Omnia Mors Perimit

Easter was coming closer, and Narcissa dearly hoped that Draco would be coming home in these holidays, at least. She didn't dare kindling that hope though; in his letters, she could read growing desperation between the lines, over and over emphasising how extremely busy he was, and from Severus she had got a note alarming her even more than she was anyway - Severus had informed her that Draco looked unhealthy, seemed to suffer from insomnia, and did bad in each and every of his subjects except Defence Against the Dark Arts. Under different circumstances, Narcissa would have been appalled with his marks, but as things were, she couldn't care less. What good was an 'Outstanding' when one was dead?

The only good news in all that misery were that The Eel had after all obtained the generous permission for her to go to Azkaban and visit Lucius. 'Generous' was the operative term here, whereas Narcissa couldn't suspend the notion that it had rather been her, being generous. Not that she cared about money, but that she had been denied her constitutional right at to see her husband for ten months was still infuriating her. Gold had done the job instead, and in Narcissa's opinion, that told everything one ought to know about the state of the nation.

She couldn't believe how many people she had been forced to bribe. Half a dozen Ministry employees - who cared. The guards in Azkaban - forget about them. But that even their family Law Wizard - Lucius' own buddy - had given her an expectant smile and pocketed five thousand quid was scandalous! Since the night of Lucius' arrest, she had had to argue with him about pretty much everything, some of which she could understand in retrospection (because he couldn't perform miracles, like saving Lucius from prison, for example), others of which she must remain indignant.

She had never visited Bella, so this trip to Azkaban prison was her very first one. In retrospection, she would shake her head at herself for being so naïve - really, what had she expected? She had to appear in the Ministry in London, where she was thoroughly searched, and where some insolent witch even demanded her to take off her wedding ring. She didn't acquiesce at once, only after arguing with that woman for more than half an hour, she eventually gave in, fuming with rage. In almost twenty-three years of marriage, she had never stripped off that ring; in fact, she had always said that she'd have to be dead and cold if someone wanted to have it removed.

After this, she was lectured for another forty minutes on how to behave once she was inside the fortress. Her wand was taken from her, she was taken to a room with a strictly secured Portkey, and frog-marched by two Ministry officers, she groped it, got hooked by the magic and found herself in the opposite number in Azkaban prison. This room had, like the last one, no windows, and apparently not even a door. The officers gave a signal, upon which a hole in one wall appeared, and she was hushed by two other officers to follow them, up and down, to and fro, along endless corridors full of corners and dead ends, until she had lost all sense of orientation, which was probably the entire reason for this manoeuvre in the first place.

Since the Dementors had deserted the place (and Narcissa couldn't have been any more grateful), the Ministry had conceived other security measures, basically a legion of trolls, several dragons (one would think they'd heat the place a bit, right? They didn't!), watch-crups all over the place howling incessantly, and of course, uncounted Ministry wizards. Bella had told her what it was like; it was a tiny island somewhere in the North Sea, not much more than some large rocks with an ancient fortress on top. The weather was abysmal. It never stopped raining, never a single ray of sunlight penetrated the peculiar thick, grey fog that belonged to Azkaban prison like sunshine to a Caribbean island, it was all gloom and mould and clammy coldness. It was miserable, and it broke Narcissa's heart to know her precious there. There were some hundred cells she walked past, the more common criminals were kept in the upper part of the building, whereas those people who were considered to be more dangerous were stationed underneath the earth.

At last, the two silent wizards stopped in front of a small, narrow door and began to lift more than a dozen security curses. By now, she was so impatient that she would almost yell at them to make haste. Since the day of their wedding, in more than two decades, she had never been without her husband for more than the course of a day, and never a night. To be robbed of his presence for so long had shaken her tranquillity to a degree that she was in some danger to lose her last scraps of countenance, that she clang to so desperately.

When the door finally opened, she spotted her husband sitting on an iron chair, between two uniformed wizards. His cell hadn't got a window, informing Narcissa how potentially dangerous Lucius was considered to be. He looked at her with a faint smile - she was petrified for a second - her two companions pushed her forth into the cell and sealed the door behind her. Lucius didn't get up, and it took her some moments to realise that he was shackled to his chair, which outraged her even more. She ran to him, ignoring the protests of the guards, and embraced him with vigour.

