Danse Macabre

Disclaimer: Still not mine, in the least.

Warning: Slash! Slash and more slash!

Dedication: This is for all of you who are enjoying this. Glad it's being so well received!

Author's Note: Heehee! Another chapter, look at that. I know a lot of people have been asking about some of my other series'. First off, 'Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love' is *not* being worked on. It's not being well received, so it's not a priority. 'Deathsong' is going to be updated soon, I'm working on...gasp...the last chapter! 'Compromising Circumstances' will be updated shortly as well. So that's the skinny, as of today, on my other stories.

Well, this is a longer chapter then I thought it would be. Didn't take me long to write, either. I was able to just sit and get it out. And we have some interesting things happening here. I guess this is slightly AU, I don't know. You'll see why...

The Plot Thickens

 
Remus Lupin stretched lazily, delighting in the feel of satin sliding against his naked flesh. He had decided, that despite a few unpleasant instances, he enjoyed his relationship with Lucius Malfoy. He avoided Narcissa as best he could, having been made well aware she would quite like to toss him out without a single knut. She had cornered him the day after arriving, far from the currently-busy eyes of Lucius Malfoy. But in the weeks that followed, she hadn't said a word to him.

"I know what you are."

The thin, feminine voice made Remus drop the book he was reading, curled up in the library. Lucius was working on some important ministry business. Or so he had said. But Remus had a few suspicions that the Ministry had nothing to do with Lucius' business.

"Wh-what?" Remus stuttered, panic rising in his eyes. He looked up, breath catching in his throat as he watched the coldness in Narcissa's eyes. She was dressed in pale blue today, her hair pulled up in an elegant braid. She was looking down her long nose at him, a small sneer on her thin lips.

"I know what you are." She drawled again. "I'm not an idiot, yoow."ow."

"No, no of course you're not." Remus shook his head, hands gripping the arms of the chair he was sitting in. He felt like a cornered animal. What did he do now?

"No matter what Lucius may like to claim. And I will not show any respect to one of your kind under my roof." Narcissa continued. Remus nodded, stiffly. Every muscle in his body was tight, tense, and he was poised for flight.

"You are certainly not required to." Remus said, as Narcissa seemed to be waiting for some sort of response.

"And you most likely hardly hesitated when he extended his 'offer'." She continued, slim hands clenching into tight fists. "Did you know about me, hmm?"

"Lucius...Lucius did in fact tell me he was married." Remus admitted. //Is she afraid for her child? Maternal instinct?// But the thought of Narcissa having an maternal instinct was quite laughable.

"And you accepted, regardless." She sniffed. "Your like are all the same. And I should know, I've seen enough."

"Oh?" Now Remus was slightly confused. What was she talking about?

"You think you're the first whore Lucius has brought home?"

"Excuse me?" Remus now took offence. //I am not a whore! How dare she insinuate it?//

"Oh, don't play stupid. Lucius has a taste for pretty young whores." Narcissa crossed her arms.

"I'm...I'm not a whore." Remus said, feeling a wash of relief. //So that's what this is all about.//

"There's no need to pretend." Narcissa snapped.

"I'm not! What Lucius told you was truth. We were students together. I haven't seen him since graduation. We ran into each other at the masque. He invited ome.ome."

"So you claim to not be sleeping with my husband?" The words dripped off of her lips, and Remus shook his head.

"No. I...I am." He felt ashamed, admitting it. "But I'm not his whore."

"Yes you are." Narcissa said bitterly. "You simply don't know it yet."

With that she had turned, and stalked out of the library. Remus hadn't been able to read any more, and had retired to his bedchamber. Lucius had given him one simply for the matter of propriety. //I'm not his whore. Mistress, perhaps. Or whatever the masculine equivalent is. But not his whore.//

He hadn't mentioned the incident to Lucius, who seemed very nervous when it came to his wife. Remus couldn't figure out why. //Unless it's political.// He decided, rolling over onto his side to watch his lover sleep. Lucius had a tendency to sleep in, whereas Remus was an early riseHe rHe ran his hand lightly over Lucius' shoulder, and down his arm. There was only one catch in what would have otherwise been a very blissful relationship. //And it's not Narcissa.// Remus had decided that once she gave birth, she wouldn't care much what her husband thought of her. She'd have the child, and that would be enough. Women were strange like that. //Either that, or Lucius ought to get her a pet.//

//Did he think I wouldn't notice? Or did he think I wouldn't care?// Remus' fingers brushed over the very faint symbol on Lucius' arm, shuddering as he did so. He had seen the Dark Mark before, and had prayed he never saw it again. //Why?// Why had Lucius thrown his lot in with Voldemort. How did such an intelligent man get mixed up in that sort of thing?

