Lucius Malfoy was having a terrible afternoon siesta. He woke up in the roses, their thorns nipping at his flesh. His arms and legs- bound and tied up. Unable to budge, he thrashed about mercilessly, calling out to anyone for help.
Suddenly, the face of Narcissa appeared before him. She strode along with her watering can, watering her precious blooms without any care in the world, without any notice in her gaze and then her eyes fell on him. Cold, calculated-it made his throat constrict in pure terror as she made his way towards him, the can dangling limply in her grasp.
«Help me, please!» he called in hopes Narcissa might have some hedge clippers on her, if not for a wand.
His former wife looked at him with a listless expression and walked right by. As her footsteps in the dirt, muffled, pounded in his head as the rose vines closed in on him. His calls futile, Lucius found himself bound by the vines of the roses as they crept along his neck and his waist...coating him until he couldn't even move his lips.
He did not wish to wait for what would happen when his eyes were covered too, thorns piercing the thin skin. In fact, this was when he realized he was dreaming and jolted himself awake.
Still waving back and forth like a drunken sailor boy on shore, palpitations of the heart and the widening of the pupils and the heavy breath that continued even though he was safe in his own green bed sheets in the Manor. That heavy feeling stayed with him for quite some time as he gathered his breath and stilled his heart. Though the ringing in his ears and the shudders subsided, Lucius knew then in his heart that Miss Lovegood was in danger. He could neither explain nor rationalize exactly how he knew, but if he did not see her smiling face, those big innocent light eyes in an instant and call himself a fool for worrying so, he felt he might lose her to something more horrid.
Summoning his clothes and robes, he all but Apparated down the stairs to discover the silent and empty halls of Wiltshire mocking him.
«Twinkle,» he commanded and the elf came to him. «Where is Miss Lovegood?"
"Missy?" Twinkle said all too calmly. «Missy go home.»
"Home?" Lucius paled. «Without her bags?" He gestured to the piles of boxes from the shopping excursion to Little Wilt. "And her things?"
«Not knowing. Missy go. Bye bye.» Twinkle waved her hand.
No. It couldn't be. The ridiculous imp had gotten it all wrong. That Miss Lovegood just up and left without even saying a word to him was not like her. She liked it here in the Manor, running up and down the corridors with her wand in her hand and the ideas running rampant as they materialized themselves before her eyes. She was happy here, with him. And he was happy with her.
Lucius grappled with the impulse to grab Twinkle by the legs and shake the daylights out of her. Only the image of Miss Lovegood scowling at him and giving him a running chide about how 'Elves are Creatures just like us' stopped him from his usual discipline of the imp.
Or perhaps Lucius had mistaken Miss Lovegood's happiness for politeness? Her eagerness to please him, to accept his intentions towards her were all a disguise. She had seen right through him and was disgusted at the pure and unadulterated manipulation set forth. She could never fully trust a Malfoy, and he was stupid for ever believing she could.
"Miss Lovegood would have left a note, a sign...» He repeated over and over again, the dialogue running through him in delirious circles like a broken record of a mad-man. «She would have told me if she changed her mind.»
"Missy is not perfect Missy," Twinkle concluded.
But no, no Lucius was certain she would have left a note if she had left him so quickly. She was not like Narcissa; she would not pretend to be happy and leave him alone when he least suspected it.
If that bandit of son of his had muddled with her mind and made her reconsider becoming the mistress of the manor...well. If Draco's hand had stirred the waters, Lucius would let him have it, and never mind that he was his own flesh and blood.
«Cauldron have it,» Lucius cried, storming about, the ludicrous idea weaving into reality in his mind's eye.
Draco was to answer to him at once. He would wring him out like a towel and fling him outside into the cold of spring. Lucius flew to the window, throwing back the curtains and moulding himself to the glass. Miss Lovegood, the perfect paragon of kindness and delight walking out to the Portkey in the rain. The wet of the mud sticking to her shoes and her hair hanging over those gentle shoulders like pathetic ribbons. And he, gazing out the window after her like a love-lorn puppy dog. But she was not there.
No. It would not be. Summoning his parasol and a heavy cape over his shoulders, he went for the door.
«Master Malfoy goes where!?» Twinkle cried.
«I must go search for Miss Lovegood. You tell my son that if I do not find her, he best be out of the Manor before my foot crosses the porch again.»
