In the middle of the night, Noah woke and leaned on his cane to cover the two children sleeping outside with blankets before returning to his room. He grumbled that Lys drank just like Senna, complained she'd wake up with a backache from sleeping sitting up, and fretted about how she'd manage in the future if she couldn't take care of herself.
Actually, Lys had awakened when Noah came out, but she didn't want to move. Only with her back pressed against that cold wall could she calm her retreating heart.
Judging from the Dark Lord's recent treatment of his followers, the Malfoy family's protection wasn't secure. Once the Dark Lord grew tired of Malfoy, she—stripped of shelter—could easily be cast out to do those bloody, disgusting deeds.
So she needed to secure Malfoy's position to some degree and guarantee her own value. Even if she had to make new choices later, greater power would always be her bargaining chip.
Closing her eyes, she shifted position onto the cushion pile, grabbed Gabon's tail tip, and fell asleep again.
Long-standing habits had Lys up early the next morning. Seeing Snape still unconscious on the sofa, she shook her head, retied her hair, freshened up briefly, and slipped into the kitchen.
Snape woke to the aroma of frying eggs. He'd almost never smelled such sweet, warm breakfast scents, but quickly stiffened—he couldn't remember how he'd left that bar last night, or where he was now.
He stood and looked around, recognizing Stalys's reading room, which eased his tension slightly.
He rose to leave, but curiosity about last night's events held him back. He hoped he hadn't said anything inappropriate.
Lys handed him cups, quills, and other items. Snape looked puzzled, but Lys instructed, "Go Transfigure yourself a toothbrush and wash up over there. Do you take cinnamon powder?"
Cinnamon powder?
"Never mind, I'll put it on the table—add it if you want." Lys efficiently prepared Senna's stew (no ginger root) and Noah's tender ribs.
With her wand's guidance, bread slices flipped themselves in the oven while red, yellow, and green vegetables chopped themselves on the cutting board and leaped into the soup pot.
Snape was about to speak when Senna, rubbing her eyes, emerged and interrupted. He hesitated, then headed to the spot Lys had indicated.
At breakfast, somehow Senna brought up Evans—though she didn't mention names, Snape still went rigid.
His fork scraped against his plate with an awful screech. He was about to set down his utensils and leave when Noah remarked, "They say once a woman has children, the child becomes her whole world. No need to worry about her loving her husband most..."
An eerie silence fell. Everyone's utensils froze above their plates.
Noah realized his mistake. None of the four at this table had ever truly known maternal love...
His own mother, needless to say. Senna's mother had died shortly after giving birth...
Little Star's mother sat right beside him—he knew exactly what she was like...
And this guest's mother had abandoned her young son, committing suicide alongside her abusive husband...
Lys drew a breath, lifted her fork to eat some egg, and apologized to Snape: "Sorry, you got a bit emotional last night and mentioned your romantic feelings, so I explained the situation between you and Evans to my parents. But Dad's right—given Evans's personality, once she has a child, her greatest love will be for that child. You don't need to be so hostile toward Potter."
Snape felt no comfort whatsoever. He gritted his teeth through the rest of the meal, then stiffly bid farewell to the Black family, his jaw grinding so loudly it sounded like a Niffler had taken residence there. The sound didn't stop even after he reached home.
Noah, uncomfortable, glanced at the table a few times, finished eating quickly, and retreated to his room.
After breakfast, while Lys sorted through prosthetic limbs for alchemical work, she received a letter from Lucius: the Thomas family temporarily had no time to trouble her family.
Lys crumpled it into a ball and tossed it directly into the fireplace.
She didn't believe it.
Except for unavoidable Death Eater meetings and operations—where she'd tag along for appearances—Lys stayed close to Noah and Senna.
Two days later, a Malfoy owl delivered a note: Lucius hoped she could come over that evening.
Walking past the pacing white peacocks into Malfoy Manor's study, Lys listened to Lucius's roundabout probing while sipping milk the trembling house-elf had served.
Faced with the same questions about the Thomas family's wanted notices, warehouses, and such, Lys repeated her usual responses: didn't know, wasn't clear...
But before she finished speaking, Lys felt lightheaded.
She pulled her left arm from its brace and flexed it—the sharp pain from old bone breaks kept her alert. She drew her wand.
