Part Nine:
"Lucius!" Narcissa took a step back. Her husband was back? But how...?
As if he read her mind, Lucius gave her a vicious smile. "You thought I was tucked away, eh? Thought you were safe with the Ministry guarding Azkaban?" His tone was mocking, as was the hollow laugh that followed.
"Lucius, I-"
The wand tip came closer to her face. Narcissa took another step back as her husband spoke again:
"Well, well, well. My wife. I've only been gone for a few months, and look what's become of you: a pyromaniac, murderer, traitor...halfbreed-lover."
"He's here," Narcissa lied. "He's going to-"
"Oh, shut up," Lucius said sharply. "I know where he is, and it's not here. No," Lucius said, the evil smile spreading across his face, "we're alone."
"You...you stay the hell away from me, or-"
"Or you'll what, Narcissa? You may have been able to kill our son-"
"NO!"
"You're a murderer, Narcissa," Lucius said calmly. "But don't worry, dear. The Dark Lord will make sure that you're properly punished."
Narcissa had managed to back up into the living room at this time. Lucius looked around, his trademark Malfoy sneer on his face. As he did, Narcissa managed to grab her wand out of her pocket and hold it up. "Get out, or I'll use this."
Lucius laughed in her face. "Going to duel with me, wife?"
"No, I will, though."
Lucius turned around to see a really pissed-off Remus, wand in hand. "What're you doing in my house, Malfoy?"
"I've come to claim my property, werewolf," Lucius said with a sneer, "and you better not try to stop me."
"She's not your property," Remus said, with the same cold calmness as Lucius. But his face was turning red with anger. "And you're not going to hurt her anymore." He pointed his wand at the other man. "Even if I have to kill you."
"NO!"
Both men looked at Narcissa in surprise, who still had her wand pointed at her husband. "Narcissa?" Remus looked surprised. "What're you doing?"
"You're not going to fight my battles for me," Narcissa said sharply. She gave her husband a cold look. "I'll kill him myself."
"Narcissa, you can't!"
Narcissa pushed the tip of her wand closer to her husband's surprised face. "Watch me," she hissed.
Lucius laughed again, and Narcissa felt a powerful urge to shove her wand up his nose. "Fine," he said finally. "If you want to get yourself killed, that's fine with me...we'll duel."
"Narcissa," Remus said in a panic-filled voice, "I won't let you."
"IT'S NOT YOUR CHOICE!" she screamed. "This is MY FIGHT! I'm going to do this, Remus, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" She looked at her husband again. "We'll meet in our back yard."
"Narcissa, you can't-" But she didn't hear the rest of her lover's protest as she Apparated. She arrived in the back yard of what used to be Malfoy Manor. She heard a loud BANG, and Lucius Apparated beside her.
"Ready?" Lucius said with mock courtesy.
"More ready then I've ever been."
Narcissa knew duel procedures: the bow, ect. As soon as they had their wands drawn, Lucius started to shout something that sounded oddly like "cru". But Narcissa was too fast for him:
"Petrifutus Totalus!" she screamed. The spell worked: Lucius's arms and legs all snapped together, and he fell to the ground. Narcissa knew that the spell wouldn't last for too long, so she had to think fast.
Suddenly, she spotted something sticking out of Lucius's robes. His dagger, with the Malfoy family crest on the handle. Narcissa hated that thing: although he'd never used it on her, he'd brandished it in front of her face in a threatening way before. In a fight once, he'd even thrown it at her, missing her head by inches as it made a permanate hole in the bedroom wall. Narcissa knew that, if she ever wanted to feel safe again, she'd have to act fast.
She snatched the dagger from his robes. He stared at her: not in fear, but as if daring her to use it. Narcissa hesitated, staring at the knife's silver handle. Could she really do it? Could she really murder someone?
Oh, what the hell, she thought. I already have.
And with that, she pludged the knife through Lucius's heart. There was no scream, due to the curse: he couldn't even twist in pain. But Narcissa could see the pain in Lucius's cold, grey eyes.
Narcissa didn't stab him again, but she didn't stay to watch him die. She put the knife in her pocket and, with one last look at her husband, whispered, "Goodbye."
