WITHOUT YOU [draco malfoy fanfiction]

53. the art of seduction

A/N: The credit for the artwork goes to the artist :)

IRENE:

Narcissa allows herself to break down only when she is within the privacy of Draco's room and her older sister's arms. Narcissa Black Malfoy does not sob. No, silent tears flow through her eyes forming streams on her lovely cheeks. The scene is no less devastating and heart-wrenching.

Andromeda keeps patting her little sister's head and back, whispering "He'll be okay, Cissa" in a loop.

Tonks stands by the window watching the Hogwarts grounds while I sit in a chair next to Draco's bed and twine his cold fingers with mine. We are the only ones there.

Until we aren't. Seems like Narcissa forgot that Sirius Black can get through Narcissa's blood wards as well or maybe she didn't think that he would care to visit. The latter seems more probable.

Sirius looks at Draco's prone form and gulps but soon, he straightens his shoulders with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

"Cissa, is Draco going to be alright?" he says bringing Narcissa's blood-shot eyes on him.

"Oh it's Draco now? Why? Has he passed some kind of test by giving up his life for you?"

Sirius blanches, "He's-

"Dead? No. But how does it matter? My son jumped in front of you knowing the very real possibility that the spell he was going be hit with would kill him. Isn't that giving up his life for you?"

Sirius tries to interject but Narcissa stops him with her hand, "Sirius you have always hated Lucius and with good reason, I do not hold any ill will against you for it. You deemed it beneath you to acknowledge me as a member of you family, I do not care for that either" though the sadness in her eyes spoke other stories, Narcissa raged on with gritted and teeth and bloodshot blue eyes that seem to emit fire, "But if my son, my only son suffers any long term harm or Merlin forbid does not open his eyes again-" She took a step forward then, her entire being seemed to buzzing with unrestrained magic, "I swear on my magic, that no matter how close they are to you, how well they know you, no one, absolutely no one will be able to recognise your corpse after I'm through with you"

Sirius is as pale as the white wall of the hospital that he's backed to. I have seen him engage in a gruesome battle not long ago, but this is the first time that I'm able to see fear in his eyes. Narcissa Black Malfoy has a reputation, it seems.

Alas, Sirius does not know when to shut up. He soon gathers the courage that Gryffindors always have reserves full of and says, "You cannot fault me, in distrusting the child of Lucius Malfoy, Cissa" Narcissa scoffs at the nickname he takes the liberty of using. "You know well about the bad blood between us, but now that he's dead-" he is either dumb or extremely brave and pretends not to notice the absolute stillness that has taken over the room, "Now that Malfoy is dead, there is no longer a bad influence on you and your son present-

"Sirius are you barking mad? Have you lost all sensibilities and gone senile at Azkaban? Watch what and when your spouting things like that!" Andromeda addresses Sirius for the first time. Her vocabulary consists of words that Narcissa would never be caught dead using but their tongues hold the same ability to cut through.

Sirius is undeterred.

"Cissa, I would like to offer you a place at the Order, Dumbledore agrees, he-

"Oh? Dumbledore agrees? Tell me Sirius are you here on your own accord or has the great Dumbledore told you to be with the grieving widow and mother?" Narcisa's voice is deceptively cool. Like a viper that lures its prey before striking viciously. Sirius' downcast eyes are all the answer she needs.