Behind Closed Doors: Behind Closed Doors: A Portrait of the Malfoy Family
Chapter 3: The Box
Guilt rushed through Narcissa Malfoy's veins as she sat in a chair beside her daughter's bed. A lamp on the table beside the bed illuminated the ten year-old's pale features. Zara's chest rose and collapsed steadily assuring her mother that she was still alive. Ever since her birth, Narcissa had taken no interest in her child. Just like Lucius took no interest in Draco. The children were divided between them and that arrangement was fine for everyone involved. But interest aside, Narcissa was responsible for protecting her children and for that she had failed.
Draco had returned from Hogwarts several weeks ago. He seemed happy, more confident than when he left the previous September. It was still unclear how he and Zara managed to find the box let alone handle its contents. Draco was too stunned to answer when Narcissa had asked. Only one thing was certain. He had opened the box and given his sister the contents of what was inside. He wasn't affected by it. But Zara was.
The fear in Draco's eyes when he found his mother in the parlor made Narcissa's heart stop. In that moment, the thought crossed her mind that Zara had to be dead. When Narcissa arrived to where her daughter was laying, it certainly looked like it. But Zara was alive, just barely but indeed alive. So Narcissa levitated her daughter to bed and called on the family Healer.
This was an hour ago. Zara looked better than she had then, her color improved a little thanks to several doses of various potions. When things had settled down, Narcissa had sent an owl to the Ministry informing her husband that Zara had taken ill and he needed to come home.
Lucius would be here any moment to fuss over Zara. This thought crossed Narcissa's mind with a hint of bitterness, although there should have been none at all. If Draco was in this bed instead of Zara, she would do the same. And if Narcissa was in that position, Lucius would be right by her side.
As if right on cue, Lucius apparated into the room, Narcissa could see the worry in his eyes already.
"How is she?" He asked going over to the bed.
"Better." Narcissa said quietly her gaze focused out into the night. "Why were you working so late?"
"Reports. If I had not gotten your owl, I would still have been there well into the night. What happened?"
"I don't know. Draco could not provide a coherent answer. But they got into the cabinet."
Over the years, various members of the Malfoy family had acquired dark objects. When the children were born, Lucius had put them all in a cabinet to assure himself as well as Narcissa that they wouldn't touch them.
"How?"
"I told you. I don't know."
"What did they touch?"
"The box."
"Did you call the Healer?"
"Of course I did. Our family Healer is discreet."
"Good. What did he say?"
"He gave Zara several potions, I don't know what all of them were. He'll be back in the morning. With a few days of rest, she should recover fully."
He looked relieved, but angry, more out of fear than anything.
"I told them not to go near those things!"
"Lucius…"
"No, Narcissa I told them both and they defied me!"
"You shouldn't have them in the house!" Narcissa snapped.
He turned to look at her. She continued not intimidated by him, "Keeping those things here is akin to muggles leaving guns in their houses. Occasionally we hear of children getting shot or shooting someone else with guns found in their homes. And most of the time those shootings are accidental. Draco didn't mean for this to happen. The last thing he would want is for his sister to be in this position."
"What do you propose I do then?"
"Sell them to Borgin and Burke's. Just last week you were telling me of all the Ministry raids. It would not look good if those things were found here in the home of a Senior Ministry Official. That would not arouse suspicion with them."
"Very true."
"Please Lucius for the sake of our children and our family, get rid of them."
"I will my darling. The next time we go to Diagon Alley I will bring those things to Borgin. Until then, I will seal the cabinet."
"Thank you"
He kissed her. "What would I do without you my love?"
Narcissa let out a low laugh, "That my dear husband is a mystery unto itself."
"I'm going to go speak with Draco," Lucius said turning to leave the room.
Narcissa grabbed his arm and looked into the blue almost gray eyes that she had fallen in love with so many years ago.
"Please Lucius don't be too hard on Draco. It was an accident."
"Don't fret darling, I only want to know what happened."
And with that Lucius Malfoy left the room and walked a short distance down the hall to Draco's room. He knocked.
"Come in," came Draco's voice from inside.
Lucius entered and shut the door behind him. At the sight of his father, Draco sat up on the bed.
"Is Zara alright? Is she---?" A raised hand from Lucius stopped Draco from speaking any further.
"Your sister will be fine, so the Healer has said," Lucius replied.
Draco looked down, guilt welling up inside him. Lucius felt good knowing that Draco cared for his sister so much.
"It's my fault Zara is sick."
"Was it your idea to go into the cabinet?"
"Yes."
"Why did you open it after I told you both that it was not to be touched?"
"Because I was bored," he said before looking up quickly. "Not that that's a suitable excuse. But Zara was taking a long time finding this book that you told her she could use for her Latin project. So I went over to look at what was in the cabinet. I only intended to look. "
"And then you saw the box?"
Draco nodded, "I took it out and opened it. I thought the vial with the green powder was interesting, so I told Zara to come have a look. She refused at first, but then when I asked her again she came over, probably just to make me keep quiet."
"Who picked it up?"
"I did and when I handed it to Zara so she could take a closer look, it happened."
"She collapsed?"
"Yes. When she touched the vial, Zara's eyes glazed over and her expression went blank. She was pale and when I called her name, she didn't answer. A few seconds later she collapsed." He paused. "I thought she was dead because I bent down to wake her and I couldn't hear her breathing."
"And that's when you went to find your mother?"
"Yes."
"That's all I wanted to know."
"Tell Zara I'm sorry."
"You may tell her that yourself when she's better. It's late, you should get to bed."
"Yes father."
Lucius turned to leave and then stopped, "Don't blame this all on yourself, Zara did her fair share."
"Yes father."
"Goodnight Draco."
"Goodnight."
With that Lucius left the room and went into Zara's room again.
"Narcissa," he whispered and his wife turned. "Come to bed."
"I don't want to leave Zara lest she should wake up."
"We'll move her to our bed. It's more than big enough for all of us."
This agreed with Narcissa and a few minutes later, Zara was settled in the center of the bed looking so tiny and frail. In reality, the bed could fit close to six people. Lucius wondered as both of them changed into their nightclothes why Narcissa didn't want to leave Zara in favor of her bed across the hall. But then again, Narcissa and Lucius both were very protective of the children even though each child was closer to one parent than the other.
Lucius went back into the room and crossed to his side of the bed and something caught his eye. He looked at his bedside table and there was an envelope on it addressed to Zara in handwriting he would recognize anywhere.
"Did Zara get her letter today?" He asked Narcissa who pressed a cool cloth to Zara's feverish brow. He got into bed.
A small smile of pride flickered across Narcissa's face, "Yes she did. Zara wanted to send you an owl, but I thought you would be home soon. So she left it there for you to find.
Lucius smiled and kissed Zara's temple, "Congratulations love," he whispered. And then he paused wanting to phrase the question the right way. "Do you feel guilty Narcissa?"
"Yes," she answered softly. "I should have watched over them, protected them better."
"Don't darling," he said kissing her lips gently. He could spend every waking moment kissing his wife's beautiful mouth. "Children do as they please."
"But—"
"What is done is done. Both Draco and Zara have learned their lessons."
"You'll do as I asked?"
"Yes of course."
This was it, Lucius had to do it. He had to get rid of all the dark things and in so doing his past life. Today proved that the two lives he had tried to lead would no longer work. He had to do it, for the sake of Zara as well as Draco. He could not have the lives of two innocents on his already bloodied hands.
The objects had to go.