Chapter 18. Merry Christmas
Lucius stared at the letter in his hand with intense eyes, with his free hand he rubbed at his chin and jaw as he thought intently about her words. I trust you. With love. They made him awash with a feeling he couldn't quite pinpoint. Almost like butterflies, but the feeling was unpleasant. The words pleased him, made his heart jump in a way he hadn't felt since he was but a teenager, before all the death and darkness, before Narcissa. But the words also worried him, she trusted him, yet he was on the opposite side of a war that was now very much in the swing of things. He could be ordered to kill her at any point, and he would be forced to do so to avoid worse punishments. Any of the individuals sat around that dining table could also be the ones to kill her, and he would be powerless to stop them. He didn't deserve her trust.
"You look as if you're torn up about something," Severus observed as he clasped his hands together on the table, "is her letter not… what you were expecting?" Lucius dropped the letter to the table and ran his hands over his scalp, brushing his long blonde locks back out of his face.
"Her words are sweet, lovely even," Lucius drawled with a sigh. This seemed to come to Severus as a surprise. "Yet they fill me with dread,"
"You're fearful for her safety, but she has the order to protect her, and with our influence with the dark lord… she should be fine Lucius," The potion masters attempt at reassurance were futile.
"Should," Lucius scoffed, "should is not good enough,"
"Lucius this is a war," Severus decided to attempt tough love on his old friend, "People die in war… it is an inevitability, whether that is her fate is yet to be seen, but if it is, you cannot stop it,"
Lucius lashed out, leaning back he kicked the chair next to him with a yell, sending it hurtling onto its side, crashing into the other chairs in a domino effect
"What would you do Severus?" Lucius asked after a few moments of silence whilst he gathered himself.
"You really wish to know?" Severus's tone came with a warning attached: Lucius wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"I asked, didn't I?" Lucius retorted.
"I would push her away Lucius,"
"Not an option," Lucius said firmly.
"I already tried to influence your parting, for both your sakes, and Draco's," Severus admitted. "It is the logical thing to do, the less significant she is in your life, the less danger she will be in,"
"That was you? You're the reason she turned away from me those few weeks ago?" Lucius slammed his hand down on the table and raised out of his chair, leaning across to stare down the greasy haired Snape.
"Yes," Severus said simply. "I ordered her to stay away from you, told her that her surveillance of you was over... and I told you, old friend, about her spying in order to instil a hatred… and when that didn't work, I thought if you believed her in danger, you would push her away for her own safety, and you still didn't. Even when I told you, firmly, to stop pursuing her Lucius… the first thing you did was fuck her in a corridor according to the Dark Lord," Severus lectured the man before him. Lucius' chest rose and fell deeply as he clenched his fists against the black wooden table, his nostrils flared as he exhaled.
"Why agree to give her the letter if you were so hellbent on separating us?" Lucius hissed through clenched teeth, he was doing everything in his power to stop himself jumping across the table and throttling the man before him.
"I thought you'd seen sense after your son attacked her… I thought she had too… I was confident your letter was your out, your method of finishing it… but I see now you're just a fool. You're both fools. Fools in love." Severus scoffed.
"Get out of my house," Lucius growled. Severus stood from his seat, eyeing the blonde man darkly.
"When I spoke with her just this morning… she rejected the idea of settling down with you," Severus informed his friend, he didn't enjoy the pain it caused but it was necessary.
"Leave!" Lucius bellowed, dropping his head to hide his pain, his blonde hair fell forwards, hiding the hurt that Severus' words had struck him with. Lucius heard Severus' retreating footsteps head towards the stairs, but they stopped. Lucius looked up through a curtain of blonde to find Severus staring at him over his shoulder.
"She has nightmares about you Lucius," Severus informed him coldly before dramatically making his exit down the stairs.
Christmas Day came round rather quickly, the house seemed to come alive with excitement as Ron and Ginny Weasley bound down the stairs that snowy morning. The twins choosing to apparate instead.
"Oi that's cheating!" Ron exclaimed pushing Fred out of the way.
"Not everything has to be a race you know," Hermione lectured from her spot at the table. Harry and she had come to join the Weasleys when the term ended, having the house full of rowdy teenagers somehow made Astrid feel more at ease, more at home.
"Merry Christmas to you too," Ron rolled his eyes.
"Good morning, Merry Christmas everybody," Astrid smiled as she stepped into the room, dressed in a red velvet midi-length dress she felt much more herself as the days went by. She'd made an effort with her hair, pulling it up into a half-up half-down style, and even put on a little makeup. It was amazing to her how a little self-care could put a skip into her step.
"Morning," Sirius smiled, looking the girl up and down and taking in her appearance, he'd noticed her blossoming back to her usual self over the past few days, she was starting to get her glow back, it was obvious in the way she smiled that her healing on the inside had almost caught up with her healing on the outside. "What did I do to be granted with such a beautiful Christmas view?" Sirius smirked as the young professor stood next to him watching the teenager's fuss over their Christmas stockings. Harry twisted his face and looked over his shoulder at the pair.
