DISCLAIMER: Ony the plot is mine. nothing else. Characters and locations belong to the FABULOUSLY talented JK Rowling!

A/N: Hello faithful readers!! Here is another chapter to satisfy you all! (hopefully) I am working on a few chapters and stories at once here, so please forgive this and any future delay. I assure you that this plot will not be abandoned... lol I am enjoying it FAR too much! lol So, here you go! (cookies to reviewers!)

Fall From Grace

Chapter Four: Reunion

Andromeda led her sister, Narcissa, through the front door and down the hall to the kitchen. Once she had directed her younger sister to a seat at the kitchen table, Andromeda turned to the stove to prepare the tea. Narcissa adjusted her posture and turned to gaze at the sky through the window. Sighing deeply, she wondered if her husband was looking at those same stars.

"You alright, Cissy?" inquired Andromeda from across the room. "You seem out of sorts."

"I… I'm fine. I'll be fine. It's just been a tough few… Well, it's been difficult. How are you? I was sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. I never did agree with the tactics of the Snatchers."

"Thank you," Andromeda began. "It was hard to hear about his death over the wireless. I just wish I knew what happened to-"

"He didn't suffer," Narcissa interrupted. "At least I was told he didn't suffer. It was just the Killing Curse. Apparently he had insulted one of them and was killed as a reflex when most would have made him live long enough to regret his comments."

The room fell silent for a few moments before the sound of Andromeda sniffing back tears was heard. Narcissa hadn't really thought about what she was saying at the time, but looking back she thought that maybe she could have worded it differently.

"I'm so sorry, 'Dromeda. I…I wasn't thinking. You don't know what it was like for me for the past few months. The Dark Lord himself took up residence at my home and things changed. People talked about killing and torturing like it was as common as eating or even breathing! Lucius was shamed when the Dark Lord took his wand and told him that he didn't see the need for him to have one anymore. We were ridiculed nonstop. Even Draco! My own child…"

The room went silent again as Narcissa once more reflected on her choice of words to her older sister. Both witches sipped their tea quietly, neither looking at the other. The tension in the quaint kitchen was palpable and grew by leaps and bounds as the seconds ticked by. Seemingly sensing where the silence was heading, Andromeda gently placed her tea back on the saucer and raised her eyes back to Narcissa.

"I am very happy that you decided to take me up on my offer for tea, Cissy," Andromeda began, "although I wish you would have alerted me to your arrival before you graced my doorstep."

"Come now, 'Dromeda. You specifically said to show up at any time I felt was appropriate! If I had known that you would have been that offended-" She broke off, noticing the slight smile playing across the face of the older Black sister. With understanding and humor in her voice, she continued. "I see what you are playing at. Good show! The letter that refused to go away was a nice touch. How did you know that I would try to destroy it?"

"Only away from the Manor for thirty minutes and you have already forgotten to whom you are married? I wasn't exactly certain that he wouldn't be with you when the owl found you. That was the only way to ensure that Mr. Malfoy wasn't able to keep you from reading it."

Narcissa nodded in agreement and smiled slightly at the way Andromeda spat out the name of her brother-in-law. She couldn't blame the older witch for her dislike, though. Lucius was a hard man to get along with if you did not share his views on life. Being a pure blood supremacist and having been in Lord Voldemort's inner circle of Death Eaters before his downfall, it was easy to see how one who married a Muggle-born wizard would not get on well with him. Narcissa did envy Andromeda in a way though. While her marriage to Lucius had been one of financial and political gain, Andromeda had married Ted Tonks for love. Despite everything that the Black sisters had grown up believing, Andromeda found her soul mate in a man who was nothing like what she was raised to look for in a husband. Narcissa and Lucius had come to respect and even love each other over the years, but their relationship was nothing in comparison to the passion and devotion shared between the Muggle-born and his witch. The compassion and understanding in that household was evident even when one looked at their daughter.

