silver winters that melt into springs
-:-
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy on its own way.
Leo Tolstoy
-:-
The Malfoys' downfall didn't follow the one of Lord Voldemort; we were down way before that.
Not even I, myself, can specify exactly the moment we started falling apart. All I know is that when I realized we were broken, it was already too late.
Lucius Malfoy
.
(Malfoy Manor, an hour before the 'Battle of Hogwarts.)
When Narcissa Malfoy saw her husband taking his mask- his hands trembling- she realized that this was it; the end was near. Bellatrix had already left- almost two hours ago- without a word, a frantic simple at her face. It scared her; she knew
"Where?" she simply asked him.
Lucius didn't answer her immediately. He took a deep breath and looked at her, debating if he should tell her or not. At the end, he sighed. "Hogwarts."
Narcissa paled even more than usual. Hogwarts. The place where little children of 11 years old were. Where her son would be. She swallowed hard and griped a chair next to her.
He walked towards her, afraid she would pass out; trying to support her. But once he tried to touch her, she moved backwards shaking her head negatively. Lucius had never seen her like that before; his always gebtle and kind wife was now looking at him with disgust.
"If it wasn't for you," she said with venom at her voice, "I would have a very different life. If it wasn't for you, our son wouldn't be in such danger at the moment. If it wasn't for this madness!"
"Narcissa…" he tried to say but she stopped him.
"I'll come with you."
.
Contrary to the popular belief I didn't marry Lucius Malfoy because I had to. It was an arranged marriage, yes- but it was one planned carefully from both our sides.
Truth to be told, I met him about a year before our marriage was arranged. After a few random- as he insisted- meetings, I knew I had started falling for him.
I don't really regret marrying him. If I regretted that, I would be regretting the best thing that ever happened to me. It's not his fault what happened to us. I can't blame him for something that started from the day we were born.
Narcissa Malfoy
-:-
They have no right to try my wife.
Draco will survive; he's strong. I'm doomed- I already know that; I have killed people. But Narcissa; she didn't do anything.
Can you judge a man –or a woman- for their beliefs? They say this is a free country, the one they're building. Then why do they turn against her, accusing her for wronged opinions?
Lucius Malfoy
.
(Ministry of Magic, 7 months after the 'Battle of Hogwarts')
Narcissa Malfoy (née Black) was tried for participating and covering Tom Riddle's activities, and she was declared innocent. Her punishment is up to her conscience now.
Draco L. Malfoy was tried for supporting Tom Riddle and his actions, for using the unforgivable curses and for attempting to kill Albus Dumbledore, and he was declared guilty. Considering his will to change, the environment he grew up into and that Harry J. Potter guarantied for him, his sentence was settled into 2 years.
Lucius A. Malfoy was tried for supporting Tom Riddle and his action, willingfully being part of his group of supports called the "Death Eaters", killing, torturing and deceiving in his name while using the unforgivable curses. Given his change at the end of the war and the fact that Harry J. Potter guarantied for him, his sentence was settled into 10 years.
.
"Narcissa Malfoy saved my life that day in Hogwarts. If it wasn't for her this would have been a very different world," Potter says and I know I never wanted to laugh so badly before.
I don't care about his life. I don't care if this world would have been different, without his grace. I just wanted to save my son, knowing that Voldemort had no concern about him.
Nothing matters more than my family. Bellatrix was a fighter. If she was here she would still support her believes. But I will do no such thing. I have to protect my family.
Andromeda was the rebel. If she was here she would lay all the blame to Lucius and slap Draco. But I won't put all the blame on him- I can't put all the blame on him. What happened was a mix of bad luck, unfortunate choices, strict upbringing, false hopes and human mistakes. And each of us- even me, even Draco- has his own share of them.
I won't say I'm pleased with where life has brought us but I still love my husband as much as I loved him in our good days- when we had everything.
So all I will do is smile kindly and nod, accepting everything they say. I will even beg. To save the ones I love I will forget everything.
Narcissa Malfoy
-:-
(Malfoy Manor, 10 years after the 'Battle of Hogwarts')
The day Lucius Malfoy saw his wife again looked awfully a lot like the first day he ever met her. She was sitting at the Manor's garden- which looked as pretty as before, covered in snow like it was. She was older; her blond hair was close to white- almost as white as the snow, and her face was a little wrinkled from both age and tiredness. But to him she looked as pretty as always.
He hadn't seen her for 10 years but she had been writing to him, almost everyday, making him look forward to the day he would be free again. The day he would return to his -by then extended, as he had learned- family. The day he would apologize to his son, the day he would see his grandson for the first time. But above all the day he would see his wife again.
Narcissa turned her head to him and smiled, making him chuckle for the first time after more years than he could count. Like that first Christmas, more than 30 years ago, snowflakes stayed on her nose and eyelashes. He walked to her as she got up and once he reached her, he pushed them away.
"You will get cold," he said- the exact same words as back then.
Narcissa smiled. "I love you. And I'm happy you're back."
Before he could answer, she laid a small kiss at his lips and led him inside, to the warm living room where a blond young woman was playing with a baby while her husband stared at them with an absent- minded smile on his face.
It was time for reconciliation. It was time for second chances. They couldn't begin again and most certainly they couldn't just forget. But they could try. The Malfoys could have a happy ending- even while being at the bottom of society.
Winter was over. It was time for spring to come.
A/N: Currently un-beta-ed.
For Jane (Writing2StayHAlfSane), fellow Patronus (a Harry Potter Fanfiction Magazine) writer.
Merry Christmas, dear!
I used this prompt: "Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes/Silver white winters that melt into springs" from 'My Favorite Things'