Narcissa stepped off the Hogwarts Express once it pulled into Platform 9 3/4. She searched the depot and found her family waiting for her. Well, it was only Cygnus and Druella currently waiting for her. Narcissa grabbed the handle on her trunk and walked over to her parents. "Hello, Father. Hello, Mother."

"Hello, Cissy." Druella briefly hugged her youngest daughter.

"Where's Bella?"

"She had a mission assigned to her from the Dark Lord. She sent her regrets about not being here to greet you, but she'll be at dinner tonight."

Narcissa knew Bellatrix probably didn't have any regrets about not greeting her. Ever since her eldest sister and brother-in-law had joined the Death Eaters, the couple seemed to care less and less about anyone who wasn't the Dark Lord. The family Apparated home, and the house-elves were there to greet them when they arrived. "Mistress Cissy, Glitter is here." Glitter bowed to Narcissa.

"Take my trunk to my bed chamber," Narcissa ordered and handed the trunk to Glitter.

"Right away, Mistress." Glitter bowed and ascended the staircase.

"The house-elves are getting our attire ready for the Malfoys' Christmas party tonight. The party starts at seven, so we have several hours to get ready," said Druella.

Narcissa nodded, and Cygnus said, "I'm going to check on Tuffy and Daisy about the status of our attire."

Druella nodded, and Cygnus kissed his wife on the cheek before disappearing. Druella turned to Narcissa, and a feeling of dread developed in the pit of Narcissa's stomach. She figured her mother would begin to question her about her fertility status. Narcissa was surprised when Druella said, "It looks like you and Lucius got a lot of wedding planning done during your last Hogsmeade trip."

"We did," Narcissa answered as she followed her mother into the parlor. "The next time I see her, I'm going to ask Bella to be my Matron of Honor."

"Perhaps the three of us can go shopping for your wedding dress soon since you'll be home until after New Year's. It will allow time for any alterations to be made before the wedding."

"That sounds wonderful," Narcissa said. "I'll be in my bed chamber if you need me."

Before Narcissa could go upstairs, Bellatrix loudly Apparated into the entrance hall. "Hello, Mother. Hello, Cissy."

"Where is Rodolphus, dear?" asked Druella.

"He's with Rabastan. They took over the mission after that spineless coward Cissy calls her fiancé fucked up."

"Bellatrix, that language," said Druella.

"Not to mention Lucius isn't a spineless coward," Narcissa said defensively.

"You don't witness him fighting," said Bellatrix.

"Anyway," Narcissa attempted to change the subject, "may we go to my bed chamber? I wanted to ask you an important question."

"Yes, just let me wash first. Torturing Mudbloods isn't exactly a clean job." Bellatrix went upstairs to shower and change. Narcissa followed her sister up the stairs, and the youngest Black witch waited for Bellatrix before the latter entered Narcissa's bed chamber. Bellatrix was now dressed in a fresh black skirt, black blouse, and black corset. Narcissa had never understood her sister's fascination with the color black. "So how has seventh year been?"

"Hectic with both classwork and wedding planning, not to mention my duties as Head Girl. Sadly, this holiday isn't going to be much of a break. Mother wants the three of us to go dress shopping while I'm home."

"You love dress shopping," commented Bellatrix as she sat down in the chair in front of Narcissa's vanity.

"I know, but I can only imagine all of the opinions Mother will have about my wedding dress. It is going to be front page news for months," Narcissa mocked Druella's tone.

Bellatrix snickered. "Sounds accurate."

"Enough about dresses. I wanted to discuss something else with you. Vicky is going to be one of my bride's maids, but I wanted to know if you would serve as my Matron of Honor?"

"Depends. May I wear whatever color dress I want?"

"No."

"May I plan a hen do?"

"Bella, pure-bloods don't have hen dos."

"Well, we should. It would give us pure-blood witches one wild night without our mothers breathing down our necks about how we're supposed to be proper and ladylike."

"How about a bridal tea?"

"Fine. Do I get to make sure Lucy doesn't see you until you walk down the aisle?"

"Yes. It's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony."

"May I give a speech at the wedding reception?"

"Of course. The Maid or Matron of Honor always does."

"One more condition: I get to share at least one embarrassing story during the toast, and you don't get a say in which one beforehand."

Narcissa hesitated, but sighed. "Fine."

Bellatrix smiled. "Well, in that case, I would love to be your Matron of Honor. Now if we could only find you a better fiancé."

"Bella!"

Evening arrived, so Narcissa was currently readying herself for the Christmas party. She dressed in her sparkling, red dress. It hugged her curves a little bit, and it dipped in the back. Her curled, blonde hair cascaded down her back, her makeup emphasized her sky blue eyes, and her black heels made her a few meters taller. She would be lying if she didn't admit she was hoping to gain some flattery from Lucius in anticipation for their shared life together.

