Chapter Text
Lucius Malfoy was doing last minute preparations.
He was really happy. A few weeks ago Harry Potter killed the man who held the Wizarding World hostage for good. Now the blonde was finally free, partially that is.
To be thoroughly happy he only needed a little thing. Actually it was the most important thing.
He signed a few documents and tied them to an owl to be sent off. In a few hours he could finally be on his way.
“Did you just sign your will?” came a spiteful voice from the door.
Suppressing his anger Lucius turned around gracefully.
“Draco, what are you still doing here? I clearly told you that I do not want to see you or Mother in here.” The young wizard scrunched his face, then grinned viciously.
“As if you had any right to tell me anything.”
“In this house I do.”
“Ugh just be quiet scum. I only packed the rest of my stuff. You didn’t really think that I wanted to be in your impure company longer than necessary.”
“Until recently you couldn't be near enough to me”, the politician replied in the same spiteful tone. “I only did that out of necessity. That madman had to be stopped and we needed the mortals that you like to surround yourself with to accomplish that.”
Lucius rolled his eyes.
“Even if you don’t like to hear it, we’re mortal too, you know?”
“You are indeed. You’re a freak though. What a shame Mother didn’t drown you before you got us in trouble.”
“We’re not allowed to harm each other. Also, the only person who brought shame upon the family was Bellatrix.”
“Another crazy one, at least she was more bearable than Andromeda and you.”
“If you’re finished I’d like to enjoy the rest of my evening and that is not possibly in your company.”
Draco grinned arrogantly at the elder man.
“You’re right, enjoy your last hours being hopeful. No later than tomorrow you won’t have any hope left, I made sure of that. At least the smirch will be gone from our family.”
Draco turned around to leave but stopped at the door to look back again.
“And your will?”
Lucius tried to contain his anger for he wished he could teach some manners to that arrogant creature.
“Of course.”
“At least you will make him happy once that way.”
The boy left the manor.
As soon as he was gone Lucius strengthened the wards on his home. He didn’t wish for uninvited visits by his family.
Lucius went to the visitors room where Severus was waiting for him while nursing a Whiskey.
As soon as he saw his friend he poured him a glass as well.
“You look like you could use it.”
“Thanks. Draco was here.”
Severus scrunched his face. “I guess he wanted to talk you into incandescence?”
The politician nodded.
“He said I should enjoy my last few hours with hope as I would be losing it all tomorrow.”
Severus looked sadly at his friend of many years. The man didn’t have it easy because of his family. And that little obnoxious creep really did everything in his power to make Lucius’ life miserably.
“Luc, I know Draco tried many different things to get the boy to hate you. I’m sure it didn’t work though.”
Lucius laughed humorlessly.
“And why exactly do you believe that? He probably won’t let me speak.”
“You’re mistaken. If I’ve learned one thing about him it is that he can forgive everyone. He even cried when he killed Voldemort.”
An incredulous stare was thrown his way.
“Why did he do that? That bastard killed his parents and many others.”
“You will have to ask him yourself.”
The potions master nipped at his drink and looked at the blonde. This man went through many more things through the years than anyone would believe.
Lucius stared into his glass.
“There’s a difference between the grief of having to kill someone and forgiveness.”
Severus nodded.
“Indeed. He even forgave me. Trust me, the boy is way too stubborn to care about other people imposing their views on him.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am sure. If he won’t listen I can talk to him and he has always listened to me.”
The politician laughed again.
“While grinding his teeth, yes.”
“In the end he did. Trust me, he's more like his mother than like James.”
Lucius was startled, looked around and pulled his wand.
“What?”
“You just said the boy is like his mother. The world is going down.”
Severus threw an angry glare at him.
“Really entertaining my friend.”
The two of them sat together for another hour while Severus mostly calmed his friend down.
---
It was the 31st of July. Today Harry Potter would be 17 years old.
Lucius would have wanted to visit him as soon as the clock struck midnight. He probably would have been kicked out without being heard though.
