Lucius slowly opened his eyes and caught the first glimpses of a shy winter sun trying to make an appearance in the sky. A thick layer of snow covered the grounds of the gardens around Malfoy Manor, and for the next minutes, he watched the beautiful, soundless scenario outside through the window glass of his bedroom.
It wasn't until he caught a movement next to him with the corner of his eyes that he realized he wasn't alone like he'd previously imagined. It was very uncommon for him to wake up and find his wife in bed, let alone still asleep. Narcissa had always been an earlier riser, and she slept past seven in the morning, even on their free days. It occurred to him that perhaps it might be earlier than he'd initially imagined but judging by the clarity invading their room through the curtains, he doubted it.
She must be really tired, Lucius thought. He glanced over at her figure and a small smile creased the corners of his lips. Narcissa was lying on her side facing the wall opposite to him, her silky blonde hair spilled over the white pillows. He gently leaned over her to study her features before he placed his hand on her round, feminine hip.
She looked so calm, so serene in her sleep that Lucius didn't have the courage to wake her, even though he longed to touch her slender neck with his lips. He couldn't remember ever seeing her so knocked out, but she looked so serene and peaceful that he found out he liked the sight very much.
Lucius should be thinking about his plans for the day, the business contact he had to pay a visit to in Scotland, and a half dozen other things his activities in the Ministry required of him, but the temptation of watching his wife in her sleep was too much for him to resist. It was quite a delight to study her elegant, chiseled face when no one - including herself - could distract him.
Narcissa was a class act from head to toe, and she always had been. Her long shiny hair, straight-edged nose, and light blue eyes complemented her aristocratic features. Her plump red lips were like a silent promise of pleasure. She wasn't wearing any makeup and yet her skin had never looked more perfect than it did now with its blemish-free, ivory pink healthy glow. And the rest of her… well, the rest of her was also familiar territory to Lucius's experienced hands and lips.
He'd explored every inch of that lithe, tight little body many times before but he always felt like he could never get enough of her. His eyes diverted from her face to her graceful figure. She had probably rolled a couple of times in her sleep for her green satin nightgown had tangled up all the way to her waist, revealing her bikini-shaped black cotton knickers. One of her legs was slightly flexed forward and lazily thrown over a pillow. Lucius couldn't resist the urge and gently ran the hand that rested on her hip through the length of her firm thigh, the familiar touch instantly sending buzzing vibrations all over his body.
Narcissa stirred slightly in her sleep, and before Lucius could get a hold of what he was doing, he had already brushed his lips on the curve of her jaw, silently breathing her in. Her hair smelled just as amazing as it looked. The scent of vanilla and strawberries found its way to his nose, drowning Lucius in his own desire, making him even hungrier for her.
Her eyes didn't open with the sweet exploration of her hair and face but she let out a muffled moan that made Lucius's throat suddenly feel a lot tighter.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered in her ear, genuinely bothered that he hadn't contained himself. "I am sorry. Go back to sleep," he nibbled the curve of her delicate earlobe, telling himself it was one last taste of her before he finally left and allowed her to sleep in peace.
"I can get used to waking up like this," Narcissa surprised him with a verbal reply at the same time she reached out for the hand that had abandoned her thigh. She pulled his arm over her waist, bringing his hand close to her chest after kissing his knuckles, making Lucius once again settle comfortably next to her. Her reaction made it very clear that she wasn't the least bit annoyed for having her sleep interrupted in one of the rare moments she didn't naturally wake up at dawn. "What time is it?" Narcissa slightly opened one of her lids, unwillingly processing the sudden brightness that assaulted her eyes.
"A quarter past eight," Lucius answered after checking the pocket watch he'd left on his nightstand, "what's gotten into you today? I don't remember the last time you were in bed at this hour."
"I don't know, I'm just feeling tired, I suppose," Narcissa replied with honesty, failing at containing a yawn that prevented her from speaking another word. She closed her eyes again and nestled in her husband's embrace while she toyed with his fingers between her hands.
"Well, you can stay here all morning if you wish to rest, and before I leave to run some errands, I will make sure Draco eats his breakfast. Should I send for the elf to bring yours in bed?" Lucius pampered her.
They were in the last weeks of December, and their seven-year-old son was enjoying the holidays too. Draco was homeschooled by private tutors who taught him every field of study he might need at his age, from maths, sciences and languages to the basic principles of magic, even though he couldn't perform it properly without a wand. Narcissa played an important role in it, as she liked to be actively involved in his education. One day soon, a letter from Hogwarts would arrive, and Lucius knew his wife truly enjoyed raising their son and devoting her days entirely to him while Draco still wasn't gone for most of the year.
