Title: Love and Loyalty
Prompts:
Dialogue: Love and loyalty mean more to me than blood. 3
Character: Narcissa 1 - Bellatrix 4.
Pairing: Narcissa/Lucius 2
Words: Velvet 1- Blackberries 1- Ice 1- Chamber 1
Creatures: House Elf 3
Spell: Inscendio 2
Hey there, this is going to be a rather sad oneshot, so… Yeah, that's my warning lol. Apart from that:
*In my headcanon, Draco got his talent and passion for Quidditch from his mother rather than his father (weird but I like the ring of it), and she's a Beater for the Slytherin team.
*In this setting, Narcissa is in her seventh year and Lucius in his first year of studies for working in the Ministry of Magic (or whatever his job is, I'm not very cultivated in the matter).
*Bellatrix is twenty-one years old and married to Rodolphus.
*Andromeda is nineteen and has run away two years prior to the events of this oneshot and was married to Ted one year prior.
*Enjoy!
_
Narcissa ran as fast as she could to the Quidditch pitch, hoping to catch up with her teammates in the changing room before the start of the match. She quickly changed into her Slytherin Quidditch uniform and rejoined her teammates in the planning of their strategy.
Nott gave her a sideways glance before saying, "You're late, Black. This is the final match of the season and if we were missing a Beater, we'd have lost the match for sure…"
"Sorry, Nott, I was in the library and didn't notice the time until five minutes ago. What did I miss?"
"The whole strategy of today is what you missed. We still have a couple of minutes, sit at the front and try to catch up," he said replied, aggravated.
She sighed and did as she was told. Two minutes later, Professor Slughorn was at the entry entrance of the tent, telling Nott that it was time for them to take place assemble in on the pitch. The team walked out of the tent and took their positions on the field. There was the whistle for the match to begin, and they were off.
The whole match went by in a blur to Narcissa as she methodically performed her duties as Beater and before long, the whistle signaling the end of the match against Ravenclaw—and Slytherin's third consecutive win—was heard.
Narcissa was feeling ecstatic; as soon as she changed back into her uniform, she went quickly to the Great Hall to gulp down her dinner and go back to the common room and write the events of the day to her fiancé. Little did she know that he was already waiting for her, casually sitting in the armchair next to the fireplace. Her first reaction was to pause in disbelief at seeing him; her reaction was to take off at a run and jump into his arms as he stood up to welcome her.
She pulled away and smiled at him. "What brought you here?" She asked, her eyes seeming unnaturally moist.
"I have a special permission from the headmaster," he explained with a carefree shrug.
"Isn't that for family only?" Narcissa asked again, frowning.
"I can still go back," he joked halfheartedly.
Her smile dropped instantly. "What's wrong, Lucius?"
He kept his hands on her small shoulders and said, "There are some things that you have to know… I'm afraid I am not bringing you good news, Cissy."
Her lips parted before she swallowed the sour taste in her mouth, and said, "What is it?"
His hand caressed her cheek, the expression on his face apologetic; "You should sit down before I tell you anything, Narcissa."
She did so and said, "Please speak up, you're scaring me…"
He sat to her right, an arm over her shoulders; "You see, yesterday I was visiting your father to discuss the guest list of the wedding ceremony, the guest list in fact and when I brought up Andromeda while saying that you would want her to be part of the most memorable day of your life, your mother— she…" He trailed off.
"She called off the marriage?" Narcissa asked, feeling a knot form in her stomach.
People started entering the common room and Lucius made an irritated sound. "Where can we have some privacy?"
"Uh, the Astronomy tower… Or the courtyard," she suggested feebly, half of herself not wanting to hear the news, the other and half wanting to know what the problem was.
"The tower will be sufficient," he grumbled as they both stood up.
"Aye, Malfoy!" Nott greeted. "Guess who won the Quidditch cup again?"
"Well done, Nott. Maybe you could focus on your NEWTs now, I hear you're far from succeeding…"
"You're no fun, mate," Nott groaned.
"Lucius, is something the matter?" Narcissa asked in a soft murmur as she clung to his left elbow.
"Nothing, dear. A bit of stress, I think," he said dismissively as they penetrated entered the main hallway leading that led to the Astronomy tower.
