Marrying Lucius Malfoy

It was a cold, dark day that threatened to rain. Blackish-gray storm clouds had begun to gather twenty minutes ago and the group of witches and wizards gathered in the Hogsmeade Cemetery were looking up at the sky with worried expressions on their faces. Though there were many people gathered at the funeral of Narcissa Malfoy not many were there because they had loved her or felt close to her. To be honest, Narcissa had been something of an ice queen. As the wife of a Malfoy, one of the purest of magical bloodlines in Europe, she considered herself to be better than all the others wives of Dark Wizards.

In fact, not even her husband, Lucius Malfoy, seemed terribly saddened by the murder of his wife. A few gossips that knew the family whispered amongst themselves that it had been Lucius that had poisoned her, and not some bad fish or whatever excuses the forensic scientists had come up with.

Only her sixteen-year-old son, Draco, seemed to be sad. He stood next to his father, muffling his sobs into his black scarf while his two cronies watched him uncomfortably. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were two human hulks, not good for much save flanking Draco and looking ominous. Finally the service ended and the coffin was lowered into the cold earth. After dropping a black rose, which his mother had grown, Draco followed his father on foot towards the various cars parked at the cemetery's gates.

"Mr. Malfoy! Yoo-hoo! Mr. Malfoy!" Lucius and Draco turned to see a tall, bony, read head woman in a long green coat rushing towards them. Draco watched as his father gave a weary sigh and ran a hand threw his blonde hair.

"Go along to the car, Draco," Lucius said, and Draco sensed that his father was seeing this woman out of duty and not out of will. "I'll be home in a few hours. If I'm not then don't wait up." Draco opened his mouth in protest but his father cut him off. "Go, Draco. If you really don't want to be alone than go home with one of your schoolmates."

Draco nodded and trudged off. He knew well, though, who that woman must be. He thought back to a conversation he had heard between Mrs. Goyle and Mrs. Parkinson, two days after his mother had died. It had been one of those it-never-leaves the room conversations, and Draco knew they never meant him to hear it, but he had been hiding in the closet as Mrs. Goyle began to tell Mrs. Parkinson about a rumor she had just heard...

~*~

"He'll be looking for a wife in days, I'm sure," Mrs. Goyle said. Draco knew better than to speculate who they were talking about. He knew that his father considered himself to be back on the market and that it would only be a matter of days before he had a stepmother.

"Oh, but Marcia!" Mrs. Parkinson cried, her eyes widening in mock surprise, "so soon after Narcissa's death?"

Mrs. Goyle had snorted before saying, "So soon? My dear, Lucius Malfoy has wanted a new wife long before Narcissa died. Word around town is that he has a new girl all lined up. Selina Julliard is her name, and she's only three years older than Draco!"

Mrs. Parkinson gasped with a mixture of delight and horror. "Only nineteen? But why would the poor thing's parents marry her off so young, I wonder?"

Mrs. Goyle chuckled deviously. "Oh, didn't you know? Esme and Simon Julliard were murdered one week ago, along with their other daughter, Sydney, and Esme's nephew, Bruce," she paused long enough to allow Mrs. Parkinson another gasp, "and she has no other family to speak of. The only woman left that she really knows is a lady by the name of Debra Smith, her godmother. Ms. Smith set it all up, for her own reasons, of course." There was another pause. "She's an American southern belle, I hear."

"Really, now! When will the wedding be?"

"Whenever a dowry is worked out, I suppose. Selina isn't even coming to meet Lucius until the wedding day," Mrs. Goyle sighed sadly. "I do pity the poor thing...Coming all the way to a new country to marry a man over two times her age! And to op it all off is Lucius's less than shining reputation..."

"And you really think that he'll marry her? I heard there was a lovely Italian veela in line!" Now Mrs. Parkinson sounded doubly interested.

"Oh, I'm sure he will. From what I hear the Julliards were very rich...Lucius would be acquiring all her wealth and property as well!"

