Scene: Narcissa and Lucius's entire relationship.

(Also please suggest any scenes you want. I have a list, and I'm working on wrapping this story up before the end of August. Please help me out)


Narcissa Black was twelve years old the first time she met the man who would become her husband.

She had seen him before. This wasn't the first time she had laid eyes on the slightly handsome student who was one year above her at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They were in the same house: Slytherin. Every night in the Common Room, she saw him walk through the door with his friends. They were other, older, students who seemed to be at his beck and call. He was the centrepiece of their group. Anyone with eyes could see that.

She had thought him handsome immediately. Tall, with white-blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. He was the colour of an angel, but there was a darkness in him.

Her pre-teen heart fell at once.

But why would he ever notice her? She was nothing but a lowly kid who he passed on his way to his dorm. But yet, every time his eyes briefly flicked in her direction, she felt a whoosh go through her.

That was, until the day they actually met.

She had a history essay due the next day and was working at one of the desks in the common room. However, just as she was on the final inch about the Goblin Revolutions, she ran out of ink. Her friend Marie was at another desk with an extra bottle. She walked over to ask her to borrow. She complied immediately, uncorking it and handing it to little Narcissa.

Then she turned around, and everything went south.

Two steps away from Marie, she stumbled on the edge of the carpet. This stumble turned into a trip, which turned into a sprawl.

Now, this normally would not be the worst thing in the world, but it just so happened that Narcissa Black sprawled right into Lucius Malfoy, the handsome third year, and spilled her uncorked ink bottle all over his robes.

There was a beat of absolute silence as the older student seemed to process what had happened. He blinked, stared down at the petrified second year, and at his ink-stained robes.

"You stupid little girl," he snarled. She flinched back, tripping again and landing on her butt. He towered over her, his once tall form seeming gigantic from her angle.

"Do you have any idea how much these robes cost? More than you've ever seen in your life. And here you come, tripping on nothing and destroying them. You little sneak."

Narcissa was shaking. The majority of the common room had stopped what they were doing to watch the encounter. Lucius stood strong, yelling profanities at her while her face got whiter and whiter and it got harder to hold back tears.

He stopped his rant for a moment. "What's your name?" he barked at her trembling form.

She took a deep breath before answering. "Narcissa Black." The words were a whisper at most.

Lucius froze for an instant, and his eyes narrowed. "Black?" he clicked the word on his tongue. She nodded hesitantly.

He knelt down to her and leaned very close to her face. "Listen here, Narcissa Black. This isn't fucking over. Watch where you step, and not just when you're holding an ink bottle."

He stood up quickly, and stormed past her to his dorm.

She felt the eyes of the common room on her. Standing up on shaking legs, she stumbled up to her room and bolted the doors as the tears began to fall.

That was the end of her school girl crush on Lucius Malfoy.

And the start of their childhood hatred.


"Watch where you're going, Black!" He barked at her, pushing past her and knocking her books to the floor.

She stumbled, trying to catch them as they went down, to no avail. She huffed, and dropped to her knees to pick them up.

"That's actually an attractive position for you to be in," his voice said from right in front of her. She kept her eyes down but could still see his feet. "On your knees."

She nearly growled at his comment. "You're vile, Malfoy."

He smirked at her, crossing his arms and kicking one of her books a little more out of her reach. "And you're pathetic, so, who's the real loser here?"

He turned and left, leaving her alone to pick up all of her books.

She was grabbing her third year volume of A History of Magic when Marie arrived at her side. She took Narcissa's hand and helped her stand up.

"Malfoy?" her best friend asked.

"Do you even need to ask?" Narcissa grumbled, straightening out her skirt.

"Why he is so awful to you?" Marie wondered aloud, brushing some dirt off her friend's elbow.

"Because he's a complete tosser and that's how tossers act."

Marie laughed. "And tossers never change, do they?"

Narcissa stared down the hallway in the direction Malfoy had strutted away. "That one won't, at least."

As it turns out, she was wrong.


The first time she noticed a change was the second week of her fourth year. She was walking with Marie to Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Malfoy had passed her. His eyes had drifted over hers briefly, so he had known she was there. But he didn't knock her books down. He didn't make a comment. He simply kept walking. The shock of that had made her drop her books all by herself.

From there, it got stranger.

