Only Love

"Only Love"

       Narcissa Antionette Malfoy looked down into the big gray eyes of her baby boy as the rain pelted down on the luxurious Malfoy Manor. She sighed as he watched her move before sitting next to him on the Victorian sofa.

       He placed his hand on hers before asking, "What's on your mind mother?"

       "Your father," she replied, her lashing batting against her cheek softly.

       Draco seemed surprised at her reply, "You haven't spoken of him since. . . . "

       Narcissa nodded softly finishing his sentence, "His execution."

       "Why after all this time do you wish to think of him?"

       "You're getting married tomorrow Draco and I wish he could be there," she replied in a wistful voice.

       "He wouldn't want to be here! I'm marrying Hermione Granger, surely, he'd kill all of us before he let that happen!" Draco snapped.

       "You know, there was a time before your father became such a monster that he would've been fine with that."

       "How can you love Lucius after what he has done?"

       Their voices were so soft that they could barely be heard over the cackling of the fire. They hadn't talked about Lucius since Aurors captured him, when Draco was sixteen.

       "I continue to love him because I can't forget our history. Lucius changed but behind those steel walls he built, I know our love survives."

       Draco became quiet as Narcissa went back to a time and place that gave her comfort on nights like this.

When you love somebody,

Like I love somebody

And when you've been hurt,

Like I've been hurt,

You'll understand how,

Love has its ups and downs,

It's what you make it

       Lucius and I had a long courtship and most of the time I had a distinct feeling that nothing would ever come of it. Lucius had a cold air around me, never spoke, and when he did it was as if he were being forced to speak to me.

       However, I remember the day that all changed and I realized that I, Narcissa Antionette Black, was destined to become a Malfoy.  

       So far the morning had gone on without so much as a smile from the man who haunted my dreams. He had avoided me completely, he jumped, slid, and ran to be rid of my presence in his company. As the morning went on I began to oblige his wishes and started to turn from the room whenever I noticed it was in his use.

       Yet as the day wore on my patience was wearing thin and my lady like demeanor was becoming harder to keep up with. So just after tea I excused myself to a walk in the Gardens, alone, with myself.

       Nothing had occurred in the past couple of weeks that could change the course of my obvious lust for the man that stood with such Knightly Honor that it stirred my dear father's soul.

       "The sunset suits your silhouette Narcissa," a deep voice whispered behind me. The very moment his voice rang out goose bumps began to line my skin, I could feel my heart beating against my breast, and knew it could only be one man.

       "Thank you sir," I whisper softly, closing my eyes tightly, wishing, hoping, praying that this wasn't just a fantasy of my mind.

       "Narcissa you have invaded the very corners of my mind, little do you know how hard you are making the dealings of my obstinate heart," Lucius whispered laying his hand on my arm, stopping any preconceived movement on my part.

       "My Lord, I do apologize for any interference I have dealt to your painfully supercilious heart," I reply trying as I might to get away from him before I said anything more to offend him or uncover my own unbearable emotions.

       "Supercilious? I think not, maybe toward someone else but never ever toward you Narcissa, never," he said softly, his grip on my arm tightened as I tried again to move.

       My breath got caught in my throat, "I did not know you felt that way my Lord."

       Lucius chuckled softly as he took a short step toward me, so close that I could feel his breath on my neck, "Mm, I thought it was painfully obvious."

       "N-No, I'm afraid . . . it was not," I whispered, trying my hardest not to allow that trembling in my heart to vibrate throughout my body.

       "My dear do you not know how special you are to me?" he whispered softly into my ear, as his cologne surrounded me.

       "No," I whispered as I softly lean into him, feeling as if I were drunk.

       "Do you not see how you possess me, utterly and completely?" Lucius whispered closing his eyes trying to fix the image of me in his mind.

       "Sir, I do not quite comprehend the depths of your confession," I replied turning around faster than I really should have and ended up chest to chest to him.

       "I do believe you are telling a tightly packed, deliberate, lie Narcissa," Lucius smiled slowly while raising my chin with his index finger.

