A/N: Thank you to my reviewers...sorry this chapter has taken so long
On the day that her father died, Livia thought she had died as well. She had loved her father with an unrestrained heart. She had never known her mother, and Lucius could be cold and distant. Her father was her world, her only heart. With his death, she felt like a ship lost at sea.
Lucius would complain that she had always been her father's favorite, and she knew it was the truth. Lucius was his heir, but Livia was the child he had always wanted. He was proud of her striking beauty, he admired her wit and intelligence, and he encouraged a fierceness within her that was the true mark of a survivor. He let her run free, often she would return to the manor late after supper, twigs and grass matted into her soft blond hair.
Mr. Malfoy would nod at the advice he received from the women that had been his late wife's friends. They worried that he would spoil her, that no upstanding pureblooded man would want a wild spirit for a wife. He resisted their efforts to mold her into the image that they wanted, a solemn obedient girl who spoke softly and never forgot her place. In time they would whisper that he had gone soft, that he had spent too much time with the muggle loving underbelly of society. This was only half the truth, it had broken his heart to love her mother, who have been perfect but broken. She could not express a thought that was her own, and the weight of her utter reliance had been crushing. His wife had never done anything to displease him, but she had never made him laugh. She had never shared her favorite memory, told him a secret she would share with no one else, or brushed her lips against his own merely because it made her happy.
He was settled that his daughter would not be this woman, but a different one entirely. Sadly, fate had intervened much too soon.
He had fallen ill, and within a week he was dead. Livia had been rushed home, and had been there during his final hours of life. He never woke, but she stayed by his side throughout the long night, her small warm hands clasped in his. Lucius had drifted in and out of the room, his expression growing more troubled as the hours passed. Before the first light of dawn had lit the horizon Mr. Malfoy had passed, and Lucius found himself the new lord of Malfoy Manor.
At first Livia had been awash with grief, moving about like she was in a cloud. Nothing made sense to her, all she knew was that her life had suddenly and sharply ended. Without her father she felt like she was waking each a day a different person, drained of all color and life. She had the odd feeling of being a doll, carried around from room to room, propped up in different positions in a harsh charade of life.
A week later she found herself being led into a cramped lawyer's office, where she was sat upon a dusty velvet couch. The lawyer, a man that looked to be older than time, offered her a cup of tea. She watched as his wrinkled thin hands struggled with a chipped flowered cup, even his fingernails were yellowed with age. The tea was weak, and much too sweet.
When the lawyer began to read the will she started to feel faint. Mrs. Black, who had been there for some unknown reason, led her to the window. Sitting on the windowsill, a frigid draft blowing over her burning face, she let her cloud of grief lift for the briefest moment. Mrs. Black gasped, pulling her hands from Livia's shoulders and up over her mouth. Lucius had grown pale, his hands shaking with anger.
"What?" Livia demanded, speaking for the first time in days.
The lawyer paused, the effort of speech draining him of all his energy.
"Half the estate dear...you've been given half the estate."
Livia gasped as well, she had not expected such generosity from her father. She held back tears of gratitude, for this was a final showing of his love. She made a show of ignoring Lucius's indignant expression, which perhaps was a mistake.
The next morning Lucius stormed into her bedroom, wearing a look of devilish pride. Livia had sunk back down into the cloud of grief, and ignored him at first. It was only when he tossed something in her direction did she resurface.
"What is this Lucius?" She asked, reaching for the scroll he had thrown at her.
She unrolled it, her eyes too bleary from exhaustion to read it clearly.
"It is your marriage contract, dear sister." He said triumphantly. "I signed it today."
Livia grew rigid. Her head spun, and she could feel bile begin to rise up in her throat. How could he do this to her? Father had promised it would be her decision...he had promised.
"Who?" She asked weakly, bent over as if she would sick any moment.
"Rabastan Lestrange. Mrs. Black was very intent on you marrying Regulus, but after all that business with Sirius, well...where there is one rotten apple there is bound to be more."
Livia groaned painfully, praying that she would not be sick.
"You've never liked Rabastan." She croaked out, with great effort.
"That doesn't matter now." Lucius snapped. "He has enough money of his own that he won't even need to touch yours, and he was quite forceful that he should marry you."
There was a bitterness in his voice that shocked Livia. She knew what this was. It was revenge. For being father's favorite, for inheriting what he thought should be his alone. In that single harsh moment, everything she thought she knew began to crumble away.
