Under Obligation

Chapter Three

The Consolation Prize

Lucius Malfoy followed in his father's wake, glaring darkly at the house-elves they passed as they were led deep into Ravensden Hall. He frankly would have preferred to never lay eyes on the house again. The bitter taste of the humiliation he had suffered there was still too fresh in his mind for comfort, but his father had been intrigued by Mr. Black's owl requesting their presence (after all, what could the Blacks possibly have left to say?), and the promise of watching Orion beg for forgiveness finally persuaded Lucius to come.

Nevertheless, he didn't pretend to be happy about it. He muttered darkly as they wove through the narrow halls, finally free to sneer at the shabby furniture and the peeling paper on the walls. The Malfoys were going to crush the Blacks. Lucius didn't care how pure they were. Orion was still in favour with Voldemort- and that afforded protection to a degree, but there were other ways to make them suffer- methods which Lucius had afforded a great degree of thought.

The Malfoys were shown into the study, where Orion Black was standing behind his desk. Lucius sneered at the falsely bright smile on the older man's face.

"Julius! Lucius! Won't you come in?" he greeted, gesturing toward a pair of chairs beside the desk and pouring from a decanter of port. "Thank you for coming so quickly. I trust that you are all doing well?"

"Don't you read the bloody Prophet, Black?" Julius snarled. His son sneered at the over-emotional display. His father had taken the news almost harder than himself- but then, Julius had always been more concerned about the rumours besmirching their pedigree. Lucius privately thought that if his father would pay them less mind, they were far more likely to go away.

"Yes. I saw the article. Most unfortunate," Mr. Black said brusquely and concentrated on pouring the wine. Lucius was pleased to see that his hands were shaking. A few drops of ruby liquid spilled over onto the desk. "That's why I've asked you here today."

"What in ruddy hell are you going to do about it?" Julius bellowed.

Lucius was about to voice his own, drier but equally scathing query to the same effect, but he was distracted.

Orion was pouring four glasses.

Automatically, Lucius's head swung around. At the same instant, Mr. Black noticed his gaze.

"Ah...yes...gentlemen. I'm not sure you've met my daughter? Julius, Lucius- this is my youngest, Narcissa."

"I'm not sure we want to meet any more of your daughters," Julius snorted, his merciless eyes boring in to the young girl.

Lucius watched Narcissa recoil just a little, and listened as her father hurried to her defence.

"Now Julius, I won't have you insult my-"

"Miss Narcissa," Lucius drawled lazily, dipping his head in her direction and interrupting Mr Black before he provoked his father any further.

Lucius was keenly awaiting the final fireworks, but he didn't think Orion's youngest daughter should be present when they went off. He frowned grimly, especially as he had told her only the day before things would get better. Lucius couldn't excuse himself, couldn't explain why he had offered those few words of comfort when he had every intention of crushing her family. And her along with it? A niggling little voice asked.

Yes, came his instant reply. She was still a Black, still tainted by association. Lucius assumed that Narcissa had known this truth from the second she had seen the tapestry. If only she didn't look so terribly young and in need of protection! Lucius's frown took on a puzzled air; either he hadn't been paying attention the day before, or Miss Narcissa Black suddenly didn't look quite so young.

"Well, shall we all sit down?" Orion pointed to the chairs.

Mr Black was more flustered than Lucius had expected. The young man sat next to his father and accepted a flute of wine that Orion had managed to keep mostly in its glass.

"You want your daughter to witness this, Black?" Julius asked incredulously as he regarded Narcissa, who had also obediently taken a seat. Narcissa, it seemed, had taken to studying her lap with the utmost intensity.

"Yes, I think she should be here to hear my proposal, and," Orion continued with difficulty, "your answer."

"I'm not sure I want to ask why that might be," Julius said slowly. He glanced at his son, but Lucius's expression was typically impenetrable.

