Fatal Flower

Fatal Flower, Chapter 7: Full Bloom

The very first day of term, Dumbledore called Narcissa into his office under the premise that he wanted to talk to her about her recent loss. Everyone knows that the Headmaster of Hogwarts works in mysterious ways and Narcissa was well aware that it wasn't just her mother the old man wanted to discuss. So she went up the spiral staircase, kept her lips pursed and her eyes down as Dumbledore went on and on about how Narcissa was now on her own and the responsibilities she would have to take in her life. How she had to be strong, for she now stood alone against all the things that parents protect their children from. How she would have to say "no" to all the temptations life would throw at her.

From time to time Narcissa would look up and catch the Professor's eyes. She let his words wash over her and wasn't really listening, but then the conversation (if one could call it that; it was more like a monologue on Dumbledore's part) took a different turn.

Dumbledore spoke of the awesome power wizardkind had and how they were all part of a greater whole; a society of Muggles as well as wizards and how the value of society is measured by the way it treats it's weakest members. For a brief moment, the old Muggle-lover reminded her of the Dark Lord. Both of them spoke with such fire and conviction. Then Narcissa quickly banished that thought out of her mind, feeling almost dirty for having made the connection in the first place. She sat through a few more minutes of Dumbledore's ramblings before the old git finally shut up and dismissed her. He gave her one last look over his spectacles and grabbed her shoulder as he was about to turn.

"Narcissa, please remember this: Sometimes the stars you think you can reach are nothing but starfish on the beach."

Narcissa made sure her face revealed none of her inner thoughts and feelings. She left his office fully aware of the evil she was facing. Was this the kind of infectious poison Dumbledore aimed to infuse in his young student's minds?

Still Narcissa couldn't help but contemplate his words. She would never forget the sensation Dumbledore's speech had made her feel. It was as if something slimy and something hairy took turns brushing her mind. It felt like a cold and clammy monster had attempted to steal away something intimate from her core. Yes, truly and honestly her encounter with Dumbledore made her feel like she had just slept with a giant ape.

"So, how was it? What did he want?" Severus asked her as he caught up with her in the hallway.

"Ugh! I feel so dirty. That man is crazy, Severus. You have no idea what we're up against."

Within minutes they were joined by Folbius and the bizarre trinity hastily made it's way to the dungeons. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by Phosphorus Ogle, who lingered in a shady corner.

"Well, well. Where on earth could the Brain, the Beauty and the Brute be going together?" Phosphorus said aloud as he made a mental not to deploy his crystalline bats, nifty little spy devices, to keep an eye on his three students.

***********************************

January cold flowed over in February storms. Narcissa's first task was ridiculously easy. She and Folbius had to catalog every student's heritage and because all the girls were wearing Pendulas, it was a piece of cake. They sent their report in ahead of schedule; the Dark Lord would be pleased. Severus was working on a new potion and since Narcissa was bored to tears, she agreed to help him out. She rose before dawn and met him in an especially dank and quiet corner of the dungeons.

"I want you to grind up these blowfish organs. Be sure to put your Dragon hide gloves on. Blowfish organs contain a highly lethal neurotoxin called TTX. It's commonly used by African and Haitian wizards. In the right dosage, it makes for a clean and silent kill," Severus said.

Narcissa sighed and put her gloves on. She looked at the thick walls of Hogwarts. These walls used to represent her freedom and shelter, but now all they did was confine her. Her heart itched for action, yearned to be out there in the world with Lucius. Yes, good old Hogwarts had become a neuse around her neck.

After she had filled several vials with dark, glutinous liquid, she held one of the containers up to the faint light of a candle and smiled. How many lives was she holding in her hand? A rush of power flowed through her. Nothing had ever thrilled her like the control over life. What a sensation! Narcissa tucked the vials in her pocket and walked over to the Great Hall. She could do with a spot of breakfast. It seemed futile to keep denying herself nourishment. She had far greater power now and at that thought Narcissa smiled broadly.

It wasn't easy. Narcissa slowly savored every tiny bite she took, but she kept getting distracted by her House mates. People looked so disgusting when they were eating. Most of them chewed with their mouths open, making repulsive eating noises as they ground up parts of dead animal between their molars. Narcissa shivered and turned her focus back to her own plate. She made sure to push the sausages to the edge of the plate. The thought of eating something dead repulsed her. Ironic, she thought. She was after all one of Voldemort's "Death Eaters".

