The Truth

Him

Lucius' hands trembled slightly as he closed the diary. He was so angry he barely stopped himself from hurling the book across the room. Professor Severus Snape had fucked his wife. In fact, had been the first ever to fuck his wife. He thought back to his wedding night. It seemed witches really knew how to fake virginity. He didn't think life held any surprises any more for him in that department, but he had to admit he had been wrong. "Live and learn," he muttered.

Unable to sit still any longer he got up and paced his office, indulging himself with fantasies of what he would like to do to the slimy potions master and to his wife who had dared to try and ensnare him by means of magic. No one ever compelled a Malfoy! The Dark Lord's inside-out spell from last night wouldn't be bad for starters for Severus. Of course it was most unlikely anything would come of it. Severus Snape was high enough in Voldemort's favor to be safe from attack for now.

That thought put a bit of a damper on Lucius' fury and he realized that something else was nagging him now. If Severus had mixed up a love potion so he would fall for Narcissa, when exactly was that supposed to have happened? The blond wizard had to admit that his marriage to his wife had resulted from a rather muddled mess of motivations, but sudden, inexplicable passion had never been part of it. Either Severus had mixed up an uncharacteristically ineffective philter, which seemed unlikely, judging from his usual mastery in the craft, or he was missing something else.

Despite his resistance he forced his memory back to the events that had broken off his plans for his engagement to Andromeda Black before he had even had a chance to ask her. It had been a cold, crisp October afternoon, only three or four days before Halloween. By now he could almost come and go as he pleased at the Black residence. He had been told the ward passwords and the house-elves had been instructed to recognize and obey him.

His pretext for visiting had been a rather obscure article in "Bewitching Botanicals" one of his agents had sent him about a fungus outbreak that was decimating boswellia trees in India. Of course this meant that Andromeda should buy up all the frankincense she could lay her hands on, because next year's prices would be through the roof. He realized that an owl would have been sufficient to let her know, but he would hardly pass up an opportunity to see Andromeda in person.

As he apparated at the house he ran into a young woman who reminded him strongly of his lover, but while she possessed the same raven black hair, proud face and aristocratic grace as her sister, he realized soon that this had to be the oldest Black daughter, whom he had not met before. He'd heard she'd been headstrong enough to marry one of the Lestrange boys against her parents' wish.

She seemed unsurprised to see him, smiled at him and introduced herself. "I'm Bellatrix," she said. "Bella to my friends. You must be Lucius, and if I'm not mistaken, you're after my sister, Andromeda." Lucius had taken a step back at her words. "I assure you, Miss Black, my intentions with regards to your sister…"

She had given him a throaty laugh that had been far from innocent, and he had noted quite a calculating look in her dark eyes as she had interrupted him. "Please, Lucius, why so formal. We'll be family soon, won't we? Please forgive the unfortunate figure of speech. Of course I mean that you are here to see my sister." Lucius had been very sure that had not been what she'd meant, and it vexed him that she already had him pegged with regards to his intentions to marry Andromeda.

She appeared to be well aware that she was provoking him, and she seemed to enjoy toying with him. Lucius, who valued poise and control above everything else felt annoyed at being caught off his feet, and had to admit to a grudging admiration for his opponent. He knew Bellatrix was about two years his senior, but her powers and strength could have belonged to a much older and more experienced witch.

The oldest Black girl had cast one last appraising glance at him, and he still could not be sure, but he thought her eyes had softened somewhat as she regarded him. Then again, the hallway was dark, and he thought he was mistaken. "Andromeda is over in the south wing, in the small office where we keep the stock lists. You will be able to catch her there." He had thanked her and quickly left, eager to see his prospective bride.

Well, Bellatrix' words had proved prophetic. Catching Andromeda had been exactly what he'd done. As he had knocked and almost immediately opened the door, impatient at sharing his news with her he'd found the love of his life stretched out on an ottoman by the window, clothes half undone, and passionately kissing a tall man with short-cropped, dark-brown hair who had his hand stuck up her robes.

Andromeda didn't even have the good grace to break apart from her companion as he had called out her name in shocked disbelief. She had merely sat up and looked at him out of mauve-grey eyes that seemed drugged with passion – she had never looked at him like this before – and asked: "Lucius, what are you doing, coming barging in here like that?"

He had not been thinking clearly at that point. Rage, wounded pride and genuine anguish had clouded his judgment. He had pulled his wand from his robes and made ready to challenge his rival, do duel the wizard who had dared come between him and his prize.

