Freedom prompt-Begin Again
Title: Begin Again
Author: mesh_x_lace (Bellatrixs_Lament or BellatrixsLament on fic sites)
Rating: M+
Word Count: 2,292
Summary: What happens when Lucius is freed from Azkaban?
Warnings: Adult language, hints of violence, slight OoTP,HBP and DH spoilers, het sex implied.
Notes: This is the third chapter of my Sirius/Lucius *intended* one shot, "Left To Darkness"
I'm using some of my prompts from 100quills to write this. It can be read as a standalone, or you can catch up here Ch. 1 Loyal Ch. 2 Lost Full story warnings are in summary.
The prompt used was "Freedom"
Chapter 3: Begin Again
"I stand on the outside, would die to get in. I crawl inside, just to begin again." Begin Again by Shinedown
A deafening explosion roused the thin, haggard man from his already restless slumber. He flew from his cot and stood poised, fists in the air, ready to fight. He swiveled his head from left to right, there was no intruder. What he did find however, astounded him.
A large, gaping hole had been blasted in the back wall of his tiny cell, giving him a view outside, beyond the prison, a sight he hadn't beheld in nearly two years. Who or what had done this, he couldn't see, and at that moment couldn't wager a guess.
He approached new opening cautiously, stumbling clumsily over the layers of crumbled concrete, and peered discreetly around either side. Seeing no one or no thing, he ventured out, warily at first, jumping at every noise he heard. And finally, meeting no opposition so far, he broke into a full run.
He ran and ran until he was clear of the walls surrounding the prison, which too had curiously crumbled. He found himself standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking a vast black sea. Bending at the waist, he placed his hands on his knees and tried to compose himself. Sorely underused muscles throbbed in time with his quickened heartbeat, aching lungs burned and felt ready to burst as he choked in the salty sea air.
Fresh air.
Cool air.
No longer in Azkaban.
Is this another dream? Am I really free?
He decided that if this was a dream, he was going to enjoy it to the fullest extent possible before waking up to his harsh reality. Closing his eyes wistfully, he relished the liberating feeling the cool breeze brought as it soothed his abused skin and blew through his long, matted blond hair.
“Free,” the word tasted so sweet on his lips.
Waves crashed violently below him. He could almost feel the cool fingers of the dark water caressing him, drawing him under into it's murky depths. It had been so long, so very long since he'd had a proper bath, and the sounds of the water lapping over the rocks in the sea below were beyond tempting. He began to scour the area for a walkway, a trail, anything that would take him down to the sea.
“Lucius.”
Lucius jerked suddenly at the sound of his name, but the voice, he knew the voice. Draco. He turned, beaming at the cloaked form of his approaching savior. Shadows melted away with his every step and the man's face was now clearly visible. Lucius' smile became a scowl as a violent pang of guilt twisted in his gut. It was his son as he had thought, or rather some previously unknown version of his son . The wan young man who now stood before him did not resemble the cocksure boy he had been taken from two years ago.
Draco Malfoy looked beaten and tired. Dark circles lined the once vibrant blue eyes that now held a look of permanent sadness. Lucius knew he was to blame for what his son had been through. The Dark Lord rewarded those who served him well, as he punished severely those who failed him. And Lucius Malfoy's family had paid for his failures.
“Draco. Son. How did you-” he was cut short by a high pitched female voice in the distance.
“Lucius, how lovely to see you.”
Lucius watched silently as a lone female figure walked towards them from the prison. He could identify her without even being able to see her face, even if she had not spoken.
Bellatrix Lestrange.
Out of sheer force of habit, his features steeled as he took on the cool demeanor he was known for. Lucius could feel the anger rising in him, but he kept it in check. He hated this woman passionately for what she had taken from him, but Lucius was reluctant to show his contempt. It finally dawned on him what had happened. This was a full break out. The remaining death eaters had been sent to Azkaban to rebuild their numbers with the release of those captured in the battle at the ministry.
“Bellatrix. I assume your presence here to mean that he sent you.”
Bellatrix smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile, not by far. Lucius likened it more to the smile of a predator who had finally caught it's prey. That was exactly what Lucius was beginning to feel like. Prey.
Was I freed to be murdered? Has my own son been sent to witness, or worse, perform the deed himself? Bellatrix cocked an amused eyebrow at him.
