#ch: narcissa malfoy

[clairenovaking]

narcissa malfoy // the harry potter franchise

tagged by @emilylawsons to make a moodboard of my favorite villain! i've always been fascinated by narcissa as a character despite the little we see of her in the actual story since so much of her motivation is her son / motherhood (which, as we all know, is my passion).

tagging @seethesunny, @bumblepony, @electricbluebutterflies, @boopernatural, and @bearrycool <3

[keepmycandleburning]

I've thought a lot about Voldemort's speaking style in order to write dialogue for him. First of all, he typically speaks formally without using contractions. You can see this in the majority of his dialogue. But sometimes when he's teasing someone or joking (the next few examples too), he does use contractions:

Or when he's copying someone:

At the DE meeting in DH ch 1, Voldemort only uses one contraction the entire time, when he's saying this to Bellatrix:

In the graveyard, he seems to be putting on quite the dramatic performance. He has a speaking quirk where he repeatedly asks (mostly rhetorical) questions in a certain style, with a structure of 'is it not?' 'did you not?' 'will you not?' Typically with a name right after: did you not, Wormtail? He's doing this over and over and over in the graveyard scene:

It's so recognizable and so characteristic that I love to make my Voldemort speak this way. It's so him. And it's a fascinating thing because of how affirmation-seeking it is. He doesn't just make his statements, he has to actively draw the other person into it with this provocative questioning where he's almost daring them to disagree with him. Interestingly, in the rest of the series I think he only uses this structure once, to Bellatrix in ch 1 of DH.

Voldemort uses people's names very frequently when he's addressing them. This mirrors how the majority of the Death Eaters use a formal title for Voldemort every single time (or very close) they speak to him. See how frequently he uses Lucius's name here:

The only thing Voldemort ever (in the canon era obv) calls Peter Pettigrew is Wormtail. Voldemort calls most DEs by their last names: Yaxley, Avery, Rookwood, Rowle, Dolohov, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott; and some by their first names: Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, Severus. He is also on consistent first name terms (I mean... not reciprocally) with Bellatrix (and even nickname terms with 'Bella,' something she's only otherwise called by her sister, her brother in law, and her family house-elf), which notably remains consistent even in Voldemort's internal monologue that calls Lucius 'Lucius Malfoy' when the cup is stolen and just 'Malfoy' in the Shrieking Shack—and also note how in the Shrieking Shack Voldemort calls Snape 'Snape' when speaking to Lucius, and that later in the Shack Voldemort's internal monologue calls him 'Snape' even when out loud he's saying Severus. I'm not sure to what degree this is just the writing style of the books but to me it's notable because these sections are from Voldemort's POV.

On the note of names, Voldemort speaks of himself in third person as 'Lord Voldemort,' typically as a fear/power tactic, and also as 'he':

He frequently warns people not to lie to him (and calls them out for lying, like Wormtail in GoF 1 and Lucius in DH 1):

Voldemort tells a lot of jokes, most often at the expense of other people and for his own entertainment or the entertainment of his Death Eaters. He has a teasing, clever sense of humor:

I would have to make a whole post to show all the moments of Voldemort being funny as hell. Maybe I will...

Voldemort is often described as speaking quietly and softly (and the verbs whisper and breathe are used), so much so that multiple times his voice is barely audible (but also see the above quote where his voice remains audible even though it's quiet):

In GoF, he speaks lazily (he's also described as moving lazily, and looking relaxed in the Slughorn memory, and as 'gliding' when he walks). In DH, he screams multiple times to express negative emotions, typically fear. His voice is described as a hiss, and as 'sibilant.' And of course, high and cold and clear. He spoke differently when he was young, and super differently at the orphanage, but that's a whole new post.

Voldemort has distinctive mannerisms. He tilts his head a little to one side:

He holds wands delicately:

He paces, in the graveyard and in the Shrieking Shack. He's often in dim lighting (can his slit pupils see in the dark, like a cat?), and is drawn to be near fire (for warmth?): in the Riddle House, at the Death Eater meeting, in the Forbidden Forest. He laughs and smiles, again often at other people's expense. He's in general a very expressive person, which you can see in his face (so many examples. In his meeting with Dippet he even looks nervous and his face reddens) and eyes (wide with astonishment in the graveyard; pupils contract to thin slits when he's shocked) and nostrils (dilating with excitement lol). And he has this one weird facial expression he does when he's really happy:

When Voldemort was a child, he was tall, thin, and pale with jet-black hair and dark eyes, and looked a lot like his father. He was described as very handsome consistently.

In the scene with Hepzibah Smith (late 1940s or 50s), his hair is a little longer than it was at Hogwarts, and his cheeks are hollowed, but he looks even more handsome. He's pale in a way that makes Hepzibah think he's overworked. And his eyes become red when he's feeling a strong emotion.

In the interview scene with Dumbledore (around 1968), his appearance is drastically different:

Notably here, it's not just his irises that are red, it's his entire eyes.

As Dumbledore says in HBP (unless he's wrong/lying...), Voldemort's appearance is changing because of his repeated Horcrux creation. After this interview, he has around 13 years for his appearance to continue changing; note that at no point of the First War was Voldemort handsome (directly stated in above quote).

