money, power & glory

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

Narcissa nodded, the quiet of his voice making her chest ache. “Both of them.” She paused, turning from her spot on the bed in the room to face him more directly. “And it’s not public knowledge, but Evan… My mother set one up for him, as well.” Truly, she was the last in the family without a match forced upon her. Even as she tried to keep her mind off of it, her mind was sent reeling with the possibilities of who her mother might match her with. Druella was a fearsome woman, and the pair were not on the best of terms at the moment. Her mother wouldn’t be searching for the best match for her, and she wouldn’t get another Sebastian. “I told my mother I some supplies I needed to purchase for a Charms project. We have some time, but not enough.” She squeezed his hand, leaning into his touch gently. “My mother betrothed Andromeda to Stefan’s cousin. I doubt she’ll be any kinder to me with her choice.”

He stepped closer, ready to tell her that it wasn’t as bad as possible, but then she mentioned Evan’s betrothal and he sighed. Lucius pulled her closer, one hand still resting on her cheek as he hugged her. Staying quiet for a moment, he allowed the news to settle in the room around them. “I’ll go talk with her,” Lucius said, the words tumbling out of his mouth without much thought, surprised to realize that he truly meant it. “There’s no reason I can’t speak with her about a betrothal, Cissa. I wasn’t lying about wanting you. If she is so caught up in each of you being betrothed, then how can she say no to me?” His last few words were teasing, trying to lighten the mood a bit before pulling away to look at her again.

[malfoysluc]

lucius abraxas malfoy - siry wedding

outfit ;; green to match his date { @mineurblack }

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

Narcissa waited a few days, possibly a few days too long, before she owled Lucius to meet her. She’d booked a room in the Leaky, mostly for the privacy of it. No one would expect a Black and a Malfoy to meet up in such a common place. She’d done her best to hide herself, charmed her hair a different color up until she’d locked herself in the room, awaiting his arrival. She sat down on the bed, and for a moment, it felt like all of the energy she had left her. For days, she’d been worried about Andromeda and Regulus’s betrothals.. and now she had to wait and try not to panic that she might have to go through another betrothal. Truth be told, Lucius and her had gotten away with hiding once, and she knew the likelihood of them being able to do it again was slim. She knew what he needed to do–and as he entered the room, she knew she couldn’t waste his time. Better to cut to the chase.

“–Andromeda has a new betrothal.” She wished she had a better greeting for him. After their time in Paris, all she wanted was at least one normal month with him. And perhaps she’d received it, but that month was over now. “Regulus, too. And with Bellatrix and Sirius already in betrothals… Lucius, there’s no way I’m not next.”

@malfoysluc​

Lucius was somewhat surprised to receive her owl, not because of the owl itself, but of the contents of the letter, telling him to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron. He followed the invitation, sure to be discreet about it so he wasn’t followed, and showed up at the time she’d said. He gathered a key from the front desk and started upstairs, letting his illusion charm fall as he knocked on the door once, then entered. It reminded him slightly of their time in Paris during break--being able to steal moments away under the same roof without worry of being caught--but as soon as he saw her, he knew Paris was a distant memory.

“Both of them?” His voice was quiet as he faltered in his path, too scared to break the spell the silence held over them. Logically, Lucius knew what this meant for families like theirs. She’d have a betrothal set up by the end of the month--if her mother even waited that long. “How long?” He stepped up to her finally, taking one hand in his as the other cupped her cheek. “How long do we have?”

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

Narcissa, of course, knew what Lucius was saying was true–what they had hadn’t been anything official. It’d meant something to her, and she knew to him, but to the outside world… Everything was supposed to be new. Valentine’s Day was meant to be the first night they’d ever spent in such close proximity to each other. How could she even explain that first night she’d managed to sneak out and meet him? Or that she, a lady of House Black, a daughter of Cygnus Black himself, had lowered herself to meeting him nearly every night since then. She’d been betrothed for most of it. With all the events that transpired during the holidays, she’d almost forgotten how hard it had been to be with another man while Lucius watched her from the sidelines. While she could only touch him in broom closets like some crazy teenager. Perhaps she was crazed.

As Lucius softened before her, far too close for her own comfort, she felt almost embarrassed as a few tears fell from her eyes. The last time she’d cried in front of him, she was confessing that she’d helped murder her own father. Before that… She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d truly cried. Maybe it was when Andromeda had left the family; it had broken something inside of her. His hand moved down her jaw, his warmth leaving her, and she gently moved to wipe her own tears away. “I felt like I was worth nothing in that moment. Do you have any idea how terrified I–” He was holding her hand, her own hand still clutching his tie tightly. She didn’t look at him for a moment, only down at their joined hands. They’d worked so hard to end up together, and while her emotions were still running high, her anger at him was depleting. It had been naive of her to think that they thought so similarly that a misunderstanding wouldn’t happen, but for it to happen in such a dire situation had been just her luck. 

