Love and War
There was a part of Narcissa that had feared she'd be returning to Hogwarts. After all, wasn't that Dumbledore's stronghold, his impenetrable base?
When she'd voiced these fears to Lily, Lily had frowned. "Hogwarts is a school, Cissa. Why on Earth would we operate out of a school?"
When Narcissa thought about it, she supposed that she understood. Logically, it didn't make sense for the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix to be a place where children were supposed to be taught, nurtured and cherished. However, Narcissa also wasn't naive enough to believe that Dumbledore didn't use every benefit of his position to his advantage.
All was fair in love and war.
Still, she hadn't expected this either.
Stepping into Dorcas Meadowes' flat was like stepping into one of the Black holiday villas in the south of France. The space immediately opened into a lounge-come-dining area, walls washed white, the lighting soft. The beechwood beams that were the skeleton of the building had been exposed, and each held up wind chimes made from shells, or driftwood carvings, or tiny, watercolor illustrations of the sea.
She glanced out a window, half-expecting to see pale sands and the rush of the ocean waves instead of grey, drab London.
"Nice, isn't it?" Lily murmured, stepping into the flat behind her. A delicate hand brushed against Narcissa's hip, a gentle reassurance of Lily's support.
"Adequate," Narcissa allowed. With a second inspection of the room, she noted the wards lining the walls. They'd been tied into the corners by lodestones, a complex combination of Charms and Ancient Runes. They were built to hide, deflect and protect.
"Your work?" she asked, relieved to know that Lily had had a hand in her safety. If she was to betray everything her family stood for, then secrecy was paramount.
Lily offered a tentative smile. "That's right." She raised her voice. "Dorcas, it's me! The door was open!"
"Yes, come in, come in!" an answering voice called back from a room off the main living area. An archway led into what looked to be a kitchen, judging by the clatter of dishes and the smell of garlic.
Narcissa stepped further in and chose to seat herself on one of the sofas; Elizabethan style in ivory, with duck egg blue cushions.
Moments later, Dorcas Meadowes walked out of the kitchen. She was thin, too thin, almost, with frizzy blonde hair that matched what Narcissa knew of her excitable personality. She'd been two years above and a Ravenclaw, so they'd barely had a passing acquaintance.
Upon seeing Narcissa, she stopped dead, jaw gaping.
"This is who you've chosen to sponsor?" Meadowes spluttered.
"Yes," Lily said simply. "Dorcas, this is my girlfriend, Narcissa Black."
"A pleasure to meet you," Narcissa said, rising to her feet. She offered her hand.
After a moment's hesitation, Meadowes shook it, fixing her with a steely gaze that rapidly morphed into a wry grin.
"Well, I never," Meadowes muttered, shaking her head. "A Black in my house, and the Ice Queen to boot."
At this, Narcissa allowed herself a small smile. "It takes someone fiery to make me melt."
Meadowes cackled. "That's our Lily, alright."
"Cissa!" Lily exclaimed. She was blushing bright red, clashing horribly with her flaming hair. She looked gorgeous.
Narcissa inclined her head, turning back toward Meadowes. "I'd appreciate your utmost discretion regarding my defection. I'm sure you understand."
Meadowes nodded, suddenly solemn. "You got it. Mum's the word."
A gentle rap upon the door drew their attention. It swung open of its own accord, and Dumbledore entered. He glanced about, immediately noting her presence. He had not looked surprised to see her; perhaps Lily had warned him, or perhaps he was truly as omnipotent as many professed him to be.
"Good afternoon, Lily, Miss Black, and thank you, Dorcas, for allowing us to make use of your house," he said.
"No problem," Dorcas replied, glancing between them. "I'll be finishing up the grub. You will stay for dinner, won't you?"
"Certainly," Dumbledore agreed with a faint smile. His gaze had settled upon Narcissa — assessing every move she made.
Narcissa took a breath to calm herself. "Headmaster Dumbledore, how nice to see you again."
She'd almost expected him to frown or even lay accusations at her feet.
Instead, his eyes twinkled, matching the moons glittering on his sapphire robes.
"And it is indeed wonderful to see you, my girl," he said, beaming cheerfully. "Tonight a star shines bright against the void of the galaxy beyond."
Narcissa narrowed her eyes but did not reply. Already she was nervous, her heart fluttering in her chest like a hummingbird. She wondered if she was making a mistake, if perhaps it would have been better the devil she knew. She had been shrouded in darkness her whole life… would a little more have been so harmful?
