Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Harry Potter world, all of the characters, places and ideas come from J.K. Rowling.
A person who survives one war will find themselves perpetually accompanied by darkness and will seek out companionship in among those who have survived such atrociousness. A person who survives two wars will wander up and down the cemeteries where their friends and family rest in a perpetual attempt to find a way to join them. This place was not a cemetery, yet it contained two bodies. Beneath the branches of a tired tree stood a single stone which was meant to represent the two individuals who lay below its feet. It was an odd place for a grave site; it was in the middle of a forest with no pathway to guide a friend or family member. It was isolated and meant to be inaccessible.
Yet here a young man stood looking down upon the decaying stone. There was no trace of a name written upon it as is typical for a grave stone. Yet, he knew he had found who he was seeking. His answer was confirmed by the subtle remains of two flowers. Two entwined narcissus flowers.
The young man stared at the site in front of him, trying to find answers to questions that had long been lost about the two people deep within the ground. Their participation in the two wars was known and they had been long accused of siding with darkness and malevolence. He was the right hand man to the Dark Lord and she was the companion who aided him in his malicious deeds. So much terror is known to have come from these two people.
But decades have passed and there has begun to be a new interest in the lives of these two. People have rummaged through their belongings; at least whatever there is that remains. Many have not been satisfied with the limited information that was extracted from those items. The more that was unknown, the more the public craved for facts to fill those voids. A group of individuals calling themselves "The Devotees" have attempted at long lengths to find the remains of this couple. They call themselves that after the known devotion that held the pair together. They want to know what happened to the infamous couple who once housed the Dark Lord in their home.
"Why did you do it?" the young man asked the stone.
All they could offer was their silence.
…
It was this gentle strength within her that first attracted him, that made him want to see what else there could be behind her pretty blue eyes. He had found her in a back room of her family's grand house with a black lumpy blanket wrapped around her as she sat facing the large window that looked out onto the large pond. She was painting the scene in front of her with patient hands. Although she was right handed, she would switch the hand she painted with every once in a while. Even though it was such a small detail, he found it charming that she did so.
As the brush stroked the parchment the paint seemed to purr in satisfaction as it found its new home outside of the tube it had been confined in. The early sunshine was beginning to pour in through the windows and engulfed the young woman. The light seemed to bounce off of the water in a mirthful glee as it scuttled over onto the grass and the trees surrounding. Her blond hair shimmered gracefully as it captured some of the sunshine.
The house was still quiet which meant that her sister had either not risen yet or was out wreaking havoc somewhere else. If Bellatrix was home, he hoped that they would leave before she stirred; he had had far too many uncomfortable interactions with the dark-haired witch. He did not want to disturb the pretty moment but if he didn't pull her away soon, a confrontation would ensue between him at the middle Black daughter.
"Narcissa," he spoke gently.
With a small jump of surprise, she turned around to find her attractive boyfriend leaning against the doorway. A small smile formed across her pretty face.
"Lucius, I thought you weren't coming until this afternoon."
He shrugged, "I had hoped to snatch you away from the house before Bella awakens." That, and he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could in the next 24 hours.
A quick laugh escaped her mouth, "Yes, that was a wise decision. She has been particularly exasperating these last couple of days."
Lucius extended his hand to her, "Shall we?"
Narcissa set her paint brush down and folded the blanket up and put it back in its place in the cabinet. With a smile she walked over to him and leaned into his side as he draped his arm across her shoulder.
Youth allowed for them to be affectionate. While Narcissa was still quite troubled by the loss of her sister Andromeda, so much else in life was optimistic. She was crazy about the strong, passionate young man she was dating. She was captivated by his commanding presence, the way that he had seemed almost regal next to their peers when they attended school. He held his principles ardently and expected others to join him in his stance against the decline of the wizarding world and the weakness of allowing non-purebloods to exist in their realm.
