Chapter 1: When Good Blood Spoils

Life could have been a lot worse for Lucius Malfoy. He could have been rotting away in Azkaban for the rest of his life after what he had done during the war. Fortunately though he had been saved by his wife's betrayal at the end of the war and the testimony of Harry Potter.

Yet, Lucius felt as if his current life couldn't really be much worse at the moment.

But back in the day things were great. A few years after the trials of his family, his son Draco began to get over the trauma that had almost landed him in a mental institution, and settled down with a lovely Pureblooded girl. Lucius had managed to socially recover somewhat and found himself a cozy little job in the Department of British Magical History alongside his somewhat distant cousin Octavius Greengrass. Back then Octavius was also happy with his life, both because his Pureblooded family survived the war with their reputation intact and because his little Astoria was marrying Draco.

Back at the start, neither of them ever thought that there would be any problems with Draco and Astoria marrying. They were what, third cousins once removed? It's not like they were directly related to each other. Back then it never occurred to Lucius or anyone else that a marriage between two descendants of the Malfoy bloodline would tear apart the whole family.

He grunted at Octavius as he sat down at his desk in the office they usually shared with another old Sourblood within the recently renamed Department of British Magical Genealogy.

Of course, he would never call anyone but himself and Octavius a 'Sourblood' (or "Spoilblood") out loud. The word was starting to take on a really nasty meaning; the new 'Mudblood' almost. He did however find the term fitting for his own family; His bloodline was as pure as ever, but like milk, it had been left out too long and gone sour. And now his life was empty despite his freedom.

"Morning Lucius" Octavius said "How's your research going?"

"Very well thanks Octavius" Lucius replied "How was your weekend with Daphne? With her fiancé's family?"

"Oh... I managed to surprise Daphne by not offending any of the precious muggles" He said "But those bloody contraptions of theirs were a nightmare to work out. Oh I miss the days when it wasn't considered a good thing to 'freshen the blood' by marrying those mud... Muggleborns."

"It's not all bad." Lucius said "I doubt the Creeveys have any of the bad Pureblood genes. Daphne is as far away from inbreeding as she can get."

Muggleborns had once been the biggest threat to blood purity; but a few generations of all the Pureblood families being closely interrelated had brought about an even worse threat.

Draco and Astoria never really gave much thought to their own pedigree when they married. They were both Purebloods, but they would have still ended up together if that wasn't the case. Astoria had lost her right arm during the Battle of Hogwarts – probably due to a Death Eater's spell – and Draco had become disillusioned with the whole notion of blood purity after his part in the war. They met while Draco was working as a defense lawyer for Zabini's Prosthetics and Artificial Limbs, and married not really caring that they were both descendants of the noble Malfoy family. And they certainly didn't know that they both carried a rare gene that would ruin everything.

Though to be fair, not everything wrong with Lucius' life had been caused by that faulty gene. Narcissa had never quite recovered after the war, so Aquila and Scorpius weren't the only reason for her suicide. And maybe he had brought it upon himself when Draco turned around and disowned him.

"I wish Astoria would just get that operation for Scorpius" Octavius said, repeating the same line he said everytime someone mentioned his eldest daughter was marring a Mud- erm, Muggleborn. "If people could see that Scorpius' condition isn't incurable, then no-one would worry about us carrying bad genes. Daphne could have any Pureblood man she wanted."

Poor Octavius was in some serious denial. Being a bit less personally involved, Lucius could take a more objective look on the relationship between Daphne and Dennis Creevey, and he had a feeling that Daphne would be marrying the small Muggleborn no matter what. But of course, if Octavius could sleep better by telling people that his daughter was only marrying a Muggleborn to "freshesn up the blood", then Lucius was happy to smile and nod during these rants. Even if Octavius' rants about bad genes had gotten him disowned too.

"Did Daphne say anything about Astoria and Draco?" Lucius asked. Niether him nor Octavius had heard from the couple in well over two years. However Octavius sometimes found out things through Daphne and his ex-wife.

"She just says that I'm missing out on important things and need to apologise to Astoria" Octavius said "you know her; she'll do anything for her little sister. Even keep Dad in the dark. And don't ask about Belladonna; you know she's more likely to tell you anything that goes on with those two than me."

"Very well" Lucius said.

