This chapter is dedicated to Cassiopeia56. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far.

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Narcissa lifted the plush material to her nose and drank in the scent of Lucius Malfoy. She stood in her dressing room so as to avoid the scornful stare of her sister, inhaling the sandalwood perfume emanating from his cloak. He had not requested its return and she did not wish to insult him by suggesting that he could not easily afford another of similar value, and so Narcissa had placed it discreetly in the back of her closet.

"Have you changed yet?" Bellatrix sounded completely bored, and had not moved since her arrival over an hour ago, when she had flopped unceremoniously onto Narcissa's bed. From this position she could examine her younger sister without having to move a great deal.

"Almost- I'm just fixing the sash." Taking one last deep breath, Narcissa hung the cloak behind one of her evening dresses before returning to her bedroom.

"Let's have a look, then." It was with immense satisfaction that she watched Bellatrix's interest make the quick transition from feigned to genuine as her outfit was examined.

It seemed that Geoffrey Partridge had outdone himself in bringing her creation to life. Instead of following the style of ornately patterned, sumptuously coloured dresses for a private party, she had opted for a white, cotton summer dress that would contrast completely with every other woman's outfit whilst fitting in perfectly with the outdoor surroundings. The simple cut of it showed her neat figure, and the wafer thin gossamer outer layer of the skirt would look magnificent in the breeze.

"You look beautiful, Cissy." Bellatrix rose from the bed and wrapped her arms around her sister in a rare display of affection. They stood before the mirror, one dark, one light, taking in the similarities and differences in their appearance. "Do you really like him?"

"I do, yes." Narcissa had brushed her hair and left it down so that it cascaded down her back in a golden wave. She put simple pearl studs through her ears and decided upon a pearl choker to match. "Do you have something against Lord Malfoy?"

"No." The slight frown- Druella's frown, reserved for when she had something to say but refused to speak plainly- creased Bellatrix's otherwise unblemished brow. Ordinarily Narcissa would have attempted to wheedle the information from her older sister, but Lucius would be here in less than fifteen minutes and she had to be downstairs to greet him, so there was no time to spare upon Bella's stubbornness.

"He mentioned you." Narcissa saw her sister raise an eyebrow in the mirror. "He spoke of your altercation with those Gryffindors."

"Oh, I doubt he thought of anything but you- you really are lovely, Narcissa. Sometimes I still expect to see you, a cutesy little baby, following me around everywhere I go." Bellatrix pouted, imitating the child she had once been.

"You're still my brave big sister." Narcissa didn't add how often she still wished for her sister's advice as she picked up her ornamental parasol, checking for the final time that each of its white panels were without blemish.

"Maybe I am, now let's go downstairs." Linking their arms as they had so often done as children, the sisters descended the stairs. Narcissa knew that they were a striking pair, one as fair as the other was dark, and both extremely beautiful. So, it seemed, did Lord Malfoy, who was waiting in the hallway with his hands folded behind his back. As he kissed her hand Narcissa's heart raced, its pace remaining rapid as their eyes met, and the memory of their last meeting passed between them like an electric current.

"Good morning Miss Black, Mrs Lestrange." It was with reluctance, she noticed, that Lucius turned away from her to greet Bellatrix. For a moment Narcissa thought that there was a steely look in his eyes, but it passed before she had time to be certain.

"Malfoy." Bellatrix did not accept the proffered hand, regarding it with boredom and a hint of contempt. Had she been anyone else, Narcissa would have openly balked at such an obvious snub to her companion- what was Bella playing at? However, she was Narcissa Black, Druella's daughter, and so had the presence of mind to set about diffusing the situation immediately. She took his hand between both of her own, stepping closer to Lucius so that a shaft of light from the window would cause her to appear absolutely radiant; hopefully this would distract him. Sure enough, the look of what could only be described as irritation softened considerably as his eyes took in Narcissa's appearance.

"Did you see the article that was written about us in the Daily Prophet yesterday?" Adding her customary disinterest was almost impossible due to the air of giddy breathlessness that suddenly worked its way into her voice. Since she had read the piece, Narcissa had longed to know Lucius' opinion. Lucius was in the paper more often than not, and so it seemed logical that his delight would be considerably less intense than hers was, but still Narcissa wished to witness a little enthusiasm from him.

"Indeed I did." There was an underlying tenderness in his tone that made Narcissa want to lean against him an experience the feeling of safety Lucius provided her with again. "It was a chronicle of a most pleasing night, I think."

