20 August 2020 - The Redemption of Lucius Malfoy - Cutting Ties
Title: The Redemption of Lucius Malfoy - Cutting Ties
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Harry Potter
Rating: Suitable for people over 13
Word Count: 1236
Notes: Skipping ahead to a scene that is at or almost the end of book 1.
Warning: Potential tissue warning.
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling, etc. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Someone wants to cut some ties.
The Redemption of Lucius Malfoy - Cutting Ties
By Beriaearwen
“Well?”
“It's all set. Shame to lose a man.”
“It's necessary.”
“For the cause.””
“For the cause,” he replied, watching the other man leave. He need never know they were speaking of two different causes. “Soon,” the man whispered to the ether. “Soon.”
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
“You're sure about this?” Lucius asked, bending down to place a kiss on his wife's lips.
“Yes,” came her exasperated reply. “It's only for an hour and Hank can watch Buffy for that long without causing any permanent damage.”
“I suppose. Still, it is our daughter. Our only daughter.”
“Hmm... We may need to work on that,” Helen stated, a smile on her lips.
Lucius' eyes grew wide and his face lit with joy. “Really?”
A laugh escaped his wife. “Really,” she agreed. “Buffy's nine months which would make for a good age gap when the baby is born. Hank and I did well with about the same gap.”
“I have no siblings, I wouldn't know,” Lucius replied, some of his joy fading.
“Hey, none of that,” she commanded. “We are our own family and we are amazing.”
“Amazingly beautiful,” Lucius replied, drawing her closer and kissing her. “Amazingly sexy,” he continued, tracing kisses down his neck.
“As much as I'd like to continue this, I do need to get going,” Helen observed, reluctantly pulling away from her husband. “You need to get ready and make sure Buffy is too. We don't want Uncle Hank to deal with diapers any more than he needs to.”
“He's gotten better at it,” Lucius stated as he headed over to where his daughter was happily playing on a blanket. He shook his head as he watched a toy she wanted jump into her hand. Accidental magic at this age was not necessarily a good thing, especially when it came to the possibility of being dragged back into that world. He would have to be sure to talk to Grandpa Nick about keeping Buffy hidden. There was no way his daughter would be dragged into that world and that war.
“Better is relative,” Helen said, striding up to him and pecking him on the lips as she adjusted her handbag on her shoulder. “I should be home an hour before you and will make sure Buffy's in bed and Hank is gone. We have some important business to transact.”
Lucius sent her a lascivious grin. “That we do.”
“Love you!”
“And I love you,” Lucius replied as his wife left their townhouse.
Turning his attention back to his daughter, he couldn't help but think he was a lucky man.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
“Helen will be back in less than two hours, you're sure you'll be OK?” Lucius asked for the third time in the past three minutes.
“Lucius,” Hank assured. “Buffy and I will be fine for the very short amount of time we will be alone here. You need to go and win this account so you'll be able to afford Buffy's college tuition,” Hank teased.
“Dear Lord, I don't even want to think about that right now. She's not even fully walking yet.”
“Well according to Mom and Dad, it will happen before you know it. Now go. Don't worry.”
Lucius hesitated another moment before taking his daughter from his brother-in-law and kissing her on the forehead. “You be good for Uncle Hank, Buffy,” he instructed, smiling softly as Buffy reached her little hand out to pat his face. He kissed the hand eliciting a giggle from his little girl and then handed her back.
“Go, the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back,” Hank encouraged.
Reluctantly, Lucius left his apartment, wishing he were back already.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
“Well this is a fine predicament,” Hank said looking at his niece. “I don't think they realized this before they left or they would have done something about it. But sometimes adults get a little caught up in all the silly things we think are so important and forget to get diapers.”
Buffy burbled a few nonsense syllables and waved her hands and feet in the air. She knew a few words, but not enough to really talk yet. She responded to his conversation as if she was talking, though, so he kept it up.
