Author's Note: There once was a person typing endlessly at a computer… Ha, that's me.
Chapter 7: Lucius's Return
"He did what while I was gone?" Lucius looked at his wife like she had grown another head. When he had gotten back, he expected that nothing would have changed. But indeed it had.
"He asked her to marry him." Narcissa watched her husband's features. Even when he was pleased, he still wore a sneer.
"Good. Then I suspect that an heir will be coming soon. I can't imagine any other reason for his proposing so soon." He was genuinely pleased by this new turn of events. Things were going well. Lord Voldemort was rising to power again. He didn't have to worry about the continuation of the family name, and once the child was born he could get rid of the annoyance called Cordelia Jacobs.
"I think there might be more to it." Narcissa replied. She had watched the two of them. She knew they were in love. This made her happy, but it wasn't something that would please her husband. When she married Lucius, her father was at least smart enough to put in the stipulation that the future wife could not be intentionally killed. Osiris assumed that his daughter would be safe in the hands of the Malfoy family, and it was a mistake.
"I should hope not. It would ruin everything." Lucius shot the comment at his wife, and then realized that she knew more than she was letting on. "Is there more to it?"
"Yes, but why does that matter?" Narcissa replied.
"Have you looked at the contract?" he asked as he went over to a secret compartment in the wall. "Osiris put two stipulations in the contract. One was that I could do no harm to his daughter before the marriage. The other was that if the two of them were in love, I couldn't harm his daughter. I agreed because I wanted the powerful heir and also because I just assumed that no son of mine would ever fall in love." He handed the contract to Narcissa.
Her eyes went to the very spot he was talking about and a smile swept across her face. "They are in love. I've seen them."
"We'll see. Where are they now?" Lucius demanded.
"Sleeping in her room." Narcissa resigned that nothing she could say would change his mind. She only hoped that nothing Lucius could do or say could change the young lovers' feelings.
"Good." He moved swiftly out of the sitting room, up the stairs and entered the room. He saw the two peaceful, sleeping forms completely naked and cuddled underneath the blankets. The sight both pleased and repulsed him. The heir would be coming, but the situation looked like more than just casual sex. "Good morning." His voice boomed through the room waking the couple up.
Draco looked terrified, as if his father had just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Cordelia's reaction was very different. She smiled at the man towering over them. "Good morning, Mr. Malfoy." Her innocence sometimes got the better of him and he smiled back at her, then caught himself and put the sneer back on.
"I was hoping to talk to you two about something important. Narcissa has told me that you are now engaged. I am extremely pleased about this. However, there is something that I feel you should know first." Lucius made himself more comfortable by sitting in a nearby chair. It seemed as though he had their full attention, so he pressed on. "This is about your parents, Cordelia. The truth about them."
"The truth?" Cordelia began to question, but Lucius held up his hand stopping her.
"You can ask questions later. Now I just want to inform you. Your father was very devoted to you and your mother. He had heard that the Dark Lord was going to kill you and he went to stop him. He arrived at your home in time that nothing happened. The Dark Lord backed down fearing that he would lose his most powerful and valuable Death Eater. He came back to us and reported what he was doing and that he had failed. We were expecting Osiris to return at any moment. When too much time had passed an associate and I went to the house to check on him. That is when we saw your mother draw power from you and kill your father. It was your mother and not my Lord." He stopped to see if this story was taking any effect on the young woman. She was now cuddled further into Draco as if trying to escape the words he was saying.
"You lie." She spat venomously. "My mother loved my father. She wouldn't have killed him. What are you trying to accomplish by telling me this?" Her eyes narrowed at the man she normally feared.
"You can check the records." Lucius remained patient. "It shows that he was not killed by Avada Kedavra. That is the only way the Dark Lord kills. Your mother told us what had happened. Well, she told Narcissa."
Cordelia's eyes shot to Narcissa, who had followed after her husband. "Is what he's saying true?" She desperately wanted her to say that Lucius was lying.
"I am afraid so dear. Your mother didn't trust your father any more so she did the only thing that she thought would make you safe and that was to kill him." Narcissa exhaled slowly. "Don't think for a minute that she didn't love him, but she didn't trust him." Cordelia looked devastated. Like her world was just ripped from her hands. Retreating further into the arms of her lover, she began to shake slightly. Draco did his best to comfort her.
"Can you give me some time?" Cordelia looked at the informants.
"Sure." Lucius got up to leave. Was that a look of pleasure on his face? Was he pleased that her life had been just dumped on its head? Cordelia eyed him suspiciously as he left the room. Now alone with Draco, she turned to him. Concern was written all over his face. "Do you think that was the truth?"