"He won't be up for another hour, at least," Narcissa said, slowly turning her head to find his gaze. "Stay with me for a little while longer?"
How would Lucius ever be able to deny such a sweet, loving request? He had a really hard time saying no to Narcissa in every aspect of their lives, and he was pretty sure she knew how to take advantage of it by now. But the fact she wasn't asking for anything other than his presence and attention was enough to make Lucius smile.
"Of course, darling," he touched her lips with his and smiled when their eyes met. "I can stay with you all morning if you wish me to."
"You're not going to work today?" She raised her eyebrows slightly, still not letting go of his hand. "I just said you had errands to run."
They both knew that Lucius's work wasn't exactly a job. He had a distinguished position within the Ministry of Magic as an adviser and was a member of many councils and boards, but his time spent on the task was entirely voluntary since it didn't come with a salary. Narcissa knew her husband didn't do it for the money - they had plenty of it already - but rather for the political influence, power and prestige it brought to their family and their name. Their family fortune was enough that they could put their own money to work for them and aside from a few meetings here and there a few times every month, Lucius didn't have to dedicate a lot of his time to it.
"Most Ministry departments are on holiday break already," he explained, affectionately placing a lock of her hair behind her ear. They were only a few days from Christmas, and only the urgent Wizardry services kept open at that time of year. "They don't really need me today."
"Well, I need you today," Narcissa bit her lower lip and gifted him with a dazzling smile before she placed a lingering kiss on his lips.
When they broke apart, Lucius saw the happiness in her eyes and he thought she'd never looked better than she did now. Once, when they were still in school, he'd taken a look at her and thought that she was gorgeous. Here they were over a decade later, and after meeting many people and traveling to countless places, Narcissa was still the most strikingly beautiful creature he'd ever laid his eyes on.
"Cissa," Lucius groaned when she made a move for his throat, torturing him with pecks and gentle bites on his neck, "don't tempt me. Doris will come to check on you soon, she is probably already freaking out with thoughts of your demise for not showing up downstairs at this hour."
Lucius didn't care about shocking the house-elf in case she walked in on them having an intimate moment, but he knew his wife would probably be embarrassed. And he would hate the interruption.
Narcissa chuckled, amused by his sharp observation. Their house-elf worshipped her mistress and doted on her constantly, though Narcissa tried not to encourage her. She suspected Doris acted like that because Narcissa had never hit, cursed or hurt her, and even though she didn't have any intentions of ever acting violently with the loyal servant, she also didn't want to deal with Lucius accusing her of being excessively kind with Doris.
"If she comes, we'll tell her to leave," Narcissa rolled over to his side, wrapping one of her long shapely legs around his hips, "unless, of course, you want me to stop before we even begin…"
She let her words linger in the air and captured the lobule of his ear between her teeth. When Lucius felt the touch of her tongue on his skin, he abandoned reason completely and scooped her up in his arms.
Narcissa placed each knee on one side of him as her husband scooted up and leaned his back against their upholstered bed frame, allowing her to straddle him. She held his face between her hands, gently pulling him forward so she could kiss him at her will.
Lucius let her have her way with him as he wrapped both arms around her slim waist, deliberately pulling her closer to accommodate her on his lap. Narcissa took pleasure in the touch of his palms sliding down on her body, first on her hips and then on her thighs before he stopped them at her bottom and filled his hands with her buttocks.
Lucius tugged at her with one swift movement, parting her legs further to make sure she landed exactly on his most sensitive spot.
She gasped slightly at his possessiveness, reveling in the touch of his hands and lips. Lucius had his own unique way of overwhelming her with erotic intensity and passionate tenderness. Sometimes, his eyes would darken with desire, and he would look at her like a predator who was deciding where he would sink his fangs before he devoured her… Other times, his eyes seemed to be overflowing with affection and longing, and he looked at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
Her husband made Narcissa feel loved, protected, cherished and safe, and he treated her like a real queen. Sometimes they had their quarrels like any other couple, but Narcissa had never regretted the choice to marry him she'd made years ago. Back then, she had fallen in love with a rebellious, impulsive heir who went through life aggressively affirming himself. Over the years, as Lucius had grown and matured into a man of carefully planned actions, ambitious determination and unyielding loyalty to their family, they had cultivated their love with equal shares of devotion, affection and partnership. Along with the little boy they'd made together, Lucius was her favorite person in the world, and Narcissa loved him with every part of her mind, body and soul.
