The Malfoy Project

𝟕𝟒 - 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲 (*TW)

*TW: description of sexual assault, mention of suicide
Please do not read this chapter if you're sensitive to such content.  

     "What did you do?"

     "What had to be done," says Lucius, bringing his hand to stroke the silver-headed snake. "I told her she could not keep it." 

     I eye him carefully. "And did she?"

     "She told me," he says, "that it would depend on whose baby it was." 

     That doesn't sound like Narcissa at all, I thought to myself. It is hard to believe that the woman who defied the Dark Lord to save her son would not have wanted to have him. Unless, of course, the baby wasn't Draco. 

     "And how did you feel about that?" 

     He smiles wanly. "It was the strangest thing. The very moment she said that, whatever infatuation I had with Cissy just evaporated into thin air. It was like looking at a covered cage that appeared to conceal some strange, exotic creature underneath, only for the curtain to fall away to reveal that the cage is empty. I realised I didn't want her. I never did. I admired power, drive, and assuredness. Cissy was none of those things — not to any fault of hers, her parents coddled her too much — and the prospect of putting up with her flimsy mulishness and wishy-washy behaviour was suddenly unbearable. I think my love for Cissy had stemmed from the perceived pleasure I would gain from taking something from my brother."

     Lucius holds up his hand before I can speak. "I must ask you to withhold judgement," he says. "It becomes much more complicated than you think."

     The reel has run to its end. I want to change it, but the sun has begun to set and I know Monty is waiting for me — for my answer. "I'm afraid that's all the time I have today," I mumble apologetically and start to pack my things.

     At the door, Lucius lays a hand on my shoulder. "We all have to make difficult decisions," he says.

     "So you regret it, then?" The question comes out a little more accusatory than I wanted.

     He pauses. "When your only choices are between bad and worse, which would you choose?" 

     "I don't know," I say after a moment's thought. The answer seems to satisfy him, and he waves me off.

༻❁༺

     It looks like Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop has moved from Hogsmeade and set up shop in Hogwarts. 

     The walls are covered in pink streamers, the bannisters of the staircases are draped in garlands of a pink, shimmery material, and a thousand pink hearts floated near the ceilings like gaudy, candy floss stars. A Ravenclaw girl stands on a ladder attaching lace bows to the frames of the paintings — much to their inhabitants' obvious displeasure. I walk up to her and asked her what's all this about.

     "It's for Valentine's Day, obviously!" she calls back with only a cursory glance down at me. "Though the fact you've to ask tells me you haven't got one, so I suppose you needn't bother." With that, she goes back to her decorating. I make a face to her back and carry on my way. 

     Monty hasn't informed me of any plans for Valentine's Day, though I expect he will when I meet him in the Slytherin Common Room now, after I tell him my decision. 

     There isn't much to think about, to be honest. I will follow him. Switzerland can't be so bad. They pride themselves on their policy of neutrality. During the war, the Swiss Ministry of Magic did not allow their Auror forces to intervene, so I presume the people there must be very sensible and prudent.