When he reached the house of those muggles he got sick to the stomach. Every house on the street looked the exact same. How could one live like that? Didn’t these people have different personalities?
He walked up to number four and rang the bell.
After waiting a little he heard a booming voice.
“Tuney, someone’s at the door.”
“I know, why should I open it? It’s the freaks job.”
“He can’t open the door. Dudley and his friends beat him um yesterday.”
“Fine, I’m going. The lad will pay for that. I even had to cook.”
While Lucius asked himself who ‘Freak’ was and what a weird name that was steps were approaching the door.
“What do you want?”
The aristocrat raised an eyebrow.
He could see the knees of the woman in front of him getting weak. That was a typical reaction amongst humans if they saw his species. Especially noticeably in muggles.
“Mrs. Dursley?”
“That's me”, breathed the woman while her cheeks turned red.
“May I come in?”
The horse-faced woman stepped to the side without hesitation.
“Who’s there Tuney? Do they want to sell something to us?”
An obese man exited the adjacent room. He stopped with his mouth wide open.
The reaction was starting to disgust Lucius. It was one thing if someone adored him but they didn’t have to give him that drooling gaze.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Lucius rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I want to visit Mr. Potter.”
Both the woman and the man squeaked.
“Why would you want something from that freak? He isn’t worth being in your presence. Wouldn’t you want to eat with us?”
The mask of the blonde almost slipped after hearing the invitation of these fat humans. He could imagine far better things than eat at the same table as that ‘thing’.
He also noticed that ‘freak’ wasn’t a name but an insult.
Now that Lucius concentrated, he could feel that something wasn’t right.
“Where is he?” he whispered.
Shivering, the muggles pointed up the stairs.
“The room with the locks on the door”, stammered the woman.
Lucius raised his eyebrow again.
“You two stay here.”
The humans nodded.
Lucius hurried to the door. Luckily it wasn’t locked. The man could clearly feel that something wasn’t right at all now. The muggle neighbourhood wasn’t the cause of the gut feeling he had earlier.
He opened the door and stepped inside.
What he saw froze the blood in his veins. The room was tiny. There was an owl cage on a broken table with the beautiful snowy owl of his small boy.
Next to it was a tattered bed where a petite boy was laying on.
The thing that got Lucius’ blood boiling was the multitude of injuries of the teen.
The man approached the bed cautiously.
“Who?” croaked the boy.
Lucius bend down.
“Mr. Potter, it’s me. Lucius Malfoy.”
Perplexed, Harry looked at the man.
“What're you doing here Mr. Malfoy?”
The politician cautiously brushed against the boy's forehead.
“Getting you out of here.”
Another confused stare met him, after which the boy closed his eyes and slept again.
Lucius didn’t hesitate and gently picked up the boy. He opened the owl cage with a spell.
“I will bring your familiar to Malfoy Manor.”
The owl immediately rose and flew out of the window. It seemed to know he wasn’t going to harm the young wizard.
He descended the stairs again and saw that the two muggles were still standing in the same spot.
“Where are his things?”
The two were startled and looked at him.
“Why would you want those?” asked the man.
“Where?”
Lucius didn’t need to usher another word. The woman immediately moved and opened the cupboard under the stairs.
He pushed the female ‘thing’ to the side with a growl and began to bring out the possessions of the boy.
He then turned to look at the two humans.
“You will not leave this house until I come back. Who is responsible for the state the boy is in?”
“Our son and his friends”, wheezed the man.
“Then he will stay here as well.”
The blonde vanished in front of the Dursley’s shocked faces.
Back in the manor Lucius stormed into his room. On his way he screamed.
“Severus, come here immediately! He’s hurt.”
It would be enough of a message to alert his friend.
He deposited the light load of a boy in his bedroom.
“What happened Luc?”
The addressed stepped to the side to reveal the sight of the boy.
Severus gulped and got to work.