Lucius Malfoy's Second Wife - COMPLETE

The character of Lucius Malfoy belongs to J.K.Rowling. I am only borrowing him for a while. No copyright transgressions are intended and no profit is made.


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Chapter Nine - The Shopping Trip


Lucius paced in his study the next afternoon. He was forcing himself not to go to his wife. This was getting totally out of hand. He didn’t want to miss her company, wanted to prove he didn’t need her at all. His new wife was meant to be merely a means to an end, namely more heirs. He snarled viciously out loud as he paced, “This is sentimental claptrap to which I am immune. Of course, I am.” His rant continued, “It’s only the rush of power I feel in my mastery over her,” he told the walls. Then he worried out loud, “Am I feeling a rush of power over Olivia? Is that what this is?” He received no answer because he refused to have any portraits in his study.


He continued pacing. Her naiveté, rather than annoying him, gratified him in some obscure way. He felt more capable or successful somehow. More peaceful. He couldn’t quite identify it to himself, but besides his normal wish to control her, he felt a pull to protect her and defend her. He frowned. Control was good, but protecting and defending started to wander into knight errant territory, which he decidedly did not want to feel. If she ever fell under the Dark Lord’s axe, Lucius didn’t want to mourn her or feel guilty.


Minnie popped into the study, “Master, the mistress wishes to go out to buy some personal items. She would like you to show her where to shop. Or she said if you are too busy, she would like me to accompany her.” Minnie looked puzzled at that.


Damn, thought Lucius. If I take her to Diagon Alley, she may discover how people react to me. They certainly won’t be friendly with her, knowing she’s my wife. It’s too soon for her to know. Lucius decided he might try a slight spell on her so she would only see and hear what he let her. That might suffice for now. He donned his cape and cane and apparated to the morning room where Olivia was having tea. “Did you wish to go now, my dear?” Lucius enquired.


Olivia gazed at him in pleasure. It seemed as though she would never get tired of just looking at her husband. Olivia’s attraction to him was already intense and sometimes uncomfortable if she couldn’t put herself out of her misery by touching him occasionally. Her empathic connection with her bondmate needed periodic renewal by touch in these early days of their bonding. Lucius was oblivious of the extra layer to their marriage, but even he felt a bit hollow if he left her proximity for a long time. She could feel his anger at his emotional connection to her, even if he didn’t know why he felt it. It was dangerous terrain and telling Lucius wasn’t an option yet. It was lucky, perhaps, that he was much less bonded than she so far, or it could have been disastrous.


Lucius took advantage of her brief preoccupation and subtly aimed his nonverbal spell at her.


Olivia reacted to his feeling of furtiveness by automatically shielding herself. She sensed his attempt to put her under a spell and saw its shape. She was shocked and intensely disappointed in her husband; her own emotional reaction deep and sharp. Olivia was an extremely gifted witch herself, but hadn’t displayed any of her own power yet. She decided to play along, but she was unbearably sad and hurt at his attempt at manipulation.


Lucius suddenly felt a sharp pang of sadness at what he was doing. It made him regret his action, but he felt cornered. He didn’t want her to know about him yet. He didn’t realize the sadness came mostly from her, so he also felt guilty. That in turn angered him, which ironically made him more comfortable. Anger was a familiar feeling for him.


“Take my hand,” Lucius held out his hand to her, “I can apparate us to our shopping district.”


Olivia pulled on her jacket and took his hand. Lucius reeled slightly from his sudden resurgence of sadness felt secondhand from Olivia. “I’ll protect you, Olivia, if you are alarmed by anything,” he said, trying to squelch his guilt.


What an odd turn of phrase, she thought. What has him so worried that he has to bind me in a spell? She decided that his feelings of guilt were a positive sign, even with his unpleasant action against her. She was reading his internal emotional conflict and felt better about him, but his spell was a blow to the initial euphoria of her marriage.


Lucius apparated them to one end of Diagon Alley. They immediately met two wizards who nodded warily at Lucius and slipped past them. Olivia stood proudly beside her husband even if she only came up to his shoulder. She tucked her hand into his arm and tried to feel every time he expected her not to react to other people. Her solution worked fairly well. She spent her time gazing up at him adoringly and most other people respected her ‘new bride’s’ absorption. Many were probably relieved that he had chosen her for his wife instead of one of their family members. Their relief emerged as faint attempts at civility, but none stayed long enough to uncover Olivia’s small deception. Or to get to know her.


Lucius located a chemist’s shop that had most everything that Olivia needed. He took her to a clothing store, and then the bookstore, where she purchased a few novels for entertainment while Lucius was busy. Lucius apparated them both home after she said she had shopped enough for now. He gave a sigh of relief.


At dinner that evening Olivia skewered him with two questions, “Would you like to explain to me why you tried to place a spell on me for the shopping trip today? And why other people apparently regard you with something approaching terror?”


Lucius was completely blindsided. “I, my dear? Why would you think that?” He turned his spell over and over in his mind, trying to figure out how she had known.


“Oh, Lucius. It’s plain to me that there is a lot you aren’t telling me. I accept that you have the right not to admit me into your entire life. I can see that parts of it must be murky indeed if you are trying to keep me cocooned using spells.” She went on, “But Lucius, if there are elements to your life that will harm me, don’t you think I have the right to know?”


Lucius remained silent, trying to forestall her with a quelling look. How did he answer her? Not with the whole truth, certainly. But she had a point about the danger to her.


She continued, “Lucius, I’m completely committed to you and to our marriage. I have no reluctance or reservations about us as a couple. I know you don’t love me, but you can trust me. Just don’t try to manipulate me with spells, please. Ask me – or tell me – what you want instead.” She didn’t want to burden him with her unwanted affections. He wasn’t ready to hear or accept her feelings for him. But she would not stand for today’s treatment again.


“I do not feel obliged to air my entire existence for your approval or even for your scrutiny, but I accept your argument about knowing of any danger to you. And I will always try to keep you safe,” if at all possible, he amended silently.


Lucius continued, “I apologize for trying to control you with a spell. I didn’t see another way to keep you from some of the hostile attitudes of my peers. I will try to talk to you first if any other situations occur where you are put in an unsafe position. But I will promise no more.”


“Are there lunatics out there wanting your blood? What is so unsafe in a shopping expedition?” she asked.


“I have…a…common interest of ideologies with a very powerful wizard who shall not be named. This interest is known in some magic circles and feared. I agree with some of this wizard’s philosophy which runs counter to some other philosophies in England.” He looked at her in concern, “I sincerely hope no one will try to harm you to get to me, but I do want to keep you safe.”


And with that she had to be content. Lucius would say no more on the subject. He disapparated away from the dining table.