Fatal Flower

Fatal Flower, Chapter 3: Hazing

His room was spacious and full of curious items, but the most striking piece in it was his bed. The frame was a solid dark wood, carved in the shape of a curled up dragon, it's curves covered in intricately detailed scales. In the midst of the huge frame lay a cushy, round mattress, covered in a cream colored silk and littered with many pillows.

Lucius stepped into the dragon and moved some of the pillows out of the way. He lowered himself on to the bed, taking Narcissa with him and stroked her hair soothingly. She tried to smile at him, but her lower lip was quivering. She couldn't deny that she was nervous and adrenaline was rushing through her veins. Lucius leaned down to kiss her and a few of his dreadlocks softly brushed Narcissa's face. She could feel goose bumps forming all over her body as a jolt shot through her spine. It felt almost like fear, but unlike fear it was not an entirely unpleasant sensation. Lucius kissed her and she instinctively grabbed him by the waist. He could feel her lip quiver and pulled away to look in her widening oval eyes. He smiled.

"Just relax," he said and he moved his head down.

At that moment Narcissa felt very self-conscious. Her muscles stiffened and she bit her lip. Lucius must have noticed.

"Don't worry, just relax," he repeated.

She breathed in one deep breath and cringed up some more, but then let out a sigh as she felt his lips there, brushing her ever so slightly. He thrilled her, filled her with fantastic pleasures she had never felt before. Narcissa closed her eyes and rubbed her head against the pillow it was resting on. She couldn't help but let out soft moans through her deep breaths. Lucius moved back up and stroked her hair, gazing into her eyes once more. He smiled at the still uncertain expression on Narcissa's face, before moving his eyes to her heaving chest. Then she pulled him closer to her and he took her invitation. She gasped as he carefully placed himself within her. He filled a void inside her, in more ways than one. The stinging loneliness that had dominated Narcissa's heart, that drew icy cold into her core for years, was now replaced by an overwhelming warmth. This, Narcissa decided, was what happiness felt like.

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Narcissa was smiling as she looked up at the ceiling. She knew Lucius was looking at her as he lay beside her, playing with her hair. She clutched the sheets to her chest. She wanted to scream what she'd just done from the rooftops, but more than anything she wanted to tell Gibbula. It had been so different from anything Gibbula had ever told her, from anything her friend had ever described. Narcissa concluded that Gibbula must have been shagging the wrong people!

"I'll be right back," Lucius said.

He got up and put on a green, silk House Robe. Narcissa looked over at him and smiled and she could feel about a thousand butterflies flutter through her belly. He returned a few minutes later with a small glass bottle. It was filled with a dark liquid, resembling a Stout.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Insurance," Lucius smiled, "We don't want any accidents running around, do we?"

Narcissa took the bottle and downed the potion. She felt stupid for calling buttermilk the most disgusting thing she'd ever had in her mouth, for this was much worse. It tasted bitter with a metallic aftertaste. Her face scrunched up and she almost gagged. Lucius just laughed and handed her a strawberry he had been hiding behind his back. She took it and started sucking it's sweet juice.

"I've asked the kitchen to prepare us some food. You must be hungry," he said with a naughty smile, "I know I am. I could eat a hippogriff!"

Narcissa smiled broadly at him. She wasn't even thinking about food for a change, but it sounded mighty good. She remembered that she hadn't eaten all day, hadn't even finished her Buttermilk that morning and although she usually would make an excuse, like being a vegetarian or not being hungry, none of that seemed to matter right now.

"I'll send an Elf up with your clothes. Just come down to the dining hall when you're ready," Lucius said.

Narcissa tried to tell him that she had no idea where the dining hall was, but he had already gone. Soon a House Elf dressed in nothing but a tea cozy came up with her clothes.

"Pardon me, Miss, but Dobby would just like to say that he's very happy to see young Master Malfoy so content. Miss must really have made his day."

The Elf looked up with big, watery eyes. Narcissa was uncomfortable at first, but then realized that Dobby wasn't wearing much more than she was, so she just took her clothes and nodded at him in a friendly fashion.

She got dressed and could now feel her stomach rumble. Touching it she smiled lightly and ventured out into the hallway. The Manor was oddly quiet. Narcissa knew there were at least two people there besides herself and Merlin knows how many House Elves, but it was eerily silent. No music, no noises. She made her way down the marble staircase, touching the railing with her frail fingers.

"Lucius...? Anyone...?"

