Chapter 53

This chapter is quite different; we follow Lucius home. This chapter takes place in Malfoy Manor.

Meanwhile, while Hermione and Severus were whisked away to their honeymoon, Grimmley Hinckernill and Harry Potter took Lucius home. Having been at the wedding, Draco, Pansy, and Scorpius Apparated back with them.

They arrived at the gate and a house-elf let them in. Lucius looked around and saw the grounds where overgrown and the mansion looked neglected. There were no servants, and the "friends" who'd been at the manor mooching off him before his incarceration were gone, too.

Draco seemed embarrassed, and he was wondering when his father would lay into him because of the condition of the place. They still had a couple of house-elves. But they were small and hadn't been able to keep up with it all. Lucius only said, as he took in a deep breath, "It's good to be home."

Draco and Pansy looked at each other with hope. They were still waiting for the "keepers" to leave and the rants and raves they were used to.

Harry set about placing wards on the property that would allow Draco, Scorpius, and Pansy to come and go as they pleased but would prevent Lucius from leaving the grounds without an Auror escort.

Grimmley stood with Lucius in the entryway of the mansion while Harry did his work.

Lucius watched for a while and then asked, "Is it necessary to do all this? I won't leave the property until my sentence is finished. I should be glad to be here, shouldn't I?"

"Absolutely," Grimmley said. "Mr. Malfoy, I have seen a change in you. Do not let being in a familiar environment reverse the change. Do this for your son and grandson. We all lived through rough times. Isn't peace and family more important than power?"

"Yes, of course," Lucius agreed. He had noted by looking through the door to the Great Room that some of the furniture was gone. It had probably been sold to keep the household functioning. "I would be appreciative if you two would finish and leave me to my family. I have much to say to them."

Harry could see a difference in Lucius' face, but he was still quite skeptical. He passed by Draco and whispered, "Watch your back."

Draco stared at him and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Turning, he said, "Grimmley, I'm done. Let's leave this family to become reacquainted." He placed a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "You have leave from school till Sunday afternoon. Headmistress McGonagall will open the Floo at 2:00 p.m. You can step through from the Great Room to her office."

Scorpius nodded and said, "Thank you, sir."

Harry turned to the family and said, "Draco, Pansy, Lucius, please let me know if you have any concerns or needs. The Ministry will know how to contact me. You know the office, Draco. It was good to see you again. Lucius, you have one very special grandson here. I hope you will teach him the right way from now on. If Severus Snape hadn't cared what happened to him, he might be in Azkaban right now or dead."

Lucius nodded, looking grim.

Scorpius hung his head. Would he ever get away from his past?

"Don't feel bad, Scorpius," Harry encouraged, grasping the young man's shoulder and squeezing it warmly. "Be proud of the man you are becoming. I am proud you are my son's friend," Harry said, smiling at the boy. "Well, gentlemen, I'll leave you all to get reacquainted. Come on, Grimmley, we have other things to do."

Draco went to the door with them. "Thank you, Mr. Potter," he said.

"Harry, Draco. We were classmates, were we not? The past is done and forgiven. I say we try to become acquainted. After all our sons are friends now."

Draco smiled and stuck his hand out, and the once enemies shook hands.

Harry and Grimmley went to the gate and were let out.

After the wards reset behind them, Harry turned to Grimmley and said, "I'd like to be a fly on the wall. Hear what they have to say to each other. I really have hopes that Malfoy has changed for the better, for his son's sake and his grandson's. But he can be a very good actor if he wants to be."

"You're right, sir. But you know, I've been there with him, and there has been such a change in attitude since Professor Snape came to befriend him despite what Malfoy did to his wife. I think the man has changed," he said with conviction.

"As Severus has," Harry told him. "I never even thought of him and Hermione together, but look how happy they are. As a child, I would have been angry about him being happy after what I thought he was doing. Now I am glad that he's found peace in his life. His ability to look past what Malfoy did and see why he did it astounds me. I don't honestly know what I would do if I lost my wife."

"You didn't have the man's horrible values to start with. It was different for him."

"That's true," Harry said. "Well, Grimmley, I'd best be getting back to my wife. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you. If you want out of Azkaban, I can find a better situation for you."

Grimmley said, "Thank you, sir. Those people need someone to keep an eye on them."

"And you do a wonderful job." Harry shook hands with the man and stepped away and Apparated.

Grimmley turned to Malfoy Mansion and silently hoped all was going to go well for them. Then he was gone as well.

******

Inside the mansion the family stood staring at each other. Then Lucius smiled and said, "Is it possible for us to have a small meal and then sit and talk?"

Draco nodded and said, "Of course, Father."

