lucius had hoped for.
It was during that one hour with his father that Draco Malfoy suddenly matured twenty years ahead his time. It was the first time the father and the son had such a deep conversation. Lucius Malfoy, who had never shown any hesitation or fear, revealed to Draco all his worry and doubt, but also his hope in Draco to restore the prestige of the Malfoy family name again. And for the first time in their life, Lucius Malfoy openly showed his love for his wife and his son.
"You two are the most precious treasures I have in my life," Lucius told them. "I don't care what happens to me, as long as you two live."
For the first time in many years, Narcissa Malfoy found again the man she had married and loved. Draco could never forget the strong embrace he shared with his father and his mother just before Lucius was conducted away.
End of flashback
Draco touched his left arm, where he could still feel the warmth of his father's embrace.
'Father…'
Heley watched him, seeing her own memory of that day with Lucius Malfoy. She remembered the conversation Harry Potter had with the Malfoy.
Flashback
Two Aurors conducted Lucius Malfoy out of the room where he was with his family a moment ago. They crossed Harry Potter outside the room. Lucius Malfoy addressed Harry.
"When we were at Hogwarts, James Potter and I were great rivals – rivals yet friends in a certain way, despite us being Gryffindor and Slytherin. We were always challenging each other over everything. I would say that we brought the best out of one another because we were the best rivals for each other. Then, everything changed when Voldemort invited us to join him. James declined the invitation. He told me to refuse as well, saying that Voldemort would be fall of all of us. Sadly, I was deaf to his words. 'Why?' you might ask? Because I was jealous. Voldemort had asked him first – before asking me. I was a Malfoy, and Potter was simply a Potter. Of course, the Potter family were pure bloods, but they were beneath the Malfoys. Yet, Voldemort invited James Potter before me, Lucius Malfoy. My jealousy took over me. That was why I accepted the invitation, just to show up James because he had refused it. From that moment, I destroyed the seemly friendship we had because of jealousy in me. To this day, I wish I had listened to him and not to Voldemort." Lucius finished.
Harry was frozen on the spot. He was stunned by Malfoy Senior's revelation and the latter's relationship with his father. Lucius Malfoy continued.
"I'm sorry that my jealousy caused so much hurt and pain for everyone, and particularly for you, who lost your father. No child deserves to lost his or her father so soon. Even I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, understand that. I sincerely regret letting my jealousy blind me." Lucius paused a moment. He looked Harry right in the eyes. "Your father would be have been proud of you, Harry Potter…" He paused again momentarily. "I'm sorry again… for everything…"
Now, Harry was positively gawking at the Malfoy senior. Lucius Malfoy apologizing (spell again: A-P-O-L-O-G-I-Z-I-N-G) to him, Harry Potter? Was it going to rain inside the Wizengamot? Because if it did, Harry wouldn't be surprised. But Lucius was looking somewhere else and didn't see Harry's reaction. Or he knew about Harry's reaction but choose to pretend he didn't see.
"I'm sorry. I made you lose your father when you were so young because of my jealousy," Lucius said again in a repenting voice. He turned to Harry again. "Thank you for saving my family by killing Voldemort. The only thing I regret now is not being able to ask James for his forgiveness."
On those words, Malfoy senior turned and walked away with the Aurors escorting him, leaving Harry lost in his thoughts. When Lucius Malfoy and the Aurors reached at the exit door, Harry snapped out of his reveries.
"Mister Malfoy!" he called. Lucius froze and spun around. He blinked at Harry, surprised by Harry's politeness. The boy had called him 'Mister' instead of simply 'Malfoy' as he used to do. Harry too was surprised of himself. He didn't know what took over him to be deferential to Malfoy senior.
"What is it?" Lucius asked.
"I… I… Er… Hmn…" Harry chewed his lips, gulping. He took a breath to calm down and spoke again. "I think my father wouldn't have held grudge against you. I believe that, if he was here now, he would tell you 'it wasn't your fault that you got blinded by Voldemort's sweet words'," Harry said.
Lucius blinked. "A-Are you really sure?" Lucius hesitated. Harry blinked, surprised by the hope he heard in the Malfoy senior's voice.
"Yes," Harry responded. "You realized the blindness of your jealousy, and you understand your mistakes. For that reason, I am sure that my father would forgive you for everything. I would even say that he is happy that you finally woke up."
For an instant, Lucius Malfoy was lost, as Harry's answer echoed in him. He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted up from his heart. Then, slowly, a smile stretched across his face – a true smile. Harry then understood why Lucius Malfoy was considered to be the handsomest man in Great Britain, something he had never wanted to believe before.
"Thank you," Lucius softly said.
With that, the Aurors conducted Lucius Malfoy towards Azkaban – a Lucius Malfoy with a light heart.
Left behind alone, Harry reflected over what he had just done. He only said those words to Lucius because he was touched by his love for his son. Harry had always wished more than anything to feel - and live - the love of a father, just like Draco could. Despite all the troubles Lucius had brought him, Harry would forgive the Malfoy senior for the love he had for his son. But he didn't think that his forgiveness would make the cold, arrogant, overwhelming Lucius smile. Because, at the end of the story, everything he had done was for his son, for his wife, and for the Malfoy family name.
End of flashback
Heley remembered a lesson Dumbledore had taught to Harry.
'Most of the time, you find a diamond underneath many thick layers of dirt. That's why you must learn to see beyond what your eyes can see. A sinful man can hide behind the face of a holy man, as well as a virtuous man can be found underneath the mask of a criminal.'
Update on Wednesday September 15, 2010. Beta'd by Elusivetruth.