Chapter 1 - Picnics and River Boats
SUMMER 1972
It had started on a hot summer day, a heat wave actually. The cloudless sky meant there was no shield from the intense heat of the sun and no breeze filtered through the thick leaves on the branches on the trees. So Narcissa sat on a bench by the lake, as the nearness of the water offered some respite from the discomfort from the sun. She could perform no magic to cool her down, as she was in a muggle area. It would have been wiser and more practical to have stayed on her family's land, instead of wandering away from it onto the common land. Unfortunately her home had become chaotic, what with Bellatrix running back and forth, hiding from the law being generally hysterical and Andromeda spending so much time out of the house, their mother could not take another moment of it. There were constant arguments when her sisters were present and when they were not, Narcissa had to put up with her mother's interminable complaining. She needed some time to get away from it.
It was a shame that Lucius' weekdays were all taken up at the Ministry for she would have enjoyed spending her summer days with him, maybe at the Malfoy Manor or taking walks around Diagon Alley, just like the old days.
Four muggle boys of her age, or perhaps a little older were messing about by the lake shore trying to push the a row boat off into the water. Two girls of the same age were sitting on a picnic blanket near them and laughing when one of their trouser legs got wet. She frowned with annoyance when one of the girls shrieked as a boy splashed water at her. Narcissa tried to return to her book.
Ambrosia took the lock of Constance 's hair and threw into the cauldron. The polyjuice potion was finally complete, she watched it turn a, perhaps pretty, shade of magenta, which Ambrosia decided that she now despised. One sip and she would appear like Demeter, blonde locks would replace her copper ones, her neck would be thin and long, her arms and legs; pale and sinewy. Guillaum would suspect nothing. How could he? He must not…
"Excuse me! Miss"
"' Constance , is that you in there?" Guillaum voice called through the door, he knocked it quickly. " Constance , my love? The carriage is about to fly. Hurry!"
Ambrosia gasped and quickly drank the magenta potion, balking at the sickly sweetness.
"Miss, excuse me!"
Narcissa looked up from her book with surprise, one of the muggle boys had ventured close to her.
"Are you speaking to me?" She exclaimed with offence. She had never spoken with a muggle before, unless it had been out of some necessity. She had been in Regent's Park once as a little girl and a muggle child had taken her doll, Narcissa had to go directly to the child's mother to ask to retrieve it, before she noticed the doll talking. There had been a few similar such cases since then, a muggle once stood on the edge of her cloak, he could not feel her attempts at pulling it back so she had been given no choice but to speak with him. All other circumstances her father had stepped in and spoken for her, so as not to give her such a task.
Yet now, standing before her, was a muggle trying to get her attention.
"I can see you're enjoying your book, but my friends and I were wondering if you'd like to join our picnic. We've got far too much food for just us."
Narcissa glanced at the boy's friends who were looking over expectantly.
"No." She said curtly and turned her eyes back to her book, hoping the boy would go away.
"You're rather rude, aren't you?" He laughed, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"No I'm not." Narcissa said slamming her book down on her lap. "I just want to be left alone."
"You should say, no thank you, then."
"I don't need courtesy lessons from you." She muttered. He turned to look at his friends, he must have pulled a face because they laughed and turned back to themselves. The boy sat down beside her.
"My name's Oliver Maltravers, my friends call me Ollie." Narcissa nodded, but said nothing, nor did she smile. "You must be reading something awfully gripping."
"Yes I am…I would like to keep on reading it if you don't mind."
"Not at all. What's it called?"
"What? Oh…never mind." She said stowing it away in her handbag, lest the title 'The Fig Tree Witch, The True Story of Ambrosia the Crone's Life" aroused suspicion.
"Then what are you called. Please, just your name then I won't bother you anymore."
"Do you promise?" She asked, the muggle nodded.
"Narcissa Black."
"Black?" He frowned. "You mean…of the Black Mansion ?" He pointed in her home's general direction. "I knew someone lived there, but I thought he was some recluse, I didn't know he had a daughter."
"Three daughters, actually. Now, if you don't mind."