Lucius quickly drew his wand too, but didn't point it at Lys. "I just want to know the truth. If you'd simply tell me..."
Lucius was prepared defensively, but his skill level was insufficient to match Lys. Two spells had him obediently back in his chair.
"I only hope to understand why the Lord is so focused on the Thomas warehouse. I mean you no harm—I hope you understand that, Stalys."
He rather regretted instructing the house-elf not to disturb them under any circumstances.
"If I knew the precise answer, I could serve the Lord better. The more secure my position, the more solid the stability you desire, isn't that right?"
Lys's wand pressed against Lucius's chin. "You want the answer so you can make more arrangements and seize greater benefits."
Lys shook her head—the drug's effects were strong, and she'd nearly forgotten what she meant to say.
"I understand completely. However, this matter won't help you serve the Dark Lord better. You, I, and that damned Thomas—we're all in this organization. Under the Dark Lord, there can only be one voice. I know this well..."
Lys bowed her head briefly to steady herself, then raised her grey eyes again—utterly without hesitation. "I still want the Malfoy family's backing, so I can tell you. But I also need to survive! To prevent you from using such methods to extract information from me again..."
Lys considered. "I want you to have Narcissa restrain your damned curiosity. Then return here—I'll erase your memory."
Lucius stared at Lys in shock. What could be so serious that rather than simply modifying his memory, she'd involve his beloved Cissy to stop him?!
"You know I rarely choose resistance because I won't pay prices I can't afford. It's the same now—I must prevent you from learning the real answer," Lys sighed. "Because neither of us can pay that price... can we, soon-to-be father and Malfoy family head?"
Lucius looked up seriously at Lys, attempting to push aside the wand tip at his chin.
"Tell me."
Lys gazed at him deeply, but didn't move her wand. "Abraxas Malfoy's death was entirely arranged by Old Thomas."
Lucius's eyes instantly widened. He shot to his feet, spine straight as if about to blurt something out—but Lys's next words sent him crashing back into his chair.
"At the Dark Lord's command."
Malfoy slammed his hand violently on the desk. In that moment, all noble bearing and requirements vanished. Lys watched his face flush red, then quickly turn purple from held breath.
His eyes fixed on the ghostly images of two notes projected by Lys's wand.
That endearment—Ab...
Lys patted his shoulder and lowered her wand.
"Thomas approached it with a collaborator's mindset, half-heartedly carrying out the Dark Lord's orders. Walburga harbored private intentions, making arrangements to preserve her family. And your father? He probably did much the same, didn't he?"
Lucius's hand trembled as he grasped his wand, his mind spinning uncontrollably.
Thomas, under the Dark Lord's targeting and tacit approval, was already declining. Lucius was confident he could see the Thomas family wiped from existence within three to five years. Walburga, that formidable woman, injured and at the end of her rope with the Black family, plus those other families whose situations he vaguely understood...
Seeing Lucius remain silent, Lys broke the quiet:
"Noble privileges? Pureblood glory? No! I don't know how your Dark Lord operated before, but now he only keeps the obedient. That's why only young people surround him now—those obsessed with power, whose families must depend on him. Do you think that knowing all this, you'll remain as respectfully obedient as before in future operations? The Dark Lord is already suspicious, and neither of us has the capital to resist."
Lys sat back in her chair, arms crossed in an almost defensive posture, emphasizing to Lucius: "We lack the capital to resist."
"This is what you've always been asking me about. This is also what the Dark Lord is testing—whether you know."
"You're lying!" Lucius's face turned purple, trembling with agitation.
Though he protested verbally, Lucius had always been intelligent—he'd simply been blinded by habitual thinking patterns. Once the fog cleared... the Dark Lord's past and recent behavior gained reasonable explanation.
And his father... when leaving, he'd only said one thing of apology.
"Lucius, I'm deeply sorry." For bringing such a future to Malfoy.
"Lucius, I'm deeply sorry." For bringing you such news.
The remembered words overlapped with Lys's apology, pulling Lucius back from those terrifying yet realistic deductions.
"How did you manage it?" Lucius didn't want to follow Lys's suggestion. He didn't want to remain ignorant—it would leave him passive in the future. Part of him still struggled, wanting to verify for himself, unable to believe this was real.
