Fatal Flower

Fatal Flower, Chapter 5; The Morning After

The morning after the Yule Dinner, Narcissa woke up to an empty bed. She rubbed her neck and realized that her hair was still braided. The robe she was wearing the night before was no longer draped over the chair by Lucius' desk. Narcissa concluded that Dobby had taken it to be laundered. She looked around the room for something to wear. The only thing she could find was one of Lucius' shirts and a pair of slippers. Both were much too large for her, but she didn't have much choice, so she put them on anyway and tucked her wand into the shirt pocket.

She lazily walked down the marble staircase. On her way to the dining room she passed Nucella, who had a most peculiar expression on her face.

"Good morning, Nucella. Where's Lucius?"

Nucella didn't say anything and slowly shook her head. Narcissa noticed now that the look on the other woman's face was one of utter disgust. She shrugged and continued on down the hall.

As Narcissa expected, Lucius was having breakfast at the large granite table. He smiled broadly as she entered the room.

"Good morning, my radiant creature! Look at this! We made the front page...of everything!" Lucius said with a huge grin.

Sure enough there was a large picture of them on the front page of the Daily Prophet and on the Daily Inquisition, a less reputable wizarding newspaper. But there was more. Their images also graced Witch Weekly's front page.

"Here, read! We were completely successful. There is not one single mention of the Ministry's ridiculous theme this year! Who wants to here about Wizard-Muggle relations when they can read about the hottest young couple in the country!" Lucius now let out a laugh and pointed to the Daily Prophet.

Pure Pride at the Ministry's Yule Dinner

by Massmedia Skeeter.

Lucius Malfoy and his mysterious companion Narcissa stole the show last night at the Ministry's Yule dinner. Proud Narcissa came sporting a Pendula, a traditional hair ornament to signal a maiden's availability. When asked why she chose to wear such a controversial piece of jewelry, Narcissa simply stated that she is proud of her heritage and sees no reason why she shouldn't show it.

"My grandmother wore one, as did my mother. I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to continue this proud tradition."

Half-bloods and Muggle borns traditionally wear less ornate Pendulas, but miss Narcissa does not see that as an insult.

"It doesn't matter, as long as you wear your Pendula with pride."

And pride is certainly not lacking in this blonde bombshell. When asked if Narcissa believes that non-purebloods could be singled out and discriminated against more easily if they wear something like a Pendula, she simply answered:

"What kind of sick person would want to do such a thing?"

I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of this lovely young woman on Lucius Malfoy's arm. The two of them would not comment on their relationship, but judging by the magic they had between them on the dance floor, this reporter believes that young Narcissa will not be able to wear her Pendula for much longer!

Narcissa let out a chuckle as she read the last line. Then skimmed over the other headlines.

The Daily Inquisition sported:

Lucius in Love! Better start wearing those Pendulas if you want to snag a young, handsome bachelor!

Narcissa's chuckle became louder. But that wasn't all. Witch Weekly's headline read:

The Wizarding World's New Femme Fatale!

Now Lucius and Narcissa both laughed.

"If they only knew how spot on that headline really was!" Lucius said as he took Narcissa's hand. They shared a silent moment, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. Narcissa could feel something stir inside her. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but definitely a most pleasant one. She smiled. Their private moment was suddenly interrupted by Dobby.

"Excuse me, Master Malfoy. There is a floo call in the sitting room. Dobby thinks it's for both of you."

Lucius broke eye contact with Narcissa and gave Dobby an irritated look.

"You know better than disturbing me like this for every little Floo call! Who is it, Dobby?"

"Dobby is so sorry, Sir. Dobby doesn't know who it is. It's a woman asking for you and Miss Narcissa. She seems...well...rather angry, Sir."

Lucius and Narcissa got up and followed Dobby to the sitting room. To Narcissa's horror it was her mother's face floating in the fireplace. Her mouth dropped open and she was having trouble drawing breath.

"Narcissa Amor! Who the hell do you think you are! Running away from school and spouting purist propaganda all over the newspaper! How dare you? Is this how I raised you?"

Narcissa still couldn't speak, a look of pure anguish came over her face and she felt a familiar metallic sting bubble up in her insides. Did her mother have to ruin everything in her life? That bitch! Her mother's head now turned to Lucius.

