Revelations
"With his fool's gold stacked up all around him
From a killing in the market on the war,
The children left King Midas there, as they found him:
In his counting house, where nothing counts but more…"
A few days had passed since their visit to Hogwarts. The Malfoys were currently seated in the Leaky Cauldron. Lucius was leaning back in his chair, a pensive look covering his face. He absently tapped two fingers against his chin and his eyes held a faraway look.
"What is bothering you, Lucius?" Narcissa could tell by her husband's expression that he was trying to puzzle out something that was troubling him.
Lucius remained silent a few moments longer before his eyes lost their faraway look and focused on Narcissa. "Well, it's all this blood talk I keep hearing. I'm confused about something."
"Oh?" One of Narcissa's eyebrows arched gracefully, distracting Lucius for a moment as he stared at her. She is so beautiful. How can the simple act of an eyebrow rising distract me so much?
His mind wandered back to earlier that morning, when Narcissa had come down the stairs. Her beauty had taken his breath away then, seeing how she had dressed up merely to spend the day in Diagon Alley with him. Her gorgeous flowing robes of emerald green did nothing but highlight and accentuate her natural beauty. Look how she gets dressed up just to spend a day wandering through that alley place. She is absolutely amazing!
Narcissa noticed Lucius eyes glaze over as he continued staring at her, and just managed to resist rolling her eyes…though she found the smitten expression on his face rather endearing. "What don't you understand, Lucius?"
Lucius eyes grew focused once more as he snapped out of his revere. "Well…ok, so you and I and both our families are 'pure-bloods', right?"
Narcissa nodded.
"And then people with one magic parent are half-bloods?"
Again Narcissa confirmed his question with a nod.
"And then there are people who have no magical parents at all, yet they themselves are magical?"
Narcissa nodded once more, this time with a puzzled frown as she tried to figure out where Lucius was headed with his questions.
"And people get really uptight about 'blood-status', and pure bloods think they're the best?"
Narcissa's frown deepened. "Some pure-bloods do more than others, yes."
"Well, to start with, according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, magic can't possibly be spontaneously created; it has to come from somewhere within that person's DNA, so that means that somewhere in their ancestral line there was at least one person with magic."
Narcissa, still frowning, stared at Lucius in silence. What is he saying?
Lucius stared back at her, and the silence dragged on. Finally, Lucius couldn't handle it anymore. "What? Don't they teach genetics in Magic Land? Look…the point is you can't have something that comes from nothing. There's always a Source. There has to be. Ergo, even…what's that word for magical people who have both non-magical parents?"
Narcissa's lips twitched. "Muggle-borns."
"Yeah, them…so the muggle-borns HAVE to have had magical people in their ancestry at some point. And probably more than just one. Since magic must be from a recessive gene in these muggle-borns, the more magical ancestors there are, the more likely it is that magic will pop up from time to time in nom-magic people."
Narcissa decided to try something, to see what Lucius' reaction would be. "Well, some people believe that muggle-borns steal magic from magical people, and that's how they become magical."
Lucius scoffed. "That's preposterous! How on earth could a baby steal anything from anyone? Especially if they're not even around or aware of magical people. It has to come from their genetics! That's the only way."
Narcissa was trying to follow what Lucius was saying. She really was. But she was distracted by the way her husband—Lucius Malfoy, of ALL people—actually almost sounded like he was defending muggle-borns. Narcissa tried to wrap her head around most of what he was saying about this "genetics" thing he kept talking about, but it eluded her understanding. However, the main reason she couldn't focus on his words was due to the fact of his defending those he once would have called "mud-bloods" without batting an eye, and her heart sped up a little. Could he truly be this changed?
Lucius noticed the expression on her face and frowned himself. "What's wrong? Are you feeling ok?"
A genuine smile graced Narcissa's face. "Yes, Lucius. I feel quite well. Indeed better than I have since—well, better than I have in a long while."
"Oh. Well, that's good then. Excellent in fact." His frown was replaced with a rather perplexed expression as he tried to figure out what could have had such an effect on her. "Anyway, getting back to the blood business…there's something else that's got me baffled.
Narcissa encouraged him to continue with a nod.
"Well, if two magical people have a magic kid, then isn't that kid a pure-blood by default? I mean, he or she has two magical parents so that means they're purebloods, regardless of what their parents are. At the very least, that should mean a new pure-blood line has started. Of course, it's up to them whether or not they keep their line pure after that, but aren't they automatically purebloods themselves?"
