The Three Keys
A/N: I do not own any Harry Potter Characters, just my Laurel and her family.
CH 14 - NARCISSA'S DESTINY
Draco did not see his mother enter his bedroom. She watched taken aback as her son lay naked and exposed, curled in a fetal position, pouring the torment of his soul into silent sobs that shuddered over his body. She cried hushed tears, her heart broken at what she had done to this boy. At the horrible burden she had given him. But he would live, unmarked by the Dark Lord, free from his clutches, for now! Draco would not become Voldermort's she would see to it that he never would.
She shuddered at the realization that her dreaded secret was coming to fruition.
Narcissa decided finally there would be no more tears of sorrow for her son, no more despicable acts she would force him to endure in the name of Lucius Malfoy and freedom. There was only one resolution to this torrent of unhappiness. Quietly she turned and left Draco's room. Leaning against the hallway she looked off into the future, her eyes red and tortured, but set. The die had been cast…it was destiny.
Narcissa realized now she had to stop fighting it, she'd been fighting it for so very long. She opened her heart that had been tightly locked for so many years and let herself feel it…the one thing she had been holding back for years. LOVE. Love for Lucius.
She loved him no matter what he had done or what he would do. She loved him fiercely and that very love damned him.
Narcissa had kept herself in check for far too long because she feared Lucius' repercussions to Draco if she questioned or challenged him. She could see clearly now that that had been a very costly mistake.
She had fought to keep her powers at bay for too many years, but now she let the flood gates open! Narcissa threw her arms up wide and breathed in a huge breath, feeling the ripple of power that surged through her body and finally let herself embraced it. She welcomed the magic and felt the life pouring back into her soul, slowing spilling over into her body, filling it with strength, with resolution.
Narcissa welcomed her fate at last, for her destiny too had been cast long ago.
The Black family came from an ancient line of 'seers' from Romania and when Narcissa was but a small child a distant gypsy aunt, tiny and shriveled with age, came up and took her hand, turning it palm up to inspect it. The old woman shook her wiry grey/blonde head and looked into her eyes. "Child, child, what a dreadful fortune you have to accept," she said in her old, wizened voice. "You will have to kill your true love in order to live and to let others love. The longer you hold your task at bay the harder it will be to fulfill and the more destruction your fear will bring. Don't fight it little one…It has already been decided." The old woman dropped her hand then and without a backward glance walked away. Narcissa watched her go and felt an overwhelming sadness creep into her soul. That sadness remained to this day - some thirty years later…and Narcissa had never told a soul.
Narcissa had not truly believed the prophecy - she had never wanted to believe it. Even now the thought scared her. As the realization that she had denied her feelings for so long crept over her a small sob broke from her throat, she dug her teeth into a quaking palm to stifle the noise.
She would deny it no more, she loved Lucius Malfoy.
It was the very thing that she had fought against for so long. She realized now what the old woman had meant, she had to kill Lucius in order for Draco to live, for Draco to love. Narcissa realized she had been selfish. She had not let her feelings rise to the surface, because that would mean her losing Lucius, and all this time her son had been suffering at Lucius' hands and she had let him! Narcissa had the power and the capability to stop Lucius, but she hadn't. She didn't know why until tonight - because of fear. Fear to love Lucius. Fear that if she let herself love him she knew what his fate would be and even though she threatened him, she never really wanted to hurt him. Or to kill him.
But Fate can be a cruel mistress and she had sealed Narcissa and Lucius' destiny at the beginning of time. And Fate would only be sated by Lucius' life-blood. Narcissa could not hold her mistress' wishes at bay any longer. She didn't want too.
Narcissa wiped her tear stained cheeks dry and resolved that by taking Lucius' life she would be giving Draco the very thing she had begged him to give her just hours ago! This she knew, as she had known then, was her burden alone, not Draco's. She would take it, embrace it, for her son's soul was at stake and she'd not risk one more day of him being in danger.
She wiped away fresh tears of anger and resentment from her eyes again and vowed to kill the man she loved. The man that made her miserable beyond reason - that could never love her back, the man that would think nothing of killing her or their son if his life was in jeopardy. Lucius always thought of Lucius before anyone and she too had thought only of him before anyone. But no longer. She would finally think of herself, of Draco.
Narcissa walked down to the study, closed the doors and sat at Lucius' desk and began to plot how to take the life of a horrible man that no one in this world would miss, no one that is, except her.
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