There were no more vicious comments. He didn't laugh at her hair or scowl at her wardrobe. He barely even acknowledged her, except in these lingering glances that sent shivers down her spine. He never knocked her books out of her hands again. In fact, once she had tripped and he had actually helped her pick them up.

He placed a hand on her arm and stopped her from kneeling over. Instead, he dropped to his knees and gathered all of her textbooks. She was in shock and the tingles on her arm where he had touched her weren't helping.

The final realization that he was different came one afternoon in the library. She was writing an essay for Transfiguration, and the volume she needed was on the very top shelf. Narcissa wasn't short, but she wasn't tall either. She reached fruitlessly, on the tips of her toes and her fingers stretched out as far as she could possibly reach. It was futile.

"Do you need a hand?" a soft voice asked from behind her.

She dropped back on her feet and spun around. Malfoy was standing there, leaning against the next shelf and watching her struggle. In previous years, he would've already started taunting her. However, today he stood there looking genuinely interested in helping her. His eyes were creased in concentration, focused on the volume on the top shelf.

She nodded without realizing she was doing it.

He sauntered over to where she was standing and grabbed the volume effortlessly. As he reached up, the side of his body brushed gently against hers, sending shock waves through her body.

He pulled the book down and handed it to her. She felt like her fingers could barely support the weight right now.

"There you go, Narcissa," he had smiled.

She had returned it like it was second nature. "Thanks, Lucius."

He gave a quick nod, and disappeared behind the shelves. She was thankful that he had gone because she promptly collapsed and slid to the ground, clutching the volume to her chest.

Sweet Merlin.


The night everything changed again was in October of her sixth year. It was late. Through the windows of the library, she could see the moon reflected in the lake below.

She was studying for an Ancient Runes test. It had been a particularly grueling unit, and she hadn't completely grasped all the concepts. She had spent the past several hours pouring over textbook after textbook, waiting for the information to click in her head.

It hadn't yet.

She let out a huff of frustration, slamming the volume shut in front of her.

"Bloody stupid subject anyway," she said aloud, glaring at the recently closed cover.

"What is?"

She looked up. At the other end of her table stood Lucius Malfoy. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, smirking at her.

Her heart stuttered at the sight. Over the course of the past two years, the relationship between her and Lucius had developed into something resembling friendship. She still wasn't sure what she should call it. It was hard to call someone a friend when every glance sent her heart on a tailspin.

"Ancient Runes," she muttered, casting her eyes down and trying to calm the blush that always appeared when she was near him. "There's a test tomorrow and I'm nowhere near ready."

"Ancient Runes?" he asked, drifting over to where she sat and taking the seat next to her. "Do you need some help?"

"Are you any good?"

"Got an O in my OWL," he responded, smirking slightly at her doubtful expression.

"Well, Mr. Academic," she replied, gesturing at her textbook. "Teach me."

That he did. He leaned over her shoulder and explained the concepts, in a much simpler manner than the professor had. Within an hour or so, Narcissa completely understood the unit.

"You are a godsend," she breathed, her eyes scanning over the page.

Lucius laughed. "Took you long enough to realize."

She shot him a look, smiling. "I mean it. Thank you. I really do appreciate it. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

His eyes changed for a moment, intensifying. He reached forward and brushed a piece of her hair behind her shoulder. "I can think of a few things," he murmured, leaning closer to her.

Her words were caught in her throat. The sound of her heart pounding in her ears blocked out everything else. She just sat there in complete shock as Lucius leaned forward and kissed her.

A few years prior, if you had told Narcissa Black that she would be out past curfew kissing Lucius Malfoy in the library, she would've laughed at you. But she fell into his arms, cupping his cheek gently.

People change, she thought, as they pulled back and she grazed his cheekbone with her thumb. And possibilities change with them.

She smiled at him that night, and knew that everything had changed.

Because if you had told Narcissa Black a few years prior that she would fall in love with Lucius Malfoy, she would've laughed in your face.

She leaned forward and kissed him again.


"Did you tell your parents?" Narcissa asked, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck. It was the summer before her final year at Hogwarts. Her boyfriend of just over nine months, Lucius, had graduated the month previous. The two of them were meeting in Diagon Alley for a date.

"Of course I did," he answered, leaning down and kissing her nose. "I told you I would."

