Lucius x Reader (Temptation)

Chapter 8: Re-employment

Back to reader's POV
I'm very sorry for not updating in like...half a month?! I lost track of time on my other work (Pack Alpha) and I totally forgot about this! Sorry!
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You wake up somewhere you don't recognise. The bed was smooth and probably made of silk, you realise. You try to get up and realise that you are bandaged. What happened to me, you think. "You're alright?" A familiar voice came from the other side from the room. You turn toward the windows and the person opened the curtains, blinding you momentarily. When you regain your sight, you see Lucius, in all his glory, standing there. His blond white hair shines like gold in the sun light. There was a concerned look on his face. You open your mouth to answer, but nothing comes out, just a rasping noise. "Poor thing, you've been out for half a day, you must be parched." Lucius said, summoning an elf to bring him a cup of water and some soup. The elf passed you the cup and you drank it gratefully. "Lucius... What happened?" Lucius winced and drew up a chair next to your bed.
  "I recieved your call. I came in and saw you pass out. I sent Gerrard to Potter and brought you back. I treated your wounds, don't worry though, I didn't touch you. I merely healed you with magic the best I could." You listen to Lucius' narrative, and you reach out to him. You place your hand on his and quietly say, "I thought you were going to let me die. Thank you for proving me wrong." His cold grey eyes met yours, and you see that they are softer than you thought. "[y/n], I would never let you die. I've lost so many who are dear to me, I can't lose one more." Lucius' words touched you, and just as you were about to thank him, your stomach grumbled in protest. Lucius chuckled and stood. "Dinner will be ready shortly. Do join me in the dining room. I have a dress for you over there. " Lucius gestured toward a chair next to a door that you assumed led to the bathroom. You thank him and change into it. You put it on and realise how well it fits you. You suspect Lucius placed a charm on it to fit your body size as you put it on, but you couldn't sense any charms. It was a black satin dress, with undertones of green poking through. Slytherin colors, and the dress looked like it cost more than your paycheck for a year. You struggle not to tear it as you figure out how to put it on. After thinking you figured out how to wear it, you head down to the dining hall where Lucius is waiting for you.
As you enter the room, he looks surprised. "Narcissa used to take forever to get ready for anything, especially if she had to change. You took merely ten minutes. Impressive." You blush and take a seat at his right. "Where's Draco? Is he not joining us?" "Draco is indisposed. He is spending the night at Harry Potter's house." Lucius answered calmly. You nod and a house eld brings food over to your plate. It looks really great. Rice with roast duck and a sauce. Despite how simplistic the meal looked, it was delicious. After that, the elf brought dessert and you realised that it was the pudding that Lucius had made the last time you were here.
  "I remembered you said that you liked the duck and the pudding, so I made it again today in an attempt to make you feel better after that near death experience you just had." Your eyes widened in mild shock at Lucius' compassionate behaviour. "You didn't have to go to such lengths, Lucius! Thank you so much!" Lucius smiles.
"I would do anything for you, my dear, so long as it pleases you. In this short time, you have become something like a friend to me. Instead of letting me torture Gerrard, you brought me back onto the right track. I am grateful for it. I hope this meeting will be one of many more." Your heart warms at the word that Lucius referred to you by, friend. You smile and say, "Of course Lucius. I'll be happy to spend more time with you!" You spend the rest of the time chatting with Lucius about random subjects, and when you come to the topic of work, Lucius bangs his fist on the table. "That incompetent excuse for a Head of Department, letting you go on a dangerous excursion like that? What were the Auror Department thinking when they accepted his request to allow you to go?!" Lucius fumed, and it made you happy to think that he cared enough about you to get angry on your behalf.
"Actually, Lucius, it wasn't his fault exactly. He was placed under the Imperius Curse by Gerrard, and I can't blame him for acting the way he did." You say, trying to make Lucius less angry at your boss.
  If anything, however, it makes Lucius even more angry. "Exactly! Which Head of Department doesn't know how to take precautions against the Imperius Curse? Merlin, I could do it in my sleep if I so wished!" Lucius ranted, and you giggle inwardly. "That's enough. From now on, you work for me, as my secretary." Lucius announced. Your eyes widen in surprise. "Seriously, Lucius? You'll be willing to take me in as your assistant?" You ask. "Of course, you're perfect for the job. You actually passed your N.E.W.T.s and you have good interpersonal skills. You'll do finely." Lucius said, a small grin on his face. You are filled with happiness, until one dark thought from the deepest corners of your mind seep out, and fill your mind. "But why would you want a Mudblood assistant? Aren't there other capable Purebloods you could use?"
  Lucius' grey eyes hardened. "I'm not sure if I told you this, but in the past five years, after the War, that word has not been uttered, ever, under this roof. Nor has any of its inhabitants. I give you my word, that blood purity has not mattered to me ever since the War ended. I will be frank with you: I used to hate you with a passion. I killed Muggles and Muggle-borns with a passion. I know I am a sadist; I admit that. But I would never do the things I did back then again. I learnt from my mistake. Torturing people and then killing in horrific ways used to excite me. Now, the thought of it makes my blood run cold. Every day, I am reminded of whose blood I have on my hands, whose blood, wrongly spilt, wrongly let out onto the cold dungeon floor. And I see Severus' face. Cold, and dead, across the Veil, where Death has taken him. I see Narcissa, taken from Draco, thin and sickly. I've learnt the value of life, and never again will I treat it as a plaything. So you have my word, under my Malfoy pride, that I will not let my prejudices blind me again."
  Tears form in your eyes as you listen to Lucius' narrative. You can hear the sadness in his voice and how much it pained him to talk about his personal feelings to you. A lone tear falls out from the corner of your eye, and he wipes it away with the back of his hand. The hand is smooth and warm, and you lean into it. You don't know why you are doing that, but Lucius' warmth felt comforting. Maybe it was the fact that he was willing to change, and for the first time in your life, you felt somewhat appreciated. "Thank you, Lucius." "Of course, my dear." Lucius says, a smile forming on his face. He turns his hand that your face was resting on around, and he cups your face gently in his palm. "I'm sure you will be a great assistant."
  Suddenly, something clicks in your head. "Wait... There's work today!! I'm late!" Lucius chuckles. "You're not late. I decide if you're late. Today is an exception. For other days, I want you to report at 8 in the morning at my office." You smile and take Lucius' hand and floo directly into his office.
Lucius' office is really, really big. You think that his whole office could store the whole of your department in it, with leftover space. He starts explaining your work and his office. "This is my table. Yours is this smaller one next to mine. Work will be magically routed to that tray on your table. You will help me to sort through the work and sift out what I can let you or what I need to do personally. For work that needs to be done by me personally, you place it in this silver tray. And for documents that need to be re-routed to other Departments, there are these white trays with name tags. Occasionally, I have memos from the Minister. His tray is specially for him, and it is that gold one. Your table and space can be decorated as you so please. I may or may not be in all the time, so do help to look after the office when I am gone. Any... Trespassers, and you are given permission to cast Perfictus Totalus. Tie them up and leave them here. I will handle them." You nod, understanding what Lucius says. "Why would there be trespassers?" You ask, curious
  "Some ex-Death Eaters, some angry witches and wizards, and the occasional Muggle-born who's angry about my past actions. They weren't as forgiving as you. Some of them, they are so blinded by anger, they will maim or kill. I don't wish for you to be hurt, so just Pertrify them." Your mouth widens microscopically to show your shock at Lucius' statement and the cool way he said it. Having people who could "maim or kill" after you should not be something to be taken lightly. You nod and Lucius leaves you alone in the office. Not too long after, paperwork literally flies in, on magically charmed memo pads, and you get to work. You look at the clock. 4pm. You know that Lucius will let you go at 8pm today, and that you're the reason why he's missed nearly eight hours of work today, so you start working hard.
  At around 5pm that day, you were halfway through a memo from the Auror Department about Dark Artefacts when an elegantly folded silver swan flies into the room. It is from Lucius, as the Malfoy crest is stamped on the back clearly. You unfold the memo and it reads:
Dear [y/n],
How is the work going along? I have not recieved any calls from you yet, so I assume all is well. Great work, considering that it is only your first day.
This letter will not be as pleasant as I hoped it would be. I have recieved news that there is someone coming to wreck my office. He/she is a Muggle-born and has accidentally heard about Gerrard and thought I was behind it...
Do take care, and remember that you are authorised to Petrify the intruder.
Regards,
Lucius Abrarax Malfoy

