A/N: As ever, thanks to Mamacita for betaing this for me and to everyone still reading. And also thank you to KaiaHikaru for leaving me a review. I really appreciate it. Dx

'You two are going to get married aren't you?' Lissy asked, looking across at Cindy and Lucius.

She, Draco and their two parents were spending the sunny summer afternoon having a picnic in the spacious grounds of Malfoy Manor. Cindy and Lucius were laying on the large rug, Cindy with her head on Lucius' chest, whilst Lissy was sprawled across it reading a magazine. Draco was leaning back against a tree with his eyes closed as if asleep.

'Of course we will,' Lucius said with a smile. 'However, we have to wait for our divorces to go through first, and it's not the most urgent thing in the world, is it? After all, we've waited for almost thirty years. I'm sure a little while longer isn't going to hurt.'

'But you need to plan,' Lissy said seriously. She looked back at the magazine and turned the page. 'I mean, there's so much involved with organising a wedding.'

Cindy laughed. 'Not our wedding. I don't think Lucius and I need a big society affair, do we?' She looked at her lover, who shook his head.

'Not unless you want one,' he said amiably.

'I think Lissy and Draco's wedding will be more than enough of a spectacle for all of us,' Cindy said wryly.

Lucius wrapped his arm loosely around Cindy's waist. 'Anyway, I'm more interested in knowing when you're going to agree to move into the Manor.'

Cindy laughed. 'I was thinking we should wait until after the wedding,' she began, crying out with laughter as Lucius' gentle hold changed to tickling and she rolled around the rug, trying to fight him off, 'to make it all proper and above board.'

'Well, of course. I mean, we wouldn't want you two sleeping together or anything before the wedding, would we?' Lissy said mock-sternly. 'I mean, knowing how innocent your relationship has been up to this point.' She grinned.

'Let go of me, Lucius,' Cindy pleaded, pulling herself from his grasp. She sat up and looked across at her daughter. 'Do you want to move?' she asked Lissy. 'You know I won't come without you.'

Lissy rolled her eyes. 'Duh!' she said. 'What do you think? I mean, I love our old house and we did have some good times there. But look at this place.' She indicated back toward the imposing manor house. 'Who wouldn't want to live here?' She smiled at her mother. 'And don't tell me you haven't always dreamed of it.'

'Well, we won't need to get married if I move in,' Cindy pointed out.

'Oh no you don't,' Lucius said sitting up himself now. 'You're not getting out of it that easily. I told you that one day I would marry you.'

'But it seems such a waste of time and money,' Cindy said. 'When we'll already be living together.'

'It could never be a waste of money,' Lucius said quietly. He had taken Cindy's hand and was stroking it gently. 'Now, Draco and Lissy's wedding, on the other hand . . . .'

'Hey, don't diss our wedding,' Lissy said laughingly. 'Can we help it that we want the perfect day?'

'And I'm sure it will be,' Cindy said soothingly. 'Considering the preparation you're putting into it.'

Draco sighed and opened his eyes. He hadn't been asleep. 'All Lissy ever talks about these days is weddings,' he said drolly. 'Almost every discussion is about colours and cakes, flowers and bridesmaids.' He winked at Cindy. 'I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's three years away yet.'

'Three years isn't a long time,' Lissy said defensively. 'It'll be gone before you know it and we don't want to leave organising everything until the last minute.'

Draco shrugged. 'I don't care really,' he said. 'I told you before I'd be happy to elope with you. I don't care what we do, just as long as we're married.'

'But Lissy wants a nice wedding,' Cindy told Draco.

'I know,' he said with a smile. 'Which is why I'm letting her ramble on about all this wedding stuff. She'll get her perfect day.' He closed his eyes and settled back against the tree once more. 'Even if she does have no taste,' he finished quietly.

'What do you mean, no taste?' Cindy asked. She could see Draco smirking and Lissy glowering.

'He means I wouldn't allow our wedding colours to be those of the Chudley Cannons,' Lissy said disgustedly. 'I mean, can you imagine it? He wanted me to wear an orange wedding dress. And he says I have no taste!'

'At least a Quidditch wedding would be fun,' Draco retorted. He opened his eyes again. 'Rather than the boring girly thing you're going to organise.'

'It will not be boring,' Lissy insisted, turning back to her magazine.

'I'm sure you'll enjoy the wedding well enough when it happens,' Cindy told Draco, 'whatever Lissy plans.'

'I'm sure I will. Unless I've died from wedding overkill before we get there,' Draco said and grinned. 'So anyway, does that mean the two of you will be moving in imminently, then?'