“You should know if I were here to kill you, Lucius, your corpse would already be drawing flies.” she laughed coldly. “Unfortunately though, you will likely live through the night.”
Lucius shuddered. He had forgotten the witch's powers; she was listening to his thoughts. He would have to remember to keep his mind clear in her presence.
“We were sent by the Dark Lord.” she continued. “Do you think we- I- would have freed you of my own accord? Not bloody likely. Apparently you still play some vital role in all of this.” her smile broadened, flashing two pointed canines on either side of otherwise even, pearly teeth.
“Of course I was against it. I told him you were useless to us. All of you. However, he insisted on your release-” she gestured to the prison in the distance which Lucius now saw was chock full of large holes similar to the one in his former cell. “And the release of the others. I had them save you for last. I didn't think you would mind.”
Lucius studied her face for a moment and hoped that she was not luring him into a comfortable trap or playing with him as she so liked to do. He would be safe, for now at least. He turned again to Draco, who had been quietly watching their encounter.
“What of the guards? Why are they not raising an alarm?”
Draco's mouth opened as though to respond, but Lucius' question was answered by Bellatrix. A mad gleam shone in her black eyes as she spoke almost gleefully. “What do you think? No prisoners, Lucius. Not that there was much left to them when we were done.”
There were at least a hundred guards on duty at all times in Azkaban since the dementors had abandoned their posts. There were no fires, no indications that any sort of battle or takeover had occurred, save the destruction of the individual cells. How did I not hear anything?
Lucius swallowed hard to keep the bile from rising as he thought of Draco. Draco's committed murder tonight. There is no doubt about that. He had never wanted his own fate for his son. Bellatrix's eyes were fixed on Lucius, again listening to his unguarded thoughts.
“You should be proud. Draco has served our lord well after he was reprimanded for failing his first mission so thoroughly.” She looked pointedly at the young blond. “It doesn't take much to teach the little prince a lesson.”
Lucius knew this failure to which she referred. The murder of the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The murder had occurred of course, but the blood was not on his son's hands.
The lesson Draco was subjected to was being forced to watch, helpless, as his mother Narcissa was brutally slain. There was no quick flash of green light for her, she had been given over to an Inferi, and Lucius had seen the grisly mutilations of the Inferius time and again years ago. He grimaced as he noticed the cool, aloof look on Bellatrix's face, appalled at the nonchalant manner in which she spoke of the murder of her own sister. He hated her even more for being so careless with her cruel words in front of Draco.
“As much as I am enjoying this happy little reunion, we do have to leave this foul place. He is waiting.” Bellatrix looked at the prison that had been her home for nearly fifteen years and repressed a shudder. “Draco. Give your father his wand.”
Draco obediently reached into his robes, produced the long, slender walking stick that contained his fathers wand and held it out to him. Lucius was stunned. He had been under the impression that his wand was destroyed by the aurors when he had been taken prisoner.
“Take him boy. You know where to go.” With that Bellatrix turned on the spot.
Before Lucius had any time to think, Draco gave his father a weary half smile, wrapped his cold fingers around Lucius' wrist and they too, spun where they stood.
~*OoOoO*~
The sensation was not new to him, but it had been some time since Lucius had disapparated and it left him unbalanced and dizzy for a moment. Once he regained his footing, Lucius took in his new surroundings. They were on a small hill overlooking what seemed to be a tiny village in the distance.
Directly in front of him was a rusted gate that led to a vacant, overgrown lot. In it's core were the skeletal remains of foundation, the only remaining proof that a building had once stood there. It was all somehow familiar to him, though he could not remember why.
Bellatrix was already there, tapping her booted foot impatiently. A touch of warm flesh on his hand caused Lucius to shiver as she pressed a piece of torn parchment into his palm. He took it and watched her for a moment as one of her curls escaped it's coif and coiled around the side of her slender neck.
Bellatrix was insane, but Lucius had to admit, she was stunning. He could only imagine how her madness would come into play in the bedroom. She caught his thought and glanced over to see him watching her, and scowled darkly.
