Sorry for the delay. I got so far in this chap and then wasn't sure how they would be in public. Then NaNo. YadaYada. Hope you still remember and enjoy. Hopefully next chap will be longer and WILL be the start of time jumps. Thank you!

ayebydan

x

Over the coming months, the positives of Lucius' lessons is that the boys do learn to stand straight by practising in their spare time. They take it as a competition and even Fred and George want to outdo Bill. That gives Lucius pride. What makes him hide in his office and laugh after scolding them is the way they try and whack each other with said sticks or use them as mock wands. It is never outright vicious and no one ever gets hurt but still, Narcissa would bury Lucius on a remote island if she ever felt her children were in danger so he does the fatherly thing and scolds them when appropriate.

Ginny is now rushing after the gang on ever steadying leads and it warms Lucius' heart to hear Narcissa fill the home with delighted laughter as she watches the antics of various children. In what feels like a constant stream of coloured paper and streamers the children all have birthdays and therefore parties and meet a gaggle of youths their own ages. Lucius never thought he would be playing nice with the Bones or Abbot families but the more he learns about his new brood the more he is certain that most of them will be joining the children of these new families in Hogwarts houses that are not his own. More than likely they will make friends from, well, other backgrounds. The world around him is changing and Lucius is not adapting as fast as he would like. Sure, he can now handle the constant breakages of the twins hollering through the hallways or the alarming booms that come from their bedroom when they are roughhousing but his public life is harder.

Many of the Malfoy's friends have distanced themselves now they are known to have taken in known blood-traitors. The Parkinsons are one of the few friends who have mulled it over and decided the world has changed and that the literal war was lost and so it is better to get on with things. The Notts, Goyles, Crabbes, Flints and McNairs no longer want anything to do with them. Lucius and Narcissa furiously debate the matter when the children are in bed at night. The children are still purebloods after all and have not taken a stance other than to be born. The discussions lead to the war and how the Dark Lord had gone quite mad in the end.

Narcissa is forced to confront the reality that while she now has a large family the ideals of blood purity have cost her the extended family she would have liked to have around her. Sirius and Bellatrix are in prison. Regulus, her father and the entirety of the Malfoy family are dead. They never even found her cousin's body to bury. Scores of other pureblood families have been wiped out or reduced to a sole heir.

And yet muggleborn Lily Evans was deemed enough of a threat with her husband to send them into hiding and for the Dark Lord to attack. Her half-blood child ended him.

The ideas of her past don't fit her present anymore, and that realisation is what leads her to writing the first letter to her shunned sister in over a decade.

As September rushes towards them the family is forced to confront several realities. The first is that Bill will soon be leaving them to attend Hogwarts. The second is that it is a tradition in the Malfoy family for the whole family to go to Diagon Alley to fetch school supplies. It just happens that the family has never been quite so huge and the idea of all eight children running amok in the shops makes Lucius crave either a Dreamless Sleep Potion or a large scotch.

Narcissa's anxiety does not help matters.

"Charlie next and then Percy a year after that and before you know it Ginny will be gone and-"

"Calm down," Lucius implores, " Ginny has only started walking. Morgana's tit."

"Do not tell me what to do," Narcissa hisses across the silken sheets.

"You need to calm down and think, darling. I assure you that by the time we put Ginerva on that train we will be damn glad to do so. This is...well certainly an endeavour. The eight of them."

"Lucius I-"

"I did not say I regretted a moment of it!" Lucius breaks in, his eyes already closed and his body shifting to find a comfortable position to sleep.

"We need to take Bill for supplies soon. I'm...not looking forward to it. Lucius? Lucius!"

Only snores meet her.

Narcissa is all too aware of all the eyes on her but is determined that the children never notice. This is Bill's day. All the children had gathered around him in excitement when his letter came even if Ron, Draco and Ginny were never quite sure what was going on. This day will be wonderful for her eldest.

"Right, I have little Gin. Daddy has the walking leads of Draco and Ron. Percy, you have Fred and Charlie you have George. Bill, all you need is your letter. All accounted for?"

A chorus of agreement meets her and with that Narcissa leads her brood into the Alley proper. From her arms, Ginny gapes at this and that and more than once Narcissa has to stop her snatching something that does not belong to her. Women that would normally not meet her eye coo at the young girl and Narcissa's mask slips to smiles more than once. Old friends turn away but plenty of others laugh at the antics of her rabble and she wonders if their reassessment of the world just might be right.

As it tradition they start with the perceived boring bits and get all of Bill's textbooks, with a couple of add ons for both Charlie and Percy, before seeking out his potion's ingredients.

After that Lucius proudly leads Bill to purchase his own owl. The boy is nearly overwhelmed at the thought of his own but Narcissa merely beams and pats his shoulder, "I expect letters weekly. You need a young fit bird for that don't you?"

"But I-"

"Will learn responsibility with it, son," Lucius breaks in while holding the two toddlers close to his legs, the pair of them intimidated by the numerous animals around them while Charlie seems fascinated, "None of the elves will be helping you clean her cage or feed her. A pet is the first step to responsibility. I hope you take it seriously."

Charlie bumps his shoulder and the grey owl in Bill's hand's barks softly as the boys' grin.

"Dad?" Bill asks quietly while holding Draco's hand and shifting closer to Lucius as they make their way down the street.

"Yes?"

"Your friend is the Potion's Master, right? Mr, I mean Professor, Snape? What if he does not like me?"

At that, Lucius holds back a chuckle, " I do not think he likes any of his students but he will respect hard work and preparation. Make sure you read the books we just purchased before you go to school. At the very least the introductions. All your teachers will respect that but you know that mum and I only ask for your best efforts, Bill."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't speak so commonly in public, son."

"Yes, Sir."

Whatever Bill was thinking to say next is cut off when Draco lurches to the left at a street merchant with balloons and Ron lurches in the opposite direction at a food stall. Lucius splutters while trying to control the two boys and Bill laughs as he hauls Draco up onto his hip and makes his way towards the wand shop.

By the time the family portkey back into large home's reception room half of the children are buzzing with excitement and the other half are dead on their feet. Percy drags Ron and the twins upstairs for a nap while the others gather around Bill's new belongings.

His owl barks in irritation within the cage. Charlie practically vibrates with excitement until Bill signals to him that he may let her out. Far from fleeing the room, the grey beauty merely circles the family before coming to rest on the back of the sofa. Narcissa's nose twitches but given the last few months, an owl perching is hardly the worst the sofa has seen.

The owl has not shat on it at least.

"I need to give her a name," Bill muses, still in awe of owning her at all.

"Bah!" Ginny cries with a fist in the air. Her words come here and there and absolutely only when she desires them.

"Athena," Charlie chips in, "Like the Goddess!"

Bill screws up his face at that which makes Lucius snort into the rum on ice that he had Dobby bring him once he was sat down. Bill makes to say something when Draco totters to his feet and states "MINA" in an angry shout. For a few seconds, there is a scuffle as Draco rushes across the room and grasps a toy unicorn from Ginny. She promptly bursts into tears which makes Draco do the same and both Narcissa and Lucius are perplexed to find Bill beaming when it is all over.

"Mina. I'll call her Mina."