"Miss Black…Narcissa? That is an interesting name. Narcissa, it is such a hot day, my friends and I have tea, cakes, cheeses, it really is quite civilised. You are more than welcome to join us."
Narcissa, at that moment, was about to stand up and walk back to her home, tired of the muggle's persistence. However, the thought of returning to her family and their arguments and complaints seemed very dreary, as did the prospect of wandering around to find another pleasant place to sit.
She had been rather tired of being the predictable, good daughter, never involved in anything dramatic or even moderately interesting. As a child she had been so too, and found using her good reputation allowed her a certain leeway, as long as she was careful not to be caught in the act, no one would suspect of her of everything. She found herself nipping down to the kitchen after her parents were in bed and stealing from the larder, and once or twice she stole her mother's lipsticks and a few galleons from her father's pockets. There was a certain thrill in misbehaving in such a way, knowing she would never be caught. She would see her parents berate her sisters and cousins or moan amongst themselves, while she innocently lolled on her bed playing with her dolls, aware of the secret stash she had hidden underneath her bed.
What would it be like, if she picnicked with muggles and went home as if she had been reading her book innocently by the lake. They were the better kind of muggle after all, they had a proper hamper and seemed nicely dressed for their sort, they spoke nicely too in the same vernacular as her own family. It would be one summer afternoon, no one would suspect her and no one would come looking for her, providing she came back in time for dinner. She looked up at Maltravers, he had a nice for a muggle, dark haired, not like the blonde of her Lucius, but his hair was quite long like his. But he had blue eyes like her own. She felt her mouth form a little smile, and with the adrenaline running through her she stood up, nodded and followed him to the picnic.
"Everyone, this is Narcissa Black…Narcissa, this is everyone." He introduced simply. They laughed, grinned and waved at her.
"Groovy outfit." One of the girls exclaimed. Narcissa wasn't sure what groovy meant, but it seemed like a compliment. She was aware that her lilac, linen robes, must have looked quite odd to them, but they could not suspect what they had no awareness of.
"She's one of the daughters of old Mr Black…up at the Black Mansion ." Maltravers explained, as Narcissa sat down amongst them.
"He has daughters? I don't believe it." One of the girls said. "My Mother and I had a bet that he was dead, sorry Narcissa! No one's ever seen him."
"He's quite alive, but he keeps himself to himself. He has a wife, three daughters, including myself and a brother in London . We have never seen you, either, but none of us have laid bets on you being dead." She laughed. Oliver smiled and offered her an iced bun.
"You win, have an iced bun as a token of apology."
Narcissa, hesitated, but reached forward and took a the sticky bun as delicately as it could, the icing was melting in the sun and oozed into her fingers. This would be her first taste of muggle food. How should she eat it? Were their manners different? Feeling rather conspicuous she carefully tore off the edge of it and popped it quickly into her mouth. It tasted lovely, the same as her own cakes and buns, although the taste was rather simple, just a bun with plain sweet icing.
"She eats so daintily. It would make my mother proud. She always says she wishes I was ladylike," one of the muggle girls commented.
"So Narcisa Black, where do you go to school?" Oliver asked. Narcissa's eyes widened and she quickly ate another piece of iced bun to bide her time.
"I'm not interesting at all," she said as she swallowed, "I'd much rather here all about you?" She said nodding to them.
So they rambled on, mentioning each others schools and houses, all of which were unfamiliar to Narcissa but she nodded and laughed where it seemed appropriate, while conjuring up her own story.
"I'm educated at home. All my sisters are and my cousins, we're a big family so it doesn't get dull." She lied "Well my sisters are all grown up now, Bellatrix is married and Andromeda, well I don't really know what she does."
"I've never heard some amazing names. Andromeda…wow, I'm going to name my daughter that if I have one." The girl called Jane said whistfully
"What do you do for fun? Apart from read?" Oliver asked pointing at her book poking out of her back. Narcissa pushed it out of sight. "I don't know…the same as whatever anyone else does for fun."
