power is power.

a glass of expensive scotch swung between the tips of two fingers, lucius barely interested in making sure none of it spilled. silence presses against his ears and he wishes it would rain or storm or that someone would put on a record so there’d be more sound than this deafening silence, but nothing happens. his mother has just died and nothing happens --- his chest still moves as he breathes and the clock still ticks and everything seems to go on as it always does. he’s pulled back to being thirteen and learning she’s ill and wanting to fight the entire world to fix her. thing is --- there’s nothing to fix now. it’s over. over a decade of suffering, hospital visits and hoping things will be fine is over. she’s gone. 

they had never been the best of friends, rodolphus wasn’t sure if they even held the fine line between friends and casual annoyances to one another but he did not attend for solely image. lucius was married to his wife’s baby sister, it only made sense that he would go leaving all rude remarks at home because for once this was not the place. believe it or not, for those he respected rodolphus could hold some decency and he knew that a funeral was not a place to be cracking jokes or his usual snarky remarks. “ you doin’ alright? ”

“ do not mistake her words for kindness, she’d kill before complimenting anyone. ” the jab was not intentional but her words were not false, narcissa knew well enough that her mother had few polite intentions spitting out harsh words and cold insults rather than anything nice. all kind words had been a shock to the youngest former black when draco had first been introduced to his grandparents but shockingly, through forced smiles her mother had managed something a little less cruel. that type of influence still worried her, not wanting someone so unforgiving and cruel around her son but it was a thought pushed to the back of her mind for now. “ you would never miss a chance to compliment yourself darling, but i suppose you might be handsome as well. ” the blonde teased, leaning over to kiss his cheek mindful of draco. “ how incredibly lucky you are that i love you, ”

he hummed in the back of his throat. the sound thoughtful as he turned to face lucius, arms crossed. this was not habit, for either of them. sharing their fears, disclosing their feelings. both arrogant bastards adept at burying any insecurities deep inside. “at least he’ll still be rich,” he remarked dryly. taking the moment to think further. with the shitty legacy draco had been born into, he might be ruined. but not for lack of trying otherwise. “you love him. his mother loves him. your overbearing family loves him. that’s a decent start.”

“ too bad we’re not wizards then, isn’t it? “ he replies, voice a little dry, borderline mocking. most definitively sarcastic. eyebrows raise a little as his gaze wanders across the man, taking in his demeanor ( every last bit of him annoying james to his very core ). what he sees is what he could be —- what he might become, if he’s not careful. what he most definitively WOULD have been like, if it hadn’t been for his friends, the war and lily. so he gives lucius malfoy a glowering stare, his eyes devoid of their usual warmth and joy. somehow, a bit of amusement still lingers in dark irises, seemingly impossible to completely erase —- even in the presence of the most infuriating of men. “ so you get your coffee yourself. surprising. “

“why yes, i do, at times. trusting my house elf to do it for me is foolish. you’d understand, had you met him, though i doubt you ever will.” the idea of having james potter over is almost laughable to james, who thinks as lowly of the other as he does of his friends. it’s no surprise that he affiliates himself with people like sirius black, nor that he married a mudblood. if you ask lucius, there’s no kind of wizard worse than a blood traitor --- ungrateful, desrespectful, blind. he’s sure, though, that james will pay the price for his bad decisions one day. he almost feels bad for his son, but not fully. he is the result out of a rather ... unnatural marriage, after all. “now, if you don’t mind ... i do need that coffee.”

eyes flicker over the paintings in the room. a distraction ( any distraction ) was welcome as lion heart beat as quick as a scared rabbit. on the coffee table the latest edition of the daily prophet laid folded. the words RUMOURED LIST TO CONTAIN ALL ORDER MEMBERS. the letters moved, she thought, changed shape and then read –– RUMOURED LIST TO CONTAIN ALL DEATH EATERS. a breath escapes her lips as she tries to calm herself. reminding that she is safe and that she is in the house of a friend. a friend who could turn around and hurt her should he know. but, he didn’t know. not yet. smile grace her features once lucius ( @peacvck ) steps into the room and marlene leans back on the beautiful sofa.  ❝ now that you are a dad friends aren’t important any longer? hm. or how else would you explain having me waiting for twenty minutes, luce? you may be p o p u l a r but being this slow is just rude. ❞