With all intention, he shoved open the door, and walked right into, «Ouf, oh...Cauldron! Xenophilius?»
Xenophilius Lovegood knew his daughter well enough, or so he thought until he returned home to find her friend Neville taking care of her backyard menagerie and his Luna nowhere in sight. He cursed himself for not being available to Floo with her, certainly she had much to tell him, but Neville informed her that he hadn't checked in with him either in days.
Then Xenophilius' hairs began to frizz at the ends. Where was Luna? Gone without as much as a note?!
He respected a witch's right to privacy, but this was a matter of sheer emergency. Neville and Xenophilius had rummaged through her letters at her desk for long enough to discover her shocking correspondence with none other than Lucius Malfoy.
Of all wizards.
The scoundrel that had no business being anywhere near his precious flower.
Surely this was a set-up to lure her into that blasted Manor at the edge of nowhere and finish her off. Xenophilius geared up and Apparated as quickly as possible, ready for direct confrontation.
He banged on the door, feeling the handle unlocked, rammed through and was promptly shoved back by an equally forceful figure.
It was a man straight from the pages of a European coastal town newsprint: with blond hair tied up in the back, a lavender suit beneath his rain robes and a marvellous peacock broach on his chest.
Dressed to the nines. None other than his Luna could have appreciated such an outfit. But it mattered not because this was the very man Xenophilius was searching for and that he had come upon him so soon was rather a pleasant surprise. It saved him the goose-chase around that ridiculously large building.
"Mr Malfoy." Xenophilius stormed up the steps. «Where. Is. My Preciousdarlingdaughter?»
«That is precisely what I'm trying to find out myself.» Lucius growled. «She left. To go home, presumably."
"Presumably not!"
"Then where in Merlin's beard is she?"
«Do you take me for a bumbling fool that I came here without an inkling of a suspicion of finding her cooped up in your blasted dungeon?" Xenophilius stuck himself firmly into the man's exceedingly handsome, but torn expression. He knew their type, thinking they could get away with murder because of their perfectly styled coiffures and white gloved hands, standing in the rain at a funeral and gazing longingly as the grave was lowered into the soft soil. Those fools at the Prophet claimed they knew nothing about the death of Mrs Narcissa Malfoy, but Xenophilius could tell that her husband was no innocent white sheep in the matter. "I can only imagine what trials your twisted mind had come up with!"
Lucius squinted his eyes. "I can't imagine you know what's been done in my dungeons better than I do."
"I cant imagine you being anywhere but back in Azkaban. If you've done anything...anything at all to my precious, darling little sugarplum I will make certain you end up there," Xenophilius cried and stuck his wand straight into Lucius' face. «If i am to send you there myself, I bloody will.»
The way Xenophilius was waving his wand about, coupled with the raging expression on his face must have produced its desired effect because Lucius backed back up the front steps, his hands in front of him.
«Why don't we both calm down,» Lucius said slowly, «and come in and we can sort this out.»
«I will not be stepping foot in your forsaken Manor! You bring my Luna over here and then I will be amicable to discussion.»
Lucius snarled through his teeth. He did not like to be ordered about on the best of days. A wand pointed at his face brought his father out of him. Like his father, Cauldron bless him, he would have blasted that man into smithereens had that not been the father of his dear Miss Lovegood. So instead, Lucius summoned the strength of his syrup-sweet mother who could make any witch or wizard melt at the sound of her voice, and gently suggested to Xenophilius that he "would have been happy to oblige had he known where she was."
Lucius was now certainly taking him for a fool. Xenophilius knew that approach all to well. He himself being the editor of the only truthful news source on the market , he was used to the sheeple of Magical England reading politically correct propaganda, such as the Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly and questioning the Quibbler's validity. He was not about to play games and let himself be told he was an idiot.
There was no doubt about peace and serenity being Xenophilius' main position, but he felt an instinctive aggression rise up in his chest when matters concerned his girl. If Lucius Malfoy was trying to play a trick on him, convince him his daughter was not where he knew her to be...Lucius was fooling only himself.