The owl post arrived and three pieces of mail dropped right in front of Narcissa. She opened the first one; sponge cakes from Chef. The second parcel was from Madam Reniformis. She was about to open it, when she noticed the third piece of mail was a letter from Lucius. Her heart skipped a beat as she tore up the Malfoy seal.

My dearest,

All is not well at the Manor. I will give you a floo call at nine o'clock in the morning; everyone should be in class then.

LM.

Narcissa gathered her things and hurried down to the Slytherin common room. She passed Gibbula on the way, who had a vacant expression on her face as usual. Then something most unfortunate happened. Narcissa bumped into professor Ogle and went crashing to the floor, hitting her head hard on the cold steps she had just descended. Narcissa sat up and touched the back of her head. Her hand met a warm stickiness and when she pulled her hand back, the bright red color of her palm confirmed that it was blood. She looked up at Ogle with a fierce anger in her eyes. Her nostrils flared as she breathed.

"Oh, dear. Did you bump your pretty little head? I guess you'll miss my class this morning, but then again, you probably have no use for my class, do you, Miss Amor?" Ogle said arrogantly.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Narcissa spat.

Thank Merlin that Severus showed up right then and there, for Narcissa's bloodied wand hand was itching and already on it's way to her pocket. Severus fell to his knees and supported Narcissa's weight, giving Ogle a very foul look.

"Not here, not now," he whispered in Narcissa's ear.

Ogle grinned and put his hands on his hips as Severus pulled Narcissa up and carried her away. When they were at safe distance he spoke:

"Control, Narcissa. You must learn to control yourself or you'll be in Azkaban before you can say Mudblood."

"Common room, please," Narcissa said as she hung limply in Severus' arms.

"...But you're hurt," her fellow Death Eater said.

Narcissa pulled herself up by Severus' robe.

"I'm expecting a Floo call from Lucius," she replied.

Severus nodded and carried his comrade to the Slytherin common room, placing her in a leather chair by the fireplace.

"Should I leave?" he asked.

"No, please stay. I need to get this fixed as soon as I'm done talking to Lucius," Narcissa replied.

The throbbing wound in the back of her head flowed steadily as Narcissa waited for Lucius to call. Finally his head appeared in the fireplace.

"Narcissa!"

"Lucius, my love!" Narcissa exclaimed as she fell to her knees and stuck her hand through the green fire. "I've missed you so!"

Lucius took her hand, then looked up at her in shock.

"Is this yours?" he said, obviously referring to the blood.

"Yes," Narcissa replied smiling weakly. "It's fine, Lucius. We will take care of it ourselves.

"Who did this? I swear to Merlin, I will rip their heart out with my teeth! NO ONE TOUCHES MY NARCISSA!" he yelled angrily. A strange and unfamiliar thunder sounding in his voice.

Narcissa tried to chuckle as lightheartedly as she could.

"it was an accident, Lucius. I have it under control. Tell me, have you been having lunch at the Lestrange residence lately?" she asked with a smile.

Once again Narcissa found herself speaking secret alphabets. This time it wasn't innocent girlish talk, though.

"No, I haven't. But thanks to the 'guest list' you sent, we will be having a vast dinner party at the Lestrange residence very soon."

Lucius smiled as did Narcissa. Her report was obviously the 'guest list' he was referring to. Something big was about to happen. Narcissa was going to ask him about the problems he had mentioned in his note, but decided not to. For a few minutes the two lovers just sat there, holding hands through the green fire. Then Lucius gave a hasty look backwards to the sound of an opening door. He quickly pressed the back of Narcissa's hand to his cheek, then kissed it.

"I have to go now. Take care, Narcissa."

He gave her hand one last squeeze before he hurried away from the fire. Narcissa gasped, still reaching out her hand, then she sank back into the leather chair. All of a sudden she felt so trapped and it was hard not to cry right then and there. Narcissa had no time to wallow in her misery though, as soon as the Floo fire subsided, Severus helped her up again and took her to the hospital wing.

"Good heavens! What happened to you?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed as she examined Narcissa's head wound.

"I slipped in the shower," Narcissa lied.

Poppy gave her a suspicious look as she prepared to heal the injury. Severus stood by Narcissa and offered her his hand. She declined.

"This is going to hurt, dear," Poppy said worriedly.