       "A lie sir? That is a steep accusation you are making sir, if I weren't already deeply – I should be insulted," I said quickly catching myself before I buried myself six feet under, in his love.

       He chuckled deeply pulling me closer, my nostrils filled with the redolent scent of his cologne, his smile changed to a smirk and he whispered huskily, "Yes, you should be insulted? Nevertheless, I could never insult you . . . unless I let you go at this very moment."

       "My dear sir, I should think you'd know that I do not believe that you would ever let go," I replied for the first time falling into the role of the pursued, who initiated the chase.

       "You do not huh?" Lucius smiled, slipping his arms around my waist, making the satin material stick to my back as the warm spring sun smiled down on us.

       "I do not," I smiled trying to differentiate between the sun's warmth and his.

   "I do believe you are . . . quite right Miss Black," he smiled at me, pulling me just a bit closer, I swear if his grip wasn't so tight I would have fainted.

       "Quite right, quite right," I mimicked looking up into the steel blue eyes that had infatuated me from the moment I began floating in them.

       "Shall I?" Lucius whispered, his voice husky with emotion just as mine was, his breath was filling my senses.

       "Shall you what My Lord?" I ask placing my hands on his chest caressing the folds of his tailor-made robes.

       "Kiss you," Lucius replied softly removing his hands from my back and replacing them on my face.

        "Yes," I replied slipping my hands around his neck as his brought my lips to his, sending lightening through my body slowly and deliberately. His lips were as soft as rose petals and his tongue tasted of peppermint as he deepened our kiss.

I had no intention of letting him go, none what so ever.

When you love somebody,

Like I love somebody

And when you've been hurt,

Like I've been hurt,

You'll understand how,

Love has it's ups and downs,

It's what you make it

       His proposal was even more spectacular. . . .

       I visited his room and he explained his full intentions.

       I stepped into the room with a shy smile sitting on my lips and all traces of my prior attitude gone, "Good-day."

       Lucius's, rare, smile blew me away, it seemed so grand, "Narcissa."

       "I, um...well, I -- you ooh Merlin...you are -- I -- father," I stammered as he closed the door and led me to the sofa in front of his fireplace.

       He chuckled softly, laying his hand on mine, "Would you ever marry me Narcissa?"

       Again I opened my mouth to speak but nothing intelligent would come, "I -- I marry you?"

       "Yes," Lucius replied in such a voice that I had never experienced from him.

       "Oh yes," I whisper softly in a sickeningly sweet way.

       "Then marry me, Miss Black," he said pulling me toward him and I forgot my sisters harsh words about his horrible Malfoy-esque attitude.

       "I--," I began before I pulled him to me, my lips caressing his, I couldn't contain what I felt inside. It was like a fire and he was like oxygen to me, every time he was around the fire blazed brighter.

       "I love you," Lucius whispered running his knuckles over my cheek.

       I smiled as his knuckles brushed my lips, "When did you set your foot on this decision? That you loved me enough to want to marry me?"

       "About two weeks ago, give or take a few days," he smiled playing gently with my fingers, "I believe it was when you apologized for interfering with my 'painfully supercilious heart.'"

       I could feel my face burn as a blush rushed up my cheeks, "Oh God, Lucius I'm so --"

       "No, do not apologize. You got my attention now didn't you? If you hadn't said it I would have ended up taking advantage of you again," Lucius interrupted as he kissed my hand playfully.

       "That's noble," I said sarcastically.

       He chuckled under his breath, "Not really, it's kind of selfish."

       "How is it selfish?" I ask knowingly, suppressing an urge to fall into his awaiting arms.

       "I just wanted to take advantage of you without the awkward silences afterward," Lucius replied in that suave, smooth, aristocratic voice of his.

       "There is so much I want to share with you Lucius," I whispered turning around and laying back in his arms.

       "I want to know so much," he whispered, kissing my forehead while wrapping his arms around me.

       "But I want you to teach me too. I want to learn everything you know," I whispered, running my fingers over his hands that were locked around my stomach.

       "I want to know every corner of Malfoy Manor like the back of your hand, I want to see the sunrise through your eyes, I want know your every like and dislike, I want to know your every need."

