Title: The Devil's Courtship
The Potter Complex
Season: 1
Round: 2
Prompt: Song- The Devil's Courtship (Battlefield Band)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Summer 2024 Diagon Alley
Gringotts: number 58 (2G)
Prompt: [character] Lucius Malfoy
Gather Your Party: sorcerer, number 5
Prompt: [plot point] giving/receiving a gift
Scamander's Case: mooncalf, female
Prompt: [plot point] a wedding
Word count: 2621
Betas: Rose, Dora
Warnings: one-sided love, forced marriage, obsessive behaviour from one character about another
A/N For this story I had the choice of choosing any song I wanted to base my story around. Actually, picking a song was a surprisingly difficult choice. There are so many inspiring songs to choose from but in the end, I decided to pick something traditional. The Devil's Courtship is a Scots song about the Devil (but she doesn't know he's the devil) trying to woo a woman by offering her gifts which she rejects. Eventually, he offers her a chest of gold (i.e. a life of money) to keep her comfortable in her old age and she then agrees to go with him. Not long after agreeing to go with him she spots his cloven feet and regrets her decision to go with him but he won't let her go stating that he won her with the gold and it ends with her lament at agreeing to go with him.
This story follows the theme of these lyrics, although the man in this story is not the literal devil like in the song but a metaphorical devil.
The song version by Battlefield Band can be found on Spotify, other versions by other artists can be found on YouTube but, in my opinion, loses some of the feeling of the song when not sung by someone whose native tongue is Scots.
There is also a Scottish English word in here that I really like. It can be found in the Oxford English dictionary but its use outwith Scotland is not common. Yes, that is the word.
"Black, Narcissa," Professor McGonagall called out.
Narcissa stepped forward, her eyes glancing over to the Slytherin table where she spotted her two elder sisters. Andromeda gave her a reassuring smile, but Bellatrix's face was impassive. Narcissa took a deep breath and sat on the stool. The sorting hat was placed on her head and slipped down, covering her eyes.
"Ha!" said a voice in her head, making her jump. "Another Black! I know just what to do with you. SLYTHERIN!"
The hat shouted the last part out to the whole hall. Narcissa sighed with relief and made her way over to the Slytherin table which was cheering loudly. She sat opposite Andromeda beside a couple of other first years. Andromeda gave her a warm smile, and while Bellatrix was smiling, the smile didn't meet her eyes. Bellatrix could be so cold at times and it made Narcissa nervous. Then Narcissa spotted someone else, a few seats away from Bellatrix, smiling at her. The boy looked to be the year above Narcissa. He was quite good-looking, but there was the same cold look in his eyes that she saw in her sister's, and she didn't like the way he was looking at her, so she turned her attention back to the rest of the students being sorted.
Lucius watched with interest as Narcissa Black took her seat at the Slytherin table beside a couple of other first years. She was so different from her two elder sisters and was possibly the most beautiful girl Lucius had ever seen. It looked like the crazy streak that ran in the Black family had skipped Narcissa, unlike her oldest sister Bellatrix who was only a few seats away from Lucius. He gave her his warmest smile as she looked up at the table towards her eldest sister. This was the girl he was going to marry. He just knew it. She was beautiful and she was a pureblood. His father would have no objections to him making a match with Narcissa, he was sure of it. Now he just had to convince her that she could make no finer match than himself. And really, she couldn't, he was a Malfoy, he was practically wizarding royalty. But he also wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to make a play for Narcissa while Bellatrix was still at school. That witch was straight-up crazy and he was rather fond of his features the way they were, he didn't want her to rearrange his face for him. This would give him time to get to know Narcissa better, and how best to woo her.
Lucius Malfoy prided himself on his excellent taste and he was not wrong when it came to Narcissa Black. If he thought she was beautiful when he first laid eyes on her then she was nothing short of stunning as he watched her sitting with her friends in the Great Hall at the start of term feast at the beginning of her fourth year. Her deranged sister Bellatrix had graduated last year and Narcissa looked far more relaxed this year and this only enhanced her ethereal beauty. He'd spoken to her only a handful of times in the intervening years, but this would not stop him from making her his. After all, how could she possibly refuse the most eligible person in school?
When everyone else went to bed that night, Lucius stayed up and sent off an order to Honeydukes. As a prefect, no one was going to stop him from visiting the owlery. He gave the owl his order and tied a little leather pouch of sickles to the owl's leg. His eagle owl gave his finger an affectionate nibble before it soared out of the window into the night. Tomorrow when his owl returned with his order, he would begin his plan to woo Narcissa.
