Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my bowl of hot soup and whatever else is in this story that doesn't make sense. I was inspired by another romance novel i read and J.K. Rowlings wonderful world. Enjoy!

Chapter 25

"Wrapped so Pretty"

Lucius wandered into the kitchen, and poured himself a clear glass of water.

Narcissa stood at the sink with her back to him. She always had her back to him, he thought, although it didn't make much difference anymore because, even when she faced him, she never let him see anything more than the polite lying mask she wore for everyone, everyone except for their son, Draco and now, Hermione.

It was during her pregnancy with Draco that Narcissa had begun transforming herself into the perfect Malfoy's wife. He remembered how he'd welcomed her increasing reserve and the fact that she no longer publicly embarrassed him with poor grammar and her limited knowledge on advanced potions and dark spells. As the years passed, he'd grown to believe that Narcissa's transformation had prevented their marriage from turning into the disaster everyone had predicted. He even thought he was happy.

That is until he nearly lost his son. He had to standby and witness Narcissa's bottomless grief and been helpless to cure it, and something in him seemed to have snapped. His entire life felt like a trail of disasters. And then there was the outrageous broadcasting of Draco's marriage. How could Draco have married a mudblood, what was he thinking of to marry a bitch that wasn't pure? Didn't he realize she was going to make his life a living hell, pull him down after he'd achieved so much. Marrying a muggle-born witch would make his life miserable. Had he taught his only son nothing?

He lifted the glass, took another drink and looked over at his wife's slim, straight back. Narcissa was tickled to the core by Draco's marriage to the phenomenal Potter sidekick.

Lucius on the other hand was trying to come up with a reason as to why he'd chosen so badly. The girl had subtle sex appeal that he'd seen right away, but that didn't explain why Draco would be so stupid as to father a child with her.

Lucius put his mind to rest on the matter, he felt helpless to deal with Draco's problems, especially when he couldn't even deal with his own. The conversation at tonight's dinner table had brought it all back to him. The truth was that he was getting old, and now with his own son becoming a father, he felt the passage of time ticking away so fucking loudly he wanted to shove his hands over his ears, because he couldn't go back to fix all the places where he'd made the wrong choices.

When he'd first notice Narcissa she was as poor as a church mouse, and earn her wages filling the candy shelves at Honeydukes. She would wake up at four in the morning each day before work just to use the shop's oven before the start of business. No matter how tired she was she always found time to bake cookies to sell.

From the moment he saw her, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

She would wrap loads of freshly bake cookies up in a large basket she had found in the shop. On clear days she would walk the pavement of Diagon Alley on her breaks, peddling a cookie a sickle. It was true that she had never completed her schooling at Hogwarts, and that she never earned the right to bare a wand, so when Lucius and his band of goons came around she would cover up everything she baked. They were known for pulling prank and cheating her of money.

But Narcissa always had the brightest smile when Lucius entered the shop. And always held a fresh batch of special cookies just in time for his arrival.

Poor thing, she knew nothing of the type of past he truly held at that time. He somehow had grown very fond of her. His friends saw only a poor, skinny, girl in a worn out cloak pushing cookies. No one ever caught on to the fact that he had fallen head over heels in love with the lanky girl from Honeyduke's, that is until the morning she appeared at his parents home, with the news that she was pregnant.

"Why haven't you ever said before that you always bake those cookies I bought just for me. All this time you never said a word about it before. Or were you just trying to impress the muggle girl."

Her head came up at his question, and he waited for her to ignore him. It was her way lately. "For Merlin's sake Lu that was years ago."

"I remember it like it was yesterday."

It had been a beautiful April day, and he had returned home from the university. His parents paid well for his continuing education. The dreamed of him becoming a grand sorcerer and hopefully earn his right onto the minister board of respected wizards. Another year to go before completion. It was four months after Draco was born, and he'd returned home for a short visit with some of his new friends, all of them upper class wizards like him. Now he can't remember their names, but at the time he craved their acceptance, and one of them called out, "Hey, look it's that cookie girl," he felt everything inside him turn cold.

Why did she have to be here now, where his new friends could see her? Anger and resentment turned to flesh eating slugs inside his stomach. She was so damn hopeless. She promised him she would give up her ridiculous job at the sweet shop. How could she deliberately embarrass him like this?

But there she was, with that same old tattered basket just as before. She looked very thin after having their son. Nearly like a child herself, plain simple, field girl. He forgotten everything he loved about her; her laughter, the playful way she came so eagerly into his arm just the night before, the little spit kisses she used to draw hearts on his belly, the way she settled beneath him so sweet and giving and he couldn't study or think of anything but burying himself inside of her.

She watched him come closer, but he didn't look at her. Every poisonous word his parents had said shrieked in his ears. She was no good, trash, a Black, worthless. She'd trapp you and ruin your life. If he had ever expected to see any penny of their money, he had to divorce her and raise his child alone. He was a Malfoy and deserved something better than a Black. But her love was so tender and joyous, she made him weep with love for her.

Panic welled inside him as his new friends called out to her. "Hey Cookie Girl, you got any pumpkin pastries?"

"How much for two packs of chocolate peanut butter?"

He wanted to run, but it was too late. His friends were already examining the cookies she'd bake. One of them leaned forward and tickled his son's belly. Another turned back to him.

"Oy! Malfoy, come on over here. You haven't tasted anything until you've tried this little lady's chocolate peanut butter cookies."

Narcissa had looked up at him, laughter dancing in her silver grey eyes. He could still see her waiting for the moment he would tell them she was his lovely wife, and he knew she was savoring the humor of the situation as she savored everything about their new marriage.

"Yeah, uh…okay."

Her smile remained bright as he walked toward her. He remembered her waist length long hair, it had been pulled into a ponytail with a simple rubber band, and she had a wet spot on her shoulder where Draco must have drooled.

"I'll take the chocolate ones."

Narcissa tilted her head quizzically to the side - You goof, when are you gonna tell 'em? -But she continued to smile that silly little girl smile, continued to enjoy the joke.

"Chocolate please," he repeated.

Her faith in her new husband was infinite. She waited patiently. Smiled. He slipped his hand into his cloak pocket and drew out a sickle.

Only then, when he held out the money, did she understand. He wasn't going to acknowledge her. It was the first of many times he watched her die. It was as if someone had turned out a light inside her, extinguishing her laughter and joy, her faith in him. She had been severely hurt and it clouded her smile. For a moment she only stared at him, but finally, she reach for the special batch beside his son, the special batch that was to be his and held them out with a trembling hand.

He tossed her the sickle as if she were nothing more than a street corner beggar, then he laughed at something one of the other guys said and turned away. He didn't look at her, just walked away while the cookies burned in his hand like hot coal.

This had happened ages ago it seems, but now his eyes were stinging. He sat the glass of water down on the counter.

"What I did was wrong Narcissa. I've never forgotten it, never forgiven myself, and I'm so sorry."

She flicked her wand, and aligned the plates neatly into the cupboard. She didn't speak as she walked past him and extinguished the lights, leaving him in the darkness and putting an end to the subject.