Title: Unnaturally Out of Love
By: BlahBabe
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Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in the old and dusty attic of the Malfoy Manor.
She and a few house elves were cleaning it. Narcissa was mostly looking at pictures and other memorabilia.
Narcissa pulled an ancient, medieval trunk, covered in cobwebs, out from the old wall. The trunk had been passed down for generations in her family from daughter to daughter.
Opening up, she was greeted by dozens and dozens of pictures and little trinkets.
There, stored away, was the first gift from her husband, Lucius, had ever given her. It was her 2nd year at Hogwarts, and it was the first…contact, Lucius had ever had with a girl who liked him. It was a chunky, home-made bracelet. He told her he didn't use magic on it (except to tie the "blasted thing").
She remembered wearing it everywhere when she was a pre-teen.
There was the corsage, a light pink rose; she had been given by him on their first real date in 4th year. He had also given her a real diamond necklace.
She smiled slightly as she picked up a picture. It was of her and Lucius, in their 6th year.
Lucius' arms were around her shoulders. Her back was against his chest and her hands rested on his forearms. Both of them were smiling. In the picture you could see them laughing. Lucius blew on her collarbone, tickling her and making her giggle, and then he and she started kissing passionately.
This was all before Lucius got the Dark Mark. Before he even knew he going to join Him.
This was all when we were carefree, innocent, and in love. Strange how all that changes so suddenly. Narcissa thought, bitterly. Narcissa wiped a tear from her eye.
"Is missus okay?" asked Berry, the family house elf.
"Yes." Narcissa cleared her throat, "Just got some dust in my eye." She lied.
Ugh! How un Malfoy-ish. Suck it up! Narcissa told herself.
She set her favorite picture to the side, the one of her 6th year. She decided she would frame it.
Digging again, she found the picture of her wedding. It had been an arranged marriage. No one (save the people at school) had known that they had been in love. Note the past tense.
Narcissa had left him early in her 7th year, after finding out he had the Dark Mark, and that he wanted it. She tried to deal with it, but just knowing that he chose a life of death, murder; a life without love, was too much to bare.
Nevertheless, the marriage had been happy. Neither one of them had forgotten about each other.
The picture showed her and Lucius holding each other's hands, cheek to cheek. Lucius looked so happy, so alive, so full of love. Whatever happened to the man I loved?
Another picture caught her attention, this one from her 5th year. Narcissa was wearing Lucius' robe, because they were out in the snow. He was twirling her around and she was laughing hysterically. A small, deformed snowman was to the side of the picture.
Narcissa sighed. Now she didn't even know if he was being faithful to her. Now he was leading their son the same dark road he had chosen, and there was nothing to do to stop it.
"I've given up on love." Narcissa sighed, unaware that Berry was listening.
"But Missus can't give up on love!" Berry cried, dramatically.
"Well why not?" Narcissa inquired.
"'Tis not natural!" Berry said, starting to sob loudly.
"Natural or not, if this is what they call love, I want to give up on it."
"But Missus, thisis not what the callsss love!" Berry said in between tears, "Thisis what they callsss a heartsbreak!"
--
As Narcissa hung the picture up of her and Lucius in their 6th year, her son Draco passed and started to observe it.
"What happened, Mum?" Draco finally asked.
"Hmm?" Narcissa asked, double checking if it was straight.
"What happened, to you and dad?"
"Some how we fell in love, honey, and I guess he just…fell out of love."
"Oh."
"Yes, well go outside and play, sweetheart." Narcissa said. As Draco walked away, Narcissa gave one last look at the old picture, and then her face hardened and she walked away.