They walked in silence till they reached the base of the tower. rest of the walk was done silently. They marched up the stairs in a slowly, fashion neither of them wanting to disrupt the peace that they both knew was fast coming to an end. Narcissa knew, as she and Lucius stepped on the last step, upwards that her world would never be the same. He walked forth, freeing his arm from her pale hand, and leant against the bar watching the landscape. She walked after him, stood at his right and followed his gaze.
"Cissy, I want you to enjoy this view. We can talk after the sun sets," he said, his voice oddly calm and composed.
"Lucius, how grave is the news?" Narcissa asked, fully worried by then.
He looked down, but dizziness took over him as he immediately directed his gaze upward and said, "When Andromeda was mentioned, your mother burst into a fit of rage… In short, she was sent to St. Mungo's intensive care ward. Your father needs you to visit her; everything is settled with the Headmaster and your teachers. You can take some clothes to sleep in; it might take a few days—"
"What might take a few days?" She cut in, her face paler than usual.
Lucius swallowed nervously "Will you please listen to me?"
Narcissa used her hand to turn his face to her; "Lucius, you're shaking," she murmured in shock.
"It-It's nothing, Cissy, love," he said briefly "go pack your belongings; I'll be waiting for you outside of Dumbledore's office…"
He turned away and tried going for made for the stairs, but she held his left arm, making causing the cufflink of the puffy sleeve to crack and having a glimpse of reveal a black spot on his forearm. She gasped and he froze, he turned turning toward her slowly while as she stared at his loose sleeve, her mouth gaping.
"Show me," she ordered sharply.
"Narcissa, it's not what it looks like, I swear—"
"Show me!" She exclaimed, feeling her temper flare.
He sighed, but reluctantly pulled up his sleeve. A tiny gasp escaped her lips as she raised her hand to cover her mouth, an expression of shock and sadness taking over her features. She took a step back, and ignored the pained expression on his face.
"You too?" She whispered almost inaudibly.
"Narcissa, you need to understand my reasons for joining him—" he begged.
She cut in with an, "I do not want to discuss this right now; I need to get to my mother."
"Cissy, please listen to me, I—"
"I said I didn't want to hear it, Malfoy," she sighed as she descended the flight of stairs two at a time.
"Narcissa, wait!"
She didn't respond. She made her way to the dungeons. As soon as she said the password, a roar of music, laughter and chatter hit her right in the face. She ignored the celebration of for winning the Quidditch House Cup and made her way toward the dorm she shared with a sixth year and three other seventh years, and slammed the door hard.
"Why the fuss?" The sixth year asked, her brows raised.
"Nothing," Narcissa snapped as she made her way toward her trunk and pulled out pieces of parchment, a quill and a bottle of black ink.
"It doesn't look like nothing," the black haired witch said idly.
"Could you please just leave me alone?" Narcissa sighed.
The girl shrugged "Sure, Your Highness."
The blonde watched intently as her roommate stood up and walked out of the dorm and closed the door. She sighed again and tried to clear as she dipped the quill into the pot of ink and wrote the addressee's name:
Dear Andromeda,
I know that I haven't written to you in over two years and I am ridden with guilt over that fact, but I am writing to you because I need you. I need my sister; so please do not throw away this letter.
I just discovered that Lucius is a Death Eater; that he's joined You-Know-Who in that blood purity quest of his. I don't want him to be constantly in danger of being sent to Azkaban. 'Dromeda, I am to be married to him… I love him. I cannot help but be worried about him; what if he gets killed? I am as worried about him as you were about father discovering your relationship with Tonks—maybe even more. I know how you felt then, and I sincerely apologize for not being understanding enough when you needed me…
Sorry, this letter is too self-centered. How are you? Is life as a married womantreating youas you expected it tobe? Does he live up to your expectations?
Oh, Merlin! I forgot to tell you, mother is in St. Mungo's since yesterday. I am to visit her; this is the reason why Luciuswasat Hogwarts;andhe came to pick me up. I have to pack right now,butI shall keep you updated on her state as I do not know how critical her situation is.
Hoping you are well,
Love, Cissy.
She folded the letter, wrote her sister's name on its front and left her dorm. Narcissa, being the Head Girl, was able to walk about the corridors at night. Purposefully, that is. And she had one purpose: going to the Owlery and to posting the letter to her sister. She walked swiftly, ignoring Peeves—who was asking her where she was going—so fast, she almost tripped over her robes and used the corridors where she was less likely to be interpelled interrupted by a patrolling Prefect.
