Married life suited the Malfoy's perfectly. Narcissa fit into her new role as Mrs Malfoy like a glove, and a tailor made glove at that. Every morning she woke up, wrapped in her husband's strong arms, she prepared his breakfast. Well she organised the house elves who did the actual cooking. Then she kissed her husband goodbye, before he apparated to work. After Lucius had departed Narcissa would sit down and go through the day's correspondence. There was always one charity or another asking for her patronage, and Narcissa was proud to sit on the committee of at least three very reputable organisations. She would then partake of a light lunch, before either hosting afternoon tea for her friends or gracing another witch's inferior parlour.
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Like just about every morning for the past year Narcissa Malfoy awoke with her husband's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She stretched lazily before opening her eyes and squinting into the sunlight. Looking over at the clock she sighed before sitting up. They would have to get up soon or Lucius would miss his morning appointments.
"Lucius?" her sleeping husband made no reply "Lucius darling?" she rested her hand on his arm softly causing him to groan "Lucius it's time to get up." Finally a pair of unimpressed steel grey eyes met her soft blue ones.
He sat up groggily, "What time is it?"
"Ten to eight. You're going to be late if you don't get up."
"What would I do without you?" he asked her tenderly as he lent over to kiss her gently.
"Wither and die I should imagine" she quipped good-naturedly.
"Well it's a good job I've got you then" he smiled, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap.
"You're going to be late" she giggled.
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He frowned as he got up and started to get dressed, he wanted to spend some more time with Narcissa that morning as he knew he would be home late that night. He had… duties.
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"What time will you be back?"
"I have a late meeting so I won't be home for dinner." He didn't apologise, nor did he enlighten her on his plans for that night. There were some things that one's wife just did not need to know.
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However Narcissa wasn't stupid, nor was she oblivious. When her husband told her that he was coming home late, with no explanation to where he was going she knew exactly where he would be. She was well aware that she had married a death eater. And she had no problem with that fact; she was a strong supporter of the dark lord herself. However the idea of a prominent pure-blooded lady such as herself donning a cloak and mask and going around killing people simply wasn't done.
"Well I'll make sure that the house elves leave you something" she played the innocent, pretending that she didn't understand his plans. It comforted Lucius, who didn't want the darker aspects of his life revealed to her.
"What are your plans for today dear?" he asked smoothly changing the subject.
"I think I'll call on Bella this afternoon, as I don't think she'll be available this evening" she told him pointedly. "And I'm going over to Ravensden later to see Daddy."
"You've been spending an awful lot of time there lately" it was a line of enquiry that was almost too subtle for Narcissa to pick up on. Almost.
"He's dying" she told him calmly. Narcissa had accepted this fact shortly after her marriage. Her father had held on long enough to see that all his girls were securely settled, that they would be well looked after, before he had slowly started to slip away.
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However Lucius knew for a fact that Mr Black hadn't told his daughter this, however Narcissa always had been the most perceptive of the three sisters. Unbeknownst to Narcissa, her father had paid Lucius a visit the previous week, wanting to ensure that his precious youngest daughter would be well looked after.
"She will be loved." Lucius assured his father-in-law "I promise you that."
And so, like Narcissa had predicted, her father passed away in his sleep three weeks later. It came as no surprise to anybody, except perhaps to Bellatrix, who had always been good at avoiding things that she didn't want to deal with.
Although she was saddened by the death of her father it didn't have the devastation that the passing of her mother had left. Cygnus Black had had a good life, and he had a good death, peaceful, the way his two beloved daughters had wanted him to go.
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Her father's funeral mirrored her mother's almost exactly, the same place, the same food, the same people. Except there was one noticeable absence. Andromeda did not show her face at the funeral, and she was not missed.
It was a cold day, the kind of chill that goes deep into your bones and will not come out. Narcissa felt like an icicle as she stood and watched her father's coffin lowered into the ground, her head held high, unable to shed tears at her father's loss. He would not have approved. Showing one's emotions in public was not done.
He was buried beside their mother.
"At least they are together again" Narcissa sighed as she threw her handful of dirt onto the coffin, gripping Lucius' gloved hand tightly.
The wake was a solemn affair, as most wakes are, and Narcissa was relived when the guests finally left leaving her alone with the remains of her family.
"I'm so sorry Cissy" a familiar voice came from behind her. She turned and found herself face to face with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and she absorbed the warmth from his embrace.
"I'm so glad you're here Reggie" she whispered into his neck, squeezing him tightly.
"Of course I'm here, who's going to look after you?"
"You know I have been married for the last year Reggie" she replied archly.
"Yeah, but I bet Lucius didn't bring you an ice-cream" he said as he handed her a small tub.
She smiled through her tears. "What would I do without you Reggie?" she whispered in his ear as she hugged him again. Five minutes later the two of them were sitting on the stairs eating Fortescue's best while watching Lucius and Rodolphus talk in hushed voices.
"I'm to join them soon" Regalus told her conversationally his eyes on her husband and brother-in-law. An eager look on his face.
"Join who?" Narcissa asked absently, her mind a million miles away. She felt so tired.
"The death eaters"
Narcissa frowned, Regalus was brave, but he didn't know the measure of his own courage. He had never been tested and Narcissa wasn't sure that he had that streak of darkness that her husband and sister possessed, that allowed them to act so ruthlessly when the time came. Regalus was too young to do the things that the death eaters had to do.
"Some things are better left unsaid Regalus" she told him stiffly. It should not be mentioned in public. You never knew who could be listening. She sighed as she started to descend the stairs. Bellatrix had joined the men's conversation and the three looked worried. As she approached the threesome their conversation abruptly halted.
"Is everything alright?" she asked casually. Lucius would reveal nothing, she knew that, but Rodolphus and Bellatrix were never as careful.
"Everything is fine darling" Lucius reassured her, kissing her on her temple comfortingly as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and Narcissa smiled gratefully, needing his support. It had been a hard day.
"Everything is not fine" Bellatrix replied hotly, a slight mocking edge to her tone. "Crouch" she spat the name out with disgust "has just passed a new law allowing the use of unforgivables against suspected death eaters."
"Bellatrix, there is no need to worry your sister about things that don't directly concern her."
"What do you mean doesn't directly concern her?" Bellatrix flared up "It'll bloody well concern her when you get hit by the killing curse."
"Bella, that's enough" Narcissa cut in. "We don't need to discuss this today."
"We don't need to discuss this at all" muttered Lucius.
Narcissa sighed and turned away, she wasn't in the mood to deal with Bellatrix's or Lucius' pig-headedness today.
"Of course you need to discuss it with her" Bellatrix was continuing the argument "What happens if you go out on a raid and don't come back?"
"Bellatrix, your sister doesn't know about my associations with the…"
Bellatrix interrupted him heatedly "Of course she knows!" she scoffed, slightly shocked at Lucius' look of disbelief. "She knew before she married you, you prat."
"Just shut up Bella" he snapped
"She's not bloody stupid Lucius."
Narcissa looked back at her husband to check his reaction, he was staring at her, waiting to hear her denial. She had none to give.
"How long have you known?"
"I've always known Lucius. How could I not?" She smiled at him softly "Does it really matter?" And it didn't! She didn't care if he was a death eater, all her closest friends and family members were death eaters. And those who weren't, for reasons like Narcissa's own, were at least supporters of the cause. She had been preparing for her role since the day her parents proudly brought home a tiny blond baby from St Mungo's. She had been born to be the wife of a death eater.
"I'm not going to tell anybody" she reassured him softly, praying that he would simply accept it.
He walked over and kissed her softly on the forehead "Lets go home". Hand in hand they headed towards the floo.