AN: Now for something a little different.
Narcissa's POV is marked with N.
Lucius with L.
18. Serpents
L.
Narcissa Black was without a doubt the most fascinating, sensual and beautiful woman Lucius Malfoy had ever seen in his life. She was charming and engaging, and unlike any woman he had known before, he found that she made him laugh. He fancied that she returned his interest, because she would steal his glances from across the room, and when he finally built the courage to cross the floor and ask her to dance, she agreed. The only small hitch in their otherwise flawless tale of love-at-first-sight was that she belonged to another man. A man, that it happened, was his friend - his best friend, if he was being honest with himself - being a Death Eater hardly lent itself to opportunities to create meaningful friendships.
Severus Snape was something of an oddball. He wasn't like his other friends - where Yaxley and Lestrange were predictable in their darkness - Severus was an enigma; never doing quite what was expected. He didn't revel in debauchery, which, Lucius felt was the best part of being a Death Eater. Nor did Severus seem to enjoy the violence, which was a close second. There was money to be had - stolen, he supposed - but Severus was not lavish in the slightest. He did not take what he did not feel he was owed. He was humble - or perhaps, insecure - given that modesty is only so when the person is aware of their gift. Severus was either unaware of his magical skill, or he was reluctant to use it. It seemed to Lucius that Snape had in fact, become a Death Eater simply for the power and privilege of being one. He wondered if Severus had, above all else, welcomed The Dark Lord, because he thought it would impress this woman. And Lucius could understand moving heaven and earth, to do just that.
Severus was a half-blood, which Lucius could hardly understand, given that Miss Black was of a most pure lineage, like himself. If Snape knew just how out of his league his woman was, he did not show it. He was quite comfortable with her. Happy to show her off to the other Death Eaters, many of whom did not mind sharing with a friend. Severus, however, did not share, nor did she want to be shared. And so this silver beauty, this gorgeous creature, was not to be borrowed - nor to be owned - she was only to be cherished by a keeper; a single keeper. He fancied she was a patronus - a burst of white light and blinding happiness. As he danced with her, she felt right at home in his arms, as though she belonged there. Almost, he thought, as though she was made for him. Not that he believed in a maker, per se, but he might be swayed, if he was able to convince her to leave the clutches of the bat. She belonged with him, for he was a peacock, and she, he fancied, was a swan.
Birds of a feather.
How Severus Snape had nabbed this woman first was a mystery, no, an absolute travesty, but as luck - or perhaps, destiny - would have it, Severus became a scapegoat for The Dark Lord, and was imprisoned in Azkaban for three months. It was just for the summer, but in the summer women are hot and broody, he found, and she was no exception. She was lonely without him, and so he stepped in, in Severus' stead and began to woo her. He had to employ a different strategy with her; she would not be so easily swayed. Of course, she enjoyed his gifts of brooches and jewellery; women of her bloodline were always drawn to shiny things, but she was not the kind of woman on whom his typical, lacklustre seduction techniques would work. She was far too smart, far too special, to fall for his usual tricks. When Severus kissed her farewell, and said his goodbyes, she did not weep. She wasn't cold, nor was she detached. No, she was simply independent; she did not rely on anyone and she would not fall apart without him. She was quite comfortable on her own. Fascinating, she was; a woman unlike any other. And damn it, if he wasn't falling desperately in love with her.
:
N.
Narcissa Malfoy had been blessed with three incredible loves in her life. She knew that she was lucky, some people don't even get one. Those who do find one, often do not end up with them, and they have their hearts ripped from their body. Narcissa's heart was, and always had been, quite safe; quite whole. She married her third and final love - her great love - and her husband was the most attentive, most provocative man she had ever met.
Lucius embodied all of the things that she found attractive, he was whip-smart and devilishly handsome; well-off, and glad to shower her in expensive gifts, but neither was he afraid to be treated to gifts of his own. He approached her as an equal, rather than something to possess. Neither did he try to dominate her. He was quite comfortable in both roles, assertive or submissive depending on what the situation demanded. He was both masculine and feminine, she fancied, neither one nor the other, but still, very much a man. He was not possessive, or jealous, allowing her to stray outside the marriage, if the desire so took her, as long as she understood that she was to return to him. And she did, every time. Because she liked men; the way they looked, the way they smelt, how they felt underneath her, but she loved her husband.
