I close my eyes tightly, hold on & hope that I'm dreaming -- 1999?

I swallowed, the only way I showed how fearful I really was of my father right now.  He looked estranged.  "Don't push me, Father," I said to him.  I was trying to sound threatening and like it was a warning but it did not come out that way.

Juniper Malfoy Matthews wrote:I turned my ice gaze towards my Aunt as best as I could. I was trying not to focus on the pain and she was making it slightly easier by making me defend Lincoln. I just had to find a way to get out of here. "Don't you dare say a word against Lincoln. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me." I said as darkly as I could manage. "He has been through hell and back, just like me, and he's still standing strong." I countered. I had no idea what other reasons there might be for me being the disappointment, but I was determined to find out. "Then tell me why I'm the disappointment, help me understand. I think you owe me at least that much, you're hurting my baby!"

I laughed at her pleas.  "I owe you nothing!  No one in this family owes you a thing," I said to her, waving my wand again.  I was growing tired of all of this.  I would need to finish this for Lucius.  For once he was allowing me to take any measure I wanted to make sure this job was completed.

"I will not tolerate this insubordination from you or your sister any longer," I spat at him, glowering towards my son.  I would make him forget this ever happened.  And I would not tolerate his attitude, either.  I would change the way he thought of me, too, if I must.

I stared at Father, unsure of what to expect from him.  I looked into his eyes and could tell that he was so furious.  "And you think that you scare me?  Do you not remember me standing up to Voldemort?" I asked, standing tall.  "I nearly died and yet, here I stand in front of you.  Nothing -- Nothing -- you can do to me would ever compare to that torture.  You can't break me, Father."  Though, if I was completely honest with myself, I was frightened of what my father was thinking of doing.  THe way he was speaking... I had an inkling of what he was planning.  And there was no way for me to fight it.

I gasphed in pain and brought my knees closer to my chest, almost in a fetal position. I took ragged breaths as the tears continued. My baby was dying at it was all my fault. I felt a weak kick then, and placed a hand over my stomach. "I'm here." I told my little boy or girl. I looked back up at my aunt. "You owe me....happiness," I managed. "all the happiness you took away......when Draco got that task in sixth year.....when you made us take the mark." I took a few deep breath to be able to continue. "This family owes me my life back." I coughed a few times and saw blood.

I bent down.  "I owe you nothing.  You get what you deserve..." I said to her, waving my wand again.  "And I was not the one who assigned anything to Draco -- that was the Dark Lord, you ignorant little bitch.  You are lucky you're even alive.  I think your father should have finished the job when he nearly did when you were younger."

I smiled darkly at Draco.  "Oh, I have no intention of breaking you, Draco," I said to him simply, pulling out my wand and caressing it gently.  This would be fun.

I stared at my father, unable to move.  It had been a long time since Father had been able to immobilize me just by the way he was looking at me... and it struck fear into me.  What the bloody hell was he was going to do?  "Anything you do will not be permanent," I said to him.  he woudl never kill me, that I knew.  But if he woudl do anything else, it would be figured out some way.

She waved her wand again and all the cuts she had made starting bleeding at once. I yelped in pain before I managed to bit my lip. I felt cold and started shaking. "You had a say....in who he picked." I managed, not even sure if it was true. Aunt Bellatrix had been one of his top Death Eaters, so I was almost sure she had some sway over who had had to complete that task. Her next sentence confused me. Father hated me, that much was obvious, but he never tried to kill me. He needed me alive to make Draco do what he wanted him to. "Why didn't.....you just kill me....after Dumbledore.....or after we took the Mark?" I managed. If she wanted me dead so badly, she had her chances. "You had your chances."

<< Love June's new pic, btw! >>

I cackled and realized that maybe Lucius underestimated his daughter more than I thought he did.  "You're quite right," I replied, leaning down and getting into her face again.  "After your father's dismal performances as a Death Eater, I wanted Draco to be in the Dark Lord's eyes again... and to help boost me up again.  And, if Draco would fail, well, then you all would have been on your own."

I was smiling darkly when she started to talk again.  "Haven't you learned yet, you silly girl?  I'd much rather just torture than kill... I made the Longbottoms lose their minds... what can I succeed with here?" I knew the end goal... but what else could happen?  I could explain it all away to Lucius when he found out.

"Do not be so sure about that," I warned him.  With a quick flourish of my wand and without him being able to defend himself, I cleared his memory.  While doing so, I also put in some more better memories inconspicuously within the ones he already had of me.  This would be used to my advantage, I was sure.  Hopefully, though, it would not backfire once his sister became involved.

I flinched when she came close to my face. Of course we would've been on our own if Draco had failed his task, but she would've gotten joy out of one thing that would have happened. "You would've tortured....or killed me....or both.....and made Draco watched.....if he failed." It was win-win for her, either she got the Malfoys in the Dark Lords good books or she got to hurt me while Draco watched. I tried to push myself onto my hands and knees but I was too weak.

Of course I knew she loved to torture rather than kill, but here, she could do both. Hurt me by killing my baby. I placed my hands on my baby bump when I felt my little one move slightly. "Hush little baby......don't say a word.......mummy going to get you.......away from here." I sang softly through the tears. "Go ahead......hurt me.....do whatever you want with me.....but don't you dare......lay a hand.....on my baby."

There was a flash and I was on the ground.  I blinked and looked around, seeing my father leaning over me looking concerned.  "Father...?  I-Er... what happened?" I asked him.  He had come over for a spot of brunch and that was the only thing I remembered happening... and then I was on the floor.  I still did not know why he had come -- just for a visit, I supposed.

I laughed at Juniper's attempts at being strong for her child.  In the face of everything, she was still and always would be the weakest link.  "We're finished here," I said, waving my wand in a slashing motion in her direction.  "I won't need to touch your child... magic will do everything for me, darling."

"You must have gotten dizzy," I said to him, helping him up.  I was pleased that I did not have any of his new found venom in his voice.  "I came over for a chat... and you nearly fainted.  I'm glad I was here to help you."