FIC: Alone [Draco/Hermione]

[mini_fest_mod]

Title: Alone
Author/Artist: y3llowdaisi3s
Pairing(s): Draco/Hermione
Prompt: 2011 Prompt: A lonely Christmas or New Year
Word Count/: ~1300
Rating: T
Contains (Highlight to view): *EWE AU, OOC Lucius Maybe?*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Umm, thanks to imera for letting me enter this.
Summary: Lucius has recently been released from Azkaban. He spends his Christmas alone.



Alone
Lucius sat in the black royal armchair in the corner of his study, warming by the fire. He faced the window, staring out in the darkness, dotted by snowflakes falling onto the powdered ground. It was Christmas eve, and he was all alone.
He had been home for a week. Finally finished with his sentence in Azkaban. Yes, there were no dementors, but the Wizarding prison was still a fortress in the middle of the north sea - surrounded by cold harsh winds that made one imagine the pits of Muggle Hell.
He wrapped his dark green shrug closer, the coldness of the empty Manor reminding him of his five years away.
A lot had changed while he was gone. His family had moved on and made the Malfoy name respectable once again. He knew that they were working on their reputation, but not of the particulars. He used to receive weekly letters and monthly visits from both his wife and son.
However, for the month prior to his release, he had been left alone. No one wrote. No one visited. Nothing.
That month should have been the most joyous of his entire incarceration, but it felt like the Dementors were still there.
His only happiness - his family - had abandoned him.
He was released from prison in the dead of night, entering the Ministry just after two in the morning, all to avoid reporters and ridicule. He had hoped to see the smiling face of his wife or the stoic look of his son. He saw neither.
No one was there waiting for him except for a House-elf dressed in a black-and-white pinstriped waist coat. It’s flapping ears perked up at his arrival. It bowed its head while raising its arms up showing the folded robes meant for him.
Lucius had never seen the elf before, but it was his only companion, his only tether to the world. For the past week he had gotten to know the elf - named Tether no less - and finally learned the whereabouts of his estranged family.
To say it was a surprise was an understatement. He was so furious when he found out he almost took it out on poor Tether.
But Azkaban changed him.
The war changed him.
Instead he thanked the elf and walked away.
He ensconced himself into the very chair he sat in now and had only left to use the facilities. He ate, he slept, he lived in this chair. And while he continued to watch the snow fall outside, he finally let the tears slide down his cheeks.
His wife had reestablished her relationship with her only living sister right after the Death Eater trials. Not once did she mention it, but Tether spoke of his wife’s happiness in such a way that he couldn’t fault her.
He only wished that he could be a part of it.
During her visits, she would speak fondly of the reparations she had done to make up for what they did during the war. She had helped opened an Orphanage for those affected by the war and Lucius said he found that a worthy cause and wholeheartedly supported her. Tether explained that she was a cofounder with two others. One was her sister, Andromeda, who lost her husband, only daughter, and son-in-law.
All that his sister-in-law had left was her grandson - a half-breed. Lucius didn’t even have it in him to sneer. Tether showed him pictures of his wife and her grand nephew playing in the gardens behind the Manor and the smiles on both faces reminded him of another time in his life. A time when Lucius would openly show his love for his family.
The snow on the ground compacted, adding more inches. More tears fell on his face, drenching his collar.
The other cofounder was Hermione Granger, who apparently was his daughter-in-law. Not once did his son mention that he was married. Nor did he ever mention that he had fathered an heir, a daughter, and had another one on the way. All Lucius knew was that when he would mention continuing the Malfoy name, Draco would say he was already on it.
He had once broached the subject of a pureblood wife, but his son told him to drop the subject, which Lucius did, and he never thought of it again.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about a Muggle-born Malfoy wife, or Half-Blood grandchildren. He couldn’t really tout pureblood beliefs, as Lucius knew that a Half-Blood or two had married into the family at one point. He had only pushed the philosophy on his son in fear of the Dark Lord’s return.
Tether showed him pictures of the family though, and they looked happy. His grandchildren were everything Draco was never allowed to be. He could see it in the brightness that shone in their eyes and the happiness they expressed with their large smiles. His grandchildren were spitting images of his son, but with the curly locks of their mother. Deep down - and secretly, he hoped - he wondered if they had had their mother’s intelligence.
He finally wiped away the tears.
It was Christmas eve, and instead of being surrounded by the family he now had. He was alone.
The snow continued to fall, the white dots blurred together as his eyes misted over. He was a Malfoy so he contained his sobs, but the tears still fell.
The clock struck twelve, signalling it was Christmas day, and a tear fell from his cheek with each chime.
Ding - one tear.
Dong - two tears.
Ding - three tears.
Dong - four tears.
Ding - five tears.
Dong - six tears.
The chime ended but it was overpowered by the bell from the door. Lucius sat up in his chair and looked to the door of his study. He didn’t recall having a doorbell installed, but he was gone for five years.
A ruckus from the foyer echoed down the hall and Lucius’s heart stopped. He heard laughter and cheers and could he hope? Was this a dream?
It was only a moment before he was out of his chair and bustling down the corridor in search of the noise.
He stopped dead at the sight, having to hold himself up against the wall. There, in front of him, was the family he had so missed and hoped for.
His wife was beaming, nattering with her sister, while helping pull a coat off a blue-haired boy. His son stood staring into the eyes of his wife, helping her pull off her scarf. Their two children pulled off their gloves and scarfs, handing them to Tether and began to run in his direction.
They two stopped at the sight of him and were quick to ask, “Who are you?”
Lucius gulped, unsure of what to say. What did they know of him? He didn’t know they existed until a week ago. Was the same true in reverse? Did his wife and son never speak of him? How was he supposed to answer such a loaded question.
Before he could speak, his daughter-in-law stepped forward and wrapped a hand on each of their shoulders, stating, “this is your grandfather that we told you about.”
They had known. He collapsed to his knees. The two children ran up to him with those bright eyes and big smiles and the tears could not be held back. He wrapped his arms around the boy and girl. The two shouted into his ears about how they missed him even if he hadn’t seen them. He didn’t let it bother him at all, he only held onto them tighter.
He could see the smile on his son’s face and the happy tears in his wife’s eyes.
He was alone no more.

Comments

[shy-of-reality.livejournal.com]

Awww beautiful, heartmelting ending! Glad it worked out in the end.

[y3llowdaisi3s.livejournal.com]

=] I always imagine Lucius to be the family sort of man who just got caught up in the dark arts in attempt at protecting them. I like to think that something like this would occur after he paid his dues.

[suitesamba.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the story developing around Lucius' thoughts, from his inner POV, so to speak. Really shows how Azkaban changed him and how he is willing and ready to embrace his new post-war, post-prison reality. Very nice character piece.

[y3llowdaisi3s.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've written maybe one other thing from his perspective and I sometimes feel like I'm not writing him 'evil' enough but in my head, he was never evil, just someone caught up in the wrong ideals and what not. Thanks for commenting!