He was, however, not without fault. He was a man of two extremes. He was bold and adventurous, but he was also reckless and tactless. On the flip side, he was a coward; often ill-prepared to face the consequences of his foolishness. He was never more happy than he was at home, smoking his cigars, drinking his brandy, eating his fill of her Sunday dinner, and for dessert, he had her on the dining table. It was his recklessness, that was the only weed in their otherwise perfectly tended garden. He didn't think through his actions, always so quick to act. He was a creature of impulse. If he wanted something, he had to have it. He did not like to be told no. Fortunately for Lucius, rarely was he denied.
When he had set his sights on her, she had belonged to another. It had been most unfortunate, she knew, but from the moment she had seen him across the room at one of The Lestranges' parties - an excuse to show off the new decor - the room became a backdrop to the story of their attraction. Severus was tending to The Dark Lord, as often he did as his favourite, and so she sat at the side of the room, hoping that he would return to ask her to dance. Not that Severus would ever do such a thing. He had all of the rhythm of a staggering drunk, even when perfectly sober. But the man that approached and asked her to dance was not her boyfriend, no, he was older, quite beautiful; proud and silver, like a hippogriff. She took his hand without a second thought, and as he held her, he moved her across the room like they had practiced this dance every day of their lives. All thoughts of her commitment banished, just for one glorious song; his bright light, casting Severus to the shadows.
Her first love was, she supposed, more intense than the one that followed shortly after. Perhaps her heart had taken something of a beating that first time, with that first ending. But it had been her decision, and so although Tobin Rogers had his hand on her heart, it had been she who had wrapped her fingers around his, and pulled away. He was devastated, she knew, but she was not without reason. Her mother and father did not approve of the match; her sister, was even less impressed. Bella feared that Tobin was dishonest about his blood status. He claimed it was 'pure', born to two noble houses, but Bella did not believe him. She had quizzed him rather intently and concluded that he was a liar. She had heard of neither the Rogers on his father's side, nor the French family he claimed to have on his mother's. It wasn't enough to end the relationship, but it did make her question it. What sort of life could they have together if her family didn't approve? She didn't want to go the same way as Andromeda and be burned from the family portrait.
He was twenty, she twenty-three, when unfounded suspicions of infidelity began to surface. She had been with men before, it was true. Her bloodline was pure, but her bed-sheets hardly were. That said, she had been with Tobin, and only Tobin, ever since he had requested her commitment to him. She was loyal, and she always honoured contracts - and an agreement of fidelity was contract enough. His suspicions became accusations, until she could no longer stand it. He did not know who she was supposedly fooling around with, but he was sure that she was with somebody. When his accusations became outbursts of anger, she no longer felt safe, having learned from her father, who had beat the lesson into her every other day since adolescence, that angry men, quickly become violent men. She had seen her fair share of violence, ever since Bella had brought her to the attention of The Dark Lord, but she had never agreed to be a victim of it. Nor, she decided, would she be a perpetrator. The Dark Lord agreed. She was useful in other ways. Charming and a natural negotiator. She could talk anyone into anything. Who needed the Imperius curse when you were so damn beautiful. And so, as gently as possible, she ended the relationship with Tobin, and disappeared to The Dark Lord's side, safe under his protection for as long as he would grant it.
:
L.
The woman with whom he shared a bed was not Narcissa. She was dark and soft and autumn in all of the places that Narcissa was light and sharp and winter. The way his wife's silver hair draped across her shoulders, and fell into his face as she made love to him from above was a magic like nobody could ever rival. The woman in the bed was called Amy, he thought, or perhaps Annie. He hoped Amy, as Annie was hardly a name for a grown woman. Amy or Annie rolled into her side and her tits folded under her armpits, into the pillows and it looked hardly comfortable. How could anyone sleep with great big bags under their chest? She was definitely asleep because she began to stir, and snore and Lucius felt his morning wood turn to mulch.
