After dinner, Narcissa went into her quarters at the mansion. She went to her trunk and opened the lid. Kneeling beside it, she took out a small box and opened that. Inside were the items she had lovingly put away, so she didn't have to see them anymore. They reminded her too much of what she had lost.

The perfume that Sirius had given her – the scarf, a birthday gift from Lily – the aquamarine earrings from James – and all of Andromeda's letters. There was one more thing – a picture of her and Remus, taken at Hogsmeade around Easter. In the picture, they were smiling and laughing, faces full of joy. Narcissa's eyes filled with tears. She slowly wrapped the picture in a piece of fabric, and placed it into the box again.

"Cissy?"

Trixie was standing in the door way. Narcissa turned her back on her and put the box back into the trunk.

"What do you want, Trixie?" she asked her, "Shouldn't you be downstairs with the boys?"

Trixie snorted, "They don't need me. They're going to drink brandy and discuss politics, VERY boring." Her dark eyes sparkled mischievously, "I thought we might have some girl talk." She sat down on the plush-covered chair next to Narcissa's nightstand and looked at her sister expectantly.

Narcissa shook her head, "I don't feel like chatting much, Trixie. I'm sure you understand."

Trixie fluffed out her long brown hair and crossed one leg delicately over the other. Choosing her words carefully, she said, "I can only imagine how difficult this all must be for you."

Narcissa didn't move.

Trixie licked her lips, "Especially – since your boyfriend and all your friends have abandoned you."

Narcissa whipped around so fast her neck cracked. She stared wide-eyed at her sister, "What – how – I don't know what you mean."

Trixie laughed, not unkindly, "Cissy. Do you really think that Lucius and I don't know what happened? We know all about it – your love affair with Remus Lupin."

Narcissa covered her face with her hands.

"Now, sweetie, don't despair," Trixie knelt on the floor with her sister and combed her fingers through the long golden hair, "Lucius forgives you and he's practically forgotten the whole thing anyway."

"It doesn't matter," Narcissa replied, her voice muffled, "I'll never forget it. Any of it."

Perfect, Trixie thought, smiling.

"You know, Cissy," she began, stroking her sister's hair comfortingly; "there is a way you could forget it – all of it – if you really wanted to."

Narcissa lifted her head. Her eyes were wet. "What do you mean?"

Speaking slowly and deliberately, careful to leave out anything about Lucius, Rodolphus, or the Dark Lord himself, Bellatrix told her sister about the Auralium Curse. When she was finished, Narcissa's mouth was open.

"You're asking me to give up – everything I have left?" she whispered, "All I have of Remus are memories – you're asking me to give those up?"

Trixie frowned, "If my memory serves me right, you're asking Lucius to give up a lot more than that," she replied, picking some nonexistent lint from her skirt, "He's giving up his pride, taking you back. After all," she said slyly, "if I know, and he knows, how many other people do you think know about you and Remus?"

Narcissa's vision blurred with tears. I must have cried an ocean by now, she thought bitterly, and for what? Remus isn't crying any tears. Nobody else is sad. I'm the only one who is crying for what I've lost.

"Come on," Trixie whispered, tantalizingly, "A new life. Forget the pain. Start fresh. It's a chance many people would die for, Cissy. All you have to do is take the plunge."

Narcissa looked into her truck. She reached in and took the box out again, and handed it to Trixie.

"Take this, then," she told her, "I won't need it anymore."

Morning dawned blood-red. Narcissa woke early and decided to take one more walk around the Malfoy's grounds, alone. She dressed quietly, left a note on her dresser in case Trixie or Lucius came looking for her, and started out across the wet grass.

It was June. Hot, even in the mornings. Narcissa braided her hair and looped it up on top of her head, to keep it off her back. Even the early morning sunlight was sticky. Her simple white dress clung to her, and it wasn't even 10 AM yet.

In another hour or so, Lucius would perform the curse. She would forget everything.

Good riddance, she thought. What was there to even miss anymore?