Cindy looked around her for a moment, taking in the sight of the beautiful house and gardens, and smiled. She could hardly believe she and Lucius really were going to be married. The third of Lucius' three wishes was finally coming true, just as he had promised her it would in the hotel that night, so long ago now, when he had opened his heart to her. Without realising, her hand went to her neck, playing with the necklace and pendant that hung there, the ever-present pendant that had been such a potent symbol of their love for each other. She nodded her head happily.

'Yes, of course we'll move in. As soon as you want us to.'

Lucius enfolded Cindy in his arms, pulling her towards him. He kissed her hair as he held her tenderly.

'You can move in immediately as far as I'm concerned,' he said happily.

'Well, hoorah. At least it means that bloody pendant's going to stay in one place finally,' Draco said mischievously.

'The pendant?' Lucius and Cindy said together, looking at him with interest.

'What do you know about the pendant?' Lissy asked. She looked over at her fiancé in surprise.

'I'm not stupid, you know,' Draco said smugly. 'I have seen the pendant in all its various guises and ownerships over the years and I knew what it meant. I just wasn't as fascinated with it as you were, Lissy. I mean, it's a bit soppy, all that unrequited love stuff.'

He ducked, laughing as Lissy rolled up the magazine and threw it at him.

'Well, it is,' he repeated.

'It meant a lot to us,' Lucius said quietly. 'And always will.' His hand reached out to stroke Cindy's throat and the necklace.

'And now it's coming back home,' Draco said. He dropped the magazine and, standing up, moved towards Lissy. 'Come on, Lissy, let's leave the lovebirds to it,' he said with a smile, taking his fiancée's hand and pulling her to her feet.

As they watched their children walk away across the lawn, Lucius reached across the rug and retrieved a bottle of wine that had been cooling in a bucket under the tree. He pulled out the cork and poured two glasses of the liquid, handing one to Cindy.

'A toast to us and to finally getting what we've always wanted,' he said warmly as he clinked glasses with her.

'I'll drink to that,' she said with a smile.

Cindy looked out of the window, admiring the way the garden below had been decorated. Lush green boughs of ivy were dotted with huge Voodoo hybrid tea roses in a pale orange accented with brighter firecracker tips. The colours followed through in both the seating and the gazebo that had been erected. She smiled and turned away from the view, instead, looking at her daughter, who had just entered the room.

'Lissy, you look absolutely beautiful!' Cindy exclaimed, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes as her daughter, clad in a dark ivory wedding dress, made her way across the room towards her mother.

'Don't cry, Mum,' Lissy warned, 'or I'll cry too, and I've only just had my makeup done.'

'Stop!' Cindy said before Lissy could get too close. 'Let me look at you. Let me see the full effect.'

Lissy stopped where she was and, smiling, pulled the heavy lace veil over the small tiara and across her face.

'This is what Draco will see when I walk down the aisle,' she said. 'Do you think it's okay?'

Cindy nodded, unable to speak. Nor was she able to stop the tears. It wasn't the first time she had seen the dress; that had been when she and Lissy had gone shopping for it and she had cried then, too, but it had never seemed quite so beautiful before, probably because it hadn't been the wedding day then, with all that it entailed.

The dress was simple and elegant, tight-fitting but draped to create a slim silhouette across the waist. Made of heavy silk with a gossamer-fine mesh overlay that shimmered golden in the sun, the bodice was decorated with small clusters of orange sapphires, a motif that was continued on the drop waist and around the hem of the dress. Lissy's dark hair had been pinned up with just a few strands dropping away in curls about her face. A pair of yellow gold drop earrings containing larger orange sapphires matched with the pendant around her neck, although they were hard to see through the opulent pattern of the veil.

Lissy turned and Cindy could see that the gems continued down the train of the dress, which extended for some way. The heavy lace veil covered the length of the dress and more. Lissy finished the turn and stood looking at her mother.

'Do you think he'll like me?' she asked nervously.

Cindy laughed. 'Darling, Draco would love you even if you turned up in a bin liner with your hair shaved off.'

'I know that,' Lissy said. 'But I want him to like what he sees when I'm dressed like this.'

Cindy pulled her daughter into a tight hug. 'He'll love it,' she assured her. 'How could he not when you've gone to so much trouble to take his tastes into account?'

'I'm not sure about this, though,' Lissy said, pulling at the huge veil. 'I mean, I've got to wear it because Narcissa gave it to me — something about old Malfoy tradition — but it's a bit . . . over the top, don't you think?'

