The Female of the Species

Chapter 3

Mrs Malfoy swept up to the counter, and stood before Cho imperiously. Cho, trying to hide her agitation, greeted her in a slightly subdued manner. Narcissa Malfoy was the last person she needed to see just now, it was like rubbing salt in the wound. Lucius had chosen to return to this woman when Cho thought all was well between them. Had she come to gloat?

"Good morning, Miss Chang," replied Mrs Malfoy. She regarded Cho steadily. Cho found it hard not to shrink under the scrutiny of those piercing cornflower blue eyes. Eventually, Narcissa spoke, "Miss Chang, I would like you to come with me to Glen Moy Castle. Lucius needs you."

Cho could not stop herself from gaping at Lucius' wife. "I'm sorry, Mrs Malfoy," she managed eventually, "But I hardly think that's appropriate."

"Appropriate?" Narcissa almost spat out the words, her eyes glacier blue. "You dare to tell me what is appropriate? It's hardly appropriate that you should be conducting an affair with my husband, but he has expressed a wish for your presence. If he needs you, I think the least you can do is fulfil his request." Narcissa's eyes flashed as she said this, and Cho suddenly realised that Lucius had been wrong when he told her that his wife did not care that he spent so much of his time with his paramours. For a fleeting moment, she felt sorry for Narcissa Malfoy: to possess Lucius Malfoy was the heart's desire of so many, but she who did possess him did so only on his own selfish terms.

Cho said next, "Mrs Malfoy, you misunderstand. Lucius ended our relationship almost two weeks ago. He was very clear on the matter. I find it very hard to believe that he wishes to see me now. Perhaps you've misunderstood what Lucius wants?" Her words were chosen carefully, and Cho tried hard to control her emotions and her expression, but when she stopped speaking, her voice had sunk to a whisper, and she was fighting back the tears.

Narcissa looked at Cho. Cho suddenly saw that Lucius' wife was worried, and was only standing tall by force of will alone. Instinctively, she offered a chair to Narcissa, and said that she would make them both some tea. Narcissa seemed about to protest, but then sat down suddenly and fell silent, as if she were thinking.

While Cho was making the tea, Cornelius Fudge and Alan emerged from the changing room. Fudge greeted Narcissa effusively in his usual obsequious way, and did not appear to notice that she was not paying him any attention: "Hello, Narcissa. I hope you're well. Are you buying yet another ball gown from Miss Chang?" Narcissa responded with the minimum required by civility. However, Fudge was used to this treatment from the Malfoys and the Blacks, and continued blithely to address her as if all were well. Alan took in the situation immediately, and diplomatically steered Fudge to the door, and saw him off the premises. He then turned and examined Mrs Malfoy minutely, while appearing to search for something under the counter.

Cho returned with a tea tray. She busied herself pouring out the camomile tisane from the bamboo-handled Chinese teapot, and handed a porcelain cup to Narcissa. Now she had run out of things to do, she wondered what to say to Lucius' wife. However, Narcissa spoke first:

"Miss Chang, do you care for my husband? Don't bother to try and hide it. I can see that you do. If he did indeed end your relationship, I assume it was his decision and not yours?" She scrutinised Cho's face.

Cho replied reluctantly, "It was his decision, yes."

"Then it would grieve you to know that Lucius is very ill indeed?" Cho gasped involuntarily. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, forgetting all else in her concern for him. Narcissa regarded Cho steadily for a few moments.

"Miss Chang, you have been to Glen Moy Castle recently, I understand?" she continued smoothly. Cho agreed that this was so. "Did you go into the dungeons?"

Alan, who had been quietly observing the exchange between the two women, looked up suddenly at this question. Noticing that Narcissa Malfoy's equally keen eyes had spotted his interest, he assumed a nonchalant attitude once more, and continued to sort through the receipts under the counter. Narcissa turned her attention back to Cho Chang. "Well?"

"No, I didn't go into the dungeons. Why do you ask?"

Narcissa looked from Cho to Alan, and seemed confused, but she continued, "Lucius has been attacked by something in the dungeons. I don't know what's down there, but it left him unconscious. He has just started to talk. He's barely coherent, and not yet aware of what he's doing. The first words he spoke were your name, and he continues to address you as if you were there."

Cho looked stunned. She could not believe what she was hearing. Lucius had given her up for his wife, and now he was asking for her? Perhaps he was just confused? Had he somehow forgotten his last words to her? But Lucius needed her, she must go to him. Narcissa Malfoy must love him dearly if she had come here with the sole purpose of fetching Cho. Given the Malfoy/Black pride, it would be costing her dear to admit that Lucius cared for another woman so much. Narcissa's obvious concern for Lucius' welfare must mean that he was very gravely ill indeed. Cho nodded, and said that of course she would go with Narcissa to Scotland.

"Perhaps you would like to fetch a few things to bring with you?" said Narcissa sweetly. Cho disappeared upstairs to pack a small bag, while Mrs Malfoy turned her penetrative gaze towards Alan. "You miss nothing, Mr Forbes," she observed drily. "Neither do I. You know something about the dungeons at Glen Moy Castle, but what I wonder? And why does Miss Chang not know if you do? I would find it hard to believe that my husband confided to you something that he did not discuss with her. Still, the why is unimportant. What do you know?"

Alan stood in mute defiance. His first loyalty was to Cho. He would not divulge what he knew without very careful consideration of the effect this action might have on her. As for Lucius Malfoy, Alan did not give a damn what happened to him. If he were to die, it would be no loss to the wizarding world. He felt similarly hostile towards Mrs Malfoy, and would certainly not go out of his way to help her. Alan looked at Lucius' wife, and felt that she had the mouth of a siren and the eyes of Caligula. In this battle of wills, she would find Alan just as determined as herself. When Cho came back downstairs, it was to a continuing silence that could be cut with a knife.

