Chapter 8- Daddy Death Eater
Narcissa sat with Alexia in Draco's nursery. He was 2 months old and slept soundly for the time being. Alexia sighed and looked at Narcissa with a tired look in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have called him evil should I? I mean, I know it was a long time ago and everything. But...I can't look at him and not hear the echo in my mind."
Narcissa looked down at her wine colored robes and forced a weak smile.
"Well, he's not evil. Not entirely. You of all people would know."
Alexia shook her head and stood up. She looked at herself in the mirror. She fit perfectly into her midnight blue robe. She sighed again.
"I know he's not all bad."
Narcissa nodded. There was something else on Alexia's mind.
"He doesn't know how to be a father."
Alexia rolled her eyes.
"Well its not like he's trying to be!"
"Look, I think you two need to reconnect."
"What do you mean 'reconnect'?"
Narcissa smiled. Alexia widened her eyes.
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Lucius was surprised to find her sleeping in the master bedroom with him again. She was already asleep by the time he got home and she was gone before he woke up the next day. It was like that for the first few days. Sometimes he'd awaken in the middle of the night to realize she was sleeping with her head on his stomach. He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at her.
'Okay, so I miss her. There's nothing wrong with that...not that I'll admit it...'
He reached out to touch her face softly. She rolled away from him and sighed as she melted into the bed again. Lucius ran his hands down her shoulders and kissed the back of her neck gently.
"Wake up....c'mon Lexy..."
Alexia turned to him slowly and looked up at him sleepily. Lucius kissed her chin sweetly and bit her lip to capture her mouth completely. They kissed softly until she pulled away and fell back to sleep. Lucius awoke the next day wondering if he'd dreamed it. Alexia was just getting dressed when he sat up. She looked at him for an instant then looked away and walked out of the room to Draco.
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Alexia picked the eight month old, cleaned and fed him. Draco's inquisitive gray eyes stared into hers as if he understood everything clearly. Alexia set him down on his crib and watched him play with the mobile for a while. She only smiled. Lucius must have looked just like Draco once. They seemed to be exact copies. Draco suddenly cooed and Alexia looked over her shoulder at Lucius.
"Hey."
He echoed her as he lifted Draco up into his arms.
"Hey there Draco. How's my little man doing?"
Draco giggled delightedly.
"He's doing great."
Lucius looked meaningfully into her eyes.
"And you?"
"I'm still here."
Lucius reached out to touch her face, she didn't move back but tensed at his touch.
"I miss you."
Alexia looked up at him then closed her eyes and opened them to look at cream colored carpet of Draco's nursery.
"Don't you miss me?"
Alexia sighed and looked up at Lucius, then at Draco.
"He does. Its amazing Draco recognized you."
Lucius frowned. He played with Draco's hands.
"I always come in to see him...when you're not around."
"Oh.."
'Well, at least he's trying to be a good dad...'
"Lexy, I know I haven't been around for you much..."
"No kidding."
"Please, Alexandria, let me try to explain myself."
Alexia waited. Draco was silent as if waiting for his father to speak as well.
"Okay. Look, I know that you don't believe in the Dark Lord's cause."
"Lucius. He's evil. I'm not. How can we agree on anything?"
"You don't have to. This is a part of my life. It's a part of my family tradition. I can't change it, and I won't fight it. There is nothing that repulses me more than a mudblood, other than muggles that is–"
Alexia rolled her eyes.
"Oh for God's sake! If wizards had never married with muggles there wouldn't be any wizards left! You really think that there is one single perfectly pureblooded family left out there? Even your family–"
"And I intend to amend that mistake!"
"Lucius, marrying for love is not a mistake. But you wouldn't understand that would you?"
"What are you talking about? I married you didn't I?"
Alexia felt her mouth drop open. She scoffed.
"You married Narcissa! Or did that just slip your mind?"
Lucius seemed to suddenly realize that. He turned and set Draco down.
"I'd forgotten."
"Well, I haven't. I live with that fact everyday. And with the fact that people will have to think of Narcissa as Draco's mother. Because, technically, I don't exist in your life. And I don't fit into your image."
Lucius looked back at her after stroking Draco's rosy cheek.
"What image?"
"This image. 'Daddy Death Eater.'"
Alexia sighed.
"You know what Lucius, this isn't worth it. Yes I love you, and yes I would love to spend my life with you, but not like this...not hiding from everyone. I don't want to be just someone you sleep with and whom you claim to love."
"Lexy--"
"No, I'm sorry. I can't stay here any longer. And...don't come looking for me."