Cindy looked appraisingly at the lace. 'It is a little old-fashioned,' she conceded. 'But that's the great thing about veils like this, they're eternal. I'm not sure about the colour, though; we may need to put a charm on it. That would make it a little more interesting.' She smiled at Lissy. 'Anyway, it was nice of Narcissa to pass it on.'

'Draco says she's been making a real effort,' Lissy said as she unclipped the veil from the tiara and passed it to Cindy for her to work on. 'And actually, she's been pretty nice the last few times we've seen her.'

'Good. I'm glad things are working out with her,' Cindy said sincerely.

She waved her wand and the lace took on a faint golden-orange tone. She held it up against Lissy's dress, considered for a moment, then passed the lace back to her daughter.

'Did your father say what time he'd be here?'

'He said he'd get here at two,' Lissy said, rearranging the veil on her head. Cindy moved behind her daughter to smooth it down the back of her dress again. 'He feels uncomfortable so he doesn't want to be here too early.'

She turned to look critically in the mirror.

'He's bringing the whole family,' she added quietly. 'I hope you don't mind.'

'Mind? Why should I mind?' Cindy asked.

Lissy sighed. 'Oh, I know you've got Lucius and things were over with you and Dad years ago, but I thought him turning up with his family might be a bit hurtful for you.'

Cindy shook her head. 'Of course not. Any feelings I may have had like that about your father are long gone. I'm just glad he found happiness and finally found time to make you his daughter again.'

'I'm glad you don't have a problem,' Lissy admitted, giving Cindy a hug. 'I actually get on with Sandra really well. And I love the kids, although Daniel's being a bit of an arse at the moment.'

'Why?'

'Oh, you know. He's in that teenage phase where he just wants to do his own thing all the time. Won't listen to advice or reason.'

Cindy laughed as she looked at her daughter's faintly scowling expression. 'He'll get over it. We all do eventually.'

'Well, I just hope he doesn't ruin my wedding,' Lissy said.

'I'm sure it'll be fine,' Cindy assured her. 'He'll probably just sulk in a corner.'

There was a knock on the door and the sound of excited chattering outside.

'Sounds like your bridesmaids have arrived,' Cindy said. She walked over to the door and opened it, admitting the trio of excitedly talking young women into the room.

The three of them were dressed in simple fitted sleeveless scoop-neck dresses, a similar colour to the roses. Around the neckline were the same orange sapphires that adorned Lissy's dress. Each wore high-heeled shoes and a small pointed hat of flaming orange. Their jewellery was yellow gold and more of the orange sapphires. Surprisingly, it seemed to suit all of them, even though all three girls had such different complexions and hair colours: Hermione tanned, with her brown hair — usually so curly and unruly — neatly pulled into an elegant chignon for the day; Ginny pale and freckly with her fiery red hair; and finally Luna, hair as pale as Draco's and skin to match.

'You all look lovely,' Cindy said appreciatively as Hermione offered her a glass of champagne from the bottle Ginny was carrying, while Luna passed an identical glass to Lissy. 'Does Draco know you've gone with orange after all?'

Lissy shook her head. 'Nope. He thinks I'm doing white and pink. He'll only get the idea once he gets his cravat and buttonhole.'

'And when he steps outside and sees the decoration,' Cindy said. 'It is rather obvious.'

'Yes, but even then he might not realise,' Lissy said with a laugh. 'Draco only thinks in terms of the Chudley Cannons' orange. He'll probably think what we've got is peach.'

'Ron was disappointed that it wasn't Cannons-themed,' Ginny admitted. 'I think he'd have turned up in his Cannons shirt anyway if Hermione hadn't threatened to hex him.'

'Well, he'd better not get any ideas like that for our wedding,' Hermione said.

'Getting married, are you?' Ginny asked slyly.

All the women turned to look at Hermione. She blushed.

'Well, no, not at the moment. But we might in the future.'

Ginny looked disappointed. 'I was hoping Ron had finally got round to asking you,' she said. 'Perhaps today will give him the hint.'

Hermione laughed. 'I wouldn't hold your breath. Men don't see weddings the same way we do. For them, it's just a bit of boredom followed by a chance to get drunk and have a chat — probably about Quidditch.'

'So cynical, Hermione,' Luna said. 'But I bet Harry's not like that.' She looked at Ginny.

'Harry's just like that,' Ginny said. 'I'd have had more chance of a proposal if the wedding had been Quidditch-related.'

'Not long to go,' Cindy warned, looking at her watch before taking a sip of her drink. 'And I'd quite like another glass of this before we go down,' she said, waving her almost empty glass.

With a smile Ginny refilled it for her, then made the rounds of the others, finishing the bottle.

