Narcissa

Disclaimer: Not mine, Jo's, sniff! I want Lucius!


Chapter Three

Lucius came into my chamber shortly after I woke up from my nightmare. He looked down at me.

“Are you all right?” He asked.

“Yes,” I lied. “I am fine.”

He cocked his head to one side, as if in disbelief, but tactfully let the subject drop. He opened a wardrobe door and took some robes out. He then walked into an adjoining bathroom.

“Care to join me?” He asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes. I smiled, and blushed. I wished sometimes I would stop blushing. I am a married woman now, a mistress to goodness knows how many mansions and servants, and am most likely to produce an heir. I have to stop this blushing, what must he think of me? I am an insecure little thing and likely to remain so.

“All right,” I replied. I worried my lower lip a little as he led me to the bathroom. He closed the door with a snap, and then he caressed and rubbed my shoulders.

“You feel tense darling are you sure you’re all right?”

His well-used and talented hands sought out the knots in the shoulder and back muscles. He eased them gently, and caressed them smoothly with his beautiful, elegant fingers. He leant over and I could feel his hot breath causing shivers down my spine. He wanted to make love.

“Lucius,” I breathed. He took aside some of my now much longer hair. He said he didn’t like short hair that was the reason why his was so long. He thought it went against nature to cut it short. Hair was supposed to grow! It was an adornment of dignity, he said. We should sport our dignity as much as we could. My hair had no trouble acceding to his demands.

He placed his silken lips on my skin and kissed and teased the sensitive spot right under my earlobe, causing my body to quake.

“Ah,” he murmured. “I see that has relaxed you.”

It did. Lucius knew exactly how to relax me. I could never relax now without him. He was my rock now. I had been a piece of driftwood for so long I wanted to beach somewhere and stay. Lucius gave me that opportunity. He stepped around me and started running the bath. He then turned towards me.

“I am still a little tired from the journey and the guests,” I offered by way of an explanation, it sounded pretty dumb even to my ears.

“Oh Bea and Rudi?” he said. “Oh yes, well, I did say no visitors but Bea’s always been one to break the rules, especially when you don’t really want her too!”

I smiled weakly. Yes, she had.

“You missed one out,” I said in an effort to be playful.

“Severus? Oh he’d have been all right by himself, he’d have just sat there quietly with the newspaper offering minimal conversation points.”

Severus Snape? Quiet? I almost laughed at the prospect. He seemed pretty vocal as a teacher.

The steam filled the bathroom. The bath was ornate and beautiful. It was shaped like an oyster, and the taps were silver with green jewels. The actual tap itself was shaped like serpents with exquisitely carved details of the scales and eyes. I rolled my eyes, typically Slytherin, yet elegant. It was the type of bathroom my mother only dreamt of having! And it was mine!

Lucius began removing his robes and placing them delicately on a chair in the room. I loved our baths together in Venice and started to undress myself. Once both of us were naked I saw Lucius stormy grey eyes take on the tempest of passion as we slid into his bath, I followed meekly. He laughed.

“Hermione,” he said. “You’re my equal and companion, you can do what you want and you don’t have to fall three steps behind me. It might be good for you to spend time with Bellatrix. She’ll treat you like her daughter no doubt.”

I was nervous with that prospect. She seemed nice enough today but this was the woman whose loyalties were still unclear. So, a thought passed into my mind, look whom your married to? I did look, and conceded the point.

I slid into the opposite side of the bath. Lucius offered his hand to mine and I accepted it. I swam (for this bath was almost big enough to swim) up to him and I settled against his strong, protective chest. He began twirling his fingers in my hair.

“I suppose I’ll write to her tomorrow then,” I said as I began coiling some of his chest hair in my fingers. He shivered as he felt my breath on his wet skin. I knew what he wanted, and I complied. I kissed his chest and sucked at his hardened nipple. He groaned and he held my head tightly in that one position allowing my tongue to minister to his nipples and torso. I risked a look and he had his head thrown back in ecstasy and his dripping wet hair hung down the back of the bath.

I gingerly placed my legs over his waist and felt his penis throb beneath me. I picked up his head and placed my lips on his, we kissed. He bit the lower lip and I opened my mouth. He then slid his tongue into my mouth. He thrust up into me as he deepened the kiss and I thrust down on him as I did the same. We didn’t even care if the water was splashing on the floor, it could easily be cleared up.

Eventually as we nipped, kissed, and bit various parts of our body we came and he shouted out my name as if I was his freedom, and release. He shouted out my name as if I was his salvation. He thrust up into me again causing my body to shatter and shiver, as I too, yelled his name out.

“Hungry darling?” He asked with mild amusement.