Narcissa's breath caught in her chest as if she had just remembered an important appointment that she was now late for. Andromeda noticed the quick intake of air and raised an eyebrow to the blonde seated across the table from her.

"Are you quite sure you are alright, Cissy?"

"I really am the most insensitive woman in the world, aren't I?" she asked. When Andromeda didn't answer, she continued. "Here I am talking about my life and my family like I have had it so hard. At least I still have my husband and son. You must be so incredibly lonely here without those you love."

Andromeda looked down at her tea for a moment to ponder her thoughts. Without looking up, she spoke. "But you are here, aren't you Cissy?"

"Andromeda…"

"No, hear me out, Narcissa," Andromeda began using a tone that left little room for argument. "You are my baby sister. We grew up together and I still have many fond memories of us as children. Yes, our husbands may not have liked each other, but that doesn't mean that I didn't keep loving you. Family is forever, Cissy. Do try and remember these things. I may have lost my husband and daughter, but you have come back into my life and I will always have Teddy."

As if on cue, a small whimper was heard from the sitting room down the hall. Andromeda immediately rose from her seat and made her way to the cause of the noise. Not knowing what exactly was happening, Narcissa followed suit and soon found herself gazing down on one of the most beautiful baby boys she had ever seen. He was laying awake in the powder blue bassinette, his hair just a shade or two darker than the cloths that were swaddling him. Teddy had dark blue eyes, perfectly rounded cheeks and a small button nose. Andromeda leaned over to pull him from his bed to check his diaper when Narcissa stopped her.

"May I? It has been ages since I have held a child this small."

Andromeda agreed and the two witches spent the next hour fussing over baby Teddy before sleep finally claimed him again. As Andromeda placed the infant back in his bed, Narcissa noticed the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Instinctively she rose from her seat to comfort her sister.

"He looks so much like Dora did when she was a baby," Andromeda whispered between sobs. "She and Remus were so happy when he was born. The joy they shared over this little life… And then they went to the battle. I didn't want her to go. I knew it wouldn't be safe for her, but she was an Auror and she told me that it was her duty to protect the school, to protect Harry. I miss her so much…"

The sisters stood near the bassinette for a few moments while the elder cried into the shoulder of the younger. When she was finally able to compose herself, Andromeda stepped back and turned to resume her place in the kitchen. Narcissa once again followed down the hall and took her seat near the window at the table. The moon was now high in the night sky and she knew that it was nearing the hour for Andromeda to want to retire for the evening. Sighing heavily, Narcissa lifted her now cold tea to her mouth and replaced it swiftly when the cool liquid touched her lips. She raised her eyes to meet her sister's and spoke the question that she knew would require more explanation than she was willing to give at that moment.

"I was wondering if I would be able to stay here for a few days."

Recognizing the tone that requested only an answer and no questions, Andromeda simply replied with a "yes" and showed Narcissa upstairs to a guest bedroom. When they walked into the small bed chamber, Narcissa immediately felt a pang of loss for the home that she had at least temporarily given up. This room was merely a third of the size of her suite at the Manor and not nearly as nicely appointed. Sure, there was a queen sized bed and an armoire that looked as if it had been Andromeda's from when she was young, but everything was cramped together. Off of the bedroom was a small bath that had a stand up shower, but no tub to relax in. The small vanity wasn't large enough to hold all of her personal grooming effects, so she would either have to keep them in her room, or magically shrink them every time she wanted to put them away. She walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed; thanking her sister for her kindness.

"Don't worry about it, Cissy. I know that you would do the same for me, even if you had to somehow keep it from your…darling husband." Andromeda smiled before continuing. "Just know that I will expect the full details of why you needed to stay here and not return to your home and your own family come morning."

Narcissa chuckled at her sisters comment. "I knew that you wouldn't let me off that easily."

"Good night, Cissy."

"Good night, Andromeda."