I'm running out of image space LOL, but it's really important that in the graveyard, Voldemort directly states that he got his 'old body back':

The potion that revived him gave him his old body. The way he looks in the graveyard is how he looked on Halloween 1981. This is also supported by Voldemort looking this same way in book 1 when possessing Quirrell, by the DEs immediately recognizing him, and by the Ministry workers immediately recognizing him in OotP. Also in the Halloween 1981 flashback, Voldemort's face scares a child, and he's described as having a 'white hand.' His skin is described as 'white' post-resurrection, but only as 'pale' at the DADA interview & earlier, which again implies that by 1981 he looked the way he did in the 90s. Also, at the interview his voice is already 'higher and colder,' which means his voice was a gradual change too.

And the way he looks is:

(Notice how it's the exact same face Harry recognizes.)

In GoF, OotP, and DH, Voldemort is described as:

-tall

-skeletally thin, with a gaunt face (very likely not muscular)

-white skin

-scarlet eyes with vertical slit pupils like a cat (also described as wide, red, bright red, livid, blank, pitiless, gleaming) (remember the whites of his eyes became red too)

-a flat nose with slits for nostrils like a snake

-lipless mouth

-masklike face

-snakelike in appearance, likened to a skull; flattened, serpentine face

-large hands with noticeably, unnaturally long fingers (compared to spiders)

-His eyes gleam in the darkness (GoF) and he's so pale he seems to glow (DH 1 'so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow,' DH 32 'the pallor of him gleaming slightly in the semidarkness').

-He wears black (hooded) robes and black cloaks.

-He is described only once as 'hairless,' and not until DH 1: 'his face shone through the gloom, hairless, snakelike, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical.' Voldemort is never described as 'bald,' despite the fact that a number of characters are called bald and balding throughout the books (none of which are ever also described as 'hairless'), and notably it's Voldemort's 'face' specifically that's described as hairless, which is odd. He's specifically described as black-hooded in OotP at the Ministry, so I can only assume he's dressed similarly in the graveyard and that's why. IDK why his head situation isn't described at the DADA interview. If you saw one of my author's notes on Keep My Candle Burning, you will know that when I was a child I guess I was either imagining him in the earlier books before I read to DH (or saw the films), or I missed the single word 'hairless' description that's only given once, and I was imagining Voldemort having black hair as he was described in his youth. There's something strange about this and I almost don't know what to make of it. If he's bald, why doesn't it say so clearly, and earlier, and more than once (like how his eyes are described probably a dozen or more times, and his long fingers, and his white skin)? I kind of wonder if this was decided after, like because of the films or something? Lol anyways... enough heresy...

-He's never described as having long fingernails, fangs (LOL), a forked snake tongue (LOL), any unnatural skin things like scales (LOL), or as not wearing shoes. (Other than in the graveyard where he doesn't appear to put shoes on, or underwear...) But you can write him however pleases you

[sk1fanfiction]

(ch. 15 review) — it’s the way i kept trying to prolong this chapter 😭 anyway. i love inconvenienced tom (i’m sure dumbledore does too) like it’s so him to sleep way after curfew but complain about being called to do something during his “sleep time” and then i love how absolutely irritated he is once he enters dumbledores office and sees his two nightmares — harry & mini abraxas reincarnate being there. him using a silencing spell and dumbledore lowkey approving is just hilarious, harry’s a bit too loud for everyone’s taste apparently. i seem to have forgotten that voldemort is gorgeous? but did malfoy not clock the identical faces?… also tom riddle experiencing empathy??? and for abraxas’ clone?? oh dumbledore (and maybe ruby) what have you done to the poor guy ! the parvati and lavender fight… that’s so sad i know she’s in love with her but saying mean things to your friends is never nice and i feel so bad for lavender bc yes she’s a bit boy obsessed (although tbf cedric is beautiful) she’s still a good friend and she’s just a teenage girl !! also ruby doing nothing to help, i feel you girl, it’s awkward getting between two close friends arguments. i also did not realise that draco and pansy were officially dating oops. ALSO DAPHNE AND ANTHONY?? i did not expect that at all idkw but personally i’m thinking good riddance oops, jk but i don’t mind them together but poor ruby she’s a bit confused and bitter (although there is a perfectly handsome single guy who is literally in a blood vow to protect her so, she shouldn’t be too disheartened idk). nice to see blaise getting complimented on his bone structure yearly, it’s quite phenomenal. HARRY AND CHO MY CUTIES, he’s a little awkward and nervous but he’s got the spirit !! lastly that note… i’m wondering who wrote it and i’m leaning towards tom bc of their conversation in the forest when she ran away and also his affinity for participating in writing things for the potters during valentines. ooh and nott is such a dick i kind of love that for him.

I ended up prolonging this chapter to >7k to wrap up dangling plot threads so that's valid (the next one that I accidentally posted earlier is more normal length -- that'll be up on Sunday after I proofread it).

That's on me for giving Tom one of my most unserious habits (pretending to 'go to bed early' so people won't bother you for three hours). Harry is definitely (canonically) too loud (controversial but I like OOTP CAPS-LOCK!Harry). Truly the stuff of nightmares.

