AN: Hello! I mentioned on my tumblr that I would take fic requests, and thorkys mentioned a soulmate AU in which Hogwarts-age Lucius and Narcissa are falling in love for the first time. This is my first attempt at any sort of AU, so comments are absolutely welcomed (but please go easy on me, where possible- I'm learning as I go). My plan is to keep this one going for quite a while and work on one-shots now and then, as well. I'll update as often as I can. I would absolutely love reviews. (S/O to tinylexie for her incredibly kind review of "Trouble Is." That made me incredibly happy.) I'll shut up now. I do not own HP, nor do I own the song "Hey, Soul Sister." Train does.

Chapter One

Narcissa sat at the foot of the bed in the room that had been vacant for the last several months, taking in the feeling of being here for the last time. She knew her parents had only refrained from removing the last of Andromeda's things out of either laziness or disinterest and that they would surely grow tired of these reminders of their middle daughter sooner or later. Narcissa wanted one more moment to pretend her sister might walk through the door at any time and ask her to listen to some thrilling story told in that breathless, passionate way Andromeda had always spoken in when she'd allowed herself to enjoy her life outside of the restrictions Cygnus and Druella imposed on their daughters.

As Narcissa ran her fingertips gently over the shape her sister had carved into the edge of the footboard, she remembered Andromeda's explanation of why the image was so important.

"It's just like the one on my shoulder, Cissy. See?" Andromeda shrugged her robe from her shoulder and pulled her wavy brown hair to the side, allowing her younger sister a better view of the smooth silver lines that had materialized on her pale skin overnight in the outline of a dog. With her free hand, Andromeda tapped the spot on the footboard where she had used a spell to replicate the image.

"Why do you want it there?" asked Narcissa, nodding toward the carving as she leaned back against her sister's pillows. "Aren't you worried Mum and Dad will strangle you?"

Andromeda laughed, pulling her robe back up over her nightgown and letting her hair fall into place again before she scooted back to sit beside Narcissa.

"I can't see the one on my shoulder very well, and having it on the bed gives me a way to remind myself that things are going to be okay. I really don't care what they think of it. It just proves they have no idea what they're talking about, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"You know how it works, don't you?" Andromeda lay down, propping her elbow on the pillows and resting her chin on her hand as she watched Narcissa closely. The younger Black fidgeted a bit, glancing away from her sister as she felt the heat beginning to rise in her cheeks.

"Sort of," said Narcissa. "I know an animal of some sort shows up somewhere on a witch or wizard's body when the person has met their soulmate."

"Well, almost. It's when you really form a connection with the person you're meant to spend your life with—your soulmate, yes. It's not enough to just meet them."

Narcissa sighed lightly. "Okay, you have to connect with them. I understand."

"And the animal that appears isn't random," said Andromeda. "It's your soulmate's patronus. Essentially, it's like having a representation of that person's soul appear on you when you're ready to embrace the idea that you're meant to be together. Isn't that romantic?"

Narcissa nodded, but she said nothing. She agreed. It was probably the most romantic idea she'd ever heard, and the magic responsible for such a thing must've been ancient and highly powerful, to affect anyone in the Wizarding population at any given time. Still, she couldn't imagine the pressure it would put on someone to be living normally one day and find out the next that she'd met the one person who she could ever truly be happy with. She'd heard of too many instances of people attempting to defy this magic to find the idea completely comforting. Andromeda had said the patronus image appeared when someone was ready, but in Narcissa's experience, the people who had acquired the tattoo-like images hadn't always considered themselves ready for the idea. The magic had deemed them prepared, but she'd known at least three of her classmates to refuse to cooperate, continuing in other relationships despite the knowledge that they were doomed to unhappiness and alienating their soulmates in the process. Nickolas Crabbe and Rosalyn Selwyn had been close friends until the appearance of their images had made things incredibly awkward within their group, as Nickolas had been dating Alecto Carrow at the time and refused to end the relationship based on the emergence of a fox on his upper arm.

The entire process was alarming to Narcissa. She loved the idea of finding someone who was perfect for her as no one else could be, and at Hogwarts, she often found herself wondering if one of her friends or housemates would be revealed as her match. At the same time, however, she had developed an unshakable fear in response to what she'd seen: what if her match refused her, as Nickolas had done with Rosalyn? What if he disliked the idea of Narcissa as his soulmate and she, knowing she would never be able to love anyone else quite as much, was left alone?

"Cissy, are you okay?"

Narcissa blinked away her worried thoughts and returned her focus to Andromeda, who was watching her with a concerned frown.

"I'm fine. Sorry, just thinking."

Andromeda reached out to take Narcissa's hand in both of her own, which were considerably warmer. Narcissa was always cold in her parents' house.

"You'll find your match," said Andromeda. "I know you will. And you'll be so happy."

