One Firefly, Alone In The Bluish-Black
"Vic, what are those shining lights way up there in the sky?" Albus asks, pointing up at the glimmering dots passing in front of his glasses. He's been lying like this, on his back in damp grass in the dark, for hours, just him and Victoire.
"They're fireflies, shining just for us, all together up there in the bluish-black," Victoire says, her hand finding his and squeezing.
"You stupid romantic," Mandy says, looking up from her textbook to stare disdainfully at Victoire. "They're stars, Albus. Big balls of hot air a million miles from here." Albus doesn't say anything - he knows of their rivalry, however much they try to hide it from him - but privately he thinks that he prefers Victoire's romantic explanation to Mandy's frank one.
He spends a lot of time with Victoire and Mandy. People think it odd, that a young boy like him, who could be playing Quidditch with James, Fred and Louis or with little action figures with Lysander, Lorcan, Lucy and Molly or even making believe with Rose, Lily and Dominique spends so much time with a pair of warring girls who are so much older than him, but he likes it.
But their rivalry never ends and neither do their difference. Where Victoire is soft, sweet and romantic, Mandy is hard, bitter and logical. It's no wonder Victoire is a Hufflepuff while Mandy is a Slytherin. Victoire is one of those few people who suit the colour yellow and the black accents contrast with delicate blue eyes and silvery-blonde hair, while Mandy looks her best is harsh colours and the silver contrasts with dark green eyes and short, spiky black hair.
When he finds out that Auntie Luna is pregnant, his intelligent young mind begins to wander. How did the baby get into her stomach? What does Uncle Rolf have to do with it? How will the baby come out? Instead of asking Uncle Rolf or Auntie Luna, who are both caught up in what James disgustedly calls 'baby fever', he asks Victoire and, of course, Mandy is sitting there in the kitchen with them, reading yet another thick, dusty old tome.
"How did the baby get in Auntie Luna's stomach?" he asks, a childlike innocence in his tone.
"A beautiful act between two people who love each other very much," Victoire explains gently, a smile playing at her lips. "The baby was made from love and it will stay snuggled up inside Luna's belly for nine months and then he or she will come into the world."
"You can romanticise everything forever, Victoire, but it won't change the fact that the realities of the world are ugly," Mandy snorts. "Albus, when you get two people together they sometimes have something called sex. The man puts his penis into the woman's vagina and his sperm go into her body and swim to find the egg. They fertilise the egg and, nine months later, after vomiting, backaches, excessive peeing and more vomiting, a baby is born with lots of screaming, blood and expletives." Albus doesn't understand a lot of the words she uses, but he knows that, once again, he prefers Victoire's explanation.
He loves Victoire. She's sweet and quiet and fun and when her and Dominique put sparkly clips in his hair and paint his nails and call him 'Alberta' he knows its just a bit of fun and even has fun himself, talking in a high voice and wobbling around on Auntie Fleur's high heels. When he goes to Hogwarts and he's sorted into Gryffindor, he spends his first night in the Head Girl's room with her. She introduces him to Scorpius Malfoy, Teddy's cousin and soon they strike up a strong friendship.
Victoire is there when he meets his first love. Her name is Jemima Puddleduck and she's curiously named 'Duck-face' by the mean girls that populate Slytherin. Albus falls madly in love with her and her dark green (algae coloured) eyes on first sight and spends his third year trying to woo her. Sadly, nothing happens between them despite numerous gifts of chocolate frogs and big yellow cabbage flowers from Hagrid's garden and it's Victoire's shoulder he cries on.
And she cheers him on when he finally plucks up the courage to ask the lovely Harriet Thomas to the Christmas dance and shamelessly bribes Louis to teach him Quidditch when Harriet says she'll only go with him if Gryffindor win the match against Slytherin. Albus doesn't want to play against Scorpius, his best friend, but Harriet is his second love and he wants to dance with her, just once.
And they win and Harriet agrees to go with him. Albus is so very grateful to Louis and to Victoire but he finds himself on the edge once more when Harriet vanishes away with Sylus Bletchley and leaves him with his pumpkin juice, watching his cousins and friends swirling across the golden dance floor.
He's in seventh year and terrified of the exams that are coming at the end of the year and still recovering from his last exams when she appears. His third and strongest, truest, most unequivocal love. She's like moonlight and sunlight somehow combined, with her white skin and golden hair and brilliantly blue eyes and that almost heavenly glow that seems to surround her. She's tall and slim in stature, and her beautiful (if immodestly short and low-cut) dress of dark green clings to her and every boy audibly sighs as she ascends the stairs to the staff table and bends over the professors.
"I don't know what the fuck I'm doing here, but I want to go home," she snarls at a stammering, frightened Professor Chalk.
"Young lady, you will not speak to a teacher like that while you remain in this castle!" he shouts, attempting to reign in some authority over the students. People are giggling at him and Albus privately thinks how terrible it is that everyone just laughs at Professor Chalk without giving him a chance.
"I don't think you understand the extent of the fuck I do not give!" the mystery girl shouts. "Get me back home!"
