#58—Hoot

A short hoot resounded outside and Lucius stood to open the window. His post owl stood on the sill, parchment in beak. He retrieved the letter and read it. Narcissa saw his eyebrows arch and stood up.

“What is it?”

Lucius chuckled softly. “It seems Mad-Eye turned Draco into a ferret.”

“What?”

“Draco was about to retaliate on Potter, Moody saw it and punished him by turning him into a rodent.”

“I can’t believe it. That man should be fired! How can Dumbledore let someone like that teach?”

“Narcissa, he lets half-breeds and ghosts teach. Does this really surprise you?”

#52—Bore

“You bore me, Narcissa. On top of everything else, you bore me.”

“What would you like me to do? Dance for you? Stand on my head and click my heels? Be your little entertainment house elf?”

“You don’t get it. There’s nothing you can do. I tolerate you because I have to. I don’t understand why you can’t accept that. It would save your voice if you could.”

“A marriage isn’t supposed to be hateful and vengeful. It’s difficult to live like this.”

“You’re also supposed to marry someone you love. It’s difficult to live like this knowing I didn’t.”

#49—Yule Ball

“Your mother should be the one helping you pick dress robes.”

“Mother’s busy and you were coming down here anyway.”

“That’s beside the point. Have you considered who you’re taking to the Yule Ball yet?”

“I’ll probably ask Pansy Parkinson. She fancies me and all.”

“Do you fancy her?”

“Sure. She’s one of the best looking Slytherin girls and I can get her to do anything I ask.”

Lucius fidgeted, having nearly run out of conversation topics.

“Did your mother say when she’d be back?”

“No. Do these robes look ok? I don’t want to look cheap.”

“Fine, Draco. Finished?”

#51—Act

“I told you not to act without my word, Lucius. Now you’ve destroyed one of my most valuable possessions.”

“My Lord, forgive me. I had every intention—”

“—to foul the name of a blood traitor. You have the gall to use me?”

“My Lord, I swear—”

“Swear nothing. You won’t be the only one paying for your mistake. I think your son might be up for a challenge and I’m sure your wife would be none-too-happy. You agree?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Very well. You will have one more chance. However, your family will have just the one.”

#14—Hogwarts

“But Father, I want to go to Durmstrang. You want me to go to Durmstrang. Reason with her!”

“Draco, it’s too far away. I want you closer to home.”

“Narcissa, we won’t see him all year anyway. What difference would it make if he went to school here or in Europe?”

“Knowing that he’s so far away is nerve-wracking.”

“You have to let him go some time.”

“Not at eleven!”

“He can get a proper education at Durmstrang and not be under that muggle lover.”

“He’s going to Hogwarts. I give in on everything else, Lucius. This time I’m not.”

#56—Fight

“Why do you always have to pick a fight with me, Lucius? Why can’t we just be civil?”

“Because I don’t like you, Narcissa. Being civil to you is like trying to be civil to a muggle. I just can’t bring myself to do it.”

“You can’t leave me. You might as well make the best of a bad situation. We do, after all, have a son.”

“Is that what that two-legged blonde thing is walking around? I thought he was a house elf crossed with a giant.”

“Do you care about anyone else but yourself?”

“Certainly not about you.”

#68—Roar

Fenrir Greyback let out a roar of anger. Lucius knew he wanted Harry Potter for himself but didn’t dare defy Voldemort. The man was furious, itching to change but couldn’t under the light of the half moon. He sniffed the air and turned his gaze to Lucius. Lucius flinched but fared well in hiding it.

“The Dark Lord’s slippery friend. How’s your wife? More importantly, how’s your son?”

Lucius knew Greyback liked to turn them young. “You’d do best to stay away from Draco but please, be my guest with Narcissa. She already has the fangs.”

Greyback smiled and left.

#69—Slap

The shutters slapped against the house as Lucius stood in the graveyard, the wind disrupting his robes. No one dared speak. Harry Potter had just escaped the newly arisen Voldemort and he was none too happy.

“Your orders are to bring him to me. No one is to kill him except me.”

The Death Eaters nodded in compliance.

“Lucius, I want you to get Narcissa and take her to the Black family vault. There lies something only she has access to and in which I need.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

Voldemort left them amongst the headstones, silently urging them to disapparate.

