Chapter Twenty Six

A/N: Thank you to EriksAngeldeMusica for reviewing the last chapter.

Winter had given way to spring and the soft light of the sunrise caught the early dew of the flowers, making them glow like lanterns through the darkness. Each morning, Narcissa would sit at the window of her bedroom, looking out onto the gardens and all the wonderful memories they held. The woman smiled, placing a hand on her growing belly. 'The memories they are yet to hold, as well.'

Ever since she had discovered her pregnancy, Narcissa had taken a whole new shine to life, finding beauty and joy in the world in a way she had not done since she had lost her first baby to Sirius' curse. But she had been foolish then, blinded by panic and love for her husband- she knew better now, and she would protect this child until she drew her last breath.

"How did I know that I would find you sat here?" Lucius asked from the doorway, but Narcissa was not the least bit shocked by his presence. Just as often as she would come to the window, Lucius came to the doorway. Sometimes he only stood there, silently observing her, but she always knew that he was there.

"The gardens are so beautiful at this time of morning." was the answer she gave, leaning a little further back into the soft embrace of the window seat. "How could you expect me not to watch them?"

"Of all the magical things in this world, you are fascinated by flowers and trees." the man chuckled, approaching his wife with a good-natured smile on his face. No one else ever saw that smile; only Narcissa saw through the mask of frosted ice Lucius Malfoy showed to the world.

"There's nothing more magical than the start of new life." was the answer she gave, stroking her belly absent-mindedly. "It's the most wonderful thing in the world."

Lucius made an affirming noise, but gave no more answer than that. Instead, he perched himself on the windowsill beside her, resting his hand atop hers and smiling as he felt a hint of movement of their child inside her.

"Do you not have work to do, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, a hint of mockery creeping into her voice. She did not want him to leave her, something the both of them knew, and this was her way of showing that to him.

"Nothing that cannot wait." he replied with the slightest shrug of his shoulders, shifting a little to reach a more comfortable position. Narcissa sighed with pleasure. These were her favourite times, the times when her husband was not the well-known Mr. Malfoy, rising star of the Ministry of Magic and head of one of the most recognised Pureblood families in the world- for now, he was simply Lucius, her Lucius, and that was the man she loved the most.

They remained silent for a long time afterwards, comfortable in each other's company, staring out across the estate that was their haven, their place of safety when the world was becoming such a dangerous place to live. There was a war coming, of that there was no doubt anymore, but for now, they would enjoy what time they had together, before they became soldiers and fretting wives once again.

"Have you thought of what you want to name the child?" Lucius asked, breaking the comfortable silence. The vague smile that had rested on Narcissa's lips suddenly faded away. This was a question she had asked herself many a time and she had always given herself the sae answer.

Noticing her sudden subdued behaviour, Lucius stepped down from the window seat and knelt down in front of it, taking his wife's hands in his own.

"Narcissa," he asked. "What is wrong with you?"

Narcissa opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, trying to think of a way she could explain her fear that would not make her seem a fool. She knew that Lucius would never make a joke of her insecurities, but even despite that, her fears dominated her mind.

Finally, she summoned the courage to speak, and was surprised to find that her voice was strong and not the mouse-like whisper she had expected to hear pass her lips. "I don't want to choose a name. Not yet. Not after..."

As her voice trailed away into silence, a wave of realisation passed over Lucius' face, as he finally remembered the incident that had struck fear into his wife's heart.

"Oh, Cissa." he sighed, clutching tightly at the woman's hands. She did not cry, when not long before she would have collapsed into floods of tears. But this was a woman who had lost her whole world before she had been married a year. She had buried two parents and a beloved cousin, sacrificed a child to the fight against the Order and lost a sister to the heart of a Mudblood. It seemed that she no longer had any tears left to cry.

"I know that it's foolish-" she began, but her husband swiftly cut across her.

"No, it is natural." Lucius told her, rubbing the pads of his thumbs in circular motions on the palms of her hands, trying to soothe the struggle he knew was occurring behind his wife's eyes. "I felt precisely the same, when we first discovered you were carrying the child. I wondered if they would survive or if they would be taken away as well. But they are strong and well-grown now; they're safe."

"No one is safe." Narcissa responded, and Lucius was taken aback by the bitter note in her voice. "There is a war coming, Lucius, and when it does, no one will be safe. Least of all our child."

"Narcissa Malfoy," he began to say, in the slow imperious voice he used to sway minds in the Ministry. "I will keep you safe. You and the baby. Nothing will happen to you so long as I live and breathe, whether the world goes to war or not. I swear to you, our family will be safe."

Narcissa nodded her head, smiling at her husband, the profession making her feel a little warmer and just a touch safer. But the war was coming, and even Lucius' wonderful words could not stop that from happening. The woman's hand strayed to her belly and she covered it as much as she could, protecting it from the evil of the world outside. But the child would be born in just a season's time, and then she could hardly protect it anymore, no matter how much she tried to. 'But I will die trying.' she told herself. 'I will.'

A/N: Please review!