Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ This Wild World of Ours ❯ Chapter 2

All Harry Potter characters are owned by J.K. Rowling. Those not recognizable are mine unless other wise stated in an author's note.

 

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Narcissa Malfoy started as her husband and another woman appeared in the mansion, the woman leaning heavily on her husband's shoulders. “What-what is this?” she demanded, feeling the beginnings of outrage crack her voice. Lucius only glanced at her, then grimaced and led the other woman to the couch.

“Narcissa, surely you remember Rhianna?” he asked absentmindedly, helping the black-and-purple-haired woman lay down on the black leather couch. “She recently came back to us from a decade-long absence. Remember?”

“Oh,” Narcissa answered uncertainly, her eyes taking in the other woman's slim, slightly malnourished form. “Yes, I remember...”

“Lucius!” Narcissa called, mounting the staircase to the second floor of the Malfoy mansion. “I'm home, darling!” She was followed by three or four house elves, which were carrying plastic shopping bags. The mistress of the Malfoy mansion sensed that something was wrong when her husband did not answer. “Lucius?” she called again, a trembling, questing tremble in her voice. “Is everything all right?” Lucius came out of their bedroom then, his black clothing making him almost unnoticeable against the décor of the place.

“Sorry, darling,” he said, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her forehead. “I just got back from a meeting at the Ministry.” There was a slight pause in his voice that his wife didn't notice-or if she did, she didn't think of it. “The minister wanted to talk to me about the recent Azkaban anti-security activities. Everything's fine, don't you worry.” He smiled and tapped her on the nose with his finger like she loved, then swept her into the bedroom. “Let's let those miserable hose elves take care of the groceries. Come along, Narcissa; let's just forget everything for a little while.”

Only later did Narcissa find out that it was not only the Azkaban talks that her husband wanted to forget about...

 

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Narcissa glared uneasily at the woman that had almost ruined her marriage. “Does she have to stay here, Lucius?” she asked, worry creasing her eyebrows.

“She has nowhere else to stay,” Lucius answered, gently brushing back Rhianna's long bangs from her sleeping face. Narcissa sighed quietly and nodded.

“All right,” she replied. “I'll go stay at my sister's house for a few weeks, then, I suppose...” Lucius looked up and nodded, a sad, unforgiving smile on his lips.

“I'm sorry, love,” he responded, his eyes crying out in pain-for himself, her, or the other woman, Narcissa couldn't tell. “Go pack. We'll see each other again when this is over.” He stood and kissed her lightly on the cheek, then turned back to Rhianna and left his wife drifting in misery.