Cindy moved over to the mirror to check on and redo her face. Her tears at the sight of Lissy had given her a serious case of panda eyes and she needed to sort them out before she could go downstairs and join the wedding party. She opened her handbag and removed her makeup bag, delving inside to pull out the required items. As she worked, she listened to Lissy and her friends talking excitedly about their boyfriends, with continuing speculation about the chances of them being proposed to at any time in the near future and smiled to herself. It was good to see Lissy enjoying the wedding she had wanted and worked so hard to get. And her girlfriends were ensuring that her last minute wedding jitters were pushed away, too.

Cindy wondered briefly how Draco was getting on with Harry and Ron. From what she had gathered from Lissy, their relationship over the years they had been at school hadn't been very good, with Draco's misguided Pure-blood views leaving a gaping chasm between them. But with the realisation that Lissy had no intention of ever being with anyone but Draco, and the prospect of him being an everyday part of their lives due to their girlfriends' close friendship with Lissy, the young men had had no choice but to try and heal the rift.

It had been hard for all of them, although Ron and Draco's shared love of the dire Chudley Cannons had been a good start, and it was harder still for them to accept Lucius as purely father and husband rather than the hated Death Eater he had been for their entire school career. But they had all tried hard and Ron, Harry and Neville had joined Draco and his Slytherin friends for Draco's stag night and from the whispered discussion Cindy had heard between her husband and his son when Lissy wasn't around, had fully participated in the evening.

Cindy knew they had all adjourned to the local pub for drinks whilst the decorators worked on the garden, 'to steady Draco's nerves' as Lucius had explained it that morning over breakfast. She just hoped they weren't getting him as drunk as Lucius been on his stag night or Lissy would probably cancel the wedding. And Merlin help everyone if that happened. Cindy was relying on Lucius to get them all back in plenty of time — about now, in fact.

Cindy put away the mascara she had just been using and looked at herself critically in the mirror. As the mother of the bride, she needed to look and feel her best, especially with Narcissa and Sandra attending the wedding, too. Unfortunately, whatever she did and whatever she spent on clothes and makeup she would always feel like plain Jane next to Narcissa. That was a given. Even after all these years the woman was still stick-thin and looked like a glamorous movie star. But Cindy could at least hold her own against Sandra, whose looks and figure were more in line with her own.

She had chosen a flowing, thin-strapped dress in turquoise, a silky sheath of a dress covered by a layer of chiffon that was a slightly lighter shade and had tiny and delicate clusters of darker flowers over it. Over this, she wore a short-sleeved knitted, lacy bolero jacket in the same colour as the sheath. It hadn't really been required with the beautiful summer day they were experiencing, but it made her feel more comfortable knowing that the tops of her arms were covered. The outfit had been paired with a fascinator, a frothy confection of turquoise lace and feathers which rested on the side of her head and silver and sapphire jewellery that glistened on her wrist and ears. Around her neck, she wore the pendant, still such a deep part of her heart even now that she couldn't bear to remove it.

Cindy slowly smoothed the dress down over her stomach as she took one last look in the mirror, then picked up her bag and turned to face her daughter and her friends.

'I'll go and make sure Lucius has brought the men back from the pub,' she said, smiling as she saw Lissy's face darken a little for a moment. 'And I'll check that everything's completed downstairs. You all stay up here and relax.' She walked over to Lissy and kissed her gently on the cheek. 'I'll send your father up when he arrives,' she added, patting Lissy on the shoulder before heading for the door.

'Mum,' Lissy said as Cindy started to leave the room. She turned to look at her daughter expectantly.

'You look lovely, too,' Lissy said with a smile. 'Really pretty.'

'Thanks, love,' Cindy said and with an even bigger smile she turned back to the door and left the room.

Cindy pulled off her high-heeled shoes before she walked slowly across the lawn of the rose garden. Her feet were killing her. The shoes, beautiful as they looked, really weren't designed for such extended wear. She gave a small moan of pleasure as her sore feet sank into the thick damp grass, enjoying the cold, slightly clammy feeling as she headed for the bench at the centre of the garden.

The heavy scent of roses filled the evening air, the heat of the day finally dropping away as twilight descended. She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply of the scent as she leant back and listened to the faint sound of the music that was spreading across the estate from the marquee on the main lawn. It had been the perfect wedding. Lissy had planned everything meticulously and it was paying off magnificently.

But Cindy suddenly felt the need to be away from the crowds. She just wanted some quiet time where she could relax and think and no longer needed to be the mother of the bride. She squished her toes deeper into the cool grass, flexing her feet to try to get the pain out of them. The song that had been playing had finished and a new tune replaced it, a cool and somewhat mournful saxophone solo now drifting towards her on the early evening breeze.