As Lucius led his girlfriend to the door he reached his left hand into his pocket to check, once again, to ensure that the velvet box was still there. There was no other woman who could fill the role as his wife quite as well. It pleased him that his and her family were satisfied with their match; yet, he knew he would have married Narcissa regardless of their acceptance. She was certainly capable and she upheld the same values as he did, but then again there were so many other women who could do the same. No, she was different. It was not simply that she is beautiful or that she was from the proper bloodline, it was her quiet confidence, the fire that stirred in her eyes when she was angry, the way she always appeared decorous but had a mischievous streak that could not be mollified, and the way she could surprise any person with her extensive and impressive intelligence. She was both subtle and blatant, composed and passionate, sharp and soft.
Yes, Lucius thought, we will build a life together and we will save our world from those who try to mutilate it. By the end of the night she would be committed to the title Mrs. Malfoy.
…
She realized, of course, that she could have simply charmed these books down to her, but she rather liked climbing up the ladder and reading through all of the titles. All she had to do was lengthen her arms to be just a little bit longer so that she could reach the book she needed. It was quite the balancing act as she tried to stand on the very tips of her toes while holding onto four other books.
"Careful there Cissa," Lucius warned. "Come down here, I can get that book for you."
Narcissa swatted her hand at him impatiently, "I can do it."
Lucius rolled his eyes and muttered something about short, stubborn blonds.
She was almost there when she lost grip of the books in her hands and began to wobble on the ladder. As her feet slipped off the rung of the ladder Lucius grabbed her waist before she fell further to the ground. When she turned around in his arms she wore a sheepish grin.
"Perhaps it was a little too far for my reach."
Lucius smirked, "When will you stop fighting and allow me to take care of you?"
Her smile turned into a pout, "I can take care of myself, Lucius."
His face was drawing closer to hers, "Uh huh, and what would you have done, Miss Black, if I had not been here to catch you?"
She shrugged nonchalantly, "Last time I only had a bruise on my ankle; it was hardly anything of concern."
Lucius rolled his eyes, "You mean to tell me that this has happened before?"
Narcissa gave a small laugh, "Several times actually."
Shaking his head he asked, "What am I going to do with you?"
She shrugged again, "I don't really think that there is anything that you can do."
His eyebrows rose, "Oh really?"
"Mhmm."
He drew closer to her. "We'll see about that," he whispered before placing his lips on hers. Narcissa placed her arms around his neck so that she could bring him in closer. He had one hand gripped her waist to keep her close him while the other was gently caressing her cheek. They stayed that way for a while, alternating between soft, gentle touches and deeper, harder caresses. Eventually they pulled away in order to catch their breath. Both with lazy smiles strung across their faces.
"By the way," Narcissa whispered, "It's Mrs. Malfoy."
Lucius tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek fondly. Then he moved to help her step down from the ladder and back onto the floor, "Would you like me to get that book up there?"
She smiled and shrugged, "No, it's nothing important, just some light reading for fun."
He raised his eyebrows, "Narcissa, all of the books on that shelf look as though they weigh more than you."
She laughed, "You know I can't help myself."
Lucius scratched his neck, "You are quite the bookworm, one of these days I'll come home to find you so far buried inside a book that I won't be able to pull you out."
Narcissa took his hand in hers, "Dear, how about we stop talking about books and find something else to do."
Lucius looked down at his wife curiously, "And what is it that you have in mind?"
She gave him a small smile before letting go of his hand and turning away from him, walking towards their bedroom.
Lucius chuckled before making large strides to catch up with her.
…
While there was plenty of easy happiness in the early years of their marriage; yet, the increasing division between the purebloods and those who believed in a mixed society was becoming progressively larger. It would not be long before actions would have to be made in order to get their message across.
Lucius was late for dinner again. She knew he was busy and that what he did was important, but the hours they spent together were quickly disappearing. She sat on the couch in the atrium of the Manor waiting for him to arrive. It was her job to be here for him when he returned home so that she could mollify all of his troubles.
She jumped when the front door slammed open. Lucius strode in, threw his cloak at the house elf standing in waiting and went directly to his office. Narcissa stood in surprise and went to follow him. She hesitantly opened the door and peered in to see her husband rummaging through his desk impatiently.
