Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Ice	By : Sionnain Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 4605 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter 15:

"I am the man for which no God waits, But for which the whole world yearns. I'm marked by darkness and by blood, And one thousand powder-burns.�---Nick Cave, O�Malley�s Bar.

Narcissa looked around curiously as she and Lucius completed the Apparation. It only took a moment until the reality of her surroundings crashed into her � buses, cars, people hurrying along in odd clothing. They were in Muggle London! �Why are we here, Malfoy?� she hissed at him, feeling conspicuous in her flowing robes and wincing at the loud sounds of the automobiles screaming next to her.

�Are you aware you call me Malfoy whenever you are vexed with me?� he asked her pleasantly. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. �Come along, Narcissa, we wouldn�t want to be late.�

�To what?� she asked, trying to orient herself. It vexed her to no end that Malfoy was so easily able to throw her off her guard. There was no reason, absolutely none, that he should be so cheerful about moving through Muggle London, especially not with that darkness still gleaming in his eyes.

�Why, the symphony. Faure, I believe. Are you a fan?� They stopped in front a building, the Royal Albert Hall, and Lucius shocked her further by pulling two tickets from the pockets of his robes and handing them to the man at the door, who appraised their clothing a tad skeptically. At Lucius� icy look, he let them in without a word.

�Ah, this will not do, will it?� Lucius glanced around the plush lobby, where well-dressed men and women mingled, sipping champagne and talking in loud, cheerful voices. His eyes lit on a small deserted alcove, and he drew her over to it.

�You were skilled at charms, I believe? I suggest you do a bit of a glamour spell to ensure we do not look out of place in regards to our clothing,� he said. Completely taken aback, Narcissa pulled out her wand, looked around nervously and charmed their clothing to appear appropriate. She had worn dresses often enough to know what they looked like; a proper witch did not always run about in dress robes, after all. When she pointed her wand at Lucius, she thought briefly of putting him in some ridiculous ensemble just be contrary, but she was wary of his expression as his face shut down and his eyes lost their spark of light. She watched him examine his hands, encased now in black leather gloves, and she leveled a smirk at him. She met his stare and shrugged delicately.

The lights flickered in the lobby, and they made their way into the auditorium, where rows of velvet seats were curved to face the center stage. Not surprisingly, she and Lucius had box seats to themselves. On the seat was a pair of elegant opera glasses, which Narcissa picked up in confusion. �Those are for you,� Lucius said, an odd tone to his smooth voice.

Narcissa was nervous, and she hated it. �I do not believe I shall need them, Lucius,� she said, forcing her voice to remain calm and even. �I am certain there shall be nothing to see save the symphony, and I am not at all fond of watching instruments being played as a form of entertainment.�

The lights went out, and Narcissa sat with her heart pounding in her chest. Something was not right. She was under no illusions they were in attendance merely to watch the symphony. The music began: a slow, mournful piano and a single cello. Despite herself, Narcissa felt the music wrap around her and begin to soothe her frazzled nerves. Perhaps before he commits to this marriage by giving me a ring, Lucius wants me to know his deepest, darkest secret � that he is secretly a fan of Muggle symphonies? The notion, while laughable, was preferable to the great unknown that awaited if that reason was proven incorrect as she was certain it would be.

The mournful notes, reminiscent of a funerary march, from the cello glided through the auditorium. The music was beguiling, and her body swayed lightly into it, the piano beginning to pick up speed and add a soft, frantic melody to the achingly beautiful cello. Narcissa turned to the seat next to her, but noticed Lucius was not there. Before she could find him, she felt his black-gloved hands moving lightly over the skin on her neck. He was standing behind her in the shadows of the box.

�Do you like the music?� he asked softly, bending down to speak in her ear. His voice was dark and haunting, vaguely threatening and completely beguiling.

�Yes,� she said, breathless. His touch unnerved her as it always did. His hands swept lightly over her in time to the music. A violin took the place of the cello, lightening the piece but doing nothing to calm her nerves.

