Lucius reread the lines Harry had given him.
It had been a long time since the blonde had received such a long letter, which is why he enjoyed every word of it so much. .he just loved private correspondence. The politician also found it refreshing how awkward Harry's letter was in places. For example, the salutation as if it were necessary for the young man to write to him so formally.
.of course it was clear to Lucius that it was actually Harry who had invited him to Hogsmeade for the weekend and not his friends. Still, he had charmingly wrapped it up in a general invitation.
.of course the blonde had agreed. However, since the letter only got to him one evening before an important meeting and two days before that weekend, Lucius could not write a long reply. .he could only hope that the little one wasn't too disappointed with the rather short promise.
With such a long and entertaining letter, Harry would have deserved a much longer letter. .but the politician had also been under time pressure.
In addition, through Harry's letter, Lucius had received a great deal of information before the Ministry and the general public.
.for example, what was behind the curse that lay on the defense compartment. That had been really interesting, and Harry was right. Voldemort really hadn't fallen on his head. .the curse was very well thought out and had lasted a long time. Without the intervention of the curse breakers, and the article published yesterday, it would probably be up to five hundred years from now.
.In general, the information that the little tomcat had sent him couldn’t be outweighed by gold.
However, Lucius would never take advantage of it, he just enjoyed reading these friendly lines over and over again. .they show Harry and his friends from a slightly different side than he has known them before, but also what the student had to say about Sirius made him think.
Azkaban was really a place that could have come straight from Dante's inferno.
.but the funniest thing was what Harry had written about himself. He would never become a Werther. Did the little one know that Lucius knew this book? Certainly not, otherwise he would not have mentioned it.
.of course Harry wasn't a Werther, and he shouldn't be one under any circumstances. Not at the end that the book took.
Lucius got loud chatter from his reading. He put the letter back in his cloak and looked out into the street.
.The blond didn't have to wait long either, and all the students were storming the village like a swarm of hornets or a pack of wild dogs. And the politician was soon able to make out Harry and his fathers along with the other young people.
.severus was the first to see him and immediately headed for the politician.
"Good morning, you might think you're waiting for an appointment," teased the Potions Master.
“If I'm invited so nicely, then of course I'll come. .Incidentally, I am very pleased that you did not forbid your son to visit, ”it shot back.
"He wrote you about my threat?"
“Yes, I have heard of many other things as well. .for example he told me about this Xaver who abandoned his little snake. "
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"How long was the letter, if you please?" Asked the teacher.
Lucius took the said letter out of the cloak. .however, he did not take it out of the envelope.
"Merlin, it's a miracle that poor Hedwig didn't break her legs with the weight," groaned the jailer.
."It was a feather-light spell on it," the blonde informed him and put the letter away again.
"Is there a reason why you're lugging this thing around with you?" Sirius asked, who had joined the two men.
.lucius turned elegantly to his friend.
“You know how much I have always valued this kind of communication. I haven't received such a long letter in years. Not even from Draco when he was first year at school. .and I don't talk about all the business things, that doesn't count. "
"And, you sure didn't just want to show off that?" The former marauder assured himself.
"Of course not, you fool."
.then Lucius thought again of what the little boy had written in his letter about his father's insecurity.
“You don't need to erase anyone else's memory. .I can tell you who Severus used to meet in the clearing. "
"He wrote that to you too?" Sirius said, horrified.
"Yes he has."
"Fine, then please tell me. .and why shouldn't I put a spell on him or her? ”Sirius growled.
Severus sighed but said nothing.
“Because I'm not interested in your husband. At least not sexual, ”Lucius smirked.
"YOU?"
.sirius stared at the blonde in disbelief, then turned his gaze to Severus.
"Why did you never tell me that?" He wanted to know.
"Because you always freaked out when the subject came up," Severus reminded him.
."Yes, but only because ..." the poor man stammered.
Severus smirked when he noticed his husband's uncertainty and put an arm behind his back.
"I know it's all right, don't worry," he whispered to him.
.lucius watched the interaction of his two friends with benevolence. Especially when he saw that Sirius leaned so trustingly on his husband and that in public.
