"Daddy, what are you doing out of bed?" Narcissa scolded her father gently "the healer said that you needed to rest." Her father shrugged off her fussing grumpily and sat down in his chair. She kissed him on his forehead gently, before helping him to his chair by the fire and giving him his book.
It had been two years since the death of her mother and Narcissa was now nineteen, nearly twenty 'an age to be married' her father had told her on her birthday, however Lucius hadn't indicated that he wanted to settle down any time soon, and Narcissa was content with her current situation. It had been a busy year, with almost constant funerals to attend. The wizarding war was waging with a strength that hadn't been seen since the time of Grindelwald. Her father had, over the last month or so, become increasingly frail, which was worrying Narcissa, though her father insisted that it was simply the onset of old age. Other disturbing family issues had included her eldest cousin Sirius running away from home, the shock of the defection of his eldest son and heir had put her Uncle Castor in St Mungo's. While his Aunt doubled the affections she lavished on Regalus, and disowned her son, blasting him off the family tapestry, and pronouncing her youngest son heir to all their families' fortune.
It had been a drastic upheaval, and Regalus had doubled his resolve to join the death eaters properly when he left school, in order to restore respectability to the family name.
Narcissa attended every society function and event on the arm of Lucius, and yet, to her father's concern he still didn't seem any closer to settling down than he had when he and Narcissa had first started dating.
"He just doesn't want to be married yet Daddy" Narcissa soothed.
"And what about what you want Cissy? Don't you think it would be nice to have the security of a ring on your finger?"
"Daddy" she scolded gently, "Don't you mean that it would be nice for you to see me with a ring on my finger and to be secure."
"I just worry. Sometimes I wish that I'd never agreed to all this – it was your mother's idea you know. I'm just scared that if anything happens to me, who's going to take care of my little girl. Who's going to make Malfoy stand to his half of the bargain?"
"Daddy he loves me" she kissed her father gently on the head, a little reassuring gesture which made the corners of his mouth wrinkle up. "And what do you think Bellatrix and Rodolphus would do to him if he backed out?"
"Rodolphus will look after you" he reassured himself. As Narcissa got up and pulled out a blanket for her father and tucked it around him.
"I do wish you wouldn't fuss so much."
"And I wish that you would use a blanket, its cold." She touched his shoulder gently before retreating to her room, where the terrible truth sank down on her.
Her father was dying.
Slowly but surely, little by little he was starting to slip away, and she sensed that he wasn't resisting it. He missed her mother, the house was so empty and quiet without her there. Her father knew it too; he had been spending a vast amount of time writing all the instructions of how to run the estate in a black ledger which had the Black Family Motto inscribed on the front in silver. The estate had been left to herself and Bellatrix, to be split in equal parts, Andromeda had been cut from the will years ago now.
She sighed as she started to put on her stockings, the finest French silk, when she had finished she ambled over to her large and ever-expanding wardrobe. It had been enchanted to be much larger on the inside than it was on the outside, which was much needed as Narcissa owned a rather extensive wardrobe. She started mulling over what to wear slowly.
Lucius was taking her out to dinner at the newly reopened Dempsey's, it was the third or fourth time that he had taken her to dine at the expensive restaurant, and the first few times she had thought that he was taking her out to propose. However after being disappointed on multiple occasions she realised that he wasn't going to do it any time soon and resigned herself to the fact that Lucius considered it important to be seen in Dempsey's at least once a month, and as she enjoyed it there she felt no reason to decline his invitation.
Simple elegance was the tone of the evening, and a style that Narcissa wore best; she eventually chose a long-sleeved wrap around dress with a pair of pretty kitten heeled shoes which would keep the chill away from the cold November evening. She finished the outfit with a delicate silver chain and diamond earrings, which had been a present from Lucius last Christmas. A perfect gift from the perfect boyfriend, who would soon be the perfect fiancée then eventually the perfect husband. The rest of Narcissa's life had been mapped out in front of her. There could be no deviations, and the pressure hurt, like she was in too deep, she was trapped. She kept telling herself, like she had told her father that Lucius loved her, but she really wasn't sure. Lucius, like herself kept his feelings under tight lock and key, and Narcissa really had no idea how he felt about her. He was kind, and treated her with the utmost respect, and with an affection, that she rarely saw bestowed on anybody else, but there had never really been any indicators that his feelings ran any deeper than that.
But Narcissa would sooner die than let her parents down, so she steadied herself and went to wait for Lucius in the hall downstairs.
She didn't have to wait long. Lucius was punctual, as usual and immaculately dressed, as usual, wearing a black set of robes that perfectly set off his fair hair. He smiled at her warmly, as always she was dressed perfectly, but then again Narcissa had been born into a world where her number one priority was to dress perfectly for all occasions. When he had been younger, and not known her so well he had often thought his future wife was like a doll. Beautifully dressed, perfectly presented but with a vacant expression, with nothing inside.
When he had got to know her he realised that nothing was further from the truth.
