12
Narcissa didn't say anything until they arrived to the network. She turned to give David a sad smiled and said a polite "thank you" before Draco took her arm and brought her into his arms.
"Are you going to be ok, mother?"
"I will be fine, son, please do not worry about me, ok? David, thank you for walking me here.
"It has been my honor, Narcissa. Are you sure you don't need some company? I can tell everybody Draco will be staying with you."
"I am ok, please don't worry." She blew Draco a kiss and got in the network.
When she arrived home, she mechanically walked to her bedroom. She sat down on the stool before her mirror and stared at herself. Time had created wrinkles near her eyes and she knew her stomach had marks caused when she carried her sons. But she was still beautiful. But nothing at all like the woman, her still husband, was kissing before.
She stood up from the stool and began removing her clothes, then slipped on her nightdress and walked to the bathroom to wipe her makeup off, still looking at herself; her brain was in silence. She moved to the bed: the same bed she had shared many kisses and nights full of passion and love with Lucius. She slipped in the bed and looked at the bedside drawer; she saw a picture of her wedding 25, almost 26, years before. Everything had changed since then.
And was at that moment when she cried. She cried for Lucius, for all the time she spent with him not knowing he didn't love her. She cried for Draco being in the middle of this whole situation and suffering because of it; she cried for her grandbaby that was coming into a broken family; she cried for her lost son, being thankful he wasn't a witness of his father being unfaithful; she cried for herself, for all the love she still had for Lucius.
The next morning she woke up feeling her eyes swollen and her head throbbing, so she decided to stay in bed. She turned to the bedside drawer and saw her elf had brought orange juice, a toast and an envelope. She didn't know who had sent it and decided not to open it, but after a while, the curiosity won and saw a script she could recognize.
It was Lucius.
"My darling Cissa,
First of all, I want to apologize. I just don't know where to start.
I know I can't say anything to erase of your mind the horrible sight of my unfaithful being. But I want you to try to find in the bottom of your heart a reason to forgive me.
Forgive me for all that I had offended you; please forgive me for everything I've failed you. But is that when you love something so bad and you think it is yours, our souls stop looking and suddenly everything you should always love, runs out of your hands.
Is just that I need your forgiveness now, if you don't come back, the time will kill me. It's been said that the ones who had loved deeply from the heart are the people that know how to forgive. And I know how deep you had loved Draco and me. If you can give me your forgiveness I promise I won't go away from your sight never, and I will give you anything you desire. I need to love you and that you love me back.
Please forgive me and come back to my life.
I've changed, I'm not the git I used to be and now I can see the good in people.
Now I'm thinking I understand why you can't love me back; I failed you more than I can think.
I'm sorry, my love, is just too late and I haven't had a good sleep in weeks, because you're not next to me.
I just hope you can find a space for me in your heart to forgive me. I love you.
Always yours, Lucius."
Lucius was sitting at his desk trying to get his job done. He had not slept at all. He just wanted to amend things with Cissa and things to be as they used to. Now he was trying to avoid talking to Draco before he could think how to explain to Draco what they saw.
Draco got in his father's office at that moment. He didn't knock on the door nor said anything to Lucius. He just walked to the desk and sat down in front of him. Lucius looked at his son, expecting he would talk first, but it seemed that Draco was expecting an explanation.
"When are you going to start talking, father? I've spent the night thinking if you deserve the privilege of my visit. Hermione said I should because you're my father and deserve to know that you are going to become a grandfather"
"What? Are you expecting a baby? Son, that's wonderful"
"Yes, we are expecting a 'half-blood' baby. But I was thinking last night if my baby deserves to have a grandfather like you"
"Draco, it doesn't matter what the problem is; I'm still your father and I'm not going to let you talk to me like that."
"Well, you are still HER husband and you shouldn't be kissing your lover in front of her."
Lucius sighed and covered his face with his hands. All this was overwhelming. This was more than he could handle. But he had won it. His son had no respect for him anymore and was his entire fault.
"You know what, Draco? You're right. I shouldn't do that but I did and it was a shame your mother saw me. But also I want you to think not everything it is like you see. Congratulations for your baby. Being a father is the greatest thing a man can experiment. Just hope your baby doesn't have a father just like yours"
He stood up and walked out the office. He disapparated into his flat and sat down in front of the fire with a brandy in his hand. Then suddenly, an owl he could recognize it was Narcissa's, throw a letter on his lap. As soon as he got it, he opened to read.
"Lucius,
Just because I received your letter today, it doesn't mean I'm going to make like it didn't happen what I saw. Yes, you should be very ashamed of what had happened.
You broke my heart.
I loved you more than the normal and I thought that our love was infinite like the universe, and today it gets reduced on a verse. I didn't know where nor how I would be without you, because my heart went with you.
I´ll say that this is not killing me, but that is no true. I´ve turn into an eternal ghost that lives in your memory.
And like this, what one day was, it won't be anymore; I want to forget that, at a time, you made me happy; so I can get over you and find my happiness.
Really, Lucius, for real I want you to be happy. Maybe it was true what Tabitha said; I'm useless for you. Although I wish we could have a good relationship for our son; I think he deserves it.
Please be safe
Narcissa Black."
It was his time, he thought. It was his time to move on. He should retire and leave them to be happy, because it seemed they were happy without him. Just to retire and go away.
