I wasn't thinking of the song when I was writing this chapter, but I ended up naming it after the Ben Folds song The Luckiest (which I associate with one my favorite movies About Time)! So they're not a perfect match but it is a little bit related if you want to listen while you read :)

Now, when Narcissa was walking down the street, she couldn't help but become enchanted with each and every baby she saw, wizard or Muggle. She had always been this way, really, but it was as if she finally had a license to embrace the feeling, and she did so with gusto, even beginning to learn how to knit so she could make tiny hats and sweaters. She felt happy in a new way, and waited each month with baited breath for the day her period wouldn't come.

They had expected it to be easy, as everyone does. Lucius and Narcissa had thought, that because they wanted a baby and were young and in love and had money and came from good families, that they would receive one within the year, and then soon afterwards they could try and have another. But unfortunately it wasn't like that at all. By the time Christmas passed and Easter colors began to adorn storefronts, Narcissa was feeling like something must have been terribly wrong with her, and Lucius watched with a sinking feeling as her knitting projects were set aside. He stopped mentioning anything about children to her unless she should bring up the subject, and began to buy her more and more elaborate gifts, coming home each Friday night with a box from the jewelry store.

"Don't give up, Cissy," he whispered into her hair as he held her crying one night. "It's barely been any time at all. Please don't worry yourself so much, it's not helping anything."

"But what if it never happens, Lucius? I can't go my whole life without a child. I can't."

Lately, she had stopped referring to "children", although he knew that she had always imagined herself matriarch of a large family. Already her expectations were lowered to just one child; the bare minimum of what could make her happy.

"Narcissa, I don't want to be stern, but the girl I married wouldn't give up so easily. You have a willing partner in this with you; I will make sure it comes out right."

"I know, Lucius, I know. I'm being silly."

"Not silly, never that. I understand why you feel this way. I'm concerned too. And I hope you know I want a family as much as you."

"Yes, that's why we're so perfect together."

"Good."

They sat curled together a while longer, and Lucius pulled the blankets up to cover them. Her sniffling slowed after some time, and he could begin to feel her grow heavier against his chest.

"Let me say one more thing," he said, and she murmured affirmation in a sleepy haze. "Cissy, a long time ago, I asked the universe for you, and it wasn't until two weeks before I was supposed to marry Andromeda that I received what I sought. I thought I would die, unhappy and alone, before we were together. But it all came together, and I have you now, and I will make sure you get everything you deserve."

"I love you, Lucius," she replied, and then, finally, was able to sleep.

After their talk, Narcissa's spirits were bolstered, and life could go on. The next Saturday, Lucius told her he wouldn't be able to go to family dinner the next day, and suggested she take Severus instead. Narcissa didn't press him for information about where he would be, since she had a sinking feeling she didn't want to know, and instead offered to have Dobby wash Severus's nicest clothes.

On Sunday, Lucius left before Narcissa woke, and she and Severus spent their mornings puttering about individually. Severus took advantage of Lucius's absence to spread his parchment out all across his desk, and Narcissa retrieved an abandoned baby blanket, still on the needles, from deep in a dresser drawer.

The pair decided to walk to her parents' house, even though it was windy and gray. Narcissa always preferred to walk, and Severus, knowing this, wouldn't deny her. They didn't say much on their way, but maybe halfway there Narcissa began to notice him glancing over at her and turning away quickly several times over.

"Would you like to say something?" she asked, laughing at how he had reverted to his shy old self.

"Well, yes, but maybe I shouldn't."

"Oh, now you must."

They took maybe 20 more steps, his face growing more resolute with each one.

"Lucius told me that you're trying to have a baby, and I just wanted to tell you I hope it all works out, because I know how much you want it."

Narcissa felt heat flare on the back of her neck for a moment, and couldn't think of what to say.

"I'm sorry," Severus rushed to say, resolution visibly dying out. "I shouldn't have brought it up at all. It's personal. I apologize."

"No, it's alright," she decided. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They kept walking, reaching the edges of her parents' neighborhood.

"You two really talk about things like that?" she asked. Narcissa knew they were friends, but she didn't know it ran so deep, and that was what struck her as odd about the conversation more than anything else.

"Not often," Severus replied. "But lately it seemed like something was wrong, so I asked, and he told me. And I've just been thinking about it, because I want you two to be happy. You deserve it. Your child would be lucky."

With that last sentence, there was a hard edge on his voice; clearly he was making a comparison.

