Apology For the Devil

Author's Notes

This program brought to you by myself and my terrific beta, Monargh. Cheers!

Chapter Nine--Summer School

Aye, but isn't the man who chooses the bad in some way better than the man who has the good forced upon him?
[Alex, Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange"]

Knowledge is power.

[ Sir Francis Bacon]

###

Because Lucius didn't have use of his wand, Abraxas was forced to come up with other ways of training his son. Fortunately, he had already planned a number of non-magical lessons for later in his son's education, so it was just a matter of reordering them.

Early in the summer, after a lesson on magical theory, Abraxas mentioned the first part of the new curriculum.

'Lucius, I am going to teach you how to fence.'

Lucius took to the idea as only a thirteen-year old boy fascinated by weapons could do. Swords were so cool. But it was a mere five minutes into the first lesson that he was brought back to earth.

'Why am I teaching you this, Lucius?'

Somehow 'because swords are awesome' didn't seem like a very good answer.

'To...have another way to get an advantage?'

'Close enough,' his father approved. 'Fencing teaches speed, agility, and hones quick reflexes. All of which are crucial elements of a good duellist. The odds of you ever having to truly fence someone are slim at best. Swordplay is incredibly out-of-date, and only useful as a training tool.'

Fine, Lucius thought petulantly, but swords are still awesome. Abraxas passed him a foil, and Lucius was highly sceptical. This was not a sword. This was...stiff wire attached to a handhold. It wasn't even sharp!

'This is a sword?' Lucius asked in puzzlement, and with no little distaste.

'It is a foil,' his father corrected coldly. 'If you show me that you can learn with it, we may move on to sabre or epee. But if you are expecting hulking broadswords you will get nothing out of this.'

Oh.

'Come over here. Let me teach you a proper grip.'

###

Tuesdays they spent fencing, Fridays on theory, and occasionally they would meet on Sunday just to talk.

It was why Lucius was a bit nervous as he approached the door to his father's study on a Wednesday evening. They never met on Wednesdays. They'd see each other at dinner, of course, but otherwise, they kept to themselves. Lucius sometimes wondered what it would be like to live in a household where his father could be found every day of the week, whenever Lucius wanted to visit him. But that wasn't how things worked.

Despite it being Wednesday, his father had asked for him after dinner, so here he was. The door was closed and, Lucius discovered after a wary inspection, locked. He knocked softly. No response.

He knocked louder, starting to think that perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. Then he heard stirring within; the sounds of a chair being pushed back, papers being shuffled, and a door, or maybe a drawer, closing.

Just as he was making himself ready to knock for a third time, the door opened.

His father ushered him into the room, closed the door and locked it behind them. He added another locking spell to the door before turning back to Lucius. He began speaking in a level, unconcerned tone.

'Our lesson today will be a bit different. If I show you what I plan to, you must swear not to reveal it to anyone, including your mother, for as long as you are underage. Then you may use your discretion.' His voice hardened a bit. 'Are we clear?'

Wow. Whatever it was that Abraxas was about to show him, Lucius had no doubt that it would be amazing. Secret, perhaps highly dangerous... There was just one thing.

'Yes, Father. But--'

'Yes?' Abraxas' tone was cold and challenging.

'It's just...you said that 'underage' was an arbitrary distinction made by the Ministry. So--'

'Are you going to challenge me on this point, Lucius?' The words were dangerous and a bit threatening. If Lucius had held any desire to dispute the terms, it certainly would have disappeared.

'No Father. I was just...trying to understand the reasoning.'

Abraxas closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. Lucius knew that as the you-are-trying-my-patience look.

'If you'd rather not discuss it now, Father, I can always--'

'No,' he said tiredly. 'It's a good question. The restriction is arbitrary, but a line must be drawn somewhere. If I am to choose an age at which you are to be given discretionary authority, it will, by necessity, be arbitrary.'

Discretionary authority? Sometimes his father was overly academic.

