So here's the second chapter! I know it's short, but I don't think it needed to be very long to get what I wanted across. This chapter is for Pride. For those of you who don't know, the Seven Deadly Sins are: Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Envy, Greed, and Sloth. Enjoy!
Chapter I- Our Pride and Our Fall
"My Lord, please-"
"Silence Lucius! You have made a mockery of me! My Death Eaters could not even handle a few teenagers!" The Dark Lord turned away, disgusted. He gazed upon the line of his followers, and his eyes fell on one individual in particular. "Narcissa, my dear. Come here."
She stepped forward, head held high, but her eyes were terrified. She glanced at her husband, in a heap on the floor of their own dungeons, and quickly looked back at her master. "Yes, my Lord?"
"Lucius must be punished for his crime. For not bringing me the prophecy, for not taking care of Potter and his little friends. Don't you agree?"
He circled her as she stared at her husband, once so full of pride, now on the floor shaking like a beaten dog. "Answer me Narcissa... Or you shall be in the same position..."
"Y-Yes my Lord... He... He must be punished." Her voice shook as she closed her eyes, so as to not see her husband flinch with her words.
"You see? Even Narcissa, your wife, Lucius, says you deserve to be punished. And you shall be Lucius." The Dark Lord stopped in front of Narcissa, between her and her husband. "Look at me Narcissa."
She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her Lord, only inches away from her, and she swayed a little, paling at her realization of what he was going to make her do.
"The worst punishments rarely come from the master. They often come from the lover, from someone... close... Lucius deserves to be punished, and he will be, but not by me. Not by his master. No... That is too expected. Too common. Too... kind..."
Narcissa paled further, if it was possible in that moment, hoping that Draco would not be brought into this. Hoping that the Dark Lord would leave her son be on this day, for this punishment, he didn't deserve. Draco had nothing to do with this. He could never have chosen his parents, it was Lucius and Narcissa who had chosen to have a child, but Draco could never have chosen this. She prayed that he would be left where he was, at the end of the line by Severus. Please, just let her have to carry out the punishment, just not Draco. Anyone but Draco.
"You... Narcissa will carry out Lucius' punishment. You will be the one to cause his screams tonight. Not I."
Narcissa almost smiled. Almost. Her lips didn't twitch, but her hands balled into fists. "...Y-Yes my Lord..."
The Dark Lord stepped away from them, and watched as Narcissa drew her wand with a shaking hand. Watched as Lucius looke dup at her pitifully, and as Narcissa closed her eyes to block out the sight. Saw her lips move, though he heard no sound.
A split second later, Lucius' screams of agony filled the dungeon.
For Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, the fall from the peak of their pride was almost over. The worst, however, was yet to come.