It felt to Narcissa as though her head were spinning. Was Lucius really saying that anyone with two magical parents, whatever the backgrounds of the parents were, was a pure-blood?
As she opened her mouth to attempt a reply, a voice called out, "Why, hello Narcissa dear!"
Glancing up, she noted Priscilla and Pansy Parkinson heading their way, weaving around the tables. With an unconscious downturn of her lips, a look of distaste covered her face. But within seconds she caught herself, forcing a smile onto her face as she stood and kissed Priscilla's cheeks.
Lucius had noted the sour expression on his wife's face, and wondered for the millionth time why Narcissa chose to play nice with people she so clearly despised. This whole posh, upper-crust society confuses me to no end. He too stood as the P woman turned to him and offered her hand with a phony smile.
I do not care for this woman at all. But if Narcissa is playing along for some reason, then I guess I'd better fake it too. He plastered a phony smile on his own face as he kissed the back of the P woman's hand.
"Fancy meeting the two of you here!" The P woman said in a loud voice. Lucius flinched as the heads of several patrons in the pub turned in their direction. "I took Pansy from school for the day so we could shop for new dress robes. She's growing so fast, and really turning into a beautiful young woman, isn't she?"
Lucius frowned, and he noticed the P girl's face turn red with embarrassment. He had no fond thoughts about anyone in the P family, but nonetheless he felt a stab of pity for the girl. What kind of idiot says something like that about their kid in the middle of the lunch rush at a pub? Shooting a quick glance at Narcissa, he noted that she, too, looked less than pleased at the P woman's comment.
"Yes, Draco is excited about the tournament as well." Narcissa paused to take a sip of her drink.
Tournament? What tournament? Maybe that's what those old people were talking about the other night. Lucius sighed, and decided he needed to start paying more attention to the goings on of the magical world.
"I have a splendid idea, Narcissa, darling! Why don't we shop together! You have an excellent eye for fashion, and I would value your input. Mary Greengrass told me how you helped pick out lovely robes for her girls, and perhaps you would help me with Pansy as well?"
Narcissa shot a questioning glance at Lucius, who nodded with a resigned sigh. He stood and gave Narcissa his hand, and the two accompanied the Parkinson's to Madame Malkin's. Lucius sat in the waiting area, arms folded across his chest and making an effort to keep the scowl off is face as the three women were called back. His "date" with Narcissa had suddenly veered off the course he had intended for it to go.
After what felt like seventeen hours, but was actually much closer to thirty minutes, the ladies appeared once more. The P woman was babbling and laughing and generally carrying on about clothes, and Narcissa's talent at picking out the perfect clothes, and how Pansy would be the center of attention at ALL the parties and galas that season now; and Lucius was hit with a wave of nausea over it all.
Narcissa started to head toward Lucius when the P woman grabbed her wrist.
"I have another splendid idea, Narcissa dear. Estella Nott told me about a new shop that opened last month. It's run by a young woman. She's only a half-blood, but Estella said there are many nice accessories there. Shall we go check it out for ourselves?"
The P woman had her back to Lucius, so she couldn't see the scowl descend on his face, nor the exaggerated roll of his eyes as Narcissa once more gave him a questioning glance. With another resigned sigh, Lucius shrugged. Narcissa again forced a smile onto her face and said, "That sounds lovely, Priscilla. Lead the way."
The new shop wasn't too far from Madame Malkin's. Narcissa's eyes lit up as she entered the store and saw the cute accessories that were displayed for sale. Everything looked to be made with quality materials, and the prices were reasonable.
Yet, Priscilla adopted a superior expression and turned her nose up at most of the items as she wandered around, perusing the things that the shop offered for sale. "Hmm…rather low quality items. Not at all the sort of things we normally purchase. Good items would be priced much higher than these baubles and trinkets are!"
Narcissa scowled at Pricilla's back, the woman's haughty tone and demeanor bothering her even more than normal. She glanced over to see Lucius puttering around on the opposite side of the shop, a look of vague interest on his face as he looked at some quidditch—themed items. He seemed somewhat bored but not upset like Priscilla.
I really don't know how much longer I am going to be able to put up with the Parkinsons, Narcissa thought. I wish Lucius wasn't so keen on Draco and Pansy getting betrothed. Out loud she said, "Well Estella thought the things were lovely here."
