Hey, Soul Sister [Lucius/Narcissa]

Chapter Thirty

A/N: My friend was kind enough to make another cover with my fancast for this fic. Left to right: (top row) Alecto, Thorfinn, Augustus; (middle row) Lucius, Narcissa; (bottom row) Andromeda, Walden, Lenore, Bellatrix.

***

"It isn't like we're going to be doing anything entertaining. You know your sister would rather swallow a Blast-Ended Skrewt than spend time with me she doesn't have to."

Narcissa appeared to be trying to keep a straight face until the debate had been won, but the corners of her mouth twitched at this observation from Lucius. It was true; he was unafraid to admit the tension between Bellatrix and himself at the best of times, and on days like this one, when he had been instructed to meet her to receive instructions for his next task for the Dark Lord, he was certain that tension would be stronger than ever. He hoped whatever news the eldest Black sister planned to impart would not be enough to ruin the good mood in which he'd found himself recently, but if it was, allowing Narcissa to see that mood vanish seemed like an incredibly bad idea. However, she was proving highly difficult to dissuade from accompanying him.

"While I'm sure you're right about her preferences," said Narcissa, "I'd rather have Bella find out about the engagement from us and not my parents. I can't imagine what they'd tell her, but it seems like a bad idea."

"And when do you plan on telling them about it?"

She gave a half-shrug, turning her head to stare into the Common Room fireplace. "How does 'When we go home for the holidays' sound?"

Lucius raised a brow, tightening the hand he'd rested on her knee to give it a squeeze. "Do you really think it's wise to wait? Won't they hear about it from someone else before then?"

"And when are you planning to tell your father?" Narcissa asked, returning her focus to Lucius's face with a challenge apparent in the set of her lips.

"...Soon."

Lucius knew Narcissa had a point; neither of them was particularly eager to inform their parents that they had made such an important decision without asking for permission. Cygnus and Druella generally attempted to control every aspect of their daughters' lives, moving them like chess pieces and taking personal offense when one of those pieces elected to act of her own free will, and though Abraxas had never gone to quite the same lengths to control his son as the Blacks would have, Lucius knew his father also greatly enjoyed being in control. It wasn't a fear of his father disapproving of his choice that had kept Lucius from telling Abraxas the news so much as fear of what the elder Malfoy would attempt to do in order to make up for the lack of consultation on the matter. Would Abraxas compensate by increasing the pressure he placed on his son in other areas, determined not to lose what control he still possessed? What if that pressure would now be applied to Narcissa, as well, and she would be trading one disaster for another? Lucius reminded himself that as difficult as his father could be, Abraxas was still preferable to Cygnus and Druella Black. Still, Lucius wouldn't have put it beyond his father's capabilities to begin trying to persuade his new daughter-in-law to produce an heir sooner rather than later, and while Narcissa still had a year of schooling to complete, Lucius had no desire to make her life more difficult than it needed to be. I'd hoped this would make things easier on her, he thought. I suppose I'd forgotten how determined they all are to keep anything from being easy.

"We'll have to tell them all," he said, "so we might as well deal with them and get it over with so that we can focus on the more pleasant details."