Author's Note: Well, I still have nothing to say. My mind is blank. And I mean that literally…
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
111 - begin flashback
000 - end flashback
/…/ - time
italics - emphasis
-Changes-
"Daddy, tell me a story," a four-year-old Draco begged.
Lucius considered for a moment. "All right. There once was a wizard who put fear into the hearts of everyone…"
Narcissa Malfoy leaned against the doorframe and listened as her husband told their son a story about a wizard who feared death, a young Death Eater who supported him, and the child who defeated him.
---
Later, as she got into bed, Narcissa asked, "Lucius, that story you told Draco… it's true, isn't it?" Narcissa had known that Lucius was a Death Eater ever since his trial, but he had never told her the whole story.
"I don't want to talk about it," Lucius replied, rolling over so he was facing away from her. "Goodnight, Narcissa."
"Lucius—"
"I said goodnight."
Narcissa stared at him for a minute. "Okay," she said quietly. "Goodnight, Lucius."
---
/2 years later/
Narcissa turned to her right and looked at Lucius. "Lucius," she whispered.
"What?" he answered sleepily.
"Do you still… love me?"
"Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"
"I don't know. You just haven't said it for a while—" she stopped, realizing that he wasn't awake to hear her.
She looked sadly at the sleeping form of her husband, and then curled up next to him. She got as close as she could, trying to get warm.
---
/2 years later/
Lucius had changed. He had become cold and distant. Whatever warmth Narcissa had ever found in his eyes was now gone. He showed less emotion than ever. Whenever he and Draco were together, she recognized the look her young son gave his father as one of hero worship.
Narcissa was becoming increasingly unhappy and didn't smile as much as she used to. She was losing the man she fell in love with and didn't know how to deal with it.
She knew Lucius was doing what he thought was best. He was providing Draco with a strong role model. He didn't realize that he was alienating his wife. Narcissa never told him how she felt. Instead, she settled into her role as the dutiful wife.
Sometimes, she wished that things were different. She wanted everything back to the way it was—she wanted Lucius back to the way he used to be. But she remained silent, knowing that he still loved her, even if he didn't show it that much.
---
It was past midnight, and Narcissa was still awake. She had been staring at her sleeping husband for about an hour. She wanted to be close to him—as close as they had been when they were younger. What had changed? How had Lucius become so different? She remembered the dinner she had consumed a few hours ago.
111
"How was your day, Draco?" Lucius asked his son.
"I learned a new spell at school," the eight-year-old boy said.
Lucius nodded approvingly and turned to his wife. "And you, Narcissa?"
She glanced at him and mumbled, "Fine," before looking back at her plate. Lucius nodded at her as well and then started talking about something-or-other that the Ministry of Magic was doing. Draco listened attentively, but his mother continued to stare at her food, not listening to a word her husband was saying.
Couldn't he see that she wasn't fine? Didn't he know how hurt she was that he had stopped talking to her? Why did he keep pushing her out of his life? When had he changed? How come he was so unreachable?
These questions and many others swirled around in Narcissa's mind as she finished her meal in silence.
000
She moved closer to Lucius and put her head on his chest. She could hear and feel his heart—the heart she so desperately wanted to reach—beating. She liked being in this position; his heartbeat made him seem more real somehow.
Someday she would get him back. Someday she would pour out her feelings, he would listen, and he would come back to her. But for now, Narcissa was perfectly content to just lie there and listen to the rhythmic beat of her love's heart.
---
/3 years later/
Lucius had not changed—if anything, he had become colder and more distant. Narcissa now constantly wore an expression that made it seem as though she were smelling something horrible. She knew that she would never leave her husband; she loved him too much to do that. She also knew that if she divorced Lucius, she would lose her only son, for Draco looked up to his father and always had.
Lucius still had no idea of the pain his wife went through everyday. He knew she was acting a little different, but he thought she was just going through a phase.
---
Narcissa looked at Lucius's face (AN: Yeah, he's sleeping again. Getting monotonous, ain't it?). She wanted to see his eyes. They used to show her whatever emotion he was experiencing. They didn't do that anymore.
She wished there was some way to get past his icy exterior to reach the real Lucius—the Lucius that had somehow disappeared.
Silent tears dripped down her face and onto her pillow.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: Darn. I wish I could make this fanfic a movie… I don't know why I'm writing this fic. I mean, I don't even like Slytherins (no offense to any who may be fans out there). Well, I'm off to try to figure out how a supposedly smart person like me forgets every single thing she's supposed to remember…