The healer cleaned the wound and then started closing it with her wand. Narcissa didn't scream or complain. To Poppy's surprise, she didn't show any reaction at all.

"I've been working in the Hogwarts infirmary for years and I've never seen anyone take this kind of treatment without complaint."

"I've had worse," Narcissa said dryly. Severus gave a her a secretive smile and a twinkle went through his dark eyes.

Madam Pomfrey regarded her teenaged patient with a mixture of surprise, confusion and caution. Narcissa stayed in the infirmary overnight. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched continuously. Late that night, her Dark Mark started burning and although she had never done it before, she felt compelled to Disapparate. If Hogwarts didn't have guards up to prevent her from doing just that, she would have. Her master was calling her and all she could do was lie in her hospital bed. She had to dig her nails into the sterile sheets to fight the urges she was feeling.

Several days passed in a haze of boredom. One quiet evening, Narcissa remembered she had received a package from Madam Reniformis the day she ran into Ogle. She tore away the brown paper to find a burgundy box with velvet lining. Inside was a small perfume bottle that was labeled "Boudoir". Narcissa unfolded the note that came with it:

Dearest Narcissa,

You, my child, are a little gold mine. Ever since your picture graced the papers, my business has gone up by sixty percent. Everyone wants to look just like you, ah, the delights of youth! Please accept this little gift as a token of my sincere appreciation.

Yours,

Renilla Reniformis.

Narcissa put the letter down and opened the perfume bottle, richly splashing it's content on her neck and wrists. Then she realized there was a post scriptum to the letter:

PS. This is not a scent for every occasion. It's called "Boudoir" for a reason. Please use it with care. I'm sure you and Lucius will enjoy it greatly.

Narcissa didn't think much of it, but she should have known better. In the wizarding world, rarely anything is as innocent as it appears to be. She had no time to dwell on it, though. Night time steadily pulled itself over the old castle like a thick woolen blanket. As the dorm grew darker, Pantera jumped on her owner's bed, carrying what appeared to be a bat. Narcissa petted her companion, but was in for a shock.

"Oh, fuck! Fuck! Where did you get this, Pantera?"

Narcissa grabbed her cat by the head and looked into her yellow, feline eyes. Pantera merely grunted and purred. The dead creature Pantera had dragged in had a crystalline center. This was no flesh and blood mammal; it was a spy device. Narcissa threw the thing on the floor and crushed it with her boot. A metallic squeak confirmed that the device was no longer functional. Once more, Narcissa felt panic take over her body. She picked up the crystalline bat and set out to find Folbius and Severus. The common room was crowded, but did not contain her comrades. The boys dormitories were empty. She ran out of the Slytherin dungeons into the dark hallways of Hogwarts. Gibbula and Angler were snogging against the steps that led up to the main hall. They seemed quite occupied, but when Narcissa walked past the couple, Angler broke away from Gibbula's embrace.

"Hey, Narcissa! You smell...delicious! Wait, don't go!"

Narcissa wouldn't have dignified that with an answer, even if she hadn't been in a hurry. The sound of a hand striking flesh echoed briefly through the dark. Gibbula must have slapped her lover.

The otherwise busy and buzzing corridors of the school were engulfed in an eerie silence. Where was Severus?

"Dinner! It's dinner time," Narcissa said aloud.

She continued up the stairs and was almost at the Great Hall, when a voice came out of the shadows.

"I think you have something of mine, Miss Amor."

Fuck! It was Professor Ogle. Narcissa stopped in her pace, closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she turned to see the Professor sporting a very smug expression. She didn't speak; there was nothing left to say.

"I think you should step into my office for a moment."

Ogle grinned evilly, baring his perfect teeth. He made a motion to the stairs. Narcissa lowered her head and started ascending them. Ogle was not more than five years older than Lucius and already the head of Slytherin. A Mudblood; what a disgrace to the House. With every step, Narcissa's brain strained to find a way out of this situation. She decided it was best to play along for now. After all, she wasn't sure how much the bat had seen and transmitted back to Ogle. His confident demeanor did not make Narcissa feel very comfortable though. Narcissa headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom as if she was on autopilot.

She was in trouble. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached a heavy door. It led to a simple room, lit by candles. In the middle of the room was a round table that held a large slab of crystal, the same type of crystal contained in the bat's core. Narcissa didn't look back until she heard the door slam shut behind her.