"This is your home," Professor Knight says, laying a hand on Professor Chalk's arm. "Name and house please."
"Narcissa Black of Slytherin," Narcissa growls. "And this isn't my home. My home is the Hogwarts of the 1950s and 60s. Not Hogwarts of the 2020s." There are mutterings and mumblings.
"She's got a screw loose," Rory announces. "She's clearly tap-doo-lally."
"Don't judge her before you really know her," Albus says, but his words are futile because it's obvious that everyone thinks Narcissa has some kind of mental disorder, including the professors.
"Dear, I think you're a little delusional," Professor Knight says gently. "You can sleep with the seventh years in Slytherin for the time being, alright?" Narcissa pulls away and spits at the teachers and storms out of the hall with every pair of eyes in the hall staring after her.
"Five Galleons I can nail her before lunch tomorrow," Aiden says. "She's a fine piece of meat."
"You shouldn't talk about girls like that!" Albus exclaims, but Ronan speaks right over him.
"Sure, mate," he laughs, "but I doubt I'll have to pay up. Even you're not that good."
"Watch me," Aiden says with a wink and he runs out of the hall, every female in the hall staring after him.
"Alright, everybody, drama's over!" Professor Knight shouts, sending several purple firecrackers from her wand to quieten everyone down. "Please, finish your dinner and get to bed."
There's a roar of chatter as Albus spears beans on the prongs of his fork, staring moodily down the table at his fellow Gryffindors. Ronan has turned to Denzel and they're arm-wrestling and Rory is shooting jets of water at the girls so their white shirts become see-through. How can they all be so immature? Don't they know that this is their last year at Hogwarts and they're of age now? They're adults, not children!
He drags himself to bed hours later, wondering if he was just daydreaming or if he really did nod off on that textbook for a few minutes, still annoyed. Aiden's bed is still empty, the covers straight and neat from the house elves earlier efforts. He must still be out, trying to make a move on Narcissa Black. Rory, Denzel and Ronan are sitting, their ties around their heads instead of their necks, muttering and guffawing. Albus grabs his pyjamas and stalks into the bathroom.
"Night, grumpy!" Ronan shouts as Albus yanks the heavy hangings around his bed shut and casts charms to block out sound. He lays his head on the pillow and tries not to think of Narcissa Black.
Narcissa lies back on her bed, gazing up at the dark canopy and listening to Vicki and Jess gossiping. She looks up to see them fixing each other's hair, painting their nails and giggling all the while.
"So, Narcissa, got your eye on any guys yet?" Vicki asks, admiring her new hairstyle in her mirror and giggling frantically as she paints a horrible shiny blue-grey colour onto Jess' nails.
"That one sitting across from us in the common room looked alright," Narcissa says grudgingly.
"Oliver Mead?" Jess asks. "Never going to happen. He's the deputy headmaster's son and he's madly in love with Lily Potter." She raises perfectly-shaped eyebrows. "Some guys have no taste."
"Albus Potter was staring at you the whole time you were kicking up a fuss," Vicki informs her, packing away her make-up. "I think he fancies you."
"He'll have to be fast to get to me first," Narcissa says with a shrug.
"Ooh, aren't you the arrogant one!" Jess giggles. "I s'pose guys fall over themselves to talk to you." Narcissa thinks of all those blushing, fumbling boys back in the 60s and nods.
"Yes, they do," she agrees. Jess and Vicki are both giggling frantically when a tiny little first year with bushy hair opens the door with a frightened little squeak.
"If Narcissa is here, Aiden Scotcher is downstairs," she squeaks. "He wants to talk to you."
"The caretaker's son," Vicki supplies. "I hear he's quite the lady's man. Rather particular." She pulls open the doors to a large wardrobe and flicks through the clothes, searching for something suitably alluring and revealing. A rare smile flashes across Narcissa's face as the other Slytherin proudly pulls out an outfit bound to heat any boy up.
Aiden's face is simultaneously shocked and triumphant when she descends the stairs, black silk clinging to every curve and line of her body and slightly see-through to show off her body in even more detail, the short skirt rising up her legs. The snake inside her uncoils and she is triumphant. Once more, she has entranced a boy.
"You look like sex on legs," Aiden says, running a hand up her thighs. "And they are gorgeous legs." Narcissa laughs and he appears dazzled by her smile and her suddenly steamy looks. Everyone in the common room is watching, on the edge of their seats as if this is one of the reality shows these girls all seem to squeal about.
"Get out, the lot of you," Aiden shouts and everyone hastens to leave, scuttling like spiders up the stairs to dormitories and Narcissa realizes that, even as a lion on snake territory, Aiden retains his authority and his arrogance, the knowing that whenever he clicks his fingers people will jump. Well, she refuses to dance to the beat of his drum.
"Why do you like me?" she asks, blinking innocently up at him with blue eyes as he concentrates on trying to undo the buttons she shoved frantically into their holes only a few minutes ago.
