Chapter 17: Obliviate

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. It's really too bad about that, but I would never deny J.K. Rowling her fame.

A/N: Salvamea brought up a critical point, that the Obliviate doesn't change one's character. That is true, but my opinion on what might occur with Lucius stems from this: His experiences and upbringing made him the way he is. Take that out of the picture, and you're starting with a clean slate, which can hopefully be shaped differently. Hopefully, that will happen for Lucius. Thanks to my beta, Lilith Kayden, for her advice and help with this chapter.

Chapter 17: Obliviate

In the time it took Draco to bring his mother back to the villa, Lucius had regained consciousness. He sneered at Severus and Sybill.

"Just do it. Kill me and get it over with. It's the only way I won't come after you!"

"Lucius, please stop being so melodramatic," Severus said with a bored tone. "I believe we have come up with a suitable remedy to our mutual problem."

"I will not go to Azkaban!" Lucius screamed in rage.

"We are hoping that you won't have to," Sybill told him.

Lucius looked at her with loathing. "Do not dare to speak to me, you filthy excuse for a witch!"

"Langlock," Severus chanted as he waved his wand at Lucius. Lucius' tongue was securely locked to the roof of his mouth. The man's eyes bulged with rage as he struggled to get free from his bonds.

Finally, two loud pops sounded, and Draco and Narcissa stood before the other three. Narcissa rushed to Lucius' side and fell over him, sobbing hysterically.

"She's not taking this well," Draco mumbled.

Severus had always had a soft spot in his heart for Narcissa. She had become a Death Eater more for Lucius than anything. He had almost forced her to join Voldemort's ranks. She had gone through great grief with Lucius' time in Azkaban and Draco's charge from Voldemort to kill Dumbledore. Severus had no desire to see her suffer anymore.

Stooping down beside her, he placed a hand gently on her back. "Narcissa," he called softly.

Narcissa threw her head back and pulled herself up and away from Lucius. She turned toward Severus and grasped his arms desperately. Her eyes were wild.

"Please, Severus, there must be another way. Any of these options makes me lose my husband forever!"

"There is no other way, Narcissa," Severus answered calmly. "He either is Obliviated or he must be sent to Azkaban."

With Severus' decree, Lucius began to struggle and moan again. His eyes grew wide with fright while he shook his head.

Narcissa sat down on the ground next to him and put her face in her hands. She sobbed even louder than before. Severus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Narcissa, you can help him recover if he is Obliviated. He can be the husband and father he was never able to be because of his pride and greed. This might be the best thing for all of you."

"You say that because you are not the one about to lose twenty years of marriage," Narcissa wailed.

Draco knelt down on his mother's other side. "Mum," he said. "Think of this as an opportunity to have what you have always wanted. Father has never been overly kind to you. He has pushed you away because he thought you were weak because you always tried to protect me. He's hardly spoken to you much since you made that vow with Severus. All of that can change! He won't remember being angry. He won't remember pushing you away. He'll just know that you two are married and that you love each other. It may take him some time to love you again, but he will."

Narcissa's sobs continued. "What if he never loves me again?"

Draco's look hardened. "Then you will be no worse off than you are now. That man who claims to be my father loves neither one of us. He just stays with us because that's what a good pureblood does. He hates me and just tolerates you. He isn't even happy. He's filled with desires for revenge. How can anyone who is consumed by such feelings ever be happy?" Draco put his hand on his mother's shoulder. "We can help him to be happy. Trelawney saw it. He was with us, and he was happy."

Narcissa pulled her tear stained face up and looked over at Sybill.

"Did you really see that?" she asked.

Sybill nodded.

"How can I trust you? You are rumored to be a charlatan."

"I used to be," Sybill admitted. "But it was because of men like your husband, who would want to harm me. With Voldemort's death, I was able to be myself. I assure you, Mrs. Malfoy, I have never had a vision be wrong."

Narcissa stared at Sybill for a long while. Sybill began to feel a bit uncomfortable, but she remained still, letting Narcissa come to whatever conclusion she was going to come to. Finally, Narcissa put her hands down and heaved a huge sigh.

"All right, we'll do it."

Lucius started moaning and struggling again, which caused Narcissa to glance over at him. She quickly turned back to Sybill. "I am holding you responsible for his future. If he does not eventually become the happy individual you claim to have seen, I will hunt you down and your life will be forfeit. Do we have an understanding?" Narcissa's look was very hard and determined as she gazed at Sybill.

Sybill nodded her head. "We do," she agreed.

With her decision, all frailty seemed to fall away from Narcissa. She sat straight and regally as she now looked at Severus.

"Release the Silencing Spell. I would speak with my husband before we do this horrible deed."

Severus waved his wand over Lucius' head and removed the spell silently. Lucius began to rage immediately.

"You cannot do this! I will not allow it! I am a Malfoy. I have a rich heritage. You cannot take that away from me! Narcissa, surely you see that these three have gone mad?"

Narcissa leaned over her husband and placed her hands lovingly on his chest. "My love, I know you no longer care for me."

"Narcissa, that's not true!"

Narcissa placed a finger over Lucius' lips. "Shh, there's no sense in denying it, love. You have mostly ignored me for the last ten years. This is the best choice. The other options are death or life in Azkaban. Neither of those will return you to me and will destroy you eventually."

"Narcissa!" Lucius screamed. "You cannot do this!"