To his utter amazement the young man who had faced him had looked at his challenge with stupid incomprehension in his eyes, and Andromeda had actually got up and stood before him. "Leave him be, Lucius. He can't fight you." He hadn't understood. "What kind of a coward are you giving preference here? I am calling him out like a man. Let him defend himself."

Andromeda had merely spread out her arms in a gesture of protection, and her next words had shattered his world. "Lucius, I'm begging you, for the love I have for this man, spare him. You are a powerful wizard, and he is a muggle. He cannot fight you. But if you want to punish him nonetheless, you'll have to go through me, I swear." She could have blasted him with a cruciatus, and the effects would have been similar.

He had lowered his wand and sunk to his knees. "Andromeda, this isn't true," he had begged her, trying to deny what he had just heard. "Please tell me this isn't happening." She had looked at him, and he saw sorrow in her eyes for a moment. "It is, Lucius, I am sorry. This is Ted Tonks, and I love him."

At that point his ancient Malfoy pride had asserted himself and he had got back on his feet as fast as if the floor under his knees was on fire. He was the heir of the House of Malfoy, he had no business kneeling to a mere Black who had dared to spit in his face and give some filthy muggle preference over him. Who did this woman think she was?

At that moment he had felt a great, cold hatred settle on him like an icy chill that curdled his blood in every vein of his body. It had never left him since that day. "If you think you deserve no better than that, you are welcome to it," he hissed at her.

Andromeda must have read his change of mood in his face. She suddenly looked frightened. "Lucius, please, try to understand, I…" He interrupted her. "I don't need to understand. Your behavior is an outrage to everything your family believes in. How dare you disgrace them by consorting with a muggle under their very roof? Your father will hear of this. You disgust me!" He had spat on the floor before her feet, gathered his robes and walked from the room.

Outside he had inexplicably run into Bellatrix again, but had not bothered to answer her curious questions and had made his way directly to Arcturus Black's study. He then proceeded to interrupt a business meeting, insisted that Mr. Black dismiss his associates so they would not be privy to the shameful news and had told him what he had just witnessed.

When Mr. Black had returned with him to the office, the two culprits had disappeared, however. Perhaps Andromeda had been wise enough to anticipate that her new lover would not be spared by the fury of her father.

An hour or so later and at the insistence of Bellatrix Lucius had been included in an impromptu family emergency meeting. He had been asked to relate his story and had witnessed the formal exclusion of Andromeda from the house of Black. Her name was struck from the family tree and Mr. Black had told them that she would be disinherited and he didn't wish her name to be spoken in his presence ever again.

Lucius had approved wholeheartedly. His father would have done the same thing, if he or any of his sisters had dared to dishonor their pure bloodline in this manner. Fueled by his own anger and disappointment he had felt a grim satisfaction at Andromeda's punishment.

After the family meeting, Lucius had spent a little while with the two remaining sisters and had found himself comforting the youngest Miss Black, who appeared rather shaken by the events. It was really then that he had noticed Narcissa for the first time. While bearing some resemblance to her sisters she also seemed very unlike them. The stark beauty of the older two girls was transmuted to a light prettiness in her that pleased the eye. Her hair showed a rich honey blonde and the deep mauve of her sisters' eyes was faded to a pale lavender in hers.

Her looks had put Lucius in a thoughtful mood. She reminded him of Andromeda enough to rouse his interest, yet she was different enough to make him think he could eventually forget his former love. Rumors about an alliance between the houses of Malfoy and Black had already been whispered at society events, and Narcissa might just prove to be a convenient solution to avoiding embarrassment for all concerned.

The very next day Lucius had had a conversation with Mr. Black, and at Halloween he had formally proposed to Narcissa, who had accepted his proposal with almost unbecoming exuberance. Lucius had still felt hurt and angry at Andromeda's betrayal, but he also felt a grim satisfaction that her outrageous behavior hadn't even put the smallest of dents in his plans and timetable.

About a week or so after the ball Bellatrix had paid Lucius a visit, and after some polite pleasantries she had turned the conversation to muggles. Of course this was a topic that now possessed quite a sting for Lucius and he had responded with some vehemence.

As many other pureblood families, the Malfoys simply regarded muggles as being below contempt. Most self-respecting wizards and witches in their social circle pretended they didn't even exist, and tried to avoid contact even with their mudblood offspring as far as possible. Old Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy would have simply turned the conversation to another topic in distaste, but Lucius found he now wanted to talk about muggles, and there was venom in his words.

