A/N: Thanks go, as ever, to Mamacita for her great betaing, and also to everyone who has stuck with the story until the end. I hope you enjoyed it. And hey, I got some reviews! Hurrah! Thank you! Dx

Cindy studied herself in the mirror, remembering back to the first night she had spent with Lucius during their rekindled romance. She had looked in the mirror then, too, gazing at the newly purchased chemise and jacket Lucius had given her, amazed at the quality of the outfit — at the time, probably the most luxurious item of clothing she had ever owned. The chemise she wore tonight was similar to that first one, although the colour of her current outfit was a little darker, more suited to her maturing skin tone and, she thought wryly, it was well cut to hide the expanding figure that had also come with age.

Ten years had passed since that first night together, yet to Cindy, it was if it had been but a fraction of a second. Her love for Lucius remained undiminished, had in fact, grown even stronger, even though she knew he was no angel, that he was not even really a good man.

But now the party was over and she was here in their en-suite bathroom, whilst he was . . . well, she didn't know where he was. All Cindy knew was that when all the guests were gone and Lissy and Draco had said goodnight, heading off for their first night of wedded bliss, she was suddenly alone. She put the brush she had been pulling through her hair back onto the dressing table and after taking a final look in the mirror, her hands smoothing down the silk over her stomach, she opened the door of the bathroom and stepped out into the bedroom.

Nothing looked any different. There was no sign that anything had changed since she and Lucius had got up that morning, no sign that the argument she had found herself in the midst of had caused him to take flight. He just wasn't there, and to Cindy, it felt like a huge hole had appeared in her life.

She sighed unhappily and walked towards the large French windows that opened out onto the balcony overlooking the main lawn of the Manor. Passing through the double doors, she stood looking out over the estate, searching for something, anything, that would indicate where Lucius had gone. The now silent marquee shone brightly in the moonlight and the faint scent of the roses still drifted occasionally on the breeze. But there was no movement, no shadow or anything else to help her locate her errant husband. Wherever he had gone, he wasn't outside.

Cindy felt tears begin to prickle in her eyes and she blinked rapidly to shoo them away. Tears would be no help in this situation; they would just serve to make her feel unhappier and more desolate than she already did. Although she was aware Lucius was angry with her, and understanding why that would be after her conversation with Narcissa, Cindy had felt sure he would be waiting for her when she went up to bed.

She had been hoping he wouldn't be belligerent and argumentative, that the large quantity of alcohol he had consumed whilst with his friends wouldn't serve as a catalyst for the huge argument she was keen to avoid. But even a drunk Lucius was better than no Lucius at all. Perhaps he was keeping away, knowing that in his drunken state he might say or do something that would, if not end the marriage, cause a serious rift with his wife.

But Cindy didn't believe that to be the case. Lucius had never kept away, from her or from any situation purely to keep things on an even keel. That wasn't his style. If he had gone it was because he couldn't bear to be there, couldn't face spending time with her. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly chilly although the evening was warm. What if Lucius really had left her? What if he was so angry at her refusal to talk when he wanted to that he had decided to end it with her?

But that was stupid. Lucius wasn't the sort of man who would end their marriage just because Cindy hadn't opened her heart to him in the rose garden. After everything he had been through to get her back, surely he wouldn't throw it all away just because of one little disagreement. It had to be that he had retreated, waiting until things calmed down and he had sobered up. What Cindy had to do was stop acting like a hysterical wreck and calm down.

'He's probably in his study,' she told herself, trying to think positively. 'Maybe I missed him when I checked there earlier.'

Perhaps you should go and check again, a small voice in her brain said.

Cindy ignored it. It was one thing to convince herself that Lucius was down there, but quite another to actually confirm it. Whilst she was sure he probably was in his study, she didn't want to risk finding he wasn't. If that happened, she had no idea how she would react. She was already on the verge of falling apart and he wasn't even officially missing.

She should get into bed, Cindy decided. She should lie down and go to sleep, and when she woke in the morning Lucius, surely unable to remain apart from her for the whole night, would be there with her, returned while she was asleep, and everything would be okay again. A little stilted at first maybe, but once they had talked everything would be back to normal. Cindy turned back the covers on the bed, looking mournfully at the space she usually shared with her husband. It seemed so big and empty without Lucius there. She climbed into bed and lay down, pulling the covers over her and closing her eyes, willing herself to sleep.

She wasn't sure how long she lay there, but sleep wasn't forthcoming. Instead, every small sound attracted her attention, every creak of the floorboards as the house-elves moved around the Manor making her heart leap with the hope that it was Lucius finally coming to join her in bed.

