Author's Note:
This fic was written in between HBP and DH, so it is canon up to the end of HBP. It does not intentionally disregard SS/LE, but I was unaware of it at the time, so if you have a problem with SS loving someone besides Lily, you shouldn't read this!
Disclaimer: The intellectual and property rights of Harry Potter and all related items are sole property of JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I own only the plot and non-HP characters.
Chapter 1 - The Youngest Sister
Narcissa sat anxiously at the table, hardly able to eat. She watched the rest of her family work on their breakfast of eggs, toast, and other assorted foods brought by the house elves. This was the day she had waited for her entire life; the day she would get her letter to Hogwarts. The day she could finally join her sisters instead of staying home to take lessons from her mother. She would no longer have to sit and listen while they told stories of the castle, the teachers, and the students. She would finally be able to have her own stories. It wasn't that Narcissa minded being the youngest of the three girls. Usually it was an advantage. Her father and mother doted on her - she rarely caused any trouble - that was reserved for Bellatrix and Andromeda. But when it came to Hogwarts, she wished nothing more than to be older, so she could go too. Suddenly, she heard a swoop and saw a stately owl with a letter in its claw flying through the kitchen window. It flew right in front of her and dropped the letter before turning around and leaving as suddenly as it had come.
No one said anything, apparently not phased by the fowl intruder. Narcissa picked up the letter. As she had predicted, it bore the seal of Hogwarts and she opened it carefully, slipping the contents out onto the table in front of her.
"Well, did you manage to get in?" Bella's voice rang out nastily across the table. "I can only hope so, I am dreadfully tired of hearing you whine every time we come home on holiday. 'Mum, when can I go to Hogwarts?'" She mocked in a sing-songy voice.
"That is enough Bella," their mother's sharp voice cut across the jaunt. Bella fell quiet, a scowl on her face. "We will leave for Diagon Alley in exactly one hour, girls, for your supplies. I expect you at the door and ready in that time. You may be excused from the table." Their mother did not wait for a response, but went back to cutting her perfectly poached eggs into small bites before swallowing them one by one.
Once out of earshot, Bella's snide remarks continued, "At least I won't have to see you hardly at all, seeing as how I am a fourth year. And you had better not come crawling to me when you can't make any friends. If you can even manage to get sorted into the right house," she threw a nasty glance at Andromeda.
"Cissy, if you don't get into Slytherin, don't worry. Mum and dad weren't too put off when I got sorted into Ravenclaw." Andromeda ignored Bella's comments.
"Just don't get put into Gryffindor," Bella slid in before going into her room.
"Well, I suppose she's at least right about that," Andromeda said with a smirk. "Best go get your things." And with that she slipped inside her room as well, leaving Narcissa to climb the stairs to the third floor to her bedroom and ready herself for her first trip to Diagon Alley.
***
The trip did not take long, and before she knew it, they were making their way onto the Hogwarts' Express. She tried desperately to keep up with her older sisters, although it seemed Bella was doing her best to lose both Narcissa and Andromeda. Finally, Andromeda and Narcissa found a compartment that had only one other student in it, and they made their way inside.
"Mind if we sit here?" Andromeda asked politely.
"Oh," the girl looked a bit surprised, but nodded, "sure."
"I'm Andi Black," Andromeda stuck out her hand to the girl, "and this is my sister, Cissy."
"Hi," the girl said, "I'm Alice. Alice Price. I'm a first year."
"Me too," said Narcissa. "Andi's second, though."
Narcissa and Andromeda sat down on the bench opposite Alice and both the first years began asking all sorts of questions to Andromeda, who fielded them patiently. It seemed like only minutes, but Narcissa realized it must have been hours, because it was beginning to look dark outside, and she realized she was getting hungry. She heard a cart coming down the corridor, and Andromeda opened the compartment door.
"That'll be the trolly. Mum gave us enough for a few licorice snaps each. She didn't want us to spoil our dinner."
The trolly stopped in front of their compartment and a kind-looking, elderly woman asked, "Anything from the trolly, loves?"
"We'll have," Andromeda began, but was cut off when the woman was shoved forward into her cart by two boys who had been running down the hallway.
"Now wait just a moment," the woman turned around and grabbed one of the boys' ears, "that is no way to be moving around the train." The boy, who had messy dark hair, glasses, and hazel eyes, stole a glance at his friend, whose was trying to squelch a smile.
