Imperfections of an Angel

Summary: Formerly My Beginning and My End. Story following Narcissa's Hogwarts years, from recieving her letter to leaving the place for the last time after the Battle. Narcissa/Lucius in later chapters. Just to clarify the ages, I've mixed them up a bit more because it works for this story. Bellatrix and Andromeda were born at the right time, Regulus was born in 1952, Sirius was born in 1953 and Narcissa was born in 1957.

Disclaimer: All characters (except Narcissa's group of friends) belong to JK Rowling. All pre-DH plot-lines belong to me.

Chapter One

Cygnus Black slumped down into an armchair in the drawing room of the Black family mansion, staring at his wife Druella in disbelief.

"Say that again." he requested softly.

"I...am...pregnant." repeated the woman slowly, trying to read her husband's expression. It was still one of shock and didn't seem to have moved for the best part of a minute.

"I thought you couldn't have any more children." stated Cygnus, clearly confused by the situation.

"So did I. But I am definately pregnant, the Healer confirmed it."

"How far?"

"About two and a half months!" exclaimed Druella. "I can't believe I never noticed the signs!"

Druella looked into her husband's face again, only to find that it had gone from an expression of shock to an image of nothingness.

"Well, say something." pleaded the blonde woman.

"That...is...FANTASTIC!" yelled Cygnus, sweeping his wife into his arms and spinning her around, much the way he did with his two daughters.

"Now, we just have to tell the girls." thought Cygnus out loud.

"Somehow, I don't think we do." replied Druella, reaching for the door handle and jerking the door open quickly, sending the two girls leaning against it tumbling to the floor in an undignified heap.

"Very Slytherin!" laughed Cygnus.

Six months later, the screams echoed through the halls of the Black mansion. There were only five people in the house, though there were soon to be six by the sound of it. The first was a lone man pacing back and forth in his study, worry darkening his strongly defined features. Despite what everyone thought, Cygnus really did care about his wife and didn't like to hear her in pain. Druella was not a very strong woman, so he hated to think what would happen to her if she gave up. At least Bellatrix and Andromeda would be strong enough to get through it when the time came. Two more of the people were the two small girls themselves, huddled together in their playroom, wanting their mother back. Though Bellatrix and Andromeda would both be close to half a decade older than their younger sibling, both were clinging to each other like babies. The last two people were in the master bedroom. One of them, Druella, was lying on the bed screaming in pain and retaining a cast-iron grip on the hand of her sister-in-law, Walburga Black, who was helping her through her labour.

Finally, after three more hours of screaming and crushing most of her sister-in-law's metacarpols, Druella lay back in bed with her new baby girl tucked against her chest, her husband's arms around her waist and her daughters hugging her skirts.

"What are you going to call her, Mummy?" asked Bellatrix, batting her heavily-lidded eyes at her mother.

"I think I shall name her Narcissa. Yes, Narcissa Cassiopeia Black."