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Tweak says, "hahaha...i like it!"

Astoria Malfoy (porcelain_doll) wrote in wished,
@ 2010-01-27 13:52:00

Entry tags:

!1998: 01, !complete, lucius malfoy, narcissa malfoy

WHO: Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy
WHAT: Lucius hasn't been telling his wife what he's been doing lately, and she's getting fed up with everything
WHERE: Malfoy Manor, specifically their bedroom
WHEN: Very, very late at night
RATING: TBD, but mostly they'll just be arguing about secrets

Everyone reached their breaking point sometime. Narcissa wasn't sure what exactly had sent her over the edge, whether it was Lucius being put in prison or Draco being Marked. Whatever it was, she'd reached it long ago. All she had left was her home, and now it had been reduced to nothing more than a luxury hotel for Death Eaters. Her name had been degraded, and while Lucius was out trying to build their reputation back up to what it once was, Narcissa was left alone with only her thoughts to keep her company. The company she kept with herself was not that of a happy sort. She felt isolated and alone, with no one to confide in. The holidays had been pleasant enough, but it was more like a bandaid covering a wound. They weren't going to heal until they cleansed the wound thoroughly, and there was no way to do that if they weren't together. Draco was not going to be home for a long time, but Lucius ought to be home now. However, he'd be coming home far later than what Narcissa would consider a reasonable time. It wasn't just him losing track of the time. Something was keeping him out, and he wasn't telling her about it. That did not set well with her.

Narcissa was trying to give Lucius the benefit of the doubt. He knew by now after so many years of marriage that she did not sleep until he came home (if he was expected, that is). Therefore he had to have some inkling that she knew how late he was coming home. She never said anything, but would lay in bed until she felt his presence beside her. Perhaps he thought she'd given up her habit of waiting up for him after all that had happened. She was hoping that he would tell her himself what he'd been doing and what was going on, but he hadn't. That meant she was going to have to demand it from him, and that was not a discussion she wanted to have with her husband. Quarrels were not her choice of activity to engage in with him when they had time together, but she had no choice. For the sake of her sanity she had to know what he was doing. It angered her that he was keeping something from her, after everything they'd been through.

Though she had long since dressed for bed, Narcissa was not intending to sleep or even lie down. She was not going to give Lucius a way to avoid talking to her tonight. Instead of waiting in bed for him, she remained sitting at her vanity, combing her long blonde hair. She wore no readable expression on her face, but only because she could not decide which emotion she felt the strongest. Anger, yes. Sadness, certainly. But because she'd already been pushed far past the breaking point of what she could react to, it was hard to know which emotion was the right emotion to convey. Why is he doing this, to me? she thought, staring at the reflection she hardly recognized.

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porcelain_doll
2010-01-31 05:13 am UTC (link)

She could not help but smile as well when she saw a similar expression wash over his features. It delighted her to see him smile, as such occasions were much rarer than they ought to be. Narcissa turned her head towards his hand and lightly brushed her lips against his palm. As soon as he dropped Severus' name, she had to force herself not to perk up. Instead she lifted her eyebrows, because it was surprising news. "Severus? That's.. very interesting. And I must say a relief." A very large relief. Draco would be looked after, and that was something that had been weighing very heavily on her up until now. She would need to speak to Severus soon, somehow.

"Do they know when all of this might take place? Will it be soon? I'm so worried about Draco."

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in_deep
2010-01-31 05:58 am UTC (link)

"I think he should prove useful, at least." Lucius had hoped she would, too - it was nice not to be disappointed. His posture relaxed a little, and he pulled her in closer. "We can pester Severus for news, if nothing else. - That boy doesn't write you frequently enough, you know. You ought to set him straight. His own mother, and all. I'd have been given quite an earful, indeed." Lucius didn't mind being utterly transparent, on occasion. He wasn't going to write and ask how his son was faring, but luckily he had a partner he could turn to for that sort of delicate work. He kissed her temple, brushing her hair away form her face. "It's shameful, really."

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porcelain_doll
2010-01-31 04:29 pm UTC (link)

Narcissa nodded in agreement. It would be very useful, and comforting. She felt him relax, and let herself melt into his arms a little more. She smiled, a little playfully. "Oh, is that a hint of jealousy I detected in your voice?" She asked, knowing full well that she often gave Draco an easier time than she did Lucius. "Still, you're right. His messages to us are much too sporadic than what would be deemed acceptable. I'll have to speak with him about that." She paused for a bit, then decided to test the waters. "I wonder, if perhaps once Severus takes his position I could pay our son a little visit. You know I am loathe to leave our home unattended but for Draco I would make such a sacrifice."

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in_deep
2010-02-01 12:41 am UTC (link)

Lucius gave a haughty sniff. "Jealousy, indeed. Merely disapproval," he said, not trying too hard to fight the smile that was creeping back over his face. "I know you're up to the task. He takes correction better from you, I think." Another epic understatement. But it was familiar ground, and retreading it with her felt ... better than anything else had, recently. He lifted her hand to his lips as she spoke, and only felt his heart sinking a little at her question.

"I really don't know, my dear. It would depend - that is, you would have to think of how it would look. It would be highly unusual, no matter what, and given my position ... well. You'd have to ask him," he concluded, giving her a wary look. "But I've just said it isn't set in stone, you know; nothing is, until it happens. You shouldn't go making plans upon it." The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her.