"Lucius," she breathed, feeling the officers trying to hold her back.

"Madam, it's forbidden for you to touch the convict -"

"Let go, Ma'am -"

"You've been informed on the terms, I believe - we must terminate the visit at once if you don't comply!"

She heard Lucius' voice, quiet and horse, yet gentle, "Narcissa, my love, you must listen to the officers..."

She checked herself, brushed a brief kiss on his lips and straightened up again, stepping back. She was offered a chair, too, seated herself opposite of her husband, and waited for the guards to disappear, but they made no efforts to do so.

"Excuse me, sirs, but could you leave us alone, please?" she said coolly.

"Surely not, Mrs Malfoy. The visiting privilege is only granted when the visit is under supervision."

"Is it really too much to ask to have some privacy with my husband? I've been searched over and over again - I haven't smuggled a wand in, you see!"

"That got nothing to do with it. We will stay."

"Mr Yaxley has discussed this with your superior, Mr Brown, from the Department of Judicial Authority. I think I've got leave to have ten minutes alone with my husband!"

"We haven't been informed of any such agreement and will stay therefore. Mr Yaxley can of course complain about this to Mr Brown - in writing."

Lucius shot the man a derisive glance and snarled, "Very well, Mr Meadows. My wife will hand in a complaint. - Let it be, my love, the officers aren't to be argued with. It only wastes precious time."

"I'm sure that nowhere in your statutes it says that you've got to stand quite so close," Narcissa added angrily. "Would you be so kind as to back off some steps, at least, if you will stay by all means?"

The guards considered this and placed themselves in the corners of the tiny room then, each one of them had their right hand in their robes, no doubt clinging to their wands, just in case. Narcissa took a deep breath, recomposed, and flashed her sweetest smile at her beloved. "How are you, mon amour?"

"I'm fine, just as well as I could be under these circumstances. I think I could even bear the food, if I wasn't missing you so badly," he replied very quietly, his eyes locked with hers. "And you? How are you doing, chérie?"

Narcissa battled with herself, torn between answering truthfully, and the wish to soothe his concerns. "I have been better yet, I dare say," she said eventually. "I miss you, too, and very much so... Draco sends his regards, by the way -"

His diamond grey eyes darkened visibly. "Thank you - is he behaving well? Does he obey to you like he ought to?"

"He - well, he's very much disconcerted by the events, as you can imagine. He - has found himself a girlfriend lately - and neglects his piano exercises a great deal," she whispered, smirking wryly. She couldn't talk openly to Lucius like this - even if the guards had not been inside the room, she wouldn't have dared to say much more, but he understood her well enough.

"That's very naughty of him. Please tell him that I am not pleased, and that he will have to answer to me."

"Don't be too severe on him, mon amour. This is all very difficult for him, and you know how he's like. He gets easily carried away, and I don't like this girl's influence over him." Narcissa frowned. 'This girl' did not apply to Miss Parkinson, but her own sister Bellatrix, as Lucius could read from her features. "He's still so young - I'm afraid he's got no idea what he's started there. But I've not remained inactive - I've bidden his Head of House to have an eye on him. Should prevent him from being too nonsensical within school!"

"He doesn't listen to you then, I presume?"

She shook her head. "He's so preoccupied with the whole matter - he's got his head in the stars, you see? And this girl is only making it worse, and encourages him still to be fanciful and foolish."

"Perhaps you might want to talk to the girl instead? Tell her that I am not to be trifled with, and that she'd better keep her hands to herself?"

Narcissa bit her lip, tried to smile but couldn't. "I'm afraid that won't do, mon amour... She's not to be impressed by you or me, and has her heart fixed on the affair. Besides - she seems convinced that you'll have no opportunity to interfere."

"I see," he said simply, giving a small sigh. "Maybe she's right -"

"Don't say that!"

