Summary: The Malfoys choose to abandon the Dark Lord on the eve of battle. But things don't go to plan…

Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K Rowling. All credit goes to her.

Trouble At Malfoy Manor

Lucius hurried down the gravelled pathway of his manor home. "Out of the way daft birds," he said, thwarting his cane at a couple of peacocks. The birds flapped their wings and scurried into the overgrown hedgerow. The Gothic manor house that greeted him at the end of the pathway stood proudly in the pale moonlight. The set of double doors flew inwards at his approach.

The dementor infested corridors of Azkaban had more soul than the dark, comfortless hallway of Malfoy manor. The house had stopped feeling like home the day Voldemort decided to make it into his headquarters. Nowadays, the manor was nothing more than a glorified prison cell.

Lucius had expected Narcissa and Draco to meet him at the door with their bags packed. Tonight, they were fleeing the house that had been a part of their family for generations and retreating to Lucius' late uncle's safehouse by the coast. Lucius had always known that one day his family would be in great danger and in need of a place to hide. It just so happened that day had come sooner than he'd feared…

Tomorrow, at sundown, Voldemort planned to attack Hogwarts school and kill Harry Potter. His followers were expected to attend and kill all those that dared protect the boy. Lucius knew it would be a battle his family wouldn't walk away from. The Dark lord had never forgiven him for his past failures and wanted to see the family punished. Whether that meant dying in battle or killing them afterwards, one thing was certain; the Malfoys' time in the Dark Lord's favour was up.

They were no longer safe.

Lucius would not see his wife and son suffer, and so a plan was devised between himself and Narcissa to flee with Draco in the dead of night. He was about to venture upstairs in search of his wife when muffled voices from the Drawing room stopped him in his tracks. Deep, male voices.

He swallowed. They weren't expecting company.

With light, tentative footsteps he approached the closed door to the Drawing room, careful not to make any noise that would give himself away. He went to press his ear to the door when, suddenly, it flew open.

A party of Death Eaters sat at the long, narrow table. Seated at the head of the table was the Dark Lord himself. The chairs that Lucius, Narcissa and Draco normally occupied were empty. The absence of his wife and son greatly unsettled Lucius, though he tried to hide it. Silence had fallen across the table and all eyes were looking at him.

"Ah, Lucius, I'm glad you could finally join us," Voldemort said from the end of the table. "Step into the light so I can see you properly." Lucius did as he was instructed, and Voldemort smiled, though it never quite reached his eyes. "That's better."

It was only then that Lucius noticed something deeply unsettling about the sight before him. A trail of blood ran from the centre of the table and ended at where Lord Voldemort sat. The snake must have been hungry, he thought to himself. It always liked to play with its food. His eyes searched for the beastly thing but could not see it anywhere. Usually, it hung around the Dark Lord's neck like a hideous fashion accessory. Must be slithering under the table, he thought with a shudder.

"You seem tense, Lucius. Is something the matter?"

"The matter, my lord? No, nothing's the matter— nothing at all. I wasn't expecting you tonight, that's all."

"I do hope my being here isn't an inconvenience for you, Lucius?"

"Of course not, my lord! You're most welcome in our home, you know that." The words caught in the back of his throat and he was forced to cough before he could continue. "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Voldemort's long, pointed nails began to drum against the table in a slow, unsettling rhythm. "I came here tonight, Lucius, because I have received strange news."

"About the boy, my lord?"

"No, not the boy. About you, Lucius."

"Me, my lord?"

"It has recently come to my attention that on the eve of my battle with Potter, you and your family were planning to run away, to abandon me in my greatest hour of need." Voldemort's voice was quiet, yet the threat was there, the accusation thick.

Lucius swallowed. "My lord, that's absurd… It's lies, plain and simple."

"I had hoped so too, but I must confess, when Bellatrix came to me with such news, I found her to be very convincing..." Any trace of a smile faded from Voldemort's face. "Will you still deny it, Lucius?"

