Harvest Moon

Bluezazua: A few questions will be more or less answered in this next chapter. But more will be raised as well. Ah, the joys of being evil.

Meankitty69: Yes, he could still be blamed but Hermione and Draco will try to prevent that from happening.

Heidi191976: Glad you’re still reading and enjoying.

Voracious Reader: Now, you know that a psychopath’s thinking is convoluted at best and most of the time reality does not come into contact with those thought patterns.

Taz: You’ll see. (insert maniacal laughter here)

To everyone still reading, I hope you enjoy.



***

Lucius sat in his study staring into the depths of the Scotch in his hand and thinking over everything that had occurred in the past few hours. What he and Arabella had found out made him queasy and more than a little nervous. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone. He growled a little and tossed back the contents of the glass without tasting it.



“Really, Lucius, is that any way to treat Bruichladdich?” Arabella said, coming behind him and putting her arms around his neck.



“It is if I am inclined to be roaring drunk. I fully intend to be in that happy state before the hour is up,” Lucius said, shaking her loose and standing. He walked over to the heavy oak bar and poured another glass, again knocking back the Scotch as though it was water.



“I did warn you, Lucius.”



“I know. However, it’s one thing to suspect something but quite another to have it confirmed,” he said, leaning heavily on the bar.



“Especially if it’s confirmed by the god of death herself,” Arabella said.



“That is true enough,” Lucius said, turning a little as the door banged open and his son came into the room. Draco looked grim.



“Father, did you at any time sneak away from the aurors?” Draco asked without greeting or preamble.



“No,” Lucius said flatly, knowing almost instantly the dead woman hanging from the family mausoleum had been connected to him somehow other than the location where her body had been found. “Dare I ask what this is all about?”



“The murder victim who was posted up on the family mausoleum. There was enough of one of her eyes left to cast “Final Sight”.”



“And the last thing she saw was me, I take it,” Lucius said, pouring another glass.



“It was. More or less. What was seen was your Deatheater mask and long blond hair. I know I’m not supposed to have told you that but I need answers, Father.”



“Well, Ara, shall we tell him what we discovered tonight?” Lucius asked before draining the glass again.



“That’s entirely up to you, Lucius. Since it will have a profound effect on your family, you should be the one to inform him of it,” Arabella said.



“You’ve heard your mother speak of your Uncle Liren, no doubt,” Lucius began.



“I have. What does he have to do with any of this?”



“I’m getting to that. Since the wizarding world no longer has access to the otherworld in any way that keeps them alive, I made use of Ara’s talents in that regard. I had her open the black gates so I could ask something of the keeper of the dead.”



“What did you have to ask of her, Father?” Draco inquired, now wildly curious. His father wouldn’t have gone to such lengths if he didn’t think it was important.



“Whether or not my brother’s soul had come to her.”



“And?”



“She said, and I quote: The soul of Liren Malfoy has never passed through these gates.”



“So, what does that mean, Father? That my uncle is still alive?”



“Yes, Draco, I believe that is exactly what it means.”



Draco nodded and headed for the study door. “I’ll tell Granger and Luna, see if they can come up with any theories on this.”



“No need to tell us,” Luna said from the doorway. “We heard.”



Hermione was leaning against the door frame looking thoughtful. “He was your identical twin, correct?” she said, turning to Lucius.



“He was.”



“Then a DNA analysis would come up with you as the donating party.”



Arabella’s eyebrows went up at Hermione’s statement. “That’s true,” she said thoughtfully.



Seeing the puzzled look on Lucius’ face Hermione explained. “Identical twins have the same DNA since they are the product of one egg that has split into two separate bodies at some point. So, for example, if your brother had a child, it would show up as yours in any DNA testing since you’re identical twins.”



Draco shot Lucius an odd look. “Do not let that thought cross your mind. You belong to me,” Lucius said.



“I was simply wondering,” Draco said with a shrug.



“Did the two of you change places when you were younger?” Hermione asked.



“Not really. We were never very close, Hermione. Our father saw to that.”



“Then neither of you had any interest in the other’s life?”



Lucius sighed. “None at all. Liren certainly had no interest in mine as I was a rabid bookworm as he put it. He stood to inherit everything from our father and was groomed to be the next Lord Malfoy. He was the heir and I was the spare so to speak.”



“But you have that position now, Lucius,” Hermione pointed out. “From what you know of your brother, would he be angry about that?”



“I believe the appropriate term for what he would be is livid pissed.”



“Then I suppose the next question is: Would he be inclined to murder to frame you?”



“Beyond a shadow of a doubt.”