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Written for;

The Matchmaker Competition

The Variety Drabble Competition

Wordcount Without AN - 710

Consequences Be Damned

"Please speak to her, Severus. It's unhealthy, her drinking so much," Lucius said quietly. The two friends sat in his study, sharing a nice bottle of whisky.

Severus raised his eyebrow at Lucius, who was currently taking a drink of the amber liquid, apparently unaware of the irony. "She almost died. I'd be drinking, too."

"Yet, she didn't die. She shouldn't be drinking while we are still to conceive a heir, Severus, the Healer informed us of that."

"Your wife was almost brutally murdered by a muggle, and all you care about is her getting pregnant?" Severus asked, disgust colouring his tone. "I cannot help but feel your thoughts would be better spent in asking yourself how you can help her overcome such a horrible experience."

"She's a witch, Severus. No muggle would be able to hurt her."

"She still bleeds. Should she have been hit by that auto mobile, she'd have been dead before she could cast a spell. Surely you are not so arrogant to think that magic makes us invincible."

"Just speak to her, Severus. She has always listened to you."

"I will speak to her," Severus agreed quietly, "but not because you want her to get pregnant."

Rolling his eyes, Lucius gestured to the door. "She's in the library."

"Narcissa," Severus called out gently, so as not to startle her. She looked at him, and he was surprised yet pleased to see that her eyes were bright and alert. She had clearly not had as much to drink as Lucius seemed to think.

"Ah, Lucius sent you," she murmured, waving him over to where she sat in front of the fire. He sat down beside her, taking her hand in his.

"I told Lucius I wasn't coming to speak to you because of his request. I am worried about you."

"There is no need, Severus. I am perfectly healthy."

"Of that, I have no doubt. Still, you went through what would have been a traumatic experience for anyone. How are you holding up?"

"Do you really care?"

"You know I do."

She held his eyes with her own for a moment, before she broke the contact. "I know you do. I apologise, you do not deserve my anger."

"And Lucius does?"

"Yes, Severus, Lucius does. He... He doesn't care for me. I know that. I've accepted that. He cares only for the status of his family name and for the continuing of it. He is being awfully pushy on me birthing a heir as soon as possible."

Severus sighed. "You knew that when you married him, did you not?"

She nodded slightly. "Knowing it and living it are two different things."

They were silent for a moment.

"I miss you," she murmured eventually.

"You see me all the time."

"You know damn well what I mean. I can't stop thinking about you. Whenever Lucius takes me to bed, all I can think about is you. The differences... You were always so caring, so gentle. He is rough, and he cares little for my needs. He... I miss you."

He was shaken to the core by her admittance of such a thing. They'd had, for want of a better word, an affair that spanned the years between her last at Hogwarts and her wedding. Their last time together had been the eve of her wedding in fact. He remembered that night with perfect precision. She'd been needier, had wanted more and more and more. He'd delivered, savouring every moment with her, because he knew they were his last.

"I miss you too."

"Congratulations on your son, Narcissa."

She looked at him for a moment, and he could see the sadness in her eyes. His own eyes, he knew would echo the sentiment. The child in her arms could have, should have been his.

"Lucius has released me from the fidelity clause, now we have a heir. As long as I am discreet..."

He smiled, a tight lipped smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "I'll be waiting for you."

They both knew, no matter the heartache, they would take as much of each other as they could get, consequences be damned.