For Our Parents Willed So

For Our Parents Willed So

*

The Attack

*

Lucius watched his younger husband, a slight smile on his lips. Sirius was just playing with his two cats -- now that he wasn't going back to his childhood home, there was no reason to pretend that one of the cats was Lucius's -- with a tiny owl sitting on his shoulder. Sirius had named the owl Pigwidgeon, and when Lucius had amusedly demanded an explanation, the teenager had just said that "Piggy" had looked like a Pigwidgeon. Knowing that there was no use to argue with Sirius about that, he'd given up.

He found it hard to believe just how young Sirius was. Sometimes it felt like he'd seen more life than Lucius himself. After all, Lucius had at least had a caring mother, and his father had never abused him, although he had been pressured so much that he'd almost joined Death Eaters. And most certainly he'd never been tortured as badly as Sirius had been.

It was truly unfair. He knew very few people more joyful and caring than Sirius, and even fewer people who deserved to be hurt less than Sirius -- and he also knew very few people who'd been hurt as badly as his husband had been.

"Lucius?" asked Sirius suddenly, startling him from his thoughts. "Why do you look so thoughtful?"

"Because I was thinking, obviously," the blond replied dryly. Then he sighed, shaking his head slowly. "This is all just so -- I don't know, so pointless, in a way."

"Pointless?" Sirius echoed, looking alarmed. It was rather obvious what he was thinking.

"I don't mean our marriage," Lucius hastened to say. "No, it's about the only truly good thing that has come from this. I just meant that your father's doings aren't making any sense. At first he tortured you because we didn't sleep together -- and now he's mad at me because we got married! I mean, what is he looking for? What could possibly make him satisfied?"

"Nothing, I fear," muttered Sirius. "He's always hated me. He doesn't need any real reason or even an excuse to hurt me or anybody associated with me."

"Well, at least he cannot get his hands at you anymore," Lucius said confidently. Then he sighed a bit. "Do calm down, Sirius," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you. Have you owled your friends about your birthday, by the way?" he asked then, hoping to turn the conversation into happier topics.

Truly, Sirius brightened up a bit. "Yes, I have," he said. "James and Severus will surely come, but the others haven't replied yet. I do think they'll come, though," he said.

"Well, that's fine," the blond said. Then he asked, "What do you want for your birthday, anyway?"

"About anything is fine with me," the teen replied, shrugging a bit. Then he added with a sigh, "Nothing involving Quidditch, however. That wouldn't be of much use."

Lucius nodded slowly, his mouth set to a serious line. Sirius would never play Quidditch again, they both knew that. Even though Junila had saved his life, she hadn't been able to save the punctured lung. He was able to live normally, but he would have to avoid overexertion for the rest of his life. It was a pity, really, for a teen as active and energic as Sirius was, but it couldn't be avoided.

Lucius sighed again, shaking his head slightly. Solomon Black would truly pay for everything he'd done.

"I have some business at the Diagon Alley," he said to Sirius. "I don't think you'd much enjoy coming with me, it's rather boring. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Okay," said Sirius, raising his eyes from his cats. Then he added with a bit quieter voice, "Be careful, though. My father is an evil man, he might very well seek revenge."

"Oh, I do hope he will." With this and a dangerous smirk, Lucius slipped his wand to sight from his sleeve. Putting it then back to its hiding place, he continued, "Have no worry, my dearest husband. I'm more than capable of defending myself. And he wouldn't dare try anything in such a public place as the Diagon Alley, anyway." However, he failed to mention that some of his business would be at the Knockturn Alley. There was no reason to worry Sirius any more, now was there?

*

A sudden sound made Lucius turn his head. His wand at ready, he peered at the shadowed alley. "Who's there?" he asked warily.

He got no answer. Instead, he heard a whispered, "Expelliarmus." Before he could do anything, his wand had flown away from him. After that, a spell had dragged him to the alley. Nobody saw this assault.

'Solomon Black must be insane,' he thought as he faced several maliciously grinning wizards. 'Nobody else would dare to attack a Malfoy. He must be truly insane.'

Then, however, one of the wizards casted a bodybind on him. After that, the first blows landed, and he did not think anything anymore.

*

Lucius's eyelids felt leaden. With a great effort he forced them a bit open. Instantly he was rewarded by Sirius's relieved cry, "He's awake! He's awake at last!"

