The first of four oneshots in response to the Seasons Challenge. This chapter is for Autumn, and the required words were- leaves, tree, fight, breathe, song, and brown.

Enjoy!

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Narcissa ran after Lucius, shouting his name. He was running towards the Forbidden Forest, laughing as he left her behind. "Lucius! Stop it! Slow down!" He ignored her and ran into the trees.

She finally reached the forest, her cheeks flushed and her blue eyes sparking dangerously. In the end she'd given up walking and ran after him. Her gaze swept the large trees, searching for her boyfriend. She didn't see him. "Lucius?" Her call echoed, ringing back to her. No answer. "Lucius?" she called again. Once more, silence met her words.

Narcissa began to panic. What if something had taken him? There were creatures in these woods, beasts that could easily carry away a seventeen year old boy- wand or no wand. She called his name again, louder this time.

That was it. She was going back to the castle for help. Turning, she stopped in her tracks when a branch snapped and a bone chilling scream filled the cool autumn air. "Lucius!" she screamed his name, terrified. Shrieks began to spill from her lips, uncontrollable. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. He was dead, she knew it. Something had taken him and killed him.

She tried to focus on something to calm herself down. She needed to stop screaming and make her way to the castle for help. She noticed the breeze blowing through the trees, clacking branches together. It was almost like a song. Closing her eyes, she gaze her full attention to the sound, imagining that she was sleeping and this was all a dream. When she began to feel her tense body loosen up, Narcissa rose to her feet, gripping her wand tightly.

A sudden chuckle filled the air. Her eyes snapped open. She knew that laugh, it was Lucius's. The sound filled the woods, surrounding her. It had been an act, all of it. She tightened her hold on her wand, with anger this time rather than fear. "Malfoy!" she shouted, using his last name to let him know she was angry. "That wasn't funny!" She spun on the spot, trying to find his hiding place. Again, his laughter filled her ears. It came from above her, near the treetops. And then she spotted him.

He was standing on a tree branch, his long coat helping him blend in with the leaves, which had turned brown. "Get your arse down here!" She pointed her wand at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. She realized how high up he was. "How'd you get up there, anyways?"

He waved cheerily at her, his grin cheeky. "Sorry love, not coming down. You'll have to fight me." He was a bloody idiot. A bloody, stupid, handsome, charming idiot. She couldn't resist smiling a bit at him when he called her love.

Narcissa stomped her foot. "Fine. I'll fight you." She waved her wand and murmured a spell, watching as a flock of canaries flew towards him. What happened next frightened her. She watched as Lucius tried to duck beneath the onslaught of murderous birds, watched as his hands loosened from the branch he was holding onto. She screamed as his feet slipped from beneath him and he fell, his body plummeting to the forest floor too quickly for her to do anything. He landed on a bush and she heard branches snap beneath his weight.

"Lucius!" She ran towards his limp form, scared that he was dead. "Lucius?" she whispered, leaning over him and stroking his face. Was his neck at a weird angle? She couldn't tell, not in her worried state of mind. What if he was dead? It was all her fault! She'd killed him. Tears filled her eyes and she grasped his hand with her own. It was cold, but then again, Lucius was always cold. That could mean nothing, nothing at all.

A muffled groan escaped the man before her. She grabbed his face in her hands, staring into his eyes as they fluttered open. "Lucius? Lucius, are you all right?" He didn't say anything. In fact, it didn't look like he was doing anything. "Lucius, breathe, okay? Try to breathe."

His lips parted slightly and she saw his chest rise and fall. She helped him off the bush and into a standing position, supporting him as much as she could. "Sweet Merlin, Cissa. Trying to kill me, are you?" were the first words to pass his lips. She flung her arms around him, and kissed him soundly before stepping back and slapping his face. The look on his face was priceless.

Giggling, she turned and ran towards the castle, leaving him behind. "Narcissa! Stop! Slow down, love!" She grinned as he tried to run after her, cursing all the way. Malfoys could be tricky, but Blacks always won.