Welcome to Until The End. We are a moderate Harry Potter role-playing site set in the Marauder's Era. Our plot is generally derived from details in the book, but as an AU site we do take liberties most anywhere we like. Those who died in the books can have a second chance at living, and those who lived are always at risk.
Tom Marvolo Riddle has long since disappeared and in his stead Lord Voldemort has risen, bringing a small army with him. The Ministry of Magic has thus far ignored the growing menace that is the Death Eaters and Albus Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to defend the wizarding community from an evil he knows is building. War is coming. Pick a side!
School's Out For Summer
The Hogwart's Express has pulled up to the station in King's Cross station and the summer holidays have officially begun. What mischeif will you get into in the warm summer sun?
*Coming Soon* - Summer Solstice Carnival
Travel by portkey to the biggest summer celebration in wizard society - The Summer Solstice Carnival! There will be food, games, prizes, fun and more!
Post by Narcissa Astrid Malfoy on Jul 27, 2019 21:46:56 GMT -8
Talk of weddings was a happy enough conversation and Narcissa was beginning to feel herself grow comfortable sitting next to her husband on the sofa opposite Elias. She leaned her head on Lucius' shoulder, not caring whether Eli had plans to poke fun at them for being so compatible. In truth, it was their compatibility that had helped them survive these past years. The first miscarriage was difficult for them both but unarguably more so for Narcissa. Without Lucius' knowledge or input, she named her child postmortem - Orion. She carried the weight of that loss in private and put on a brave face. They hadn't yet announced that pregnancy, so she and Lucius suffered in silence. The second pregnancy came seven months later, but it ended much the same as the first. She called him Delphi and this loss she shared with her mother and sisters. After losing Corvis some 13 months later, Narcissa was a wreck. She confessed to Lucius her fears that she was cursed and her body was somehow poisoning their children. In a fit of anguish she urged Lucius to start his life over with another wife but as her head cleared she found he'd not strayed from her side (to her knowledge).
They had put off trying for another child for over a year, and in that time Narcissa had seen more healers than she could count. She felt like a pincushion, at times, for all the prodding and poking they did with their wands, trying to determine some defect in the usually vibrant blonde. There had been nothing wrong with her that any magical medical professional could find and when they fell pregnant again it was with the highest of hopes. Their prayers, it seemed, had been answered. She had made it five glorious months before the pains began but once they started it seemed there was no stopping them. They buried Carina privately and the rumors about Narcissa's failures began to circle.
Locking herself away in her bedchambers wasn't enough, however, to keep her from hearing of Elias' loss. There was no processing of that death, and Narcissa didn't attend the funeral. She felt sick over abandoning Elias in his time of need but it simply hadn't been possible for her to do anything else. She still hadn't discussed Rafe's death with him or Lucius. She wasn't sure that she would ever be forced to. And then talk turned to death and Narcissa's faint heart couldn't bear it. They had only lost Carina in April, it was far too soon to be having these conversations. And far too difficult.
"Pardon me," she said faintly, rising from the sofa gently. She avoided eye contact with either of the men as she excited the room and headed straight for the safety and privacy of her bedroom. As promised, she left the men to the conversation without too dramatic an exit, not wanting to disrupt what Lucius so very needed; time with his friend.
Post by Lucius Ophiuchus Malfoy on Jul 27, 2019 22:45:47 GMT -8
While Narcissa was locked away in her bedchambers, Lucius had the responsibility of meeting family members and informing well wishers that there was no longer a cause for celebration. He of course appeared composed and confident, insinuating that it was still only a matter of time before an heir was conceived. He knew how vicious gossip hounds could be in their society and wanted to stave off as many rumors of fertility problems as possible. Perhaps the years of masking pain caused by his father's censure, had indeed proved valuable during the barrage of empty condolences. It was part of his eagerness to see Eli again, so he could take off the mask.