       "I need you, Narcissa Antionette Black," Lucius whispered in my ear as his hand grabbed mine.

      "Then take me," I reply my voice deeper and sultrier than I had ever heard it.

        "Are you sure?" he asked sitting me up, carelessly running his fingers over my neck and chest.

       "I've never been more sure about anything in my life," I reply as he scooped me up into his arms like ice cream and carries me over to his bed. He lays me down and the rest is a blur.

       Four hours later I clutched his arm as we lay cuddled under his mass of sheets. I was still floating on a cloud high above the sky. My first time was as heavenly as the man laying next to me. Lucius took me slowly, gently, like learning to walk. He caressed me softly, whispering words of encouragement, and offers to stop. He loved me deeply, entirely, he touched me in places I didn't even know existed.

       "Hey," Lucius whispered pulling me closer to him.

       "Hey," I reply, my eyes fluttering happily.

       "Are you all right?" he asked kissing my forehead softly.

       "All right? I'm on Cloud nine, as Muggles say," I smile as my nose picks up the faint scent of his long gone cologne.

       "That good huh?" Lucius asked laughing a little.

       I loved up at him with a huge grin plastered on my face, "You are amazing."

       "Wow," he laughed, running his fingers through my hair. "I've never had that kind of compliment before."

       "You never experienced my kind of love before," I smiled quite smugly, it may have been my first time but I did have some fun myself.

       "Quite right, quite right," Lucius whispered as he captured my lips in another kiss, lips so soft and sweet, pulling every breath from me.

       The door opened breaking our kiss and his brother stood in the doorway grinning, "Oh, big brother I see you have taken the situation in your very capable hands!"

       I blushed and hid my face in his chest while Lucius shooed his brother, "Julian, go away, go to bed, leave! Now!"

       "Yes, Lucius, I will leave you to your leisure," Julian laughed closing the door quietly.

       I didn't look up even when I heard the faint click of the lock, he lifted my face with his finger, "Are you ashamed?"

       "No," I replied my apprehension fading quickly, "just a little -- I do not know . . . "

       "Taken back by it all?" he offered now smiling.

       "It felt so right Lucius, I've never felt anything so right before in my life," I whisper staring intently into his deep blue eyes.

       "It's so crazy ... you walked into that Parlor room that day ... just like any other day ... except this time ... my heart skipped a beat ...." Lucius whispered with a faint smile on his face.

       "You mean the first day we met?" I asked surprised, that day he hardly paid me any attention.

       "Yes, you were so overwhelmingly beautiful at that reception," he whispered almost dreamily.

       "Really? I hated that dress, it was so plain, I looked so plain that night, "I replied my face twisting in distaste.

       "Plain? No, you were a Queen in my eyes, the Queen of hearts, one glance from you and all of the men were getting their heads chopped off," Lucius laughed, moving his hands in circles around my torso.

       "I love you," I whispered for the first time since I had hit my climax that night.

       "I know, I know," he whispered before pulling me on top of him and filling my mouth with a kiss.

When you love somebody,

Like I love somebody

And when you've been hurt,

Like I've been hurt,

You'll understand how,

Love has it's ups and downs,

It's what you make it

       On my wedding night, more than a year later, my father asked me a question that many had asked before and for the first time I found the answer.

           "Is this what you wanted?" he asked much like he had months ago, making sure this marriage was exactly what I wanted.

       "Exactly what I wanted father," I say, as he stands behind me smiling at me in the mirror.

       "I was always inquisitive about what made you fall in love with this unlikely candidate," he whispered running his fingers through my thick blond curls.

       The women finally moved from my hands to my feet. I raised a hand to my shoulder and placed it upon my father's hand lovingly, "He had this poise that pulled me in immediately, then the mystery behind whom he was, and by the time I found out, I was already in love. I couldn't stop it and I do not think I would if I could have."

       "I do not think I would want you to try to stop it. Love is a strange thing, I had never seen another woman like your mother until the moment I met her. Lord, I loved your mother from the moment she curtsied and I kissed her hand," he smiled, squeezing my hand lovingly.

