A/N: I am SO sorry I haven't updated in so long! But the update train came through my town today, so here we are!(Yeah, that was corny, oh well.)
I'm sorry if any of them are OOC, I tried my best! xD
BETA: The amazing, talented Time Vortex!
DISCLAIMER: NOTHING. NOT A THING.

Patronus

I remember the day well: Draco was only a few months past his first birthday. Lucius was out (I can't remember why), and it was just my baby and me. I gave him ice cream and let him play with the new toys he got for his one-year-and-a-month birthday party.

Suddenly, Lucius' Patronus appeared in our living room. I stared at it for a long time; it was a peacock. He never would admit it to me until we were married. But I ran to it and looked at every side of it. "Mamama!" screamed little Draco. He was scared of the peacock.

I would have laughed if he weren't my baby boy. I ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Shh! Mommy's here, Drakey, Mommy's here." I kissed him on the forehead. When he stopped crying, I said, "That's my little superstar!" in my usual high-pitched 'cooing' voice.

But there was still the problem of the Patronus, which had faded. If I hadn't known better, I'd have said it was sad-looking.

"Dobby!" I shouted, harshly.

With a crack my house elf appeared. "Mistress Malfoy!" he squeaked.

"Where did Mr. Malfoy say he was off to?"

"Master tells Dobby nothing. Little Dobby doesn't hear anything. Mistress told him to close his ears!"

"Lies!" I screamed. He may have been telling the truth; what did I care? He was a half-breed, scum, meant to be screamed at.

"N--no! No, Mistress. Dobby tells the truth. On Dobby's honor, Mistress."

I laughed cruelly. "Well, that isn't much, now is it, Dobby?"

"No, Mistress. Dobby tries his best though, Mistress."

I laughed again and then sneered and began to speak all in the course of only thirty seconds. "I refuse to argue with a half-breed such as yourself. You do not try your best, and I will not hear anything against me! Find Lucius Malfoy, Dobby, or suffer the consequences!"

He Disapparated with a crack!

I hugged Draco closer to me. What in Merlin's name was going on?

Dobby did not come back for a long time. I began to lose my patience. If that scum didn't come back soon, and with my husband, he would be more severely punished than Draco had ever seen.

He did, finally, return about three minutes later. "Late again, I see," I sneered, then muttered, "Crucio!"

He was forced into the air, screaming in agony. I turned away, though I'd love to have enjoyed the show, so that Draco wouldn't be subjected to watching Dobby.

Lucius was indeed there. "You summoned me through house-elf? Really, Narcissa!" But he looked drained, and collapsed on the couch.

"What is it, dear?" I asked, rocking Draco back and forth in my arms.

He smiled fondly at my--oh, alright, our--son. He kissed the baby on the forehead, then me, and told me to put him in bed.

"Why?"

"Please, Narcissa."

I trembled at the scared note in his tone. I hurried up the stairs, allowing Dobby to fall into a clump of scum, and was down very soon again. I passed my wand quickly over myself. My hair was a bit messy from playing with Draco, and letting him pull on it, and my dress was rumpled. I fixed this and sat next to Lucius with a smile.

"Mrs. Malfoy," he said gravely. He rarely called me that, and when he did, it was when something very, very bad had happened.

"Oh, what is it, Lucius?" I asked. Even though my dislike of him was starting to mount, I was nervous.

"The Dark Lord has fallen."

I almost screamed. Over the years, I'd gotten used to him, and his unfortunate involvement with my family. I'd even come to support him, though I'd never been branded as one of his followers.

"How could our Lord have fallen? He is invincible."

"Clearly, he isn't, Narcissa!" he said sharply. He stood and began to pace, running a hand through his hair every so often.

"But--but…So, what happens now?"

He turned to me abruptly. "I've got it mostly figured out. If he's dead--I imagine he is--we must shed our Dark Magic and other such things. We must act as though we were under the Imperious Curse so that they think we are innocent. Many people actually have been, like that Shunpike fellow--Dan, is it? He has a son, he told us all about him, but he forgot about him on the Dark Lord's orders. The Ministry won't be able to tell if we're lying or not. Even Barty Crouch can't put all of us in Azkaban. The public will speak out against that…"

He trailed off, but I didn't venture to ask the question that was burning inside of me.

"Let me send a note to your sister." I handed him a piece of paper I'd conjured. I was sure he wouldn't be able to do it himself.

"The date, Narcissa!" he ordered.

"October the thirty-first."

A moment later, he turned to me again and said, "How does this sound?

"'October 31, 1981.

"Dear Bellatrix--

"I'm sure you felt your Mark burn. The Dark Lord has been conquered. Of course you must find this ridiculous--he is, after all, the Greatest Wizard of All Time--but I know. I can't tell you how or why as of now. We'll have you and Rodolphus over for tea sometime soon. Go into hiding! I mean it, Bella. You and Rodo aren't safe. Make up a story! Anything, Bella. Don't believe what you hear, by the way. It's a long, complicated story.

"Regards, Lucius.'"

"Perfect. Just the thing my sister will appeal towards."

He smiled, satisfied, and tied the note to our tawny owl's leg. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

The Dark Lord was gone.

Gone forever.

Later, I asked Lucius what had conquered our Hero.

He gave a loud, dark sigh. "He wanted to hunt down Harry Potter. I don't know why, but he refused to rest, even," here he cringed, "and tonight he located the Potters' whereabouts. Little Wormtail told him.

"He went, and--well, he murdered James and Lily Potter--the Mudblood and Blood Traitor--and was onto the baby, about Draco's age. We don't know how, but he suddenly was…gone. It was agony." He pointed to his arm, and I shuddered at the vivid Mark. "Part of the house is in ruins, and he is gone. There's nothing we can do."

I leaned back in bed (for that's where we were) and sighed. "Oh, Lucius…"

"Good night, Narcissa," he said tersely, and turned out the light. He turned over, and I sighed again, full of apprehension.

The Dark Lord.

Gone.

Forever.