For Our Parents Willed So

For Our Parents Willed So

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Shocking News

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It was two weeks to the summer holidays, and almost midnight. Lucius Malfoy was sitting in the kitchen of his home, lazily sipping his tea. Idly he noted that his father would have been devastated at that, but the dining room did seem too exaggerated for a simple cup of tea, and besides, his father wasn't there anymore. And wouldn't be, not ever again. Thank Merlin for even that little mercy.

Despite the late hour, Lucius was unable to find sleep. Partly this was due to his worry for his fiancé. Sirius hadn't sent a single owl, even though he'd vowed to borrow one of his family owls to tell Lucius that he was okay, so that the Potions Master could pass the knowledge further to the teen's friends. The Blacks would never allow Sirius to owl any of his Gryffindor friends, but they would surely let him contact his Slytherin fiancé, wouldn't they?

At least they should have. That was exactly why Lucius was worried.

"Masters Lucius!" said just then a shrill voice next to him. "Masters Lucius, there is being a guest on the doors!"

This certainly made him jump up from his seat. Forgetting all about his tea, Lucius drew his wand, turning towards the house-elf who'd just come to inform him about the unexpected visitor. "What did this guest look like?" he asked sharply. "Do you know who it is?"

"Barty is knowing, Masters Lucius!" replied the house-elf excitedly. "It is being Masters Lucius's fiancé, Masters Lucius!"

This certainly made him hurry. His wand still at ready, Lucius rushed to the main doors of the Manor, opening them ajar with a single wave of his hand. Behind the doors he saw a tattered form of a teen clutching his side, half sitting, half lying on the stairs.

"Sirius," Lucius breathed in shock as he recognized the battered form to indeed be his future spouse. "What the Hell has happened to you?" He hadn't even stopped his sentence as he already ushered the young wizard inside the Manor, pulling the doors closed behind them.

"My father - the fucking bastard," the black-haired teen mumbled through clenched teeth, still clutching on his side. "Performed a - test spell - on me -" A ragged breath, then, "He said I - wasn't supposed to - be a virgin anymore -"

Hearing these words, Lucius felt his heart sink. If Solomon Black had dared to -- if he'd hurt Sirius that way -- he'd kill the man. No matter what would happen, he'd kill the man. Clapping his hands, he summoned a house-elf to the place. As soon as one popped to sight, he said hurriedly, "Prepare a room for my fiancé next to my room. And wake my mother, she'll know what to do." The creature nodded, then disappeared with another popping sound.

"Don't wake - anyone," Sirius struggled to say with a soft tone. "I'm not - worth the trouble - I cause you."

"Oh, shut up," Lucius simply huffed. Noticing that the younger man had a lot of problems to even stay upright by himself, he casted a lightening charm on him. Then he scooped Sirius to his arms, ignoring the weak protests the Gryffindor was attempting to make. Not bothering to wait for the house-elf's return, he started carrying his battered load to the direction of his room.

As he reached the wing where his room was, he noticed another door already open next to it. Stepping to the room, he found a freshly laid bed, and laid Sirius down on it.

"And now, my dearest fiancé," he said, starting to browse through the numerous bags he always carried on his hips -- he wasn't a Potions Master for nothing, after all -- "explain exactly what happened to you."

"The bastard - beat me," said Sirius, obviously struggling to form coherent words. "He said I wasn't - to endanger - a perfectly good engagement - with my childish fears." Tiny tears appeared to the corners of the grey eyes as he went on, "I tried to explain - but he wouldn't listen. Just kept telling - that I should have - submitted to you - and that he'd teach me - how to do that."

The cold fingers of fear wrapped themselves around Lucius's heart. Taking out a vial of healing potion, he motioned to the boy to continue.

"At first, it was just that - talking," Sirius said, but stopped as a huge coughing fit hit him. When he removed his hand from his mouth, Lucius noticed with a startle the tiny droplets of blood on the pale hand. "He beat me - and threatened me. Sometimes, he would - stab me -"

"Please stop," Lucius pleaded, unable to bear hearing the laboured speech. "Drink these, and sleep. My mother is a qualified mediwitch, she'll take care of you. We'll talk more in the morning." He handed the teen a strong healing potion, a liquid to stop him from drowning into his own blood, and, after a moment of thinking, a dose of the Dreamless Sleep potion. Sirius downed them all gratefully and soon fell into a deep, potion-induced sleep. Lucius stayed beside the bed and watched the younger man, deep in thought.

"Luce?" asked suddenly his mother's voice from the doorway. "What's wrong?" As Junila Malfoy stepped into the room and saw the battered form on the bed, she gasped in shock. "Isn't -- isn't that -"

"Sirius Black, my fiancé," Lucius finished calmly. "Yes. And I do believe he needs all help you can give him."