"How awful...But what did you think of Pansy's new dress robes...?"

~*~

The ladies had tired of the subject and the conversation had turned from Draco's new stepmother to Pansy Parkinson's new dress robes. As Draco watched his father and the woman talking animatedly, he sunk into the seat of the car. His mother's death had been a hard blow, though he had never really shared a great mother-son relationship with his mum. But he had loved her, simply because she was his mother.

As the car pulled away from the graveyard, Draco stared up at the dark gray sky. He doubted his mother was up there, though, for she had been nothing like an angel in her lifetime. But the thought was comforting, and all the way home he imagined that Malfoys became angels when they died.

~*~

Lucius was tiring of Debra Smith. He dearly hoped that when he was married to this Selina Julliard that he would not have to put up with her annoying godmother as well. Lucius had only seen a few pictures of her, but already he anticipated marrying Selina. She was pretty in a classic sort of way, pleasantly plump with a full head of copper curls and lively green eyes, though she was nothing like the beauty Narcissa had been. Maybe she would bear him more children...more potential heirs, lest something happen to Draco.

"So, Mr. Malfoy, do we have a deal? I'll give you four thousand galleons for a dowry and you'll marry Selina?" Debra asked in her southern drawl, crossing her arms and staring at the tall blond man. Lucius didn't answer. Already the marriage was starting to sound business like.

"Very well. I agree to the terms of this...marriage. Come to my manor tomorrow and we can work out the date, location, and technicalities of the wedding over tea. Be no later than four; I have to see Draco off at Platform nine-and-three-quarters at seven tomorrow evening. Is this all understood?" Lucius looked down his pointed nose at Debra, who was smiling.

"It is all understood Mr. Malfoy. I think this is the beginning of a long and fruitful marriage." Both parties shook hands and turned the opposite ways, though both were smirking for the same reason.

~*~

At that very same time, over two thousand miles away, in the state of Alabama, the girl called Selina Julliard cried silently into a white silk handkerchief. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see her best friend, Riley Bryce, was crying too.

"We'll get through this, girl," Riley whispered, squeezing Selina's arm. "We'll get through this together." Selina smiled a little through her tears and nodded.

She and Riley had been friends since they had attended Serendipity's Academy and Preparatory School for Witches, located in Louisiana. They had met on the small, private boat that took the thirty girls that attended Serendipity up a bayou and to the school. Unlike the wizarding schools in Europe, where there were great, open spaces of land to hide gigantic schools, American wizarding schools were often only sixty or so miles away from small, remote muggle towns. Serendipity was fifty-eight miles from a tiny muggle farmhouse, but only ten miles from Legerdemain's Magical Institute for Wizards, the source of men for girls who attended Serendipity.

Selina was a small, easily frightened girl at the time. It was her first time away from her mother and Bruce--her cousin and best friend. While the other girls mingled on the deck of the boat Selina had slipped through the door that had led down to the cargo area of the boat, running smack dab into Marilee Justine Bryse, or Riley, as Marilee preferred to be called. After many apologies had been exchanged, Riley had all but dragged Selina up to the deck, introducing her to all four of her sisters: Sara, Rebecca, Penny, and Luella.

From there on out the two had become attached at the hip. Riley was wild, outspoken, and, when called for, rude and sadistic. Where Selina was timid Riley was bold. Every other summer, for two weeks, Selina staid with Riley, who came from Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Serendipity Riley had moved to Jasperite, Alabama, though, a small all-wizarding community and Selina's home town. And, for a while, everything had been perfect...

"It's almost time for you to say your part about Bruce," she whispered back, jerking her head to the front of the church, where two black caskets stood, the lids on both of them closed. It had been Riley's idea to have a joint funeral between Bruce and Sydney. The two girls had already attended Selina's mother's and father's funeral, and Riley had said that they might as well eliminate one more reason to bawl their eyes out

The murders had been a total surprise, of course. Selina had been out that night, partying at Riley's cousin's boyfriend's birthday bash. She had had to sneak out, though, and later the detectives had said thank Merlin she did. The murderers--it was determined that there were three--had been on a rampage and they would have killed anyone who got in their way. When Selina had asked what the murderers wanted, someone had answered that a young girl such as herself shouldn't be putting her nose where it didn't belong.