"Well, darling, you're gorgeous," Aiden says. "And I want to know you better." He's dominating her, and if there's one thing a snake will never do, it's let a lion intimidate her.
"Get to know my body," she whispers and she moves quickly, darting around him and pressing her lips to his. He seems surprise by the sudden change and she can tell that he's used to ruling every physical encounter. No more. She will teach him that girls know how to rule the roost too.
She knows that people walk through the room about a thousand times while they're 'snogging', but she ignores the gawps and jealous glances and concentrates solely on Aiden. And even though the names Aiden and Narcissa don't sound right together, the physical side is explosive.
When everything looks like it's going a little too far, she pushes him away, pulls up her dress and starts to ascend the staircase, back to the dormitory.
"Wait, I'm spending the night with you!" Aiden shouts, running after her. Narcissa turns to him, staring him coolly out.
"I am not inclined to acquiesce to your request," she retorts and turns to open the door to her dormitory. Aiden catches her arm and slides her back against the wall.
"It wasn't a question," he growls before capturing her lips in a heated kiss. They're pressed against the wall and she knows it's all going too far, but she lets him this time. And though there are none of the fireworks or tender confessions of love romance novels have led her to expect, it's only the first time and there's plenty of time for that as night slips into grey dawn and her bed remains empty.
It's barely seven o'clock before Albus is shaken awake by Ronan, the other Gryffindor's sandy curls tickling his nose as Ronan grins eagerly.
"Professor Knight called a staff meeting," he explains. "We're going to eavesdrop. Are you too chicken to come?" Albus shakes his head frantically and grabs his glasses because, despite everything else, he's still a Gryffindor and Gryffindors are brave.
"Where's Aiden?" he asks, looking at the empty, immaculate bed nearest the large, misted-up window.
"Spending the night in some chick's bed," Denzel says, shaking his head and looking vaguely jealous. "Lucky bastard." Albus shakes his head as the image of Aiden and Narcissa enters his brain and yanks on jeans and a jumper, ready to leave.
They arrive outside the staffroom less than ten minutes later, what with Rory's incredible knowledge of the secret passages around the school and Denzel removes several pairs of Extendable Ears from his pocket. They watch the flesh-coloured strings wriggle under the door and they can hear everything going on inside.
"…we need to find out more about her," Professor Knight is saying. "Where she comes from, who her parents are and what's she's doing here."
"What would be best is to send her to St. Mungo's and get her checked out," Professor Mead says.
"Don't be silly, James," Professor Knight snaps. "She can't go to St. Mungo's."
"Why are you worrying so much?" Professor Grantley grumbles. "It's just some chit of a girl."
"She shouldn't be here," Professor Knight says darkly. "This is wrong. Have any of you been messing around with spells?"
"I've seen Aiden Scotcher around plenty of times, stirring up trouble," Professor Mead says, and all four boys can perfectly visualise their deputy headmaster scowl. "He's leading those other Gryffindors astray. No offence, Rob."
"None taken," Rob Scotcher says cheerfully. Albus grins at the memory of his Uncle Ron telling him Rob Scotcher made history by being the first cheerful caretaker Hogwarts has ever had.
"We need to get him into my office and interrogate him," Professor Knight says. "Call Eleanor up from the library, I need to check with her if anyone's been checking out books about time travel."
"What do you mean, Carol?" Professor Mead asks. "Why would you be concerned about time travel?"
"Narcissa Black is not from our time," Professor Knight explains. All four eavesdroppers clutch the string closer to their ears, straining to hear every word. "I did a little digging late last night and she does not, in fact, have a mental disorder. She is from the 1960s." She takes a deep breath. "She's Scorpius Malfoy's grandmother."
"Scorpius Malfoy who comes here?" Professor Mead exclaims, the shock evident even in his voice.
"Dominique Weasley's Scorpius Malfoy?" Rob shouts, obviously appalled.
"The same Scorpius Malfoy who crashed his broomstick through my window in his second year?" Professor Grantley grumbles.
"Yes, the same Scorpius Malfoy," Professor Knight answers. "And, if what you say is true, James, I have reason to suspect Aiden may have brought her here."
"I'll go and get Eleanor," Professor Chalk says, speaking for the first time. Denzel and Ronan exchange panicked looks as the heavy footfalls get closer. Giving the strings a tremendous yank, Rory gathers up his Extendable Ears and takes off down the corridor, followed at a run by the other three.
"What was the point of that?" Albus gasps, clutching a stitch in his side as they skid to a halt by the Fat Lady. Denzel gives her the password and they hurry up the stairs, back into the common room.
"Well, we found out where she comes from and who probably brought her here," Ronan says, ticking off the list on his fingers "We found out that they'll be looking for Aiden, we found out that Grantley has a memory like an elephant for things that annoy him and we found out that Scorpius' grandmother was really hot when she was our age." Rory sniggers and Denzel throws a pillow at Ronan's head.
Half an hour later, when other members of their house are beginning to stir, they head down the marble staircase for breakfast. The house elves have prepared the usual banquet and it isn't long before all four of them have their plates piled high with food and they're tucking in.