He adjusted the tab on the last diaper in the house and picked Buffy up. “I think you and I will need to make a run to the store,” he advised moving her over to her crib so she would be contained while he went looking for appropriate outerwear. He'd learned early on that Buffy was able to move very quickly. He'd panicked the first time he turned around and discovered her missing. Thank goodness she'd been amused and started giggling.
Finding what he needed, he headed over to Buffy and slipped the jacket onto her before picking her up and leaving her bedroom. He just needed to grab his own coat and wallet.
Glancing at the clock, he noticed the time and did a little mental math. Helen would most likely be getting home before they would return from the store. “Let's leave your mommy a note,” he suggested to Buffy. “She'll worry if we're both gone without word.”
Buffy blew a spit bubble in reply.
“I'll take that as agreement,” Hank said dryly.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Lucius was three block from his townhouse when he noticed the lights. Red, blue and a flickering glow.
Something ugly twisted in his stomach and threatened to expel the dinner he'd just finished. But he refused to acknowledge it. Picking up his pace, made it to a block and a half from his house when he hit the outer edge of the crowd.
Using his height to his advantage, he spotted a way through the people and took it.
Reaching the police line, he waited a moment until the officer was looking the other way and ducked past him, running at this point and denying what his heart already knew.
He heard people calling after him, but ignored them as he reached his block.
He was within two houses of his own when they caught up with him and unwilling to accept what his eyes were seeing.
The home he had built with Helen was engulfed in flames.
“Helen!” he called out, his voice loud, hoarse and filled with fear and anguish. “Helen!”
“Here. Calm down now.”
“That's my home. My wife and daughter...” his voice broke as he heard something in the house break and realized that he fire engines weren't trying to put out the fire in his house, they were wetting down the houses on either side to keep them from catching fire.
“Buffy. Helen,” he uttered, eyes turning to the officer, pleading with him.
Another man stepped up and drew his attention. “My wife and daughter were home...” The man didn't have to say the words, Lucius could read them on his face.
“The neighbor who called it in saw your wife go in, but no one came out before the house exploded in flames.”
Lucius felt his legs give out and dropped to his knees.
Helen...
Buffy...
Tears streamed down his face as he let his eyes drift to what had once been his home, his life.
What was he to do now?
End
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Harry Potter
Rating: Suitable for people over 13
Word Count: 1236
Notes: Skipping ahead to a scene that is at or almost the end of book 1.
Warning: Potential tissue warning.
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Mutant Enemy, etc. The characters of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling, etc. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Someone wants to cut some ties.
The Redemption of Lucius Malfoy - Cutting Ties
By Beriaearwen
“Well?”
“It's all set. Shame to lose a man.”
“It's necessary.”
“For the cause.””
“For the cause,” he replied, watching the other man leave. He need never know they were speaking of two different causes. “Soon,” the man whispered to the ether. “Soon.”
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
“You're sure about this?” Lucius asked, bending down to place a kiss on his wife's lips.
“Yes,” came her exasperated reply. “It's only for an hour and Hank can watch Buffy for that long without causing any permanent damage.”
“I suppose. Still, it is our daughter. Our only daughter.”
“Hmm... We may need to work on that,” Helen stated, a smile on her lips.
Lucius' eyes grew wide and his face lit with joy. “Really?”
A laugh escaped his wife. “Really,” she agreed. “Buffy's nine months which would make for a good age gap when the baby is born. Hank and I did well with about the same gap.”
“I have no siblings, I wouldn't know,” Lucius replied, some of his joy fading.
“Hey, none of that,” she commanded. “We are our own family and we are amazing.”
“Amazingly beautiful,” Lucius replied, drawing her closer and kissing her. “Amazingly sexy,” he continued, tracing kisses down his neck.
“As much as I'd like to continue this, I do need to get going,” Helen observed, reluctantly pulling away from her husband. “You need to get ready and make sure Buffy is too. We don't want Uncle Hank to deal with diapers any more than he needs to.”
“He's gotten better at it,” Lucius stated as he headed over to where his daughter was happily playing on a blanket. He shook his head as he watched a toy she wanted jump into her hand. Accidental magic at this age was not necessarily a good thing, especially when it came to the possibility of being dragged back into that world. He would have to be sure to talk to Grandpa Nick about keeping Buffy hidden. There was no way his daughter would be dragged into that world and that war.