'The difference is that the Ministry is placing unreasonable restrictions and setting them to expire arbitrarily.' He fixed Lucius with a level gaze. 'Do you believe me to be unreasonable?'

'No,' Lucius replied quickly. 'No, Father, I wasn't...I didn't mean I wasn't going to abide by the terms, I just wanted to understand them.'

'Do you understand now?'

Sort of.

'Yes, Father. I understand.'

'Then are we through with this topic?'

'Yes, Father.'

'Good.' Abraxas sighed. 'Shall we move on, then?'

He didn't wait for a response before leading Lucius to the far corner of the room. Abraxas raised his wand, and Lucius watched expectantly for the piece of magic that was so--illegal? dangerous? What could be so important that he wasn't allowed to discuss it at all, ever.

But no grand spell came. Merely a whisper and a trace of Abraxas' wand across a panel of the wall. Lucius was singularly unimpressed, until a door opened in the previously unmarked panelling.

With gleaming eyes, Abraxas entered through the door and motioned for Lucius to follow. Another spell shut the door behind them and lit the torches that lined the spiral staircase where they were standing. It was a small space with steep marble stairs that curled around a thin pillar. Lucius wondered how far down they went.

'Come.'

Abraxas began descending, and Lucius fought to keep up with the long strides of the taller man. They occasionally passed doorways; Lucius could only assume they led to the lower floors of the Manor. They went past four doors, and still they descended, below the basement that was the house-elves' domain. Finally, they hit the packed dirt floor at the base of the stairs. The dirt contrasted sharply with the polished marble of the staircase, but Lucius didn't have long to dwell on that before his father was walking once more. They passed through a doorway, leaving the stairwell. This time, Abraxas didn't bother to shut the door behind him.

They paused in the rectangular entry room just through the staircase door. Lucius almost ran into his father after he abruptly stopped. The walls of the room were thick grey stone, and the floor was the same packed dirt as the bottom of the stairwell. It was chilly, confirming Lucius' suspicions that they were below the basement. There were three other doors leading from the room; one on the wall opposite the stairway, and two on the wall to Lucius' left.

'Choose a door.'

Lucius randomly pointed at the one nearest to the stairway. Abraxas nodded, and Lucius tentatively moved towards it. Remembering cautions from earlier lessons, he looked back at his father.

'Is it safe?' he asked. A slight smile crossed his father's face, and he nodded once. Lucius grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

Whoa. The room was filled with an assortment of clutter--clutter that, at second glance, was all incredibly Dark in nature. There was a rack of poisons, and multiple weapons and cursed items filled the slightly decrepit shelves.

'Father--'

'Do you know what these are, Lucius?'

'Not...exactly. But they're all really Dark. Dark, illegal objects, every one of them.'

'Precisely. Please, don't touch anything.'

An instruction that might have been more useful five minutes ago, had Lucius not already figured it out for himself.

'Do you know what they all are, father?'

'We keep--have kept--a log. Each acquisition is added by description and effects, and when it is used, sold, or altered, a note gets added. So, yes, I do.'

Wow. Lucius continued perusing the room, carefully not touching anything. 'You would be in so much trouble if the Ministry found out,' he whispered to himself. Abraxas heard the comment.

'This is precisely why the Ministry never will find out.'

Lucius thought that his father was belabouring the point a bit, but he supposed that he would belabour the point too if it meant the difference between Malfoy Manor and Azkaban.

'Come.' Lucius was led back to the entryway of the strange subterranean complex. 'Pick again.' Lucius chose the second door on the long wall.

'It's safe,' Abraxas said without being asked. Lucius opened the door.

This room was entirely different from the first room they'd seen. Dense maroon carpet covered the floor, the walls were panelled with dark wood, and the shelves were straight and strong.

These shelves held books. Hundreds and hundreds of books. Careful again not to touch anything, Lucius perused the titles. Dark Creatures--a Handler's Guide. The Book of Shadows. Dark Rituals--Find and Bind Your Enemy's Mind.