"And you! What have you done to my daughter? No...don't tell me; I don't even want to know! What were you thinking of, snatching her from school without my permission, you filthy scoundrel!"

"Mother! Stop it!" Narcissa screamed at the top of her lungs.

Lucius turned to her shaking form and raised his hand.

"Now, now, Narcissa. Be calm. Your mother has every right to be angry."

He turned to the angry face in the fire place.

"I'm terribly sorry, Madam."

Narcissa's mother seemed to calm down a bit.

"Madam, this whole situation is completely my fault. I have only the best intentions for your daughter, so please accept my humble apologies for not consulting you on this matter."

Lucius voice was calm and slick. Narcissa had never heard him speak like this.

"I will personally bring Narcissa home this afternoon and we can all have a cup of tea together. How does that sound?" he said with a smile.

"Well, all right," Narcissa's mother said, now turning to Narcissa, "but you, young lady, won't leave this house again until the stars fall from the sky!"

The face in the fireplace gave her daughter one last angry look before disappearing.

A million thoughts and memories rushed through Narcissa's head. Her vision blurred and her limbs were trembling. Lucius looked over at her.

"This is all going to end today, Lucius," she said with a light hiss. "I'll kill her. I'll kill her and that Muggle whose name she took!"

"Narcissa, don't be silly. You're not ready for that kind of thing. Do you even know the Unforgivables? You're not ready, you couldn't fight your way out, should the need arise."

Narcissa turned to Lucius, her eyes forsaking the fire place she had been so fixated on. Her nostrils were flaring and it was as if molten led flowed through her veins. She had never been this angry.

"What do you know? How would you know what I'm capable of?" Narcissa said in a venomous voice. "Dobby, get in here!" she yelled.

Dobby entered the room with a vacant expression on his face. Without taking her eyes off Lucius, she pulled her wand from the shirt pocket and aimed it at Dobby.

"Crucio," she said with trembling lips.

Dobby hit the floor in agony. Twitching and screaming uncontrollably. Narcissa's wand hand began to shake as Lucius gave her a very surprised expression. Narcissa raised her wand and poor Dobby stopped squirming and was panting heavily.

"Don't you ever underestimate me again, Lucius Malfoy. You have no idea of the perils I've seen. You have no idea what it's like to have a Muggle's whore for a mother." Narcissa had stopped shaking and Lucius' surprised facial expression turned into a smile. Narcissa slowly lowered her wand and smiled back at him. He took two large steps and embraced her in a fiery kiss.

"You just keep getting better and better," he said, his nose touching hers ever so slightly.

Lucius turned away and began walking.

"There's something you need to understand, Narcissa. Once you officially join the Order, there is no way back. There are two ways out of the order; dead and dead."

Narcissa hurried after him.

"The Order expects absolute dedication and fidelity to the Cause and to our Master."

Lucius now sat down at a desk and scribbled something on a piece of parchment. He gave a short whistle and a large eagle owl came flying through the window.

"This is a request for your initiation," he said holding up the parchment. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," Narcissa replied with resolution. She gave Lucius an ominous smile, which he returned. Lucius tied the parchment to the owl and told it to take the message to the Lestranges.

Narcissa spent the next few hours walking around the gardens. She had found a nice bench by a frozen pond. The sun was bright and the air crisp. The eerie silence that haunted the landscaped grounds should have put her mind at ease, but strangely enough it had the complete opposite effect. Somehow she had this melancholy feeling that the world as she knew it was coming to an end. She thought about her mother and what she was about to do. She thought of Gibbula and Hogwarts and how she would never regard the ancient walls of her home-away-from-home the same way again. Even the sunlight seemed strange and different. How could everything around her have changed in the blink of an eye without her noticing? Her contemplation was interrupted. The sound of frozen earth being crunched by boots signaled Lucius' approach.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Narcissa looked up at him, squinting because of the bright winter sun.

"Lucius, do you ever get a sad feeling, a feeling that something is ending?"

Lucius smiled. "Narcissa, every end is just the beginning of something else, something new. If water stops flowing through a river, does that mean the river ceases to exist? The banks are still there, aren't they? And the water still exists, it's just flowing in a different direction."

"I guess you're right...I know you're right, but I still feel sad," she said with a sigh.

Lucius knelt down beside her and touched her hair.

