Written for the Soulmates Competiton for the HPFC

It's More Of A Suggestion - If you choose this option, you have more freedom to play with ways that couples could end up in complex romantic situations. People could have multiple possible soulmates, it could be possible that someone is your soulmate but you are not theirs, it could be that some people have soulmates and others are "freeborn" with no destined soulmate, it could be that people who are soulmates don't necessarily fall in love with each other even though fate chose them for each other, it could be that purebloods follow through on arranged marriages regardless of whether the pairs are soulmates and/or have found their soulmates, OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF.

Pairing: Lucius/Narcissa

Soulmates were always a tricky thing whether or not an individual belonged to the magical community; however, within the magical community in particular the Pureblood one it was an even trickier. Narcissa Black had grown up hearing about soulmates and marriages within her family's social circle, she knew all about the expectations there were for her. She knew that she was only expected to marry her soulmate if they were another pureblood, otherwise a marriage would be arranged for her, a marriage still might be arranged for her even if the were a pureblood depending upon whether or not the family was deemed good enough to marry into. She had seen the consequences first hand of not following her family's expectations: it had only been a little over a year and a half ago when Andromeda turned seventeen and her mark appeared on her wrist revealing the name of a muggleborn Ted Tonks. The Blacks were not in the least bit pleased with the notion that their middle child was fated to fall in love with a mudblood. Andromeda's actions had surprised them all: falling in love with him and running away in the middle of the night to elope.

While it seemed like a romantic notion to Andromeda's fifteen year old younger sister the consequences of them terrified her. She feared the possibility of the same happening to her, she didn't know what she would do in the same circumstances. She wasn't sure if she would be brave enough to willingly get disowned. To be honest Narcissa was terrified of her fate and who she would discover her soulmate to be in a little under six months. She didn't dare seek the advice or comfort of her oldest sister Bellatrix. She knew the older girl would simply laugh at her fears calling them childish. While Bellatrix had married her soulmate,Rodopholus Lestrange, it had simply been a marriage of convenience. He would marry a respectable pureblood woman from a good family and she would become another step closer to joining the Dark Lord's inner circle.

...

On her way to breakfast early one Saturday morning Narcissa was grabbed by the arm and dragged into an empty classroom. She was about to curse whoever had grabbed her when she saw it was Lucius Malfoy. She slowly lowered her wand but kept in her hand in case she changed her mind and wanted to curse him later. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she demanded crossing her arms and frowning at him.

"We need to talk," Lucius answered rolling up his right sleeve to show her how her signature was on his wrist. Narcissa made a face at that hoping that she would find out in a few months that she had a different soulmate when she turned of age. She knew of Lucius' reputation to briefly date the other girl's in her year and the year above her only to ditch them after he slept with them. While she had looked up to him a few years ago his reputation had tainted her opinion of him.

"I don't see why we do. There's no guarantee that I'll have your name and even if I did I wouldn't have to marry you. It's not like we have a marriage contract," Narcissa retorted leaving the room and a stunned Lucius Malfoy in her wake. He couldn't believe a girl would turn him down like that especially the youngest Black that he recently had become quite infatuated with.

...

When Narcissa arrived home for her summer holidays she found out nearly the second she came home that a marriage contract had been drafted for her already. "But, Mother, how is that possible? I'm not of age yet. We don't know who my soulmate is," Narcissa pleaded with her mother to void the contract.

Druella shook her head refusing to give in to her youngest child's request. "It doesn't matter if you don't know yours yet. A perfectly good, respectable, young pureblood man has come forward asking for your hand ...and he happens to have you as a soulmate. Even if you don't have his name as well it's too good of an offer to turn down."

"But, mother," Narcissa whined desperate for her to end up married to anyone else.

"No buts, Narcissa. You are now engaged and hurry up and get changed your betrothed will be here in an hour," Druella responded leaving Narcissa's room. The teenager flopped down on her bed, groaning, before changing and heading downstairs to see Lucius.

...

Lucius and Narcissa spent the next year and a half getting to know each other while they were engaged. After being engaged for six months Narcissa turned seventeen and found out Lucius was her soulmate as well. The more time the two spent together the more they were able to stand each other. By the time their wedding around you could almost say they were friends and slowly starting to become more like a couple.

After finding out Narcissa was his soulmate Lucius started to change. He stopped asking as many girls out and by their wedding he wasn't seeing anyone else. Narcissa had no idea about any of this since she avoided Lucius for the remainder of the time while they were both at Hogwarts and spent her last year there on her own. It wasn't until Narcissa became pregnant with Draco that the two really became close and a couple. Lucius spent all his time not busy working for the Dark Lord with Narcissa. Draco was what brought the two together and what most likely saved their marriage. They began to fall in love when she was pregnant which made it harder for them when he left for Hogwarts at eleven.

...

When her husband was sent to Azakaban and her son ordered to complete the impossible task of killing Dumbeldore she sobbed completely unsure what to do. She couldn't lose both of them. Her whole life revolved around her husband and child. Desperate she went to Snape in an attempt to help Draco accomplish his task and possibly safe his life. When Draco left for Hogwarts that year she broke down crying again like she had went he left five years ago except this time the comfort of her husband wasn't pregnant. She felt a hole in her chest and loss without the two of them.

She ran into Lucius' arms sobbing when he returned from Azkaban. "Lucius," she murmured sobbing into his shoulder as she hugged him. He hugged her back and gently stroked her hair calming her. "Sh, sh it's okay, Cissa. I'm here, everything's going to be okay now," he whispered trying to calm her. She slowly stopped crying realizing he really was there and he wasn't going to leave her again anytime soon. She leaned up to kiss him murmuring a quiet, "I love you," against his lips that he returned moments later.