Aiden doesn't appear for a long while. They're just starting to think that Professor Knight has already dragged him into her office for a lecture when he walks in. His appearance is immaculate and Rory and Denzel begin to noisily argue beside Albus over whether he really did spend the night in some poor, unfortunate girl's bed. But any argument ends when a very familiar face appears behind Aiden.
"Bloody hell!" Ronan yells. "The lucky bastard!" Rory nods frantically in agreement and Denzel stares at Aiden's newest conquest, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Albus feels the world almost crumble around him. It's Narcissa, standing beside Aiden, slipping her hand into his, giggling as he whispers in her ear. She's wearing one of his shirts that only reaches around halfway down her thighs, her tie wound around her waist. She's been hooked by Aiden the fisherman and now he'll never get her back.
"Mr. Scotcher, Miss Black, if you're quite finished making your entrance," Professor Knight says, her voice taught, "then I'd like a word with you, Mr Scotcher. In my office." Aiden nods, still smirking triumphantly and swaggers out. Narcissa composes herself and takes a seat at the Slytherin table with Vicki and Jess.
"Wow, you definitely know how to make an entrance!" Jess exclaims. "Nice shirt."
"I remember that shirt," Vicki says wistfully. "I wore that the morning after I shagged Aiden too." Narcissa looks up from her plate, her expression shocked and a fire suddenly blazing behind her eyes.
"What do you mean, the morning after you 'shagged' Aiden?" she asks. "He said I was his first." Vicki and Jess snort with laughter.
"He says that to everyone, honey," Jess says, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "He's shagged half the school." Vicki nods fervently in agreement, still rendered incapable of speech by the sheer hilarity of Narcissa's innocent words.
"So why isn't he with any of those girls?" Narcissa asks, confused and a little hurt. "Or either of you, for that matter."
"Oh, honey, did you think he'd stay with you?" Jess asks, her tone as sweet as honey. "You're too naïve, sweetheart. We told you last night, he's a lady's man. A player. A 'love-em and leave-em' type."
"But…why would he leave you?" Narcissa asks, furiously holding back tears threatening to rise in her throat.
"He's a player," Vicki says, appearing to finally have gotten a hold of herself. "After he's laid you, you're of no interest to him any more." She looks at her watch. "I'd say you've got until around lunch time before he kicks you to the kerb and moves on to the next lady." This time, Narcissa can't stop the tears falling down her face. Jess and Vicki exchange guilty looks, wondering if maybe they've gone too far.
"We didn't mean to upset you," Jess says, reaching out to put a comforting hand on Narcissa's arm. "Sometimes the truth hurts."
"No one uses me like that," Narcissa whispers angrily. "No one!" She stands up and marches defiantly out of the hall, conscious of everyone's eyes following her, and chases after Aiden.
"Professor, I need to speak with Aiden," she says to Professor Knight. Aiden turns and grins at her, but she keeps her eyes on the headmistress, determined to ignore his good looks.
"Can't it wait, Miss Black," Professor Knight asks wearily. "I have a very serious matter to discuss with Mr. Scotcher."
"Aiden, we're over," Narcissa hisses venomously, ignoring the professor entirely. "Do you understand? Or is your skull too thick for you to get that?"
"What do you mean?" Aiden asks, grinning smoothly at her. "Why would we be over?"
"I talked to Vicki and Jess," Narcissa growls. She's never been so angry in her life. "They said you've bedded half the school and you're just going to leave me crying in the dust." She pulls out her wand, pointing it at his face, and advances on him, ignoring Professor Knight's pleas to stop. "No one does that to Narcissa Black."
"So you're breaking up with me?" Aiden asks, infuriatingly cool.
"That was the idea," Narcissa says, sending sparks out of her wand threateningly.
"Whatever," Aiden drawls. "You were a rubbish shag anyway." Hot tears slide down Narcissa's cheeks and she send a curse after him, smirking when she hears his yell of pain. She turns on her heel and marches back down the corridor, into the Great Hall. The whole room goes quiet and all heads turn towards her.
"You've had your fucking show!" she screams. "Stop fucking staring at me!" Everyone quickly looks away, her authority is such that she can command a whole room. Determinedly holding back tears, she joins Vicki and Jess at the Slytherin table again, miserably pushing her scrambled eggs around her plate.
"Are you alright, Narcissa?" Jess asks, looking concerned for her newest housemate.
"I broke up with him," Narcissa whispers, her eyes filling with tears. "He was a complete bastard."
"Good for you," Vicki says encouragingly. "'Bout time someone put him in his place. Where is the bastard anyway?"
"Professor Knight's office," Narcissa explains. "Something very serious."
"Next thing we know, he'll be flirting with her too," Jess says, winking at the other two. Both of them stare at her for a moment before all three of them start giggling. It takes a long while for them to recover.
"Guess that means I'll have to give Aiden his money," Ronan says gloomily. "That's five Galleons I could have spent on a Christmas present for Vicki."
"Face it, Ronan, she's never going to go for you," Denzel says, sighing heavily. "You're just not her type."
