Summary: For Andrea's fabulous August One-Shot Challenge - the trial of Lucius Malfoy. It probably has more Muggle influence than wizarding, but what can I say - I'm a huge Law & Order fan.
I am Phoenix5225 of Hufflepuff, entering for participation points only. :-)
Categories: One-Shot Challenge Submissions Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes
Word count: 2828 Read: 1952
Published: 08/14/07 Updated: 08/14/07
1. A Stronger Woman by Phoenix5225
A Stronger Woman by Phoenix5225
Author's Notes:
Rated 3rd-5th years because my barrister has a bit of a dirty mind....
“The Defense calls Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy.”
She did not enter the courtroom; she glided. She was a graceful and beautiful woman, one who had clearly been raised a lady. She reached a nimble hand to her slender throat and undid the bejeweled clasp that fastened her black velvet cloak, and with a fluid motion, removed it. She had worn dress robes of pale blue for the occasion. He had told her to do so. It was proven, in his experience, a witness gained instant credibility by wearing a calming shade.
Morris McAllister was the top defense barrister in all of Wizarding Britain. His success in keeping several known Death Eaters out of Azkaban had not gone unnoticed by his current client. Morris was more than happy to defend Lucius Malfoy, whose notoriously deep pockets could more than compensate him for the effort.
As Narcissa arranged herself delicately in the witness chair, Morris could not help but be captivated by her shimmering blond hair. Since he met her, he had wondered if veela blood ran in her veins. He thought of her in ways he seldom thought of married women. Straightening herself, she cast icy blue eyes upon him, and he was ready to begin.
“Mrs. Malfoy.” His voice projected clearly throughout the crowded courtroom. “How long have you been married to the defendant?”
“Twenty years,” she answered, allowing just the right amount of a pause. He had been training her for days. “We were married upon my graduation from Hogwarts.”
“And do you have any children with Mr. Malfoy?”
“A son, Draco. He’s just turned eighteen.” Mention of the boy caused Narcissa’s eyes to soften. Of all the things in the world she cared about, none was as important to her as him. He had instructed her to make certain the jury could see this.
Morris continued to ask more questions, laying the foundation for the case he was about to make. She responded perfectly, alternating between what he called “pureblood pride” and remorse. She was a splendid actress.
“Mrs. Malfoy, on the night Lord Voldemort infiltrated Hogwarts, where were you?”
“I was with my husband. We rushed to the school as soon as we could. We needed to reach our son.”
“And why did you fear for your son?”
“Lucius “ my husband “ had done several things throughout the past few years that led the Dark Lord to believe that the Malfoys were not loyal to him, which of course we weren’t. We were forced to act the part. Everyone knew how the Dark Lord treated those who defied him.”
“And on that terrible night, did you see the Dark Lord attempt to kill Harry Potter?”
“I did, indeed.”
“Please tell us what happened.”
Her mesmerizing voice filled the room as she wove a brilliant tale. She told of the Killing Curse hitting Potter square in the chest, and how the Dark Lord was knocked backwards from the force of it. She told of her sister reaching out to help the Dark Lord, and of him pushing her away in order to inspect his kill. “He did not seem to want to get too close to the boy,” she finished, in exactly the spot they had rehearsed.
“And then what happened?”
“The Dark Lord commanded me to examine the body, to make certain that Harry Potter was dead.”
“Did you do as he commanded?”
“I did, but not before holding a conversation with my husband.”
“What sort of conversation, Mrs. Malfoy?”
“Lucius is very intelligent. He could see from where he stood that the boy was not, in fact, dead. He told me to lie to the Dark Lord.” Her voice was hushed, yet defiant. Morris could see the jury hanging on every word that fell from her luscious pink lips.
“Why would Lucius do that?”
“Objection!” The prosecutor, Marc Sanderson, had finally found cause to interject. “That’s heresy, Your Honor.”
“Sustained,” the judge agreed. “Rephrase, Mr. McAllister.”
Morris gave a curt nod. “Mrs. Malfoy,” he continued, “why do you think your husband told you to lie to the Dark Lord?”
Narcissa glanced at the jury, her blue eyes full of pride. “I believe Lucius knew that this was our moment. The Dark Lord could not kill the boy. We no longer had to be afraid of what he might do. This was our moment to stop living in fear of his wrath and make our loyalties known!”
Merlin, she was good. No amount of coaching could have taught her that. He asked a few more questions to which she gave perfect answers. Finally, he asked her, “In closing, Mrs. Malfoy, were the Malfoys ever true supporters of Lord Voldemort?”
“Of course not,” she answered indigently. “We did what we had to do to protect our son, but we always knew that in the end we would stand up to him. We are good people, Mr. McAllister. There isn’t a parent in this room who wouldn’t do what we did.”
