"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."- Martin Buber

Her laughter was like a heady wine from which I'd drunk too much, and were I asked to make any sort of reasonable decision, my thought process would have been absolutely useless. Consumption left me lightheaded from time to time; what blissful intoxication simply being in her presence. I listened as the gears in my antique automobile ground viciously together like metal bones crying out in agonizing torment to her touch. Funny how the sound of wailing muggles pleading for the lives never seemed to get old, but the groan of a tortured motor vehicle grated against my nervous system like shards of glass. Each time, I winced, but then she'd start to laugh again, placating my belief that it wasn't even possible for her to break anything she touched with those feather soft hands. Her laughter seemed to suggest that everything would be fine, and like a fool, I believed her.

"Shall I give it up, then, Lucius?" she glanced over at me in the passenger's seat, her dazzling eyes shining like stained-glass against the rays of late-morning sun. "I'm apt to destroy the poor, old thing if I don't."

"Nonsense," I waved her off, smoothing out the rigidity in my tone with a stiff smile. "If you break it, I can always fix it." The truth was that as long as she kept laughing, the heartrending sound of that engine was inconsequential. "Or buy a new one."

She threw back her head again and started to laugh, the loose strands of her sun and honey hair jostling with the movement, "Sweet Brigid, Lucius," her eyes had glossed with fitting tears of laughter. "You look as though you've swallowed a pint of belladonna," she said, "and now you're bitterly awaiting your own, sweet death."

This reference actually loosened my smile, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'll stop," she gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and grinned over at me as though silently willing me to insist she go on and continue having her fun. "I'll park here and let you drive."

"Really, Narcissa, that won't be necessary. You're fine," I told her. Inwardly I felt pressed to plead with her not to stop. There was something freeing about her company, and as long as she continued to intoxicate me with the wonder of her beautiful laughter, I didn't care what she did to the bloody car. The car, though quite rare and antique, was somewhat replaceable, moments with Narcissa. . . well, those were fleeting so long as she held the reigns of our relations in her hands. "Go ahead and try again. Gas, clutch. . . it's easy."

"Maybe I should just use my wand," she said. "Make it more automatic so we might enjoy the ride. It's a little difficult to concentrate on conversation with all these gears, and such."

"If you feel more comfortable," I conceded.

"I would," she said. "Is there a special charm of some sort?" I tapped my wand against the steering wheel, replacing the enchantment.

"All you need to do now is tell it where you'd like to go."

"Really?" her eyebrows lifted in gleeful anticipation. "Could we go anywhere?"

"Certainly."

"Paris?"

"If you felt so inclined."

"What about Hong Kong?"

"We could."

"America?"

Her fascination with America bemused me. It was the second time she'd mentioned the place, the first occurring during the appetizer of our first date. "Would you like me to take you to America?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. I would like that very much," her eyes were wide with anticipation. "I hear there are cities there that never sleep."

"London never sleeps," I pointed out.

"True, but I hear that it never rains in Washington."

"Actually that's California," I casually corrected. "It always rains in Washington."

"Oh, really?"

I smiled, "At least that's what I've heard."

"Might we go there?"

"To Washington?"

"To California," she replied.

"Right now?"

She gazed across the car at me, her eyes an entreaty to forever. It was stupid, but I honestly would have gone anywhere with her right then, and not given a second thought about my life, my duties or responsibilities. Her grin softened, lighting up her entire face, "Some day," she looked away. How could she be so innocent, and yet so clever and beguiling? She was nothing like Bellatrix, but I was still convinced that she knew exactly what she was doing to me, exactly how to work me to get her heart's desire. She had don't nothing for me physically, and I was ready to sign over everything I had to make her happy.

My grin was genuine, and the strange feeling within me was warm and enticing, "You only need to say the word, and I will take you there."

A large, looping curl slipped slowly down her cheekbone, and something about its softness beckoned for me to reach out and touch it, to brush it away. I had to fight against my own hand, not knowing if touching her was allowed, and fearing that if I crossed some unspoken boundary unawares, I might lose her before she was really even mine. She inspired the gentleman in me, whereas no other woman in the history of my existence had ever managed to do so, and for a moment, I thought my mother would be proud.