He had never dated a woman like Narcissa before; most were almost awestruck by the Malfoy fortune and bloodline, both of which were extremely impressive. The Malfoys were one of the three richest families in the Wizarding World, and their bloodline could not be competed with. Unless you were born with the blue-blood of the Black family. Narcissa, whose family fortune, while not being as large, could certainly rival Lucius. However when it came to matters of blood ancestry, like she did with every other wizarding family she looked down her nose at the Malfoys, Lucius didn't even compete. She was prouder of being born a Black than having the privilege of marrying the Malfoy heir.
He had also soon come to realise, that although she didn't have the magical talent of her older sister, Narcissa did possess a magic all of her own. She could manipulate almost anybody into doing anything for her. And she could do it discretely. Her web of allies was impressive to say the least, she had already managed to wrap her brother-in-law around her finger and his parents had soon followed suit. It had now come to the stage in Malfoy Manor that if there was ever an argument about any subject between the two lovers his parents would immediately take her side, whether she was present or not. Lucius seldom got his own way where Narcissa was concerned, and having been brought up an only child he didn't like it.
"You look nice" he told her formally.
She smiled at the compliment, however insincere it had sounded "Why thank you Lucius" she replied, with equal ceremony in her voice.
"Are you ready to go?"
"I just have to tell Daddy that I'm leaving."
She nipped back into the sitting room to say goodnight to her father, but he was already asleep by the fire. So she tiptoed back out and rejoined her boyfriend, ready to floo to Dempsey's.
The new club had been built to the design of the old, with one exception. The dress code. It was an unwritten rule at the club that all patron's must wear black, in remembrance of all those who had died in the original. Many people who weren't regulars had been turned away for not wearing the requisite colour, and were thereafter snubbed by the wizard who ran the door.
"Ah! Mr Malfoy! What a pleasure!" the maitre'd exclaimed as they climbed the plush red-carpeted steps to the restaurant area.
"I trust my table is about ready?"
"Of course" he agreed. The Malfoys always had a table at Dempsey's, like the Blacks, the Princes and the Lestranges there was always a table kept in reserve just in case a member of the family dropped by for dinner.
They were quickly shown to their table and sat down. Any real conversation was avoided by perusing the menu, though when they had ordered it could not be detained for any longer.
Lucius actually had reason for inviting Narcissa there that evening; though he feared she was a little distant, and he was concerned that she didn't really hear a word that he was saying.
"Narcissa" he said suddenly changing the topic "it won't do any longer, we simply must discuss the future."
"The future?" she echoed, as far as she was concerned there was nothing to discuss, it was all planned out, practically set in stone.
"Narcissa do you want to marry me?"
The question came from nowhere, she was blindsided by it and had no answer, it wasn't really a topic that she had ever thought about, she was going to marry Lucius and there really hadn't been any point in wondering about whether it was what she wanted.
"Of course we're going to be married." She deliberately misinterpreted the question, buying herself a few more moments thinking time.
"That wasn't what I asked Narcissa"
"Lucius the question of whether or not I want to marry you is completely irrelevant. We are getting married and nobody ever stopped to ask you or me what we wanted."
"And what is it that you want?"
Narcissa sighed; she really didn't know the answer to that question. She had resigned herself to marrying Lucius, and she was content with her parent's choice. But that was the entire crux of the matter. Her parent's choice. Not hers, not Lucius'.
"I wanted to choose for myself. And more importantly I wanted somebody to choose me." To want me. She added silently.
"Suppose we were to call off the whole arrangement. Both sides in equal agreement?" his voice was silky smooth and rich, and Narcissa couldn't help herself but agree. She certainly didn't want to spend her life married to a man who didn't want to be married to her.
"Good" he smiled as the waiter came in their direction "a bottle of champagne if you would please. To celebrate" he clarified for her.
To celebrate the end of their relationship.
Narcissa suddenly realised that she felt like crying. She didn't want to be not marrying Lucius. And it wasn't about the security, or the money, or the fine things or the beautiful house. It was about Lucius.
She was startled out of her thoughts by the movement of Lucius, who was getting out of his chair. He was leaving her alone in the middle of the restaurant. She was almost too shocked to notice that he wasn't standing up, he was bending down.
He was on one knee in front of her.
"Here we are Narcissa. No arrangement" he told her his grey eyes meeting her blue ones "Narcissa Black, will you marry me?"
Narcissa was so shocked she nearly fell off her chair. She stared at him in shock, her eyes glazing over with tears as she struggled to breath.
"Oh Lucius, I don't know what to say."
"Well I was hoping that you would say yes" he remarked dryly with his customary smirk, he knew what answer she would give – it was written on every line in her face.
"Of course it's yes!" she squealed with delight as he drew from his pocket a black velvet box. Inside laid a perfect solitaire set on a simple gold band. Though she couldn't see it, she knew that on the inside, just under the diamond was engraved a tiny 'M'.
The Malfoy engagement ring.
As he slipped it onto her finger, she joined him on the floor and kissed him gently, wrapping her arms around him as he stood up and returned them to their chairs. As they were re-seated applause echoed round the room as the other patrons offered their congratulations.
The champagne was then brought and hers and Lucius' celebrations lasted well into the night.
She knew she had chosen the right path. And it was a choice she never doubted. Whether by her own wishes or for family duty Narcissa knew that her place in this world was by the side of Lucius Malfoy.