"Well?" Her brothers turned as one as their parents left to show their guests to the floo.
Hermione shrugged. "He's…he seems different from the others." she settled on.
Sirius' eyebrows rose in disbelief as he gaped at his twin. "You're actually considering him."
"Are you?" her father's voice interrupted from the door, his eyes scanning his only daughter's face.
"Daddy!" she groaned, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "I don't know! He seemed to want the same things I do. And…he seemed open to a slightly less traditional marriage."
Orion hummed, sitting down beside her. "I will not agree if you object." he began. "But, it would ease my mind to know that, despite your obvious capabilities, that I could trust your husband to ensure your safety."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're ridiculous." she informed him fondly. "I am perfectly capable of looking after myself."
"I know," he agreed with a wry twist of his lips, "That doesn't mean I don't wish you to have someone capable at your back."
"Rabastan is capable," she shot back.
"He is." Orion nodded, "And your cousin has paved the way for a less than traditional role for you within their household. Merlin knows Bella needs no man to defend her."
Hermione gave a slight huff of laughter, not able to contradict him. "So why Lucius?"
Orion paused trying to give words to his feelings, "You would be the only woman of the next generation, combining our names, you'd have wealth and influence and the freedom to wield both, whereas with Rabastan you'd be sharing that with Bella. And while I know you are close, you are very different witches."
Hermione hummed, nodding, "I see."
"He's a bit of a ponce," Sirius muttered, making his sister smile.
"Dangerous ponce though," Regulus offered. "I've seen him duel."
"Which is fine, but he doesn't stand up to his father."
Orion's eyebrows rose, his focus leaving his daughter and landing on his increasingly disgruntled-looking eldest son. "You believe he should."
"Yes," Sirius shot back, despite it not being a question. "I think when it's important enough he should. He was going to accept a life with a witch, who by his own admission dislikes him, because his father had decided it."
Orion nodded, "You think him weak."
Sirius paused, his eyes darting to his sister. "Truthfully, yes. I think him weak and my sister deserves better than a weak man."
"Of course she does." Orion scoffed, "Although, I do wonder if he had something other than himself to fight for whether he would."
"Are you willing to take that chance?" Sirius asked sharply. "I gather that he didn't before."
"Still here," Hermione murmured. "Able to speak for myself."
"But you won't!" Regulus replied wryly, his expression one of fond exasperation. "Not when it comes to kicked puppies, and let us not pretend that Lucius Malfoy does not give off kicked puppy vibes."
Against his will Orion laughed, the comparison was unfortunately accurate. "Your brothers are not wrong to be concerned," he offered at her betrayed look.
"No," she sighed.
"So. What would you have me do?"
"He intends to visit," she offered slowly, "Perhaps I should use the time to determine what exactly he's willing to fight for."
A smile spread slowly over Orion's face as he nodded, seeing the glint of determination that was all Walburga in her eyes. "You truly are a Black, Princess. I imagine the coming weeks shall be rather interesting as you shatter the young Malfoys world view. Do let me know what you decide."
"Yes Daddy," she murmured, dropping her head onto his shoulder, seemingly relieved that they were letting the topic drop for the moment. "Now can we please discuss Miss Shafiq?"
Her grin was wicked when her twin flushed, Regulus cackling in the corner until his father raised a brow at him, "Do not forget that you are next, my son."
"How are your visits to Miss Black going?" Abraxas eyed his son over the dinner table. He had been remarkably reticent in regard to his visits so far which was surprising.
"Well," Lucius offered evasively.
Abraxas' eyebrows rose sharply. "Well," he repeated. "Six weeks of bi-weekly visits and all you are willing to tell me is that it's going well."
Lucius blew out a breath, straightening his spine in a move that made his mother watch him with increased interest. "She is ... .not entirely as I expected." he began slowly, "She has…freedoms that I must confess I had not considered."
"Such as?"
"Her father outright told her that she will only be contracted to someone she approves of."
"And that surprises you," Abraxas replied. "Did her brothers not inform you that was the case during our first visit?
"I…not now," he admitted. "Her arguments were both logical and sound. And while they did hint at it, to have it confirmed was...jarring. Despite...feeling excited by the prospect of winning over the witch myself rather than her being ordered to accept, I believed it went against everything I had been taught until we discussed it properly. She...refused to do anything other than present her argument, informing me that I had to reach my own conclusions, even if they were different from hers. In the end, I found myself embarrassed by my own complacency."
"Oh?"
"I just blindly accepted…deferred to you in all things and…and…" he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I would have agreed to a life with a woman who hates me at your command. I did not once, consider disagreeing." Abraxas hummed, looking slightly surprised by his son's outburst before he went off on a tangent he didn't follow. "Her brothers do not approve. Sirius Black went as far as to call me weak." When his father opened his mouth to speak, Lucius held up his hand, "he is not wrong."
"Pardon?" Abraxas barked, feeling his irritation at the slight rising.
"He asked what it would take for me to stand up to you if you proposed something I did not agree with. He pointed out that his twin is…fierce and dislikes the assumptions made by those of our station about her sex. And I realised…that I truly had never considered that before. That while I was encouraged by her explanations of the type of marriage she wants, I truly do not understand what that looks like."
"I do not limit your mother." Abraxas protested.
"No. But you still make decisions for her, decisions that I believe Miss Black would hex me for daring to make for her."
Giselle let out a huff of laughter, drawing their attention. "Knowing Walburga, I do believe you are correct. Oh don't pout darling! I knew what I was getting into." she chided at the look on Abraxas' face.
"You disapprove of the way I run things?" he asked, utterly blindsided.
"Sometimes," his wife replied candidly. "You seek my counsel more than most and certainly more now than you did when we were first married but do not pretend you view us as equals, Brax. You still often believe that your opinion is the correct one by virtue of nothing more than the fact you are a man."
Abraxas spluttered, all of a sudden wondering if the little Miss Black was worth all this upset before he drew his eyes back to his son. His son, who was entirely correct, who had never contradicted him once, but who appeared to have found his backbone. Perhaps he needed to withhold judgement for just now.
"She stated that her godfather wishes to meet me. Given the looks on her brother's faces, I should be wary." Lucius voiced, halting his thoughts.
Abraxas nodded, "Sid she say who her godfather is?"
"No." he admitted, "Only that you knew him and he would therefore call tomorrow."
"I see," Abraxas murmured, running through his acquaintances who were so bold to call without requesting an appointment inside his head. The list was not surprisingly short, but he hadn't heard of any of them having a goddaughter. "So, assuming the little Miss Black approves, are you in favour of this match?"
"I'm not sure I'll survive it," Lucius replied with a slightly fond smile, "but yes."
His father nodded, summoning an elf to bring him brandy. It had been a most vexing evening after all.
"Master!" Cole squeaked, interrupting Abraxas as he poured over paperwork at his desk. "Master the Minister is here to see you and the Young Master."
Abraxas froze before he let out an unrestrained peal of laughter that startled his son. "Of bloody course, the chit's godfather is bloody Tom," he muttered.
Lucius paused before he paled, his father's words catching up with him. "Tom Riddle is Hermione's godfather?"
"So it would seem." Abraxas agreed, "So, I would suggest you do not keep him waiting.