Lucius was silent. There was nothing he could say. The game was up. He'd been caught.

Voldemort shook his head, but Lucius could tell he was secretly pleased with the outcome. "Oh, Lucius... how you disappoint me."

Lucius Malfoy's heart was drumming so loud it perforated his eardrums. If it beat any faster, it would surely burst from his chest. His eyes lingered on the empty seats of his wife and son and the trail of blood smeared across the table. Dread built in his stomach like an acid. "Where are my wife and son?" His question was met with an unnerving silence, and a scream readied itself in his throat. "Where are they?!"

"The boy is upstairs," Voldemort answered nonchalantly. "He fainted, but he's fine. It seems young Draco has been afflicted with the same lily-livered nature as his father."

"And Narcissa? Where's my wife?" In desperation, Lucius sought out Bellatrix who was cowering low in her seat. Dark curls shielded her from his gaze. She didn't dare lift her head.

A quiet sniggering descended across the table.

Voldemort lifted a pale, bony finger and pointed to the space behind him. "Why, I do believe she's right here."

The sniggering grew louder, however Bellatrix did not join in.

Lucius took slow, uneasy steps until what lurked in the shadows behind Voldemort's chair stood in plain view. A cloaked figure lay on the cold floor, her pale hand cast out, still gripping her wand. Wide, unblinking eyes stared into nothing and red lips were parted in a silent scream. Blood spurted from the gaping hole in her neck and pooled around her. A thick bodied python lay on top of her. It coiled and hissed at Lucius' approach.

With a sharp gasp, Lucius dropped his cane and stumbled backwards in horror. He wanted to scream, to call her name, but nothing would come. His mouth stammered endlessly. The snake studied him with beady, unblinking eyes. It hissed and revealed its set of razor-sharp fangs, then springing forward, it took another bite of its victim.

"No!" Lucius withdrew his wand and fired a blast of green light at the reptile. The snake recoiled with a sharp hiss and the spell rebounded, hitting Lucius and knocking him off his feet. He lay paralysed on the dusty floor, eyes blinking up at the crystal chandelier above, and wished for death to come. Wished for the end…

"Someone escort this traitor to the cellar. Bring the boy there too."

Moments later, Lucius was being hauled to his feet by Dolohov and a quivering Petigrue. He didn't have the strength to stand so let his feet trail behind him as he was dragged away. The final glimpse of his wife before descending the staircase of the cellar was of her pale hand clutching her wand.

Lucius was thrown inside the cellar with the same careless regard a bag of rubbish is thrown onto a skip. He landed in a crumpled heap and the door locked behind him, leaving him in darkness. He craned his neck forward and vomit spewed onto the floor, some of it got tangled in his hair which hung down over his face. Seeing Narcissa like that, seeing that hideous snake sink its fangs into her… How could he ever unsee a thing like that? His chest heaved once again. When there was nothing left, a trembling hand wiped his mouth and he began to sob. "My love…"

They were words whispered in the dark, meant for ears that could no longer hear him.

Hurried footsteps descending the stairs startled him and once again the key turned in the lock and the door swung open. A snivelling boy was thrown inside. He landed on his knees beside his father. Draco looked up with frightened eyes. "Father…" He gave a choked sob and threw his arms around Lucius in a fit of tears. "Mother tried to protect me, she tried… and he killed her!"

As Draco continued to cry hysterically, Lucius could do nothing but hold him still. Tonight was supposed to be their chance at freedom, to start again. Lucius had finally chosen to put his family first, to stop being a coward… but it had come too late. The love of his life was dead. And soon he would be too.

A/N: Well, that escalated quickly... I've never written anything to do with Harry Potter before, so apologies if it was out of character, but I was watching the Deathly Hallows the other day and found myself drawn to the Malfoys. They're such fascinating characters, I wish we had seen more of them. Please let me know your thoughts in a review, even if it's a critique, would still love the feedback! Thanks for reading.