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Tweak says, "A deals a deal."

draco_draconis (draco_draconis) wrote in hogwarts_dawn,
@ 2021-03-14 10:58:00

Entry tags:

character: draco malfoy, character: lucius malfoy

Journal & RP: Draco & Lucius Malfoy
Father. We need to talk.

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	hd_lucius 2021-03-14 06:03 pm UTC (link)
	Yes. We do. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	draco_draconis 2021-03-14 06:03 pm UTC (link)
	Shall we meet? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hd_lucius 2021-03-14 08:40 pm UTC (link)
	Yes. Let's. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	draco_draconis 2021-03-14 08:43 pm UTC (link)
	The library. By the biographies. (Reply to this) (Parent)

draco_draconis
2021-03-14 08:47 pm UTC (link)

Despite what he'd said to Harry the night before Draco had nearly not gone through with this. The avoiding had been working so well, and it seemed a shame to abandon a winning strategy. But this was a war, not a battle, and he couldn't pretend the man didn't exist forever. So he set out for the library with his fists clenched in the pockets of his robes. And if he clenched his wand as well, then, constant vigilance. Harry was rubbing off on him.

He found a table in the deserted place, for once glad not to see Theo. He knew his friend spent a lot of time here, but it was better if they were alone. He still didn't really know what he was going to say to him.

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hd_lucius
2021-03-14 09:16 pm UTC (link)

Lucius had been biding his time since his conversation with Scorpius. He hadn't gone to that ridiculous party either. Instead, he'd stayed in his rooms with a glass (or three) of wine and several books. He was reading through everything he could find on the end of the war, piecing together what was true, what was false, and what was somewhere in between. He disliked this feeling of...helplessness. He almost thought being back home, even if he was in Azkaban, would be preferable to being so out of control of the situation. Of the people here. It was maddening. He could absolutely understand how his future self had found isolating at the manner and drinking himself stupid to be an attractive option.

Not that Lucius was intending to go down that road. He just needed time to plan out how to move forward from here, how to get back some semblance of control, respect. Lucius Malfoy was not someone to be pitied or mocked. He just...needed to figure out how to climb out of his current position. There might be some opportunity now that they were known to the international community. The Malfoy name might still have some influence somewhere. Not much, but some. He needed to think about that and find out more about the current state of international politics.

Then had come Draco's journal. A few short, terse words, a request to meet. Lucius had put off the necessary conversation with his son long enough. It was time. So he agreed to meet in the library, not quite sure what to expect from Draco and trying to ignore Narcissa's voice in his head to hold his temper and remember that Draco was his son and that he loved him. Narcissa wasn't here, and she'd let the boy and the grandson do whatever they damn well pleased, so he didn't think her advice was worth very much at the moment. Not the least because she wasn't here.

His son was sitting a table when Lucius arrived, near the biography section as requested. Lucius took a minute before announcing himself to study the boy. He looked...determined, serious. There was a stubborn set to his chin that Lucius remembered from Draco's childhood years. Back then it had been a source of amusement, a source of pride. Now, it just made Lucius wish his son was six years old again, a small child who thought his dad was a hero. How had things gone so wrong?

"Draco," he said, taking a seat across from his son. "You seem to have survived last night's festivities."

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draco_draconis
2021-03-14 09:25 pm UTC (link)

Draco tensed instinctively at his fathers voice, then quickly tried to cover up the reaction. He knew better than anyone how quickly Lucius could exploit a weakness.

"Father." He straightened up, looking the man in the eye. "I see you did not attend. Probably wise."

He floundered for a second. He knew he'd called this meeting, but even with all night to think about it he still hadn't come up with a way to start. Hey Dad, you're a loose canon with a body count and my boyfriend Harry Potter thinks you need something to keep you out of trouble. Dammit.

"How have you been settling in?" That was inane enough, he supposed. He couldn't just jump right in, after all. There was a certain formality to these things, and if he wanted his father to listen to him at all then he needed to follow the script.

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hd_lucius
2021-03-14 11:26 pm UTC (link)

Lucius wasn't oblivious to Draco's tension, and he didn't like it. His son had never been tense around him. Draco had always known that Lucius would solve whatever problem he had, and damned the consequences. So much had changed, it seemed, and now there was a distance between them that Lucius didn't know how to overcome.