He gave her a polite nod, and a bit of a well-concealed lusty stare, and strode back to the defense desk. “I have no more questions for Mrs. Malfoy, Your Honor.” He sat down next to her husband, the lucky bastard who got to call the woman his wife. He had been in Azkaban for a few days, then released pending trial. He was impeccably groomed, from his white blond hair to his freshly manicured fingernails. Morris gave his client a look which said, She did brilliantly. All they could do now was sit and wait for Sanderson to get through with her.
The prosecuting attorney, a pudgy little man with a large bald spot, pushed his chair back from his desk. He strode smugly toward the witness box and said to Narcissa in a condescending voice, “Mrs. Malfoy, you claim that when the Dark Lord ordered you to examine Harry Potter, you held a conversation with your husband?”
“That is correct,” Narcissa answered, sitting up stiffly. She looked quite like a lioness about to attack.
“And, forgive me for asking, Mrs. Malfoy,” Sanderson continued, with no trace of apology in his voice whatsoever, “but what did the Dark Lord say when you and your husband held this little conversation?”
“I beg your pardon?” Narcissa asked politely, staring at him as if he were nothing more than a house-elf.
“Mrs. Malfoy, surely the Dark Lord did not approve of your husband telling you to pretend Potter was dead.”
“Well of course he wouldn’t have,” Narcissa answered, as though speaking to a child. “He didn’t hear the conversation.”
Morris did not concern himself as Sanderson pursued his questioning. She was well-prepared for this.
“Then how exactly did you and your husband converse?”
“Through Legilimency,” she replied, as if the answer should have been obvious.
“Legilimency?” Sanderson asked, striding back to the table. His assistant handed him a sheaf of papers. Walking back towards Narcissa, he held the papers out to her. Her delicate hand accepted them, and her eyes scanned the page.
“Exhibit six of the prosecution, Your Honor,” Sanderson announced. “Mrs. Malfoy, do you recognize these?”
Bloody hell, Morris thought. What does he have?
“I do,” she answered coldly. “But I do not see where my Hogwarts transcripts have any bearing on this proceeding.”
Morris felt movement in his groin. God he wanted that woman. She was the most captivating creature he had ever met, and he had to have her.
“Mrs. Malfoy, can you show me where exactly in those transcripts where you took a course in Legilimency?” His voice was smug as he turned toward the jury.
Narcissa glared at Sanderson, and with her iciest voice, she answered, “You should know very well that no such course will be found in these transcripts. Hogwarts stopping teaching the subject nearly seventy years ago “ around the time you were there, I would suspect.”
Morris tried with great difficulty to repress a grin. He knew as well as Narcissa did that Sanderson’s bald spot was premature. He wasn’t yet out of his forties. In fact, Lucius had actually been a first year student when Sanderson was Head Boy. She had hit a nerve “ everyone knew Sanderson hated being mistaken for older than he was. The prosecutor could not hide the redness in his cheeks as he turned back to face Narcissa.
“Well then, Mrs. Malfoy,” Sanderson continued, more coolly than before, “if you were never taught Legilimency at Hogwarts, perhaps you learned it as a Death Eater.”
“I most certainly did not!”
“Then where might you have acquired such a dark, lucrative skill?”
“I’m a Black.” She said with such simplicity, one would have thought she had announced that she was wearing blue robes. Clearly, this answer should have been obvious, and all who heard should understand.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I was born into the great Black family. My family always thought “ and in most instances rightly so “ that they were above anyone else. Do you not think they would have taught me every skill they could? Especially, as you put it, such a lucrative one?”
“Mrs. Malfoy,” Sanderson said, his smugness returning, “I don’t believe you are a Legilimens at all.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” she asked with frosty politeness.
“Mrs. Malfoy, if you are such a skilled Legilimens, as you claim, why did you not teach your son? Why did your sister train Draco in this field?”
Morris’s heart sunk. Regardless of all the times they had rehearsed it, Narcissa Malfoy was no more a Legilimens than she was a common hooker on the street. What in the name of Merlin would she say to that?
“Mr. Sanderson, have you ever studied Legilimency?” Her voice was strong, her demeanor confident.
“I have not, Mrs. Malfoy. Unlike you, I have no interest in becoming a Death Eater.”
Morris was to his feet faster than the judge could blink. “I object, Your Honor. This woman has never once been accused of being a Death Eater. He’s trying to taint the jury.”
“Sustained.” The judge glared warningly at Sanderson. “Watch your words, counselor.”
Sanderson cast a cold glare at Morris, then turned back to Narcissa. “You were saying, Mrs. Malfoy?”
“Before you so rudely insulted me, I was saying that in order to study Legilimency, and in turn, Occulemency, you must be able to close your mind to all emotion. Emotions within only detract from the power of the magic you are performing. This is true in all magic, but particularly here. Do you think, given the strong emotional bond between a mother and her only son that I would have made the best teacher?”
Morris felt some of the tension leave his body as he saw two of the jurors give a nod of agreement. He would have to buy that woman the most expensive piece of jewelry he could find, whether he could afford it or not.
Sanderson was not through. “Perhaps, then, Mrs. Malfoy, you could perform a bit of Legilimency right here? Use me. I’ll be your willing subject.”