"Is this a new nightgown?" Lucius asked as he slowly pulled its strap down her left arm to expose her shoulder and collarbone to his hungry lips.
"No," Narcissa laughed, ticklish at his touch when his morning stubble rubbed against her soft skin, "I've worn it to bed several times before. Clearly, you've been paying a lot of attention," she said with irony, teasing him with a fake eye roll that made her husband grin.
"I like you in it," Lucius admitted with a muffled voice as he buried his face on her bosom. "I also like you out of it," he lifted his head and both of them smiled fondly at each other when their eyes met.
Narcissa wrapped her arms around his neck and unconsciously began to writhe on his lap, the hardness of his arousal exciting her nearly as much as his words.
"If that's going to be your response when I tell you how great you look in your clothes, darling, I can't wait to see which ones you will be wearing tonight," Lucius held her with each hand on one side of her waist, encouraging her to keep moving against what his pants were failing to properly accommodate at the moment, "but of course, my favorite part will when I get to take them off you."
"Tonight?" Narcissa stopped the seductive, rhythmic motion of her body and looked at him with a confused frown, making Lucius instantly regret starting that conversation.
He should have focused on the part where he told her she looked her best when she was naked, preferably in his arms, he belatedly realized.
"Yes, love. We have the Carrows' Christmas party, remember? We RSVP-ed weeks ago."
"Nooo," Narcissa protested, her gaiety and sexy gestures of just seconds ago replaced with what looked like a scowl of distress, "Do we really have to go? I don't want to," she clung to Lucius more fiercely as if the strength of her embrace was somehow enough to convince him.
"Cissa, we must. We confirmed our attendance. And it's as much a work thing as it is a social event," Lucius stroked her cheek with his thumb, unsure of why she seemed so displeased with the idea of a party.
Narcissa was usually excited about social gatherings and events. Unlike him, who saw and talked to a lot of people at the Ministry every day, his wife spent most of her days in the company of Draco and their servants only. Sometimes, she would go by days without seeing another person that wasn't her husband or son, so it was to be expected that she looked forward to any kind of social activity.
"What is it?" Lucius asked, throwing an exaggerated, overly suspicious glance that had the desired effect of making her laugh. "Cissa?" He insisted when she was still struggling to admit the truth.
"I don't want to deal with Alecto Carrow silently jinxing me all night," Narcissa finally confessed.
She could understand her husband's confusion at her reaction. It wasn't like her to deny the chance of a night out in the company of their acquaintances and friends, and she certainly wasn't one to be intimidated by the presence of another woman. But for some reason, Narcissa was feeling a little more vulnerable than usual, and all she truly wanted was to spend the day in bed, preferably under their comfortable blankets.
"Alecto is not going to jinx you," Lucius said in a serious tone even though his amused face betrayed him. "What would you think that?"
"Do you think it was a coincidence that the last time we were there, I woke up the next morning with six grotesque pimples on my face?" Narcissa got worked up, thinking back to the Carrows' infamous Christmas party of the previous year. "They were the size of a Knut each! I nearly had to go to St. Mungus to treat them, imagine being seen in public with those- wait, are you laughing? Seriously?" Narcissa glared at him with oozing outrage. She forcefully pushed his shoulders back to get off his touch, but Lucius wasn't about to let her go so easily.
"I am not laughing, I am not," he tried his best to keep a straight face but didn't succeed. Narcissa stopped her attempts at getting up and leaving the bed, but she folded her arms in front of her body and intensified her glare, clearly angered with his reaction and unsatisfied with his apology.
Lucius smiled charmingly at her but her stern expression didn't falter for a second. For Merlin's beard, she has such a temper, he thought with good humor as he tried to regain her favor with smiles and caresses. Narcissa was calm, agreeable and easygoing most of the time, but at the end of the day, she had Black blood running through her veins, which meant she had her share of that annoyingly arrogant pride that was so usual in her family.
Lucius would never admit it, but he loved it about her. His wife filled his life and his bed with love, laughter, and affection, but with her strong will and stubbornness, she could also challenge him in a way no one else would dare to.
"My darling," he nuzzled her neck, watching her shiver as his breath touched her skin, "don't be upset about my foolishness…Have I told you how much I love you?" He shamelessly flirted, aware that she would never buy that as an excuse. They stared deeply into each other's eyes, and Lucius was mesmerized by the intensity he saw in hers, "Cissa," his voice was merely a groan now, "I want you. I want to…" his voice trailed off as Lucius' attempt at seducing her backfired and he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her creamy ivory skin.
