Vile Temptation

SEVEN

SEVEN
A Piano

               There had been no pause. Narcissa had woken to a day that neglected what had happened in the night. They would also be hosting a dinner of only the most dedicated pureblood families. She would surely lose her hair from the stress she had been put on her as of late.

Lucius' change had been drastic. He paid more attention than before—though this didn't say much. Also engaging with his brother...that was another unexpected change considering the way Helios was treating him. And, while Lucius had looked slightly dragged of exhaustion, Helios appeared as if he still hadn't closed his eyes.

"Some of the Durmstrang boys will be coming over, brother," Helios notified looking out toward the garden. "Be sure to avoid them unless you want to make a fool of yourself." It seemed as if the childish behaviour wouldn't stop in the face of exhaustion. "Maybe hide in your room until lunch is over?" Helios remarked in jest.

Lucius rolled his eyes but he seemed to have actually listened to the words. "Keep them away from the west wing at the very least, Helios." Helios made a face. "Hmm, no can do. They're going to help me open something." His voice was hoarse, mannerisms slightly off. Lucius didn't notice, merely sighing at his brother's blasé outlook to orders and rules.

Helios was not the typical pureblood aristocrat. That much was sure. Narcissa had often mulled this fact over when she was left alone, something that was grimly often. Helios looked like the pure, direct image of a pureblood. It was the way he acted, whatever personality-changing event that occurred must've been an extremely momentous event. Though Lucius acted as if Helios had always been this way, or close enough to not even perceive. Narcissa wanted to believe it was some sort of act, but the more time she spent around him she was slowly being proven wrong.

The morning appeared to be slow for the three of them, all not leaving the table. That was until the doorbell rang. Helios' eyes switched in recognition before turning to his brother. "Better tuck and tail, big brother." The shit eating grin on his face could've only been so likeable coming from him.

Then there were two. The husband and wife, in Narcissa's opinion, had never spent any real time together. In defence, there was literally nothing to do in the manner. She had taken a few trips to the library, flicking disinterestedly through a few books. All her other hobbies were not accessible in the Malfoy Manor which had been built and customised around Lucius and Helios. Narcissa suddenly had an idea.

"I want a piano." Lucius' eyebrows raised completely unprepared for those words. He looked uncertain. Narcissa had lost all confidence in him. Lucius' jaw clenched. "I can't get one?" She asked with confusion and disbelief.

Lucius couldn't look at her. Narcissa could not see the problem in both her request. "My brother," Lucius' eye twitched. His fingers fidgeted. And still he couldn't look at her. "He has run the house since father's passing. By law, no changes can be made without his definitive approval."

Narcissa was well past bewildered now. "Why?"

"Father had made it so once Helios turned fourteen." Lucius looked like he had sucked a lemon once he spoke the words. A trend and a long list of his shames was growing. "I'll speak about it later with him, I'm sure he won't have an opposition on it," he tried to recover any strong or positive outlook on him that was left. Unless it was to purposely annoy me, Narcissa thought bitterly. "Why not just talk to him about it now, just quickly."

Lucius looked aghast, as though she had just exposed his biggest secret to a live audience. "His Durmstrang friends are here," he said pointedly. Like that had explained it in a nutshell. "They're just helping him open something," she replied. Lucius shook his head, like countless people had also fallen into this trip before. "Yeah, open numerous bottles of wine."

Now she was concerned. "We have a dinner tonight though!" Lucius nodded like that wouldn't change his answer. "It's likely the only way he can stomach having the Bulstrode girl salivate over him." Lucius said it with a particular humour that encouraged the thought that this had occurred more than once previously. Narcissa now had a different attitude heading into the dinner. She imagined how entertaining it would be to witness Helios losing his patience and being put in a disgusting position that he couldn't escape from.

She laughed, crinkled eyes and all. It took only a moment before she could hear Lucius trying to swallow his light laughter.

...

I was halfway through this chapter and realised I had no idea where it was leading hence why it's so short and bad...
i'm also on holiday in rarotonga so my wifi and screentime is a bit limited