Remembering and Lucius

Disclaimer: Me no own (except Phoenix, and now Binky)

When Phoenix awoke, and her eyes focused on the mahogany ceiling, she sat up, startled. This wasn't her room! And this wasn't her bed, no way, she could never fit a four-poster in her room! She searched her brain frantically, trying to remember what happened yesterday.

'Right, I know I went shopping,' she recalled. 'Then...um-shit!' She just couldn't remember past the shopping trip. Suddenly, she heard a tiny squeak, which sounded like "Miss!"

"Hello?" she called out.

"Miss is awake, Miss. I hopes Binky didn't disturb Miss. Binky was wondering if Miss wanted breakfast," said the creature in a rushed squeak.

"What?" whispered Phoenix groggily.

"Would you like some breakfast, Miss?" repeated Binky.

"Where are you?" Phoenix replied, looking around the room, confusedly.

"Down here, Miss. By your bed, Miss."

Phoenix looked over the side of the bed, and came face-to-face with the weirdest looking creature she'd ever seen. She cried out in shock, leaping out of the bed.

"Binky is sorry, Miss! Binky is not meaning to scare Miss!" apologised the elf hurriedly. "Please, Miss! Binky is not meaning to, Miss!"

Phoenix rubbed her eyes in shock. When they refocused, the creature was still there. It had huge ears, had a very squeaky voice and was wearing only a filthy old pillowcase. Its face was positively terrified.

"Wha-who are you?" Phoenix changed her question hurriedly.

"I is Binky, Miss, the house-elf, Miss. Mistress said I is to serve you, Miss."

"A what? A house-elf? And what are they?

"It is hard to describe, Miss. Binky is wondering if maybe you should ask Mistress, Miss. Mistress is in the dining room. Binky will take you there, Miss, if you is wanting."

"Erm, all right. Thanks," Phoenix replied, still feeling very confused, but hoping this 'Mistress, as Binky fondly called her, could tell her what the hell was going on!

She followed the creature down several flights of steps, and down a long corridor, to the dining hall, which was currently occupied by two women, one with long blond hair down to her waist, the other one with slightly shorter dark brown hair, and a teenage boy, with short platinum blond hair, not unlike the first woman's. The two women seemed to be in a big dispute about something, whilst the boy was looking at them boredly, over his gold (A/N I know, that's a bit far for just plain breakfast, but they're just posh) cereal bowl.

"Mistress! Mistress!" Binky squeaked desparately, trying to get the blond woman's attention. She simply continued arguing with the other woman.

"It's just so irresponsible of you, Bella! You really think the girl's gonna stick around when she knows what's going on! She might only be a Muggle, but-"

"How can she be a Muggle, Narcissa? She's my daughter, don't you get that? She's your bloody niece!"

"One who I didn't know existed until twelve hours ago! You expect me to house her and be all 'oh, you can ask Aunty Cissy for anything, dear? Don't you worry, sweetie, your Mummy'll be back soon!" At this, the boy snorted loudly into his bowl.

"Draco!" scolded Narcissa. "Could you just for once have some bloody manners? I'm getting sick of hearing you snort every five fucking seconds!"

The smile fell off the boy's face, and then he noticed Phoenix.

"Mum," he began, as she began her rant again.

She ignored him.

"Mum!" repeated Draco more forcefully.

"Draco, shut up!"

"But, Mum-"

"Look, boy, if you don't shut your mouth, I'll-shit!" She noticed Phoenix standing in the doorway with Binky.

"Good morning, Phoenix. Sleep well?" asked the brown-haired woman apparently called Bella. Phoenix nodded. The woman smiled.

"How much did you hear?" contradicted Narcissa. Phoenix shrugged, shaking her head awkwardly.

"Oh, great! She heard bloody everything, Bella, isn't that just fabulous!"

"You were the one shouting for Voldemort!" Narcissa was positively fuming.