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porcelain_doll
2010-02-01 03:03 am UTC (link)

"I'll see if I can give him a little push to communicate better," she said, smiling. It would never become mundane for him to bestow affection on her. Even the slighest brush of his lip made her heart flutter. It seemed a bit childish, as they'd been married for a long time now, but she hoped that his affection would always have that effect on her. Even while in such dark times, she felt comforted in his presence beside her. It had been utter Hell when he was imprisoned, which had truly been a testament to her sanity.

Lucius' response to her proposal for a Hogwarts visit was about what she expected it to be. It mattered very little. She was going to find a way to go, if Severus was there. And if she couldn't do that, then she'd find a way to meet him somewhere else. "I know it's not a conventional request. I suppose waiting to see if Severus would be the reasonable first step. I'll just have to be patient."

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in_deep
2010-02-01 03:38 am UTC (link)

"I think that's an excellent idea." Lucius did feel that way about most of the ones he initiated, of course. "And patience, you have - in spades. I'm not sure how you do it. I suppose it must help not to waste it on every poor fool who asks." She really had waited up too late for him. But part of him was glad he hadn't simply found her asleep - going to bed with the evening's work still fresh in his mind rarely made for peaceful nights, these days. And this made him feel almost normal, like he was pulling back just that much farther from the edge. He pressed her hand briefly, and let it go. "I'm very sorry if I've tried it. You'll have to let me make it up to you, sometime."

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porcelain_doll
2010-02-01 03:53 am UTC (link)

Narcissa would not push the issue further tonight. Though she wanted to contact Severus right away, she knew she had to bide her time and wait until it was made official before she reached out to him. At least if he was at Howgwarts she could contact him under the guise of being a concerned parent, which, of course, she was. All in good time, she reasoned with herself, and let the idea shift into the recesses of her mind. For now, she would simply enjoy this moment with Lucius before the night was chased away by the dawn. Her smile pulled upward more to one side, forming a knowing smirk on her lips. "How many times have I heard such a proposition?" She teased, trailing her hand up the center of his chest. "I suppose as many times as I've accepted."

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in_deep
2010-02-01 04:55 am UTC (link)

The last of his worries faded into the background - she was going to let it rest, it seemed. He would have some time to think over exactly what he was doing with himself, and there was no need to make promises or give assurances he couldn't support. For tonight, in any case. Good enough for now.

He grinned, catching her hand at the wrist. "You've always been very obliging about letting me repay my debts, yes. It's only sound policy." He leaned down to press a kiss to the line of her jaw. "I think I've almost always been quite timely."

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porcelain_doll
2010-02-01 05:31 am UTC (link)

Lucius knew exactly the way to her heart. He was flattering her, all the while praising her with affection. Playing up her attributes other than her beauty through words, and showing his appreciation for her beauty through his kisses. Satisfaction wore through her smile. That was very clever of him, indeed. "Yes, it's one of your strongest suits," she said, tilting her head to the side to allow him better access to her neck should he desire to show that portion of her body some attention. Though really, it was a silent demand that he do so.

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in_deep
2010-02-01 06:04 am UTC (link)

"My punctuality?" he said, dry, settling close against her, letting himself slide a little further under the blankets. It was hard to say why, exactly, he'd been keeping out of the house as much as he had. The need that kept driving him down to the dark hallways around the courtrooms might as well not have existed, at the moment. "Thank you so much, my dear. And here I always thought you'd only married me for the house." His lips trailed down along the arc of her throat; he was more than happy to indulge her. "So few women truly appreciate promptness. You delight me."

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porcelain_doll
2010-02-01 12:25 pm UTC (link)

She had truly missed this feeling of being treasured, and all the attention he would normally give her. Narcissa sent a very silent prayer of thanks to whomever would listen to it for the fact that Azkaban had not taken her husband's mind or soul from him, or changed him entirely. She lifted one hand to lightly brush her fingers against his cheek, laughing softly at his words. How long had it been since she'd laughed and meant it? Very gently, she eased his head back up to allow her to look closely at his handsome face. "I delight you? Well, I suppose it's about time, insufferable woman I am."

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in_deep
2010-02-01 11:57 pm UTC (link)

"False modesty, for shame. Stop it at once." He tipped her chin up carefully and kissed her, lingering there a moment. His fatigue was shading into tranquility, but the effect was the same. He could imagine no better place to rest; lying here with her was the best comfort he had, even if he was only allowing himself to be half truthful. He took her hand in his and lay back, pulling her along. "It's far too late for that foolishness. - I have nowhere particularly important to be tomorrow morning, however." And after a night's sleep he would be a little more on his toes.

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porcelain_doll
2010-02-02 02:35 am UTC (link)

His kiss was happily accepted and returned with tenderness. She gently caressed the side of his face before settling down next to him. Her head naturally found its resting place on his chest beneath his shoulder. This was much preferred lying on her side facing away from him. She knew deep down that this moment was likely the calm before the storm, but for now it was all she had to cling to in order to avoid completely shutting down emotionally. "Yes," she agreed, "it is too late." One eyebrow rose, and she wondered if he could feel the smirk that was on her face. "Tomorrow morning then, I shall allow you to repay your debt."

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in_deep
2010-02-02 04:32 am UTC (link)

"Your generosity is - unparalleled." He shut his eyes, and adjusted his arm around her. The warmth of her breath and the slight pull of her cheek against his chest were wonderfully familiar. As he reached across the empty half of the bed to take up his wand and put out the candles in their various positions around the room, it was almost easy to imagine he had slipped back in time a few years. He smiled against the top of her head in the darkness. "... Not too early, naturally," he murmured into her hair. Might as well cling to it for as long as possible.

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