His hand came round holding the pair of opera glasses. �I don�t � �she began, but his other hand was suddenly on her mouth. The music increased in tempo, and Narcissa�s pulse was racing as she was consumed by fear, desire and the haunting, melodic music. Hand shaking, she took the opera glasses from him and said quietly, �What do you want me to see?� It seemed the safest thing to say, and she had to speak around his gloved hand. She resisted an absurd urge to taste the leather of his gloves.

The melody changed again, the soft notes of the piano fading to the background and lending an almost friendly, casual tone to the music. �I want you to chose,� he said simply, his voice in her ear. The piano faded away, and the cello strained for a few breathless moments so that the low hum of the instrument vibrated on her body like the caress of his sinister hands.

�I don�t ��

�A ring, Narcissa,� he said, and his voice was harsh and his breathing erratic. �I want you to choose a ring.� His hand moved off her mouth and gestured to the throng of people sitting below. �There should be one you fancy in the crowd, I�d imagine. A diamond is a diamond, after all, and even Muggles purchase them, I�m told.�

His voice reminded her of the symphony itself � dark and hypnotic, able to change from pleasant to sultry, manic to seductive, in the merest of heartbeats. �Lucius,� she whispered, and the sound was almost like a moan.

The cello and the piano pounded together in a furious battle of sound, and his voice was harsh and cold in her ear as he said, �I told you, Narcissa, chose a ring.�

She raised the glasses and looked through the crowd, noting that while they were in a Muggle building and surrounded by them, the glasses were charmed � surely she should not see the brilliance of a diamond so clearly in the dark?

He was quiet as the symphony progressed; she took her time and studied the crowd. Her hands trembled � whether from his nearness or the sense of dread in air, she did not know. The music was a delicious combination of strings and piano that alternated moods. It changed from slow to fast, soft to loud, dramatic to simplistic. They swirled together around her in a cacophony of sound, and at the end he had to help her hold the glasses to her eyes as her hands shook too hard to hold them up.

�Have you found one?� he asked, and Narcissa nodded, unable to speak. Absent from his voice was that ineffable quality that made a voice human. He sounded very like the music itself: dark and beautiful but soulless. He has no soul, she thought, and dropped her head back to meet his eyes. They were as empty as the diamonds he forced her to examine with the charmed glasses though they shone just as brilliantly. �Where?� he breathed in her ear, kissing her neck lightly.

She should have remained unmoved by his caresses; they lacked any sense of emotion. The only one she sensed was a vague feeling of lust, and she did not think it was for her. She was Bellatrix Lestrange�s sister, and Narcissa knew there were many kinds of lust � and not all of them were for sexual pleasure alone. Still, his caresses caused gooseflesh to rise on her skin and her breathing to quicken. �That one,� she said and held the glasses at her level for him to see. He placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned down so that his head was even with hers.

�Lovely,� he said and turned his attention back to her neck, kissing her so lightly she almost wondered if he did it at all.

She sucked in a sharp breath as his gloved hand disappeared between her legs to caress her. His usual touch was rough and demanding, but he caressed her now with the lightest of touches, and it undid her completely. She gave up to the feel of his mouth on her, his gloved hand sliding between her legs and expertly caressing her, and he slid his other hand up to cover her mouth. She found herself lightly sucking on one of his gloved fingers. At the moment the music pulsed in a final crescendo, she fell back against the seat biting his finger in her release. Colors swirled behind her closed eyelids, and the applause of the audience made her feel wanton, as if they had watched her and were praising her performance in addition to the orchestra.

Lucius� hands were steady on her shoulders as he remained behind her, his thumbs making smoothing circles over her collarbone and the base of her throat. As her breathing returned to normal, she became aware of the applause of the crowd below and turned a questioning gaze to Lucius. The look on his face halted the question on her lips. Did he look like that when he did that to me? So utterly soulless and cold? Why does that enthrall me?

She was dazed as they exited the theater, her face flushed and her body languid. In addition her heart had started to pound with a fearsome dread, though she made not a sound. They exited the auditorium, and Narcissa found they were standing behind a Muggle couple, talking in quiet voices about the �substandard� cellist. Obviously, Narcissa thought wildly, they did not share my experience of the performance. The memory made her close her eyes, expecting nothing and everything all at once, she allowed Lucius to lead them. The dread still pounded beneath her chest, yet she clung to him � the very cause of her fear was the only one she trusted to share it with.

