Chapter Seventeen:

Narcissa rushed into her dormitory just as Lucius slammed his fist into Tommy's gut. The boy groaned and fell to floor, holding his pained stomach.

Kerri was in the corner yelling for Lucius to stop, her shirt half unbuttoned. Narcissa rushed to her side as Lucius dug his toe into Tommy's side. "You..." Kick. "Bloody..." Kick. "Little..." Kick. "Pervert." Kick.

Tommy began to scream for help. Lucius bent over and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt. "Scream," he hissed, lifting Tommy to his feet. "No one can save you now."

He punched Tommy's nose. A wet crack filled the room. Blood cascaded down the fifth year's face. Lucius let him fall to the floor.

Kerri began to howl, cursing Lucius. "Shh..." Narcissa whispered. She wrapped her arm around her distraught friend's shoulder. "Lucius has a very good reason for what he's..."

Narcissa stopped herself from finishing the sentence. What was she thinking, defending Lucius? He was being violent and the blank look on his face made it all creepier.

'But he does have a very good reason. He's protecting my honour,' she thought as Tommy struggled to get on his feet. Lucius prepared to kick him again.

"NO!" Kerri yelled. She pulled away from Narcissa and threw herself in front of the incapacitated Tommy. Lucius' kick froze in mid-air.

"Move out of my way, Kerri." Lucius voice dripped with a venomous rage. "This little bastard has been spying on you through his mirror. He's been watching you dress."

Kerri looked back at Narcissa who nodded solemnly. With a look of determination on her face Kerri faced Lucius.

"I don't care," she said, trying not to cower at the waves of malice coming from Lucius' heated being. "That doesn't give you the right to kill him."

"In my book it does," Lucius snapped, preparing to push Kerri to the side. "He was watching my girlfriend. He was jacking off to it. The Amazons used burn out a man's eyes for doing that. I'm a little less lenient."

Narcissa reluctantly felt proud that Lucius would kill a man for her honour. But on the other hand she was disgusted by the fact that the idea of killing a man didn't even register a single emotion within him.

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Now that Kerri had started she was having a problem stopping. Her nervousness quickly evaporated. "I've always thought so. I never said anything because Narcissa was in love with you and I'm her best friend."

"Well I'm glad we can be truthful with each other you obsessive little slag. I always knew you were neither intelligent enough nor mature enough for Narcissa. She is an aristocrat and you are nothing but a common whore's daughter."

Kerri gasped, looking as if she had been impaled with a dull iron rod. "I... I..."

"Quit your blathering girl and get out of my way. I have some unfinished business to wrap up." Lucius pulled out his wand.

"That won't be necessary Lucius," purred a dark voice. Everyone turned to look at the door. Tommy groaned slightly.

A dark figure stood there hidden beneath a black velvet cape. A pair of pale hands moved to the person's hood and threw it back.

Professor Rider stared at them all with her obsidian eyes. Lucius grinned cockily when he saw her.

Kerri squeaked and backed up away from Tommy's body.

Rider smirked, her glossy black hair glimmering in the candlelight. "I was just about to take a walk in the moonlight around the lake. Can someone please explain why I am here instead of there?" Her elegant eyebrow rose slightly.

Without any hesitation Lucius spoke up. "I was going to my dormitory with some supper for Narcissa when I heard someone yell inside the fifth year boy's dormitory. What I found in there is what contributed to this altercation you walked in on.

"Narcissa was standing there wand out pointed at the stunned body of a young man in the first moments on undress. Narcissa pulled a sheet off of the mirror and said 'They've been spying us.' On the mirror's surface I saw this kid here." He pointed at Tommy, who was still groaning. "And Kerri making out. He was pulling her shirt off. I was so outraged I came down here to teach this kid a lesson."

"That is a rather interesting narrative? Would either of you care to add anything to it?" Rider looked from Narcissa to Kerri. Both girls shook their heads.

"I think Mister Gregory has learned his lesson about being a peeping Tom. Haven't you?"

Tommy groaned and nodded his head slowly.

"Good. Then no one ever needs to know the reason for this fight. If they did both you." She pointed at Lucius." And Tommy would be expelled. Now Lucius if you would be so kind as to bloody yourself up a bit, just to make it look a little more authentic. I'll tell the teachers that it was a petty fight over Miss Black.

"Tommy will receive a week if detentions and Lucius you'll get two. Both of you will be docked twenty points. Now I shall go inform Madam Pomfrey that we are in need of her medical expertise."

