For a moment, the family sat at one of the many tables arrayed outside the ice-cream parlor, each enjoying their chosen frozen treat, even as the air was thick and heavy with tension. Lucius raised a spoonful of chocolate ice-cream to his mouth, smiling at the candy-scented smoke sloughing off it as it approached his lips, even as his eyes were fixed on his two children, a hungriness in them, akin to the way a wolf eyed a deer. The ice-cream seemed to stick in the children's throats, suddenly dry and rough as they trembled under Lucius' harsh gaze. Narcissa eyed them, her gaze lingering on Lucius for a while, before turning away
At last, the desserts were finished, and though the children still sat at attention, looking as if someone were holding a gun to their heads, Lucius leaned back, stretching in faux-exhaustion, before turning his icy blue eyes to Narcissa, a small smile stretching across his face, cold as midnight, "Well, let's check out their school supplies then, I suppose", he said, a small smile stretching across his face. Narcissa grimaced, "Maledictor's shop on Knockturn Alley again ? One of these days you'll catch some life-threatening illness from that filthy shop, I swear"
Lucius smiled, sharp as a dagger, "Maledictor's ? Gods no. No, no, we're headed for Flourish and Blotts". Narcissa just stared at him for a moment, slightly astounded. Her husband, not choosing the vastly more-powerful (and no-doubt both illegal and cursed) artefacts available in the Darker Alley, and instead going for the simple, ordinary supplies of a place like Flourish and Blotts ? Now she was really suspicious. She shot her husband a wary glance, as he got up from his place at the table, rapping his staff against one of the legs to tell the others to hurry up, before walking off in the direction of the bookshop. Narcissa rushed after him, catching up with him after a while, and began whispering furiously at him, "What is it this time ? Another one of your manipulations ?"
Lucius smiled, a hint of pride in his voice, as he began speaking, his voice low and soft, as deadly as poison, "Close, but not entirely correct. Earlier today I received a notification.."
A notification ? Did that mean... no, it couldn't... but... She turned wide, fearful eyes towards her husband, who made an odd expression, halfway between a grimace and a forced smile, pointing to his forearm. Everything went silent. Narcissa stared in horror at the place he gestured to, knowing very well what lay beneath the black folds of Lucius' robe. A skull-mark, a serpent slithering out it's mouth. What was it that Volde-The Dark Lord had told Lucius just before he left for the Potter house.. the place that would become... was rumored to have been... his last stand ?
I am eternal, Lucius. I will never die
She drew in a sharp breath, noting, with some horror, the way even her husband's perpetual smug look seemed to fade away as he realized the implications of this, his skin growing gray and pallid. "Not again", she whispered, low and desperate. Lucius nodded, whispering back, "We have been ordered to assemble at Flourish and Blotts. Maledictor will be there as well."
"I-it could be an impostor... a fake call", she cried, slightly desperate, a drowning woman clinging to twigs
"Only a damn fool would impersonate the Lord... In any case... let us hope so", Lucius said gravely
The quaint old shop of Flourish and Blotts had never looked more intimidating. The wrought-iron doors seemed to loom over the couple, the tinted glass windows looking like the eyes of some hungry beast about to devour them. The gate opened and the family entered, as it slammed shut behind them. The horde of milling wizards and witches within stilled at the noise, before returning to their work, though Narcissa noticed that about twenty of them, dressed in black robes, high-ranking Pure-blood Lords, simply stared at Lucius as he approached them. He began speaking, gesturing dramatically with his arms, only to be cut off by another wizard... Ivar Nott, if she recognized him correctly, saying something sharply, his grey eyes boring into her husband's eyes. Lucius looked away, paling as he began speaking again, more desperate this time.
Another witch... Alvida Selwyn snorted and said something derisively, leading Lucius to laugh nervously, and continue speaking. Ivar looked up, his eyes blazing with rage. "ENOUGH ! WE GROW TIRED OF YOUR ENDLESS PRATTLE, KNAVE !", his deep, powerful voice resounded through the shop, silencing the rest of the shoppers, a fact he seemed to realize, as he jerked back, looking around nervously, before returning to arguing heatedly with her husband, Alvida standing by and occasionally interrupting, her ruby-red eyes clearly judging the two "former" Death Eaters and finding them lacking. Her black-painted lips twisted into a mocking sneer as she said something that caused Lucius to look at her with anger, reaching for his wand, before Ivar, his old, wrinkled face seeming more aged than ever, grabbed his arm, holding him back. Lucius sneered , jerking away from the old Lord Nott's grip, and nearly spitting something at Alvida, before storming back to Narcissa
"So ? How'd it go ?", Narcissa asked, one eyebrow raised. Lucius scoffed derisively, "The old fools don't know why we were called either. They just mentioned that a man named Perfidus called them here, and left some time ago"
"You missed the message ?", Narcissa asked, her eyes wide, the "and you weren't killed ?" unspoken, but clear. Lucius shrugged, "Those two were getting angry at me, because apparently this Perfidus fellow resembled me quite a bit, and they were telling me to control him. Apparently he insulted them quite a lot", he said, allowing a bit of his customary arrogance back into his voice at the last statement
"What did he say ?"
"With how fragile these so-called "Lords" are ? Literally anything would offend them, I suspect", Lucius snorted, before gesturing to the children, "Are they done yet ?". "No," Narcissa whispered back
"How much damn time does it take to pick out ten books ?", Lucius grumbled, "Incompetent little.." "Lucius !", Narcissa reproached, "Those are your children you're talking about !"
Lucius sighed heavily, massaging the bridge of his nose, "Apologies, I'm just a little stressed today. I didn't mean to let it out on you three". And once again, the "in public" went unsaid, but clearly implied