--

Stepping out of the shower, Narcissa felt the weight of her actions pushing down on her shoulders. She suddenly felt very sick to her stomach and fell to her knees before the toilet. How could she do this to Lucius? To Draco? No, Draco still wasn't around the Manor often, but the knowledge that his mother had left his father would be enough to make a child of any age question the sanctity of marriage. Who was she to disillusion her son at such a young age? But then she thought about the little boy asleep downstairs who would grow up without any parents. Bellatrix had done that; she was partially responsible. How could she have looked at Nymphadora and just killed her? She must have known with whom she was dueling. Narcissa knew that Bella was very well aware of her niece's position in the Auror's office and of her appearance. Bella was even more of a pure-blood supremacist than Lucius was though, and it was well known by them that their niece was a half-blood.

Pure-bloods… Half-bloods… Muggle-born… Did it even matter anymore? Narcissa had seen them all laying side by side in the Great Hall of Hogwarts after the final battle. They were all equal in death. Pure blooded families were openly weeping along side the Mudbloods and, with the residue of the battle still etched on all their faces, they all looked so similar. They were all Ipeople/I. They all bled and breathed and felt. Some of them were people that she had never seen before. Some were students and classmates of her son. She was sure that Lucius had killed at least one on his journey to find Draco amidst the battle but she couldn't be sure if it was an Order member or a Death Eater. Looking back now, and even at the time she really didn't care. The only thing on her mind at that point was finding their son and ensuring his safety. She was certain that Bella had killed more than anyone else there, save for the giants. Narcissa never understood how Bellatrix could have that much hate in her and be able to do such unspeakable things. Perhaps this was why Narcissa wasn't a Death Eater.

Regaining her footing, the blonde witch made her way to the bed, pulling on her nightdress in the process. As the material fell from her line of sight, she caught sight of an older wizarding photo. It was strikingly similar to the one she had taken off the mantle back at the Manor. Upon closer inspection, Narcissa realized that it had been taken the same day. Unlike the picture that was kept at her home, this one was not posed. The photographer had waited until the three sisters were deep in conversation to take this particular shot. Bellatrix, the eldest of the Black sisters, was sitting to the right of Narcissa and appeared to be going over her Hogwarts letter for that year. Andromeda, sitting on the far left of the picture, was just sipping her tea and listening intently, nodding every few seconds in agreement. Narcissa placed the picture back on the small table she found it on and closed her eyes. The sight of a much older Bellatrix floated to the front of her thoughts. She was dueling a young red headed witch when a much older woman screamed out in protest. A few short moments later, Bellatrix's lifeless body crumpled to the floor.

Narcissa shook the image from her mind and reopened her eyes. Since the death had occurred, Narcissa had been angry that the blood traitor would dare to kill another pure blooded witch. She had even considered taking her revenge against that Weasley woman and had gone as far as to find out the location of the family's home. But now… What was wrong with what that Weasley witch had done? She was only trying to protect her daughter. Narcissa could respect that having tricked Severus Snape into an Unbreakable Vow in order to protect her son. Maybe she really wasn't that different from Mrs. Weasley…

Sitting down on the bed, she couldn't help but laugh out loud a bit. Oh, what would Lucius think if he knew his wife was finding similarities between herself and a Weasley? She knew what he would do. He would draw his wand and make sure she never had those thoughts again. With a small smile, Narcissa drew the covers up to her chin and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to claim her.

--

It was still dark when Narcissa opened her eyes. She was cold and no matter how far up she pulled the blankets, they seemed to do nothing to warm her. She knew what the problem was and sighed sadly at the thought. Even though Lucius had been mentally absent from their marriage for the past month, he was still a physical presence for her. Most mornings Narcissa would find herself closely ensconced within Lucius' arms but not this particular morning…

She could feel the sting burning in her nose and throat. The tears were beginning to form in her eyes and pretty soon, she wouldn't be able to hold them back anymore. They started rolling down her cheeks and she didn't bother to try to hide them or even wipe them away. These were tears of sadness; they were a sign of her weakness where Lucius was concerned. She had loved him and when she wasn't trying to convince herself otherwise, she knew that she still loved him. No one would understand why though, because no one but her and Draco had seen Lucius out of the public eye. When he wanted to, he could be the most caring and considerate man in the entire world. Romance was really important with Lucius Malfoy and the woman who had been lucky enough to marry him often found herself drunk from his affections.