Xenophilius had a very important meeting a few days ago with a Swedish local who had claimed to have seen the The Crumple-Horned Snorkack and had made photographs. Of course, his relatives had been very worried for his mental health and sent him straight to St Mungo's where it was claimed to have the best rehabilitation program for wizards with bizarre hallucinations. It took Xenophilius longer than expected to acquire a fake ID pass claiming he was the relative of said wizard and then even longer to convince him to give a testimony and share the photos. The poor man was convinced Xenophilius was a Medic Wizard and was spying on him to later relay information on his unwellnes.
By the time Xenophilius was back home and walked through the front gate, he noticed that the person scurrying about in his yard was Neville. The unfortunate oaf of a boy was in over his head, Bowtruckles in his hair and Hinkypuffs sticking out of his pockets and informed him that Luna had gone off to visit her friend with no set return date. Of course, how could anyone but Luna take care of her Menagerie of Beasts and Creatures? Tall as an oak and strong as an ox, even poor Neville couldn't control the beasts.
Years ago, Xenophilius had hoped it would stop at one poor unfortunate rescued Kneazle but her collection was growing faster than before with Luna insisting that all the creatures great and small needed protecting. Who was her father to stand in the way of her huge heart?
But he had hoped it would be a short lived hobby, one that she would attend to in between her training to eventually become head editor of the Quibbler. Who wouldn't want a dream job like that?
But when Xenophilius heard Luna had gone off for three whole days, leaving her menagerie all alone, Xenophilius expected the absolute worst.
It was only by sheer necessity of rummaging through her room that the two of them had discovered Luna's correspondence with a known Mr Malfoy. Now Xenophilius expected the absolute worst-the nefarious Malfoy must have tricked her to come stay with her in hopes of fulfilling one wicked scheme or another. He knew their type.
«So you are telling me,» Xenophilius reasoned slowly. «That you deny any letters you've sent to my daughter.»
«I do not.» Was the haughty and wicked reply of the Malfoy Senior.
«You son of a heathen!"
«As are you-»
«-Where is Luna Lovegood?!»
«You don't want to know,» came a third quieter voice. Both Lucius and Xenophilius turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the corridor looking paler than usual.
Draco had stood at the door for exactly one minute before a dreadful stab in his chest sunk plunged him into a fearful frenzy of thoughts.
What if Luna was dead?
After failed attempts to cast a hole in the wall or Summon back the door to the Room of Sevieht , he realized that his father was truly going to kill him. And if not father, Astoria would leave him. He wasn't sure what was worse: losing his life or Astoria. Or perhaps that loss was one in the same.
Of course Luna could still be alive somewhere in the walls and she'd climb out herself, but that wasn't a possibility he was willing to take. He called out to Twinkle, but the House Elf had mysteriously dissapeared. That's when he realized what his father had long ago meant when he warned him to never trust elves with anything but food.
Realizing that the only possible way to get her back was to swallow the red pill, Draco dragged himself back upstairs. It was there that he realized his father had beat him to the punch and was one foot out the door (presumably looking for Luna outside the Manor). Then he was more surprised to see that there was another figure on the front porch: Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna's father, the batty old reporter of the Quibbler himself.
Draco was doubly screwed.
But if there were three heads looking for Luna rather than one, Draco figured, it would all be much easier. And wasn't the end goal to make sure she came back alive?
His father glared daggers at him. «Do tell.» he said with a viper-like tone. «Or else I fear Mr Lovegood will blast me off to Azkaban faster than I can blink my right eye.»
Draco stilled. «I'd like to preface this and say this was mostly her initiative-»
«Where is she?»
«Is she hurt?»
«Not since last I saw.»
«Is she alive.»
«Hypothetically.»
«Hypothetically?»
Draco swallowed. «All I know is that the last time she had gone through the door-»
«What door?»
«Do you remember when I was a boy and Dobby heard me yelling for help?»
«Draco don't mumble. You know I hate it when you do. Where is this door?»
Draco pointed down to the floor and here Xenophilius bellowed. «The dungeons? You locked my previous little flower in the dungeons? I knew it!»
«Well technically, I did not lock her anywhere,» Draco said. «She went there herself.»
«My Luna would never.»
«She insisted.»
«On what cause?»
«Something about redecorating the Manor-perhaps Father will tell you best.»
Lucius sighed, rubbing his temples. "I had offered Miss Lovegood the option to convert the Wiltshire Manor into a stay for her creatures in exchange for her upkeep of the grounds and home during my leave."
Xenophilius tossed his hands in the air. «And you did not think of consulting me?»
