Chapter 5 – The First Strike
Narcissa sat alone watching her son play with his friend and thinking of her now lost friendship with Frankie. Suddenly Dobby the house elf apparated next to her
"Yes Dobby?"
"Missis Malfoys Dinner is ready" he chimed
"Oh…alright" she said putting down her empty goblet" She stood up and walked over to Lucius who was in deep discussion with a member of the ministry
"What is it Narcissa?" he asked half heartedly
"Din-"
"Oh this is Mrs Malfoy is it?" the Ministry official gushed shaking her hand "charming simply charming"
"Thank-you" she smiled "Lucius, dinner is ready"
"Excellent" said Lucius "Narcissa?" he held out his arm, which Narcissa took without question. He led her to a podium at the end of the room. He stood on it and clapped his hands loudly to get the attention of the room. Everyone turned to face him
"Thank-you for all coming to our annual gathering and we are happy to announce dinner is served." The room of people chattered happily "Please make your way to the dining room through the main doors on your left!"
The well-dressed guests began to walk towards the doors, which separated the two rooms. Narcissa stepped down off the podium
"Dobby" she said. The house-elf appeared,
"Yes Missis Malfoy?" he said cheerfully, although he looked like he had been disturbed from his busy evening
"Make sure Francesca Zabini and I are sitting away from each other, switch the placement cards BUT make sure Draco sits next to Blaise Zabini all the same"
"Yes Missis Malfoy" the house elf disapparated
"Are you and Francesca Zabini not talking?" asked Lucius coldly "Strange, how you seemed so happy to see her"
"Yes well we've had a bit of an argument…we always argue don't we? … So lets just go and get dinner" she sighed
Narcissa cooed as she tucked the napkin into the top of Draco shirt for a bib. She tickled him under the chin and he shrieked with laughter. Lucius shot a nasty look at his son. Draco looked back at his father and stopped laughing. Many different bowls of hot steaming soup appeared in front of everyone's plate; consumeé soup. People began to sip the soup with the Malfoy silver cutlery. Narcissa saw Draco put his spoon straight into the middle and fill it with the steaming soup, ready to plunge into his tiny mouth
"No no Draco" she said quickly pouring the soup back into the bowl "Its too hot sweetie…blow on it a bit"
Draco put down the spoon and blew hard on the soup unfortunately the air from his breath hit the soup and the burning liquid was splashed back into Draco's face. Narcissa heard a small gasp come from him and before anyone could do anything Draco screamed. He cried and cried tears leak from his big grey eyes. Everyone stopped eating and looked over at the commotion. Some looked with pity making comforting noises, others looked down there noses believing the phrase: children should be seen and not heard.
Narcissa quickly wiped the bits of scolding soup of his skin with the napkin. She could feel people staring at her…she wished they would stop.
Draco continued to cry, mostly from the shock. Poor little thing, the last thing he had been expecting was the soup to blow back at him. Narcissa looked over at Lucius…he looked livid. His eyes had widened with fury, his eyebrows were arched and his face had lost the little colour it had. Narcissa's heart was beating like a drum. She continued to comfort her howling son.
Lucius suddenly stood up from the table; everyone turned and looked at him. The fury vanished from his face; instead it was replaced by a fake simpering smile…that was even worse.
"I'll take care of him" he sneered. He walked around the corner of the dining room table and took hold of Draco's arm and began to pull him off the chair. Narcissa gripped her hands to her son "Let go Narcissa" he said firmly. Narcissa continued to grip, aware that the whole room was staring at her. Francesca was looking interestedly over Blaise's head. Her heavily lidded eyes fixed on Lucius, Draco and Narcissa. "Narcissa I said let go" he repeated. Narcissa felt her hands drop from her son reluctantly, but what could she do?
Lucius yanked Draco off the chair with an iron grip around his little arm. To everyone else this could look protective and caring. So why did Draco cry harder? Lucius pulled the screaming boy out of the room.
The table burst out into chatter. A woman near Narcissa said;
"Its funny, I never imagined Lucius to be a doting father"
"No neither did I" Narcissa muttered
"Oh but the poor little cherub, I hope he'll be all right" the woman said dipping a thick wad of bread into the soup.
Narcissa nodded but had a horrible feeling in her stomach. Someone jabbed her in the arm. Narcissa turned, Francesca was leaning over Blaise, and she did not look kind or understanding but more knowing. She inclined her head to the door as if to tell Narcissa to get up stairs quick. Lucius rarely looked at his son, let alone helped him when he cried. Narcissa then realised the entirety of the situation, her eyes widened, her stomach churned and her blood froze. She jumped up from her chair and ran across the room, not caring who was watching her.
Narcissa threw open the dining room door and slammed it behind her. She ran up the main staircase, she could hear a man's raised voice from the top of them and a toddler screaming. As she ran up the stairs she tripped stepped on the hem of her dress. It yanked her down and she bashed her chin on the marble staircase. She felt the skin break and felt blood trickle down he chin. But what was her pain to what was happening to her son. She wiped her chin, got up and held her dress above her knees running as fast as she could.
Narcissa fled along the corridor to where he could hear her son's cries and her husband's yells. She threw open the suspecting door. Inside she saw her son sitting on the floor his face flushed with screams. Lucius was shouting at him, his expression was that of a mad man. Before Narcissa knew what was happening she saw Lucius kneel on the ground and slap Draco hard across the face. He screamed louder as he was knocked off balance. Every morsel of anger that Narcissa held stirred up like a storm. She marched towards Lucius and through all the strength she could muster at him. Her fist met his face. She beat his arms and kicked his legs. Lucius did not retaliate at first. It was as if he was trying to work out what was happening. His quiet little walkover wife was punching like a lightweight boxer. Lucius then thrust his hand at her waist and threw her across the room with a huge amount of strength. Narcissa fell to the floor and felt her arm twist awkwardly. It was not broken just sore though
"What did my son ever do to you! YOU EVIL BASTARD!" she screamed, tears leaked from her blue eyes.
"THAT BOY IS AN EMBARASSMENT TO THE NAME OF MALFOY! BUT WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED FROM YOUR OFFSPRING!"
Her voice clogged in her throat, as she could not believe the insane ravings of her husband
"He's three years old" she managed to say in a hoarse whisper "He was burnt by scolding hot soup and all you can say is that he's an embarrassment to the name of Malfoy!" Narcissa pushed herself up from the floor and dragged herself over to her son, he was still crying but the screaming was dimming slightly. Lucius glared at her. His eyes were manic, his nostrils flared. Narcissa picked up her son in her arms and held him tight; she stood in front of him, her face bleeding and her body aching and her son whimpering in her arms. She simply stood there staring at him with such hate, at this point in time Narcissa had never hated anyone as much as she hated her husband, he had hit her before and she could cope, he had threatened her before, and she could cope. But how dare he strike her son. Her innocent son, the light in her dismal life, the key out of the gilded cage. That she lived in.
Lucius looked at her in fury at her defiance, he then walked towards her, and she prepared her self for a painful blow. She shut her eyes tight and waited. However, the only feeling that came was the heavy diamond necklace being yanked off of her neck. Narcissa opened her eyes. She saw Lucius moping out of the room with the diamonds in her hand. He slammed the door behind him.
She had won…for now.