"Anyway, Aiden will probably forget," Rory reassures a visibly drooping Ronan. "Then you can buy Vicki a brilliant present that will have her falling for you like a stalactite."
"That makes no sense," Denzel says, grinning when Rory scowls at him.
"I reckon she dumped him," Ronan says, a grin spreading slowly across his face. "After that little scene, I'm sure she did, and that makes the bet null and void. So I won't have to pay up after all!"
"Whatever makes you happy," Rory mumbles. Albus laughs, feeling suddenly a lot happier with this speculation that Aiden and Narcissa are no longer…something, if they were ever anything.
"Al, there's a rumour going round, courtesy of the Slytherin ladies, that you fancy Narcissa," Rory says, inclining his head towards Jess and Vicki. "Is it true?"
"Yes," Albus confirms, his voice very quiet. Hearing him, Ronan whoops and punches the air triumphantly.
"I knew it!" he crows. "I knew it! Are you going to do anything about it?"
"What do you mean?" Albus asks, wishing that they weren't all staring at him.
"Are you going to make a move?" Denzel asks. All four look at the beautiful Slytherin girl and back to Albus.
"I wouldn't know how," Albus says, attempting to keep his composure even as he feels a blush creeping across his cheeks.
"We'll teach you," Rory says, his face eager. "We'll start now!" He looks around wildly and grabs a fork, handing it to Albus.
"What do I do with this?" Albus asks, looking perplexedly at the piece of cutlery in his hand. Rory sighs heavily, as if Albus is doing him a disservice by not knowing.
"You walk past her, pretending you're going to the staff table," he explains patiently. "Drop the fork when you pass her and she'll have to talk to you to give it back." Albus nods and, getting up, starts to walk towards the staff table, casually letting the fork clatter to the ground as he passes Narcissa. He is forced to speak to Professor Chalk about his Charms essay for a few minutes before turning back.
"Hey you, Gryffindor with the glasses, you dropped something," Narcissa says coolly, pointing to the innocent fork, lying by her feet. Vicki and Jess giggle as, blushing furiously and muttering death threats to Rory and Ronan and Denzel, Albus bends down and picks up the fork.
"Thank you," he says stiffly before departing back to his own house table with what little dignity he has left. Ronan, Rory and Denzel are looking suspiciously serious and it's rather obvious that they're holding back laughter.
"So, how did it go?" Denzel asks casually while Rory and Ronan splutter, clamping hands to their mouths.
"I hate you, you bastards," he hisses. All three of them completely lose it and Albus sits glowering at them until they finally calm down.
"So, did she ask you out yet?" Ronan asks, his eyes sliding over to Vicki, laughing with Narcissa and Jess.
"If I'm going to do this, I'm doing it my way," Albus states, getting up and sending them a last scowl to his so-called friends. He marches over to the three Slytherins and quickly composes his speech in his head.
"Vicki, my mate, Ronan, really fancies you," he says, ignoring Vicki's shocked squeak. "Would you go to Hogsmeade with him on Saturday?" He turns to Jess before Vicki has a chance to respond. "And Rory really fancies you, Vicki, and wants to know if you'll go with him."
"Double date with two of the fittest guys in the year?" Vicki asks, exchanging a look with Jess.
"Count us in!" Jess giggles. "And Denzel and Rose can make it a triple date."
"Albus and I say a quadruple date," Narcissa says, smiling up at Albus.
"Awesome!" Vicki squeals. "Anyway, did you hear the rumour that Aiden is shagging Victoire Weasley?"
"No, do tell!" Jess exclaims, and the three girls turn back to their original conversation. Albus grins and walks back to the Gryffindor table, resisting the urge to punch the air in triumph. He's got himself a date with Narcissa!
"I just got you, Ronan and Rory, a date with Vicki and Jess respectively," he says as he takes his seat. "Denzel, you and Rose are coming too, and so are Narcissa and I." Rory chokes on his mug of tea. Ignoring his incoherent spluttering, Albus turns to Ronan to gauge his reaction. Denzel appears happy enough.
"So, you got me a date with Vicki," Ronan says slowly. "You got Rory a date with Jess and yourself a date with Narcissa and together with Denzel and Rose we're going on a quadruple date on Saturday to Hogsmeade?"
"Yes, you got it in one," Albus says, grinning. "You genius."
"You bloody little miracle worker!" Ronan whoops. "I've got a date with Vicki!"
"H-how did you do it?" Rory asks in a strangled voice.
"I did it my way," Albus says, winking at his shocked friends. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to owl Victoire and ask her to keep a table for us in the Three Broomsticks." He leaves in a blaze of glory, smirking to himself. He has succeeded with a girl for the first time in his life. So what if Narcissa probably only said she'd go with him because she didn't want to be left out and he was the only guy left to choose. She's going with him and he might even have a chance to tell her how he feels. Today is a good day, but Saturday will be better.
