Narcissa Black sat watching the clock tick by in her bedroom. She wasn't alone. Her older sisters Bellatrix and Andromeda scurried around the room getting ready for the Christmas ball at the Malfoy Mansion. The girls were instructed to look their best for they were at the age to marry, and they had to choose carefully. This, of course, meant that they could only marry pure-bloods and pure-bloods were being married off quickly.

Narcissa, at seventeen, had been raised to believe that purebloods were above the other magical races and therefore elite. She had been raised to look down on anyone who was not as esteemed as she, and at seventeen she felt a danger behind it. Looking up at the clock, Narcissa saw that the ball was about to start soon and she hadn't gotten ready at all. She had been sitting by the window, idle and lost in thought. Her black and white hair was cascading around her shoulders in a tangled mess, and her eye makeup merely swept across her eyes. She was sad but she knew she could not remain so for very long.

"Cissy, what are you doing? The ball is starting in ten minutes!" cried her elder sister Bella. Bellatrix was the oldest Black Sister and had beautiful black hair to show for it. She also had a dark side to her. Sometimes it came out when she was angry, her beautiful features would twist into this ugly, fear provoking creature. Narcissa once found dozens of books regarding dark magic, probably taken from the family library. It was hardly looked down upon, except in the occasion of their mother marrying them off to pureblood admirers. Their mother just wanted to be rid of them.

"I am a witch, Bellatrix. How long must it take to for me to wave my wand and be ready?"
"Don't talk to me like that. Mother wanted you ready now, you're being shown off to the Malfoy boy, remember?"
"Yes, I remember." She said with a soft voice. Bellatrix is right, I need to make an effort tonight. If not for my mother's behalf, then that of Lucius. This ball is all he's talked about for weeks.

"Cissy, can I ask you a question?" asked Andromeda. Andromeda was the nicer of them all. She usually kept her opinions to herself but Narcissa knew that her sister did not agree with what their parents had planned for them, who the girls were intended to marry.

"Sure, but while I'm getting ready okay?"
"Have you been seeing Malfoy?"
"Don't be ridiculous. We're just friends." They, in fact, were not just friends and had been seeing each other seriously for a year. But Narcissa didn't want to make a big deal out of it and neither did he, so they kept it quiet. Apparently, not well.
"Don't lie to us." warned Bella. "We have the same friends, we know what's going on."
"Then why ask?" She returned to the vanity and applied more makeup. Her hair was a disaster but with a flick of her wand and a charm uttered, her hair was instantly tamed. Now for the dress.

"One of you, help me in will you?" Andromeda went over to assist her.

"It's just- are you sure he's the one for you Narcissa?" She asked gingerly.
"How do you mean?"
"I mean, there are other people out there, other people that you could love."
"Andromeda, please tell me you're not referring to that mudblood TONKS." Snarled Bellatrix.
"They aren't bad people."
"Shhhhh, Dromeda will you shut up? Mother will hear you and she'll have your head if you keep talking like that." Hissed Narcissa.
"They're like us, if you spent time around them- you'd know!"
"I don't spend time with 'them' because my sister, they are not worthy of it! They are scum and you know it."
"You know what? I have been seeing Lucius! For quite some time now.. and I personally..don't think I would find better if I wasted my time on a muggle."

"Have you now?" Bella's interest peaked but most likely not for long. There was a fight brewing amongst them.

"Really, him? You deserve much better, Narcissa."

"I don't want anyone but him." She admits this with a shaking modulation to her voice, as though she doesn't believe herself.
"You just don't know."

"Andromeda, what the fuck is your problem tonight?" Bellatrix says this in an oddly, calm tone but as if she was containing her fury.
"Bellatrix!"
"No, seriously what is it?"
" I find them kind, and generous. I don't see any differ-" Bella cut her off, jabbing her wand into her throat.
"Don't." Bellatrix's eyes carried a manic quality as she spoke, she was primed to maim her own sister, possibly kill. "You are a witch, start acting like one."
"Both of you, stop. She didn't mean anything by it, Bella. It's stupid, and a waste of breath. We have to go now…. Come on." Neither sister moved, both eyeing the other with a vengeance. "I'm not kidding, we have to go…" Narcissa walked up to Bellatrix and spoke a bit roughly, "Leave it. Leave it for later."

The three shook it off and finally left but it was never the same after that night.

One month later –

The grass by the lake was soft beneath her palm, weaving its way through her fingers. Narcissa closed her eyes, glad to have a few minutes more before her Charms class began. Here by the lake, everything was simpler, she didn't have to worry about anything.