It's all Dark Arts, Lucius thought passively, and this library is huge. It was only half the size of the grand library upstairs, but the fact that 80% of the books were illegal and the others hard to find made this library much more impressive than the other.

'Do you like it?' his father asked softly.

'It's lovely, Father,' Lucius said with a soft caress in his voice. A peaceful grace adorned Abraxas' features.

'I thought you might.'

Lucius' fingers itched to pull down one of the volumes then and there, but he restrained himself.

'Come,' his father said, this time with a bit more reluctance in his hard, abrupt tone.

Once they were back in the entry, Abraxas went to the third door. This one was apparently not safe, and his father disabled several curses that had been laid on the door handle. Lucius only recognized one, but it was a nasty one.

They entered, and were confronted by a space as wide as the entry, but only about five feet deep. More packed dirt flooring, and dense stone wall. Abraxas revealed another unseen door with his wand, and they entered the third room.

This room was colder still, and consisted of a thinner hallway lined with sturdy doors. The pair stopped midway down the hall.

'The Malfoy dungeons,' his father murmured in a low tone, the only voice that seemed appropriate for such a dismal place.

Wait...did he say dungeons?

'Do we...why do we need a private dungeon, Father?'

'There is a long and complicated history surrounding it, which you can read about in the library.' Not much doubt about which library he meant, thought Lucius.

'Primarily,' Abraxas continued, 'it was used for prisoners taken in wars with other ruling families. The hope was that they could either be ransomed or persuaded to give information.'

'Persuaded how?' Lucius asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

In lieu of answering, his father led him to the end of the hallway and through a larger, sturdier looking door.

When they walked in, Lucius' stomach turned. Stone walls and floor, stone ceiling, and a faded chalk circle drawn in the centre of the room. Any symbol drawn on the floor was typically the focal point for very complex and very dark magic.

In addition to the clear signs of ritualistic magic, the walls were adorned with sharp and unpleasant-looking metal implements. The floor also sloped downwards slightly from the centre, with the middle of the chalk circle at the peak height. There were grooves cut into the stone that led from the circle to the room's perimeter. They're there for collecting blood, Lucius realized, and his stomach contracted again.

Yes, he could see how that might be persuasive.

But with the revulsion came a morbid fascination that frightened Lucius a bit.

'Would you show me one of the cells, father?'

Abraxas gave his son a curt nod before leading him into the cell across the hall.

The room was small, as expected, with the same grim stone walls as the rest of the dungeon. The floor was covered in rancid looking straw that looked prickly enough to be little better than the solid stone flooring it covered. The ceiling was low, and the only opening was high in the wall where a small chute emptied, presumably to deliver food to the poor miscreant. Lucius shivered, and it wasn't due to the cold.

'Come,' his father said once more. Lucius wondered if they would go back to his father's study now that they had seen the sub-basement--and secretly hoped there was another level somewhere with more Dark surprises. They went back to the entryway, and Abraxas opened another of his hidden doors. It opened to reveal a tunnel, an arched stone ceiling with dirt at their feet. Abraxas removed a torch from the entryway, and father and son followed the tunnel.

They stopped midway through at another room, which Abraxas explained held a small portion of the Malfoy fortune--useful should their assets be temporarily seized. They came to a dead end shortly after that, and Lucius waited for the next hidden doorway.

This time it was a trapdoor that came down from the ceiling to reveal a staircase. They ascended, and Lucius was surprised to find that they were at the edge of the grounds.

'It never hurts to have another way out,' his father said simply, but his words were laced with other meanings.

Lucius couldn't have agreed more. He started walking back toward the Manor, but his father's voice stopped him.

'Lucius, where are you going?'

'I thought we were through; I was going home.'

'We are through, but imagine what the household will think when you walk in the front door despite your being upstairs with me in my study. Do you care to tell me how you would explain such a phenomenon?'

'I forgot about that.'

Abraxas sighed. 'At least you're honest about it. Come.'

