Forbidden Love
A love cannot be forbidden if nobody finds out about it...
Pairing: Regulus/Narcissa (Under 20 romantic fics) - A rare pairing of Slytherins for round three of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition
1,532 words excluding the author's note and disclaimer
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
Lucius frowned deeply when he entered his study with Narcissa following closely behind him. She was cheerful for once and happy to see him, but he had terrible news to share — her cousin was dead.
He sneered slightly, despising the fact that he would have to tell his fiancée that her favorite cousin had died. Lucius was well aware of course that she would take the news badly, but when the time came to reveal what he knew she was far more upset than he had ever seen her before. The intensity of his fiancée's reaction was completely unexpected. Narcissa burst into tears as his words sunk in. Lucius was astonished to see the rapid change in her demeanor. Her initial grief was rapidly escalating toward an uncontrollable anxiety attack.
"Calm down, love." Lucius purred. His response was kept short incase his failure to say the right thing gave Narcissa a nervous breakdown. He was not looking forward to the potential Floo conversation with his healer to get a stronger calming draught if things took a worser turn than they already had.
"I can't," cried Narcissa. Her fingers clutched limply at the thin fabric of her fiancé's robes as she continued to sob. "He— We... We were so close." The youngest of the Black sisters was overtaken by grief. She could hardly comprehend the gut-wrenching feelings that were ripping apart her insides. The feeling in her heart was worse than when she learned Sirius got disowned.
Regulus was different though. She knew he was dead before Lucius told her. She had a feeling, like a pain, deep down inside that stated something was wrong. He was the one person she truly loved— truly cared for.
They stood together for a long time as Narcissa tried to get a handle on her grief, and eventually her sobs began to subside. Lucius stole a kiss from his fiancée and raised an eyebrow when she didn't return the favor.
"I can't." She whispered. "I— Lucius, I need to be alone." Finding alone time in the mansion the two shared was nearly impossible. She had to go somewhere else to be alone— somewhere more private. Narcissa gave Lucius a weak hug and exited the room. Her satin covered feet barely made a sound as she tread down the hall.
The pale blonde entered the library, sniffling while she glanced around, and approached the small bookshelf that shelved her personal possessions. She grasped a thick, leather bound photo album and flipped through the pages until she found the middle. Once there, she tapped a page with her wand and waited for the concealment charm to wear off. It took some rather risky magic and lots of book reading to find the perfect non-traceable concealment charm to hide one of her deepest, darkest secrets from the eyes of her loved ones. The little black book appeared, resting as she had last left it, before her eyes.
The book was a journal she and Regulus shared during the countless nights they spent together between their years at Hogwarts and onward. It had originally been Narcissa's diary but a simple fact remained at the time things took a drastic turn. She and her first cousin were in a relationship. The knowledge was known between the two. Their families had yet to find out and likely never would.
Narcissa broke the silence with a stifled sob and opened the first page. Her eyes darted across the page in a dance from left to right each time the page flipped…
Two cousins sat beneath the branchy shelter of a weeping willow in the backyard of the Black sister's home. The older one, a blonde with brilliant long hair, gave an exasperated sigh to the boy laying across from her.
"Did you even pay attention in class?" Narcissa groaned, glaring at the fifteen year old. Aunt Walburga enlisted her in tutoring Regulus over the winter break to ensure that his grades were up to par with the high expectations of a pureblood heir.
"Well," shrugged Regulus, "No. Herbology won't get me anywhere in life so why bother?"
"That attitude is exactly why your blessed mother wants me to tutor you." Her voice was laced with sarcasm. "I could be spending my day doing my own work, so do me a fa-" Narcissa's eyes grew wide with shock. Her cousin's lips met hers in a firm kiss. She kissed him back without thinking and blushed even deeper when the realization hit. The two took longer than necessary to finally separate. Narcissa was stunned, silently eyeing her younger cousin.
"Regulus." She whispered. "What was...?"
"Shush." He pressed a finger to her lips and held it there. "No one needs to know."
Madam Puddifoot's was the location for the pair's first real 'date'. Regulus and Narcissa were dressed in clothes that kept their faces mostly hidden from the other diners. They chose one of the most private booths available, one that was in a secluded spot that was far away from the other couples in the building, as an extra precaution. An unexpected couple made an appearance during their date. Andromeda and an unfamiliar boy from Hufflepuff broke the silence in the shop when they entered. Narcissa recognized her sister's laughter the moment she walked in. The Hufflepuff must have made her laugh. The couple shared a kiss shortly after entering the shop. Narcissa blanched in surprise. Her sister was keeping secrets from Bella and her. She began to wonder about the identity of the Hufflepuff boy. He certainly wasn't a pureblood. She went to stand up and approach the two but Regulus shook his head and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Asking Andy about the mysterious Hufflepuff could expose their secret. It wasn't something they were willing to risk.
Regulus and Narcissa were alone in a deserted classroom. The male was shirtless, his hands snaking up the thighs of his companion, ready to delve beneath her skirt, as they shared a passionate kiss. They had to stay quiet in order to avoid being caught by a professor or student passing through the hall. It was one of many meetings that went unnoticed during their days of hiding their relationship from family and friends.
Their bodies were entwined two years later, fully clothed, while they made out on a park bench in a town far from Grimmauld Place. Regulus' handwriting took over now and Narcissa couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of the cursive text as it went on to describe the events that followed after the heated kiss. The passion between them just couldn't be contained.
The last page of text included a picture of the two sharing a kiss. The image was unmoving, coming from a muggle camera, on the last day they had spent together before his death. Tears streamed down Narcissa's face. She couldn't hold back now, knowing that he was gone and never coming back. Her cries grew louder the more she thought about her predicament.
There was no choice for her to make now. She would have to marry Lucius. Their families planned the marriage long before she and Lucius knew each other. They were livid when they first found out, but now they were used to each other's company.
Narcissa put the book back into place and slammed the cover shut. A tap of her wand replenished the concealment charm. She bawled loudly, grieving openly in her lonesomeness. Regulus was gone. Her family life was fully shattered with the loss of her final and favorite cousin. It would be up to Lucius and Bellatrix to piece her back together.
Narcissa fell into a deep depression during the months that followed her cousin's funeral. The upset feelings were triggered by the simplest of interactions with what remained of her family.
The only glimmer of hope to come out of it arrived a week after she and Lucius married and settled into their new home. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were expecting a child. Narcissa strived to remain happy and calm to ensure that her pregnancy had no problems for her and her baby boy.
The arrival of her bundle of joy would serve as her only way of pacifying her depression. She vowed to give her son the world at his birth. He was her baby; her new focus in life to keep the darkness at bay.
No one would know of the love she and her cousin had shared. She would take that secret to the grave by repressing the memories and using her child as a way of coping. Narcissa would positively displace her feelings by feeding them to her son. He would receive everything he wanted; no questions asked.
Her actions would work until the day Lord Voldemort decided to make Draco one of his death eaters. Sitting through his induction ceremony brought tears to her eyes. Her worst fear had come true. She could not shake off the feeling that The Dark Lord was punishing her family. Draco was following in Regulus' footsteps but he would not meet the grim end her beloved had. Narcissa would do everything she could to keep her son safe.