A/N: Here's the next chapter, be warned Adult content in this chapter so to remind you that the rating for this story is M for this particular reason.


New Year's Eve 1969

He crept into the room, having gotten back late from a night out with Evan and Rabastan Lestrange, Julian Goyle and Timothy Crabbe. Stripping down to his boxers, he slipped into bed and smiled at the long blonde hair that fell onto the pillow on the other side. Lucius reached out and gently stroked her hair, the moonlight shining on her through the gap in the curtains. He retracted his hand when she stirred and rolled over to face him.

"I did not mean to wake you."

Narcissa smiled at him before shifting closer to her husband, running her fingers through his hair. She didn't mind Lucius waking her up when he returned during the night and he hadn't even come home drunk on this occasion.

"I do not mind my love, I rather enjoy our middle of the night conversations."

Lucius returned her smile, running his hand down her side, his breath catching as his hand went from touching satin to the soft skin halfway down her thigh. He gently lit his wand and pulled back the covers, noticing the Narcissa had deliberately chosen to wear a wine red satin nightgown; the one she always wore when she wanted him to make love to her, the one she knew that he couldn't resist her in.

His gaze met hers after a few minutes of staring at her dressed in the nightgown and he eventually noticed that she was grinning mischevously. Having known Narcissa since she was eleven, it had only been when he starting courting her that he discovered her wild side. She had always been the purest of all three Black girls with a little dark side to her that she had gotten from Bellatrix but she was nothing like her sadistic sister. Narcissa was passionate, loving, intelligent and made him feel alive.

"You had this in mind from the moment I stepped out of the manor." he accused.

She batted her eyelids at him, "Oh darling you know I always like to surprise you." she whispered and rolled her hips into his, a look of satisfaction overcoming her as he let out a low groan and gripped her hips hard; rolling the two of them over so that he was on top of her. The heated pressure of his erection was beginning to become too much when Narcissa arched her back and threw her head back, knowing that he loved the sight of her in doing so. The way her breasts were so close to him that he couldn't resist moving one of his hands from her hips to massage one of them.

"Oh Lucius, I've been waiting for this all evening." Narcissa moaned.

"Oh my love, if I had known what was waiting for me, I would have been home much earlier."

Lucius grinned as he removed his underwear and pushed her nightgown up, teasing her in his arousal and pleased to learn that she was already anticipating his entry. Before he gave her what she wanted, he leaned over her and kissed her hard and forced his tongue into her mouth to taste her. She willingly accepted him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, gasping when he-

Lucius was panting, he sat up in his bed and listened to his heart racing fast in his chest. He had just had a dream about Narcissa, a dream that she would deem inappropriate. He had dreamed that Narcissa was his wife and that their marriage was one filled with love and happiness. But alas it was only a dream for he was determined not to let Narcissa fall for him. Nothing had changed, he still could never give her what she would need should they start courting.

He rose from his bed and looked at the clock, five minutes past middnight. It was officially new years eve. Deciding that he couldn't go back to sleep in fear of being tortured with more dreams of Narcissa, he crossed the room to the adjoining en-suite. Running the shower to cold, he stepped into the cubicle; sighing with relief that this would temporarily help him.


The Malfoys were holding a ball to celebrate the new year, the entire pureblood population would be in attendance; including Penelope Zabini. Penelope was simply delighted at the thought of being connected to the Malfoy family, for her own family name meant very little even if the entire family had been in Slytherin. So the chance that the Zabini family to gain a lot of the Malfoy fortune was a chance that Penelope was told not to let slip away.

The girl was driving him mad, she constantly sat with him in the common room and took every chance to sit with him at mealtimes too. Luckily for Lucius, Penelope was a year older than him so they had no classes together. He knew that there was only one way to break the courting contract between their families, he would have to sleep with her and he didn't particularly want to or he would have to catch her in a compromising position with someone else. He knew that she would be publically shamed but if it meant that he would no longer have to spend time alone with Penelope, surely it would be worth it?

The ballroom had been thoroughly dusted and the floors polished by the house elves. The chandelier glittered above the already dancing couples and Lucius watched as the Blacks arrived. Narcissa was dressed in a floor length navy ball gown with her long blonde hair descending down her back in loose curls. Her arm linked with a boy he barely recognised. He believed the boy to be Augustus Rookwood, a sixth year who kept to himself mainly. Another whose family had no real impact in society. Andromeda wore the famous Black sulk, the one he had seen Bellatrix wear on many occasions. Andromeda's arm was linked with Oliver Nott's, a seventh year. Although the Nott family were a close family friend of the Malfoys, surely Cygnus Black could find better matches for his two unmarried daughters? After all, Narcissa deserved so much better than Augustus Rookwood.

His eyes met Narcissa's and he gave her a small smile, but their gaze only lasted a minute as Rookwood led Narcissa to the dance floor. He watched them, delighted to see that Rookwood wasn't as good a dance partner for Narcissa as he had been during the Black-Lestrange wedding. But he found himself fighting the urge to go over to Rookwood and rip Narcissa from his arms, he didn't want Narcissa to be wrapped in anyone arms especially not Rookwood's.