Hated or not, once he was cleaned up he would have to seek out the witch for a quick tumble. He was desperate to bury himself inside something warm and tight. I'd probably even fuck his bloody snake if I could get it alone for a few minutes. Lucius saw the corner of Bellatrix's mouth turn up slightly, she had apparently heard that thought, too.
Shaking off the horrifying mental image of himself with the snake Nagini, Lucius looked down at the parchment Bellatrix had given him and closed his eyes, seeing the words he had just read in his mind. Instantly a large house began to take shape, almost thrusting itself into place right out of thin air. It appeared in sections, soundlessly, before finally resting as though it had always been there. Of course it had always been there, it was merely charmed to appear as an empty lot to those who didn't know it's secret.
The house, though large and probably quite grand at one time, was now nothing more than a dilapidated ruin. Long vines of ivy had wrapped it's front tightly in long, green arms. Boards were nailed haphazardly across windows and through their cracks dim pinpoints of light could be seen. Lucius frowned. He finally realized where they were. It was the Dark Lords hiding place, the home of his dead muggle father.
Riddle House.
Draco and Bellatrix were already some distance ahead of him as he entered the yard. They traveled hurriedly down the cracked and winding pathway that led to the house, only stopping once they arrived at the front door. Bellatrix tapped her wand twice on the dingy bronze knocker and the door creaked open slowly. The smell of dust and mold permeated Lucius' senses as they stepped into a large dark foyer. Only three candles, to break through the darkness of the great expanse, flickered weakly in large sconces attached to the walls.
Bellatrix immediately set off up a wide staircase, not waiting for them to follow, ever eager to return to her master. Draco hesitated, waiting for his father, before they too took to the stairs. At the top they found themselves in another dimly lit hallway, the brightest light coming from an open door to their right at the very end of the hall.
Lucius noticed Draco casting nervous glances in his direction as he moved ahead of his father and entered the room. He had never seen Draco this fearful of anything. The boy was a coward, of course, but he had never shown his fear so blatantly. Lucius wasn't ready to imagine how his son had been treated in his absence. He only hoped that Draco's godfather, Severus Snape had intervened again somehow.
Lucius willed the tremors that were threatening to overtake his body to stop. Straightening his back, he stepped through the door, just beyond the threshold, and moved no further. Lucius' blood ran cold as his gray eyes met the crimson slits that belonged to Lord Voldemort.
“Lucius.” Voldemort hissed, softly. “ I see that your tenure in Azkaban has failed to humble you.”
Voldemort's tall, pale frame rested in a tattered, high backed chair, closely resembling a ruined throne of some fallen king in one of Beedle the Bard's fairy tales. Bellatrix was on her knees at the Dark Lord's side. A tiny piece of his black robes clutched tightly in her hand, she stared up at the man adoringly, as though she wished for nothing more than to be in his lap. Draco was standing slightly behind her, looking terrified. Voldemort's snake, Nagini, had wrapped itself around his feet and was slowly gliding up his legs, tongue flicking every now and again as though it could smell his fear.
Voldemort moved his skeletal hand and beckoned to Lucius. “Come forth Lucius, and greet your master.”
This was the cost of his freedom and the safety of his son. His reverence, his obedience to this cause, to this Lord he no longer cared for. He would pay it willingly, give anything to preserve the safety of himself and his son.
Voldemort eyed the older Malfoy keenly, giving a satisfied smirk as Lucius bowed deeply before getting to his knees.
Gently lifting the hem of Voldemort's robes, Lucius pressed his lips to them reverently.
“My Lord.”
He kept his position until the Dark Lord silently bid him to stand, which he did slowly, keeping his head bowed low.
“Bella has warned me that you've set your sights on my Nagini, Lucius.” Bella smiled up at Lucius as Voldemort laughed. It was a cold, hollow sound that made Lucius think of ice cubes clanging together. The Dark Lord was in a rare playful mood. Everything must have gone according to plan tonight.
“I have a task for you Lucius. It must be taken care of immediately. Once you are done you may then take care of your other..needs. I will send Bella along to help you in any way you deem necessary.”
Bellatrix's smile was wiped from her face in an instant, and she moved as though to object. Voldemort waved his hand to silence her.
“You will obey me without question, Bella.”
Lucius was slightly taken aback. Had the Dark Lord had just given his lover to him? It was Lucius' turn to grin, for surely he would have her beneath him tonight.
