Duplicity

Chapter 1 – Too Much Heart

A woman in a robe waited nervously for the sound of approaching footsteps in the dark street but there was no sound, save the light drizzle of rain. Pulling the cloak tighter around her face and trying to ignore the cold chill she felt in her body, the woman stepped back into the shadows to find some shelter. It was dark within the alleyway, with no street lamps to illuminate the wet cobbles, and what little light there was came from a partially hidden moon. The clouds were doing their best to cover the rays from the slivery orb and she begun to wonder if she'd misunderstood his message.

He was very late after all.

Checking her pocket watch and seeing that it was just a little after two in the morning, she decided it would be best to give up all together, that he was not coming; so, turning on her heels, she headed towards the exit if the narrow pass and back to her home where she could try to catch a few hours restless sleep plagued by worry.

She heard the footsteps then, quick and sharp on the stone street, preceded by the sound of billowing wind. Someone had apparated behind her. "Nell," a voice called out, deep and silky in the darkness. "Where on earth are you off to?"

She turned to see him, standing quite still and seemingly untouched by the steady barrage of fine rain, and staring at her expectantly. He was wearing all black; customary for a Death Eater, but he did not wear a cloak and his face was not concealed by a hood. Nell stepped forward and back into the alley to see him clearly, until she was only a foot away. He drew toward her and pulled her hood back gently, tutting. "Let me see your pretty face, Nell," he reprimanded, raising an eyebrow. She tried to look as brave as she felt but her body betrayed her; she shook all over and struggled to find her voice. He was intimidating, even more so at night; his blonde hair hung about his face and his smirk frightened her.

"You were late," she started but he raised a hand. "My apologies; I had matters to take care of before our meeting. Did you bring what I asked for?" he asked, beginning to pace around her still form. She trembled a little and drew a deep breath before answering.

"I need to know that my family will be safe," she said in a firm voice. "I need you to guarantee their safety before I give you anything." He stopped; she didn't see him but she heard his footsteps halt and felt him lean closer to her. "You're not in a position to bargain," he said in a low soft voice by her ear, which tickled her neck. He fiddled with a strand of her hair before laying it to rest on her shoulder. She took a deep breath.

"You need something from me, and you hold my family's lives in your hand – I would consider this a perfect situation for a bargain to be struck." Nell was surprised at how confident she sounded. The man walked around to face her once more, surveying her with a curious expression as if he too was surprised at her new found boldness, and even admired it. This curious thing before him was most intriguing. "You propose that I..." he said after a while.

"I 'propose' that you let my family go free."

"In exchange for the item."

"Lucius," she pleaded. "It's not difficult to understand." He smiled. "Very well," he sighed. "Your family are being released as we speak."

She looked at him hopefully. "They are?"

"They're of little use to us now," he said examining his hand, and then looking at the dark haired woman. "Besides, the item is of grave importance to the Dark Lord."

She looked apprehensive so he stepped a little closer. "You have played your part well; now please, give me what is mine. I have done my side of your bargain." His face was calm, friendly even, and his words soft and clear in the dreary night. She felt hypnotised by him. So knowing for certain he would kill her if she tried to run without giving him what he came here for, she reached inside her cloak to where she was keeping a small leather side bag. Opening it, she put her hand in to pull out what she was looking for. Lucius' eyes darted from her face to the bag with a gleam of excitement.

It was a small leather bound package, no bigger than a matchbox but it was heavy and around it was a cord that glimmered in the dim light. Lucius breathed deeply and smelt the fresh rain. Nell held it out to him, though he was barely a foot away and wrapping his fingers around hers, he took it with a nod.

"Much obliged, dear Nell," he said with a crooked smile, before pocketing it. She closed her eyes with a frown. "What have I done?" she murmured.

"The right thing for your family," he replied, checking his own watch. "Which is what I can always count on you for Nell. Doing the right thing. You are uncommonly kind."

She didn't reply.