"Narcissa, darling, I do not wish to frighten you. But perhaps you should prepare yourself to handle these matters on your own, without my help. Chances are that this girl is more perceptive than you believe her to be."

She suddenly felt tears welling in her eyes, furiously blinking them away. She would not cry in front of these officers, she wouldn't expose her weakness and vulnerability to any hostile strangers. Lucius saw her despair and used his most gentle voice to continue, "My love, don't make yourself uneasy. It's not all settled, you know? None of us can foretell the future - well, apart from your great aunt Celeste perhaps, but frankly, I've never quite trusted her statements... What is truly significant now, is that you and Draco are in good health, and go on with your lives. Maybe he is confused now, but I know his regard and respect for you. He will come to his senses after all, I am sure!"

Traitors were to be found everywhere and among every possible set of people; she didn't doubt that at least one of the Ministry people who nowadays guarded Azkaban, was a servant of Lord Voldemort. They might know their way with the Dark Arts all right, but one wasn't stationed in Azkaban because of ingenuity, or a remarkable level of higher education.

"Dann ist es vielleicht zu spät, Lucius," she said in German, going on very quickly now. The guards would stop this in no time at all. She told him that Draco had joined the Death Eaters and that he had been sent on an impossible mission. She also told him that she had taken some precautions, that Savvy was watching over him, and that she had arranged to hide him. "Egal was du auch hörst, Lucius, glaub es nicht und beherrsch Dich. Die Wände haben Ohren!"

"Ma'am, either you speak in plain, good English again at once, or your visit is terminated here and now!"

"Yes, Sir, I understand. I merely wished to tell my husband some - tender matters - that aren't fit to be overheard." She flashed the guard a shining smile. She could see that Lucius still tried to digest the fact that his only son was in deadly peril, without letting show his true sentiments. She had to distract the guards from watching him too closely, and she knew how to do that. Only some minutes later, one of the guards reminded them that time was up already, and Narcissa was forced to leave her husband behind again. Very formally, she asked the officer on the right, "Is it a very great breach of your regulations if I kiss my husband good-bye?"

"You must not do so, Ma'am."

"I expect it will cost a fine? Very well, it's worth it," she replied, and quickly bowed to give Lucius a kiss, until she got dragged away. "Au revoir, mon amour. Je t'aime, je reviens -"

"Ich werde von dir träumen, mein Engel, Tag und Nacht," he said, and tried to grin as roguishly as he had used to, in better times. The guards didn't find this any funny, scolding them to speak English.

"Now if you can actually show me a rule that obliges me to speak English, even here, I shall give you a hundred galleons at once, Mr Meadows," Narcissa snapped back, while climbing out of the cell again.

"Don't you be cheeky, Mrs Malfoy!"

"I was just about telling you the same!"

"We can withhold the privilege of visit from you -"

"You most certainly can't, Sir! Our Law Wizard will talk to Mr Brown from the Ministry, let's see what this one thinks, shall we?"

The guards exchanged an uneasy glance, increasing Narcissa's confidence. The elder one of them muttered, "We're just doing our duty, Madam -"

"I'd understand that, Mr Sherwood. Nevertheless, I cannot but think that you are abusing your powers. Is it necessary, for an instance, to tie my husband to his chair? For I cannot help it but believe that the sole purpose of this is to humble him!"

"You could slip him something. That's why you're prohibited to touch him in the first place!"

"Slip him something? And what would that be? Your colleague in the Ministry has even forced me to undress myself, just to make sure that I hadn't got as much as a cookie to give him! I couldn't have smuggled in a pinhead, so thorough was the examination!"

"Your husband is a convict, Madam. We've got to stick to the procedure."

"A convict! And does that bereave him of his civil rights? Does that entitle you to treat him like a dangerous animal, that could plunge at you to bite? Or what is it exactly that you're scared of?"

"Civil rights? What are you talking about, eh? He's a convict, he's got no claim on civil rights, Ma'am!"

"Is that so? Oh well! In fact, I'm quite happy to hear this, for if he's a citizen no more, void of the rights connected to this, he's also freed of the duties, and need therefore pay no more taxes! Are you aware that roughly ten percent of your salaries are raised by my husband's taxes alone? Prepare yourselves for some cuttings, gentlemen!"

