Star draco & Malfoy Family Relations

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 116332


> Lawless wrote:
<snip>
> Three options as to how this happened:
> a) Lucius actually cares for Narcissa enough to give into her 
whims, although I don't mean care in such a way that Lucius is some 
radically different man around Narcissa - bringing home flowers and 
serenading her in the moonlight definitely isn't Lucius, in my mind.
> 
> b) Narcissa is a strong-willed and, furthermore, powerful witch 
that Lucius respects.  Their relationship is very equal - it doesn't 
imply actual love or caring or even affection, but a respect for 
each other and especially, the two powerful bloodlines from which 
they come.  They are truly the creme de la creme of the wizarding 
world in their mindsets.  There would be some convincing on 
Narcissa's part, and perhaps some Slytherin sneakiness to get Lucius 
to agree.  I like this option best!
> 
> c) Pre-nup. of some sorts, lol.  Enough that so it was agreed 
before marriage that Narcissa would be able to name her son, she 
would have the final word on where he goes to school, etc.  Even 
after suggesting this, I have a bit of a problem with it - I can 
certainly see some sort of pre-nup. agreement over Draco's name, but 
not his schooling.  I don't see the Malfoy  family "giving in" to 
too many demands.
> 
> But anyway, even WITH c, there is strong evidence, in my mind, 
that Draco has a very loving mother - and that furthermore, he 
doesn't have an abusive father.  And abusive father wouldn't give in 
to the demands of a loving mother, and a loving mother - especially 
one who is as theoretically powerful as Narcissa, with all her 
family connections - letting her son be abused.
> 
> There's been one non-stop argument about Lucius's treatment of 
Draco in CoS, and what it implies of family relations.  And it's 
odd, because before I joined HP4GU, I never once saw the CoS scene 
of Lucius and Draco as abusive.  Rather, I always saw it as a rather 
pissed-off Lucius having his home *raided* by the Ministry, having 
to sell off his Dark Arts artifacts (which *has* to be a real 
inconvenience and annoyance) to keep them from turning up, and 
furthermore, Draco seems oblivious to the position his  family is 
in, and is whining.  Yes, whining!  So therefore, I can quite 
> sympathize with Lucius at that moment, and if I strike out this 
scene as the only "evidence" of abusive family life for Draco...
> 
> ...I would have to say, based on all that we've seen, that Draco 
is just as loved and, furthermore, just as spoiled as we've ever 
imagined.  Lucius may torture Muggles, but he  wouldn't harm a hair 
on Draco's head...unless, of course, Draco betrayed him.  =P

Hannah: I'd go with b).  Pre-nuptual agreements are a fairly modern 
invention, I can't see the wizarding world having such an 
arrangement.  I also agree that I don't see the Malfoys giving in 
to, or even the Blacks making, any such demands. 

JKR says with Lucius in jail, we'll be seeing more of Narcissa.  I 
think she is just as forceful and nasty as Lucius himself.  Sirius 
has no affection for her, neither does Dobby, while Kreacher 
respects her.  She clearly played a big part in setting Sirius and 
Harry up via the tracherous elf.  Plus her absence during 
the 'muggle baiting' at the World Cup suggests she is a Death Eater 
herself.  

I've never bought the 'Draco is abused, Narcissa frightened of/ 
bewitched by Lucius' theory.  It makes a good storyline in Cassandra 
CLaire's 'Draco' triology, but it doesn't fit in canon, IMO.  The 
Malfoys aren't secretly nice, and at this point in the canon I think 
it's unlikely that Draco will be redeemed (which is a shame in some 
ways).  Narcissa and Lucius respect each other, both of them spoil 
Draco.  I imagine Narcissa's treatment of Draco being a bit like 
Aunt Petunia's of Dudley, while Lucius sees him primarily as a 
possession.  

As for the name Draco, it's unordinariness is probably a large part 
of its appeal.  I mean, the Malfoy's aren't going to give their 
precious only son and heir a name that *any old* witch or wizard (or 
worse still, a muggle) might have.  It's nice and pretentious, and 
probably appealed to both.  The schooling issue is more complex, but 
perhaps Lucius wasn't that serious about sending Draco to 
Durmstrang.  He could also have seen additional advantages to having 
Draco at Hogwarts, along with Harry Potter, and well placed to keep 
an eye and ear on what Dumbledore and Snape are up to.

Hannah