Alan reassured Cho that he would deal with the shop while she was away. He would tell that day's clients that Cho had been called away urgently because a family member was sick, see as many of them as possible himself, and reschedule the rest. He would then contact Cho's cousin Suzy, who had offered to serve in the shop if ever they were short-staffed. If necessary, he would even arrange to deliver sewing to Cho in Scotland.

Cho Chang and Narcissa Malfoy disapparated with a crack, heading for Glen Moy Castle.

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Cho sat in the armchair by Lucius' bed, stunned by the change in him since she had last seen him such a short time ago. Then he had looked worried and haggard, but still supremely in control. She would never forget the way he had told her he was ending their relationship. He had spoken to her almost coldly, and she had genuinely believed that he had grown tired of her. Now, half awake, he looked as if he was in agony. He tossed and turned, and every so often he spoke. Sometimes the words were clear, and sometimes she had difficulty making sense of what he was saying. But one thing was plain: he said Cho's name frequently, and when she took his hand, he held it so tightly that she began to lose the feeling in her fingers. Cho spoke back to him, and he seemed to pause a while before resuming his ramblings - or was that just her fancy? She realised she may have to stay here some considerable time before Lucius regained full consciousness.

Narcissa watched from the doorway, unobserved by Cho, whom she had left alone with her husband some time ago. Narcissa felt the familiar squeezing in her chest as she watched Cho leaning over Lucius, speaking softly to him, her black head bent over the hand she was holding tightly. She could see that Lucius was responding to Cho's voice in a way he had not when she herself had sat in the same seat.

Once he had started to stray, it had not taken Narcissa long to realise that the one thing Lucius Malfoy could not tolerate was a clinging, needy female. So, she had taught herself not to care. She knew that, as the mother of his heir, Lucius would not leave her if she never complained about his many willing lovers: she created an atmosphere in which he could do as he chose, and yet always come home to a comfortable home and her willing arms. Yet, now, resentment and relief fought each other in her breast, and she clenched her fists by her side. The one thing that had sustained Narcissa through all the years of Lucius' infidelity had been that most of the women had been but passing fancies, and even the few that Lucius continued to see on a regular basis were no more than an outlet for his sexual desire. She had felt secure in the fact that she was still his one and only true love: even if Lucius no longer loved her in the same way that she still loved him, he had never found another woman to supplant her in his affections. They were so similar, Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy: both beautiful, selfish, arrogant, and attracted to the power offered by the Dark Side of magic. When she looked at him, it was like looking in a mirror reflecting a male version of herself. Each complemented the other and made a formidable whole, standing together against the world. But now, Narcissa felt a chink in their joint armour, as if a cleaver had been driven between them: Lucius must actually feel something for the Chang girl, otherwise why would he react so to her voice?

She sighed wearily as she planned her next move. No matter how much she longed to stay near Lucius, in her head she knew that she could not: she must go to London, to Gringotts, in order to pay Mark Chang. But knowing this was the logical thing to do did not make it any easier to leave her husband with a mistress; especially this mistress after what she had just seen.

Narcissa Malfoy resolutely pulled back her shoulders, turned her back on the room, and walked away. She held her head high, ignoring the pricking at the back of her eyes.

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Narcissa's glacial stare had no effect whatsoever on the goblin standing impassively before her. "No key, no entry," said Griphook firmly.

Narcissa had never before regretted the fact that upon marriage she had insisted on keeping her money separate from Lucius'. Now she cursed under her breath. She had the key to her own vault, but even though she had searched high and low, and had set the house elves to do the same, despite much bullying and cajoling they had been unable to locate the key to Lucius' vault. Lucius also had a high security vault that could only be opened by a Gringotts goblin stroking the door to melt away the enchantment sealing it. Narcissa knew there was absolutely no way she would ever gain access to this latter vault without Lucius' presence, that was a fundamental Gringotts rule, but she had hoped to persuade the bank staff to let her into his other vault, by telling them in hushed and serious tones that Lucius Malfoy was very ill indeed, and unable to communicate to his wife where he had stored the key. Goblins, she reflected ruefully, were immune to the charms of a beautiful woman. Her concerned expression (not entirely false) and her huge blue eyes, enhanced by a touch of belladonna, were wasted on creatures whose womenfolk were judged solely by their ability to carry out heavy manual work.

Determinedly, Narcissa asked to see the manager himself. She would give it one last try. Griphook told Mrs Malfoy that he believed she was wasting her time, but led her to the manager's office.

In the office, she was greeted by Mr Gringott himself, the twenty-third of that name. He gestured for Mrs Malfoy to take a seat, and listened gravely to her story, which she embroidered even more than the version she had given Griphook. Then she waited for Gringott's verdict. His decision would be final, there was no higher authority at the wizarding bank. Gringott raised his eyebrows, and looked at Mrs Malfoy from serious brown eyes in a deeply lined face.

"Mrs Malfoy, you understand the rules at Gringotts. All our customer accounts are completely confidential. When you married Lucius Malfoy, I explained personally the advantages and disadvantages of keeping your assets separate. You chose to have separate vaults. This arrangement has suited you very well all these years. We have even allowed you the concession, following written permission from your husband, of accessing his vault so long as you have its key in your possession. We cannot change Gringotts rules just for one person. This is the kind of eventuality we advised you to consider when you made these arrangements. Naturally, you may access your own vault today, and if you return with the key, you may access your husband's at any time. I do not need to remind you that magical attempts to forge a new key will be detected immediately.

"Good day, Mrs Malfoy. Griphook will escort you to your own vault."