«Why? Are you also interested in the upkeep of the Fantastic Beasts?»
«I am her father.»
«That's hardly an argument. My old chap insisted I continue with the full moon sacrificial rituals on the alter out back in the maze, but virginal Muggle blood does not wash out well out of my gloves. At least that's what old Bobbit used to say in the laundry-»
«-What sort of sick people are you?»
«Clearly,» Lucius glared at his son with an unrivalled intensity, «the kind that raise young men that act no better than blubbering toads.»
«You're one to talk,» Draco snapped back. «Inviting Luna Lovegood here without a chaperone when she has no knowledge of Malfoy Magic and lacks common sense .»
«My daughter has more common sense than the both of you combined!» Xenophilius said.
«Apparently, the three of us.»
The two, Father and the batty reporter were about to go at it, claws out, if Draco had no intervened with an earth shattering, «Can we go to the dungeons already? I don't know how much time there is left.»
The two wizards glared at each other, a mutual and unspoken truce forming between them and the trio made its way down to the dungeons.
«I'll skin the hide off of you if we cannot get her out,» Lucius murmured in a deathly cold tone. «Whatever were you thinking?»
«She wanted to redo the whole manor.» Draco replied. «I was just showing her the less appealing parts.»
«What part of acting like the paragon host was so difficult to understand?»
«Starting with the part where you brought me here in the first place-»
«-I did not send you a letter-»
«-well someone must have,» Draco deduced. «Someone who wanted me here.»
But if it wasn't his father who invited him here in the first place, than who did? Who else could need a third party at the Malfoy Manor.
When they had arrived to the dungeons, Draco showcased the empty wall. There was no lack of testosterone as the three wizards attempted their own methods of summoning the door open to the Room of Sevieht. Finally it was Lucius who stopped the process, sinking back against the wall.
Lucius knew that Twinkle must have played her role in this. The secret doors and passageways of the Manor had always been the domain of the House Elves.
«Twinkle. Twinkle!» he called out to no avail.
Cauldron, if he hadn't transferred her ownership to Miss Lovegood, they wouldn't be in the predicament in the first place. Now the house elf belonged to her previous owner.
«Where is she?» Draco asked.
«Gone.» Lucius grumbled. Never trust a House Elf with anything but the food. But maybe not even the food. Miss Lovegood had a point when she insisted she wouldn't even have them make their tea. Perhaps it was time for the Malfoy family to put an end to Elf ownership after all.
«Nobody knows what happens in these dungeons better than you. Bah,» Xenophilius said, pacing about the hall. It wasn't helpful, and quite frankly, it was gritting on Lucius' every last nerve. He tried to recall whether, and...oh!
«The wall passageways,» he said decidedly. «There is a way through them. However none of us are the right size to fit into one of their entries.»
«How small would one have to be?»
«No bigger than an Elf...and even smaller, I'd imagine...»
And then it hit him.
Lucius flew back up the stairs to the giant Malfoy portrait gallery with the duo on his heels. He knew exactly what he was going to do. Scanning the portraits of the ancestors, he stopped at Narcissa's. This one had been hand painted, commissioned by his father for the family portrait wall. She was young here, and a stern expression schooled her features. With a flick of the wand, he shifted the portrait to reveal a hidden, locked safe.
«What's in there?» Draco blubbered.
«Something that will help.» Lucius opened the combination switch to reveal a velvet safe box with a key in the middle.
«That key better help my daughter,» Xenophilius cried.
«Trust me, if it won"t, nothing else will.»
Lucius walked to an open spot in the corridor, and clicked his tongue. «Here Pop! Here Pippin!»
It took all of three seconds for the little critters to come scurrying out at the sight of the key, which was made of gold with emerald stones nestled in the notches. The main components to his master plan had arrived.
«Nifflers in the walls. Brilliant,» Xenophilius breathed.
«Thank you,» Lucius said with a satisfied smile. And now, all that was needed was something that smelled of Miss Lovegood. Of course, he had that too. One of her hair bows for each of the Nifflers and the key in their pouch, Lucius sent them down through the rose garden trap door that led straight to the dungeons.
There was no telling what sort of magic the Room of Sevieht would use to lure her in an keep her there -trapped-but he only hoped Miss Lovegood coud resist the lure and false promises it presented before Pop and Pippin arrived.