"The events of yesterday were... unfortunate, but they needn't be the end of things-"

"Oh they most certainly are not the end of things," Julius snarled.

"Quite," Orion cleared his throat nervously. "But the circumstances which made a union between our two families desirable still exist."

Julius snorted, but Mr. Black didn't back down. He seemed to have discovered some untapped reserve of courage, and continued forward dauntlessly, "You might have all the money in the world, but it can't buy respectability. The rumours in The Prophet..."

"-would have died down completely if not for your little whore of a-"

"Father!" Lucius interjected sharply. He cast a significant look at Narcissa to remind his father of her presence.

Julius merely wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Orion wants her to hear it, then let her hear it. If that's the worst thing that people are saying when I'm though, then-"

"Hear me out!" Orion wasn't able to rob his voice completely of its desperation, but he held his body very stiff, doggedly meeting the elder Malfoy's eyes. "This can all be fixed. The marriage can still take place."

"Oh? What do you propose to do?" Julius jeered in response. "Drag the girl back and get an annulment? I wouldn't let my boy touch her after-"

"Not, Andromeda- Narcissa."

There was a beat of absolute stillness. Lucius felt a jolt of shock. Then, automatically, his eyes cast toward the girl. She must have known. He realized at last. That accounted for her silence- for the expression on her face, like a prisoner awaiting a sentence to be read.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Malfoy senior spat. Narcissa winced again. Lucius was studying her closely, vaguely impressed with the way she managed to hold her composure as the older men battled on.

"Listen to the rest of what I have to say," Orion continued quickly, as if conscious that he was losing his audience. "Narcissa is just as capable of giving you what you need. She's just as pure!"

"She's a baby," Julius sniffed. He was not fooled by the way the low-cut gown hung off Narcissa's girlish body, or the clever makeup that Bellatrix had applied. "She's what, fourteen...?"

"Fifteen," Orion corrected. "She'll be sixteen on the ninth of October."

"Still a child."

"But not forever."

Lucius was almost impressed by Orion's persistence. Nevertheless, he was only half-listening as he studied the girl in question. He was more persuaded than his father by the efforts at illusion. True, they could not completely conceal Narcissa's age, but they did effectively display the promise of what was to come. She had a different colouring than her sister- honey blonde where Andromeda was brunette, and golden-skinned where her sister had been peachy, but her eyes were sensational, and the cut of the dress hinted at her budding curves.

Well, why not? Lucius was surprised when the question presented itself in his mind, but he could not dismiss it out of hand. It was true what Orion said. Narcissa was just as capable of producing a pure-blooded heir as her sister. It wasn't as if he'd developed any sentimental preference for Andromeda- at least, not that he'd admit to, especially now. They were interchangeable for his purposes.

"What? We're supposed to accept her as some sort of consolation prize?" Julius continued, cruelly ignoring the fact that the "consolation prize" was sitting only a few feet away. "I can only imagine what the Prophet will have to say about that!"

"The Prophet won't have the first idea that Lucius hadn't chosen Narcissa all along."

"Oh?" Julius scoffed in the other man's face. "That will be a neat trick- considering they've already published a notice of the broken engagement!"

"They know that it was broken, and that my dau-that Andromeda left...but not why," Orion continued patiently.

"Because she fancies whoring herself to Mudbloods apparently," the elder Malfoy snarled in his ugliest tone.

"I'm sure that's what people assume," Mr. Black agreed, though the effort to maintain his own temper was beginning to show. He was tugging at the collar of his robes, and a vein in his temple was throbbing,"Until we tell them otherwise."

Mr. Malfoy rolled his eyes skyward and he spoke in a sarcastic tone, "By all means, enlighten me, Black. What plausible explanation have you concocted to explain all this away?"

"That Lucius and Narcissa are in love." Orion waited for the shock to show on the other man's face before continuing, "Andromeda found out that we were going to switch the engagement and ran away with this...other fellow...to save face and get revenge."

