Challenge 59 The Bad News Challenge A HP character gets some bad news…
Title: The Loveliest Possession
Rating: PG
Characters: Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy
Narcissa pushed open the door to the mansion with a sigh of gratitude. What a day! She must have visited every upscale wizarding dress shop in London. Her feet were simply killing her, but it had all been worth it. She'd found the perfect dress to wear to Lucius' cousin's wedding next month. She knew that he'd want her to outshine every woman there, including the bride, and with this dress, she'd be sure to do it.
A smug smile graced her face as she glided across the foyer and began to mount the elegant staircase. She was so lucky to have married Lucius. Her eyes caressed the gleaming dark oak of the balustrade and the glittering crystals of the chandelier as her feet sunk into the deep plush carpet of the oriental runner that lined the stairs. All this luxury was hers now.
Her life was a round of social events attended by only the cream of wizarding society. She'd want for nothing for the rest of her life. And she had the most gorgeous, more powerful man as her husband. So much nicer than that ghoul that Bellatrix had married or that pathetic muggle-born joke of a wizard that Andromeda had saddled herself with. All that remained to seal her place permanently as the queen of the Malfoy dynasty was to provide her charming husband with an heir, and with Lucius' demanding ways in the bedchamber, that was only a matter of time.
Life was indeed perfect, a wonderful fantasy from which she hoped she'd never awaken. Humming a happy little tune to herself, she wandered down the hallway towards her room. The house-elves should have already left her packages in her boudoir, and she could pick through them at her leisure. Right now she could really use a little refreshment. Perhaps once she got to her rooms she'd have a nice hot bath and a cup of tea with a few of those little cakes that Dobby was so good at making.
A faint noise, issuing from her husband's room as she passed it, turned her head in surprise. Was that Lucius? If so, he was certainly home early. He'd told her that he wouldn't be home until much later, in fact, he'd encouraged her to spend the entire afternoon in town, but there was only so much time that any one person could take wandering the shops in high heeled shoes. She couldn't expect him to realize that, of course.
Well, wouldn't he be surprised to find her home early, too. A seductive smile crossed her lovely face. Perhaps they could spend a little time together working on that heir…
Happily, she crossed the hall, her feet making no sound on the plush carpet, and she opened the door to Lucius' room and stepped inside eager to see her adored husband. "Lucius. Is that you?" she called out eagerly.
The smile froze on her lips as her husband raised his blond head from the body of a buxom brunette who lay sprawled wantonly across the top of his wildly disarrayed bed. His handsome face lost its smug smile and froze into a mask of displeasure as his cold eyes met hers in a moment of shocked realization.
"Oh, my, god…" she whispered brokenly. "How could you?"
Hastily she backed out of the room and turned to flee down the corridor towards her own room only to be stopped in her tracks by his commanding voice calling out her name.
Slowly, she turned around to see her husband, now attired in a dark blue robe, come out of his bedroom and carefully close the door behind him before approaching her.
As he came closer, she moved backwards until her back came to rest against the corridor wall.
"You're home early, Narcissa. How unfortunate," he stated casually, with an unrepentant expression on his face.
His complete lack of remorse at having been caught in such a situation appalled, crushed, and infuriated her, all at the same time. As he caught up to her, she swung back her hand and tried to slap him sharply across his face.
"You bastard!" she shrieked.
With a snarl, he deftly caught her wrist in his strong hand and twisted her arm up behind her body pulling her sharply against him.
"Never raise a hand to me, Narcissa. I really thought that you'd know better than that."
She whimpered slightly in pain as he twisted her wrist more cruelly. "You're hurting me," she gasped.
He raised his free hand and ran a long manicured finger slowly down the side of her face. "Good. Then you'll be more likely to listen to what I have to say. I had hoped that this wouldn't come as such a shock to you, but I suppose it's really past time for you to lose those rose colored glasses that you view the world through. You're such an innocent in some ways, my dear. I used to find that charming, but now…it's merely tedious."
"I'm your wife…" she began.
"Yes, my dear, you are," he cut her off sharply. "And that gives you a privileged position in my life, but it doesn't give you the right to ever dictate to me…in any way. Do you understand? I am the lord and master of this house and all the lovely possessions in it, of which, you are, of course, the loveliest."
His voice lowered menacingly. "However, if you intend to remain…lovely…and wish to continue to live your comfortable life here in this house as Mrs. Lucius Malfoy, then you will have to learn to keep to your place. If I choose to add some variety to my life in the bedroom, then you, as my obedient wife will understand that and look the other way. Have I made myself clear?"
Her eyes glittered through her tears. "And if I choose to do the same?"
The hand that had been caressing her cheek suddenly fastened tightly around her throat and squeezed. "Then that will be the last choice that you ever make."
Abruptly he thrust her away from him, and she sank to her knees gasping for breath and massaging her bruised throat with a shaking hand.
"Now, go see to my dinner. I've worked up quite an appetite this afternoon, and I wish to dine early." Then with a final sneer at his cowering wife, Lucius Malfoy turned and disappeared back into his bedroom.
