Part of a Fan-fiction iPod: Special Edition

By Queenlover

Narcissa's Last Stand

Achilles' Last Stand Led Zeppelin

A/N: Ok, this is part of my Fan-fiction iPod: Special Edition series but I thought I would publish it as a stand-alone onefic to see how it's received as a simple oneshot. :) So here we go! Queenlover xxx

Disclaimer: Look, we all know that JKR wrote Harry Potter and some of us know that Led Zeppelin sang Achilles Last Stand, so is there ANY point in me saying I don't own either? I didn't think so. : )
It was a bright April morning and the air was crisp and fresh like an apple picked straight from its tree. Dew was falling from the leaves, reflecting light everywhere to create a heavenly tranquility to the world and I had never been happier. I turned to my husband and smiled up at his handsome face, while he helped me into our horseless carriage, offering me his muscled arm. He climbed into the oak beast beside me, turned to face the crowd behind us, and waved and smiled to the assembled masses behind us.

The church bells were still ringing, even though it was an hour since we had wed yet I wished they would never stop. Their peals seemed to bring joy, love and music into my life once more, signalling that from now on, everything would be alright.

The crowd were hollering behind us,

"Go already, and have fun too!"

"Have a lovely trip, won't you?"

"Don't worry; we'll keep your new mansion ready for your return!"

I laughed and waved like a schoolgirl who is in love for the first time. I turned and looked at Lucius' chiselled face, his permanent scowl and his dark, soulful eyes, which I had become lost in the first time we had seen one another. He smiled down at me and kissed me softly on the lips, whispering into my ear,

"Everything will be alright now, my 'Cissa."

And so I had hoped it would. Although I knew where Lucius' loyalties lay, I would try my hardest to change his prejudices and then, hopefully, he would one day love and obey me, only me, and our child: our son. I sighed and wished it would be the case yet my heart disagreed.

'When we return from our honeymoon', I thought, a small smile playing on my lips, relishing this moment, for another like it may never come again,

'We will have so much fun; no burdens, no encumbrances, no commitments but to each other. We can do anything we wish: live out our dreams, forget the troubled past and perhaps the troubles that lie ahead. If we just concentrate on each other, then maybe, just maybe, he'll learn to love me as I love him.'

I turned around once more and gave the faint crowd one last kiss farewell, before resting my head on my husband's chest. It had been a perfect wedding. So, I hadn't known half the people who had attended, and so, this wedding had been arranged for us, no-one taking into consideration if we actually wished to be married or not, but one thing was certain: I still loved him.

Even though he wished fervently to marry someone else and had only married little me for his family, I clung onto this ever-fading hope that perhaps he would soon love me for me and then, with our son (how I hoped it would be a son), live happily for the rest of our lives, without all these complications.

I didn't want to think about what those complications might mean, might entail. I knew that the Malfoy family were just as dark and evil as mine but I wished that he would be different, that he would not want to work for that side, that he would, against all odds, work for the light yet I knew my wishes were futile.

Lucius will always continue to work for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and I would have to learn to accept this. My duty was to raise a son for the Malfoys so that he would continue the legacy, just as his father was doing.

Sometime later, we arrived at Dover, ready to embark on our honeymoon at last. We were to take a ship around the Mediterranean, cruising on a wizard-only boat on the open seas. It would be perfect; we would be perfect together.

We would explore deserts together, oceans together, the world together, or so it felt as we embarked on our cruise, waving goodbye to England who we would not see for another few weeks.

Sometimes, on that ship, it would seem like we were finally living out the life I hoped we would have yet when we returned to England's cold and gloomy shores, I would find that suddenly it had all changed; the fun completely extinguished from our lives. But for then, the world was at our feet and Lucius and I loved it.