“Better is relative,” Helen said, striding up to him and pecking him on the lips as she adjusted her handbag on her shoulder. “I should be home an hour before you and will make sure Buffy's in bed and Hank is gone. We have some important business to transact.”
Lucius sent her a lascivious grin. “That we do.”
“Love you!”
“And I love you,” Lucius replied as his wife left their townhouse.
Turning his attention back to his daughter, he couldn't help but think he was a lucky man.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
“Helen will be back in less than two hours, you're sure you'll be OK?” Lucius asked for the third time in the past three minutes.
“Lucius,” Hank assured. “Buffy and I will be fine for the very short amount of time we will be alone here. You need to go and win this account so you'll be able to afford Buffy's college tuition,” Hank teased.
“Dear Lord, I don't even want to think about that right now. She's not even fully walking yet.”
“Well according to Mom and Dad, it will happen before you know it. Now go. Don't worry.”
Lucius hesitated another moment before taking his daughter from his brother-in-law and kissing her on the forehead. “You be good for Uncle Hank, Buffy,” he instructed, smiling softly as Buffy reached her little hand out to pat his face. He kissed the hand eliciting a giggle from his little girl and then handed her back.
“Go, the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back,” Hank encouraged.
Reluctantly, Lucius left his apartment, wishing he were back already.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
“Well this is a fine predicament,” Hank said looking at his niece. “I don't think they realized this before they left or they would have done something about it. But sometimes adults get a little caught up in all the silly things we think are so important and forget to get diapers.”
Buffy burbled a few nonsense syllables and waved her hands and feet in the air. She knew a few words, but not enough to really talk yet. She responded to his conversation as if she was talking, though, so he kept it up.
He adjusted the tab on the last diaper in the house and picked Buffy up. “I think you and I will need to make a run to the store,” he advised moving her over to her crib so she would be contained while he went looking for appropriate outerwear. He'd learned early on that Buffy was able to move very quickly. He'd panicked the first time he turned around and discovered her missing. Thank goodness she'd been amused and started giggling.
Finding what he needed, he headed over to Buffy and slipped the jacket onto her before picking her up and leaving her bedroom. He just needed to grab his own coat and wallet.
Glancing at the clock, he noticed the time and did a little mental math. Helen would most likely be getting home before they would return from the store. “Let's leave your mommy a note,” he suggested to Buffy. “She'll worry if we're both gone without word.”
Buffy blew a spit bubble in reply.
“I'll take that as agreement,” Hank said dryly.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Lucius was three block from his townhouse when he noticed the lights. Red, blue and a flickering glow.
Something ugly twisted in his stomach and threatened to expel the dinner he'd just finished. But he refused to acknowledge it. Picking up his pace, made it to a block and a half from his house when he hit the outer edge of the crowd.
Using his height to his advantage, he spotted a way through the people and took it.
Reaching the police line, he waited a moment until the officer was looking the other way and ducked past him, running at this point and denying what his heart already knew.
He heard people calling after him, but ignored them as he reached his block.
He was within two houses of his own when they caught up with him and unwilling to accept what his eyes were seeing.
The home he had built with Helen was engulfed in flames.
“Helen!” he called out, his voice loud, hoarse and filled with fear and anguish. “Helen!”
“Here. Calm down now.”
“That's my home. My wife and daughter...” his voice broke as he heard something in the house break and realized that he fire engines weren't trying to put out the fire in his house, they were wetting down the houses on either side to keep them from catching fire.
“Buffy. Helen,” he uttered, eyes turning to the officer, pleading with him.
Another man stepped up and drew his attention. “My wife and daughter were home...” The man didn't have to say the words, Lucius could read them on his face.
“The neighbor who called it in saw your wife go in, but no one came out before the house exploded in flames.”
Lucius felt his legs give out and dropped to his knees.
Helen...
Buffy...
Tears streamed down his face as he let his eyes drift to what had once been his home, his life.
What was he to do now?
End