“I am now,” I said meekly. I wished I could grow up.

“Do you know how beautiful you are when you blush my sweet? Innocence becomes you.”

I lowered my head shamefully.

“I wished I was --!”

“Don’t wish to be anything but yourself. For most of my life I wanted to be like someone and that turned sour on me, now I am just plain old Lucius Malfoy and I like it.”

Plain and old were certainly two adjectives that least described my husband. He was neither; in fact they more likely described me.

“Your perfect,” I murmured.

He sniggered at that one.

“Perfect you say,” he said. “Oh, my poor child you’ll realise soon enough that you are married to possibly the least perfect man in the world.”

I smiled again and then he grabbed a bottle of shampoo and we began washing each other. His hands worked magic on my scalp and I rinsed his lovely hair to. Once we were clean we stepped out of the bath and then we towel dried our bodies and dried our hair by magic. We then stepped into the chambers to get dressed and ready for dinner.

*^*^*^*

Dinner was a rather plain English affair: Boiled potatoes dripping with butter and mint, next to roast potatoes, beefsteaks, sausages and roast chicken, there were a choice of vegetables, broccoli, peas, carrots and swede. I gaped my mouth wide open. I could not believe it. This was too much for two people surely. I had a guilty pang, thinking of all those starving people in countries, and here we were eating enough food for ten people.

“I always like a choice my dear,” Lucius muttered.

“What happens to the left overs?” I asked.

“Oh the servants eat it I imagine, and then there are always beggars that somehow manage to get in. Muggles of course. I give the servants permission to feed them.”

Beggars? Here in the middle of the countryside?

Two menservants came in. Roberts and Frith – they were the only human servants that this particular Mansion held. Roberts held out a chair for me to sit in, and Frith held one out for the master. We sat and they brought us the food to help ourselves with. I suddenly realised that I was famished, not really having had much to eat today.

Roberts and Frith both looked at me with raised eyebrows. I turned to look at Lucius.

“What am I doing wrong?” I whispered.

Lucius scowled and turned to look at the servants and dismissed them.

“Nothing my dear, like I said you do what you want,” he snapped. I didn’t understand this sudden mood change. “And eat as much as you like, like you pointed out there is enough here. Also you don’t have to worry about servant’s opinions, you are now their Mistress, you are their superior, remember they answer to you.”

I nodded as he began to eat too. Perhaps rather more daintily than I, he was raised to this life. I was not. I was raised in the middleclass. We had differing ways about us. We ate the meal in silence; he had somehow changed personality since we sat at the dinner table. That pervading sense of failure had crept upon me. I was scared if I were to be absolutely honest, I was scared of making too many mistakes; I was scared of making Lucius look like a fool in choosing me to be his wife.

We retired to the drawing room where there were coffee and biscuits already laid out. We sat on the sofa together. He picked up the Evening Prophet and I selected a book from a shelf and began reading it. The fire crackled breaking the almost unbearable silence. I suddenly heard a mew come from a corner.

I turned around and in the corner was a Kneazle kitten. It was ginger, but better groomed than Crookshanks. Lucius sighed.

“His name’s Jasper,” he said. “I brought him shortly after Narcissa’s death.”

“To ease the loneliness,” I whispered.

He nodded. “That, and other things.”

“You must have loved her very much,” I sighed. Immediately the atmosphere changed. He turned on me and looked at me with that dark, haunted expression, his face was black.

“We had – well let’s just say that we – oh Jasper go and ask someone else for some attention I am busy!”

He unceremoniously dumped Jasper on my lap and Jasper looked at me, his eyes were murky green and he mewed. I laughed as he climbed up my stomach and settled across my bosom. I began fussing his ears and kissing his head. Lucius looked at Jasper like he was some sort of enemy for a moment and then – slowly – a small smile crept along his face.

“It seems my dear that you have been adopted,” he said.

I smiled back at Lucius and then we continued on, we drank our coffee, ate the biscuits and read and both took it in turns to fuss over Jasper.

“Why did you call him Jasper?” I asked.

“It was Draco’s middle name,” he said with a sad, wistful sigh.

He must have loved his son very much.

“Poor Draco,” I sighed.

He took my hand and led me to our bedchamber. We undressed and he dressed himself in a pair of black silk pyjamas and I dressed in an ordinary white cotton nightdress. We both crawled into bed.

“What do Muggles do in the evening to make time fly?” Lucius asked me as we were drifting to sleep.

“They have things called televisions and videos. They sit and watch films. They’re sort of like a series of wizard photographs with storylines played out. They last for anything up to an hour to four. That’s how they waste time.”

Lucius chuckled against my neck. I liked the way it made me feel.