"I hardly thought my presence would liven things up," he said. The idea of attending a party thrown by a Weird Sister--awful, dirty band if you asked him--was right up there with torture. "As well as to be expected. I miss your mother, of course, and there is hardly enough to occupy the day here." The odd excursion into Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade the exception. Lucius wasn't about to offer his help for farming. "I've been thinking about how to approach the mud--the new students and their families."

He studied Draco again, taking in the faint lines of stress. "You're settling in well, I've seen. You're very close with Potter these days."

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draco_draconis
2021-03-15 12:27 am UTC (link)

Draco hid his wince better this time, but he feared his father could see it anyway. Were getting straight to Harry then. Og good.

"I am, yes. There's a lot that needs to be done. Most days I prefer it here than when I was at the manor." Oh, he hadn't meant to say that. Not as explicitly, and not as quickly. Well, better just dive in and hope this version of his father wasn't as volatile as the one in his time. "And yes, Potter and I are spending quite a lot of time together. We're romantically involved if you must know, and I'm not about to change that for you sir, so you had better start getting used to it."

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hd_lucius
2021-03-15 02:23 am UTC (link)

"Yes. It does seem that...things didn't go well, after all that happened." That was as much as Lucius was going to admit. He wasn't one for regrets, but he did regret that Draco's future had been so irreparably destroyed. "So I heard. Your...son pointed it out."

He wanted to remind Draco that he was a Malfoy and that Malfoys did not date men, but he'd had some time to think since his grandson had told him. Forbidding Draco from dating Harry Potter would do nothing. No, Lucius had to play this smarter. While Lucius would have chosen almost anyone else for Draco to fall in love with, there were certain benefits that would come with Harry Potter that could not be discounted. And since Draco had already continued the Malfoy line, so that wasn't a concern. Well, it was, but not a pressing one.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea but...I do want you to be happy, Draco. I've always wanted that."

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draco_draconis
2021-03-15 02:34 am UTC (link)

That was not the reaction Draco was expecting, and it threw him off completely. He was prepared for a confrontation. For yelling, almost certainly. Not... Grudging acceptance? Part of Draco, the part that still wanted his fathers approval, urged him to just take what he was being given. The other part, the part that new better, was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. His father never did anything without an ulterior motive.

"Well, that's out of the way, at least," he said. All his moment was lost and now he just felt awkward and unsure. "And I am happy. So. That's settled then." He was rapidly losing control of this conversation.

"On the subject of Scorpius, you are not going to bother him. Do you understand? His life is none of your business and you do not get to tell him how to live it."

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hd_lucius
2021-03-15 05:26 pm UTC (link)

"Quite." Lucius didn't know if he agreed that the matter was settled, but it could at least be set aside for the time being. He could hope that whatever relationship between Draco and Potter crumbled due to the pressure of the situation. Perhaps it was just a passing dalliance. That would be an even better outcome.

He raised an eyebrow at Draco. "Bother him? I wouldn't dream of it. If the boy wants to waste his talents swanning about like a woman, who am I to stop him?" Dealing with Scorpius wasn't a pressing concern at the moment. "If his entire purpose in life is to be nothing but a pretty face, that's his choice." It did present a problem for the future, but Lucius was young still, and had plenty of years to build the Malfoy name up himself now that he wasn't the pathetic shell his future self had become. There were options, if he needed them.

"Is this the reason for this little chat? To warn me off Scorpius and Potter?"

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draco_draconis
2021-03-15 06:15 pm UTC (link)

Draco didn't for a second believe that Lucius would actually leave Scorpius alone. Not forever. But now he could at least say he warned him if it came down to it. If it was a question between Scorpius and Lucius, well, it wasn't even a competition.

"No. That was part of it, Scorpius at least, I have no doubt that Harry can handle himself. But that's not the.main reason. We need to figure out what your place here is going to be."

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hd_lucius
2021-03-15 11:01 pm UTC (link)

Lucius had no doubts about that either, and wasn't that just exactly the problem? Bloody Potter. The world would be much simpler if he wasn't in it. Though, even without him, the castle had brought back too many do-gooders.