"So...Narcissa. Do you mind if I call you Narcissa?"

Ogle did not await an answer.

"It appears you've found yourself in a spot of trouble. That is one of my bats you're holding. It's most unfortunate for me that you discovered one of them so soon, but that matters not. I have enough evidence to lock you up for life."

Phosphorus tapped the large crystal slab and brushed some of his dirty blonde hair out of his face. He still carried that overconfident smirk. Narcissa gazed into the crystal and what she saw before her made her heart sink. There were many images of her, Severus and Folbius. Some of the images captured her stepping into the shower, clearly showing her Dark Mark. The bats even recorded her grinding up the blowfish organs earlier that day. Narcissa bubbled with metallic anger. She flicked her gaze up at Ogle, remaining surprisingly calm.

"Not bad for a Mudblood. Tell me, Professor Ogle. Who did you have to bend over for to become head of Slytherin?"

"Who did you have to bend over for to get that mark on your arm?"

Small droplets of sweat started forming in Narcissa's hairline. Within a second her entire skin was moist with perspiration and her breath grew more rapid. A strange side effect to Narcissa's panic sweat filled the room. It seemed to fortify Madam Reniformis' perfume.

"Spying on your students is illegal," Narcissa spat.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in Azkaban then," Ogle said with a laugh.

Heavier and heavier did Narcissa's breath become. She bit her lip and looked around the room in desperation. She looked back up at Ogle. He seemed...well...distracted. A strange look came over him. He tried to shake it off, but that wasn't working. Narcissa thought it might have something to do with the poignant scent of her perfume that now made the very air around them seem gravid. She was so desperate, that she was almost reduced to tears. Her lips quivered.

"Lets make a deal." There was a frightened tremble in Narcissa's voice.

Ogle threw his head back as he laughed hardily.

"You want to make a deal, eh?"

He slowly, but steadily stepped forward. Again he seemed hesitant for a moment; struggling to fight off whatever effect the perfume was having on him. He failed.

"I'm sure we can work something out..." Ogle traced a finger down Narcissa's chest.

What to do? She probably couldn't outfight him and there was no where to run. Then she remembered Morphia's parting words to her:

"Sometimes you just need to lay back, close your eyes and think of the Cause."

Phosphorus' finger lingered somewhere near Narcissa's belly button. She had to suppress the growing anger inside her. It would do her no good. Besides, it wasn't like he would do anything that hadn't already been done. Semper paratus, semper fidelis. She did it, for the Cause.

The night had progressed steadily and Narcissa now lay on the floor staring at the dirty ceiling of Ogle's private office. She wondered how long it had been since the grime had been cleaned off the centuries old walls in this horrid nook of Hogwarts. Phosphorus had gotten up and poured two goblets of red wine out of a decanter. He was starting to act normally again. The spell of her perfume was subsiding. It was unclear what Ogle would do next. She watched him bring the goblets over and remembered the vials of TTX in her pocket. Narcissa wondered if she would be able to poison her professor.

"That was interesting...and not entirely bad, but you do understand that I'm still going to turn you over to the authorities. I compliment you on the spell you put on me, whatever it was. You caught me off guard."

That bastard! He was still a Slytherin, no matter how dirty his blood was.

"Maybe your ego blocked your vision," Narcissa said. "Or maybe you're underestimating me."

Ogle laughed at those comments and handed Narcissa a goblet. He took a sip of his wine and put his own goblet down. Narcissa's mind raced and her thoughts kept returning to the poison hidden in her robe that lay crumpled on the floor. She had to act fast and "accidentally" dropped her goblet.

"I'm sorry!" Narcissa said nervously as she dropped to the floor and started soaking up the spilled wine with her robe.

"No worries," Phosphorus said with a smile, "I understand that you're scared. I would be too, but you are merely getting what you deserve."

The professor picked up the goblet and turned to refill it. In the blink of an eye, Narcissa grabbed a vile of TTX out of her pocket. With trembling hands she spilled it into Phosphorus' wine and hid the empty vile under a rug. He returned and handed her another drink. Narcissa held up her goblet for a moment, then downed it in one gulp. Her heart raced as Ogle reached for his wine. He smiled smugly and downed his drink as well. What an idiot! Narcissa now smiled broadly herself.

"You want to kill me, don't you, Narcissa?"