"Mmmm." Lucius rolled over, eyes opening slowly. "Good morning." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning." Remus said, smiling softly. He pulled his hand back, but not before Lucius saw where he had been touching.

"Yes?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Remus shook his head. He offered a weak smile, hoping to dispel any questions.

"Is there a problem?" Lucius asked, sitting up in bed.

"Of course not." Remus said, shaking his head. And, he realized, there ry way wasn't. He knew he should be running to the authorities at the mere hint of discovering a Death Eater, but he had no desire to turn Lucius in. "Just...be careful." He found himself saying.

"No one is as careful as I am." Lucius said, kissing Remus on the cheek. Remus turned his head, capturing Lucius' lips with his own.

"Good." He mumbled, rolling over to pin Lucius beneath him.

"I'm surprised your Gryffindor honor isn't rearing it's ugly head." Lucius managed to say between kisses.

"Gryffindor's aren't known for honor." Remus said, licking Lucius' neck. "We're known for bravery, and loyalty."

"Then perhaps I should fear your loyalty." Lucius said, hands sliding down Remus' back.

"No." Remus shook his head, eyes meeting Lucius'. He took a deep breath, searching Lucius' dark grey eyes. He kissed Lucius gently, before continuing. "I am...a creature of loyalty. But right now, I find myself loyal to you." He wasn't sure how it had happened, but it had. Remus found himself falling for Lucius, after seeing him in this sort of environment. He wasn't a cruel man. He was an arrogant man, and a self assured man, but not a cruel one. He was actually tender and intelligent and passionate. He did have a passion for werewolf hides, but Remus excused that. It was Lucius' *father* that had collected them, not Lucius himself. Though he did still keep secret what he was.

"To me?" Lucius stroked Remus'r. r. "I'm flattered, Remmie. But why?"

"Why?" Remus dipped his head, kissing Lucius' neck. "Because." He answered.

"That's not a very good reason." Lucius said, raising Remus' head to brush his lips with his own.

"You need a good reason?" Remus asked.

"Yes." Lucius said. "I do."

"Why? Lucius...I'm not going to..."

"Oh, that's no concern of mine." Lucius shook his head. "Even if you did turn me in, I've enough money and sense that it would hardly matter."

"Ah." Remus nodded, feeling a bit better. "Then why this sudden interest in why I'm loyal to you?"

"Because." Lucius said, teasingly.

"Not fair." Remus answered, and found himself rolled ovnto nto his back, Lucius on top of him.

"No, it isn't." Lucius said, chuckling and nuzzling Remus' neck. Remus titled his head back, wrapping his arms around Lucius. How had he found himself here, in the arms of the most unlikely of men? And how had he found himself half in love with Lucius Malfoy?

"It's too soon." Remus said softly. He didn't want to jeopardize anything by throwing emotion into the mix. He still wasn't entirely sure how Lucius felt about him. He could sometimes determine emotion from scent, but felt it was rude. Especially when someone didn't know what he was, or what he was capable of.

"Is it?" Lucius asked, cocking his head. "If you say so." He kissed Remus again, hands sliding down his body. Remus arched, tongue slipping between Lucius lips as his lover grasped his hardening arousal. He doubted there'd be any more talk of anything that morning.

***

Later that day, Remus was strolling the grounds of the Malfoy manner, wondering what he was going to do. It was getting close to the full moon, and there was no way he could stay at the manor during his transformation. He would have to give Lucius some excuse for his leaving. His friends, perhaps? They were worried about him, missed him. Lucius was always calling him sentimental, so it should work. He sighed, sitting down by the lake. The grounds were, in his opinion, the most beautiful aspect of the manner. But being a lycanthrope, he would think that.

//What a mess I've gotten myself into.// He thought, skipping a stone across the surface of the water. He had the kingking suspicion he was in far over his head. Too much could go wrong, and yet he did nothing to change the situation. He didn't want to.

"Remus!" he jerked his head up. Lucius was standing on the hill, calling him. Remus leapt to his feet in one easy movement, his werewolf blood lending him dexterity and strength. He jogged up to where Lucius stood, panting and grinning.

"What is it?" Remus asked, hardly winded.

"Narcissa....the baby..." He panted out. "It's time!"

"Oh!" Remus blanched, not sure what to do. "Wonderful."

"Come on!" Lucius said, grabbing Remus' wrist and tugging him towards the house.

"Oh...er..." Remus felt awkward. He doubted Narcissa would want him there for the birth of his son.