He stood up from the bed and pulled a robe from the back of the door, then grabbed the sheets from the foot of the bed and snatched them off her body.
"Time to leave", he said, coldly. "I told you that my wife is due to return at eight sharp and it is seven forty-five. If you are still here when she arrives, she will kill you."
The woman, Amy or Annie, wrapped her arms around her breasts instinctively, even as she blinked away the night before.
Abby? Perhaps it was Abby. Doesn't matter, I'll never see her again.
She sulked as she pulled on her clothes, trying to shield her naked body from him like she hadn't been on all fours, panting in front of him, just hours before.
"Why would she kill me?" she asked. "I thought your wife knew that you were sleeping around?"
"I do not sleep around", he snipped and the woman shrugged.
"What was I then?"
"You were sleeping around. What I do is different. Narcissa and I have an agreement; an understanding per se", he drawled. "However her understanding will not extend to you. She does not know you. She loves me, and so I will be welcomed with open arms. You... a closed fist. Do you understand?"
"Really?"
"Oh, yes", Lucius said, his tone thick with his pleasure. "She is not above a brawl for my affections. It is part of the play, you see? But you are far more comely than most women I bring home, and so I cannot promise that she will not be a little jealous. And she loves a good hex, does my wife."
"Are you serious?" the woman asked.
"Absolutely", he said, proudly. "She's magnificent."
"So, she just lets you bring other people into her bed?"
Lucius laughed.
"You think this tiny room is our bedroom? No, dear, this is the third guest room."
"I would hardly call it tiny", she said. "It's bigger than my house."
"Oh", Lucius said, with a grimace. "Well, never mind. Off you go back to your tiny abode."
:
N.
Upon returning home, Narcissa found Lucius in his red robe, which she had hung on the back of the guest bedroom door, and so she knew that he had found someone with whom to take his pleasure. There was something rather exciting, knowing that they had both been elsewhere the night before, but Lucius did not want to talk about the woman, which meant that she was pretty. Not that it mattered.
What is pretty? Daisies are pretty. They are weeds all the same.
Lucius took her in his arms on the chaise and they lay entwined as Lucius smoked a cigar, reading the paper and Narcissa listened to music on the radio as she flipped through Witch Weekly.
"Anything worth knowing?" Narcissa asked.
"Not in the slightest, Darling", Lucius said, with a bored drawl. "There's been some trouble at the Ministry. Something to do with legislation. Nothing worth a second glance. Skeeter must be running out of people to misquote."
"Oh, you're quite right. How boring", she said and she returned to her magazine.
"How about in your rag?" he asked, with a cheeky smile. "Any gossip to be had?"
"Yes", she said. "It's quite exciting. Did you know that seven years ago, someone called Severus Snape was something called a Death Eater, and he did something unforgivable to someone called Albus Dumbledore?"
Lucius grabbed his chest, facetiously.
"Oh good Lord", he said. "Well, I never."
"Speaking of Severus," she said, with a falter to her voice she did not anticipate. "I kissed him."
"When?"
"Last night at the party."
Lucius' eyes darkened, and she fancied for a second that the grey flitted green.
"Oh?" he said. "And did you sleep with him?"
"Not a chance", Narcissa said with a gentle laugh that soothed her husband, who placed her hands possessively around her waist. "No, I... propositioned him."
"Ah", he said, with understanding. "Beautifully played, Darling. He declined, I assume, on the grounds that he had feelings for the muggleborn?"
"Not quite", she said. "He declined on the grounds, that he is in love with her."
He groaned excitedly.
"Oh, you're brilliant", he said and he ran his hands across her waist, down to her hips and he clutched her with needy fingers. "You are a serpent through and through; so clever, so devious."
Narcissa batted her lashes and shrugged, happily.
"I do try."
"I left a gift for you on your dressing table", Lucius said, his eyes filled with menace, as they always were before a duel, or intimacy. "Not to spoil the surprise, but they are emeralds, in a little box beside your hairbrush."
"My favourite as you well know", she said, tracing her hands along the long line of his spine.
"I want to see you in them", he said. "And nothing else."