---
Livia buried her face into her book, and tried very hard not to laugh. Beside her, she could feel Esra's body quaking with silent laugher. It took all her willpower not to explode into a loud fit of hysterics.
Across the room Narcissa was standing in front of the a small gathering of house elves, apparently trying to explain that she was the new lady of the mansion. Lucius stood beside her, doing his best not to fall into a deadly fit of rage by the looks of it. Either the house elves had decided that Narcissa was unfit (after all she had only been married to Lucius since yesterday), or they did not rightly understand the concept of marriage.
"Yes, but when will she be leaving sir?" One particularly bold elf asked.
This sent both Lucius and Livia over the brink. Lucius thrust his hands around the elf's neck and lifted it up off the floor, while Livia jumped to her feet and tried to protest through her roaring laughter.
"It isn't funny." Narcissa snapped. "In fact, the two of you have been acting like troublesome children all day. You will not behave in this manner in my house."
"Don't forget this mansion and everything in it belongs to me as well." Livia said, once her laugher had died down.
Narcissa sighed, trying very hard not to lose her temper. She looked like she was about to say something, when a heavy knock on the door disrupted the silence.
"Come in." Lucius snapped, dropping the house elf to the floor.
It quickly scrambled away, hiding behind the others. Livia smiled at him, hoping that the poor thing wasn't about to die of fright.
"I hope I'm not disturbing anything." Rabastan Lestrange said, walking through doorway with a saunter that suggested he didn't really care if he had. "I need to have a quick word with Livia."
Livia suddenly went rigid, turning and giving Esra a knowing glance. Rabastan gestured for her to follow him out into the hall, but Lucius jumped in before she had taken a single step.
"Whatever you need to say to her, you can say in front of me." Lucius said, a nasty sneer on his face.
Dealing with Lucius when he was in a good mood was difficult, and nearly impossible in moments like these.
"Fine." Rabastan said, clearly taken aback. "I need to talk to Livia about tonight. I would like her to accompany me somewhere tonight."
"Where?" Lucius demanded, in a tone that suggested he already new the answer.
"Lucius..." Rabastan ground his teeth together, and then sighed. "We've been through this already..."
"Yes we have." Lucius said loudly. "And I decided that it is not in my sister's interest to be involved in this in any way. Is that understood?"
Livia and Esra traded curious glances. What was this all about?
"Lucius, would you just listen to me!" Rabastan shouted. "Can you do that for one second? Or is that too difficult?"
Lucius looked like he might reach for his wand, but then let his hand fall to his side.
"She wouldn't have to take the mark Lucius." Rabastan dropped his voice down to a whisper. "It's already been decided. We will only be strong if every one is involved. Even she can contribute."
"What mark?" Livia asked, but was quickly silenced by a scornful look from Narcissa.
"It is a poor reflection on both of us if she doesn't go." Rabastan reasoned. "I swear that no harm will come to her."
Lucius paused, and then sighed deeply.
"I'll bring her then. I'll take the responsibility for her." Lucius said, sounding more protective than Livia had ever heard him.
"Fine." Rabastan nodded, looking slightly bitter. "I'll see you tonight then."
He nodded sharply in Livia's direction, and then turned quickly left the room.
"What was that about?" Livia demanded, but was met only with cold stares.
Narcissa looked more distressed than angry, and Lucius was not exactly smiling himself.
"Where are we going?" Livia asked, pleading for an answer.
"Can I come?" Esra innocently piped in.
"Be quiet you stupid girl!" Narcissa began, but silenced by a wave of Lucius's hand.
He crossed the room slowly, eyeing Esra as if he were seeing her for the first time. He titled his head, and rested his chin in his hand. Esra was unsure of what to do. It was obvious he wasn't trying to hide his staring, and she was unsure if she should say anything.
"What's wrong with you?" Livia burst out, her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. "You aren't being very polite."
She was ignored, as Lucius narrowed his eyes at Esra, and then gestured for his wife to step forward.
"You look tired, go upstairs and take a rest." He told Narcissa. "Bring my sister with you."
Livia opened her mouth, intended to protest, but was quickly shushed by her new sister-in-law.
"You looked peaked." Narcissa descended on Livia, taking her by the elbow and leading her towards the door. "Some rest will do you wonders."
As they walked from the room she heard Lucius cold voice, echoing slightly off of the high painted ceilings.
"Now Esra, if you want to come along I have to ask you a question first. Now please be honest. How do you feel about mudbloods..."