"Draco, I'd prefer it if you could take Phoebe-"

"Phoenix!" hissed Bella.

"Yes, yes, Phoenix, anyway, why don't you take her to the kitchens for some breakfast?" When the boy made no sign of movement, Narcissa added, "Now!" threateningly. Draco knew that voice, and left the room, and went down the long corridor. Phoenix assumed she was to follow.

'Why do I feel like I know this kid?' she asked herself, but had no time to think about it, as they were now on their way down spiral stone steps, leading to the kitchen.

When they entered through the stone archway, leading to the kitchens, they were greeted by a rushing sound, followed by several bows from more elves. They were plagued with, "What can we gets you, Master and Miss?", "Is you hungry, Master and Miss?", "We is at your service, Master and Miss,".

"Get lost, you lot! Just serve her!" he indicated to Phoenix, and they all crowded round her.

"Is you hungry, Miss?", "What would you be liking, Miss?", "Would you like some tea, Miss?". Phoenix eventually said that a cup of tea would be fine. The boy, meanwhile, had plonked himself down on a handily placed armchair.

Phoenix just stood there stupidly, before the boy sighed, waved what looked like a long twig, muttered an inaudible word, and an identical armchair appeared by her.

"What the-!" she jumped back quicky, tripping over a house-elf, and landing in Draco's arms (again).

"Why are you so surprised? You must have guessed I was gonna Conjure you a chair?" the boy said, as a means of explanation.

"No, I didn't. And could someone please explain to me what's going on?" The boy looked momentarily confused himself, but then smirked.

"Dear God, you have a crap memory. Don't you remember anything?"

"No!"

"Cousins, that ring a bell? Wands-" he produced his own. "-mean anything? Come on, what about 'Alohomora'. You have to remember that, it was your first charm. Except for Lumos, but even a bloody Squib can perform that."

At Phoenix's dumbfounded expression, he sighed again.

"Right, Phoenix, do you have any idea where you are?" She shook her head. "Do you know who I am?" Another shake.

"I'm your cousin, Draco. This is my house. Your Mum-my aunt- brought you here. Any of this mean anything?"

"No."

"Oh, that's it. I'll get your Mum to explain it to you. I-" he stopped at Phoenix's sudden panicked expression.

"Mum," she repeated. "Georgia, oh my God! Those men, Denny. Shit, shit, shit!" She fell to the floor, her fists clenched. When she looked up, there were tears streaming down her face.

"Hey, calm down, it's okay," Draco said uselessly, as she was still crying.

"They-they killed her. And Dad-William. And everyone else!" she sobbed. "But-but I got out. Why? How?" She looked up at him. "Why!" She stood up, and marched over to Draco. "Why-me?" she choked. Draco was at a loss for words (for once).

"I'll get Bella," he muttered, and exited. Phoenix collapsed in an armchair, and was immediately consoled by the elves.

In a few minutes, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and the brown-haired woman came through the archway.

"Hi, Phoenix. Um, Draco said you'd got a bit upset, and confused. So-"

"Who are you?" Phoenix whispered.

"Sorry?"

"Who are you!" Phoenix repeated loudly. " Who are any of you? Who were the bastards who slaughtered my entire family? And why did I survive? Why me?"

"I'll answer your questions, but only if you promise to calm down. I know this isn't the most enviable situation, but getting all stressed won't help. Drink your tea, and I'll tell you," Bellatrix replied, in a slightly motherly tone. Phoenix quitened down, and took a sip of her tea, which was very sweet.

"I'm Bellatrix Lestrange, your-well-your mother."

"No, no. My Mum, Chrissie, she died, she-"

"Phoenix, please listen. Your first 'mother'-Chrissie-she adopted you, when you were very young. She's not your birth mother, like you were told, I am."

Phoenix said nothing.