Bellatrix listened with interest and sympathy, encouraging him and assenting passionately when he maintained that muggles were nothing but a blight on society and should be eradicated. Eventually she had looked at him with an appraising air.

"You know, Lucius, you'd be surprised how many witches and wizards at our age feel the same way. We think the politics of appeasement that the generation currently in power has pursued are dangerous and may ultimately undermine wizarding society. Active intervention is necessary to save us from this muggle filth. Actually, Lucius, have you heard at all of someone called Lord Voldemort? I think he'd be someone you'd be most interested to meet."

And so a few days later Lucius had participated in his first Death Eater gathering. Before Yule, before his wedding to Narcissa, he had accepted the Dark Lord's mark of fealty and had been sworn in as a loyal follower. Bellatrix had sponsored his acceptance, and her status in the service of their master had increased accordingly.

He still recalled the heady sense of power and purpose that had come with his new secret allegiance, not to mention his introduction to black art practices that elevated his mastery even over the most able of pureblood wizards. Every raid, every order of murder and destruction had allowed him to live out his hatred, and every muggle that went down before him, eyes wide in agony and disbelief had born the face of Ted Tonks.

His memories had calmed him somewhat, and Lucius slowly settled himself down again and reopened the diary.

Her

Black Manor, October 15th

Bella came by this evening. We had to sit through a rather boring family dinner first which turned rather unpleasant, because Mother wanted to know if Bella was pregnant yet, and when my sister said she wasn't planning on having children any time soon, that she had better things to do, parents started to lecture her on her responsibilities. She doesn't like being told what to do, of course, never has, and let them know what she thought of their "meddling". Things didn't improve much after that.

So I was really relieved when we were finally able to get away and hole up in my room. Bella pulled out a small red glass vial "With compliments from Severus. He wants to know how you're doing." I told her she could tell that guy any old story about me she wanted, and that I wasn't planning on him and me being friends or anything. Bella thought that was funny. She laughed and then she was sitting there, looking at the little red bottle in her hand with a rather thoughtful expression.

Well, by now I was pretty eager to get my hands on the means of ensnaring my man, after all I'd paid dearly for it, but when I asked her to hand me the potion, she gave me this long appraising stare and said. "Listen to me, little sister. I have a better idea what we should be doing with this stuff. There'll be advantages for both of us in this, if we arrange things right."

She then started to explain to me that she was planning on giving the philter not to Lucius, but to Andromeda. "Are you crazy?" I shouted at her. "What do you want Andy in love with Lucius for?! I didn't do this for her!" Bella just shushed me, which I hate, but I really wanted to find out what this moronic plan was about, so I finally forced myself to calm down.

My sister gave me this really evil smile and explained. "Cissa, we won't make Andy fall in love with Lucius. We'll make her go crazy for the muggle she's dragged up at that fair that you told me about. She'll tell Lucius what to go and do with himself, and you'll be there to comfort him. And if that isn't enough, we can save a bit of the potion and give it to him to turn him if we have to."

I wasn't really convinced. "Bella, that's evil. Father was this close to disinheriting you for marrying Rodolphus – and he is pureblood. If Andy runs around with a muggle, he'll kick her out for sure. Look I hate her at times, but I wouldn't want that to happen to her."

Bella interrupted me. She grabbed my robes and got really close to make her point. She scared me. "I do, Cissa. You're right: I got this close to being disinherited. And I want my share of the family fortune. With Andy out of the picture there's more for you and me when the time comes. Plus, you'll be a Malfoy, you'll have more money than you'll know what to do with anyway. You owe me!"

I could only stare at my sister. At that moment I thought I didn't know her at all. But she started reminding me how Andy had always been Father's darling, how she had made life miserable for me and even taken Lucius away from me (which wasn't exactly true) and how we both hated her. So in the end Bella left – with the love potion. I let her have it partly, because I wanted to believe her, and partly because I am now a little bit scared of her. If she can plan to have her own sister thrown out, she could do all sorts of stuff to me, too, if she got upset with me.

I'm not feeling too happy about things, though. I guess I just have to keep telling myself that Lucius will be mine soon, and that she'll even give him some of the potion if he doesn't come round. Actually if he comes to love me for myself instead of magical interference, that would be quite nice. With the potion, I'd never know if it was him caring for me or whether it was just Severus' brewing skills.