Priscilla scoffed. "I think Estella might be lowering her tastes as she gets older."
Narcissa, while not the closest of friends with Mrs. Nott, still liked spending time with her over spending time with Priscilla. Her scowl deepened and she replied, "I find them rather cute myself. Even Lucius seems to find a few interesting things here."
Priscilla's head snapped around and she stared at Narcissa, noting the remnants of the scowl that Narcissa hadn't bothered hiding. Narcissa raised an eyebrow and sniffed, turning her attention away from Priscilla to look through some things that were laid out neatly on a table in the middle of the shop.
Giving a little sniff herself, the P woman moved off a little ways with her daughter and began making rather loud and derogatory comments about the shop and its wares, as well as snide observations about the shopkeeper's family background. "You're a Pringle, aren't you? Not a very well to do family, I must say. How in Merlin's name did someone like you ever find the money to open a shop here in Diagon Alley? Now, let me see some of those things you've got there, behind the counter."
Her loud tone of voice caused Lucius to look up from the book of Qudditch rules that he had been skimming through. He frowned as he watched the P woman interact with the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper did her best to satisfy the P woman, but as Lucius continued to observe their interactions, he realized the P woman had no intention of buying anything, and was simply attempting to fluster the poor proprietor. And it seemed to be working, as the girl scurried around in a vain attempt to keep up with the P woman's rapid fire demands, but to no avail.
At one point, she dropped something, and it shattered on the floor, causing the P woman to bark out a mocking laugh as the girl attempted to both clean up the mess and still keep the P woman happy.
Lucius' frown deepened as the poor shopkeeper became more and more flustered while the P woman (what in Helheim is her name again? Patty? Patricia?) continued to berate her. Finally, when the unfortunate girl seemed on the brink of tears, and tried to tell the P woman that she was out of something that had been asked for, Patty Prunella Pauline Penelope Pippa Parkinson said, in a very loud and superior-sounding tone of voice, "Haven't you heard that the customer is always right?"
Lucius lost it. Dropping the book nack onto the table, he stalked up to the P woman and said, "The customer is always right about what, how to piss the poor kid off? What, do you think you're GOD because you went shopping?" Lucius clenched his fists and stuck his face close to the P woman as he yelled, "YOU'RE NOT INFALIBLE, SUSAN, YOU'RE AT THE BLOODY STORE!"
The shop became instantly silent. Narcissa's mouth hung open, as did the mouths of several other bystanders. The sneer vanished in an instant, and the P woman's face went red, whether with fury or embarrassment—or both—Lucius couldn't tell. Nor did he care. He hated bullies.
Finally the P woman managed to get a reply out. "Well!" She exclaimed, in a feeble attempt at sounding imperious. "I have never been so insulted in all my life!"
A vicious smile covered Lucius' face. "Oh, well by all means stick around then; I've got plenty more insults where that came from!"
The woman sniffed. "Come, Pansy!" She turned and stalked out of the shop, her daughter following close behind her. As soon as the two were gone, the remaining customers broke out in applause. Lucius looked confused, and Narcissa once again found the expression on his face quite endearing. And for the first time in a very long time, Narcissa Malfoy was proud of her husband.
"Th-thank you, Lord Malfoy," the girl behind the counter said in a timid tone of voice.
Lucius looked at her. "You're very welco—wait, pardon? What did you call me?"
"L-Lord Malfoy?" The girl replied, in an even more hesitant sounding voice.
Lucius blinked at the girl a moment or two before turning to Narcissa. His eyebrows raised and his lips pursed.
Narcissa recognized the unspoken question he was sending her with his expression, and she sighed. Without meeting his eye, she nodded.
Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering what sounded like, "You have got to be kidding me" under his breath. He looked at Narcissa. "Lord Malfoy? Lord?"
Narcissa nodded again, a smirk threatening to break out across her lips.
"You cannot be serious right now." Lucius muttered, once more pinching the bridge of his nose.
Narcissa's lips twitched up into the smirk she'd been fighting. "No, I'm still Narcissa…my cousin is Sirius."
Lucius gave her a blank stare, followed by a very confused "What?" And it dawned on him in that moment that he knew nothing at all about Narcissa's extended family. All these weeks and I never even asked her about them! What kind of a man am I? Then a small frown crossed his face. Of course, she's never mentioned them to me either, so… maybe they're not nice people? Lucius made a note to ask her about her family once they were home.
"Never mind, Darling," she said, smirk still firmly in place on her lips.