"Like you." Narcissa bit back a sigh. She was thrilled for her sister's happiness, but she was also apprehensive. Andromeda had told her nothing about whoever the dog patronus belonged to, and the two had never kept secrets from one another before. Narcissa doubted this was a good sign. "Are you planning to tell me who's walking around wearing your patronus, now? Or am I going to have to ad-lib my maid-of-honor speech? That's really not fair, Andi. I can't very well plan your wedding if you won't tell me about—"

"Narcissa." Andromeda shook her head, a small, sad smile on her lips. "First of all, yes, you would be my first choice for maid-of-honor. But for right now, it's better if you don't know who he is."

"Why?" Narcissa pressed. "I'm not going to say anything to our parents—or even to Bella. And she's too preoccupied with whatever the Dark Lord's got her doing to nose into your business on her own. What do you think it could possibly hurt to just tell me?"

"I don't want you to suffer for knowing. Whatever's going to happen… I want it to fall on just me."

Narcissa frowned. "What do you mean? If he's really your soulmate, why would anyone punish you for being together?"

Andromeda sat up and leaned forward to embrace Narcissa tightly. "Just remember I love you, okay? And always follow what your heart tells you, not what Mum and Dad say. I just want you to be happy."

Narcissa blinked, returning her sister's hug as she attempted to understand what Andromeda was really trying to say. If something drastic was coming and Andromeda planned to bear the full weight of it despite the help the younger Black was willing to offer, Narcissa wished her sister would at least warn her about what type of disaster she needed to shield herself from. "I love you, too," said Narcissa at last. "But stop talking like you're leaving. You promised we would get to spend this summer together when I got back from school. I've been home three days. You're not allowed to go anywhere."

Andromeda laughed quietly. "Stop worrying. Come on, let's go get breakfast."

"You weren't supposed to leave," breathed Narcissa now, pulling her fingers back from the dog carving with a shake of her head that displaced a lock of blond hair into her face. She brushed it away and slid off the bed and to her feet, treading quickly out the door and down the hall toward her own room without looking back.

Her trunk lay open on her bed, her clothes folded neatly within and ready to be transported the following morning. She'd spent the first few weeks after Andromeda's departure in denial, telling herself that her parents couldn't possibly be this unreasonable. It wasn't her sister's fault that the stupid magical tattoo happened to match the patronus of a Muggleborn wizard. It wasn't as though Andromeda had been given a choice as to whom the universe decided she was meant to be with.

The sound of footsteps approaching from outside the room drew Narcissa's attention, and she tensed on instinct. She recognized the gait by sound as belonging to her mother, and it was through sheer willpower that Narcissa managed to resist the urge to let her hands constrict into fists.

"I've spoken with the Rowles," said Druella's voice. Her tone was bored; Narcissa imagined her mother was likely the only witch capable of discussing the plans she'd made for her daughter's future in the same cold alto she applied to ordering a house elf to wash the linens.

"What did they say?" asked Narcissa, solely out of obligation. She couldn't have cared less what Thomas and Hattie Rowle had to say about her, and the idea that her own parents were actually considering forcing her into an arranged marriage with Thorfinn was enough to bring a sickening taste to her mouth.

"That you're suitable enough and they'll get back to us on what date works best for a ceremony."

Tears bit at the edges of Narcissa's eyes as she stared deliberately at her pale blue curtains, continuing to face completely away from her mother with no intention of turning around.

"'Suitable enough.' Thanks, Mother."

"Those were Thomas's words, Narcissa. Stop being so unreasonable. It's a marriage, not a death sentence."

Actually, with Thorfinn, thought Narcissa, I'm pretty sure it's both.

"So because Andi's soulmate was someone you didn't approve of," she said, fighting hard to keep the anger from her tone but not completely succeeding, "you're not even going to give me the chance to meet mine? To actually fall in love?"

"We aren't taking that chance again," said Druella simply, and her words were punctuated by the sound of her footsteps retreating. Narcissa remained still for several moments longer apart from the trembling that had spread through her as her body's way of releasing her fury. When she was certain her mother had gone far enough away not to hear, she made her way to the door and slammed it shut, leaning back against the dark wood and closing her eyes tightly.

Tomorrow, she told herself, I'll be back at Hogwarts. I won't have to deal with any of this right away. Bella's occupied with the Dark Lord, and Andi… isn't around. But at least I'll have my friends.

Narcissa opened her eyes and made her way toward her trunk, lifting a small frame with an enchanted photograph from where she'd lain it next to one of her blouses. The image in the frame was that of herself with a group of her housemates—the girls she'd roomed with since first year and several members of the Quidditch team, including Lucius Malfoy, who smiled up at her from the frame with his arm around the shoulders of her photographed self. At the very least, she would have him to talk to, when she returned.

One more day. Then I'll be far away from here.