"What did they say?" she asked, nervously. They had agreed not to tell either of their parents about their relationship until the summer, in case they didn't make it as a couple. Though, Narcissa had known from that very first kiss that they were in for the long run.

"They were ecstatic," he whispered, running his hand through her hair. "You're a Black, Cissy. Rich, powerful, pureblood. Our parents have known each other for years and are good friends. They're delighted. I don't think they've ever been this proud of me before."

She sighed in relief, a smile breaking out on her face. "Thank Merlin."

"What?" he asked, startled. "Were you worried they wouldn't approve?"

Narcissa gave a timid nod.

Lucius burst out laughing. "Cissy, I don't think anyone could ever not approve of you. You're perfect. You're everything a pureblood parent would want in their daughter in love. And besides that, I'm desperately in love with you. That's enough for me."

She cuddled into her boyfriend's chest. "I love you too."

He rested his head on top of her head. They stood like that for several moments, neither of them saying anything.

"Let's get married," he whispered.

She jerked back, startled. Her eyes flashed up to his. "Did you just…."

She saw him visibly swallow. "I…I guess I did. Will you…will you marry me?"

She was shocked. "I...I mean…what…I….we're so young…"

"I know," he whispered, resting his forehead on hers. "We don't have to get married now, or next week, or even for a year or two. But I do want to marry you, and I will one day. I want you to promise the same thing to me. That you'll wait for me this year while you're finishing school and still love me come next June. I want to spend my life with you, Narcissa Black, and I want to change that name to Malfoy."

She didn't know what to say. Their conversation had taken such a rapid turn that it had nearly sent her stumbling. The world seemed to be spinning around her. What was happening, she asked herself, blinking rapidly. She couldn't see anything or feel anything that wasn't Lucius. He was her touch, sight and hearing right now. Nothing else existed in the entire universe. He was the sun in the sky.

She realized, with startling clarity, that that's how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

"Yes," she whispered, her lips moving without direction.

He blinked. "What?"

"I'll marry you," she said, gaining some of her courage and speaking a little bit louder.

The noise of elation Lucius made was nearly inhuman. He picked her up by her waist and spun her in a circle, laughing all the while.

"I can wait," he said. "If you want to wait for a few years, that's completely alright with me. Just that one day you'll be wearing my ring and using my name is enough."

She smiled. "Give me a year or so."

And he gave her just that. Almost exactly that.

They were married a week after her graduation.


"What should we do now?" Lucius asked, collapsing into their new bed at the old Malfoy Manor. They had just returned from their honeymoon. It had been a month trip around France that had left Narcissa winded and intensely happy.

They had just moved into the traditional Malfoy estate. Lucius's parents had retired from the Manor to the family home in Southern France, meaning that the entire mansion, from the house elves to the vast grounds, belonged to them and them alone.

"I don't know," Narcissa said, lying down next to her new husband. "I suppose we could travel."

"We just finished travelling," he laughed, rolling over to face her. "You're still up for more?"

"Always," she smiled. "I've always wanted to go to Italy."

"Italy?" he asked, one eyebrow cocked. "Any specific place, or just the whole country."

She thought for a moment. "Venice."

"Any reason?"

"The canals," she said, the image of a beautiful city dominated by boat travel overtaking her mind. She smiled at him. "Maybe we can retire there."

"Retire?" he asked, eyes wide. "We just got married!"

"I know," she conceded. "It's just something to think about. After the kids have all moved out…"

"Children?" His eyes grew even wider. "You're thinking about children this early?"

She shrank back, wondering if she had said something wrong. "I've always wanted children. I don't mean right this second or anything…"

Her worry dissipated when she saw his eyes. They had grown intense again. A smirk was playing at the corners of his lips. She had grown very used to this look during their month of marriage.

"Well," he murmured. "If it is children you want, then I suppose we should get working on that."

Her response was muffled by his lips.


She waited patiently for the charm to show the result. She sat in the bathroom, staring intensely at the cloud that accompanied a pregnancy detection spell. After several minutes, the cloud shimmered and turned blue.

Negative. Again.

She chocked back a few tears. Don't fret, her subconscious chided at her. You'll get a child eventually.

She was starting to doubt that now.

She and Lucius had been trying for about six months. Which each negative charm, her hope shrank. All she wanted was a child, a little boy or girl to love and dote on while Lucius went to work.