His attention had been pulled from Eli to Narcissa just before she spoke and excused herself as intimately aware of her as he was, he should have known better than to be pulled into the subject while she was still in the room. She had been so brave to greet Eli in the first place, but the moment had been ruined. Still he didn't blame Eli. Lucius had been rather lax in best friend duties for a while. His grief had been too strong to help Eli grieve too. But that was the reason for Eli's visit.
On paper it was to reconnect with his friend, but they both knew the night would end with an obscene amount of alcohol and possibly some terrible decisions as they worked out their demons. Not that it mattered. Between Lucius' bank account and Elias' charm they were untouchable.
Perhaps it was a good thing Narcissa had left; Lucius didn't count on Eli jumping straight to serious conversation, but brass tax and all that. If things were going to get heated or emotional, then he didn't want Narcissa to witness it. Maybe one day he would be confident enough to be vulnerable in front of Narcissa, but to date the only person in the world to see him fall apart had been Elias.
He offered her a gentle squeeze before she left to show his support and solidarity, but then turned his focus back on Eli. He couldn't console or coddle his wife like he wanted. He needed to respect her bravery and grace and let her retreat privately without causing a scene or drawing attention to her inability to cope. When she was gone Lucius slumped deeper into the couch.
"Dobby! Rum!" he ordered into the air knowing the elf would hear him and the much needed libation would arrive.
Post by Elias Ainsley Bulstrode on Jul 28, 2019 14:29:26 GMT -8
There was a small bit of pity for Narcissa as Elias watched her walk away, but not enough for him to express his feelings aloud. He watched the gorgeous witch leave the room, quickly admiring her backside before he turned and looked at his friend. Eli would never cross the line with his friend's wife in that way, but he would be lying if he said he hadn't had the odd dream or two. Narcissa was angelic, outdone by only a handful of women. Her older sister being one such creature. Elias and Andromeda had been engaged ages ago, but the witch had seen fit to cheat on him, fall pregnant with her lover's ultimately doomed child, and call off the engagement mere weeks before the wedding. Lucius was impossibly fortunate to have found the one Black woman that wasn't a complete harlot. He'd never had a go at Bellatrix but there were rumors and it made him feel better knowing he wasn't the only chap to be screwed over by said family.
Rum appeared, offered by the feeble looking elf. Elias reached for a glass. "Cheers," he said darkly, raising the glass in toast, to what, he did not know. His brother was dead and the only person the MLE could name associated with the events leading to his death was a witch who was celebrating her life with an engagement to his best mate's cousin. Small fucking world indeed. Swallowing a decent sized potion, Elias inspected his glass as he pondered over the questions posed by his friend. "Rafe was the good sort," he said agreeably. "Not at all the sort to play hero, but a good lad nonetheless. I do find it odd the MLE haven't named the witch's attacker, though." He let his sentence dangle in the air, his assumptions made clear enough in the absence of sound. Elias took another swallow of rum.
Post by Lucius Ophiuchus Malfoy on Jul 29, 2019 10:50:52 GMT -8
Lucius had known Elias practically since birth. If Elias had been born female - a truly terrifying thought - they probably would have been betrothed (another terrifying thought). Their respective fathers had been best mates from birth and were fixtures in each other's lives, it was only natural that their sons would have a similar relationship.
Luc and Eli had been practically inseparable during childhood and they reigned supreme during their days at Hogwarts. They contrasted nicely - Lucius' blond angelic features and Elias' darker devilish good looks. Lucius was more reserved than Eli. He didn't seek out the spotlight, but had very little choice in the matter considering his name and wealth. But Eli was born for the public eye. The public loved him. Class didn't matter, blood status didn't matter, they all adored Eli. Lucius had often commented that the man could charm a nun out of her knickers and turn a saint into a sinner. He may have had more wealth than his mate, but if Elias was determined, even Lucius stepped out of the way. It was only a matter of time before Eli got what he wanted.
Lucius had seen that gift be used for good and evil over the years, but for the most part Eli was responsible. And when it came to Narcissa, Eli might look (which drove Lucius only a little mad), but he would never touch. On top of Elias' loyalties - which were surprisingly strong for a man in politics - ever since the Andromeda incident the Black sisters were officially off of Elias' list.