"No professor. I already have."

A fiery intensity glazed over Narcissa's eyes and an almost erotic rush of power overcame her. Far more tantalizing than anything Phosphorus had tried to make her feel that night. Ogle had time to give her a surprised expression before his heart and respiratory system started to fail. He grabbed his neck, sank to the floor and died, letting out one last terrifying gurgle.

"Stupid Mudblood!"

Narcissa felt a great urge to spit on Ogle's corpse, but that would not be wise. Getting the hell out of his quarters was her first priority. She got dressed and wrapped a tea towel around her hand. With the toweled hand, she grabbed a candlestick and smashed the large crystal spyglass to pieces. Then she got out her wand and went around the room cleaning anything she might have touched. For the icing on the cake, she grabbed Ogle's wand. She gave one last look around the room.

"Morsmordre."

She turned her back on the Dark Mark that hovered above Ogle's dead body and threw the tea towel in the fireplace on her way out. She shook her head with a smile.

"Oversexed, arrogant Mudblood. All it took was a beautiful girl and a good dose of poison."

She entered her inky dormitory after a very long and hot shower. Her eyes burned with fatigue and she finally relaxed, melting into her own bed. Before she shut her eyes to sleep, she looked over at the plant Lucius had given her.

"Well, what do you know? You finally bloomed for me," she said as she faintly brushed the soft, black blossoms.

********************************

Narcissa was shaken from her slumber by a frantic Gibbula. Her Slytherin dorm was in a state of chaos. Girls were screaming, running around and most of them were crying over their dead Head of House. Narcissa couldn't believe her eyes. Were they morning a disgusting Mudblood?

"Narcissa, wake up! Professor Ogle has been murdered. Filch found him this morning.They say it's the work of..."

Gibbula lowered her voice to a whisper. "...of Lord Voldemort."

"Really?" Narcissa answered.

One of the prefects had come in, urging everyone to remain calm and ushering the frantic fifth year girls into the common room. As Narcissa stepped into the room, she received two pleasantly surprised looks from both Severus and Folbius. Leaving Gibbula to sob in a chair, she made her way over to Snape. His lips curled up ever so slightly. They nodded at each other in understanding, then Narcissa remembered the remaining vials of TTX in her pocket. In one swift motion, she covertly handed them to Snape.

"I think it's best if you get rid of these."

Severus didn't hesitate and with a swish of his robes, he was gone. Moments later Professor McGonagall entered the Slytherin common room with an all to familiar face. Behind her stood Alastor Moody and some of his colleagues. Narcissa rolled her eyes. Before McGonagall could speak, Moody pushed her out of the way and walked straight towards Narcissa.

"Well, well, Miss Amor. It seems people around you are dropping like flies. I don't suppose you know what happened to your Professor?"

"No, sir. I don't. I only just woke up."

Moody did not care for this kind of defiance and snorted. He leaned forward, bringing his face mere centimeters from Narcissa's.

"Does the name 'Voldemort' ring a bell to you?"

McGonagall finally intervened.

"Alastor! You have Albus' permission to search the grounds and dormitories, but I must ask you to refrain from harassing the students! They are distraught enough as it is."

Moody gave Narcissa one last intent look and spoke:

"Scorpions are crafty little creatures that often outrun their enemies to live another day, but in the end, my dear, the eagle always catches them."

He gave the other Aurors a signal and they started searching the dorms. They found nothing and had to move on. McGonagall instructed the prefects to keep all the students in their House area. Many of the Slytherins regarded Narcissa with suspicion now. How could they not after Moody's odd behavior.

"Narcissa, you scare me," Gibbula said, before turning away from her friend to find solace in Angler's arms.

It was painfully obvious that Narcissa couldn't stay, so in a quiet moment she walked over to the fire place and threw a hand full of Floo into the flames.

"Nocti Luca estate."

Just like everything else in his life, the name of uncle Roderick's house was eccentric. It meant 'the Night Light' in Latin. Narcissa stuck her head in the fire and soon found herself looking into her uncle's drawing room. Roderick was wearing nothing but a bathrobe and slippers. His young manservant, Balster, was wearing nothing at all.

"Narcissa! What a pleasant surprise. I've heard some very strange rumors this morning. Has there really been a murder at Hogwarts?"

"I'm afraid so, uncle Roderick. Listen, I need a huge favor from you..."

