Narcissa stood, smoothed her dress and went to the door.
Please, please.
Her hand was on the ornate knob.
Let this be him.
And the door swung wide.
YES.
Lucius Malfoy stumbled into the room, looking filthy, defeated and a bit scared.
Narcissa, who had been expecting this, was so shocked that she took a step backwards.
"Cissa." He muttered, his eyes fearful. "I- Did I surprise you?"
"No, Luce, not really. You just look…different."
"They didn't give me a chance…to clean up before I came here." He kept his eyes averted from hers, nervously shifting his feet. Narcissa read his thoughts instantly. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him into a chair with her and turned his face to hers.
"Look at me." She commanded softly.
He did so.
"I know you told me to restart my life with someone else. I know you didn't want me to be alone. I wanted you to come home to what you left…I'm still yours."
A tear shone in the light of the sunset on Lucius's cheek as she kissed him gently.
He slid out of the chair, put his head in her lap…and cried.
Big choking sobs she'd never heard from him before.
"I'm sorry." He whispered after a while.
"Luce, it's ok. Go clean yourself up. I have to go make sure Scorpius isn't getting into trouble."
"Scorpius?" Lucius looked interested, a bit brighter.
"My- our grandson." Narcissa took her husband's rough hand in hers and squeezed it. "There's been a lot of water under the bridge since I saw you last. I missed you."
"I missed you too, honey." He smiled sadly.
Scorpius and his friends were chuckling over something in the dining room. "Right-in-the-face!" Beatrix was gasping between laughs as Narcissa entered.
"What's so funny?"
"Some person came in the gate and- and," Scorpius snorted. "Beatrix snowballed him. And she hit him too!"
Gusts of laughter.
"An-and she got him SPLAT! in the face!" Guffawed Andrella, tears of humor running down her cheeks.
Narcissa smiled and bundled the kids upstairs. The mischief apparently had been managed before she could do anything about it.
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