Narcissa wakes up on Saturday with a pounding heart and a dry mouth. Wondering vaguely why she feels so nervous, she opens the hangings around her bed to find both Vicki and Jess in a state of panic, debating over what to wear. She smiles momentarily at their nerves. The outfit is not the most important part, after all.
Her smile is long gone when she exits the bathroom, her hair wet after a shower, and Jess and Vicki force her onto the floor and Vicki, now sporting a head of bouncy curls, begins to fix her hair while Jess looks for an outfit.
"How about this?" she asks, holding up a short black dress. Wincing as movement causes Vicki to tug her hair, Narcissa shakes her head frantically.
"Albus isn't like Ronan or Rory," she says. "For him, a girl has to be more subtle. It's not about how she looks, it's more about her personality." She rakes her eyes along the rows of clothes. "Throw me those black trouser, that camisole and that cardigan, with those shoes." Looking confused, Jess throws her the items she points to and returns to finding herself an outfit.
"I guess you know how to pick clothes too," Jess says grudgingly as they admire themselves in front of the mirror before leaving. Jess and Vicki look almost identical, with shining curls and short dresses of layered green and silver, but Narcissa stands out in black trousers, a gold camisole and a red cashmere cardigan, her hair straight and hanging down her back.
"You look gorgeous," Vicki squeals. Her expression changes. "We pale in comparison."
"To Ronan and Rory, you'll look absolutely beautiful," Narcissa reassures her, holding back a giggle as they both visibly brighten.
"What are we waiting for?" Jess asks. "Let's go!"
Chattering and laughing, they run down into the common room, leave the dungeons and run into the Entrance Hall to find five people waiting. Denzel and Rose are standing together, holding hands and looking generally adorable. A grin spreads across Ronan's face a second before Rory exclaims, "You look hot!" and they put their arms around their girls as naturally as if they've been dating for months.
"You look really nice," Albus whispers, his cheeks colouring slightly. Narcissa giggles slightly with nerves and feels her face heat too.
"I would say the same to you," she says. "Shall we go?" Albus nods and they followed the other three couples out of the door, down through the grounds, towards Hogsmeade. While they're all touching physically in some way, Albus and Narcissa remain apart from each other, a thousand and one thoughts running through their minds.
They reach Hogsmeade to find it full of shoppers, all conscious that this is possibly the nicest weather they're going to have for a while. The sun is shining and the gardens and streets and shop fronts are bathed in autumnal sunshine. Leaves carpet the ground and occasionally leave their brethren to dance along with the breeze. It's beautiful, although the couples are too wrapped up in each other to notice the aesthetics of nature.
"I kept your table for you, just like you asked, Albus!" Victoire calls as the little bells announces their arrival at the Three Broomstick. Albus smiles and nods at his older cousin and leads his friends to his favourite table, a secluded booth near the back. He's become accustomed to sitting in hidden booths and shadows, hiding from the fame that comes from being Harry Potter's remarkably intelligent son.
"I'll go and order," Denzel says. Rose gets up to help, leaving Vicki and Ronan and Denzel and Jess to turn to each other and talk. There's an awkward silence between Narcissa and Albus that lasts until the drinks arrive along with a plate of shortbread that's set down by Victoire.
"So, how did your attractive cousin end up a barmaid here?" Denzel asks, taking a sip of Butterbeer.
"Well, Teddy left her because he realized she was just a substitute for Lily," Albus explains. "Dad wasn't happy, you know he's eleven years older than her. Anyway, she couldn't find work and didn't want to stay with her parents so she appealed to Madam Rosmerta. She lives above the pub."
"I heard that Aiden's shagging her," Vicki says.
"Wouldn't put it past him," Jess says, biting into a piece of shortbread savagely, as if imagining it's Aiden's face.
"What do you want to do when you leave school?" Narcissa asks, turning to Albus.
"I'm thinking about magical law or being-beast relations," he answers. "My dad wants me to be an Auror, seeing as James has already fulfilled Mum's ambition of one of her children becoming a Quidditch player, but Lily would be a better Auror than me."
"Is Dominique still dating Scorpius?" Ronan asks, this question directed to Rose. She puts down her mug and turns to look at him.
"Yes, she is, it seems to be going quite well," she answers. "He's already bought her an engagement ring, you know." She smiles and winks as Ronan's jaw drops open.
The conversation eases and their mugs are refilled numerous times as they sit in the booth together. They leave only when Madam Rosmerta gently reminds them that they need to be back at the school for seven o'clock. On the walk back, the couples grow more amorous, drawing closer together. Narcissa looks questioningly up at Albus and he smiles slightly and takes her hand. Then they reach the Entrance Hall and suddenly the couples are splitting up, ready to go back to separate dormitories.
"Thanks for that, I had fun," Jess says, squeezing Rory's hand before leaving. Vicki follows her friend, leaving a rather confused Rory and Ronan to chase after them. Denzel and Rose exchange a kiss and whispered words before going their separate ways, leaving Albus and Narcissa to step cautiously around each other.
"I had a nice time, thank you," Narcissa says, suddenly very conscious of how close together they are and how hot the room suddenly seems.
