𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 ; 𝑜.𝑜.𝓅

thirty-five

"Hickory dickory dock, the wolf ran up the clock..." 

"The clock struck one. The wolf went down..."

"Hickory dickory dock."

Narcissa Malfoy watched her cousin, Lavinia Black, glide around the home of one Augustus Cairo. She traced her finger along the wall that had photographs of Augustus with his parents and little brother, "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock..." She whispered, knocking down each photograph.

Lavinia had pure insanity in her hazel eyes. Her curly black hair was parted in the center, reaching down past her shoulders. She wore a black dress with a crimson red corset overtop, paired with black heels. 

"What do you want?" Narcissa asked the younger Black family member.

Lavinia picked up a broken picture frame from the floor, looking at it. She paid no attention to the glass cutting into her ring-decorated hand. 

Lavinia looked at the family portrait, "Hickory dickory dock, the wolf ran up the clock..."

"The clock struck two." She said deliriously, "The wolf went down..."

She threw the photograph at the window, "Hickory dickory dock."

"Lavinia."

She turned to her cousin with wide, mad-like eyes, "Yes, dear cousin?"

"What do you want?" She asked, repeating her question. 

Lavinia slowly approached her, "Hickory dickory dock..." She said once again as she took Narcissa's hand with her bloody one.

"The wolf ran up the clock..." She said, walking Narcissa to a family portrait that she didn't knock down.

"The clock struck three..." She said as Narcissa's hand became covered in blood. 

Lavinia brought Narcissa's hand up to Augustus in the photograph, "The wolf was done..." She said, dropping Narcissa's hand. 

Narcissa stared at the photograph that Augustus was now covered up with blood, "Hickory dickory dock!" She said louder, kicking over a lamp.

She put her bloody hand to the wall, walking down the hallway as blood trailed with her on the wall. Lavinia stumbled outside, where Lucius and Draco were waiting. 

Draco watched her warily as she babbled on, "Lavinia black, cut her some slack, she's madder than a hatter." She said while staring up at the black sky, "Lavinia Black, turns everything to black, the deranged damsel." She said louder, "Lavinia Black, the sadistic little cat, with no method to her madness." She drew out.

"Nobody is saying those things about you, Lavinia." Narcissa said. 

Lavinia looked at her cousin with bewildered eyes, almost glass like, "Aren't they? You don't hear what I hear, dearest cousin."

She walked over to Lucius, running her bloody hand through his white hair. He closed his eyes in disgust as his hair became stained, "You all think I'm crazy." She said, whispering to Draco. She stood in between the two men, "If you think I'm insane, I look forward to you meeting Bellatrix."

"I've met Bellatrix, Lavinia." Lucius snarled. 

She turned to him and rested her chin on his shoulder, "Hm. I can't imagine why you want me, Lucius..." She said in a hushed tone.

"You can have what you want... in exchange for loyalty to the Dark Lord." Narcissa spoke up.

Lavinia kept her head on Lucius' shoulder, looking to Narcissa, "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock..." She said, picking up her head. 

She glided away from them, "When the clock strikes 12, all will go to hell..." She said with laughter, before shooting fire from her wand, setting the mansion on fire. 

Her laughter became more hysterical as Draco stared up in horror at the flames, "Vengeance will come soon, my love." She said, looking up at the sky. She turned to the Malfoys, "Ohh, you all think I've lost it! You just wait!"

"Lavinia..." Narcissa said, approaching her. 

She shook her head with a sadistic smile, "Lavinia Black, the mad cat."

"You're not mad, you're just–"

"Sad?" She questioned, "Heartbroken? Another woman who has lost her love... that's all I'm good for, cousin. If I cannot be good for my love, why should I be good at all?"

"Narcissa." Lucius called out, "Let her calm down."

"I am calm, Lucius." Lavinia said, "This is as calm as you'll ever have me." She said, turning away from the four, walking away from the burning mansion.