Narcissa approached the young shopkeeper and made her purchases, giving the girl a kind smile. Once again shock flashed across the girl's face before turning into a genuine smile. Taking her purchases from the girl and turning to once more take Lucius arm, the girl called, "Have a nice day, Lord and Lady Malfoy!" Narcissa favored the girl with another smile, whilst Lucius began muttering under his breath about "this lord and lady nonsense on top of everything else…"
The Malfoys spent a lovely afternoon wandering through Diagon Alley, just enjoying one another's presence. Narcissa took him to a variety of other shops, each full of various and unique items. And Lucius found himself greowing somewhat fonder of the magical world. There are so many cool and interesting things these people have managed to accomplish without technology. A guy could get used to this. He still found Diagon Alley to be a bit strange, but it too was beginning to grow on him.
As they strolled along and neared Gringgots, Lucius turned to Narcissa. "Isn't that weird looking building the bank you mentioned the other day?"
"Yes, it is. Do you want to go in and see about our finances?" She asked because she realized that Lucius knew nothing whatsoever about any of their financial holdings.
Lucius shrugged. "Might as well, since we're right here." And these primitive people don't even have phones, so it's not like I can call the bank. "Do we need to make an appointment, though?"
Narcissa sniffed again. "Most people would, but we do not. Our family name still carries a lot of weight in wizarding society."
Lucius raised his eyebrows. He still had so many questions about the world he was living in, but decided to wait for a better time to ask as they walked up the steps leading into the large building. As he had been doing many, many times since losing his memories, Lucius' mouth dropped open as they entered a large room, filled with many people interacting with the bank employees. But it was the employees themselves that got Lucius' attention: they were small, with angular faces and large pointy ears, and definitely not human.
"Um, Narcissa? What…what are they?"
Knowing that his question was about the Gringotts tellers, her lips twitched yet again as she replied, "They're goblins."
Lucius sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Of course they are. I mean, why wouldn't there be goblins here too?"
A small smile graced Narcissa's face. "Goblins handle most of the monetary issues of our world."
Lucius had a million questions swirling in his head, but once more they were forgotten as one of the goblins, who seemed to be of more authority than the common tellers, bustled up to them, the grin on his face almost causing Lucius to wince. Those teeth look pretty sharp…..
"Ahhh, Lord and Lady Malfoy! It is an honor to see you both here!" He gave them a sweeping bow.
Again with the ridiculous 'Lord and Lady' thing!
Narcissa inclined her head. "Garignak, it is nice seeing you again. We were wondering if Feldspar was available today? We need to go over a couple of things with him."
Garignak kept smiling and bobbing his head. "Yes, yes, of course he will be most happy to see you! Please, follow me." With that he turned and proceeded to a door that was at the end of the long rows of tellers benches. Still grinning, he opened the door and waved the Malfoys through. Once the door was closed behind them, cutting off the noise of the bank lobby, he led them along a dim corridor and into an office lit only by candles at either end of a large desk, and a couple torches on the wall.
Another goblin was seated at the desk, furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment. Without looking up he growled, "Go away. I am very busy."
Garignak cleared his throat. "Feldspar, my apologies for disturbing you, but Lord and Lady Malfoy request a few minutes of your time."
Feldspar's head jerked up, a smile covering his face as well. "Of course, of course. My apologies, Lord and Lady Malfoy!" He got up and gave a bow as well.
Lucius barely stopped his eyes from rolling. I swear, if one more person calls us Lord and Lady…
"Greetings, Feldspar," Narcissa said with another nod. "We won't take up too much of your time. As you have no doubt heard, Lucius was in an accident a while back, and lost all his memories." Lucius noticed a brief look of pain shoot through Narcissa's eyes when she said that.
"Yes, we had heard. Are you feeling better now, Lucius?" Feldspar asked, turning to look at him.
Lucius blinked at the goblin. "Umm…yes, thank you. Still not quite back to normal but slowly getting there."
"Lucius would like to see an accounting of the Malfoy assets," Narcissa continued.
Yes, of course, of course!" Feldspar repeated as he returned to his desk and rang a bell. A side door in the back of the office opened and yet another goblin stuck his head in. "Yes, sir?"
"Bring me the most recent report on the Malfoy family assets," Feldspar barked at his subordinate, who disappeared back into the other room, returning a few moments later with several pieces of parchment. Handing them to Feldspar, he disappeared back into his room and Feldspar gestured at the Malfoys to take a seat in front of his desk.