She looked behind Lucius.
"Us."
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"You can't leave. You remember what happened last time you left?"
Alexia stared at him through narrowed eyes.
"Are you trying to guilt me into staying?"
"Not guilt you."
"We're going. That's that."
"You cant leave."
He took tentative step towards her.
"You're safe here."
Lucius took her into his arms and for a second she seemed to relax then pushed him away. Lucius knew that if he could just kiss her, she'd stay. He held her waist.
"Lucius please let me go."
He pulled her close and kissed her neck. She nearly fell onto him. He began to murmur in her ear and she sighed. She pushed him away brashly.
"No...no...no..."
Lucius watched her leave the room. She didn't speak to him during dinner.
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Alexia went back to Draco's room. He was standing up, holding onto the bars and bitting at the mobile. Alexia sighed and touched his cheek softly.
"I love your daddy. I do. But I miss him too much when he's gone. So its better if he's just never around in the first place, isn't it? What do you think Dray?"
Draco's soft gray eyes met hers and he smiled happily and reached for her.
"Mahww."
"But you need a dad don't you?"
She smiled and picked him up.
"You know what? I'll give your old man another chance...for your sake."
Draco, as a response, pulled on her necklace.
"Yeah...for your sake."
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Lucius pulled his wand back into his pocket and sighed. He didn't need to use the Imperious Curse on her. He walked away from the nursery and went to his studio. For a seconds Lucius hesitated to think wether or not he would actually use an Unforgivable curse on her. He sat on his chair and held his head in his hands, he then ran them down his face and let out a slow breath. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Narcissa. He showed his displeasure by shrugging her off.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded and frowned at her.
"Why do you care?"
Narcissa's cold eyes met his.
"I don't."
She sighed and held out a letter.
"This just came for you."
Lucius took it and waited for her to leave.
"Go on. Open it. I already know what it's about."
"How?"
He challenged her. She gave him a small smirk.
"My cousin Bella let me know. Its your new assignment."
Lucius opened the envelope. A picture was inside with handwriting in the back.
"The Potters?"
Narcissa nodded.
"The Dark Lord heard of the prophesy of his downfall. The Potter's son, Harry, seems to suit that prophesy. He wants the child eliminated at once."
Lucius looked at the picture
"He's Draco's age. He's a baby."
"A few months more or less."
Lucius threw the picture aside.
"What harm could a child do?"
Narcissa frowned.
"What you don't seem to understand is that this child will grow to be a man. A wizard. One so powerful that he could single-handedly defeat one of the greatest wizards of all time."
Lucius sighed.
"When?"
"Before Halloween, no later."
Lucius nodded and picked up the picture again. It was written on the back in blood-red ink.
"The Potters, dead by Oct 31st."
He looked at the child in the picture and sighed. Harry was a great contrast to Draco. Harry had black hair and his eyes shone bright green, he grinned incessantly. Draco was pale but for his rosy cheeks. His eyes were an intriguing gray blue and his hair would turn silvery blonde. Lucius looked up at Narcissa again.
"Done."
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Alexia lay with her head on his chest. She bit her lip happily. He held her close and smiled.
"How you feeling?"
"Pretty good."
Lucius sighed.
"Good...good to hear."
He looked down at her. She pulled herself up to his arm and lay on his strong biceps.
"I love you."
Lucius kissed her quickly on the lips.
"I love you too."
Alexia took a deep breath.
"Um, okay...what's bothering you?"
Lucius took her chin in his hands. He smiled.
"Nothing."
"Lucius. Tell me."
He remained silent for a while.
"Lexy...we just had an amazing–no...astounding–night together. One that people would die for! Do you really want to kill the mood like that? Um?"
He kissed her deeply. His hands threaded through her hair. She pulled away. He looked in her eyes. She waited. He sighed.
"Just...how close are you to the Potters?"
"Well, I saw them a few days ago. And did I tell you?"
She grinned.
"Lilly, Jame's wife, had a baby! His name is Harry and he is just the sweetest thing! All he does is smile at me. He's got gorgeous eyes."
His face turned serious.
"I don't think you should see them."
"Why?"
She sat up on the bed.
"Just stay away from them."
"Why? Just because they're against Death Eaters?"
Lucius rolled his eyes.
"And we're back to that!"
"No. We never left it."
Lucius stayed laying back on the bed and rose an eyebrow at her.
"You are not attacking the Potters."
Lucius scoffed.
"Why not?"
"Because! They're my friends!"
He sat up with her.
"There's nothing I can do. If I don't do it...someone else will."
"Then stop them!"