Narcissa dropped her bag of books into her dorm room after class before dinner. The common room was empty as everyone had already made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Everyone that was, except Lucius Malfoy, who seemed to be waiting for her.
"Hello, Narcissa," he said, getting up out of the armchair he'd been sitting in as she approached.
"Oh, hello, Lucius," Narcissa replied, warily.
"I got you your favourite sweets," he said, holding out a striped paper bag.
Narcissa took it from him and looked inside. It was a bag of acid pops and ice mice. Bellatrix's favourites. Neither of which Narcissa liked.
"I thought perhaps you might like to go with me to Hogsmeade on the first visit this year," Lucius continued.
"That's very kind of you," Narcissa said, handing back the bag of sweets, "but I've already agreed to go with my friends and I don't like acid pops or ice mice. Those are Bella's favourites. Excuse me."
Narcissa left the common room as quickly as she could before Lucius could say another word. She didn't know what she had done to suddenly attract his attention, but she didn't like it and wanted to nip his attention in the bud as soon as possible.
Lucius was not dismayed when Narcissa handed him back the bag of sweets and turned him down. There would be other Hogsmeade visits and obviously his first gift had missed the mark as the way to spark the beginning of true love. He should have never asked Crabbe to find out what Narcissa's favourite sweets were. He would have to find a better gift. One more worthy of a pureblood such as Narcissa. He left the bag of sweets on a table in the common room—someone would eat them—and he made his way up to dinner, turning over gift possibilities in his mind.
Narcissa had received no more gifts from Lucius nor had he asked her out again since she had turned him down on the second day of term, so she was hopeful that he had got the message and would set his sights on someone else. She didn't know what it was, but there was something about him that she just didn't quite trust. Perhaps it was just that the coldness in his eyes reminded her too much of her sister Bellatrix. Therefore, she was surprised to get back to her dorm after the Christmas holidays to find a wrapped present sitting on the pillow of her bed, with a note attached.
Dearest Narcissa,
Please forgive me for my oversight of the first gift. I had entrusted a friend to enquire about your favourite sweets and, clearly, they did not do their due diligence in this matter. I have taken some time to give thought to the matter of an appropriate gift that is befitting a witch of your proud status. Please consider this as both an apology gift and a Christmas gift. As you may be aware, the next Hogsmeade visit will be on the 22nd of January. I would be delighted if you would be so kind as to join me for a drink in the Three Broomsticks so I may make amends.
Your loving servant
Lucius Abraxas Malfoy
Narcissa opened the gift with trembling fingers to reveal a beautiful pearl necklace. She sat down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. Unlike his first gift, Lucius had made plain in writing his intention that this gift was not to woo but an apology and a Christmas gift. One that she could not return to him without being perceived as rude. It left her with a quandary. How could she spurn his advances now? It was clear that he had not set his sights on anyone else but still intended to pursue her. She feared, more than anything, that news of Lucius' interest in her should reach the ears of her parents, who would no doubt consider it a great honour that a Malfoy wished to court their daughter. If such news were ever to reach them she would have great difficulty rejecting his advances, so she had to find a way to stop this foolishness before it got out of hand.
If Narcissa thought that she could quell Lucius' interest in her, she had been sorely mistaken. She had spurned several more advances from Lucius throughout her fourth year, including turning him down very publicly when he had tried to pressure her into a date. She had found it very difficult to hide her grin as Lucius and his minions stomped away, his face scarlet from embarrassment. Now halfway through her fifth year, Lucius' interest in her had not waned. She had received endless amounts of chocolates, flowers and jewellery from Lucius and no matter how often she tried to tell him she wasn't interested, it made no difference. Several people had now noticed Lucius' interest in her which made rejecting his gifts more difficult, at least without her looking like the bad guy. It irked her that she would be viewed as the mean one in this situation when really it was Lucius who was being the asshole. He was the one who continued to harass her despite having made it abundantly clear to him that she wasn't interested. Why could he not just accept no for an answer?
Her heart dropped into her stomach when she spotted the notice that appeared in the common room that weekend. There was to be a Yule dance. She returned to her dorm room, to avoid the rest of the Slytherins who were excitedly discussing the dance and who they would like to go with. Lying on her bed was a beautiful set of new, silver dress robes and another note. There was no need to read the note. She recognised Lucius' handwriting. She crumpled the note up and flung it into the corner of the room in frustration.
It was close to midnight and Narcissa was getting cold. She cast another warming charm on herself and hugged her knees closer to her chest as she gazed out over the lake.
