Written for OTP AU Competition

Prompt: AU 24 hours Hour Convenience Store

Pairing: Narcissa and James

Narcissa thanked God that there was such a thing as a 24 hour convenience store, or she would have been totally screwed. She was hosting her extended family and it had been an utter disaster so far. It seemed that her house was filled with nothing but loud, heated arguments, combined with the bitter tension of grudges still standing against the test of time.

The blonde was actually quite tired of hearing Bellatrix throw Andromeda's past in her face. Hadn't Andy come back from her mistake, admitting that it was stupid for her to leave? Hadn't she done the unspeakable and begged Bella to forgive her? Shouldn't this have been resolved five years ago? Not to mention the fact that Sirius and Regulus bicker over anything that strayed into their line of sight. They were polar opposites like Bellatrix and Andromeda, and Narcissa guessed that she'd just been getting her hopes up, thinking things would be fine and dandy over this Thanksgiving week.

Her main problem however lied in the present, she had to run to the store and buy individual drinks for her family. Apparently what she had to offer wasn't to their liking. Narcissa guessed that she should just be glad that they stopped arguing and agreed on something for once. She pulled her coat closer to her as the wind started to pick up, increasing her pace and rushing into the store.

The inside of the store was practically empty, expect for the cashier. He had been leaning back in his seat, looking absolutely bored, but had perked up when the bell on the door announced Narcissa's presence. She ignored him completely as she made her way to the drink area. Bellatrix wanted dark coffee, Andromeda wanted hot chocolate, Sirius wanted a multi-flavored icee, and Regulus wanted tea. Lucius had asked for something too, but she had deliberately forgotten what it was. The last couple of years of their marriage had bordered on estrangement, his job the main cause of it. Too many times she had gone to outings by herself; too many times she had to make up excuses as to why he was never with her; too many times had she spent the night sleeping alone; too many times she had to turn the other way from his affair with his assistant. But nobody knew about this, not even her sisters. Narcissa didn't want to hear Bellatrix bragging about how she was right about him all along, or see Andromeda's pity stares. It was for the best that this remained her dirty little secret.

"Need help?" Narcissa turned around to face the cashier.

She was immediately rendered silent, struck by how handsome he was up close. Kind, hazel eyes shone at her from under messy jet black hair. She swallowed hard and slowly nodded her head, knowing that it would be difficult to carry four drinks by herself. He offered her a lopsided grin and grabbed two of the four cups, leading her over to the cash register with the remaining two.

"That'll be $6.39." He said, and Narcissa went through her purse looking for the money.

"What brings you here at such a late hour?" He asked, as she paid him.

"My sisters and cousins have come down for Thanksgiving, and apparently the beverages I had at home weren't to their liking." Narcissa answered bitterly.

"So they sent you out into the freezing cold?" He asked incredulously.

"Basically." She admitted with a half-smile.

"They sound like horrible relatives."

"They're not too bad, I'm just glad they stopped bickering long enough to agree on something."

He just chuckled and shook his head, "Do you want me to help you out?"

"Yes, thank you...you're so kind." Narcissa added.

"No problem." He answered.

The cashier stepped out from behind the counter and picked up two of the cups again, following Narcissa out to her car. The winds had lessened slightly, but that didn't stop a chill from running down Narcissa's spine. She shuddered violently, before putting the cups on top of her car, and unlocking the door. Once everything was inside, she turned to the cashier and smiled.