There was no reply. She could hear her own voice echo through the large house. Narcissa breathed in deep through her nose and could smell the scent of exotic aromas. She decided to follow the smell, as it would undoubtedly lead her to the dining hall. Continually trailing her hand along the cold walls, she followed the smell and pushed through a swinging door. Narcissa had been mistaken, the scent hadn't led her to the dining hall, but to the kitchen. A number of House Elves scrambled away as she entered. Then, she saw it. Nothing could have prepared her for the horrific image before her eyes. She had read the darkest and scariest books, but nothing compared to this! Before her eyes stood a creature that had no place in mother nature's plan. It was short, bald with unusually long arms and legs. It's skin glowed brighter and stranger than a thousand candles. It turned, revealing odd, unblinking eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. It was holding a spatula.

"Eeh, eeh," it said.

Narcissa drew frantic breaths, her eyes growing wider. The horror! The agonizing terror right before her eyes! She screamed a high pitched scream that would easily cut through the very marrow of a person's bones. She sank to the floor, hands shaking beside her head in shock, screaming ever still. The creature had now begun to scream as well. A deep guttural scream.

Finally Lucius and Nucella burst into the kitchen.

"What's wrong, Narcissa? What happened?"

He wrapped his strong arms around her. Narcissa pointed a trembling finger at the thing, which seemed to have calmed down. Lucius chuckled.

"Don't be afraid. It's only Chef. He's Arkadian."

The frantic pounding of Narcissa's heart had stopped, but she was still very shaken.

"He...he doesn't look like the one that lives with Dumbledore," she said.

Lucius laughed again.

"Chef is a full Abyssal, Dumbledore's Arkadian is half Abyssal. He's been with our family for centuries. Wizard's debt, you see. I have a story on Arkadians in The Dark Arts section of my library. Written by Amphipod Adux, maybe you should read it some time."

Narcissa nodded and carefully got back up to her feet. Lucius placed his hand on her back and was guiding her out of the kitchen. She never took her eyes off Chef, who was being comforted by Nucella.

The dining hall was right next kitchen. Two ornate wooden doors led to an even more astonishing room. The long dining table was made out of solid, dark granite. The walls covered in paintings of previous generations of Malfoys, all being illuminated by a sea of candles floating around.

Lucius pulled out a chair for Narcissa. The cutlery and plates at her seat were silver and her goblet was made of a finely shimmering crystal. Lucius poured a sparkling clear liquid into it and kissed Narcissa's hair before taking his place at the head of the table. Moment later Chef and Nucella came into the dining hall. Nucella took her seat, glaring evilly at Narcissa, while Chef rolled out a silver cart which held the first course. He let out a soft "Eeh' as he scooped the first course, consisting of blanched cabbage, cucumber, tofu and sprouts in a peanut sauce, on to Narcissa's plate. Narcissa thought she could see Chef wiping away a small tear from one of his bizarre, unblinking eyes.

"It appears you've hurt his feelings, my dear," Nucella said with a sneer, but she was immediately silenced by an angry stare from her brother.

Chef disappeared with his cart as soon as he had served everyone their food.

"So..." Nucella continued, poking her food, "will you be taking this one to meet your horrible little group of hate mongers?"

Lucius dropped his fork and calmly swallowed the food he was chewing.

"Nucella," he began with a sigh, "we are not hate mongers, we are simply a society that believes in the sovereignty of purebloods. All of us, all of us purebloods are direct descendants of a great and ancient society of pure magic beneath the sea."

Narcissa looked up insecurely from her plate.

"Might I remind you what happened to that marvelous society you're talking about, Lucius?" Nucella said.

Lucius' face grew red and he pounded his right fist on the table.

"Damn it Nucella! All we want is a New World Order, one in which the rightful leaders of this world will be acknowledged! What you call evil, I call my birthright! What you call genocide, I call justice! Why, for Merlin's sake, why are we being forced to sneak around in the shadows, hiding our magic from a bunch of weakling Muggles who control this earth!? Why are we bowing down to moronic gits like Albus Dumbledore, who want nothing else but to dilute our pure blood? It is shameful to see Mudbloods moving in on our terrain! It is shameful to see them steal our jobs, our wealth and our world! My dear sister, all we're fighting for is to regain what is rightfully ours! I'll be damned if I see future generations of Malfoys grow up in this farce of a society!"

Lucius' voice thundered through the dining hall, his face now malicious and red.

"What do you think, my dear?" Nucella asked, turning to Narcissa.

Narcissa cringed her nose, remembering the utter hate she felt for her step father.

"Muggles and Mudbloods alike are weak and feeble. I have absolutely no use for them!"

Lucius laughed hardily.