They went back through the tunnel, into the entryway, up the stairway and back into the study. Abraxas sealed all four doorways on their return.

'Before you leave, let me teach you how to reveal the doors--with the understanding that you will always tell me you are going down before you do.'

Over the next twenty minutes, Lucius learned how to open and close the secret doors, though he wasn't able to actually practice doing it, thanks to his wandless state. His father informed him of the other places within the Manor where doors could be opened--in the second floor guest bedroom, the drawing room, and the blue room on the ground floor. And, of course, the kitchens, though Lucius doubted he would ever venture down there. When his father unlocked the study door, Lucius went to his room and fell gratefully into bed.

###

Summer was winding down when Abraxas announced that he and Lucius would be taking a trip to London. Lucius had assumed they'd head to Diagon Alley to buy his school supplies, but the day before they left he saw a pile of his new books at the foot of his bed. So they weren't making purchases for him after all.

He met Abraxas in the entry hall, where he was handed a jar of Floo powder.

'Borgin and Burke's,' Abraxas said clearly as he stepped into the fireplace. Lucius followed suit.

Once they had arrived in Knockturn Alley via the Borgin and Burke's Floo, Abraxas performed a Cleaning Charm that removed the soot from their robes. Lucius was glad they'd flooed; however dirty it was, it was much more comfortable than Side-Along Apparition.

Abraxas was well acquainted with the proprietors of the shop, and Lucius stood patiently by his father's side while they chatted. Chatting, of course, was really making a sale, but the men enjoyed pretending it was a social call. Why don't they just make the exchange and call it done?, a fidgety Lucius wondered.

When his father was done dealing with Mr. Borgin, he and Lucius exited the shop with a 'thank you' and smiles.

Though dingy, the street was full of life. That life was grimy, clung to the shadows and smelled bad, but it was a busy street regardless.

Lucius saw an old hag (or she looked like a hag) pushing a cart with assorted bottles and phials for sale, all filled with murky contents. He saw a few scantily clad women whose attire made him blush and turn his head away. He saw a store selling large spiders and thought about the giant spider that Cassidy claimed lived in the forest.

'Lucius,' Abraxas interrupted his thoughts. 'Do not shrink against the wall like that. Stand up straight.'

Lucius tried, but he felt ridiculous walking down the street so boldly. Everyone else was slinking in the shadows. Only he and his father were striding down the centre of the street. Lucius supposed it was because Abraxas really felt there was nothing to fear from being seen.

He took Abraxas' advice only when he realized that staying in the shadows would mean he couldn't stay next to his father. He hurried to keep up.

As he was running, he tripped over his own feet and nearly fell when someone steadied him. He looked up to tell the person thank you, and let out a strangled cry when he saw a tall thin man with blind, white eyes.

'Don't cry, little boy,' the man croaked. Lucius backed away, only to run into a second person. The new hands grabbed Lucius' shoulders from behind and spun him around. Lucius nearly screamed again, when he saw who it was.

Abraxas.

'Keep up,' his father said shortly. The blind man scurried away.

Lucius followed his father into a shop on the other side of the street, and waited dutifully at Abraxas' side while he and the shopkeeper made small talk. Then they left, and moved on to another shop a few doors down.

It quickly became apparent that they weren't looking to buy anything. They were on Knockturn Alley to socialize with the people who lived there.

The stops were never very long; Abraxas would walk in, he'd exchange greetings with the owner, introduce Lucius, and inquire after business. Once or twice, Abraxas would promise to introduce the store owner to someone else he knew.

'Mr. Moyer, I really should have you meet Mr. Lancaster. He's a dealer of fine art, though he does other business on the side. I should think that the two of you would get on famously.'

The store owners would leap at the invitations, insisting that they would love to meet Abraxas' other contacts.

And with closing farewells, father and son would move down the alley.