They didn't talk about it much, only when deep in their cups and making general asses out of themselves did Lucius ever feel the need to lament his ex-sister in law's actions and their effect on his poor mate, but that had been nearly ten years ago and Lucius felt that Eli's ego had been hurt more than his heart. Olivia was different. The first person Elias supposedly opened up to since Andromeda and the bitch was only after Elias' money. That's why arranged marriages and careful proper matches were a better route. Lucius had been lucky to find love in his marriage with Narcissa, but even if they weren't in love and didn't suit, the merger had been a successful one for both families. Just as Nik and Elara's would be. Heaven knew Abraxas was only too eager to join another powerful family to theirs - even if Nik and Elara were practically wed already.
Rumor was there was a betrothal contract drafted by Lucius' uncle Gaius and Elara's father Aedan, before their respective deaths. After the affair and subsequent falling out, that contract also disappeared. It was strange to Lucius. Aedan had severed all ties with the Malfoy family, but kept Nik close for some unknown reason. Still Aedan Sayre was a good man. Lucius had met with him himself after Gaius' death to assess whether or not Aedan was somehow brainwashing his cousin to choose the Sayre family over the Malfoys. But all he had found was a good and loving family.
The Sayres had deeper loyalties to one another than the Malfoys could even comprehend, and to be honest, Lucius was a little envious - though he didn't hold it against his cousin.
When Elias said that the MLE hadn't released the name of Elara's attacker, Lucius wasn't surprised.
He knew his friend was after something, but he wasn't sure what it was. Eli's schemes were often too wild and too frequent to keep track, but the man was brilliant. It didn't matter what Elias was up to, he'd get his way in the end, always did. Lucius rarely fought the inevitable so he answered honestly to the question that wasn't asked.
"The Sayres are well connected. Two of her uncles by marriage are Aurors - for kicks - it's not as though they need the money, but they're damned good from what Nik says. I wouldn't be surprised if they were keeping the incident close to home and conducting a private investigation. What about the Colby's? Surely they have some more answers."
Rafe's father was the head of the department of International Magical Cooperation - though he had taken a step down to deal with his son's death and rumors were that he intended to leave office all together, but he was still connected. He would have thought that Elias would have more answers, he hadn't put it together yet that his mate had come to him for answers. More specifically he had come for information about Elara, but there was only so much Lucius knew about the mysterious beauty - other than Nik was completely devoted to the girl. A common occurrence apparently.
"As for Rafe, you should give him more credit. I heard he was rather taken with her. Love makes heroes and asses of us all, all foolishness aside -" and squaring off against an apparent kidnapper was indeed foolish, "- he saved that poor girl. It was a damned tragedy to be sure. But you can bet the man responsible will be caught and heaven help him when he is."
His friend, his only real friend, was in pain. Even if the Sayre girl hadn't been involved. Even if Rafe wasn't the son of a prominent political figure. If for no other reason than Elias' loss, the responsible party would pay. He had hurt the wrong man. Elias Bulstrode was not someone to have for an enemy, and where Elias' loyalties fell so too did Lucius'. The perpetrator would be caught, and he would suffer.
Post by Elias Ainsley Bulstrode on Aug 4, 2019 18:34:12 GMT -8
"Yes, I am aware." The Sayres and their Aurors. Such a waste of money. They weren't even in department that won them fame or glory, just the very likely chance that they'd be mortally injured every other day. But their inside knowledge of the investigation was either hiding something from the public or covering up something more sinister than a kidnapping and murder. Elias, fortunately, had the means to find out which but it wasn't going to be an easy task.
"I give my brother plenty of credit," he said with a snarl, the expression unfamiliar between the two men. Lucius had been like a brother to Elias, more so than Rafe had, in truth. Rafe was a good lad, but he was younger, weaker, more innocent. Their mother was right to want to keep him out of the world her husbands had flourished in. Rafe was too timid for his own good. It was not with a diminishing intent that Elias find his brother's supposed heroism out of character, but more with concern. Elara Sayre had some sort of power over Rafe that had made him act contradictory to his nature. The first of many questions was, of course, was she aware of this power?