#3—Transfiguration

The Slytherins were in Transfiguration trying to turn their books into fish. Lucius was having difficulty working the spell, succeeding only in giving his book gills. He looked around at the rest of the class and saw that everyone else was in the same boat. No one had performed the spell correctly.

In mid-cast, Goyle bumped into Lucius’s arm, knocking his wand away from the book. A shriek pierced the classroom and Lucius looked to see whom the spell hit.

Narcissa was crying and flailing her arms. Her ears had turned into fins and were flapping madly, ruffling her hair.

#5—Astronomy

Astronomy was probably the hardest exam to get through. Not only was it one of the last exams but it was in the middle of the night. All Lucius wanted to do was sleep. He was even caught dozing a couple times on his telescope. He looked around the tower at the other students and saw Narcissa huddled around the eyepiece with a few of her friends. She tried to muffle squeals whenever she saw something and wrote excitedly, her friends doing the same. Lucius shook his head and tried to position himself so he could doze without getting caught.

#100—Homework

Narcissa had her homework spread in front of her in the common room. It was her NEWT year and she had more work now than her last six years combined. She heard footsteps approaching but ignored them. A wand tip fell onto a piece of parchment and the paper ignited, spreading quickly across her work. She shrieked and doused the table with water. She raised her head to see who did it and saw Lucius smirking in a cruel fashion. His friends were outright laughing.

“Oops.” He smirked again and left Narcissa to the newly formed marsh on the table.

#63—Mooch

“Father, Weasleby is pathetic. He is a nothing. I’m surprised Potter allows him to mooch off his half-hearted fame like he does. It’s laughable.”

“Some people just don’t have the means to get where they need to be, Draco. Some are forced into such a situation. Others, like the Weasleys, choose that situation. They’re a disgrace and not even worth speaking about.”

“Yet it’s amazing how often you do speak about them, Lucius. You seem to be obsessed with their disgrace.”

“And you seem to be walking a thin line, Narcissa. It would do you well to shut your mouth.”

#50—Boggart

They were practicing their Riddikulus spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Boggarts were found harboring in some cupboard on the fifth floor so the students went up there to practice.

Narcissa went first, her boggart turning into a hideous looking baby. She gasped but quickly cast the spell and turned it into a can-canning house elf.

Lucius was next. His boggart took the form of Narcissa in a wedding dress. He dropped his wand and began to scream. Before the professor could regain control of him, Lucius had run out of the room, his echoing voice being left behind.

#18—Whomping Willow

Lucius suspected something but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Potter and his friends were up to something strange. The four of them would disappear before dinner ended and they wouldn’t be seen until the following morning. Dumbledore also planted that Whomping Willow on the grounds. Why would Dumbledore plant such a dangerous tree so near students? He’d seen what it could do if kids got too close. He watched Narcissa walk within branch length of it one day. It flicked her thirty yards away, scattering her books and parchment everywhere. He hadn’t laughed that hard in a while.

#34—Parseltongue

When Draco told Lucius that Harry Potter was able to speak Parseltongue, he got worried. As devoted as he was to the Dark Lord, he still feared his wrath. He’d surely be in Slytherin if it was... Could it be that scar, that wretched mark that left Voldemort powerless that allowing him to… Either way, it was the perfect cover.

“Who do you think opened the Chamber of Secrets?”

Lucius turned around to see Narcissa standing in the doorway. He rolled his eyes and looked away from her. “I don’t know with any certainty but I surely have my guesses.”

#86—Daring

It was a daring move, he knew but he was going to do it anyway. Lucius bewitched the bowl of frog livers to hover in midair, just out of sight of anyone walking down that corridor.

Narcissa was just coming around the corner and Lucius was ready. He released the charm from the bowl but not before turning it upside down first. It’s contents spilled onto Narcissa and the bowl hit her head before falling to the floor. She realized what was on her, screamed and ran down the corridor, Lucius laughing as he watched her go. Definitely worth it.

#6—Divination

“You have what this year?”

“Divination. And the professor’s a fraud.”

“Who is it?”

“Sybill Trelawney.”

“Is she related to—”

“Yeah but has none of her powers. According to her, Potter should have been dead ten times over by now.”

“Well, she’s on the right track, isn’t she?”

“Now Lucius. You shouldn’t encourage the death of another student in front of Draco.”