She bit her lip, holding back tears, as she felt his hand gently guide her head up to look at him. What he was offering her was everything she’d wanted from him personally, but for a moment, she paused. The logical side of her mind knew this was a promise he couldn’t keep. There was a war, and he had loyalties to maintain. She let out a short breath, eyes trained on his. “–Lucius.” There was an ongoing battle between her head and her heart, and while she knew that battle well, she didn’t get to use the excuse of her family this time. Bellatrix approved, it was what she wanted. There wasn’t anything to lose attaching herself to him, save her own heart. A heart that she knew was already half his. Her mind, however, was racing. Not with any typical gripes, either, but with serious matters. He could die. If the Death Eaters failed, he could end up in prison with her sister, several of her loved ones. While she’d been able to enjoy the thought of them together once she was free, the realities of it were falling into place before her eyes. Until the war was won, he’d never be fully her’s. “I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.” But in the back of her mind, she knew she could live with that. She’d have to–they’d risked so much already. Even if he left her behind a thousand times, she’d make do and they’d work past it. “I want you.”

Lucius hated admitting his weakness, hated admitting when he was wrong or when he should’ve been better, but for Narcissa? He would have admitted anything she asked of him. He would’ve melted each time she looked at him if it was at all possible. Once he saw her wipe her own tears away, he reached his thumb up, brushing it across her cheekbone to stop her tears. “If you forgive me, I will never let you go through something like that again.” His voice was soft, a tone that was only ever reserved for her. As soft as it was, there was still a restraint to it, still holding himself back from acting on impulse as he wanted to do whenever he was around her. But then she spoke and all pretense of restraint he had was gone.

The hand resting on her cheek slid back to tangle in her hair, his other hand dropping hers to do the same, as if he needed to hold her close. “You’re the only one I want by my side too, Cissa.” Lucius leaned his forehead against hers, giving himself a few seconds to bask in the moment. “I want you to be there to call me on my shit,” he said, his voice not much more than a whisper. “I want you to--” His lips gently brushed against hers as he shook his head. “I just want you.” With that, he kissed her, his hands curling into her hair as he used that touch as an anchor.

[malfoysluc]

{ bellatrix }‌:

The sound of her heels echo against the marble floor, disregarding any attempts at subtlety. Why should she? Her reputation ensured her certain level of immunity and liberty from the social norms. Deciding to push it further when she approached the set of tables at the library her hand pulled the chair away, using more force than necessary only to create a creaking cacophony, smirking in satisfaction when she succeeded. As she positioned herself to sit down, she caught the pair of eyes staring at her. “You wanted to say something?” Voice as honey and saccharine smile completed her mask of amity, camouflaging the underlying threat in her voice.

Lucius could hear Bellatrix coming far before the sound of the creaking chair, though he didn’t look up until the chair stopped creaking, an eyebrow raising. “I always have something to say, Bella, though I feel like you have no need for my thoughts.” He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the table top as he smirked at his friend. “You seem to be in good spirits.”

[malfoysluc]

{ jasmin }‌:

She rolled her eyes as she helped herself to the cream, eyeing him curiously. “I really hope not, but you look pretty damn beat up.” she said in a more kinder tone. “I’m here to talk if you want to.”

“Well, thank you Jasmin, for those insightful words.” Lucius sighed, setting his coffee cup back down on the table. “Truly, though, it’s not something I wish to talk about at the moment.”

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

In the quiet of the empty classroom, before she started yelling again, she turned to get a good look at him–Lucius Malfoy, loosening his tie. Merlin, even when she was pissed at him, her eyes lingered on the tie as it slowly untied itself, fleeting moments in broom closets coming to memory. Moments that had been nice, but not quite satisfying enough to ease this ever-growing hunger within her. He was beautiful, gorgeous, and still completely in trouble. “Mistake? Putting my life at risk isn’t a mistake, Lucius! It’s a bit more serious than a mistake.” His tie was removed, and she watched as it flew away, momentarily quieted as she brought her gaze back to him. This was the least composed she’d seen him before, and while there was still anger pooling within her, a bit of longing added to it. “You told me what, Lucius? We dance around words all the time.” Perhaps the political talk they were so used to in society had crept into their relationship. She was sick of it. Part of her wanted to keep screaming at him for what he’d done, but another part of her just wanting him to let her under his skin. 

