LUCIUS MALFOY- A VISIT FROM RYAN

[Budleigh Babberton]

Lucius Malfoy, once a proud and influential man, now sat hunched in a small, dimly lit room within a rundown cottage in Budleigh Babberton. The place was a far cry from the luxurious Malfoy Manor where he had spent most of his life. The ceiling leaked, the walls were cracked, and the furniture was old and rotting. He looked like a ghost of his former self, his usually pristine blond hair matted and unkempt, his face drawn and gaunt.

He had lost everything.

First his fall from Voldemort's grace, then failure to kill a single human, followed by this missing wife and ruined family, men, and everyone and everything he once had. Even his reputation, once formidable and untouchable, had crumbled. The pure-blood society he once dominated had turned its back on him, seeing him now as a failure, a cautionary tale of what happens when one falls from grace.

Lucius gazed into the tiny fireplace, where the weak flames flickered as if they, too, were about to die. His mind went over the events that had brought him here, the terrible decisions he had made, the many lives he had destroyed, all for a cause that had eventually betrayed him. The Dark Lord's promises of strength and success had been nothing but lies, and now Lucius was left to gather the broken pieces of his life—only to discover there was nothing left to save.

He could still hear the voices of the Death Eaters, people who used to admire him, now making fun of him secretly. They accused him of causing their problems, slowing down their violent plans, and bringing shame to the Malfoy family. A few of them had even tried to find him, wanting to take his life as a prize to show their devotion to the Dark Lord.

"No, no, no, no... I was loyal to the Dark Lord! I've done everything for him. I lost everything for him. Hehehehe..." He muttered under his breath, clutching his wand tightly. "I'll show them. I'll show them what I can do. They'll bow down to me, beg me for mercy. Yes, hehehehe... This is just a nightmare, nothing else, yes, I just need to wake up from it. Wake up... Wake up... WAKE UP!" He shouted loudly as he banged his head on the floor, drawing blood.

"Master... Are you alright?" A voice called out from behind the door.

Lucius' eyes widened as he heard that voice. He quickly stood up and pointed his wand at the door.

It was Dobby, the last house elf he had left.

"What are you doing here?! I ordered you to keep an eye out!" Lucius snarled, his eyes bloodshot.

Dobby entered the room, his large, bat-like ears drooping.

"Master needs to eat. It's been three days. Master will starve to death. Dobby doesn't want that. Please eat this, Master," He said, handing Lucius a bowl of soup.

Lucius looked at the bowl, then back at Dobby. "Who told you to cook? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye out for anyone?!" He yelled and threw the bowl to the ground, splattering the hot soup everywhere.

"MASTER!! Dobby is sorry. Dobby will go and keep watch," The house elf sobbed and disappeared instantly.

Lucius cursed and rubbed his temples. He stood up and sat down on the sofa, feeling angry at the elf. How dare a puny elf order him around and show pity?! He should punish the elf after fixing this mess.

He took out a bottle of Firewhiskey from the drawer and gulped down the drink, drowning his anger and worries. The alcohol burned his throat, but it was a welcome distraction from the pain gnawing at his soul.

'Yes, everything is fine. This is just a nightmare. I just need to wake up. I just need to wake up,' He kept repeating those words as he drank more.

The night was eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of the old wooden beams above. Lucius found no comfort in the silence; it only served to amplify his loneliness and despair. He took another swig of Firewhiskey, then stared at the flickering flames of the fireplace. But how long could he keep running? How long before they finally caught up with him? He knew that his luck would eventually run out. The Dark Lord did not tolerate failure, and Lucius had failed spectacularly. Then there are those Aurors...

"Aurors!"

Lucius gritted his teeth as he remembered the faces of those bloody Aurors. Those brats, who thought they were better than him, had humiliated him. They took everything from him—his pride, his reputation, his dignity. They chased him for days and almost killed him, if not for Dobby's intervention.

Yes, Dobby... The pesky little elf who can not abandon him despite everything unless he frees him. 'Damn elf! You're probably happier now that I'm suffering, aren't you?!'

Lucius finished the last drop of Firewhiskey and threw the empty bottle away. He stood up and staggered towards the window, looking outside. The rain was pouring heavily, creating a layer of mist that obscured his vision.

'Where am I supposed to go now? What do I do?'

His mind raced as he tried to figure out his next course of action.

A sudden knock at the door startled Lucius from his thoughts. His heart started pounding as he instinctively grabbed his wand, feeling the familiar weight of it in his hand. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and the thought of who might be on the other side of that door made him feel anxious.

'Where the hell is that fucking elf?!' He cursed in his mind.

Another knock echoed through the room, sending a shiver down Lucius' spine. He took a deep breath, preparing himself as he moved quietly toward the door. He couldn't afford to be careless. If it was an Auror, he needed to be ready to fight or run. But if it was a Death Eater, come to finish him off, then he needed to be even more cautious.

Lucius stopped in front of the door and slowly raised his wand, pointing it at the handle. His hands shook slightly as he reached for the lock, trying to steady them. He opened the door a crack, peering out into the darkness. A figure stood there, cloaked and hooded, their face obscured by the darkness. Lucius tightened his grip on his wand, ready for whatever might come next.

"Lucius," the figure whispered, their voice familiar yet distant. "It's me."

Lucius felt a chill run down his spine as he recognized the voice. It was Narcissa. She had found him.

"Narcissa…?" His voice was barely more than a whisper, filled with a mix of hope and fear. Was she here to help him? Or had she come to finish him off herself? But then again, she's the only one who knows about this hideout. So, if she wanted to kill him, she would have done so long ago. But where was she all this time? A question rose in his mind.

She stepped forward, revealing her face to him. Lucius felt his heart skip a beat as he saw her beautiful features under the flickers of the small fire burning in the fireplace.

"Ohhhh," He rushed and grabbed her arms. "Narcissa, you came back... I was so worried."

[Baaam!] A hard punch appeared out of nowhere, sending Lucius flying across the room. He crashed against the wall and fell to the ground with a groan, clutching his aching jaw.

"Motherfucker! How dare you touch my woman," A man's voice came from behind Narcissa.

Lucius looked up to see a tall man with short black hair stepping out of the shadows. He wore a black cloak and his eyes had a weird purple glow. Beside him, came a familiar figure, Bellatrix. He immediately recognized the two people who had brought him to the brink of despair. He stood up with a grunt, pointing his wand at them.

"You! It was you all this time? Everything... Arg! You are Ryan, yeah, the guy who turned Bellatrix against the Dark Lord. So, you kidnapped my wife? Huh?" Lucius hissed.

Ryan chuckled. "Kidnapped your wife? You dumb fucker, so you don't know anything, huh? Well..." He vanished before Lucius's eyes and appeared before him. He grabbed Lucius's arm and absorbed the dark mark. "We got a long night ahead of us. You have no idea, how long I've waited for this day to come, Lucius." He said as he punched Lucius in the stomach.