Malfoy (nor anyone else who has seen them both, like Narcissa) did indeed not clock the identical faces (Clark Kent effect, ig).

Also I haven't given Voldemort a physical description except for his red eyes in a while (since Three Can Keep A Secret, I think?). That is on purpose, because I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted OG/Snake Face Voldemort. But I came to the conclusion that (I think this is canonically correct?) he got the snake attributes from the regeneration potion in GOF, and in RFMD he gets regenerated by the Elixir of Life, and then Jadis from Narnia lives rent-free in my brain and I was thinking about that scene from The Magician's Nephew where she eats the forbidden apple or whatever, which makes her Beautiful in An Eldritch Way and decided to go with that...

Tom?? Experiencing empathy?? He begs to differ and says it is totally for strategic reasons.

Honestly, I do feel bad for making them fight :( Lavender is a good friend (will never get off my Justice for Lavender Brown soapbox) but the whole situation is just so messy. If I were Ruby I wouldn't know how to intervene either.

I was never sure if Draco and Pansy dated in canon, but I decided, what the hell, I've never done a proper Valentine's Day chapter before, so, why not. And on the note of Daphne and Anthony yeah that was intentional blindsiding (I think the only times they were seen together were Ancient Runes class and the junk shop and both were Ruby-centric things). Confused and bitter -- that's exactly why I said jealousy, jealousy is required listening for this chapter (for Parvati, too).

There is a perfectly handsome single guy who is literally in a blood vow to protect her

👀

I can't decide who would be more horrified by this proposition.

Blaise loves that for himself, too. I was re-reading OOTP to figure out Harry and Cho and then I realised that their #1 pastime is actually talking about sports 🤦🏾‍♀️

Of course it's Tom. Who else lives in the intersection of loving to fuck with people and misuse stationery for nefarious purposes?

[cyandreamsinwords]

What happened to the other Black family members considering that they were still some alive till 1993 I doubt they would let the Black fortune fall into the Malfoy's hands and let them raise her with their ideals considering Bellatrix behavior to the Malfoy's

A majority of them don't want anything to do with Lyra and play no significant role in her life. Lyra's the illegitimate child of a disowned family member, she's not even depicted on the family tree. She's sort of this stain on their history that they wonder why no one's cleaned up yet. Walburga says it in Ch 8: "He should have let me handle it (Lyra) like I told him I would, I would have saved us all a load of trouble. " And by handle it, she means cover up Lyra's existence and her tie to them, which is the opinion most of the family shares. By the time Sirius is imprisoned, it's too late to pretend she doesn't exist, and Walburga felt the need to take and raise her as a way to "clean up her son's mess" despite not actually wanting to. It's petty and vindictive, to take a child away from people who would have actually loved and raised her, but Walburga by this point has lost both her sons and husband and is deeply unwell.

The general family opinion is that this was a mistake, and that Walburga should have let her go. Narcissa is an obvious exception to this rule, as she desperately wants Lyra and wants to make her part of the family, but she is alone in that. Though she is now a Malfoy, Narcissa still feels a strong tie with her own family, and Lyra is a connection to that. Meanwhile, anyone still kicking in 1989 when Lyra goes to live with the Malfoys is saying "good, now she's their problem", even while Narcissa is grooming her to be this respectable member of the Black Family.

Currently, I don’t have any big plans for other members of the Black family outside of those already in the story or in the books. If I get an interesting enough thought regarding them later, maybe I’ll developed it further and weave it in, so that's subject to change. But I’ve got all these other storylines currently going, and am introducing even more for Order of the Phoenix, that I’m not going to force it if it doesn’t come.  

[xoxothesubwayfugitive]

Be Careful of the Curse Ch. 39: His Friends

Narcissa began to realize something as Harry and the Dark Lord debated on, both of their voices rising and the tension growing more and more constricting: the face she had not seen. Not in the Great Hall, not in Voldemort's victorious ranks. Not fighting for either side. Bellatrix had said something to her, she was about to reveal some shocking news…Lucius had been crying… I killed Severus Snape three hours ago… The hand on her head tightened – the only gesture he could make to her. One gasping breath escaped her before she could control herself and press her forehead harder against Draco, and before she could even understand it, as she was still imagining a barely grown Severus weeping in her lap over Lily Evans's pregnancy, there was more. …and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy… Narcissa felt any animosity she had for Molly Weasley melt away. She wanted to stand up and kill him herself. “No,” she whispered into Draco’s hair. “Never.”

[ibbsterkisster]

“The Veil of Secrecy” CH. 24

When she was alive, Druella Black used to tell anyone with ears about her perfect daughters. Each was beautiful, intelligent, and graceful. And even when people stopped listening, she wouldn’t stop bragging about it—almost as if to compensate for something.

Perhaps compensating for the fact that when Andromeda was unhappy, she would open a box in her mind and crawl into it, retreating into a shell of herself while her body functioned like a puppet. Still smiling. Still polite. Still responsive. It was fully functioning except for the one thing differentiating her from a real puppet—a soul. Yes, she always crawled out of the box eventually to move on with her life despite the setback… until that one day she crawled out, was still miserable, and decided to run off with a Mudblood.

