His Saving Grace

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: The Fall of Lucius Malfoy









Lucius’s reaction to the engagement of Draco and Hermione was one of resigned acceptance. He had come to see his wife’s point of view and realized that his son was happy, ridiculously so in fact. Draco loved his little witch to distraction and much to Lucius’s surprise she loved him back.







Draco had certainly taken to fatherhood and Lucius had to admit that in that category Draco had him beat. Draco was a wonderful father, loving, encouraging and he loved the little girl unconditionally. Lucius had no idea where the boy had learned it, but he was proud to witness it.







He was slowly getting used to socializing with the witch and her extended family, but he couldn’t actually say he enjoyed it. The Weasley’s were annoying and they were everywhere he looked. He began to wonder if they multiplied on a regular schedule. Potter wasn’t so bad, he had matured and seemed rather lighthearted and easy going without out the weight of the wizarding world on his young shoulders.







Lucius still had not bonded with his granddaughter. He wasn’t good with children and now that his initial anger at having a half-blood Malfoy in the family had died down he began to fear that he would somehow taint the sweet little girl.







Christmas at the manor was the largest celebration since Draco’s childhood. Their home had been turned into a winter wonderland for the child’s enjoyment. Gifts covered the floor and stacked up the wall, all for the baby. Hermione had been horrified to see the amount of gifts showered on the little one but kept silent, knowing it was done out of love and it was after all, Grace’s first Christmas.







Lucius smiled slightly as he leaned over his desk and thought about the holidays. He had enjoyed them, though he wouldn’t admit to it. When all the gifts had been opened and the baby sat in the middle of the floor amidst a mountain of torn paper and ribbons, Lucius cleared his throat and pulled a small box from beneath his robes.







“This is for the child.” He said with a slight frown, shoving the present at Draco.







“Then give it to her.” Draco said. Lucius huffed, his frown deepening as he turned to see the little girl smiling up at him, showing off her new teeth, there were only two of them, one on the top and one on the bottom and her smile reminded him of a jack-o-lantern. He handed the package down to her and she stared at it, then began to chew on the corner. “Dad, she’s just a baby, she doesn’t know how to open them, you have to help her.”







“She’ll chew through to it eventually.” Lucius said, sitting himself in a large chair and staring into the fire. He heard Draco say something to Hermione about him not changing and then sliding to the floor and helping Grace open the package. Lucius watched as Draco opened the package and withdrew the small nutcracker and ballerina. He looked at them oddly for a moment before Grace snatched them both from his hands. She clapped them together for a second then looked up to see her Papa looking at her from his chair. She crawled over with her toys and sat between his feet. She laid the dolls on the floor and simply waited. Lucius waved his hand and the dolls began to dance together, delighting Grace for the remainder of the afternoon, the rest of her toys completely forgotten.









Lucius looked across the room at the little girl sitting on the floor at her grandmother’s feet playing with a toy frog that was hopping around her. She was turning one in a few weeks and already Lucius could see that she was a brilliant little witch. She would be a force to reckon with when she got older.







She had slept over the night before while Draco took his love out for a romantic evening. Not that Lucius thought the couple needed any more romance. If he tripped over the amorous pair one more time he was going to hex them. In a house the size of Malfoy Manor one would think a couple could find some private place for their little interludes so that he could walk the halls without bumping into a couple shagging in his cloak wardrobe.









Narcissa was overjoyed at having the baby for the night and had kept the little one with her in her rooms instead of the nursery. Lucius had to admit that his wife was a wonderful grandmother; she adored that baby and made no secret about it.







“Lucius, darling keep an eye on Grace, I need to go check on the preparations for lunch before Draco and Hermione arrive.” Narcissa said, smiling down at Grace before leaving the room.







Lucius saw Grace shift onto her hands and knees and crawl towards his desk. He immediately cast a protective spell, knowing she likes to play with the brass drawer pulls and not wanting her to smash her fingers if she got one open. He returned his attention to his ledgers, going over the numbers of one of his many business interests when he felt the tugging on his trouser leg.







He sat back and watched as Grace pulled herself up using his trousers. When she was stable, both hands clutching his thigh, she smiled up at him.