She finally arrived to the courtyard, but once there, she regretted not wearing a cloak before going out, for the air was ice cold. She considered going back to her dorm, but being more than halfway through since she was almost at her destination, she decided against it. Narcissa hugged herself, being careful not to crumple her letter, and gritting gritted her teeth, and marched up to the Owlery.
When she arrived at the top of the tower's staircase, she took a long look at the available owls until she found one that she was familiar with, and gave it the letter with a soft murmur of, "Take this to Andromeda Tonks," and she caressed the bird's head before letting it fly away. She sighed and decided to stay in the Owlery for a bit longer before making her way back to the noisy common room.
She started thinking about her life and the possibilities of it; had she not fallen in love with Lucius, she would have been betrothed to a complete stranger who would, at least be a pure blood. She found the image rather difficult to put up so she decided to compare her situation with that of her sisters'.
Bellatrix was stuck in an affectionless marriage, yet she never complained about it and felt rather proud to have a pure blood as for a husband. Narcissa shook her head at the thought, she would never accept to live a loveless marriage.
Then came the thought of Andromeda's current life; estranged from her family and labeled Blood-Traitor because she chose love over blood. The youngest Black sister contemplated the thought and wondered whether she would have done the same for Lucius, had he been a Muggle-Born. She did not want an affectionless marriage, but would she go against her family's ways to have what she wanted? Surely—
"What would compel you to come up here at such a time?" Lucius's voice cut in the middle of her thought.
She turned sharply to glare at him. "I needed some space," she snapped.
Lucius was about to retort when he noticed that she was only wearing her uniform. He walked toward her; shed took his cloak off of himself and put it on her shoulders. He stroked her arms, it didn't work, of course; his attempt didn't seep warmth into her body or her heart, and she continued to glare at him.
He sighed. "I know what you must think of me, Cissy… And I have no excuse as to why I would have done it that besides the Blood Purity because, I—"
"I'm scared for you, Lucius. This is what I think," she snapped, feeling a knot form in her chest. "We are to be married, what if something bad happens to you? Did you think that I did not worry enough when Bella joined him? Or did you think that I would praise you like she must have done for Rodolphus when he joined the Dark Lord?"
"I followed him because I believe in the cause; I never wanted you to worry about me, love," he murmured, caressing her icy cheekbone with the back of his fingers.
Narcissa gulped hard, the knot in her throat turning into tears. "I want to live with you forever, Lucius. Alas, I know this is not possible, but having you risk your life every single day for such a cause… You are the only person that I truly feel comfortable around, the only one I can tell everything to. If I were to lose you, I would lose the willingness to live and soon join you. Do you understand how this decision of yours affects me?"
He did not answer. Instead, he pulled her in for a reassuring hug. At the feel of his chest against her face; his strong arms around her thin body; she finally gave in to the desire to cry and let her soft sobs escape her mouth as she closed wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed the top of her head, caressing her hair and her back while whispering soothing words to her…
A few minutes later, she calmed down and they started making their way back to the castle. Only when they were at the common room— which was warmed from thanks to the large fireplace—did Narcissa notice that she still wore Lucius's heavy, black, velvet cloak. She gave it back to him and politely excused herself to go pack a few sets of clothes in a bag.
Once she did so, she joined him back to the common room. They both said their farewells to their friends and made their way to Dumbledore's office. After a brief discussion, they Floo'ed to the Black manor where they were met by: Cygnus, Walburga, Orion, young Regulus Black, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. Lucius greeted them all while Narcissa unceremoniously put her bag on the floor and gave them a questioning look.
"Look who finally decided to grace us with their presence," Bellatrix snickered.
"What's going on? I thought mother was in St. Mungo's, why aren't you all there?" Narcissa questioned.
Cygnus glared at Lucius "You didn't tell her?!"
Lucius kept a composed expression as he said, "I thought it would be wrong to come from me."
"More like you didn't want to have to do the dirty job, Malfoy," Bellatrix snapped, giving him a dirty glance.
"Calm down, Bellatrix," said Walburga.
"You had one job, Malfoy!" Bellatrix yelled.
"One difficult job Bellatrix, how did you want me to tell her that?" He asked, looking down at her.
She narrowed her heavy-lidded eyes and turned to her sister. "Mother didn't survive her heart failure, Cissy. She died this morning. The funeral is tomorrow afternoon."