"I will pass on your regards to your father. It is he who misses you the most I believe, though I rarely venture into Bellatrix' House of Pain." He had a nasty glint in his eye and in his expression also, and Nell looked up at him, confused.

"What?"

"Your sister and mother, of course," he continued. "Have been dead for weeks, but you would not have come had you known that."

"But you said," she spluttered, feeling her breath grow quick and the world shake beneath her.

"I know what I said," Lucius retorted, with a raised eyebrow. "But I'm hardly known for being trustworthy. I'm surprised you believed me when I said your family were free to go. With so little effort or persuasion. I thought I was going to have to talk you into it," he said laughing. Lucius tutted his tongue and shook his head. "Nell, Nell, Nell. I would have thought you were smarter than that."

She was on the verge of tears and pulled her wand from her robe. He slowly drew his. "You're going to kill me?" he asked with a faint smile.

She shook.

Before she could move, he muttered "Expelliarmus," and her wand flew from her hand violently into his own. Examining it, he threw it behind him and returned his gaze back to her.

"You liar! You murderer!" she cried, feeling her knees grow weak.

"Ah no," he raised a finger on the hand that didn't hold his wand. "I didn't actually kill them; that was all Bellatrix' doing. You should direct your fury towards my dear sister-in-law..."

He didn't finish his sentence because Nell, unable to take any more, had launched herself at him, not taking into account he was a grown man with a wand and she was completely defenceless. Struggling with him briefly, he disarmed her easily, with little effort and no magic. He held her by her wrists and smirked at her attempts to break free. "And everyone will be so mad at you for what you've done," he said sadly. "I could kill you now if you'd like," he said, very quietly and close to her face, examining her pained expression with his cold eyes, "to save you the shame?" he paused. "No, I've always liked you, Nell. I'd rather you lived, for my own amusement." She snarled at him and struggled once more but he grew tired and threw her down, into the wet floor. As she spluttered and tried to gather herself up from the puddles, he crouched down and pushed her back into the water. "Thank you so much, for being entirely co-operative," he sneered.

He rose and turned with a sweeping of his black robes, and began to walk away from her. Nell scappled to her knees coughing, her body racked with sobs she couldn't keep in any longer. "You..." she tried to say. "You won't get away with this...if I have to learn to fight...I will kill you."

He stopped, sighed and looked down at the thin woman who was glaring up at him with utter contempt. Lucius smiled at her. "No, you won't. You'll never be able to kill me. Because Nell, you have something rare and it'll be your undoing. You have an unfailing conscience and a good heart. You always believe the best in people. Your moral fibre is resolute," he said running his fingers through his hair. "And it is because of this that you will not be able to bring yourself to kill me. Or anyone. It is because of this that you are weak." He sneered at her. "And it is because I do not have this that I will always overcome you." he turned once more, for the final time. It had stopped raining now and the air was crisp and cool. He returned his wand to its sheath and prepared to apparate. "Don't ever change, Nell," he laughed, before disappearing in a dark wisp of cloud and leaving her alone.

Nell cried in anguish. She had been so foolish; he had the item and her family were dead. Dumbledore would be furious with her when she returned, and it was not easy for the great wizard to become mad. She had been treacherous and now, they had been set back in the battle against Voldemort. She shook with cold and rage, and realised that her cloak and dress were soaked to the skin with rain and muddy water from the street. She so wanted revenge but he was right; she had never killed anyone nor intended to. She had joined the Order because of her sense of justice. And she knew so little about duelling. If he'd have wanted to, Lucius Malfoy could have ended her life in a second.

That ended now. She rose from the ground and leaned against the wall for support, trying to catch her erratic breath. Her heart felt as if it would burst from her body violently and leave her there. She ran her fingers through her wet hair and stumbled forward to pick up her wand, and, finding it in the dark with her fingers, she pocketed it. Ignoring her aching heart, she left the alley, storming through the streets of London in a blind rage before she could find the courage to venture home. But by then she had decided her path. If she had to kill a thousand Death Eaters before she got to him so be it. She would do the very opposite of what he said; she would change and she would destroy him.