Chapter 8: Others

Narcissa Malfoy nee Black was lounging in the sunny atrium of her sister Bellatrix's quaint country estate. She took a silent sip of tea before letting her head rest against the back of the chair. Setting the cup and saucer aside, she closed her eyes and folded her hands in her lap. Sunlight streamed down onto her face through the glass walls around here, filling the room with warm light.

It was heaven for a woman like her. She didn't have to worry about maintaining the household like she'd had to at Malfoy Manor. If a house elf made one slight move that upset her, she got to watch the creature be punished by its masters without having to get blood on her hands. Every need to she had was quickly catered to, no matter how frivolous, a fact that thrilled her.

She'd had few complaints about Malfoy Manor. Her house elves had been just as good- if not better trained- than Bellatrix's. Any dress or jewelry she wanted was readily available for her. Fancy meals designed after the work of some of the greatest wizard chefs were served whenever she wished. There had been one thing, however, that she hadn't had since the first days of her marriage: her husband.

Lucius Malfoy was a Veela, as was his entire family. Unfortunately, his mate had never been found so, following his twenty-sixth birthday, his family had arranged for his marriage to the beautiful Narcissa Black. Being an only child, Lucius had to carry on the Malfoy name and to produce an heir.

Narcissa had been thrilled with the match. She had Lucius had gone to school together and she had always admired him from afar. On her wedding day, she had almost cried with joy. Lucius the Untouchable was going to be her's. However, the moment they were alone, her hope had dimmed. Her new husband had been cold towards her and, after the deed called sexual intercourse was done, he'd retreated back to his own rooms.

Over the years, her love for him grew into raging jealousy. The blond man had never given up on his search for his mate, even when Draco was born almost nine months to the day after their wedding. He spent as little time with her as possible, avoiding her and her romantic advances like the plague. Narcissa hated the invisible person that was Lucius Malfoy's mate and, by the time Draco left for Hogwarts, she despised him too. Their son became just another person that Lucius spent more time with than her.

She smiled at the thought of Draco as a baby. He'd been the perfect Malfoy heir: blond, pale, gray-eyed, stoic. The only time she'd even heard him cry had been the moment he'd been born.

Her smile quickly turned into a frown. Draco's birth had renewed Narcissa's dwindling hopes for a full relationship with Lucius. She'd presented Draco to the waiting Veela with eyes shining, but as soon as she handed the small baby over to Lucius, she'd realized that it was never to be. The usually emotionally detached man had started to coo and cuddle his infant son, showering him with the affection he'd never shown his wife.

"Cissa!" she heard Bellatrix call from further inside the house.

"In the sunroom, Bella!" Lady Malfoy replied.

Her wild-haired sister strode into the bright room, the heels of her boots clacking on the stone floor. Narcissa opened her eyes to glance over at her sister. Bellatrix was dressed in her traditional black dress, her wand hidden somewhere on her person. Her hands were at her sides as she sauntered towards her sister.

"Isn't it about time you got a place of your own?" Bellatrix asked, setting her hands on her hips.

"Why would I?" Narcissa laughed.

"My husband and I don't appreciate your lovers, sister," Bellatrix spat in return. "They come and go at all hours and they've been making a mockery of my house. I can understand why you want a lover since Lucius was definitely not into you, but I would like it greatly if you found a home for yourself."

"Fine, I'll start looking," Narcissa muttered, rolling her eyes at her sister. "I don't know why you care so much. You used to bring all sorts of boyfriends to the house when we were growing up."

"Yeah, but Mum and Dad never knew," her sister sneered wickedly. "Speaking of Lucius, have you heard anything from him or Draco?"

"Not yet and I really don't care."

"You have no one to blame, but yourself, Cissa. You knew what you were getting when you married Lucius. A Veela cannot love anyone romantically other than their mate."

"Aye, but it doesn't mean that I have to like it."

Sensing the venom in her sister's voice, Bellatrix turned on her heel and left the room, shouting a quick, "Breakfast will be an hour" over her shoulder. Bellatrix knew her sister well enough to get out of there as fast as possible. She and her sister had never really gotten along. They were too different and Narcissa's marriage hadn't helped. Her sister blamed everyone else for the failure of her marriage to Lucius, including Bellatrix and their father.

She quickly made her way towards her study, which was at the far end of the house. The door opened by means of magic for her, closing when she reached her desk. It locked itself as she sat down at her desk chair. Carefully, she eyed the open letter that lay on her desk. The owl that delivered it rested on a small perch in the corner, watching her with wide eyes.

"If Draco isn't talking to her, then that eliminates that route of action," she murmured to herself.

Picking up the letter, she unfolded the parchment and reread its contents.