:
L.
"Darling, I would ask you a question", Lucius said at breakfast. "But I will understand if it is not something you wish to talk about."
"Okay, love. You know we have no secrets. But if the secret is someone else's..."
"Then your exquisite lips are sealed", he said. "Yes, I would expect no less."
He shifted on the chair as he peeled his grapefruit.
"I was wondering about something Severus said."
"Ah, well, that might be a problem..."
"Yes, I know you have his confidence, and I do so wish that I did too. I will, of course, accept your refusal, but I want you to tell me about Lily."
"What about her?"
Lucius had the feeling that she was beginning to grow tired of his skirting around the subject, but he knew he had to approach this with tact, something of which, admittedly, he had rather little.
"Severus loved her and The Dark Lord murdered her? Correct?"
"Yes, Darling. We discussed that."
"Yes, we did. However, I was left with the feeling that perhaps there was something left unsaid. Something that I was not privy to. Now of course, I am not asking you to tell me what it was", he said, quick to acknowledge this overstep, "but I was thinking..."
"You know that's dangerous", she said with a coy smile and ran her feet up his trouser leg.
"Stop trying to change the subject, woman. Twenty-seven years I have loved you. Do not think that I can't see right through your tricks."
He winked at her and she gave a happy little sigh.
"Oh, you flirt. Fine", she said. "What were you thinking?"
"Severus loves Hermione. He has finally admitted as much..."
Narcissa nodded and poured herself a cup of tea as he continued.
"And I was right, was I not, when I said that he believes that his love is what killed Lily?"
"Yes, Darling. He agreed with you."
"He did. He also agreed that he was protecting Hermione by not admitting his feelings for her. So, my question naturally follows. Does he believe that his love for her... will be a detriment... to her... to both of them?"
Narcissa stirred sweetener into her tea and sat back on her chair.
"... I suppose."
"Then they are doomed", he said, bitterly. "He will continue to guard himself. He will continue to act as though his affection will harm her. He will be standoffish. He will be Severus and he will... Severus it all up."
Narcissa grimaced.
"But I will not have it, Narcissa", he snipped. "Do you hear me?"
She blinked, holding her cup to her lips without drinking. Lucius straightened up, proudly on his seat and cleared his throat.
"My apologies, Darling. I let my emotions run away with me for a moment, there."
"Yes, you did", she said with a smile. "But I enjoyed the display. Tell me, love. What is it that you are planning? I see your cogs whirring. Today it is you who has on the meddlesome face."
Lucius chuckled to himself as he added a splash of cold water to his coffee.
"No, I will leave the meddling up to you, my queen, for you are so accomplished at it. No. All I am saying", he said, narrowing his eyes a touch, "is that Hermione was hurt here in our home. We can re-decorate a thousand times, it will not erase the past. We owe her. And Severus... he is our friend and we love him, yes?"
"Yes", Narcissa said with a sharp nod of fiery approval.
"Then we cannot let him hurt her... or himself..."
"I agree, Darling", she said. "I want nothing more than his happiness, and a chance to atone for what we let happen to her here in our house, at the hands of my sister."
Narcissa's face fell at her words and Lucius reached across the table and took his wife's hand.
"I know that you feel guilty, my love. And perhaps you should, but do not. Not anymore. The world has changed and we with it" he said, squeezing her fingers; her beautiful, flirtatious fingers. "We all change. We must. Adapt or die."
She smiled meekly, and he moved his chair around the table so that he could be near to her. To place his hand under her chin, lift it to his lips. To draw her kiss to his mouth. She was so fucking beautiful. Even after all these years, he loved her.
"I love you now as I always have", he said. "And I have seen you take many forms. You are a constantly evolving creature and I have loved each and every evolution. But this Narcissa; this brave, clever, meddlesome woman that sits before- she is my favourite. Do you understand? You are the best you have ever been."
Her cheeks reddened, and he felt himself sit tall in his seat. Proud that he could make his woman blush, still after all this time.
"We will make amends", Lucius said, "… to both of them."
:
N.