"Oh, that's so nice to hear, Sev. Really. You know, lately I haven't had too many people to talk to myself. Lucius, of course, but he's as wrapped up in it as I am. And now my friends…it's all changed. I only ever see Cecily and she's gone the way of Bellatrix. And Bellatrix is about as good a sister as a lamppost. Meaner than a lamppost, too."

At that, Severus laughed and Narcissa did too, and by the time they reached the Blacks' front gate they were in stitches.

"I'm glad you told me that you know, Sev," Narcissa finally managed to say, hand still on the latch. "I was starting to get so lonely over it. It's nice to have a friend again."

They stayed late at the Blacks' house. Cygnus took a liking to Severus right away, and over after dinner drinks they got engaged in conversation about the Dark Arts while Druella grilled Narcissa about the non-existent baby. Narcissa regretted ever telling her mother she and Lucius were trying – ever since it had been a constant barrage of questions, many of which Narcissa would prefer not to answer.

"I'm as frustrated as you are, Mummy," Narcissa finally said in a short way. "You have to know we're doing everything we can. And we're young yet."

"But you want lots of children, don't you? At least a boy and a girl?"

"Is that what you were trying for?" Narcissa snapped. "Look what good it's done you, you've only got one normal child left."

"Two," her mother replied, voice icing over.

"But where is Bella tonight, Mother? Getting her fingernails dirty, that's for sure, and I know what you always told us about that."

"We're proud of her," Druella sniffed, and looked away for a moment. They were perched on some very hard chairs in the parlor, and Severus and Cygnus were just barely visible through the doors to the library, apparently immune to the women's loud conversation.

"Yes, I know." Narcissa sipped her tea through tight lips for a moment longer before getting up. "Severus and I should go. I think Lucius will be home, and I want to see him."

She went and called to Severus, telling him she was going. He told her to go along without him and that he would come in a minute, and then immediately stuck his nose back into the battered book Cygnus had handed him.

Better that way, she thought, gathering her outerwear up and slinging it across her arm. She would Floo back rather than face now rainy London alone. Because I need to rant to Lucius about this nightmare for a good long time.

Just as she was opening the crystal jar that held their Floo powder, Druella came up and squeezed her around the shoulders.

"We are proud of you too, Narcissa," she said.

"I know," Narcissa whispered back, ashamed at her anger. She kissed her mother on the cheek without really looking at her and then, blissfully, allowed the flames to engulf her.

She could tell something was wrong before she even got her bearings and opened her eyes. The room reeked of firewhiskey, and when her vision stopped spinning Narcissa focused in on Lucius, slumped in an armchair. Immediately she dropped her things on the hearth and ran to him, kneeling at his feet. To her relief he appeared relatively unharmed, although one eye was black and his face was dirty. The strangest thing was his outfit, a set of threadbare, red robes she had never before; certainly nothing he would ever choose to wear.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked, reaching up to take his hand. It was cold, as if he had been outside a long time.

"Don't want to worry you." His words, usually so polished, were slightly askew with alcohol.

"You are worrying me. Have you eaten?"

"Master Lucius won't eat a bite," Dobby said from behind her, and she jerked her head around to find him there with them, picking up her robes and hat. "I offered many times, but he's not wanting anything."

"Out!" Lucius roared, and to Narcissa's shock he threw his glass at the elf. It missed his head by inches and shattered on the far wall. She looked back to her husband, mouth agape, and barely heard the elf snap to clear the broken glass away before he scurried out.

"Now you must tell me what's going on," she said, pulling herself to her feet. She smoothed his hair back and unbuttoned his shirt a bit, hoping to release some tension. Lucius shut his eyes tight for a moment, and when he opened them she could see he had regained a little clarity.

"Sit down," he sighed, and gestured to his lap. Narcissa found her place there easily, and for a moment just listened to the reassuring beat of his heart. If nothing else, that was the same.

"I promised you I would protect Andromeda and her family, so I did. What I'm wearing is a disguise, so I could sit in front of their house all day and watch. An attack was planned."

"Planned by who?" But Narcissa, with a terrible hole in her stomach, already knew.

"Bellatrix, who else?"

Narcissa let out a gasp as if it had been a surprise to her; even though she had already guessed, it felt like a true shock to hear it out loud.

"She fought you?"

