Chapter 14

"I thought you said Becky would get hurt?"

"I thought she would, but I was wrong. I'm the one who ended up hurting her by trying to change the past."

The boy frowns. "All this is really confusing."

"I know," Gus says, "and I'm sorry."

His younger self shrugs. "It's okay. And at least I get to see what I look like when I'm grown up." He grins. "I'm glad I grow up to be so tall."

Now if only you could not grow up not to be a complete fuckwit, Gus thinks.

Gus Apparates to Diagon Alley and looks around warily. He heaves a sigh of relief when he sees not a cosmetics store but Malfoy Genetic Consulting in front of him.

One more stop and the Vow will be fulfilled. He can feel it pulling at him, drawing him toward the conclusion of this whole misguided misadventure.

"Augustus Longbottom is being here to see you, Master," the elf says.

"To see me?" Lucius asks. "Did you tell him my granddaughter isn't here?"

"He isn't being here to see Missy Cassiopeia, Master. I is already asking him that."

"Curious," Lucius muses. "Send him in then, and bring tea, please."

"What a pleasant surprise," Lucius says as a very agitated Gus enters his study and stands in front of the desk, twisting his hands nervously. "Tea?"

"No, thank you," Gus says stiffly.

"Won't you sit down and tell me what has you so upset?"

Instead, Gus reaches inside his robes, pulls out the Time Turner on its golden chain, and holds it out to Lucius.

"What's this? A Time Turner?"

"I'm under an Unbreakable Vow to bring it to you, and to give you these," Gus says, holding out a vial of memories.

"Curious," Lucius says, putting the golden device in his pocket and walking to the cabinet where he keeps his Pensieve. "To whom did you make the Vow?"

"To you."

"To me? I have no recollection of that." He frowns. "If I find that someone has Obliviated me, I shall be very cross."

"You weren't Obliviated," Gus says. "You'll understand once you view the memories."

"Very well." Lucius pours the memories into the bowl and looks at Gus. "Will you be joining me?"

"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you."

"As you like," Lucius says agreeably, and leans toward the swirling memories.

When he pulls out of the Pensieve some time later, Lucius's tone and expression are markedly less agreeable. "Come along," he snaps at Gus, stalking out of the room, down the corridor and out a pair of French doors into the garden. He strides across the manicured portion of the gardens and across a field toward the lake. Gus struggles to keep up until Lucius finally slows his pace as they approach the shore. He drops the Time Turner onto the bank and pulls out his wand.

Gus has never seen anyone cast Fiendfyre before, and he stares, transfixed, as flames in the shape of howling demons melt the Time Turner into liquid gold. Lucius's face is grimly focused, and beads of sweat emerge on his furrowed brow as he reins in the flames, which subside slowly until they are gone entirely.

As Lucius Vanishes the puddle of boiling gold, the anger seems to drain out of him and he heaves a heavy sigh. "And so it ends," he says.

"It will be easier if you see for yourselves without my trying to explain it all," Lucius says, indicating the Pensieve.

Becky and Draco exchange a look, then lean toward the swirling memories.

When they emerge, all three of them are quiet for a moment, then Becky says, "I'm glad you destroyed it, glad it's all over."

"As am I," Draco agrees, "but at the same time, I can't entirely regret that it happened."

Becky looks at him curiously. "Why?"

Draco gives her a playful smile. "First, because now I know you would have fancied me even without your trip to the past, and second," he continues, the smile turning into a smirk, "that was a smashing look for you, love."

Becky smiles. "I never would have thought I could carry off something like that."

"Oh, you definitely can," Draco assures her. "Perhaps a shopping trip this afternoon?"

"Reminded me a bit of Bella when she was young," Lucius muses, "before Azkaban ruined her looks."

Draco makes a face. "Thanks for ruining the fantasy, Father."

Lucius sighs. "I suppose Hermione will send me a Howler when she realizes her Time Turner is gone."

"How would she know you had anything to do with it?" Becky asks. "I'm certainly not going to tell her."

"Since when has my innocence exempted me from your mother's wrath?"

"Speaking of my mother's wrath," Becky says, "Draco and I have to be off. We're meeting my parents for dinner in Diagon Alley."

"It'll be the first time I've seen either of them since all this began," Draco says grimly. "I only hope Severus doesn't murder me."

"Oh, it isn't Daddy you have to worry about," Becky assures him.

"Wise of you to choose a public place, I'd say," Lucius says.

"I'm glad you approve, anyway," Becky says to Lucius.

"My dear, of course I do," he replies. "I've always considered you part of the family, and now you truly will be." Then his brow furrows, and he mutters, "But I suppose you'll be wanting children."

Becky and Draco exchange a surprised look. "Not for quite some time yet," Becky assures Lucius. "Why does the idea distress you?"

"Between Draco having not one but two families, and Scorpius's little brood mare having another baby practically every year, within three generations the Malfoys will be as poor as the Weasleys," Lucius sighs.

"If you hadn't destroyed the Time Turner, I could've popped back to the nineties and bought us some Apple stock," Becky says.

"And change who knows what by doing it?" Draco asks. "No, thank you. Better a diminished fortune than risk losing what really matters," he says, pulling Becky into his arms. "My life has been turned upside down by other people's trips through time often enough. I'm happy to leave the past alone, enjoy the present, and look forward to our future."

Author's Note: After all the angst in reviews for Past Imperfect and Present Imperfect about poor Draco not getting his HEA, I hope I've made it up to him in this story. No, it isn't with Hermione, but I'm with Lucius in thinking that it would have been one of those Be careful what you wish for things, and they're both better off with the people with whom they ended up.

Thanks as always to the world's beta readers, Fragilereality (author of WIP Unforgivable Sinner and many wonderful complete stories, including my favorite Backwards) and turtlewexler (author of WIP The Poison Garden and the marvelous complete story A Light in the Fog).

Many thanks to all who have read my stories. Special thanks to those of you who have left a review or added it to your favorites list.