Chapter 3: Pride

After the strange mudblood girl, Tonks, had left my presence, I realized that the time to make a decision was fast approaching. As always, I needed to ensure that my interests were served and not worry about anyone else. I wanted to discuss the matter with my wife, Narcissa, and was relieved that I would be seeing her very soon. For the time being, the best thing I could do was simply stay in hiding and mull over my choice.

It was a great relief when both Narcissa and Draco arrived by floo the next morning. I was very concerned for Draco's safety, given the fact that he had failed the Dark Lord by being unable to kill Headmaster Dumbledore, as had been his set task. I knew that as upset as the Dark Lord was with me, he was going to be still more upset with Draco. My
conversation with Tonks did nothing to assure me of his safety in the future, quite the contrary, in fact. I thought his days were probably numbered, so I might as well enjoy my time with him while I could. The three of us spent the first day together just enjoying each other’s company, none of us wanted to argue. But the time did come when Narcissa and I were finally alone and we would have to have our conversation.

"I don't know how to say this, but I had a visitor while the two of you were gone," I started.

"A visitor?" Narcissa answered with both concern and disbelief. "But who could have found you here? It wasn't Snape, was it?"

"No, it wasn't Snape," I told her. "It was actually the most ridiculous young half-blood woman I have ever seen. She tried to convince me to join the Order and, most shocking of all, she claimed to be your niece."

"My niece!” she exclaimed. "How could that be, I have no niece. Bellatrix is my sister and she has no children."

"I'm afraid she claims the other one is her mother, not Bellatrix," he said pointedly.

Narcissa's reaction was predictable. "How dare such a person even have the nerve to contact either one of us!” she practically shouted. "That blood traitor she claims as her mother doesn't exist to me and never did."

I grasped her hand, calming her. "It's all right, dear, she's gone now," I said softly. "But the fact that she showed up here in the first place has made me very much aware of the fact that things are quickly coming to a head between the Dark Lord and the Order and that I need to decide which side I'm on. I feel if I don't take a side then none of us are going to be safe much longer. So I need to make sure I reach the right decision."

”As you always do," Narcissa assured me. One thing I could say for Narcissa, her faith in me never wavered, no matter what the circumstances.

I gave a sigh. She was right; I did always make the right decision. I knew there was no way I was going to side with the Order; they were a ragtag bunch which included the likes of a werewolf, a clumsy half-blood and a paranoid old man with a fake eyeball. The Death Eaters, on the other hand, were the side I truly believed in, their cause was the same cause as mine and the true warriors were all on that side anyway. The Order had no chance against fighters like Bellatrix, Rodolphus or even Snape, and not one of them would last even a second against the Dark Lord himself. It was crystal clear to me which side would win in a battle. It only took a minute to figure that out.

"I've made my decision,” I announced, turning to my wife.

She nodded wordlessly. She knew which side I would be taking all along.

After our conversation Narcissa and I just sat together for a while, holding hands under the stars and enjoying the beautiful night and each other’s presence. Who could say what was going to happen after this day? I didn't care about anyone else; I only hoped that all three of us would survive and that we would be together again soon.

I would be leaving tomorrow night to return to the service of the Dark Lord. He was going to be angry but we both knew that it was best to suffer his rage and face his punishment rather than gamble with the ineptitude of the Order.