Chapter Ten
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers for chapter nine, rachrocksdotcom and EleKat. Keep reviewing!
Narcissa welcomed her oncoming seventh year at Hogwarts, for once it was over, she would be free to marry Lucius and live out the rest of her life with him.
Narcissa was sat at the dining room table at Black Manor with her parents, eating a fruit salad for her breakfast a few days before she was due to return to Hogwarts, when a large barn owl flew through the open window, dropping a letter sealed in red with the Hogwarts emblem onto the mahogany table in front of the young blonde.
"Your Hogwarts letter, darling." commented Druella, smiling at her daughter. Narcissa smiled in return and picked up the envelope from the table. It was a little heavier than she had expected and, to her surprise, it made a small rattling noise as she lifted it.
"No." she breathed in shock, reaching for the serpent-handled letter knife and breaking the seal, tipping the contents of the envelope into her open palm. She gasped as the early morning light reflected off the small green shield, causing a shine to illuminate the two words that had dominated a few of Narcissa's young childhood dreams. Head Girl.
"What is it, darling?" enquired Druella, casually glancing over the rim of her teacup at her shellshocked young daughter, who turned towards her, the emerald shield glinting in her palm. Druella gasped in delight and set her cup and saucer down, sweeping her daughter into an embrace.
"Well done, my darling." she smiled, kissing Narcissa's cheek before taking the shield and pinning it to Narcissa's housecoat. Narcissa just beamed.
Being Head Girl was a brilliant experience for Narcissa, as she was allowed to attend and give opinions at staff meetings, along with the Head Boy, Ravenclaw student, Michael Grimsby. It also meant that she had the authority to patrol the grounds at night and could give detentions without consulting teachers. She could also attend Hogsmeade at any time other than lesson times, which came in handy when she caught sight of the headline of the Evening Prophet one night.
'DEATH EATERS' MEETING AROUSES PANIC IN HOGSMEADE.
The meeting of the Dark Arts group, The Knights of Walpurgis, now more commonly known as the 'Death Eaters', has spread panic in Hogsmeade village. The group has achieved a reputation as a threat to Wizarding society, participating in a wide range of criminal activities. The majority of members are known to have studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where, coincidentally, most were sorted into Slytherin house, a house well known for it's reputation to produce Dark Witches and Wizards. Judging by information from an inside source, the group in almost all-male, with only two female members known, Alecto Carrow, whose brother, Amycus, is also involved and Bellatrix Lestrange, whose family are almost all involved with the Knights, bar her younger sister, Narcissa, who shall remain at Hogwarts until the end of this academic year. Given that the youngest Black's fiancee, Lucius Malfoy, is also known to be involved, will the Hogwarts Head Girl be the newest addition to the Death Eaters? Her family tree says yes.
We are also warning Hogsmeade residents to take refuge at Hogwarts School tonight, as there is rumour that the Knights shall be marching on the village, the violence and purposes of the meeting are unknown, so Hogsmeade shall be cordoned off for residents safety.
Remain vigilent, readers, and we shall keep you updated on the status of the Knights of Walpurgis.
Narcissa placed the paper down onto the table, watching as the pictures of the Death Eaters last march, the flames flickering as people ran around in the picture. Lucius was a Death Eater? Of course, she had known that Bellatrix was a member of the group, she was too obsessed with Riddle to not be, but Lucius? It just didn't make sense.
Narcissa leant forwards over the arm of the large emerald chair she was sitting on, gazing through the green-tinted light of the Slytherin common room, watching the patterns it made across the parchment of the newspaper.
That was when Narcissa made the choice that would determine her future. The choice that would change her life.
After finding a suitable replacing for her evening Head Girl duties in Viola, all the girl needed was a diversion. Luckily, the chaos of the Hogsmeade residents at the castle provided a sufficient enough distraction to allow Narcissa to slip behind the statue of the one-eyed witch undetected.
Creeping out of the passage and through the cellar she had reached, up into the brightly coloured madness of Honeyduke's, which looked rather perculiar when bathed in darkness, Narcissa wondered whether she had truly considered the impact that what she was about to do would have on her family, her friends, her future.
Snow had fallen during the early evening, leaving an almost unmarred blanket across the cobbled streets of Hogsmeade village. A few footprints were just about visable through the ever plentiful snowflakes falling around Narcissa's face and, being a curious girl, she naturally decided to follow them.
She walked for five minutes before the footsteps stopped at a small house, bathed almost entirely in darkness, bar the flickering flames of a few candles inside the windows. Even more intrigued, the youngest Black sister made her way towards the house, stopping just outside the door. She had raised a fist to knock on it, her common sense escaping her for just one fateful moment, when a person came up behind her, pressing one hand over her mouth to obstruct any screams and the other arm bundling her into a nearby alleyway, pressing her against the wall and lighting his wand. Narcissa clenched her eyelids together for a moment, before sneaking them open, silently cursing her curiosity for once again getting the better of her sense of safety. However, to her relief, her attacker was not to be feared.
"Lucius!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the man and kissing the side of his head repeatedly. "Oh, Luce, you scared me!"
"I'm sorry, Cissa." he sighed, holding her by the waist and rocking her slightly back and forth.
"Luce, what're you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question, you're meant to be at Hogwarts, Miss Head Girl." responded Lucius, his voice a subtle blend of both stern and slightly mocking.
"And you're meant to be at the Ministry."
"Listen, Narcissa, this is dangerous. You know what the Death Eaters are and you know roughly how they work. Once you're in, you're in. If you're not, you're disposable. Don't make the biggest mistake of your life here."
"But what if it isn't a mistake? I just miss you and Bella so much, what if this is where I am meant to be?"
"Trust me, Narcissa. This is not the way to be closer to us. You're so young, it's practically suicide to try and become a Death Eater." Lucius explained, holding Narcissa close to his chest.
"But you are. It's just as dangerous for you as for me."
"Cissa, I'm his second. I'm just about as safe as can be, but you... I don't want you involved. At all." he finished, his tone clearly marking the end of the argument. Narcissa's celeste eyes turned to the snow-covered ground of their own accord, but was redirected when her fiancee lifted her chin, connecting her softening gaze with his own. "I'm just worried about you, darling. I don't want you to get hurt."
Narcissa opened her mouth to object, but closed it again, recognising her soon-to-be husband's concern for her and, however reluctantly, accepted it.
The coming months passed slowly but surely and eventually, the end of the year came. Naturally, Narcissa passed all her N.E.W.T. exams with flying colours, but the best thing for her was the coming December, when she would finally get her dream. Only a few months to go until she at last became Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy.
A/N: I think we all know what the next chapter is going to be, and I am going to have a lot of fun writing it. Also, the format of the story will probably change a bit. Right now, it's one chapter-one year, but the dates of the chapters will be a lot closer together, such as a few chapters in a couple of months of her life. As always, please review!