Black Night Part Eleven Rated R Narcissa/Lucius, Bellatrix/Severus

A.N. In Black Night, Andry seems to be older than Narcissa. Oops. Narcissa is currently twenty-one, whereas Andry is twenty-four. Bella is nineteen. Okay? Sorry about that. Oh, and the Marauders are all seventeen, except James who is eighteen, and Lily and Snape are seventeen too, and Lucius is twenty-three, and - um, I know Avery is twenty-nine. Okay? Ah yes. Barty Crouch, who-we-do-not-encounter-in-Black-Night, is sixteen.

The signs and their knowledge had led them along a dusty road to the marketplace of the Tonks' village. It was Muggle, or course, but they were very helpful and knew about Andry's disappearance - though of course the house had been warded strongly and they could not see it.

Snape stayed back distastefully as Sirius and Remus spoke to the woman who had been selling tomatoes on the day Andromeda had gone missing.

"Yes, she came and browsed mine, but she didn't buy any."

"Did it seem like anything was wrong?" Remus asked the woman.

"Well," and she pursed her lips, "now that you say so, she did look a tad bit upset. Perhaps one of the local lads was rude to her, they have InoI respect. But she smiled at me, and asked me how my kittens were, polite as anything. She's rarely in town, but when she is she makes sure to talk to everyone. We're all so worried about her, you know."

"Yes," Sirius said quietly, "I know the feeling. Well, thank you very much. Do you know where she went after coming here?"

"She said she was late," the woman said, looking curiously at Snape and Bella, "and she hurried off that way -" she pointed down the road, "probably to the tea shop or the pub."

"Late," Bella said quietly, "did she elaborate on that at all, madam? Did she seem to mean that she was late for meeting someone, or for being home, or. . .?"

"Well, I would think to meet someone, but I'm afraid I really don't know. What time is it, she asks. Oh, it's about five to three, I told her, and she gives a great start. Oh, I'm already late, she says in a sort of wail, and snatches up her things and rushes off."

"Her things," Snape said softly. "A purse, woman? Or a - a grocery bag?"

"It was a breifcase and a purse, sir," the woman said, "but not a traveling breifcase, it was very small. Only big enough for a few papers or such, I imagine. Something from whatever line of work she has, I would reckon."

"Ted never mentioned her having a breifcase," Sirius said in a low voice. "Well, I thank you very much, madam."

"Oh, it's no problem, sir. We in town would just hate to see Andromeda hurt."

***

Looking torn with pained indecision, Lucius watched Narcissa from the doorway. She was searching through her things for a traveling cloak. She had slept, but now it was late afternoon and she was not going to be delayed any longer. Outside, frozen rain and sleet were pelting from the sky.

Finally, he came into the room and picked the cloak up from where it was folded on the bedside table. He handed it to her silently, and gave her a Malfoy fastener - he had broken hers, and the new one was intricate silver and black twisted into the shape of a snake. She gave him a forced, fleeting smile, and started to swing the cloak about her. He arrayed it over her shoulders and she let him, and then when she failed to be able to fasten the clasp his fingers brushed aside her clumsy ones and secured it for her. She looked into his face as he did so, and he fought to keep it free of emotion. He fussed over the cloak then, figiting with it, until finally she caught his hands and clutched them, and together they lowered them slowly.

"You're afraid," she whispered, her eyes studying his.

"I don't want to lose you," he replied in kind. "I can't lose you. Don't go. It isn't safe."

"And being here, with you, is safe?" She gave a sharp laugh that startled him - it was harder, colder. "Your definitions are strange, Lucius Malfoy."

"Teach me the proper ones then."

"I can't. I can't, Lucius, she's my sister."

"What can you do that they cannot? Sirius Black and Bellatrix will be able to trace her as well or better than you could. Bellatrix has her connection, and your cousin has his Auror training." His mouth had twisted at the words 'cousin' and 'Auror' but he managed to keep his eyes at zero.

Narcissa didn't answer, for a moment, and when she did it did not truly give him any assurance. She kissed him, hard and soft and fierce and gentle, and he pulled her closer, his arms around her. Perhaps if he didn't release her, if he didn't let her go, she would stay with him, stay here and away from the dangerous matters into which she was trying to -

But she pulled back from him, back from his lips and arms, and rearranged her cloak, pulling it up so that her face was shadowed, and fiddled slightly with the clasp. Finally she whispered, "I've got to go. If I don't go I'm worse than worthless. She's my blood, she's my family, and she needs help. Why shouldn't I go? Why should I stay out of danger, hiding here and waiting for news?"

Almost, almost, he tried to say something, to speak, not another protest, not exactly, but simply a statement. When it came out, it was something comepletely unrelated and different.

"Because I love you."

Her shadowed, beautiful eyes filled with tears. "That's not fair," she whispered, shaking her head and looking away. "That's not fair, you - I - I can't just leave her to die, to - I can't. I can't, Lucius, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I - I love you - I love you - but -"

"All right," he said softly, and reached up a hand, brushing her cheek. "All right. Wait a moment. Let me get my cloak."

***

It had started to drizzle by the time they had made their way to the pub, a place called UThe King's Best RadishesU. It seemed similar to the Three Broomsticks from the outside, but the inside was actually not far from the Hog's Head - filthy, with a questionable company. The barkeeper was the difference - when Sirius walked up to the pub, the man looked up with a smile.

"Can I get anything for you, gentlemen and good lady? Damein Yeard's the name."

"We were wondering whether you remembered seeing Andromeda Tonks in here recently," Sirius said in an undertone. "She might have been meeting someone. It was on the afternoon that she disappeared."

"Miss Andry?" the man said, and nodded. "Oh, yes indeed, sir. She met a foreigner, I think. They were discussing business - not that I was listening in, just from the scraps I heard when I took their orders. Miss Andry got a butterbeer, but the man got white wine. That fellow didn't look like good folk, if you get my meaning. I don't think Miss Andry liked him at all - she was all white and nervous-looking, you know, frightened- like. I did ask her after the man had gone if everything was all right, but she said she thought it would be now. I think the man left angry, and I did tell the police about this. One of them said he'd pass that along, but as I never caught the fella's name -"

"What did he look like?" Snape asked in a soft, dangerous sort of voice.

"Well, he had strange hair - I don't think it was natural, either, some fancy dye - it was a sort of red-gold, like rust on straw. I couldn't get a good look at him without looking suspicious, like, but you know, I think I'd place him at about forty. Tall, he was. He took a little breifcase that she gave him, as well, and he looked all around before leaving. You know, I think that man was off in the head. A bit strange, you know. Well, if you won't be wanting anything, then. . ."

"No," said Remus quickly. "But thank you very much."

"Best of luck to you with finding Miss Andry," the man said, his expression changing from amusement to worry and hope rapidly. "We miss her around here. She didn't come in here often, and never got anything but butterbeer or milk, but no one could ever forget her. She had us all laughing till we cried sometimes, or actually all-out crying with some of the stories she told. Wonderful lady, I can't wait to hear the news that Ted's got her back safe and sound at his house."

"Oh, do you know Ted as well?" Sirius asked, seemingly with little interest.

"Oh, yes," the man said, "me 'n Ted, we grew up together. He and I, we were best friends. We - er - met at school, as kids. I also knew Miss Andry there a bit, you know. But Ted and I, we met on a train to a - a private school, when we were eleven."

Then with a wink and a grin, the bartender moved off to serve another customer, leaving the other four shocked silent.