*******************************

McGonagall had come to take Narcissa to Professor Dumbledore's office. They ascended the spiral staircase and could hear voices coming from the office above.

"My niece's safety is very important to me, Albus. I simply can't let her stay here. It's too dangerous."

"Sir Roderick, I understand your sentiments, but Hogwarts is still the safest place for her. The world is no longer innocent and without the proper guidance..."

Roderick cut the Headmaster short.

"I will not hear of it! As her guardian, I am responsible for her well-being. I'm taking her home today and that's my final decision."

The voices subsided when McGonagall knocked on the door. It opened and Narcissa ran towards her uncle, flinging her arms around him in a hug. The blood red fabric of his cloak felt pleasant to the touch.

"Uncle Roderick! I've missed you so!"

She kissed him on the cheek and gave him a smile.

"Are your things packed, Narcissa?" he asked.

She nodded and took his arm.

"Miss Amor, are you quite sure you wish to leave this house of learning?" Dumbledore asked.

Narcissa turned to him and smirked.

"There are some things one can't learn in school."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, peering over his spectacles.

The old Headmaster had to let her go and he realized that this young woman was lost for ever. He heard the passionate hate in her voice towards everything he represented and understood that he important work ahead of him.

Uncle Roderick bid the two teachers goodbye and led his niece away. The odd couple portkeyed to Nocti Luca, an old, stately home by the sea.

"It's not that I mind having you over, Narcissa, but you have to tell me why you wanted me to pick you up today. Are you in some kind of trouble?" Roderick asked as he held an arm around Narcissa's shoulders.

"Would it matter if I was?" Narcissa replied with a chuckle.

"Of course not, my dear! Us Amors love a good adventure. You're always welcome here, you know that."

They walked through the orchard and crossed the moat that surrounded the ancient house. At the door they were greeted by Sir Roderick's manservant, Balster. The young blonde servant wore black leather pants and no shirt. Yes, Roderick Amor was definitely different.

The old entrance way to Nocti luca held a stuffed rhinoceros and several exotic looking palmtrees in giant pots. If the place had to be described in one word, "flamboyant" would be it.

For a week or so, Narcissa relaxed at Nocti Luca. She had tried to contact Lucius a few times, but hadn't gotten an answer. She had spoken to the Lestranges who informed her that Lucius was having some trouble with his parents. Morphia hardily congratulated Narcissa on her triumph at Hogwarts. Apparently Lord Voldemort was very pleased with her work.

"Imagine that! We cracked one of Dumbledore's eggs right in his very own nest!" Morphia had said.

One morning, as Narcissa was being fed melon by shirtless Balster while reclining on a red, chaise longue, a letter arrived with the Malfoy seal on it. She sipped her tea and opened it, expecting it to be from Lucius. Instead, the letter was an invitation from his parents. They asked her to meet them that afternoon. Of course Narcissa was suspicious, but she was too curious not to go, so at four o'clock sharp, she arrived at the gates of Malfoy Manor. The gates opened by magic, but she was greeted by Dobby at the massive Teak doors.

"Hello Dobby. How are you today?" Narcissa asked politely.

Dobby made a nervous noise, as if he was afraid to speak to her. He led her to the lounge (not that he had to, Narcissa knew the way quite well). Seated in two large chairs by a high table were Lucius' parents. They were both short of stature with gray hair. Mrs. Malfoy had fake curls while Mr. Malfoy had his hair cropped very short. Behind their ornate chairs stood Nucella with a triumphant smile on her face.

"Miss Amor, please take a seat."

Mr. Malfoy motioned at a small chair opposite of him and his wife. Narcissa took her seat as butterflies shot through her belly. Judging by the look on Nucella's face, this was not going to be an invite into the Malfoy family, like she had hoped. They spent several minutes exchanging the obligatory pleasantries of the upper class and had a cup of tea. Then Mrs. Malfoy spoke:

"It has come to our attention that our son, Lucius, is very fond of you."

"We have the feeling, though, that you are a bad influence on him," Mr. Malfoy added.

"It's only natural that a young man experiments, but we would prefer if you didn't see him anymore."

Narcissa listened to them in silence as her anger grew stronger.

"We felt it was only fair to give you some sort of compensation," Mr. Malfoy said as he slid a black briefcase towards Narcissa. He opened it, revealing the masses of gold Galleons inside."