Nearly everyone they spoke to said that business was booming. They attributed the increased sales to an upsurge in Dark activity. The majority seemed to link the rise in activity to the followers of a man who styled himself Lord Voldemort. He held rallies in the area, and each one seemed to lead to a wave of impulse purchases.

They left Knockturn Alley, but repeated the process down Diagon Alley. It had been over two and a half hours and Lucius was rapidly losing patience with pretending to be interested.

Fortunately, visiting friendly shopkeepers wasn't Abraxas' only agenda for the day. He had scheduled a meeting with a Mr. Medes, owner of an institute whose scientific discoveries challenged those of the Ministry--both in quality and in quantity.

They met Mr. Medes in an office he had on the third floor of a Diagon Alley building. They took the lift up, Lucius surreptitiously checking his appearance in the mirrored wall.

Lucius wasn't exactly clear on what his father did; he knew it involved vast sums of money, but that was about it. He supposed that he should learn about his father's line of work eventually. He would probably be doing the same thing after graduation.

They came to a reception area, where a simpering woman told them that Mr. Medes would be out to see them shortly.

'I see,' Abraxas responded frostily, clearly put out at being kept waiting.

In a few moments, Mr. Medes emerged; a tall, energetic fellow with a ruddy complexion. Not at all someone that Lucius would have pegged as a researcher.

'Mr. Malfoy,' he said, shaking Abraxas' hand.

'Mr. Medes,' Abraxas returned the greeting and, as he had been doing all afternoon, placed his left hand on Lucius' shoulder to draw him into the conversation.

'Is this your son?' Mr. Medes asked.

'Ah, yes. May I present my son, Lucius,' Abraxas said, and Lucius shook hands with Mr. Medes.

'Let's all go back to my office. Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Tea?'

'No, thank you,' Abraxas said without looking at Lucius. Lucius started trying to figure out why his father would categorically decline refreshment for both of them. It came to three possibilities: it might be poisoned (unlikely), it might be against protocol or etiquette (possible), or it might be part of the intricate game his father always seemed to be playing (likely). Or maybe he just forgot I was here.

It was no use trying to guess at Abraxas' motives.

They reached Mr. Medes' office, and Lucius was impressed. Far from his father's book-lined study, the office was airy and light. It had cream walls, teak floors, and a window overlooking Diagon Alley. There was a medium-sized desk with a chair behind it, but there was another half of the office that merely had four squashy leather chairs. The few shelves held pictures, mementos, and the occasional book. The walls were covered in framed newspaper clippings and awards.

On the whole, Lucius liked it. It was much less imposing than his father's, though that really wasn't saying much.

'I have two pieces of business that might interest you, Mr. Malfoy. One is an investment opportunity that we hope will interest you as much as our past projects have.'

'I'm sure it will,' Abraxas said smoothly. 'Your institute does good work, Mr. Medes.'

'Thank you, Mr. Malfoy,' Mr. Medes said graciously. 'The other matter is a pending patent. I know you don't generally engage in patent matters, but I thought that this one might interest you.'

'I see,' Abraxas said pensively. 'Go on.'

'We've recently developed a potion to regrow bones in those who have lost them for whatever reason. The prototype, Skele-Gro, is completed, but we need to sell the patent to someone we can trust to defend it from being abused. I'm sure you understand that nothing would be worse for business than having to shut down a competing product. If we could prevent these products from being created, it would be better for all. And,' he added, 'you would, of course, derive a significant amount of income from the licensing rights. Money we are willing to pay for this security. Are you interested?'

'I am intrigued, I admit. I would want to see the prototype, and to have a few days to look through the accompanying paperwork.'

'Naturally.'

'I could be quite interested. Your second proposal?'

'More mundane, I am afraid. We've recently bought a property in Somerset, and we hope to turn it into a fully functional research laboratory within five years. This, as you imagine, will cost a good deal of money, and--'

'Mr. Medes, what would this building be used for? General research? Administrative?'

'General research. We hope to move half of our operation from the present location, and to expand all areas. That's the plan as of now,' he stressed.