"Don't worry Lucius. They'll be at Daphne's wedding, and we'll be there too. We'll get to see them there."

The two of them somberly started to get on with their work, but were soon interrupted by the door swinging open and their boss Roland Runcorn strolling into their office with a scroll of parchment in one hand and a smug grin on his face.

"Good morning Rolly" Lucius said. He allowed himself a small grin at the swift look of displeasure Runcorn shot him. The younger man hated that nickname.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy" Runcorn said "So sharp and eager so early in the morning. Could you do me a favour and deliver this?" He dropped the scroll on Lucius's desk with a smile.

"Don't you have an assistant to do that?" Octavius said.

"Yes, but it's to the Department of Disability Assistance" Runcorn explained "These been a bit of friction between our too departments, so I thought Mr. Malfoy here might have a better chance of actually getting through the door. By the way Mr. Greengrass, congratulations, I hear you'll be welcoming a fine young Muggleborn into the family soon. "

Octavius gave a disgruntled 'hmpf' and then his mouth fell open as the penny dropped. Lucius could feel his world stop.

"Oh" Lucius said "you want me to take this scroll to Draco."

"Yes, I heard you hadn't had a chance to speak to your son in a while" Runcorn said "Why don't you go and talk some sense into him."

"Talk sense?"

"His trying to block the Child Restriction on Genetically Unsuitable Parents Decree" Runcorn said "no suprise there considering his family."

Lucius grabbed the scroll, and headed for the door, biting down on his lip in an attempt not to punch Runcorn in the face.

"Speaking of family..." Lucius turned and spoke to his boss "how is your brother holding up in Azkaban? He only has a few months left of his sentance right? It's so unfair that they imprisoned the Ministry Officals during the war for just doing their jobs."

Lucius didn't slam the door - that would have been childish - but he had to supress a chuckle over the look of pure rage Runcorn shot him as he stepped out.

Lucius put some distance between his office before reading the scroll he was to give to Draco. He was not particularly worried about losing his job; he had plenty of money to retire on, and he was getting sick of the changing focus of his Department anyway. What used to be documenting the history of British magic and families had become a search through records and family trees to find any couple that could potentially pass on defective genes. The only reason he kept working was because he didn't like the idea of spending all day in his mansion all alone.

He almost stormed back to Runcorn to dramatically quit once he read what was in the scroll. Draco would not be happy with this news. Lucius wondered if Runcorn had stationed an assistant near Draco's office to report back on the inevitable fight that was bound to happen.

Well, Lucius Malfoy was never one to let other people beat him. And maybe, maybe he could use this to his advantage. Draco would not be happy with this news, and he would not be happy to see his estranged father deliver it, but this was the first excuse he had had in ages to talk to Draco. Yes, he could use this. He could tell Draco how angry he was at his job and the new policies. He could quit his job and invite Draco and his family to the manor for visits. He could see Scorpius again.

Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

His grandson. A sufferer of the rare genetic defect known as Fetal Brain Magic Misfiring Syndrome – oftern shortened to just Magic Misfiring Syndrome or MMS. This little understood condition causes a growing fetus' own developing magic to become overactive in the brain; causing brain cells to become deformed and die - or sometimes explode - before birth.

He had first heard the term when talk of the inbreeding problem began, but dismissed it. Dismissed it until that rainy day six years ago when Draco handed him little Aquila.

Aquila Belladonna Malfoy.

Lucius's granddaughter had been born with most of her brain damaged by an explosive misfire, but he could have sworn she looked straight at him when he held her. She was beautiful despite her mishaped skull, and Lucius knew that he would love her forever.

Draco had hugged him and cried on his shoulder for an hour when he realised that he would not be bringing her home from the hospital. Eight days she had lived. Eight days for her to teach the Malfoys that love was unconditional.

The healer had explained that Aquila's condition was caused by a rare recessive gene; both Draco and Astoria had to be carriers for Aquila to have been affected by it. The odds of two random parents both carrying this rare gene were astronomical; but like most Pureblood couples, Draco and Astoria weren't just two random unrelated people. That was when Lucius learnt that his family were Sourbloods; logic dictates that the gene that killed Aquila must have been passed along in both the Malfoy and Greengrass line; something Lucius's Great-grandfather had shared with the descendants of both his son and his daughter.

