Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Mine!

Summary: After the fiasco at the Ministry, Voldemort questions the loyalty of several of his supporters. He commands Wormtail to bring to him something belonging to the Malfoy family that will prove Lucius's loyalty is only to him. This story explores the possibilities of just who really is Narcissia Malfoy. LM/HG Fic.

Chapter 4: Brewing Trouble


As laughter rang around the room, Lucius strides over to Hermione, reaches down and grabs her hair. Yanking her head, he smirks down at her. "Are you sure you want to waste your time on this?" purrs Lucius as he forces Hermione to her feet. "Apparently she's not that smart otherwise she would have started the potion by now."

Jerking her away from him, Lucius turns to look at Harry. Flicking his eyes downward, Lucius curls his lips. "He's ruining the floor," whispers Lucius before he mutters a soft charm. Bringing his eyes level with Harry's, Lucius winks at him.

"What are you looking at half-breed," hisses Lucius grabbing Harry's upper arms. "You sorry excuse for parent's are not here to help you now," hisses Lucius viciously before turning back towards Voldemort.

"Hermione, you can do it!" cries Harry, hoping to give Hermione some much-needed encouragement. "You can make that potion in your sleep!"

Under his lashes Lucius watches Hermione stumble over to the cauldron. With trembling hands she missed the ingredients into the cauldron. The blood on her hands contaminates the potion ingredients.

A dull purple flash hits the cauldron. "Don't want to make it too easy for her now do we," snickers Voldemort. The flame under the cauldron flares up for a few seconds then almost simmers out, only to flare up again.

'So that's what went wrong,' thinks Lucius. Nodding to Jerome, Lucius looks around. He waits until he's in position. "So whose child is this?" asks Lucius as he steps closer to Bellatrix.

"Mine," answers Voldemort. "The parent's of the child were followers of mine that have recently passed away."

"Master is kind," simpers Wormtail. "He makes sure that all of his loyal followers are taken care of."

'Oh, I'll give you taken care of,' sneers Lucius silently, as he watches Bellatrix struggle to calm the child in her arms. 'If you think for one second that I'm going to be enraged, just wait until she steps in.'

"Bellatrix!" snaps Voldemort. "Silence that child already! Or I'll give it to Greyback."

"Hmmm a fine suggestion," mumbles Greyback as he licks his lips.

"If I may be so bold," softly whispers Jerome. "I think I can get the child to settle down." Lucius watches Voldemort nod his head approvingly before Jerome strides across the room to gather the child from Bellatrix. Within seconds the child calms down. Jerome stands next to Bellatrix, gently rocking the child in his arms.

"Why is it that a man can calm that child? While you, Bellatrix, a woman only get it to scream?" ponders Voldemort dangerously.

"I…. I…. Don't know Master," whispers Bellatrix horrified.

"It could be a number of things," mutters Molly.

"Speak up!" snaps Rodolphus as he grabs Molly by the neck. "The rest of us can't hear your mutterings!" He smiles cruelly as her face turns bright red from lack of air before he releases her.

Leaning down, Jerome holds the child so that Bellatrix can look at the child's face. "If I didn't know any better, I could also swear that this is your child," whispers Jerome. "But I know that she is not yours."

"And how do you know this?" softly demands Bellatrix glancing down at the child.

"Because we found your sister, laying in a pool of her own blood crying out for her stolen child," insists Jerome. "Take a good look at her. Because when Granger finishes that potion, it won't be used on the Weasley boy."

"He wouldn't dare," snarls Bellatrix softly, as she clenches her hands. "Besides you are wrong."

"Laying in a pool of her own blood," whispers Jerome. "Look at Lucius's cloths carefully; you can see her blood on him. He cradled her close to him, before she went away."

"Away? Where is she?" demands Bellatrix as madness seeps into her eyes. "Where's my Cissy? Dolohov said she wasn't there when he went with Wormtail."

"He lied." mutters Jerome. "She has no more worries, right now. We have to worry about her children, in her stead."