When you love somebody,

Like I love somebody

And when you've been hurt,

Like I've been hurt,

You'll understand how,

Love has it's ups and downs,

It's what you make it

     Oh Merlin, my wedding day it was -- unbelievable ....

       It was the busiest day of my life. It had been sixteen months since I decided to become the future Mrs. Lucius Xavier Malfoy. What a whirlwind it had been.

         It had been more than a year since we had met and I could still remember the way he looked when we were introduced after Bella's wedding. He looked quite regal and sexy in his dark robes, and I was infatuated from moment one.

         I didn't think things could get any better, but they do.

       The moment the wedding march began and my cousin, the flower girl, started down the red carpet, things got better.

       I stared straight ahead, right at Lucius, I knew he was it for me. There was no other man that I could love like I loved that man and from there on out there was no turning back. He smiled at me and I gripped my father's arm for support.

       To this day he still gives me butterflies, after all this time, he still has a huge effect on me.

       As we reached the altar and come to a stop the Priest asks, "Who is giving the bride away?"

         "I, Phineas Ignatius Dracaenas Black, am giving this young woman away," my father recited as was customary.

       I kissed my father on the cheek before stepping next to Lucius, holding back my tears. He grabbed my hand and whispered, "You look beautiful Miss Black."

       "Thank you," I whispered as the first tear fell.

       Before either of us could say another word the Priest began, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here today, January 1, 1979. To join together this woman and this man in eternal matrimony which is an honorable estate. If anyone should show just cause, why they may not be joined together in matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

        We all were quiet just in case, and I was praying no one spoke. And thankfully none did so he continued, turning to Lucius, "Lucius Xavier Malfoy, will you take Narcissa Antionette Black to be your lawful wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

       Lucius smiled at me and answered instantly, "I do."

       The Priest nodded and turned to me, "And Narcissa Black, will you take Lucius Malfoy to be your lawful wedded husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

       I smiled as another tear fell down my face and onto my chest, "I do."

       The Priest continued with a smile, "Lucius repeat after me: "I, Lord Lucius Xavier Malfoy, take thee, Lady Narcissa Antionette Black, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

       Your father took both my hands and said, his voice as rich as wine, "I, Lord Lucius Xavier Malfoy, take thee, Lady Narcissa Antionette Black, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

       The priest then turned to me, "Now repeat after me: I, Lady Narcissa Antionette Black, take thee, Lord Lucius Xavier Malfoy, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

       I gave a small smile before speaking, my voice thick with emotion, "I, Lady Narcissa Antionette Black, take thee, Lord Lucius Xavier Malfoy, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

       The Priest addressed the audience, but Lucius & I didn't notice, we were staring into each other eyes, "We will now exchange rings. The rings please?"

       As he said that, the ring bearer, my cousin Regulus, brought the rings up to us. The Priest continued, "The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Lucius and Narcissa have made to one another. Bless, O Ancient Merlin these rings, that Lucius and Narcissa, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives."

       Lucius picked up my sapphire diamond ring and placed it on my finger, "Narcissa I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Ancient Merlin, with this ring, I thee wed."

       I picked up his platinum and gold ring and slid it on his finger, "Lucius, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Ancient Merlin, with this ring, I thee wed."

       The entire congregation rose, many with tears in their eyes, as the Priest said, "In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Ancient Merlin. Those whom the Greatest Power has joined together let no one put asunder. Lucius, You may kiss your bride! "

       He did just that, he reached over and pulled my lips into a kiss that I would never forget.

When you fall in love (fall in love)

You do not expect the pain

When the sun shines

You do not plan on the rain

But if the weather changes

You should be each others shelter

It’s the only way that love will last

Forever (ever)

       "I swear to you Draco, love, even when it has let you down, it will never leave you alone. Our love grew and matured through the years, it rooted itself so deep that not even Voldemort could kill it. Although Lucius isn't here today our love made a way, through you."

       Narcissa wiped the lone tear from her cheek as she gazed upon the grand portrait of Lucius and her that was hung over the fire place. Everyone always commented on how different he looked in the painting than in real life, it was painted on January 1, 1979, while they were taking their vows.

       Only love . . . .