“What did you say?” Bellatrix asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
“It’s not possible,” Narcissa said, her hands gripping little Draco firmly in her lap. He’d fallen strangely silent in the last few seconds.
“He’s gone!” Yaxley hissed breathlessly. The man had run the length of Malfoy manor so fast they were surprised he hadn’t collapsed to the floor by now. “The Dark Lord is…”
“We heard you,” Lucius snapped, his voice cold. “You’re dripping on the rug, Yaxley.”
“You’re worried about your house?” Yaxley shouted. “He’s gone!”
“Shut your mouth!” Bellatrix’s scream rose to match Yaxley’s voice. Rudolphus’ hand tightened on her arm, and he turned a concerned look towards Lucius. “Can’t you see Draco is scared?”
Yaxley waved her off and continued, moving a few paces closer to Lucius. The downpour outside was steadily turning into a gale. “What are we going to do, Lucius?”
Lucius made to reply but was interrupted as more Death Eaters apparated into the room. Some were ashen faced. Some were still wearing their masks. They had clearly dropped what they were doing and come running. Lucius could see that they were all terrified. As the ranks filled the room, the pops mingled with the crackling fire. Lucius saw Carrow, Rowle, Dolohov, Avery, Crab, Goyle…
“Where is Severus?” Narcissa cut in, peering around the dimly lit room at the faces.
“Snape?” Yaxley barked, incredulous. “He’s run off by my reckoning. We all felt the mark burn! If he aint here then he aint comin.”
Lucius uncontrollably reached for his left arm. Underneath his sleeve, his arm felt like it was still on fire. He didn’t dare pull it back to see if the mark was still there. If his Master truly was gone, then… He couldn’t think of that now. He and Narcissa had made plans for themselves, for Draco.
“You all must return to your posts. If anyone suspects us… If anyone is captured then they’re on their own. You have families…”
“Aren’t we going to fight?” one of them yelled out. “We could strike back!”
“With what?” Yaxley sneered. “You want to go and get yourself locked up? I aint going to Azkaban. I’ll say I was imperiused.”
“We can’t all say we were bewitched, idiot,” Bellatrix hissed at him.
“I don’t care what we all do,” Yaxley retorted. “I’m going my own way after tonight. It’s every man for himself. Or… Woman, I guess.”
“I will kill you where you stand,” Bellatrix said menacingly.
Yaxley froze mid turn. He’d been about to apparate, but now Bellatrix’s wand was mere inches away from him, pointed directly into his face. The other Death Eaters had backed away now, and in the confusion Lucius heard a few rustling robes and then the room was filled with popping noises again. Several of the Death Eaters fled while Bellatrix was fixated on Yaxley.
“Cowards!” Rudolphus shouted, raising his wand.
“Lucius!” Bellatrix cried. “Stop them!”
“Lucius,” Narcissa said softly. She’d risen from her seat by the fire and was holding Draco in her arms. He’d fallen asleep, and Lucius could honestly admit that he envied his son’s innocence in that moment. “We can rebuild, start over. We’ve both done horrible things, and now we’re free. Dumbledore promised us…”
“Sissy!” Bellatrix snarled in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“We’re leaving Bella,” Narcissa replied calmly. “At least,” she added, looking at her husband, “I am.”
Lucius did not meet her gaze. The room had gone eerily silent, and all noise had been replaced by a painful ringing. He didn’t know what to do. He stood frozen. His body had stopped listening to him. Dumbledore had indeed promised them protection, and the letter began to play in Lucius’ mind. The fidelius charm could work. They could even flee the country. He’d lost track of how much information he’d given to the Aurors by now. Voldemort had known, surely. If the Dark Lord had been successful then Lucius would be dead now. Even Bella would’ve been killed, simply for being related to him.
“Lucius,” Narcissa said, laying her free hand on his shoulder. “Please.”
The red light of Lucius stunning spell flared in the room and Rudolphus fell to the floor. In the same instant a flash of green whizzed past them and shattered a sconce over the fireplace. A few Death Eaters had shot their own spells at them.
“Traitor!” Bellatrix screamed. She turned and Yaxley had vanished now that her wand was no longer pointing at him. Lucius was grateful that he didn’t have to deal with more of the Death Eaters now that he’d thrown the first spell. “The Dark Lord was right! Lucius the coward. He knew you would betray us!”
“You betrayed yourself, Bella!” Narcissa shouted as she ran.
