Black Night

She was fifteen years old when her world fell apart.

It was Christmas Eve, and word had come earlier that day of Bella joining the Death Eaters. Her mother had owled Andromeda to gloat only three hours before, but Narcissa wasn't so foolish as to believe her sister would reply. Of all of the blacks, Andromeda had only contacted Narcissa, Sirius and Uncle Alphard since she graduated from Hogwarts and moved out of Black Manor. She'd married that Mud – Muggleborn, Ted, if Narcissa remembered correctly. Only two days before, she had received an owl from Andi saying that she was going to be an aunt.

Narcissa tried hard not to think about what the world would be like for that little half-blood girl growing in her sister's body.

She was tired, drained, and lonely – Sirius was long gone, hadn't contacted any of them in well over a year. Bellatrix was so very out of reach, Regulus had become distant and secretive –

Tiptoeing to the balcony, she looked down and saw her mother, father, aunts and uncles – except for Alphard – gathered in the backyard and laughing uproariously. They were drunk, she realized, so it was safe.

Moving swiftly and carefully, she swept up the stairs in her fancy, expensive robes – how she hated the things – and slipped into her father's study.

There was a document in here, an owl he had received a week before, which had caused both him and her mother great joy.

With a whispered spell, she locked the doors and cast a quick notice-me-not charm. Slowly, she knelt before her father's large desk, impatiently brushing her long, blonde hair out of the way as she slid a drawer open. Paperwork about the house, unsigned documents to disown Sirius – her throat tightened as she stared at them and, with a deep breath, she crumpled the papers, stuffing them into a pocket of her robes and vowed to burn them later – nothing of import. Cursing wickedly under her breath, she moved on to the next drawer, then the next and the next.

Nothing.

Rocking back onto her heels, she gazed about the room, her luminous blue eyes bright with worry. Perhaps she'd imagined it, the way their eyes had slid to her as the read the document –

No. Whatever it was, it was about her.

And if it would make her parents that joyous, it was something to be feared.

It was an hour before she found it. Shoved behind a panel in her father's desk, hidden by a fake bottom in the drawer was a small piece of paper bearing three seals she recognized:

The Black family seal, the official Ministry seal, and the seal of the Malfoy family.

Notice of betrothal between
Narcissa Black
And
Lucius Malfoy

With shaking hands, she carefully placed the document back into her father's hiding place and ran from the room.

Up two flights of stairs and down a narrow hallway and she flung herself into her room, trembling with fear. Her mouth dry, she ran to her owl's cage and grabbed a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill and quickly penned two words:

Help me.

Still trembling, she fixed the letter to her owl's leg and whispered her cousin's name in its little ear. But just as the owl was about to soar out her window, someone knocked on her door.

Paling, Narcissa ripped the parchment off her owl's leg and shoved it in a drawer.

"Yes?" she called, and her father entered.

"I've something to tell you tomorrow, Narcissa," Cygnus Black said gravely, and idly, Narcissa realized that her father wasn't quite as drunk as she'd thought. "It might come as a shock at first, but I'm certain you'll come around. Do the Blacks proud, 'Cissa," he ordered gruffly, smiling at her, and despite herself, Narcissa smiled back.

"I will, Father," she replied evenly, and the man smiled at her once more, then reached out and ruffled her hair before turning and leaving the room.

Narcissa stared blankly at the door as it shut behind her father and dazedly, she reached up and touched a hand to her mussed hair. Her father had never given any sort of sign of affection before – Blacks are too dignified for signs of affection – yet now that he had her married off, he was proud of her.

Was that what it would take? Her marriage to that – that – Malfoy?

Sliding the drawer of her desk open, Narcissa pulled the letter she'd been about to send to Sirius out and stared at it. She couldn't do this, couldn't marry a Malfoy –

–could she?

Do the Blacks proud, 'Cissa.

Blacks are too dignified for nicknames, she remembered her mother saying – no one but Andromeda had called her by a nickname in so very long…

With a tired shake of her head, she pulled the crumpled papers out of the pocket of her robes, the papers meant to disown Sirius. She smoothed them across her desk, her eyes roving over every line of the first page. She wondered what Sirius was doing at the moment – was he happy with his friends, with the blood traitors and the werewolf? Was he happier without them, without her?

Her decision was made.

She carefully placed her letter for help on top of the disowning papers. With a deep breath, she raised her wand. "Incendio," she breathed, and the papers went up in smoke.

She sat there, unmoving, for hours, staring at the papers long after all of the smoke had curled away and the ashes crumbled into a messy pile on her desk. Finally, she shook herself and turned to gaze out the window, wondering if she could run like Sirius had, wondering if anyone would take her in without question…

But no. She would do the Blacks proud.

Narcissa Malfoy, she thought dully. Narcissa Black Malfoy.

With a resigned sigh, she glanced down at the still-open drawer of her desk and removed another piece of parchment. Maybe, just maybe, if she married that – thing, Bella would call her "Cissy" again.

Dearest Bellatrix,

You'll never believe what's happened. I have discovered that I am betrothed to be married to Lucius Malfoy immediately upon my graduation from Hogwarts. Though I am incredibly shocked, I realize that this is for the best – I will be well provided-for as the matron of the Malfoy family. And Lucius is an incredibly handsome man, whatever his flaws – any child of his will be simply gorgeous. I find myself hoping that you will consent to stand with me on my wedding day… I wish that dear Andromeda would be with us, but I fear that Mother and Father would never allow it – and rightfully so. I don't want that Mudblood she married at my wedding. He would simply foul the air.

Mother and Father are so pleased about what you've been doing – they are ever so proud of you, and I find myself wondering if I…