The Dark Lord rewards.
Author: mesh_x_lace (Bellatrixs_Lament or BellatrixsLament on fic sites)
Rating: M+
Word Count: 2,292
Summary: What happens when Lucius is freed from Azkaban?
Warnings: Adult language, hints of violence, slight OoTP,HBP and DH spoilers, het sex implied.
Notes: This is the third chapter of my Sirius/Lucius *intended* one shot, "Left To Darkness"
I'm using some of my prompts from 100quills to write this. It can be read as a standalone, or you can catch up here Ch. 1 Loyal Ch. 2 Lost Full story warnings are in summary.
The prompt used was "Freedom"
Chapter 3: Begin Again
"I stand on the outside, would die to get in. I crawl inside, just to begin again." Begin Again by Shinedown
A deafening explosion roused the thin, haggard man from his already restless slumber. He flew from his cot and stood poised, fists in the air, ready to fight. He swiveled his head from left to right, there was no intruder. What he did find however, astounded him.
A large, gaping hole had been blasted in the back wall of his tiny cell, giving him a view outside, beyond the prison, a sight he hadn't beheld in nearly two years. Who or what had done this, he couldn't see, and at that moment couldn't wager a guess.
He approached new opening cautiously, stumbling clumsily over the layers of crumbled concrete, and peered discreetly around either side. Seeing no one or no thing, he ventured out, warily at first, jumping at every noise he heard. And finally, meeting no opposition so far, he broke into a full run.
He ran and ran until he was clear of the walls surrounding the prison, which too had curiously crumbled. He found himself standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking a vast black sea. Bending at the waist, he placed his hands on his knees and tried to compose himself. Sorely underused muscles throbbed in time with his quickened heartbeat, aching lungs burned and felt ready to burst as he choked in the salty sea air.
Fresh air.
Cool air.
No longer in Azkaban.
Is this another dream? Am I really free?
He decided that if this was a dream, he was going to enjoy it to the fullest extent possible before waking up to his harsh reality. Closing his eyes wistfully, he relished the liberating feeling the cool breeze brought as it soothed his abused skin and blew through his long, matted blond hair.
“Free,” the word tasted so sweet on his lips.
Waves crashed violently below him. He could almost feel the cool fingers of the dark water caressing him, drawing him under into it's murky depths. It had been so long, so very long since he'd had a proper bath, and the sounds of the water lapping over the rocks in the sea below were beyond tempting. He began to scour the area for a walkway, a trail, anything that would take him down to the sea.
“Lucius.”
Lucius jerked suddenly at the sound of his name, but the voice, he knew the voice. Draco. He turned, beaming at the cloaked form of his approaching savior. Shadows melted away with his every step and the man's face was now clearly visible. Lucius' smile became a scowl as a violent pang of guilt twisted in his gut. It was his son as he had thought, or rather some previously unknown version of his son . The wan young man who now stood before him did not resemble the cocksure boy he had been taken from two years ago.
Draco Malfoy looked beaten and tired. Dark circles lined the once vibrant blue eyes that now held a look of permanent sadness. Lucius knew he was to blame for what his son had been through. The Dark Lord rewarded those who served him well, as he punished severely those who failed him. And Lucius Malfoy's family had paid for his failures.
“Draco. Son. How did you-” he was cut short by a high pitched female voice in the distance.
“Lucius, how lovely to see you.”
Lucius watched silently as a lone female figure walked towards them from the prison. He could identify her without even being able to see her face, even if she had not spoken.
Bellatrix Lestrange.
Out of sheer force of habit, his features steeled as he took on the cool demeanor he was known for. Lucius could feel the anger rising in him, but he kept it in check. He hated this woman passionately for what she had taken from him, but Lucius was reluctant to show his contempt. It finally dawned on him what had happened. This was a full break out. The remaining death eaters had been sent to Azkaban to rebuild their numbers with the release of those captured in the battle at the ministry.
“Bellatrix. I assume your presence here to mean that he sent you.”
Bellatrix smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile, not by far. Lucius likened it more to the smile of a predator who had finally caught it's prey. That was exactly what Lucius was beginning to feel like. Prey.
Was I freed to be murdered? Has my own son been sent to witness, or worse, perform the deed himself? Bellatrix cocked an amused eyebrow at him.