Elias finished his drink with a sneer and pulled himself to his feet. "Elf!" he hollered for Dobby, aware of the creature's name but finding it pointless to use it. There was no confusing which house elf was being summoned - Luci only had the one. "My glass is empty." Eli set the empty glass on the coffee table a bit harder than he intended, but he was in a mood and there was no reason to hide his emotions from Lucius.
Post by Lucius Ophiuchus Malfoy on Aug 4, 2019 21:37:51 GMT -8
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"I got a tortured mind and my blade is sharp a bad combination in the dark."
Lucius had been absent minded of late. For good reason, but absent minded all the same. He should have reached out long before tonight to check in on Eli regarding Rafe's death.
He had followed all the traditional duties of a best friend - asking after Elias and if there were anything Lucius could do to help - but he had been too wrapped up in his own grief to help beyond platitudes. If Lucius were to think back throughout his history with Elias, he would realize that there was rarely a foe the two of them hadn't faced together. Yes they handled their own affairs all the time, but whenever one or the other were facing a bigger enemy or rival - be it politically, in business, or an occasional bar fight - they faced the foe together. And together they were unstoppable.
It took him a moment, but it was clear to Lucius once Eli snarled at him. Eli had come for help. Lucius didn't know what his friend needed help with. He didn't even know if Elias knew he had come there for help. But whatever was bothering Eli - and there was something specific in addition to Rafe's death - it was serious. That was all Lucius needed to know.
"You don't seem entirely convinced." he said with just enough intonation to prompt Eli into sharing his theory. He also made an unconscious show of setting his drink down while carefully studying his mate as Dobby poured more alcohol into Elias' cup. Eli had Lucius' full rather astute attention.
Post by Elias Ainsley Bulstrode on Aug 5, 2019 21:09:42 GMT -8
"Don't I?" he snapped back, turning away from Lucius, the elf, and his refreshed glass of rum. "Rafe was quiet. He wasn't the hero sort - not like that. Not like she..." Elias shook his head, a snarl seemingly permanently attached for the time being. Moving nearer the wall, he formed a fist with his right hand and slammed the flat side against the wall with a thud.
He turned back around and looked at Lucius. "Your cousin is marrying this girl that my brother was supposedly in love with. What does he even know of her feelings? Her intentions?" Elias ran his tongue across his teeth as he inhaled loudly. "Something is amiss, Lucius. I don't trust it."
Post by Lucius Ophiuchus Malfoy on Aug 8, 2019 20:45:00 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"I got a tortured mind and my blade is sharp a bad combination in the dark."
Lucius keen gaze absorbed Elias' every movement and gesture. He could read what Elias was saying and could infer the madman's theories behind his silence. Lucius wasn't sure precisely what Elias was insinuating but he could tell his friend was much more disturbed than he let on. His suspicions fell to the Sayre girl, and whether she was guilty or not she was now the target of the most determined man Lucius knew. If she were guilty, he wouldn't stand in the way, but he couldn't have his cousin injured in the fray.
Elias was smart. He wouldn't act without proof, but this was about Rafe - Elias' actual brother. Lucius did not have a brother. The closest relationship he could claim was Elias, but he understood the devastation of losing a sibling. His father had lost a brother when Gaius fell to his death and Nik had lost a sister at a young age. Lucius realized that Elias' actions and intentions towards Elara may not be as impartial nor risk adverse than usual.
"I will admit that the Sayre girl has certain...charms." Lucius stated with heavy connotation. Elara was stunning in a sensual and provocative way and the witch was either entirely unaware of her appeal or a master manipulator, giving credence to Elias' mistrust, "But Nik's known her since childhood. As a matter of fact, he grew up with her." Lucius revealed.
"And to be honest," he said swirling the amber liquid in his glass, "it isn't her feelings or her intentions the Malfoys care about." Lucius finished the drink in a solid gulp appreciating the burn in his throat. It was good alcohol, not necessarily something that needed to be savored, but not a cheap swill you tried to guzzle down as quickly as possible either, but Lucius wasn't near the appropriate level of intoxicated he wanted to be.