"Now I've had enough, woman! Your husband is number four on the list of the most dangerous criminals in this entire country and I don't give a bloody damn if he was Croesus himself!"

She curled her lip in disdain. "Number four? Why, I'd have thought he'd have hit the second place at least!"

The guard returned the sneer likewise. "No, your dear sister has made that one!"

"Ah, yes, of course. And who's third?"

"Fenrir Greyback."

She felt a shiver running down her spine with the mere name, but spat back defiantly, "Oh, I had almost forgotten him. So you're telling me that his other cronies, a whole bunch of ferocious werewolves, are considered less dangerous than my husband?!"

"Face it, you've married a felon!"

"Perhaps you want to reconsider your tone, Mister! For if my husband was only half as dangerous as you say, I'd be worried if I were you what happens once he is released!"

"Calm yourself, Ma'am," Mr Sherwood said hastily.

"I will not! Your colleague has just opened my eyes to my husband's status, and I do explain to him that this coin's got two sides!"

Guard Meadows now lost the last bits of temper. "Security has been increased since Amelia Bones' death, Mrs Malfoy! Therefore, your spouse got no one to blame but himself -"

"Himself?! Amelia Bones was killed on July 13^th, if I'm not entirely mistaken! That's two whole weeks after his conviction! Now tell me, Mr Meadows, how could Lucius possibly have got anything to do with it, eh?"

"You know very well what I mean!"

"Indeed, I do not!"

"He's a Death Eater! He was the right hand of You Know Who!"

"He was, but his was most certainly not the hand that's murdered Madam Bones, nor could he have done anything else in this respect!"

"That it's not Madam Bones' blood on his hands doesn't render them any cleaner! Your dear spouse is a dangerous criminal, yes, deal with it, woman!"

Narcissa gave a humourless chuckle. "Language, Mr Meadows. You are forgetting yourself."

"And whose fault is that?!"

"My husband's, I suppose, according to your logic!"

"Your husband's, your sister's, or perhaps your own, Mrs Malfoy, coming to think of it!

They went on arguing until they had arrived in the room with the Portkey; Narcissa wasn't in the habit of debating, even less with total strangers, but the whole situation was getting the better of her. Inside, she was shaking with anger and indignation, and if she had had a wand, she might have cursed the insolent Ministry wizard, just to vent some of her frustration.

When she had disappeared, Guard Sherwood turned to his colleague and shook his head unhappily. "And what was that, Gustav?"

"Yeah, I know! Can you believe the nerve of this woman!"

"I've meant you, mate."

"Me? Are you mad? I've just told her the truth - it's not my fault that she doesn't want to hear it!"

"Yeah, but what was the point of all this? Believe her to know that her husband is a convict and all that. Can't you imagine that she was just sad to see him like that, and leave again so quickly?"

"So what, that's hardly my problem!"

"No, but your problem could well be that you've infuriated her. You know what's going to come, sooner or later. He Who Must Not Be Named will come and free his people, and then you have written yourself in Mrs Malfoy's bad books. I doubt that Miriam and the children will have much sympathy for your attitude. On your tombstone, it will spell - 'He always had the last word'."

When Narcissa had returned to the Manor, she threw a tantrum. Not bothering what it was, she hurled around everything she came across - smashing three antique vases, a humidor, a mirror, a Giacometti statuette and a Fabergé egg. Only then, she came to her senses again and tried to breathe evenly again. She told the frightened house-elves to clean up the mess, and stalked up to the library, but she couldn't distract herself. Oh Lucius! It had been good to see him - her heart felt like bursting, with love and aching and pining, but also with pain, severe and poignant. Shackled! She had seen him shackled before, right after his arrest, but then she had thought this was only a very brief predicament, and that Voldemort would sort it out in no time.

Voldemort! If possible, her hatred for this one was increased to yet unknown heights. She had deceived herself, actually hoping that he would after all help them. He was waging war on the Ministry, she had believed he would need all the help he could get?! She had clung to that hope, but by now, she was without her husband for two hundred ninety-one days, and this one was suffering in that godforsaken hole! Because of that megalomaniac! Because of that rotten butcher, who was trying to get her son, her beloved son, killed as well!