"You're welcome," Albus says, and they descend into awkward silence. Narcissa can feel herself trembling and licks her lips nervously. Every nerve ending in her body is tingling and her instincts are screaming at her to kiss him. She just knows that if she doesn't she'll regret it, but can't summon up the courage to just do it.
"Well, goodnight," Albus says, smiling at her briefly and turning to leave. She turns too, meaning to return to her dormitory, but she finds herself turning back.
"Albus, wait!" she calls, chasing after him. She grabs his arm and presses her lips to his as he turns around to see what she wants.
Albus is paralyzed for a moment as he turns to Narcissa's voice and finds her lips against his. He can feel her body, so close to his, trembling violently and he knows his is doing the same. The heat between them is almost unbearable and he has no idea what to do.
Some instinct takes over and he tentatively places his hands on her waist and begins to move with her. He knows that he shouldn't be doing this, that they barely know each other. This is Scorpius Malfoy, his best friend's grandmother, but she's kissing him back and she's his age and so beautiful and they're both young and reckless.
"Thank you," he whispers when she breaks away. He blushes and internally curses himself. Who thanks someone for a kiss? But Narcissa smiles and takes his hand.
"You're welcome," she murmurs. She stretches up to kiss him again but Albus interrupts her.
"I don't want just kissing or touching or anything physical," he says grimly. "I want romance too. I want to know you like a friend and not just a girlfriend."
"What's your favourite colour?" Narcissa asks, smiling and quietly giving him the affirmation that she wants to know him.
"Blue," he whispers, gazing into her eyes. "Yours?"
"Green," she giggles. For a moment they stand still and silent, entranced by each other.
"We'll be more comfortable under the Dragon Claw Willow," Albus informs her and, taking her hand, he drags her out of the castle and down towards the lake, where a tree with gnarled finger-like branches drapes over the edge of the water.
"Favourite flower?" Narcissa asks as they lean against the smooth bark and Albus puts his arms gently around her.
"Snowdrops," he replies. "I think it gives so much hope to my generation that such beauty can bloom from desolation. What are yours?"
"Daisies and dandelions," she whispers. "I always felt so sorry that they're considered weeds and chopped down."
Albus smiles and presses a kiss to her temple, wrapping his arms tighter around her. These are every day, ordinary gestures seen performed by couples across the school, but between Albus and Narcissa they are new and special and completely perfect.
It's past midnight by the time Albus gets back to Gryffindor Tower, waking up the Fat Lady to give her the password. His fellows are all still wide awake, prancing about like court jesters and chanting. Aiden is sitting on his bed, glaring at the celebrators. He grabs Albus' arm before he has a chance to join the celebrations and drags him outside.
"I heard you're with the Black slag now," he growls. "It'll never last, she's a complete whore."
"Don't you dare talk about Narcissa like that!" Albus shouts, drawing his wand. Before he can do anything Aiden has him pinned against the wall by his throat.
"I brought your little slag of a girlfriend here, and I can send her back," he snarls. "So don't go getting too big for your boots or I will." He lets go and Albus massages his throat, gasping for air. Aiden growls at him and marches down the stairs, leaving Albus to compose himself and go back into the common room, join in the celebration.
The party is still going strong at around two in the morning when a rather irate Professor McGonagall walks in in her tartan dressing gown and hairnet and screams at them to go to bed. Within seconds of their hangings being drawn, Ronan, Rory and Denzel are snoring loudly, but Albus can't sleep, no matter how many times he changes positions or pummels his pillow to make it comfier. He can't stop thinking about Aiden's threats. Will he really send Narcissa back to her time? It's moving from dark night into grey, rainy dawn by the time Albus finally falls asleep.
Narcissa wakes up with a smile on her face after a night of sweet dreams. Vicki and Jess are noisily clattering about in their trunks and in the bathroom. She swings her legs out of bed when Aiden charges in, ignoring the stammerings of a puny little first year and marching right up to Narcissa.
"You're dating Albus Potter," he growls. She draws herself up to her full height and looks coldly at him.
"What's it to you?" she asks, ignoring the fear bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
"I brought you here for me, not for him," Aiden whispers, his voice filled with venom. "If I can't have you, then neither can he. You're going back." He points his wand and murmurs a few words in some incomprehensible dialect. The air seems to shimmer and Narcissa turns to him, tears pricking her eyes.
"What did you do, you bastard?" she screams, looking around for something to throw. With a lazy flick of his wand he sends all heavy objects flying away from her.
"You have five minutes, then you're going back, bitch," he snarls, spitting at her feet. Rubbing tears from her eyes, she yanks off her clothes and reaches for her dress, her hands trembling as she rips a ragged piece of the velvet from it.
"Narcissa, are you alright?" Jess asks, coming in to find Narcissa scribbling frantically on a piece of parchment, her efforts punctuated by a sob every few moments.
"I have to go," she whispers, concluding her letter with a flourish. "Please, just give this to Albus." She shoves a piece of green velvet and the roll of parchment into Jess' hands. "And promise you won't ever go back to Aiden. Promise me, Jess!"
