The night before Narcissa's sixth year at Hogwarts began, Cygnus and Druella held a dinner party in celebration of several things: Narcissa's exceptional O.W.L. scores minus A's in Herbology and Ancient Runes and a D in History of Magic—thank Merlin Lucius had advanced to N.E.W.T level classes in that subject—as well as the fact that Sirius would be beginning his Hogwarts education. The individuals in attendance were both branches of the Blacks, the Malfoys, and the Lestranges. However, there was one member of the Black family who was noticeably absent: the blood traitor.
Narcissa's stomach still twisted in knots every time she thought about the fallout of her sister's betrayal. After Hogwarts's graduation ceremony—Dromeda had been cunning enough to not reveal her relationship with Ted until after commencement so her relatives would still attend—she had avoided Andromeda the entire trip home, and when the two younger Black sisters had stepped off the train, Narcissa had gone out of her way to be extra polite to both of her parents and Bellatrix at their celebratory dinner. Narcissa hadn't revealed Dromeda's secret, partially out of wanting to at least see her sister graduate, but mostly because she wanted the smug satisfaction of watching her sister's life go to hell. And also because she wanted to postpone the inevitable scandal for as long as possible. Sensing that something was off, Cygnus asked, "So how were your years, Dromeda and Cissy? We know Dromeda had an exceptional year with her N.E.W.T. scores."
"My O.W.L.s were stressful, but I got through them," said Narcissa. "But that was the least of my worries."
"What is there to worry about, dear? I'm sure you did just fine on them. You're an intelligent young woman," said Druella. "All of you have embodied everything we've raised you to be."
"Except for Dromeda," Narcissa whispered under her breath, but loud enough for everyone else to hear.
Andromeda glared at Narcissa, and Cygnus said, "You'll marry Xavier Nott. I don't see how you're not living up to our expectations for you?"
Narcissa continued to stare Andromeda down, until her sister finally broke. "I'm not going to marry Xavier Nott."
Cygnus and Druella put their forks down, and Druella asked, "Have you found another pure-blood wizard you wish to marry?"
"I…I…" Andromeda stuttered, looking back over toward Narcissa. The latter gave the former a self-righteous smirk. "I'm going to marry another wizard, but he isn't a pure-blood."
Cygnus and Druella gasped, Bellatrix dropped her wine glass causing it to shatter into pieces, and Rodolphus slammed his hands onto the table and shouted, "You blood traitor!"
Narcissa could see Andromeda was visibly distraught, but she also knew Andromeda wouldn't cry. Her sister wasn't going to appear weak. "Andromeda, please tell us he's at least a half-blood?" Druella asked apprehensively. The entire family despised half-bloods too, but anything was better than a…
Andromeda looked down and said, "No."
"You're marrying a Mudblood?" Bellatrix shouted.
"Please don't use that word in front of me."
"I'll use whatever word I damn well please in front of you."
"Bellatrix, that language…" Druella warned.
"Sorry, Mother," she apologized.
"What's his name?" asked Cygnus. Andromeda remained silent. "Andromeda Elizabeth Black, what…is…his…name?"
"Edward. Edward Tonks."
"Wait, you're marrying Ted Tonks? The Mudblood who was on Hufflepuff's Quidditch team?" asked Rodolphus.
"A Hufflepuff? Andromeda," scolded Druella. "Is all of this rubbish true?"
Andromeda didn't respond right away, but soon answered, "Yes, Mother, it is. But he's smart. And powerful. He's toward the top of our class. His only Poor O.W.L was Charms, but I've been helping tutor him to improve his skills."
"We don't care how 'smart' and 'powerful' he is, Andromeda. You know it is your responsibility as a Black witch to marry a pure-blood wizard. There's enough blood-mixing in this world; we don't need you contributing to it," said Cygnus.
"Is this 'wizard' who you're truly going to marry? We can pretend this conversation never happened if you agree to go through with the wedding to Xavier Nott."
