Sorry for the wait.

Underlying the noise of her heels clicking sharply on the stone floor was a quiet footfall. "I never liked that lab," Malfoy commented, drawing up beside her.

Narcissa quickened her pace, but he kept up easily. "Why are you following me?"

Malfoy chuckled lightly, glancing sideways at her from under pale lashes. "I'm just going to our dormitory. You're the one following me." In saying, he lengthened his stride so he was slightly ahead of her.

Narcissa's thoughts flew to the dozen Dark spells that she had seen Bella use which would work perfectly on Malfoy right now. 'Blacks are always collected,' her mother's voice rang in her mind.

So Narcissa did not retort or hang Malfoy by his ear off the ceiling. Together, they stepped on to a set of stairs, which began to float to the next floor. Narcissa went immediately to the railing on the left edge, looking over the other moving staircases and portraits all around. The warm beige walls were so contrasting to her home that she never was able to allow herself to believe she was at home.

The smallest of frowns tugged on her pale rosebud lips. Suddenly her neck was feeling very warm. Narcissa turned quickly to find Malfoy centimeters from her face. "What?" she asked sharply, fighting to control her heart, which was fluttering like a hummingbird.

"I was just wondering," he murmured, his arms moving to grip the rail on either side of her, trapping her between, "what would happen," he leaned closer, gray eyes sparkling, "if I kissed you again."

Narcissa opened her mouth to object but found it covered by Malfoy's lips. In a moment they were gone.

Before Narcissa could think of a way to react, Lucius had moved aside and leapt off the railing of the staircase on to the one traveling directly below in the opposite direction.

He smirked at her stunned face and gave a little wave as he continued downwards. Narcissa, mind in a flurry, looked back up the stairs.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Narcissa knocked quickly on Professor Arro's door and rocked back onto her heels. The door creaked open and Arro appeared. His hand pulled back from the ice knob and he said, "This is why you're here. I've been trying to thaw out this wall all day and not a single drop of water has dislodged. That's your job: undo the spell, and then come to me for further instructions."

Narcissa brushed past the professor into the room and stared at the wall. It wasn't just coated in ice; everything from the stone to the cobwebs was solid ice. She walked over to a cobweb in the corner, lifted her azure crocodile skin boot and kicked it. The ice shattered and the slender fragments hit the floor with a clang.

The pureblood sighed. She had hoped that, when disconnected to the bulk of the wall, it would turn back into its original substance. Narcissa picked up the ice spider and examined it.

She breathed heavily on it and, slowly, the ice turned darker and darker until a small spider was scuttling on her hand. With pursed lips and flared nostrils, she squished it against the ice wall. Narcissa pulled out her wand and sent a stream of hot air at the ice. Nothing happened. "I guess it's only human breath that works," remarked the professor from across the room.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the ice and Narcissa peered through the wall at Malfoy. He pushed open the door without invitation and Arro stood up. "Scrub all the ashes off the ground and walls," he instructed. "Without magic."

Malfoy gritted his teeth and picked up the brush and water bucket. Narcissa laughed quietly at his misfortune and put her face close to the wall and breathed out slowly. The ice melted into a patch of dark stone. She raised her head a little and blew again.

Over the next two hours, Narcissa breathed non-stop on the ice wall. The room was completely silent other than the dull sounds of brush on stone and quill on parchment from behind her. When she only had a quarter of the wall left, she heard Arro say, "Now you can help Miss Black. Maybe it'll help you two bond."

Narcissa snorted softly. She heard the sounds of Malfoy approaching from behind and continued breathing softly on her section of the wall.

She heard Malfoy close to her, breathing lightly onto the ice. "This is all your fault," he murmured under his breath.

Narcissa scowled, keeping her eyes on the spreading stone. "We already went over this. Your fault."

"Did I make you use this spell?" he asked softly, moving over a step.

Narcissa did not bother to answer. It was still his fault. She stood up and lifted her head high so she could reach closer to the top of the wall. As she rose to her tiptoes, Malfoy said, "You're too short."

Narcissa could not ignore this. She turned her head to him, eyebrow raised. "Pardon?"

"You can't even reach the top," he said quietly, gesturing to the foot of ice that lined the wall all the way down.

Arro coughed lightly from behind them. Narcissa gave Malfoy a bittersweet smile. "You do it then."

He inclined his head and moved over to the corner that she had started in. Raising himself gingerly onto his toes, he breathed on the wall, morphing the ice to mossy stone.

Narcissa huffed softly under her breath as she exhaled again.

When at last they had finished, Professor Arro said, "See? You can work together. It just takes a little cooperation and-"

"Anything else you need us to do?" Narcissa snapped. He raised an eyebrow. "You've had us in here for three hours!"

"You destroyed my classroom. You should be having detention every weekend from now on."

Not even the stern narrowing of his eyes could stop Narcissa. "Then give us detention. Just not until midnight. We do have homework."

"Actually, she has homework. I already finished mine," Malfoy interjected.

Narcissa stopped herself from glowering at him with difficulty. "Listen. I would hate to see the two of you continue to loathe each other once you're married." Professor Arro's voice was kind. Narcissa hated him. "I was talking to some of the other teachers and-"

"What?" Narcissa and Malfoy exclaimed together. "You said you'd keep a secret," Narcissa said, voice carefully calm.

"They're just some of your professors. Anyways, we were thinking that it'd be a good idea for you two to have some pre-marriage counseling."

"Counseling?"

"That is quite unnecessary, professor," Malfoy said smoothly over Narcissa's outburst. "We already have something of the sort arranged. Thank you for your consideration though."

Narcissa took a deep breath and gave a tight smile. "Yes. Thank you." The two Slytherins exited the room.

Once the door was closed and they were safely ten feet away, Malfoy chuckled. "Idiot mudblood."

Narcissa nodded. "That was quick," she observed.

"You owe me," he informed her as they walked towards their dorm.

"For what?" she argued. "You wanted it even less than I did."

"Yes, but if you had been left in charge of that we'd be in St. Mungo's for intense therapy." His aristocratic way of talking made the words seem a compliment.

"Well then I'm sorry you missed out on something you so sorely needed," Narcissa retorted.

He just chuckled. "Nice comeback," he muttered. That tone made it impossible to tell whether he was sarcastic, so she didn't bother replying.