It had been a good day, Cindy thought. The whole wedding had gone without a hitch. Draco had been surprised and extremely grateful when he realised that Lissy had incorporated his taste into the wedding after all, albeit in a considerably more muted fashion than he would have arranged. The smile that had remained on his face for the entire day spoke even more clearly than his vows did of his love for Cindy's daughter. The event had been a massive undertaking but Lissy had been more than up to the challenge, and the result was what had probably been the most spectacular wedding Cindy had ever attended.

So different from her own marriage to Lucius, Cindy thought. That had been very much understated. She and Lucius had married within weeks of their divorces being finalised, in a register office in Muggle London, an attempt by Lucius to prove that he no longer had problems with Muggles. Cindy wasn't convinced but had been happy enough to go along with it, as it had meant little fuss. Their only guests had been her parents and Lissy and Draco and the whole thing had been over within an hour. The wedding breakfast had been held at Mario's, where the food had, as always, been outstanding; and then she and Lucius had returned home to Malfoy Manor, where they had spent the rest of that day and most of the following two in bed, catching up on the missing twenty years, as Lucius put it.

Cindy dropped the shoes she was holding onto the grass. She was very much enjoying the peace of the garden, away from everyone else. Ideally, she would like to stay here for the rest of the party just soaking up the beautiful summer evening, but she knew she would have to return shortly before people started worrying about where she had gone.

'Are you all right, love?'

Lucius' voice was quiet but concerned. Cindy opened her eyes and saw her gorgeous husband walking across the lawn towards the bench.

'Absolutely,' Cindy replied happily. 'I just wanted to get away for a little while. And I needed to get these shoes off.'

Lucius dropped onto the bench beside his wife. 'They are very beautiful shoes,' he said admiringly, 'but completely wasted on a woman as lovely as you.' He took her hand and kissed it gently before wrapping an arm around Cindy's waist to pull her close, his mouth finding and capturing hers in a tender kiss.

'I love how you still compliment me, Lucius,' Cindy said after the kiss had finished.

'Because you deserve compliments, Cindy,' Lucius replied. 'To me, you really are more beautiful than you've ever been. How could I not want to tell you that? I want to remind you every day how much I love you.'

'And I love you, Lucius,' Cindy said fervently. 'Sometimes I still can't quite believe I'm actually your wife; that finally everything worked out just as we hoped and dreamed all those years ago.'

'I think about that every day, too,' Lucius admitted. 'For all those years when I thought I'd lost you, I didn't dare hope we'd ever be this happy. And now everything is perfect.'

'Perfect . . . yes . . . .' Cindy's voice trailed off as if she was deep in thought.

'You don't agree?' Lucius asked worriedly. 'Is something wrong?'

Cindy looked at her husband for a moment before shaking her head. 'No, nothing's wrong. You're right, everything is perfect. How could it not be on a beautiful evening like this?'

Lucius studied Cindy's face, suspiciously. 'But there's something you're not telling me,' he said. 'Cindy, talk to me, please. We've no need to keep secrets from each other any longer. Is it something to do with Andrew? Or Narcissa? Did she say something to you?'

Cindy shook her head and smiled at her husband.

'Of course not. Both of our ex-spouses have been perfectly pleasant. It's been a lovely day and I've enjoyed spending time with them. It's been really good getting to know the real Narcissa without you coming between us to cause friction. And I think Andrew and I are on the way back to becoming the friends we once were now he's got over his jealousy. He and Sandra are so much better suited than he and I ever were. It's just a shame things had to get so bad before it all got sorted.'

'But there is something,' Lucius said, aware that Cindy was obfuscating. He took her hand and began to stroke it gently. 'Tell me . . . please?'

Cindy said nothing for a moment, just looked at Lucius and bit her bottom lip, a tell that she was nervous and considering what to say.

'Not yet,' she said quietly. 'It's Lissy and Draco's wedding day and today should be all about them. I'll tell you later, Lucius, after the party's finished.'

Lucius frowned. 'Why you can't you tell me now? I don't like that you're keeping something from me,' he said unhappily.

'Please, love,' Cindy said, stroking Lucius' shoulder soothingly. 'After the party, I promise.'

'I want to know now,' Lucius said, a touch of petulance in his voice. He dropped Cindy's hand and looked at her more coldly than she had seen him do for years.

'Well, I'm not telling you,' Cindy said firmly. She stood up and stretched, then bent down to pick up her shoes. 'We really should be getting back to the party. Someone will miss us soon if we don't.'

'Cindy, talk to me,' Lucius said. 'Don't walk away. Please, love.'