“Mother, I’m not a child. Besides, Potter would be better off dead.”

“You’re outnumbered here, Narcissa. Perhaps you should practice being seen and not heard.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”

“Wishing won’t help you.”

#29—Pensieve

Lucius’s pensieve sat on a bureau. Narcissa knew he kept everything from her. She just wanted a peek into his mind since he wouldn’t give it to her willingly. She dipped her face into the liquid and for a moment saw a murder; an Avada Kedavra curse performed on a young woman fresh out of school.

She was suddenly jerked back and thrown against the wall. Lucius was livid. He drew his wand and pointed it at her face.

“Consider this your one and only warning. If I catch you snooping again I’ll be adding another tally to my count.”

#60—Joke

“This is a joke. It has to be. Which one of you did it?”

Lucius looked around at his friends but they seemed as dumbfounded as he was. All they could do was gape at the scene. Lucius’s bed was covered in rose petals and pink bows. Puffy red hearts floated around the four-poster and all of his bedding was Droobles pink. On the bed lay a note. One friend elbowed Lucius and shoved him towards the bed.

Lucius grabbed the note with the sparkling purple words and he shook his head. “Narcissa thinks this is a happy Valentine’s Day.”

#62—Lope

Lucius loped down the corridor, knowing that he was late for class. He couldn’t seem to get up on time lately. As his luck would have it, his class was on the seventh floor.

He got to the door and creaked it open, hoping to not disturb the professor.

“Lucius. So glad you could join us. Take a seat.”

Lucius rolled his eyes and strode into the classroom. He looked around and saw Narcissa giggling at him, trying to look cute.

“Keep laughing and next time it’ll be you that doesn’t show up for class,” he sneered and sat down.

#24—House Elf

“Narcissa, where’s Dobby? I have work that needs to be done.”

“Dobby?”

“Yes, Dobby. About yea high, floppy ears. He would be our house elf. You know him?”

“Don’t get smart with me. I haven’t seen him either. Come, Dobby!”

With a few seconds’ delay, Dobby apparated at Lucius’s feet. Lucius was furious.

“Where have you been?”

“Dobby is just washing Master’s clothes, sir.”

“You took too long to answer me. No supper for you tonight and while you’re ironing, make sure to get a few of your fingers as well.”

Dobby whimpered and quickly scurried away, ducking the cane.

#32—Common Room

Lucius sat alone in the common room with his work. He wasn’t doing any of it. Instead he was doodling on a piece of parchment.

He didn’t hear Narcissa walk up behind him but felt her hand on his shoulder. Startled, he jerked away. Seeing who it was, he sneered and proceeded with his doodling.

“We’re going to have to come to friendly terms sooner or later,” Narcissa said as she sat down.

“I don’t have to do anything other than marry you. That’s the only term. You’re going to have to give up this friendly thing you’re clinging to.”

#30—Feast

Narcissa strut up to Lucius at the Slytherin house table and sat down next to him, facing the opposite direction.

“You know, Lucius, at the end of year feast next year I’ll have more to celebrate than no more school.”

He turned to her and sneered. “Which gives me that much more to mourn. Now leave me alone.”

“If you’ve considered running, don’t. We’ll find you and you won’t be the only one to pay.”

“Oh don’t worry, Narcissa. I won’t run. I’ll just keep my wand at the ready. Along with the crucifix and holy water you blood-sucking hag.”

#39—Duel

Lucius had his wand at the ready, staring at his opponent. He never thought the time would come when he would have to properly duel.

The auror moved first, light erupting from his wand. Lucius deflected the spell and fired back, missing the man. The auror tried to fire again but was hit from behind; an Avada Kedavra from Rabastan Lestrange. The men nodded at each other and continued on their way.

Lucius thought of Narcissa and what she would do in such a situation. Unlike him, she would need to be bailed out, not being strong enough to fight.

#88—Sweet Tooth

Lucius didn’t have a sweet tooth and Narcissa knew that yet, for every holiday including his birthday, she would get him a bag of candy from Honeydukes. And every time he received it he would pass it along to his friends, knowing they would gladly devour it.

But this time, when he saw the five pound chocolate heart sitting on his bed, he lost his cool. He grabbed the heart and lugged it into the common room. He walked to Narcissa and dropped it at her feet.

“I hate candy you dumb witch! When is it going to sink in?”