Hello friends. This is a little fic about Narcissa Malfoy (maiden name Black) and her life. I got the idea of this fic from a poem by Emily Dickinson and I have linked the poem to the story. My friend said that she just doesn't understand what the poem has got to do with my story, so I might've misunderstood the poem or something... What do you think? Please read and review!

All characters belong to the one and only J.K.Rowling. I wish I could write like her... The poem is not mine either: it's written by Emily Dickinson, but since she's been dead for over one hundred years, I don't know who owns it. I just loved it - and borrowed it.

And yeah, sorry about the language mistakes. English just isn't my native language.

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1. Different shade of black

She stared at the mirror, horrified. Last shade of pale blond in her hair had just vanished, turning into dark, deep black. "What have I done?" she whispered to the silence. She stroked her long, now raven black hair with incertainty. She looked so pale. "Black. Now I am Black" she said and tried to look cruel and sly.

"You will never be a true Black, sister" said a mean voice behind her. Quickly she turned around and saw her sister standing on the doorway. "What is that anyway, changing your hair colour? You were not born with black hair so it is obvious that you were meant to be different. You were meant to be the weakest. You are not going to become anything, Narcissa. You are bound to be no one forever. Don't you try to foul anyone with that black hair. They'll know you are different. And besides, black really isn't your colour, don't you think?" Bellatrix laughed, utterly amused with the tears shining in her sister's eyes. "Cry, baby, cry. No one will come to help you, I promise." 

With a dash she strode out of the room, leaving Narcissa hurt and inadequate. Bellatrix always made her feel miserable because she thought it was funny. Narcissa gazed at her reflection. She raised her wand slowly and made a soft movement around her head. The colour of her hair begun to slide from black to almost white blond. Tears fell down her cheeks. She was ten years old and really wanted to be part of something.

No one ever saw her with black hair.

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The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement. It was time for the Sorting Ceremony. All the first years were walking through the Hall, feeling the older students' stares. Narcissa Black was walking just after her twin sister, and she felt she like she could throw up. What if the Sorting Hat put her for example to the Hufflepuff? Or Ravenclaw? Or Gryffindor? Actually, what if the Sorting hat didn't put her to the Slytherin? Every member of the Black family had always been in Slytherin; she was sure she would fail and find herself in the Hufflepuff table, feeling her sister's anger and hatred towards the blood-traitor. She trembled. The Sorting begun.

After only a couple of students, the hat shouted "Bellatrix Black" and Bellatrix walked to the hat. She sat on the chair and put the hat on her head. With no thinking, the hat shouted: "Slytherin".  A triumphant smile spread to Bellatrix's face: she had won, again, like she always did. She had passed the test. She shot a sly glance at Narcissa, silently asking: "Can you do the same? Can you manage to do something properly even this once?"

She walked to the Slytherin table, waving her gorgeous black hair cunningly and got lots of cheers when she sat down. The hat, however, had already proceeded to the next person to be sorted. "Narcissa Black" the hat shouted. Narcissa took a deep breath and tried to focus her thoughts. "Don't faint, you can do this", she said to herself.

The hat waited innocently on the chair. "Like it didn't know my life depends on this" Narcissa thought absent-mindedly. She sat on the chair and placed the hat on her head. A soft voice spoke inside the hat.

"I could put you to Ravenclaw, yes I could. You would fit in very well. But I feel you desire to belong to Salazar Slytherin, am I right? Yes, that is what you want. You are very smart girl, I can see, Ravenclaw would be proud to take you. No? Well, your will shall it be then - Slytherin!" 

Narcissa felt a rush of glory. She had made it! Finally, she had done something that family expected her to do. Something to be accepted. She looked at the Slytherin table. Bellatrix was cheering with others but Narcissa could see she looked mildly surprised and also little - annoyed? Narcissa frowned. Why was nothing enough to her sister? Why she had to ruin her glorious moment? Why she had to be so perfect?

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Short and stupid? Yap, but please please  review!