"Yes, Mother, I'm marrying Ted. He proposed to me at graduation. He wanted me with him when he decided on an engagement ring."
"Get out of my house."
"Father…"
"I said get out of my house!"
"Where will I go?"
"Perhaps with your Mudblood fiancé," said Rodolphus.
"May I at least stay the night so I can pack my belongings?"
"Fine," said Cygnus. "But I want you out of this house tomorrow night at the latest."
"And we never want to see you again."
Narcissa hadn't seen Andromeda since that evening. Auntie Walburga had promptly burned Andromeda's name off the tapestry. That had been a joy to watch. But it was unusual for Andromeda not to be with them at the dinner table.
"So, Narcissa, Lucius tells me you did an exceptional job on your O.W.L.s," said Abraxas.
"Yes, sir," Narcissa answered. "Except for a few subjects."
"We all have that one course in which we do horribly," said Cécile. "Mine was Potions."
"Muggle Studies," answered Bellatrix.
"Arithmancy," Rodolphus said and shuttered.
"I cannot say my Transfiguration O.W.L. was particularly strong the first time," said Lucius.
The older adults began to reminisce about their Hogwarts days, but it wasn't long before the conversation veered to the younger ones. Druella looked over toward Bellatrix and Rodolphus and asked, "So how has married life been for you both?"
Narcissa noticed Bellatrix grimace, because she subtly knew what the question meant. It was code for whether or not a new pure-blood wizard or witch was on the way. "I'm drinking Firewhiskey, Mother," said Bellatrix.
"It's been two years, Bella," said Walburga. "You know it's your duty to provide Rodolphus with an heir."
"We're a bit busy trying to fight for our purity."
"What better way to preserve our purity than by introducing a new pure-blood wizard into the world?" said Orion.
Narcissa could tell Bellatrix was getting frustrated, but it was their duty as pure-blood witches to provide heirs for their husbands. Narcissa knew Bellatrix wasn't particularly looking forward to motherhood; despite being the oldest sister, Bellatrix's maternal instincts were practically nonexistent. Andromeda had always been the most maternal. No, she wasn't supposed to think about the blood traitor. But Merlin would she be a good mum. Too bad the baby's father would be a Mudblood.
After dinner, Lucius and Narcissa took a stroll through the family gardens. Narcissa slipped her hand into Lucius's, their fingers intertwined in comfort as they always were. "I can't believe we begin our sixth and seventh years tomorrow. It feels like yesterday when we first met each other."
"I understand the feeling," said Lucius. "It's still one of the best days of my life."
"Luce, you're only seventeen. I'm sure you'll have many good days to come."
"Maybe a few days in the future will be more memorable. But not many days will top the day I met you." They stopped in the courtyard with the fountain, benches, and tables which Narcissa's bedroom overlooked. They sat down on one of the benches, and Narcissa said, "Glitter?"
Glitter appeared in front of the couple. "Yes, Mistress Cissy? Glitter is here."
"Bring us two glasses of Butterbeer and the green blanket in my bed chamber," Narcissa ordered. Glitter disappeared and reappeared moments later with the desired items. "Thank you, Glitter. You may go." Lucius wasn't used to seeing Dobby being treated as kindly as Narcissa treated Glitter, so it was a tad unnerving for him. "Darling, would you soften the area? I doubt you want to lie on hard stone."
Lucius pulled out his wand and chanted, "Spongify." The area became bouncy, and Narcissa spread the blanket over the charmed zone before the lovers lay on the blanket, occasionally sitting up for a sip of Butterbeer. As they gazed into the night sky, Lucius asked, "Do you know them all?" Narcissa turned her head to look at him. "All of the stars and constellations of your family members' names, I mean?"
Narcissa nodded. "I do. Like over there, the bright star in Canis Major is Sirius." Narcissa pointed to the said star. "Regulus is right there. Over there is Orion, and that star is Bellatrix. That's Pollux, and Cygnus is right there."
"Merlin, I don't understand why you feel the need to take N.E.W.T. level Astronomy."
