CHAPTER SEVEN
RIDDLE AND MALFOY

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Wiltshire England, Malfoy Manor's Garden

"Narcissa, are they up yet?"

Narcissa looked over her shoulder as her husband approached. She was looking out of the large living room window where a beautiful and large garden lay.

It was secluded with trees and shrubs, and a great old lovely rosebush that offered sanctuary away from prying muggle eyes. The grass was luscious and green, the small pond off to the side shallow and clear blue, and the stables they upkept was at the far back and had a charming sign slightly hung over the barn doors.

"It's Saturday morning, Lucius," Narcissa reminded her husband. "Of course, they're up. And where else would they be but there."

Lucius placed an arm around his wife's waist as he looked out the window and into the garden where his son and niece were playing an intense game of two-person quidditch.

"Of course," he said repeating Narcissa's previous words. He let go of her and started his walk towards the door, "Just out of curiosity," he asked looking back at his wife. "Who's been winning?"

"Our son stands no match against such a fierce girl," was all Narcissa answered making a genuinely amused smile appear on Lucius' face as he opened the door and walked his way across the lawn and into the garden.

"Children!" he called.

Draco swooped over his head making Lucius duck before quickly sweeping to the side when Lea chased the quaffle that just flew past his nose.

Boy, were the children ever more dangerous than during their quidditch matches.

"Children!" Lucius tried again, still nothing. He sighed at being ignored or more like forgotten, he took his wand out and placed the tip against his vocal cords. "CHILDREN!" the bellowed call had the two halting where they flew.

"Everything alright, father?" Draco called down.

"Uncle Lucius," Lea whined. "I was about to win."

"You most certainly were not," Draco protested.

"Was too," Lea argued back.

"Were not!"

"Was too!"

"Were not!"

"Was too!"

Lucius sighed once again. "Children, argue about this later, will you? We have school supplies to shop for today."

The two stopped glaring and instead started grinning. Lea was the first to touch back down, Draco right behind her.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lea asked gripping her broom with one hand and rushing past her uncle.

"Come on, father," Draco urged happily running after his cousin.

Narcissa continued to watch from the window as Lucius bowed his head in exasperation and a minute later the children were running back into the house, smiles and laughs filling the Malfoy manor.

"Mother, are you coming with us?" Draco asked.

"Please, Aunt Cissy," Lea begged.

Narcissa smiled at them. "Why of course I'm coming with my darlings where else am I supposed to be?"

She walked up to the two, quickly running a soft hand through Draco's wind brushed hair while using her other to fix Lea's standing up brown strands.

"Hurry and get ready," Narcissa ordered taking a small step back. Draco and Lea nodded both of them already running up the stairs to their rooms "Take a shower! And remember to wash and dry your hair! Also, Teddy will have your clothes ready and set on your beds!" she called up after them.

Less than an hour passed before they were both ready and back downstairs.

Draco dressed in a respectable black coat, green jersey, black trousers, and shiny black loafers. His hair jelled back perfectly and his pale face flushed with a tint of red.

All in all, he looked like a Lucius Malfoy 2.0 in the making.

Lea was dressed in a short grey skirt, black leggings, a white jersey, and a red shoulder coat with matching red pumps. Her hair was pulled back into a soft braid and her cheeks blushed red from the heat of the shower to cold air.

A perfect clone of her Aunt Narcissa.

"Wonderful," Narcissa accessed. "Draco, Lea, you both look wonderful."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Yes, thank you, Aunt Cissy," Lea smiled.

"Children, it's time," Lucius called from the opposite room.

"Let's go," Narcissa said ushering them into the study and toward the fireplace. "Now, remember, loud and clear," she instructed.

"Yes, we don't want you getting lost somewhere," Lucius added.

He went first taking a handful of floo powder and stepping over the steel grate and into the fireplace. Draco went after him and Lea went after Draco, Narcissa being the last to make sure each of them pronounced Diagon Alley correctly.

And for Merlin's sake did not hesitate or stutter, landing them in Knockturn Alley or even somewhere worse.

"We need your books first," Narcissa told them, immediately talking as soon as her feet touched the ground, not in the least disturbed by the feeling traveling by floo gave off.

"Then we shall get your robes and wands," Lucius continued. "Familiars will be left for last. Have you two given a thought as to what animal you will be getting?"

"An owl," Draco instantly answered, no thought needed for it.

Lea was a little more hesitant. "Umm. . . I was thinking maybe a cat?"

Lucius shared a look with Narcissa, both of them not expecting that answer.

"Why a cat, Azalea?" Narcissa questioned in curiosity.

Lea shrugged. "I've never really gotten along with any owls, Aunt Cissy, you know that."

Very true, Narcissa and Lucius thought.

Their family owl barely stepped talon near her, but then again it wasn't just the family owl it was the Nott's owl, and the Ministry's owl, and the Barnes' owl, and any owls that ever had the chance to be near Lea. All of them avoiding the poor girl like a plague for a reason they just can't seem to understand or figure out.

"Alright, we'll see," Narcissa simply put.

"Perhaps a snake or hawk," Lucius suggested.

"Yes," his wife nodded. "We'll see, won't we, darling?" she asked giving Lea's shoulder a soft comforting squeeze.

Lea forced a smile and nodded. "Alright."

"Here we are, Flourish and Blotts, in we go."

The cousins wandered around for a bit looking at all the first-year books they needed for school. But then, suddenly stopped when they saw a familiar face. Familiar, but not friendly. Crouching down, Draco pulled Lea with him the two rounding the large bookshelf and trying their best to blend in unnoticed.

Theodore Nott.

He was the son of his father with the same name, Theodore Nott, unfortunately, he also had the exact same attitude and temperament as his father and that was annoying and arrogant.