Perhaps she was compensating because Bellatrix was so impulsive that she often hurt herself or others with her actions. Life as a pureblood woman had taught her to be regal and perfect, but even the best etiquette teacher couldn’t change the nature of her daughter. When Bellatrix went for something, she poured her heart and soul into the project until she split herself into pieces. When Bellatrix decided to experiment with spells, she’d often work until her magic was depleted, and multiple healers had to be called in to get her back to health again. She’d forget to eat, sleep, sometimes breathe. When the Dark Lord came to Bellatrix with his vision, she’d poured her life into it, but this time without a mother present to pull her back before the only thing left of her was a sack of hair and bones stuck together with joints and skeletal muscle tissue.

Maybe it was Narcissa she was compensating for—her finest creation so far, with her beauty and serene smiles, delicate features and blonde hair, soft voice, and captivating eyes. Her way of speaking made people listen to her. The daughter so pure that it inspired many to follow her lead and be her. The daughter who got anything she wanted whenever she asked. Because if she didn’t, she turned frantic. And not frantic in the spoiled give-me-that-way. Frantic in the way that would give her a one-way ticket to Azkaban if the general public ever viewed it. Frantic in the sense that her mind would unravel and her skin could peel back if she didn’t get the answers to her questions or the thing she desired most. She wanted Lucius Malfoy, so she got him. She wanted a child so she tried and tried and tried and tried and tried until she got it. She wanted to stay close to her family after marriage, so she made sure her husband sucked up to the Dark Lord until she was permitted visitation to Slytherin Manor as well.

[browneyesandhair]

Storm of Yesterday by ShayaLonnie

Summary:

Hunted by Voldemort, Hermione and Harry make a last stand in Godric's Hollow. When the Boy-Who-Lived lives no more, Hermione is thrown back in time into another battle where she has a chance to save not only Harry, but another Potter. — Begins Mid Deathly Hallows, AU going forward.

Relationship: Hermione Granger/James Potter

Characters: Hermione Granger, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Alice Longbottom, Frank Longbottom, Emmeline Vance, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mary Macdonald, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Various Weasleys, Lily Evans Potter

Additional Tags: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Violence, Canonical Character Death, AU - Canon Divergence, AU - Time Travel, AU

Notes: Oh my goodness - I absolutely love this story. The character development for James is so fascinating. The slow burn between James and Hermione and how they don't immediately get together, it feels way more natural. I'm obssesed.

(This is part of my year of recs. I'm trying to share some of my favorite stories on tumblr. I've set up a series of Soulmate recs for each month on the 15th, but these will be randomly dispersed throughout the year.)

Spolier below of ch. 25/68

Okay, but why did you choose a bowl of ice cream as the picture? Because this scene WRECKED me. It was so integral and important, but it was just such a heartwrenching moment. Specifically this moment:

Hermione reached out, looking at Harry's hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered, more to James than Harry. "I didn't mean to scare him or to—"

Angry and guilty, James shifted Harry to his other arm, pulling him further away from the witch. "Can you just . . . can you let me take care of my own kid, Hermione?" he snapped and then turned away, following Molly into the house.

AHHHHH! Like it still kills me. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING STORY!!

[artdepleurer]

Domesticity (and Other Cults)

Ch. 14 - Vide et Credere Sneak Peek

A symphony of anguished screams slices through the air, freezing Hermione in place. The realization dawns quickly that the tortured cries belong to Narcissa, the source echoing from behind her. Turning swiftly toward the front door, she moves with an urgency that outpaces her thoughts, swinging it open with a desperate grace. Racing down the corridor, she arrives breathless in front of Lucius' study, the door slightly ajar.

She steps into a scene painted in shades of red. Narcissa's eyes, widened with terror, meet her own. Blood-soaked hands feverishly tend to Lucius' mortal wounds. Dread pulses insistently in Hermione's chest.

They were too late.

Tom and Harry enter the room, but Hermione's focus is unwaveringly on Narcissa. She coaxes her up from the floor, bloodied hands grasping onto her white blouse. Hermione holds firmly onto Narcissa, even as her own palms are stained.

Could they have avoided this? If only they had arrived earlier. Hermione glances down at Lucius’ pale eyes, opened in eternal disbelief. So vain, so arrogant, so prideful—he never saw it coming, not until it was too late. Hermione’s heart aches for Narcissa, but she can’t help the simultaneous feeling that a weight has been lifting from her shoulders. Narcissa’s husband will never hit her again. Draco’s father will never berate and demean him again.

Draco can go forward with his marriage, unburdened by his father’s expectations. One life traded for generations.

A dark pool expands beneath Lucius, and Hermione feels a tangible pang of regret. She glances at her bloodied hands, acknowledging her complicity in orchestrating his demise through Karkaroff. She wielded his greed like a knife, as effectively as the blade laying abandoned on the rug by her feet.

Harry clears his throat, pulling her from her thoughts.

“I need to speak with Lady Malfoy in the other room.”

“Yes, of course.”

Narcissa glances at her one last time before following Harry through the door. Tom steps forward, moving silently. He scans her body, pausing to take in the various data points he requires before speaking. There is a lot she does not yet know about Tom, but she knows the way he looks at her. In adoration, in fascination, in horror.