"That's my girl!" he said as he patted Narcissa on the back.

Narcissa smiled and watched Nucella get up from the table in anger and frustration. Lucius' sister left the dining hall and slammed the door.

"Don't worry about her. I don't know where she gets her absurd leftist ideas. She won't stand in my way. Not as long as our parents are alive, any way."

The remains of the first course magically disappeared and Chef once again entered the hall with his little cart. He scooped copious amount of rice with a dark sauce onto Narcissa's plate this time. Narcissa waited until Chef was gone to cringe her nose and ask what was on her plate.

"It's Cumi Cumi. Squid. One of Chef's specialties."

Narcissa drank dome of her sparkling wine. It gave her a pleasant rush in the head, which she needed to make an attempt at the alien dish in front of her. She placed a forkful of the food in her mouth. Immediately a flavor bomb seemed to explode in her mouth. Never, never in her life had Narcissa tasted anything this heavenly.

"This stuff is amazing!" Narcissa said, ignoring the fact that her mouth was still full.

Lucius smiled.

"Yes, it sure is. We're very fond of Chef...which is why I would appreciate it if you didn't mention his existence to anyone. Friends and foes alike, all right?"

Narcissa shuffled more food into her mouth.

"I bet there are more things in this house you don't want the Ministry to know about," she said with a naughty twinkle in her eyes.

Lucius paused right as he was about to take a sip of wine, then realized Narcissa was only jerking his chain. He smirked.

"So, Lucius, do you really believe in everything you just said," Narcissa asked.

"Of course I do! Just imagine, Narcissa, us taking back the world! You and I could be the start of a magnificent dynasty. We could rule together like Akhenaten and Nefertiti."

He extended his hand to her across the table and she took it with a dreamy smile, feeling a familiar fire ignite inside her. That prospect alone was worth fighting for.

Once more the remains of their food vanished from the silver plates and Chef entered the hall. This time he had a huge pie and a jug of hot custard on his cart. And was he smiling? He was.

Before Chef could serve them desert, an ominous chime bellowed through the Manor.

"Shit!" Lucius exclaimed, "They're early! Hide, Chef! Hide!"

The big smile on Chef's face turned into a disappointed pout right before he disapparated. Lucius grabbed Narcissa by the arm and dragged her out of the dining hall as she gave one last longing look at the pie and custard.

Another ominous chime cut through the Manor's silence.

"Wait in the library, while I open the door for my friends."

Lucius had an excited smile on his face. Narcissa could feel a thousand little butterflies in her belly again. She was about to meet some of Lucius' friends! Her heartbeat grew steadily faster and a nervous buzz engulfed her head. She straightened her robes and was fidgeting around with her hands. Soon Lucius returned accompanied by about ten others in billowing black robes. Before Lucius could introduce her, one of his friends had left her companion and walked up to Narcissa.

"Well, well, Lucius. What's this? Did you bring us something to play with?" the woman said as she touched the side of Narcissa's face.

"No Lestrange! This one is not to be played with!" Lucius answered.

The woman was beautiful and thin. Damn her, Narcissa thought, just because she's stunning doesn't mean she can treat me like that.

"Are you sure, Lucius? She's so pretty," the woman continued as she paced around Narcissa.

Suddenly Lestrange pulled out her wand. Narcissa took a step back and pulled her wand as well.

"Ooh and feisty too,' the woman said.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Lestrange. Narcissa is very knowledgeable about the Dark Arts," Lucius warned.

"Oh really?" Lestrange put her wand away. "Go on, little girl! Show me what you're made of! Hit me where it hurts," she said with a confident smile.

"You'll be sorry," Lucius said with a big smile.

Narcissa didn't even hear him. She was shaking with anger. Hate bubbled up inside her again. Her breaths become deep and hasty. How dare this bitch call her a little girl. She pointed her wand at the woman named Lestrange, then thought for a brief second and pointed it at the man Lestrange had come in with instead.

"I'll hit you where it hurts all right! Vector Filariasis!"

Her spell hit Lestrange's man and he crumbled to the floor in agony. He screamed and the reason for his pain became obvious. Narcissa's spell had inflated his testicles to the size of a medicine ball.

"Louis!" Lestrange exclaimed as she kneeled down by her husband.

The rest of the assembly laughed as loud as they could and after a few minutes even the Lestranges were laughing.

"That's quite a prize you've got there, Lucius,' one of them said as he patted Lucius on the back.

"She'll make a fine Death Eater,' another exclaimed.

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief, adrenaline still rushing through her veins. She had done it! She was in!