Only to do something, and perhaps to feed her longing for Draco's visit in the holidays, she got Regulus' old locket that she had bought from that crook. She would repair it, oh yes, she would, and if it was the last thing she'd do! And she would put a picture of his father inside and give it to Draco, and... And what. He wouldn't be coming, would he...

The locket... She had tried to open it a couple of times, but without success, now wondering what could be inside. Photos, possibly, perhaps of his parents - surely of his mum, which he had revered very much. She gave it another try, but nothing happened. It must have some hidden mechanism, some trick to be opened, and soon, not only her curiosity but her vanity was incensed. She did not give up easily, and certainly, she would not be defeated by some silly piece of jewellery! Not today, not after this -

She used all sorts of spells on it, turned and squeezed and pushed it, and taking a deep breath, she let it be for the time being and got up to find the proper book. It was one of Narcissa Malfoy's treasured dogmas that there couldn't exist a problem on the planet that wasn't dealt with in some book. One only needed to find the right one. Perhaps Reggie had used some Dark spell on it, seeing that he had become a Death Eater shortly after getting it? For practise purposes perhaps? She looked in several of Lucius' most treasured books, eventually finding an incantation that could work, taking her wand, tipping it against the locket and muttering, "Mutabor Tondo Temnein!"

A jet of red light darted from the tip of her wand, hit the locket and this one indeed cracked open, a deafening sound was to be heard, like an explosion, shimmering, white fog emerged from the inside, Narcissa stepped backwards, shocked, suddenly realising that she had no more air to breathe. She clasped her throat, stumbling over to one of the windows to open it but not succeeding, she had no more strength in her hands, could hardly hold herself upright, and in the next second, she lost her consciousness.

When she regained it, she thought her skull would burst, but only one thought prevailed - she had to get out of here, the smoke would kill her, her eyes wide open she darted up, but was pressed back in the next second.

"Cissy!" A familiar voice was crying, and someone was shaking her. "Cissy! - Good Merlin, I think we've got her back -"

It took Narcissa some moments to realise that her sister was cowering over her, next to Bobby and Ziggy, she opened her mouth to explain, to tell Bella that they'd have to flee, but this one put a hand over her mouth. "Don't speak, Cissy, at least not now. You've got badly injured, you'll need a bit. Lie down, shut your eyes, relax and try to breathe deeply and evenly."

"But -"

"No but. Lie down, I say, and keep lying there. Damn it, you've nearly got yourself killed, you know that? You are lucky that I was so fast - what on earth have you done, eh?"

As it turned out, Bobby had been alarmed by the noise and found his mistress in the library, motionless, not breathing, hardly alive, and instantly set off to get the only help he could think of. To Narcissa's greatest relief - just like baffled astonishment, Bella had one or two tricks up her sleeve to revive lifeless persons. Narcissa had believed her sister would only bring people from life to death, not vice versa. At last, she was permitted to speak, too, and she told her about the locket, about the spell she had used, about the white mist. Bellatrix looked more and more uneasy, got up, fetched the locket from the table - curiously, it was tightly shut again, looking as innocent as before.

"Is this - that thing belonged to Regulus, didn't it?"

"Yes," Narcissa coughed, only making her headache worse, and she sunk back with closed eyes. "Some thief - I've bought it - in memory of -"

"That's the thing he had in his hand when he died!"

"Yes... That's why I've bought it. He was so proud with it..."

"But -" Bella's voice was slightly shaking and Narcissa opened her eyes again, finding her sister a bit white around her nose. "So - this is what's killed him!"

"Nonsense, Bella, he got killed by one of your mates -"

Bellatrix slowly shook her head, looking deeply troubled now. "No, he wasn't, as a matter of fact... He should have been killed, for betraying our master. But he was already dead then..."

She carefully sat up, holding her throbbing head, and shot Bellatrix a close look. "But - Lucius said - the Dark Mark -"

"Trust me on this one, Cissy... He was already dead. I - I was the one who has been sent out to kill him, being my cousin and all, and since I had also been the one to recommend him to the Dark Lord."