"What?" Narcissa breathed out.
"Cissy—" Walburga started.
She Narcissa cut in abruptly; "I… I don't believe it, how..? She was so young, how could her heart fail at such an age?"
"Ask your fiancé," Bellatrix muttered.
"Enough, Bella!" Cygnus yelled at her, making causing everyone's thoughts to go silent for a moment, "Narcissa, go to your chambers and get changed for dinner. We will discuss this fully in the dining-room."
She nodded stiffly and with no a second glance towards the people in the room, grabbed her bag and made her way upstairs. She locked her chambers' doors and before even thinking of choosing clothes for dinner, she heard a ticking sound on her window. She walked there with light steps and opened it to welcome a beige and brown owl holding a letter. She didn't need to read who was the addresser or even the addressee; she ripped the envelope apart and sat at her desk. She tapped her wand on her lamp, turning it on, and started reading the brief letter. It was brief.
Dearest Cissy,
As much as you think that I might even be mad at you for not contacting me, let me assure you that you are very wrong. You are my baby sister and always will be, you can owl me whenever you want to talk or give me news.
I am very sorry to hear that Lucius has joined the Death Eaters; let him know what you think of it in full. But try to be gentle, for he loves you dearly, even I could see it.
I could not be happier, Cissy. Ted and I live in a cottage in the country and we're expecting a baby! I will keep you updated when I deliverit.
I'm sorry to hear about mother; I would tell you to send her love but I know you cannot tell anyone that we are still in touch. Keep me updated on her condition, I'm worried about her.
Hoping you are doing better,
'Dromeda.
Ps: Ted's owl likes to be scratched on the head before being sent away, otherwise she won't move.
A tear rolled down Narcissa's cheek, then two. It was not a couple of minutes before she realized that she was crying again for different reasons: Andromeda was pregnant; their mother had passed away. The conflict in Narcissa's mind grew stronger by the second, should she tell her sister about their mother? Of course... But what if the news had an effect on her and on the baby? After a fair bit of thought on the matter, Narcissa knew who to write to.
Tonks,
I write this to you because I do not want to worry Andromeda, given her pregnancy. Our mother passed away this morning and I have no idea how to announce it to 'Dromeda. I am very sorry to put you through this task, but I myself don't know how I am going to cope… I will send you another owl with the time and place of the funeral.
Hoping you are well,
Narcissa Black.
She sighed shakily, gave the letter to the bird, and remembering Andromeda's Post Scriptum, scratched its head before letting it fly out the window. She closed it right after it the owl left and turned to her desk—when she heard a knock on the door.
"Who is this it?" She asked, surprised by how thick her voice sounded.
"It's me," said Bellatrix's voice. "I'm coming in."
Narcissa had a split second to grab the letter, crumple it into her fist and throw it under her bed before she heard the click of her sister's spell unlocking the her door.
"Since when do you lock the door with a spell?" She asked, walking in.
"Since I am of age," she replied, her voice still a little shaky and thick "since when do you knock on the door?"
"Since our mother died; you know how I hate people who cry," she said before throwing herself on Narcissa's neat four-poster bed. She glanced at the desk. "What's that..?"
The envelope. Narcissa's blood ran cold in her veins, and before she even had the time to lunge forward to grab it, Bellatrix had already summoned it and smirked at her sister.
"Cheating on Malfoy already?" She clicked her tongue in disapproval "And I thought you'd be the only one not to. Well, let us see who the other one is, shall we?"
"Please don't, Bella," Narcissa pleaded hopelessly.
The black-haired witch shook her head and searched the envelope for the addresser's name. In the top left corner, neatly written, was a name that she had learned to detest. Her features turned hard as she slowly looked up at her younger sister.
"Corresponding with the Blood-Traitor, are we?" Bellatrix sneered.
"She's our sister, Bella. She—"
"She was our sister, Cissy," she said the endearment in a sarcastic way, "before she went off with that Mudblood of hers, bringing shame to our family by turning into a filthy Blood-Traitor!"
"Is this all that matters, then?" Narcissa asked "What about all the memories you've had with her?"
"Blood Status is of utmost importance; should I remind you what is written in our family tree?'Toujours Pur', and in case you need help deciphering it, I'll give you a hint: Always Pure. We need no Blood-Traitors or Half-Blood filth in our family!" Bellatrix snarled said with pride as she stood up to face her sister, towering over her by half a foot thanks to her high heels.
