Chapter Twenty Nine
Narcissa strode down the long, badly lit corridors of Lestrange manor, trying not to let the unrelenting chill get to her. It was never warm here, even in the middle of the summer she'd been trying not to shiver in her room.
"Cissy, where are you going?" Bellatrix asked, brushing a none existent speck of dust from her bodice, "Do you not feel the call?"
Narcissa slapped on a smile, "Of course I do. I was just going to change. I've been out riding, my hem is covered in mud."
"Well hurry." Bellatrix sighed, "The Dark Lord will be here any minute." she looked dreamily down the corridor.
Narcissa nodded and quickly closed the door to her bedroom behind her. It was a pretty room, painted in fresh yellow and turquoise, with a scattering of pretty cushions. Narcissa had chosen the decoration herself, but it still felt empty.
Malfoy Manor had been a huge, grand building but it had always been warm and inviting. There was never a shortage of laughter or someone to talk to. Lestrange Manor was the opposite, everyone was secretive and made no secret of the fact they didn't want anyone else to be there, possibly distracting the Dark Lord from each power grabbing minion.
Narcissa stripped off her riding dress and gave her face a quick wash in the bathroom before getting dressed in a fresh set of smart robes in blood red. Narcissa had always been a fan of neat and bright colours. Now she wore nothing but dark colours, with what Bellatrix called 'edgy' cuts.
Narcissa stared at herself in the mirror. Logic told her that she couldn't possibly have changed that much in just a few short months, but the mirror told a different story, and Severus had certainly changed a great deal.
They were both slimmer, stress blocking their appetites for the most part. Dark circles permanently stuck under their eyes.
Narcissa found little she could recognise in the mirror now.
She shook her head, Voldemort hated anyone being late and being late for a moment of self pitying wasn't worth the pain it would undoubtedly cause.
"Miss Malfoy." Umbridge's clipped tones hissed the second Narcissa locked her door behind her.
"Lady Malfoy." Narcissa said, glaring down her nose at the small, very pink woman, "I have never been a Miss Malfoy, I wasn't even Miss Black." she let out a tinkly laugh.
Umbridge mimicked the laugh, "My mistake!" it was a 'mistake' she made every time, "How have you been?"
"Very well thank you." Narcissa replied coolly, "We have been most busy."
"Oh we've been very busy at Hogwarts as well." Umbridge sighed, not taking the hint of Narcissa not wanting to talk to her, another annoying habit she seemed to have, "You wouldn't believe how awful the level of education had been there. Not one of the children knew even half of what they should of."
"I'm sure Bellatrix and Rodolphus will be thrilled to hear that about their heirs." Narcissa snarled.
"Well not them of course!" Umbridge said quickly, letting out a nervous laugh, "I meant that there are a few good students, but not many."
"Well, I'm sure they are all in good hands now." Narcissa said, with a plastic smile, "What with Severus, Alecto and Amycus… And yourself of course."
Umbridge beamed up at her and nodded, "Exactly. I'm so happy to be teaching again, even better now that the awful Dumbledore has gone. Do you know what the meeting is about today?"
Narcissa shook her head, her blonde hair rippling down her back, "No. I didn't think it polite to question my sister about it in the middle of the hallway. We shall find out soon enough after all."
"Well it's nice to be away from the school, if only for a little while." Umbridge sighed happily, "It's always so noisy."
Narcissa strode into the large dinning room and took her place at the table, placing her hands, folded neatly on her knee. Umbridge huffed loudly and took her seat at the end of the table, furthest away from Voldemort.
She had been freed from Azkaban along with the other Death Eaters and their supporters who had been incarcerated. Her dislike of muggles had won her her freedom, her work for Voldemort had gained her the Dark mark itself but she was still new, having stayed out of the first war and still only a half blood, with a squib as a brother.
Her work hadn't earned her a prized seat at the table just yet.
The table filled quickly. Severus slid into place at the Dark Lord's left side, Bellatrix sitting in the seat on the right, leaving the highest and grandest seat between them.