Bellatrix snorted. The moment was lost.

"As your nights go, Lord Malfoy," There was a mocking emphasis placed upon his title that caused Narcissa to panic. Why was Bellatrix being so unreasonable? Lucius was indecipherable, the closeness between them gone as his grey eyes appeared to turn to stone. "I'd imagine that your time with my sister was comparatively less pleasurable than most. I'll see you later, Cissy." Bellatrix addressed her carelessly and turned, beginning to climb the stairs without so much as looking back at their guest.

"You most certainly will, Bellatrix." There was an edge to Narcissa's voice that caused her older sister to pause and, she knew with furious certainty, smirk. "Forgive Bellatrix- I don't believe that she is feeling especially well today."

"Yes... certainly I shall." Despite his gallant response, a degree of coldness remained in Lucius' exterior. Even as they bade farewell to Cygnus and Druella, she could sense that his flawless manners were lacking in conviction. What if his interest in her was now ebbing as quickly as it had arrived? Narcissa's blood ran cold even as she stepped into the sun.

"So, aside from Perseus and Alexandra, who will be attending?" Keeping her tone light, Narcissa concentrated on keeping her voice from wavering. There was no need to cry. She placed her hand on the crook of Lucius' arm, waiting for him to apparate. He didn't, seeming not to notice the small contact. As the seconds passed, Narcissa got the sense that he was looking right through her. "Lucius, are you alright?"

He blinked in surprise, and slowly the warmth returned to his deep grey eyes. It would be expedient to keep Bellatrix from him at all costs- Narcissa had no wish to lose the indescribable feelings that his presence caused.

"Yes, I'm quite well. I'm sorry... my thoughts carried me away. You really are enchanting in that dress; on anyone else it would be quaint, but you look simply ravishing." Never before had that word caused Narcissa to blush, but the way in which Lucius all but growled it sent shivers down her spine. He wrapped an arm around her waist and looked down at her pensively, the playfulness of a moment ago gone. She knew that he was going to say something quite serious. "Narcissa, I-"

"Lord Malfoy. Lucius, since I have met you I feel..." Narcissa faltered, realising how foolish she must sound to his ears. A gentle hand stroked the side of her face, and she couldn't help but lean into his touch. "I feel something more than friendship for you."

Lucius closed his eyes and stood perfectly still, leaving Narcissa unsure of what to do next. How could anyone of her stature have behaved so ridiculously? The heat of the sunshine and the fresh air brought her no pleasure as his eyes opened to reveal a look of such anguish that Narcissa wanted to be sick.

"I'm sorry Lucius- I have to go." He didn't allow her to wriggle free of his grasp, instead pulling her against him and kissing her. As she wrapped her arms around the shoulders of Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa didn't think about the ideal mixture of scandal and glory that would arise from sharing such an embrace in the open, nor the way in which the sunlight would cause her hair to glow, only how right being with him felt.

"Oh Merlin, you're lovely." Lucius sighed, his breath tickling her ear. "And I care for you too, Narcissa. You're all that I've thought of since I first caught sight of you. You're a vision to behold, but never had I expected such wit, such cleverness or even how sweet you are."

"Then why so sad?" Disregarding propriety completely, Narcissa stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his. Whatever nervousness she had felt at instigating the kiss was instantly negated by the enthusiasm with which Lucius responded.

"Because I wish that I had known you all my life." Lucius kissed her forehead and they walked along the street together at a relaxed pace.

"Oh. Does it- does it bother you that I'm so young?" The possibility hadn't occurred to Narcissa, as it wasn't uncommon for a witch to have an older husband, especially not in their tier of society.. Alexandra Nott was in her late forties, and Perseus was over sixty.

"No. Does it bother you that I'm so old?" Lucius wore a teasing smile that made her long to kiss him again.

"No, because you aren't, and I hadn't thought of it until..." She paused, unsure how Lucius would feel about her having told Kat about what was growing between them.

"Until?" Judging by his mocking tone, Lucius was fully aware that she had spoken with another.

"Until it was mentioned to me by a friend- a close one- she saw the article and wondered why I hadn't confided in her." Pleased with how she had handled the situation, Narcissa allowed herself to twine her fingers through his.

"Ah yes, when I stepped into the ministry yesterday afternoon, one Samuel Greengrass cordially invited us to the Rosiers' dinner party next week. For his devotion to your cousin, I excused him the faux pas of delivering the invitation by hand. He seems an excitable fellow and not altogether unlikeable." Narcissa laughed, inwardly thankful that Lucius had not said anything to indicate that he wished to refuse the invitation- she would need to speak to Katherine about his manners, though.