When she reached the sitting room, Cygnus and Druella were dressed and ready to go. The family Apparated to Malfoy Manor, and as Narcissa walked the gravel path up to the front door, she couldn't help but contemplate the fact that this Manor would soon be her home with her husband.

When they reached the front door, Cygnus knocked, and they waited a few moments before Eleanor answered the door. "Cygnus, Druella, Narcissa, welcome. Happy Christmas."

"Same to you, Eleanor," said Druella.

"Lucius is in the ballroom, Narcissa."

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," said Narcissa. She felt a little stupid calling Abraxas and Eleanor 'Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy' still, as they both had invited her to use their first names. Narcissa wasn't comfortable doing so until after the wedding and they were officially her in-laws.

When Narcissa arrived at the ballroom, there were red and green lights twinkling overhead. A magnificent tree stood in the corner with gold and silver balls hanging from the branches. Christmas carols softly played on the victrola, and couples conversed while they enjoyed food and drinks. Narcissa surveyed the room before she found Lucius over by the drink table. He wasn't wearing green, but black dress robes instead, and he had a glass of whiskey in hand. He smiled as she approached him, and the look in his eyes was unlike any gaze she had seen him give her before now. "Cissy," he groaned.

"This will be all yours in another few months," she teased.

He kissed the top of her head once she reached his side. "I normally hate the color red, but it suits you perfectly." She smiled at him and kissed him on the lips this time. "Where are your parents and sister?"

"Mother and Father are with your parents. Bella and Rod will be fashionably late, I'm sure."

"If Bella had just listened to me during the mission earlier today, I wouldn't have had to hex her a few times," Lucius muttered under his breath. Narcissa ignored the comment as she noticed Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers enter the room, though the group of three conveniently ignored Lucius.

"What happened earlier today?" asked Narcissa.

"Nothing," Lucius said. "It's just that ever since I graduated and took the Mark, the Dark Lord has entrusted me with leading the most important missions, and Bella doesn't like that fact very much. She really wants to impress the Dark Lord."

"I've noticed," said Narcissa. "Let's just forget about the Dark Lord tonight and focus on having a pleasant time. Or at least as pleasant as these events can be."

"Okay. There's some non-alcoholic sparkling cider on the drink table, and I made sure to have Dobby bake some Pumpkin Pasties. I know how much you enjoy them."

"Thank you, darling," Narcissa squeezed his shoulder before going to pour herself a glass of sparkling cider. As the evening progressed, Narcissa and Lucius spent their time greeting some of the important wizards and witches in attendance, talking to their mates, and dancing. Narcissa viewed it as an opportunity to practice when they were married and she would be the one hosting the galas, but it felt as if she and Lucius had been together for years. While many of the conversations were about their upcoming nuptials, it was the inevitable subject which followed that bothered Narcissa.

Narcissa was currently talking to Mrs. Parkinson and Mrs. Crabbe, the two witches animatedly discussing Narcissa's wedding plans with her. But as Narcissa expected, the conversation quickly veered in a different direction when Mrs. Crabbe said, "Vicky is so excited to serve as one of your bride's maids."

"She's been my best mate since we were in nappies. I couldn't think of anyone else who I'd want by my side other than Bella," said Narcissa. And Dromeda, but she's out of the question.

"And then speaking of nappies, given how fertile your mother was, I'm sure it probably won't be long before there's a little Malfoy wizard or witch in the family," said Mrs. Parkinson.

Narcissa swallowed and forced a smile, giving the answer she had rehearsed earlier that day for moments such as this one. "I don't know. We'll see."

"Well, it will be your duty as Lucius's wife to make sure there's an heir to carry on the family name. Abraxas and Eleanor cannot wait to have a grandson," said Mrs. Crabbe.

Lucius came up beside Narcissa, and Narcissa looked at her fiancé before she said, "I need to use the loo. Excuse me."

Narcissa got away from the situation as fast as she could, though she didn't go to the bathroom. Instead, she went outside onto the balcony. It was vacant, no thanks to the chilly weather. A few tears fell down Narcissa's cheeks, as the buildup of emotions from the night finally came pouring out of her. She leaned against the banister and sobbed, her shoulders shaking and her frustration releasing as she was racked with pain. She was so lost in her misery that she barely heard someone come out onto the balcony with her. "Cissy?"

Narcissa turned around to find her sister standing behind her. Bellatrix was clad in a dress with a long-sleeved black velvet top and a blue silk skirt. Of course, her nails were painted black, and her makeup matched her nail color. "I'm fine, Bella." Narcissa wiped away the tears.

"Did Lucy do something to you? Do I need to take care of it?" Bellatrix pulled out her wand.

"No," Narcissa said and held up her hands. "Lucius didn't do anything to me."

Bellatrix came up beside Narcissa, and the two sisters didn't say anything, but Narcissa was still crying. Finally, Bellatrix said, "Cissy, I know I'm not the warmest person, but if you have something you want to talk about, I'll force myself to listen."

"You won't understand."