The old couple awaited a response. Narcissa had trouble controlling herself, but she knew she had to. She stood up, slowly and as calmly as possible. Then she slammed the briefcase shut.

"I am the bad influence? You don't know your son very well, do you? I will have your money one day, but I will take it by force. As everything I am, is by force," she said venomously.

She turned her gaze to Nucella and narrowed her eyes to slits. She knew very well it was she, who had arranged all this. To scare the old couple even further, Narcissa pulled up her left sleeve and showed them her mark. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy gasped in shock, clasping their hands over their mouths. Yes, at this point the wizarding world was well aware of what that mark stood for.

"I bid you, good day," Narcissa said, before she turned and left.

Narcissa regretted what she was going to do, but she couldn't let anything come between her and Lucius. Later that night, dressed in black robes and a hood, she lurked through the foggy salt marshes that marked the edge of the Malfoy estate. Narcissa summoned the only person that could get a message through to Lucius and soon a strange green glow moved through the salty fog.

"Chef, thank Merlin you've come!"

Narcissa handed him a note.

"It's imperative that Lucius gets this message tonight," she said.

"Eeh," Chef answered with a nod.

The two shady figures parted ways. Chef returned to the Manor and Narcissa made her way over to the marina where the three-masted Malfoy schooner, the Physalia, lay moored. The exclusive marina was positioned next to a fisherman's harbour. The only sounds that flowed throught the brine air were those of the waves gently brushing the shore and the loud, obnoxious singing coming from a sailor's bar at the harbour. Narcissa took in the salty air and borded the Physalia with care. She would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid that night. Narcissa detested the sea; it had taken her father from her all those years ago. The Physalia slowly bobbed up and down to the ancient rythm of the sea. Most people wouldn't have noticed it, but Narcissa was already sick to her stomach, her face turning a pale shade of green. She had to concentrate. Never before had she attempted the complex piece of timed magic she was about to perform.

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Lucius took his parents on a sailing trip. When the Physalia was about two hundred meters from it's dock, he suddenly disapparated back to the shore. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy didn't have time to understand what was happening, for moments after Lucius disappeared, the Physalia blew up in a thunderous explosion. They never knew what hit them.

Lucius watched the ball of flames safely from the dock. A figure stepped out from behind a cargo crate and stood by his side, watching the inferno on the sea.

"Lucius...You and I are never having children" Narcissa said with a smile

Lucius grabbed her waist and kissed her passionately. They stood there, feeling each other's bodies in a long awaited embrace. Then they heard a sound, like crashing glass from behind a pile of fishing nets. The two lovers rushed to see where the noise had come from. An old, intoxicated Muggle lay hiding behind the nets.

"It's just crazy old Zacheria. I didn't see a thing. Zacheria won't say a word about this. I promise. I didn't see a thing," the Muggle said.

Lucius smiled at Narcissa and they both pulled their wands from out their robes.

"That's really too bad, Muggle," Narcissa began.

"We just don't care," Lucius finished as the two wizards conjured bright, crackling wires from their wands.

*********************************

Hand in hand, Lucius and Narcissa barged through the doors of Malfoy Manor. Lucius was furious and lined up all the staff in the dining room. He called for his sister and roughly pushed her into the line as well. Narcissa stood behind him, smirking. Lucius began to pace angrily back and forth. Wand out, eyes flaming.

"Is there anyone else in this household who has wronged you, Narcissa?"

Narcissa looked at Nucella, who's eyes teared up in panic.

"No, Lucius. No one else," Narcissa spoke.

Narcissa could see the bizarre sense of confusion in Nucella's eyes and felt even better about herself.

"Then take your place as Lady of this house!" Lucius thundered.

Narcissa walked passed the line of servants and briefly lingered by Nucella. She leaned forward, her lips brushing against Nucella's ear.

"I own you now," Narcissa whispered.

Nucella flinched and bit her lip, crying full out now that she understood what had happened that day.

Lucius took Narcissa's hand and led her upstairs. It had been far too long since they had seen each other and the blazing passion they felt inside of them needed to be let out. They fell onto Lucius' dragon bed and he held her face in his hands.

"It's just you and me now, my sweet. Nothing will ever keep us apart again."

He kissed her forehead and Narcissa fumbled at the buttons of his jacket.

"I was so proud of you when I heard about Professor Ogle. Tell me, how did you get him to relax around you enough for you to poison him?"