"S-Sirius?" the blond asked. He could hardly make out the figures of his husband and mother.

"I'm so sorry, Lucius," Sirius sobbed as soon as the blond man could focus his eyes. "It's all my fault. They attacked you only because of me. If you hadn't helped me, you would be all right!"

"Calm down, Siri," he said with a raspy voice. Turning then his head slowly towards his mother, Lucius said, "I feel weird... What happened?"

"A group of wizards attacked you and beat you," Junila told with a grim expression. "We found you at the threshold with no message. We're assuming that they were sent by Solomon Black."

"Figures," muttered Lucius. "He's trying to get back at me. Why on Earth, I cannot understand. Didn't he beat Sirius just because he was afraid of Siri spoiling our engagement? So what reason does he have to be mad at me now that we're married?" As he caught the sad flicker in Sirius's eyes, he immediately regretted his words. "Oh, forgive me, Siri," he sighed. "I didn't mean to remind you of that. I'm sorry."

"Lucius," Junila cut in. "There's something you absolutely have to know."

"What is it?" asked the wizard. Taking one careful glance at his mother's pale face and Sirius's distressed expression, he frowned. "I am not going to like this, right?" he guessed.

"Well... No, I don't think you will," sighed the witch. "The best mediwitches and mediwizards available all did their best. They managed to clear almost all traces of the attack... all but one." She briefly casted her eyes down at her hands before raising them again at her son. "Your both legs are paralysed, Lucius, and will most probably be that for the rest of your life. You'll never again be able to walk on your own."

For a moment, Lucius just stared at his mother, the gravity of her words not sinking in. When he finally realized what she meant, he sighed deep. "This is so my luck," he muttered.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered. "It's just -- I'm just so sorry, Lucius."

"Don't be," the blond sighed. "It's not your fault. It's anything but your fault that your father is a bastard, just like it's not Severus's fault that his father is one."

"I know that," replied the darkhaired teen quietly. "But I also know that Severus's father never took his anger out on anybody else but his son. Nobody else ever got hurt because of that."

"Oh, shut up," snapped Lucius. "If you truly think I'll allow you take the blame for this, you're sorely mistaken. And if Solomon Black thinks he can scare me away, he's mistaken, too. As he seemingly is not going to let it drop, I won't rest before he's taken off to Azkaban and the key has been thrown away."

"He's a Black," Sirius said gloomily. "Do you think anybody would dare to even touch him?"

"He's maybe a Black, but we're Malfoys," Lucius said firmly. "Do you think anybody will dare to not imprison him if I tell them to do that?" With a smirk, he added, "Now that I am at it, I might manage to ensure that Philip Snape gets what he deserves, too. They have him in the Auror's Guild's cell, sure, but he's managed to avoid an Azkaban sentence this far. It's about the time for it to come to be."

"Well, now's not the time for that," Junila said strictly. "You can plan your revenge later. Right now, you will eat some. You've been unconscious for four days, you surely need a proper meal!"

"But, Mother --" Lucius tried, but was interrupted harshly.

"Don't you are to argue with me!" she snapped. "I'm a qualified mediwitch, and your mother. If I don't know what's the best for you, then nobody does."

Sirius snickered, and Lucius shot him a glare. "You're my husband," he muttered with an accusing tone. "You're supposed to defend me, not side with her!"

"Lucius," Sirius said calmly, "if you had a Malfoy for a mother-in-law, would you dare to argue?" After a moment of pondering, Lucius shook his head. Junila shot them both a glare, then huffed, and exited the room. The two wizards smirked at each other.

*

"I will not sit into that." Lucius watched the offered chair with a look of distaste on his face. It was a rather ordinary-looking, narrow armchair with a tall back. It also had two shiny wheels of magic spinning on its sides. To put it simply, it was the Wizarding version of a Muggle wheelchair.

"Oh, yes you will," Junila said firmly. Then she took a more tempting tone. "Come on now, Lucius," she said. "You cannot spend the rest of your life in your bed. You have to be able to move around."

As the blond still didn't seem ready to give in, however, Sirius decided to put his best charm into the game. "Please, Lucius?" he asked with wide puppy eyes. "Try it at least once, just for me?"

Lucius glanced once into those eyes, their grey depths so similar to his own eyes. Then he sighed. "Fine," he said. "But only once. I refuse to go around in that horrible device."