His eyes land on her red hands. He licks his lips before meeting her wide eyed stare. Hermione intently holds his gaze, silently conveying that the blood is not hers; she is unharmed.

Tom hands her a dampened towel, and she cleans herself, leaving only the stubborn blood beneath her nails and the stain on her blouse. It suffices for now.

She watches as Tom inspects Lucius’ body, careful not to interfere with any possible evidence. There’s a clinical precision in his movements. She wonders for a brief moment why he never became a doctor. She could picture him working alongside Blaise, performing autopsies or severing limbs, at once brutal and methodical.

Hermione's attention shifts to the weapon laying forgotten on the floor—she recognizes it almost immediately from books that Viktor had gifted her long ago. Its ornate hilt, curved blade, and rounded tip tell a story of lethal elegance.

"This is a shashka," she breathes. "A Cossack's blade."

“It belonged to Lucius,” Tom nods, pointing overhead to a display on the wall. One hook is empty. “A weapon of convenience.”

She looks at the other weapons on the wall. She bites her bottom lip in thought.

"There's a katana, a Japanese sword. Using that would have been sharper, facilitating an easier kill."

“Meaning?”

“Karkaroff chose the shashka for a reason. It wasn’t just convenient. It was personal.”

[sofoulandfairaday]

Please can you tell us about:

Madame Lestrange

Rigel Lestrange

Glory and Gore

And the marriage counselling one (the premise of this already has me in a chokehold)

This is very very long so I will put it under the cut. Thank you for the ask!

Ch.11 - Madame Lestrange Contrary to popular belief, Bellatrix Black was thrilled with her wedding day: the food was perfect, the music was perfect, the groom was perfect. In the whole history of weddings, there had never been one more perfect than hers. Or 1972. Bella & Rod's ridiculously expensive wedding day and all of its shenanigans, including but not limited to: a mopey and very drunk Rabastan losing his virginity, Bellatrix and Andromeda's last conversation, the Dark Lord's failure to RSVP and the trouble it caused, and (ofc) the wedding night *wink wink*

Ch.26 - Rigel Lestrange 1975. A very sad one, quite gory too and definitely not for the faint-hearted, but also one of my favourites to write because I've always been fascinated with Bellatrix's missed motherhood. (All my readers know what I think of TCC by now, and anyway, this story takes place from 1969 to 1981, so no Delphi). The day of her miscarriage.

Ch.39 - Glory and Gore 1979. Still unwritten. The story of the third time the Potters defied Lord Voldemort. It's basically a long battle sequence with a special focus on Barty, Severus and Rabastan (Alastor Moody is horrified with this new generation of Death Eaters). By reading Regulus' journals, Bellatrix realizes that the gold cup her Master entrusted her is a Horcrux. When he later summons her, she chooses not to tell him that she knows (Bellamort moment, idk if smutty or not yet). Rodolphus visits his mistress (who is NOT AT ALL a shameless self-insert, nooooo) to make amends for stuff he did previously; they make peace, but it's pretty clear that they are not going to last.

The Lestranges go to couples therapy A comedy; still unwritten but fully outlined.

Ch.1: The explosion 1996. The Lestranges are having yet another Earth-shattering row that just so happens to blow up almost half of Malfoy Manor. Narcissa and Lucius threaten to notify the Auror Department of their whereabouts unless they agree to go to therapy. They recommend a Diagon Alley marriage counsellor who worked wonders for them: she's discreet, will keep quiet for money and has a strong stomach. Bonus: they show up either Polyjuiced or with some other shitty disguise and are immediately found out.

Ch.2: Mr and Mrs Lestrange's marital problems General bickering in their second session, we get a look at the therapist's notes. They are the worst patients ever, but she takes them on as her personal project. Both of them hate her but they really don't want to end up in Azkaban again. Rabastan finds out they are going to therapy and immediately he tries to hijack their third session. He is quickly put in his place.

«Roood» Rabastan practically sang, plopping down onto the couch, right between the couple. «Bella. You didn't tell me the lady was a hottie». He winked at [insert name]. She did not look impressed. «Rabastan, I presume». «Oh, you guys! You talked about me! Wait», his tone darkening in mock horror, «did they do it in a weird way? While discussing their sex problems?» Rodolphus looked ready to murder him on the spot. [he proceeds to basically sexually harass her and cause a disruption to their therapy session] «I do, Rabastan. I do. I find you utterly fascinating» she said, staring at him over her glasses. «In your opinion, on a scale from one to ten, how much do you use sex and alcohol to numb the pain of an unfulfilling life, completely devoid of ambition and genuine connection?»

Ch.3: The Lord Voldemort Factor The Lestranges are absent from one meeting or another.

«It's important that you try to be present for these appointments without too much rescheduling, Bellatrix. It shows that you are making an effort for each other, that you care about the other person's time». «The only thing I care about is my Master's time!» «See? She always does this! She's flaky». «Who are you calling flaky?!» «We agreed there would be no name-calling». Bellatrix shot him a triumphant look. «And we also agreed there would be commitment».