And Disapparated.
"Lucius!" Narcissa took a step back. Her husband was back? But how...?
As if he read her mind, Lucius gave her a vicious smile. "You thought I was tucked away, eh? Thought you were safe with the Ministry guarding Azkaban?" His tone was mocking, as was the hollow laugh that followed.
"Lucius, I-"
The wand tip came closer to her face. Narcissa took another step back as her husband spoke again:
"Well, well, well. My wife. I've only been gone for a few months, and look what's become of you: a pyromaniac, murderer, traitor...halfbreed-lover."
"He's here," Narcissa lied. "He's going to-"
"Oh, shut up," Lucius said sharply. "I know where he is, and it's not here. No," Lucius said, the evil smile spreading across his face, "we're alone."
"You...you stay the hell away from me, or-"
"Or you'll what, Narcissa? You may have been able to kill our son-"
"NO!"
"You're a murderer, Narcissa," Lucius said calmly. "But don't worry, dear. The Dark Lord will make sure that you're properly punished."
Narcissa had managed to back up into the living room at this time. Lucius looked around, his trademark Malfoy sneer on his face. As he did, Narcissa managed to grab her wand out of her pocket and hold it up. "Get out, or I'll use this."
Lucius laughed in her face. "Going to duel with me, wife?"
"No, I will, though."
Lucius turned around to see a really pissed-off Remus, wand in hand. "What're you doing in my house, Malfoy?"
"I've come to claim my property, werewolf," Lucius said with a sneer, "and you better not try to stop me."
"She's not your property," Remus said, with the same cold calmness as Lucius. But his face was turning red with anger. "And you're not going to hurt her anymore." He pointed his wand at the other man. "Even if I have to kill you."
"NO!"
Both men looked at Narcissa in surprise, who still had her wand pointed at her husband. "Narcissa?" Remus looked surprised. "What're you doing?"
"You're not going to fight my battles for me," Narcissa said sharply. She gave her husband a cold look. "I'll kill him myself."
"Narcissa, you can't!"
Narcissa pushed the tip of her wand closer to her husband's surprised face. "Watch me," she hissed.
Lucius laughed again, and Narcissa felt a powerful urge to shove her wand up his nose. "Fine," he said finally. "If you want to get yourself killed, that's fine with me...we'll duel."
"Narcissa," Remus said in a panic-filled voice, "I won't let you."
"IT'S NOT YOUR CHOICE!" she screamed. "This is MY FIGHT! I'm going to do this, Remus, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" She looked at her husband again. "We'll meet in our back yard."
"Narcissa, you can't-" But she didn't hear the rest of her lover's protest as she Apparated. She arrived in the back yard of what used to be Malfoy Manor. She heard a loud BANG, and Lucius Apparated beside her.
"Ready?" Lucius said with mock courtesy.
"More ready then I've ever been."
Narcissa knew duel procedures: the bow, ect. As soon as they had their wands drawn, Lucius started to shout something that sounded oddly like "cru". But Narcissa was too fast for him:
"Petrifutus Totalus!" she screamed. The spell worked: Lucius's arms and legs all snapped together, and he fell to the ground. Narcissa knew that the spell wouldn't last for too long, so she had to think fast.
Suddenly, she spotted something sticking out of Lucius's robes. His dagger, with the Malfoy family crest on the handle. Narcissa hated that thing: although he'd never used it on her, he'd brandished it in front of her face in a threatening way before. In a fight once, he'd even thrown it at her, missing her head by inches as it made a permanate hole in the bedroom wall. Narcissa knew that, if she ever wanted to feel safe again, she'd have to act fast.
She snatched the dagger from his robes. He stared at her: not in fear, but as if daring her to use it. Narcissa hesitated, staring at the knife's silver handle. Could she really do it? Could she really murder someone?
Oh, what the hell, she thought. I already have.
And with that, she pludged the knife through Lucius's heart. There was no scream, due to the curse: he couldn't even twist in pain. But Narcissa could see the pain in Lucius's cold, grey eyes.
Narcissa didn't stab him again, but she didn't stay to watch him die. She put the knife in her pocket and, with one last look at her husband, whispered, "Goodbye."
And Disapparated.