"You'll change today, Narcissa. You won't be the same woman you were before you came to see me. That Narcissa will end and a new Narcissa will begin."

He took her hand and squeezed it. Narcissa took one last deep breath and gazed at the horizon. She spotted her cat, Pantera, chasing a squirrel up an old, knobbly oak tree and smiled. Narcissa firmly returned Lucius' squeeze and got up. They walked back to the house, their hands still locked. Lucius changed into majestic black robes, a hooded cloak and a mask. He looked very intimidating in this attire and Narcissa could feel herself taking more rapid breaths as adrenaline coursed through her bloodstream.

Narcissa gave the gardens one last look through the window before she and Lucius took a portkey to the quiet street that held her parental house. There was a faint droning in Narcissa's head and her sight was somewhat cloudy. Within no more than a minute several other cloaked figures had appeared. Narcissa couldn't see their faces, they were all wearing masks, but she recognized their shapes. Lucius pressed her on and she walked up the gravel pathway leading to the door. No word was spoken in the group, the only sound they made was the swishing of their robes and the crunching of gravel. Narcissa knocked and her mother opened the door.

"Hello, mummy. I've come for your Muggle."

"Oh, dear Merlin! No!" Her mother exclaimed. She saw the masked figures behind her daughter and was trying to shut the door, but Narcissa pushed against it hard and stepped inside, followed by the Death Eaters.

Narcissa took long paces through the hallway as she watched her mother stumble backwards with a look of terror in her eyes. Her mother fell into the coffee table as they entered the sitting room. She desperately tried to find her wand, but was restrained by Lucius. Narcissa turned to the right side of the room where her Muggle stepfather was attempting to reach a telephone.

"I don't think so, Muggle! Vector Filariasis!"

Saul fell to the floor in agony. Narcissa walked over and kicked him in the enlarged testicles, which caused him to scream even louder.

"You thought you could just waltz in here, in my father's house and infect us with your Muggle filth!" Narcissa said with contempt. Her heart was pounding with excitement, her eyes still clouded by anger.

"You have no idea how much you disgust me. I hate you. I've always hated you!"

Narcissa was now shaking. She conjured a bright glowing wire out of her wand which hummed and crackled like electricity. Saul begged for his life through his screams, much to the amusement of the Death Eaters. Narcissa raised her wand, then brought it down onto her stepfather in one swift motion. It sliced right through his neck and his screaming stopped. Narcissa wiped some warm droplets off her face before turning to her mother.

"No, Narcissa! What have you done? Who are you?" her mother screamed.

"And you! Aren't you ashamed you shared your bed and your name with a Muggle? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Narcissa looked into her mother's eyes. They were the same eyes she looked in when she was being nursed and for a brief moment something lingered in Narcissa's mind. It was the mere whisper of a memory, a memory of being held by her mother.

"I am ashamed..." Narcissa's mother said through her sobs.

The Death Eaters laughed and Narcissa gave a maniacal smile of triumph. Then her mother stopped sobbing and met her daughter's gaze again.

"I am ashamed that YOU came out of my body!"

The Death Eaters stopped laughing and an icy silence washed over the room. A blind rage overtook Narcissa and she raised her wand once more.

" You are nothing to me. You're nothing but a Muggle-whore!"

"Good one, Greenling! Death to the Muggle-whore!" The voice came from Louis Lestrange.

Narcissa swung wand and wire down. It was over. She could hear the echo of happy cheers around her as several people patted her on the shoulder. She looked around the room one last time, knowing she would never return to this house, then stepped over her mother's body and walked back down the hall. She had a hard time keeping her balance and swerved from side to side. Once outside Narcissa grabbed hold of a shrub and started gagging. Her stomach desperately wanted to empty itself. Since it was already empty nothing came out but slime and bile. Lucius touched her shoulder, but she pushed him away. She could feel someone hold back her hair as she gagged again. It was Morphia.

"Not bad for a Greenling. A bit messy though."

Narcissa wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She felt better until she turned around and saw Goyle writing "Muggle-whore" above the front door with the bloody stump that was her stepfather's severed head. Another wave of bile came flowing out of her mouth.

"Let's get out of here! Oh and Lucius, give her something to eat before we go out next time! This is just repulsive," Louis said pointing at the yellow puddle that had come out of Narcissa.

