You're Still The One
Part Twelve: Happily Ever After

My very first Lucius/Narcissa story. Enjoy!

rating: PG-13

genre: drama

summary: The story of Narcissa Malfoy: life, school, friendship, and the most
important of all...love.

Thank you for the good reviews and the criticism! *hands out cookies* I'm
really sorry the characters seem more American and I'll try to fix that in my
future stories...This is the ending of You're Still The One. It's where
Narcissa's story of her school years and young adulthood end. I hope you enjoyed the
story.
 ...

MINISTRY OF MAGIC
DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AUROR OFFICE

The third of November in the year Nineteen Eighty One

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

Please remember that your presence is required at the trial of your husband,
Mr. Lucius Malfoy, on the third of November. Please be at courtroom #11 on the
3rd at ten o'clock in the morning. Make sure to be prompt.

Sincerely,
Alastor Moody

...

Narcissa clutched the parchment on which her husband's trial date was written
in a trembling hand. She eyed the door to the courtroom nervously. She took a
deep breath and entered the room. It was buzzing with the sound of about two
hundred voices. Narcissa felt like she was going to faint as she took a seat
on one of the benches. Alastor Moody and Barty Crouch Sr. entered the room and
everyone fell silent. Crouch went to his seat with the rest of the Wizengamot
but did not sit down.

"Bring in the prisoner!" he barked, his eyes glittering with fury.

Two Dementors entered the room, each holding one of Lucius's arms. Narcissa
gave a cry of horror when her husband entered. Only a few days in Azkaban and
he already looked disheveled and his eyes were beginning to look hollow. His
head jerked up at the sound of Narcissa's cry, though his eyes showed
recognition, he did not (and could not) acknowledge his wife in any other way.

"Lucius Malfoy, you are accused of being in Lord Voldemort's inner circle. I
believe this deserves a sentence in Azkaban no shorter than--" Crouch was
interrupted by Cornelius Fudge, who stood up.

"Mr. Crouch, I have spoken to Mr. Malfoy and he denies being a Death Eater.
He is a very respected wizard...And he told me he has names for you."

Crouch raised an eyebrow and glared down at Lucius.

"What names can you give me?" he said icily.

Lucius looked up, a spark of hope in his eyes.

"Walden McNair...Rodolphus Lestrange...Bellatrix Lestrange...Severus
Snape..." he said quietly.

There was a loud buzzing filling the courtroom again.

"Silence!" snarled Crouch. "Well...These names are new information to the
Ministry. I suppose because you've been so generous and so noble..." Crouch's
voice was dripping with sarcasm. It was obvious he thought Lucius was guilty.
"Twenty years in Azkaban!"

There was an angry murmur from the crowd and Narcissa felt faint.

"All in favor of sending the accused to Azkaban?" Crouch looked around. A few
hands had shot up nervously. "All opposed?" Many hands shot up into the air.
Crouch looked furious. "Cleared of all charges!"

Narcissa gave a happy cry and ran toward her husband, whom she embraced
tightly. "I love you, Lucius."

A rare smiled had lit up Lucius's face. "I love you, Narcissa."

 ...

Narcissa and Lucius Apparated back to Malfoy Manor, where they were greeted
by Dobby, who looked thrilled to see his master.

"Master is back!" squeaked the elf, dabbing at his eyes. "Dobby is so glad to
see Master!" Lucius looked down at the groveling elf with a cool expression.

"Where is my son, Dobby?"

"Little master is sleeping, sir. Would you like me to wake him?" Dobby looked
up at Lucius with his large green eyes.

"No, Dobby. Let Draco sleep." He gave his wife another kiss before heading
upstairs to wash and put on clean robes. Narcissa headed to the parlor where
Draco was napping in his playpen.

"Mumumu!" Draco was standing up, his big grey eyes wide and curious. "Dada?
Dada?" He peered past his mother, hearing Lucius's footsteps on the stairs. He
entered the room, the arrogant and confident air surrounding him once more.
"DADA!" shrieked Draco, this time clapping his little hands with delight.

 ...

Lucius had managed to get out of going to Azkaban by paying Cornelius Fudge
to defend him. He kept giving generously to the Ministry of Magic and St.
Mungo's, which made him look like a kind, generous man. As the years went on,
Lucius became less and less affectionate toward his son in public, though his love
for him never wavered. Nor did his love for Narcissa. As the watched Draco
board the Hogwarts Express for the first time, he knew in his heart, no matter
what, Narcissa and Draco would always be the most important people to him.

"Good-bye, Mother! Good-bye, Father!" Draco, flanked by his friends Vincent
Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, waved to his parents. Narcissa was dabbing her eyes
with a handkerchief.

"Good-bye, Draco! I'll send you anything you've forgotten! Send us and owl
and let us know what house you're in!" The train picked up speed and disappeared
around a bend. Narcissa's face was buried in the handkerchief.

"He'll be a Slytherin, just like us Narcissa. We've raised him well, now it's
up to him to determine his future." Narcissa looked up at Lucius and gave him
a watery smile.

"I hope he will be as good of a father and husband as you, someday." Lucius
smiled slightly and with a loud crack, the both Disapparated.

 ...

Three days later, while Lucius was at work, Draco's owl came.

Dear Mother and Father,

I was sorted into Slytherin. Hogwarts is wonderful and I am enjoying my
classes. Mother, could you please send me one of your chocolate cakes? I hope you
are both well and I'll see you at Christmas.

Your son,
Draco

With a quick flick of her wand, a chocolate cake in a box and a tin of fudge
appeared in front of Narcissa.

Dear Draco,

I'm very proud that you're a Slytherin and I know your father will be too. I
will let him know as soon as he gets home. Here's the chocolate cake you want,
along with some fudge. Let me know if you need anything else. Send an owl
every few weeks letting us know how you are.

Love,
Mother

Narcissa tied the box and letter to the owl's leg and it soared out the open
window. She went and got Draco's baby book from the shelf in the parlor. Narcissa curled up in an armchair and opened the book with trembling hands. "My baby..." whispered Narcissa, as her fingers brushed a photograph of Draco as a baby. She flipped to the end of the book, where the last page was almost full. There were pictures of Draco at ten and eleven here. Narcissa picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began to fill out the last blank line.

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Narcissa pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and swiped at her eyes. Her son. How proud she was of him.

...

Lucius was greeted by a beaming Narcissa that night. "He's in Slytherin, Lucius! Our son is a Slytherin."

Lucius smiled, his pride obvious. "I knew he would be."

...

Later that night, as Narcissa slid into bed next to Lucius, she reflected on the last twelve years of her life. They were the best and worst years of her life. She always wondered if she'd regret marrying Lucius but as she watched her husband sleeping peacefully, she knew that marrying him had been one of the best things to ever happen to her.

"Lucius?" Narcissa wrapped her arms around him.

"Hmm?" Lucius blinked sleepily, a slightly curious expression on his face.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Narcissa." Lucius kissed his wife's forehead.

Lucius drifted back to sleep and Narcissa finally fell asleep too, a serene smile on her face. After all they had been through, Lucius was still the one she wanted to be with...for life.

...