"I am told that he shows promise, although his position is junior enough that Mr Greengrass would be surprised by your presence." If Samuel wore his heart on his sleeve, then he sounded just right for Katherine. "Now it seems that we are about to commit out own faux pas- tardiness."

"Fashionably late, I assure you." Lucius stopped and prepared to apparate. He kissed her cheek.

"You're certain that our hosts won't mind? I don't want them to think that I'm corrupting you." Narcissa nudged him gently, but a hint of his prior standoffishness returned.

"They will think no such thing." Before Narcissa could respond, he had apparated them both into the Nott's property. Whatever questions that had been on the tip of her tongue died in Narcissa's mouth as she took in the lush splendour of the sizeable grounds in daylight. Lucius did not lead her along the paved driveway that ended before the front door, instead taking Narcissa down a smaller path that curved around the side of the mansion, allowing her a closer look at its magnificent architecture. Narcissa opened her parasol and allowed him to hold her arm.

"It's so tranquil here." Lucius snorted.

"I doubt that you'll think that for long." When Narcissa saw who was inside the giant gazebo ahead of her, she was inclined to agree.

The women had dressed ostentatiously, as she had predicted, but a certain member of the party dented the pleasure Narcissa took in this. Perseus and Alexandra sat together, and accompanying them were the Mulcibers; Tristan, a portly man in the twilight years of his political career, his wife Marie-Claire, a beaky woman with severely styled grey hair, and their daughter, with whom she was most familiar, Aurora.

They had made their debut together, and Narcissa had to concede that Aurora's black hair and blue eyes were striking, but her acid tongue and penchant for malicious gossip had quickly caused Narcissa to dislike the other girl, as opposed to the rivalry between them to become the most successful debutant of the year. When Aurora had attempted to sabotage Katherine's reputation, Narcissa had altogether stopped attempting to avoid eclipsing the other girl, having little regard for the feelings of someone who had called her innocent cousin promiscuous. Forcing herself to remain calm, Narcissa observed the other people sat around the circular table.

Beside Aurora sat Gerald Goyle and his wife Miranda, a woman with whom Narcissa frequently conversed- they would present no problems- but the young man on Miranda's right would: Isandro Yaxley. Since their time together at Hogwarts he had been attempting to gain her affections, but Isandro's behaviour was as unimpressive as his conversational skills.

"Lucius, Narcissa- please do sit down." Perseus gestured towards the remaining chairs with easy languor. With a slight flick of his cane, Lucius pulled the seats backwards, and Narcissa relaxed when she saw that she would sit between him and Miranda. The introductions began, and the luncheon was soon underway.

"Is that a new dress, Narcissa? It's very... kitsch." Aurora laughed teasingly, her eyes lacking the feigned warmth that had poured from her mouth like honey. Delicately, Narcissa joined in, immediately showing that the slight had not bothered her.

"I find that only the most exquisite of women can wear simple dresses like ball gowns." Alexandra sipped daintily from her teacup and paused for effect. "Ah, what an ornate gown it is that you wear, Aurora. How fitting..." The insult was delivered with the air of a compliment, but Marie-Claire picked up on it, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Oblivious, Tristan joined in.

"Oh, there's nothing too good for my daughter. No dress too fine." He smiled benignly, unaware that his pride and joy was seething at him.

"I quite agree." Miranda winked at Narcissa. "She's precious."

"Invaluable company, I think." As she spoke, Narcissa added a falsetto edge to her voice. "I don't know where this season's girls would be without you, Aurora."

The conversation continued, various factions making jibes against one another. Goyle and Mulciber clearly had no liking of one another, and Narcissa had been quite entertained as their quarrel had escalated.

"If Goyle challenges Mulciber to a duel, then you must come to dinner at Malfoy Manor." Lucius whispered the words into her ear, almost causing Narcissa to choke on the slice of cake she was nibbling. The muffled squeak of her suppressed laughter drew the attention she had most hoped to avoid.

"You always liked to wander around the Hogwarts grounds, Narcissa. Would you like me to show you around the gardens here?" Isandro was so confident of her acceptance that he placed his napkin on the table and made to stand. Gritting her teeth, Narcissa paused to think of a plausible excuse. The last thing she wanted was to listen to how much profit his investments had made – really, it talking so openly about money showed a distinct lack of class – or what wonderfully enterprising scheme he had concocted. However, Narcissa need not have worried.

