Chapter Twenty-Six: The Decision

Lucius Malfoy stared down at his untouched plate, then over at Draco who was working his way through his third while playfully arguing with Rose about continuing her flying lessons. Draco held firmly to his position that her leap into the pond had not been his fault on the grounds that any decent witch who had reached her late twenties would know how to perform a dive on a broomstick. She insisted that if she had known how to do so, she wouldn't have needed flying lessons in the first place.

Lucius hardly heard them. His mind was focused almost entirely on his imminent meeting with Alexandria. Her answer would determine so much; how soon his attack on Voldemort could be made, how many would fight on his side, how many of Voldemort's faithful would be left to deal with afterward. If she could just be made to submit to him, then his war on the Dark Lord could be simplified immensely.

After two hours of steady research in the library, he retired to the shower, heating the water to a sadistic temperature before shedding his clothing and stepping in. Resting his head on a crooked arm against the shower wall, he moaned softly as the searing water eased anxious muscles in his back. Carefully, he contemplated what he knew of Alexandria and what her answer was likely to be.

Severus was right, of course, about her stubbornness. She could be damnably hardheaded and often was. That's rather what he liked about her, he admitted to himself. Of course, her obstinate nature was nothing but trouble when he needed her to just obey him without question. She was also dangerously inconsistent in her allegiances. At least he knew that her allegiance to herself never wavered. He'd have to work with that if she proved to be difficult tonight.

Half an hour later, he reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out, headed for the wardrobe. As she hadn't insisted on muggle clothing, thank Merlin, he chose a flowing dark blue shirt with full sleeves, gray trousers, and a new midnight blue cloak. Of course, if things went the way he hoped, he wouldn't be occupying these for long.

That admission gave him pause.

Until now, he hadn't allowed himself to really think about the night he'd spent with her, how perfect it had seemed and how beautiful she'd looked, writhing beneath him, her body glistening with sweat. He couldn't really blame himself for hoping that tonight would end the same way, with Alex lying in his arms, hopefully making plans with him to dispel that bothersome contract the easy way. They could discuss who needed to be removed from his path to power, and in what order. Then, finally, they could watch the sun come up as they contemplated exactly how to destroy Voldemort.

He smiled. Yes, that would make all of this waiting and worrying worth the trouble.

"My lord?" The soft voice of his maid brought his attention back into focus, and he spun quickly to see her standing behind him, dressed in a flowing black dressing gown, eyes lowered respectfully.

He sighed lightly. Why couldn't Alexandria be more like this one? Of course, if she were this meek, she would be of no use to him, so it was no good trying to break her. He just needed to tame her enough to make use of her talents. But, how?

"What is it, Rose?" he asked more harshly than he intended.

"I just wanted to know if there's anything you need before I turn in," she asked softly.

"It's rather early for you to be going to bed, isn't it?"

"I have a lot of work to do in the garden tomorrow, my lord. I'll need to get an early start," she answered casually.

He considered her for a moment before answering. "I'm quite fine, Rose. Thank you."

"Good night, then, my lord." She hesitated, taking in his appearance with a wistful smile. "You look wonderful. I hope things go well for you."

"As do I," he replied with a sigh, turning his attention to his hair.

Down the hall, Rose peeked in on Draco. He was sound asleep, knocked out cold with a thimbleful of sleeping draught. She closed his door softly and retired to her room where she quickly peeled off the dressing gown to reveal a sleeveless red blouse with slim black trousers. After a second's deliberation, she slipped on her poison ring, as well.

Tucking the gown under her arm in case Malfoy summoned her, she apparated to Alex's room at the Connaught. Quickly, she removed the earring which held her glamour in place, secured it in the inside hem of her blouse, stashed the gown in a locked trunk, and transfigured her summoning bracelet into a simple silver bangle. She had just settled into one of two facing chairs when the sharp crack of Malfoy's entrance was heard.

Lucius had apparated with his wand drawn, and at the sight of a weapon in his hand Alex's entire body went rigid. After all, he may not be able to harm her, but he could most certainly stun her and drag her off to Merlin knew where. She rested her hand on her own wand, knowing that she'd never draw it in time, and spoke carefully.

"What's that for?"

Lucius immediately noticed her discomfort and sheathed the wand smoothly. "Force of habit, my dear. Nothing more." He flashed a winning smile.

"Is it?" she questioned softly, gesturing to the chair opposite her.

As he sat, he couldn't help but notice that her eyes had not yet left his boots, and he made certain to bury the fury that welled up within at the implication of this avoidance. When he spoke, he did so in a calm, even tone. "You're about to tell me something that I do not wish to hear. That's considered terribly unwise by most," he said flippantly, sitting forward in his chair, an expectant look on his face.

