Lucius grinned as he saw Harry approach, wand in hand. His eyes were fixed squarely upon the Pegasus-cored wand as he spoke, unaware of the bubbling jealousy that rose up within his son at his words, or the pity-filled look Harry shot at Draco, "Well done, Harry. A Pegasus wand is...", he said, stepping forward to roughly snatch the wand from the young boy's hand, caressing it softly, as if it were a lover, his eyes still fixed on it's glossy black shaft, wrapped around, he knew, the last remaining hair of the Pegasus, "... a gift to be cherished".
With a slight hiss, his eyes shining with greed... with power-lust, he handed the wand back to Harry, composing himself once more, "Carry it well", he commanded to the young boy in a harsh bark, forceful and harsh as he had always been. "T-thank you, sir", Harry stammered, curtsying a little. Lucius grinned in approval, turning to Ollivander
Ollivander grimaced as he looked upon the blonde Malfoy Lord, and their eyes met, an unspoken conversation taking place in that exact moment. At last, Lucius broke eye contact, turning his head to the ceiling of the shop, a smile on his face, as sharp and deadly as the enchanted daggers hidden in his coat, "The power of the Pegasus... of storm and sea... in the palm of my hand", he muttered, too soft for any but Ollivander to hear, "I have won"
Drawing in a sharp breath, Lucius turned to his family, a grin stretching his face, "My, what a haul !", he cried, faux kindness filling his voice, "I believe the children deserve a reward. Don't you, Narcissa ?". Narcissa frowned. She did think so. Choosing the wands had indeed been quite a process... but it wasn't like her husband to show kindness to anyone... let alone her children. And sure enough, as the children walked out of the shop, and he passed her, he leaned over whispering in her ear, a slight note of giddy joy in his voice, "I wonder how angry those pretentious "Light" Elders will be that a Dark family has received such power"
"Why do you want to reward the children ?", she hissed back, suspicion layering her voice. Lucius smiled, "Observant as ever I see. I knew there was a reason I married you... well, other than politics. As for your question... a man who is treated well... is a man who is loyal to the end... and to have a Pegasus wielder loyal... well.."
She turned her head away, grimacing in disgust. She could not hear any more. She had always known that this was the way her husband was... cold and practical. Back in school, they had called him the "Knave of Slytherin", always rational, always cold... and always out for his own self-interest. He knelt to Tom Riddle when it suited him, when the man was rising to power... and again to Dumbledore, after Riddle's fall. In fact, the only place his rationality failed him seemed to be his undying hatred for Muggle-borns and Muggles. She was almost grateful for that. At least the moments his bigotry shone through his cold exterior, when he threw tantrums about a Muggle-born winning a prize that he believed should have gone to him, when he screamed at a Muggle-born employee for two hours straight for minimal reason... at least that assured her that her husband was, in fact, not a machine
Alas, in the end, he was the father of her son... and the Lord of her House. What could she do but obey ? And so, with a sharp nod of (reluctant) agreement from her, the family traveled across the street to Florean Fortescue's ice-cream shop. Lucius stood before the colored-glass façade, watching as his children happily ooh-ed and aah-ed at the various treats laid out on display, colored animals, with bodies of ice-cream and eyes and teeth of candy, that roared and snorted as if they were real, small colorful dragons that occasionally blew out a few plumes of candy-scented smoke, a clever use of the Fumigarus spell, Lucius would acknowledge, and as his wife came to a halt beside him, a grimace of displeasure twisted his lips as he leaned over to whisper to her, "Florean Fortescue nearly blew out my eye back in the old days of the War", he whispered, before a wide, sadistic grin stretched across his face, "I blew off his leg for that"
They were interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing, as the blue metal-and-glass doors of the shop and a grizzled old man stepped through, beard long and straggly, one leg replaced with a wooden peg, a wide, genial smile on his face, a look that faltered for a second as he laid eyes on Lucius. "Ah, hello, Florean", Lucius said, smiling sinisterly, "It feels like a lifetime since I saw you last"
The old man sighed, speaking in a deep, baritone voice, "Had I not seen you for another ten lifetimes, Lucius, it would not be long enough"
Lucius chuckled, "Alas, we cannot always get what we want. For instance, I am not in Azkaban, despite your many, many attempts"
The man snarled, leaning forward, "I know what I saw, Malfoy, and I know what I didn't... and I did not see the effects of the Imperius on you"
"Alas, you could present no evidence", Lucius said, a faux-genial smile on his face, "and so I was freed. Such a shame... well, for you, not me. In any case, I am not here to recount old memories, Fortescue. I am here for, you may say, fun"
Florean grimaced as he turned to the children, only for his eyes to blow wide open when he laid eyes upon them, "I-is that Harry Potter ?"he turned a baleful eye to the Lord, "Did you kidnap him, or something ?"
"What a sense of humor you have, my friend", Lucius said, soft and slow, though not a trace of laughter passed across his face, "No, he simply came to me one fateful night, and I took him in. Deus vult, as the Crusaders said. God willed it, and so it happened"
"God ?", Florean snorted, "For you ? No way would God aid you. Diabolus vult is more likely."
Lucius simply smiled in response, "Is there a difference ?"
Florean shrugged, "Seen too much war... too many of your kind", he spat, "to believe anymore. So what'll it be ? Two orders of Florean's Special ?"
Lucius grinned, "God... the Devil... mere Muggle superstition. If they exist, they are one and the same. And yes please, along with two chocolate sundaes"
"Enchanted ?"
"Regular is fine"