Abraxas nodded absently, lost in thought. He came back to himself with a genuine and benevolent smile. 'In truth, Mr. Medes, I am more a philanthropist by nature than a businessman. I will agree to fully fund any renovation, construction and equipment that will be necessary. One condition.'

'I...thank you...we...yes?' Mr. Medes was doing a very poor job of hiding his excitement, Lucius thought. He's practically bouncing.

'I want the new locale to include a wing devoted solely to the reversal of effects from Dark spells and objects.'

'It won't be a problem, Mr. Malfoy,' Mr. Medes said in a rush. 'Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.'

'I thank you for all the hard work you do,' Abraxas replied smoothly. 'Not all of us are cut out for science, Mr. Medes, but I like to do what I can.'

They wrapped up the meeting with the logistical details of the exchange. When they were through, a smiling Abraxas and a 'charming' Lucius left the office.

'Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy!' Mr. Medes called. 'Thank you again!'

Once they were in the lift, Abraxas' demeanour changed completely. He seemed to grow tired. His shoulders slumping a bit, he closed his eyes and put a hand to his temple.

'This is why they love me, Lucius,' he murmured bitterly. 'I come to their offices and give them money.'

'Father?' Lucius asked tentatively. But the doors opened, and Abraxas came striding out of the lift as if he'd never said a word.

Lucius followed him back out into the street. Of course they love you, father, he thought sadly. Who wouldn't?

When they got back out on the street, Abraxas was himself once again, though he seemed a bit harsher, a bit more distant. Lucius stayed close behind him and said nothing.

'Lucius, I want you to see one more thing,' Abraxas said suddenly. 'Stay close.'

Lucius obeyed, though he couldn't imagine what might happen to him in Diagon Alley. They walked past Quality Quidditch Supplies, and the Apothecary, and stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Abraxas opened the door and held it for Lucius to go in.

Lucius was quite disappointed that his father wanted to show him the pub, but balanced that against the disappointment he'd had when his father had opened the first of the hidden doors. Suddenly he didn't doubt that he would see something of note.

Abraxas said perfunctory hellos as he made his way through the pub and to the door on the other side. 'Stay close,' he reiterated softly, and took Lucius' hand.

They left the pub and Lucius was immediately barraged by the sound of multiple cars and a loud honking sound, followed by a string of profane yells. There was a rumble under their feet, and Lucius braced himself for some sort of unexpected earthquake. None came, and the people seemed unconcerned. To his left, a stream of people emerged from a tunnel that led underground, and Lucius wondered morbidly what they were doing down in the dark.

What was this place? Was the pub an entry to some sort of...Lucius couldn't even put a name to the strange place. An alternate reality? A different universe? All he could definitively say was that it was giving him a headache.

'Hold on to me,' Abraxas said forcefully, and he Apparated them both home.

'What was that?' Lucius demanded when he saw they were safe at home. 'Father, that last place, that was--'

'It was the muggle world, Lucius,' Abraxas said firmly. 'It was the world that exists without magic.'

'But it was awful!' Lucius said, half-hysterical.

'Lucius, please remember yourself.'

Lucius tried to follow the rules of decorum that he'd been taught, but he kept feeling the rumble under his feet and seeing the brown sky closing in.

'Sorry father,' he shuddered unconsciously.

Lucius never wanted to go back there. And if he could help it, he never would.

###

Later that week, when Lucius had mostly recovered from his startling foray into the muggle world, he asked his father another question that had been weighing on his mind.

'Father,' Lucius asked the next time he was called to the study, 'aren't you worried that people will think you're Dark, if you know so many people in Knockturn Alley?'

'I wouldn't say that I worry about it,' Abraxas responded thoughtfully, 'but it is something I need to be aware of. When you dabble in darkness, you must always display yourself as a paragon of goodness. I have plenty of friends and contacts who will defend me, should I be accused behind my back.' He leaned back in his chair. 'Very few have been foolish enough to accuse me to my face.' Abraxas curled his lips into a smile at a memory.