That was all she knew. Since the murder was still under investigation no one could tell her anything, but every other day Detective Ilene Hampbell would stop by Debra Smith's house--and Selina's current location--to check up on her. Selina's thoughts were cut short when Riley stood up and walked to the head of the church, standing behind a grand podium. Bruce had been her off and on boyfriend for the past three years. His murder had hit her harder than even Selina.

As Riley began to speak of her relationship with Bruce, Selina allowed her mind to drift to her relationship with Sydney, her older sister. Sydney had been something of an enigma to Selina. She had been nine years older than Selina and had been to Serendipity when Selina was barely one. Though she had come home in the summers, she usually left for a friend's house four weeks before the school year began and, therefore, she and Selina had never really gotten to know each other.

When Sydney left home and moved in with her boyfriend, Darryl Simmons, Selina had been only nine. After that Sydney only returned to the Julliard Estate three times, all three when Selina had been away. When she had turned up on the doorstep a week before her murder, Selina hadn't recognized her. Sydney had dyed her hair deep brown and cropped it into a hairstyle just short of being a military crew cut.

The night Sydney had arrived, there had been a long and lengthy argument between her and Selina's parents. The room had been soundproofed by a spell, though, so Selina had no clue what the argument was about. Later that same night she had been reading in bed when she heard a knock on the door. It had been none other than Sydney, dressed in a flimsy nightgown that seemed far too girlish for the image that she put up. The conversation that ensued was one that Selina would never forget...

~*~

Selina was shocked. Did Sydney just say what she thought she said?

"Surprised, huh?" Sydney asked, and a faint smile flickered on her lips for a moment. "We aren't that distant, are we? Honestly, all I said was that I had a present for you!" She held out the box she had been carrying. "Here. Take it. Think of it as a belated birthday gift."

Selina held the box as if it were a ticking time bomb. Never in her nineteen years had she received so much as a dust bunny from her sister, and now a present? There had to be some sort of catch. But she opened the box anyway, just to be polite. Inside was a simple locket, rather large and heart shaped.

"Open it, kid," Sydney said, and Selina did so. Inside was a picture of Sydney, as well as a picture of Selina.

"Gee, Syd," Selina has stammered, utterly shocked, "it's great."

"Thanks. I found it at a jewelry store in Egypt. It made me think of you...Don't know why, though," Sydney said, shrugging. Selina got the feeling that not much of her sister's time was dwelt on thinking of her.

"Well, I'll wear it always," Selina said, trying to make the moment special. Sydney had just nodded and sat down on the bed.

"So, we never really got to know each other, did we?" Sydney asked, and before Selina could say anything, she cut her off. "Well, I can't change the past. You know, Selina, I thought I was doing everything so right, by not including anyone except Darryl and Tyra. But now...with so little time...I can see that I did it all wrong.

"I thought that by distancing myself from you that I was protecting you. But if I had only listened to everyone...If I had only taken the advice that was so often given to me then what must come to pass might not have ever come into possibility. Now no one knows, and no one can stop what is coming! And all because I was too prideful, all because I couldn't see what was right in front of me." Sydney then turned to Selina and looked her straight in the eyes. "Promise me something, Selly," she said in an eerie whisper.

"Anything," Selina had answered, and Sydney almost smiled.

"Promise me that you'll never play with fire. Promise me that you keep your nose out of things that aren't your concern and that you won't mess with what ought to be left alone. Promise me this, Selly, promise me!" And then she had fled the room, leaving Selina wondering of her sister's sanity.

~*~

After that Selina had only seen Sydney a total of four times, and at none of those times did Sydney mention their late night talk, or the locket, or the promise. After the third day Selina dismissed it as an emotional breakdown on her sister's part concerning too much work. Only now did she begin to see it as a possible connection to the murders. But again, like so many times before that week, just when she was getting deep into thought, someone or something interrupted them.

This time it was because the service had ended. People were beginning to stand and make their way to the caskets to say their last respects. Selina walked in the opposite direction. She had seen too many coffins in the past week and she wasn't intent on seeing any more, even if it was her sister and cousin.

~*~

Once outside the church, Selina decided to just apparate home, instead of waiting for Riley. When she arrived seconds later in the foyer of Debra's posh old plantation home, she found her fifty-something godmother rushing up and down the grand marble staircase, throwing just about everything Selina owned into three large suitcases.

When the obviously harried woman caught sight of her goddaughter, she smiled and straitened up. "Ah, Sugar...Just the girl I was looking for. Where were you? Over at Riley's?" Selina rolled her eyes. Besides being overly flamboyant, rude, and forgetting anything the least bit important, Debra had a horrid habit never calling Selina by her real name. Instead she was always referred to as 'Sugar'.

"I was at Sydney and Bruce's funeral," Selina replied stepping over one of the suitcases.

Debra gasped in horror and clapped both hands to her forehead. "That was today? Oh, lord, I feel so terrible not being there...Was it a nice service?" Selina nodded. "Well, that's good. And Sugar, could you run over there and snap that suitcase shut? We're leaving tonight and I don't-"

"Leaving for where?" Selina asked, cocking an eyebrow. Debra Smith was hardly the one to splurge on a trip of such a length that she had to pack most of Selina's robes.

"For Bridgington," her godmother replied. Selina's curiosity skyrocketed. Bridgington was a small all wizarding town--the only one in Europe besides Hogsmeade--that had been founded two years ago by one Lucius Malfoy, a rather shady character in Selina's opinion. Though Bridgington was small and new, it had prospered greatly since the British Ministry of Magic had declared it an official town.

"Why there? That's all the way in a different country! Do you know someone who lives in that area?"

Debra paused a moment and sighed. "Well, sort of. Now listen, Sugar, because you probably won't want to hear what I have to say, and you'll definitely be upset with me, but believe me when I say that I had only you in mind." Selina didn't like where this conversation was going. "You see, Sugar, you're parents were in a lot of financial trouble. They didn't want you or Bruce to know, but they were.

"They owed money to some big company; I never knew what its name was. But your mum told me one day, and said that if they were to die before you reached the age of twenty-one, that I should try and provide for you the best way that I can. And...Well, I found a way for you to keep all your families land and most of its wealth.

"Now, before you get all excited and thankful let me remind you that for everything in life--especially the good things--there is a price. Nothing is absolutely free, and so, to keep all your family's assets you have to marry."

For a while Selina was too shocked to speak. First her parents had had money problems, and then Debra found a way to keep all the land, but to do so she had to get married? It sounded like one of the trashy romance novels Riley devoured. No doubt the man would be three times her age, have at least four children, and walk with a cane.

"Oh, Deb!" she murmured after a while. "I can't get married! I don't even know the man! And what about my friends here? I'd rather lose my money, land, and everything than to leave Alabama and marry some old man!"

Debra put her hands on her hips and glared at her young goddaughter. "Well, Sugar, there's no choice. You'll be marching down the aisle in a few days, whether you like it or not! As for Riley, she can be the maid of honor. I worked it all out with Mr. Malfoy. He said that he'd allow Riley to live in a small country house nearby, and pay for her living conditions, if it'll make you happy."

Yet again Selina had a piece of information to digest. Marry Mr. Malfoy? Wasn't he British? And did she mean Draco or Lucius? Either way, neither man appealed to her as a life partner.

"Lucius Malfoy is a very handsome man," she said, answering Selina's unasked question. The poor girl felt herself cringe. She was marrying the father of a sixteen-year-old boy...She was marrying a man whose dead wife was still warm in her grave! The very sickness of it all became too much for Selina and she fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.