"Why are you avoiding me?" came Lucius' voice, making her jump.
"I'm not avoiding you. I'm just here on a higher plane of existence," Narcissa replied coldly.
"Did you like the dress robes I sent you?" Lucius asked, sitting down beside her.
"I don't need new dress robes. I just bought some new ones at the start of the school year."
"These ones were made specially for you, at my request for the Yule Ball."
"I'm afraid I won't need them. I shall not be attending the ball," Narcissa said, hoping to prevent Lucius asking her to attend with him.
"I went to a lot of trouble to organise that ball just for you. I wanted to show you how special you are," Lucius replied.
"You don't even know me."
"Well, what better chance is there to get to know you than by attending a ball with you? Will you go to the ball with me?"
"I'm afraid I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," Narcissa replied, standing up to leave. "It means no," she added when Lucius didn't respond.
"You keep turning down my offers," Lucius said.
"I don't want to go out with you."
"But you don't even know me," Lucius countered, "so how do you know you don't?"
Narcissa opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. She couldn't think of a reply.
"So, how about you attend the ball with me and give us a chance to get to know each other a bit better? And if after the ball you still aren't convinced then I'll leave you alone?"
"Fine!" Narcissa snapped. "One ball."
"I've told you, several times now, Lucius, to leave me alone. I'm not interested in dating you. You promised you would leave me alone if I still wasn't convinced after the ball, and you refuse to listen. I don't think we are right for each other," Narcissa said, exasperated.
"I do think we're right for each other. You're smart, beautiful and your blood is almost as pure as a Malfoy's. And I'm not exactly harsh on the eyes either."
"I think it's time to give up now."
"I'm not ready to let you go yet," Lucius replied. "I believe we have a future."
"Just give up, Lucius," Narcissa said, shutting the dorm door in his face.
"Lucius, it's just after midnight," Crabbe complained. "Put that light out."
"What are you doing?" Goyle asked.
"Scheming," Lucius replied.
"In the middle of the night?" Crabbe said, with an ear-splitting yawn.
"Best time to do it," Lucius said absentmindedly.
"What are you scheming about, anyway?"
"Narcissa, obviously," Lucius said, rolling his eyes.
"Obviously," Goyle said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
"I thought she wasn't interested in you?" Crabbe asked, sitting up looking confused.
"That's why I'm scheming. She just doesn't realise that she does want me. After all, what's not to want?"
"Father, you can't be serious?" Narcissa exclaimed, as Cygnus Black informed her of her engagement to Lucius Malfoy.
"I will not have you besmirching the Black name like your sister," her father told her. "After your sister and my blood-traitor nephew, you should be grateful that someone of Malfoy's standing is still interested."
"But I don't know him, I don't care for him… I don't love him!"
"Preserving the purity of our line is more important. You will grow to love him. The Malfoys have made a substantial contribution to the family."
"In other words, they bought me? Like some sort of commodity?"
"I have secured you an advantageous match. You will be well provided for, even when I am gone. I will hear no more about it. You will marry Lucius as soon as you graduate from Hogwarts."
The day Narcissa had dreaded for over a year was upon her. The day of her wedding to Lucius. Her mother and sister Bellatrix had not let her out of their sight since she had come home from Hogwarts. Her mother had organised everything. Narcissa had no choice in any of the wedding plans, not that she cared much. She hadn't been given a choice in groom. It seemed amazing to Narcissa that young girls ever dreamed about their wedding day. There was nothing joyous about this day. She couldn't help feeling that she was receiving a life sentence. Her mother handed her the pearl necklace that Lucius had given her in her fourth year and she put it on, feeling like shackles would be less oppressive than this necklace.
She felt numb. Everything was a blur. She was barely aware of her father forcefully steering her down the aisle. The words of the officiator were nothing but a mindless buzzing in her ears. She couldn't imagine a bride ever looking as miserable as she looked now. She had no idea how she made it through the vows before she was led back up the aisle by her new husband. There was dancing and feasting afterwards but everything just tasted like ash. The music was just noise.
And then they were alone in the chambers at Malfoy Manor and still Narcissa felt nothing. It was like she was watching someone else. She watched as she recoiled in horror as her eyes took in the sight of the hideous black skull with the serpent protruding from its mouth on her husband's left arm and she knew. She knew she was trapped forever more and she regretted that she did not have the courage of her sister or even her cousin to defy the family and escape from the pureblood nonsense.
Outwith their window, the wind cried mournfully. It felt to Narcissa that the wind gave voice to the sadness she felt within.