Not that there was much work to do.

It was dark times. The so called Dark Lord was gaining both power and followers. The wizarding world was falling further under his influence. Narcissa tried not to think about it, content in the knowledge that her pure blood and good family should be enough to protect her if she ever ended up in a position which required protection.

Honestly, she was more concerned about why she wasn't pregnant in comparison to the threat of imminent takeover of the Ministry of Magic.

She heard the door of the next room open. Lucius, she smiled, perking up slightly. She stood and walked into her bedroom to meet her husband.

"Lucius," she said happily, walking in. However, the second she saw him, the rest of her sentence died in her throat.

He was leaning over the dresser, both hands on the edge. He was panting heavily. His robes were dishevelled. He heard her words and turned to meet her. She clapped a hand over her mouth.

He was deathly pale, with sweat dripping down his face. His eyes were crazed, so different than the sweet orbs she was used to.

"Lucius…" she said again, hesitantly. She approached him slowly, as if approaching a wounded animal.

"I joined him," her husband said, the words fast and rushed. He spit them out, as if they tasted bitter.

"Pardon?" she asked, confused. "Joined who?"

"The Dark Lord."

Narcissa stopped in her tracks. The words bounced around her head for a moment. "You…you joined Voldemort?"

Lucius flinched. "Don't say his name!" he shouted, causing her to shrink back. Seeing her terrified expression, his eyes softened. "I didn't mean it like that, Cissy. You just shouldn't call him by name."

"Why?" she whispered, her eyes downcast. "Why did you join him?"

"For us."

That was the only answer he ever gave her.


As the years past, and Narcissa saw her husband fall deeper into the Dark Lord's circle and its resulting cruelty, that was the only answer he gave her. She would beg for him to leave. They would hide, she'd say. They'd go to Venice and hide like they'd always said. And every time, the same words.

I can't, Narcissa. I have to do this, for us.

She watched in agony as the man she had fallen in love with transformed before her eyes. He grew to revel in causing pain. On more than one occasion, she saw him abuse the house elves. Before he joined, Lucius had always shown them kindness, and at worst, indifference.

But everything was different now.

It reminded her of something she had thought once, long ago. People change. And possibilities change.

As Lucius changed, she saw the life she had imagined change as well. The happiness and love she had expected all but disappeared. On occasion, his eyes would look at her in the way he used to, but hardly ever.

As she lost her husband, she couldn't help but pray even harder for a child.

It had been years since they'd begun trying, to no avail. Tears lined her eyes at almost every moment of the day. She was never going to be a mother. She was hardly even a wife now. How can you be a wife without a husband? The life she had always wanted crumbled into pieces in front of her.

Then one day, her wish was granted.

She was declared pregnant about seven years after she and Lucius had started trying for a child. The day shone a light in her eternal darkness, offering a glimmer of hope in her future.

She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Draco nine months later. She named him after her favourite constellation. Her star, she cooed. The little star who had broken the endless night that was her life.

As she held her little boy to her chest, she glanced at her husband. Her heart clenched painfully.

He had used to be her sun, but he had caused her night.


About a year after Draco's birth, she sat in the kitchen late one night. Her little boy bounced on her lap. She held him close, glancing every so often at the door. Lucius had rushed out several hours earlier. The ghastly mark on his arm that signified his allegiance to the Dark Lord had started behaving oddly and he had practically run out the door. She was concerned, but it was Halloween. She was very happy to share some treats with her son while her husband dealt with the Dark Lord.

She had just put a caramel in her mouth when the kitchen door slammed open. She looked up in alarm to see Lucius's outline in the doorway, with a storm in the background.

"Lucius?" she asked, looking over his rain-soaked robes. "What happened?"

Her husband of almost nine years stumbled a few feet forward. "The Dark Lord is gone." With those words, he collapsed to his knees.

Narcissa's heart stopped.

Gone. Had she heard him correctly? She wondered, though she knew she had. No one could blame her for thinking she had imagined the words that she had fantasized about hearing for nearly eight years.

She stood up on shaking legs, and put Draco in his high chair. She made her way over to her husband's trembling form.

The happiness she was feeling was nearly bursting from her. He was free. They were free. No more Dark Lord to cast shadows across every aspect of their lives. No more Dark Lord to instill cruelty in her husband's once loving heart.