"You know I can't."
Narcissa sat with Alexia in Draco's nursery. He was 2 months old and slept soundly for the time being. Alexia sighed and looked at Narcissa with a tired look in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have called him evil should I? I mean, I know it was a long time ago and everything. But...I can't look at him and not hear the echo in my mind."
Narcissa looked down at her wine colored robes and forced a weak smile.
"Well, he's not evil. Not entirely. You of all people would know."
Alexia shook her head and stood up. She looked at herself in the mirror. She fit perfectly into her midnight blue robe. She sighed again.
"I know he's not all bad."
Narcissa nodded. There was something else on Alexia's mind.
"He doesn't know how to be a father."
Alexia rolled her eyes.
"Well its not like he's trying to be!"
"Look, I think you two need to reconnect."
"What do you mean 'reconnect'?"
Narcissa smiled. Alexia widened her eyes.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Lucius was surprised to find her sleeping in the master bedroom with him again. She was already asleep by the time he got home and she was gone before he woke up the next day. It was like that for the first few days. Sometimes he'd awaken in the middle of the night to realize she was sleeping with her head on his stomach. He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at her.
'Okay, so I miss her. There's nothing wrong with that...not that I'll admit it...'
He reached out to touch her face softly. She rolled away from him and sighed as she melted into the bed again. Lucius ran his hands down her shoulders and kissed the back of her neck gently.
"Wake up....c'mon Lexy..."
Alexia turned to him slowly and looked up at him sleepily. Lucius kissed her chin sweetly and bit her lip to capture her mouth completely. They kissed softly until she pulled away and fell back to sleep. Lucius awoke the next day wondering if he'd dreamed it. Alexia was just getting dressed when he sat up. She looked at him for an instant then looked away and walked out of the room to Draco.
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Alexia picked the eight month old, cleaned and fed him. Draco's inquisitive gray eyes stared into hers as if he understood everything clearly. Alexia set him down on his crib and watched him play with the mobile for a while. She only smiled. Lucius must have looked just like Draco once. They seemed to be exact copies. Draco suddenly cooed and Alexia looked over her shoulder at Lucius.
"Hey."
He echoed her as he lifted Draco up into his arms.
"Hey there Draco. How's my little man doing?"
Draco giggled delightedly.
"He's doing great."
Lucius looked meaningfully into her eyes.
"And you?"
"I'm still here."
Lucius reached out to touch her face, she didn't move back but tensed at his touch.
"I miss you."
Alexia looked up at him then closed her eyes and opened them to look at cream colored carpet of Draco's nursery.
"Don't you miss me?"
Alexia sighed and looked up at Lucius, then at Draco.
"He does. Its amazing Draco recognized you."
Lucius frowned. He played with Draco's hands.
"I always come in to see him...when you're not around."
"Oh.."
'Well, at least he's trying to be a good dad...'
"Lexy, I know I haven't been around for you much..."
"No kidding."
"Please, Alexandria, let me try to explain myself."
Alexia waited. Draco was silent as if waiting for his father to speak as well.
"Okay. Look, I know that you don't believe in the Dark Lord's cause."
"Lucius. He's evil. I'm not. How can we agree on anything?"
"You don't have to. This is a part of my life. It's a part of my family tradition. I can't change it, and I won't fight it. There is nothing that repulses me more than a mudblood, other than muggles that is–"
Alexia rolled her eyes.
"Oh for God's sake! If wizards had never married with muggles there wouldn't be any wizards left! You really think that there is one single perfectly pureblooded family left out there? Even your family–"
"And I intend to amend that mistake!"
"Lucius, marrying for love is not a mistake. But you wouldn't understand that would you?"
"What are you talking about? I married you didn't I?"
Alexia felt her mouth drop open. She scoffed.
"You married Narcissa! Or did that just slip your mind?"
Lucius seemed to suddenly realize that. He turned and set Draco down.
"I'd forgotten."
"Well, I haven't. I live with that fact everyday. And with the fact that people will have to think of Narcissa as Draco's mother. Because, technically, I don't exist in your life. And I don't fit into your image."
Lucius looked back at her after stroking Draco's rosy cheek.
"What image?"
"This image. 'Daddy Death Eater.'"
Alexia sighed.
"You know what Lucius, this isn't worth it. Yes I love you, and yes I would love to spend my life with you, but not like this...not hiding from everyone. I don't want to be just someone you sleep with and whom you claim to love."
"Lexy--"
"No, I'm sorry. I can't stay here any longer. And...don't come looking for me."
She looked behind Lucius.