"Lucius," she whispered.
He abruptly haulted and looked up to see his wife staring worriedly at him. He shook his head and continued what he was doing. "I can't have dinner with you tonight Cissa."
She frowned, "But I've had your favorite made."
"Not tonight."
"But-"
He slammed his hand on the desk, "Not tonight Narcissa!"
Her eyes grew large before she backed out of the room. She went back to the couch and sat down, determined to sit and wait for him to finish whatever it was that he was doing. However, time ticked by and she grew more and more fatigued.
Lucius finally exited the office at around 3:00 am. When he crossed the atrium to head towards the bedroom he found a sleeping Narcissa curled up on the couch. He sighed and moved over to her form. He bent down and stroked her cheek.
"What am I going to do Cissa?" he whispered.
Still sleeping she inched closer to his touch. Lucius scooped her up into his arms and carried his wife to their room. When they were both lying in bed Lucius watched her sleeping form. How could he tell her what was happening? How would she handle this alteration in their lives? He could only hope that she would understand and that she would adapt to the changes.
…
He had always been unfailingly strong, but now there was a new coldness that marked his character. The tattoo was not a decorative symbol drawn on his arm, it was the mistress that called for him, out of the bed he shared with his wife, and into the company of another.
She didn't sleep at night any more, she couldn't. If she fell asleep she dreamed of terrifying circumstances where Lucius was taken away under horrifying and frightening conditions. Yet when she stayed awake Lucius still wasn't there. There was no place that she could go, either in her mind or in reality, where she could find a peaceful moment with her husband.
It wasn't that she objected to what he was doing. She always supported his values and loved how vigorously he promoted his principles. Lucius was completely and utterly devoted to the Dark Lord's vision. The Dark Lord and his followers, the Death Eaters, took a violent approach to bring their ideals to fruition. Sometimes you have to be proactive and use actions to bring about change, sitting around discussing problems isn't enough.
Narcissa sat there staring out the window contemplating these situations that were circulating her life. She shook her head and noticed that paint had dripped from her brush and was now splattered on her lap. Despite the fact that the paint could not be removed from the expensive fabric of her robes she found herself not caring. Everything was just floating by; she felt no real attachment to anything.
The canvas had been transformed into an image of dark cantankerous trees that were entrapped in the morbidity of autumn. She frowned, feeling the weariness of extreme boredom, and dipped her brush in black paint and slashed it across the landscape.
It wasn't just boredom nor was she simply lonely. There were many events that she attended and she was constantly meeting with her and Lucius' acquaintances. It was an odd sensation that she had never encountered before. It was a seclusion that couldn't be filled by grand parties, beautiful clothes, or luxurious whines. Emptiness, it appears, is an endless pit that cannot be filled by anything.
…
She had been wrong. She peered down into the crib where a six-week old Draco lay asleep. She brushed her finger against his cheek adoringly. She knew that she should be sleeping and taking advantage of the moment; this was a rare instance when Draco was not crying or needing her care.
She jumped when an arm was draped around her shoulder. She looked up to see Lucius as he settled in next to her to watch their child. She leaned in against his form contentedly with a sigh. He stroked her mussed blond hair gently.
"You should be sleeping Cissa."
She shrugged, "I just like watching him."
"He'll still be here in the morning."
She shrugged again.
Lucius looked down at her noticing a sadness pushed in the back of her eyes. "Cissa?"
She leaned further into him, not wanting to break the moment. There were so few nights that they were all together, more often than not Lucius was off performing tasks for the Dark Lord. Motherhood was a great distraction and she found something to occupy that emptiness she had been fighting with. Yet, every night that she stared at his empty chair at dinner she was reminded that she was still alone.
Lucius tugged at her frame and tried to move her away from the crib, "Come on Cissa, let's get you to bed."
She obediently moved with him. He pulled the blankets away and helped her climb into their bed. Fatigue consumed her as she curled up against Lucius once he joined her.
