A Perfect Matcb
By
Eamane-Shu
Narcissa had been
quite looking forward to her stay with Mrs Malfoy, it was nice to get away from
Bellatrix’s and her mother’s twice hourly disagreements, which was her mother’s
term for the blazing rows that seemed to erupt every thirty minutes or so
during any time that the pair started a civil conversation. Rodolphus was
rarely away from Ravensden these days and he and Narcissa had taken to spending
time wandering through the gardens every time that voices
began to be raised. Rodolphus and Narcissa had grown quite close recently, and
he now looked at her with the affection of an older brother, often bringing her
sweets back from Diagon Alley, and always glaring at Lucius when he was seen in
the company of Violet Parkinson. Narcissa was uncharacteristically grateful at
his actions, especially as she had been dreading the upcoming wedding, well
more what came after the wedding, Bellatrix would be moving in with Rodolphus
at his
Said brother was
approaching the patio where she and Mrs Malfoy were enjoying a cool glass of
pumpkin juice in the hot July weather.
“Good afternoon Mrs
Malfoy, Cissa.”
“Hello Rodolphus.”
Narcissa smiled back warmly, wondering what he was doing at Malfoy Manor, as
Lucius was currently in town.
“To what do we owe the
pleasure Mr Lestrange? Lucius isn’t currently home, though we are expecting him
back soon, you’re welcome to wait.”
“Actually, I wanted a
word with Narcissa.”
Narcissa suddenly knew
why he was here and rolled her eyes, she wasn’t going to allow this to become a
yearly ritual “No, absolutely not.”
“Please, I’ve got
no-one else to turn to. And she was so pleased last year.”
“I’m not helping you
to pick out Bella a birthday present again. You’re on your own this year.”
Rodolphus sighed,
sensing a lost cause, He would have to fend for himself this year, unless
perhaps one of Bella’s other friends was willing to help him. “What time will
Lucius be back?” he enquired, as he needed to speak to Malfoy as well. “I
thought I’d kill two birds with one stone while I’m here?”
“Mother
and Bella fighting again?”
Narcissa hiked up an eyebrow elegantly.
“I decided to leave
when things started to get thrown around the room.”
“Lucius should be here
in half an hour or so.”
“You don’t mind if I
wait?”
Narcissa and Rodolphus
had spent the rest of the time waiting for Lucius’ arrival strolling through
the gardens; Belinda had gone inside to lie down for an hour or so, before
dinner, as was her usual custom. When the Malfoy heir finally arrived home he
wasn’t in a good mood, he positively glowered at Lestrange and barely glanced
at Narcissa before sweeping inside, Rodolphus
following close at his heels.
The two men spent the
rest of the afternoon, and most of the evening locked in Lucius’ father’s
study. What they had been talking about all evening Narcissa didn’t know,
though she was curious, as she passed the closed door on her way up to bed that
night she heard hushed voices.
“It’s decided then?”
“Tomorrow night?”
“That is what the Dark
Lord has commanded.”
A loud crack signalled
that Rodolphus had finally gone home for the night. Hearing Lucius approaching
the door Narcissa scurried off, being caught eves-dropping by her future
husband was certainly not on the to-do list for the evening. She went to bed,
worrying about the information she had overheard, she was concerned that
Bellatrix would get in with a crowd that was far too rough for her. Mind you it
would take a powerful witch or wizard to out-hex Bellatrix Black, which was
always a consolation. However the Ministry of Magic had publicly denounced Lord
Voldemort two days before, condemning him and his actions. Her father, who had
been a member of the Knights of Walpurgis, alongside his brother, in their
youth, had assured her that he had no plans of joining the death-eaters as they
were now calling themselves, he was far too old, and her uncle felt the same
way.
She soon fell deeply
asleep, not hearing Lucius apparate out into the warm July night, unaware that
her future husband, sister and future brother-in-law were silently creeping
towards a dark house. The inhabitants, who were asleep in their beds as the
three stole into their house, never woke up.
The next morning it
was all over the prophet.
Narcissa read the
article with an air of disinterest – she hadn’t known the victims, so she
started reading a back issue of witches weekly that she had missed. The rest of
the day she spent sunbathing on the patio of the Malfoy estate, she relaxed
sitting on a sun-lounger, dressed in a thin white cotton skirt, vest and a white
sun hat to stop the fair skin on her face from getting burnt. She had been
planning to spend the day shopping at Diagon Ally, however with current events
being as it where Mrs Malfoy had advised against it.
She didn’t see Lucius
until dinner that night; she had just come downstairs from getting dressed for
dinner when he arrived in the dining room, with Violet Parkinson in tow, who
looked irate seeing Narcissa seated at the table sipping a glass of white wine.
“Mother, I would like
you to meet Violet Parkinson.”
“How do you do?” asked
Mrs Malfoy coolly.