Alex continued to stare at his boots. She shifted uncomfortably after a few moments, trying to think of the best way to begin, searching for the words that would make him understand. But, he would never understand, and this was going to be much harder than she had anticipated.

Lucius spoke again when she didn't respond. This time, his voice was laced with irritation. "Why didn't you just send your refusal by owl? It would have saved us both time and trouble."

That got a reaction. Her hands clenched the arm of her chair, and her eyes narrowed. "Because I felt that I owed you the respect of telling you in person."

Lucius laughed lightly. "Well, isn't that noble? What good does it do if you can't even look me in the eye?" She felt a gentle hand lifting her chin and forcing her gaze to his. When amber eyes met gray, she almost broke, unable to endure the penetrating gaze of her old nemesis. "Alexandria," he whispered tenderly. "Why are you doing this?"

Merlin, help me, she pleaded silently. Alex removed his hand from her face and interlaced her fingers with his, kissing his fingertips tenderly. "Because I can't trust you, Lucius, because of what you are, and what you aspire to be," she answered simply. She searched his eyes for a moment, seeing the flicker of anger that had already begun to burn there. "I'm so sorry. But, I know what happens if I agree. I know what happens if I sever the contract and put my hand in yours."

His eyes ignited with an alluring flame. "You would rule at my side. The entire wizarding world would tremble at the sound of your name; Alexandria Borgin, the personal assassin of Lord Lucius Malfoy."

"And what happens when the few ethics that I have and your agenda collide, Lucius?" She slid forward in her chair and placed her hands on his thighs, holding his attention. "Do you kill me quickly and mercifully as a reward for my faithful service, or do you let me linger, torturing me for endless years as a warning to your other servants?"

He opened his mouth to respond and she put a finger to his lips, resisting the temptation to cover them with her mouth instead. "Don't, Lucius. Pay me the respect of not lying to me, please. Your ruthlessness is a matter of fact." She offered him a tender smile. "And your disapproval is a death sentence. Can you deny that?"

His face grew calm, disturbingly so. "Should I?"

Alex ground her teeth subtly, completely thrown by his serenity. "I can't give you what you want, Lucius."

He reached out a graceful hand and caressed her face. "But, you can. You already have. You gave yourself to me, if only for one night, but I want you for a lifetime. And I will be yours as well, my Alexandria. I just need for you to trust me."

"I'm not your Alexandria, Lucius. That's not even my name, for Mab's sake!" Unable to keep still, she left her chair and began to stalk the room. "And, I have no desire for you to give yourself to me." She rubbed her arm uncomfortably, stepping to the window, staring out into the carefree world, wanting nothing more than to be out in the fresh air, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city below, and the taste of freedom. "That's not who I am."

"Of course it isn't," he answered softly, rising to his feet and crossing the room to stand behind her, his hands on her shoulders. "You're less selfish than I."

She hung her head and released an irritated sigh. Shrugging his hands from her shoulders, she turned to face him, her head tilted back to look into his eyes. "You don't know anything about me."

"Only because you've locked yourself away from me," he purred, raising a hand to stroke her face. She batted it away in frustration.

"Stop it, Lucius," she snapped. "The game was fun, but I'm not playing with you tonight." Her voice raised angrily as she continued. "You and yours have taken everything that meant anything to me, and now you want me to just surrender? You want me to throw myself on my knees and offer my services to you, the future ruler of the wizarding world? And what do you offer me in return? Empty promises of devotion? A speech about power and glory? You sound like a cheap politician on election day."

His eyes flared angrily, and when he spoke it was with the cold fury that she had been dreading to hear. "And what do you have against power?" he seethed quietly. "You stand to gain the entire world from an alliance with me. You have the skills to become legendary. You could be a goddess among wizarding kind. But, you don't long for power like the rest of us," he sneered. "Oh, no. Noble Alexandria lives only for vengeance; a fool's errand that will result in a very painful death... or worse. And when you lie in a pool of your own blood at the feet of any number of my fellow Death Eaters, you will know that you have accomplished nothing! You're walking away from your only chance to hurt the one who hurt you. Is that what you want?"

Alex smiled sadly, placing her hands on either side of his face. "Of course not. I want what you're offering me, Lucius. I want him dead, more than I've ever wanted anything. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't tempted... but the price is too high. I won't bow to anyone, least of all you. You should know that by now."

He almost looked hurt when he answered. "I never asked you to bow to me. I want you as an ally, not a slave."

"They're one and the same where you're concerned. How long would you tolerate my independence? What happens when you discover that you can't control me? Because I don't answer to anyone, Lucius. You'd become very unhappy with me very quickly, and my life would become a liability."

