Seeing Eye to Eye

Seeing Eye to Eye

~The Sentence~

Intense pain. It was not a sensation strange to him. He had seen that devil at work before and had experienced it himself. His defnses had not been up, and he could not resist it as it overcame him through his surprise. What defenses he had crumbled easily beneath the weight of the pain.

It began as a heat in his gut that simmered for a moment before exploding through his nerves like a rocket. His cry of pain was choked in his throat, and the slender wand tumbled from his grasp. Over and over the spell was cast on him viciously, tearing every ounce of strength from him until he lay crumpled on the ground in a mass of black velvet, trembling from the loss of control in his limbs.

And those footsteps approaching: so steady and calm, the chiding voice in a tone one would direct to a petulant child. "Now, now Lucius... did you truly think you could betray me?"

With a start he sat up, chest heaving from the all-too real dream. A memory of what had happened. Long, silver-blonde locks clung to his sweat-chilled skin, and he pushed them out of his face with a trembling hand.

Today would be the day his fate was to be decided. Voldemort was gone for good, the horcruxes destroyed, and the Death Eaters were dissolved.

The question was where did that leave him, the traitor?

Lucius groaned softly at the discomfort tremoring through him. He was back in Azkaban while his trial's sentence was decided. He'd hoped to never visit this damnable place again, but he knew that he could not get away without punishment. On top of being a Death Eater, which in itself was a judgement worthy of the wizard prison, he had escaped once before.

Outside the room he heard the eerily whisper-soft voices that permeated the minds of the prisoners as the Dementors glided by. He shuddered, watching with wide eyes as the already dim light was extinguished in the darkness that followed the terrifying creatures.

Lucius rubbed the bridge of his nose lightly, sighing hoarsely. Today would be the day. He knew he wouldn't get freedom. His name was too stained for that, but he could believe, could hope that there might be a touch of leniency. The Potter boy, hero of the wizarding world, had shown up in a flourish of determination and spoke for him in the trial the day before, much to the shock of the Ministry and Lucius himself. By that time, Lucius had already admitted that he turned on Voldemort for selfish reasons. He didn't know how much the boy's words could save him.

There. It was time. His heartbeat quickened as he heard the eerie creaking of the door to his dank cell as it opened. Even the tiny light he glimpsed for a brief moment was blotted out by the dark coldness of the Dementors. Lucius involuntarily shrunk back, even though is wasn't the scaly-skinned hands of the guardsmen that reached for him.

He was convinced he would return to the cell in a short few hours. After all, how could they forgive what horrible things he'd done, no matter if he'd aided the boy? The travel to the Ministry was a depressing, dizzying experience, and only another few moments it felt before he was once more before the Ministry's judges to receive his judgement.

"Mister Malfoy," rumbled the minister stonily, "yesterday we heard the defenses the Potter boy gave for you not to be thrown back into Azkaban. We heard your defenses, feeble as they were," he continued, an assortment of snickers and whispers sounding through the room. "It was not enough." An appreciative murmur shot through the crowd, and the eldest Malfoy inclined his head proudly. He was a Malfoy and he would face his sentence with pride.

"No! That's ridiculous!" All heads turned towards he who spoke. Malfoy didn't have to look to know who it was.

"Mr. Potter--"

"Does he even know? Has anyone informed him yet? He has nothing now already, and now you'll send him back to Azkaban?"

Lucius turned sharply to face Harry, pale brows knitted. "...I have my manor, my wife, my wealth and my name, Potter." He was unsettled by the frustrated look on the youth's face, one that echoed that of the late James Potter.

"No one bothered to tell you, I see," sneered the boy who seemed much older than the mere seventeen he was, and he approached the elder blonde quietly.

Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly. "Tell me what, Potter?"

"You don't have any family anymore, Mr. Malfoy," said Harry stonily, frowning. There was a sudden uproar from those gathered, but Harry ignored and spoke over there as he rested a firm hand on Lucius' shoulder. "Your wife. She... she's gone. She was overcome, apparently, with grief. The press wouldn't stop pestering her..."

But Lucius wasn't listening. His head was spinning. He felt lightheaded and nauseous, the room was stifling. The yelling around him because a distant, indistinct buzz in the back of his mind. Gone. Narcissa. He hadn't loved her the way she had him, but he had cared for her as much as his heart allowed.

Lucius reached up one long-fingered hand and rubbed his forehead lightly. He couldn't shed any tears, much less in front of another, and he could tell without looking that the boy was glaring at those in the room.

The proceedings were a blur. There was arguing back and forth, the only voice in his defense was Potter's, but the single remaining Malfoy said nothing. He felt oddly hollow, like a broken man. He'd had everything--a beautiful family, innumerable amounts of wealth, an impressive position in the Ministry... he had power. His name was feared, but now with the fall of the Dark Lord, he didn't have that influence anymore.

Behind him he heard the Potter boy make an excited noise, and slowly Lucius lifted his head to look at the youth.

"Mr. Malfoy, they said you're not going back to Azkaban!"

The blonde blinked owlishly, unable to keep the surprise from his handsome features. "What?"

"They said you have to live for a year under supervision while barred from using magic, but your'e free! They said they'll look over the records kept by whoever you're with when the year's done with, and they'll decide from there."

Lucius bristled slighty despite the good news. "So you've damned me to living like a muggle?" he sneered distastefully, but it didn't seem to phase Harry Potter. Nothing seemed to anymore.

"better than to be fated for a kiss," he countered cheerfully and very nearly skipped out of the room in the face of his victory.

Lucius frowned slightly, but there was a lightness in him that he knew was becuase of his freedom. "This won't change what I believe, Potter," he said as gruffly as he could manage.

"You helped us for your own reasons, I understand that," Harry said smoothly. "That's enough for me." When did he become such a mature young man?

"Foolish as ever," he murmured, unable to keep the sliver of fondness in his voice. Despite how much Draco always picked on Harry, Lucius had known there was a bit of admiration for the youth. He could see why.

"Mr. Malfoy..."

"Lucius, Potter. Things are... different now."

"Then it's Harry to you."

Lucius pursed his lips slightly. "Harry, then..."

"Well... um... Lucius," he began, shifting his weight awkwardly. "I just wanted to say--"

"Harry," the blonde cut in with a sigh, "you don't need to say a thing. I got my revenge for what happened to Draco." Even saying his only son's name made a pain shoot through his heart. "When I saw the Dark Lord grab for him when that spell rebounded, I can't describe what I felt. I reacted on instinct the moment I saw him fall." He had seen the cold, lifeless look on his son's face, and it had spurred him in fury. He tore the mask off his face and, despite how unmatched his magic was against Voldemort's, fought to hold him back to allow Harry the final blow. "That is the only reason I sided with you."

For Draco.

Lucius frowned slightly, inclining his head as they headed out of the room. Harry made a small gesture. "Let's get you home. They've apparently called whoever is staying with you."

As they turned the corner, Lucius stopped cold. Standing at the end of the hall, looking as out of place as he always did, was the broad, strong figure of Sirius Black.

The Ministry had fated him for a fate worse than Azkaban.

~~That's the end of Chapter one. More on the way. Promise there'll be smut in the next chapter!~~