Lucius blew up the front door, then muttered a strange incantation at the sky. A large skull erupted from his wand and hovered above the house. He grabbed Narcissa and gave her a quick squeeze.

"Well done," he whispered in her ear. "Who has the portkey?"

"I do," said Rosier as he pulled a toothbrush out of his pocket.

Without wasting time, they gathered around Rosier and touched the portkey. The familiar rush of cold air helped clear Narcissa's head. Her stomach had settled again and her vision cleared up. She wished her heart would be still for a moment, but it wouldn't. It kept pounding nervously inside her chest. The initiation had only just begun. She knew that all too well, but had no idea what else was in store so she tried to keep her mind focused on things yet to come instead of dwelling on what she had just done.

The portkey had taken them to a run down house in a wooded area. They weren't the only ones arriving. Quite a large group of cloaked figures in masks had already gathered there and more of them were still appearing. Narcissa wondered who all these people were. They seemed to hang around in smaller groups, just like Lucius and his friends kept mostly to each other. All of a sudden a very tall, skinny figure stepped out of the decrepit house at the end of the clearing. It was getting dark out now and the figure lit a fire, which seemed to attract the attention of everyone else around.

"Just follow my lead," Lucius whispered.

Not a moment later the entire crowd came in motion. They all started walking towards the fire, taking proud, confident steps as their robes swished around. Their movement was so orderly; everyone falling into a specific place like the pieces of a puzzle. They moved in a half-circle formation. Their movements almost seemed choreographed. Narcissa walked along behind Lucius. The crowd approached the fire. In unison they all dropped to one knee and knocked their right fist on the left side of their chest.

"Semper Paratus. Semper Fidelis."

Their voices spoke as one and the perfection of it all sent shivers of excitement down Narcissa's spine. Narcissa concluded that the tall figure on the other side of the fire was the Dark Lord himself and she looked up in awe.

"Rise, my friends," he spoke in a strangely smooth voice and the crowd got back to their feet.

The Dark Lord proceeded to give a lengthy speech about the success of their recent endeavors and how the ministry had chosen to cover them up. Narcissa looked up in delight, her oval eyes half closed in pleasure. She only knew one other person that had spoken with such fire, passion and determination. It had been her father, who she had admired greatly. His death had left a void that she didn't believe anyone would ever be able to fill, but there at that very moment, all of that changed. Lord Voldemort held authority over all these people, over her. He was standing there, addressing all these people, giving them guidance in a world of Muggle filth. In that aspect, he was very much like the father to the whole Order. His speech went on:

"Not that any of that matters, my friends. We will not be ignored for much longer. This fight has only just begun. Soon, soon we will all reap the rewards of the terror we sow. And don't forget that we fight in many arenas. Lucius has brought us a parade horse for Purism," the Dark Lord said as he waved a bony hand in the direction of Lucius and Narcissa.

Narcissa's heart skipped a beat. Some soft chuckles emerged from the crowd and she noticed that a goblet was being passed around the crowd as the Dark Lord spoke. Narcissa wasn't exactly sure what people were doing with it, but it seemed like they were adding drops of their blood.

Narcissa snapped back to attention because Lucius was pulling her sleeve. She hadn't even noticed, Lord Voldemort had signaled for her to come up front.

She must have looked like a child meeting Father Christmas, for Narcissa had recently found out that the great Dark Lord she had believed to be a myth was in fact real and she was walking toward him right now. She stopped a few meters away from him. He looked very odd indeed with strange glowing eyes. The fire added an ominous glow to his whole shape.

"Well, come closer! I don't bite, you know! Well, actually I do sometimes," he said and another round of laughter ebbed through the crowd.

She stepped closer and noticed that Lucius had brought the goblet over. It was, as she had suspected, filled with blood. Lucius handed the goblet to his Master and retook his place.

"Do you take the Order within you, little one?" Lord Voldemort asked.

"I bet she's already had a bit of the Order inside her, aye Lucius!" Someone called from the crowd.

The Death Eaters laughed again and even Lord Voldemort seemed to smile at that comment.

"I do," said Narcissa.

She was handed the goblet and drank down it's contents in one swig. It tasted metallic, just like her anger and hatred.

"And the Order takes a piece of you," Lord Voldemort spoke as he placed his wand on her neck.

Narcissa gasped. She could feel something being drawn away from her, into the Dark Lord's wand. It came from deep inside her and luminesced as it passed through her veins.

