𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘. 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸

004

THE DARK LORD  WAS at the birthday bash. Yipee! Narcissa's favourite person. It was like he had nothing better to do than to attend parties.

Lucius interlinked their arms, her other hand holding a champagne flute. "Try not to voice your opinion too much and just agree with him."  He whispered leaning slightly downwards so she could hear. 

Narcissa hummed in response as they approached a man with dark brown hair, handsome features and very pale skin. 

"Lucius." The Dark Lord said with a charming smile before turning to her. "And you must be Narcissa, pleasure  to meet you."

She smiled back, "You  too my Lord."

"I've heard a lot about you."

"Hopefully all good things," She said laughing, the other two men joining in.

"Lucius speaks dearly of you."

" I should hope so, he is my husband," Narcissa said with a bright smile internally hating everything. 

The Dark Lord nodded, "With both your strong genes, may you get a good and healthy son."

She blinked a bit shocked by the statement, Lucius thanked the  Lord before excusing them. 

"Son?" Narcissa questioned quietly.

"People have been saying that a lot since we got married." He replied nonchalantly.

"Do you know if he's staying for long?"

Lucius shook his head, "Usually he just comes for a little while and leaves, he's a very busy man."

"Right," Narcissa said trailing off. "I'm surprised he looked like that."

"What did you expect him to look like?"

"Everyone talks to him as this all-powerful guy, I guess I expected him to look more scary."

Lucius laughs, "You know what I'm surprised by, the fact that this birthday bash has barely anyone here." 

That would be a lie to any normal person,  but there were about fifty people at the party,    usually there would be about a hundred. 

"They're all family and most of them aren't even staying for the dinner." 

"It's strange." 

*

DINNER WAS VERY AWKWARD. They all sat together in silence, it was only Cygnus, Druella, Bellatrix, Walburga, Orion, Lucius and herself.  Personally, Narcissa wasn't sure what the point was of having a  huge party if, in the end, it was just the closer family circle.  She also wasn't sure where Regulus was, she had been hoping he would show up at the event. 

"Nice for you to join us Narcissa, it has been a while." Her mother commented,

Narcissa forced a smile, "Lucius and I have been  very busy lately, you know with the Ministry and everything."

"And are you finally trying  for a baby?"

She blinked in surprise,  Lucius was right, the question has been brought up so many times. "Uh.. No?"

Druella shook her head, "Narcissa, you've been with him for nearly two years now. It is time."

"We both are waiting for the right moment. With the stress from the Ministry, we want proper time to try so that our child is perfect," Lucius said smoothly saving her from embarrassment.  

The answer seemed to satisfy her mother but Wallburga spoke up, damn that woman. "Are you sure it's not  because of that girl?"

"What girl?"   Narcissa asked nervously not knowing where the conversation was leading to.

"Grimrose,"  Wallburga answered. "The one  you  have been having a romantic affiliation with."

Her heartrate spiked,  super confused about how she knew about it. Narcissa glanced at Bellatrix who watched her cooly and she got her answer. 

"Not sure what you are talking about."

"You know  Narcissa, we  are perfectly alright with the situation  unless it distracts from your goals." 

"And they are?" She questioned very confused.

"Being a perfect wife."

She laughed nervously, "It won't be distracting from that." 

Lucius glanced at her and Narcissa realised she just exposed herself. She bit the inside of her cheek hard waiting for a reaction. 

" Well then," Druella said dabbing the corner of her mouth with her handkerchief. "It's alright then." 

Narcissa couldn't help the first genuine smile of the night slip by, warmth spreading across her chest.  "Thank  you, mother."

She didn't respond.

"So  what happened to Regulus, why isn't he here?" Narcissa asks in an attempt to change the topic.

"Oh, he's dead,"  Wallburga says blandly, taken back by the bluntness Narcissa asks why to which she responds. "He disappeared one day, we assumed he was doing top-secret work of the Dark Lords. But then the Dark Lord said that  he has  no  idea  where he is and presumes he is dead."

Horrified how a mother could be so emotionless by the fact that her son (even her favourite son) is dead, Narcissa hits Lucius's thigh subtly under the table. Knowing their code, Lucius gives them an excuse why they had to leave the dinner suddenly. 

"I am very sorry  about what happened Cissy."

"Tonight... It's been a crazy." She said her eyes shiny as she looked at him. "I don't know how to feel, to be honest, I think I just need to be held by Florence."

"Okay, let's go home. Yeah?" Lucius says softly helping her to put her coat on her. " I am surprised by tonight as well, I cannot believe they accepted you after  years of living in fear."

Narcissa smiled, "Me too."

And so they leave Grimmauld Place for the manor. She wishes Lucius a goodnight before heading to the floo, excited and sad to tell Florence all about it. Narcissa stepped into the apartment,  it smelt of vanilla from the cookies Florence had baked earlier the day. A moving picture of them and their friends sat on the windowsill, their smiles were bright. 

She steps into their bedroom, it is empty. Narcissa rushed to the bed frowning, a singular small square of paper was on it. 

"I can't pretend any longer.  I'm at the Astronomy Tower."

"Fuck." Narcissa hissed to herself.

authors note: 
I basically finished writing all of the fic so like I'm going to do a mass publication.