Narcissa

Diamonds

Night had not yet given way to day, yet Narcissa could no longer sleep. She tried to go back to sleep, tossing and turning in bed in search of the most comfortable position, but in the end she gave up altogether and got up. Taking care not to wake her roommates, she opened the window overlooking the Hogwarts garden and breathed in the air that smelled of rain. A movement from below caught her attention, and she had to squint to focus on the image of a person who, it seemed, had woken up before her.

Lucius...

He was gazing at the horizon, sitting next to his broomstick, and Narcissa wondered what thoughts were tormenting his soul. Had he regretted choosing her as his future wife? Since the day they had signed the marriage contract, Lucius and Narcissa had not spoken much to each other: she had been too busy with her studies and he, instead, had been very preoccupied with training for the first Quidditch match of the year. But now, as she watched him silently admiring his strong, slender figure silhouetted against the dawn light, Narcissa decided she had to talk to him.

She went down into the garden and approached him timidly. She didn't want to disturb him while he was meditating on who knows what, but she couldn't help but greet him in a subdued tone.

Lucius turned suddenly and, as soon as he recognized her, his absorbed expression changed into a smile. He stood up to meet her. "Why are you already awake?"

"I couldn't sleep anymore," she murmured. "And then I wanted to be alone with you for a while," she confessed, blinking in a way that would have warmed even the coldest of hearts.

"In fact, we never get to see each other in private, me and you, and I've been waiting for the right moment to give you something for days."

"Really?" Narcissa's smile widened as she tried to imagine what Lucius wanted to give her. She hoped it was a kiss, but when she saw him bend down over his briefcase and rummage through it, she realized that he probably had another kind of surprise in store for her.

"Give me your hands," Lucius said to her, in a playful tone.

She hesitated for a moment, but then opened her fists towards him.

"I thought there was something missing from our engagement," Lucius stammered, taking her left hand, and laughed slightly when he noticed her worried expression. "I mean, something is missing so that everyone knows you will be my future wife."

Narcissa felt something cold and heavy slide down her ring finger, and when Lucius finally let go of her hand, she admired his gift. It was a yellow gold ring with the unusual shape of a sinuous snake made of gleaming, very fine diamonds. For Narcissa it was not just a ring, a new jewel to add to the others; the difference was that Lucius had given it to her. That made it the most precious of treasures. "I love it," she whispered, emocionada.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, raising a hand to play with her hair, which in the morning sun seemed even more beautiful.

Narcissa felt the warmth of his gaze and, blushing, buried her face in his chest. "Sometimes I feel a bit confused. Don't you? It's all happening very quickly."

"I don't know how it could have happened so quickly," Lucius replied. "But I know I want to be with you. I do. In a way I can't explain."

They stayed close to each other, in that flowery garden covered with dewdrops, and they understood that they belonged to each other. And maybe they had always known it, from the moment they had first met. They both accepted this fact, as if it could not be otherwise.

"I want you to understand one thing," Lucius then said, thoughtfully. "As you well know, I intend to join the Death Eaters next year. And if I succeed, I will need always to have someone like you by my side, someone who can understand me, support me, help me keep the reckless streak in me under control. I would like you to be my ally."

"Yes, I understand," Narcissa nodded, although she still couldn't know what it really meant to be the wife of a Death Eater. She would certainly find out later, but for now she simply kept herself agreeable. "And what will you do for me in return when I heal your war wounds?" she asked, with a slightly mischievous note.

"I will always provide for everything you need. I will always give you everything you desire. If you like diamonds..." Lucius said, pointing to the ring. "I will shower you with diamonds!"

"I know you would," she laughed.

Lucius's amused smile faded, replaced by a much more intense expression. "You only have to ask and it's yours," he murmured, leaning his mouth closer to hers.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, so happy she could have screamed. Screamed to the world that yes, she had indeed become Lucius Malfoy's fiancée. His future wife. And the ring she wore, tight on her finger like a small serpent, was the proof of their eternal promise.