Narcissa sank to her knees, feeling a kind of fatigue that she'd never imagined possible. It was hard to stay upright. Fortunately the feeling only lasted a few seconds and Narcissa regained her composure. Lord Voldemort dimmed the fire that illuminated the clearing.

"Let's see if the little one is worthy of Order. Have her do a Nightwalk, Lucius," he said before retreating to a throne like chair by the fire.

"All right, you heard Lord Voldemort. Take your places for a Nightwalk," Lucius said.

The crowd stirred and one by one the members of the Order Disapparated. Lucius helped Narcissa up and walked her to a path that led into the woods. Narcissa was very nervous. Whatever this initiation was, she had a feeling it was not going to be easy. Lucius placed his hands on her shoulders.

"The objective of a Nightwalk is to test your skills with a wand. You are to walk down this path, without illuminating it. We won't illuminate it either, the point is to deal with the element of surprise. You will be attacked along the way by members of the Order. You are to endure or defend against each attack. And remember, you physically have to go through the whole length of the path. You are not allowed to Apparate. This could take all night, but if you're still standing at the end of it, you will win their respect and be accepted as a full member of the Order. Good luck"

Lucius gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before Disapparating. He was undoubtedly lurking in the woods with the other Death Eaters. Narcissa looked back at the clearing. It was empty now and the fire burnt very dimly. Electric waves shot through her belly. There was no way she could do this. There was no way she would still be standing at the end of the path; there were too many of them. Her mind raced looking for a loophole or maybe a way out as fear nestled in her chest.

"Think, Narcissa. Think! You can't outfight them, but you might outsmart them," she said aloud.

She paced around the beginning of the path for a few moments her chin resting on her hand. She couldn't illuminate the path, but neither could they. She had to walk...wait...he didn't say she had to WALK. He said she physically had to go through the length of the path. That was it! She could RUN! There was no rule against running and if she ran fast enough, they might not see her or they might react too late. Narcissa chuckled at her own brilliance, then turned to face the path and the woods. Nervous jolts still washed through her like drunken fireflies, but now she was smiling. She took a few deep breaths and started running like the wind.

It was pitch dark in the forest. It was hard to navigate and the path seemed to be taking a faint course to the left. All Narcissa thought about was reaching the end and keeping up her speed. She heard noises along the way, but couldn't be sure if the sounds were made by the Death Eaters or not. A forest is never truly silent after all. The path took another slight turn to the left. Narcissa's spleen was hurting like mad, pulsating with every step she took, but slowing down would undoubtedly be an even more painful choice, so she kept her speed and pushed away the pain by gritting her teeth. Her mind was empty except for sheer determination and drive. She had no idea how long she had been running. The strange atmosphere of the forest seemed to expunge time as a whole. Both her sides were stinging and her eyes welled up with tear fluid. There was another turn to the left and Narcissa could see a faint flickering light in the distance. It was the end of the path, it was the clearing. She must have been running in a large circle. With the end in sight she began to run even faster. She was almost there, the light was coming closer and closer and finally she reached the end of the trees and her feet hit the grassy ground of the clearing again. The muscles in her legs ached and felt as hot as the flaming fires of hell itself. Narcissa tripped and fell face forward into the grass by the fire. The fall had knocked all the air out of her lungs, but it didn't matter. She was in the clear, she was safe.

She lay there in the grass for a few moments coughing heavily as she tried to draw oxygen back into her protesting lungs. She dug her fingers into the ground and finally caught her breath. Her spleen was still pulsating, pumping an extra reserve of blood through her body. Narcissa turned over on her back, closed her eyes and started laughing. When she opened her eyes again she saw a frightening figure standing over her. She scrambled back up, turning around to find herself face to face with Lord Voldemort.

"Done so soon, little one?" he said in his weirdly smooth voice.

The blissful smile Narcissa had been sporting vanished from her face.

"I ran, my Lord. No one said I couldn't run. They didn't even notice me going by them, I guess."

Voldemort broke out in a high pitched laugh.

"I see there are brains behind the beauty. No one has ever thought of this, I must say that you highly amuse me. I can see why Lucius likes you, but let me tell you, my followers will not be very happy with this. They won't see the humor in being thwarted. They always look forward to seeing a Greenling suffer and they won't leave until they do."