"My place?" Lucius raised another eyebrow, amused at the way Draco had phrased it. "And what do you think my place should be, Draco?" He smirked a little. "Or rather, what does Potter think my place should be? Don't think you can fool me into thinking this little tête-à-tête was your idea alone."

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draco_draconis
2021-03-15 11:53 pm UTC (link)

He was half tempted to tell him that no, this hadn't been his idea. If it was up to him they would never speak again, just exist in opposite corners of the castle and pretend the other didn't exist. But that put far too much ammunition in his father's hands. It gave him power, power over Draco. That wouldn't do.

"I rather thought you should answer that question, father. What I think doesn't mean much if you have your own plans. I know you, you won't be content with reaching out to muggle families once or twice a year. There aren't enough of us for you to not to contribute in any other way either. So, if you had your way, what would your place here be?"

He'd lie, of course. He wouldn't tip his hand. He must be biding his time, probably waiting till more like minded people showed up. But maybe they could still find some middle ground.

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hd_lucius
2021-03-16 01:24 am UTC (link)

Lucius didn't have to be a Leglimens to read what was going on in Draco's mind. His son was far too expressive. He really thought he'd taught him better than that. Still, he couldn't help but have pride in Draco's ability to control his emotions. He didn't burst out with whatever he was thinking, and that was a good step in the right direction as far as Lucius was concerned.

"I would be interested to hear where you think I fit in our new society." That was true enough, but Lucius also couldn't admit that he didn't know where he fit. He had no purpose, and his son was drifting away no matter what he did. "We are going to need support from the international community. I could start there, once we reach that point. As has been pointed out, we're a bit light in those with any sort of diplomatic experience." Aside from Severus, everyone here might as well be a child, Dumbledore included. Lucius wasn't sure he wanted to find out what, if any, influence he had left in the wider magical world, but if pressed it could be his contribution. "Now, why don't you tell me what Potter--excuse me, what you were thinking."

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draco_draconis
2021-03-16 01:42 am UTC (link)

A diplomat wasn't exactly what Draco had had in mind, but then the truth was he didn't have any better ideas either. He didn't know where his father fit anymore. In the castle, or in his life. It was harder when they were face to face like this. Old habits and all, but it took a lot of concentration for Draco not to just fall back into his role. Dutiful Pureblood son. It was like an old robe that once fit perfectly but not chafed and itched and pulled in funny places. He could still wear it, easily at first, but it would run thin very quickly.

"I'm not here to dictate anything to you. And believe it or not Harry didn't send me here with an agenda. Diplomatic relations might be a good use of your... skills." If he was closely supervised. The last thing they needed was him trying to gather power or something ridiculous like that. "But you'd have to accept that the world we're creating here is going to be different from the one we left behind. Do you think you can do that?"

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hd_lucius
2021-03-16 03:43 am UTC (link)

"Do you think that I'm unaware of the situation we're in? I don't wish to see our world, our country, remain in the shadows forever, Draco." Sometimes he wasn't sure if his son realized he was talking to a man who hadn't languished in Azkaban and then become a shell of himself. "The fact that I've agreed to speak to Muggles in order to populate the school should be evidence enough that I've...accepted this new world."

He wasn't sure what else Draco wanted from him. A declaration of devotion to Harry Potter? Lucius would die first. "I think you need to accept that it's not going to be as different as you think. If the Muggles do have all this...new technology, and cameras everywhere, the need for separation and secrecy is even higher, especially as the Muggles now outnumber us by about three million to one, just in this country alone." Lucius understood the need to accept Muggleborns into society, treat them as equals if they were going to sustain their way of life, but if Draco thought it was going to be all lovey-dovey with Muggles as well, his son would be in for a very rude awakening.

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draco_draconis
2021-03-16 03:59 am UTC (link)

"Of course we need secrecy. Why on earth would we not?" Muggleborns were one thing, but they were still wizards. He had absolutely no interest in anything in the muggle world, except maybe access to some of their food when they ran out.

"Believe it or not father, we can have a new, better world and still be wizards. We'll just be wizards who don't murder each other. I'll tell Harry what you said, I'm sure he'll find something for you to do."

He stood and walked off, not trusting himself not to say anything worse.

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