Narcissa snapped out of her daze as she heard him say �Imperio� under his breath. She watched in shock as the spell hit the couple in front of them. He jerked his hand to the side, and Narcissa found they were in an alley � she, the man she was going to marry and a Muggle couple, silent and dazed under his curse. I appear to find myself in this situation with a great deal of frequency. She laughed, unable to keep the hysteria in any longer as she suddenly realized what was happening. Lucius had gestured with his wand, and the woman had held out her hand.

On it, the diamond she had chosen glittered in the moonlight.

�I believe that belongs to me,� Lucius drawled. �If you would be so good as to hand it to me?�

The woman did what Lucius said, her eyes widened and empty. In that way she almost resembled the man who commanded her. She took the ring off in exaggeratedly slow motion like a marionette on strings � which, of course, was what she was. Does she like that feeling of drowning? Is she horrified at is happening to her. Does she know what will happen next? For Narcissa, at least, there was no doubt.

Lucius took the ring the woman handed him and examined it briefly. �A lovely choice,� he said, and then his voice hardened, some emotion creeping back in at last � although it was disgust. �Muggles are filthy, dirty creatures,� he said spitefully. �They do not deserve such beauty as this,� he said, turning the ring over in his palm. �Don�t you think?� He focused those cold, empty eyes on her, and Narcissa forced herself not to take a step away from him. She did not answer; she was certain he did not require one. �It is far more appropriate that it grace your hand, my dear.� He circled the man and the woman, who still stood motionless in the street.

�Whatever shall I do with these poor Muggles, Narcissa? I daresay I could obliviate their memories, but one never knows how long such a spell would last. No, I do not think the Ministry would appreciate me erasing the memory of these poor creatures; after all they are befuddled enough,� he sneered.

Lucius held his wand up, and Narcissa found she was breathing quickly. When did my fear turn to excitement?

�Avada Kedavra.�

It happened so fast, she hardly had time to blink, and then the two Muggles lie dead at her feet, the woman�s eyes opened and unseeing and her mouth a perfect O of surprise as if she had known at the last minute what the bright flash of green had meant.

�Narcissa.�

She looked up at his voice, deadened again, and he held the ring out to her. �I believe, my dear, that this belongs to you.� The moonlight glinted off his features, and the stars shone brilliant above them � the same constellation, Draco, that they had gazed at earlier while discussing the name of their future child. Now that self-same cold starlight shone over the scene of her future husband, the father of that future child, holding her engagement ring out to her with two dead bodies at his feet.

Her voice, when she managed to use it, shook slightly. �It seems to me we have played this scene before, Lucius,� she said. The moment was fraught with tension; she almost expected to hear the dark melodious sound of a cello playing, as macabre as the scene was it seemed only fitting.

�Ah, Narcissa. There is a great deal of difference between knowing something and seeing it. You knew what I am, Narcissa, and now you have seen.� The words were laced with a finality that almost had her wonder what he would do to her if she turned from him and left him there in alley. She knew that she would never do it. No number of bodies at his feet would turn her away, and no sinister and senseless act of violence he committed would cause her to abandon him.

Narcissa felt an odd sort of peace settle over her in the aftermath of what had happened. �And now,� she said, stepping over the body of the woman at her feet to take the proffered ring from him, �you know � and have seen � what I am,� she said in a strong, clear voice. They stared at each other unblinking as she slid the ring on her finger and held it up to examine it. �Thank you, Lucius. It�s lovely,� she purred, smiling up at him like a contented cat.

His hands closed over her waist as he lifted her over the man�s body with ease so that the hem of her dress did not touch. �I told you, Narcissa, you deserved a ring worthy of you.�

�It would seem I have it,� she said quietly and slipped an arm around his waist, ignoring the sound of screams as the bodies were found by a hapless wanderer in the alley behind them and admired her ring as they returned home.
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