Morris was on his way to his feet again, but Narcissa seated him with a look. Turning back to Sanderson, she said harshly, “I am not a dog about to perform tricks, Mr. Sanderson.”
“But Mrs. Malfoy,” Sanderson said silkily, “it would clear up so much confusion on the issue.”
This time Morris did make it to his feet. He vehemently objected. “Mrs. Malfoy has no reason to lie to the Wizenmagot. She has sworn an oath to tell the truth in this matter. The prosecution is accusing her of perjury on the stand!”
“Mr. Sanderson,” the judge said wearily, “I will remind you that Mrs. Malfoy is not on trial here.” Turning to look at Narcissa, he continued, “Mrs. Malfoy, you do realize that you have sworn to tell the truth, and that if you have not, you may be tried for perjury and end up in Azkaban yourself?”
Morris could see the wheels spinning in Narcissa’s mind. Should she act sweet to the judge or should she be condescending? “Your Honor,” she began, softly, “twenty years ago I achieved six N.E.W.T.s. I am an intelligent woman. I understand the meaning of the oath I made.” She finished with a small, flirtatious smile.
The judge appeared captivated by her words as he, not very subtly Morris noted, let his eyes wander over Narcissa. Morris felt a flare of jealousy.
“Mrs. Malfoy, so long as you are aware of these things, we must accept your testimony as you provide it. Mr. Sanderson, there will be no more attempts by you to accuse Mrs. Malfoy of lying to the jury.”
The wind blew out of Sanderson’s sails as he said, “Yes, Your Honor.”
Sanderson gave Narcissa an appraising stare. Finally he turned to the judge and said, “I have no more questions for Mrs. Malfoy.”
“Redirect, Mr. McAllister?”
“Just one question if I may, Judge.” Morris got to his feet again and stood before Narcissa. “Mrs. Malfoy, have you at any time throughout your testimony lied to the Wizenmagot?”
She straightened her shoulders and let her mouth curve into a small, seductive smile. “Of course not,” she answered convincingly.
“You are excused, Mrs. Malfoy.”
Two days later, the courtroom was again filled to capacity. The verdict had come in, and every wizard in Britain had turned out to hear it.
Morris gazed amongst the crowd, spotting several of his former clients, those whom he had represented and acquitted. He also saw several crying older witches, undoubtedly the mothers of some poor victims lost in the war. He turned to Narcissa, sitting in the front row of pews, wearing deep green robes that showed off her delectable curves. He leaned down and let his lips brush against her ear as he whispered, “It will be all right.”
His lust reared at the feel of her skin, but if she could tell, she did not acknowledge it. He tore his eyes away from her as Lucius entered the room. He strode confidently to his seat beside his barrister. He also was looking handsome, in the most solemn of black dress robes.
Silence befell the courtroom as the jury filed in. Once they were all seated, the judge asked, “Has a verdict been reached?”
“It has, Your Honor,” said a young, feisty witch as she rose to her feet. She gave Lucius a coy little smile.
Morris also stood, with his hand on Lucius urging him to do the same. The two men faced the jurors.
“For the accusation of crimes against humanity, supporting the evilest wizard to ever exist, and recruiting others to follow in the same manner, how do you find?”
The little witch glanced down at the paper in her hand, but Morris knew damn well she had the words memorized. She spoke in a confident voice, “The jury finds the defendant, Lucius Malfoy, not guilty of all accusations.”
Several cries broke out amongst the courtroom. Cheers from the other acquitted Death Eaters. Sobs from the crying mothers. Morris turned to Lucius and quickly hugged him.
“I knew if anyone could get me off, it would be you,” Lucius said smoothly to his barrister.
“When you have a strong case, such as ours, you were never in any danger of losing,” Morris answered.
Morris watched, jealousy at its peak, as Lucius turned to embrace his beautiful wife. He wanted to avert his eyes, but found he could not as Lucius lifted her off the ground and spun her around twice. Her blond hair flew through the air behind her and she let out an uncharacteristic giggle.
Once she was firmly planted on the ground again, and after the couple broke apart from one incredibly long kiss, Narcissa turned to Morris. “I knew you could do this,” she said joyfully, giving him a peck on the cheek.
His flesh burned where her lips had just been. “It was all because of you, Mrs. Malfoy. You were the best witness of the trial. In fact, you may be one of the best witnesses I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Pink colored her cheeks as she flashed him a genuine, perfect smile. “We’ll never forget this Mr. McAllister. You must come dine at Malfoy Manor tonight to celebrate this remarkable day!”
“I am honored that you think to invite me, Mrs. Malfoy,” Morris said smoothly. “I shall see you this evening then?”
With a gleeful nod, Narcissa turned, and taking Lucius’s arm, began to stroll away. He watched her lovely form disappear before turning towards the entrance. He must go purchase the best mead he could find. Tonight, if all went his way, he would have the woman he desired, and the Death Eater he had just set free could simply add that to his fee.
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