“Pa!” She said, patting his leg. Lucius’s eyes widened and his stomach lurched. “Pa!” She said again, patting his leg. He couldn’t fight the smile on his face, broad and toothy with the dimples his granddaughter had inherited showing clearly.







“That’s right, Princess, I am your Papa.” Lucius said, bending down and for the first time, he held his granddaughter in his arms.











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Draco and Hermione walked hand in hand down the hall from the parlor to the study. They had missed their little girl but had enjoyed their night alone. As they approached they could see Narcissa staring through the slightly opened door, tears rolling down her cheeks.







“Mum?” Draco laid his hand on her shoulder, concern on his face. Narcissa looked up and pressed her finger to her lips, instructing them to be quiet as she stepped aside. Draco frowned and looked through the opening, his jaw dropped.







Lucius Malfoy sat behind his massive desk, a quill in his hand as he documented numbers in his ledgers. In his other arm, his granddaughter reclined against him, her thumb in her mouth and her other little hand fisted in her grandfather’s long platinum hair. She popped her thumb out briefly and looked up at Lucius.





“Pa!” She said, rubbing her eyes. Lucius bent his head and kissed the baby’s nose.







“Go to sleep, Princess, Papa has you.” He said. Grace smiled, popped her thumb back into her mouth and quickly fell asleep.







Draco startled as Hermione wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned close to him.

“See, I told you he would fall in love with her.” She whispered, brushing a soft kiss over his cheek.









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Grace Malfoy’s first birthday…..



Harry Potter and the entire Weasley clan apparated into the back gardens of Malfoy Manor with their arms loaded with gifts. Harry gasped and took a step back when he saw the scene before him. They were expecting dinner, some cake and ice cream perhaps while the baby opened her gifts. They really had to raise the bar on their expectations.







A large white tent had been erected for their dining pleasure and comfort, as it was March. Round tables covered in pink linen and white settings filled the room. White chairs with pink cushions set up all around. The lawn had been transfigured into pink carpeting beneath their feet and everywhere you looked there were pink roses, pink satin ribbon and pink balloons.







Behind that tent was another one, this one larger with multicolored flags poking from the top of it. Inside was a three ring circus, complete with menagerie waiting to entertain Grace and her guests after dinner.





“Oh my goodness!” Molly said, looking around in amazement. “Narcissa certainly went all out didn’t she?”









“Actually, the dinner was Narcissa, the circus was Lucius’s doing.” Hermione said, sneaking in from the side.







“Lucius? But I thought he was stand offish with the baby?” Ron asked.







“Grace took care of that.” Hermione pointed to the front of the tent where Lucius was holding Grace. The little girl was wearing a gown fit for royalty as her grandpa handed her a balloon. “She has him tightly wound around her finger. Come say hello.” Hermione said, leading them to the front and showing them where to set the packages.







Lucius turned to face the newcomers with Grace. She had one fist wrapped tightly in his hair having long before dispatched the ribbon that had been tying it back.





“Pa!” She said, patting his cheek and smiling at everyone. Lucius flushed slightly as everyone chuckled at Grace.







“Yes, we see that, Gracie girl.” Harry said, laughing.







“That is a pretty dress you have on, Grace.” Ginny said, lifting onto her toes to kiss the baby’s cheek. “Oh my god…..um…..that isn’t a plastic play tiara is it?” She asked, staring in disbelief at the little silver crown adorned in sparkling pink diamonds that sat atop Grace’s golden curls.







“As if I would allow her to walk around with something fake.” Lucius scoffed, holding the baby closer. She reached for his cane and he let her have it immediately.







“Wait, Mr. Malfoy, your wand is in there….” Harry said.







“So?” Lucius said, watching Grace wave the snake headed cane about happily.







“But you don’t let anyone near it, you….” Harry was cut off when Lucius raised his hand.







“What my Princess wants, my Princess gets.” Lucius said just as Grace whacked Ron on the back of the head with the cane. She giggled and then did it again before Ron moved out of reach rubbing the back of his head. “That’s Pappa’s girl.” Lucius said with a laugh as he carried the love of his life away to greet more of the guests.