"Be glad that it's at least magical," Junila said calmly. "We could have got you a Muggle one, you know."

"Merlin forbid that," muttered Lucius. He still hadn't stopped glaring at the object in question. However, when Sirius offered to help him move to the wheelchair, he waved his husband off. "I can very well manage it by myself," he replied curtly. "Just put it beside my bed." As they obeyed, Sirius holding the chair at one place, Lucius then settled his hands on the armrests of the wheelchair, collected his strength, and then lifted himself to sit on the chair. With a smirk to his tiny family's direction, he said, "As you see, I'm not completely helpless even if I cannot walk around."

"Fine, you've proved that very well indeed," Sirius said, attempting to get a light tone into his voice. "Now prove that you're not afraid of using a simple wheelchair. It's easier to move in this than in a Muggle one, anyway -- this can cross thresholds and move up and down stairs."

"Very well." Lucius snorted. "And how exactly am I supposed to make this move?"

"Now, that's easy." Sirius grinned. "You just tell it where to go -- or, if you prefer being quiet, you can simply tap the front of the armrest to make it go forward, or the side to make it turn around. Another tap stops it. Don't worry, though," he added then as he saw his husband's doubtful expression. "Tapping the top of the armrest has no effect on the chair -- a fortunate thing, considering your habit to do that."

"Very funny, indeed." Still looking doubtful, Lucius reached out his hand to tap the front of the armrest. To his surprise, the wheelchair indeed began rolling forward. Soon he had managed to lead his new vehicle around the room under the amused eyes of his husband and mother.

At last Lucius stopped. As his mother demanded his opinion, he said sulkingly, "Well, it's at least better than being bedridden. Can it really move over thresholds or in the stairways?" he then asked doubtfully.

"Come on, we'll prove it." Still looking doubtful, Lucius followed Sirius to the door of the room. Like every doorway in the Manor, it, too, had a rather sizable threshold. To the blond man's great astonishment, however, the magical wheels simply rolled over it. When they came to the stairway, however, he stopped the chair. "If this does not work, I'll go down those stairs rather uncomfortably," he said. "It's bad enough that I cannot walk, I most certainly will not risk my life only because you trust this stupid thing."

"Very well, then." Sirius walked around him and stopped in front of him. "I'll hold onto the chair here, on the front, and Junila'll be on the back. We won't let you fall down the stairs even if the magic fails. Promise." As Lucius still didn't seem to believe, he sighed. "Just trust me on this, Lucius. Please?"

Lucius sighed, unable to resist his husband's puppy eyes this time, either. "Whatever you say," he muttered. "But my life will be on your conscience if something bad does happen."

The magic didn't fail, however. After Sirius had also proved that he could move up the stairs as well, Lucius finally sighed in resignation. "Have your way, then," he muttered. "I will use this wheelchair. However," he added as he saw the not-even-almost triumphant grins on his family members' faces, "if either of you dares to treat me like I couldn't take care of myself, you'll regret it. Do you understand?"

"Somehow, Luce m'dear," Sirius said dryly, "I don't think that sitting in a wheelchair can make us treat you any more like that than your previous firm determination to spend all your life in the bed."

Now Lucius raised an amused eyebrow. "Why, as long as I'm concerned, the only one to be taken care of when they're in bed are you." As his husband blushed, he asked, "Are your insufferable friends coming here for your birthday party, anyway?"

"Well, most of them are," Sirius replied. "In fact, only Lily can't come. Her overprotective parents seemingly aren't willing to let her to any strange place. They're afraid that her friends might hurt her."

Junila rolled her eyes. "And you didn't tell me?" she asked. "Tell her to bring her parents along for a visit. If they're satisfied with what they see, they'll surely let her stay here for the rest of the holidays."

"But Mother!" exclaimed Lucius. "Evans's parents are Muggles!" Even Sirius looked startled.

"Your point being?" the witch asked snappishly. "You should know by now that it does not matter, Lucius. The only thing that could come from that is that they might have some difficulty getting here, and we can always send somebody to fetch them, right?" At both her son's and son-in-law's doubtful gazes she then said, "Oh, drop it, you two. The Manor will not kill them, and neither will I. Sirius's friends hopefully will not kill them, and if you do that, Lucius, I will tie you to your bed and keep there until one of us dies."

So, the matter was almost settled. They only had to convince Lily's parents of the plan as well.