Dreams Don't Die

Dreams Don't Die (2/?)
By Bastet

Chapter Two

~Lost in Your Eyes~

Sirius was definitely getting into "godfather-mode". James worked a lot and Lily was just as busy, so Sirius took care of Harry quite a bit. He found his old strength returning and his excitement for life was growing more and more.

One day, he'd taken Harry to see a local Quidditch match. Harry loved the brooms and the bright colors of the robes that the riders were wearing. His eyes would follow them about the field and Sirius laughed at how silly Harry looked with his eyes darting about crazily. On the way home, they stopped for ice cream. Sirius sat back, baby Harry roaming around the table, and enjoyed life for the first time in so long.

~*~*~

Narcissa had seen him, of course. She would have recognized him anywhere. Lucius, at her side, had a firm grip on her arm, so she made no sign that she had noticed Sirius. For so long had she tried to get word- anything!- out to him. It was of no use. Lucius, she suspected, was aware of her feelings though she said nothing. She saw her chance, for Lucius was headed towards Knockturn Alley. She made up her mind and dug the heels of her fine shoes into the ground.  He stopped, realizing that she was not about ot move.

"Absolutely not, Lucius!" she said firmly. "I refuse to go into that place!"

He looked at her incredulously, as one not accustomed to being defied. "Whatever are you talking about, Narcissa? Come, now and don't make a scene!" he hissed quietly.

She refused to budge and held her ground, knowing that he would avoid any commotion.

"It's a filthy hole in there. I will wait here."

She sat down on a convenient bench nearly pulling Lucius, who was still holding her arm, down with her. He let go and frowned deeply.

"You will stop this- this nonsense immediately!" he said a little too loudly. Heads turned and he fell silent.

"Very well," he hissed, his voice covered by the noise on the streets. "Don't even so much as THINK of moving!" With that, he disappeared from sight.

Narcissa sat, somehow breathless, as she contemplated her next move. There he was- right there! Oh, so close! His back was turned as he tried to catch Harry, so he hadn't seen her.

Does he want to see me? She had no answer to her thought. She knew not what he was thinking. She watched him for a moment, from her bench. A tear came to her eye as she watched him play with little Harry. He would have made a wonderful father! Will he ever know that Draco is his child? Our child? She thought of her baby. His beautiful black hair had been turned silvery fair by her father but whenever she looked at him she tried to see Sirius.  But Draco didn't look like Sirius anymore and was becoming more like Lucius everyday. Sirius would never guess the truth…

She almost got up then. Almost ran over and told him everything. Told him of her father’s plan and of her love for him and of his son. But she knew that would only bring disaster upon him. Lucius would have no qualms about having him eliminated. She would rather die a thousand deaths than put him into danger. So, she loved from afar, cherishing the fact that she could look upon him with love. And then she smiled and laughed a tinkling laugh. Like she used to laugh.

Maybe it was the recollection of that laugh, or fate, or just a coincidence, but he looked up at her them. She had always thought that getting lost in someone's eyes was an overrated cliché. But it was as if their minds and hearts linked as they used to. She could see so much in his eyes. She saw not a hint of anything that she'd feared that she might find. No anger or frustration. Just pure longing, care, joy and -even more- love.

A hand on her shoulder broke the spell. He was following her intense gaze. Then he looked into her eyes.

"I see," he murmured and then patted her on the shoulder. "Don't lose hope, my dear," he said softly and earnestly. "There will be hard times. Who can tell what the future will bring…but you are not alone, though it may feel that way at times. Hold onto your love no matter what. One day, I think, the dreams you have may just come true."

Narcissa watched Albus Dumbledore as he smiled and sauntered away.

'What did that old coot want?" Lucius sneered audibly having come up from behind her. She got to her feet.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "Nothing." But a smile was on her face and Lucius found himself peering at her suspiciously. He shook his thoughts off.

"Let's go." And they walked from the street, quickly and quietly. Not once did she chance a glance back, but she had hope. A little, certainly, but it might be enough to get her through.