"Not exactly. I put up some discreet protections over their house; they already had a good lot, but they don't use Dark Magic, which is to their disadvantage, the idiots. Sorry, lovely, didn't mean to say it like that. But really a few Death Eaters working together could have blasted the whole thing apart, and Andromeda is smart enough to know that if she could push her morals aside for a moment. Anyway, I added my own layer, which they shouldn't ever notice, and waited to see if it would work. It did; soon as Bellatrix arrived she saw she couldn't do anything. But then I guess she saw me on the bench across the street and assumed I was either foe or someone who didn't matter, and she sent a few good hexes my way."

Narcissa couldn't help but stop him with a kiss there; the story was beginning to overwhelm her. He tasted of sweat and alcohol and in that moment she was intoxicated by him, the man who would do anything for her. His hands went to her back as she shifted a little to lean over him, and the pressure, his reassurance and affirmation to her, made her want to weep.

"I'm sorry," she gasped out when she pulled away. "I'm sorry you have to do this."

"It's fine, Cissy, I promise. I just defended myself so I wouldn't give away my cover with any spells she would expect from me, and then she left and I came here and started in on the bottle. And then thankfully you came home and saved me."

She leaned back to look at him, and he returned her gaze with the half-lidded eyes he always had after too much to drink. It made him look a little foolish, a little more boyish than usual, and she adored it because she always knew she was the only one he would allow see him that way. Narcissa wanted to let him rest, but there was one last thing she couldn't help herself from asking.

"Why would she try their house at all, though? Everyone knows it's very hard to get inside someone's enchantments, especially now."

"Maybe she was hoping it would be easy; honestly, if I hadn't been there it would have been. Or maybe she's secretly hoping she can keep being thwarted from actually accomplishing the goal."

"I'll hope it's the latter," Narcissa murmured.

They watched the fire die in silence until Narcissa remembered Severus would be returning soon.

"Unless you want to explain all this to Sev, you should go upstairs. You should go upstairs anyway, actually, and change and wash and drink a big glass of water. I'll bring you a tray."

"I can't believe I'm the luckiest man alive," he said as she untangled their limbs to stand and hold a hand out to him. "To come home to this."

"To the luckiest woman alive, whose husband does things like this just because she once asked him to."

She watched him go out the sitting room door to the stairs, and saw the firewhiskey coming out in his steps.

"Throw those robes away," she shouted after him, and he waved his hand to show her it was a forgone conclusion.

Severus arrived only 5 minutes after Narcissa heard the shower begin to run upstairs. She beckoned him into the kitchen, and offered him a cookie.

"Lucius has had a day of it, so please don't go looking for him, if you don't mind."

"Wasn't going to, it's late. I really enjoyed talking to your father, Narcissa. He was very kind to me."

"He's a great supporter of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters and all of it. He'd be one himself, except he's much too old. I'm sure they'd have you over any time."

"Yes, he offered. Thank you again for taking me."

"Thank you for coming. You saved me from a whole dinner of conversation with my mother, at least. She only got me at the end there."

"It didn't sound like a particularly pleasant conversation."

"It wasn't. But next week Lucius will go, and Bellatrix might be there and then we won't have to talk about me at all, will we?"

"You'll have to let me know what happens."

It took a second for her to register this, and she kept piling things on a sandwich for Lucius without a thought. When she realized what he meant, she stopped with a knife covered in mustard poised in midair.

"Oh, but Severus, I meant for you to keep coming! I mean Lucius and you and I will go!"

Somehow, Severus's gray skin turned pink.

"I look forward to it," he said, but he was mumbling again. "I'll just go to bed then. Tell Lucius I wish him well."

"Yes, I will."

In bed, with the tray resting across Lucius's knees, Narcissa considered it all.

"I'll send her an anonymous letter and tell her they need a Secret-Keeper. That'll do it, won't it? Then they'll be safe?"

"Safer," he agreed, mouth full of sandwich. "Safe in their home, at least."

"Then I'll do that in the morning."

"As long as you disguise your handwriting when you've finished. And don't use our owl."

"You don't mind, do you? If you think I shouldn't do it I won't."

"I'm not going to stop you from doing anything, Cissy," he said. He had finished his food and Levitated the tray down onto the floor so he could sink lower in bed. "I really wouldn't dare."

She snuggled down with him, breathing in the smell of his soap.

"Our children will be very lucky, you know," she said.

"Yes, I know," he breathed, and then, almost instantly, fell asleep.

Things are beginning to unravel...the next chapter is going to be a heartbreaker, so watch out. xoxo