"How are things at the school proceeding?" Bellatrix purred teasingly.
"Hem hem. Very well." Umbridge pipped up, "Very well indeed. You will all be most pleased with our progress."
Bellatrix sneered down at her, "I thought it was your turn to stay at school with Alecto, where is Amycus?"
Umbridge let out a high pitched giggle, "Oh well I begged him to allow me to come this time. I've managed to miss the last three gatherings, those silly rotas!"
"The Dark Lord will not be pleased with you changing his rotas." Bellatrix snapped, still glaring at Umbridge.
"The Dark Lord does not care Bella." Voldemort drawled in a low hiss, swanning into the room, "He is not the one to make up the rotas… He would however be most displeased if anyone were getting in the way of my loyal followers attending every meeting they could." the clipped last syllable hung threateningly in the air for a moment, "Now… Severus, report how Hogwarts is fairing."
"Of course My Lord. The lessons have increased their focus on the lack of skills of the muggles, as well as increasing the level of detail on past abuses against the magical kind, specifically witches and wizards." Severus informed them, running his finger along a crack in the table.
"And all the students are taking to their lessons?" Voldemort asked, raising a non-existent eyebrow.
Severus lowered his head slightly, "There is some push back, it is true but that was always to be expected."
Bellatrix snorted a laugh, "I should say. Rodolphus… and Gemini, reported that a group of students had tried to break into your office! That sounds like more than a little push back!"
"There hasn't been as as much push back as we feared. Many of the students from even the most muggle loving households are starting to learn the truth. I had a brilliant report about Ginny Weasley the other day." Severus finished, ignoring Bellatrix.
"What happened to the students who tried to break into you office, Severus?" Voldemort asked, not ignoring Bellatrix.
"They were punished, of course." Severus said simply, "Miss Greengrass, I'm told, could hardly even cry at the end of an hour of punishment by Amycus and his fifth year students." he failed to inform them that it was Daphne and not Astoria who'd completed the punishment.
"Good." Voldemort nodded thoughtfully, "Do you know what they were after?"
"Causing trouble I would imagine. All useful books or items had been removed from my office already." Severus said calmly.
"There is nothing of value left in there?" Umbridge said in her annoyingly high pitched, simpering voice, "I thought that the scram sax of Slytherin was still there."
Voldemort's head snapped towards Severus, his lips drawing back across his teeth, "Is this true? Do you consider my ancestors item to be worthless?"
Severus shot a glare to Umbridge, "No of course not, My Lord. But the scram sax is well protected, they would never have been able to get near it, I highly doubt they even knew it was in there. Please forgive My Lord, I meant no disrespect."
Voldemort's gaze softened slightly, "Very well. Still, now that there is the chance student are aware it is there, we should have such a valuable item moved. Narcissa, where does your vault lie in Gringotts?"
Narcissa raised her head, "My personal vault is number six hundred and eighty one, I have no access to the Malfoy vault any more."
Voldemort nodded, "It is a shame your name has been so sullied by the vulgar unfaithfulness of your husband… when I have finished my work, ridding our world of those who wish to steal it, I hope your son will return to you and work to restore the Malfoy name."
"It is my greatest wish also, My Lord." Narcissa smiled, impressed with how sincere she managed to sound; Draco was still a sore point for her and probably always would be.
"Until then, however, you can be of no help where vaults are concerned." Voldemort mused.
"I am very sorry, My Lord." Narcissa said, lowering her head.
"Do not worry yourself. You have been most useful these past months and I am sure that it will continue." Voldemort smiled, making everyone at the table shiver slightly.
"We have a vault you are welcome to use." Rodolphus offered, "It is down, right at the depths of Gringotts and most secure."
Narcissa narrowed her eyes slightly as Bellatrix bristled, flicking her eyes between Rodolphus and Voldemort before composing her face again.
Voldemort thought for a moment before nodding to himself, "Severus, arrange for the scram sax to be moved to the Lestrange vault."
"Of course My Lord." Severus smiled, "I will arrange it with you later Bella, before my return to Hogwarts."