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Another boy, who went by the name of Eddie, inquired. Narcissa thought momentarily of Lucius, for some reason she did not wish to bring him into this conversation with muggles. She noticed Oliver watching her with curiosity.
"No…no boyfriend." She lied, and drank some lemonade.
The muggles began to talk amongst themselves, laughing at their own inside jokes, Narcissa laughed at the things she understood, and nodded and distracted herself when they spoke about things she did not. After they had eaten, the boys decided they wanted to take the boat onto the lake, the girls, and Narcissa all sat inside it, holding on tightly as the boys pushed the boat out onto the water, splashing and tripping as they went, and rocking the boat. This was exactly how her cousin Sirius would be if they played on boats together, boys were all the same be they muggles or wizards. The boys clambered onto the boats, splashing water as they did and rocking the boat so it nearly tipped over. Narcissa almost wished it would, she could easily dry herself off before going home, and the splashes of water were so cool as they landed on her skirt and on her face. But the boat steadied and Oliver sat beside her, leaning back lazily in the sun with his eyes closed, the tip of his finger touched her hand, she didn't remove it and she was sure every few minutes she felt his hand brush hers gently. Excited little butterlies fluttered through her stomach and she bit her lip shyly.
She had such a pleasant day, that she forgot the time, it was not until Jane said that they might as well stay until sunset that she suddenly reaslied how late it was, it was summer, the sunset was due at about nine o'clock. She grabbed Oliver's arm and yanked it in front of her to read the time on his watch.
"Ow." He yelped.
"I have to go." She said standing in the boat.
"Cissa it's going to rock!" Jane shrieked, but panicking, Narcissa stepped back and forwards figuring out the best way she could get off it, seeing as apparition was out of the question. If she had missed dinner, her family would be out looking for her. All they had to do was follow her out of the grounds and come across the lake, and they would see her on a boat with muggles. The boat was rocking quite rapidly now, but she ignored the muggles' yelps. Without thinking she simply stepped off the boat and into the water. It was deeper than she expected, suddenly she chest deep in lake water, her robes billowing around her, her handbag held over her head.
"Can you believe this girl?" Eddie laughed "Narcissa what's the hurry?"
"What's going to happen? Will you turn into a pumpkin."
Flushed and embarrassed, Narcissa waded unsteadily through the water to the shore. There was a splash behind her, Oliver had jumped in too and was now following her.
"What are you doing?" She asked, looking around for sight of her family.
"Escorting you home, seeing as you've seemed to have lost your mind. We could have just turned the boat around you know."
"No time, had to go straight away." She complained. "You don't have to escort me, in fact its better you didn't."
"I'm in the water now, its too late. Come on, get on my back, I'll carry you. It's pretty muddy on the shore, and you can't wade in that dress."
Reluctantly, Narcissa climbed onto his back, with great difficulty.
"We'll just wait for you here shall we, Ollie?" Eddie called out laughing, Oliver waved his hand and pushed forward with Narcissa's arms and hand handbag draped around his neck. He smelled nice, Narcissa noted, his dark hair was hot from the sun and he was wearing an unusual smelling aftershave, no doubt a muggle one of some kind, but she liked it. She also liked the solid feeling of his back and shoulders as she pressed against them. It dawned on her that she had never hugged Lucius like this, not around his back. It was an odd thought.
They reached the shore of the lake and Oliver set her down on solid ground. Immediately she made to squeeze out the water from her skirt, unable to do magic so close to a muggle.
"I should go now, thank you Oliver." She said turning, but he still followed her. "I only live up there, and I don't want my family to see you…I was supposed to be revising for my exams, not playing on the lake."
"How will you explain your dress then?" He asked, not dropping speed.
"I won't, I'll climb up the wisteria vines." She lied. Oliver laughed.
"You're wild, Narcissa."
Never in Narcissa Black's life, had she ever been called wild. She rather liked it, but with not time for gratitude, she shrugged leaned forward and kissed him suddenly.
"Don't follow me." She said blushing furiously and lifted her robes to her knees and running up the hill to her family's land, not turning her head to look back.
R&R :) please, it helps.