Lucius supported Narcissa as they left the charity event and they returned home, opting for a stroll in the garden while the skies remained clear. They walked calmly and Lucius knew Narcissa enjoyed the feel of the sun on her skin as the skies had remained grey and rainy for weeks. The event had been a success, and Lucius was able to hold his head a little higher as more prominent members of the Ministry of Magic joined and greeted them with respect.
He looked at his wife proudly. "This wouldn't have been possible without you." Lucius said, kissing the back of her hand as they walked. He could see her try to suppress a smile, as she kept looking straight ahead.
"Did you speak to Mister Crow?" She asked. Lucius gave her arm a comforting squeeze.
"He said Davis came to the Aurors office to report that he was being denied access to his fiancée and was concerned for his safety." Lucius said.
"Oh Lucius... would they come here? If that man finds out Draco isn't here, he'll start looking for him." She said, placing a hand on her chest looking away with worry.
"Crow said they took a statement, but they're doing everything by the book since that man was defeated." Lucius said. "He reassured me there's a backlog of cases they have to go through first."
"Lucius... I asked the mediwitch that looks after me about the process for Draco to reach that state." She said and Lucius released her arm shaking her head.
"Narcissa, I beg that you stop. I would rather not hear this about my son." He said and she grabbed onto his arm with razor precision and yanked him back into place beside her.
"No, you fool, you must hear this." She said through clenched teeth and Lucius sighed, bracing himself, rubbing his temple as they sat down in one of the garden benches.
"Very well..." Lucius said, but he wasn't convinced he wouldn't stop her again depending on what she said. "Your mediwitch... what was her name?" He asked.
"Mrs. Smith, she's the most highly regarded." Narcissa said and Lucius looked at her as the silence stretched. "She said Draco would have had to take multiple potions, be assessed medically, then be intimate. Draco would never have tried to do that before getting married." Narcissa said. Lucius took a deep breath.
"Are you sure? Draco admitted he was intimate – he said it happened only once and the rest that was published was hogwash." Lucius said.
"Yes, I remember the argument – well, I'm being generous, an argument requires two people to be sharing their differing opinions back and forth. What I remember was you yelling at Draco once he admitted that much and not letting him get a word in sideways after that. Then I didn't see my son leave his room for weeks, when you yelled some more, and then I haven't seen him since." She said.
"I was wrong, Narcissa. I have apologised many times." Lucius said.
"Your apologies are no good to me and I have never heard you apologise to Draco in your life." She said, her tone calm, but cold. "It was your job to research this family."
Lucius took a deep breath, looking out at the garden that was already turning dormant for winter. "I know. I did. The Davis family is world renowned amongst the highest in our society. They have wealth, power – if in the Americas." He shook his head. "There was nothing wrong with him, he would have been perfect for the family as a fourth son. The Davis family disowns all children that don't become head-of-house once a new head is handed the position, which means Alfred Davis would have taken the Malfoy name."
"Hmm... sounds familiar. You did threaten to disown him." She commented and it was like an icepick to his ribs.
"You know I didn't mean that."
"Didn't you?" She asked looking at him straight on.
Lucius didn't know what to say in his defence. "I just wanted him to listen to me and trust that I could find him a life partner he could genuinely be happy with."
"That's Lucius Malfoys' words. What you said to Draco sounded like someone else I knew." Lucius tensed. "After all Abraxas put you through and you try to use his threats against your own son." She looked away, looking genuinely disgusted with him and pulling her arm back. "Abraxas would have already burned Draco off of the family registry, at least you're not fully embracing his traditions. Thank Merlin he didn't live as long as your grandfather or he would have."
His grandfather had lived a long life, and if Abraxas had lived similarly, he would still be head of house and would have done exactly as Narcissa said.
"If he hadn't killed him first." Lucius let slip, his memories going far back into his childhood, remembering the older sister he once had. He felt Narcissa reach out quickly to try and pull him back from that memory.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up. I shouldn't have compared you." She whispered. Lucius clung to the memory for a little while longer, something ringing in his head.
oOoOoOo
"Luci... please... call mama..." Lettie whimpered to him as he sat frozen where his father sat him, to watch the punishment he and grandfather had unleashed upon his sister.
His sister, about to start her fifth year, lay crumpled on the ground. Her once white, flowy dress, with soft pink embroidered flowers was now stained with the blood from her beating. His beautiful sister, looked at him, pleading, while their father stood with their grandfather by the door.
Lucius couldn't move, fear paralysed him in place. He could barely breathe.
"A mudblood, what a disgrace." Their grandfather said, sounding regretful, as if he hadn't participated in her torture. As if he was disappointed that they'd had to cancel a picnic due to poor weather.
"They were even seen holding hands by Vanessa Parkinson." Abraxas hissed.
"Family honour, son. She is a stain on this name. Family above all else, Abraxas." His grandfather said. Ominously.
"Of course, father." Abraxas responded, though Lucius would later hear him complain that his grandfather didn't understand Lord Voldemort's power and vision.