"I promise!" Jess exclaims, still looking shocked and confused. "Narcissa, does this have something to do with Aiden?"
"There's no time to explain!" Narcissa sobs. "Just give that to Albus, and say goodbye to everyone for me! Please, Jess!"
"Alright!" Jess exclaims. She drops the letter at her feet and suddenly her eyes are swimming with tears. "I'll miss you, Narcissa." The two girls embrace and cling to each other like they're the last two people on earth.
"I have to go, now!" Narcissa yelps. She can feel it, she can feel the places becoming blurred, turning into a kaleidoscope of colours. She turns and runs as fast as she can, until she reaches deserted corridors that are more indistinct shapes and colours than tangible objects and she simply fades away. She comes back into solid being outside her family home, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Cissy, there you are!" Andromeda shouts, relief evident in her face and tone. "Where have you been? The whole family's been out looking for you!" She reaches Narcissa and hold her at arm's length, examining her face closely. "Why are you crying?"
"Albus!" Narcissa manages to choke out before she collapses, sobbing, at her sister's feet.
Dear Albus,
I don't have a lot to say, so I'll try to be brief.
I'm not from your time. I was born in the 1950s and attended Hogwarts in the 1960s. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but Aiden brought me here with a spell so he could have me. Now you have me instead of him, he's so insanely jealous he's sending me back to my time.
I'm going to miss you so much, Albus. I really do care for you a lot and I'm so sad that I'll never see your face or hear your voice or feel your touch again. But I have to go home and marry my arranged husband and follow the path my bloodline has set out for me.
Oh Salazar, now I'm crying. Apologies if the writing is even more illegible now. I have to promise than I won't ever forget you until I take my last breath. You changed me, Albus.
I have to go now. I've left a token for you to remember me by with this letter. Please don't ever forget me. I love you.
All my love, always and forever,
Narcissa
But, of course, life must go on. Albus has to take his examinations and walk out into the wider world. He takes a job in being-beast relations and, at some point down the line, Rory and Jess have an astonishingly amicable break-up and he marries Jess.
Their marriage is neat, clean, you might even say immaculate. It's not passionate, but it's convenient. Jess never questions why Albus carries around the piece of green velvet (which still smells faintly of her) around with him and he never questions why she kisses a picture of Aiden when she thinks he's not looking.
It just so happens that, when he's nearing twenty-five years of age, Albus spends Christmas with Scorpius, Dominique and a heavily-pregnant Jess at Malfoy Manor.
"How's your grandmother?" Dominique asks as they linger over coffee and liqueur chocolates after Christmas Eve dinner.
"She's getting worse," Scorpius answers, his tone sombre. "Her immune system has collapsed and she doesn't have much longer. She's stopped taking medicine and refuses to see the Healer. She's given up on life."
"May I see her?" Albus asks, because even though he's a respectable married man and a soon-to-be father he has to see the true love of his life one more time before she departs for the next life.
"Of course," Scorpius says. "Past the kitchen, second door on the left." Albus nods his thanks and leaves the bright, full, happy room.
He finds Narcissa lying in a great four-poster bed, covers of Slytherin green covering her frail old body, a vase of narcissi sitting on her bedside table. She looks up at him and he searches this wan, lined face for some trace of his Narcissa, the spunky, feisty but still somehow gentle seventeen year-old he fell in love. But she isn't there. His Narcissa died many years ago and only this old woman is there now. He wishes he could turn and leave now, but he has to see this through.
"I'm glad I could see you one more time," she whispers, coughing slightly. "I was on the verge of commanding the elves to drag you here." He sees a spark of that old humour in her eyes. It's small, but it's there.
"I'm glad too," he says, feeling a trifle awkward. He wants to leave, to get back to the normality of spending Christmas with his best friend and his cousin and his pregnant wife. This isn't normal, watching his best friend's grandmother die, the woman he fell in love with when she was fifty-three years younger.
"I never forgot you," she says, taking his hand and smiling slightly. "Promise you won't forget me?"
"Never," he answers, tears blooming behind his glasses. "Aren't you frightened?"
"Not at all," she says, sounding remarkably cheerful. "After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure." She sighs. "This is it. Thank you for being with me." Albus watches her face grow passive. The first tears slide down his cheeks as her hand in his grows limp and her last breath leaves her body.
He turns to leave when he feels a presence, a wind causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. He feel the touch of a ghostly hand on his face and an ethereal whisper sounds in his ears.
I'll always love you. Don't forget me. I'll see you in the next adventure.
"I love you too," he whispers, not afraid to let his tears fall, to cry for his loss. "I promise I won't ever forget you. See you around."
With a final flick of his wand, he changes the narcissi into bright dandelions and cheerful daisies. He turns his back on the room, but not Narcissa. He won't ever forget her.
Death is but the next great adventure.
Dedicated to the simply epic-tastical Lissie. This was my entry to the 2nd Annual 'Can You Write A Romance' Challenge. I hope you liked it and weren't too weirded out by the pairing.