The wind blew through the trees, the rain dripped through leaves, and the lake jumped at the chance of catching one of those pretty little drops. Narcissa loved the rain. From the Slytherin Common Room, in the dungeons, and under the lake, there was no way to watch it. Thus, the youngest Black sister had settled into the quietest corner of the Library, her Genevieve Odwalt's Witchcraft in Eighteenth Century Europe up on bent knees that leaned against the table's edge, watching and reading. Her cousins, friends, and other Slytherins were lamenting the spring showers from their cold home under the ground, avoiding homework, chasing a stolen snitch, or gossiping. But Narcissa preferred the quiet, preferred to be by herself.
She leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window. The weather reminded her sweetly of days spent in the Black Manor, playing through the empty, quiet house after her sisters had come of Hogwarts age. The elves would call her the little mistress when her mother shopped and her father went to work. She would bewitch rabbits to fly and books to speak, cabbage to lie and tongues to sleep. It was peaceful, it was lovely. It was her own little world. As she had grown older it became less and less prudent to dwell within it, as her far away eyes often caused her peers at school to mistake her for cold. (Though, to be fair, they likely would've assumed this anyway, as her long, white blonde hair, porcelain skin, and wide, dark blue eyes- not to mention a hefty, healthy arrogant streak- did not exactly instill a sense of warmth or comfort in an eleven year old.)
Narcissa sighed, releasing her shoulders from the precise posture she rigidly maintained from day to day, as was expected of a girl of her class and age. A smile danced pleasantly across her lips, for at this moment everything was all very tranquil.
"There you are!" Narcissa's smile broke into a wide grin and a small laugh as she recognized the voice— it's owner perhaps one of the few people she would easily allow to disrupt her peace.
"Yes, Aurelia, I'm right here," she responded as her cousin slipped smoothly into the seat across from her, chaos swinging from her dark blond hair and mirth leaping lovingly from each of her deep, dark eyes.
"Lord, it's large in here!" Aurelia declared, her eyes wide in emphasis. "I've been looking for you for ages. The funniest thing happened down in the Common Room: Rabastan was bragging to Lucius about how quickly he could catch the snitch— and we all thought he was being mighty stupid as Lucius already knew he could catch, they're on the same bloody quidditch team— anyway! He was going after it and had it just beyond his fingertips when Titus tripped him and he swallowed it! He swallowed it!"
Narcissa laughed, when it came to the pureblood boys of her generation, there was never a time when the 'my stick is bigger than yours' game wasn't appropriate. It was foolish. But it was also hilarious. As the last chuckles faded from Narcissa's mouth, it occurred to her that she couldn't recall the last time her cousin had been in the library, certainly not since Narcissa had been in Hogwarts. She wouldn't have wandered through the massive rooms just to tell her this— an anecdote that would no doubt have been expressed to her from at least three different voices the moment she stepped foot back in the common room.
"Aurelia," Narcissa cooed, extending each vowel for effect.
"Yes?" The girl had been looking up and around at the many aisles and corridors within the library, mystified.
"Don't I think I believe for a second that's what you came here to tell me."
"Whatever could you mean, dear cousin?" Aurelia smirked, her lips moving slowly, heavy with the weight of her secret.
"Spill." Narcissa demanded with delight. She loved secrets. Especially hearing new ones. Also, she hated waiting.
"Andromeda-eloped-with-A-MUGGLE-BORN!" Aurelia released in one long breath, too nervous- or maybe excited- to separate her words properly.
"What?" Narcissa shrieked, anger flooding her heart.
"ANDROMEDA-ELOPED-WITH-A-MUGGLE-BORN!" Aurelia repeated with increasing enthusiasm.
"Lia, I heard you the first time." Narcissa snapped, her shock smothering her warmth toward her cousin. "What on earth was she thinking?" Andromeda had always been rebellious toward their way of life, being the only member of the family not sorted into Slytherin in nearly two centuries, but Narcissa never believed her sister's time in Ravenclaw would have swayed her this far.
"I know, right? Mum just owled me, she told me to tell you immediately as your mother has apparently refused to speak to anyone since she found out this morning. Your father told Mum she's already blasted Andromeda off the tree!"
"Serves the little blood traitor right!" Narcissa exclaimed, outraged by Andromeda's defiance. Muggle borns— and half-bloods, for that matter— were a disgrace to their society— an infection upon their kind that was only dealt with due to their large numbers. Were you born into the ruling class you shall never— never!— allow yourself to fall beneath your rank. It was as if Andromeda had lain down in a pit of ants and allowed them to feast on her from the inside out— beginning with the entrails and ending with the flesh.
"What a disgrace," Narcissa spat, each syllable laced with a wicked venom.
Aurelia, who agreed, but was much more passive about the whole subject, simply nodded enthusiastically. Noticing the funny manner in which her dear cousin's nostrils flared whenever she was this angered. She mimicked Narcissa's face, finding it greatly amusing.
