/God...no, please no..../Lucius nearly fainted, held upright by virtue of his high-backed chair alone.
"You let me go!!" Draco screeched, fighting his bonds and escort wildly. He then abruptly noticed his father's presents and was momentarily still, before he began thrashing again. "Father!!" He screamed, throwing his shoulders roughly in a failed attempt to free himself. Tears sprung to Lucius' eyes and he closed them.
/What have you done, my son?/ He thought, his eyes shimmering threateningly when he opened them again.
"What's wrong with you two tonight? You're so damn weepy." Voldemort pouted, his red eyes narrowed to burning slits of ruby. Thinking quickly, Lucius got to his feet and rushed over to his son before Voldemort could even react.
"I'm so proud of you, son...I always knew the master would love you...." It was only a half-lie; he had always known that Voldemort would love his son, that being the main reason he had kept Draco out of his master's sight, and tried to remain as cold to the boy as possible; he didn't want Draco to want to follow in his misguided footsteps. Voldemort smiled happily and waved Draco's captors away. Draco was completely confused, and the expression said so very clearly. Lucius held Draco to his chest so tightly that his son couldn't have said a word had he tried. "Be quiet. Don't speak to anyone but me, Severus or Lord Voldemort. Call him Master. Don't let anyone but us three touch you, understood?" He whispered urgently. Draco obviously didn't understand, but nodded and followed his father back to the table where he was pushed in front of Voldemort who had moved his chair away from the table to get a better look at the sixteen year-old Malfoy.
"Well, young Malfoy...you are beautiful...are you a virgin Draco? Don't lie to me now." Draco swallowed hard and nodded. The room was already abuzz with 'ah, how sweets' on the women's part, and it intensified at Draco's tentative appearance.
"Quite a beauty, my Lord." A man from the far side of the table commented in appreciation. Lucius felt that he could've slapped the man, and Severus looked like he was close to getting up and flinging who-ever-it-was across the room.
"Yes, isn't he? And he isn't the last of my little pets I can assure you...you'll never guess who else I've got my sights set on." Voldemort looked vastly pleased and hopeful smiles appeared around the large table.
"Why whoever might that be, Lord?" Lissa Klea asked sweetly. She had a boy Draco's age; red hair, green eyes and undoubtedly attractive, but Voldemort smiled at her in a way that clearly said 'don't-get-your-hopes-up'
"Why, young Mr. Potter. Who else?" Her smile faltered for a moment before she regained some lost momentum.
"I had guessed as much." She said sagely, nodding her head and commenting to her husband that she had guessed of her master's interest in the boy. George Klea rolled his eyes and commended his lord on a wonderful taste in beauty. Voldemort chose to ignore the stricken expression lining all three of his pets' faces and smiled at the members of the Death Eaters present at the dinner while they quickly got into their ass-kissing mode and showered him with text-book praises that he simply never got tired of.
"You may sit down darling." Voldemort said dismissively to Draco with a wave of his hand. Draco cast a panicked look at his father,
"Kneel on the floor at his feet." Severus whispered almost inaudibly from behind him. Swallowing hard, Draco lowered himself to the plush carpet at Voldemort’s feet and starred down at his tattered Hogwarts' robes, holding back tears.
"Why, my darling Lucius. You've taught him well." Voldemort whispered out of the side of his mouth, absently stroking Draco's tangled hair. Lucius bowed graciously and nodded with a smile.
"I'm glad to see something took!" He joked, gaining an appreciative chuckle from his master.
"So am I, believe me....Why don't you two go and get him washed up...no matters of import are to be discussed this evening and these flocking geese will be going home shortly." Lucius was only too happy to get out of the great hall, but paced himself and gracefully climbed out of his chair and lead his son away, Severus half a step behind him.
When Draco opened his mouth to speak, Lucius hushed him sharply and Severus moved into a position so that he could easily restrain his student if need be.
Lucius stormed into his chambers and quickly checked for any spells that had been placed over the room. When he was assured that none had, he rounded on his son.
"What have you done?!" He bellowed helplessly. Draco shrunk away from him. But only for a moment.