“You should know if I were here to kill you, Lucius, your corpse would already be drawing flies.” she laughed coldly. “Unfortunately though, you will likely live through the night.”
Lucius shuddered. He had forgotten the witch's powers; she was listening to his thoughts. He would have to remember to keep his mind clear in her presence.
“We were sent by the Dark Lord.” she continued. “Do you think we- I- would have freed you of my own accord? Not bloody likely. Apparently you still play some vital role in all of this.” her smile broadened, flashing two pointed canines on either side of otherwise even, pearly teeth.
“Of course I was against it. I told him you were useless to us. All of you. However, he insisted on your release-” she gestured to the prison in the distance which Lucius now saw was chock full of large holes similar to the one in his former cell. “And the release of the others. I had them save you for last. I didn't think you would mind.”
Lucius studied her face for a moment and hoped that she was not luring him into a comfortable trap or playing with him as she so liked to do. He would be safe, for now at least. He turned again to Draco, who had been quietly watching their encounter.
“What of the guards? Why are they not raising an alarm?”
Draco's mouth opened as though to respond, but Lucius' question was answered by Bellatrix. A mad gleam shone in her black eyes as she spoke almost gleefully. “What do you think? No prisoners, Lucius. Not that there was much left to them when we were done.”
There were at least a hundred guards on duty at all times in Azkaban since the dementors had abandoned their posts. There were no fires, no indications that any sort of battle or takeover had occurred, save the destruction of the individual cells. How did I not hear anything?
Lucius swallowed hard to keep the bile from rising as he thought of Draco. Draco's committed murder tonight. There is no doubt about that. He had never wanted his own fate for his son. Bellatrix's eyes were fixed on Lucius, again listening to his unguarded thoughts.
“You should be proud. Draco has served our lord well after he was reprimanded for failing his first mission so thoroughly.” She looked pointedly at the young blond. “It doesn't take much to teach the little prince a lesson.”
Lucius knew this failure to which she referred. The murder of the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The murder had occurred of course, but the blood was not on his son's hands.
The lesson Draco was subjected to was being forced to watch, helpless, as his mother Narcissa was brutally slain. There was no quick flash of green light for her, she had been given over to an Inferi, and Lucius had seen the grisly mutilations of the Inferius time and again years ago. He grimaced as he noticed the cool, aloof look on Bellatrix's face, appalled at the nonchalant manner in which she spoke of the murder of her own sister. He hated her even more for being so careless with her cruel words in front of Draco.
“As much as I am enjoying this happy little reunion, we do have to leave this foul place. He is waiting.” Bellatrix looked at the prison that had been her home for nearly fifteen years and repressed a shudder. “Draco. Give your father his wand.”
Draco obediently reached into his robes, produced the long, slender walking stick that contained his fathers wand and held it out to him. Lucius was stunned. He had been under the impression that his wand was destroyed by the aurors when he had been taken prisoner.
“Take him boy. You know where to go.” With that Bellatrix turned on the spot.
Before Lucius had any time to think, Draco gave his father a weary half smile, wrapped his cold fingers around Lucius' wrist and they too, spun where they stood.
~*OoOoO*~
The sensation was not new to him, but it had been some time since Lucius had disapparated and it left him unbalanced and dizzy for a moment. Once he regained his footing, Lucius took in his new surroundings. They were on a small hill overlooking what seemed to be a tiny village in the distance.
Directly in front of him was a rusted gate that led to a vacant, overgrown lot. In it's core were the skeletal remains of foundation, the only remaining proof that a building had once stood there. It was all somehow familiar to him, though he could not remember why.
Bellatrix was already there, tapping her booted foot impatiently. A touch of warm flesh on his hand caused Lucius to shiver as she pressed a piece of torn parchment into his palm. He took it and watched her for a moment as one of her curls escaped it's coif and coiled around the side of her slender neck.
Bellatrix was insane, but Lucius had to admit, she was stunning. He could only imagine how her madness would come into play in the bedroom. She caught his thought and glanced over to see him watching her, and scowled darkly.
Hated or not, once he was cleaned up he would have to seek out the witch for a quick tumble. He was desperate to bury himself inside something warm and tight. I'd probably even fuck his bloody snake if I could get it alone for a few minutes. Lucius saw the corner of Bellatrix's mouth turn up slightly, she had apparently heard that thought, too.
