Chapter 2

Back home in her cottage Tempest took hold of the chain around her neck and pulled the pendant she wore at the end of the chain from beneath her dress. With the pendant in one hand and she took a picture of her parents in the other "so, you were right mother, he came, just as you said he would." Looking at the pendant she sighed, holding the pendant on her palm she whispered "engorgio" the pendant on her palm shimmered and grew back to full size. Tempest held in her hand one of the final pieces of mirror that Lucius was searching for "It might have been foretold that he would come looking for you" she said to the inanimate object in her hand "but I'll be damned if I let that arrogant bastard get you without a fight!" Holding the piece of mirror on her palm again she closed her eyes blinking away the tears that threatened to spill "reducio" she sighed and the mirror shrank back to being a pendant which she hung back around her neck and dropped into her dress so that it nestled safely between her breasts.

For Tempest wearing the pendant was bittersweet; she felt closer to her mother when she wore it, but she knew that it was the reason her parents had been killed by Death Eaters, and that Lucius Malfoy had sent them, he just did not realise that yet. Lucius had no idea how close he had come to getting this piece of mirror back then, but Tempest had been sent away with the mirror just days earlier when her mother had foretold the arrival of the Death Eaters and warned Tempest to be wary of a charming stranger with white hair and a heart of pure evil.

Lucius was pacing the floor of his study, he had not seen the piece of mirror, but he was sure she had it. This piece of mirror was not to be rushed he decided, he would continue to chase this one piece and work on getting the other two first. The piece of mirror that Tempest had was going to be by far the most interesting to acquire.

For the next week Lucius watched Tempest from afar, he saw her arrive and leave Madame Aelita's. He even slipped inside to watch her perform, but for now he found it more prudent to not speak with her just yet.

Finally Lucius received the news he had been waiting for; he knew where the next piece of the mirror had been hidden. The other pieces he had found had been all over the world, he had travelled thousands of miles to collect them all. He almost laughed when he realised that he two of the final pieces right here in England, they were so close he just had to reach out and grasp them.

The next morning Lucius put on his cloak and gloves, grabbed his cane "today…" he said to himself "is going to be a very good day!" He left Malfoy Manor and apparated to a tiny village in the Cotswolds, the village was so small it consisted of about 15 cottages, a post office/general store, and a single public house and of course at the very heart of the village there stood a church. He saw an elderly woman walk into the church carrying several large bouquets of flowers. Smiling to himself he took a bunch of wilting flowers from a nearby grave, whispering in case anyone was close by he charmed the flowers back to be blooming with life.

As Miss Dickinson left church after setting out and replacing all the flowers, she saw a man crouching in front of a grave close to the path. When she drew nearer she heard him speaking, he was extremely well spoken and he sounded gentle and very sad as she heard him saying "I am so sorry I cannot come here more often. I miss you so much…" She watched as he placed a bouquet of flowers onto the grave and stood to walk away. As he turned to leave the graveside he almost walked into her "oh my…" he exclaimed, reaching out to prevent her falling "I am so sorry, I did not see you!"

"Not a problem my dear" she replied, her voice catching in her throat when she saw his eyes filled with tears "are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes" he replied, his voice quavering. "My parents…" he gestured back towards the grave.

"You poor dear, why don't you come to my cottage for a cup of tea whilst you compose yourself?" she asked.

"Oh I could not impose on you like that."

"It would be no imposition, I only live down the street and I would be having tea myself" it crossed her mind for a second or two that she ought not invite a total stranger into her home, but he was well mannered and cared so much for his deceased parents, what possible harm could he be?

"Come along" she said as she set off out of the church gates. "I'm Miss Dickinson" she held out her hand "but you may call me Lily."

"Ah Lily …" he replied with a sigh and taking her hand "my Mother's favourite flower, my name is Lucius… Lucius Malfoy."

The two of them walked towards Lily's cottage, they chatted amiably, and all the while Lily was thinking what a charming gentleman Lucius was and Lucius was thinking how well he could act the part of a nice person … that thought caused a laugh that he just managed to stifle into a sob before smiling at the gullible old woman by his side.

Once back at the cottage Lucius stood looking around the lounge while Lily made a tray up in the kitchen with tea and biscuits. Tired of listening to her prattling on in the kitchen, Lucius was lost in thought "where does the old bat keep you eh?"

By the time she came back into the room Lucius was sitting on the overly stuffed ancient sofa. He rose and took the tray from her and placed it onto the coffee table, the poured two cups of tea and handed a cup to Lily. Sitting back on the sofa Lucius withdrew his wand from within his cane and cast a silencing ward on the room so that they could not be heard beyond those walls.

Lily has no idea what was happening Lucius gave her a cold almost snarling smile that chilled her to the bone. Nonchalantly sipping his tea he spoke "I have come to relieve you of a certain artefact I require" he paused and sipped his tea again watching his words sink in "I will be leaving with the item I seek and I am not above using torture to achieve this goal – in fact I do rather enjoy that part."

Placing his cup back into the tray "you are an elderly woman however and would probably not survive torture …" He paused again and watched the terror growing in her eyes. "I am prepared to be uncharacteristically charitable – you give me what I seek and I will not kill you!"

Lily was terrified for her life – she could now see in this man's eyes a cold cruelty that confirmed his words. She knew that she had nothing of any real monetary value and decided to give him anything in order to live. Biting back tears she croaked out the words "what do you want?"

"You have a piece of broken mirror with a mosaic edge – I want it!" as he spoke Lucius watched her quickly glance at her bookshelves.

Lily was now torn, she had been given that mirror by her grandmother and told to hide it – she had not however been told to give her life for it. Standing on shaky legs she walked to the shelves and took down a book. Lucius was right behind her and immediately relieved her of the book "sit down!" he ordered.

Lucius almost laughed when he saw the title of the book in his hands, Agatha Christie: The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side. "How appropriate" he whispered. He opened the book and found the archetypal section cut out of the pages and nestled safely inside was the piece of mirror. "I thank you for cooperating" he told her as he hid the mirror within his cloak. Turning to leave he levelled his wand towards Lily and said "obliterate" knowing the spell he had cast would leave the old woman in a stupor that would be mistaken for senility. As Lucius dissaparated to return to Malfoy Manor, unseen to him a black cat sat on the outer windowsill of the cottage, blinking its strange violet eyes before jumping down and walking away.