No more Dark Lord at all.

She was starting to smile when she noticed the fear on Lucius's face. That's when it hit her. They may be free from Voldemort, but they weren't free from the law. If the Dark Lord really was gone, then the Wizarding World would be putting on a witch hunt for his followers, the men and women who had done his bidding. The men and women who had tortured and killed in the name of his fanaticism.

Men and women like her husband.

They weren't safe. Or at least, Lucius was not. She had never wanted to know what he had done in the Dark Lord's service, but no matter what it was, it probably warranted Azkaban.

Azkaban.

No no no no no. Narcissa shook her head over and over. This was supposed to be their chance at freedom, not even more chains. She felt tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Lucius," she murmured, taking a few steps towards him.

Her husband looked up and met her eyes. She nearly fell to the ground. The cruelty and the pretentiousness that she had grown accustomed to was all but gone. Kneeling before her was a weary and tired man, whose shoulders were slumped and back was nearly broken under the weight of the world.

It was her Lucius.

Her feet moved her forward before her head even understood. She collapsed next to him and gathered her shaking love into her arms. His arms raised and wrapped themselves around her. He buried his face in her hair.

"Cissy," he cried, holding her as close as the universe would allow. She cried as well, desperately wishing to God, Merlin, or any supernatural beings to spare her husband in the oncoming trials. Give us one more chance, she cried, holding him with everything she had. One more chance to be family. Me, Lucius and our little Draco. One more chance.

When Lucius was deemed innocent a few months later, Narcissa had thought her prayers had been answered. Someone, somewhere wanted the Malfoy family to be happy.

She didn't realize how wrong she was.


She mastered glamour charms and the fake smile. She mastered the art of disguise. She hid the bruises and the scars and the tear streaked face. She hid her pain. She hid her fear. She hid everything she had for the next seventeen years.

The only thing she was thankful for was how Lucius never laid a finger on Draco. She had always stood in the way, like a shield. Her love for her son far eclipsed her fear of her husband.

Lucius never hit Draco.

Draco went away to school, and Narcissa hid. Draco came back from school and Narcissa stood tall and strong against the tyrant in her husband's body. The years dragged on and Narcissa prayed for some relief. Even when Voldemort returned, she hardly noticed. Her husband was the only monster she noticed in her life anymore. All she wanted now-a-days was a way out. She needed a way out of the hellhole that had become her life.

She got her reprieve when Lucius was sent away to Azkaban after the fiasco in the Department of Ministries. It lasted all of two months before the Dark Lord called upon Draco to complete his damned task.

Life wasn't fair. Narcissa knew that by now.

And yet, she wore her mask. As the world crumbled around her, Narcissa couldn't do anything but wish it would end faster.


"Draco!" she screamed, her voice hoarse. She spun around in every direction, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of her son's platinum blonde hair in the battle.

She was standing in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, in the middle of the final battle of the war. There were duels going on all around her. Curses flew in the air from and in every direction. She hardly noticed.

She just wanted her son.

She took a few steps forward, thinking she had seen him duelling someone in the opposite corner. When she realized it wasn't him, she spun around again, looking everywhere.

That was when she was the curse.

It was heading straight for her. A stream of green light was about to hit her in the chest. She made no attempt to move. In fact, she closed her eyes and welcomed it. Why would she want to live in this world of darkness and hate? This was no life, and if the only alternative was death, she was going to take it.

A moment before the curse hit her in the chest, she was pulled out of the way. She stumbled over fallen rocks, and turned just to see the curse sail past her.

She hadn't been hit.

She turned the other way slowly to see who had damned her. Her eyes landed on a sagging man with tattered robes and pale skin. Her eyes moved higher to land on long white-blonde hair and grey eyes.

Her eyes saw Lucius.

She opened her mouth to scream. To yell. To punish him. How dare he? After years of making her life a living hell through his cruelty to her and Draco, how dare he prevent her from saving herself?

The bastard, she thought bitterly, her eyes seeing red. She met his eyes to let him see her hatred.

But she paused.

The eyes she met were not those of a Death Eater. They were not the eyes of a man who had spent seventeen years beating his wife.

They were weak, closing slightly from exhausted. They were tired. But more importantly, they were his.