Lord Voldemort inquires after them and finds out (either from a terrified Lucius or from a still butthurt Rabastan) where they are. He decides he has to see for himself. Our dear therapist is terrified, but then again his disguise is the worst one yet. Truly laughable. Voldemort has her cancel all her appointments for the day so that they can have a longer session (he desperately wants to be included). It's not like she can refuse.

«It would be my professional opinion that you try and find a balance, an arrangement that works for all parties. Something to satisfy Mr Lestrange’s frustration, Mrs Lestrange’s exhibitionist behaviour, and Mr... Um... the Dark Lord's need to be the centre of attention». «We murder Rodolphus?» «It would be my professional opinion», she straightened her spine, «That you have a threesome».

Ch.4: Yet another satisfied client I'm still not sure whether I want them to divorce or not lmao. What I do know is that there will be a plot twist. Let's just leave it at that.

[ritualoflovesmemory]

Elf Help (From Ch 4)

“Kreacher, I’ve got a question. What happens to you if I die?” The elf froze in his tracks. He snapped, and the dishes and empty vials of potion disappeared. 

“Master must not die. Kreacher will protect Master.” 

“Dobby saved me from Malfoy Manor. He gave his life to protect me and get us to safety. I can’t handle any more death on my account. What happens to you, Kreacher, if I don’t make it?” There was a hard look on Harry’s face as he stared down the elf.

Kreacher hesitated before starting cautiously. “If Kreacher cannot serve his Master, elf magic will bind Kreacher to another member of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. If Master has not designated a family member, Kreacher will pass to whichever witch or wizard has the closest ties to the Black bloodline.”

“Who would that be?”

“Mistress Narcissa Malfoy.”

Harry swore loudly.

“And if she’s your Master, and she demands to know everything you have heard about the Order, or helping me and my friends, or the fight against Voldemort, your magic would force you to tell her, right?”

Kreacher nodded and looked almost ashamed that he could be used to harm those his current Master cared for.

“The Malfoy family already has elves, sir, and Kreacher is very old. New masters would likely force out any important information, then would kill Kreacher.”

“You said that happens if I don’t decide who you go to?”

“Yes, Master is able to assign Kreacher to bond with a different member of the Black family line.”

“Would Nymphadora Tonks work? She’s the daughter of Andromeda. Or Andromeda, herself. Either of them would be better than the Malfoys.” 

Kreacher nodded. “Mistress Andromeda and her line have been cast out of the Black family, but still has the blood of the Blacks. Kreacher could bond to Mistress Andromeda.”

“Okay, how about this… We don’t have much time. If I die, I order you to present yourself to Andromeda and offer to bond yourself to her, Nymphadora, Remus, or Teddy.” Unbidden, an image of a cross-looking Hermione wearing a S.P.E.W. pin sprung into his mind. Her face was reddening as she built up to one of her famous lectures. “Wait, before I order anything, Kreacher, would you rather be freed? It’s your life, so if you’d rather have clothes, I could…”

“NO!” screeched the elf. “Never! No, never! Kreacher will not abandon the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Kreacher will serve Master Harry Potter or Mistress Andromeda’s family. Kreacher will not accept clothes, never!” The elf stood resolute and more than a little angry.

Harry smiled the first legitimate smile since before he had entered these ruddy caverns. “I apologize for insulting you, Kreacher. I know that your service to the Black family means so much to you. I only wanted to ask because my friend Hermione would have wanted you to have the freedom to choose, and I had to honor that for her.”

The elf still looked upset but gave a quick nod. “Kreacher sees. Master’s friend did not understand elf ways, but tried to help nonetheless.”

“Yeah, she really did.” 

[luckyquaffle]

Chapter 4 of The MILFs of Wizarding Britain! This time, Narcissa Malfoy is getting the pounding she has long dreamed of!

[sideprince]

Gonna throw my hat in the ring and be controversial and say that Voldemort was less concerned with gender (and while I think Rowling - boo, hiss - deliberately wrote female characters who were girlbosses in a Thatcher era feminist mold on both sides, it was a deliberate choice for the narrative to elevate Narcissa, a mother, over Bellatrix, an ambitious woman who didn't have children. Bellatrix is more compelling as a character, but Narcissa is the one who survives and who the narratives elevates through her act of lying to Voldemort that enables Harry to continue fighting, though it wasn't her goal). I think his treatment of the Malfoys was, like everything he does, tactical.

Voldemort creates a title for himself, even though none seem to exist in the wizarding world. As far as we know, even his father - who owned land and had wealth - was not a member of the nobility. By creating the title of "Lord" he takes on a manufactured identity (and one that is associated with muggles, ironically) that he has to live up to.

One of my favorite chapters is the Dark Lord Ascending at the start of Deathly Hallows:

‘Yaxley. Snape,’ said a high, clear voice from the head of the table. ‘You are very nearly late.’ The speaker was seated directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette. As they drew nearer, however, his face shone through the gloom, hairless, snake-like, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical. He was so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow. ‘Severus, here,’ said Voldemort, indicating the seat on his immediate right. ‘Yaxley - beside Dolohov.’