— › CLOSED STARTER : @peacvck

“  well  ,   it  looks  like  you’ve  been   busy  .” words tumble   from  her  lips  as  she  makes  herself  comfortable  on  the  couch  ,  legs  crossing  over  one  another  .  eyes  sweep  across the  malfoy  residence  , decorated  with  the  same  luxury  they’d  always  grown  up  with  but  also   now   with   the  subtle  remnants  of  a child  .  maybe  she’s  hyper aware   or  just  too  stuck  in the  PAST ,  but   eloise couldn’t  help  but  feel  like they  were  still growing  up  way   too  fast  .  or  maybe  …  she  just  wasn’t  growing  up  enough  .  the  thought  quickly  falls  from   her  head   as   she   turns  to  face  him  ,  smiling  .  “  i  swear  it’s  been  ages  since  i’ve  seen  you  last . ”  a  week   at  most  ,  probably  .  but  she  wasn’t  in the  business  of  counting  nor  was  she  willing  to  outright  say  she  missed  him   either   .  “ was  beginning to  think  you  were ignoring  all  my  owls  .   wouldn’t  be  the  first  time ,  huh ? ”  she’s  teasing  ,  eyebrows  raising   as  gazes  falls  on  the  man  who  was  practically  her  brother  . 

“ better it’s you, than them, “ he says, clouded eyes never averting from the baby, who is currently gripping evan’s finger, about as tightly as evan suspects he can muster. he’s watching draco with shallow interest ( not quite invested enough to care ), and keeps half an eye on his father. an insincere smile plays on his lips, and he wiggles his finger loose. “ i suspect that a lestrange child would be… something else. “

task 007: wardrobe.

leo thought he loved the concept of draco a little more than the fragile thing itself. babies were terrifying and even one he cared about so dearly got him far too stressed. nevertheless a warm smile remained on his lips as the caressed the light few hairs on the boy’s head. “ he is magnificent. looks just like you, cissa. “ soft laughter spilled out with a playful look at lucius before a softer one fell on narcissa. “ we should get a photograph, uh ? the four of us. the first with draco and us three ? “ // @dyiingflower​

narcissa had learned not to think of draco as if he was glass, if anything it had only stressed her out more than need be. despite her trust for leo the blonde could not take her eyes off her young son, so precious and peaceful a stark contrast to what the rest of the world felt like. draco had been the one light in her life and that was not something she would take for granted. “ sweet of you to say leo, ” not that she disagreed but certainly narcissa saw her husband in their son. it was difficult not to notice that he was most definitely his parents. “ that would be wonderful, don’t you think? ” and with that she turns to lucius a smile upon her face. // @peacvck

        “ you honestly need to get out of your little country house more often, lucius. you’re missing out the world. “      from her words, you’d think she was a muggle sympathizer. all she wanted was to tease her cousin, just like old times. always the smallest and youngest and yet, victoria made sure to come out on top.    “ perhaps they are as extra as you are. just with less taste in fashion. after all, that’s not for everyone, am i right, lulu? “     every fiber of her being wanted to snap at him for calling her that. instead, she managed to slow down her heart rate by drinking her black coffee all at once. victoria rowle would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose her temper today.

her gaze upon their son never faltered, icy hues softened and watching him with absolute care as he slept soundly in lucius arms. happiness was not something they were bred to feel but somehow, someway the pair managed it no matter how unnatural it might’ve felt to begin with. cruel and cold parents like her own would have discouraged such affection and happiness but narcissa would be damned if she watched her son suffer like she had, always under the impression that the lack of affection was love. “ my mother said the same thing, ” it was still shocking to imagine her mother remarking something nice about any of her children but in all honesty it was not much of a compliment lacking care and empathy in tone. “ oh you think you are so cute don’t you? ”