"I'm gonna be sick," Harry joked, cocking a brow. Astrid elbowed the curly haired Sirius in the side playfully.
"He jests Harry," Astrid smiled.
"He better be only be jesting… she's old enough to be your daughter, you dirty dog," Molly Weasley narrowed her eyes on Sirius as she entered the room, she tried to be serious, intimidating, but a small smile played on her lips.
"Can't an old man appreciate a beautiful young woman?" Sirius chuckled, holding his hands up defensively.
"No, definitely not," Harry shook his head.
"I have presents for you all, however first, a surprise! Everyone up and behind your seats!" Molly announced as she retreated into the foyer, everyone jumped up and stood behind their cheers with anticipation. When she returned the entire room let out a gasp. In she wheeled Mr Weasley in a wheelchair, a hand-crafted purple paper crown a top his head.
"Here we go!" She exclaimed giddily, "Daddy's back!"
A cheery round of applause erupted from the table as the room clapped the return of Arthur Weasley. Molly chuckled happily as she rubbed her husband's shoulders.
"Sit down everybody, sit down, that's it!" Mrs Weasley ordered, everyone but Sirius, Astrid and Harry did, the trio instead snuck off to the back of the room to watch the heart-warming moment from a distance. "Now, presents!"
Mrs Weasley was already handling an array of brightly wrapped gifts from next to the snow-covered Christmas Tree, handing them out to their recipients one by one.
"A nice big box for Ron!" Mr Weasley exclaimed, eyeing up the large yellow and red gift.
"A big box for you! And…" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, in her hand she had two gifts, one blue, one orange, she shuffled them about undecidedly as she attempted to work out which twin was which at the dinner table. Eventually handing them over, the boys read the labels, but realising they were the wrong name, swapped their presents with a cheeky eye roll. Astrid smiled at the blunder, feeling less bad about mixing the two boys up herself.
"Fred and George, come on, open up! I want to see your faces!" Mrs Weasley was elated as she watched her children fumble with their presents, ripping the brightly coloured gifts open to reveal an array of hand-made items. "Try it on!" Mrs Weasley told Ron, who held up a very interesting fur gilet, a big red R patched onto the front.
Hermione smiled at the boy as she opened a purple scarf.
"Thanks mum it's perfect!" Ginny exclaimed; many other thanks were sent Mrs Weasleys way as everyone inspected their new gifts.
"Come on everybody let's clear this away!" Mrs Weasley ordered as she began grabbing at the discarded paper and ribbon on the table.
"Ah! Harry, Astrid, don't think I left you out now!" Mrs Weasley shrieked realising there was two more presents left. She approached the two and thrust the presents onto them and pulled them both into tight hugs. "There you are! Merry Christmas!" Molly beamed, giving them both a squeeze.
Sirius smirked as he watched the two be practically crushed into Molly's love, she had a lot to give, and on Christmas she was determined to give it. Eventually she let the two go, she leant over and kissed Astrid kindly on the cheek, and petted Harry's face like a loving mother.
"Lovely to have you both with us," Molly gushed. Astrid's heart filled with happiness, but also a hint of sadness, as she was painfully reminded of the mother's love that had been absent her entire life.
"Thank you," Harry and Astrid said in unison as Molly retreated back to her husband's side.
Harry unwrapped his gift first, revealing a hand knitted red bobble hat and matching scarf. Astrid went next, unwrapping the azure blue wrapping of her own present to reveal a navy-blue knitted jumper, a large yellow polka dot 'A' was stitched onto the front. Harry and Astrid stifled a giggle as they inspected each other's gifts. Sirius shook his head with a smirk as the two held up their new attire, Molly's gifts were always made with love, but the wearability of them was sometimes… questionable.
"Now Daddy, pass that to Daddy," Mrs Weasley fussed as she handed out some crystal glasses full of a red liquid. "Has everybody got one? Fred, George, Hermione?" Mrs Weasley looked over the table ensuring everyone had a drink as she levitated three glasses over to Astrid, Sirius and Harry.
"A Christmas toast!" Arthur announced, holding out his glass, "To Mr Harry Potter, without whom I would not be here!" Arthur's voice almost cracked as he looked upon the boy with adoration, the rest of the room followed, watching the boy with thankful loving eyes. "Harry!" Arthur cheered raising his glass.
"Harry!" The room cried in unison, following suit.
"Harry," Sirius toasted as he watched his godson proudly, with a wink he took a sip from his glass.
"Ooh that is delicious! I'll be needing some more of that!" Arthur joked as he tasted the mulled wine on his lips.
"Well done, Harry," Astrid smiled as she squeezed Harry's arm gently before sitting at the table with the Weasley clan.