.it made the blonde happy that these two men had found happiness together.
Sirius slowly calmed down.
"I sometimes feel like a little child who is afraid their parents would leave them somewhere," he admitted.
."Damn Azkaban," snarled Severus.
Lucius was only too happy to agree.
"So what were you doing in the clearing?" Sirius changed the subject.
Now it was Lucius' turn to smile.
.he leaned forward so that no one else could understand him.
"Where do you think we learned our Animagus transformation?"
Sirius ’eyes widened.
"Really? And all of this in front of Dumbledore's nose? ”He laughed.
.“Wasn't that difficult at all, the marauders made it too.
Even the centaurs never betrayed us. As long as we left them alone, they didn't bother us either, ”Severus grinned.
.“And now the place is being passed on to the next generation. Only that we were never entertained by a sphinx, "smiled Lucius.
“That is typical for our son. I'm just glad he didn't drag this monster into the castle too. .He'd be able to do it, ”Severus groaned in agony.
“Speaking of your son, where is he? His friends have also disappeared. And they were with you earlier. ”Lucius looked around searchingly.
."Oh, are you longing for our little one?" Sirius teased.
“How that sounds, but yes, I'm really happy to see him again. But not only him, I also like his friends very much now, ”the blonde admitted.
."You know it won't be easy?" The jailer reminded him.
“Yes, I could read that clearly between the lines. But you don't need to worry. I will neither hurt your son nor take advantage of him. "
.the couple looked embarrassed. They knew that, but if Lucius decided against the boy he would very well hurt him, even if it wasn't on purpose.
.before Lucius could ask what was going on, Harry and his friends rushed towards the three men. And that with loud roars and howls, like wild wolves.
.“By Morgana's vanity, don't yell like that, you can be heard all the way to London. I didn't teach you manners for nothing, "Severus admonished as the gang stopped with them.
.draco was the first to recover, the others tried compulsively to keep from laughing.
“Sorry there was no other way, we have just seen the parents of this Xaver and himself. .they are running pretty desperately through the village. "
"Oh yes, how do you know what they look like? The wolf and his two birds aren't there today, ”Sirius wondered.
."Isn't even necessary, it can't be anyone else, they all have the word 'animal tormentors' written all over their faces. In beautiful bright colors, ”Harry grinned.
."I thought Remus and Fleur hadn't cursed them?" Came from Severus.
“At least not visibly, but they put a spell on the three that shows everyone that they are shabby pet owners. .presumably it is supposed to prevent animal dealers from selling them something again, ”the blonde informed her.
"So, how do you know that?" Draco wanted to know curiously.
."Because it may be that I ran into them when I arrived and gave them this new decoration on their faces," the man said casually.
.the youngsters stared at the politician with disbelief but also with awe. The twins in particular were visibly delighted.
"Wow, that was strong," commented Ron.
Harry was the only one who got back to his manners.
"Good afternoon, Mr. .malfoy, nice to see you, ”said the boy shyly.
"Good afternoon, Harry. Thanks for the invitation. And, I would also like to thank you very much again for the letter, I was very happy about it. .next time my answer won't be that short either. "
Harry's hand flew to his pocket in a flash before clutching Beast again.
."It doesn't matter, you had an important meeting, Sirius told us about it," he said.
Lucius guessed that the boy had his letter with him too.
"Where were you now?" Sirius interrupted the conversation.
.Hermione stared at the man disapprovingly, something both Lucius and Severus noticed. Looked like the young woman didn't like it that Sirius interfered in a conversation between Harry and Lucius.
.severus gave the blond an amused look.
'Oh, it seems like the girl knows what's going on,' went the politician's mind.
“We have already bought some Christmas presents. .if we wait too long, the good things are all gone, ”Luna explained.
Sirius nodded in understanding.
"While we're on the subject, we should continue to do the rest," warned Daphne to hurry.
."Well, who still needs presents for whom?" Severus wanted to know.
In the minutes that followed, he divided the young people into groups so that they didn't all get in each other's way while shopping. .the gifts should come as a surprise after all.