There was a moment of absolute silence.

Lucius's gaze flicked automatically toward Narcissa. She was still sitting motionless in her chair, twisting her hands in the folds of her dress as if the men currently yelling back and forth weren't deciding the rest of her life.

She was probably frightened. Lucius sighed, failing to understand the urge to protect her that welled up again. She had to be frightened, but was unwilling or unable to speak...or perhaps she was merely wise? It struck Lucius, at last, that while she might be able to avoid a marriage to him, she would probably simply be shuffled into a marriage with someone else- probably someone far less desirable than himself. He knew, too well the desperation of the Black's financial straits. If the Malfoys demanded repayment of the "small" advances they'd been extending to Orion since the engagement was announced, they'd be flattened. If they wanted any hope of salvaging their reputation- of even remaining in the country, they'd have to sell their girls to the highest bidder.

Wasn't that what they were doing now?

Lucius couldn't articulate how it was different, but it was. He was respectable and- in spite of what the Prophet might imply- a Pureblood and a wizard of taste. There was no explanation for his sudden need to protect Narcissa from the fate his imagination had conjured on his own, but the thoughts had barely begun to form before he heard his own voice speaking:

"That might actually work."

Julius was astounded. "Have you lost your mind, boy?" he hissed. "You can't tell me you're actually considering this idea!"

Lucius scowled back at his father. The chastising tone had the oppositeeffect intended- it made the younger Malfoy all the more determined to assert himself. "I don't see why not. We've invested a lot of money in the Blacks," he forgave himself this one, small dig. "And I suppose the
story is preferable to being jilted for a half-blood." From the corner of his eye, he saw Narcissa look up, her bright eyes curious and wary.

Orion's posture softened in relief. "There now. See. These things can be worked through. By the time she's ready to be married-"

"By the time she's ready?" Julius interjected bitingly. "By the time she's ready she'll probably have found another Mudblood's bed to warm."

"Father!" Lucius snapped again. He couldn't begrudge the older man's temper, but now he was speaking of the woman who might just become his wife. "There's hardly any call for-"

Julius spoke over him. "Tell me why it is that you're so keen to wait, Black?" he demanded. "So that you can enjoy handouts for another three years? We're supposed to simply trust you again after what happened?"

"Narcissa would never-"

"That's what you said about the other one too!"

Orion rubbed his temple. "I don't know what it is you want me to do. You said yourself. She's fifteen years old."

"I don't see why that matters. All she has to do is lay on her back, something your daughters have demonstrated a talent for!"

Narcissa gasped a little in alarm, and Lucius and Orion's tempers snapped at the same instant.

"Now, see here Malfoy!" Mr. Black finally exploded. He started to come around the desk. Lucius was also out of his chair.

"That will be quite enough, father," he hissed, and locked gazes with his father. Julius was the first to draw away. Smiling smugly, Lucius turned to Mr. Black. "He does have a point. Past experience counsels against a long engagement." To put it mildly, he thought bitterly, but he
forced his voice to remain even as he continued, "Although you are also correct in that your daughter is hardly of an age to be married."

"Then, it appears that we are at an impasse," Orion said, still glaring over Lucius's shoulder at the other man.

"Not necessarily," Lucius said coolly. He thought he could feel Narcissa's eyes staring into his back. He had to shake the sensation away before he could continue. "While it's certainly not desirable for Narcissa to marry now, it's possible- and legal with your permission. We could marry immediately to satisfy the formalities and then..." he paused, determined to phrase things more delicately than his father had, "begin our cohabitation at a later date."

Orion considered this. While he was in dire straits, he was obviously resisting surrendering his daughter so soon. "How do I know you'll honour that arrangement?" he asked after a few moments of mulling the proposal.

"You have my word," Lucius said with a smirk. "As I recall, that's the same thing you gave us with your promise that Andromeda would marry me...though, happily, my word hasn't
been called into question."