"I would never hurt you, Alexandria," he whispered tenderly.

"Oh, please," she spat. "You'd kill me without a second thought if I failed to obey you, and I'm not going to give you the chance."

Lucius' face grew very cold as he straightened and glared down at her. "I have obviously overestimated you, Alexandria. Your answer is 'no,' then?"

"I'm sorry, Luc--"

"Just say it," he hissed furiously through clenched teeth. "I want to be absolutely certain that we understand one another."

Alex instinctively reached for her wand, allowing her hand to rest comfortably on the handle as she answered him. "The answer is 'no,' Lucius."

He took a deep, shaky breath, then released it, obviously trying to maintain control of his temper. Then slowly, with great dignity, he kissed her. His lips were much softer than his eyes had been and she recovered from her shock quickly, returning the kiss with quiet passion, but when she released a tiny moan of desire, he pulled away, glaring down at her icily.

"You will come to regret this day, Alexandria," he said calmly. "Know that what I do now, I do only because you forced my hand."

She couldn't stop the look of fear that crossed her face. Despite what she'd accused him of in the past, Lucius did not make idle threats, but before she could say another word he was gone.

Alex ran a hand through her hair slowly.

Well, that could've gone better, she thought, reviewing the conversation in her head and wondering if she could have changed anything. No, she finally decided. That went about as well as it could have, actually. Reluctantly, she stood, collected Rose's nightgown and began to change.

The sudden warmth on her arm caught her completely off-guard. She looked down, her eyes like saucers. The transfigured bracelet was glowing bright silver.

Absolutely incredible!

Lucius was summoning her. Rose was supposedly fast asleep! That selfish bastard! She thought all of this as she replaced the earring with trembling hands, restored the bracelet to its original state, shimmied out of her clothing (just in case), threw the gown over her head, rumpled what little hair Rose had, and apparated to the side of her employer just as he was summoning her the third time.

"My lord?" she yawned, trying to not panic at the look of absolute fury on her employer's face.

"I should never have to summon you more than once," he shouted, eyes alight with a furious flame.

Not this again, she rolled her eyes inwardly as she fell to her knees before him.

"Forgive me, my lord. I was sleeping," she answered meekly. "What can I do for you?"

"Put on your uniform and bring a bottle of wine and two glasses," he ordered, pacing the area in front of the sitting room hearth like a great black cat.

She turned to obey him at once.

"Rose!"

She stopped, dreading the tone of his voice.

"You've managed to avoid punishment until now, but I will not tolerate a servant who keeps me waiting. We will discuss the consequences of your actions when my guest leaves."

Rose closed her eyes against the anticipation of what he had in mind as she hastened from the room. By the time she returned with the requested items, Severus Snape was settled in his usual chair, looking very tired, but not sleepy. It was obvious that he had still been awake when Lucius summoned him.

Their eyes met for just a moment, and a wave of desire washed over, stronger than anything she'd ever felt. She wanted him so badly, wanted to ride the storm of his passion, then sleep safe in his arms tonight. She was actually contemplating leaving the manor to attempt just that when her logical mind kicked in, reminding her of the absurdity of that thought. Severus wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Startled out of her reverie by a subtly raised black eyebrow, she wrenched her gaze from his and began to perform her duties. When the gentlemen were served, she turned to leave.

"I'm sorry that your work was disturbed, Severus. I won't keep-- Where do you think you're going?" he snapped at Rose.

She froze in mid-step, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at him. What the hell could she do tonight that wouldn't set him off? "You would like me to stay, then, my lord?" she asked, forcing the frustration far from her voice.

"You will stay until you are dismissed," Lucius snapped. "If you think that your absence will cause me to forget our appointment, you are sorely mistaken."

Severus watched this with great disinterest, his face never betraying one emotion. "I take it that you didn't summon me here to impart glad tidings," he led.

Lucius sat back in his chair and released an exasperated sigh. "You were right about Alexandria, Severus. She is the most obstinate woman I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. Nothing will sway her from her obsession with autonomy." He had emptied his glass already, and Rose refilled it at once, hoping that he would drink enough to exhaust himself.

Severus' face took on an uncharacteristic smile as he chuckled lightly. "Lucius, did you really feel that after an entire year of spending almost all of my spare time with her, you could accomplish what I had not with a few clandestine meetings? The woman is willful and wary, probably more so than the two of us put together, though I shudder to admit it."

Lucius had drained his glass a second time as Severus talked and Rose hurried to refill it.

"I had no idea that any woman could be so difficult to control," Lucius fumed.

Severus steepled his long fingers before his mouth, his eyes stealing a glance at Rose. "What will you do, now?" he asked softly.