Feldspar put a pair of glasses on and looked at the parchments on the desk in front of him. "Now, let me see…" After a pause, he began to methodically read.
Lucius head began to spin as the goblin listed out number after number. Properties around Britain and even on the Continent, business holdings, personal finances. It was almost too much for Lucius to comprehend. He cleared his throat.
"So, at the risk of sounding greedy…um, what is the total net of our combined assets?"
Feldspar adjusted his glasses and turned a few parchments over. "987, 302, 847 Galleons, rounding down." He glanced up over the rims of his glasses as Lucius made a whimpering sound, and sat there with an utterly gobsmacked expression on his face.
In truth, Lucius had no idea what a Galleon was, nor who much it was worth. Snapping his mouth shut, he cleared his throat. "Um…so, what is that in dollars?"
Feldspar frowned. "Dollars?"
Lucius blinked. "Er, um…pounds. How much is that in pounds?"
Feldspar scribbled on another piece of parchment for a few moments before saying, "4, 867, 403, 035.71 pounds sterling." He glanced up at Lucius, who had emitted a small squeaking noise when the total was read to him, asking "Are you alright, Lucius?"
Lucius had to swallow several times before he could reply, "Yes." It came out as a weak, high-pitched squeak. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you." His mind was spinning furiously and he could barely focus on anything. Until Narcissa placed a gentle hand on his own. He glanced at her, she smiled at him, and suddenly everything was right with the world once more. She really is a witch, with this power she seems to have over me. She makes life worth living.
"Was there anything else you required?" Feldspar asked.
Narcissa shook her head. "Thank you, no, Feldspar. That is sufficient." She stood and Lucius followed her example. "Thank you again for your time, Feldspar. We shan't take up any more of it." As the goblin stood as well, Narcissa nodded at him once more. "May your vaults and your hands overflow with gold."
He nodded back to her. "May you feast on the bones of your enemies."
Feldspar opened the door for them, wishing them farewell before shutting it again. Lucius was still in a bit of a daze, and a smirking Narcissa asked, "Are you alright, Lucius?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Not exactly, but I will be."
Narcissa gave a soft laugh. "Did you think we were paupers, Lucius?"
He shot her a frown. "Of course not, judging by the size of that monstrosity of a house we live in. I reckoned we must be well off, but I had no idea we were billionaires!"
Now she frowned. "Billionaires?"
He sighed. "Never mind. It just means really rich." Rich beyond the dreams of avarice…this might change things. I need to think it over. He shook his head and sighed again.
As they left Gringots and were heading back toward the pub, a loud voice that sounded very angry called, "Malfoy!" Turning, Lucius and Narcissa saw the P man stalking up to them. His face bore a scowl, and his hands were clenched into fists at his side. Narcissa sighed and Lucius almost snickered at the man's petulant expression.
"What did you think you were doing, insulting my wife that way?" He was breathing heavily and still scowling.
"Do you really want to do this in the middle of the street?" Lucius asked with a roll of his eyes.
"Well you insulted my wife in public, so I will take you down a few pegs in public!"
"Your wife was berating a poor store clerk for no reason other than your wife considered the poor girl's social status to be beneath her own." Lucius' voice was low, and had a threatening undertone. Narcissa glanced at Lucius' face, and noticed the lowering of his eyebrows as well as the cold look in his eyes. She wondered if Paul noticed it was well.
Apparently he didn't, as he continued ranting about the imagined insult to his wife.
Why am I even wasting my time with this idiot? Lucius thought to himself. I'm a freaking billionaire! I don't need to hang around a guy like this!
After several more moments of the P man's ranting, Lucius interrupted him. "You know, I'm rather glad you decided to have it out like this because it'll give me a chance to tell you what I really think of your wife." The smile that spread across his face was vicious.
"Oh really?" The P man spluttered. "Well, how would you feel if I insulted your wife?"
Lucius barked a laugh. "My wife is perfectly capable of defending herself…unlike SOME people's wives," he threw a malicioud glance at the P woman who was hiding behind her husband, "Narcissa doesn't need her husband to fight her battles for her." Then, still smiling, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "But if you do chose to insult her, I might just cut your tongue out and make you eat it."
The P man paled and glanced at Narcissa. He gulped when he noted the cold scowl on her face. Between that, and the considerable weight the Black family name still carried, he chose to remain silent and instead turned to glare at Lucius once more. "We're through, Malfoy! Do you get that? Our families are no longer allied!"