Mr. Black's expression darkened, but he was finally forced to nod his head, "If it's the only way."

"It is," Lucius assured him.

Even Julius looked half convinced. "At least it will give credence to your story- if word leaks out, we can claim that Narcissa and Lucius eloped, but we're making them stay apart until they're out of school."

Lucius nodded his head. "It's settled then."

"I suppose so," Orion said and then finally seemed to remember his daughter, still sitting silently in her chair. "Well, petal. Did you hear that? What do you say? Will you marry Mr. Malfoy?"

Once again the extraordinary blue eyes fluttered up. They alighted on Lucius for the merest second, and then she faced her father to give him the only answer she could:

"Yes."
Lucius thought Orion might faint from the relief, and while he supposed Narcissa could hardly be happy about the situation, did she really have to look as if the affirmation had left quite such a bad taste in her mouth? He peered at her closely, and then realised that she seemed to be biting her bottom lip to try to keep it from trembling. He had to get her out of the claustrophobic room, he realised suddenly, away from their boorish parents and the whole charged atmosphere.

Lucius couldn't say where this impulse came from, perhaps partly from his own desire to escape, but he found himself standing and saying: "Miss Narcissa, you look as though you could use some fresh air. I know I could, do you think you might indulge me in a turn around the grounds?"

She lifted her head, not quite high enough to meet his eyes - she seemed to be keeping them trained on his left shoulder - and opened her mouth to form a reply, except Julius interrupted.

"Lucius we still have a lot to discuss you can't-"

"I'm sure you and Mr Black can handle things, father," Lucius drawled calmly. He reached down and tugged Narcissa out of her chair. "We won't be gone long," he added, steering the youngest Black towards the door. She shot a passing, pleading glance at her father, but Orion Black just gave what was probably meant to be an encouraging nod and a sad smile.

Once out in the corridor Lucius took a deep breath and sighed heavily, allowing Narcissa to step out of his grasp. She finally looked up at his face.

"I thought you'd say no," she blurted.

"You didn't," Lucius pointed out blandly. "Which way to the gardens?"

Narcissa indicated to one of the corridors in disbelief, and then followed in his wake as he began to walk down the passage. "It was hardly my choice to make, Mr Malfoy."

Lucius stopped walking, Narcissa nearly careened into him. When he turned, it was so sudden that Narcissa was almost knocked off balance. "I will not be made a fool of again," he hissed threateningly, looming over her, dark and dangerous. "If you intend to break this engagement-"

"I don't!" Narcissa squeaked, half-terrified to have uncovered a chink in his icy armour, half-insulted that he thought she would break her word. Andromeda did, a voice whispered, can you blame him for doubting you; the two of you were cut from the same cloth? "I won't," she swore
firmly, staring back at him resolutely.

Lucius nodded his fair head and took a disarming backwards step. He couldn't say why he believed her, but he did. There was something so earnest in her clear blue eyes when she looked up at him, he simply couldn't help himself.

"Good," he breathed, letting the ominous moment pass. He doubted that he was setting her at ease very successfully, but some things needed to be made clear. "So, the gardens?" Lucius offered her his arm. Narcissa hesitated, but only for a moment.

When they turned the next corner, arms linked, but a heavy, awkward silence between them, they happened upon Mrs Black.

"Mama."

Through the thin fabric of her robes, Lucius thought he felt Narcissa stiffen, but the impulse was gone in a moment and she released his arm, rushing forward toward her mother.

Cassandra Black looked nothing like the handsome, light-hearted woman who had presided over the house as hostess only a mere day before. The light had gone out of her eyes, leaving them flat and lifeless, and her fair skin was sickly pale. She looked as if she hadn't slept that night
at all- and he supposed he couldn't blame her. Even if the responsibility of Andromeda's defection should be squarely laid at the Blacks' own feet, it wasn't as if any of them had wanted it to happen. They had all drunk from the same bitter cup of ruin.