At the very end, even Harry and Lucius would be on their own for a while. Severus wanted to give his son the opportunity to stroll through the village with the blonde. .after all, up to now the little one had got good grades and deserved a reward.
As soon as everyone was divided up the wild hunt began. It really looked like they'd opened a jar with some hurricanes in it.
.Harry now had all of his presents, except for those for his fathers. He had even got something for Lucius, which was the real reason why the youngsters hadn't immediately joined the three men.
.draco had taken his green-eyed friend into a jewelry store, both of them had told the others they wanted to look around for presents for the girls. And Harry had found something, hopefully the blonde would like it
.now he was walking right next to this through the village and didn't really know what to do with himself.
Lucius saw in what dilemma the boy was and wanted to help him.
"Who else do you need a present for?" He wanted to know.
.“Except for my fathers, I've found something for everyone. It was easiest with the girls. They get hair clips, necklaces or earrings. Only Gabrielle is an exception, for whom I have put together a book with simple vocabulary in Parseltongue. "
.lucius looked at the boy in surprise.
"You think you can learn that?"
“The director always said he could understand the snakes but not talk to them, so I think it is possible if you really want to. .besides, Gabrielle is a little Veela, and one whose genes have really hit through. I hope this will make it easier for you to learn the language. It would be really great too, she loves jade. "
.Harry clung to Beast and looked up at Lucius.
"Or do you think it's a stupid idea?"
Little Oskar, who was sitting on the boy's shoulder, gave the blonde a piercing look. .that would of course be a lot more impressive if it weren't the size of a toy, at least for now.
“The idea is not stupid. It's probably really true and little Veela learns it quickly. Maybe Mr. .lupine try to learn the vocabulary. As a werewolf, he certainly has advantages. But what interests me much more, how did you manage to write down the hissed words? "
Harry grinned.
“Not at all, it all works with sound. .Gabriel just has to touch a word and she hears it being pronounced in Parseltongue. "
Lucius nodded, impressed.
.“Thank you, well and the others; the twins, Ron and Ginny get enchanted ink so their parents cannot read their mail. We also made some enchanted notes with which you can protect things. .for example a box or something. We hope that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will not get too bothered by their children. "
"Where did you get the spells from?" Lucius wanted to know curiously.
."I'd rather not reveal that," the boy mumbled.
Lucius had an inkling that these spells were from one of Quirrell's books, but said nothing. He thought the idea was good, he didn't need to know more.
.Harry continued to speak:
“For Neville, we all got together and got him a plant that he has wanted for years. .I bought colin and Dennis each a holder for their wands, with Draco you can never be sure. "
Lucius laughed.
“That is very clever. And what do you have for my godson? "
“One of Quirrell's books on dragons. .As I said, I have all the presents, except for those for my fathers. "
Harry had turned bright red at the words so it was clear to Lucius that the boy had got something for him too. That worked out well, because it was the other way around.
.to get his little companion out of his embarrassment. And to prevent that he might turn into a hangover again in public, he pretended not to notice anything.
.“Then I will work with you to find suitable gifts for your fathers. It can't be that difficult. "
“I don't want to get Dad any potion ingredients, he already has enough of them. And Sirius, that's really difficult. "
"I'll help you. .By the way, did you find out what the Sphinx is called? "
“Lexicons, and looking back, I could have figured it out earlier. It wasn't that difficult, ”Harry admitted.
"Do you have something for her too?"
.“She said she would be happy about stories and riddles, I bought her a big book that contains both. Because she can really read. "
"Then the picture of Luna fits well," smiled Lucius.
.“Yes, she is really great at drawing. An ability that completely passed the rest of us by, ”Harry laughed.
“You can't be able to do everything. Look, let's find something in there for Sirius. "
Harry cocked his head.
."A shop for the household?"
"Yes, but for me it's more about the recipe books that are being sold in there."
"Sirius can cook?"
Lucius smiled.
“Just angry, but Kreacher can do it all the better for it. .if you give Sirius a cookbook with exotic dishes, it is also a gift for the house elf, because he is allowed to cook them. "
"And will Siri be happy about that?" The boy wondered.