"Because I enjoy it," she asserted. "Why did you take N.E.W.T. History of Magic when you're already a walking encyclopedia of Wizarding historical events?"
"Do you have a favorite star or constellation?" asked Lucius curiously.
"A few," Narcissa responded. "They're both near Cygnus. Lyra," she pointed to a constellation to the west of Cygnus, "and the one whose name is one of my favorite creatures: Draco." She pointed to the north.
"I never took you for a fan of dragons."
"They're fascinating creatures. Dangerous and hard to control. Magically powerful blood like my family. Not to mention the fact that my wand core is dragon heartstring."
"So is mine. What a coincidence."
"There are only three options." Narcissa chuckled and took his hand. "So are you ready for another year, darling?"
"With you by my side, I'm ready for anything."
The next day, Lucius, Narcissa, and Sirius all boarded the Hogwarts Express. Lucius had to attend the Prefect meeting and patrol the corridors, so Narcissa found Victoria, and the two witches sat in a compartment together. Narcissa had no idea where Sirius had wandered. "So, now that Atticus has graduated, how are the both of you going to continue your courtship?" asked Narcissa.
"We'll make it work," answered Victoria. "Perhaps we can have dates during the weekend trips to Hogsmeade. He'll be busy fighting in the war, so I don't know how much time we'll get to spend together." Narcissa nodded in understanding. The war was in full swing now, with Bella and Rod both on the front lines. While Narcissa admired her sister's and brother-in-law's dedication, she was constantly worried about them being in danger. "How about you? Lucius graduates this year."
"We've discussed it, we might do the same thing with Hogsmeade dates, but he wants to join the Death Eaters as well. Atticus has been giving high praise about him to the Dark Lord. I just hope Lucius and Bella don't kill each other in friendly fire. Merlin knows they don't get on well."
The train pulled into the station in Hogsmeade, and Sirius went toward the boats while Narcissa walked toward the carriages. "I'll see you inside," she said. Sirius just nodded, but he had a mischievous grin on his face. Narcissa climbed into a carriage with Lucius, Victoria, and Violet, and after they arrived in front of the castle, they made their way over to the Slytherin table. "Save a seat on the other side of you," Narcissa said to Lucius.
"What for?" asked Lucius.
"For Sirius. We might not get on that well, but I'm sure he'll want to sit by familiar faces after he's sorted." Lucius nodded and kept the seat on the left side of him vacant while Narcissa sat to his right. Victoria was on the other side of Narcissa, while Violet, Evan, Philip, and Xavier all sat across from them.
McGonagall entered the Great Hall with the first years, and Narcissa spotted her cousin's long, black hair amongst the apprehensive students. He walked into the room much differently than the rest of them. He stood tall and proud: the manner a true Black wizard should enter the room. McGonagall pulled out the Sorting Hat, and the student body and faculty members suffered through its stupid song before McGonagall unrolled her scroll. "When I call your name, please step forward and take a seat on the stool." She called a few names before she announced, "Sirius Black."
Sirius strutted forward, and Lucius shifted to his right a little to make room for the young wizard when the Sorting Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Sirius made his way to the far left table from him, while the Great Hall filled with whispers. "A Black not in Slytherin?"
If there was a time when Narcissa could become paler than her already naturally pale complexion, she was certain it was this moment. She quickly swallowed to keep the bile from coming up her throat that would cause her to embarrass herself by vomiting in front of the entire school. She wondered if Auntie Walburga was blasting Sirius's name off the family tapestry as she dealt with her sheer shock. She felt someone grab her hand, and she almost jumped out of her seat before she realized Lucius was making a subtle attempt to comfort her. The remainder of the Sorting Ceremony was a blur for Narcissa as the Sorting Hat sorted the other students. "Lily Evans…GRYFFINDOR! Remus Lupin…GRYFFINDOR! Peter Pettigrew…GRYFFINDOR! James Potter…GRYFFINDOR!"