"Believe it or not, we do have more in common than you think. We're both women, pure-bloods, Black witches, Slytherins…"

"But you could care less about motherhood," snapped Narcissa.

Bellatrix was a little stunned by Narcissa's tone; the youngest Black sister was often the quiet one, only asserting dominance when she felt the need. "I get it. Every witch in our community harassing you when you'll produce your husband's heir. They don't seem to care about anything else."

"It's not the fact that we're expected to produce heirs for our husbands. It's just…" Narcissa absentmindedly laid a hand on her abdomen.

Bellatrix noticed where Narcissa laid her hand. "Oh Merlin. Did you and Lucy shag already? Are you up the duff and don't want others to find out you got pregnant before the wedding?"

"No and no."

"Then if you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm going to use some Vertiaserum on you to find out."

Narcissa took a deep breath and walked over to one of the chairs. She sat down, and Bellatrix subsequently did so as well. "At the beginning of my sixth year, I stopped getting my cycle. At first, I thought it was because of the stress that I was feeling in regard to everything that had happened the previous summer. I've had a few sporadic ones since then, but not many. I've been seeing a Healer who says it might be difficult for me to conceive a child. No one knows other than my Healer, Mother, and Lucius. Mother is constantly breathing down my neck, making sure I'm following the Healer's orders, doing her best to ensure that I'll be able to do my duty as Lucius's wife. Lucius: he's supportive right now, but what happens if we get a few years into our marriage and I still can't provide him an heir? Abraxas and Eleanor: once they discover the truth, they will surely be distressed. And if I can't have a baby, I'm certainly going to be ostracized by the pure-blood community…"

"Cissy," Bellatrix interrupted, "don't worry about them. You're still one of the smartest witches I know. You have purpose besides having babies."

"Dammit, Bella. It's not just about what the Malfoys and Mother and Father and every other pure-blood will think! Did you ever think I might actually want to be a mum?"

"I…" Bellatrix stuttered.

"I know you never cared much about motherhood, and I know you and Rod are in no rush to be parents, if at all. I know your service to the Dark Lord is your first priority in life. I'm sure you get some cheeky comments about being married for three and a half years and still no baby. But that's your choice. I have to listen to everyone say something along the lines about future Malfoy witches and wizards, and I don't even know if they'll ever exist. But what's worse than being seen as a failure in society's eyes is knowing I may never get to raise a child when that's what I've wanted my entire life. I want to be able to go through morning sickness and backaches and swollen ankles and food cravings and childbirth. I want to be able to hold a little baby who's the perfect combination of me and the man I love in my arms. I want to be able to teach them magic and purchase too many toys for them. I want to be a mum, but I may never get the chance. And I can't tell anyone how I'm feeling because I don't want to be seen as lesser because of my issues. They won't care how difficult and devastating it is for me; they'll just be worried about me not being able to perform my duties as Lucius's wife."

Bellatrix stayed silent for a while. She finally said, "Well, I understand why you don't want to talk to Mother, because she's a pain in the arse when it comes to grandwizards and grandwitches. But with Lucius, you can tell him anything. I promise you no matter what you two face, he's never going to leave your side."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Every time we go into battle during a mission from the Dark Lord, the last thing Lucius does before we charge is he takes a picture of you out of his robe pocket and kisses it. He keeps it there to remind him both why he fights and why he needs to live. And in case things go south, he wants you to be the final thing he sees before…you know. It's disgusting, really," Bellatrix quipped.

Narcissa tried not to imagine all of the what ifs when Lucius was out leading a mission from the Dark Lord, but she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat when she heard Bellatrix say that she was the last thing Lucius wanted to see before a battle. "He really does that?"

"Believe me, I wouldn't admit it to anyone but you. A Death Eater more focused on a girl more than the Dark Lord. No offense." Narcissa held her tongue at that statement. "Anyway, I know I'm not the warmest person in your life, but if you ever want to talk about…your fertility issues…I'll listen because I do have some sort of affection for you since you're my baby sister."

Narcissa smiled and squeezed Bellatrix's hand. "Thank you."

"Come on; another thing Mother is obsessed with is us looking pretty standing next our husband and fiancé."

Narcissa chuckled and followed Bellatrix back into the Manor. A slow song had begun playing, so Narcissa glanced around the room until she found Lucius. "There you are," Lucius said and took her hand as he led her out to the dance floor. "I was wondering where you went? I knew you weren't in the loo after about five minutes had passed."

The pair began swaying in time with the music, and Narcissa said, "I was a little upset about things, but I talked to Bella about it, and I feel better now."

Lucius didn't respond, but instead pulled his fiancée closer to him. He wrapped his arms around Narcissa, and she snuggled against his chest. A few of the other guests in attendance stared at them, but it didn't bother Narcissa. She wasn't afraid to be seen as a little too touchy-feely. She was proud that Lucius was her fiancé, and she wasn't going to be afraid to show it.