Amortentia

Chapter Thirty

Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire, England
Date: Monday, 20th of December 2021

He didn't need to do this. All of his children were old and powerful enough to help themselves. Malfoy knew this, but as he stepped out of his office tonight, he felt as if he needed to check on them. They had all been through hell, and he was absent for it all.

Lucius quietly opened the door to Elliot's bedroom. The teen, and newly labeled adult, had an arm over his eyes to block the rising morning sun. He slept stiffly on his stomach, almost appearing dead, and didn't care that only one of his legs was being covered by the comforter.

His love for the boy developed naturally over time. They may have adopted him, but Elliot felt like the missing piece to their puzzle. Lucius couldn't imagine life without him. He did, however, wish that his son knew how to keep a clean room. Shaking his head, he shut the door and decided to have that discussion at a later date.

Draco's room resided on the opposite side of the second floor. He couldn't remember why they chose to separate the children this far and with advancing age, sought revenge on his younger self. Peaking his head into the room, a comforting sigh escaped his lips. Although it was decorated darker than the other ones, Draco never failed to keep his room clean. However, it wouldn't shock Lucius to find out he was doing it all for Astoria.

They slept peacefully side-by-side, unfazed by the soft squeak of the door. Draco protectively held her tightly against his body. A lingering side effect of the war. He felt his heart weigh heavily in his chest as he realized it probably ruined their lives in some ways. His son's arm was clenched tightly beneath his pillow. It didn't take a genius to note that he was holding his wand.

He shut the door lost in thought. Before his very eyes, his heir had grown into an adult. Draco was the blessing he and Narcissa had needed in their younger years. Although he had failed his son in more ways than he could count, it was nice to know that Draco still loved and looked up to him.

Both of his sons held a special place in his heart. Lucius's younger self always knew he would be a boy dad, a good one. Death Eater aside, he hadn't treated Draco terribly. He pushed him to be the best and to never take no for an answer when it came to success. Now, he was on his way to becoming the best healer in the wizarding world.

Elliot was going to be an official auror. There was no denying it at this point. Hell, he and Arabella practically held the title now. His son would do great things. He would join the hunt to find the death eaters that went into hiding. He would never let another child go through what he and Ara did. Elliot had Narcissa's heart and would carry it wisely. He would protect whoever he could until his last breath.

He took a flight of steps to the third floor where the master suite and Arabella's official rooms were. After her birthday, they decided to move her closer to them. She had slipped through their fingers before, and they wouldn't let it happen again.

"Alohomora,"

Lucius raised his wand swiftly; his crisp London accent lost in his whisper. He knew that his daughter locked her door for protection purposes. It slowly opened and allowed him to glance inside.

A lump was covered in the thick comforter Narcissa had carefully picked out for the room. Dark hair spiraled from the opening and sprawled across the silk pillows clarifying that his daughter was the hidden form beneath the covers.

Unlike her brothers, Ara's room was anything but dark. The curtains to all of the windows remained open, allowing moonlight to shine through the glass. She strung lights against the tall ceilings and placed a salt lamp on her dresser. Both items remained on at night.

Upon discovering that she was his daughter, Lucius hadn't given much thought to her sleeping habits. Lights were a trend and burying oneself beneath the covers was a tired teen trait. Although this conclusion may be true in some households, it wasn't in his.

Elliot later told them that the covers and locks were to protect herself. If no one could see her, then nothing bad would happen. It was a naive way of thinking that Lucius hated. The lights were to protect her from the dark. His son didn't go into much detail on that part.

Stepping out, he quickly locked her door again. Arabella had earned their trust, and he wasn't about to anything to not earn her's. With one last glance at the door Lucius proceeded to his own bedroom and called it a night.