"I miss you," she whispered against his chest.
He sighed and pulled her closer, "I'm right here."
She closed her eyes and began to drift off, "For now."
Lucius looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep. War was upon them, and as much as he had tried to keep it away from their home, somehow, it had snuck in regardless. Every instant he was aware of the burning upon his arm that reminded him of his alliance to the Dark Lord. Never would a moment pass where his presence would be forgotten. There was a high price to fighting for one's principles. Lucius knew that he sold himself, but it was his hope that in doing so his family would be left untouched by his master's authority.
…
The adrenaline rush of fear and exhilaration pounded against her ribs. Lucius had left their home in response to an emergency call from the Dark Lord. Apparently there was a terrible situation that was transpiring between the Death Eaters and their adversaries.
Narcissa ran down the stairs shouting for one of the house elves, "Poppy!"
With a loud pop the elderly elf appeared in front of her mistress.
"Make sure to watch Draco and do not allow for any visitors to enter this household," she directed.
"Of course Mistress Malfoy. When should I expect you to return?" she asked.
Narcissa wrapped her short outdoor robe around herself and stuck her wand into her left black boot, "I don't expect to be back soon."
With that, she apparated out of her home.
The smell of noxiousness hit her nose immediately. Curses were flying through the air, striking down victims left and right. She needed to get to Lucius, she didn't care if he refused to allow her to fight, she had to help. No longer could she stay in their house curled up reading a book while her husband faced death every night. He had always appreciated her skills and her intellectual mind, it was time she put it to use. Her mind was forced to go into action immediately as she dogged between the chaotic lethal streams of magic.
Aside from the glow of the blood colored moon the only light to be seen was the fires that had erupted. Yet even though her sight was hindered she saw a wall up ahead that had not yet been breached. She launched herself behind it to catch her breath from running. How would she find him in this mess?
A heart wrenching scream was thrown into the air as another person must have been attacked. Amazing how in life we like to lie to ourselves in regards to death, pretending that it is a peaceful encounter. Yet there is nothing serene about someone forcing a healthy heart to stop beating.
She heard a familiar cackling laugh up ahead. Bellatrix must have found a new victim to play with. Narcissa rushed forward to reach her masochistic sister, perhaps she would know where Lucius is.
"Bella!" She shouted when she saw a mass of wild hair flailing in the air.
She whipped around to the voice that called her name, throwing a killing curse at another victim before responding, "Cissa?"
Narcissa reached her sister and grasped her arm, "Bella, do you know where Lucius is?"
A sadistic smile grew across the witches face, "Why Cissa, have you finally decided to join us?" A squeal of mirth escaped her mouth.
"I'm here to help my husband."
Bellatrix grasped Narcissa's hand, "Then I shall lead you to him."
The two sisters made their way through the chaos. This poor house was being obliterated and would no longer be a home for a family, it would only be a home for despondency.
A large man came running towards them in attack, Narcissa blasted him away from them. Bella's gleeful laugh collided with the incensed air.
"You will be a welcomed addition," she responded.
Ahead she could see her husband's blond hair whip around as he deflected curses directed at him. Two men were getting in close to him when Narcissa shot a blocking curse to repel them from Lucius. He turned around to see who was aiding him, the surprise of seeing his wife soon turned into aggravation.
He strode over to her and grasped her away from Bellatrix's, "Narcissa what in Merlin's name are you doing here?"
"I am not going sit in our house any longer sitting around waiting to find out whether you are alive or not."
He ducked them behind a battered couch as Bellatrix became involved in a frenzied duel between multiple wizards.
"You are to go home immediately," he growled in frustration.
She shook her head, "Absolutely not. I am staying whether I fight next to you or not."
He pulled her closer to him as more curses ricocheted off of the walls remaining.
"This is not up for discussion, you must go. Go back to Draco."
"Draco is being looked after," she gripped his sleeve. "Lucius, I'm staying."
He looked into her eyes and found that quiet strength that had first drawn him to her. There would be no changing her mind.
