Author's Note: Please don't ask me why I wrote this. Even I have no idea. I got the idea when I was writing Love and Flashbacks, and I'm going to use some scenes and characters from that story.

Title: An Unexpected Love
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Just a little.
Summary: Narcissa Black marries Lucius Malfoy, never expecting to love him as much as she does. This is the story of what the wife of a Death Eater goes through when she loses her husband.
Disclaimer: All this Harry Potter stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling, but the plot of this story is mine.
Setting: This story begins during Lucius and Narcissa's days at Hogwarts and goes through their years of marriage to each other.

--- - setting change
italics - emphasis

-Dating-

Lucius Malfoy and his girlfriend were—erm—making out on top of the Astronomy Tower.

They stopped, and Narcissa put her head on his chest. "You are really good at that," she whispered.

"Mm," the Slytherin fifth year replied. "Do you want to go inside now?"

The blonde girl shook her head. "No, not yet. Just stay out… here…" she said, somewhat sleepily.

"Okay."

---

Lucius sneaked back into the Slytherin common room at 3:02 a.m. He was half dragging Narcissa, who was barely awake enough to stand up.

"Goodnight, Lucius," she said, stumbling as she made her way to her room.

"Goodnight."

---

"Good morning," Lucius greeted Narcissa as she came into the common room the next morning.

"Morning. Would you do me the honor of escorting me to breakfast?" she asked, smiling.

"Certainly."

---

Poof. Lucius was suddenly dressed in a teddy bear suit. Narcissa put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile.

"Potter," the Slytherin boy said angrily, glaring at James, who was laughing with his friends at the Gryffindor table. He took out his wand and removed the costume.

---

"I'm going to get that James Potter if it's the last thing I do," Lucius muttered, pacing about the Slytherin common room.

"Oh, come on. I think you looked cute in that bear suit," Narcissa replied.

"No, I looked stupid. And I don't want to look 'cute.'"

"Well, I want you to look cute."

"Narcissa," Lucius growled.

"Okay. Sorry. Get on with your plot for revenge."

"I can't think of one right now." He sat down next to her. "He's done so many things to me over the years that I can't think of anything I could possibly do to him that he hasn't done before." He started stroking Narcissa's long, wavy blond hair.

"Lucius, just ignore him."

"You try ignoring someone that annoying."

"I do."

"That's only because you're never a target of his stupid pranks."

"Maybe I'm not a target because I ignore him."

"Not that paradox thing again."

Narcissa smiled. "Goodnight, Lucius." She got up and started walking to her room.

"Goodnight."

---

"When are you going to give me my present?" Narcissa asked Lucius during breakfast one day.

Lucius looked puzzled. "Present for what?"

"What do you mean, 'present for what?' You know what. My birthday."

Lucius paled. "Oh. Er—right. Today's your birthday…"

"You forgot!" Narcissa yelled, her cerulean eyes flashing in anger.

"No, I didn't forget. I just—"

"You forgot," Narcissa said in disbelief. "You didn't remember my birthday. I can't believe you. I remembered yours."

"Well—"

"No. I don't want to hear it. Obviously, I'm not important enough for you to remember my birthday, so I'm not going to be around for you to forget it anymore. We're through." She got up from the long table and exited the Great Hall.

Lucius got up and chased her, followed by several of his friends (they were pretty much finished with their meal anyway and they wanted to see what was going to happen).

---

Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James were standing outside the Great Hall, waiting for some Slytherins to finish breakfast that Saturday morning. They had their wands hidden behind their backs.

A blonde Slytherin fifth year came storming out of the Great Hall.

The Gryffindors sent each other questioning looks.

Lucius Malfoy came running after the girl, followed by a bunch of his friends. "Narcissa, wait!"

"Leave me alone, Lucius!"

That was when the Marauders decided to play their prank.

"Narcissa, I—" Suddenly, he couldn't speak. All that came out of his mouth was a hissing sound. The Slytherins behind him were hissing as well.

"You what, Lucius? You're an idiot? Because I already knew that," Narcissa said venomously. "We are through." She stalked off toward the dungeons.

Malfoy turned on the Marauders, still hissing.

"What? Did you say something? Can't hear you," James said, grinning.

One of the boys behind Malfoy took out his wand and tried to curse them, but couldn't, since he couldn't speak.

Sirius clicked his tongue. "Avery, don't be so rude."

Malfoy and Snape turned and ran inside the Great Hall, hissing loudly. Halfway to the staff table, they stopped hissing. They were suddenly able to speak. "Sss—fessor Brewer!"

"Is there a problem, boys?" asked Professor Brewer, the Potions professor and head of Slytherin House.

"No," Malfoy replied. "No problem, sorry to bother you." He turned and glared at the Marauders, who smiled innocently at him.

He and Snape walked back out.

Malfoy glared darkly at the Gryffindor fifth years. "You'll pay for that. You just ruined my relationship with Narcissa."

"Like she really liked you anyway," Sirius said. "She was probably only interested in you for your money."

The Slytherin boy didn't answer; he ran off to fix the damage he had done.

---

Lucius entered the common room. "Narcissa—"

The blonde got up and started walking to her room. Lucius grabbed her wrist and turned her around to face him. She tried to pull away. "Lucius, let go of me."

"No. Not till you listen to me."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say," she said, not meeting his gaze.

"I'm sorry."

She stopped struggling and looked down at the floor. "Fine. I'm listening," she said quietly.

Lucius sighed. "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday. I don't know how I didn't remember. How can I make it up to you?"

"I don't know. It really hurts that you don't think my birthday's important enough to remember," Narcissa replied quietly.

"You are important to me. I just—I don't know. Can you forgive me?" Lucius asked anxiously.

Narcissa looked into his gray eyes. "I guess," she said, looking down again.

"So are we okay?"

She nodded.

Lucius tilted her chin up. When his lips met hers, Narcissa knew that she would definitely forgive him.

---

"So what happened today at breakfast?" Kelly Richardson asked Narcissa. "You made such a scene."

"Yeah," said Tina Harris. "I was a little too far away to hear. What'd Lucius do, forget your birthday?"

"As a matter of fact, he did forget my birthday."

"What? How could he do that?"

"Is that today?" Tina asked. "I guess in that case, happy birthday, Narcissa."

"Thanks."

"So then, what happened?" Kelly asked eagerly. "I mean, I saw you with him today, and you didn't look mad."

"I forgave him," Narcissa replied. "He apologized."

---

Narcissa was sitting in the common room with Lucius, doing homework. "Lucius?"

"Hmm?" Lucius replied absently.

"Why did you ask me to be your girlfriend?"

Lucius tilted his head. "Wh—why do you ask that?"

"Just curious. Did you ask me out for my looks, or my personality, or what?"

"I don't know. I was… drawn to you, I suppose."

Narcissa smiled and kissed him.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Strange, very strange. And so much out-of-characterness… Of course, that's the basis for my whole story…