Chapter Two

A/N: Thank you to NimbusCentaur, for being my first reviewer on this story.

Tightening his tie around his neck, Lucius tried to stay his shaking hands. He was fearful, more so than he had ever been in his life, and it was not on the behalf of himself, but on his darling wife.

Given that she had not yet received a trial, and therefore had not been convicted, the patriarch of the Malfoys had managed to put a great deal of coin into the right pockets, and in return, he had gained access to his wife's cell for a single visit. In truth, he was furious that Narcissa was being held in Azkaban prior to her trial, when there was no proof that Bellatrix's death was cold blooded murder, but if seeing her was all he could do, then that would have to suffice. For now, at least.

That morning, at breakfast, Draco had eaten without once meeting his father's gaze, something that the man had noticed without much hesitation. He did not blame the boy for it, though. He was missing his mother, and had not been permitted to visit her alongside his father, leaving him in a bitter state of sadness, disappointment and envy, one that completely understandable for his father, as he would have felt precisely the same, had he been the one banned from seeing her.

Nevertheless, it had been he who had been permitted, and Lucius was not about to pass over the opportunity to see his wife, as with the corruption and prejudice of the Ministry, there was a chance that it would be the last time he would do so. And so he headed off to the Atrium in London, and from there, he was escorted to the terrible place that had haunted his nightmares for eighteen months, after he had finally been released from the hellhole. Azkaban prison.

Even as he and the guard approached, travelling in a boat, as there was no magic permitted in the area, in case any prisoners should try to escape, the man could not stop himself from shivering. The temperature of the place had not increased since the time in which he had been imprisoned, and neither had the strength of the fear decreased, even when the Dementors had been far more limited in their actions, given the events of the war.

"You are only going to have an hour when we get there." the guard told him, the contempt in his voice clearly showing the one he escorted that he did not want to be around him for any longer than was necessary. In truth, Lucius was not surprised. The Malfoy name still commanded a great deal of fear, despite the fact that the members of it no longer wanted it to do. Perhaps it always would.

"Only an hour?" the man questioned, quite taken aback that after all the effort he had gone to, he was only permitted the most miniscule amount of time with his wife.

"You're lucky to have that amount of time, to see a murderer like her." the watch sniped, and the blonde found himself immediately furious. The man did not seem to mind, in fact, he seemed to revel in the look of anger surfacing on the face of the older man, who was doing all that he could not to punch the man in the face and throw him into the wall, as a punishment for how he had spoken. However, having seen the response that the goading man had given, Lucius decided that he would not rise to the bait. He was not going to allow anything to spoil his chance to see his wife.

Once he had arrived on the frozen island, and had been allowed to find his wife at last, it took him all of a couple of minutes to do so. The cells of the prisoners who were waiting for their trials were always the lowest, and the coldest as well. It was a test that was designed to break them, when they were asked for the names of their accomplices, and Malfoy was furious about its use on his wife. She had no accomplices. She had no one in here.

However, when he finally reached the cell on the end, the only one that was occupied on that floor, the man felt his breath catch in his throat. Curled up into a tight ball in the very corner, her hair in disarray and the skirt of her dress in tatters, was his wife. His beautiful darling wife, Narcissa, and she was almost broken.

"Cissa?" Lucius questioned, his voice so quiet that he could not hear it, yet still seeming to be loud enough to make her start. It seemed that she had been asleep, as she seemed to gasp, as if awaking from a nightmare, an occurrence that had plagued her often, ever since she had been attacked by Bellatrix in the gardens, or perhaps even earlier than that. Seeing that she was a little fearful and confused, Lucius repeated himself, moving a step closer to the woman. "Cissa?"

At last, after what had seemed like an age, his wife raised her head from the tarnished surface of the wall and turned to face him, something in her eyes seeming to light up when she saw the identity of her visitor, the only one she had had since she was bundled into the prison. For a second, she blinked her eyes repeatedly, as if she could not believe that it was him, but that expression faded quickly, leaving only a woman who reached out her arms for her husband's embrace. Within only half a minute, the pair were held so tightly in each other's arms that they were not sure if they would be able to let go. Perhaps they never would do.

"Lucius, I… I'm so sorry for leaving you and Draco… I never wanted for this to happen… I just wanted for us to be a family, I wanted to see my son grow up… and now, I never will." By the final phrase, Narcissa found that she could not continue, as her voice was so choked with sobs that she could not. Lucius understood perfectly, however, and she did not have to say any more. He merely held her tighter, as if by doing so he could protect her from the evils of the world.

When the hour had finally ended, and the guard came to fetch him, bundling him forcefully out of the cell, the blonde man considered awakening his wife, who had fallen into a peaceful sleep for the first time in a long while, the comfort of her husband's arms being enough to lull her into slumber. It was for that reason that he did not do so, merely took a lengthy look at her, memorising each detail of her face before he was taken away.

And as the sun rose once again in the morning, Lucius wondered whether he would ever see that beautiful face again.

A/N: Please review! I want to know what you think!