Cindy turned to look at her husband. 'I told you, after the party. Now, are you coming?'

She turned away, not waiting for Lucius, and began to walk back across the lawn, back towards the marquee where the music had become distinctly more modern. She didn't look back so had no idea whether he was following her or had stayed in the rose garden.

Cindy smiled as she saw a winding train of people dancing around the outside tables and through the marquee, grabbing and coaxing more people into the line as they went. Lissy and Draco were at the head of the train, calling out to friends and relatives as they went past.

As Lissy saw Cindy walking across the lawn she broke away, leaving Draco to lead alone as she went to talk to her mother. She had seen Cindy and then Lucius heading separately towards the rose garden and had been worried that something was up. As much as they were in love, every couple had their disagreements, and Lissy didn't like to think that her mother and Lucius were having theirs on her wedding day. She needed to know there was nothing serious going on.

'Sneaking away for a little romantic tête-a-tête with Lucius, eh?' Lissy said trying to keep the tone light. 'Can't you two leave each other alone for a moment?'

Cindy smiled. 'I just needed a bit of quiet time. And I wanted to get rid of these.' She held up the killer shoes.

'I know what you mean,' Lissy said. 'I took mine off hours ago otherwise I think I'd have been crippled by now. But I thought Lucius was with you.' She looked around. Lucius was nowhere to been seen.

'Yes, he did join me in the rose garden,' Cindy said. 'But I think he's staying there for a while. Having his own breather.'

'Is everything okay with you two?' Lissy asked quietly.

'Of course. Why wouldn't it be?' Cindy asked. She looked intently at Lissy.

Lissy shrugged. 'I don't know. I mean there's no reason why it wouldn't be. But when I saw you walking back here alone, I just got the feeling . . . .'

'Everything's fine,' Cindy assured Lissy. 'I just thought we'd better get back to the party before we were missed. Lucius wanted to spend a little more time away. We're obviously not very good at sneaking away as you caught us — and you should be having far too much fun to notice what we're up to.'

'As long as everything's all right,' Lissy insisted.

'It is,' Cindy assured her daughter. She gave her a kiss on the cheek. 'Now go and join that husband of yours. Merlin only knows where he's leading that train.' She laughed.

'Are you going to join in?' Lissy asked.

Cindy shook her head. 'Need to rest my old and weary feet. Maybe I'll catch you on the way back.'

'You make it sound as if you're ancient,' Lissy said with a laugh. 'Old Mother Malfoy. But you're not that old, you know.'

'Tell my feet that,' Cindy said. 'They would definitely disagree with you at the moment.'

Lissy offered her mother her arm. 'Come on then old lady,' she said mischievously. 'I'll help you to a seat.'

'Thank you, my dear,' Cindy replied in a fake wavering old lady's voice.

She and Lissy both laughed loudly as they walked arm in arm towards the marquee.

Lucius didn't speak to Cindy for the rest of the evening, preferring to avoid her in favour of conversation with old friends once he eventually returned to the marquee. Cindy felt more than a little unhappy about this as she had never meant to cause a rift between her and her husband. Even now she loved Lucius with a passion that bordered on psychotic and had lost count of the number of times she had awoken during the night, upset and scared that Lucius had been taken away from her again. Every time, she had turned to see the peaceful face of the handsome man sleeping beside her and she had sat watching him, waiting until her thumping heart had calmed and her fears dissipated before laying down next to him once more, slipping her arms around him, needing the comfort that touching him brought.

But now, all because of one stupid conversation, he was treating her as if she didn't exist. And it hurt. It wasn't as if Cindy didn't want to talk to Lucius. She did. She just wanted to wait until Lissy's special day was over. She hadn't wanted anything to overshadow the happiest day of her daughter's life. Was that so selfish? She didn't think so. But Lucius was acting as if she had ended their marriage and his petulance was making Cindy angry. She needed to calm down or when they did finally talk the conversation would turn into a massive row.

'I see Lucius is upset with you,' Narcissa said.

She and Cindy were sitting at a table at the far edge of the marquee, opposite the bar that Lucius and his friends were propping up, and as far away from the band as they could get whilst still being undercover.

'That obvious, is it?' Cindy asked unhappily. She sighed. Great, now Narcissa was going to have something to crow about.

Narcissa shook her head. 'Not really,' she said sympathetically, taking a sip of her drink. 'But I've been there and I know how Lucius reacts to just about every given situation. And it's clear you've upset him somehow.' She looked at Cindy carefully for a moment. 'And it's got to be the first time Lucius has actually let go of you for about four years,' she added wickedly.

'We're not that bad,' Cindy said defensively. 'Are we?'