"Sorry miss, won't happen again," he said in a convincing voice.
"It had better not, or I will inform your head of house!" The woman threatened. The two boys hastened off to their compartment and the woman turned back around to the three girls. "So sorry, dears, what was it you wanted?"
***
The train ride had finally come to an end, and the girls had changed into their robes. They not seen hide nor hair of Bella, but neither Narcissa nor Andromeda minded. Andromeda shuffled Narcissa and Alice off in the direction of the other first years, and disappeared into the crowd. It was at that moment that Narcissa had her first real feelings of anxiety and homesickness, wishing there was someone she could be with that she knew. She was glad that she at least had met Alice, so she was not amidst total strangers.
Narcissa thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the castle, but as it drew closer, she began having doubts about the sorting ceremony. She was not afraid of the ceremony itself, only what the result would be. She was sure she wanted to be in Slytherin. Everyone in her family had been in Slytherin since anyone could remember. Andromeda was the first in several generations to be placed in a different house, although her mother had persuaded her father not to call the headmaster and have her put into Slytherin by explaining that it really wasn't so bad, that at least she hadn't been sorted into Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.
The first years made their way into the Great Hall and the sorting ceremony began. Hearing her name called out loud gave Narcissa a start, but she made her way up quickly to the stool and sat down, waiting for the hat to be placed on her head. "Please put me in Slytherin, please put me in Slytherin," she chanted silently to herself, she jumped when she heard the hat talk back to her. "Slytherin, you say? An interesting choice; I would have chosen perhaps Ravenclaw, or even Gryffindor." Narcissa gave her head an imperceptible shake, "Please put me in Slytherin," she implored, "please." The hat sighed, and said, "I see no harm in that," and then loudly proclaimed to the Hall, "SLYTHERIN!" and the Slytherin table erupted into a cheer.
Narcissa went to her new house table and sat down with some of the other first years. A few students after that, Alice was placed into Ravenclaw, and after what seemed like a very short time later, the sorting ceremony had ended and Narcissa was enjoying the feast that was laid out before them. Then the headmaster gave a short speech, and she quickly realized that Andromeda's account of him was far more accurate than Bella's, although she was not entirely surprised by that.
Everyone soon received their schedules, and Narcissa immediately felt a desire to go back home and endure her mother's lessons rather than face the day she had waiting for her in the morning. As she was following the prefect to the house dormitory, she was passed by a loud group of students, and she quickly realized her sister was among them.
"And that's my sister, Cissy," she heard Bella say, pointing at her, but not slowing her gait.
"Is it?" She heard a voice inquire and she saw a boy turn around to face her. His eyes locked with hers and he seemed to pause for a moment before continuing.
"Yes, but fortunately we won't have to see much of her," Bella laughed, and pulled the boy along with her, "Come on, Lucius, I don't want to get to the house after the first years." And the group hurried ahead of the first year line and was quickly out of sight.
***
The first few weeks of lessons were a blur to Narcissa, who had never had to do so much work in her life. She had seen people do magic for years, and she had thought it looked easy, but there was so much detail in each spell - how to hold the wand, the way to say the incantation - it was enough to drive anyone mad. It wasn't until Halloween began approaching that she finally started settling into her routine and mastering some of the things she was supposed to be learning. Fortunately, she had several classes with Alice, and they were able to study together most nights.
Also fortunate, Narcissa thought, was the fact that she truly hadn't seen much of Bella since the start of term. She only saw her at meal times and sometimes while passing through the corridors. She was nearly always with the same group of friends, which included the boy she had called Lucius, a few other girls, and several other boys. It somewhat shocked Narcissa that Bella seemed to be so popular. She wasn't a particularly nice person, or even striking in appearance. Yet every time she saw her she was always the center of attention in her group. She rarely ever stopped to say anything to Narcissa, though, but sometimes someone else in the group would give a nod of their head or even mutter a passing greeting. Someone who always managed to catch her eye was the blond boy, Lucius. He never said anything directly to her, though she was sure she wouldn't have the nerve to say anything to a fourth year - especially not one of Bella's friends - and especially not a boy.
She was completely taken aback, then, while she was sitting nearly alone in the common room just before going to the Halloween feast, when Lucius approached her, without Bella's group with him.