"I did nothing! Is it a crime to take a walk for heaven's sake?!" He asked angrily. Lucius messaged his temples; he could already feel a major headache on the approach.
"Tell me exactly what happened..." He ordered quietly, trying to calm himself. Draco took a deep breath and though it looked like he had a few questions himself, he launched into his tale.
"The great hall was getting a little stuffy, so I left dinner a little early to take a walk. I didn't know anything was wrong, it was just a nice cool evening and I needed some air. I was caught by these...things; I don't even know what they were, like hobgoblins, but bigger, but not big enough to be a troll or goblin...anyway...they were going to...eat me I guess, but this wizard came with all these huge wolves and took me away from them and then we Apparated to here - where ever 'here' is - and I've been here for about two hours I guess...Now, what are you two doing here?" Severus and Lucius exchanged glances, then Lucius slowly lowered himself to a chair and pulled his son over to him. Draco wasn't quiet sure why - maybe just the familiar presence in this frighteningly unfamiliar place - but he crawled up on his father's lap and tucked himself in the crook of the larger man's arm to listen to his story. Severus had pulled over another chair and was seated quietly across from them.
"Draco...unlike you, dear boy, I'm here of my own will...sort of...I'll start from beginning...."
Lucius cocked his head slightly as he strained to hear the dark clad figures at the next table without them noticing him. While coming across the room, Lucius had caught one word; Lord and had been immediately transfixed. Certainly, they could be speaking about the Holy Lord God, but the title had been more of an address, and the way it was spoken sounded like nothing he'd heard from a believer's lips before, he couldn't have even described how, had he been asked, but he knew - knew - with a certainly he rarely felt that they were not only speaking of the rising Dark Lord, but rather directly to him. Curious, Lucius had selected a recently vacated table close to them and was trying to pick up more cues from the conversation.
"I'm hungry!" One protested in a soft but forceful whisper; it wasn't the 'I'm hungry, give me a sandwich' but rather held the tone of one suffering from a starvation of the needs of the flesh.
"Lord, you could have any you wanted, just speak the name and they will be yours." Another said with soft assurance. There was silence at the table for a long moment, then a whisper too quiet for even their eavesdropper to hear, and the scrape of chairs against the old wood of the Three Broomsticks, and Lucius panicked for a moment; were they leaving?! Yet even as he held his breath and bit his tongue to keep himself from turning to see, three figures approached his table, hovering around the empty chairs.
"Are these seats taken?" The one who had complained of hunger asked gently. Unable to speak, Lucius shook his head and gestured that they were welcome to the seats. Smiling warmly - and what a dazzling smile he had! - the speaker took the seat directly across from him and his two companions seated themselves a moment later.
"I hope were not intruding..." Lucius who had been staring at the stranger slack-jawed in open wonderment, snapped out of his reverie and shook his head, regaining some composure and returning the smile.
"No not at all. My name is Lucius, Lucius Malfoy." He didn't know why he had thrown his rather prominent name in the air, perhaps eager to please, but his new company seemed only politely impressed.
"Lucius Malfoy...I saw you sitting over here and thought perhaps you were meeting someone? Beauty such as yours mustn't be left unattended and unescorted for long, after all." Lucius felt a blush creep up his collar at the flattery and straight up to his hairline when he felt a leg run unabashedly up his own. "Do you know who I am, Lucius Malfoy?" He was asked. This mysterious stranger seemed to like his name and the sensual half smile playing on his lips was just as much amusement as seduction. Lucius swallowed hard to catch his voice.
"I-I think so...you're...I mean...aren't you...the D-" the suspected Dark Lord, reached across the table and pressed a finger to Lucius' lips, then gently eased the digit between them. Lucius carefully eased his tongue out and pulled the finger into his mouth where he sucked on it lightly watching its owner carefully from under dark lashes. Chuckling lightly, the finger was drawn away and he slowly stood. Lucius caught his breath sharply; had he done something wrong? But only the leader of the small group had gotten to his feet, the other two were smiling at him encouragingly and despite his confusion, Lucius was slightly reassured. The stranger came up behind him and lightly wrapped him in two powerful arms and leaned close to his ear.