"Is that what it means to you? Does it mean more than love? More than loyalty?" Narcissa seethed.
"You choose the people you love, and your loyalty lies with your family," Bella retorted.
She shook her head "See, this is where you're wrong. Love and loyalty mean more to me than blood."
"Is that so?" Bellatrix said asked tauntingly. "So you wouldn't mind me telling father that you're associating with the Blood-Traitor?"
"I wouldn't do this if I were you; he isn't in any need of this rubbish at the moment."
"Rubbish? Is that how you call betraying the noblest family of the Sacred Twenty-Eight?"
Just then, a knock on the door made them turn toward the sound, followed by a "Dinner is ready, Missus," in Kreacher's voice.
"This is not over," Bellatrix hissed, throwing the now crumpled envelope on the floor and muttering "Inscendio" while pointing her wand at it.
"I need to change," Narcissa said before gesturing to the door.
Bellatrix stormed out of the chamber and slammed the door behind her.
The dinner was uneventful, except for the location and time of the funeral being announced, permitting Narcissa to communicate them to her pregnant sister after the meal. She ate her dessert, a blackberry tart, and excused herself. She quickly wrote a the letter and waited anxiously for her brother-in-law to reply. When he did, she sent him the place and time of the funeral, saying it'd be better for them to come after the burial.
The next morning was the funeral and she was wearing had decided to wear a simple black dress and the silver ring that her mother had gifted her when she turned seventeen. Lucius had an entirely black set of robes and waited for her to go to the graveyard. As they walked—for the burial place was not far from the Black estate—Narcissa did her best to stay composed.
"I am sorry for not telling you, Narcissa," he Lucius said softly.
"You were trying before… Before I discovered your new hobby, and I saw how hard it was for you. You would understand how hard it would be for me if I had to tell our child that their father would never come back home, wouldn't you?" She asked challengingly, keeping her voice at a respectable volume.
He gulped. "Yes… I cannot begin to tell you how remorseful I feel for inflicting this on you, but from now on I will never stop trying to make up for it."
"How?" She asked.
"You can invite your sister to the Malfoy manor whenever pleases you please after we get married," he said simply.
She looked up at him. "You know Bellatrix will certainly not need an invitation to pop in, don't you?"
"I was not talking about that sister. Were it my choice, she would not even set foot at our wedding," he said replied dryly.
She blinked in realization. "Lucius, are you sure this is not too risky? She is, after all, considered a Blood-Traitor. I do not think that it would set well with your life as a Death Eater…"
He frowned "Right… Send her gold, anonymously if you like… I want to make up for it this way because I know how close you were to her, and I cannot begin to guess how much you must miss her. Unlike any other Black, you have a kind, sensible heart and I would hate myself for damaging it, for it is why I fell in love with you."
She looked up at him, facing her and murmured "Lucius…"
He leaned in and gave her a love-filled kiss, using his forefinger to lift up her chin. She went on the tip of her toes in order tiptoed to kiss him fully have a full take on his lips; her arms around his neck while his snaked around her waist. The kiss was only just getting deeper and more passionate—before they were rudely interrupted by someone clearing their throat.
Rodolphus smirked lightly. "This is a funeral, lovebirds. You two can explore each other's throat later in the evening."
"Manners, Rodolphus," Lucius scolded grinning slightly.
"You go ahead, Master Malfoy, Miss Black," said Rodolphus with a slight bow of his head.
"Why thank you, Master Lestrange. Dare I ask where Mistress Lestrange is?" Lucius asked.
"With Cygnus and Orion, greeting guests already," Rodolphus said as all three of them walked in a well-mannered fashion to the graveyard.
The day went on slowly, people came presenting their condolences to the sisters and their father, some asking where the third sister was -to which Bellatrix answered "Abroad." dryly- and how they are coping with the blow of Mistress Black's death. Two hours after the funeral started, the coffin was under six feet of ground and the last guests were leaving. Narcissa lingered, pretending to say a final Goodbye to her mother in private, when she was actually waiting for Andromeda to show up. She never did.
A few days later, still in the Black manor, Narcissa got a letter from the Tonks's owl— more like a note from Andromeda.
Sorry I didn't come to the funeral. It's a girl, Nymphadora Druella Tonks. I love you.
Andromeda.