Everything Changes [Lucius/Narcissa]

Chapter Two

On one side of Lucius sat Walden, and on the other side there was an empty space—one he hoped would be filled by Narcissa when she arrived. Walden was saving a seat for Lenore, and Ryan was saving one for his girlfriend, Odette. Augustus, who sat next to Ryan and across from Lucius and Walden, had an empty seat saved as well, and Lucius had a pretty good idea as to whom Augustus wanted next to him. Ever since Lucius had confessed his feelings for Narcissa to his friends a week prior, Augustus had been acting very protective over her. Lucius found his friend's behavior quite annoying, to say the least.

"Practice on Thursday, first game on Friday, correct?" Walden asked Lucius.

"Yeah, now that we've managed to get through tryouts. Thanks for being co-captain again this year, mate."

"Of course. I truly believe we'll continue our winning streak this year. That Zabini bloke seems like he's going to be one hell of a Chaser."

"Yeah, for a second-year, he's quite impressive," replied Lucius.

"What're you lot whispering about?" asked Ryan.

Walden sat up and grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice, pouring himself another glass. "Quidditch," he said.

"Oh, right. When's practice, mate?" asked Ryan, turning his attention to Lucius.

"Thursday." Lucius grabbed his spoon and took a bite of his oatmeal. A few minutes passed in silence apart from the sounds of the group eating and the chatter of people clustered farther down the table.

"Oh, look. It's the boys."

Lucius glanced toward the doors as Narcissa entered the Great Hall with Lenore and the dark-haired Odette, who had spoken. When the trio reached the table, Lenore took her seat beside Walden, and Lucius took their shifting to mean that she'd reached for his hand beneath the table. When Odette sat beside Ryan, she leaned in to kiss his cheek, and Ryan immediately turned to face her.

"We've been known to do better than that," he said, leaning in, placing a hand on her cheek, and kissing her lips.

Lucius looked away from them and to Narcissa with a smile as she sat down beside him. He had just finished filling his own glass with pumpkin juice, and he decided to offer to pour her some as well. "Pumpkin juice?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound too desperate to do something for her.

Narcissa smiled. "Please. Thank you."

Lucius nodded and filled her glass, trying hard to ignore Ryan and Odette, who were still kissing across the table.

A few moments later, a deluge of owls swept in overhead, and Lucius watched as the tawny bird he recognized as his mother's drop packages with attached letters in front of Walden and himself. The two exchanged glances, grinning.

"Mother," they said together

Each of them opened his package, and when Lucius looked down into the box in front of him, he found it filled with crumpets. He looked to Narcissa and smiled.

"Crumpet?" he asked, holding one out and eyeing the letters that had fallen to the table in front of her. "Two letters, Cissy. You're rather popular. Aren't you going to open them?"

"Oh, thank you." She smiled as she took the crumpet and laid it on her plate, and then she glanced hesitantly at the letters. "I probably should, shouldn't I?" She reached for the first letter and removed it from its envelope, and her eyes began to rove over the parchment.

Lucius grabbed a few pieces of bacon and a serving of eggs for his plate, and he started in on his toast. He noticed that Narcissa had gone quiet, and he turned toward her to see tears glistening in her eyes. The letter lay on the table a few inches from her hand. His face fell.