Lucius saw Bellatrix’s eyes dart after her and lunged, throwing up a shield charm just as purple flames shot across the room.
“Go!” he shouted. “I’ll meet you!”
She gave him a look that told him ‘for Draco, you better’ and something deep within him burst into flames. He watched as she pulled the secret door open and vanish behind it with his son in her arms. Then, he turned to face his sister-in-law. Bellatrix was seething, the curls of her hair flapping as she breathed in and out. Lucius’ face was hot. Goyle lunged forward, shouting something, but Lucius dodged the spell. With a lazy flick of his wand, Goyle was sent out the nearest window and into the dark of the storm. Crab followed him soon after. Bellatrix’s spell threw the dining table up into the air and then Lucius’ spell shattered it. The fire in the hearth was extinguished with a burst of cold air from another Death Eater’s wand, and Lucius used the opportunity to leap at them and throw his shoulder into their mask. He couldn’t tell who it was, but the Death Eater grunted and then fell to the floor as Bellatrix’s killing curse hit them.
“I’ll kill you!” Bellatrix screamed, her voice cracking.
“Tears for me, Bella?” Lucius called out, antagonizing her. “Or tears for your Master?”
“How could you?” Bellatrix sobbed. “You’ve doomed your son!”
“I rather think I’ve saved him,” Lucius said, ducking another curse and stunning two more Death Eaters. The others must have thought better than to fight him, because he heard several quick pops and several more windows breaking.
Now it was just Bellatrix, but Lucius whirled around trying to find her. He saw her at the far end where he'd been standing. She had circled the room and opened the door that Narcissa had used. Cursing himself for teaching the Death Eaters all the secret passages in Malfoy Manner, Lucius sprang after her. His curse lit the tapestry on fire just as Bellatrix disappeared behind it. Narcissa would be running to the boundary, to where she could apparate, and Bellatrix was now following her.
“Accio Broom!” Lucius shouted.
There was a loud whoosh, and he caught his Comet 290 as it zoomed up to him. At once, he was out the window and flying over the garden outside, squinting as the rain flecked his face. It felt like ice after being in the heat of the dining room. A flash of light brushed his cheek, and he turned the broom towards where it had come from. Lightning lit the scene and he saw Bellatrix standing there, her wand raised. Lucius let several spells leap from his wand as he aimed the Comet at her. When he was almost to her, something cracked the wood clenched in his hands and the broom exploded, sending him headlong into the gravel. He hit the ground hard, and he lost grip on his wand. Dazed, he got to his feet as best he could, just in time for Bellatrix’s Cruciatus curse to send him reeling into the air.
He was helpless now, he knew it. All Bellatrix had to do was kill him.
Someone screamed. There was a flash of green light and a rumble of thunder. The pain vanished and he fell against the low stone wall of one of his fountains. He heard footsteps running across the pathway, crunching on the gravel. The rain was threatening to drown all other sounds out.
“Lucius?”
It was Narcissa’s voice. Lucius let out a sob and pulled his wife close to him.
“Where’s Draco?” he murmured. His body was trembling.
“Safe,” said another voice. “I have seen to it.”
Lucius released Narcissa and threw his hand up, but he was wandless. The newcomer’s wand flared and the rain around them stopped falling.
“Dumbledore,” Lucius growled. “Why are you here?”
“I… had a hunch. It looks like you didn’t need me though. Where is everyone?”
“Fled,” Narcissa said, her teeth chattering. “I had to…” She couldn’t continue and instead buried her face into Lucius’ chest. “Bella’s gone.”
“I am sorry,” Dumbledore said calmly. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” they both said in unison.
“Good,” Dumbledore said with a smile. He traced something in the air and produced two steaming blankets from thin air. “Your new home is prepared, and Draco is waiting for you. Severus is with him.”
“Snape?” Lucius cried.
“Of course,” Dumbledore chuckled. “He’s been on my side longer than you have, Lucius.”
The old wizard held out his hand. There were several panicked heartbeats thundering in Lucius’ chest, before he tremulously took it. Narcissa did not release her grip, so Lucius helped lift her to her feet while Dumbledore respectfully watched.
“It’s quite alright,” Dumbledore said, still smiling. His blue eyes seemed to glow in the light of his wand. “You’re safe now. They won’t be able to hurt you anymore.”
The trio vanished with a pop, and the rain resumed falling where they’d been.