"You?!" Narcissa spluttered, battling down the wish to throw up. "You wanted to kill Reggie?!"

"I was ordered to do it, yes. But when I arrived, he had already deceased... I thought he had killed himself, you see. He has known what he was in for. I - I did not dare - I simply claimed to have done it nonetheless, I conjured the Dark Mark and went back and -"

"I cannot believe you would have murdered him!"

"Well, strictly speaking, he's brought that about himself, Cissy! He mustn't have turned away from our master."

"But - he was our cousin, he -"

Bellatrix sneered. "You weren't that concerned after I've killed Sirius!"

"After Lucius' arrest, you think I cared about much else?! Also, he's died during a duel, Bella, that's quite a different thing!"

"You really know how to take the glory out of victory, Cissy. However, you better get rid of this cursed thing at once. Merlin knows what it is, but it is obviously most unhealthy -"

"No, I want to keep it. You don't know to what length I've had to go to get it!"

Bellatrix laughed, making a gesture to indicate Narcissa wasn't quite right in the head. "Are you crazy? That mist has befuddled your common sense!"

"I want to keep it, Bella, end of discussion."

"Why on earth do you want to keep it, Cissy? Not only that it's ugly and belonged to that blasted traitor Regulus, no, it's nearly got you killed as well!"

"Because it's the last of Reggie's belongings," Narcissa replied quietly, reaching out for the locket to stroke it, but twitching back. Better not touch it, she reminded herself.

"Heaven knows what else it does, Cissy! Get rid of it, I say, and as quickly as you can!"

"It doesn't do anything, I've had it for two weeks until I figured out how to open it."

"But still! If anyone knew that you treasure an object that was Regulus' -"

"Than just don't tell them," Narcissa said impatiently. "He'll never know if you don't give me away!"

"Since when are you concerned for old Reggie, anyway? You didn't give a shit for him when he was alive!"

"That's not true."

"If you're not sensible, Cissy, I will destroy it. The next time, I might not be there to save you!"

"I want to fix it... I meant to give it to Draco..."

Bella shot her a grave glance. "Seriously, Cissy, you don't want to do that, do you? Come - let me destroy this cursed thing, once and for all. It's killed Reggie, it nearly killed you just now - let's not test our luck with Draco, too."

Reluctantly, Narcissa agreed eventually, watching Bella perform some intricate spell work until the locket burst into a thousand silver splinters, a glossy black substance quelling over the floor and dissolving at last, too. Bella lucked pretty disgusted, vanishing the remnants with her wand.

Narcissa hardly paid attention; she was still incredulous with what she had heard - Bella would have murdered little Reggie?! Only because her master had ordered her?! "Does Lucius know that it has been you who -"

"Bloody hell, of course not! Nobody knows - you're the first and only person I have ever told that, and I'm warning you - you must not repeat it. I've lied back then, because I was ashamed - if you tell Lucius or Snape or whoever, I'll get a whole lot of trouble!"

"You were ashamed to have not killed him?!"

"I was ashamed that my own cousin would betray the Dark Lord, and then sneak off like the total coward he's been, Cissy! I thought he had killed himself!"

Narcissa gaped at her, even forgetting her aching head. "Bella," she said urgently, "you should hear yourself! If Regulus had killed himself - and it doesn't look like it right now - it would have been a merciful death, that's all! Why aren't you just grateful that you hadn't got to do it yourself? I know, I know, you worship the Dark Lord beyond anything, but - you have known Reggie! You have liked him! He was our cousin, we've practically grown up together!"

Bellatrix made an impatient gesture. "See, Cissy, that's the difference between us two. I have got a sense of honour, while you would always choose the easiest way out. You would rather kill yourself than face your destiny, too, wouldn't you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dann... It might be too late then... No matter what you hear, Lucius, don't you believe it and control yourself. The walls have ears!

Au revoir... Good bye, my love! I love you, I will come back!

Ich... I will dream of you, my angel, day and night.