Prompt #530 – Exile – All There Can Be – slashluv18 – Harry Potter

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Title: All There Can Be
Fandom: Harry Potter
Prompts: #530 – Exile
Warnings: None
Pairings: Rodolphus/Narcissa
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,034
Summary: In a world where there's no Voldemort, Rodolphus gets the shock of his life.

Narcissa knew she looked splendid in her golden gown. She also knew her peach blush made her look a little flushed, but it only added to her natural beauty. While on her husband's arm, she practically glided across the floor, admiring the dancing couples that were already on the dance floor.
A house elf popped in, and she took the champagne flute without acknowledging the creature. She looked to the left while she took a delicate sip from the glass, feeling started when she saw a familiar man by the check-in table. He patiently waited while the harried witch at the table scrawled a name with her quill.
She blamed it on her alcoholic intake with how feverish she suddenly felt. She swallowed, doing her best to act normal in front of her husband.
Her eyes wandered around the ballroom, but she didn't see Bella. No surprise there. What was surprising was Rodolphus was here alone. He usually avoided these Ministry functions, especially if Bella refused to attend with him.
Why was he here tonight?
It didn't take long for Lucius to leave her standing by herself as he went to talk to others about the upcoming political election. And it took an even shorter amount of time for Rodolphus to spot her.
She took a steadying breath as he strolled over to her, ignoring the flirtatious witches that tried to stop his progress to her.
She squeezed the stem of the champagne flute as jealousy ate at her when they laid their grubby hands on his forearm. The only one with any right to touch him was herself. She shook her head. She meant Bella. The only one with the right to touch him was Bella. Narcissa's sister. Right.
Finally, Rodolphus made it to her. His grey robes on most wizards would have looked drab and boring, but they accentuated his broad shoulders and sheer masculinity and made his heart-stopping hazel eyes stand out in comparison.
"Narcissa, what a lovely surprise to see you," he began in his bedroom voice.
She shivered. "Rodolphus, you should know I always attend these dances with Lucius. What surprises me is you're here. Where's my darling sister?"
Rodolphus smirked. "Busy with her newest toy."
Narcissa rolled her eyes. Bella wasn't a faithful wife, and everyone in the wizarding world knew that, but Rodolphus didn't seem to mind, which stirred up even more gossip.
"Too bad. I would have liked to see her."
"I'm sure," he murmured, stepping closer to her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Are you playing innocent? I didn't think there was any innocence left in you." He chuckled at his joke.
She knew to strangers, it would look as if a couple of in-laws were just catching up, but she was still careful when it came to curious eyes that always followed her while why she was out in public. "Quiet," she angrily hissed.
He leaned closer and whispered, "Ashamed to by my mistress?"
She glared at him. "I said be quiet."
Rodolphus stepped away and suddenly seemed to understand that Narcissa was truly upset. His eyes softened. "Okay. I'm sorry. I'm acting like a fool, and I'm obviously embarrassing you. I hate the fact that I haven't seen you in almost two weeks, so you can't blame me when it comes to getting a bit of revenge. I've been going through Narcissa withdrawal, and that isn't good for my health."
Despite herself, Narcissa couldn't help smiling at his embellishment of how much he missed her. "You'll be the death of me."
"Not seeing you will be the death of me," Rodolphus encountered.
Narcissa looked around and saw Lucius dancing with the head of DMLE and figured she could slip away for a while undetected. She grabbed his hand. "Come on."
They made it to the balcony just as the sun began to set. They watched the sun make its descent in silence for a while.
After what felt like an eternity, she admitted, "I missed you too, but Lucius has been suspicious. I couldn't get away."
She didn't lean her head against his shoulder like she wanted to do, but she did press her hand to his stomach, knowing that no one would be able to see it.
"I know, but I love you, and I'm sick of all the secrecy."
The sun was almost gone when Narcissa replied, "There's nothing we can do about that."
"There isn't?" he asked incredulously.
Narcissa looked at him. "Of course there isn't."
"I think we should run away together. We'll get divorced Lucius and Bella, and then we can marry, and we'll forever be together. Maybe we even have a kid or two. And we'll hide so no one will ever find us. I don't care if I have to live in exile, as long as I'm with you. What do you say?" he eagerly asked.
Narcissa knew she shouldn't be surprised by his proposal—he had been hinting about what he wanted for the last few months—but she never thought he would ever actually ask her to do it. "Rodolphus, I love you. I really do. You make me happy like no one else can. But, the two of us belong to the middle of the night. We can never be more than that."
"Why?" Rodolphus asked, his tone heartbroken.
She looked at the ground as she stepped away from him. When she steeled herself, ready to completely devastate him, she looked him clearly in the eyes. "Because I'm pregnant, and I won't take Lucius's son or daughter away from him.
Rodolphus stumbled away from her. "Pregnant?" he gasped.
She solemnly nodded.
He left her then, pushing his way through the crowded ballroom. And she wondered if that was the end of the affair. She hoped not because she did love him. She had a duty to her husband and her future child, though, and she would forever remain Lucius's wife.
Either Rodolphus would accept that all she could offer him was an affair, or he wouldn't, and she would have to say goodbye. She ignored the way her heart clenched at the very idea. Narcissa would do what she had to do.