Sometime later Cindy arose and pushed the covers back down the bed. Tired as she was there was no way she was going to be able to sleep, no way she was going to get any rest without Lucius beside her, so there was little point in staying in bed.

Drawn once more to the balcony, Cindy stood silent and unmoving with her hands on the rail, watching as the morning slowly stole the dark velvet mantle of night; the sky lightened as dawn neared, the garden once again visible as it emerged from its dark shroud. As the first glimmer of sunlight pushed through the early morning mists Cindy kept her position, tears stinging her eyes at the realisation that Lucius truly had left her alone all night.

She was numb.

The hours Cindy had spent outside in the chill of the night and the cool breeze that was still drifting across the balcony had lowered the temperature of her skin, leaving her frozen like a statue, the thin silk of her chemise blowing around her legs as she stood still glued to the balcony rail. Her heart, too, was chilled. Her beloved Lucius, the man for whom she had gone through so much, had deserted her, left her alone, not caring that she was unhappy.

Cindy wasn't sure how long she stood on the balcony. Time seemed to drift away as she waited, still frozen to the spot, seemingly unable to do anything except stand and cry.

A gentle touch on her left shoulder pulled her back. A soft hand stroked her, the warm touch almost burning her icy skin as it gently caressed.

'I'm sorry, my love,' Lucius whispered as his arm slid around Cindy's shoulders, pulling her back from the railing against his warm body.

The ice-cold touch of Cindy's skin surprised him. How long had she been standing out there? Lucius bent slightly and gathered his wife into his arms, carrying her back into the bedroom and depositing her gently on the bed. He gazed down at Cindy, his heart aching as he saw the tears that continued to snake silently down her cheeks. Dropping heavily onto the bed beside her, he pulled her into his arms once more, desperate to take the cold away from her skin and relieve the pain he had so obviously caused.

Lucius had been unhappy at Cindy's refusal to talk to him when they had been in the rose garden, worried that someone had upset or hurt her during the course of the wedding and he was annoyed that she wouldn't confide in him and let him sort out whatever the problem was. A few hours of drinking with old friends hadn't helped his mood. The one time he had considered going to talk to his wife in an effort to break the ice that was building between them she had been with Narcissa, chatting as if the two of them were old friends rather than the enemies they had always been. Lucius didn't want to get drawn into a conversation with Narcissa and had gone back to talking to his friends. Before he knew it, the reception had finished and everyone was leaving and he was drunk.

Very drunk.

Still smarting about Cindy's actions, he had decided he wanted to get a good deal more drunk. Stupidly, he had raided his own wine cellar, praising himself on his stealth when, drunk as he was, he could hardly walk. Having finally found his way back out of the cellar, he had settled himself in his study for a night of hard drinking.

But eventually, even as angry as he was, he missed Cindy, and although drunk as a skunk, he had some awareness that she would never accept him in his current state. So instead, he had called for a house-elf to bring strong black coffee to help sober him up. It had taken a long while — he really had been completely bladdered — but finally, he felt he could meet and talk to his wife without going off the deep end.

He had been a little disconcerted when he entered their bedroom and found the bed empty although the cool breeze from the open window hinted at where Cindy might be. Finding her so cold and almost lifeless had given him a jolt that sent the last of the alcohol haze scurrying away more effectively than any shot of caffeine could ever have done.

Lucius pulled the heavy comforter around them both, still unwilling to let go of Cindy although he could feel her skin warming as he held her. It seemed her tears had stopped now, but she was no more responsive than she had been when he had found her on the balcony. He leant forward and kissed her hair, breathing in the subtle aroma that made up his wife, a scent that never failed to arouse him.

'I'm sorry I left you alone for so long,' Lucius said quietly. 'I was very drunk and it took longer to sober up than I thought. Why were you outside?'

There was silence for a few minutes, time during which Lucius' heart almost stopped with the worry that he had somehow ruined his relationship with Cindy for good. But then, just when he was beginning to fear she would never speak to him again, she answered.

'I couldn't sleep without you,' Cindy said. 'I tried, but I just couldn't do it. I didn't know where you were so I went on the balcony to see if you were in the garden somewhere. I don't know how long I was there,' she admitted. 'Time just seemed to stand still.'

'You're freezing,' Lucius said. 'You must have been out there for hours.'

Cindy shrugged. 'I'm feeling warmer now,' she said, happier now that Lucius was with her and seemingly not still angry. 'You're lovely and warm.'

