"My son hates you, you know," Lucius said as she entered the room. The fire was not quite bright enough, and all he could see was her silhouette, lit by the moonlight. He thought she looked exquisite, even then.

"So does mine," she replied, her voice telling him that she didn't really care what either Draco or Blaise's opinions were. Lucius gasped as she stepped out of the shadows, her golden dress shimmering like the fire it was lit by. She was holding a bottle of wine in her hands, one that Lucius recognised was from his prized collection.

"I don't care, what they think, darling," she said, her voice low, even in the quietness of the room. Lucius did not find it hard to believe that this was the woman he had fallen for, despite knowing that she left quite a carnage of rich ex-husbands behind her. "What I do care about, is what you think," she continued, calmly walking up to the small table which already had two wine glasses kept on it.

Lucius watched wordlessly as she filled then both with the rich, red wine. "So," she added, "what do you think of me?" She picked up a glass and held it to her lips. Lucius mimicked her actions before replying.

"I think I married a dangerous woman," he said, quietly wondering if he chose the right response. Evidently, he did, for she laughed at it, a mysterious, almost mocking, laugh.

"Surely I'm not as bad as they say," she taunted, still sipping her wine. Her glass was almost empty, he noticed, though his was hardly touched.

"They say you murdered all your husbands for their money. My son fears you'll do the same to me," Lucius retorted, picking up his glass and swirling the red liquid inside. She, on the other hand, lifted the bottle and refilled her glass.

"That I would kill you?" she paused. "What would I kill you with, Lucius?" she asked, her eyes darkening as she leaned over the small table. In a swift move, she pulled out the pin that held up her dark curls, revealing that it was indeed a small, gleaming dagger that was now dangerously close to Lucius' face. "With this, perhaps?"

Lucius' breath hitched in his throat, and the glass in his hand rolled to the carpet, spilling the wine.

She drew back with a laugh. "No, Lucius. I won't kill you with it. Here," she said, sliding the dagger across the table to him. "It's yours for safekeeping," she added. Turning to the stain in the carpet, she continued, "Pity. One of the elves will have to clean that up, later." Saying so, she took out her wand and replaced the empty glass on the table. Another flick of the wand and the bottle was refilling both glasses.

"Drink," she commanded, seeing his still-shocked expression. "You look like you need it."

Lucius hesitantly sipped at his glass as they sat in a strange silence, punctuated only by the crackling of the fire.

It was she who spoke first.

"I thought you knew we didn't marry for love," she told him, spitting the last word out as though it were poison.

"I did," Lucius said, his voice oddly quiet. She smiled in response. Then, she filled their glasses one last time that night, and after placing the empty wine bottle back on the table, raised her glass in a toast. "To this marriage," she declared.

As they clinked glasses, he hoped she didn't notice his hand was trembling.


Notes: For Jenny (via the Singing a Song Along Challenge on The Golden Snitch. Prompt: Lucius Malfoy)

Also for the British Literature Challenge. Prompts: golden, dagger, empty wine bottle, "It's yours for safekeeping"

And for Through the Universe Challenge. Prompt: carnage