"Occlumency. But with all due respect, Lucius, your magical level... isn't sufficient." Lys wasn't boasting, but Lucius's magical ability ranked only above average, and he lacked sufficient resolve. He couldn't maintain long-term Occlumency.
Even the slightest slip would doom the Malfoy family to the Blacks' fate.
Lucius covered his face and sat quietly for a long time before retrieving a mirror from a drawer to fix his appearance. "You're right, Stalys. At least now, I lack both the capital to verify the truth and to resist. I can't even... I'll go speak with Cissy. Do you want to listen?"
Lys said nothing, simply stood with Lucius. She didn't want to take risks—even the smartest people had things they couldn't let go of, like Snape.
So she needed to ensure Lucius's desire to protect his current family outweighed his feelings for his father.
Concealing herself, Lys followed Lucius.
"Cissy, remind me not to always seek to know more. Whatever happened before, I mustn't learn about it. Tonight I finally understood—this is the foundation for the Malfoy family to avoid the Dark Lord's displeasure and prevent those wolf-like families eyeing us from tearing us apart."
"And Old Thomas, whom you mentioned before..."
"Must die—die completely clean, with absolutely no possibility of speaking! We have no choice. We must look forward. Any glimpse into past events could land us in their situation. We're about to have a son—this absolutely cannot happen! We must give him the best, remember?"
Lucius looked into Narcissa's grey eyes, recalling another pair of grey eyes' warning. "Restrain my arrogance and greed, Cissy. We need only follow closely in the Lord's footsteps, all right?"
Narcissa remained somewhat puzzled, but she'd always been calm and restrained. She knew Lucius wouldn't make such requests without reason. Stroking the stray hair at Lucius's temple, Narcissa agreed: "Very well, I understand."
Lucius still couldn't resist resting his head on Narcissa's belly with a sigh: "Cissy, I'll do my utmost to give you and our child a better Malfoy family."
After reassuring Narcissa, Lucius returned to the study.
Lys paused her raised wand. "The Thomas matter?"
Lucius's underlying mockery nearly overflowed: "Of course it's the Dark Lord's hints these past few days. Otherwise, why would I be so urgent to know what Thomas had done?"
Lucius had believed a steadfast, capable supporter like himself shouldn't be discarded to this extent, so he'd wanted to understand the reason—to avoid making similar mistakes and grasp the Dark Lord's intentions.
But now...
Having to personally seal the path to learning his father's death's truth, while remaining grateful...
Lys nodded. "I'll modify some of your memory. Ahem, though it's embarrassing to admit, I'm not very skilled with this spell."
But the effect was adequate. Lucius simply frowned and collapsed into his chair. When he opened his eyes again, Lys was sipping milk.
He thought briefly, then asked that question again—what had she discovered at the Thomas house?
Lys's answer remained the same: she'd found nothing, had given him everything.
Lucius looked at the milk before Lys and finally abandoned his suspicions. He'd added Veritaserum to it.
Severus'sVeritaserum was potent—one drop could make even the manor's bricks confess everything. He'd obtained plenty of secret information this way.
Though considering Stalys was one of his own and fearing damage to her already fragile mind, he'd used considerably less. Still, the Veritaserum's effect seemed quite good.
This time he finally set aside his doubts. He'd simply do as the Lord instructed.
A slight smile curved his lips. As long as he served the Dark Lord with proper reverence and loyalty, the Malfoy family would receive sufficient benefits!
Though something felt slightly off, it didn't matter.
"Regarding the Thomas family recently, I have some ideas. I wonder if you, junior..."
Lucius intended to make the Thomas family disappear.
Lys agreed. Of course she had to agree.
Nothing was more important than her own family's safety. She couldn't leave such a threat that might retaliate at any time.
Lucius's message came suddenly but at just the right moment. As one of the stronger individuals Lucius could command, Lys naturally stood at the forefront of intercepting the Thomas family's operations.
Originally, Lucius's plan was brutally direct: find some remote mountain wilderness, use a Portkey to transport the Thomas family members there, and eliminate them one by one...
But Lys said just one thing that sent Lucius into deep thought:
Among the Death Eaters she knew, Malfoy was the wealthiest after Thomas.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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