happy (late) birthday, pooja!

prompt (from the Mods of the HPFC forum): crystal clear

you and me, we're meant to be

"I want Lucius Malfoy," Narcissa says suddenly, her blue eyes shining as she looks at her sister.

Andromeda snorts, listlessly flipping through Witch Weekly. "I wish you could have him. I certainly don't want him, much less be married to him."

Narcissa sniffs, perfect tears forming in her eyes. "It's not fair," she complains. "We're perfect together!"

"What's not fair?" Bellatrix asks, dancing into the dormitory. "Who's perfect together?"

"Cissy and Lucius," Andromeda tells her, not looking up from her magazine. "Cissy wants him."

"And what Cissy wants, Cissy gets," Bellatrix says indulgently. "Maybe she can be his mistress."

Narcissa lets out a wail. "Don't even joke about things like that," she cries plaintively. "I want to be his wife!"

"Yes, well, I'd love for you to be his wife too," Andromeda snaps, finally looking up. "Tell Mother and Father that, why don't you?"

"They won't listen," Narcissa says miserably. "And the wedding's in three months. It's hopeless."

"Maybe not," Andromeda says, going back to her magazine. "Who knows?"

Bellatrix looks up sharply. "And what do you mean by that?"

~.

They find out what she meant three weeks later, when Bellatrix reads her letter detailing the reasons why she ran off with that Mudblood Hufflepuff. Bellatrix is furious. Their parents are furious. Narcissa pretends to be furious, but secretly, she thinks it's a little romantic and okay, so she's more than a little grateful because with no more Andromeda, Lucius is single and available.

She listens at the door as her parents talk in hushed whispers about what to do to salvage this situation.

"Really, the only solution is to-"

"The Malfoy name cannot be given to that dreadful Greengrass girl-"

"She's young, but I don't see why we can't-"

"It's settled then." Her father's voice grows louder as he nears the door. He opens it and Narcissa almost falls over. Her father raises his eyebrows. "Well, since you were eavesdropping, you no doubt heard the news. You are to be betrothed to Lucius in place of-" He breaks off, his face turning the shade of purple connected to mention of Andromeda. "Well. You are to be betrothed to Lucius. I think that you know-"

He continues on, but Narcissa stops listening. She is to marry Lucius Malfoy. She rarely lets herself show emotion, but this time, a huge smile crosses her face.

~.

She's shoved at Lucius the next day, and told to go on a walk with him while their parents discuss the terms of the new arrangement. She flushes prettily and smiles up at him and he looks startled, and then pleased.

"You're different than your sister," he mentions casually as they stroll along the famous Malfoy gardens.

"Well, I'd hope so," she says, laughing slightly. "I certainly don't intend on running off with a Mudblood."

"Thank God for that," Lucius says, and smiles at her. "You know, I've always thought you were beautiful. I think it's clear that we were meant for each other."

"Crystal clear," Narcissa breathes, her heart pounding. Lucius leans down and kisses her, and she melts into him.

~.

They marry a month later. Crystals edge her wedding dress and dazzle her hair and Lucius lights up when he sees her. Her eyes sparkle across the altar at him, and she says a silent prayer of thanks to Andromeda as he grins, mouthing the intoxicating words, my wife.

And then the minister proclaims them married and Lucius has Narcissa in his arms, and is kissing her in a way that is probably very inappropriate to be in public, but Narcissa, for once, doesn't care. She kisses him back and she sees the rest of their life dancing before her eyes in crystal-clear flashes and she smiles.