Lucius wanted to ask what had happened to them, but wasn't sure he wanted to know.

'Is that why you meet with people like Mr. Medes? To give money to light causes?'

'Mr. Medes' cause is not only a light cause, Lucius. It is a very good cause. His organization does good work. That is why I support him.'

'We should have him over for dinner,' Lucius said thoughtfully. He had no idea what had prompted the comment, but he suddenly felt like it would be a good idea.

'No,' Abraxas said simply, 'we shouldn't.'

'But why not?' Lucius asked insistently.

'He's a business partner, not a friend. And he's just the sort of man who would confuse the two were we to invite him to dinner.'

'But maybe he could become a friend,' Lucius reasoned.

'No, he couldn't,' Abraxas said finally. 'All you need to do to know that is to watch his eyes when we talk. He could be friends with my money, Lucius, but never with me.'

Lucius nodded, though he still disagreed. He thought that Mr. Medes was a perfectly nice sort of man. But he held his tongue, and began his lesson in Spell Theory.

###

Lucius was unprepared when the elf popped into his bedroom. He'd been drawing a picture of the view outside his window, though it wasn't much of an attempt. When the elf startled him, his quill slipped and drew a great black line across the whole thing.

'Look what you've done!' he snarled at the elf. 'I hope it's important.'

'Please, Master Lucius, sir. It is your father. He is wanting to speak with you in his study, Master Lucius.'

'Fine,' Lucius sighed. He stood and took the familiar route up to Abraxas' study. When he entered, his father motioned for him to sit.

'Lucius,' Abraxas said in a cautious voice, 'I wonder if I might ask for your assistance.'

'Sure,' Lucius said quickly. His father looked at him pointedly.

'Rethink that answer, please.'

Oops. 'Um...what do you need, Father?'

'Better. Never agree until you know the terms.'

'Yes, Father.'

'I'd like your help at the dinner party your mother and I are planning for tonight. I was hoping you might agree to entertain the Black daughters while your mother and I speak with their parents.'

The Malfoys held frequent dinner parties, often to spend time with people whose company they enjoyed, but just as often to strengthen alliances and command attention.

'Of course, Father.'

'Excellent,' Abraxas beamed. 'I will expect you to be ready for our guests at six o'clock sharp. Dinner will be served at eight.'

'Yes, Father.'

###

The Blacks arrived punctually at six o'clock. The adults went to the lounge for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, leaving Lucius to entertain the three sisters. He'd met the oldest two briefly at the Christmas party, and had seen all three around the Common room, but he didn't know any of them terribly well.

He led the girls to the music room, where Lucius called an elf and asked the girls if they wanted anything to drink.

'Water would be lovely,' Andromeda said primly. The elf nodded vigorously.

'May I have a pumpkin juice?' asked Narcissa, the youngest.

'Yes, miss,' the house-elf squeaked. It turned to Bellatrix. 'And miss?'

'I'd like a Firewhiskey!' she said loudly.

A Firewhiskey? Lucius wondered. He wasn't quite sure what to do with that. He knew her mother would not approve, but how to tell Bellatrix 'no' without being a bad host? He paused. The elf turned to him.

'Should Tibby be getting miss a Firewhiskey, master Lucius? Tibby is thinking she is too young...' The elf cringed, expecting a punishing blow. But Lucius took the opportunity that had presented itself.

'Tibby is right,' he said slowly. 'Father told me we aren't allowed alcohol.' It was stretching the truth a bit; after all, Abraxas had never explicitly said anything of the sort. But Lucius had a good idea that if the subject had come up, his father's response would be a resounding 'no.' And little lies rarely got found out.

'Fine,' Bellatrix said, sticking out her tongue. 'I'd like an apple cider.'

'Yes, miss,' Tibby said. 'And master Lucius?'

'Cider for me too, please.'

'Yes, master Lucius.'