Narcissa shivered as he touched her, electric despite the current conversation, and she closed her eyes, a rush of emotion flooding through her. “Forever?” Her voice was quieter for a moment, and she took a step away from him, hating how her chest clenched. It felt harder to breathe, and she knew she was about to cry. Swallowing, she held back tears. “I believe you, Lucius, but you have to know it didn’t feel like I was first that night. And not seeing you until now?” She moved towards the table with his tie, picking it up and gently playing with it in her hand. “You were just gone. I ran into three Death Eaters who didn’t much care who I was, just that I wasn’t one of them.” That wasn’t supposed to happen to her. She was a prominent figure, a well known face. The sight of her hair was enough for some people to know who she was. Her hand was trembling, wondering for a moment how things would’ve been had Lorcan not been there. They seemed keen to attack regardless, and while she was good with her wand, she wasn’t sure she could’ve handled three alone. His tie gently wrapped around her hand, and she looked at it instead of him. What he did with the Death Eaters scared her, and it was the first time she’d been able to acknowledge it to herself. “I could easily died.”

“We dance around these words because we haven’t officially been courting--in out parents eyes, this relationship isn’t a relationship. For all intents and purposes, they could have had either of us betrothed and ripped away from each other at any second. Let us not forget that that already happened.” Lucius took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down even more. He was trying to get his point across--to share why he was tip-toeing around the words and why he wanted to keep her away from the Death Eaters.

Just as soon as he thought those words, she shared what had happened, how she had run into Death Eaters who didn’t seem phased that she was a Black. His hand, which had been lingering on her cheek after tucking her hair behind her ear, now brushed along her jaw before dropping back to his side. “I know,” Lucius said with a dejected sigh. “I know, Cissa, I’m sorry.” He stepped closer, reaching out to take her hand. Once he did, he looked down, realizing she had picked up his tie and it was now wrapped around her hand. His voice went quiet, both hands wrapping around hers as he spoke again. “I messed up, Cissa, I know I did, and I’ll be trying to make up for it forever...if you let me. I just need you to know that I hadn’t meant to put you in harms way. I thought you’d be safer, but now I realize how naive that thought was.” Lucius looked back up, using one hand to tilt her head up to face him. “If you let me, I will stay by your side no matter what.”

[malfoysluc]

{ lorcan }‌:

“Oh it is all for you, your most pureblood holiness,” Lorcan said as he got into Lucius’ view, flailing his arms and doing a dramatic bow before he got serious. “Get off your high horse.”

Lucius rolled his eyes and turned back to his coffee. “How about you raise yourself to an acceptable level and maybe then I’ll give you the level of respect you deserve.”

[malfoysluc]

{ alexandra }‌:

“You don’t have to read anything to know that much, Malfoy.” Alex continued to tease him. It was all too easy with him at times, and that was what she was after; oddly enough, it was fun to watch someone as put together as they appeared snap. And she couldn’t wait to see that happened with him. “So what peed in your coffee?”

He rolled his eyes, knowing she was just trying to get under his skin. Lucius wanted nothing more than to get up and storm away, but he knew he needed to keep up some of his appearances, so he silently set down his coffee and turned to her. “Must you use such vulgar sayings?”

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

Narcissa watched as Lucius took in the news she’d told him–she’d nearly died that night. His mask was still on, as best as it could be, but she could tell there was a change in his demeanor as he stared at her. She stared back, trying to hold her gaze steady and not falter. Were she someone different, maybe someone less proud, she’d be able to ask him to hold her while she took in what had almost happened to her. Because she’d hardly been able to process it in the last few days. “Isn’t that what you want people to think–that you’re emotionless?” The mask he held, similar to her own, was to give off that impression. While it wasn’t often that he held that mask around her recently, she found herself searching for the cracks when they were in public. She watched as it fell, watched him push his hair from his face. It felt like a victory of sorts, but a hollow one. It was a game she didn’t like winning much. And while she understood that he felt like he didn’t have any options, he did. He could’ve kept her with him, gotten her safely somewhere. Chaos had erupted around her, and all he’d done was disappear. “There were dementors roaming the halls. Classmates died, Lucius. Nowhere was safe that night, and I was alone. You have no idea how that felt.” Her eyes narrowed as he mentioned Lorcan–the way her ex-boyfriend’s name sounded on his tongue irked her. It was worse than he knew, her throwing Lorcan in his face, and she’d have to make sure he didn’t find out how bad it was until they were in a better position. If they were. 

