Even the cruelest of men love something. Otherwise they wouldn't be men at all.

Two Years Later

People change. Of that I am sure. I changed a lot over those two years; some for the best and some for the worst. Well, mostly for the worst. I was a fool, I can admit that now. I was a pompous, arrogant, fool and not even Cissa could change me. I was set in my ways and stayed like that for a very long time. I made some very poor choices of which I am anything but proud. So here I must warn you, dear reader. Be prepared to hate me for the rest of this story. And try to remember. People change. Of that I am sure. I changed a lot over these years, this time for the better. I am truly sorry.

Without a friend, I developed the nasty habit of keeping things in. I bottled up my emotions until the bottles were full. I would cast them off to a quiet, private place deep in my heart; where Cissa was still my best friend and it was okay to cry. Eventually, the tears stopped coming and my heart lost all feeling, that quiet place had morphed into a prison where I did not just send away my emotions, I executed them. I locked my heart away, never to be seen again.

My tolerance for muggles and all other dirty things was all but gone. I had become just as hateful and cruel as any other pure-blood child. I went to Hogwarts and mercilessly bullied and tormented those I deemed to be of a lesser race. I was seeker of the Slytherin qudditch team, top of my class, and feared by all. Well, all accept the Blacks.

The Blacks were Hogwarts royalty. They were edgy, dark, and mysterious. Where I was feared, they were envied. The houses treated them as gods, even those in Gryffindor. For, they were gods all capable of great things, terrible but great. There was the eldest, Bellatrix, the dark and most feared of all the Blacks. She was a beautiful witch, cunning and cruel. Her silky black hair poured down her back, her dark eyes scanning the halls, searching for something to terrify or destroy.

There was Andromeda, the kindest of the Blacks. Her smiling, brown eyes and kind face lit up the room. Like Bella, she was beautiful. She used her wit and knowledge as her tools, to bring people to their knees. Her life did not revolve around other's misery like Bella's did. But she was capable of being just as cruel as her sister.

There was Regulus, the most charming. With charisma and a quick tongue, Regulus was all the rage for the ladies. All he had to do was flash a handsome smile and anyone would do his bidding. He was secretly cruel, hiding his true colors behind his handsome face and clever phrases. In his mind, he was the only thing that mattered, and that is a very cruel thing to think indeed.

Those were the Blacks, or those who had come to Hogwarts so far. It was the opening feast and the beginning of my third year at Hogwarts. I couldn't have cared less about the start of the New Year. Being around all of these blood traitors and mud-bloods was already starting to try my patience. But another thing was on my mind. Narcissa was coming to Hogwarts.

Over these two years I had not gone a day without thinking about her. She had never truly left my head or my heart. I missed her, I missed her more then I cared to admit. But things couldn't be the same between us. "She must hate me." I thought. "Well, that wouldn't make much of a difference. One more person that hates you, one more unworthy person." I tried to convince myself that it was true, that Narcissa didn't matter. But it wasn't. I was just being a fool, as usual.

I heard the Great Hall's doors open as the First Years filed in. I tried to stop myself from searching for her, but I couldn't. It was like I was programed. I looked down each row, trying to pick out a light blonde head, but there was nothing. I felt something rise up in me, panic. I was panicking. I mentally slapped myself. "Come on, Lucius. Are you really that desperate for a friend?" the answer was yes. Yes I was.

McGonagall called names and one by one a new student was called. When she entered the B's I was nearly on the edge of my seat.

"Narcissa Black!"

My breath caught in my throat. There she was, little Narcissa. She was a beautiful child, her blonde hair sparkling; her aristocratic features arranged perfectly on her face, she was an angle. I felt something pull at my heart, a strange sensation. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to hold her in my arms and shelter her from the world. It was an odd feeling and I jailed and executed it just like I had done the others.

After a long moment the hat called out, "SLYTHERIN." Narcissa did not jump off the seat, grinning like mad, hightailing it to the table. No. She stood gracefully, politely smiled at McGonagall and walked over to her sisters, settling down in-between them.

I glanced up at her, quickly. "Narcissa…What has happened to you?" This was not the Cissa I knew, this was a stranger. Her once sky blue eyes were covered in dark clouds, threatening to storm at any moment. I could see the sad, grey days reflected in them. They were like a plain landscape, the grass and tress withered, the crops dying in fields, clouds touching every corner, but it would not rain. She would never let those eyes rain. The clouds just stayed and stayed and stayed.

"Something you would like to say Useless?" Bella's cold voice cut through my thoughts.

I turned to her. "Nothing that would interest your minuscule brain, I'm sure." My lip curled as I sneered.

"Quite right, nothing from your haughty mouth would interest me. However, my interest in your intellect is not what made me ask. I just simply can't resist your charm; you really do have a way with words, Master Malfoy. And how did you manage to perfect that incredibly sexy lip curl? Honestly, I don't know whether to fuck you or argue with you." She flashed and extremely sarcastic smile.

"Bella, hush. Do not ruin our baby sister's big day because of him. I couldn't think of anything more meaningless." Andromeda sighed and smiled at Narcissa, which Narcissa returned. I did have to admit, Narcissa was a wonderful actress. She truly did seem happy, if you weren't to look at her eyes.

The feast was over and we made our way back to the common room, I ran straight up to me dorm room. My head was reeling. Narcissa hadn't even looked at me but she didn't seem angry. She was sad. But was she sad because of me? Did she even remember me? Had she even thought about me over the years? Why do I want to protect her? What's wrong with me? I hadn't felt this many things in years. Too many feelings, my heart and head were being overloaded. After an hour of tossing and turning, I decided to go down to the common room and clear my head.

I sat there, for merlin knows how long, just staring at the fire, thinking about those eyes. Her eyes. How could I have let this happened to her? How could I have caused her so much pain? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

"Lucius." A soft voice called.

I turned, there was Cissa. As pail as a ghost, her blonde hair glowing in the moonlight. Without thinking I rushed to her and hugged her close to my chest. I wanted to protect her. To make those eyes blue again. There was nothing romantic about this feeling, dear reader. I didn't know what this feeling was but it wasn't a romantic feeling, yet.

"You never wrote." She whispered.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." My hands shook as I stroked her soft hair.

"Are you?"

"Of course. I thought about you every day over these years, Cissa. I never stopped being sorry."

She was quiet in my arms. I pictured her eyes, how cold and sad they must look.

"What happened to you?" My voice was quiet and breathy.

"Custard." She said.

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