"You're wearing Andromeda's dress," Mrs. Black said, whispering her daughter's name in an awful, pained rasp.

Narcissa shifted under her mother's scrutiny. "Daddy wanted me to do it."

"Why?"

She bit her lip again. Lucius didn't know whether to be charmed or annoyed by the habit. He would have to break her of it when she became his wife.

"H-he wanted me to look nice for when the Malfoy's came," Narcissa admitted reluctantly.

Lucius watched his future mother-in-law's face, first drawing in puzzlement, and then flushing as comprehension dawned.

"No," she breathed out in a desperate rattling whisper. She reached for her youngest daughter's shoulder's, clawing through the thin fabric of her dress.

Lucius stood stiffly, watching in disgust as the woman's expression crumpled. His derision turned to admiration, however, when he saw Narcissa's reaction.

She steadfastly resisted the urge to fall into her mother's open arms. She took a step back, returning to Lucius's side, and laid her hand lightly over his elbow.

"Mr. Malfoy has agreed to marry me, mother," she announced in a carefully neutral tone. "Isn't that wonderful news?"

It was not wonderful news. Lucius saw the answer flashing in the other woman's eyes, but she bit her tongue, probably tasting blood as she looked imploringly at her youngest daughter. "What has your father put you up to?" she asked. "Narcissa, what have you done?"

"Saved us," Narcissa hissed back. Then, she returned her attentions to Lucius, curling her fingers around his arm and tugging him toward the door. "Mr. Malfoy wanted to see the gardens. If you would excuse us?"

Nodding dumbly, Mrs. Black stepped aside, and allowed the young couple to pass.

"Well, that was certainly a warm reception," Lucius growled as soon as they'd left the house.

Narcissa lifted her chin, giving him a look that was almost comically haughty coming from such a tiny slip of a little girl. "You can hardly blame her under the circumstances, can you?"

"I can and I do," Lucius snapped back, but without any venom. He was more amused than annoyed by her reproach.

Narcissa sighed heavily and Lucius was struck by the heavy weight that seemed to hang around her shoulders. Considerable effort had gone in to making her appear as a budding young woman- but it was her eyes that went the furthest in making her seem older than she was. He supposed it
was only natural. He'd had his entire life to grow accustomed to the idea of an arranged marriage. She had only been given a few hours- and besides, he had remarked before that girls were far more sentimental about such things.

Lucius thought it was best to alleviate a few of her worries while he had a chance, and to tell her what would be expected. "There isn't any reason to be afraid."

"Afraid?" She frowned, giving him the impression that she was vaguely
insulted by this remark.

Good.

Lucius knew that he wouldn't have the patience to deal with a pathetic cowering little creature of a wife for the rest of his life. Although love and romance were not criteria that he set any store by, he did at least want a partner whom he could respect. He thought he could respect Narcissa Black - he had seen nothing to worry him on that score, and apart from the fundamental flaw of her being Andromeda's sister he was yet to spot a failing that could not be amended. Perhaps even her age would turn out to be advantageous? Surely it would give him the opportunity to mould her into precisely the kind of wife he desired?

"You won't have to take on any of the responsibilities that come with being the next Mrs Malfoy for quite some time. In fact, it will be years before you have to take on that role fully," Lucius assured her lightly as they skirted a pretty little ornamental pond. "Your life will not change so dramatically."

Narcissa stared silently up at him, and Lucius got the impression that instead of being reassuring he was simply patronising the poor girl. Of course, her life was going to change, had already changed, probably beyond her recognition. She might be able to go back to school, she might not have to worry about running his house or warming his bed just yet, but she was not the same person who had woken up that morning, and to suggest otherwise was probably highly insulting.

"That's not quite what I mean," Lucius corrected himself slowly, irritated, he stopped and frowned down at the water. He was aware of Narcissa staring at him curiously.

"No? What do you mean, Mr Malfoy?" she asked.