Narcissa laughed. 'Pretty much. I don't think there's been a single time I've seen the two of you since you came back when you haven't been holding hands or cuddling or something.'

Cindy blushed, not knowing what to say.

'Actually, I feel a little jealous,' Narcissa confided.

Cindy looked at her in surprise.

'Oh, not about Lucius,' Narcissa assured her laughingly. 'He was never my type. We would never have had any other type of relationship than the one we had even if you hadn't come along. But I do feel jealous that I've never had the experience of that all-consuming and passionate love that you and Lucius, and now Draco and Lissy share. I would very much have liked to feel something like that,' she finished wistfully.

Cindy shook her head ruefully. 'It hasn't all been a bed of roses, you know. Sometimes it's been really painful.'

'But Lucius' love for you is so strong it overrides all else,' Narcissa said. 'I've never had anything that absolute in my life. Very few people do.'

'I know I've been lucky to have that,' Cindy admitted. She looked towards the bar where Lucius was still stationed, feeling the subtle pain in her heart at the thought of his anger towards her.

'Well, I don't know what you've done — or more to the point, what Lucius thinks you've done,' Narcissa said, 'but I hope you get it sorted. It's kind of unsettling having you two not talking.'

'We do need to talk,' Cindy said seriously, a little surprised to find herself opening up so easily to Lucius' ex-wife after all the years of hatred. 'That's the problem, really — a conversation we need to have but that I didn't want to have today. I just wanted Draco and Lissy's wedding to be the defining moment of the day, and for that, I'm now being castigated as if I've committed some awful crime.'

Narcissa gave a brief laugh. 'It's hardly surprising, Cindy. You are the centre of Lucius' world; actually the whole of Lucius' world, pretty much; and he expects that your world revolves around him in the same way. He doesn't understand that you would delay a conversation with him because of Draco and Lissy's wedding. Why would you? To him, it's just another event, another day. The only important thing in Lucius' world is you and anything you may have to say to him.'

'But you know it doesn't work like that, Narcissa,' Cindy said. 'We can't each just go through life thinking only of one other person. There has to be give and take.'

'Really?' Narcissa seemed amused. 'Do you still not see, Cindy, that's how Lucius has always lived his life? Everything has always been about you for him. Look at how he risked everything he had just to be with you when we were at school . . . and after. I know you and he were back together long before we divorced. It was always you.'

'Well, tough luck to him,' Cindy said a touch belligerently. 'I'm not talking to him until after the party. And if he keeps up the silent treatment, I might not bother talking to him then, either.'

'Don't be too hard on him,' Narcissa said gently. 'Lucius has many faults but his devotion to you isn't one of them. Just remember that when you talk to him.'

'And what if he doesn't want to talk to me?' Cindy asked, voicing her until then unspoken worry.

'Of course he does. He's desperate to talk to you,' Narcissa said. 'That's clear enough, too, but his pride is stopping him from coming over here. As am I, I suspect.'

'I will talk to him,' Cindy promised. 'But not until after the party.'

'Will you dance with me, Cindy?' Draco had arrived at their table, the big smile he had been wearing all day still firmly on his face. 'I think you're the only woman here I haven't danced with yet.'

He held out his hand and Cindy took it and stood up to join her son-in-law.

'Thank you, Draco, I'd be happy to, although I should warn you in advance that my feet are still aching somewhat from my poor choice of shoes — and I'm not the best dancer in the world, either.'

Draco led Cindy out onto the dance floor and they soon took their place amongst the other twirling couples.

'Is everything okay with you and Father?' Draco asked quietly as they danced.

'Yes, of course it is,' Cindy said, trying to keep her voice sounding light. 'Why do you ask?'

'Oh, no reason, really,' Draco said. 'But he's been propped up at the bar with his friends and hasn't spoken to you for hours. Normally you're pretty inseparable.'

'I was talking to your mother while he talks to his friends,' Cindy said. 'They've never had any time for me so I felt no desire to spend any with them. And Narcissa seems to think Lucius doesn't want to spend time with her.'

'Well, she's right about that,' Draco said. 'My father's never wanted to spend time with Mother as long as I've been alive. But I thought things had changed a bit since you two got married.'

'They have. But you know what your father's like,' Cindy said. 'He seems to be having fun over there so I'm happy to let him get on with it. Anyway, it gives me a chance to get to know your mother better without him around to stir things up. I think we're getting on quite well now.'

'She's really mellowed,' Draco said.

He pointed to a table outside the marquee. Sitting at one of the tables with Hermione, Ginny and Luna was a woman who bore a strong resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange. She was holding a small child who everyone seemed to be trying to entertain.

