True Revenge

Part 5

The next morning, when her husband returned from the station, there was a strange smile on his face. He went to his study, and Narcissa did not see him all day. When she checked the news the following weekend, though, she was curious at a news story in the Daily Prophet about her cousin, Sirius. Someone had apparently seen him in London. She knew that her cousin wasn't exactly what the Daily Prophet made him out to be, almost certain that the last person he would have turned against was the man he was accused of betraying: James Potter. She knew that most had assumed that he had betrayed the Potters, but few knew just how little time he had spent with his own family, and how he had run away from home to live with James while they were still in school. She also knew that the reason he was accused of betraying Potter was because everyone believed that he had been the Dark Lord's right-hand-man. Narcissa knew this was not true. She had seen Lucius's grimaces when others suggested this, and she also knew her husband's feelings about her cousin.

The truth about her cousin finally came to her one night shortly before Christmas as they were eating dinner. An old, familiar Black family servant came to see her. Kreacher, her aunt's house-elf arrived just after they had sat down to dinner. He had news for her, which pleased Lucius far more than it did Narcissa. Sirius Black was the Boy Who Lived's godfather. That meant that the boy would probably do anything to save him. Had Narcissa been alone when the house-elf had arrived, she would never have said anything to Lucius. It was not that she cared at all for her cousin, but she could not stand the thought of Lucius gaining still more power. Instead, she watched helplessly as her husband responded. Lucius's eyes glowed, then he quickly apparated away, probably to tell his master.

For days, she worried. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing? If Lucius proved himself to his master, perhaps that would be all that was required. Their son would be safe from the Dark Lord's rages. But what if it wasn't? Could she protect her son now?

Draco returned for the holidays, gleeful. It seemed the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher hated the Boy Who Lived. He had received detentions galore, and what was better, he had been prevented from playing Quidditch at Hogwarts ever again. As pleased as Narcissa was to see her son so happy, inside she knew that there were dark things that could threaten her son--things that she had no way of preventing.

And the weekend Draco returned to school, those dark things increased. By ten. Lucius came into her room that night, a strange light in his eyes. The fact that he was in her room was unusual, as he had come to her room only once since the night she had stood up to him about Draco attending Hogwarts. And that had not been a good night. But it was the look on her face that terrified her.

He smiled at her, and her heart plummeted. Had he managed to convince their son to join him at the Dark Lord's side?

"I have a little present for you, Narcissa."

She knew it would not be good. Presents from Lucius were deadly, even damaging. "What is it?"

He turned to the door behind him, which he had shut upon his entrance, and opened it once more. Narcissa's gasp of horror only broadened his smile. There, in the doorway, stood a woman that Narcissa had not seen for fourteen years, Bellatrix. How had she escaped? Why had Lucius brought her here? Didn't he know how dangerous to the family it would be to have a known fugitive in their home?

When Bella spoke, it was no more than a whisper, her voice hoarse from years of disuse. "I always told you that you married the wrong sister, Lucius. She hardly looks excited to see me." She stepped into Narcissa's room. "What, no hug for me, Narcissa? Didn't you miss me?" She smirked, a smile almost worthy of Lucius himself.

Narcissa turned to her husband, her heart still in her throat. "Lucius, why...how...what is she doing here? Surely you can't risk having someone find her here."

His glare made her cower, but she refused to look away. "It is not for you to question why I do anything. Your sister will be staying for a while. I hope you will make her comfortable. And believe me, Narcissa," he said as he stepped closer to her, his eyes storm clouds with lightning just beyond sight, "if she is not comfortable, she will let me know." Lucius turned, nodded to Bellatrix, and swept from the room, the door closing behind him with an audible click.

Bella turned to look at her sister, a jeer on her face. "Well? No happy family reunion?"

Narcissa turned from her and moved to her closet. She pulled out a dress, then returned to where her sister stood and handed it to her. "Here. You should change out of those rags."

Bella's eyes closed to near-slits. "Worried that I'll bring down your property values, Narcissa?"

"Lucius told me to make you comfortable. Are you going to tell me that you're really more comfortable in that?" She looked appraisingly at the rags her sister wore.

Bella snarled then grabbed the gown and stormed into her sister's bathroom. When she returned to Narcissa's room, she actually looked little better, but Narcissa figured that it was the best she could do for now.

But her sister, she was to discover, was not the only new escapee from Azkaban. She soon discovered that all Voldemort's supporters had escaped the prison and were now at large. Luckily, Narcissa only had to deal with one.

Over the next few months, Narcissa now not only had to deal with her husband's tempers, but her sister's as well. And visitors were infrequent, almost all were Lucius's "friends." Bella's too, she discovered.

Narcissa's worry for her son increased. How could she keep her son away from this? How could she save him from this life?

But it was Lucius who solved the problem for her. It was Lucius who led the raid on the Ministry of Magic, and Lucius who was arrested.

Bella was gone. Taken by the Dark Lord or dead, Narcissa did not care. There was no one left to cause her problems any more.

She was free.

Unfortunately, she was also to find that she had nothing.

It turned out that Lucius had been faking it for years. There was nothing of the Malfoy family fortune left. The house was to be repossessed, and Narcissa discovered that there was not a single Knut left in their account at Gringotts.

So now it came down to one thing. It was time to leave. Narcissa looked in the mirror one final time. She would not be coming back. She would pick Draco up at the station, and they would go to her father's home. Perhaps this was even her chance to save Draco from the fate his father had prepared for him.

Only time would tell.

Finis.