"Lucius," he murmured distractedly, still trying to work out precisely
what it was that he did mean.

"Lucius?" Narcissa repeated warily. He glanced at her.

"My name," he supplied helpfully, as if she wasn't already fully aware of the fact. "I think we can dispense with some formalities."

"You do?" Narcissa asked hesitantly, a little frown marring her face, which provoked Lucius's eyes to narrow.

He was only asking her to use his given name for Circe's sake! She needn't look as if he had made some disgustingly depraved suggestion and tried to take advantage of her!

"You don't apparently, so we will continue with 'Mr Malfoy' I suppose," Lucius drawled coolly.

"Oh," Narcissa murmured as the offer was retracted, "Just as you like." It might have been rather nice to call him Lucius. It might have made him less of a stranger. She had simply been unnerved by the thought of what other formalities he might want to dispense with and had overreacted.

"I don't want you to be frightened of me," Lucius breathed, trying to start over again. He shifted so that they were standing opposite each other.

Narcissa opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't in the least frightened, even if it was a lie, but Lucius carried on:

"I want- I would like to be your friend, Miss Narcissa," he said slowly, gazing down at her with a quiet intensity.

As Narcissa looked back, into pools of liquid mercury, she realised that she would like that too. Very much.

Lucius watched her face intently as he waited for her response. She didn't answer immediately. Was she always so cautious? He didn't know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. However, he was nearly at the end of his patience when it happened: there was a small, hesitant twitch at the edges of her mouth. Then, like the sun bursting from behind a cloud, it erupted into a full-fledged smile.

Her face was completely transformed. She had always struck him as pretty in a coltish sort of way, but smiling at him, her melancholy lifted for a moment, she was dazzling- and he had a suspicion that she would only improve. Of course, there were more important considerations
than physical beauty, he reminded himself sternly. Perhaps it would have been better not to have such a lovely wife?

After all, beauty could mask heavy flaws that he would rather know before they were married- but he assumed that it was too late to worry about that. She would be exquisite, and she would be his wife, and he could think of far more unpleasant burdens to bear.

Feeling a little like smiling himself, he took her arm again and continued down the path.

"This leads to the stables," Narcissa informed him.

"The stables? Do you ride?"

"I used to," she answered, a little wistfully.

"Used to?"

"Yes...when I was little. Papa had Abraxians. But...well," she shrugged. It was the same sort of shrug that Andromeda had used to excuse the fraying sofa and worn-out rugs. He was still undecided about lip-biting, but the apologetic shrug would have to go. Immediately.

"We have stables at Malfoy Manor," he informed her, enjoying the spark of interest in her eyes. He realized, if she kept smiling like that, he would be all too tempted to spoil her completely. Remembering himself, he stiffened. "Well, Miss Narcissa. Perhaps we should return to the house?"

..ooOOoo..

Narcissa avoided her mother and sister for the rest of the afternoon, choosing instead to wander the grounds and concentrate on unraveling her own thoughts. So much had happened in the last 48 hours, she barely knew where to begin: her grief for losing her sister, her shame for what Andromeda had done, her terror at taking her sister's place, or the unexpected but reassuring friendship that Mr. Malfoy had extended.

It seemed like a dream, or possibly a nightmare, from which she was sure to wake... except of course it wasn't, and she wouldn't. The rest of her life had just been decided. Just like that... done, finished, final.

Narcissa wondered if Andromenda had possessed any idea of what would happen when she left, if she'd had the smallest inkling of what might become of her baby sister. She hoped not. She hoped Andromeda had not been that selfish. She remembered the letter, and how foolish and blinded by love her sister had seemed, full of ludicrous hopes of reconciliation- as if their father would ever allow her to set foot inside Ravensden again!

"Oh, Andy! How could you?" Narcissa whispered aloud, a tear rolling down her cheek. She sank down onto the seat of a swing that had been hung from one of the lower branches of an old oak when the Black sisters were all young children. "How could you?"