"She's left me little choice," he spat. "I'll have do this the hard way. Perhaps then she'll be more reasonable."

Rose searched Severus' face. What the hell does he mean by that? What is the "hard way?" she asked silently.

His countenance lost its customary edge for just a moment as black eyes darted to hers then back to Lucius to whom he nodded mutely.

I don't believe it, Rose thought angrily. He's not going to elaborate. He's toying with me. That spiteful bastard!

"Then we will continue without her for the time being?" Snape asked softly.

"For now, yes. Perhaps she will contact one of us when this unpleasant business is finished." Lucius stood and waved him away. "Go back to work, Severus. My servant and I have business to attend to in the dungeon," he added with a withering glance at Rose.

Severus spared her one last glance, and his eyes widened for an instant at the panic he read in her features. There was nothing he could do to help, though, and with a final nod, he stepped back through the hearth.

Suddenly, she felt very alone.

Lucius turned and extended his hand, the quiet fury in his eyes belying the chivalrous gesture. She took what he offered with downcast eyes.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Rose," he whispered icily.

"I'm sorry, my lord," she said softly, a shudder causing her voice to fracture.

"I assure you, you will be," he promised.

shel: Thanks! That's sweet.

PPP: I think that Draco's been taking teaching lessons from Professor Snape.

Annie: Well, I feel like a complete dunderhead! I guess that illustrates my familiarity with his work. I'm glad that you feel the story is balanced. Honestly, it's an aspect of writing that I never considered, so it's good that it came together on its own. Another interesting lesson from Annie. You're so good for me!

Quietude: Whoa! Hey! Slow down, there, Missy! Sit down, let me make you a cup of tea, and we'll try to reach an understanding. I never said that I consider your review to be a flame. It wasn't even in the same neighborhood as a pack of matches. I've seen much worse, and responded much more aggressively.

I meant what I said about being aggravated that your first review was a bit negative, but I'm not angry with you, far from it. Try to see things from my point of view. I see that I have a new reviewer and I'm happy, but my reviewer, after getting what seems to be an obligatory "I have quite enjoyed your stories" out of the way says, basically, 'now, this is what you did wrong.' See how that would make me feel chagrined? That's not the best way to endear yourself to someone.

And the observation about the "shift" key was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I apologize if it offended you. Let's not be angry with one another. I hate negativity. Perhaps we can start over. (Sticks out hand.) "Hi. I'm Amy. Nice to meet you."

Rycca: Greetings, fellow groupie. I hate that you feel you can't tell me how you really feel about Lucius. I wish that you would be more forthcoming for both our sakes. Should I apologize now that Alex had nothing but disappointment waiting for him? I can appreciate how you felt about Draco as a flying instructor, and I'll make a note to never tick you off.

Arabella: Oh, honey, I wish my stories were the best of anything. I'm a fair writer on my best days, nothing to rave about. I'm flattered that you like my stories. I feel that having such wonderful reviewers is more than I deserve. To answer your question: if she ran away and he summoned her and she didn't respond, that bracelet would eventually burn right through her arm... not a fate most would be too keen to accept. Of course, she had no idea that this was the case when she accepted it.

Lady Jenilyn: I just had to add the Lucius laughing until he cried part. The poor guy deserved a comedy break. Now, to serious business: We may have to go to war over your remark about Sam. Sam is my favorite character in the books. Sam is like the hero of LOTR. Without Sam, that wimpy little whiner, Frodo would never have gotten anywhere. Sam carried that pathetic little twerp through disaster after disaster and... okay I should stop before I spontaneously combust. I'll give you that his character was overdone in the movies, but in the books, he's really cool. Sooo...there! (blows raspberry to emphasize argument) No one could ever accuse me of not debating in a mature fashion.

Silverfey: You are just the sweetest. I'm glad that the broom scene made you laugh. Sylvan had really been after me to write that one, and it's gratifying for both of us that so many people liked it. You probably get the urge to spell my name "Escapt" because of the internet fad of breaking down the spelling of every word to its shortest form. It really frosts my shorts, but somehow if you did it, it would be endearing because you're just so darn groovy. Last note: You got contacts? You know what? GO YOU! That's so groovy! How do you like them?

Fleur K: I like the idea of Lucius being able to laugh in private when he doesn't have to guard his image like a bulldog. I hope you enjoyed Alex's answer in this chapter.

Slytherin Sagittarius: I'm so sorry that you've had a rough week! It certainly can seem as though you're cursed when life starts to wreak its havoc on you. I hope that things improve soon. I'm glad that the dungeon scene worked so well for you. As usual, you immediately picked up on the underlying reason for the chapter.

mary: I'm glad that you loved it, dear. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint.