The Malfoy Love

Lucius stood by the large window in the sitting room, admiring the way the house elves looked like they were about to break under the strain of weeding and de-gnoming the garden. His beautiful wife Narcissa and his perfect son Draco entered, and Lucius smiled.

"Look at this, my pretties," he said and swept his arms towards the working house elves. His hand connected with something soft, and he turned in surprise to see what it was.

Draco and Narcissa were both looking at him with wide eyes, and Draco was touching his cheek gingerly.

"What--" began Lucius in concern, watching as Draco's eyes filled to the brim with tears.

The child turned on his heel and ran out of the room, screaming and flailing his arms.

"DADDY HATES MEEEEEE!"

Lucius looked after Draco in surprise and turned to Narcissa.

"What--" he began again, but lost his train of thought at the cold fury in his wife's eyes.

"You hit our son," she whispered dangerously, and Lucius swallowed.

"I didn't mean to, I didn't see him, I was just--"

"You hit. My son." Narcissa was advancing on him, and Lucius winced. He'd known her aunt; the similarities were clear in this instant.

"YOU SHAMELESS, ABDOMINAL, PERVERTED, MUDBLOOD-LIKE CHILD ABUSER! HOW DARE YOU BESMIRCH THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!?"

Lucius decided against pointing out that technically, it was the house of his fathers, as implied by the name Malfoy Manor. Maybe all Black women had to scream about their ancestors.

"HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF HUMAN? YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN THE DISGUSTING HALF-BREEDS MY FILTHY COUSIN LIKED TO SPEND TIME WITH!"

Uh-oh. If her old grudge against Sirius Black (filthy mudblood-lover that he was) was to enter the conversation, he would have to listen for days.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! OUT!"

Lucius gaped at Narcissa. She had denied him access to the bedroom before, but never the whole house.

"What do you mean, out?"

Narcissa's incensed glare was the only reply he received.

"You can't throw me out!" Lucius drew himself up to his full height. "I am the master of this house!"

Narcissa growled.

"I'll be at the Leaky Cauldron," said Lucius and stepped into the fireplace.

***

When Lucius had left, Narcissa went in search of her son.

"Draco, dear?" she called softly and knocked on Draco's bedroom door.

"GO AWAY!" wailed Draco miserably. Narcissa opened the door to find her precious son weeping on the bed.

"Oh, darling!" She ran over to the bed and gathered him into her arms.

"He hit me," wailed Draco miserably into her shoulder.

"I know," said Narcissa, a steely edge appearing in her voice. Then she remembered that she was talking to Draco, not her worthless husband, and her voice took on the soft, soothing quality again. "Don't worry, mummy won't let that horrible man come near you ever again."

"Promise?" mewled Draco, and Narcissa nodded.

"And tomorrow, I'll take you to Hogsmeade and buy you as many sweets as you like. How does that sound?"

Draco grinned at her, and seemed happy. "Can I go kick the house elves now?"

***

Lucius stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky cauldron without so much as stumbling. He looked around the pub, which to his pure-blooded, aristocratic senses seemed like the epitome of seedy. He made his way over to the bar and ordered a butterbeer; if Narcissa sent one of the house elves after him, he didn't want to be inebriated.

He sat down at a table, glaring imposingly at all the people around him, none of which seemed to notice him.

What an outrage, he thought. I am, after all, a Malfoy. They should be lining up to kiss my feet!

He sipped at his butterbeer and started contemplating his sorry fate. He hadn't meant to hit Draco, he really hadn't. He'd rather submit to Crucio than knowingly hit Draco! He promised himself that the day he wanted to hurt Draco, he was going to help the house elves de-gnome the garden. No, he was going to de-gnome the garden himself!

After nursing his butterbeer for a while, he got to his feet with the intention of buying Draco a gift. He preferred to sleep at home, even if Narcissa forced him to sleep on the floor, so he went in search for something relatively harmless to give his son.

He went past all the respectable shops in Diagon Alley with determined strides. He was going to Borgin and Burke's, Draco's favourite shop next to Honeydukes (though the child would never admit actually liking so childish a place as Honeydukes).

"Hello, Mr Malfoy," said Borgin, the slimiest man alive (which, in Lucius' opinion, was a feat when Severus Snape was still breathing) when Lucius entered. "What brings me the pleasure of your visit?"

Lucius looked as uninterested as humanly possible. "I need something relatively harmless for my son, Draco."

Borgin frowned. "Is he misbehaving?"

Lucius' nostrils flared. "I will give him a gift, and I do not with for my son to cause severe harm to anyone. At least not until he's graduated from Hogwarts."

Borgin bowed deeply. "I see, Mr Malfoy. I am terribly sorry for misreading your intentions so severely."

"I should hope so," said Lucius with an ice-cold glare.

"Let's see now," said Borgin, searching the shop for the perfect gift. "How about a rattle?" Borgin shook it, and Lucius felt shivers running up and down his spine.

"He already has one of those. And besides, he's not that young anymore." Lucius also dismissed a silver knife ("He doesn't associate with werewolves"), a box of non-toxic but dangerous potions components ("Do you realise what could happen if one of those potions made its way to our food!?") and a book with glamour charms ("..."). Finally, he spotted a horrid mask Draco had wailed about wanting the last time they were here, and after paying for it, he took the shop's floo home.

"Draco?" he called timidly upon stepping out of the fireplace. "Narcissa?"

His wife appeared in the doorway, and Lucius held up the package defensively. "IhaveapresentforDracoandI'msorryIhithimIdidn'tmeanto," he said in one breath, and Draco appeared in the doorway.

"Did I hear the word present?"

Lucius smiled and nodded, and Draco ripped the paper open, recoiling at first at the sight of the mask. "Thank you, dad!" he said with a smile, and went for the door, presumably to scare the house elf to death. When he was just about to exit the room, however, he turned around anxiously. "We will still go to Honeydukes tomorrow, though, won't we?"

Narcissa nodded with a sharp glance at Lucius, who nodded as well. He didn't want to disturb the fragile peace.

Draco smiled and left the room, and all was well in the Malfoy household.

"You're still sleeping on the couch tonight."

Or, as well as you can expect.