Those were the eyes that had met hers right before he had kissed her in the library that fateful night so many years before. Those were the eyes she had said "I do" to. Those were the eyes of her husband, Lucius Malfoy.

For the first time in nearly seventeen years, she laid her eyes on her broken and battered husband. She couldn't speak. She could hardly move. Lucius reached forward and took her hand. She was too shocked to resist. He stared at her intensely and said a single word.

"Draco."

And for the first time in a very long time, wife and husband understood each other.


Narcissa Malfoy rested her head against the door, taking deep and calming breaths. She needed to will her feet to move and her hand to push the handle, but she couldn't. She knew she only had a few minutes but none the less, she couldn't force herself.

It had been several months since the Battle of Hogwarts. The light side had triumphed with Harry Potter leading the charge. Since then, the world had fallen into the same situation as it had seventeen years before. People were being put on trial left and right for war crimes. Narcissa and Draco had both had their trials the previous week and gotten off, citing being coerced and imperiused into being Death Eaters.

Lucius, however, had not fared so lucky.

His trial had just ended. He had been found guilty and sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban. She had sat in the courtroom and prayed desperately for his release, but she knew it was in vain. This was not the last time. And he couldn't be saved anymore.

As his wife, she was granted several minutes alone with him before he was taken. Several moments to say her goodbyes. The clock ticked down, but she couldn't force herself through the damn door.

She kept breathing, through her nose and out her mouth. One last chance, she chided herself. Regardless of how she felt about Lucius now, she would never forgive herself if she didn't say goodbye.

That thought propelled her forward and she opened the door.

He had his back to her, hands on the table and back hunched over. She could see he was shaking.

"Lucius," she said quietly, taking timid steps toward him. He jerked up and turned to her, startled.

"They told me you had visitation rights," he whispered, eyes dancing across her face. "I did not think you would actually use them."

"I couldn't," she stuttered, trailing off. She took another deep breath and steeled herself. "I could not let you go without saying goodbye."

Lucius's eyes softened at her words. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around her. She initially stiffened against his advance, but realized this was the last time he would ever hold her. She was too selfish not to take advantage.

She held him close as well, letting a few tears leak out of the corners of her eyes. She felt Lucius's placing butterfly kisses all over her hair.

"We never did make it to Venice," he murmured. Tears were now streaming openly down her face.

"We never did a lot of things," she answered, her voice cracking.

Lucius pulled back from her a little bit, just enough to meet her eyes. He gave a small, watery chuckle and used his thumb to wipe away some of the tears on her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered, smiling sadly. Narcissa was too enthralled in his eyes to notice how quickly her heart was beating.

"I know you may not believe me, or think so, but through it all, I have never stopped loving you, Narcissa Malfoy. And I always will."

She sobbed, casting her eyes downward. Lucius lifted her chin back up so she was looking at him.

"Don't deprive me of seeing your eyes for the last time," he murmured. "You always had the most beautiful eyes. It breaks my heart that you hid your entire life in them for years."

"I had to hide," she answered. His eyes flashed with pain for a moment.

"Oh, my strong girl," he whispered. "I'm so sorry you had to be."

When he leaned down and kissed her, she didn't stop him. In fact, she collapsed into the kiss with an abandon she had not felt in years. She willed herself to forget everything that had happened between them. It was nearly impossible, but for a few minutes there, she managed it. She let herself be in love with Lucius Malfoy again, one last time.

That was how they stayed until she heard the guard knock on the door. She pulled back regretfully and saw the pain and hunger in Lucius's eyes. The guard pushed open the door and walked in.

"Take him," Narcissa said, willing herself to stay strong. Her eyes did not leave Lucius's.

The guard took Lucius by the arm and led him to the door. Right before he disappeared forever, he smiled at her.

"Oh, Cissy," he whispered, but she heard him crystal clear. "I'm sorry."

Then the guard pulled him and the door slammed on her.

She couldn't contain herself. She collapsed to the floor in a puddle of tears on the floor.

Possibilities change, she thought wearily. Especially when you don't want them to.


For the next seven years, Narcissa Malfoy lived without her husband. She got up in the morning and went to bed at night. She saw her friends and read books and talked to her son. But there was always something missing there.

She did not miss the wife-beating mad man she had stomached for nearly two decades. She missed the man he had been before then.