Violet faltered for a
moment before replying “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs Malfoy.”
Perhaps Narcissa had
spent too long in the sun that day, or perhaps she had eaten too little for her
heart suddenly went out to the other girl, as Belinda Malfoy was a force to be
reckoned with, “You’re looking well Violet” she smiled warmly as the other girl
sat down opposite her “Belinda, did you know that Violet is an old school chum
of mine?”
“No I didn’t” she
replied with interest.
“Yes we were at
Hogwarts together.”
The conversation for
the remainder of the rest of the meal was light, cheery and inconsequential;
the women of the house pretended that last nights attacks had not occurred,
while Lucius had no intention of interrupting their charade. After dinner was
finished Narcissa and Mrs Malfoy retired to the study, while Lucius escorted
his latest fling round the rose gardens.
“I’m so sorry
Narcissa; it was dreadfully rude of Lucius to bring that girl here.” Belinda
Malfoy seemed quite put out at her son’s behaviour; Narcissa on the other hand
had stoically decided to ignore the blatant insult that Lucius was throwing at
her by inviting Violet round while she was staying at the Manor. She decided to
go and owl Bellatrix, as she had left one of her favourite dresses at home and
she wanted to wear it in a couple of days, so she made her way to the library
to find a quill and some parchment, however when she entered the room she was
not alone.
There were two figures
in the dark room, the moonlight shining into the room illuminating them
slightly. It was Violet and Lucius, they had obviously finished their tour of
the grounds and now she was wrapped around him in a tight embrace. She could
see his blonde hair glinting in the moonlight, and his strong set jawbone
pressed to the other girl’s lips. A sudden pang of jealousy ripped through her,
she didn’t want Lucius to be kissing somebody else like that; she wanted him to
be kissing her. However Lucius aside, she wanted to send an owl, and she wasn’t
going to be distracted from her mission. They hadn’t seen her come in, so she
could pretend she hadn’t seen them.
“Lumos” she flicked
her wand slightly and all the candles in the room burst into life. Lucius and
Violet jumped apart, to her satisfaction and she slowly said “I’m so sorry; I
didn’t see the two of you in here. I just came to get some parchment; I’ll
leave you to it.”
Violet, who looked
suitably embarrassed interrupted her, “No, I should be going home anyway,
mother will be waiting for me. You will say goodnight to your mother for me
wont you?” With that she apparated out of the room, leaving Lucius looking a
little bewildered.
Narcissa strolled
across the room and started looking in one of the desks for the parchment, a
smirk set firmly on her face.
“I’m glad you find
this so amusing” a voice drawled behind her, almost sending shivers down her
spine. “I suppose you want me to apologise for bringing her here?”
“No” Narcissa replied
“It’s your house; you can do what you like. But your mother does” whether she
wanted the apology or not, she would probably end up getting it.
“We have no formal
arrangement at the moment Narcissa” he reminded her.
“Oh I’m aware of that Lucius,
I’m assuming this works both ways then?”
“As
long as you behave in a manner that merits the Malfoy name.”
“I’m not a Malfoy yet”
she spat.
“You practically are”
he insisted, something about his condescending manner was irritating Narcissa
now, she hated being dictated to.
“I’m not even close to
becoming a Malfoy, especially not in public opinion. My friends are currently
expecting me to announce my engagement any day; though it will be a surprise
for them when they see whose ring I finally wear.”
He regarded her coolly
“You should end it with him.”
“You should end it
with her” she countered.
He was very close now,
maybe he was trying to intimidate her, it wasn’t
working. She could smell him, there was a slightly sooty smell coming from his
clothes from where he had travelled by floo earlier, and there was an
underlying smell, one that she couldn’t quite place although it just smelt like
Lucius.
“You’re mine Narcissa”
he told her firmly “and I don’t want people to think that you belonged to someone
else before you belonged to me.” With that he brought his lips down upon hers.
From that moment on
she was his.
The kiss was
extraordinarily gentle, with a building passion behind it. He tasted her
deeply, demanding that she respond as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She
felt like she could kiss him for the rest of her life. She ran her fingers down
his face, and cupped his neck gently as he ran his hands down her back, then
caressed her stomach before moving up to rest on the softness of her breast.
He had crossed the
line there.
Narcissa Black was no
prude, though like a good pureblooded girl she had retained her virginity she
had done other intimate things with a man before, she had tried things with
various boyfriends before, however Lucius Malfoy was not her boyfriend. He was
somebody else’s.
She broke away.
He rested his forehead
on her shoulder and sighed, almost puzzled by her sudden change in behaviour.
She explained “Despite what our future may hold for us, I will not be your bit
on the side whilst you dally about with other girls.” With that she
straightened her robes and disappeared into the darkness of the manor.
Lucius ended things
with Violet the next day.