Narcissa swallowed hard and nervously started biting her nails.

"My Lord, can't you say anything when they arrive? I didn't break the rules. Can't you help me?"

Voldemort smirked strangely.

"You should be very careful who you ask for favors, young Narcissa. Favors from Lord Voldemort don't come cheap. You see, I'm not as bad as people say I am, little one. I'm worse! But...if you'd rather take your chances with me than with my Death Eaters, that's your choice."

Once again the Dark Lord gave a high pitched laugh and a malevolent gleam shot through his alien eyes.

Narcissa stood petrified with fear. This is not at all what she meant! How could he twist her words like that? There was no time to argue, though. Angry Death Eaters started Apparating back into the clearing. Their faces reflected their mood and they were shouting things like:

"She can't do that!!" and "We came to see blood!".

The crowd was unruly, shouting and flaring their arms, pointing at Narcissa's trembling form. Narcissa desperately tried to find Lucius in the mass of people. What had she done? The Death Eaters were enraged, many of them pulling their wands. Then Lord Voldemort stepped forward, smiling and making calming motions with his bony hands. Reluctantly the Death Eaters stopped their complaints.

"My friends, it does seem like you have been outwitted tonight..."

A soft murmur came from the cloaked mass.

"...but rest assured, my friends, for I will personally see to it that the Greenling earns her place in the Order. There is no such thing as a free ride."

This time there were cheers and sounds of approval. Lord Voldemort turned to Narcissa and motioned to the entrance of the small house.

"Step into my office, Narcissa, and we'll see if you're worthy of the Order."

Narcissa gave the crowd one last desperate look over her shoulder, before stepping into the house.

Lord Voldemort closed the shabby door and told her to kneel before her master. Narcissa gave him a reluctant look.

"Well, you didn't think we were going to have a cup of tea, did you?" he said with a maniacal grin.

So Narcissa kneeled and the Dark Lord pulled out his wand.

She quickly lost track of time and of all the unimaginable terrors she endured. For the second time that day Narcissa found herself sick in a corner, thoroughly fatigued and in pain. Surely she had proven her dedication to the cause by now? But every time she had that thought, there was more. Eventually she stopped thinking at all. Then finally there was an end to the hurt. Lord Voldemort had taken a seat in a dirty old armchair and Narcissa slowly scrambled to get up from the floor. Her mind kicked back in and she suddenly felt very nauseous again. She gagged a few times and could hear Lord Voldemort's laughter.

"Surely, little one, it wasn't THAT bad?"

Narcissa didn't answer. Her throat was soar from screaming anyway.

"Well, stand up and come here, if you still can."

She got up and limped over to the chair. Voldemort rolled up the sleeve of her robe and placed his wand on her arm. Narcissa felt the burning sensation it made, but it was nothing compared to some of the other things she had experienced, so she didn't even flinch. She had been given the Dark Mark and Lord Voldemort instructed her how to conjure the Death Eater calling card.

"All right, get out of here. Unless you want to stay, that is," the Dark Lord said with a smile.

Narcissa didn't have to be told twice. She limped her way to the door and back out into the clearing. Most Death Eaters had left, aside from Lucius' unit there were only a few others left. They had taken off their masks, sat down by the fire and were passing around a bottle. When they heard the door open they all looked up at Narcissa who triumphantly limped towards them, showing off the Dark Mark on her arm. The small group rose to it's feet clapping and hooting. Lucius took the bottle and passed it to Narcissa who collapsed by the fire. She didn't care though, she drank and let them congratulate her.

"Welcome to the Order, Narcissa," Morphia said, "I'm always happy to see a woman join. There aren't many of us here, you know."

Lucius sat down behind Narcissa and held her. She melted into his arms. The sun was rising. Narcissa wasn't sure if she'd ever seen the sun rise before.

"Time for us to go home," Lucius said as he pulled out a portkey from his pocket.

He sad goodbye to the others who also prepared to leave. Narcissa was too weak now to hold on to the portkey, so Lucius held her hand against it. After the bumpy ride and the cold rush of air they were finally back at the Manor.

"I need to rest, Lucius," Narcissa said.

"There is no rest for the wicked, my sweet. The authorities will come to inform you of some bad news soon. We have to look our best. Let's go get you cleaned up," he said as he carried her to the bathroom.