"Definitely. .your father hates English cuisine, whether muggle or wizard, profoundly. He loves everything else for it. "
"Why didn't he ever say that?" Harry wanted to know, stunned.
."Probably for the same reason that he is so allergic to the clearing," the blonde explained to him.
"He's insecure and doesn't want to be a burden to us," Harry sighed.
How well he knew this behavior of himself.
.“At least that's what I assume. So come on, let's find a good book. "
It didn't take both of them long to find the right one.
Harry found new pajamas for mysticism in a nearby clothing store.
.things looked harder with Severus. Harry definitely didn't want to give his father anything with potions, and a new robe was also out of the question. And the boy didn't want to know anything about things that could be eaten or drunk. .they didn't last long.
"It's really hard," said Lucius.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled.
“It doesn't have to, it is not easy for anyone to find a suitable present for this man. Sirius must have a similar problem. .But we're not giving up that quickly. Come on, there is still a business up ahead. "
“Um, Mr. Malfoy, this is a menagerie. Severus kills me if I give him an animal. "
Lucius smiled.
"I was thinking more about the business behind it."
.harry almost craned his neck to see something. However, his size thwarted his plans.
"Just come with me," said the blonde.
It was a shop with all sorts of things. .from writing utensils to animal preparations.
"Yuck," Harry grumbled when he saw the head of a dragon.
"Just don't look," advised Lucius, who also looked at the head sullenly.
The young man suddenly stopped in front of a shelf.
."What is that?" He wanted to know curiously and took the object out.
Lucius leaned over the boy, which of course turned red again.
When the blonde saw what Harry had discovered, however, his eyes widened. .of course he didn’t show anything, especially because the seller was approaching them.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, I am pleased to see you both at my place.
.this book is a slow seller, it is written in a made-up language, so completely useless, since it is not even very old. I probably let myself be ripped off when I let it turn on me. .if you want I can show you some much more valuable pieces. "
“An invented language? Sounds funny, dad would surely have fun deciphering it, ”Harry grinned and went to the cash register with the book.
.the seller was visibly disappointed because the young hero could not be persuaded to buy anything else, and the politician only gave him annoyed looks. So he took the small amount and said goodbye to his customers.
.when they were outside and out of earshot, Harry looked inquiringly at his companion.
"What did I just buy?" He wanted to know.
“A book that describes how to create dementors. .actually I thought that each of these books had already been destroyed. Somebody seems to have hidden this copy. "
“And why did I buy this thing? I don't want to create any more of these beasts. "
.“No, but maybe destroy the existing ones. Somewhere in there is sure to be a possibility. That is why the books have been destroyed. .the government at the time wanted to prevent someone from sending their weapons back to where they came from. "
Harry looked at the book in awe.
"And dad can read this?"
.“He knows languages very well, I am sure that this will not cause him much trouble either. And even if he doesn't, he won't give up and translate it. .the chance to destroy the soul eater he will not miss. Especially when you consider what they did to Sirius. And he still has his soul. "
Harry nodded.
.With all the excitement, the young hero had completely forgotten to be nervous because he was walking next to Lucius. But slowly he realized that again.
The blonde also noticed that the boy was embarrassed again.
."I hope I keep getting such nice and long letters from you?"
Harry chewed his lower lip and nodded.
"With pleasure, but how should I address you? So I mean by the salutation? "
.“You definitely don't need to be so formal. A 'good day' or 'dear' and then the name is enough. "
At the word 'Dear' Harry had blushed again, of course, but he nodded.
.Fortunately, he was spared further embarrassing dropouts on his part because they met the rest of the group for lunch. Even if it was a late meal.
At the end of the day, Lucius was very reluctant to leave the group. .he was the only one who didn't go into the castle but into an empty manor. The house-elves were there, but no one else.
Slowly the blond realized how lonely he had been since his marriage was annulled.
.meanwhile he was looking forward to work every day because it was where he met people.
Sighing, he set off. .Fortunately it was already Saturday the day after tomorrow he would be back at the ministry and then it was decided who would be the new minister of education ..