Looking to the side, she caught sight of a group of younger students who’d stopped to watch them. Glaring daggers as the kids, she reached for Lucius’s arm, grip tight, dragging him behind her as she searched for privacy. She wasn’t finished. Finding a nearby classroom, she opened it, finding it deserted. She moved them inside, closing the door behind them. “Muffliato.” She paused, moved a few steps into the room, and lowered her wand. It was quiet in there, and she took a moment to appreciate that before speaking. “Is every night together going to be like that?” she asked, her tone chilly as she regarded him. “Is your precious Dark Lord going to come before me at every turn? Is that the future I have to look forward to?” She knew what they were working towards, but with the war looming, the reality of it was creeping in on her. “Because I’ll have you know that if it had been anyone, anyone but you that had left me that night, they’d be right in the Hospital Wing with my cousins.”

“I want people to think that, yes--people, Narcissa, but not you.” It was true, he knew as soon as he said it. He wanted people to think he was emotionless, that there was no soft spot to him, but she wasn’t one of those people. He’d been far more open with her than he had with anyone in his past and he thought she knew this. As soon as she mentioned the dementors, he let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that she must’ve been scared and he should’ve been there to help, but also knowing that there was no detail of the attack he could’ve been told before, no detail that he could have planned better for. He had messed up, he knew, but he couldn’t go back and fix it. Lucius held his tongue as she pulled him into the classroom, letting her handle the spell as he loosened the tie, allowing the fabric to un-knot and stay draped around his neck.

Lucius relaxed a bit as the spell was done, knowing they wouldn’t be overheard now. “Not every night will be like that, but I am still human, Narcissa, I’m sorry if I made a mistake!” He removed his tie all the way and tossed it onto a nearby desk, becoming more and more disheveled now that he knew there weren’t any eyes on them. “I never lied to you. I told you what you meant to me and I have not wavered in those feelings for you, yet here you are, questioning how much you mean to me?” Sighing, he took a slight moment to compose himself before lowering his voice, letting some of the anger dissipate before he looked at her again. “I have my loyalties--I always will.” He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger as he said, “But you will forever come first.”

[malfoysluc]

{ jasmin }‌:

Jasmin sighed and shook her head. “Lingering because there’s no cream on the Ravenclaw table, Luce.” she said before taking in the state of him, he seemed broodier than usual. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked as she added cream into her coffee. 

“Take the cream then,” he said, sliding it toward her as he took a sip of his coffee. “Does something have to be wrong with me for me to want some alone time, Jasmin?”

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

Narcissa knew what she’d started when she let her own civility drop. But he’d messed up, leaving her behind. He was lucky she wasn’t in the Hospital Wing with her cousins, if not worse off. And perhaps she would’ve let his excuses slide until later, but the tone he’d taken with her was unacceptable. It felt demeaning, like he was talking to a petulant child. She was a grown woman with a distinct right to be upset, and as he stormed from the hall, she followed him. The Hospital Wing doors closed behind her, and for the first time in days, she was out in the castle again. “You are not walking away from me, Lucius.” Her voice was cold as ice, chilly and commanding. Because he wasn’t, not until she’d said what she wanted to. She grabbed for his hand, pulling him to the side of the hall for as much privacy as she could give them. “You do not get to be the one to leave this time!” She was far too tired for her mask, far too angry, and to be fair, it seemed like the whole castle was a wreck. She was allowed this, wasn’t she? “How dare you, Lucius. Do you want to know how I fared that evening?” she hissed, her voice low. She could still remember how close she’d come to death that night. “Were it not for a half-breed, I’d be dead right now. Do you understand me, Lucius? I’d have been impaled on debris.” She stared him down, taking a step closer. “Lorcan D’eath had to be there for me since you decided that not being near me meant I wouldn’t be in the middle of it. It was a bloody battle! You left me alone, afraid, and confused.” She’d gotten turned around in a castle she’d known for years. Dementors could’ve gotten to her. Anything could’ve happened. Taking a step back, she shook her head, her bottom lip trembling in a mix of rage and despair. “You can say what you want about duty, but you could’ve lost me that night. Does that not upset you?”

“And we are not going to have this fight right now,” he said, glancing over his shoulder as he kept walking. It wasn’t until she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side. Maybe it was petty, but he took his hand back, wanting her to feel--if even for a second--what he felt when she yanked her hand away from him. “Of course I want to know, Narcissa, that’s why I bloody asked if you were okay!” Lucius pulled himself back, setting his jaw to calm himself, but then he heard her words. “What.” He stared at her, processing what she said. When he’d left, he thought she would be safe, that she’d be able to leave and keep herself safe, though it was obvious that he was wrong. “Do you think I’m emotionless, Narcissa? That I don’t care about you at all? Of course that upsets me!” Frustrated, he pushed his hair away from his face. “I was just as confused as you were, but we don’t have an option when he calls for us.” Lucius lowered his voice, praying no one was walking by who could hear. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone, but we both know that taking you to the center of the Death Eaters--without a mask or anything--is far more dangerous.” He stepped closer, his body tense. “I know I fucked up, okay? I’m sorry, but you throwing Lorcan into my face is not fair.”

