Summary: After the war, Lucius accepts his fate in exile.

Rated: T

Genre: Family

Warning Tag: References Death, References Depression, Isolation, Exile, Canon-Typical Pureblood Views

until the end (i'll be here)

Lucius took a final look at the Manor he and his ancestors once called home before he stepped through the wrought iron gate to meet the Auror who waited on the other side. The Ministry had stripped it from his hands the same way Voldemort stripped away his family, leaving him with nothing but a shadow of his former self. Draco was pardoned; a child victim to the wrong side of war, but Lucius knew his son would come away with his second chance better than he did with his.

His fate was different to his son's. He wouldn't be able to witness Draco's new chance at life or the wizarding world's recovery from another war.

Instead, Lucius was to make a new life of his own in exile. Though Draco and his trials could have gone far worse than they had, they still weren't able to take away anything he truly cared about anymore. Narcissa was gone, stolen from him by the man he pledged his loyalty to, and it was the ultimate price he had to pay for it.

The Auror Apparated him back to the Ministry for Lucius to transfer the remaining family estates and titles over to Draco before he would be sent to his exile on Iceland. It was the closest place to the United Kingdom who would accept his refuge.

It was either that or Azkaban.

"Mr. Malfoy, the barrister and your son are waiting in here," the Head Auror Lucius forgot the name of said, gesturing him to the room he stood in front of.

The process was quick, professional, and stiff. Draco refused to acknowledge Lucius' presence, and once the last line was signed and dated, he left the office with what remained of the family's legacy without a backwards glance. It was the same thing he did to Lucius at Narcissa's funeral the day before.

"Your ruling from the Wizengamot clearly stated for your relocation once things were settled here," the Head Auror said, holding out a piece of strange jewelry. "Now that all of your personal matters have been properly handled, I am to escort you out of the country now."

Normally Lucius would have a lot to say about the chain of events that had happened over the last several hours—or rather the entire day—but he was rendered speechless from the forced humbled state he was broken down into as its result. All he could do was nod and reach out to grab the offered piece of jewelry that would transport him to his new home.

Iceland was beautiful even in a rainstorm. Lucius was managed to obtain a small cottage near the coast just outside a village with the pitiful remains of his finances. It was simple, comfortable, and intended for a single occupant. He was granted a wand designed by the Ministry, but the runes engraved and enchanted in it restricted its capabilities so drastically Lucius would've felt less insulted to simply not have one at all.

He made himself as comfortable as he could in the small space. The ocean was soothing to have as white noise as Lucius spent most of his time reading or writing letters knowing they'd never get sent or be answered. There were several times when he visited the village out of necessity rather than for social purposes; it was during those times he would remember the conversation he had with Narcissa about moving here when the time came to give Draco his space to thrive as the new Head of the Family.

How he longed to have Narcissa back.

Sometimes Lucius pretended the whisper of the ocean was her voice, reassuring him that there was nothing he could have done to change her fate. This did not last long once winter settled upon the island. The winds made the waves crash on the cliffside unsettling to the point that Lucius had to place a silencing charm around the cottage to stop hearing their horrid sounds. The days grew darker, and the weather colder than what he was used to.

At least the colored strips of light that danced across the sky was a sight to behold. He learned that they were called the Aurora Borealis, a truly mystical thing to witness.

The Muggle locals knew he was a foreigner, but they were polite enough to prepare him for the chance of being snowed in for several days or weeks at a time, to which Lucius was starting to feel grateful for having his wand despite its crippling restrictions. He took to their kindness with apprehension, unsure of how to gauge or handle their way of life. It was enough, however, for Lucius to start learning the language at the very least.

This lead him to explore his new home a little more once the snow melted and roads were usable again. Lucius used his over abundance of time to study, learn, adjust, and grow. Being a man of solitude was not his style, so the time to integrate with the locals slowly began.

If his ancestors were able to manage it so long ago, why couldn't he?

The rescuing of a stray Icelandic Sheepdog injured in a field of startled sheep gained him a new companion the village had named Gunner. They were going to kill him for harassing the livestock, but he was spared at Lucius' insistence and argument that no sheep were harmed. He was a welcome addition to the small space.

It helped Lucius learn of a small mixed community far south of the island from his cottage as well. They were not so welcoming of him, and it was clear that news of his exile was well known to the Icelandic magical community once he discovered it, so he kept to the more accepting locals.

The trip to the magical community wasn't all futile, Lucius learned a few things while there, and one of them was about an old enchanted mirror some described as being almost as mystical in its creation as the colorful lights in the sky. It granted its owner the ability to see their loved ones regardless of the distance, but how it exactly worked was uncertain.

Lucius often thought about his son, Draco, but all of his attempts to reach out left him empty handed in making any contact. He wondered if somehow finding one of these rare mirrors could help him bridge the gap he yearned to have back.

The quest to seek out a rare item wasn't something new for him, but the outcome had also been less than successful. Nevertheless, he would continue searching. What did Lucius have to lose, after all?

Originally Written For:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Monthly Challenges for All

Originally Written: May 2019

Word Count: 1,113