…
The taste of war was in her mouth, it was filling up in her pores and burning down her throat. Someone was tugging her out from under the rubble that had collapsed on her.
"Narcissa," Bella's voice shook her frame.
Slap! Bella only had one gear and that was to use force at every opportunity.
Narcissa shook her head as she tried to regain consciousness. There was smoke draped across the air making it difficult to breath.
"Bella, what happened?" she asked once she sat up.
"More Death Eaters arrived and we were able to overcome these defectors. This wall was breached while you were fighting and knocked you out."
"Where's Lucius?"
"He was called by the Dark Lord."
Narcissa met her sister's eyes, "What do you suppose he wants with him?"
Bellatrix shrugged in her nonchalant way, "Who's to say? Perhaps he is needed for a new mission."
A tall man approached the two sisters, "Narcissa, Lucius has requested that you go back to the Manor."
"Will he be there when I arrive?" She inquired.
The man nodded and swiftly turned away to find shelter in the chaos around them.
Narcissa turned to her eerily jovial sister, "I'll be taking my leave then. Will you be going back home now?"
Bella shrugged, "Eventually. But before I do that, I might be interested to sniff out some more troublesome mudbloods. You know how hunting is like a lullaby for me; it has a certain finesse that can lull me to sleep."
Narcissa rolled her eyes, "You've begun to allow your work to turn into an obsession."
That familiar sadistic smirk curved into the brunettes face, "No dear Cissy, I've turned my obsession into my work."
With that Bella apparated out of the collapsed house, leaving Narcissa to do the same.
…
As soon as her feet touched the expensive carpet of the atrium she could feel a sense of a sweltering distress. Poppy was standing right in front of her waiting obediently for her mistress to return home.
"Master requests that you meet him in his office," she peeped up.
Narcissa removed her robe and handed them to the house elf, "Is Draco well?"
Poppy nodded, "Yes, Mistress, very well."
"Do you know what it is that Lucius wants?"
The elf shook her head, "No Mistress, only that he requires you to meet him there immediately."
Narcissa nodded and walked away from the house elf towards to direction of her husband's office. Upon reaching the door she knocked softly waiting to hear if there was anyone else occupying the room with Lucius. However, before she could make any observations the door was ripped open by an enraged Lucius.
"Lucius-."She was cut off.
He grabbed her and dragged her inside before slamming the door behind them.
"Do you have ANY idea what you have done? You inane witch! Do you know what you have cost this family?" He shouted at her. "Did you not think that your actions would go unnoticed? That the Dark Lord would not know what you've done?"
Narcissa tried to pull away but his grip only tightened.
"Of course you didn't think. Of course not, you only think about your own frivolous desires!" He snarled.
"Let go of me, you're hurting-."
"You had better hope that this is all I do to you after what you just pulled!" However, despite his words he shoved her away from him.
Narcissa stared at her husband wide-eyed, unsure of how to move forward.
"What has happened?" she whispered.
Lucius's face was hidden behind his hair as he hovered over his desk, grasping onto its edges in rage. "The Dark Lord was impressed by your actions."
"Surely, that isn't such a terrible thing."
He turned away from his desk to look upon his tired wife's face. "No, Narcissa it is a very terrible thing," he pushed away from the desk and stood directly in front of her. "He will be wanting to see another demonstration of your dedication and after you've done that he will want another and then another until you eventually find yourself stamped by his authority."
Narcissa's mind wrapped itself around the words that he was saying, trying to understand how twisted and perverse their world was beginning to become. When was marital devotion and act of demonstrating one's valor for pugnacity? Surely, she was willing to fight for her beliefs and for the lives of the ones she loved; however, she was far from willing to bind her soul to a cause with no limits. Unlike her sister, her views were not her obsessions they were goals that she wished to be obtained through diplomacy. Yet, looking into her husband's dejected eyes she knew that diplomacy was never a tactic the Dark Lord intended to use.
"What should I do?" she asked.