“I like that,” he said. “Perhaps one day you can show me what a film is!”

This was Lucius he was back to normal.

*^*^*^*

The next morning I awoke and turned over so that I could hug my husband but he weren’t there. I was confused as I got up and had a light wash before I got dressed in some ordinary day robes and then walked down the stairs. Roberts had come out of the Dining Room.

“Mr Malfoy has left a message for you to say that he will be locked up in the library attending to Estate business and that he has already had his breakfast.”

I nodded.

“Thank you.”

I walked into the Dining Room and helped myself to some porridge. I had no idea what to do now. Roberts stayed in the room as I ate.

“Mrs Malfoy always spent time in the Morning Room writing letters,” Roberts said, as if he could ascertain my thoughts.

I nodded again.

“Thank you,” I said.

He bowed awkwardly as I rose up from my seat. He cleared the porridge bowl away and clicked his fingers, immediately a group of house elves led by Danvers turned up. Danvers looked at me; her sunken eyes regarded me with scorn. As if in her opinion no-one could match up to her Mrs Malfoy.

I walked out of the Dining Room and walked in any direction in the vain hope that it led to the Morning Room.

“The Morning Room is through here Miss,” a cold wheezing voice said, I turned around and looked down. Standing at my heel there was Danvers. “Follow me.”

She led the way through another, much grander Dining Room.

“My Mrs Malfoy used to have parties in here almost every night of the week,” Danvers said. “She’d trust no one to organise these events except me.”

Danvers walked through another door and immediately a glow emanated into the rather austere room. I walked into the Morning Room. It was decorated in warm yellows and light oranges. There was a petite piano in the corner and a writing desk set near the window.

In the corner there was a squashy easy chair, with a coffee table covered in periodicals and on the other side of that sat a sofa and another easy chair.

“This was Mrs Malfoy’s room,” Danvers said. “She entertained in here and she wrote letters to her numerous friends.” Her tone implied I didn’t have friends. Well, I thought, I’ll show her.

I suppose I could write to Mrs Van Hopper to let her know that Manderley is twice as grand as hearsay allowed, and Ginny might like to know how I’ve settled in, and Lucius mentioned something about suggesting a day out with Bellatrix. Something I was still uncertain about but it wouldn’t hurt to suggest it would it?

I sat down at the writing desk where there were perfectly cut pieces of parchment there already.

“I’ve kept everything the way it was since she died,” Danvers said in her cold voice. “But it is yours now.”

The last was spoken with an edge of spite, as if she didn’t like a new Mistress taking over.

“Thank you.”

“Would you like to look over the menu for today,” Danvers said. Why wouldn’t she just leave? Her presence made me feel as if I were a guest in what is now essentially my own home.

“Of course,” I said.

“You’ll find it on the shelf marked Immediate Attention,” Danvers said, I could almost imagine her look of incredulity as I rummaged around. I found it. I perused it carefully.

“Yes,” I said. “Yes that will be fine.”

I handed the list back to Danvers and she took it carefully avoiding my touch.

“Will you be wanting anything else Miss?” she asked. I thought for a moment. A cup of coffee wouldn’t go amiss I supposed.

“May I have some coffee?” I asked.

“Of course,” her voice answered dryly. “You are the Mistress now you can have whatever you want and when you want. Oh,” she paused. “Tea will be served at four, under the Willow Tree over there.” She came on the desk and pointed at a Willow Tree. “Are you sure that will be all?” She asked.

“Yes Danvers that will be all,” I answered.

“As you wish,” she said, as she curtseyed rather stiffly, and then disapparated to the kitchens. Immediately a percolator of coffee and a cup and saucer appeared on the desk. I poured myself some coffee and then a milk jug appeared. I poured in a little milk.

I pulled a sheet of parchment and a quill dipped in ink, Danvers must renew the ink daily in memory of her Mistress, such loyalty actually disturbed me.

I began writing. I thought I’d tackle Mrs Van Hopper first.

“To Mrs Van Hopper

I am just sending a quick word to say that I have arrived at Manderley and it is far grander than the gossips would have it.

Lucius and I spent two weeks in Venice and he’s lovely.

Mrs H. Malfoy.”

It seemed odd to write Mrs H. Malfoy.

“Mrs G. Potter

It seems ridiculous to be so formal but now I am in this class I suppose I have to be.

How are you Ginny I know we have three years or so of catching up to do but please excuse the shortness of this note. I just want to say that I am settling in well, except for this one house elf that doesn’t seem to like me. She might even be Kreacher’s mother.

I hope Harry is treating you well. And perhaps we can arrange a day of chatting or two.

