𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 || 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲

Chapter 24 - Threats

Ophelia curled up tightly, her knees flying up to her chest, her hands covering what little dignity she had left. Lucius on the other hand, did no such thing, did not move nor flinch to cover himself.

"How long has this," Narcissa gestured to the two of them with a stern finger, "been going on?". Her voice was a seething hiss, her painted lips barely moving. Her eyes said it all, sharp, focused, full of rage, but also a scary calm. "Weeks? Months?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Ophelia cried, closing her eyes tightly as if by slipping into the darkness would make it all go away.

"You don't get to just walk in here like you're on some moral high ground!" Lucius growled sitting forward.

"I'll do as I wish, this is my house, and this... this whore! Has tried to take pull the rug from under me!" Narcissa bared her teeth as she furiously whipped around the bed. "You messed with the wrong witch!"

Narcissa was quick lacing her fingers into Ophelia's crumpled curls, closing her fist she dragged the governess from the bed. With a yelp Ophelia clawed at the hand in her hair, and then at the sheets, trying to halt herself from falling to the hard wooden floor, but she fell with a thump. Crumpled at Narcissa's feet, she was at the elder witch's mercy, as Narcissa roughly poked her cheek with her wand. The young woman sobbed as Narcissa tightened her grip on her scalp, poking her wand harder into that pretty face.

"Let her go Cissy," Lucius spoke calmly, his hands outstretched, palms down, as if he was trying to tame a wild animal.

"No."

The word echoed through Ophelia's being, the roughness of that word, that the growl it came out with. The hate dripping from it.

"I'm going to teach her a valuable lesson," Narcissa growled, there was a hint of a sick chuckle brewing beneath, as Mrs Malfoy saw the irony in her words. Teaching the teacher. Narcissa yanked harder on Ophelia's hair, forcing the girl to rise to her knees and face her partner in sin. One arm wrapped over her chest, her best attempt at covering her chest. The other cupped herself, trying to shield her most vulnerable area from the view of her lover's wife, though she knew Narcissa must have seen everything already when she whipped the sheets off them, it was her instinct to cover up.

"You're not going to do anything, let her go." Though still calm, Lucius' tone was more demanding, less pleading this time. He slid his knee forward, edging towards the two women.

Narcissa scoffed.

She licked her lips and narrowed those beady eyes on her husband.

"One-inch closer Lucius and I'll Avada Kevada this bitch right here,"

"No! please," Ophelia whimpered, tears slipping down her cheeks as she tightly shut her eyes.

Lucius ignored the warning, his other knee dragging forward.

"I mean it!" Narcissa yelled, her wand slipping from Ophelia's cheek to her neck, where she poked harshly at the delicate skin.

"Please, please let me go," Ophelia begged through choked sobs.

"I'll kill her Lucius! I swear to Merlin I will!" Narcissa's own words were barely more than sobs now as she faced down her husband.

"No, you won't, you didn't kill any of the others, and you won't kill this one," Lucius said calmly, "put the girl down and come here, we can talk this through Cissy."

"I'm not stupid Lucius," Narcissa shook her head, she pulled harshly on Ophelia's hair, angling her head up to her. The elder witch looked down on the girl in her hands, the tears wetting that beautiful face. "She's not like the others... you care for this one."

"I care for you Cissy," Lucius cooed persuasively. His words were velvet, but they had no affect on the enraged woman.

"I see the way you look at her, for months now!" His wife yelled, fire once again flowing through her. Lucius abandoned his calm approach, and lunged for his cane. Gripping the snake head he whipped his wand from the casing, and pointed it sternly at Narcissa. Ophelia felt her grip tighten, a growl escaping Mrs Malfoys lips.

"Last chance, let her go." Lucius told her firmly as he looked down his wand, his icy blue eyes were hard, daring his wife to defy him.

"I am your wife," Narcissa growled, her hand shaking, the grip on Ophelia's curls loosening.

"Wife or not, let Ophelia go, or... I will curse you Narcissa."

"You can't choose this.... This... whore over me!" Her strong words were nothing more than delicate whimpers by time she choked them all out. "When did you stop looking at me... the way you look at her?" Narcissa asked with a squeak. Her face crumpled, hands shaking.

"When you started sharing your bed and your heart with another man, Cissy. Did you expect me to wait, to not move on?"

Silence.

Narcissa swallowed as she shakily inhaled and eventually opened her palm. Ophelia slid out from the witches grasp and scrambled across the floor to Lucius. He met her as he fell to his knees, pulling her into his naked chest with one arm, where the governess sobbed wildly into his soft skin, her delicate hand pressed against his chest she buried herself into him. Into safety.

Narcissa shook her head, in complete disbelief.

"Go back to Cyrus Greengrass, Narcissa," Lucius told his wife as he rest his chin upon Ophelia's messy morning curls. His fingers tightened around his wand, ready for his wife to put up a fight.

"There's no place for me there... his wife she..."

"I do not care Cissy... I do not care where it is you go, as long as it is not here." Lucius eyes were serious, deadly serious. Narcissa saw the truth in his words, in his actions. She was no longer welcome at Malfoy Manor, at her manor. Narcissa's back straightened, her chin high. With all that remained of her strength and pride, she uttered out eight poisonous words:

"Mark my words Lucius, you will regret this."

Her final parting.

With thunderous clicks and clacks of her heels, she stormed out of the bedroom, the door slamming harshly behind her, shaking in its frame.

When the coast seemed clear, Lucius dropped his wand, the silver snake head clattering to the floor as he wrapped his arms tightly around the girl who now quietly sobbed into him.

"Shhh." He hushed. "She will not harm you, not as long as I live. I've got you; I've got you."

***

A/N: Sorry this is only a brief update, I've been in and out of hospital this passed week, it's been a bit hard to get in the zone. I hope you like it and I promise I am working on the next chapter. Thanks for reading and for all your support!