"Are you mocking me, Aurelia?" Narcissa snapped, her large eyes flashing.
A wide smile ran swiftly across Aurelia's mouth before it burst gleefully into cheeky laughter. "Absolutely!"
Were it anyone else, Narcissa would've been offended. But she truly couldn't help herself. She erupted into laughter, silently admitting to the absurdity of her angry habits.
"Can we go now?" Aurelia whined. "I don't like it in here, it's dreadfully cold."
Narcissa's laughter quieted and a small 11 formed between her eyes. She loved this quiet, this peace. Even with Aurelia giggling and dancing about in her seat at every calm second it was worlds quieter than the raucous and jovial uproar of the Common Room. At her cousin's hesitation, Aurelia threw her arms out in front of her and bowed her head until it connected with the aged mahogany of the table top, her dark blonde hair rushing forward like waves over her shoulders.
"Please, Cissy? I've got my N.E.W.T.S coming up and this room makes me feel hopelessly dim. You should be encouraging my intelligence, not trapping me in a prison of pointing fingers and laughing faces!"
Narcissa rolled her eyes— a rare physical manifestation of the biting sarcasm she kept thoroughly under wraps, for it was not behavior a proper young woman should engage in. "You're so melodramatic."
"I know, Cissy, but I've only got a little time left in Hogwarts, I should be spending it making happy memories, not realizing how frightfully senseless my seven years in this frigid castle have made me! You can't possibly make me remain in this drafty hell any longer, it's too cruel! Too, too cruel!"
As Aurelia raised her head to pout emphatically at Narcissa, she noticed the girl had in fact already packed up her things, and was standing, watching the show and waiting for the silly seventh year to be done with her monologue— an eyebrow raised in apprehension and amusement. Aurelia jumped up, ecstatic— simply stating, "I'm glad you see my point."
Narcissa smiled at her cousin's silliness, linking arms with the beloved girl as they exited the library. "You aren't really worried about your N.E.W.T.S., are you?"
Aurelia laughed a quick, sharp laugh. "Course not! I'll have those judges eating out of the palm of my hand." She turned and looked at Narcissa, "you should enjoy your sixth year exams, though— they're the easiest you'll come by at Hogwarts."
"They better be," Narcissa exclaimed, her meaning somewhat serious, as her birthday this year fell on the first testing day. "I'm sure as shit not worrying about a potions exam the day I finally come of age."
"Cissa!" Aurelia was not used to the demure little witch cursing graphically, or even cursing at all, for that matter. The icy blond usually upheld the protocol that was expected of them, elegantly avoiding any situation which would require breaking the traditional rules. Rules Aurelia did not feel too compelled to follow, as she was all but certain she would be arranged to be married not long after she graduated.
"You know," Narcissa said slowly. "I was going to leave soon anyway. It's past curfew."
"Lies," Aurelia responded quickly, matching the tone of their heels click-clacking along the stone, echoing off the wall. "You never worry about curfew when you hole yourself up in there."
Narcissa shook her head, not bothering to argue with the girl, her bright blond hair following the movement of her head, the looming light of the torches attaching itself longingly to each strand.
It was in this process that Lucius found the girls. He had been making his obligatory after hours rounds— one of the many mandatory tasks that accompanied his prefect status that he often blew off— and had heard the clickclackclickclack of their walk. Bored, he had followed, knowing he'd either find a group of fourth year girls who were very easily swayed by his authority and charms, or this pair. It was perhaps the one case in which he was glad not to run into a group of impressionable young girls, for the sight before him was nothing short of incredible.
For the briefest of moments, the dim light had jumped forward and played within the length of Narcissa's hair, appearing so closely to rays of the sun. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He was keenly aware that had he rounded the corner any later he would have missed it. He must remember to point this moment out to Aurelia the next time she mocked him for allowing the head that resided in his pants to do the thinking.
Except, he had no need to. For as soon as the two girls had turned the corner and noticed their fellow Slytherin, his fascination had been abundantly clear. Aurelia looked to her right, at Narcissa, and could not see any extraordinary reason for Lucius to be so obviously and rudely staring— this was how her cousin always looked. She shrugged, perhaps he had been hit one too many times by Titus's rogue bludgers today. But then her brilliant abilities in all matters of the heart caught up to her in a rush, and a wicked smirk leaped lavishly across her lips. Lucius Malfoy, she thought, Lord, are you screwed.
"Did you fall off your broom today, Malfoy?" Narcissa quipped. "You look like a guppy out of water."
Aurelia's head snapped towards her cousin and her eyes widened in gleeful shock. What had gotten into the youngest little Black? Lately she had seemed so forward in comparison to her regular self.
Lucius too was shocked. He had never— never— heard Narcissa be so brazen. He realized it was expected that he respond, thus he did so in the only way he could. "You do realize you're out far beyond curfew, and as a prefect I may have to do something about it."
