Title : Veritaserum

Author : Floaw

Pairing : Hermione/Narcissa from Hermione's POV

Rating : K

Disclaimer : everything belongs to JKR

Summary : "You took veritaserum..." She whispered softly. "Cissy, please, I would like you to leave me alone. I am afraid that you will make me say things that I am not ready to tell you, and that you are not ready to hear..." Hermione/Narcissa

I entered my office like a fury. My head was spinning a little, to the extend that I had to use my bureau as a support for a moment to prevent myself from falling. With an uncertain step, and slightly stumbling, I went to the window and opened it wide. I took a deep breath of cool air, but it didn't help to calm my anxiety. My heart was still beating loud in my chest, my respiration was still laborious, and a perpetual vertigo kept assailing my senses.

Focusing my attention on something - anything - seemed to be a good remedy to my anxiety attack, therefor, I let my gaze wander along the streets of London, skimming absentmindedly the slender silhouettes of the buildings, and, without noticing, I lost myself in the observation of the English capital.

The muffled sound of someone knocking on the door dragged me out of my thoughts, and, ignoring the intruder, I resumed my contemplation of the city. Once again, the tiresome individual put themselves forward, and, as I didn't answer, they opened the door and came inside my office.

"Hermione..." Narcissa murmured gently, approaching my silhouette almost carefully.

I let a sight slip from my lips and answered her without turning over :

"I'm sorry Cissy, I don't want to talk for the moment"

Without considering what I just said, she slipped her arms around my waist, and whispered in my hear :

"Mia, what is going on?"

I let mo body go, resting it against hers, and shivered as I felt her lips slide, like an autumn breeze, on the skin of my neck, brushing it without ever really touching it. However, her question made uncomfortable : as soon as she had asked it, my heart started to race, pumping in my veins a blood that felt too hot. The chilly air that rushed into my lungs seamed frozen, making my breathing almost painful, I had a knot in my stomach, and I felt the truth going back up causticly along my throat, like a vomit of words that was forcing its way out of my body. Without really controlling what I was doing, I found myself answering her :

"The intern I sent to bring me up a cup of tea from the kitchen, he mistook mine with the one prepared for the questioning that the Wizenmagot is overseeing right now."

Narcissa froze behind me for a second, and I heard her breath hitch deep inside her throat.

"You took veritaserum..." She whispered softly.

It was more a statement than a question, but once again, the drug that was running inside my veins heated unpleasantly my blood, twisting my entrails until an answer, a "Yes." crossed my lips

When she regained her composure, Narcissa retightened her embrace, burying the tip of her nose in my messy hair. The tension that knotted my shoulders and tightened my throat seemed to disperse, thanks to her. Her fresh lips placed themselves on the base of my neck, going back up in a windfall of kisses until they reached my ear's helix, before she softly murmured :

"Are you feeling better ?"

"Yes" I whispered, ignoring somehow those unpleasant sensations that overcame me every time she asked me a question.

I sighted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable : what if she asked questions that I didn't want to answer, or incited me to say things I was not ready to confide to her ? Shivers and a cold sweat took my body by storm, and before she could say anything, I asked her, my tone maybe a little too pleading :

"Cissy, please, I would like you to leave me alone"

The soft and reassuring warmth of her body left me as her silhouette detached itself from mine. My eyelids snapped and a new sight left my lips

When I opens my eyes again, Narcissa was standing in front of me, her magnificent blue orbs tiny bit hurt by what I said, tiny bit worried, were scrutinizing with attention, and I couldn't prevent myself from averting my gaze. The warm palm of her right hand placed itself tenderly on my left cheek, and she whispered softly :

"Mia, please, look at me." I obeyed, silently inviting her to carry on. "What is wrong ?"

Keeping my eyes on her, I answered, my voice lightly tremulous

"I am afraid that you will make me say things that I am not ready to tell you, and that you are not ready to hear..."

"What do you mean ?" She said, but as soon as her question was asked, her eyes filled with dread, and she hastened to say "No, I'm sorry Mia, please, don't answer if you don't want to!"

Nonetheless, it was already too late, my senses were once again plagued with this heat blended with cold, and this invisible force was clasping almost painfully my entrails. I didn't want to talk about it, we have only been together for a couple of months, I was not ready, yet, the words left my mouth and I couldn't do anything about it

"I love you Narcissa."