"Anything that I can do, I will, that's for sure," she muttered, drawing her wand from the pocket of her morning gown. "Who did this?" was the question she asked first as she started to cast scanning charms on the abused teen.

"Solomon Black," Lucius said coolly. "Or, if you prefer that term, a dead man."

"His own father?" The witch's eyes widened in horror. "How could anyone -- Oh, Merlin," she stopped, watching as the results of her spell came into her sight. "I don't believe this. I don't want to believe this."

"What is it?" asked Lucius anxiously. "I'm not able to read the scan result. Please, tell me what's wrong with him."

"A punctured lung for starters, due to several broken ribs," Junila said. "Ten broken and three bruised ribs, to be exact. And bruises covering almost his whole body, a fractured wrist and arm, seven of his fingers snapped broken on purpose, twenty-three stab wounds, including two that have penetrated his palms, -"

Lucius's head was beginning to spin, but he forced himself to listen.

"- And most of the rest on his stomach, a severe case of malnutrition, many of his internal organs bruised or otherwise damaged, a fractured hipbone, cuts in his arms, sides, and legs, and then, the worst of all." Junila looked up to her son, tears shining in her eyes. "He's been raped, more than once -- and at least one time has happened with a knife."

Covering his eyes with a trembling hand, Lucius whispered, "Oh, Salazar... That man is going to pay."

"Of that, I have no doubt," his mother said firmly. "But now, we must concentrate on healing the poor boy."

Without more talking, they both started to do their best to heal Sirius.

*

"What do you mean?" asked Lucius, frowning disbelievingly at his fiancé. "Surely I didn't hear right?"

"I don't know what you heard," said Sirius dryly. "However, I said that I don't want you to sue my father."

"Why the hell not?" the Slytherin demanded. "He deserves at least Azkaban for what he did to you, and many years at that. A Dementor's Kiss, even, if you ask me."

"I don't care whether he goes to Azkaban or not," said Sirius quietly. "He may do whatever he wants and it's fine with me, as long as I don't have to go back to him. I seriously don't think I could face him in a courtroom, hear his lies, and tell the truth I know."

"I understand," replied Lucius quietly. "At least I think I do. If that's what you want, then fine, he shall not have a trial or be tossed to Azkaban. But you don't have to return, if it's up to me."

Just then, the door opened. Junila Malfoy's worried face peered in. "Boys, I have bad news," she said with a very quiet, almost trembling voice. "Solomon Black is demanding Sirius back home."

At this, the teen's eyes widened with shock and pure fear. "Don't make me go back there," Sirius begged. "Please, I'll do anything, just don't make me go back to where that bastard is!"

"I'm sorry, but we have no say in this," Junila sighed, shaking her head. "Until your father has been proven guilty, he has the power over you, as you're still only sixteen. As your older fiancé, Lucius could claim custody over you until you become of age, but your father's demand is even stronger than that."

"If you go back to him, he'll kill you," Lucius said gloomily. "You're the only one who can witness against him. If he could have hurt you this way, I have no doubt he would kill you without thinking twice."

Sirius pondered this for a moment. Then, raising his desperate eyes to the blond man, he said quietly, "Marry me."

"Excuse me?" asked Lucius, startled.

Drawing a deep breath, Sirius repeated, "Marry me. That way, he cannot demand me back there. It cannot be difficult for a Malfoy to get a permission for the marriage even though I'm still sixteen." A sad tone in his voice, the boy added, "Please?"

Lucius swallowed. He had thought about this option, too. But there was one detail preventing it. "Sirius," he said slowly, "no matter what kind of a ceremony is used, there's one thing that any wizarding marriage requires to be completed. And that thing is the wedding night."

The teenager still met his gaze steadily. "I trust you," Sirius said hoarsely. "I know you won't hurt me. Please, Lucius... I'll do anything to stay away from him. And I do mean anything."

From his words and the way they were said, along with his expression, Lucius understood what Sirius truly meant. The thing being, the boy was ready to kill himself rather than to go back into his father's hands.

"If you are ready for it," he said slowly, "then I am, too."

Junila's expression brightened immediately. "Great!" she said. "What about if we have just a simple bonding as soon as possible, and a large one with all the old ceremonies once Sirius graduates?"

"Sounds good to me," said Sirius shyly. He still hadn't got used to having Lucius's mother around, even though he'd spent most of the last Christmas break at the Malfoy Manor. "Lucius?" he asked, turning towards his fiancé. "What do you think?"

"I see nothing wrong with that particular plan," the blond said, shrugging. "How soon is as soon as possible?"

Junila smiled slightly, her eyes twinkling in a way that resembled horrifyingly the way Headmaster Dumbledore's eyes behaved. "How does tonight sound?"