Lucius was pacing up and down the hallway muttering things under his breath. Narcissa stood by the banister of the stairs watching him pace up and down. He knew the ministry officials would arrive any time soon, to question him or take him away. Either way he needed to be on his guard. He was remembering facts, remembering lies
Narcissa hated it when he was in a nervous and ratty mood, it meant he would take out on her. Lucius gave her a dark look.
"What have I done?" she said protectively
"You don't do anything! That's the problem you lazy bitch!" he snapped. He slapped her around the face. The force took her by surprise and with the shock of the pain and the force of the hit; she lost her balance and fell down one of the steps, then another. She felt her legs buckle under her weight. She tumbled down several steps until she managed to catch hold of the side of the banister with her fingers. She looked up tearfully at Lucius. For the first time that morning and last afternoon a smile, or a smirk, played across Lucius' mouth.
Suddenly in a bedroom across the hall way there came the sound of a baby crying. To a mother it was the most heartbreaking sound to hear, Narcissa felt like she had pins piercing her heart, especially as she knew her husband was enjoying her pain. Lucius ignored the sound. He continued to look at Narcissa evilly as her fingers continued to grip on the banister, her knuckles turning white. She pulled herself up, feeling ridiculous and embarrassed as her husband continued to watch her like a hawk, revelling in her pain. Her legs felt shaky, as anyone would if they had fallen down a large marble stair after a dreadful blow to the face. Narcissa ran shakily up the stairs pushing past Lucius and heading to her son's bedroom. She pushed open the door and ran towards her shrieking son. She put her arms around his waist and lifted him out of the crib.
"Shh Shh" she whispered as she bounced him in her arms "Please hush my sweet, please" the tears began to rampage down her face. The baby continued to cry. Narcissa shifted the baby into one arm and with the other she reached down into a bag at the end of the crib and pulled out a bottle of milk. "Here drink this Draco" she placed the teet of the bottle into his mouth. The baby began to drink but his eyes were still whimpering with tears.
"Narcissa!" came a yell from outside the bedroom. Narcissa's heart skipped a bit. She closed her eyes trying to block out the sound. She imagined her self in a far away place. A garden full of roses and flowers, birds singing in tree tops wind trickling through her hair. Yes this was a better place "Narcissa!" came the yell again, this time he opened the door and entered the room "The ministry officials have arrived now your going to act as witness now"
"I'm busy, I'm feeding my baby" she said bravely
"Now!" he yelled raising his hand to hit her
"If you want someone to help you some good advice is not to throw them down the stairs first" she rushed in. Lucius smirked
"How very right you are my dear" Lucius said mockingly but his face then dropped as low as his voice "but if you think you are going to attempt to get me sent to Azkaban and away from by telling them the truth, then I will torture your child in front of you while you're tied up, and I'll make you watch and hear him scream! Now get down stairs!" He turned from her and left the room. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she held her son tighter to her.
"Draco I won't let anything happen to you" Narcissa knew her son needed a Father whatever his mannerisms; it was also a rule for a pure blood wife to obey her husband in everyway. Besides the threat was a too big a risk. Narcissa could here Lucius greeting the ministry officials acting the innocent. She put down her son for a moment and ran to her dressing table. She took out her red lipstick and painted her mouth. She had to at least look the part.
Narcissa went down the stairs and gave her son to the house elves to take care of while she turned on the charm for the officials. Narcissa took a deep breath and opened the door of her husband's study. Lucius was sitting down behind his desk two men in black cloaks sat in the wooden chairs in front of Lucius. They seemed to be in mid conversation. The two men stood up as she entered the room, Lucius looked up from his desk and nodded for her to sit down.
"Good evening gentle men," she said, she took out her wand and drew up a sensible black wooden chair next to Lucius' desk "Forgive me for being late I had to deal with my son" Narcissa sat down "Now what seems to be the problem"
"Mrs Malfoy, you may or may not have heard, the Dark Lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been vanquished."
Narcissa put on an act to find this news surprising
"Vanquished? You mean he's dead? Oh praise Merlin how?" she said dramatically with an ear-to-ear smile
"We do not know how but last night You-know-who was tipped off, by a Death Eater, of the whereabouts of Lily and James Potter and their infant son Harry. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named murdered both Lily and James…but Harry survived."
"Survived…the killing curse? That's impossible"
"Cleary Narcissa, last night it was made possible" said Lucius seriously. Why was Lucius playing against her, was it the attention she was getting annoying him.
"Who tipped him off?" asked Narcissa remembering that there had been a charm protecting their whereabouts. The two wizards looked at each other
"As a matter of fact Mrs Malfoy, it was your cousin; Sirius Black"
Now this truly did take Narcissa as a shock
"Sirius! Sirius Black was James Potter's best friend, everyone knows that!"
"Not only is Sirius Black under trial for the assisted murder of Lily and James Potter but also for the murder of Peter Pettigrew"
"This is an outrage I cannot believe my cousin would kill his two best friends!"
"Well its seems he is not what he seems to many people"
"Any way, we've come for a particular reason" said one of the wizards
"Lucius Malfoy you are to be taken into custody for suspected Death Eater activity"
"Lucius? A Death Eater!" Narcissa snorted, praying this will be enough acting to protect her son from his father
"What do you mean 'taken into custody?'" repeated Lucius
"We wish to question you Mr Malfoy, and if we could leave as soon as possible as…"
"I do not know what has happened to the government in these past few years but if these are the methods of catching Death Eaters they have now then Merlin help us. Arresting Sirius Black on suspicion of murdering his friends? And turning up on innocent people's houses to just take them awa-"
"That's enough Narcissa," said Lucius, Narcissa stopped immediately. "I should be glad to accompany you gentlemen, Narcissa stay here"
"But-"
"He is right Mrs Malfoy, we would prefer if your husband came alone, we ask only if you may give testimony in any court trials"
"Oh…of course"
"Also we should tell you, your sister Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband Rudolphus Lestrange have been arrested for Death Eater activity"
Narcissa nodded, there was no reason to pretend that Bellatrix and Rudolphus were not Death Eaters.
Lucius and the two wizards stood up and apparated immediately.