The Killing Kind ~Lucius Malfoy~

Unbreakable Vow

Alexis stood face-to-face with Narcissa, their hands clasped tightly together. They were in a dust-covered basement, the only visible light coming from a single candle on a wooden table. Narcissa looked into Alexis's eyes, the light dancing in her pupils. Alexis wanted to hate the woman, but felt nothing but guilt and empathy for her. Narcissa held her chin high, but her brow was furrowed in concern. 

A man circled them, his wand pointed at their joined hands, their arm curled around the other's arm. Alexis had already promised never to tell another person what Narcissa would confide in her. 

"Now," the man said, his eyes wide, "Alexis Newhart," Alexis's eyes flickered to the man, "do you swear that you will only fulfill Narcissa's goal of saving Lucius Malfoy, if and only if you do it in a way that ensures you and Lucius will have never met?" 

Alexis looked back at Narcissa, her eyes determined and strict. "I do," she whispered. 

She clamped onto the woman's hand, cold and delicate under her touch.

"Alexis," the man went on, "do you promise that after this is accomplished, you will not seek out Lucius Malfoy on purpose? If you happen to meet him, it will be purely coincidental. You will refrain from seeking out any contact with him for the rest of your life." 

Alexis swallowed hard as she stared at Narcissa. She felt her heart break. "I do," she said hesitantly. 

Something black coiled around their hands, enveloping them and sealing the bond.

The man lowered his wand. "It is done." 

They slowly let go of one another. Alexis looked at her arm and hand, turning it sideways to examine it. It looked the same as it always did. 

"Thank you, Nickolai," Narcissa addressed the man. "Now leave." 

The man did as she said, leaving the girls in the basement alone. Alexis watched him go. When she turned back to Narcissa, she found her staring at her. 

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about now?" Alexis asked. 

"You are going to save my husband from his own death," Narcissa said without missing a beat, "with a time-turner." 

"Narcissa," Alexis said, annoyance bubbling up again, "they all got destroyed. This can't be news to you." 

"Not those ones," she replied. "Before my husband... before he left us, he commissioned someone to create a new time-turner." 

"He did?" Alexis asked. "Why?" 

"I do not know." Sadness flickered in Narcissa's eyes, but she blinked and it disappeared. "He wouldn't tell me what it was for, only who he commissioned to develop it." 

"Who is it?"

"Theodore Nott." 

"And is it finished?" 

"I'm not sure," Narcissa answered, pursing her lips. "I need you to find out. If it's ready, you are to go back in time and fix this. Bring Lucius back." 

"And if it's not ready?" 

"Then we wait until it is." 

"Narcissa, this doesn't seem healthy." 

"Do you not want him back?" Narcissa asked accusingly, her gaze narrowing. "It's your fault he's dead anyway." 

Alexis flinched. 

"Don't forget," Narcissa said, "you will arrange it so you will have never met him. That way, he should be alive and you won't have ruined my marriage." 

"Why can't you accept that I loved him too?" 

"How dare you?" Narcissa snapped. "You wanted him dead. How dare you claim to love him? I am his wife. I have always been there for him. Then you came along and ruined everything." 

Alexis sucked in a breath. "Making it so we'd have never meet won't take away what happened. What could've happened." 

"It doesn't matter," Narcissa replied. "I won't remember any of this." 

"And you're okay with that?" 

"Why wouldn't I be? My life will go back to normal." 

"Doing this doesn't take away the fact that your husband cheated on you. Or that he will likely cheat again." Alexis rubbed her arm absentmindedly, the skin on it burning. "You say its love but I think that you're afraid of change." 

"Enough!" Narcissa said, her voice raised. "I didn't ask you here to lecture me about my marriage, which you know absolutely nothing about! Are you going to help or not?"

Alexis paused to think everything through. "Why can't you do it?" 

"It's dangerous and you are obviously cunning and sociopathic." 

"Thank you," Alexis said sarcastically. 

"Theodore will not hand over that time-turner easily," she went on. "I know what you're capable of. I also understand that you cared for my husband and what you are willing to sacrifice for him." 

Alexis looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say. The silence filled the room awkwardly. 

Alexis took a deep breath before speaking again. "Where can I find Theodore Nott?" 

Narcissa slipped her hand inside of her coat pocket and withdrew a small piece of parchment. "This is the last place I knew him to be. If he's not there, you will have to track him like you clearly tracked us." 

Alexis ignored the dirty look Narcissa gave her. She took the paper from her hand, their fingers brushing against each other lightly. Alexis felt a small shock and wondered if it was due to the unbreakable vow. 

Narcissa climbed the stairs to leave. She turned back on the last step. "Do not forget your promises, Alexis." 

With that, she disappeared behind the door.