[malfoysluc]

{ emma }‌:

“Oh shush Malfoy, I’ll have none of your brooding,” Emma chastised as she set herself across from him. She poured herself some coffee before leaning back in her seat, eyeing him. “You look like you could use some womanly advice. So here I am.”

“Womanly advice,” he scoffed, finally looking up at her. “Is there a part of my outward demeanor that gives you the clue that I am looking for advice? What if I simply want to brood in peace, Vanity?”

[malfoysluc]

{ dorcas }‌:

Sometimes, Dorcas tended to interact with the wrong people a little too much. At least, the wrong people for her. And she hated that, but she couldn’t just stop being herself. That day wasn’t any different, and she nearly cursed herself when Lucius spoke to her. Of course, she knew him, although she preferred having as little interaction as possible with him. Well, it was too late now. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare, it’s just… you’ve been stirring your coffee for a while now.” She apologized, giving the other a small smile.

Once he heard her words, he looked up, eyebrows pinched together and his whole body tense. Lucius finished stirring his coffee before setting the spoon down and lifting the mug to his lips. “Your words imply that you’ve been here longer than I would expect. Do you often make a habit of invading other’s space?”

[malfoysluc]

{ rodolphus }‌:

“It’s rude not to say hello.” Rodolphus spoke, ignoring the clear vibes that were radiating off Lucius. He had barely seen the other over the week, yet he wasn’t actively seeking out for him. Nevertheless, the man sat down next to the other, grabbing himself a cup and pouring coffee. “It’s surprising to have you appear completely off the grid for once.”

“Hello, Rod, do sit down, tell me how your fairing,” he said in a deadpan voice, vaguely gesturing to the seat. “While I do enjoy being at the forefront of our house, we all need days to ourselves, my friend.”

[malfoysluc]

{ lorcan }‌:

Lorcan had been standing in one spot while he searched the Great Hall for Anna, when he heard Lucius and his attention turned to him instead. “I heard it’s also rude to be grumpy, but you don’t see me complaining,” he told him.

He was seething once he heard Lorcan’s voice, his gaze staring daggers at the wall directly across from him. “Are you always this eloquent, D’Eath, or is this a special treat for me?”

[malfoysluc]

{ narcissa }‌:

Narcissa stiffened as he moved closer to her, obviously unable to read her well enough to know he was in trouble. Though she was normally one to hold her tongue, not cause a scene in public, she’d hardly slept more than an hour at a time since her family had been admitted to the Hospital Wing. She hadn’t been back to her room. She’d nearly died that night, and he hadn’t been there. Her ex had been there, and he’d been gone. Frustrations mounted as he moved to reach for her hand, and she moved it away sharply, eyes narrowing slightly. “No thanks to you, I survived the night.” She moved her chair back, moving to stand in front of Lucius. They were nearly the same height, but in this moment, she wanted to be taller than him, domineering. She wanted him to feel small. “You left me. You don’t get to play the caring boyfriend right now–if that’s even what you are.” Evan was asleep, luckily, and she moved a little closer so she could lower her voice. “I hope he was worth it, Lucius, because my safety certainly wasn’t your priority that night. And my family is suffering now.”

If he’d been shocked by her tone, he was even more shocked when she pulled her hand away, his own hand stopping in it’s motion as he watched her, his eyebrows pinching together. In the months that they’d been somewhat of an item, there hadn’t been this type of hostility to each other. “If that’s what I am,” Lucius repeated, his on voice cold as ice as he processed what she said. “I do care about your safety. If I had known, I would’ve given you more warning and you know I couldn’t stay.” He kept his voice low, sparing half a glance to the hospital bed next to them before continuing, staring her down. “Narcissa, I did what I did so you weren’t in the middle of it all. Your safety was far away from him.” After a beat, he stood up straighter, fixing his tie. “We are not going to have this conversation now. Not here. Take the time to be with your family, and when you’re ready to have an actual conversation--” Lucius took a step away, putting a mask back on his features as he was very aware of people who could eavesdrop-- “Find me then.” With one last glance at her family members, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the hospital wing, trying to bottle up his frustration as he strode through the doors into the corridor.