-Deathly Hallows, Ch. 1

This entire chapter could be dissected endlessly, but this moment right here tells us so much. We've established by this point that the location is Malfoy Manor, yet Voldemort is sitting in the center of the table (not at the head of it, but at the spot closest to the warmth of the fire, like a snake basking in the sun). When the two men arrive, Voldemort speaks to them both by name, as if to let them know he's observing them each individually. He then chooses his words carefully: 'you are very nearly late' implies that they two men are on time, but uses a turn of phrase that reminds them of how precarious their position is. His words have double meaning: 'you're on time but just barely' and 'you are teetering on the edge of death,' the implication being it's up to Voldemort whether they live or die. He then denotes where each may sit, having placed himself in the position of being the one who confers status upon others.

I could go on about the symbolism around Charity Burbage, how this entire scene is about Voldemort asserting power through facades and showmanship, but what I want to point out for the sake of this post is that his position of power is something he took, and is a construct, just like everything else about him. At this point even his body is a construct, in a way incomparable to anyone around him. He sits in the seat of honor at a table that isn't his, in a manor house that isn't his, in a position of power that exists because he created it himself, bearing a title that's entirely made up, and he holds onto all this through coercion and force. Everything about Voldemort is a veneer, a mask - and we know this from all we learned about his past in Half-Blood Prince, because he doesn't trust anyone and therefore masks his true self constantly, creating an enigmatic persona to hide behind.

He's a man cosplaying status in the classist society of England, in which social class carries much more weight than wealth, but the latter still matters. He's seen his great uncle and the hovel he lived in and the indignity of the loss of status from elevated lineage, and he has felt firsthand the pain of having nothing of his own to show for his heritage - no grand house, or home of any kind, no Gringotts account, nothing but his wand and his robes. His greatest possession is his powerful magic. Having grown up as an orphan with nothing to his name, it would have left a deep, traumatic mark on him when he lost his power and existed for thirteen years without even a body or his the thing essential to his magic and individuality: his wand (and I still don't understand how he got it back or what happened to it in Godric's Hollow, but I'll write that off as Rowling's sloppy world building). The only thing he had before and has again when he regains corporeal form is his magical power and the intimidating persona he's constructed for himself.

But that persona needs to project the power that the title of Lord implies. And when Lucius Malfoy fails to retrieve the prophecy at the ministry in Order of the Phoenix and instead lands himself in Azkaban, Voldemort sees an opportunity. I don't think he punishes Lucius because he has greater appreciation for self-made people, because I think Voldemort is, first and foremost, a tactical man who favors that which is most advantageous to himself. He may have appreciated Snape for being self-made and coming from poverty, but he was most interested in Snape's vulnerabilities and how they could be exploited to his (Voldemort's) benefit. He may have appreciated Bellatrix eschewing traditional feminine roles in order to be a devoted lieutenant to him, but first and foremost he was interested in whatever her own vulnerabilities were that led her to be such a fanatic she threw away a life of comfort and privilege for one in Azkaban if it held the hope of earning validation from him.

Voldemort punishes Malfoy because in doing so, he can take Malfoy's property and dress up the title of "Lord" with adequate splendor and resources. Like all tyrants, this move is about gaining power by taking it through force. Malfoy can't do anything while in prison, and since he leaves Azkaban disgraced in the wizarding world, he is no longer useful to Voldemort's cause. He no longer has intimate ties at the ministry to be exploited, or social cache, because to the rest of the wizarding world he's become untrustworthy and lost honor. He's lost his status and his only use to Voldemort now is his wealth - which Voldemort seizes. I think that while Voldemort may have appreciation for Death Eaters who's experiences he might relate to, he first and foremost sees his followers as the abilities and resources he can exploit them for - which he does to the utmost.

do you guys think voldemort would have favoured bella as much as he did in canon if she were a man? 😭😭😭

[keepmycandleburning]

There's such a difference between the way Bellatrix talks to Voldemort vs the way the other Death Eaters talk to him.

She starts every single one of the conversations they have. They have five total direct interactions: in the Ministry, at the meeting at Malfoy Manor, in the Forbidden Forest before Harry appears, in the Forbidden Forest after Voldemort falls over, and after they come out of the Forest and Neville throws himself at Voldemort. In three of these five (Ministry, first and second time she tries to interact with him in the Forbidden Forest), Voldemort tells her to stop talking to him. At the meeting he mocks and manipulates her, and at the Battle of Hogwarts he responds with four words. These are not particularly unusual reactions for Voldemort; he tells multiple people to stop talking to him including Wormtail in GoF Ch 1, Nott in GoF Ch 33, and Yaxley in DH 1.

Also notably, Bellatrix uses one of his titles every single time she addresses him. Other Death Eaters who have a similar amount of lines like Lucius, Wormtail, and Snape skip the title on occasion. Bellatrix never drops this respect. (DEs who only have one interaction/conversation with him tend to do it every time.)

With all the other Death Eaters besides Bellatrix, the way Voldemort speaks to them makes sense with the additional information we know about that person and the relationship they have. With Bellatrix, there is a huge misalignment with the way we see them directly interact and the additional information we have about them. Voldemort tells Bellatrix to stop talking over half the time she talks to him publicly, yet he has given her a piece of his soul. He tells her 'be quiet' and then immediately follows it up with a nickname we only see her family call her. She fails him and he immediately saves her anyway—which I have always read as him physically reappearing after possessing Harry and therefore being seen by multiple Ministry officials in order to do so.