Penelope wasn't helping either. His impatience was only growing by the way she whined that he wouldn't dance with her or get her a drink. He ignored Penelope and continued to watch Narcissa. Some may have called it possessive, but he called it being protective. Narcissa deserved so much better.

"Lucius, can't we dance?" Penelope whined for the fifth time.

It was as Penelope was tugging on his arm for the millionth time since the ball started that he dragged her out of the ballroom and into one of the guest rooms, planning to make someone catch her in a compromising position. He told her that he wanted to spend some time alone with her and summoned a house elf to get them some wine. Penelope looked at him seductively as they went through two bottles of wine, which Penelope didn't know that Lucius was that when she wasn't looking, he was draining his wine into one of the plant pots. Penelope was drunk and in the mood as she tried on several occasions to unbuckle his belt. He propped her up on a chair and left the room.

He just had to decide who was going to be caught with Penelope now. But it had to be someone who deserved the humiliation and his decision was made when he saw Rookwood in the entrance hall. He grinned to himself and headed over to the boy.

"Rookwood, enjoying the party?"

Augustus nodded, "It's an honour to have an invitation Malfoy. Even more of an honour to be courting Miss Black."

"Indeed." Lucius replied curtly.

"Is something bothering you, Malfoy?"

"As a matter of fact Rookwood, Penelope is rather inebriated and I've left her in the guest room to get her father to take her home. Could you go and look after her until I return with her father?"

Rookwood beamed at the possibility of being trusted by Lucius and nodded in agreement when Lucius told him where she was before hurrying off to look after Penelope Zabini. Lucius grinned darkly and hurried into the ballroom and found his father talking to Nigel Zabini. Once he reached the two men, he changed his expression to one of disgust.

"Father, I apologise if I'm interrupting."

"Not at all Lucius, what is it?"

Lucius turned to Nigel, "Mr Zabini I regret to inform you that I've just seen Augustus Rookwood take your daughter into one of our guest rooms. Penelope was rather drunk and all over Mr Rookwood by the look of it."

Nigel's face turned to anger as Lucius watched his father and Mr Zabini march from the ballroom. He saw Cygnus follow after his father gestured for him to go with them and smiled to see that it was going just the way he wanted. Within minutes, Mr Zabini was shouting at his daughter and escorting her off the Malfoy estate. Cygnus had ended the courting contract between the Black and Rookwood families. His own courting contract was over too, but when he saw the disappointment on Narcissa's face at the news her courting days with Rookwood were over, he felt a slight pang of guilt.

The evening carried on despite the dramatics of his own causing. Lucius found Narcissa sat on the terrace at half past eleven, drinking a glass of champagne. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, he hated seeing her upset. He quietly sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"I apologise about Rookwood."

She didn't look at him, she merely shrugged.

"It was not your fault Lucius, at least now I know his true colours and it saved me heartache further down the line. If anything you did me a favour. Now I am back to being my father's property only to be handed off to the next bidder to court me." she sighed.

"Oh Narcissa, you deserve so much more than Augustus Rookwood. You deserve the best."

"And who would the best be Lucius? I know you had something to do with this for I know that you were not keen on the idea of courting that harlot."

"I did not seek to hurt you in the process."

Narcissa nodded, causing him to feel surprised that she wasn't going to argue that his intentions were selfish and cruel. She drained the rest of her glass and Lucius could only hope that she wasn't getting herself into a state of drunkeness that would cause Druella to have a fit.

"Evan has told me on many occasions that you would be the best for me. For he too shares your view and thinks that my father was settling for Rookwood after the sham marriage my sister has been put into, the Nott's and the Rookwood's were my father's only options availvable at present. Evan believes that you cannot love me but I could somehow change you."

Lucius sighed, noting silently that he would have to have a sterner word with Evan and his ideas that he and Narcissa should be together.

"I am not a good match for you Narcissa."

She turned to face him for the first time since the beginning of their conversation and looked at him through watery eyes. This made Lucius feel on edge, her eyes could see into his soul and he feared that his attempts to prevent her from falling for him would be for nothing.

"Everyone tells me that you could never give your heart to someone Lucius and I understand that the only person who showed you that they loved you openly was your mother. I do not know how she died but I do know it has had such an affect on you that you distance yourself from getting close to someone. You have your friends but you do not wish to fall in love."

He was speechless. For the first time in his life, a girl had made him speechless.

"Lucius, we are still young and do not really know what love means. I hope we can continue to be friends and that one day you can love someone, eventually marry a woman who you can show affection for. You have already made it clear that person will not be me. I just hope that my father does not resort to finding a match in a first cousin for me like my grandfather did with my Aunt Walburga."

She placed the empty glass on the concrete and rose, handing Lucius back his cloak and stepping back inside the warmth of the manor. His cloak smelled of her, the floral scent of her perfume clinged to the cloak desperately. All evening he felt a rush of happiness when she smiled at him, he felt jealousy to see her in the arms of another, he felt guilt for seeing her upset over the Rookwood incident that he had caused. He had never felt those things before, certainly he had never felt jealous or guilty. If only he understood why he felt those things over Narcissa?