The Killing Kind ~Lucius Malfoy~

The Hurtful Truth

It was Christmas Eve and Alexis lay in a motel bed next to Lucius. She stared up at the ceiling, tired from making love. Lucius's eyes were partly closed, he was relaxed and at peace. Alexis had been avoiding Draco and Demetri since Draco walked in on her and Lucius. She knew Demetri had let him go home for Christmas and that he left yesterday. 

"Shouldn't you be home?" Alexis asked, laying on her side, propped up on an elbow. She looked at the firelight dancing on Lucius's cheek. 

He looked at her. "They won't miss me." 

"I know I would." Alexis leaned down, kissing him on his cheek then his lips. 

"Which is why I'm here and not there," he answered, his hand finding her leg and draping it over him. 

They slowly dressed and sat by the fire, drinking eggnog. Lucius's arm was wrapped tightly around Alexis. 

"There's something I've been wondering," Lucius said, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Hm?" Alexis answered, too relaxed to move her lips. 

"It's about your parents." 

Alexis stiffened. She didn't feel like talking about them, especially near the holidays. It was bad enough they were constantly on her mind, she didn't want them intruding on this relationship. 

"What about them?" she forced herself to ask, gazing into the fire. 

"If a Death Eater killed them, doesn't it bother you that you're sleeping with me?" 

Alexis looked up at him. His stare was fixated on the dancing flames, his eyes seemed darker than usual. She looked back at the fire, pursing her lips. "It did. But I'm okay with it now." 

"I see." Silence fell around them again, this time it felt suffocating. "Can you tell me about them?" 

Alexis sat up and looked at Lucius. "I rather not." 

"Why not?" He looked at her, his eyes piercing. 

"I don't like talking about them," Alexis answered honestly. 

"You're insulting their memory by not speaking of them," he said. 

"How dare you?" Alexis said, her brows knitting together. "I'm not insulting their memory. It's difficult for me." 

"How well did you actually know your parents, Alexis?" 

"What the fuck?" Alexis sat up, her back straightening out. "Where is this coming from, Lucius?" 

"Why aren't you answering my question?" 

"It isn't any of your business!" she retorted, her anger boiling over.

"I chose to leave my wife on Christmas eve to be with my mistress. The least you could do is converse with me." 

"Mistress?" Alexis repeated the word, bitter on her tongue. She stood. "I didn't ask you to be here, Lucius. You are free to go." 

"Calm down," he said. "It was just a question." 

"My parents were good people, I knew them well." Alexis breathed quickly, her grief mixing with her anger. "I may have been young when they died, but I knew them. They risked everything to protect my sister and I. And some Death Eater decided that they shouldn't live anymore. I've hated all Death Eaters for a very long time because of this. I still do." 

"Ah, the truth," Lucius said calmly, as if this explained everything. "I knew you resented me." 

"How could I not?" Alexis asked, annoyed at how calm Lucius was. She wanted him to be angry, she wanted a reaction from him. "You're the reason they're dead!" She regretted it as soon as she said it. 

"Is that right?" Lucius asked, standing. "Do not pretend to know me, Alexis. You know nothing." 

"This is all your fault," Alexis shouted. She felt like a child, arguing with your parents. "Why did you have to bring them up?" 

Lucius turned, his back facing Alexis. "You know nothing," he repeated. 

"I know more than you think!" Tears formed in Alexis's eyes. "I knew you were a Death Eater from the first time we met. You were Voldemort's right-hand man. I thought you were scum but I gave you a chance. Now, I can't remember why I did that." 

Lucius turned around, his eyes furious and his face formed a permanent scowl. "You are a naive, gullible, little girl! You think your parents gave everything up for you? They were cowards and they died like cowards!" 

Alexis's hands shook and her lips began to tremble. "You knew my parents," she let out in one breath. "You knew my parents!?" she said louder. 

"Of course I knew them," he said. Alexis had never seen such malice in his eyes, especially when they were looking at her. "I figured it out when you told me your last name. Newhart," he said her name like it was bile in his throat, spitting the word out in disgust. "They betrayed us all." 

"Betrayed you? What the fuck are you talking about? They didn't betray anyone." 

"Do you know what your sister was coming to tell you that night? The night they died?" 

Alexis shook her head slowly. 

"You thought your parents were heroes, didn't you?" Lucius paused, the tension building between them. "Your parents betrayed the Dark Lord so we killed them." 

"They had nothing to do with Voldemort," Alexis said. 

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Lucius asked angrily. "They were Death Eaters, Alexis. They supported the Dark Lord." 

Alexis shook her head. "No, you're lying." She swallowed. "Tell me you're lying!" 

"Don't be stupid," Lucius said, his eyes wild. "They were supporters until the end. Then they sold some information to the Order to protect you and your sister so they had to die." 

"You killed them?" Alexis choked on her own words. She felt sick. 

"No, not me," Lucius answered. "I was there when Voldemort gave the order. But he didn't give it to me." 

Alexis wanted to ask more questions, but the words got stuck in her throat. She heard what he was saying, but none of it made sense. 

"This isn't true," she said. 

"Of course it is," Lucius retorted. "You hold this grudge against us, like we are horrible people. We just wanted order and righteous in the world. You can't resent me now that you know the truth about your parents, Alexis. Your sister came to warn you. She watched your parents die. But someone stopped her." 

"I-" Alexis felt the tears fall down her face. "I didn't resent you, I-." 

"Would you rather not know the truth?" Lucius asked. "You were living a lie." 

The room spun and Alexis tried to steady herself. "I need some air." She ran from the room, unsure of where she was going.