Draco was nervous. He didn't know why, just felt something was happening. He was called for a meeting at his father's office that morning. Hermione told him everything was fine that morning but he felt I wasn't.
When he got in the office he couldn't help but notice there was plenty of people of the company in there. Lucius' assistant asked him to get the chair in front of everybody, just at the desk. While he was walking in, everybody looked at him and he felt nervous. Lucius looked at him with a superiority air, like he used to be a while ago. He cleared his throat.
"Ladies, gentlemen, I'm glad to have everybody here. I'm going to make this announcement quickly and easy. I don't have too mucho words to say, only that I want to thank all of you, for making this a great company.
The real reason I gather all of you here is to announce I'm retiring. I've been working in here forever, and right now I'm really tired and we need a renovation: we need new fresh blood. So, I'm going to name my son, Draco Malfoy, the new director of Malfoy Industries. Son, I know you are going to give this company a new meaning. Congratulations and thank you everybody for your assistance."
Everybody was in shock; nobody thought Lucius was in no shape to keep directing Malfoy Industries. After everybody left stayed only Draco, Vincent Bulstrode and Charles McMillan, who in those last times, he had been a great support for Lucius and had become one of his closest friends. As the matter of fact, his one true friend.
Draco was still blushed and without words to express himself. He thought he wasn't ready for that responsibility. Besides, his father was still strong, wasn't he?
"I know you are ready for this, Draco. I trust you. You know how to do this job, you've been doing it lately and I know you are ready."
But father, I… I don't know what to say. I... I…" Lucius offered him his hand to shake; Draco accepted it and then suddenly stood up to hug him. Lucius saw his friends and talk Draco they would be talking lately. After Draco was out of the office, Lucius walked to get a drink for himself.
"Can I offer you a drink?"
"When were you going to tell us, Lucius?" Vincent asked "I don't think Draco is ready for this. And you are retiring? For Merlin sake… that's ridiculous!"
"Are you going to tell us what the real reason is, Lucius? Or do we have to guess?
Lucius sighed. There was no way he could hide this from his friends.
"I received a letter from Narcissa. It seems she doesn't want anything with me. I can feel my divorce is coming, my friends. And Draco having his baby, well it just hit me. I need some alone time to think and to rearrange my life and to start all over again. I want my wife back, but I think she's dating that man I saw her with"
Vincent rolled his eyes. All this Narcissa drama was getting absurd. It wasn't possible a pure-blood marriage to divorce. He just told Lucius he was sorry and got back to work. Charles stayed with him. He knew how difficult for Lucius was to tell his feelings. He didn't say anything, just stood there for Lucius.
"Charlie, I lost them. I lost them forever."
"And what do you want to do now?"
I have no choice but to start over again. I can do it, I can travel. I want to take her out of my mind."
Draco was still in shock when Hermione cuddled next to him. Why did his father think he could direct the company by himself?
"Draco, I know it will be an easy job. Please don't work your little head off. Just relax."
"but why did he do it, babe? He's leaving me alone."
"no he is not. Maybe we can pay him a visit tomorrow to find out what is happening. Maybe you're being a little harsh on him for the entire separation situation, babe."
Yes, maybe that's it, he thought. Maybe he could have some alone father-son time later. After all, he was right: he was his father.
Narcissa was completely out of focus when her elf told her she had visitors. Andromeda had come a while ago to check on her, but she didn't say she was coming back.
It was a huge shock to find out that Elizabeth Bulstrode and Hannah Bainbridge were in her living room. As soon as she got in Elizabeth came running towards her.
"Narcissa, sweetie, we just found out and we came as soon as we could"
"Oh Merlin, Narcissa. I'm sorry you are passing through this" said Hannah while hugging her. Narcissa had no idea what they were talking about.
"Sweetie, we came to talk to get you into your senses again." Said Elizabeth. "A marriage can't be broken just because! All of us have a responsibility to keep our marriage and fight for it no matter what. Vincent said Lucius was broken and he is retiring because you want to divorce"
"Narcissa, you are our friend and we want to tell you something just like it is" Hannah said taking her hands between her own "having a divorce is not well seen. Is just, so vulgar, so low."
"You have a wonderful husband" Elizabeth said "and every wonderful husband has failures. No one is perfect and no marriage is either"
"Besides every man is unfaithful. You shouldn't let a little class free whore with no principles to ruin your marriage"
Narcissa looked at Hannah directly and smiled nicely. Hannah smiled back when Narcissa took her hands between her own.
"You know what, Hannah? It's so good to hear that coming from your mouth, since was your own class free whore of a daughter, the one who broke my marriage"
Hannah looked at her with fire in the eyes. "What? Are you crazy? My daughter could never do that!"
"Well, she did. I actually have the pictures. Do you want to me to show them?"
"Narcissa" said Elizabeth getting in the middle of Hannah and Narcissa "are you completely sure it is Tabitha?"
"Of course! I even had a confrontation with her at Lucius' office. I'm not sure why Vincent didn't tell you. He tells you everything. And yes, I do think she is a class free whore for getting in the middle of a marriage"
"How dare you to talk about my daughter like that!"
"I dare because I know what she did. Because she broke my family. Now please get the FUCK out of my house and please do not come back"
"But Narcissa…"
"OUT!"
After closing the door she looked to a picture frame with a picture of her family. Those were happy times. How could a woman to finish with all the love they have for each other?