Bellatrix continued, "As for the rest of us, Draco is the one who brought you down to the kitchens, and he's your cousin. His mother, whose house this is, is your aunt Narcissa. She has a husband, Lucius, but he's not around much. And you survived cos- I don't-I don't know how you survived, really. Anyway, I brought you here, and I guess this is where you'll be staying now, provided my dear sister doesn't kick you out."

"She doesn't seem like the 'Aunty Cissy' type," muttered Phoenix, at which Bellatrix smiled.

"And my family? What about them?"

"They're-they're... dead, Phoenix. I'm sorry, and-"

"Who killed them?" Phoenix asked thickly. Bellatrix started to look uncomfortable. She didn't answer.

"Who killed them?" Phoenix repeated, starting to shake. Bellatrix still didn't reply.

"Who the fuck killed them!" Phoenix shouted, standing up, and smashing the tea cup against the wall. "Tell me! I might as well know, seeing as they tore my whole fucking world apart!" She started breathing rapidly.

Bellatrix, who flinched at the sudden outburst, stood up too, defiantly. "Don't talk to me like that! It's not my fault, you know! I didn't order them to kill them-" she broke off, realising she had said too much. Phoenix looked livid.

"Order who?" she said, as calmly as possible, which was not easy, as she practically had steam coming out of her ears. Bellatrix didn't reply.

"Who killed them, Bella? Who ordered them dead? Who?" At the sound of her name, even Bella started to get emotional. She glanced at her daughter, who was crying again.

"I'm sorry," Bellatrix whispered. She gave Phoenix one long apologetic stare, and then left, her footsteps echoing up the spiral stone stairway.

When Bellatrix appeared from the stone stairway, Draco stopped pacing the corridor. He was about to ask Bella what had happened when Phoenix appeared, looking worse than when he'd left her.

Bellatrix walked at a fast pace into the dining hall again, and slumped down in one of the grand chairs lining the table. She now had a few tears running down her cheeks, as she pondered about what had happened in the kitchens.

'"Who killed them, Bella? Who ordered them dead? Who?"' For some reason, hearing her daughter using her name in that soft, sad, pleading voice had made her feel guilty.

'"I'm sorry"' was what she had said. Sorry for what? Like she'd said, she hadn't ordered the Death Eater attack, had she? She was just one of the unfortunate bastards who had to partake in it.

'But maybe that was a good thing,' Bellatrix realised, as she recalled the night's events. 'She might have been dead, or gone mad from Cruciatus if I hadn't found her.' Not wanting to contemplate on this, she immediately thought about something else.

She was in the middle of her mental speech to the Dark Lord as to how the girl 'escaped', when Narcissa walked in.

"What are you doing?" asked Narcissa, making Bellatrix return to the dining hall.

"Nothing, just sitting here."

"That's what the lounge is for. What were you thinking?"

"Just about Phoenix."

"How is she?" Narcissa surprised Bellatrix by asking.

"Bit upset still."

"A bit? She was using my son as a hankie at one point!" Bellatrix gave a small laugh at this statement. Narcissa smiled, too.

"Draco seems to have taken to her," commented Bellatrix. To her surprise, Narcissa merely nodded. "Please, Cissa."

"What?"

"Don't kick her out. She needs a place to stay, she's family, she-"

"I actually came to find you to say I'd changed my mind. She can stay. For now."

"Really? Oh, thanks, Cissa!" Bellatrix gasped happily. Narcissa's expression changed.

"But-" she added in an undertone. "Any hint of danger to myself, my son or my husband because of this girl..."

"I'll take her out of your hands," Bellatrix concluded for her. Narcissa smiled again.

"Glad you understand-"

"That would be a first," came a sneery voice from next to Narcissa.

Leaning against the doorframe stood a tall, some could say handsome, yet almost dangerous-looking man, in black robes and hair the length of his wife's.

Lucius.

"Morning, darling, I didn't know you were up," greeted Narcissa, planting a small peck on his cheek.

"I have to be. Urgent business. Bella?" he stared at her. "I believe you know what I refer to?"

