Boys Don't Bruise

Of Fathers and Sisters: Narcissa and Lucius

'Face it, Narcissa P. Black! You're going to be a Malfoy!' Bellatrix teased her.

'I most certainly will not!' she huffed. 'Our fathers may have discussed it all, but if Malfoy and I don't want to get married, we shall not get married!'

'Oh come on, why fight it? You know you'll have to marry. Besides, it's not that bad. I got used to Rodolphus being around. You get attached to your husband after a while.'

'That must be why you're here all the time!' Narcissa sneered. 'And not at home, with Rodolphus.'

'Oh come on, Lucius might not be that handsome, or that friendly but he's rich!' Bellatrix conjured an image of Lucius out of smoke and blew him towards Narcissa. She lapsed into an uncontrolled fit of laughter.

'Haha, Trix! You're being sickeningly funny again. A sheer riot, you are,' her sister snapped, coughing slightly after having inhaled too much Lucius. 'But you're wrong you know. I think arranged marriages are preposterous and old fashioned. It's a tradition only old people tend to follow, and that's exactly what I'll tell Father as soon as I get a chance.'

'Narcissa!' A severe and frighteningly low voice came from an adjacent room, her father's study.

'Yes, Father?' she said hesitatingly, feeling the blood rush to her head.

'Come in here,' the voice said again.

'Coming, Father.'

Bellatrix stuck out her tongue menacingly and laughed at her sister.

Oh, dear, I'm in trouble now..., Narcissa thought. I hope he hasn't heard everything I said.

'Close the door.' Her father, Algernon Black, was a very stern man. He had short, neatly trimmed black hair, a rather small dark goatee and a sharp face. His spectacles stood on the tip of his nose and his piercing, cold blue eyes were staring at her intently. 'Sit, Narcissa. What were you and your sister talking about?'

He stood up from behind his desk and walked towards her.

'I said sit,' he said calmly. Narcissa sat, and so did he, on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed in front of him. 'And answer my question.'

'Nothing, Father. We were talking about nothing,' she said, trembling ever so slightly.

'I see.' Algernon sighed deeply and took off his glasses. 'I find that... intriguing, because I distinctly believe I heard you say something about not marrying young Lucius Malfoy. Or maybe I'm just losing my hearing a bit? Growing old tends to make that happen.'

Narcissa stared at her father's shoes, not knowing what to say.

Algernon leaned towards his daughter, placing a hand on either side of her chair, so that their faces were just inches apart.

'Am I losing my hearing, Narcissa?' he whispered threateningly.

'No, Father,' she said, not daring to look him in the eye.

'Then you might want to explain to me why you wouldn't want to marry a young, handsome, rich and respected young man,' he said, taking place on his desk again.

Handsome? Handsome, my owl...

'Because... because...' Narcissa tried. She was going to get punished for saying this.

'Yes, go on.'

'Because I didn't choose him,' she said as fast as she could. 'And I'm too young to get married. I'm only seventeen.'

Algernon looked at the floor, then at the ceiling and then drew a huge breath.

'My, you're a spoiled little brat. Have we ever heard your sister complain? Bellatrix did not argue for one moment when she and Rodolphus had to get married.'

Sure, she didn't. She only cried for three weeks straight because she hated the man! Of course, you were too busy arranging the ceremony.

His face turned white with anger and his breathing grew steadily louder. 'This has been arranged ever since you were born. Viggo and I have promised to have our children wed. Is that below you? Is the word of a Pureblood wizard not important to you? Do you think so highly of yourself that you would act so contemptuously towards us, who have arranged marriages? For the love of Merlin, you should be thanking me on bended knee that someone like that will have you!' Algernon roared, swiping four books, which were neatly stashed on the corner of his desk, into the wall. 'Don't be a disgrace to us Blacks, as Andromeda and Sirius are.'

Narcissa tried not to cry, but she started to sob loudly nonetheless.

'I don't love him, Father. I've never even properly met him,' she managed in between sobs.

Her father rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily once more.

'I know, Narcissa...' his voice was a lot softer now. 'But you must understand that if we want to keep our noble blood pure we must indulge sometimes. The Malfoys are a rich, respected and ancient family. Besides us, there are hardly any of those families left. And Lucius is the only heir to the entire Malfoy fortune, you will be short of nothing.'

'But Father, can't it wait? I just got out of Hogwarts, I feel I'm too young to get married,' she said, still a bit shaken.

'I know, 'Cis, but we have no choice. Plenty of other girls would commit murder to become Mrs Malfoy. Yet for some reason, Lucius wants you. But only if he could marry you over the summer. It's the only chance we have. It's more than we could have hoped for: a marriage out of love... or at least partially.'

'Love? Does he even know the word? Does he know what it means? I mean, if you'd ever looked at him properly, he's just got this constant look like he's got dung under his nose!'

'Narcissa!' Her father hissed.

'I don't want to end up like that, Father! It's just not fair! I don't know what life with him is going to be like,' said Narcissa enraged. 'I've never even spoken to him in a decent way. He could beat me, for all I know.'

'Narcissa Phyllis Black, I forbid you to speak of your husband in such a way!' he said sternly. 'He will not beat you. You make such a bad thing out of these arranged marriages. They are not. Look at your mother and me. We are good together. We have the same goals, the same ideas. We have raised two children.'

Three, you have raised three children. Andromeda is still your daughter, no matter who she wants to marry or who she chose. She might be stupid, but she's still family.

If only I were as brave and rebellious as Andromeda... I'd just walk out of here and I'd never have to marry that awful Malfoy chap.

'We did it to uphold the honour of our families and we did it for the best,' her father's voice snapped her out of her reverie. 'So you will marry Lucius Malfoy and you will not complain any more, understood?' Narcissa knew this tone, it meant the discussion was now closed. She'd lost.

'I understand, Father,' Narcissa sighed.

'Run along then. Your mother is upstairs, trying to get the house elves to fix your wedding dress. Go up to her and help her,' Algernon said, taking his seat behind his desk once more, while taking a piece of parchment. 'I will owl Viggo to arrange the date, immediately.'

'Yes, Father,' Narcissa got up and made for the door.

'And, Narcissa...' her father called. 'I'll make sure that young Malfoy will never lay a finger on you. That boy will never bruise a daughter of mine.'

'Thanks, Father,' she said sincerely, and managed a smile. She went upstairs, to help her mother prepare for her wedding that was going to take place after all. When she got to the first floor, Narcissa ran into her sister again who seemed to be humming the Bridal March.

'So... What did Father have to say, 'Cis?' she sneered.

'Nothing that might interest you, Lestrange,' she said just as contemptuously.

'You know what I think? I think Dad heard us. I think he hammered some sense into you, made you see Lucius is a good match. So are you going to be a Malfoy after all?'

Bellatrix says he's a good match? That's the first time I've heard her say that...

You know, you're going to have to get married to him anyway, 'Cis, so why not try to make the best of it? Look at Trix... She cried for hours when Father told her of her arranged wedding. She hated Rodolphus...She said she'd rather give birth to a Crumpled Snorkack -whatever that may be-... But yesterday, she even said she might learn to love him. Who knows, 'Cis,... you might learn to do that as well, right?

'You know... I think I might,' Narcissa smiled.