'You'll be warmer still in bed,' Lucius promised.

He kissed Cindy tenderly on the lips then released her, moving so she could get under the covers. 'Get into bed. I'll join you in a minute.'

He watched for a moment as Cindy pulled the comforter off herself, then he pushed it back into place as she slid beneath the sheets. He undressed rapidly, leaving his clothes over a chair before bounding back across the cool room and joining his wife in bed.

'You're still cold,' he grumbled as he wrapped his arms around Cindy. He kissed her lips again. 'You'll get warmer more quickly without this,' he said, and he slid the chemise up her body.

Cindy gave a wan smile. 'You just want to get me naked, Lucius. I know what you're like.'

'I just want to get you warm,' Lucius retorted. He was still working at the chemise.

'Well, that will work,' Cindy whispered happily. 'In fact, I think I might end up getting very hot.'

'. . . And naked, too,' Lucius admitted lasciviously as he pulled the nightgown over her head and threw it across the room.

After Lucius found her on the balcony, Cindy thought everything would be okay. His bad mood with her seemed to have evaporated and his thoughts had been purely on giving her pleasure, as they always were. But since they had showered and got dressed his mood seemed to have altered again. He had dressed quickly, as was his wont, leaving Cindy to complete her ablutions in a leisurely fashion. The encroaching silence comforted her far more this morning than it had the previous night, so it was without trepidation that she entered the dining room, ready for breakfast.

However, as soon as she entered the room she could feel the change in the air. Although Lucius said not a word to her, his body language and the cold expression on his face as he watched her arrive spoke volumes. With a sinking heart Cindy helped herself to a small amount of breakfast from the silver tureens that were lined up in a serving area at the side of the room and made her way to the table where she sat — not, as one might expect, at the opposite end from Lucius, but at his right side.

Lucius ignored Cindy as he carefully buttered his toast then added marmalade, his gaze falling occasionally to the back page of the newspaper resting on the table beside him. Cindy, too, glanced over at the paper, unable to see anything but a figure dressed in Quidditch robes flying on a broom. From her position, she couldn't see who the player was. She could feel herself holding her breath as she waited for Lucius to say something. Instead, he picked up the newspaper and began to read.

With nothing to do but wait, Cindy resigned herself to eating her breakfast although a queasy feeling in her stomach was making that hard to do. Eventually, she gave up on everything except a slice of dry toast and a second cup of tea. The tension in the room was becoming so unbearable, she felt like screaming.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lucius folded the newspaper and put it back down on the table. He still said nothing but his face, at least, had returned to normal.

Cindy looked at Lucius nervously. She had been so looking forward to giving him her news, certain that he would be as excited as she, but after the last twenty-four hours, she was no longer sure how he would react. His over-possessiveness, as explained by Narcissa, didn't bode well when with his previous experience he might perceive her action as pulling away from him. She poured yet another cup of tea and thought back to the day when she had discovered that after all the years of disappointment and pain her life was about to be transformed.

It had happened quite by chance. Cindy had gone to St Mungo's to visit an old friend from her school days who had just given birth to her sixth child, a rather unexpected bundle of joy, arriving as he had some ten years after Judy had last given birth. Then, during a conversation with the Healer in charge of Judy, Cindy had discovered that her long-held impossible dream to have another child might not be quite as impossible as she had always thought.

A chance remark by her had led to a series of questions from the Healer, which in turn had led to an appointment with the specialist in charge of gynaecology. Seven months and a course of intensive treatment later, Cindy had fallen pregnant. The Healer had explained they would need to keep a close watch on her throughout the pregnancy, that she would require frequent hospital visits and treatment, but as far as they could see there was no reason the baby couldn't safely be brought to term. And with the huge improvements in medical care since Lissy's birth they were confident the child would be born without significant danger to Cindy, too.

Cindy had waited anxiously, not wanting to share her joy with Lucius until the hospital had confirmed that all was well and the baby was growing normally. That news had been delivered at the appointment she'd had the day before the wedding, but with so much last minute preparation for the celebrations still to complete she hadn't had a chance to tell Lucius.

'Are you still angry with me, Lucius?' she asked him timidly. She put down the teacup.

Lucius considered Cindy for a moment, then sighed and gave a quick shake of his head. 'I was angry last night,' he confirmed. 'I don't like you keeping secrets from me, Cindy. I thought we were beyond that.' He looked at her again for another long moment, a frown crossing his face. 'I still don't understand why you wouldn't talk to me.'