Merlin there are a lot of bloody Gryffindors in this class, Narcissa thought. Her cousin was now one of them.
"Severus Snape."
A boy with shoulder-length, greasy black and a hooked nose stepped forward. His robes were too big for him; they made him look like a bat. He nervously sat down on the stool, and the hat analyzed him briefly before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"
Their House cheered as the boy shuffled toward them, but he didn't seem to notice the applause as he looked down the table for an empty seat. And he spotted one: the unfilled spot next to Lucius. The boy hesitantly sat down next to the blond seventh year. Lucius smiled softly at him and patted his back. "Welcome to Slytherin House," he said. The boy gave a small nod back. Dumbledore gave his opening speech, and the feast began. Lucius turned back to the first year and asked, "Your name is Severus, correct?" Severus nodded. "Lucius Malfoy." Lucius extended his hand and Severus shook it. "This is my girlfriend, Narcissa Black, Evan Rosier, Xavier Nott, Philip Avery, Violet Carrow, and Victoria Greengrass."
Narcissa looked over at the Gryffindor table, where Sirius was seated with several other wizards. She figured she might as well start distancing herself from Sirius now. First Andromeda, and now Sirius? Her entire life was crumbling.
"So, Malfoy and Black as in House Malfoy and House Black?" asked Severus.
"Indeed." Lucius nodded in confirmation. "Snape isn't a Sacred Twenty-Eight surname. How would you know?"
"My mother was a Prince. She isn't a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but she is a pure-blood witch."
Severus looked across the room at a red-headed witch seated in between Sirius and a boy with short, jet-black hair. "Who's the witch?" asked Lucius teasingly.
"She's a mate," responded Severus.
"I'm sure it's hard to be in different Houses, but we're your mates now," said Lucius. Narcissa nodded in agreement. Severus seemed like he could use a mate.
Dumbledore gave his standard start-of-term instructions, and Lucius went with Amelia and the other Prefects to lead the Slytherins to the dungeons. As Narcissa followed, she noticed the dark-haired boy, James she thought she heard McGonagall say, trip Severus for seemingly no reason. Narcissa had the urge to rush over and help him up, but the red-haired girl, Lily, did so before rushing back over to the other Gryffindors.
When they arrived at the dungeons, Lucius announced the password. "Serpent." The Slytherins shuffled into the room, and most students went to their dorm rooms. Narcissa and Victoria arranged their space, but Narcissa meandered back to the common room afterward. It was night now, and curfew was forty-five minutes away, so the only person in the common room was Lucius. "I take it Amelia is patrolling the corridors?"
"Yes, she likes doing so."
Narcissa walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. Against her better judgment, she scooted closer to him, her back lying against his chest and her feet up on the couch. She was trembling. Lucius didn't know whether it was due to her being cold or her agitation, but he pulled one of the blankets off the couch and covered them. "Thank you."
He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome."
"That was nice of you to be kind to that new student."
"I'm a Prefect; I'm supposed to welcome new Slytherins to the House."
"Still, he seems like he needs a mate. Prince isn't a Sacred Twenty-Eight surname, and Snape most definitely is not a Wizarding name. I think he's either a…"
"We don't know his blood status yet, Cissy." He stroked her arm soothingly and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"About what?"
"About Sirius?"
Narcissa attempted to hold them back, but a few tears slid down her cheeks. "First Dromeda, and now Sirius? Lucy, what's happening to my family?"
Lucius wasn't quite sure how to respond, but soon he said, "Forget about those traitors."
"It's easier said than done."
"I know." He went from stroking her arm to stroking her hair. "But in another few years, we'll both have graduated. We'll be starting our own lives and our own family."
He grabbed Narcissa's hand, and she squeezed it. "You treated Severus well today. I know you'll be a wonderful father."
"I know you have your doubts, but I also know that you'll be an amazing mother to our son."
"It could be a girl, Luce."
He chuckled, and he kissed her head again. "I know we have a few years yet, but I can't wait to take that journey with you."