Chapter Thirty Nine

A/N: No reviewers.

With Narcissa and her husband finally reunited, the years went by in a flash of happy moments and cherished memories. Lucius rose rapidly through the ranks of the Ministry, managing to gain the trust and support of many influential figures, some of which had sat on the jury against him after the war. Narcissa never asked how he had managed it, not certain that she truly wanted to know; instead, she concentrated on raising their son, with enough love to last a thousand children's lifetimes.

Before they knew it, the day had dawned, a calm summer morning that held a slight sense of foreboding for Narcissa that she could not deny, no matter how foolish it made her feel.

Draco came clattering down the staircase in the early hours, waving a piece of parchment like a victory flag. "Mother, Father, it's here! My letter!"

Narcissa breathed a heavy sigh, her eyes fixed on Lucius, who sat across the dining table from her, his face half-hidden behind The Daily Prophet. Her gaze was intense enough that he must have felt the tension grow between them, but he would not relinquish the paper.

"Lucius." she prompted, her voice tinged with irritation. They did not have much time before Draco arrived- the sheer vastness of the manor worked in their favour this time- and his selective deafness was beginning to unnerve her. "Lucius, we need to speak about this."

"We have already spoken about it, Cissa, more times than I can count." Lucius responded, still not looking up from the page. "Durmstrang is a fine institution, and it is much more suitable for a boy of his pedigree than the shambles Dumbledore is making of Hogwarts."

"But both our families have attended Hogwarts for centuries." Narcissa protested, using her most convincing smile. If pleading would not work, perhaps flattery would do the trick. "Slytherin House is as good as in our blood. It's a tradition."

"And a foolish one." Lucius finally placed the Prophet down on the table, folding his hands atop it. "Karkaroff is one of the most talented wizards of his generation. He'll make sure that Draco learns the appropriate skills."

As if by magic, the boy appeared, barrelling into the room with all the speed of a charging Hippogriff. He barely managed four steps before he caught sight of his father and slowed to a more reasonable pace, padding across the carpet to his beaming mother.

"Happy birthday, darling." Narcissa greeted, pressing a kiss to her son's white gold hair. His face crumpled a little in embarrassment, but he did not move away. "May I see it?"

"Of course." Draco answered, gleefully producing the letter, its distinctive red wax seal already broken. Narcissa glanced up at Lucius for a moment, trying to ignore his disapproving expression, before she opened the letter, reading over the familiar words. It made her heart ache, to see the arms and motto printed at the top of the page, and know that the same arms would not be emblazoned on her son's trunk when he left home.

"Draco, why don't you go through to the sitting room?" Lucius suggested, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Your presents are waiting for you in the corner."

"Thank you, Father." Draco smiled nervously, then did his father's bidding.

The two had barely been left alone a moment before Narcissa turned to her husband, her jaw set in frustration. "Lucius, please, you have to see reason. He's just a boy, he's too young to be so far away."

"Narcissa, if you coddle him for the rest of his life, he will never grow up!" Lucius exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the table. He was loud enough that Draco, only a couple of rooms away, would be able to hear him, and Narcissa winced at the thought of her son hearing his parents fight like this. "You cannot ask me to take every precaution in the world for him, just because you cannot stop thinking about…"

Lucius cut himself off before he said something he could not retract, but it was too late. She already knew his implication and her eyes began to burn with tears. "Lucius, do not use that against me. The fact remains, Draco is our only child, more than likely the only child we will ever have. I'm not asking to wrap him in protective charms and lock him in his bedroom. I just believe that Scotland is far enough for a little boy to be raised away from his parents. Please."

"I did not mean to use anything against you, darling. You know I would never…" Lucius' voice was much softer now, his expression regretful and loving. After a few seconds, he closed his eyes, leaning back against his chair in contemplation. When his eyes opened again, they were resigned. "Alright. If Hogwarts means that much to you, that's where he'll go."

"Do you mean it?" Narcissa asked, a gentle smile spreading across her face.

Lucius offered a curt nod in response. "I would still rather Durmstrang, I think that he would learn more surrounded by the type of wizards the institution boasts on its staff, but I'm not willing to fight over it any longer. We've had enough divisions between the two of us to last a lifetime. Besides, there are plenty of appropriate friends Draco could make in Slytherin House, and he'll surely know which professors to listen to and which to ignore."

Lucius still seemed a little frustrated at his decision being overcome, but as his wife crossed the room and pressed a grateful kiss to his lips, the both of them pulled away smiling.

Narcissa set off for the sitting room moments later, her joyful laughter echoing through the halls of Malfoy Manor, and that was enough to dismiss any annoyances that persevered. True, Lucius had lost the argument, as he often seemed to do in the case of their son, but it was not so terrible a sacrifice. It would be a comfort to both of them in the end, to have Draco relatively close by in case anything should happen, not that he expected it to.

His wife was quick to pounce upon her victory, arranging trips to Diagon Alley for book shopping and robes fittings, in case Lucius should change his mind, but he did not mind as much as he thought he might. Narcissa was happy, and so would Draco be. Perhaps he had finally realised that that was enough.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've used a bit of a time jump, because I felt like there was nothing really important in the gap between the last chapter and this one. This is where the big stuff starts! Please review!