Forever? * Lucius Malfoy

Let Them Be Afraid Of You

Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4. January 1972

I walked through the train, looking into each compartment searching for my friends. I'm almost positive I saw Narcissa Black sitting with a group of Hufflepuff girls but I highly doubt it, considering she's practically glued to Malfoy these days.

I saw my friends in their compartment and I opened the door. Everyone was laughing and messing around with each other, everyone except Lucius. Lucius just stared out of the window, ignoring everything happening around him. I took a seat between him and Nott, wondering if I should bring up the meeting with their parents.

Deciding against it, I did something no one would have done.

"What's going on, Malfoy? You seem off today." I said, breaking him out of his trance.

"Father said it was about time to break it off with Narcissa, since you and I are to be married this summer." He said blankly, returning his gaze back to the window.

Everything got uncomfortably silent, and nobody knew where to look or what to say. Eventually, it was Crabbe who broke the silence.

"My father mentioned something to me over holiday, about a man who's going to save the Wizarding world. Apparently they had a meeting directly after I got home."

"The Dark Lord, you mean? My parents haven't shut up about him. I'm glad he's going to solve our mudblood problems but I don't even know the bloke, how am supposed to call him My Lord? I haven't a clue what he looks like." Theo said, a subtle agitation in his voice.

Everyone started to agree, stating they had no clue who this man was or what he looked like.

"A snake, he oddly resembles a snake." I said, immediately wishing I hadn't.

"How would you know that?" Malfoy asked me, finally joining the conversation.

I told my friends about the meeting at my manor, leaving out the small detail of him telling me I'd be taking my mark in a matter of months.

"All the respectable families were there, but you know who wasn't? The Potters. A successful pureblood family, ruined by their empathy. Disgusting blood traitors." I said

"Maybe our new Lord has a house prejudice." Crabbe said, laughing at himself.

-

Hogwarts, slytherin common room

I sat on the couch, next to Malfoy and Theo. When Narcissa walked it. I bit my tongue, until she stormed over to me.

"Marriage is about love, pure, genuine love. Not some stupid blood status Darling. Not that you have any idea what love even feels like. You only have friends because they're scared of you." She spat at me, crying from anger.

"Let me tell you something, Black. I'd rather marry for blood status than fall in love with some disgusting muggleborn. You don't know me, or the way my friends feel about me. You're only accepted because of your family, isn't that right, Regulas?" I said, looking at the fourth year boy standing at the fireplace.

"Leave my family out of it!" She screamed, launching herself at me.

"Stupefy!" I yelled, pointing my wand at her.

She laid there, stunned. I stepped over her body, announcing I was heading to bed for the night.

I pulled my journal out from under my mattress, pulled my curtain closed. I placed a silencing spell around my bed and began to cry.

-

Maybe she's right, maybe my friends are only loyal to me in fear of my cruelty? What if secretly, they all hate me but are too afraid of me to admit it?

-

I started writing but then my fathers words rang in my ears,

"Loyalty out of fear is still loyalty. Let them be afraid of you, they'll never cross you if they are. Respect is greater than love can ever be."

I put the charms back on the book, wiped my tears and laid in bed. My father is right, respect is greater than love.

But is fear really respect at all?