She didn't say anything, but she also didn't resist his touch, which was something, Lucius thought.
"You are going to hate me for saying this, and I might risk my chance of having you this morning, but-"
"I would think very carefully about what I would say next," she warned him severely, making Lucius grin at her willfulness.
"…you are adorable when you're jealous," he completed the sentence, watching as her face turned red from a mix of fury and indignation.
As he expected, she motioned to leave him, but Lucius got ahead of her and once again pulled her back to his lap, this time crushing her lips with his in a kiss that was meant to tame but also to please her. He coaxed her lips apart with his tongue as he ran his fingers through her hair on the back of her head, pulling her toward him. His free arm settled tightly around her waist, her small breasts crushed against the hardness of his chest. Narcissa resisted at first, but soon enough she yielded to his sweet persuasion and kissed him back with just as much desire.
"I am not jealous," she managed to say. She was panting for breath after pulling apart from his kiss. Narcissa belatedly realized that her annoyance and insistence with the subject pretty much confirmed his accusations, "I am not jealous," she repeated, but her voice lacked confidence this time.
"Cissa," Lucius touched his forehead to hers, doing his very best not to rip that green nightgown off her at once and take her until she was moaning his name, begging him for what they knew he was so good at giving her, "Surely you must know it is you and only you… it has always been you, Love."
Narcissa knew what he meant and she nodded while looking into his eyes, not for a second doubting he was saying the truth.
Back when they were still in school, Lucius's parents had planned to marry him to Alecto Carrow and for a while, the two of them had gone out on dates arranged by their parents. At the time, Narcissa and Lucius hadn't yet fallen in love, though the everlasting mutual attraction between them was already present at their every interaction.
For a while, right after he'd graduated Hogwarts, Lucius had tried to abide and do as his parents wished, and he had honestly tried to make it work with Alecto. He'd been with many girls during his school years, and Alecto didn't make him feel any different than any random girl before her.
But as time progressed, Narcissa Black, the beauty of their generation in Hogwarts transformed in front of his eyes. She went from beautiful young girl to an alluring, confident woman, and Lucius couldn't help acting on his feelings. When he realized that what he felt for the woman he was supposed to marry didn't come close to the insane, inexplicable urge he felt to be around Cissa, Lucius had broken things off with Alecto. His parents had understood and taken it well. Narcissa was a Black, after all, and that made her a more than appropriate match to bear the next Malfoy heir or heiress.
Alecto, on the other hand, had not been so forgiving. Immediately after their breakup, she had decided to fight for Lucius' love and attention, but once she realized that battle had been lost before it even began, she concentrated her efforts on making sure Lucius regretted his decision.
A lot of time had passed since then, and Lucius was sure Alecto was over whatever feelings she'd had for him back then. She had married into the Parkinson family and had a couple of kids. But her animosity towards Narcissa had never changed. Alecto might not be in love with Lucius anymore, but Narcissa would always be the competition that had made her a runner-up, and Alecto would never forgive her for it.
"I don't get it…" Narcissa thought out loud, already dreading the inevitable encounter with the woman that once a year tried to give her hell. "How can someone be so cold and unfeeling towards her own husband and family, but get so worked up when it comes to attacking me or getting between us? Why does she care so much?"
"Because she envies you, darling," Lucius held her hands between his and devotedly kissed them before looking up to meet her eyes. "It is not about you or me… it's about her and what her life is like," he wisely pointed out. Lucius caressed his wife's cheeks and placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead before she rested her head on his shoulder, processing his words.
Narcissa didn't need him to elaborate to know what her husband meant. It still shocked her sometimes that most of the married couples in her social circle were just like her parents. Sometimes, she had a feeling that most husbands and wives could barely tolerate one another, and she wondered how people could go through a lifetime of unhappiness only for the sake of appearances or a sense of duty to their noble families.
Her own sister Bella had lived like that before she'd been imprisoned. Narcissa knew that her parents had pretty much forced their oldest daughter to marry Rodolphus Lestrange, and even though it didn't look like Bella hated him, it surely didn't seem like they were in love either. In the brief years Bella got to be around them as a married couple, she felt as if the Lestranges' marriage was more of a business transaction or a social arrangement than in fact a real union, and it saddened Narcissa deeply that Bella had probably never experienced the blissful domestic happiness she got to have on a daily basis.