"I want you here, Remmie." Lucius said, leaving no room for argument. Remus nodded, and allowed himself to be pulled to the house.

"Have you called for a mediwitch?" Remus asked, and Lucius nodded.

"We sent for one..." He said, dragging Remus up the stairs and into a white room. A birthing room. If he ever had any doubt that the Malfoy's were old and wealthy, it was dispelled now. Narcissa was in the bed, swathed in layers of linen. Her eyes flashed when shw Rew Remus, but she said nothing. House elves were scurrying about, chattering in high pitched voices.

"Where's the midwife?" Narcissa snapped.

"Not here yet." Lucius said, patting his wife's hand awkwardly.

"Lucius..." Remus said, stepping forward. He had studied medicine in his seventh year, and he had grown up on a farm. He knew a bit about birth, and he knew Narcissa was too close to wait much longer. "That mediwitch better get her quickly."

"WHy?" Lucius looked up, confused.

"Because Narcissa is in an advanced state of labor. WHy wasn't someone called in sooner?"

"We...we didn't realize." Lucius said, helplessly.

"I don't think she can wait." Remus frowned.

"Then what do we do?" Lucius asked. Remus could smell the panic coming off both the Malfoys, mixed with the scents of labor.

"I..." Remus took a deep breath. "I'll do what I can..."

"No!" Narcissa snapped. "I...I won't have it..." She gasped, and Remus didn't have to see her to know she was having a contraction.

"Cissa, pet, we don't have a choice." Lucius pleaded. "Let Remm...er...Remus help."

Narcissa made as though to answer, but nothing but a strangled gasp came out. Remus decided he couldn't wait for permission. He began barking orders at the house elves, sending them to fetch warm water, cloths, and whatever else he felt he needed.

"Lucius, are you sure you want to be here for this?" Remus asked. //They should have taken her to St. Mungo's...why do these old families insist on doing things like this?//

"Of course." Lucius said, nodding. "I want to see my son brought into this world."

//I pity this child if it turns out to be a girl.// Remus thought, rolling up his sleeves and washing his hands in the water provided.

"Then I hope you're not squeamish." Remus said, pulling back the linen and beginning his work.

***

An hour later, Remus held the screaming, squalling body of a healthy baby boy. It had been a rather easy birth, once some pain killer's had been found for the mother. She was sleeping now, while Remus took care of cleaning the child. Lucius had left halfway through, deciding it wasn't *that* important to actually watch the birth, as long as he was just outside.

"Lucius?" Remus said, poking his head out the door. "You can come in now."

He felt tired and partially ill. Birth may be a beautiful and natural thing, but it was also a messy thing. And Narcissa was not a pleasant patient.

"Is it...?" Lucius asked, stepping in the room.

"Congratulations." Remus said, smiling weakly. "You have a son."

"A son." Lucius smiled broadly, sighing. "Thank Merlin, a son. May I...?"

"In a mo." ." Remus said. "He's still...sticky."

"Oh. Yes." Lucius nodded, coming to stand beside Remus and watch as he cleaned the child. "He's beautiful..."

"Yes." Remus nodded. //he looks a bit like my grandfather.// He decided. //All red and wrinkly...//

"The mediwitch showed up about ten minutes ago. I told her everything was in hand."

"Wonderful." Remus rolled his eyes. "I hope you don't plan on having any more children..."

"Lords no!" Lucius shook his head. "That would imply I plan on sleeping with 'Cissa again. Which I do not."

"Good. About the not having any more children. Here..." Remus wrapped the baby in a sheet, and handed him to Lucius.

"Good Gods..." Lucius breathed. "Thank you." He looked up at Remus. "I wanted...I wanted you to share in this, in some way."

"Well, I did." Remus said, feeling odd and awkward. "Have you thought of a name?"

"Of course I have." Lucius said. "I already told you."

"Er...you did?" Remus had no memory of that at all.

"Yes. I'm naming him Draco."

"Oh of course." Remus remembered now. "It's a fitting name. Draco Malfoy. But what about a middle name?"

"Haven't thought of one yet." Lucius said. "I'm thinking of naming him for his godfather."

"His godfather?"

"Yes. Oh, he doesn't have one yet. I still need to make all the arrangements with the ministry." Lucius smiled. "Come, we'd best give him back to 'Cissa, or else she'll be even more foul then usual."

"Yes." Remus took Draco back, shaking his head at the baby. Even so soon, he bore a resemblance to Lucius. He took the child back to Narcissa, who practically snatched it out of his arms. Leaving them alone, he decided he really did need a day or so to himself.

~~~~~~