"I want you to know that I have always loved you. I know you won't remember that in a few minutes, but I want you to know now. I have hoped that someday you could love me again too. I'm doing this for us, Lucius... for a chance at a brighter future. I hope that someday you will understand that." She bent low and kissed him.

As she pulled back, he spat in her face. Draco looked at him in fury and lunged forward to attack him. Severus caught him just in time before he was able to lay a finger on his loathsome father. Lucius looked to Draco in hatred and then looked back at Narcissa with loathing.

"You will be sorry if you do this to me! I will never forgive you. I will remember somehow and hate you forever! You are nothing but a whore. You sully the Malfoy name with even your existence!"

With a swish of his wand, Severus had recast the Langlock. "I believe we have heard enough of your hate, Lucius," he told his once friend.

Lucius stared at Severus venomously. His struggling became furious, but he only succeeded in constricting himself so much that he now could barely move.

Narcissa stood up and wiped the spittle from her face. She looked down at her husband once again. "I will always love you, no matter what," she told him.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at her. Severus looked over at her. "Are you ready, Narcissa?"

She nodded.

Severus lifted his wand, about to cast the Memory Charm.

"Wait!" Draco cried.

Severus halted his arm movements and looked over to Draco.

"I will cast the Obliviate," Draco demanded.

Severus raised an eyebrow as Narcissa turned to her son, pulling him into her embrace.

"No, Draco. You mustn't."

Draco pulled back slightly. "I have to, Mother. I want to be the one to do it. Either way it goes, I want to be the one responsible."

Narcissa caressed his cheek. "Are you sure, son? Can you live with the guilt of what you are to do? What if he never comes back to us?"

Draco nodded his head. "I can. Either I will help him, or I will be able to take out my anger on him for his treatment of us. I must do this."

Severus lowered his wand and nodded at Draco. Narcissa kissed his cheek and told him how brave she thought he was. Draco turned and looked at his father. The man was moaning still, his eyes wide. He looked more frightened than Draco had ever seen him. Draco lifted his wand.

"Goodbye, Father. I hope you can become a better person with what I am to give to you."

Lucius screamed. The sound was ugly and guttural. Even the fact that his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth could not hide his fear and horror at what was to come.

Draco cast the spell. Golden light flew from the tip of his wand and struck his father squarely in the chest. The man was forced back against the floor, unconscious. Draco flicked his wand again, and the ropes that were binding his father fell away. He looked at Severus.

"We should move him to his bed while he is unconscious. It will be easier for him to wake there."

Severus nodded and levitated Lucius. The four of them moved him to the bedroom in silence. Narcissa lovingly settled him into the bed and placed the covers over him.

"What do we tell him?" Sybill asked.

Draco looked at his father, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. "He fell down the stairs. We were able to repair a broken leg and fix his wounds. His memory loss will come as a shock to us."

The four conspirators looked to each other and nodded their agreement. Narcissa sat on the bed and stroked Lucius' forehead. He began to stir and moan. Severus quickly removed the Langlock spell, having forgotten about it previously. Lucius' eyes opened slowly, and he looked around.

"Where am I?" he murmured.

"You are in your bed, Lucius," Narcissa answered gently.

Lucius' eyes narrowed while he looked around. He seemed out of sorts. He looked back at the woman who was sitting on the bed by him. "Who are you?"

Narcissa played her part well, shock showing on her face. "I'm Narcissa, love."

"How do I know you?" Lucius' eyes were vacant.

A tear fell down Narcissa's cheek. "I am your wife," she told him as she stroked his cheek.

Lucius shied away from her. "I don't know who you are. I don't know who any of you are!" He sat up hurriedly. "I can't even remember who I am. What happened to me?"

"You fell down the stairs," Severus offered. "You were hurt badly. We mended your wounds and fixed your leg, which was broken. You have been unconscious for half an hour."

Lucius scrunched up his face, trying to remember something, but he couldn't remember anything about himself, or the fall he had just taken. He looked back at Severus.

"Who are you?"

"I am Severus Snape, your friend. This is Sybill Trelawney," he said as he motioned to Sybill, "also a friend, and this..." He pointed towards Draco, "is your son, Draco."

Lucius' eyebrows rose as he regarded his son. "I have a son?"

"Obviously," Severus drawled.

Lucius looked at all four people surrounding his bed. He struggled to remember something about them. He couldn't remember anything about them. He couldn't remember anything at all.

"Why can't I remember anything?" he asked finally.

"You had a deep gash on your head," Severus told him. "Perhaps your memory loss is due to head trauma."

"But will it come back?" Lucius asked, now becoming nervous.

"I cannot say," Severus continued.

Narcissa put her hand on Lucius' arm. He did not shy away this time but looked at her hand curiously.

"Lucius, we will work through this. We'll overcome it. Even if your memory never returns, we will make new memories... together."

Lucius looked into her eyes. They were warm and friendly. She was not a threat to him. He could tell she cared for him. He did not know her, and he certainly did not love her, but she loved him. He could see it. Maybe his memory would come back and he would remember the beautiful witch by his side. Even if it didn't, he could see himself growing close to her, maybe even loving her. He gave her a small smile, and she smiled back warmly at him.

"Tell me about myself," he requested.

Severus, Sybill, and Draco all pulled up chairs and settled themselves around Lucius' bed. They began to fill in the vast empty space that was now Lucius Malfoy's mind.

Next up: The Malfoys deal with an Obliviated Lucius.