Down in the magical room , Luna was anything but frightened. The room had turned out to be the object of her wildest imagination. She could only dream that the Malfoy Manor could one day look like an endless, natural playground for her Fantastic Beasts. She gazed at the great beyond, watching all the creatures in the room roaming about. She had to pinch herself to make sure this wasn't a dream.
«You're not dreaming.»
Luna flipped her head back to see none other than,
«Narcissa? Mrs Malfoy!»
It was her in the flesh and she was more beautiful than she had been in the painting. Mrs Malfoy had on a silver dress to match her black and silver locks of hair. Her neck was adorned by a simple chain and pearl pendant. Her eyes sparkled with a friendly gleam. She looked ethereal, ageless...like an faerie or a fantasy creature.
This is what Twinkle must have meant when she said she had been the "Perfect Missy".
«I've been wondering when you would come down and join me,» she said, approaching Luna. «I haven't seen many guests in the Manor as of late.»
Luna locked her fingers together. «Why was Draco so scared of this room? I don't understand. It's perfectly wonderful.»
«There are many things he does not understand,» Narcissa sighed. «This home. He had never been fond of it.»
«How could he,» Luna whispered. «It"s so magical here.»
«Indeed. it is. You do like it here, don"t you?»
«Very much.» Luna breathed. «It is the perfect house but this place is most perfect of all. "
Narcissa put an encouraging palm on her shoulder. «You can see beauty where others only see fear.»
Luna shook her head in disbelief, but even after blinking her eyes, the magical place didn"t fade. It seemed as real as her hands and her feet and her breath and the warmth of her skin. She hardly noticed Narcissa leading her out into the open.
«Come. Walk with me.»
And so they did, stopping to the see all the habitats. The fairies landed on Luna"s shoulders and the beats came by and licked her cheeks. Out in the distance was a small rising lump. As they came closer, Narcissa gestured for her to squint and look.
«Is this..?» Luna squinted to seethe sign «Groundskeeper"s hut. Belonging to Luna Lovegood.» «My own home?»
«You can stay here for as long as you like,» Narcissa said. «Forever if you choose to.»
«But I had promised Mr Malfoy to help him with the Manor.»
«Your dream was a place for your creatures.» Narcissa gestured. «Here they all are. I brought them over for you. Why would you want my husband"s manor when you could have land of your own?»
«What about papa?»
«He can visit.»
There was something missing, something important Luna couldn"t quite put her finger on.
Yes the outer display was there: the beautiful grounds and the space for all her creatures. The groundskeeper"s hut was there too and all for her. She could really see herself staying here.
Maybe the thing that was missing wasn"t a what but rather, a who.
«What about Mr Malfoy?» Luna whispered in a tone so low, she alone could hear it.
The man had made himself an irreplaceable spot in her life. She had gotten used to his letters and his words of encouragement. Now that she was really here in his Manor, that she had seen him, it was difficult her life in the manor without him walking about the grounds or drinking tea or holding Pop in his lap while he lounged about in the sitting room.
Perhaps it was just him that was missing.
Him and the Nifflers, whom Luna only realized she hadn't spotted here until they rushed out of the bushes and jumped in her lap.
«Pop? Pippin! You"re here too!"
The creatures chattered in her lap as she snuggled then and scratched their chins. Come to think of it, there weren"t any Nifflers in this perfect world until now. There was also no Mr Malfoy either. Perhaps this world was:
«Not so perfect.»
«Were you saying something?»
Luna stood up. «Thank you for your generous offer. But..»
«But? You refuse it,» Narcissa said softly.
«it"s everything I"ve ever wanted. And as it turns out, not exactly what I needed.»
Narcissa watched her knowingly, as though she could read right through her. her grey eyes piercing right through. Then a smile crept up her cheeks.
«Oh my dear, dear Luna. Is this about my husband?»
«I"m afraid so.» Luna nodded.
«Lucius was always a sentimental man. I can imagine it would be difficult for him to let you go-"
"Let me go?"
"He's grown so fond to you," Narcissa said. "I could see it through the paintings on the walls as I watched him. Such an attachment, almost as though you are his little pet."
Luna crossed her arms. "I'm not pet. He lets me make my own decisions."