"My mother said it was. I wouldn't believe my father for a second, but my mother . . . " This was the same thing Cordelia was thinking.
"I wonder why he felt the need to tell me now. That has nothing to do with our marrying. I can't help but think that he has a separate motive." She started to dress into a pair of gray sweat pants and a black tee. Draco followed dressing in his green boxers and white wife beater. "Breakfast?" Draco nodded and they went down to the kitchens. He was concerned for his lover. She was acting as if nothing had changed.
As they entered, the friendly faces of the house elves greeted them. Cordelia had insisted that while she stayed at the Manor, they ate in the kitchens with the house elves. She enjoyed their company. They quickly brought over some pancakes and syrup for the couple to eat, followed by a glass of milk and another glass of orange juice. Over in a corner, a group was huddled and talking excitedly about some piece of gossip. Cordelia wondered if it had anything to do with the news she heard this morning. Knowing that they wouldn't tell her if she asked, she decided that she was going to do some investigating on her own. She was going to use her power to find out what exactly Lucius Malfoy was up to. With this new resolve, she got up from her seat and made her way upstairs. Draco followed.
"Are you okay?" Draco prodded. She turned to him, more serious than she had ever been before.
"I'm fine. I'm just going to get to the bottom of this. You can come if you want to, but if we are caught, you'll get in trouble." Draco shook his head.
"I am not going then. Why can't you take what he says at face value? There doesn't always have to be a hidden motive, you know." Cordelia spun to look at him again.
"Because he is Lucius Malfoy and I don't trust him." She turned and went off without Draco. She didn't need him to do what she needed to do. She just needed to be lucky enough to hear Lucius talking to anybody about this. She felt his signature increase in power and knew that she was close. She reached the double door to his study and as luck would have it, he was talking to Narcissa.
"What did you hope to accomplish by telling her that?" Narcissa asked.
"I'm not sure. I'll have to wait until the shock wears off before I can see if anything changes." He cackled. "If it worked, their relationship will be over in a matter of months."
What did that mean? Why would just knowing about her parents make her want to end her relationship with Draco. She loved him too much to let anything change that.
"I am not sure. They love each other dearly." Narcissa added. "Draco wouldn't ever let her go anyway. You underestimate them."
"Well, you underestimate the darkness. You also underestimate the power I have over my son."
Why was he doing this? Deciding that she heard enough, she turned to go back to her room. One thing that she knew for certain was that he was not going to win. She had to tell Draco what she had heard. But would he even believe her?
"Cordelia?" Lucius' voice called to her from down the hall. Had she been caught? She turned around gracefully and smiled.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"
"What are you doing down here?" He was suspicious.
"I came down to thank you for being honest with me, but when I went to knock on the door to your study, I heard voices and decided that I would come back later." Some of that was the truth at least.
"Did you hear anything?"
"No. That would be eavesdropping."
"Okay. We were discussing some sensitive matters." He was still suspicious. She needed to make him believe her.
"I truly am thankful, sir." She hoped that was believable. His suspicion lifted and was replaced with smugness. It had worked!
"You're welcome." He turned to go back to his study. "You should get ready to go back to school tomorrow." He called over his shoulder. Cordelia ran up the stairs and found a nervous Draco at the top of the stairs.
"What did you find out Cordelia?" Draco never used her full first name. He really must have been worried.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Of course, I do." Cordelia brushed past him and into her room. Draco followed, concern flooding his features.
"I know. I just don't know if you want to know." She knew how much he often idolized his father. "He's trying to break us up." She looked hard at Draco. She wasn't sure if he would remain loyal to his father in every way or believe her.
"He wouldn't do that." Draco sat down. "At least, I don't think he would do something like that. Is this going to change us?" He was worried.
"I don't know. It depends on how you respond when the time comes I guess."
Draco grabbed her hand and pulled it to his heart. "This belongs to you, always. I swear that. It doesn't matter if he's trying to break us up, because it can't change my love for you. Ever." He looked into her worried eyes. "You do love me, right?"
"Now, more than ever." Draco pulled her into a hug and kissed her. Then, he had an amazing idea. "We can test this theory of yours."
"How?"
"By breaking up." Cordelia looked devastated. "We can still love each other, but do it at a distance. Then I can see for myself how he reacts."
"Is this really wise? I don't want to ever lose you."
"I think that would be best. It doesn't change any of my feelings." She went to take off her ring and was stopped by the delicate hands of her lover. "Keep that on. Think of it as a symbol of my undying love for you. I'll be faithful to you and only you for as long as you wear that. That's a promise." He reached for his wand and tapped it on her ring. "That spell will bind that promise." He kissed her again and walked out of her room.
Author's Note: I changed a bunch of stuff here. Wow-sers. It's much better now though.