You can't blame someone for leaving if you never gave them a reason to stay -- Fall 2005

I was home by myself; Pansy had taken Ian out.  Neither one really wanted to be around me... and I did not blame them.  I did not want to be around me, either.  I heard a knock on the door, which surprise me.  But I figured it might be Lincoln or Juniper popping in to check on us -- they did that from time to time because of what happened.  The face I saw when I opened the door chilled me to the bone.  It was my father -- but he looked more gaunt then normal and that crazed look in his eyes was more evident than ever before.  "May I help you?" I asked, automatically slipping into the way he always wanted us to speak otu of pure habit.

I pushed past my son, ignoring the ways that I had raised him.  He clearly put all pretenses aside after Keegan's funeral.  "Is she here?" I asked, looking around as if evidence of my wife staying here would be obvious.  I taught my child well, that was all I could say.  As much as he hated me, he had turned into me in spite of all of his efforts.

I could not help but smirk slightly at his frantic efforts.  He never thought that he would lose Mum.  Well, she was not going to take his crap forever... and not when I helped give her a way out of his grasp.  I told him I would take away everything that he loved for having a hand in Keegan's death.  I just watched him.  "And who is it that you're looking for, exactly?" I asked, my voice filled with boredom, though I was highly enjoying this.

I threw my son up against the wall.  "You know exactly who I'm looking for.  What did you do with your mother?" I asked, seeing spittle fly i my son's face.

I was startled by Father throwing me up against the wall.  When I regained myself, I shoved him off of me.  "I did nothing with her," I said to him simply, lying completely to him.  And I did not care.

"Then why has she left?  She never would have before," I said to him, sneering at my own son.  How dare he think I ignorant?  How dare he think I stupid?  I knew better than to believe a word Draco spoke to me.  I taught my son well and I knew it.

I cocked an eyebrow at Father.  "Really?  Maybe she's just grown tired of all your bullshit," I pointed out to him simply.  This was what I had watned to see -- my father start to unravel himself the way that I had done.  And it was beautiful.

How dare he!  I hit him -- hard -- across the face.  "Do not speak to me in that tone," I said to Draco harshly.  I was losing my grip on him and I did not like that idea at all.

I barely flinched when Father hit me -- I had been expecting worse than that, actually.  "I don't care how I speak to you anymore," I spat at him.  I moved away from him and continued to speculate where Mother might be.  "Or perhaps... well, she might have learned the truth about what happened to Keegan.  Why would she want to be with a horrible monster like you?  She put up with numerous things from you... but not to her grandchildren.  That, apparently, might be where she draws the line."  I turned back to face him, trying to contain my smirk.

I felt te color drain from my face.  "What do you mean about Keegan?  She drowned.  It was a tragic accident," I stated, though we both knew it was a lie.  I let the facade fade.  "And why would you cause your mother so much harm?  I thougth you adored her."

I laughed at my father -- ruthlessly, really.  "I do adore her.  Why do you think I am doing this?  She deserves far better than the likes of you," I spat at him.  "You took her for granted.  And she never left you for our sake, I think.  And finally...s he has escaped.  And I helped.  I got her away from you.  And I'm just getting started taking away everything you love, Lucius."

I could not believe my son.  "What on earth are you doing any of this for?  We loved you.  You are our son," I said to him.  Of course, I knew why.  He found out that I was behind Keegan's death.  He wanted revenge.  And I taught him exactly how to do that... though I never thougth he would go against me like this.

I shook my head.  "A loving father would have never made his son pay for his sins, forcing him to murder somebody.  A loving father would never have... you wouldn' have killed your own granddaughter," I spat at him.  I shoved my father away from me.  "You'll never find her.  Not until she wants to be found."

I pulled my wand out of the cane that I always carried around.  "Draco, you will do as I say!  You will tell me where she is," I said to him with venom in my voice.  "She is my wife!  You cannot keep her from me."

I did not even flinch when he started to yell; it meant that I was getting to him.  "I'm not keeping her from you.  You pushed her away and alienated her from her own family.  She won't have that anymore," I said to him, my voice staying calm.