Cursed Love
He put down his goblet, crushing the aspirin that sat calmly on the table. Lucius closed his eyes in pain and withdrew his hand, which had been slowly reaching for it. He looked to the side and opened them.
"Draco, please." Draco raised an eyebrow, and amused smirk making its way across his pale lips.
"Please?" he asked in mock surprise. "'Please' isn't a word used by Malfoys, Lucius." He pronounced each word crisply, laying it over with sarcasm and contempt. Lucius' head turned back to Draco, annoyance creeping into the lines of his eyebrows. His lips began to purse.
"Will you stop doing this?"
"'Will you stop!'" Draco laughed. "'Will you stop'... Good one, Dad," he said, waving his goblet in the direction of Lucius. He took a deep sip.
"Listen to me! There's something I have to tell you, and it's much more important than... than whatever it is that has you of this attitude."
"Well well well," Draco said, tilting his head. "Quite the poet today, aren't we, Lu-"
"SHUT UP!" Draco gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.
"I don't have time for this." He began to get up.
"You do have time for this, and you will SIT." He sat back down.
"Getting back your edge, that's good.." he mumbled.
"Look, Draco. I don't know what's gotten into you, but-"
"What's gotten into me?" Draco repeated incredulously. "What's gotten into me is your habit of ruining my life!"
"I never ruined your life."
"Dad, look. I don't want to hear this. Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it from your lips."
"So you'd rather a nurse tell you through a letter that your mother's dead?" He put it more as a statment than a question.
"What?"
"Your mother's dying, Draco. Narcissa... she's dying."
"How..? Why?"
"It's.." Lucius swallowed air. "Well... a curse." Draco stared.
"A curse." He repeated.
"Yeah... uhm, Draco, can we talk about this... somewhere else?" He asked, looking around the small wizard cafe.
"No, we can't. We can talk about this right here. What do you mean "it's a curse"?
"I mean..." There was a lump in the back of his throat that felt sharp, rather like a peice of slate. He let it sit. "It's just... a curse."
"Who did it?" Draco asked menacingly, almost sure he knew the answer.
"You know who did it, Draco, use your sense."
"You-know-who," he said blandly. "You-know-who did it. I'll kill him, that BASTARD!" He attracted a few wary stares. Lucius' eyes darted about angrily.
"Not so loud, boy, the whole room will hear you!"
"And what of it?" There was a pause. Draco leaned back in his chair, eying his father. "Why... did he do it. Why." Lucius grinded his front teeth slightly, then leaned back also, grabbing a fork. He fiddled with it as he spoke.
"She did it... to save me." Draco stared unbeleivingly. Lucius shifted slightly in the small chair. "He was going to kill me, and she wouldn't allow it. So he cursed her... said so that I could suffer watching her slowly die." He brought the fork to his lips and began gnawing on one of the spikes slowly.
"But.."
"I could have stopped it, yes. But I was selfish. I thought you knew me for that, Draco. I decided to let her do it." Draco opened his mouth to say something. "Well she wanted to do it, didn't she?" Lucius said fervently. "Why was I to stop her..?" Draco was silent. "Because I loved her," he answered himself quietly. "I know, Draco, I know I should have..." he moaned. Draco was shaking his head.
"You're the bastard," he said gently. Lucius stared at the ceiling and sighed.
"Well anyway," he said, clearing his throat, sitting up straight. "I just thought you ought to know." He placed the fork back on the table and got up. "'Bye." He grabbed his cloak and swished out of the small cafe without a word. Draco swore silently and threw his napkin on the table.
"Oh, shit." He got up and threw a few coins on the table, grabbing his cloak and following his father, still cursing under his breath.

- - - -

Yes, I am well aware that that was extremely odd. Yes, I am well aware that there is a lot left unexplained. Yes, I am well aware that it's short. But there you go. I think any more would spoil it. But that's my opinion. If you want more ((::snorts::)) just tell me, by email ((clasp@desperate.co.uk)) or otherwise. So I hope you enjoyed the story... it's ((hopefully)) obviously set when Draco's all grown up, but if you didn't pick up on that... well i'm telling you now. I hope you enjoyed!
Review if you want, if you can't be bothered, don't. I love critisism of all kinds, though don't just say "that was strange" ((i get that from reviewers, friends, everyone)), can you at least tell me whether that's a good thing or not? I do like to hear whether it was liked or not, at the very least. You're all so great!! Thanks to Fifi LaLa, Kali Hightower, Katie Bell, and Madd Spammer for some of the happiest moments of my fanfic-writing life. ^_^
~Hallie-O's.