Halloween Treat for Lee_Bella
Gift for: lee_bella
From: hikarievandar
Title: Immolate
Characters: Lucius Malfoy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am making no profit from this story.
Warnings: Suicide
Summary: The bone-fire lights the way for spirits who wish to cross the veil.
The fire glows red. Magic washes over Lucius’ skin as he nears, and he squints through the rising smoke to stare into the heart of the flames where bone snaps and blackens in the heat.
Beyond the smell of fire and power, there is the greasy scent of torched bone-marrow. As a child it made him hungry, and each year as he approaches the bone-fire, he remembers his own high voice asking his father why there wasn’t a feast by the firelight. Abraxas had always cursed him to be silent, and in turn, Lucius had treated Draco the same.
Draco isn’t here, now, to see these rituals restarted after the war. Not in flesh. His son glimmers silver-grey in the corner of Lucius’ vision. He is dead as the horned beast that burns in the fire; as the rest of those who spurned the Dark Lord.
He sees his son’s shape flickering at the edge of the veil; senses the accusing stare of the Boy Who Lived Died as he glares defiantly back from the realm of the dead. There are others: Ancient and Noble Houses ruined. He steps forward, breathing ash and heat - in this, Malfoy is with them.