"You should meet my friend. Morded Davis. His family manages inheritance much more efficiently in my opinion. One son is all one needs to continue the family." He said, closing the door and leaving them there alone. He heard their voices fading away. Lucius watched his sister's ragged breathing and with a whimper, he slipped off the chair to lay down beside her.
Lucius stared at his sister, tears bubbling from his ten-year-old eyes and rolling down his cheeks.
"Lettie please... you said you'd show me the secret passage to Hogsmeade when I started Hogwarts." He whimpered.
"Luci..." She smiled, nuzzling his forehead, the only part he could see her move with no pain. He sobbed, feeling her go still, her breathing stopping then starting again. He would think she was gone then she would gasp again making him grieve multiple times. The final time he still had that hope that she would once more return to him, but she was gone, and all he could do was stay beside her, crying, his body feeling like lead. He felt her body go cold and it felt like hours before his mother came to get him. She ignored Lettie, pulling him up and forcing him to his feet, taking him to his room where he had the house-elves bathe him.
The only comfort she offered was the brushing of his hair. She never used to do that. Lettie would always brush his hair. He glanced up at his mother, seeing her blank expression as she brushed his hair with as much gentleness as his sister used to do.
There was no funeral. There was no mention of her again. In school, they believed she'd gone to Beauxbatons and soon everyone stopped asking about her. Lucius wondered how she could have been so stupid as to hold hands with a mudblood, and soon enough he blamed her for her own misfortune. He blamed her for not caring about their family name enough to avoid the mudblood altogether. If that mudblood wasn't even admitted to Hogwarts, her fate would have also been different. He never did find out who the mudblood was or if the rumour had even been true.
oOoOoOo
Narcissa watched as Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose tightly trying but failing to stop his eyes from dampening. He hadn't thought of his sister in a long time and Narcissa felt pain in her heart knowing she triggered the memory.
"Lucius?" she asked, reaching for his arm. He looked straight ahead.
"I remember... my grandfather mentioned being friends with Mordred Davis... three heads ago. I could find his letters and see if there's anything we can exploit." Lucius said.
"I'll help." She said. Lucius nodded as they stood and walked slowly back to the manor.
"Did Mrs. Smith mention who had assessed him while taking those potions?" He asked. Narcissa sighed shaking her head.
"She said if Draco had or hadn't been a patient was something that she couldn't disclose. She said it was confidential information."
"So, she couldn't even confirm if she had seen him recently." Lucius added.
"Correct." Narcissa hated feeling powerless, it reminded her of the battle of Hogwarts, where she had to stand in the forest, not knowing if her boy was alive or if he had been struck down during the first attack wave.
She frowned as Harry Potter flashed into his mind. If she ever thought about him and the battle, it would be the memory of him lying, seemingly dead, on the forest ground. For some reason now she saw him standing before her mind's eye just smiling warmly at her. He looked more mature, as he was today. She'd invited him too to today's charity event out of politeness but he had already declined to attend months back. So why was she thinking about him now?
"Have you seen Harry Potter recently?" She asked.
Lucius paused for a second and frowned confused. "Potter? No, not at all." He said looking at her confused. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm not sure... he just came to mind for some reason." She said, her instincts were telling her something and listening to them had never failed her before. "It's probably nothing. Let's get started with those letters." She said.
oOoOoOo
Draco walked into the baby store with Potter, and walking in here again, now no longer alone but having him by his side, had Draco feeling all sorts of conflicting emotions.
"You liked this one last time, right?" Potter asked, placing his hand on it and Draco tried to picture Potter looking down at a newborn babe that would be as much Potter's as his.
"Yes, it would go well in my room." He said reaching down to feel the blanket with the back of his fingers, feeling the scratchy display blanket but he would change that out all the same. Potter reached to the corner of the bassinette where a 'plastic' - as Potter called it – bag held many copies of something called a 'bar-code'. He took a copy and held onto it. "What are you doing?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"I told you the bar-code is a unique number for this specific item, when we go to pay and give them our delivery address, they'll scan all the items we asked for." He said.
"Oh... like an owl-order."
"Yes... but there's so many items from this company, and they change regularly, that they need a more complex numbering system. Hence the bar-code." He said and Draco thought about that.
"You mentioned 'branches'?" He asked. Potter nodded.
"Yeah, as these companies get bigger they open small branches in different places to reach more customers. Easy in the muggle world since there's so many of them. But wizards all only ever go to Diagon alley and small highstreets in wizarding villages." Potter mumbled.
"The wizarding world businesses tend to me small. Even the Nimbus Racing Broom Company has at most ten, twelve employees?" Draco thought out loud. His attention was cut short as he saw Potter grabbing some more bar-codes of other items which he chose himself.
They picked out things from almost every corner of the store some of which Draco recognised, some which he did not. Potter gave him a stack of £50 notes to pay with and handle the interaction.
"Hello, I need to purchase these items and have them delivered at this address." He said, handing the codes over. The girl handling the counter today was different from the other day and scanned all their products with a red light and a beep. She also handed him a piece of paper to write the delivery details. Draco fiddled with holding a 'pen' the way Potter showed him. Unlike a quill, it required more pressure and made his writing less tidy than he expected. One day he practiced so much he cracked his quill when he had to go back to it, something he hadn't done since he was six or seven.
