The Fearsome Name of Riddle

Recount Of The Family

Malfoy manor was as empty and filthy as it had been when they had been housing Lord Voldemort. They couldn't ask anyone to work for them, all the Malfoys could do in the days following the battle of Hogwarts was wait for the reforming Ministry to come and take them to Azkaban. Lucius sat at the long dining table alone, staring down at the Daily Prophet that had the image of a young Tom Riddle and the young girl standing next to him on the front. The headline read; Malfoys: Death Eaters from the beginning. Who is Victoria Malfoy?

"Do you know?" Draco's sharp but apprehensive tone surprised him, "who is she?" 

Lucius looked up slowly to see his son with tired eyes. Draco still managed to stand up straight but his hair was messy and his clothes were pulled on harshly. 

"She died before you were born," he told his son, relaxing back to looking down at the paper, not taking in much more than the headline, "Talking about her after that felt dangerous, but now he's dead, maybe now I can do it. She was Abraxas's sister." 

"Did Grandfather know… him that well too?" Draco asked, taking a seat next to his father. 

"I don't remember. Victoria, my-" Lucius clenched his jaw like he couldn't quite say the words he wanted to. He pushed the newspaper away from him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was going to be this hard." 

"Would Grandfather know?" Draco pulled the Daily Prophet closer to him, trying to be patient with his father. He found it hard to believe that the happy young man in the photograph on the front page was the same monster he had met. Yet, he watched as his father couldn't bear to look at it. "If I asked the portrait, would he tell me?" 

"Does it really matter that much, Draco?" Lucius looked as bad as he felt, all the stress and terror that the last few decades had given him was taking its toll on his health. "They're both dead."

"I don't want this picture to be my only thought in Azkaban," Draco snapped, the fear in his face only making his father feel worse, "I don't want to be the only one without an answer when the Aurors come for us." 

"He will," Lucius sighed, running a hand through his long blonde hair, "search the house if you need to, ask all the portraits." 

"Will you help me?" Draco asked, standing from his seat, "I can ask Mother as well, we can do it together, as a family. It doesn't have to be this hard." 

Tears began to burn Lucius's eyes as he looked up at his son's softening expression. He thought he had ruined his family, ruined all of their lives, especially Draco's. Even though that still may be true, his boy had the kindness in his heart to reach out to him, allow them to behave like a normal family. Even if it was just this once. 

"Of course," Lucius nodded, standing with his son, "it would be my honour." 

#####

Abraxas Malfoy slept peacefully on a green armchair in his portrait. Draco and Lucius walked up to question him about his sister. A soft light of a painted candle illuminating his face and made his long pale blonde hair glow. 

"Sir," Lucius's sudden speech woke Abraxas abruptly. The old man only glared down at him. "I have a question for you." 

"Abandon it Lucius, I'm sleeping," he told him firmly, leaning back in his chair. 

"I will not," Lucius said, holding up the Daily Prophet, determined to achieve Draco's goal, "Is this your sister?" 

Abraxas opened one eye with a deep and questioning frown, looking down at the picture being shown to him. "Don't show me that boy again. He ruined this family. I won't let it happen again."