Lucius snorted. "What would we need an alliance with the likes of you for? And trust me when I say this: I know what you're up to, throwing that daughter of yours at poor Draco every time they're together. Rest assured that Draco will never marry that sour-faced, arrogant brat! He can't stand her anymore than we can stand you two."
The P man and woman gaped at Lucius, who turned his back on them and took Narcissa by the arm. "Come along, my dear, we really should be going."
Narcissa flashed a feral grin of her own at the P people as she entwined her arm with Lucius' and the Malfoys sauntered off. Narcissa couldn't stop grinning. Once again, she was more proud of Lucius in that moment than she had been for many years. He had just saved Draco from some horrid betrothal agreement with the Parkinson's (though she doubted he realized that), as well as ending her own agony of having to play nice with the likes of Priscilla Parkinson. Part of her wondered about the ramifications of breaking off from the Parkinson's. But as both the Malfoy and Black families were still held in high esteem (and fear) by the majority of the other pure-blood families, she wasn't too concerned.
After another hour of wandering around Diagon Alley, the Malfoys returned to the Leaky Cauldron, and Lucius indulged in another round of the Sheppard's Pie before they flooed back to the manor.
(XXX)
Word had evidently gotten around about Lucius' outburst in Diagon Alley, for the very next day he had received a congratulatory message from someone named William Greengrass, expressing his happiness at the break between the Malfoy and Parkinson families, and hoping for closer connections between his family and Lucius'.
"Narcissa, who is William Greengrass?" He asked as he read the letter.
Narcissa looked up from the book she was reading. "The head of the Greengrass family. They are one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain. They had already been here for centuries when the Malfoys first arrived in England. Some say they can trace their ancestry to the Lady of the Lake herself."
Lucius sighed and shook his head, skimming through the letter again. Of course the Lady of the Lake would be real here. Why wouldn't she be? "And here I thought the Greengrasses was a park or something, that one time Draco and his friends went over there."
Narcissa chuckled. "No, they are purebloods like we are. Both their daughters are in Slytherin with Draco. The Greengrasses aren't quite as rigid about blood purity as some of the other old families are. But they have kept their line pure for nearly two thousand years."
I should ask her about her own family now, Lucius thought. So he cleared his throat. "Um, what about your family? We haven't discussed them at all since I lost my memories. Do you have any siblings? You mentioned a cousin yesterday. What about your parents?"
He noticed Narcissa's face turn sad, and almost regretted mentioning her family. But with a sigh, she said, "Well, I have two sisters. My middle sister, Andromeda, is…estranged from the family, and my oldest sister, Bellatrix, is in prison. Along with her husband and brother-in-law."
Lucius eyes grew wide. Holy mackerel, what the heck kinda family did I marry into? "P-Prison?" He cleared his throat. "Um, dare I ask what she's in for?"
A sad sigh escaped Narcissa, and she looked down at the table. "Let's just say that she chose the wrong side in a war, and leave it at that." She paused and glanced at Lucius. "My cousin was in prison for…much the same reason, but he escaped last year. The one named Sirius?"
"Ahh, that's what you meant." Lucius smirked. "Cute little pun about being 'serious', by the way." Then he frowned as another thought struck him. "Wait a second…what's with all the space names? Andromeda, Bellatrix, Sirius. Heck, even Draco."
It was Narcissa's turn to smirk. "Yes, it's a bit of a tradition in my family. My father, who recently passed away, was named Cygnus, his father was named Arcturus. I had an aunt named Cassiopeia."
Lucius smiled. "I like it. Traditions are important for family cohesiveness, and space names are pretty cool." He paused a moment before asking, "What about your mother?"
"She is still alive, and her name is Druella. She's from another old, pureblood family: the Rosiers."
The last name of his mother-in-law meant nothing to Lucius, but her first name struck a chord with him. Druella is a really cool sounding name for a witch. I like it.
Narcissa glanced up at him. "Mother asks about you almost every day. She said to tell you that she is glad you're feeling better, and hopes your memories will fully return soon."
"Well, that's very kind of her. Please thank her for me the next time you talk to her."
"As for the rest of my family, as I said my cousin is a fugitive. His brother died young, in the same war I mentioned before. Both their parents are dead as well, along with most of the rest of my extended family. There…there aren't many of us left. I fear the Black family line will die out very soon." She sighed again, a very melancholy sound that made Lucius' heart lurch.