"She's the sole heiress to the Sayre empire. You know my father, Judas himself could be forgiven with enough silver."
He paused gauging his friend's response. Lucius' loyalty could not be bought, but if he were going to oppose this marriage and deny Abraxas the alliance he's been salivating over for years, he was going to be damned sure Elara was guilty.
"But..." he said sharing a confident if not a bit conspiratorial look with his friend, " ...it would be irresponsible if I, as the Malfoy patriarch, did not address any and all concerns involving the potential Mrs. Malfoy. "
He was in. Whatever his friend was planning. Whatever Elias needed. Lucius was his man. There was never any doubt.
Post by Elias Ainsley Bulstrode on Feb 17, 2020 19:15:36 GMT -8
Elias felt his chest rise and fall exaggeratedly as his anger mounted. Lucius seemed to be defending the witch who most certainly had played some bigger part in his brother's death than she let on. Was his best mate going to side with a harlot over himself? Certainly that could not be the case, and Elias, in all his building fury, managed to listen intently as Lucius prattled on and eventually came around to Elias' way of thinking. Sneer turning to smirk, Elias stepped toward his mate, lifting his glass from the table so suddenly that Dobby, who was refilling the drink, spilled rum on the polished table. The house elf shrieked to himself and began mopping up the mess with the very tea towel he was wearing. Elias paid him no mind, his thoughts utterly consumed by the conversation at hand and the plot to avenge his brother's death in whatever way they determined fitting. Elias raised his glass as if toasting the only other person in the room, "the Malfoys are fortunate to have you at the helm." He took a generous sip of his drink and swallowed before speaking again. "Think the missus would mind if you disappeared for a few hours? I feel the need to get properly pissed."
Post by Lucius Ophiuchus Malfoy on Apr 21, 2020 18:27:18 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"I got a tortured mind and my blade is sharp a bad combination in the dark."
Lucius' lips quirked in response to the dark haired devil's inquiry. It was Lucius' idea to stay in or rather meet at the manor rather than at a pub or Eli's estate. As much as he needed to see his mate for his own mental well being, he felt neglectful abandoning Narcissa when it wasn't an emergency. It didn't matter that his wife had isolated herself, he wanted to be there when she was ready to let him in, but her earlier actions reassured him it was fine to leave, probably even for the best.
Her efforts in hosting, despite her pain, were for his benefit. Lucius could only assume that if his desire was to bring her comfort, security and happiness, and her desire was to do the same for him, then they would make it through the pain. Together.
It was something his father didn't understand. The old man spared Narcissa his blatant irritation with the lack of heirs, but Lucius was subject to all kinds of unwelcome and unwanted advice and censure. Narcissa didn't bear his children (yet), but she gave him strength. She made him feel powerful. Having her love and devotion made him feel like the luckiest bastard alive.
But he let his demons loose with Eli, and they had been leashed for far too long.
"To be honest brother, I think she'd be surprised to find we haven't left yet."
Post by Elias Ainsley Bulstrode on Apr 25, 2020 20:33:54 GMT -8
"Well I for one would hate to disappoint such a lovely creature," Elias remarked of Narcissa. She truly was a gorgeous specimen. Lucius was lucky, though the older man seemed to be unaware of his luck at times. That was not for Elias to judge; his mate was in the midst of his own trying times and what man could be faulted for wandering while his wife played hermit to her misery? Eli placed his glass on the table beside nearest him, amber liquid remaining. "Tonight we will drown our sorrows. Let clever ploys wait until tomorrow." It was his own way of expressing how much he had missed his friend, without ever admitting to such juvenile emotions. They would drink hard and talk of all the things viewed as impolite to discuss in society, tragedies and loss. In the morning, if they retained any memories from the night before, they would be closer for it. But the night was young and it was far too early to say just how well Elias Bulstrode would remember the evening come dawn.