"Talking to yourself, Cissa? That's the first sign of madness you know," called Bellatrix's voice jovially, but the light-hearted edge was decidedly forced. Narcissa twisted around to watch as she appeared from the little copse of trees that the huge oak stood a little apart from.

"What's the second?" she sniffed, once her sister was closer, kicking at the ground, gently swinging herself to and fro as she stared at Bellatrix with teary eyes.

"Answering. And as I am yet to hear you have a fully fledged conversation with yourself, I'd say you were mostly sane." Bellatrix flashed a brittle smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I've been looking for you all afternoon you know," she muttered, dropping the cheerful façade.

"Oh, why?"

"Cissa!" Bellatrix snapped. "You might be a blonde, but don't play dumb. Why did you tell Daddy and Mr Malfoy that you'd marry Lucius?" she demanded. "Mama is beside herself you know."

"I'm sorry about that," Narcissa sighed, wiping her eyes, "but she'll see that it's for the best in the end. It is, isn't it, Bella? I did the right thing?"

Bellatrix pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't know, Cissa, I just don't know. My head's saying yes, that we didn't have any other choice, but it just seems so hard that it falls solely to you to make things right again," she paused and frowned. "We're all depending on you now Cissa, the whole family, and well, you're the baby," she shrugged her shoulders and lent back against the tree trunk. "It doesn't seem fair I suppose."

"Life isn't," Narcissa offered sagely, Bellatrix simply snorted.

"Well, you could be stuck with a worse husband I suppose," she offered grudgingly.

"Yes, Mr Malfoy seems very..." Narcissa flailed for an adjective that suited, "Nice," she mumbled inadequately.

Bellatrix choked on a laugh of disbelief. Narcissa fought down the childish urge to poke her tongue out, but her sister was making her feel a little better, even if she didn't know it, simply by being normal and outspoken and... Bella.

"Well, that's not how I'd describe him. The words 'nice' and 'Malfoy' do not belong in the same sentence, but each to their own."

"How would you describe him?" Narcissa asked, suddenly keen to have the opinion of another girl.

"He's..." Bella made show of taking an uncharacteristically long time to choose her words, "...rich," she said after a long pause, and then grinned mischievously.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "I know that," she groaned, but still managed a smile. "You went to school with him, didn't you?"

"And?" Bella played coy.

"And- you must have spent time around him. What is he like? Was he on the dueling team? Did he play quidditch?" Narcissa had spent the better part of the morning trying to remember the answers on her own, but in the time that they had been together at Hogwarts, Malfoy had failed to make a significant impression.

Bellatrix sank down onto the grass beside her sister. "No, he wasn't on any teams- I don't think he's the type to play games unless he knows already that he's going to win."

No, he wouldn't be, Narcissa thought as she added the information to the regrettably short list of things that she knew about her husband to be.

"He's very clever. He was Head Boy in his year and had N.E.W.T.s in nearly everything."

That also fit with the composite Narcissa was building.

"Who were his friends?" she asked.

"Oh...everyone, I suppose. I don't know if he had anyone that he was especially close to. Well, he tried to spend time with Andromeda," Bellatrix stopped talking for a moment. She picked up a twig and used it to poke at the ground. "But...well...I guess its clear that they weren't very close."

Narcissa nodded, her heart twisting at the mention of her sister, even as she felt an odd prickle of an emotion she couldn't name.

"So I guess Andy was the only one?"

"One what?" Bellatrix asked.

"His only girlfriend."

This earned another snort. "Oh, Cissa. If you must do this, please save yourself the heartbreak and nip any romantic delusions in the bud. Malfoy...well...Lucius had girlfriends the same way he had regular friends- everyone wanted him, but he was never attached to anyone in particular."

Narcissa was torn between the desire to assert that she had absolutely no 'romantic delusions' as her sister put it- and the irresistible urge to ask the next obvious question, "So...he had a lot of them then?"