Bellatrix speaks critically of Voldemort and his judgement to her sister; when there's something else they're not supposed to say (talking about the plan with Draco) it gets acknowledged by the characters multiple times that they're misbehaving, yet Narcissa doesn't question Bellatrix making this very bold and actually rather blasphemous statement. Snape brings up Voldemort multiple times to mock Bellatrix, and she cuts herself off mid-sentence multiple times ('his most precious—' and 'he...lately we...') from speaking about it. She says he shares 'everything' with her and yet will not say what that is (his most precious what?). Bellatrix confidently speaks for the absent Voldemort at Malfoy Manor, telling Greyback she's 'sure' the Dark Lord will be alright with him taking Hermione. She is more willing to speak for him than she is to speak of what relationship they have privately.

When the cup is stolen and he loses his temper and is killing everyone in the room, he notes where she is and that she's leaving. She places herself in his close physical proximity—almost immediately after the cup was stolen from her vault—in public and he allows it. She talks to him with so much affection that even Harry can note it with his eyes closed, and he declines it and immediately moves on. Her comfort level to physically touch him is so high that she continues trying to do so after he tells her to stop. Her death is the third time he experiences a major loss in a matter of hours (cup, Nagini) and the third time he screams, but the one and only time he loses control of his magic (if he was consciously capable of sending all three of those people flying through the air, he would have done it already).

Compare Bellatrix continuing to try to physically touch Voldemort after he directly tells her to stop to Rookwood cowering on the floor and staying in a partial bow when Voldemort tells him to stand up, or Bellatrix initiating every single conversation she has with Voldemort to Draco being so afraid to speak a word to him that he does not talk at all and just shakes his head or does nothing. Rookwood is clearly terrified that Voldemort is going to physically hurt him for simply providing him information that will upset him, while Bellatrix is so sure Voldemort will not hurt her—again immediately after the cup is stolen—that she sits next to him, talks to him multiple times, and touches him. Bellatrix leans toward him, for mere words can't demonstrate her longing for closeness, and the Malfoys won't even make eye contact.

There's a major disconnect with what they're directly saying and the whole picture. These are two people who very clearly have on off-screen relationship that is substantially different from their on-screen relationship. One that Bellatrix believes she needs to keep private even from other Death Eaters. One that has caused her to believe she has the authority to speak in his place when he's not there. One that has led Bellatrix to believe it is alright for her to initiate conversations with him, to be physically close to him, to touch him. One that has given her some reason to believe she should—even, perhaps, that he wants or needs her to—continue to try to touch him after he declines it.

On-screen he places her halfway down the table, off-screen he gives her his soul to keep safe. Off-screen he's telling her she's his most loyal, his most faithful, he's sharing everything with her, while on-screen he tells her 'that will do.'

The word 'lover,' while it's used in the series a handful of times in the context of 'Mudblood-lover' or 'cat lover,' is used in the context of an object of one's affection once and only once.

[krumione]

Narcissa Malfoy - née black, slytherin, class of 1966 

“There is nothing I wouldn't do anymore!" 

[riseofasunfallofastarverse]

RISE OF A SUN/FALL A STAR | harry potter au fanfiction series ONE SHOT SERIES: strange new people

character(s): draco malfoy | narcissa malfoy | lucius malfoy | asterope malfoy ( oc ) | maeve macleod ( oc ) | neville longbottom | hannah abbott | olivia newton ( oc )

warning(s): main character ( asterope malfoy ) has a nightmare because of the ptsd she suffers from

summary: Asterope Malfoy is finally heading to Hogwarts and before she even steps foot in the castle she's gone and sort of befriended two Blood-Traitors and Muggle-born. The young girl always knew that Hogwarts she would meet strange new people, her Squib maid told her she would question everything she had been taught, Asterope just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. But, Asterope was a lonely child, always yearning for a love she had lost before she could even remember it properly, and she would throw everything she knew down a drain just for one good friend.

small preview:

"Maybe, try reading it out loud. Uh, that's what my grandpa use to tell me when I would learn hard words. You — You might see it in a, uh, a new light," Neville suggests.

Aurelia stares at him, long and hard, he turns bright red as her green eyes burn into his skull. Then she smiles and tells him that he's brilliant, this only makes him turns even more red.

"Do you mind if I do that now?"

"No, uh, not at all. Um, go ahead," Neville says shyly, gesturing to the book with his chubby hands.

Aurelia opens the book and begins to read, her Scottish accent transitions smoothly into a southern accent as she reads the book to him. It doesn't take long for Neville to be lulled to sleep with her very soothing and very impressive southern accent, his head rests upon her shoulder. She's very worried that he might drool on her but she's even more worried about waking him up. Aurelia falls asleep shortly after him, her head comes to rest upon his head and his hair is very fluffy. Between, the rhythmic sounds of the moving train and the fact that Aurelia had been having trouble sleeping the last couple of days, it's not long before Aurelia has fallen into a deep sleep.

READ THE REST ON AO3 HERE!

[mskrianna]

— if you attack my son again, i shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do.