"I will take you up on that one day," she promised me. For a moment, the innocence melted away to reveal the dangerous woman I was dealing with beneath and, I shuddered with the delicious suggestion in her smile. "For now," she went on, "perhaps we should find somewhere cozy and have lunch."

We ended up in Hogsmeade, of all the strange places for her to choose. It hadn't occurred to me until we were halfway through the most interesting lunch conversation I had ever partaken in, that she was flaunting our togetherness to a group of Hogwarts students who had obviously not been home for the holiday. Juvenile as it was, I played along for her sake, hoping to win myself even further into her steadily increasing favor. It must have worked, because for the first time since I had started courting her, she slinked her arm through mine as we were leaving the restaurant, even though none of her little friends were anywhere to be seen.

She felt warm there on my arm, curling close to me against the wintry gusts of January that followed us through the streets of the only all-wizarding town in the world. We window-shopped and talked casually about the future. I was surprised to hear of her ambitions in the potions field, for she shared with me a few ideas she thought the Dark Lord might be interested in that she had been working on in her spare time. "I've already offered to introduce you to him," I reminded her. "Shall I make good on my offer?"

"Like you did with Bella?" she asked, pulling away a little so that she could gauge my reaction. Her arm was still linked through mine, but I knew immediately that she was testing me again.

I swallowed more obviously than I meant to while contemplating her implication, "I had my reasons for introducing your sister to him."

"I know you did," she was grinning precariously, and for a moment I saw the resemblance between her and Bellatrix in a way I'd never seen it before. "It's important for Bella to like you. If Bella likes you, then I like you too."

"Really?" I astounded. She nodded. "I really had no idea."

"Oh yes," she repeated the gesture. "Bella is my everything, you see. We are sisters of the same heart. What she loves, I love, and if she hates you, well, then I have no choice but to hate you too." I couldn't believe she was telling me this so candidly. "We've always been close, you see, and for me to become intimately involved with any man. . . well he would have to not only understand our bond, but know how to handle my sister."

"I see," I felt oddly exposed all of the sudden, as though all along she had been studying my careful interactions with her sister. Had I passed her test?

"Lucky for you," she snuck in close again, both of her arms wrapped around mine now, "Bella adores you. She was quite deflated when your attention fell on me and not her, but she promised me that as long as you were good to her, she would give me her blessing." I looked down at her curiously. "So you see, Lucius," she continued, "you must always be kind to my sister, and I shall be kind to you."

I couldn't stop myself from grinning now that I knew this little secret. She had given me the key to successful relations with her, all I needed to do was keep Bella happy and Narcissa would be mine. As happy as knowing this made, me, I knew it wouldn't be a simple task. Bellatrix, as I've already demonstrated was then, and always will be quite mad. I could only hope that my role in introducing her to the Dark Lord would keep me in her good graces, always singing my praises and good favor back to her sister. It was becoming rather clear to me, during the drive back to Black Mansion just before dinner that courting Narcissa wasn't going to be an easy task. The real question was whether or not she was worth all the trouble.

She slid across the seat so that we were side by side, and looped her long arm through mine. She pressed her face against my arm comfortably, as though we had always been so familiar with one another, and even I couldn't deny it just felt right. "I hope that you will come to visit me when I go back to school," she said.

"If you'd like me to, I will come and visit you as often as I can."

"I would like you to," she said sweetly.

"Then I will."

"We can meet at Hogsmeade sometimes for lunch."

"Indeed we could."

She sighed, and though my ego could be wrong, I swore it was a sound of great contentment, the kind of breathe one expels after a great conquest had been won. I knew then that I would never know the truth about Narcissa's plot to win my heart. Perhaps there was no plot, but I would like to think I was important enough for her to scheme for. Had I thought of it first, I would have done it for her. I took my hand off the wheel and lowered my arm around her shoulders. Together, we sat back to watch the road unfold on the journey we were about to take together, and for the first time in my life, I knew contentment by another's side.

A/N: Thank you everyone who read this story. Your feedback has been tremendously uplifting. I am grateful that you all took this journey with me and hope you'll join me for another adventure soon! If you are interesting in following this story line, but not as directly, there is a link story called Bella Disenchanted, and it is the story of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. It takes place in the same timeline and explores the other side of things. Thank you, once more, for joining me. It's been so wonderful hearing from you all. Llewellyn