The house-elf disappeared, leaving the four of them to sit in an awkward silence that endured until the drinks came. They took their beverages from the elf, and sat back on their respective chairs.

'So,' Lucius said, to break the silence, 'have you been enjoying your holiday?'

They chatted amiably about recent events, the weather, and favourite professors. A house-elf came to announce dinner, interrupting their discussion of who was more terrifying: Ogg the Ogre or Professor Yarrow the Ever Cheerful.

Lucius led them to the dining room, where his parents had laid out a grand spread. He pulled out chairs for the Black daughters and then took his seat between Bellatrix and her mother.

The first course was served; a spinach quiche. Lucius wondered if his parents were trying to torture him with the menu. They knew that he hated spinach with a fiery passion. But he couldn't very well turn down food at his own table in front of the guests. Hiding a grimace, he forced down the first bite of the quiche. It didn't get any easier after that, but he managed to finish the majority of the dish.

The second course came out, a salad made from wild greens with raspberry dressing. Grateful that the salad had no spinach, Lucius tucked in enthusiastically. The girls, meanwhile, were discussing the latest fashions from Milan with gusto. Lucius was quite content to let them entertain themselves. They didn't ask him for his opinion--a good thing, since he had no opinion to give. They continued their conversation through the pumpkin soup and the roast duck. Lucius began to tire of their chatter. He hadn't known there was such a lot to talk about. Even eleven-year old Narcissa knew more than he did. She was arguing with Bellatrix over the use of lace on women's dress robes. The two were agreed, however, that it looked ridiculous on men's formalwear.

Finally, the chocolate flan was carried away and the interminable fashion talk ended. The men got up and went to a lounge for brandy and cigars, and the women went into the conservatory to continue their discussion on plants. Apparently, both women were quite fond of botany and kept apprised of all the latest developments on the subject. Lucius was left again with the girls.

Andromeda excused herself to go to the bathroom, so Lucius waited with the other girls in the dining room for her return. Soon enough, Mrs. Black appeared with Andromeda in the doorway and announced that they would be leaving. Lucius showed the girls to the entry hall, where he and his parents saw the Blacks out.

'Thank you,' Abraxas said to Lucius after they had gone. He gave a brief smile and went upstairs to his bedroom. Lucius did the same.

###

'Lucius,' Abraxas said as his son entered the study, 'you leave for school tomorrow, correct?'

Lucius nodded. 'Yes, Father.'

Abraxas stood and crossed to the other side of his desk. In his hand, he held Lucius' wand. Lucius felt a pang of longing for it. He'd done without for the summer, but it had been constantly clear to him that something was missing. And I go to school tomorrow, he thought with glee, so I'm going to get it back now.

'Do you remember why I have this, Lucius?' Abraxas asked solemnly.

'Yes, Father,' he replied with chagrin. When Abraxas did not speak, Lucius continued. 'It's because I was fighting. And I know I shouldn't have, and I won't do it again, even if--'

'That's quite enough,' Abraxas said sharply. 'The fighting was incidental. It was a matter of control, if you recall. Mastering yourself is an important part of growing up.' He looked to Lucius for a response. Lucius nodded his understanding, but said nothing.

'I'm going to give this back to you now,' Abraxas said, a note of warning in his voice. 'I can hardly do otherwise. I hope you have learned enough not to let your emotions get out of hand.' He returned Lucius' wand. It grew warm to Lucius' touch, and he felt a rush of giddiness at having it back after the long summer.

'Thank you,' he whispered.

Abraxas gave a small smile before turning serious again. 'If anything of this sort should happen again, be assured that it will be dealt with.' He fixed his gaze on Lucius, who gulped before nodding once more.

'Now,' Abraxas continued in a lighter tone, 'let's work through some of the spells you've learned this summer, and then you should go to bed.'

What followed was a purely practical lesson. Lucius worked spell after spell until perfect, as Abraxas would settle for nothing less than perfection. After a few hours of practice, Lucius collapsed into bed exhausted, exhilarated, and ready for another year.