Mrs H. Malfoy.”

Hmm, it got less uncomfortable the second time of writing. Now I had to tackle the shark.

“Mrs Bellatrix Lestrange

Hello, it’s Hermione, I was just wondering if perhaps one day you could come over and help me out a bit. I feel a bit at sea here and I have only a small clue as to what to do. Perhaps we might even go out shopping.

Mrs H. Malfoy”

I folded the three of them up nicely and placed them in envelopes and sealed them with the Malfoy seal. I was about to get up and find someway of getting these to the people when I noticed the seal on the wax. It was a fine, elegant, sloping N, bold on the slope going down, but rather thin on the vertical sides. This was a woman whom was confident, unabashed, and not ashamed. I thought my writing paled compared to hers. Tiny, neat, intrusive, it explained me really. This was the woman I had to compete with.

I did not know where the owls were kept. I was about to venture out of the door in the hope that either Roberts or Frith was standing outside when Danvers popped back in the room.

“You may hand me the letters,” she said. “Mrs Malfoy always gave me care of the morning post. If there are any replies then the evening post is Roberts care.”

I nodded. I did not like the way she said if… it was almost like she did not believe any of the people would reply to me. I was in fact only expecting one reply, and that was from Ginny. Mrs Van Hopper would probably read it, and then scrunch it up and throw it in the bin, missing it completely, as for Bellatrix, well, she might laugh, and then set it aside and say something like…

“Something fun to do on a rainy day!”

Danvers then left to take care of the mail and that left me drumming my fingers on the desk. There were a few bookshelves set in the alcove either side of the fireplace. I was about to walk towards them and see what sort of books Mrs Malfoy enjoyed reading when the fireplace gleamed green. I peered in it. Then Bellatrix’s head popped out.

“Oh hello darling,” she said. “I hope I haven’t startled you but I fancied a chin wag, do you want one to?”

“I’ve just written you a letter to arrange a time,” I replied.

“Why? Is now not convenient?” She asked.

“No it is not, not convenient, which is to say that it is – I suppose!”

She laughed her hearty, almost manly laugh.

“Well then, step aside and let me through,” she said. I did so immediately. “I never thought I’d admit this but I prefer travelling by floo to apparating, apparating takes so much out of one. It almost leaves you with no air to breath sometimes.”

“I don’t like the ashes, although the floo is quicker I suppose.”

She gave me her wand so that I could perform a cleansing spell.

“So whom else have you been writing to?” She asked.

“Mrs Potter and my old employer Mrs Van Hopper,” I replied. Bellatrix sat in one of the easy chairs.

“Cissy’s favourite room this,” she observed. “She loved the sun! She said it matched her hair. I don’t care much for the sun I love the night though. You look to me like a girl whom enjoys the twilight.”

“Yes,” I said.

“Oh don’t mind me my mouth tends to spout all this! So where’s Lucy?”
“Estate business,” I said.

Bellatrix groaned.

“Rudi too, honestly though my dear if it were Rudi – he’d damn the Estate to hell and back, and spend the time with you!”

I laughed a little at this.

“Lucius is a rather serious-minded man,” I said in defence.

“So what was it you wanted then?”

“As my letter was going to say, I feel a little at sea, I am a rather shy, awkward, and diffident person, and even though I am bossy in temperament, I don’t think I like to order people about constantly. If you know what I am saying.”

Bellatrix crossed her legs and leant back her head and sighed. She then looked at me.

“You weren’t that diffident on the battlefield,” she said.

“That was different, circumstance’s dictated otherwise,” I replied.

“Circumstance’s dictate now, honestly, Hermione, you won’t get far if you are not prepared to walk a little bit over people, you have at least THREE Mansions to govern that I know of, and if you don’t start putting your foot down, and being a little bit more outspoken then the servants will think that you are an easy target. Even House Elves will play you up.”

“What do you suggest I do then?” I asked.

“Show them that Cissy is no longer the Mistress here, but you are. Change a few things, make sure that your personality is stamped in some of them rooms, take care to leave certain personalised artefacts dotted around the place. Like a monogrammed handkerchief for instance. Lucius won’t mind changes being done to the place. It could do with it.”

Despair washed over me. I could never do that. It seemed Narcissa had things run perfectly and who was I to mess with perfection?

“Did Lucius and Narcissa have a loving marriage?” I asked.

Bellatrix frowned.

“It seemed happy, they were happy whenever I saw them, which I suppose is indication enough, as I saw them a lot!”

Perfect Narcissa, why did Lucius marry me when he had perfection?

A/N I hope you like it and please, pretty please review. Oh and sorry for Bella being seemingly out of character. There is a good reason.