"It is good to hear you call me father again. I do hope I can earn your trust." Lucius took his cloak off and instead of calling a house-elf went to the hall closet and hung it up himself.

Pansy and Draco exchanged incredulous looks.

"Scorpius, why don't you and I go to the kitchen and gather the meal. I'm sure the house-elves have enough to do around here," Lucius told the boy.

Scorpius glanced at his father, and Draco nodded for him to go.

Scorpius walked to his grandfather's side. Lucius smiled at him, placing an arm around his shoulder. "You are becoming such a fine young man. I am glad I will be here to see you mature."

Draco, still watching, heard his father say, "You're just like your father. He is a son to be proud of..." And then they vanished around the corner.

Draco grinned at his wife who was standing there with her eyes wide and her mouth partially open. "Do you think he is in earnest?" Pansy asked.

"I certainly hope so. I have never seen my father like this, Pansy. There is a difference in him. I have been able to read him since I was a child, and he always scared me. There was a dangerous air about him, a sharp edge, which made it impossible to get close to him. Maybe freedom from the Dark Mark is life changing. Look what Severus has done."

Pansy came and slipped her arms around him. "Come on, let's go get settled in the Great Room before he comes back. Let's build up the fire a bit so it will be warm for a change."

Draco nodded and they went arm in arm into the vast room.

Lucius walked with Scorpius down the long hall to the kitchen. He glanced into rooms as they went. Many of them where now bereft of furniture. "It's been tough here, hasn't it?"

Scorpius said, "Mother and father had a hard time trying to make ends meet after Grandmother passed..." He hesitated, waiting for his grandfather to yell at him not to speak of her. When he didn't, he continued. "You didn't notice things were gone, and money was in short supply. You just kept on borrowing and spending it on your friends."

Lucius stopped and turned to face the boy. "I was in a terrible place. I could not see past my pain and the alcohol. Friends were the only thing that kept me going... and my hate for the people I felt were at fault." He said, "Let's get the food. I need to say this all to your father, too."

The little house-elf they found in the kitchen let out a scream of fear when she saw Lucius.

"Posey, isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded, backing away and trembling.

"Posey, there's no need to fear me. Scorpius and I have come for some cheese, bread and juice."

"Juice?" Scorpius asked.

Lucius nodded. "It's best I don't start drinking again, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, Grandfather," Scorpius agreed readily.

The little house-elf was eyeing him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I will get it, sir."

"No, no. I'm sure you have enough to do. Scorpius and I will gather the things if you will just direct us." He started to look around and said, "I don't think I've ever been here before."

Scorpius exclaimed, "Really," He laughed and said, "Grandfather, you've lived in this house for 40 years or more, haven't you?"

Lucius chuckled. "Yes, strange, isn't it? You and I will have to go exploring tomorrow and see what else I don't know about my own house."

"I'd like that. The house has some marvelous secret rooms and passages."

"I do know about many of those," Lucius said as they gathered the cheese, bottle of juice, glasses, a knife, and some bread. They put them all in a basket and carried them back down the long hall to the Great Room.

Draco came forward and said, "Let me help you, Father."

"No, son, you sit and let me wait on you. You've been carrying the load far too long." Lucius sat the basket on a table and set about cutting the bread and cheese while Scorpius, Draco, and Pansy stared. They had never seen Lucius lift a finger to do anything.

After he'd handed them all plates of food, they sat close to the fire and ate in silence, each marveling at the homey feel of it all.

"Draco," Lucius began, "I see you had to sell some things."

Draco paled. "Yes, Father."

"I think we should sell more things, perhaps the mansion. We could move someplace smaller and easier to manage. Posey looks like she's about to drop, and she obviously doesn't and can't keep up with this place."

"All our Malfoy history is here. I'm sorry. I've tried to keep it up," Draco fretted.

"Draco, maybe it's time to make new Malfoy history. We need a new start, don't you think?"

Draco reached out to take hold of his wife's hand. "Pansy and I have talked about it a number of times. But we wanted to wait until you came home, Father. I think this would be something to look into. It could easily pay off the debts and give us a reasonably sized home to live in. What do you think, Scorp?"

Scorpius said quietly, "I love this house. But I think a new start for everyone is a good thing."

Lucius smiled for the first time. "Draco, you know I loved your mother, and I will always keep her in my heart. But I need to be away from the constant reminders. It hurts, and I don't want to go back to where I was after she died." He went to stand by the fire and ran his hand over the tall mantel. "This is the only thing I want to take. This she polished and loved because her father carved it. I have hundreds of memories of her caressing it." He tuned back to look at Draco. "You are so like her in many ways. She was much gentler than I was. She would have never lived a life like we did if she hadn't loved me. She loved you to distraction. You were the best of both of us. Forgive me for trying to turn you. I know you went through agony trying to please me. But it was never your nature to be in the darkness."