"He lets you?" Narcissa laughed. "Oh my sweet child. This is not the first time he's taken a fancy to weird, little things. You know in his youth, he'd collect all sorts of artifacts: skulls of night creatures, powders of the remains of the dead, laced with dark magic, gems and crystals with protective powers. Think they were special. Different. Exciting. Then you know what he'd do? He'd parade them in front of others like a boy with a new toy at Yule and then lock them up in one of his glass cabinets, never to touch them again."
And her look as she said those words. Such pity. As though she was consoling Luna, trying to make her feel ashamed for her misplaced trust. Mr Malfoy would not do those things to her; she was not his toy, his artifact.
"Mr Malfoy is my friend." Luna said firmly.
«Friend.» Narcissa tilted her head back laughing. " with Lucius Malfoy? I couldn"t think of a more pathetic endeavour if I tried.»
«He is a good man. And I trust him.»
At that moment, Luna watched as Narcissa"s beautiful face grew cold and ugly. With all colour draining from her cheeks and her brows angled, she crossed her arms. «You don"t know what he is like.»
"I know enough to say he'd been good to me. And Pop and Pippin and Draco."
"He doesn't know what's good from bad. He's not capable of caring for anyone. And if you believe otherwise, you're a bigger fool than I once was."
«Twinkle told me about that night. She told me everything, about the fire and your sickness and the roses and the rain...Mr Malfoy cared for you.» Luna cried, her eyes swelling with tears. «He tried to rescue you, but you gave up on him.»
«I don't believe anything a Malfoy does. He only keeps around people who serve his needs and the moment they inconvenience him, he exchanges them for something better. That's why he gave up that collection of his the moment it stopped bringing him any joy."
"What about his love for you?"
"Lucius Malfoy can"t love anything, not really.»
Luna said. «He kept your roses.»
This made Narcissa stop. «My...roses...»
«He"s kept the whole garden and forbade any of us from touching them. Your Lucius loves you. He"s always loved you and he never stopped.»
«It can"t be.»
«I know you can't visit the outside world anymore but...» Luna reached over, gently touching Narcissa on the shoulder. «Lucius loves you and I...I am not trying to replace you. I can never be you. But if you let me, I can help him make the Wiltshire Manor a joyful place again. For him. For Draco. For so many others.»
She said hopefully, «let me go. Let me go back to him.»
«He-he loves me.»
«He still does. That"s why he hasn"t left the Manor. That"s why he invited me...to leave it in good hands. So that your legacy would not die.»
«He never left me-»
« He wants to see this Manor filled with laughter and color and life. Isn"t that what you"ve tried to do? Let me go and I promise I will make this house feel like home again.»
After a moment of contemplating, Narcissa"s shoulders relaxed. «Maybe you are right.»
«Then please let me go,» Luna pleaded.
«I wish I could. But my power ends here,» Narcissa says, sinking to her knees.
It was at that moment that a wave of fear flooded Luna"s body and a slight despair began to sink it. This couldn"t be the end of her story. This couldn"t be the last time she ever saw the people she loved on the outside. Fighting back an angry tear, Luna was determined to figure out a way to escape. There had to be something in the room resembling a lock pick or a curse breaker.
But perhaps, no, unless.
Pop poked her with his muzzle, then rolled about on his belly.
Luna picked him up. Pop wanting belly scratched at this time? Running his fingers over his fat little baby belly, Luna felt something oddly shaped and rigged. Shaking Pop upside down by his legs, she smiled when a silver key felt out of his pocket.
«I knew he wouldn"t let me down,» Luna whispered happily.
Turning back around, she waved goodbye to Narcissa and headed back down the way she came from. When she found the door to the Room, she stuck in the key, turned it around twice and tumbled out into the dungeons of Malfoy Manor with Pop and Pippin in sight.
There were also the relieved faces of Mr Malfoy, Draco and...
«Papa? Papa!»
Throwing herself into his arms, Luna gave Xenophilius a big squeeze. «What are you doing here?»
«What are you doing here?» came the disgruntled reply.
Xenophilius looked at his little girl, who was by all accounts not so little anymore, and managed to cross his brows in an expression of stern, paternal chiding. This was an expression Lucius knew all too well, having used it to high success with his own ward.
"Gone in the thick of it all. No note. No Floo. No helpful hint," he went on.
Miss Lovegood blinked her large, light eyes, batting her lashes. "Oh but papa, you must have not seen the note-"
"The note?"