  Gulping, you grip your wand tighter. You did not know what to expect to happen... Would the intruder be like you, devastated over the loss of your parents and friends, or crazy and no longer to differentiate between fact amd rumor? At that moment, the door blasts open. Casting a Shield Charm to protect yourself from any rubble, a voice yells out, "Scumbag, show yourself! Don't hide behind other scapegoats, I know you did it!" Squinting slightly due to the flash of light, you find the voice oddly familiar and you struggle to figure out who it is. The dust settles and you see who it is. It is your fellow schoolmate, Hastor Hudson. Hastor was also a Muggle-born, and once you two were bullied together by a group of seventh year Slytherins. Ever since, you've been friends. Hastor's eyes widened in shock. "[y/n], why are you here?" You explain the details of your employment to Hastor, leaving out the fact that you came from Lucius' house, in fear that he would suspect that Lucius do anything untoward to you. Hastor eyes your dress suspiciously and exclaims, "It's obviously a trap, use your brain! Do you know you are wearing Lady Malfoy's dress? Obviously he's taking you as a replacement for his wife! You do not know what he wants to do to you!" You look at the dress that you are wearing. You wonder why Lucius let you wear her dress and make a mental point to ask him later. You try to pacify Hastor. "Hastor, relax. Lucius has done nothing bad to me, he's even saved my life! And you're here today because of Gerrard, isn't it?" Hastor's eyes light up with fury.
  "Of course it is! Gerrard, that bitch, he tried to rape my mother! Of course, he didn't know it was my mother, but I found out later that he used the Unforgivables on her! In this world, who is still in the public, not in Azkaban yet, that could orchestrate this? Lucius Malfoy! That's why I'm here today, to teach him a lesson!" You listen to Hastor's narrative. You understand his anger, but Lucius really didn't do it. "Hastor, Lucius really didn't do it. Gerrard was acting on his own free will to rape your mother and attempt to rape me. We have made sure that he is sent to the Auror Department already, so I am certain that he will have a hefty sentence." Hastor calms down somewhat with your explanation and decides to leave. But before he leaves, he turns around. "Don't trust that Lucius Malfoy. He's a tricky character." Then, he left, slamming the door behind him.