"To both of them", he said, and Narcissa realised that her husband's guilt did not necessarily lie at Hermione's feet alone, but at Severus'.
Narcissa dropped her cup into the saucer and placed her hand on her husband's cheek.
"Lucius- you feel guilty about how we came to be together? Still? After all this time?"
Lucius ran his fingers across the sharp lines of his wife's jaw and kissed her.
"I, of course, do not regret it", he said, "but yes. He was in love with you and I stole you from him."
She narrowed her eyes playfully.
"I do not belong to any man", she said, "least of all, Severus Snape. You did not steal me, Darling, I came willingly. I was yours from the moment you asked me to dance."
"Likewise, my darling girl. Likewise", he said, running his hands through the strands of spun silver that hung across her shoulders. "But that is not the only cause of my shame. You see, I was the one who told the Dark Lord that Potter and his wife were with child. It was our conversation that convinced him to go after the boy. I didn't expect him to kill a baby, mind you. But as such, I have been wondering, perhaps it was me that sent him after Lily. And therefore, I have stolen away his love, not once, but twice."
"Severus begged for her life. It was foolish at best, and a god damn death wish at worst. I am surprised that only one of them died. It was Severus who brought the prophecy to him. So, my question is… do you believe that Severus is the reason she died? Do you think he should blame himself for her death?"
Lucius sat upright on his chair.
"Absolutely not", he said. "The Dark Lord would have killed her anyway."
"Exactly, Darling", Narcissa said, stroking her husband's chest to soothe him. "You are no more to blame than Severus. The only person to blame for Lily's death is The Dark Lord. And he cannot make amends given that he is long dead."
"Good riddance", Lucius drawled. "He was horribly boring towards the end. Never wanted to have any fun. Just 'kill Potter', all the time, 'kill Potter'. I mean, had he never heard of a hobby? Perhaps he would have liked to take up chess or needlepoint?"
"Darling, you are being silly now", Narcissa said. "What is it that you are avoiding?"
Lucius sighed.
"How well you know me. Yes, I was thinking, that as much as you do not think I am to blame for Lily's death… I wonder if Severus would feel the same if he knew…"
Narcissa picked up her tea and took a sip.
"Why don't you find out?"
:
L.
Draco and Jessica appeared in the fireplace one after the other. They dusted themselves down and took a seat at the breakfast table.
"What are we having?" Draco asked, pulling a slice of toast from the rack. "Mother, you know that I prefer white."
"I didn't know you were coming, son", she said and shared a look of exasperation with Jessica who smiled happily.
"Brown is better for you, Draco", Jessica said, before turning to Narcissa and asking "may I?"
Narcissa handed over the jar of damson jam and Jessica set out about spreading it on her toast.
"So what were you two talking about?" Draco asked. "You looked rather serious when we came in."
"That's absolutely none of your business, son", Lucius drawled, as he poked open the yolk on his poached egg.
"A friend", Narcissa said, "and his relationship woes among other things."
"Oh, you mean Severus and Hermione?" Draco asked.
Narcissa all but choked on her tea.
"Excuse me? How do you know about that?"
Draco's eyes flew wide open and Lucius got the feeling that Jessica had just swiftly kicked him under the table to keep him quiet. Jessica sighed.
"Severus was pining over a woman who had a boyfriend and began dating someone else, right?"
"And Hermione has had a lot to say about a man that started dating another woman...", Jessica finished.
"We put two and two together", said Draco, pleased with himself.
Lucius rolled his eyes.
"I'm surprised. I didn't know that Arithmancy was your strong suit, my boy. I should congratulate you both on your detective skills. Perhaps there is a job for you in the Department of Mysteries."
"No, thanks", Jessica said. "Working for the ministry? How horribly boring…"
Lucius' lips curled into a sly smile, as he said, "I work for the Ministry."
Jessica narrowed her eyes and glared at him, playfully.
"… Yeah, I know."
"Oh", Lucius said with a grin. "You're one of us…"
Jessica shrugged happily. It was, he supposed, the first time he'd ever been open with his approval for the girl. And he did approve. What she saw in Draco he would never know. Lucius turned to his son.
"Marry her."