Christmas at the Malfoys was a different kettle of fish, Draco opened masses of expensive presents, a bored expression on his face as he went from gift to gift. Lucius Malfoy watched from his arm chair lazily, his cane rested against one leg, and a glass of wine loosely sat between his fingertips, it was his fourth glass of the morning.
The time leading up to Christmas had been turbulent, he and his wife argued at every opportunity, in fact they couldn't be in the same room without using their words as daggers to maim the other. He was tired of it; he was tired of her.
"Merry Christmas Draco," Narcissa cooed, kissing the boys' cheeks as she handed him one last present, the newest and fastest broom on the market, but Draco was unbothered.
"Thanks," He uttered, setting the broom aside. "Can I go back to my room now?" He asked awkwardly, trying to avoid his fathers judging gaze.
"Of course, dear," Narcissa smiled, stroking his cheek. Draco recoiled under his mother's touch and retreated from the drawing room quickly.
"Ungrateful child," Lucius muttered into his drink as he took a hefty gulp.
"I wonder where he gets that from," Narcissa retorted as she lowered herself into her own arm chair. She admired the new ring upon her finger, a large red ruby at the centre of it, her Christmas present from Lucius. She had chosen it of course; Lucius had simply paid.
"If you are referring to me, I believe you are sordidly mistaken," Lucius hissed as he took another gulp of his wine.
"Who else would I mean, dear?" Narcissa put extra venom into the word 'dear'. "It is you who is ungrateful. Ungrateful for this family, ungrateful for me." She spat as she nursed her own glass of wine.
"Yes, I'm ungrateful for my leach of a wife," Lucius rolled his eyes as he lazily took another drink.
"Leach?" Narcissa seethed. "My dowry-"
"Was barely enough to cover the first year of our marriage, with your extravagant spending!" Lucius yelled, hurtling his glass of wine across the room, it came to a crash against the wall, showering the floor with shards of crystal.
"You never complained once!" Narcissa defended, she slammed her glass down on a side table and gripped the arms of her chair tightly.
"Because I couldn't stand your complaining and whining whenever you were told no! Like a child, I spoilt you to keep you happy, merlin knows there was no other way to, I was never what you wanted… just what your family needed." Lucius spat. Narcissa's knuckles turned white as she gripped the chair harder.
"How dare you!" She shrieked, she was admittedly defenceless against his accusations, Lucius was never her first choice, but her family demanded it for the furthering of the Black legacy, her sister had already made ties of marriage to another great family, and she had been expected to do the same.
"Admit it Cissy, you never loved me, you just loved the idea of me," at Lucius's words Narcissa gritted her teeth.
"At-least I was faithful to my vows," Narcissa fumed.
"Only because the man you're so blatantly in love with married your sister!" Lucius accused, he had always known of Narcissa's love for Rodolphus, she followed him around like a lost puppy at Hogwarts, pining after him relentlessly. She had famously broken a priceless vase upon hearing the news her sister would be the one to marry him and not her.
"Of course, you would bring him up, you're so pathetic Lucius! At least I never shared his bed, I can't say the same for you!" His wife spat.
"I had no choice but to pursue her, the Dark Lord wished it! I didn't tell you because I knew it would bring you pain, because unlike you I have the ability to feel empathy for others!" Lucius argued, "And the only reason you didn't stray is because he never wanted you! Given the chance you would have hopped straight in Cissy don't deny it!"
"You disgust me," Narcissa hissed as she jumped up from her chair. "I was never bothered about the whores, they were a given, but that girl… Astrid, the daughter of that auror, you may as well have laid with a mudblood!"
"Don't you dare speak of her like that!" Lucius too jumped from his chair in defence of his young lover, his cane clattering to the ground.
"I'll speak of that floozy how I please, this is my house!"
"No Narcissa, this is my house, you'll have no part of it, I assure you that!" Lucius bellowed.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Narcissa froze, her hands were shaking with anger.
"I've instructed the family lawyer to begin divorce procedures, our marriage, if that's what you can call this, is over Narcissa," Lucius announced, he tilted his chin up and looked down at the feral woman before him. His strong demeanour didn't stop her from striking him across the face, the sound of the slap echoed around the tall ceiling of the drawing room.
"You have destroyed this family," Narcissa spat, her full body was shaking now, tears gathered at the edges of her blue eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks.
"I may have… but you have leached every possible thing you could from me, Narcissa. My money, my connections, my happiness. For once, I'm putting me first," Lucius growled.
"I'll kill her," Narcissa threatened, balling her fists.
"No, Narcissa you won't." Lucius said confidently. He knew his wife was all talk, she didn't have the stomach for it. "You'll take your settlement money and leave, you can see Draco whenever you please, but it will not be in my house," Lucius informed her darkly. Narcissa backed away from her husband, shaking her head in disbelief, tears fell down her cheeks freely now as her lips trembled.
"Merry fucking Christmas," She cried as she turned on her heal and fled from the drawing room.