"What in Merlin's name are you two doing?" Lucius questioned.

"Nothing," the two jumped up from their ducking positions and quickly straightened up with innocent smiles.

Draco cleared his throat, "Nothing, Father," he assured.

Lucius tore his eyes from his son and looked at Lea, a raised brow asking silently if it really was nothing.

Lea nodded, still smiling. "Really, Uncle Lucius, it's nothing."

He decided to drop it since if it really were anything worth mentioning, Lea wouldn't have hid she would have directly dealt with the problem.

"Come," Lucius said instead of interrogating them further. "All the books needed for your first-year are already waiting for you at the counter."

"Thank you, Father," Draco nodded in gratitude before excusing himself first and making his way to the front of the bookshop while Lea kept a calm and easy pace beside her uncle, not easily afraid or uncomforted by him as much as her cousin was.

A cold chill filled the bookshop it was subtle and almost unnoticeable in the same way a killing curse was. Lucius merely stretched his neck out his eyes darting from side to side in inspection.  His stiff stature and cold demeanor as well as his uncaring expression all in place for what was to come.

Subtly, yet firmly he placed one hand on each of Draco and Lea's shoulders. A calm take on keeping them near and close, as if protecting them.

"Ah, Lucius," a voice drawled out.

Lucius couldn't help the sneer that twitched its way onto his face as he turned his head to the side and looked straight at the man he despised.

Theodore Nott.

"Nott," Lucius greeted with his usual grit of teeth.

Lea and Draco looked up from paying for their books and inwardly sighed and outwardly grimaced as Theodore Nott Jr. walked up beside his father.

"Malfoy, Black or should I call you-"

"Try it," Lea lowly threatened, taking a step forward but Lucius quickly pulled her back and tightened his grip on her.

"Now, Theo," Theodore looked down at his son with a smirk. "Play nice." He then looked back at Lucius, "apologies for his brash behavior Lucius, you understand of course?"

Lucius tilted his head up in a very proper fashion. "Of course," he forced a smile. "I do remember how poorly brought up you were however could I expect your son to be any better?"

Theodore's face fell from arrogance to horrid bitterness.

"Apology," Lucius drawled out in imitation, "accepted."

Nott opened his mouth to remark, probably a low and pathetic blow, but he never got the chance when a group of three boys almost ran him and his prissy son over.

Draco smirked and much like his son the corners of Lucius' mouth twitched in amusement. Lea, on the other hand, was no happier but that was until one of the boys playfully shoved the other which accidentally led to a chain reaction that landed Theodore Nott Jr. falling into a bookshelf.

"Sorry," the boy immediately apologized only to get shoved away.

"Who do you think you are?" Theo sneered.

"Look, kid, he said sorry," the other boy protested.

"KID?!! FATHER!" Theodore started hissing as he looked away from them and to his father, who was all too busy trying to move out of the way of a wizard he had no business crossing.

"George Barnes. Howard Stark," Nott greeted, uncharacteristically respectfully. He then grabbed his son by the arm and pulled him away from the three boys as quickly as the wind.

"You are?" Howard questioned.

"Theodore Nott," he introduced holding a hand out only for it to be ignored. He waited an entire minute but the silence and stares of uninterest irked Nott. "Well, best to be going. Come on, Theo!" he growled at his son.

"But, Father they-"

"Stop your babbling!" Nott harshly scolded his son all but dragging him out of the book store.

"Well, if it isn't Stark and Barnes," Lucius drawled out in a greeting, breaking the silence and drawing the attention to him.

"Lucius," George grinned. "Good to see you again."

"As you," Lucius agreed.

"Been well, I expect?" Howard asked.

"Fairly, and yourselves?"

"Still here," George said as if that was his only wish and hope for the moment.

"Work's tiring," Howard commented. "Family time's consuming," he added. "But overall? Things could be worse."

"That it could," Lucius agreed again.

George flicked his eyes away from the dreary conversation and saw as his son and his son's friends gathered their needed textbooks and slid them onto the counter.

"Ah, Lucius, might I introduce my son," he said walking over to where Bucky was leaning a hand against the counter only for it to quickly drop when his father's hand came down on his shoulder. "James Barnes."

"Just Bucky's fine," Bucky immediately corrected. Politely smiling, he outstretched a hand to Lucius. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Actually impressed, Lucius shook the young boy's hand. "Yes, quite." Having George introduce his son, Lucius felt generous to return the favor. "This is my son, Draco, and my niece, Azalea Black."

"Quite the pleasure," George nodded, shaking each of their hands.

"You too, sir," Lea attentively spoke back while Draco just nodded, not saying a word. "Hi," she smiled, looking over at Bucky.

"Hey," he hesitantly waved a hand.

Why was his face feeling so heated? Was he blushing? Why? He just met this girl.

"My son," Howard suddenly said. "Anthony Stark."

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy, it's a pleasure to meet you," Tony quickly spoke up, holding a hand out to the pale blonde Malfoy heir.

"As it is you," Lucius sounded out giving the boy a firm handshake before letting go and eyeing the last boy, who seemed to not be Howard Stark's son or George Barnes'. "And who might you be, young man?"

Nervously, the blonde stepped between Tony and Bucky. "Steve Rogers, sir, nice to meet you."

"Rogers?" Lucius questioned.

"Sarah Rogers' son," Howard explained. "He's Anthony's close friend."

Lucius nodded. "Likewise, Mr. Rogers," he said finally shaking the poor nervous boy's hand. He then turned his gaze toward Draco and Lea, "Finish up, children. Your wands and familiars still need to be bought."

"Why don't we tag along then?" George asked, an easy grin still on his face. "Let our children get to know each other before school starts," he suggested.

"Why not?" Lucius drawled out in an uncaring manner.

"Fantastic," Howard rather sarcastically remarked.