Chapter 37

The morning after, Severus found himself once again in the eastern gardens of Slytherin Castle. He entered the ornate stone gazebo. Zippy had already laid out the table with pastries, sugared fruits, and steaming tea.

Lucius had been waiting. His cane was propped against the balustrade, and a smirk was firmly in place. "Severus," he drawled. "You look dreadful."

"Good morning to you as well," Severus responded.

"I trust His Majesty is recovering?"

Severus lowered himself into the chair with a faint huff. "Recovering, yes. Though the Healers have barred us from any strenuous activity for three months."

A beat passed. Then Lucius lifted the bourbon flask and tipped a generous measure into Severus's tea.

"It is eleven in the morning." Severus eyed him.

"And?"

"I am expected to remain sober enough to manage state affairs."

"Then sip slowly." Lucius retorted.

A comfortable silence settled between them for nearly half a minute. "So, no strenuous activity, huh?" Lucius took a sip of his tea. "How tragic."

Severus glared at the blonde. Lucius looked unperturbed, though, and added. "I must say, Severus, I never expected your honeymoon period to be interrupted by medical prohibition."

"It is not a honeymoon period."

"You are still newly married."

"A homicidal fae prince abducted my husband."

"And yet somehow, knowing the two of you, the healers still felt the need to specify strenuous activity." Here, Lucius wagged his brows suggestively.

Then Lucius leaned back, far too pleased with himself. "Well. Three months of restraint. However, will you cope?"

"With dignity."

The blonde laughed outright. "Oh, Severus. Do warn me before you say such absurd things. I nearly choked."

Severus ignored Lucius and instead reached for a slice of cured meat. "What new scandal have you brought me today?"

Lucius leaned in conspiratorially, "The Montagues. You recall the gambling debts? Well, it seems the eldest siphoned even more from the vaults. Rumors going through the Goblin community are that he dared lay his hands on his mother's dowry. His mother's! Can you imagine the nerve and entitlement?!"

"Seraphina Montague apparently put her foot down after that. She had let her husband raise the boy as an heir, but clearly his upbringing also needed a woman's touch."

"He's been disinherited?" Severus asked, intrigued.

"Not officially." Lucius continued. "Rumor has it that Lady Montague has apprenticed her son to her father's military regiment. General Vidarsen, under the Nordiska Enhetsrådet för Magi, has apparently made the young man a glorified shoe-shiner and errand boy until he learns manners and respect."

"That might be... surprisingly effective," Severus muttered.

"The other branch of the Montagues isn't faring so well, though. "Remember when you asked me if it was the daughter?"

"Yes,"

"Well, it was, though not the daughter you were thinking of."

"I'm sorry, what?!" Severus blinked.

"Elodie and Edward Montague look strikingly similar because they are twins, yes, but so does their first cousin Eveline."

"It was apparently Eveline who was seen leaving the French Ambassador's rooms, not Elodie." Lucius relayed. "But apparently, the gossip rags got the two confused. And now Elodie is suing them for defamation."

Then Lucius smirked. "Also, the ambassador's wife has challenged Eveline to a formal duel."

Severus paused with his cup halfway to his mouth. "The French ambassador's wife isn't she a former Beauxbatons dueling champion?"

"Yes..."

"Well, bloody hell."

"Indeed,"

Lucius set down his cup and folded his hands. "You will also find this interesting: the Vanes are moving ahead with their fraud case against the Potters."

"Still?" Severus's brows rose.

"Even more aggressively now. Romilda Vane's mother is claiming emotional damages, reputational damages, financial damages, and, my personal favorite, ceremonial disappointment."

"Ceremonial disappointment?"

"Apparently, she had already purchased imported peacocks for the wedding procession."

Severus stared.

"Yes," Lucius said. "Live peacocks."

"James Potter promised his son's hand in marriage without consulting the son, accepted a dowry from the Vanes, had his assets seized by the Crown, and somehow the tragedy they are emphasizing is peacock-related?"

"Pureblood litigation has always been theater," Lucius stated.

For a while, they ate in silence. Lucius selected a pastry with strawberries, while Severus ignored the sugared fruits in favor of cured meat and another fortified sip of tea.

Then Lucius said, too casually, "Narcissa and I have been discussing something."

"That sounds ominous."

"It is not ominous."

"You once said that before attempting to introduce me to a Bulgarian curse-breaker who collected teeth."

"She was very accomplished."

"Narcissa wants to adopt," Lucius stated. Severus said nothing for a moment. Whatever he had expected, it had not been that.

The blonde continued, "Draco is grown. He is to be married. Soon, he will have his own household, his own responsibilities, his own life with Astoria. Narcissa is delighted, of course. She adores Astoria. But..."

"The manor is quiet," Severus understood.

"Too quiet."

Severus studied him. Lucius Malfoy, who had once filled rooms by sheer presence alone, looked suddenly older than he had a moment before.

"Narcissa calls it empty nest syndrome," Lucius said, "A dreadful Muggle phrase, but annoyingly precise."

"It is not a crime to miss being needed." Lucius's eyes flicked up when his friend said that.

"No. I suppose it is not."

"Why adoption?" Severus then asked.

"Because there are children still carrying the war in their bones," Lucius explained quietly. "Orphans, children whose families survived in name only, children no one wants because their names are inconvenient, or because their magic is strange, or because their parents chose the wrong side and died for it."

"Narcissa said that if the Malfoy name is to mean anything after everything that has happened, then perhaps it should mean shelter. Education. Protection. A proper home. "

Severus was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "That sounds like Narcissa."

Lucius huffed softly. "Not me?"

"No."

Lucius's mouth curved, but his eyes remained serious. "Cruel."

"But you are considering it." The Potion master pointed out.

"Yes," Lucius admitted. "Conception hasn't been easy for us. Draco was basically our miracle child after three years of trying. Cissy is sure it's on her side with all the inbreeding from the Black family. I will be frank with you, Severus. I am worried about her condition if we try again. Draco's birth was already difficult. The Healers advised against having another child. Cissy might die if we do."

Then Lucius asked, quieter, "Do you think we would be good parents again?"

Severus did not answer immediately. "You made mistakes," Severus finally said.

"A delicate summary." Lucius huffed.

"You raised Draco in fear of disappointing you, and beneath the weight of a name neither of you fully controlled."

"But," Severus continued, "Draco knew he was loved. That is not insignificant. Many children grow in houses far warmer than Malfoy Manor and never receive that certainty."

"You and Narcissa have changed," Severus stated. "Painfully. Inconveniently. Not always gracefully. But you have."

"You truly think so?"

"I would not say it to flatter you." Severus deadpanned.

"No," Lucius murmured. "You certainly would not."

"If you do this because you are lonely, the child will feel it. If you do this because you want a replacement for Draco, the child will resent it. If you do this because you believe a home with you and Narcissa would be safer than the one they have, and because you are willing to be patient when they do not thank you for it, then yes. I think you could do it well."

"Would you be willing to be godfather?"

Severus froze. He did not answer immediately.

"I ask not for formality, Severus," Lucius stated. "I ask because you are the one man I trust to tell me the truth, even when it cuts."

Severus was silent for a long moment. Then, finally, he said, "If you are sincere, if Narcissa is sincere, then yes. I will stand as godfather."