Lucius paced the kitchen, feeling red hot anger surge through his veins. Narcissa had denied him - again. His patience had worn to the thinness of paper, and now she was tearing holes in it.
Bosun came around the doorframe. "She's putting the girl to bed, Master," he rasped. The man's throat was bruised as a result of the Longbottom boy's latest escape attempt. There had been three so far, and the boy was on suspended rations and no contact with Alyssa as punishment. No matter how close he came to putting all of them in impossible danger, Narcissa still refused to let Lucius cage him again. His nostrils flared at the thought of it. She had changed, it was true. She had become bolder, somehow more forceful - especially where her two little tag-alongs were concerned. And Lucius had just about had enough.
"Hungry, Master?" Bosun mumbled, pottering around the pantry.
"No," he said sharply. "I couldn't eat."
"You ought to eat something, Master."
"Bosun, if you start telling me what to do, I will lock you in the basement."
"Very well, Master."
Lucius slapped the surface of the side bench, swearing. "I don't understand her," he growled. "He is a risk to her safety and mine, and even to that brat she cares so much about. Why does she insist on keeping him on this silver chain like a prize poodle?"
Bosun paused in his chore as though wondering whether he was supposed to answer.
"Well I know why," Lucius continued, his rant getting rapider. "Because she 'loves' him, or did. Nonsense - who's loved her all these years, that's what I'd like to know - me, that's who - how can she love something that will never love back, it makes no sense."
"Perhaps he does, Master," Bosun muttered.
"What?"
"Love her back, Master."
Lucius' blood froze. "Don't be ridiculous."
"My apologies, Master."
"Do you think... you don't think... no, I forbade her to touch him."
"Of course, Master."
"Godsdamnit, they've been continuing their sordid affair right under my roof!"
"I wouldn't know, Master. The Mistress has me stand outside the door."
"And well I know it. I assumed there was nothing going on because I assumed he didn't care for her, but if -" his hands flew to the key on his belt. "I'll be back later. Not a word to Narcissa."
He swept downstairs, taking them two at a time, barely able to control the rising storm of anger as he slammed the door open.
"You!" he yelled, as Longbottom stood up from the writing desk. "Come here."
The boy stayed where he was. Lucius took a few steps forward, fuming. "Come here," he repeated.
The boy stepped into the light, and Lucius' lip curled. One lip and one eyebrow were caked in dried blood and a bruise was coming up on his chin. "Yessir?" he said glumly.
Lucius hand shot forward and grasped a fistful of the boy's shirt. "Call me 'Master', boy, or lose your tongue."
Longbottom frowned. "With all due respect sir, I'm not a slave any longer. I'll call you sir because you feed me and technically I'm only alive at your mercy, but you don't own me. No one does."
Lucius backhanded him so hand that he stumbled backwards, held up only by Lucius' grip on his shirt. "Silence! I've had enough of you, do you understand? Your pathetic escape attempts have tried my patience to its last sliver." He looked down at the fistful of material he held, and he frowned. "Are you wearing my...?"
"You can have it back," Longbottom said. "I never asked for it."
"Why, you -"
A blast from Lucius' wand sent the boy careening back into the wall, where he fell, apparently seeing stars. "To think I would want anything you have touched is an insult," he snapped. "But Narcissa will pay for giving you that."
"She was only trying to help," the boy grunted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh?" Lucius growled, twirling his wand in his fingers. "'Help' you often, does she?"
"She saved my life," the boy said, quite grudgingly, Lucius thought. "At least twice. It's probably the only reason she's not in Azkaban."
A deadly smile spread over Lucius face. "That... and the fact that you lied in court to protect her."
The dark brown eyes widened. "How did you -"
"You'd be surprised at how much I know. Tell me Longbottom, do you love my wife?"
"What? No, of course -"
"She loves you. She told me herself."
"She doesn't really, she just thinks she -"
"When was the last time you kissed her, Longbottom?"
The boy stared up at him, apparently sensing the madness impending in his voice. "I... I don't... a long time ago, probably."
"Probably? Not covering for anything more recent, are we?"
"I haven't touched her," Neville said promptly. "And she -"
"I don't believe you," Lucius said shortly. His wand twitched and Neville was brought up tightly against the wall, where he struggled.
"Let me go!"
"Not until you tell me the truth."
"I didn't do anything!"
"You tried to escape. Three times."
"I want to go home!"
"Why? There's nothing waiting for you there. My sources tell me your girlfriend's already 'shacked up' with some other 'sucker', and your friends all think you're aiding the enemy."
"Dean doesn't think that," Neville said, though the comment about Melissa added some uncertainty to his voice.
"Don't be so sure," Lucius said, enjoying the game. "Have you had sex with my wife?"
The boy gave up struggling against the magical bonds and slumped against the wall. "What do you think?"
"This week?"
"No."
"Crucio!"
Lucius found the sound of screams quite refreshing. After a while he could hear banging at the door, and he sighed and lifted the curse. "Your knight in shining lace has arrived," he sneered, kicking the twitching body on the floor. It moaned. Struck by sudden inspiration, Lucius levitated the body onto the bed and added some loose bonds for good measure before going back up the stairs.