Shadow's Of The Black Rose: A Marauders Fanfic

-THREE- Dinner At Grimmauld Place, No 12. Malfoy Mannor- Shit.

The smell of roasted chicken and herbs filled the air as Lyvia stepped into Grimmauld Place, a rare smile tugging at her lips. It wasn't often that she had time to relax, let alone visit family. But tonight, she was determined to forget about the war, even if only for a few hours.

"About time you showed up, Aunt Lyv!" Tonks grinned, her hair a vivid shade of purple as she hugged Lyvia tightly. "Thought you'd forgotten your favorite niece!"

Lyvia chuckled, ruffling Tonks' hair. "You're not my only niece, but I'll let that slide."

They sat down to dinner with the usual chaos that accompanied meals at Grimmauld Place, with Sirius making snarky comments and Mrs. Weasley fussing over everything. For a few hours, the horrors of Voldemort's reign felt far away.

But as Lyvia left the house, the moon high in the sky, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest. Something was brewing. She just didn't know what.

It was many years after Lilly and James had passed away and Lyvia was 37, Sirius was cleared of all charges, but Lyvia had become more targeted than Harry himself. Voldemort knew Harry and her had a good friendship and Voldemort had come up with a plan to use Lyvia to get to Harry and then kill her.

Even with her being an Auror, she was scared out of her mind. 

At least she had been going on vacations that week to visit her family. Next stop, Malfoy Mannor.

Malfoy Mannor, Next day, 6:54 - - - 

Lyvia, Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Draco were at the dinner table together, talking about life and everything normal- Normal in the wizarding world I guess.

The warmth of the candlelight flickered against the walls, casting long shadows across the polished floors. The meal had finished, and the conversation had lulled, but Lyvia couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. The laughter and chatter around the table felt forced, and she noticed Bellatrix's eyes following her more intently than usual.

As she stood up to excuse herself from the table, Bellatrix's voice cut through the air, sharp and deliberate.

"Lyvia," Bellatrix said, her tone almost friendly, though it sent a chill down Lyvia's spine. "Could I have a word with you? Just a private moment?"

Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco all exchanged quick glances. The room fell quiet, and Lyvia, sensing the tension, hesitated. She glanced at Draco, who gave her a barely noticeable nod. His face was unreadable, but she could feel the weight of something unspoken in the air.

"Of course," Lyvia said, trying to mask the wariness in her voice. She wasn't foolish enough to ignore the warning signs. Bellatrix, for all her madness, wouldn't make this request without reason. But she also couldn't refuse.

Bellatrix stood, a wicked smile on her face, gesturing with a sweep of her hand for Lyvia to follow. As Lyvia moved toward her, the others went back to their quiet conversation, the subtle undercurrents of the room completely masking the growing danger.

They walked down the long, winding hallways of Malfoy Manor. The walls were lined with portraits of ancient Malfoys—each one staring down at them, frozen in judgment. Bellatrix moved with her usual arrogance, her footsteps echoing on the marble floor.

The door to a small, dimly lit room creaked open as Bellatrix led Lyvia inside. It was a study, heavy with dark furnishings and the scent of dust and old parchment. Lyvia's instincts screamed that this wasn't just a casual chat.

"Lovely place, isn't it?" Bellatrix said, turning to face her with that same unnerving smile. "Don't you ever think about how things could be different? How easy it would be to make everything fall into place?"