Sometimes she would bring Lucius with her, for their alone time. In the slytherin dungeons, everyone was watching them, or watching her. She acted like she enjoyed it, like she loved all of the attention but she only did that so they wouldn't know what she was really thinking. As it turns out she was rather good at distracting people with her supposed vanity. Today was one of the days that she had brought Lucius with her.

"Are you alright?"
"yes, I'm fine." She looked up at her boyfriend, "Just fine."
"Can we talk about something?"
"I have a few more minutes before school starts so yes, what's wrong?"
"Remember I told you about a wizard, looking for an army?"
"I do."
"I've been offered a place to serve as such."
"As what?"
"He's calling us Death Eaters." Narcissa was quiet, pondering her thoughts.
"Lucius, what are you saying? Are you going to join them? " She wasn't angry, but she was reserved. The term Death Eater scared her.
"I already have."
"Sorry?" Her face fell.
"I joine-"
"Yes, I know. Why didn't you talk to me about this?"
"Cissy, I did this for us." He started to realize a misstep in his thinking. He had thought she would've supported the idea.
"No, you didn't. You aren't thinking of me! This is about you!"
"I love you Narcissa."
"Lucius."
"I joined because I want to ensure our safety."
"Look, don't bring me into this, don't make decisions for me! My sisters do enough of that for me already." She was grabbing her things, and as she looked back at him she saw his pleading face. "Why do you want to ensure my safety? We're not that serious, are we?"
"Cissy, I was always that serious when it came to you. I want you forever, so I did something to make sure you'd be safe forever."
"Are you asking for my hand?"
"Narcissa, will you-"
"I have to go to class." She picked her things up and left without a glance back. He couldn't see but she couldn't stop crying.

It wasn't the fact that he had joined the "Death Eaters", or that he wanted to protect her. Those were both honorable things to desire, she supposed. She should be proud of him, and she was. Though a part of her was trembling at the thought of what all of that meant for her future. She felt enslaved by her own "pure-blooded" race. Andromeda had a point to saying there were other people out there, although she had meant for her sister to consider Muggles. That was never an option for Narcissa.

Narcissa Black sat in her Charms classroom, as the teacher droned on and on, still puzzled by Lucius. Her thoughts went back and forth as such. He is like my family. He is family to me. I love him and he loves me… but I don't want to be scared my whole life. I can't lose my family, it's all I have. I can't lose Lucius.

Later that day-

Dear Narcissa,
I'm writing to inform you that Theodore Tonks has asked for my hand and I have accepted. We are to be married soon. I couldn't be happier with him as he is the love of my life. He makes me happy in ways I knew not possible. As I said yes, I knew what I was giving up : my family, my legacy, and you as my sister. I will not blame you for siding with our mother and father, even Bella. I just want you to know that I couldn't bring myself to hate Ted, because I loved him so. He is a good, and honest man, and there are others like him.
Cissy, you will be married soon and how I wish I could see you again, but just remember to choose love over everything else. Love is powerful, Narcissa. It can be different things all at the same time. I hope that you choose a man that loves you powerfully and makes you happy. If Lucius is that man for you, then go for it. But if he isn't, he isn't. Not that you'll listen to me now, I am most likely being burned from the family tree as I write. Mother and Father know already.

I love you so much and it pains me greatly to know we shall never speak again. I'm so sorry to leave you alone. But Ted is my family now and there is nothing I wouldn't do for him. You'll understand one day.

I love you, Andromeda

"What's that?" Lucius asked Narcissa as he sat beside her in the stair well.
"A letter from my sister." She responded with heaviness in her voice.
"What does it say?"
"You wouldn't want to know."
"I want to know if it's something that concerns you or pains you in anyway." He was sincere.. sounding.
"It's nothing." She did not convince Lucius who snaked his arm around her, comforting her knowing that it was in fact something. But he didn't press her for more information as she curled into his embrace and let out her anguish. Narcissa was never vulnerable and never allowed for her thoughts to be known but with Lucius she was safe. She wasn't scared with him.
"I love you, Narcissa."
"I love you too."

"I just want you to be happy again. Remember when we were younger, and your mother made you wear frilly dresses?"
"Yes! I hated those dresses." She said with a small laugh.
"I hated them too."
"Lucius, I accept."
"What?"
"Your hand. I accept it."

Lucius' face broke into a wide smile. He held her closer kissing her on the lips passionately. He then pulled a small box out of his pocket with an engagement ring inside. It was official. Tomorrow the happy couple would enter the great hall, hand in hand and everyone would know. Narcissa would write to her parents and Bellatrix, for Andromeda was now dead to her in every way. She had to be.