Narcissa smiled a coy little smile, running her fingers though her hair and bringing it to settle on her right shoulder. "Oh, yes, you simply must," she agreed emphatically, and linked her right arm in his left, gesturing to Aurelia to do the same. "You just have to escort us back to the Common Room, it would be the only sensible option at this hour."
Lucius looked dumbfounded, but obeyed, and began walking the two girls down in the direction of the dungeons.
Aurelia watched her little cousin with wide, amused eyes until Narcissa questioned, "Are you alright, Aurelia? If your eyes get any larger I dare say they'll pop out of your head."
Cheeky little brat. "Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Are you alright?" Aurelia asked pointedly.
"Of course."
This is why Lucius did not often spend time with women, or rather listen to women. As— in all great truth— he did spend a great deal of time with girls, but was usually lying on top of them, leaning up against them, or remaining tantalizingly, teasingly just out of reach. What was this game she was playing at?
As they entered the Common Room under the lake, Lucius turned toward Narcissa smirking, and slowly snaked an arm around the small of her back, the other— free after Aurelia had quickly released it, rushing off to smile and exchange pretty words with Titus Burke— played with the bottom length of her hair.
"Any time you're out after hours, in need of an escort, Miss Black," he purred, his dark grey eyes clouding over with excess amounts of cunning. "I'll know where to find you."
Narcissa's brazen smile receded slightly. Suddenly, her stomach had grown wings as delicate as a hummingbird's and taken flight, quickly surging up towards her throat, her uncharacteristic words buzzing with questions, seeking refuge at the back of her mouth. "Yes. Now you do." She said a little too quickly and slipped out of his grasp, walking with a slight haste toward the stairs leading to the female dormitories.
Aurelia looked up from Titus, and noticed Narcissa's flight. Oh no, she lamented, what a conflict. After a moment of thought, her curiosity over her cousin's sudden peculiar behavior won out over the delicious warmth that began in her middle and radiated outward every time Titus began to explain a simple potion technique they had learned back in their fifth year. She rose from her seat upon the armrest of his chair, intentionally allowing her skirt to momentarily linger at a teasing height before she departed with a smile and a promise.
Once she was out of Titus's line of vision, she rushed up the stairs, practically bursting with questions. But when she finally arrived at Narcissa's dorm, the girl beat her to the punch: "What the bloody hell was I doing?"
Aurelia settled in next to her on her bed, closing the privacy curtains just in case Narcissa had any especially juicy secrets to divulge that would motivate such strange behavior. She wrapped up Narcissa's blanket around her shoulders and sighed, finally comfortable. "My thoughts exactly."
Narcissa's forehead knotted, her lips pouted, and her head reeled. Usually, she refrained herself from allowing her thoughts to tumble freely off her tongue into the wide open air. It wasn't right. Not for a woman of her class and birth. Narcissa tugged at a section of her hair and began to plait it. Her head swam with Transifguration essays and Charms lessons, with pureblood rules to live by and expectations of the future. Deftly, her fingers weaved— in and out, up and over— plaiting, methodically.
Aurelia watched, concerned, curious. Narcissa had reached the end of one plait and had begun another, crafting many ropes within her mane. As she watched, it occurred to Aurelia how restless Narcissa had become lately, how much more time she had spent by herself in the library, by the lake, up in the astronomy tower. Each time returning with the look of a weary traveler, as if in the time on her own she had undergone a full cycle of birth-life-death twice over. Often, she would turn to one of their friends and appear as if she was about to say something, but would always stop herself, holding the remark within, and usually smiling at the sound of it as it echoed off the opinions of her innards.
It had gone unnoticed, as Narcissa had always been a quiet child, and this behavior as an adult was a most admired quality in a pureblood woman. But under closer inspection it began to occur to Narcissa and her concerned confidant that perhaps the return of her childhood habits and peculiar outbursts were an unsatisfactory reaction to her surroundings. To her reality. To the life that was almost certain to develop into her future. She was torn, between what she felt she ought to be— what she wanted to be— and what the organs of her consciousness ached for her to be. As this dawned on Narcissa, she gathered it all up, molded it with care into a sphere, and placed it at the farthest reaches of the distant world within her eyes. She smiled at Aurelia.
"Lord, perhaps I should start taking that morning potion you mentioned a few days ago. Has it helped you? My hormones must be all over the place," Narcissa said, her sweet smile lacing each and every syllable.
"Yes, it does. Every girl in my dorm takes it. It helps a lot," Aurelia responded quietly, noticing the far away gleam in Narcissa's eye, and the sly way in which she had pushed away all of Aurelia's questions.
As her cousin spoke about "those silly hormones— how they affect us all at this age!" Aurelia was transfixed by the strange, terrifying, beautiful creature she had finally transformed into, and understood with a particular weight in her throat— where the tongue meets judgment, and great, wild tears gather before sobs— that until Narcissa could reconcile the world of her creation with the world of their reality, this restlessness would never cease.