"Hello," he stated, "may I sit?" He gestured to an empty seat at the table where Narcissa was doing her schoolwork. She nodded, at a loss for words.
"I am Lucius Malfoy," he extended his hand to her. Hesitantly, she shook it. She was surprised to find it warm, as his skin was porcelain white and he looked almost clammy. "You are Narcissa Black? Bella's sister?"
Narcissa nodded, still unsure if she should say anything.
"She tells me you have high marks in Charms," he prodded.
She nodded again, although she was puzzled to find out that Bella knew anything at all about her marks.
"I have a brother. He is also a first year. His name is Damarcus. He is having some trouble with Charms and I was wondering if you could...perhaps...help him sometime." He paused, as if reading her expression.
Narcissa finally found her voice, "I could...I mean, I guess I could try, I'm not sure how helpful I'll be," she trailed off.
"I am sure your services will be," he paused again, searching for the right words, "more than adequate."
Narcissa couldn't think of anything else to do except nod, so she did, and Lucius gave her a thin smile and stood up.
"We should go to the Great Hall, the feast will be starting soon." He waved his arm in front of him, and Narcissa realized, feeling stupid for waiting a second too long, that he meant for her to go ahead of him. He held the common room door open for her and she exited. They walked down the hall together in silence, which was uncomfortable for Narcissa, but didn't seem to bother Lucius at all, since there were other students making their way to the Hall as well. She and Lucius entered the hall at the same time, and she was quickly swept away from him in the crowd of students, but not before she had glanced at the Slytherin table and seen her sister looking at her with an expression that could only be described as utmost loathing and contempt. This made Narcissa extremely nervous and she tore her eyes away and tried to find an open seat. She finally managed to sit down, but had not been seated two seconds when she heard her neighbor talking - apparently to her.
"You must be Narcissa Black," the boy said. She turned to face him and took in a sharp breath, thinking she had sat down next to Lucius. She let it out slowly, though, when she realized who it was.
"And you must be Damarcus Malfoy?" She said presumingly.
"I am," he held out his hand to her. "Lucius said he would be speaking with you. I seem to be in a terrible spot with my Charms work."
"I'm not sure I'll be much help," she said, hoping to get out of this predicament.
"Anything will do," he said, almost pleadingly. Narcissa felt sorry for him, since she herself was having trouble in her potions class, so she nodded.
"We can meet in the common room after lunch tomorrow and I'll see if I can help."
Damarcus smiled and turned away, beginning to eat. Narcissa suddenly realized how starving she was and joined him.
***
Narcissa had almost made her way back to the common room when she felt herself yanked into a dark corner of the corridor.
"What do you think you're doing?" A voice hissed into Narcissa's ear.
"I, wha - ow!" She yelped, trying to free her arm from an iron-tight grip.
The face the arm belonged to moved into the light, Bella was glaring at Narcissa with dark eyes. "With Lucius. What were you doing? I saw you two come in together. I know he talked to you - he's been asking me all sorts of questions about you - can't seem to keep his eyes off of you," she gave Narcissa a hard shake.
"He wants me," Narcissa finally wrenched herself free of Bella's grasp, "to tutor his brother in Charms," she said indignantly. Bella's eyes lightened a bit, but her glare remained. "His name is Damarcus," she continued.
"I know his name," Bella snapped, "you stay away from Lucius, do you hear me? He is mine."
Narcissa suppressed a laugh and got ready to run before she ended the conversation with, "Bella, how dreadful that you think you would lose your boyfriend to a first year," and she darted away before Bella could convert what Narcissa had said.
The next few weeks Bella watched Narcissa like a hawk. Narcissa met with Damarcus a few times, gave him a few pointers and study tips, and sent him on his way. He came back the next week to thank her for his improved marks. He offered to pay her for her time, but she said the only thing she really wanted was someone who was good in Potions to help her.
"I, uh, well, I'm not so good in Potions, either," he squirmed, apparently embarrassed by his lack of academic prowess, "but I know someone who is," his face brightened. "He's a friend of my brother's; I can talk to him if you like."
"Could you?" Narcissa asked, hopeful, "That would be wonderful! What's his name?" She asked him before they headed up to the dormitory for the night.
"I think it's Severus. Yes, it's Severus Snape."