At least Andromeda was happy with her life, Narcissa told herself, hoping it wasn't just wishful thinking. She didn't dare to ever mention her sister because being forced to separate from her had left Narcissa with a wound that had never healed. There was an emptiness inside her heart in the place Andromeda had once occupied and not a day went by when Narcissa didn't consider taking the risk of displeasing everyone close to her just so she could see Andromeda again and beg her to forgive Narcissa for turning her back on her sister all those years ago.
Before another word could be said, Lucius was kissing her again, obviously ready to give another attempt at what they had been trying to consummate for the past hour or so. He had just grabbed the hem of his wife's nightgown to pull it over her head when a knock on their door interrupted them once again.
"WHAT?" Lucius grunted with frustration, doing his best to contain his rage and impatience.
The doorknob turned slowly, and the hinges of the old wooden door opened with a low click before two large amber eyes stared at them from a distance.
"Doris was worried about the Mistress," the house-elf lowered her head in total submission, "Doris came to see if the mistress is well."
"Yes, I am well, Doris," Narcissa replied, at the last second holding back the thank you she was about to add.
"What about me? Weren't you worried about me, Doris?" Lucius grumpily asked. "I also didn't go downstairs for breakfast this morning."
"O-of course, sir, I mean, yes, m-milord, of course Doris was worried about her M-master, sir."
"Stop torturing her," Narcissa angrily whispered in her husband's ear after she noticed the satisfied expression on his face when the house-elf stumbled over her words. "Is Draco up?" She asked Doris and watched when the elf nodded emphatically. "Take him to the drawing room, then. We will have breakfast there with him," she watched as the servant bowed in compliance. "Oh, one other thing. I am going to need my blue velvet dress with the gold threads for tonight. Make sure Ancilla has it ready by seven," Narcissa ordered, referring to one of the other house-elves that served them. "Oh, and get me some orange juice as well, Doris? I am feeling too queasy for tea."
"At once, Mistress," Doris gave her an exaggerated bow and smiled widely, as if she was extremely happy with something she'd heard.
"You are way too nice to them," Lucius repeated what he always said, more out of habit than because he truly cared.
"You worry about the Ministry, our bank accounts and our possessions and let me worry about the running of his house and the elves, alright?" She playfully censored her husband, even though deep down she was glad Lucius didn't push it.
Long ago, when she was still a girl growing up in the noble House of Black, Narcissa had learned that the best way to gain an elf's allegiance and loyalty wasn't by threatening, hurting or massacring them, but rather by treating them with the least bit of humanity. She still kept her distance, but unlike her oldest sister, she had never been inclined to resort to violence as the means to get to an end.
Despite Lucius' vehement protests, Narcissa left their bed and walked over to their bathroom. She grinned with mirth when she saw the expression of painful exasperation on his face.
"You said you would tell the elf to leave if she interrupted us," Lucius grumpily complained when he was left alone in bed. "But you left. Narcissa! You said you needed me," he reminded her, trying to get his wife to change her mind and get back in bed with him. She exited the bathroom and walked over to her closet without saying a word back. Lucius could hear the sound of her undressing and putting on her morning clothes. He groaned, feeling inside his pants the painful effects of the deprivation of pleasure he now had to endure. "Cissa, don't do this to me."
Narcissa returned to the bedroom and smiled ruefully at him. She bent over to give her husband one last kiss on the lips before she stopped midway to the door to put on a pair of cozy slippers.
"I am sorry, sweetheart, we can't right now. Draco is waiting for us downstairs. Come on, get out of there and come have breakfast with me and your son. We can have Pumpkin Pasties?" She suggested, trying to cheer him up. It was his favorite breakfast. "I will ask Doris to prepare some for you."
"I don't want Pasties for breakfast, I want you for breakfast," Lucius raised one eyebrow suggestively. Damn it. For a brief moment, Lucius was angry with himself for allowing Narcissa to have so much power over him. She drove him crazy with lust, desire and longing, and now she left the bedroom like he could have a normal day after the torture she was putting him through.
"Later, Lucius, I promise," Narcissa stopped at the door and cast him a look that showed she was nearly as frustrated as him about their interruption. "Tonight, after we get back from the Christmas Party, I promise I will be yours and only yours."
—-
Thanks for making all the way here, guys!
I would love to read what you guys think and if you think this story is worthy of a second installment. I have recently fallen in love with Lucissa and needed to get this out of me, but I am not sure there are many Lucissa shippers out there.
Anyway, English is not my first language and this is my first HP fanfic so forgive me if there is any kind of gross mistake up above :)