"Draco stands to inherit the Black estates and titles, but he is a Malfoy, so there will still be no Black family anymore."
"Where does your other sister live?" Lucius asked, trying to change the subject. "The estranged one?"
Narcissa frowned. "I…I'm honestly not certain. Somewhere in Bedfordshire, I believe. My father and my aunt Walburga—Sirius' mother- both refused to speak of her after she married a muggle-born wizard, and wouldn't allow us to mention her either. I haven't spoken to her in years." Narcissa lowered her eyes to her hands which were twisting in her lap.
Lucius reached out and patted her arm, still feeling a bit awkward with any physical displays of affection. "Well, since it was your father and aunt who refused to acknowledge her, and since they're both passed on now, perhaps we could try and track her down so you could see her again."
Narcissa's eyes shot to her husband's. "Wh-what?" Lucius had always been of the same mind about Andromeda as most of her other relatives were. Did I hear him correctly? He thinks we should reach out to Andromeda? And again she wondered, Can he truly be this changed? "Are you serious, Lucius?" She almost dared to hope he was.
"Of course I'm serious," he replied with a slight frown. "Why wouldn't I be? I mean, she's your sister and I'm sure you love her. Don't you want to see her again?"
Narcissa beamed at her husband. "Yes, yes of course I do!"
Lucius returned her smile. "Well then, let's see what we can do."
(XXX)
As the weeks continued to pass. Lucius became more and more proficient with regaining the use of his magic, yet his memories, for the most part, were still slow in returning. There seemed to be something he was close to remembering, something that felt important, but he couldn't quite grasp it as it danced around the edges of his memory.
Yes, after months of dealing with the loss of his memories and trying to re-adapt into magical society (which he still found to be a bit difficult), at last things were starting to look up for Lucius Malfoy.
And then, one afternoon in late October, he found the journals.
There seemed to be many volumes on a particular case in a far alcove of the library. Written in different handwriting, he began reading them. The first ones he read were very, very old, and he did not spend much time on them. Moving down the line, he chose one that evidently had been written by his father. Skimming through it, he sighed and put it back. Finally finding some that had apparently been written by himself, he gathered them up and took them back to his study. Intrigued, he opened the first one and began reading. The more he read, the more disturbed he became, even returning to the library and looking through some of the ones written by his father as well. He began to feel sick to his stomach and dizzy as he went on. Yet a morbid curiosity took hold of him, and he continued reading far into the early hours of the morning…..
The following morning, Lucius was absent from breakfast. Narcissa wasn't too concerned about his absence until he also missed lunch. Frowning, she called for Mipsy, who appeared in front of her with a crack.
"Mistress calls Mipsy?" The diminutive creature squeaked.
"Where is Master Lucius?" Narcissa asked without preamble.
"Poor Master be in his study, Mistress." Mipsy's voice was fearful and she wrung her hands. "Him be not eating any foods when Mipsy brings it to him, not the breakfast or the luncheon either. He says nothing but just sits with his head in his hands!"
A spike of fear shot through Narcissa. Had Lucius' memories suddenly come flooding back? Was he the old Lucius once more? No, the old Lucius wouldn't sit in his study for hours with his face in his hands. So what can be wrong?
"Thank you, Mipsy." Narcissa turned and hurried down the hallway toward Lucius' study. Raising her hand to knock, she hesitated for a moment before rapping on the door. Receiving no response, she repeated the action twice more. Finally, after still no response from within, she opened the door a crack and peeked inside. Just as Mipsy had reported, Lucius was sat with his head in his hands, staring down at his desk. Books and parchments were strewn across said desk, as well as on the floor all around him, as if he had been madly searching for something.
Fear overcame her, and she hurried to his side. "What is it, Lucius? What's wrong? Are you all right? Are you ill?" She glanced at some of the books and parchments, and realized that they were some of his old journals, as well as books that his father and other ancestors had written over the course of their lives. Oh no…oh, Merlin, please NO! Fear surged through her as she wondered if he had regained his memories, and was again contemplating heading down the dark path he had once been so enamored with.
Lucius remained silent, staring at his desk. After several moments of this, she repeated her question, and once more received no answer. Fear struggled with love inside Narcissa. Should she leave him to his thoughts, or remain and encourage him with her presence? Her love for him won out, and she decided to remain, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Why are you still here?"