One evening, one that I would never forget, when the sun seemed to be shining from both the north and south to illuminate the entire world, we kissed so passionately and so lovingly that it will stay in my mind forever. While he kissed me, as if he never wanted to let me go, I embraced him tightly, my mind saying,

'This is it, Narcissa; he will love you forever and ever now.'

Yet your mind can deceive you sometimes, it seems.

I don't know why that particular evening and kiss lingers so long in my mind. Perhaps it's because it was the only heartfelt kiss I ever had from him, or perhaps it was the only time when I felt truly alive; who knows? But it lingers there, and sometimes when I feel like all hope is lost, I remember our shining kiss, brightened by the glowing sun and suddenly I feel like there's a reason to live once more.

But now I know that his apparent love for me on that ship was false; he still does not love me as I love him.

While we sailed on that boat each night with the wind in our flowing, long, blond hair, and as we danced to no music, and sang to no tune I was so sure he did return my feelings, that he did want to be married to me after all.

That man, the one I who I thought loved me and who enjoyed his life, who didn't care what people thought when he danced a crazy dance with me in tow, that man was the man I wished to marry; not the solemn, angry figure who I barely see anymore. Not the weak, cowardly man who does everything in his will to please He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Not the man who was locked in a cell in Azkaban for a foolish mistake.

If only I could go back in time to that wonderful escape on the cruise, I could just tell him,

'No, Lucius do not follow his evil ways,'

Then, perhaps, he would have been guided from that dangerous path and we would not be in the mess that we are in now. He would not have failed; he would be safe with our son and I at home where no evil can touch him.

But then again, would he have listened?

Another memory that strays to the forefront of my mind is that first evening on the ship, when we were awaiting our dinner with eager anticipation. A bell was rung, not unlike the glorious church bells that had pealed that very morning, welcoming me to Lucius' embrace. The dining-room in which we were eating fell silent and heads turned, trying to work out where the sound had come from.

Then, out of nowhere, waiters dressed in black dress-robes sang to us around our table, wishing us all the best for our new marriage. Lucius and I were astonished to say the least, wondering who could have arranged this marvellous toast to our good health.

I don't think we ever found out who arranged it either. It didn't matter by the time we had arrived at our new mansion anyway, because the toast's eager promise was, by then, blown away by the cold wind that continuously enveloped our gothic mansion.

The most prominent thing about that first enchanting evening was the applauding of the other wizards and witches around us, saluting our newly-found happiness and for the first - and last - time I was proud to be Mrs Narcissa Malfoy.

Days and weeks passed so easily and so happily on that ship that by the end of our voyage, I didn't ever want to leave. If I had known what had lain ahead I would have tied myself to the boat, making sure I was not to face the problems that we were to encounter.

I knew that once we would leave the ship, the encumbrances that we had left behind would sneak upon us and disaster would strike once more.

However, with the infamous Black spirit, I was determined to make the most of our last day on board. Besides, summer's early glow made everything brighter, cheerier and at times, I thought that everything really would be alright (what a naiive young girl!), as Lucius had whispered to me on our wedding day.

As we slept together on the final night of our wonderful trip, the night when our dear boy Draco was conceived, I watched Lucius sleep beside me, and for once his permanent scowl had vanished and his angel-like face had returned to its former glory, as it was before the nightmares had begun. As he slept, looking as if he had no troubles in the world, it seemed that I too had no problems of which to speak.

How very wrong I was.

But as he lay in my arms, and as I stroked his golden locks, it really did appear that everything would be alright and that as long as we stayed in each others' arms, we could maintain this peace, this Heaven that I had found myself in on this ship. As long as I became lost in his kiss, it would be alright.

Everything would be alright.

AN: Hope you liked it anyway, despite the whole depressing vibe of it. Yes, it was pretty repetitive so please excuse that, because it was quite a weird song to fanfic … and a very long song!
Please review and if you like this idea of oneshots based very loosely on a song, please check out my series of oneshots: A Fan-fiction iPod: Special Edition :) Thanks!

Queenlover xxx