Cindy took his hand and stroked it gently. 'It's not that I didn't want to talk to you, Lucius, but it was Lissy and Draco's wedding day.'

'I'm well aware of that,' Lucius said, trying but failing to sound calm. 'But I was worried about you, worried that my stupid friends or family had said something to upset you. 'Or Andrew,' he added darkly.

Cindy gave a small smile and rubbed Lucius' hand again. 'Andrew's fine. He's been fine ever since your visit to him. Anyway, he's happy with Sandra so he doesn't care about us any longer.'

Lucius scowled in remembrance. 'So what was so bloody momentous that it would have ruined Draco and Lissy's big day?' he growled.

Cindy felt the butterflies in her stomach do a mad dance. She gave a quick prayer to whoever was listening that Lucius wouldn't take her revelation badly.

'Not ruined,' she said slowly, 'more like eclipsed.' She squeezed Lucius' hand tight. 'I'm pregnant, Lucius. We're going to have a baby.'

Lucius stared at her in astonishment. He tried to speak but found himself lost for words.

'Please say something, Lucius,' Cindy said in a small voice. The butterflies were frenzied now and she felt sick — and not from the morning sickness she'd had a few times in recent weeks. 'Please.'

'Pregnant? But how?' Lucius was having trouble formulating a response; his brain whirled at the news.

Cindy laughed wetly, she had begun crying now. 'The usual way, of course. We've never used contraception have we?'

'But you said you couldn't—' He broke off. 'You almost died last time,' he said worriedly. 'You can't have a baby, Cindy. We can't risk it.'

Cindy smiled through the tears that still flowed. 'I've been going to the hospital. They've been treating me and they're sure I can carry the baby to term.' She looked at Lucius worriedly. 'Please tell me you're happy about this, Lucius.'

'Happy? Of course I'm happy. I'm ecstatic,' Lucius said. He was overjoyed by the news, but fear of what would happen to Cindy dampened the feeling considerably. 'But what if there are complications?'

'There won't be,' Cindy promised. 'St Mungo's are looking after me and they won't let anything go wrong.'

'But last night . . . the way I found you this morning. You need to be careful . . . you might—'

Cindy smiled again. Lucius was worried about her. This was definitely a good thing.

'I'm fine,' she said soothingly. 'I just got a little cold, that's all. Do you understand now why I couldn't tell you yesterday?'

Lucius left his seat and pulled Cindy up into his arms, kissing her deeply.

'I'm sorry, love,' he said sincerely. 'You were right not to tell me, I suppose. It would definitely have trumped the wedding.'

'I love you, Lucius,' Cindy said, 'and nothing will ever change that.' She stroked his face before kissing him again.

'But why didn't you tell me about the hospital?' he asked. 'You never said anything,' he added accusingly.

Cindy shook her head. 'I didn't want to get your hopes up. I suppose I didn't want to get my hopes up, really. I couldn't quite believe it was possible until it happened. But I've been checked out and Healer Pangbourne says I'm doing really well. I'm being monitored so if any complications arise they'll take me into hospital straight away.'

They kissed again for several minutes.

'You do know I'm not Narcissa, don't you, Lucius?' Cindy asked. She wanted to nip this potential problem in the bud before he had a chance to think about things and brood over them.

Lucius looked at her in surprise. 'Of course I do.'

'What I mean is that I'm not going to become an ice maiden during this pregnancy. I don't want you to stop touching me because of my condition.'

'I'm glad to hear it.' Lucius sounded relieved but grinned louchely. 'So how long can we keep having sex?'

Cindy grinned too. 'Until the eighth month or so, I think, if we're careful.' She kissed him again.

'Let's go back to bed,' Lucius suggested. His hands had found Cindy's stomach and were resting on it lightly.

Cindy laughed and shook her head ruefully. 'We can't. Lissy and Draco are going on their honeymoon this morning and we need to see them off — if they ever make it out of bed. And the workmen will be here in an hour to take down the marquee and clear up. Oh, and you need to take Aferditie to the blacksmith. She needs re-shoeing.'

'Then can we go back to bed?' Lucius asked hopefully.

Cindy laughed at his comment and pulled Lucius into another kiss, then she held his face in her hands and looked at him seriously.

'You know, Lucius, when this baby's born I'm not going to be spending all my time looking after it to the exclusion of everything else. You are still and always will be the most important thing in my life. Nothing is ever going to change that, I promise.'

'I love you so much, Cindy,' Lucius told her, and he hugged her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go.

'I know, my love,' Cindy whispered happily. 'And everything's going to be absolutely perfect!'