"I am indeed whom you so rightly perceive me to be, Lucius Malfoy...but now tell me...what does that mean to you?" Lucius thought carefully on the matter. Certainly he had never made a habit of practicing the dark arts, but his family was unofficially famous for their association with them so he was no stranger to the darker ways of wizardry; and he wasn't about to running to the nearest authority with the Dark Lord's identity and location...
"Your secret is safe, my Lord..." He breathed, leaning back into Voldemort’s arms like a child might bury under the blankets on a cold night. Voldemort laughed again and brought his mouth even closer to Lucius' face, gently lapping at his ear.
"My darling, Lucius...I appreciate your sealed lips...but now, I more desire your beautiful body." It was spoken so bluntly that Lucius was momentarily knocked into a state of shock. "I'm hungry" the Dark Lord had complained, and apparently, Lucius was the sandwich. Stunned, Lucius could only nod dumbly. Voldemort gently pulled him out of his chair and led him toward the stairs that lead to his room above the Three Broomsticks.
"He...claimed me that night...and he was kind. God he was kind! And gentle and he told me he would love me and take care of me, forever. I believed him. Barely a month after that first night I was initiated into the circle of Death Eaters...and for a while he kept his promise, and I love...loved-him....but he's changed...so much..." Lucius' voice slowly faded away as though he were trying to hold back emotions he would rather not show to his son.
"So...my mother...? What of her?" Lucius seemed to be anticipating this question and he smiled sadly.
"Your mother...was...well frankly...she was given to me."
"Given?!"
"Draco, I'm sure by now you know that you come from a prominent family...a very, very proud family...but not one particularly high in universal morals. Voldemort was at the peak of his power and Severus and myself were his right hand...but he was busy a lot, and understood my family obligation to produce an heir...Narcissa was the daughter of one of his faithful Death Eaters...she was presented to me as gift...now don't misunderstand...I do love your mother...but more, I love her for giving you to me...I love her for her beauty, and I love her for her unwavering loyalty...but Draco, you see I have always...."
"Been more inclined to the males?" Draco finished for him, and Lucius noticed, not entirely without some sympathy.
"Yes." Lucius admitted simply, not willing or wanting to go any further with the explanation. There was a long silence that stretched between them like a tangible thing until Severus cautiously cleared his throat.
"As much as I hate to break this father-son moment up, the Master did say to 'clean him up' not swap stories, Lucius." Had it been under any other circumstance, and had it not been for the look of pain on his potions professor’s face, Draco might have thought him callous, but at the moment couldn't think of a better descriptive word, so he soundlessly climbed off his father's lap.
Severus led him into an attached bathing chamber richly appointed with colorful tiles, a large bathtub set made of dark blue tiles, daybeds, wardrobes, cupboards and the heady smell of lavender. Draco watched as Severus drew the bath and gathered towels, robes, clothing, oils and soaps while the water ran.
"It is kind of hard to bathe in clothing, Draco." His father said, suddenly appearing in the doorway and walking over to Severus. Severus reached up and removed the silver collar resting on Lucius' fair skin, then handed it to him and turned so his own could be removed. Desperately ignoring the unfolding scene, Draco crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know that." He snapped, hoping against hope that they would take the hint and leave.
"Well, then, perhaps you would care to remove them?" Lucius returned calmly, already removing his silk green pants.
"Oh my God! You are not planning on taking a bath with me!" Lucius didn't answer, only dropped his pants to the floor - he wore no underwear - and climbed into the bath.
"I'm giving you ten seconds to undress yourself and get in the tub...I'm sure it would be quite embarrassing to have your teacher and your father wrestle you into the water..." Draco's eyes darted madly, searching for a means of escape, but the door was already shut and by the time he was able to open it, Snape would be on him.
/I can't believe this is happening..../His father's attitude had gone abruptly from caring to callous, and he was beginning to panic. Doing the only thing he could, Draco closed his eyes and began removing the tatters that remained of his clothing.