"Speaking of Hogwarts…" Voldemort said, turning his attention to the rest of the table again, "The reason I have called this meeting is due to the never ending vomit coming from the various papers. The Daily Prophet is doing as asked, printing what the Ministry is asking them, but there are several other smaller papers that are still showing support for Potter and the mudbloods."
Severus wondered how any of this related to Hogwarts, hoping that Voldemort didn't expect him to guess. He was already in trouble for failing to mention that the scram sax was still in his office. Once it was in the Lestrange family vault there would be not chance of him being able to get it to Harry.
"We've banned all publications that aren't the Daily Prophet from school." Severus said carefully.
"Oh yes." Umbridge agreed, "We don't even allow Witch Weekly since they placed Potter on the 'Top Ten Tasty Teen Terrors' list."
Voldemort gave her a half smile, "And your efforts are admirable. However that is not the point I was getting too."
Nagini hissed, slithering into the room over Umbridge's feet. The witch shrieked and jumped to her feet causing a round of laughter to echo nastily around the table.
Umbridge mumbled an apology and sat gingerly back down.
Voldemort shook his head, allowing Nagini to curl herself over the back of his chair, her head resting on the arm rest. Voldemort dragged his long, pale fingers over her scales in slow, gentle strokes.
"The task I am setting you both, and the Carrows, is to strike at the heart of the vermin that spread foul rumours." Voldemort said clearly, "Yaxley has informed me that many of these rumours begin with a publication called 'The Quibbler'."
"Yes My Lord. It is run out of a hovel, really you couldn't call it home." Yaxley laughed, the laughter dying quickly as Voldemort failed to join in, he nervously cleared his throat, "It is run by Xylophilious Lovegood. He's a pure-blooded man, but by all accounts went even more nuts when his wife died. Penelope or Patrice or something."
"Pandora." Narcissa hissed, "Like the box."
"Pandora." Yaxley sniffed, glaring at Narcissa who glared back at him, "Another pure-blood, although they both became rather muggle loving. It explains why they are so firmly on Potter's side now."
"Mr Lovegood has no affiliation with Hogwarts." Severus pointed out.
"No… but I do believe his daughter attends school still." Voldemort smiled, "And from Yaxley's research, he is very fond of his daughter."
Umbridge's eyes glinted at the thought of being allowed to hurt a student, "What would you have us do My Lord? We have many punishments at our disposal-"
"Nothing!" Voldemort snapped, "Control yourself Dolores, your thirst for children's blood is admirable, but not appropriate right now. Lovegood's anger and filth at our noble cause will only increase if he gets word of his daughter being tortured at her school."
"He wouldn't need to find out." Umbridge suggested.
Voldemort let out an exaggerated sigh, "If he doesn't find out about the course of action we take, what is the point? If he fails to heed our warning, then we will consider more drastic actions. But for now, you will simply take her to Hogsmead in two weeks time, that will give Bella and Rodolphus long enough to prepare a cell for her here."
"Surely a blood traitor's child hardly deserves such gentle treatment." Umbridge huffed, muttering under her breath.
"It is hardly gentle treatment!" Bellatrix snapped, insulted that Umbridge had dared to question Voldemort, "And rest assured My Lord, she will be kept securely here. Our attic is already warded heavily, two weeks will be plenty of time."
Voldemort smiled at her, making Bellatrix simper.
"We must remember, that although her parents have corrupted her young mind," Voldemort mused, "Luna Lovegood is still a pure-blooded girl only just entering her childbearing years. Once she is married to someone loyal, her husband will be able to pull her back into line. The blood of the old families, our blood, is precious. There is no reason to spill even one drop unnecessarily."
"We will take her from the school." Severus assured Voldemort, "And deliver her to Hogsmead as you wish, My Lord."
"She cannot know she is being moved, I do not wish her to have any excuse to run." Voldemort warned, "For all I do not, yet, wish her harmed, this is not a friendly visit to Lestrange Manor. She will be a prisoner until her father falls into line or she is married."