Shaking off the horrifying mental image of himself with the snake Nagini, Lucius looked down at the parchment Bellatrix had given him and closed his eyes, seeing the words he had just read in his mind. Instantly a large house began to take shape, almost thrusting itself into place right out of thin air. It appeared in sections, soundlessly, before finally resting as though it had always been there. Of course it had always been there, it was merely charmed to appear as an empty lot to those who didn't know it's secret.
The house, though large and probably quite grand at one time, was now nothing more than a dilapidated ruin. Long vines of ivy had wrapped it's front tightly in long, green arms. Boards were nailed haphazardly across windows and through their cracks dim pinpoints of light could be seen. Lucius frowned. He finally realized where they were. It was the Dark Lords hiding place, the home of his dead muggle father.
Riddle House.
Draco and Bellatrix were already some distance ahead of him as he entered the yard. They traveled hurriedly down the cracked and winding pathway that led to the house, only stopping once they arrived at the front door. Bellatrix tapped her wand twice on the dingy bronze knocker and the door creaked open slowly. The smell of dust and mold permeated Lucius' senses as they stepped into a large dark foyer. Only three candles, to break through the darkness of the great expanse, flickered weakly in large sconces attached to the walls.
Bellatrix immediately set off up a wide staircase, not waiting for them to follow, ever eager to return to her master. Draco hesitated, waiting for his father, before they too took to the stairs. At the top they found themselves in another dimly lit hallway, the brightest light coming from an open door to their right at the very end of the hall.
Lucius noticed Draco casting nervous glances in his direction as he moved ahead of his father and entered the room. He had never seen Draco this fearful of anything. The boy was a coward, of course, but he had never shown his fear so blatantly. Lucius wasn't ready to imagine how his son had been treated in his absence. He only hoped that Draco's godfather, Severus Snape had intervened again somehow.
Lucius willed the tremors that were threatening to overtake his body to stop. Straightening his back, he stepped through the door, just beyond the threshold, and moved no further. Lucius' blood ran cold as his gray eyes met the crimson slits that belonged to Lord Voldemort.
“Lucius.” Voldemort hissed, softly. “ I see that your tenure in Azkaban has failed to humble you.”
Voldemort's tall, pale frame rested in a tattered, high backed chair, closely resembling a ruined throne of some fallen king in one of Beedle the Bard's fairy tales. Bellatrix was on her knees at the Dark Lord's side. A tiny piece of his black robes clutched tightly in her hand, she stared up at the man adoringly, as though she wished for nothing more than to be in his lap. Draco was standing slightly behind her, looking terrified. Voldemort's snake, Nagini, had wrapped itself around his feet and was slowly gliding up his legs, tongue flicking every now and again as though it could smell his fear.
Voldemort moved his skeletal hand and beckoned to Lucius. “Come forth Lucius, and greet your master.”
This was the cost of his freedom and the safety of his son. His reverence, his obedience to this cause, to this Lord he no longer cared for. He would pay it willingly, give anything to preserve the safety of himself and his son.
Voldemort eyed the older Malfoy keenly, giving a satisfied smirk as Lucius bowed deeply before getting to his knees.
Gently lifting the hem of Voldemort's robes, Lucius pressed his lips to them reverently.
“My Lord.”
He kept his position until the Dark Lord silently bid him to stand, which he did slowly, keeping his head bowed low.
“Bella has warned me that you've set your sights on my Nagini, Lucius.” Bella smiled up at Lucius as Voldemort laughed. It was a cold, hollow sound that made Lucius think of ice cubes clanging together. The Dark Lord was in a rare playful mood. Everything must have gone according to plan tonight.
“I have a task for you Lucius. It must be taken care of immediately. Once you are done you may then take care of your other..needs. I will send Bella along to help you in any way you deem necessary.”
Bellatrix's smile was wiped from her face in an instant, and she moved as though to object. Voldemort waved his hand to silence her.
“You will obey me without question, Bella.”
Lucius was slightly taken aback. Had the Dark Lord had just given his lover to him? It was Lucius' turn to grin, for surely he would have her beneath him tonight.
The Dark Lord rewards.