Lucius Malfoy glared at the carriage. It was late. It was well past two and he was ready for lunch, but the damned Blacks couldn't be bothered to arrive on time. He grimaced as his stomach growled for what must have been the 6th time in half an hour.

Finally the doors opened and the guests entered. He recognized Bellatrix instantly. Her haughty swagger, was enough to draw his attention almost any time, but there was a young lady with them he didn't recognize. Bella's father had said that they might bring a guest, but he couldn't imagine who it would be. The only person it should be was Bella's younger sister, Cissy, or something, but there was no way the annoying little girl had grown into the woman he now stared at.

She walked with an elegance and poise that screamed good breeding. Her platinum curls were tucked under a white sunhat, and her light blue gown showed off her tiny figure flawlessly. Bella said something to the lady and smirked to herself. Lucius counted to three waiting for the explosion that always followed Bella's self satisfied smiles. None came. The lady simply nodded in Bella's direction and kept walking.

"Our host must be hungry." Lucius heard her say, as they entered the house.

"I don't care." Said Bella, and she frowned petulantly. "I am going to change, and you will not start lunch without me. You don't want me to tell father that you've disrespected me again do you?" The lady's gaze fixed on Bellatrix for a moment.

"Of course not Bella." She sighed and made her way to the dining room. "Just hurry, you don't want to keep Mr. Malfoy waiting do you?" Her tone so perfectly matched the one that Bellatrix had just used that Lucius had to work to keep a straight face. He did wonder at the undertone in the lady's voice. It seemed as if she meant more than she said.

Bella huffed off, upset that her sister had commented on her fixation with Malfoy. She was married for Merlins sakes, she was ALLOWED her affairs now that the courtship was over. She really just didn't like the was Narcissa had been acting in general lately. She had become much harder to rouse and she seemed to have a prefect biting comeback to everything Bellatrix said. Bella didn't like it at all.

Downstairs, Malfoy was still waiting in the dining room as the lady examined the paintings they had in the foyer. He walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You may come into the dining room if you like." He smirked as she startled and spun to face him. He suddenly found himself too close to a most dazzling pair of blue eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy, I didn't notice you." Said the lady, removing herself from his space. Lucius frowned slightly.

"I suppose you know my name because this is my home, but you must tell me yours." He reached for her hand and kissed it lightly to punctuate the statement. The lady stared at him oddly for a moment before slowly replying,

"Narcissa Black."

Lucius gaped. There was no way the bundle of terror he remembered had matured into the lovely creature before him. He shook his head to clear it.

"Miss Black, I didn't recognize you." Narcissa nodded.

"Of course Mr. Malfoy." She was standing with her back to the dining room door and took the opportunity to seat herself at the table. Lucius followed.

"And I suppose I have not changed since we last saw each other." he said wryly.

Narcissa looked him slowly up and down. He had become a man since, they parted, and a handsome one at that. He had filled out and his shirt clung perfectly his muscled arms and torso. His graceful hands were steepled under his chin and his white blonde hair was tied back to reveal his thin face. He was admittedly beautiful, but Narcissa found that she was drawn to his cold grey eyes. She remembered those eyes so well, remembered what it was like to have them animated with mockery.

"No, Mr. Malfoy." She said after a breath. "You are really quite the same." Lucius stood suddenly, uncomfortable with the situation.

"I am going to find Bella."

"Of course." Narcissa drawled, and for a ludicrous moment Lucius found himself wondering if she knew he was sleeping with her sister. He shook it off. Bella was not one to reveal the intimate details of her life.

When he was gone Narcissa took a shaky breath. She felt like she was floating through a dream. There was no way that quiet flustered Narcissa just stood up to her sister. In front of Lucius Malfoy no less. She placed her hands on her head. This would not end well, and it was two against one. She could already see the distaste brimming in Malfoy's eyes, but she wasn't going to give in just because he got angry. She straightened her back, she was a Black, and Blacks never backed down.

Narcissa downed a glass of water, before standing up and preparing herself to face her sister again.

"Bella darling." She called up the hall. "I am going out. I will be back around night fall, please tell Mr. Malfoy, that his food was lovely, and that I thoroughly enjoyed his company." she let her voice lilt slightly at the end of the sentence. She could practically feel her sister fume. As she left the house, she felt eyes on her back.

"Good bye Bellatrix." She called, knowing full well it was Mr. Malfoy at the door. She laughed slightly to herself as she closed the door.

Bellatrix was storming around her room, like a mad woman, when Lucius entered.

"Bella, calm down, your sister is-"

"A slag, just like Ana, and I will not tolerate it. Next thing I know she will be gallivanting around with muggles." Lucius sighed, Bella could be such a child sometimes.

"She is nothing like your sister, and she is still young." Bellatrix scoffed. "Everyone thinks she's such a virgin..." She deliberately trailed off.

"You have yet to lie Bella, but be careful." Bellatrix knew Malfoy was egging her on, but at the moment she didn't care.

"Are you trying to get me to tell you she's a virgin? Because I won't." Lucius nodded.

"I thought as much, but let's not think of that now." Bella groaned at the quick change of subject, and Malfoy wasn't sure why he was uncomfortable talking about Narcissa, but they both shrugged it off when he pressed her into the bed.

"There are much more fun ways to pass the time."