Narcissa looked from her husband to her sister, before it finally struck her.

"Oh, a meeting is it? That's short notice, not to mention highly incon-"

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Lucius stated clearly, by means of shutting Narcissa up. It worked. She just stared at him for a moment, and exited.

Draco offered his cousin another tissue. She took it gladly, and blew her nose again. She still hadn't recovered from the morning's 'fight' in the kitchen. At least, that's what she pretended it was about. She'd lied, by saying Bellatrix had said some really horrible things about her, and her 'Muggle' family.

Although Draco knew his aunt could sometimes be harsh, he also knew she wouldn't say that to the daughter she'd risked her life, and Voldemort's wrath, to save.

"You must think I'm pathetic," Phoenix mumbled in between sniffs.

"Not really," replied Draco, Vanishing the tissue, and causing Phoenix to squirm next to him. She still wasn't used to the magic.

"But I am, though, aren't I? My whole fucking family's dead, and all I care about is some argument with someone I barely know!"

"Except, that's not why you're really crying, is it?" Draco reasoned. He expected Phoenix to protest, like most girls would, but she just shook her head in agreement.

"No," she whispered. "No, it's got nothing to with that. I just-" she started crying again. Draco sat there, feeling useless. He could handle it when she was moaning away about something, because all he had to do was nod along in agreement, and perform not very advanced pieces of magic. With tears, you had to comfort them in one way or another.

In the end, he awkwardly put his arms around her, and let her cry into his chest for a few minutes. Even after she'd stopped sobbing, he didn't let go, because in a way, it felt nice. With Pansy, he'd have been performing a lot more than Conjuring and Vanishing spells by now (A/N if you know what I mean).

He finally released her suddenly when a shadow seemed to loom over them. He gazed up into the cold, intimidating eyes of his father, sneering down at them. Phoenix, following Draco's gaze, her teary eyes met Lucius's cold ones, and she jumped up suddenly, as though the step was electrocuting her.

She turned on her heel and ran, leaving Draco sitting there foolishly, his father towering over him threateningly.

Phoenix finally stopped, when her heart began pounding heavily, as though trying to jump through her chest. She looked around behind her, looking to see if the man had followed her. He hadn't, to her relief. She wasn't sure what it was, but she'd just got a really bad... aura coming from him. Like she knew him-

"Are you all right?" came a female voice, suddenly, in a caring tone.

Phoenix looked around, and behind her stood the silhouette woman. She turned around, and came face-to-face with Narcissa. She looked expectant

Phoenix shrugged, answering Narcissa's previous question.

"Where's Draco?" enquired Narcissa. Phoenix shrugged again, intimidated by this woman's presence. Narcissa sighed, and tutted, and examined Phoenix with her eyes, as though trying to detect a lie (A/N yes, she is a Legilimens, and no, she doesn't need a wand for it)

Suddenly, they heard the booming voice of Lucius, saying something like 'Crucio' to Phoenix's ears, followed by screaming. Narcissa's eyes clouded with fear, and ran, following the screaming, Phoenix at her heels.

They arrived to an ugly scene; Lucius towering over a form shaking and twitching violently, and high pitched screams emitting from the figure.

"Lucius, what are you doing?" asked Narcissa, her fear betraying her 'command'.

"Teaching our son a lesson," was Lucius's cold reply, lifting his wand. Narcissa rushed forward, expecting to see the mangled form of her son... only to find him crouching on the floor, looking extremely guilty In front of him lay the seemingly dead form of a house-elf.

Phoenix, too, came forward, and the sight of the house-elf disturbed her greatly. At closer inspection, she recognised it as Binky. Inwardly, a knot began to form in her stomach, as adrenaline rushed through her body.

However it wasn't the sight of Binky's mangled body that scared her, but the word 'Crucio'.

She knew it, having only heard it for the first time yesterday. And she knew the effects only too well. It had been peformed on her last night.

Well? Review and let me know