The question was spoken so softly that Narcissa at first thought she had imagined it.
"Wh-what, Lucius? What do you mean?" Is he telling me to get out of the room and leave him alone?
With a sigh, Lucius sagged back in his chair, making a vague gesture with his hand at the books and parchments on his desk. "I found these…journals, I guess you'd call them." He paused and a manic laugh escaped him. "I even tried writing something to prove to myself that I hadn't written these, but the hand writing matches exactly. That means I did write them."
He paused as another manic giggle made its way past his lips. Then his face turned somber. "If a tenth of the things I've read in here are true..."
Another pause. Then he looked at Narcissa, and she saw the tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. "I am not a good man!" His voice was ragged and hoarse, and barely above a whisper. And Narcissa heard the anguish in his tone. "Why didn't you take Draco and just leave me years ago? You would have spared yourself so much anguish."
Narcissa was at a complete loss for words, her mind spinning so much she felt dizzy. With a sigh, Lucius stood. Holding her gaze a few moments, he whispered, "I am so sorry. For everything." Then he gave another dejected sigh and, lowering his head, he walked out of the room, leaving a shocked Narcissa standing beside his desk.
(XXX)
Lucius didn't have any idea where he was going when he exited the house. He saw the path that wandered through the gardens and followed it. He'd been down the path before, and found it to be filled with beautiful plants, trees, and bushes, thus finding it very calming. But now, he saw nothing. He didn't hear the birds as they chirped happily around him, nor did he pay any attention to the peacocks that strutted along the path, nor did he notice the various rabbits, squirrels, and other fauna that scampered and played in the bushes.
After close to an hour of being unaware of his surroundings, Lucius found himself at the shore of either a very large pond or small lake. With a sigh, he sat down next to a large oak tree, leaning back against it. He had no idea how long he sat there, occasionally tossing small rocks into the water. I am a vile, evil man. Wretched. No wonder Narcissa flinches every time I get mad about something. Why didn't Narcissa, or Severus, or even Draco say anything to me about it? I'm evil.
"There you are!" A voice broke into his melancholy, self-loathing thoughts. Lucius glanced around, seeing no one nearby, although there was a rather large black cat approaching him. It had yellow eyes, its fur was pristine, and it wore what looked to be a diamond encrusted collar around its neck. The cat walked straight up him, rubbing its head against his leg.
I don't remember seeing any cats around here. Lucius reached out and scratched the cat's ears, while it closed its eyes and purred in contentment. After a few minutes of this, the self-loathing returned to Lucius' mind. His hand dropped and he sighed again, looking out over the pond once more.
"I've been looking for you for months, but I finally found you!" The voice spoke again, and this time Lucius knew he hadn't imagined it. He sat up and glanced around sharply, still seeing no one. His eyes fell on the cat once more, which was now sitting up straight and staring at him with an intense look in its yellow eyes.
Lucius and the cat stared at one another for a while, then the cat began to lick its front paw. "Did you hear something?" Lucius asked as he once more began looking around for the source of the voice he'd heard.
"Of course, I did, silly…it was me!" His eyes shot back to the cat, which was again intently staring at him.
"Ummmmm…" I must be cracking up. Still, considering this place with goblins and witches and wizards and giants and I don't know what else, why shouldn't there be talking animals too? "Um, did you say that?" He felt ridiculous beyond belief for sitting there talking to a cat.
The cat stood and climbed onto his lap. Giving him one more stare, Lucius again heard the voice. "It's time for you to remember who you are." It reached out with its right front paw, and lightly bopped Lucius on the forehead.
The cat's mouth had not moved at all, yet Lucius had heard the same voice once again. However he had no time to puzzle over the matter. For when the cat's paw touched his head, there was a whoosh and a rush of noise and color which grew in strength until it overwhelmed all his senses. With a yell, Lucius collapsed backward onto the ground, and everything went black.
After watching him for a few more seconds, the cat curled up on his chest and went to sleep, still purring contentedly.
A/N: Holy cow, my deepest apologies for taking so long to update! I actually had this completed days ago but forgot it in the midst of life's hecticness …I worked over 56 hours last week, as one example. :/ Anyway, here you go. Hope whoever reads it enjoys it. Things are picking up a bit now in the story. And if anyone reads this who also reads/has read any of my other HP stories, I have not abandoned any of them. Life just keeps intruding. Hope you are all doing well.