Rider was about to leave the room when Kerri spoke. "But that's not the truth. Lucius nearly killed Tommy. Pomfrey will be able to notice it wasn't just a plain fight and then you all will be in trouble."

The Head of Slytherin House studied Kerri for a second. "You're right. I'm not all that good at healing spells but I shall to my best as to remove some of the damage inflicted to Mister Gregory." She pulled out her wand and focused on forming a white light in her mind. It moved down her wand arm and down into the wand.

Rider placed its tip on Tommy's forehead and a dim white light disappeared beneath his skin. Almost immediately some of the more profound damage looked a bit more mild.

"That should clear up that. You have a keen eye Kerri. I commend you." Rider left the room quickly to call on the nurse.

Lucius was just finishing up on giving himself a few scratches using Tommy's wand. "Hey can one of you girls please punch me in the face?" he asked, his anger seemingly dissipated.

Narcissa looked over at Kerri who seemed mighty tempted. Her fists were balling but her face was stricken.

"This is obstruction of justice," Kerri muttered, watching as Tommy and leaned against a bedpost. He watched Lucius warily.

"Here you go, mate," Lucius said cheerfully, tossing Tommy his wand back. Tommy grabbed it and stuck it in his pocket.

"So which one of you will it be?" Lucius looking first at Kerri and then at Narcissa.

"I'll do it," Tommy said, hoisting himself to his feet with the help of Narcissa's bed.

"Give me your best shot," Lucius out his hands behind his back and stood there calmly.

Tommy balled his fist and swung with all his might. Lucius head snapped backwards from the force of the punch.

"I'll think that will leave a definite mark. It's gonna hurt for a while but in the long shot it will be for the best," Lucius said, poking tenderly at his face.

"How can all three of you stand there and act like what Rider is doing is right?" Kerri demanded, buttoning up her shirt.

Narcissa shuffled her feet, and Tommy looked the other way. Lucius stared right at Kerri.

"That's how the world works sweetheart. Tommy learned his lesson, my actions, for the most part, were just, and everyone goes home with only a few detentions on their record rather than expulsions."

"In what universe does that knowledge make sense?" Kerri asked as Rider glided back into the room.

She looked Lucius over. "Beautifully done, Lucius."

"Thanks, Professor. Tommy assisted."

"WILL SOMEONE ANSWER ME?!" Kerri screamed.

"What was your question, Kerri?" Rider asked, looking slightly irked.

"I would like to know why the hell Lucius isn't already on the train back to London right now? He nearly killed Tommy!" Kerri's voice was so exasperated.

Narcissa almost felt sorry for her, and almost wanted to agree. Lucius had really scared her.

"No harm done," Tommy said darkly, spinning around. His face contorted in pain. "I think I may have a broken rib though."

"Fine! All of you be that way. I won't tell anyone what really happened but don't expect me to ever have contact with any of you," she snarled, glaring at everyone. With that she stomped out of the room.

Narcissa felt her heart wrench. Kerri and her had been friends since the first year. She wanted to run after her but felt it was probably a good idea to let her blow off some steam first.

"Madam Pomfrey will be here any second. Do you all remember the story?" Rider asked.

All three of them nodded.

"Good. Do not elaborate on it, not one single bit. Got that?"

Again they all nodded.

"Thank you dear," Madam Pomfrey said to a girl that opened the dormitory door for her.

"Your welcome," the girl answered, letting it close shut.

The nurse bustled in carrying a black leather bag. "Hello, Professor."

"Good evening, Madam."

"Is this the sorry lot?" She looked pointedly at Tommy and Lucius.

"Yes. They got into a fight over Miss Black. Tommy insulted her honour and Lucius had to protect. They were going at it pretty good by the time I arrived."

"That was rather gentlemanly of you, Lucius. Though I presume you could have found a better way to go about it." She touched the bruise on his face. He winced.

"Well that won't be so hard to fix up. I'll just have to mix up a bit of poultice."

She ran over to her bag and began to pull out ingredients. "Oh, Narcissa." Pomfrey looked over at the girl. "Bellatrix is doing great. I just gave her some potion that should have her up tomorrow morning, good as new. Let's just hope that she doesn't find her way right back into a hospital bed."

"Yes," Narcissa laughed. "Let's hope."

"No this may sting a bit," Pomfrey warned lifting a gob of the rub up to Lucius' face. He bit into his lower lip so as not to scream when she rubbed it on his bruises. Blood began to roll down his chin.

Narcissa watched him wondering if she'd ever be able to dispel the image of him threatening to kill Tommy from her mind. Would they ever be the same after this?