"Actually, on our way here I offered Miss Black a tour of the property, and she acquiesced. Your services will not be required." Lucius' tone was airy, but as he stood Narcissa saw that he was gripping his cane tightly. She didn't let her own surprise show, perfecting the lie, and allowed Lucius to help her to her feet.

"Indeed he did. Perhaps another time, Yaxley..." Although her words were encouraging, the way in which Narcissa said them possessed a definite air of finality. She walked farther along the curved path with Lucius, and into the aptly named Lime Walk. The fruits were a vibrant shade of green, and their perfume was lovely, but Narcissa didn't notice either of these things. Lucius had lied to prevent her from walking with Isandro.

When they were out of sight, he broke the silence.

"Narcissa, I hope that you do not... object to my company. I should have allowed you the opportunity to accept Mr Yaxley's invitation." He coughed uncomfortably.

"You can't be serious- you saved me from a long and painful death, caused mainly by boredom, and also a touch of crassness." Narcissa laughed heartily, pleased when a small smile tugged at the corners of Lucius' smile. "The only thing I object to is that I'll need to see his smug face again when we return."

"So you are not fond of him, then?" Lucius spoke teasingly, but she could tell that he was curious.

"He was completely irritating at Hogwarts, and I find that little has changed since. It isn't that I grudge new money, but he embodies all the faults that others are keen to find in them." Slipping her arm through Lucius', Narcissa leant against him.

"I know exactly what you mean, and as your gallant saviour, I must inform you that we most likely won't return in time to see Yaxley."

"What do you mean?" As the words left her mouth, Narcissa saw that she had been led to the mouth of the infamous Nott maze.

"If you are willing, we could attempt to make it to the centre. I have succeeded before, but the hedges change so frequently that any past triumphs matter little." Sure enough, Narcissa watched as two segments of the hedge ascended and passed mid-air.

"What a good idea." Before he could object, Narcissa twirled into the pathway. Wary of hedges separating them, Lucius followed in a more dignified fashion. Narcissa looked over her shoulder to check that he was still following. She flashed Lucius a playful smile, darting around a corner. He caught Narcissa's wrist as she waved at him, causing her to fall giggling into his arms. Narcissa stood up on her tiptoes and paused, teasingly.

A shrill voice pierced the air, and both of them stopped.

"Narcissa?" Hearing her name being all but shrieked by Aurora, all thoughts of passion flitted from her thoughts. Lucius quirked an eyebrow, and pulled her into a small dead end, placing a finger against her lips. They listened to a pair of feet rustling through the grass. Aurora's dress caught on the hedge that separated them, causing it to rustle violently.

"Oh, joy. No doubt someone will be sent to find her momentarily." When it seemed that there would be no further interruptions, Lucius tilted his head and leant towards Narcissa. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

"Aurora, where are you?" Isandro called out entirely free of gusto or energy for his task. Narcissa opened her eyes. He stomped into the maze making a chain of ungracious comments. Lucius waited until his footsteps could no longer be heard.

"I do believe that our sojourn in the hedge has been worthwhile." Taking her hand, Lucius guided her back the way they had come. "Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin." Instead of heading back to the marquee, he led her in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" Truthfully, Narcissa was content to walk with him through their scenic surroundings for as long as he so wished. It was wonderful. Everything was as it should be; Lucius was by her side, her parasol kept the glare of sunlight from her skin, and the air was pure.

"Back to the main body of the party, in a roundabout fashion." Lucius smiled roguishly, causing Narcissa's heart to race. "But before that, I would like to sit here for a while."

With a flick of his wand, Lucius conjured a picnic blanket. Narcissa set down her parasol and sat beside him, gently stroking the back of his hand in what was a bold manoeuvre. She wanted to show Lucius the affection she felt for him, and as he sighed in pleasure it seemed that Narcissa had succeeded.

"Would you like-" Narcissa bit her lip and stared resolutely ahead, conscious that Lucius was now watching her intently.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to kiss me again? Because I wouldn't mind. Actually, I'd quite like-" Narcissa was forced to stop speaking as Lucius pressed his lips against hers.

"Oh, thank Merlin." As one of his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and the other stroked her hair, Narcissa was in heaven. She placed a hand on each side of Lucius' face and returned every kiss. "I thought you'd never ask."

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