The warmth of Lily's hand on Narcissa's arm startled her and she drew herself back to the present.
Her doubts mattered not; it was too late.
Upon turning to see Lily's joyful expression, Narcissa knew that this was a decision she could never bring herself to regret. This was something Lily wanted and in turn, so did Narcissa.
Dumbledore stepped behind her, the door snapping shut. Lily muttered something, eyes closed as she focused, and the wards pulled tight around them.
"Excellent work, Lily," Dumbledore commented. "I daresay I couldn't have done a better job myself."
Lily flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and delight.
"Your work is impressive," Narcissa murmured to her as they drew close. "As always."
With the presence of Dumbledore, the room seemed to brighten even further. He was inspecting every inch of the walls, seemingly intrigued by the Muggle device that Meadowes had in the corner of the room, but eventually he settled himself into an armchair.
Upon taking his seat, the eccentricity he wore like a cloak seemed to slip from his shoulders.
"Narcissa Black," he said, and steepled his fingers. Narcissa sat down opposite him, Lily hovering by her shoulder. "Lily Evans has decided to sponsor you into the Order of the Phoenix, and furthermore, she has advised me that she believes you are willing to act as a spy. I would be most grateful if you were to elaborate upon why."
Narcissa nodded. She had prepared herself for this. She'd written a twenty minute speech on why she was passionate about Muggle rights and the Light side of the war, complete with a summary of the sensitive information she could divulge — for once giving up the secrets she knew.
Looking into Albus Dumbledore's eyes, she realised he did not want to hear a treatise upon her devotion to justice and 'doing the right thing'.
He wanted to know why Narcissa had chosen to abandon her family and the beliefs she'd been raised upon.
"Love," she said, the word escaping before she could contain herself. "Love, of course."
Dumbledore's gaze remained stern.
Narcissa took a shuddering breath. "Lily is the most intelligent and wonderful woman I've ever had the joy of knowing. Despite that, I initially disdained her for her Muggle blood and impoverished upbringing."
Her lip curled in disgust as she thought of her younger and more foolish self.
"In truth, it was I that should have been disdained. Until Lily, I had never truly experienced devotion, honesty, loyalty. Lily showed me what it meant to live outside of the constraints of the life that had been built around me and for that I will forever be grateful. But truly, the one thing I have learned is how to love without recrimination or regret. How can I live with something so pure in my life, and yet still profess to believe in values that directly contradict how I feel?"
Narcissa turned to look at Lily and found that her eyes were moist. "How could I believe a Muggle-born to be inferior when I've met one who exceeds all and any expectations I could ever wish for?"
Lily extended a hand and Narcissa placed her own within it. She turned back to Dumbledore, who was watching them with a rueful smile upon his face.
"I'll not leave her side, not now, not ever. Perhaps this is not the most noble of reasons to betray my family, but I promise you that it is one that I believe in. I began to care for Lily a long time ago; now, she holds my heart in her hands, and I am glad of it."
Lily squeezed her hand and Narcissa squeezed back, hoping to convey all the love she felt in one simple action. Sometimes, she thought her heart might burst open, she loved Lily so much.
She thought of each and every moment Lily had ever shown her compassion and kindness, even when it had been unwarranted. She thought of the gentle way Lily touched her, as if Narcissa was so precious Lily couldn't stand it if she were to break. She thought of the warmth of Lily's arms holding her close, a silent promise to never let her go.
Dumbledore stood. He was smiling now, the twinkle in his eye bright, like an unshed tear.
"Such happiness must be treasured above all," he advised her, and Narcissa promised herself to take that advice to heart. "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix, Miss Black."
Word Count: 1562
Keeper Prompt: Write about a character joining a group (such as The Death Eaters, Order of the Phoenix, Marauders, etc.)
Debate Club Femslash 7. Narcissa/Lily
Hot Air Balloon Easy 2. (character) Albus Dumbledore
Disney Challenge (songs) 4. Write about somebody experiencing a sense of freedom
Amber's Attic 14. Write about someone struggling to choose between good and evil
Lyric Alley 11. With hearts open wide
365 Prompts (colour) sapphire
Film Festival 21. Secrets
July 17th: write about your favourite Slytherin character (Narcissa)
Seasonal Flowers Foxglove (word) Heart
Gryffindor Challenge (hard) Albus Dumbledore
Insane Challenge 864. (trait) Brave