'Who . . . ?' Cindy began, trying not to panic. Bellatrix had been dead for years and there was no way Hermione would have been at the table if it had been her.

'That's my Aunt Andromeda,' Draco said.

'God, she looks like Bellatrix,' Cindy blurted.

Draco laughed. 'Yes, she does, poor woman. But she's nothing like her. Aunt 'Dromey married a Muggle-born years ago and the whole family disowned her. I never knew her at all growing up, or her family.'

'I don't remember her from school,' Cindy said, frowning, 'although she would have been a couple of years older, I suppose.'

'No, you probably wouldn't have seen her,' Draco said. 'She didn't really mix with the rest of the family when she was at Hogwarts even though she was still a Slytherin. She had fallen in love with Ted and the family were already starting to disown her when she refused to see reason. When she left school and told everyone she was marrying him, that was the last straw.'

Cindy looked over once again at the woman who had done what Lucius had been unable to do. Andromeda had defied her family, ignoring their lectures about the evils of 'Mudbloods' and choosing her own life. She had married and been happy with her Muggle-born mate. For a moment a sharp stab of pain lanced Cindy's heart that Lucius hadn't followed Andromeda's example. After all, he must have known her. But the pain subsided as Cindy remembered that the circumstances had been very different for her and Lucius. Andromeda's family probably hadn't threatened to kill her husband and his family, unlike Lucius' father.

'Where's her husband?' Cindy asked. 'Is that her child?'

Draco looked upset. 'Ted was taken by one of the round-up gangs,' he said quietly. 'They killed him.'

'Oh god, I'm so sorry,' Cindy said, upset at hearing that someone close to her son-in-law had suffered the fate she had only just managed to escape. 'Poor Andromeda. She must have been devastated.'

'It gets worse,' Draco said, looking unhappy. 'The baby is her grandson, Teddy. Her daughter Nymphadora and her husband Remus were killed in the battle of Hogwarts.'

'Remus? Was that the werewolf who used to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts?' Cindy asked.

Draco nodded. 'Yes, he was our teacher for a time. Nymphadora was an Auror,' he said sadly. 'They were always on the wrong side to us. All those years and I never once spoke to her. And now I never will.'

'How awful that they left such a small baby,' Cindy said.

'Teddy gives Aunt 'Dromey something to carry on for,' Draco said seriously. 'But she's here today because Mother invited her.'

'Well, I'm sure she would,' Cindy said. 'After all, they are sisters.'

'But you don't understand,' Draco continued, 'Mother and Aunt 'Dromey never spoke a word to each other after 'Dromey announced she was getting married to Ted. They never saw each other, Mother never even made any attempt to find out how they were getting along. Aunt 'Dromey was completely erased from our family tree. She was no longer my mother's sister.'

'That's terrible,' Cindy said unhappily. 'I mean I know they weren't happy with what she did, but . . . .'

'But that's what all that Pure-blood supremacy stuff was about,' Draco said. 'Loads of Pure-blood families had the same problem. Uncle Sirius was another one.'

'Uncle Sirius? You mean Sirius Black?'

Draco nodded. 'Yes. He was Mother's cousin. The rest of the family were Slytherin to the core. They all supported Voldemort. But Sirius went against them. Got himself put in Gryffindor House at Hogwarts, then stood against his family to fight the Dark Lord. He was another one we were never allowed to refer to.'

'And your mother was happy about this? Not being allowed to see her sister or her cousin?'

'You know what my mother was like,' Draco said. 'You had to put up with her insults for enough years. She wasn't forced into what she did, she did it happily. But now I think she finally sees things in a different light. She reached out to Aunt 'Dromey and I think she would have reached out to Sirius, too, had he still been alive.'

'I think she was driven by Bellatrix,' Cindy said. 'That woman was evil enough for everyone and I'm sure she kept Narcissa in her place. I'm still sure that most of the bad stuff said about me came from Bella originally.'

'You may be right,' Draco said musingly. 'I agree Bellatrix was a scary bitch. She was mad as a box of frogs and highly skilled in Dark magic; a treacherous combination. I have to admit I'm not upset that she died.'

Cindy watched as Narcissa, having left the table she and Cindy had been sharing, joined her sister outside. The two women hugged briefly before Narcissa took Teddy from Andromeda and began talking to him. Cindy smiled.

'Things like that give me great hope for the future, Draco,' she said sincerely as the song came to an end. 'If your mother can change that much so can others. And with a bit of luck, there'll never be another time like we had with Voldemort.'

'I hope you're right,' Draco said. 'Shall we have another dance?'