"Rodolphus! Lied to me," hisses Bellatrix, as her eyes twinkled away with madness. "He took my Cissy away from me!" Jumping up, Bellatrix shoves Jerome to the side as she whips out her wand. "Avada Kedavra!" Bright green light slams into Dolohov's back. "Die you bastard!"

"Bellatrix!" shouts Avery. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" He runs over to Rodolphus, only to be hit with the killing curse.

"Bellatrix!" hisses Voldemort as he jumps up, shoving Lucius away from him. Bright green light flashes again, this time hitting Greyback.

"No-one hurts my Cissy!" screams Bellatrix half-mad.

"Enough!" bellows Voldemort with a flash a blue light hits Bellatrix. She slams into the wall behind her. Alecto laughs uncontrollably, as she points her wand at Bellatrix. Amycus limps his way closer to his sister, all the while keeping his wand on Bellatrix.

"So pretty," mutters Amycus.

"Bellatrix!" screams Rodolphus. The room lights up with flashes of green, as Rodolphus protects his wife. Alecto and her brother Amycus are soon joined by Avery and Jugson before Voldemort cases the Cruciatus Curse on Rodolphus.

"Now, I think Rodolphus will think twice before tying to kill any more of my followers," hisses Voldemort as Rodolphus withers on the ground in pain. "Can anyone tell me what has brought this about?" demands Voldemort.

'You harming my family,' thinks Lucius as he silently moves closer to Jerome. Looking at Jerome, Lucius notices that his child is not in his arms. Fear creeps up his spine until out of the corner of his eye, Lucius sees Draco cradling the babe.

"Well!" hisses Voldemort getting angry. "Wormtail! Clean this mess up."

"Yes, master," grovels Wormtail. As he uses his wand to move the dead bodies of the Death Eaters to lie against the wall. He could feel his master's eyes follow his every move. He watches as Voldemort sits down on a thrown like chair.

A putrid smell ranks the air, as Hermione slaves away at the cauldron. She notices that she is almost done with the potion. Glancing nervously at Ron, Hermione knows that it was close but the color wasn't right.

"I think in the excitement we forgot about our guest," sneers Voldemort. With the flick of his wand, the flames under the cauldron rise cause the potion's tempter to start to boil.

Thick smoke floats off the top of the cauldron sinking to the floor. Hermione frantically stirs the potion, as tears leak from her eyes. The stirrings accelerate the smoke until the entire floor was covered with a whitish fog. Smirking, Lucius points his wand down at the ground, craftily moves the youngest Weasley boy closer to Potter. Giving his cohorts, sly nod, he watches as they set his plan into motion.

Abraham moves closer to Molly, carefully stepping over Percy. He acknowledges Rookwood by nodding to the man as he stealthy pulls out his wand. Aiming his wand at the floor, Abraham uses the fog cover to hide his binding spell.

Molly clutches the wand hidden in her sleeve. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she inches closer to Arthur. Following Abraham, example, she points the wand down at the ankle shackles. Muttering a charm, Molly was secretly delighted when she hears a soft gasp from Arthur. A quick look is shared between them.

Arthur gestures to his sons that their mother was risking her life to set them free. Molly watches as her children follow Arthur's lead, forcing their arms to go limp. Seeing that her family was ready for her; Molly forces down her fear, as she bends her pointing the bare tip of the wand.

Lucius watches in morbid fascination as the potion starts to boil. 'Any second now and that potion is going to explode,' thinks Lucius. 'I'll have seconds to kill the bloody bastard.'

A high pitch noise, escapes from Hermione's month as she attempts to control the potion. Lucius grips his wand tightly, as he perceives movement from Voldemort.

"Filthy mud-blood," snaps Voldemort agitated. He points his wand at Hermione, muttering off a dark curse.

"She has a wand!" shouts Rookwood as he points his wand at Molly. Lunging for her, Rookwood stumbles over his feet. The curse he sent towards Molly goes astray and hits the cauldron.

The potion erupts. Pandemonium ensues. Hermione's blood chilling screams rock the room, as flashes of red and green race across the room. Unnatural silence follows.