She took her sandals off and walked barefoot in the grass. So many memories of this place. She would be glad to be rid of them. The afternoon when she first came to the Malfoys, when she was only six years old. The mornings she spent on that swing over there, hanging from the maple, hiding from Lucius and his friends. The day she ran away, crying, because a letter came telling her that her dear mother had died, and she hadn't even been there to say goodbye.

What will this place look like, when I can't remember any of this?

She took a deep breath. She could smell the hydrangeas, the lilacs almost out of season, the late spring roses. In a few hours, it would all be over. Trixie had promised that it wouldn't hurt. She laughed a little. Even if it did, would she remember it?

Time to go back.

As she walked towards the manor doors, she thought she saw something in the bushes, something vaguely human. But when she looked back, it was gone.

Lucius and Trixie, and Trixie's husband Rodolphus, were waiting on the French balcony of Narcissa's quarters when she returned.

"There's our girl," Trixie said warmly, "Nervous?"

"Only a little," Narcissa lied. She wasn't nervous at all.

"It will only take a minute," Rodolphus said. Narcissa was surprised. He rarely said anything at all, and when he did, it wasn't to her. She was vaguely aware of how incredibly young she was, compared to the rest of them. Lucius and Trixie were both twenty-two, and Rodolphus was close to twenty-five. She felt like a child among them.

To her surprise, Lucius looked terribly nervous. He kept shifting his wand from one hand to the other, and his eyes were all over the place. Narcissa's heart went out to him. Poor thing, she thought. He must hate what he's going to do to me.

She walked over to him and touched him lightly on the arm. Lucius avoided her eyes.

"I just want you to know," she said, "how terribly sorry I am. For everything. And that I really do thank you, for what you're going to do for me."

She kissed him on the cheek. His skin was clammy, as if he'd recently had a fever.

"You – you'd better stand over there," Lucius stammered, indicating the edge of the balcony.

"We're going to do it in here?" she asked in surprise.

"You're not going to be feeling your best when it's over," Trixie broke in, "You'll need a lot of rest. Best to do it in your bedroom."

Narcissa nodded. She walked to the edge of the balcony and took another long, last look over the grounds.

And then, in the distance, she saw Remus.

He had caught sight of her, and he was running towards the manor at a breakneck pace.

Her heart soared in her chest. Remus! He was coming for her!

"Say goodbye, Cissy," Trixie murmured, behind her.

The curse!

Narcissa whirled around, her hand up to shield her face. "Lucius, no! Wait a minute!"

Lucius had his wand aimed at her. "Bella, I can't do it!" he cried.

Trixie's eyes were fixed on the grounds behind Narcissa.

"Lucius, do it now!" she shrieked.

"Remus!" Narcissa screamed.

"Auralias!"

Fiery pink light shot out of his wand, straight at Narcissa. She screamed, an almost animal cry, as the pink light engulfed her from head to toe. Lucius dropped his wand in terror. Rodolphus' expression did not alter. Only Bellatrix smiled, almost comically, as Narcissa screamed and writhed in pain.

Almost as soon as it began, it was over. The light faded. Narcissa fell into a heap on the stone balcony, and lay still.

"Narcissa!" Lucius ran over and lifted her limp body into his arms.

"Put her on her bed," Trixie ordered. "I'll tend to Remus Lupin."

Lucius stopped with Narcissa draped over his arms, "Lupin is here?"

"He should be downstairs by now," Trixie said, "He was running across the lawn at Narcissa."

Lucius started, "You saw him? He came back for her – and you let me do this to her?"

Trixie's eyes flashed. "Rodolphus, you handle this," she snapped, "I'm going to go take care of the werewolf."

As she ran down the stairs and out of sight, Rodolphus turned his dark eyes on Lucius.

"You know what we told you. You are the Dark Lord's servant now. Surely you weren't about to back out of your agreement for the sake of a sixteen-year-old and her schoolgirl crush on a werewolf." His eyes flashed, just as Trixie's had, "Or is her life worth throwing away your future on?"