Still, no-one refered to the Malfoy's as Sourbloods after Aquila's death. Not many people actually knew that Draco had lost his daughter to a genetic disorder. It was only after Scorpius came along that things changed.

Lucius saw the elevator ahead of him about to close. He called out to the group of busy looking witches who had just stepped into it. One put a hand out to stop the doors, but pulled it back once she recognized Lucius. The door slammed shut in his face.

Oh yes, things changed after Scorpius was born. Before then it was only the Muggleborns and Blood-Traitors that would have let the elevator close on him.

The healers had also warned Draco and Astoria that any child they had would have a one-in-four chance of inheriting MMS. Yet they chose to risk the odds again, and two years after burying Aquila, Scorpius was born. This time, Draco was able to bring his child home from the hospital alive. At first everything seemed perfect; it was only later that the damage to Scorpius' dorsal and ventral streams was diagnosed. He was spared his life, but forever robbed of his sight.

Lucius found another elevator and rode up by himself, heading to the floor where Draco worked in his newly formed Department of Disability Assistance.

He pulled the locket he wore around his neck out from under his collar. It looked like a very simple piece; silver with minimal engraving done to pretty it up. He opened it, and smiled as the faces of his two grandchildren looked back at him. The photo of Scorpius was the last one Lucius had taken of him before being expelled from his life; Scorpius had the pale blond hair and white complextion of Draco, but his eyes were deep brown like his mother's. Like his mother's, except of course those blind eyes never focused on anything, where as Astoria's eyes looked as if they could see right into a person's soul.

The door opened and Lucius put away his locket and stepped out of the elevator. He paid little attention to his surroundings, but just let his feet guide him to Draco's office. He knew where it was of course; he had walked to the door of Draco's office oftern during the five months it had existed, hoping to talk to Draco and fix the past. Each time he had walked away without seeing his son. His nerve just failed him everytime he got close to confronting Draco.

He tried to plan out how he would worm his way back into Draco's good graces, but for the first time in his life, Lucius found his ability to scheme impaired. He would just have to go in there and hope Draco saw the truth. Saw that despite all that had been said and done in the past, that Lucius really did love Scorpius.

The door to Draco's office was in sight now. Lucius felt his stomach turn and wondered if this really was the best way to re-establish contact with his family. He was considering turning around, when the door ahead opened, and Draco stepped out.

Lucius froze, his body gripped by an instinctual fear. No, he wasn't prepared to face Draco. It couldn't be allowed to happen like this.

Draco didn't see him. The younger Malfoy apeared to be lost in his own world; with a whimsical smile on his face he made his way to the bathrooms in the opposite direction without even noticing Lucius.

Lucius had to admit, it was painful to see Draco; so close, closer than he had been for well over two years, but still out of reach. Maybe it was for the best though. Lucius looked at the scroll in his hand; he was a wishful fool to think he could reconcile with Draco while being associated with this scroll. He still needed to delive it though, but that wouldn't be a problem. He should sneak into the office now, leave it on Draco's desk, and then leave.

After that he would quit. No more witch-hunts for defective genes. Maybe he could get Octavius to quit with him. Then he could contact Draco and fix everything. If nothing else, he could meet him at Daphne's wedding and reveal himself as a changed man.

He smiled to himself as he opened the door. Today wouldn't be his day, but soon. Soon he would have his family back. And he didn't care if they were all branded as Sourbloods; it was poetic justice really that he was now on the recieving end of blood status prejudes. As long as he got his family back, it would all be okay. He stepped into his son's office.

"That was fast Daddy."

Lucius felt the scroll slip out of his hand and onto the floor. In front of Draco's desk, another, smaller desk had been set up. Leaning next to this desk was a small backpack and acoustic guitar. Covering this area were a heard of small dinosaur toys and a muggle toy truck, all under the custodianship of a little four-year-old who looked just like Draco had at that age, except with deep brown eyes that never looked at anything.

"Daddy? The little boy asked "Is that you?"

This was not something Lucius had prepared for. He had been expecting Draco to be his first encouter with his estranged family; he had never imagined a situation like this.

"Hello there. You must be Scorpius" Lucius said, trying to sound friendly. Scorpius picked up his truck and hugged it close to his chest, head turned in the general direction of the door with a mildly worried look on his pale little face.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy" He said "my Daddy will be back really really soon. Did you come to see him?"