"Yes, on the table!" she said matter-of-factually.
"My dear," Xeno said rubbing his temples. "There are a great many things I leave on that table."
"And I'm sure Neville took care of all my little friends when you were gone," she said. "It was only for a short while! I would have let you know my decision as soon as you came home!"
"You decision?" Xeno huffed. "And what decision is that? To stay here in this forsaken Manor with the lot of the Malfoys? Seems more a punishment-"
"We are right here, so you know," Draco interjected, arms crossed.
"Pooh. And what of it?" Xeno cried. "The Wiltshire Manor is no place for a girl of mine. It's no place for anyone at all!"
Lucius had a deep knot in his stomach. There it was, the phrase that had been the guillotine on his entire plan to find a Mistress for his Manor. Of course, nobody would want to live in the Manor, the Cauldron forsaken place dangerous enough to trap a young woman in it's walls, a spit away from death.
Whatever was Lucius thinking bringing her here? It had all been fun and games, an easy scheme until he met face to face with her father. And as father to father, he knew all too well exactly the kind of things that a parent would never want their child tied into.
"Maybe not yet Papa, but Mr Malfoy and I have been working very hard to make it not so." And likely sensing Xenophilius' rising desire to rip Lucius' head off his shoulders, Miss Lovegood gently placed her hand on Lucius' arm. "You will love it! The outdoors place for the Nifflers and the Thestral Pen-"
She went on, but all Lucius could feel is her little hand searing through his robes right through to his bone. So trusting, so warm and tender. In spite of everything that happened, she still stood by his side. She still wanted to defend him in the eyes of her father.
"-yes, it's true," she said, eyes glistening as she looked at Lucius. "I want more than anything to stay at the Wiltshire Manor."
He couldn't take it. This was no place for a young lady like her. Miss Lovegood's willingness to stay in spite of everything solidified his resolve. He would not take her out to Little Wilt again; he would not spend another evening with her at dinner, or lounging about in the sitting room talking over tea; and would not have her holding his arm.
With his every last drop of fortitude, he swung her hand off his arm and straightened.
"No."
She looked at him, eyes large and dark and a soft frown crossed her forehead.
"Mr Malfoy?"
"No?"
"No."
"No?" asked Draco.
"No."
"No. Yes?" asked Xenophilius.
"No."
Miss Lovegood blinked her lashes. "My dear Mr Malfoy, you do realize what I am saying." She walked over towards him to no avail. She was like a dog approaching a giant beast who backed further away at her attempts to close the space between them. "I know what is in the Manor. And I would like to take you up on the offer." She took a deep breath. "I accept becoming the Mistress of Wiltshire."
Lucius looked at her, eyes hooded, and restrained himself from tilting up her chin and looking straight into her eyes. "And you do not understand what I am telling you. I revoke my offer. I do not need a Mistress."
"But I don't understand," she blubbered. "You said-"
"-It is over now Miss Lovegood-"
"-but why?"
Lucius crossed his arms. "Why is beyond the question. I have changed my position. I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you."
"There is no inconvenience. Your travels, your goals...what of them?"
Lucius looked at the young witch. So persistent. So naive. If the episode in the Room of Sevieht had not resolved itself through their combined quick thinking, she'd not be here to utter those very words. How stupid it was of him to invite her to the Manor in the first place, knowing full well it was he who had to be present to protect her from it's devices.
He snarled, he pointed, he barked. "My travels are no longer your concern, my dear lady. Had I not been around to help, you would have been dead. Trust me, you would have not been the first to perish in the walls of Wiltshire. Today's episode spoke one thing clearly to me, and that was that you are unfit to be the Mistress of this unique Manor. Now listen to your father, pack your bags."
Turning on heel he flung open the front door. "And leave Wiltshire Manor forever. Do not turn back. Do not return upon these grounds. Be gone, Miss Lovegood. Goodbye."
She was still looking at him as he turned to her.
"If you wish it. Goodbye Mr Malfoy."
And only Twinkle the Elf, unbeknownst to all, smiled the last smile in the shadows and dissapeared from sight.
-xxx-
A/N:
Thank you for following. Thank you for reading. Thank you for liking. Thank you for reviewing. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The only thing that doesn't give thanks is my poor 'mudroom' which sacrificed it's monthly cleanup so I could edit this chapter. xx