Every year on his birthday, Narcissa made the difficult journey to Azkaban. As the years went on, Lucius's sanity disappeared bit by bit. The last time she visited, he hardly knew she was there. She stood in his cell and watched him huddle in the corner. It was the hardest thing she had ever done.

When she returned home that year, she vowed never to make the trip again. He hardly knew she was there anyway, and it sent a knife through her heart to see the man she had once loved so passionately reduced to nothing but a shell of a human being.

She sat in her armchair in the library that night. That was the last time she was ever going to see Lucius, she realized with a start. She was never going to visit again and he would die in that miserable cell. The thought sent an ache through her chest. He was gone. Forever.

She sighed, and flipped open a book. He had been gone for a long time.

At least that's what she thought at the time.


"Where should we go?" Narcissa asked, her heart pounding, eyes dancing around around to make sure there was no one else in the secluded clearing they had apparated into. Once she realized they were safe, she took a moment to breathe in and close her eyes.

Narcissa Malfoy was used to life changing moments by now. She had lived through two different wizarding wars after all. However, the past hour took the cake.

She had been at home when Draco and Hermione had burst through the door. They had been at the questioning of Nott Sr. in the kidnapping of the poor girl seven years previous. When they had arrived at the manor, they had announced that all the prisoners of Azkaban had escaped. She had hardly had time to think before Lucius had arrived.

Her poor, dishevelled, and no longer insane husband. He had fallen to his knees and professed the whole story. How he had been sterile and had joined the Dark Lord in order to give her the child she had so desperately wanted.

Only moments later, the walls of the Manor had fallen as those lunatics tried to get to Hermione. They had all escaped, just barely.

And now, for the first time in years, Narcissa and Lucius were alone and free.

They had apparated to this clearing as only a restover stop before finding somewhere more permanent to hide. The decision had been made for Narcissa. She was being given the option to live in happiness with her husband after so many years of terror. She just had to hide to do it.

She didn't mind. She was used to hiding. This was just a different type.

Lucius stood next to her in the clearing, eyes a little dazed.

"Lucius," she whispered, cupping his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered, eyes meeting hers with the intensity she had missed for so many years. "Absolutely nothing. A few hours ago I thought I was going to die alone in prison. Now, I'm standing with the woman I love in complete freedom."

Narcissa smiled. "I love you too, darling."

She could see the surprise in his eyes. "How? After everything I've done to you…how could anyone possibly love me?"

"Because," she answered. "You gave up your entire life to give me a child. The monster who lived with me was not you. The man standing in front of me is you. And that's the person I love."

"And now we are free," she smiled. "After so many years, we can finally live the marriage we had dreamed from the very beginning. I do not know what we did to deserve this opportunity, but I am eternally grateful."

"I do not know what I did to deserve you," he whispered in response. "But I am eternally grateful."

Her heart soared at his words. "Now we just need to decide where to go. We can never return to England. They'll be after you from now until the day we die."

"We?" he asked, startled. "If they catch me, you can keep living."

She shook her head. "Not without you I cannot. I already tried that, for the majority of my life. I cannot do it again."

His eyes softened. "Cissy, I am sorry…"

She raised a finger to his lips. "No. Enough apologies. The past is in the past. It is the present that matters. You and I are together. And we shall stay together until they pull you from my cold, dead hands."

He tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "Then we have the rest of our lives."

"So what shall we do with it?"

Lucius suddenly got a very faraway look in his eyes. "Well, we have the entire world, do we not?"

She nodded. "Except for England."

"Then why don't we finally go to Venice?"

Her heart stopped. "Venice?" she whispered, hope saturating her voice.

He nodded, smiling at her. "You can finally see the canals."

She felt tears of happiness spring to her eyes. "Oh, Lucius," she whispered. "Thank you."

And that's what they did.

They arrived in Venice later that day. They procured a small apartment overlooking one of those famous canals that Narcissa had longed to see. They had a large amount of money that Lucius had stashed in overseas accounts. They were set for life.

Narcissa looked out their little window at the city she had spent her life working towards. She felt Lucius wrap his arms around her and rest his chin on her head.

People change, she thought. And so do possibilities.

Sometimes that is terrible. Sometimes it ruins lives. But yet, sometimes, it is truly wonderful.

She felt Lucius kiss her temple.

Yes. Truly wonderful indeed.


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