Lucius shook his head in an attempt to find control through the fog of his anger. "You will tell him that you were acting upon the impulsivity of your flippant love for your husband. You were suddenly frightened by the thought of being away from me and foolishly felt compelled to find me. You had no intention of fighting; however you had retained enough knowledge from your schooling years to get by. Yet your skills were not strong enough and you were eventually overcome when an auror breached a wall in your direction."
Narcissa perked up at such mentioning, "You knew that the wall collapsed on me? Why didn't you get me out?"
He stared at her, "I knew because I was the one who destroyed it. I didn't help you out because I knew it would benefit your story for the Dark Lord."
Anger began to roll through her body. Not only was she being accused of being completely without senses, but her own husband had intentionally caused bodily harm to her.
"You mean to tell me, that after I came to that house foryou so that I could helpyou,youdecided that the best way to express gratitude was by dropping a wall on my head?"
"You should be thankful that that is all I did!"
She reeled on him, "Thankful? Thankful for what? For all of the endless hours that you have left me and your son in this house alone? For every time that I've taken care of you whenever youdiddecide to come home, despite the fact that you treat with complete disdain? Or how about the fact that you've dogmatically tied yourself to some acrimonious man who has no intention of ever rewarding you for your actions? You know that there is no end in sight but destitution, yet you continue to obey his every command like a puppet. You have no care that one day your wife is going to be husbandless and your son fatherless because you don't have the courage to fight with integrity instead of malice!"
Lucius's eyes rimmed with turbulent frenzy. "Get out," he gritted through his teeth.
She shook her head and moved closer to him, "I am not going to back down to you. My spine is not so frail that I will continue to allow you to berate me. You may be the provider of his household, but that son of ours will never grow to know you if you continue on in this manner. You may have chosen to fight this war and follow the Dark Lord, but Draco and I will not be joining you any further. You have a choice, you can choose to be with your family or you can choose to be a Death Eater."
He glared at her, "You have no authority to take Draco away from me! You would never be able to make it out in the world without me to protect you."
"Protect me? Lucius, after tonight, I think that I need to protect myselffromyou. As for Draco, I will never allow for him to follow in your footsteps. He will never be forced to bear the mark of the Dark Lord, and he will certainly never become the malicious killer that you have become."
There was a shift in his icy grey eyes. The war around them was beginning to fight with the war within him and there was no knowing which would win.
"I don't know what to do," he whispered with despondency.
"In what way?"
He peered into her eyes seeking some kind of clemency. "Even if I wanted to get out, there is no exit. When I made my oath, it was agreed that there would be no breaking of that vow."
She placed her hands on her hips, "Which vows? The one's to me or the one's to him?"
"I have no desire to break our marriage Narcissa."
"Then what are you going to do?"
He shook his head, "Don't you understand Cissa? Everything that I do is for you and for Draco. I answer his every call so that he never decides to call upon you. I kill whomever he wishes dead, I torture whomever he seeks answers from, and I punish myself for every action he does not approve of. I have tried to keep you locked away in this house so that he would never find interest in you. That way, at least one of us could look after and safeguard our son."
Narcissa frowned miserably, "Then there is nothing left for us to do."
Lucius grasped her shoulders firmly, "Cissa, if there is ever a way out I will take it. I will do everything in my power to ensure yours and Draco's safety."
"I'm still very angry with you," she whispered.
He nodded, "I know."
"We'll just have to take it day by day."
Lucius touched her hair fondly, "Tomorrow is Halloween, The Dark Lord has given me no instructions for the day. Perhaps we can take that time to be a family."
Narcissa leaned into his tall frame, "That would be nice."
Neither one of them could have imagined what a difference a single day could make. At that moment they could not have known that their world was going to be greatly altered and that they would soon face a great test in their relationship; a test that would require both of them to deceive authority and to assimilate into a society hostile to their kind.
AN: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this! I really appreciate it! I will try to stay on top of updating and putting out new chapters. I'm in the midst of mid-terms so I may be a little busy.