Once he had signed, he looked up to see that she was already finished. Draco noted how ingenious and efficient it was as it allowed a person to scan the cost of items so quickly. They must have gotten hundreds of tickets and the girl was done scanning them by the time he had finished his signature.
"That will be two thousand, five hundred, and fifty-three pounds fifty." Draco looked down and counted the paper money quickly, one thing he had mastered, and handed over the required amount. He waited for his change which he could count quickly with a glance, and put the rest in his pocket.
He came back proudly to return the money to Potter, giving him the receipt. "Who knew strollers could be so expensive." Potter said folding the receipt and putting it away. "Hold onto the change, it's always good for you to carry some while we are out and about, in case we get separated."
"Any news from the ministry regarding my paperwork?" Draco asked. He was still waiting for muggle identification to be able to open his own bank account.
"Nothing's arrived at the house. I'll go and check, while I visit Ron at work. Does that sound like a plan?" He asked. Draco thought about it, it was a perfect cover for him being at the ministry in the first place.
"When does Weaseley finish his training?" He asked.
"Soon, he's already assisting in some cases." Potter said as they walked down the street. Soon they passed by the juice shop where they first bumped into each other and Draco felt a craving.
"I'll be right back." He said going to get some. When he returned with two and handed Potter one he looked surprised.
"Thanks." He took a sip. "Mmh, it's good."
"Worth getting arrested for?" Draco joked and Harry laughed softly.
"Not quite." They walked in silence for a little while strolling into St. James' Park, when Potter looked at him. "Have you thought about contacting your parents?" He asked.
Draco frowned taking another sip. His silence stretched long and Potter continued.
"I think things have changed now, that man clearly committed a crime, don't you want to know why?" He asked and Draco tensed.
"Drop it, Potter." he said.
"I know you, Malfoy. You're going to let him get away with what he did – including villainising you to the Daily Prophet? Don't you find it a bit strange? You would have married him anyway, wouldn't you? Why rush it, why humiliate you, why couldn't he wait?" he asked.
Draco took a deep breath and looked at Potter, and reached out to hold his hand, taking some energy to calm himself. Potter looked at their hands but let him. It wasn't the same as using both hands but it helped to calm him.
"You're right." Draco said calmly as he let go of his hand. "I don't know why he would do that. Except that he is some kind of sick psychopath."
"Shouldn't you also report this, like Mrs. Smith did anonymously?" He asked.
"I would... rather disappear than let people know how stupid I was to let him do this to me." Draco said.
"You would rather they think the horrible things Davis was talking about?" He asked. No, he didn't want that either.
"I take it this is how all your shenanigans in school began? You would drag Weasley and Granger with this persuasive speech of yours?" He asked.
"It's just not fair, if you go down for something you do, fine, own it, but when people like that try to paint themselves in perfect light... it's not fair." Potter spat out with disdain and Draco wondered how much he could use Potter to his advantage beyond what he was doing already. He felt uncomfortable for some reason, when once upon a time being able to manipulate someone like this to his whim would have made him feel powerful and higher than the rest.
"Unfortunately, you're not an auror, and investigating other people the way you're used to is usually frowned upon. It would look bad on your reputation if it gets found out later." Draco said.
Potter thought about it. "Maybe, but you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs." He shrugged and Draco thought him ridiculous.
"You taught me how to make an omelette. You have to break all the eggs to make it." Potter simply laughed at that and Draco didn't get it. "You are a peculiar man, Harry Potter."
"You know I'm right, Draco."
"I know nothing of the sort."
"You thought he didn't know when you ran away. Turns out he had this meticulously planned. You don't think he'll try and find you, knowing you're pregnant? Knowing you need his energy to sustain the child?" Potter reached out to hold his hand once more, calming Draco once more. He looked up at him.
"Curses, Potter. I don't want to become a spectacle." he said, but the possibility of being able to stay in the wizarding world was too irresistible. And if he wanted to destroy Alfred Davis, he couldn't do it from exile. "Fine... but I want Granger involved. To keep your plan sensible."
"And Ron?"
Draco grimaced looking at him with displeasure. "If we must..." He said. "I suppose we'll first inform them about our bond?"
Potter nodded, and rather than looking concerned he smiled warmly, reaching forward to take both his hands and Draco felt the energy and the warmth from Potter. His eyes fluttered shut and felt a shudder as Potter leaned forward, their foreheads touching gently. Draco shuddered as Potter was wearing a cologne that smelled really good, making him want to stay in this position forever. As the energy settled, they could once more hear the baby's heart fluttering against their ears. As the energy settled, eventually they separated.
Draco remembered where they were and caught some muggles glancing at them as they were not alone in the park. Draco felt his face heat up, getting very embarrassed. He knew he was blushing so he looked away, walking ahead. Potter looked happy and Draco resisted the urge to yell at him for no good reason.