Lucius shuddered. He carried Narcissa's limp form over to her bed and laid her down on it.

The door to her bedroom burst open. Remus Lupin ran in, with Trixie hot on his heels.

"Narcissa!" he breathed. Then he saw Lucius, standing over her.

"Get away from her!" he shouted, pulling his wand from his pocket and aiming it at him, "Don't you touch her!"

Lucius stepped back silently.

Sweat was pouring down Remus' face. He turned to Trixie, "What have you done to her?"

"Save your breath," Trixie spat, "We didn't do anything to her. She's got a fever. Touch her forehead, you'll see."

Remus sat down on the edge of Narcissa's bed and touched her forehead with his hand. Sure enough, it was raging hot, tendrils of hair sticking to it. He brushed them aside and took out his wand. "Aguatica," he muttered, and cool water poured from his wand onto her forehead. He touched it with his hand again.

"It's going back to normal," he said, "Why won't she wake?"

"We haven't tried to wake her yet," Rodolphus answered in a strange voice.

Remus looked at Bellatrix, "I don't care what you say. I know you – you and him," here he pointed at Lucius, "did something – you tricked me into believing that Narcissa would betray me. And I was foolish enough to believe it." His eyes narrowed, "Not anymore. When she's well enough, she's coming with me. I don't care what you do or say."

"That's all well and good," Trixie replied, "if she still wants you."

She took Lucius and Rodolphus by the arm.

"Come on," she said cunningly, "Let's give these two a moment alone."

Remus looked at Narcissa's beautiful stilled face.

There was only one way to know.

He aimed his wand at her and whispered, "Ennervate."

Narcissa's blue eyes fluttered open. Her hand went to her forehead, as if in pain.

"Narcissa," Remus whispered, "It's me. It's Remus."

She blinked twice, stared at him.

"Oh, Cissa, I'm so sorry," he murmured, "Can you ever forgive me?"

She didn't say anything.

"It was – it was a trick," he went on, "Your sister – Lucius – they tricked me into believing you had betrayed me. But I know you didn't. I know you would never do such a thing. I'm so sorry I wouldn't listen to you. Can you forgive me, please, Cissa?"

Her eyes were so wide. Something wasn't right.

With difficulty, Narcissa sat up in bed.

"I – I don't know who you are."

Remus stared at her.

"What?"

If it was possible, her eyes went even wider. Fear was lit within them.

"I don't know who you are. Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked, frightened.

"What? Narcissa, it's me, it's Remus!" he cried, "What are you saying?"

"Leave me alone!" Narcissa tried to get up, but she was too weak. She pushed her way out of the bed and fell on the floor.

"Narcissa!" Remus bent to pick her up, but the minute his hand closed around her arm, she began screaming, an unreal, catlike scream.

Lucius and Trixie ran into the room. Acting quickly, Trixie screamed, "Obliviate!", aiming her wand at Narcissa, who immediately stopped struggling and went still, slack-jawed. Lucius grabbed Remus and yanked him to his feet.

"I'll thank you," he snarled, "not to come here and frighten my fiancé anymore!"

"No!" Remus screamed, "She can't be telling the truth! She knows who I am! She knows! Narcissa! NARCISSA!"
Lucius looked furious, and scared. Gripping Remus' arms, he shouted to Trixie, "I thought you said she wouldn't wake for hours!"

Trixie glared at him, "Get him out of here, or I'll have to Stun her again!"

"NO!" Remus screamed, "Narcissa! NO!"

But Narcissa's eyes were wide and staring, her mouth slack, her face empty.

"Dobby!" Lucius shouted. The house elf appeared, trembling, "Take this man and get him out of my sight, off of the grounds if you can manage it. He is not to enter this house again! That is an ORDER."

"Yes, master," Dobby managed. He looked at Remus with something like pity in his eyes and snapped his fingers.

"NARCISSA!" Remus screamed, as a wind like a tornado whipped around him, and blew him from the manor room, through the window, and out of sight.