Narcissa's fingers stopped unbuttoning his jacket and she looked guiltily into his eyes. She didn't speak, she didn't have to. Lucius pulled away in anger.

"I'll kill him!" he yelled.

"I already did that," Narcissa spoke cautiously.

Lucius stewed in animosity on the edge of the bed for a few moments. Narcissa felt horrible. She wanted to reach out to him, but didn't know if she should. Hesitantly she looked at Lucius' back. His shoulders heaved as he sighed.

"Well, at least let me piss on his grave then!"

Narcissa smiled and with a swift motion Lucius turned around and jumped his love in a playful way. They wrestled for a bit, then Narcissa let him overtake her for the sake of diplomacy. She let out a whimper as tears of happiness spilled from the corners of her eyes. How she had missed his lips on hers. How she had yearned form him. They were together again and it was as if all their lust and passion distilled into one single moment. She held his shoulders, feeling every inch of his wonderful skin. Lucius breathed heavily as he engulfed her. They generated a force that could be felt through the entire manor and Narcissa cried out as Lucius entwined his fingers into hers. There was no way of telling where his body ended and her body began. As one flowed over in the other, a brand new day for the name of Malfoy had dawned. The old and obselete were gone, replaced by the young idealists

They ruled over the Manor together. They killed, they tortured and debauched side by side and later that year they were bound to each other as they were bound to the Order in a small ceremony held at dusk. The Order was stronger than ever, experiencing a winning streak of unprecedented success and the wizarding world had come to tremble in fear at the very mention of their master's name. They all fancied themselves invincible and Lucius had decided to throw a great feast.

Narcissa had no way of knowing this, but this very party would be the cause of rumors for years to come. Legends of soirees at Malfoy Manor were to grow consistently more spectacular; their decadence blown to an astronomical apex, but this night was what started all of that. And very few people knew what actually happened at the Malfoy parties.

She opened the doors to the ballroom and her ears filled with the contagious beat of bizarre music that set the exotic mood of the party. Scarcely clad young ladies danced in a cloud of glitter and every few meters there was a basket filled with every fruit imaginable. Passion fruit, Chinese pears, grapes, mangos, melons, peaches and even dragon fruits. Lucius had spared no expense.

With a smile on her face, Narcissa stepped into the ballroom. The air was thick with a mixture of sweet smoke, pheromones and sweat. She was on her way to Lucius, who was sharing a bottle of absinthe with Rosier in the back of the room, when a circular puff of smoke blew in her direction from a shady corner. She looked over to see a nook of decadent, fluffy pillows on which Lord Voldemort and Mrs. Lestrange were comfortably lounging as they took puffs from a large water pipe. Lord Voldemort was squinting slightly and was that a smile on his face?

"Hello, little one. Have a seat," he said.

Narcissa hesitated for a moment, remembering what her prior interaction with him had led to. That, naturally, was not a wise thing to do. Lord Voldemort grabbed her arm and pulled her down.

"When the Dark Lord asks you to sit, you sit," he slowly spoke.

Morphia let out a chuckle. Narcissa managed to ask what they were smoking before Voldemort placed one of the mouthpieces of the water pipe in her mouth.

"Essence of Muggle," he said with an evil grin as he held up the mouthpiece with one hand and her chin with the other.

Narcissa inhaled deeply and a euphoric haze glazed over her mind. As she exhaled, a thick stream of the sweet smoke escaped her lungs and she let out a small cough.

Voldemort and Lestrange laughed.

"First timer," Voldemort said with a smile as he took a deep drag himself. He blew the smoke in Narcissa's face.

She had smoked quite a few things in her life, but Essence of Muggle was definitely a new sensation.

The Dark Lord put a hand on Narcissa's arm.

"I feel like playing. Find me a toy, Narcissa."

An evil grin spread over Narcissa's face.

"Nucella, come here for a moment!

**********************************

And so they partied through the night, confident that nothing could ever harm them. In the years to come, the name 'Voldemort' would send fright through the hearts of the wizarding world as the Order would grow stronger and stronger still.

Nothing would prepare Lucius and Narcissa for one horrid October night that would shatter their dreams completely. They would be torn away from their friends and have to betray everything they believed in to stay out of Azkaban, but that was still far away. Tonight, they celebrated, danced and played, until the sun rose in the sky.