Draco nodded. "No it wasn't, Father. What of the painting? Would you like to talk to her?"

Lucius reached over and touched his son's cheek. "Do you think you might call me dad?" He ignored Draco's comment. "Let's make it a new life completely. No more formal stuff. Let's be a family. You're a son I can be and am proud of." He then turned to take Pansy's hand. "You, my dear, are beautiful, and you have given my son an amazing wife and me a fine grandson. Forgive me for basically ignoring you for so long. You are a good mother." Draco was looking at him with hope and also like he was an alien.

Lucius laughed and then sobered and explained. "Thank Severus Snape for my new attitude. I was dying in Azkaban. I'd be gone if he hadn't come to see me and worked to make my conditions bearable. I did a horrible thing to his wife, and he's forgiven me. He and I were very close when we were kids, and what happened in between was both our faults. I want to live again, and that means letting go of all the old hate and prejudice."

Pansy said, "Sir, I would love to have us all be a family."

"Dad," Lucius said, giving her permission to call him that.

Draco seemed to stand taller. He'd gotten used to standing with a slump, looking down at his feet, and not meeting people's eyes because of the family shame.

Lucius noticed that he smiled now. It lit his face up. "You were such a happy child. I would enjoy seeing a happy adult son. I'm exhausted, though, tonight. Tomorrow we will make solid plans for this family's future."

Draco came closer to Lucius. They looked at each other for a moment and then gave each other an awkward hug. Lucius gave his grandson a hug and said, "Come on, Scorp. Let's go upstairs. I'm worn out."

Pansy gave Lucius and her son a hug. Then she and Draco watched Lucius and Scorpius go toward the hall and the staircase to the upper floor.

Draco tried again, calling to him, "Please, Dad. It's time."

Lucius nodded.

Draco turned and gathered his wife close. "I have dreamed of this kind of life for us all my life. I spent most of my childhood in fear of that man. He was always so cruel. I just can't fathom this, Pansy. I'm thrilled and scared it will go away at the same time."

Pansy reached up to push the blond hair away from his forehead. "Let the fear go, Draco. Believe that he is in earnest. I see such a change, and I would never have believed it myself."

Draco bent to give his wife a kiss and said, "Let's go to bed."

Scorpius and Lucius came to Scorpius' bedroom door. The room was lit with many candles, and a fire blazed in the fireplace. Posey had gotten the rooms ready.

"Good night, Gramps," Scorpius said with a grin.

"That's grandfather to you. I don't think I can stand that less formal greeting," he said with a laugh. "I'm not a hundred."

"Yes, Grandfather." Scorpius grinned. "Sleep well. I am looking forward to our explorations tomorrow," he said. Giving Lucius a hug, he turned to go to his room.

"I will show you some more secrets of this place. Sleep well, Scorpius." He watched until Scorpius' door was closed behind him, and then he went on down the long hall to the room he'd been using for a long time. But he looked toward the last door. He took a deep breath for courage and then went to the last door. He took hold of the doorknob and turned it. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped in.

The room was lit and warm, and he discovered that nothing was missing. Draco had left his rooms the same. Caeser, his one surviving old dog, came slowly. It licked his hand. Lucius went to one knee and hugged the large animal to him. He finally stood and sent the dog to wait, beside his chair, for him. He walked slowly to the large fireplace and raised his eyes to look at the painting of his wife. He hadn't been in this room since her death. He'd known she'd be there, and he hadn't been able to face her.

"Narcissa." Tears blurred his vision as she smiled down at him.

"You have come, my love." She studied him, and then her own eyes filled with tears. "You have finally found yourself again. You are the young man I married."

"Yes, with the Dark Mark gone, it was easier to accept help and change." He fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, Narcissa. I'm sorry. I failed you."

"You never failed me, Lucius. You failed yourself. And the Dark Mark poisoned you. My weakness was never your fault. But look at you, my love. You are a man to be proud of."

"Draco and I spoke of leaving here and starting over," he told her.

"It is a good plan. Just take me with you," she begged.

How could he ever have thought to leave her behind. She had been and still was his life. Lucius, buoyed by her uplifting words, said, "I will. I was so afraid to face you. Now I have so much to tell you. I'm sorry it took so long."

"Time here doesn't matter. Now sit and tell me all about what has happened. You look thin, Lucius."

Her voiced faded as his voice, strengthened by her look of love, became stronger and surer. He sat in the chair beside his dog. His hand stroked its warm head. Sleep forgotten under the adoring gaze of his wife and best friend, he began to bring her up to date on his life.

Lisa, thank you so much for being such a great beta.