"Us."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"You can't leave. You remember what happened last time you left?"
Alexia stared at him through narrowed eyes.
"Are you trying to guilt me into staying?"
"Not guilt you."
"We're going. That's that."
"You cant leave."
He took tentative step towards her.
"You're safe here."
Lucius took her into his arms and for a second she seemed to relax then pushed him away. Lucius knew that if he could just kiss her, she'd stay. He held her waist.
"Lucius please let me go."
He pulled her close and kissed her neck. She nearly fell onto him. He began to murmur in her ear and she sighed. She pushed him away brashly.
"No...no...no..."
Lucius watched her leave the room. She didn't speak to him during dinner.
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Alexia went back to Draco's room. He was standing up, holding onto the bars and bitting at the mobile. Alexia sighed and touched his cheek softly.
"I love your daddy. I do. But I miss him too much when he's gone. So its better if he's just never around in the first place, isn't it? What do you think Dray?"
Draco's soft gray eyes met hers and he smiled happily and reached for her.
"Mahww."
"But you need a dad don't you?"
She smiled and picked him up.
"You know what? I'll give your old man another chance...for your sake."
Draco, as a response, pulled on her necklace.
"Yeah...for your sake."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Lucius pulled his wand back into his pocket and sighed. He didn't need to use the Imperious Curse on her. He walked away from the nursery and went to his studio. For a seconds Lucius hesitated to think wether or not he would actually use an Unforgivable curse on her. He sat on his chair and held his head in his hands, he then ran them down his face and let out a slow breath. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Narcissa. He showed his displeasure by shrugging her off.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded and frowned at her.
"Why do you care?"
Narcissa's cold eyes met his.
"I don't."
She sighed and held out a letter.
"This just came for you."
Lucius took it and waited for her to leave.
"Go on. Open it. I already know what it's about."
"How?"
He challenged her. She gave him a small smirk.
"My cousin Bella let me know. Its your new assignment."
Lucius opened the envelope. A picture was inside with handwriting in the back.
"The Potters?"
Narcissa nodded.
"The Dark Lord heard of the prophesy of his downfall. The Potter's son, Harry, seems to suit that prophesy. He wants the child eliminated at once."
Lucius looked at the picture
"He's Draco's age. He's a baby."
"A few months more or less."
Lucius threw the picture aside.
"What harm could a child do?"
Narcissa frowned.
"What you don't seem to understand is that this child will grow to be a man. A wizard. One so powerful that he could single-handedly defeat one of the greatest wizards of all time."
Lucius sighed.
"When?"
"Before Halloween, no later."
Lucius nodded and picked up the picture again. It was written on the back in blood-red ink.
"The Potters, dead by Oct 31st."
He looked at the child in the picture and sighed. Harry was a great contrast to Draco. Harry had black hair and his eyes shone bright green, he grinned incessantly. Draco was pale but for his rosy cheeks. His eyes were an intriguing gray blue and his hair would turn silvery blonde. Lucius looked up at Narcissa again.
"Done."
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Alexia lay with her head on his chest. She bit her lip happily. He held her close and smiled.
"How you feeling?"
"Pretty good."
Lucius sighed.
"Good...good to hear."
He looked down at her. She pulled herself up to his arm and lay on his strong biceps.
"I love you."
Lucius kissed her quickly on the lips.
"I love you too."
Alexia took a deep breath.
"Um, okay...what's bothering you?"
Lucius took her chin in his hands. He smiled.
"Nothing."
"Lucius. Tell me."
He remained silent for a while.
"Lexy...we just had an amazing–no...astounding–night together. One that people would die for! Do you really want to kill the mood like that? Um?"
He kissed her deeply. His hands threaded through her hair. She pulled away. He looked in her eyes. She waited. He sighed.
"Just...how close are you to the Potters?"
"Well, I saw them a few days ago. And did I tell you?"
She grinned.
"Lilly, Jame's wife, had a baby! His name is Harry and he is just the sweetest thing! All he does is smile at me. He's got gorgeous eyes."
His face turned serious.
"I don't think you should see them."
"Why?"
She sat up on the bed.
"Just stay away from them."
"Why? Just because they're against Death Eaters?"
Lucius rolled his eyes.
"And we're back to that!"
"No. We never left it."
Lucius stayed laying back on the bed and rose an eyebrow at her.
"You are not attacking the Potters."
Lucius scoffed.
"Why not?"
"Because! They're my friends!"
He sat up with her.
"There's nothing I can do. If I don't do it...someone else will."
"Then stop them!"
"You know I can't."