"Yes," Bellatrix said bluntly. "But look on the bright side- he's an excellent kisser!"

"Bella!" Narcissa gasped, surely Mr. Malfoy hadn't worked his way
through the entire set of Black sisters!

The older Black enjoyed her little sister's horrified look for a moment, and then set the record straight: "Not that I have any personal experience, of course," she said quickly. "That's just his reputation." Turning more serious, she looked up at where Narcissa was sitting in the swing. "Honestly, Cissa. I don't think you have anything to worry about. He'd never dally with another woman of our class, and he'll never be attached to one of the rabble- so you really oughtn't worry. Besides, it's not as if its going to be a real marriage," she said pointedly.

Narcissa nodded. She would do well to keep that always firmly and fully in her mind. Harbouring hopes for something more was Andromeda's mistake. Narcissa should not repeat it.

"Of course not," she said quickly.

Bellatrix gave her a shrewd look and opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a loud CRACK! Both girls flinched automatically, and then scowled at the house-elf that appeared in their midst.

"Mistress Narcissa," the creature warbled in a pathetic, sniveling tone, "Master Black is asking for Miss in his study."

Narcissa nodded her head and stood. She had expected a summons. "I'll be right in," she informed it. Linking arms with her sister, both girls returned to the house.

After the noisy visit from Julius Malfoy that morning, the house seemed almost surreally quiet as Narcissa parted company with her sister at the staircase and continued down the hall back to her father's study. She knocked lightly on the door and stepped inside.

"Ah, there you are," Orion said, rising automatically from his chair. He walked across the room to where his daughter was standing, and tousled her hair affectionately before directing her to a seat. "I was proud of you today, petal," he said. She noticed that his face still looked weary, but less worried than before. At least she knew she had done some good. "That was a very brave and selfless thing that you agreed to do."

"Yes, daddy," she answered, but rather wished that everyone would quit reminding her of just how enormous a sacrifice she had made. The Slytherin in her was getting nervous.

"I thought you'd like to know what the arrangements will be." She nodded, and so her father continued. "You understood that the Malfoy's aren't willing to wait. I'd try to dissuade them if I thought that it would make a difference, but..." he let his voice trail off significantly, and then clapped his hands. "At least they've agreed to be reasonable. We'll have the wedding next weekend- just the families- and you'll stay here until the start of term. There shouldn't be any real change until you finish school," he said brightly, trying to sound as if he believed it, but Narcissa suspected that he could guess the thoughts rolling through her head: that everything was different already. "Your mother thinks the two of you should spent a few weeks at Malfoy Manor next summer, getting used to the house, but otherwise you shouldn't notice any changes."

Mr. Black was looking at her so earnestly that Narcissa felt compelled to force a smile. "Of course not, Daddy. It sounds very agreeable."

"Good." He bent over her again and kissed her cheek and then said, "I think that this is yours now."

Narcissa's brows knit in confusion when he pressed something cold and hard into her palm. She opened her hand to look. It was Andromeda's engagement ring. A heavy band of gold set with an impressive diamond, simple and solid and... and very suited to Andromeda.

Narcissa stared down at it blankly; it was her sister's ring. A reminder of everything that should have been, of everything that had gone so wrong, how could she be expected to wear Andromeda's engagement ring? It would betray the lie- if only to herself. How could she try and rebuild a life, a life she could be content with, if it was founded on something already tainted with such sorrow?

"Well, aren't you going to try it on?" Orion prompted gently. Narcissa gave a weak nod, and under her father's expectant gaze, slid the precious band onto her finger obediently.

"It's too big," she mumbled, feeling the ring weigh down her entire hand, her entire body.

"Well, we can have it resized so that it fits you, petal. Don't worry."

Narcissa nodded once again in agreement, even as she knew the ring would never fit.

..ooOOoo...

TO BE CONTINUED