Amortentia

Chapter Eighteen

Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire, England
Date: Monday, 13th of December, 2021

Lucius gripped the rim of the porcelain sink and tried to steady his shaking hands. Incoherent thoughts swirled in his brain as he gazed into the mirror. He didn't recognize the man staring back at him, similar to his return from Azkaban. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

Sabrina left him again; she has no family or wedding activities in Paris. Lucius couldn't fathom what had her out there for so long all of the time. He glanced out of the loo toward his empty bed that he currently shared with no one.

His heart raced as he continued to get ready for the day. He tied his blonde hair back with a black bow and strutted out of the room. The snake cane he took as his prized possession was gripped tightly in his hands as he lost himself to his thoughts.

He stared up at the family portraits as he slowly strolled by them. Every Malfoy to ever exist stared back at him as he made his way to the family room. With Sabrina and the children gone, it was eerily quiet. Anita hadn't left Arabella's room since Abraxas's death. He couldn't bother her with his concern. She would come out when she was ready.

His snake cane hit the wooden floor loudly. The days all of his children came into his life were his happiest memories. He never thought he would be as happy. Narcissa changing the floors, however, rivaled them. Her remodel brought the manor out of the dark ages.

His steel-grey eyes wandered over the framed photo of his family. It was taken a little over a month after finding Arabella. It was an off-guard picture that no one thought of after that day. Jenna and Draco were arguing with each other while Elliot was grinning at the camera. Cygnus had a hand on his wife's hip, also laughing at his grandchildren. Druella stood leaning against her husband while smiling up at him.

In the center of the photo stood Narcissa and himself. Both of them were laughing at each other, not paying attention to anyone or the camera. It was as if they thought they were alone. His heart skipped a beat at the thought.

  Anita and Abraxas held hands and smiled at their family from the left side of the photo. There was a slight gap between them and the group. Lucius remembered that Draco had set the camera up, and they walked in last minute. Their reactions and poses were genuine. It made the picture even more special.

"In the photograph were all smiling," His back stiffened. "but our memories from that day are far from the happiness represented in that picture,"

"Draco," Lucius turned away from the photo. "What brings you here this fine morning?" he stepped closer to his firstborn.

"I came to check on you," his tone suggested that it was obvious. However, his face told Lucius differently.

"What are you doing here?" Lucius asked again. His voice sounded the way it used to, strict and filled with exhaustion.

"You're making a mistake. I wanted to remind you of what you would be missing out on if you continue with your marriage,"

He brushed past his father and started for his childhood bedroom. Sighing, Lucius decided to follow his son into his bedroom. A grin swept over Draco's face when he saw that everything was where it had been. His mother made sure of that. Time stood still in his old room.

"Do you remember all of the quidditch games we went to together?" he ran his hand over the Ballycastle Bats flag while asking. It hung next to his Slytherin one. He smiled at all of the signatures from his Seventh-year team. It had been a year of redemption.

"Yes," Lucius answered.

"Wouldn't it be nice to take Arabella and Elliot to one? Or even the new baby?"

  Lucius frowned as he realized he had never thought about that. He and Draco did an abundance of things together. They went to quidditch games; he taught Draco how to fly and cast spells. Narcissa dealt with his feelings and showed affection. He was never that type of person.

  His son picked up his old Quidditch broom and studied it. Every dint and scratch told a story. Lucius had instilled that in him before his first practice. No broom was ever perfect. If it remained so by the end of the season, you didn't play correctly.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind knowing how to fly." He added, not knowing his father's thoughts. "They will never be as close as you and I, or even mother. However, you should try. It may surprise you what your children are like,"

Draco set the broom down in its forever resting position and examined the rest of the room. His eyes fell on his neatly made bed were many he cried many tears. There was a time when Lucius had done the same but never Narcissa. She held herself together in front of him. He shuddered knowing she had been more afraid than him.

"Don't you want those same experiences with them?"

"Why can't I have those with Sabrina by my side?"

Draco shook his head, "Your children despise her! You would be saying goodbye to all of us if you married her. You would never see us, our spouses, our children ever,"

"You can't pressure me to love you mother," Lucius stated.

"I would never," he stated. "I just believe you are making a grave mistake marrying Sabrina. If you go through with this wedding, you may lose us all,"