Draco friends with the Potter boy. Possible mate relationship, but still unclear. Lucius here as well. Shall continue unless given further instructions.

Bellatrix tapped the heel of her boot on the floor a few times, pursing her lips in thought. Throwing the parchment aside, she summoned a new sheet and spelled a quill to write out the message for her so it couldn't be traced back to her. She stood up and went over to the bookshelves that lined one wall of the study.

"Watch them closely," she dictated as she studied her collection of dark books. "If Potter is Draco's mate, then try to keep them apart. Also keep an eye on Lucius. He's the biggest threat to us there. He'll do anything to keep Draco together with his mate."

She turned back to her desk as the parchment folded itself and flew over to the waiting owl. Clutching the paper in its talons, the screech owl took off through the open window, flying towards Hogsmeade. Bellatrix watched it, one of her signature smiled tugging at the corners of her mouth.


Meanwhile, Lucius Malfoy was also enjoying a cup of tea, although, his was quite different from his wife's. As per his orders, it was spiked with firewhisky, a favorite combination of his. He found the mixing of the soothing taste of Earl Gray tea and the sharp spike of firewhiskey most pleasing.

He was lounging in the guest quarters that he'd been reluctantly granted by Hogwarts's Headmaster. Two piles of papers littered the couch on either side of him. One was comprised of opened letters, both of a business and personal nature. The other was all of those that were still sealed.

As he was reaching down to grab another one, the portrait that guarded his quarters burst open and his son rushed in. Lucius frowned and glanced over at the clock that sat atop the mantle of the fireplace.

"Draco, don't you have class now? I don't think that your professors-"

"-I think I found my mate!" the younger Malfoy panted as he tried to regain his breath.

Leaping up, Lucius rushed over to his son and steered the blond teenager into one of the chairs. Draco threw himself into it, but, the moment his father took his seat on the couch again, the young blond jumped up and started to pace. A pang of jealousy hit Lucius, but he pushed it aside. He should be happy that his son found his mate, even if Lucius himself hadn't found his own.

"Who is it?" Lucius asked.

"You have to promise me that you won't be mad," Draco groaned, rubbing his forehead with his base of his palm.

"I won't be," his father replied. "Even if they were a member of the Light, they're-"

"It's Harry Bloody Potter," Draco shouted, abruptly stopping his wild pacing.

Father and son stared at each other for a few quiet moments before Lucius slowly nodded once. He slowly stood, his face cold and calculating. Even though Draco knew it was only a mask, he still shivered in the presence of it.

"Well son," Lucius said slowly, lightly gripping Draco's shoulder, "This is a great blessing and we shall rejoice!"

"Father?" Draco asked, slightly shocked by Lucius's apparent joy.

"Aren't you thrilled, Draco? He's powerful and a member of the Light! We won't have to worry about your mate working for the Dark Lord!" Lucius cried happily.

"Well yeah, but I thought you hated him," Draco murmured.

"All pretense, my son, all pretense. I am sorry about what happened to the Weasley girl four years ago, but I was still under your mother's control then," Lucius sighed. "Hm, but then, if the Potter boy is your mate, then that makes him an elf. Any idea what kind?"

"I'm not fully sure," Draco said quietly.

He wanted desperately to tell his father about what Harry had shown him in the Chamber of Secrets, but he's sworn to secrecy and starting off a relationship with his mate by breaking a promise was not something that Draco intended to do.

"Well, no matter. We just have to work twice, no, three times as hard! If he really is under the Anima Prohibe curse, then Potter himself probably doesn't even know what he is," Lucius laughed. "Have you told him that he's your mate?"

"No. I don't want to scare him off or anything," Draco explained. "Besides, I only figured it out last night."

"Really? How?"

Draco could tell that his father was thoroughly intrigued. For an unmated Veela such as Lucius, the concept of sensing ones mate was a dream that was yet to be lived.

"On the first night back, I woke up in the middle of the night to a strong scent and I knew right away that it belonged to my mate. It was absolutely lovely. I followed it, but couldn't find whom it belonged to and I hadn't smelled it again until last night," the younger Malfoy said. "You see, I scared Harry a little last night and I went over to hug him to apologize. While we were hugging, I smelled the wonderful scent again and I just knew it was him."

"And how do you feel now, Draco?"

"Thrilled and angry at the same time. I'm so happy to have found my mate, but, at the same time, I'm enraged that someone would try and keep him from me."

Lucius squeezed his son's shoulder again and nodded in agreement.

"We'll get to the bottom of this and I promise that the two of you will be together as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Father."

"Now, I do believe that you have classes to attend. I'll contact Severus and start on the school library. Ah, this a wondrous day."


A/N: I know this chapter was a little short, but the next one will be awesome! I promise