I sincerely thank Jared, Joe, Speck TheKitty, Ardvarkeating101, and Kuilin for betaing this chapter.

Chapter 26.

The Search, Interlude, The Ex-Lord Malfoy

10:18 am, June 28th, 1993

Lucius slithered through a meandering narrow sewer where a Boomslang went missing. The Blue Krait wanted to close his nostrils and mouth to avoid the disgusting smells, but he knew he would need all his senses to detect the presence of any enemy as soon as possible. Therefore, he had to open his nostrils wide, to move his forked tongue swiftly to all directions to better catch any trace of smell, while his abdominal nerves sensed any vibrations.

The phenomena here were pretty similar to the other five locations that Lucius had already explored: all the traces of the missing snakes seemed normal until a certain point, where the smells and marks of snake crawlings just disappeared. There was no sign of a struggle, only some faint traces of recent pipeline movements.

Lucius knew he might miss the feeling of moving along pipelines as a snake in his long years in prison, but at this moment, he just hoped the Boy-Who-Lived could figure out some other way to find the Dark Lord and vanquish the nightmarish man again.

Although that possibility should have been a happy thought, Lucius still felt a sense of loss when he thought of it. He had enjoyed power and influence all his life, and he had enjoyed Draco's love and worship for eleven years - what would happen if all those ended, when the former Lord Malfoy became a common prisoner in Nurmengard?

-Well, Draco's love wouldn't end, but Draco surely wouldn't need me as much as before.

Lucius had been quite worried about his boy since being revived. He knew his boy's Patronus represented him, and that made him worry more. He didn't know how his boy would handle losing his Father again. Such was the reason that Lucius had been so compliant in his dealings with Harry Potter and the Ministry. First agreeing to risk his life as bait for Bellatrix, then swallowing transfigured poison so that he became poisoned bait for the Dark Lord - Lucius wanted to get out of prison sooner; he wanted to be allowed to have home and family visits. He wanted to provide protection and guidance to his boy as much as possible.

Today, Draco's Patronus changed. It no longer represented his Father, but shined the light of life on its own accord. Lucius felt proud and happy. Lucius felt relief. He knew his boy would be alright without him.

-But what will happen next when Draco no longer needs Father? What will happen … to me?

Lucius didn't quite know what his next goal in life would be, when he no longer wielded power, wealth, influence, or even much magic, and when his boy no longer needed him.

-Maybe Narcissa? But -

The Blue Krait gave a frustrated hiss. Eleven years of separation had virtually made them strangers. Several hours with tears while Draco was near didn't make up for the lost years - they hadn't even had a chance to couple yet.

-Well, we actually had some chances before I turned myself in, but we both avoided it. Telling myself I don't want my transfigured body fluid to enter Narcissa and cause her harm was a lie. Facing Narcissa after such a long time... And on Narcissa's side, things might be quite similar.

-Or, worse.

As for how worse things might be, the ex-Lord Malfoy didn't want to speculate, just as he didn't want to speculate on the truth behind vicious stories about Narcissa's dissolute lifestyle in the Muggle world. There were numerous vile stories about himself, Lucius knew. Lucius gathered it would be rather difficult for him to convince Narcissa that he only utilized paid-and-obliviated professionals from high-end escort services, that he had had no emotionally intimate relationships with any females, males, or even magical animals - for Merlin's sake!

Even if Narcissa and he could clear everything up, the time they had been and would be separated still posed a great barrier to their relationship.

For eleven years, Narcissa had been in the Muggle world that Lucius despised even more after being forced into it for five days. The "fast food" Severus bought was disgusting, the brownish bubbling sweet drink in red cans contained no subtlety that Lucius enjoyed, and what the Muggle TV said on the Muggle divorce rate was alarming: it said something about twenty percent!

Lucius could only hope that Narcissa had not been contaminated by such scandalous ideas. No Malfoy or Black had ever divorced, and Lucius would never choose the way their ancestors preferred to deal with unbearable marriages - not to Narcissa anyway.

-On that thought, why would Narcissa allow herself to remain stuck with a husband who can no longer provide for her, had caused pain to her, brings shame to the family, and is also a political burden for her son?

Lucius forced his thoughts onto some lighter topics, wondering when Severus' Patronus would come to ask him about yet another futile exploration, when he suddenly felt a slight disorientation - the sewer in front of him might have shifted.

Before deciding to mentally call the dementors, he found that nothing actually wrong, except he was slightly hungry. Lucius continued in his previous thoughts while waiting for Severus' Patronus: what will become of me when Draco no longer needs his Father and Narcissa no longer needs her husband in prison?

-Perhaps I could mend powerful magical relics.

The Blue Krait almost amused himself when he thought of such a ridiculous idea, for repairing things was obviously beneath a Malfoy.

-Or maybe I should craft new spells. After all, I invented the tricks on my hair when I was fifteen, and the spell to keep my robes in shape even on a broomstick when I was sixteen.

That sounded better, but still Gryffindor-ish.

-Probably only the type that I can save my life with, then. For example, combining the power of the improved Patronus with Protego Maxima… hmm…

-Ah, maybe I can use charm research as an excuse to get a wand in prison. That's a promising idea.

Therefore, when Severus' Patronus came, although Lucius knew this would slightly annoy his black-haired friend, he still happily hissed, "No result. But I know my next target in life: I sshall invent powerful sspellss. For example, I guesss combining the powerss of the new Patronuss and Protego Maxima iss a good idea."

As Severus' Patronus disappeared to report back to its master, Lucius pondered further on the new combination spell.

-The better Patronus works by embracing life and rejecting death, and the intent of Protego Maxima is the protection of one's body/life, though it can't block the killing curse, - but why? Why is the killing curse different from all other curses? Perhaps because the intent of Protego Maxima is cracked, since everyone somewhat expects death will happen one way or another. If the intent of the absolute rejection of one's own death is added to the Protego Maxima charm like it is in the Expecto Patronum, it will work!

Severus' annoyed Patronus came again. "Luciuss, t-thiss iss not time to think about life g-goalss. Come back."

Lucius was so excited by his own discovery that he didn't mind his black-haired friend's tone of condescension at all. He hissed all his guesses to the Patronus, then congratulated himself for his exhibition of true friendship: I have shared such a valuable secret with Severus, because I don't want him to die. Hmm, I need to stop thinking about how this would help consolidate Severus' loyalty to Malfoy family and help Severus protect Draco, so that I can act more genuine when I face him later. Maybe I should ponder on the gesture and incantation of the new spell on my way back.