Reaching across the top of the bed, she pulled the spare pillow to her chest and openly wept into it. If Lucius was there, she knew that he would pull her close and allow her to cry into his chest like he had done by the fireplace when she told him she was leaving. She knew at that moment that he still cared for her. Had he truly been extricating himself from everything like she thought he was, he wouldn't have comforted her like he did. He would have been cold and distant like the rest of the Wizarding world thought he really was. Even when he tried to stop her from leaving in the gardens, she could almost make out something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. Was it hurt? Was it confusion? Was it anger?

Anger! The idea hit her like a stunning spell; perhaps he was angry with her! They had never really fought in their marriage and there she was standing in the garden leaving him! No one had ever been so bold as to even presume that they would leave a Malfoy and yet that was exactly what she had just done. This wasn't just any Malfoy either. This was ILucius/I Malfoy! Oh Merlin… What had she done? He had given her a chance; the chance to stay at the Manor and put things straight between them and she had committed the largest betrayal one could commit in the eyes of Lucius Malfoy. She had not only walked out on him, or rather Apparated out on him, but she had retreated to the home of a Muggle lover and blood traitor!

The tears of sadness were quickly turning into tears born from fear. What would he do to her? Would he track her to the home of her sister and dispatch both of them? Would he lure her back to the Manor and torture her for her treason? The horror of the "what if's" carried through into Narcissa's dreams as she had cried herself back to sleep. In her dreams, she saw Lucius' face sneering in that distinctively Malfoy fashion and then a flash of green light. She could hear his laughter, but it wasn't the joyous type that would spill from his mouth after he had heard a good joke. It was evil and heartless; the kind of laugh she expected he reserved for Mudbloods begging on their knees for their lives and trying to convince him that they were worth something. When the green faded, she saw a family of mice lying on the ground, still eyes almost pleading with her and asking why she had to kill them. The spotted cats began to circle her ankles and the high, cold voice of the Dark Lord filled her ears.

"You are just like me, Narcissa, and you will die at the hands of my most loyal."

Just as Lucius flooded her vision along with another flash of green, she felt arms grabbing at her and shaking her out of her nightmares.

"Cissy! Cissy, wake up!" The concern in Andromeda's voice, along with the ceaseless shaking, was enough to bring her back to consciousness.

"I'm awake," Narcissa replied.

"Are you alright? It looked like you were having a nightmare…"

Narcissa shook her head at the statement. "No, I'm fine… What time is it?"

"Breakfast time! That's what time it is!" Andromeda smiled at her sister and they both made their way down to the kitchen.

--

The next few days flew by for the two witches. As expected, Andromeda had probed Narcissa for the true reasons behind her wanting to stay away from the Manor. Surprisingly, it only took about twenty minutes for Narcissa to appease Andromeda enough for her to drop the line of questioning and move on to other topics of conversation. Over those few days, the sisters became reacquainted with one another. They spoke of their marriages, their children and their hopes for the Wizarding world now that Lord Voldemort had fallen.

It wasn't all conversation, though. Evenings would often find Narcissa sitting by the window staring out at the stars. Andromeda suspected that her younger sister was a little bit homesick, but didn't dare broach that topic. She knew that when Narcissa was comfortable talking more about her problems with Lucius, she would do so with little prompting. What concerned Andromeda was how Narcissa would jump at every little noise and seemed to be overly on edge. She didn't understand what her sister could possibly fear and was close to asking the question when a large eagle owl flew through the window.

"Oh my!" Andromeda exclaimed. "What a beautiful owl! I have never seen this one before. I wonder who he belongs to?"

Narcissa didn't answer her sister inquiry. She knew this bird all too well. Taking the parchment from the owl's beak, she gave him a treat and sent him back to his owner. Back to her husband.