Author's Note: Thank you so much for your support. It truly makes my life better.
After that night on the lake, something seemed to change in Iain. He kept physically further from me than ever before, although his attitude remained essentially the same. We continued our whimsical time, our escape from reality. We played games and lazed about and read and sang songs. We sneaked into the kitchens to eat ice cream, and we spent the milder nights outside, lying on the snow and looking up at the stars. Sometimes, we sat in silence next to one another, simply enjoying each other's presence. It felt as though our thoughts were intertwined, and there were moments when we'd look at one another and laugh for no reason at all.
But Iain still kept his distance from me, smiling the same as always, but no longer sitting right next to my side, or taking my hand in his.
I tried to convince myself I was imagining things, but as the days passed, I asked myself the same question more and more often: what was he so afraid of?
I knew the answer, but I would not speak it. Not even to myself.
"Our housemates are going to be quite confused," commented Narcissa on Christmas Eve.
Iain looked over at her. "Confused? They're going to be bloody raging!" The two peered up at the Slytherin and Hufflepuff counters. "We've lost nearly fifty points a piece!"
"Honestly," said Narcissa as the two turned away, "I think McGonagall was overreacting for that last bit. I mean, how were we supposed to know Professor Binns got trapped in the trick stair while following us? He was only in there for three days."
Iain snickered.
"Plus," went on Narcissa, "he's a ghost! It's not like he has anything but time."
The pair paused and looked up at the giant Christmas tree seated in one brilliantly decorated corner of the Great Hall. The area was positively alive with Christmas, and the tree was its beautiful centerpiece, artfully decorated all the way to its tall peak.
"Don't forget," said Narcissa softly to Iain, who looked over at her. "My sisters are coming to see me for Christmas tomorrow." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry you won't be able to join us," she admitted, sighing. "I feel terrible that you're spending Christmas day alone." She really did. How lovely it would be if Iain could join them, and all would be peaceful and well.
Iain shrugged, his lips quirked in his easy smile. "I don't mind, really. I'll just sleep in. And besides, we'll see each other that evening, aye? It'll be great." He beamed at her, and Narcissa felt herself return the smile much against her own will. However, her smile wavered when she noticed him quite casually taking a step away from her. This carefully maintained distance made Narcissa feel quite put out. Scowling inwardly, she turned away from Iain and looked up at the tall Christmas tree. Then she tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Oh! I want that one there – the corner, you see?" She was pointing to a candy cane, just as she had every day for the last week. It was always up to Iain to retrieve it for her because he was taller, but this time, the red and white striped candy was out of his reach, too.
"Wha – Why that one?" asked Iain. "It's nearly at the top!"
"It's the best looking one," said Narcissa, pouting.
Making a face, Iain pulled out his wand and tried to get the candy cane down with magic, but it was at an odd angle and too heavily concealed by branches. "Look," said Narcissa, after a quick glance around, "there's Professor Flitwick's ladder! Just go and – "
She stopped at the look on Iain's face, which held a flush of deep red and then an uncharacteristic look of embarrassment.
"Oh," Narcissa amended quickly, "what am I thinking? That's silly. You should be at the bottom to hold the ladder, and I'll go up."
"I can do it," Iain muttered, looking at the ladder almost fearfully. Narcissa quickly waved him off.
"No, no. You're stronger, you should be there to make sure it doesn't fall. Here, hold it for me." Narcissa tugged the ladder over, and Iain took his place at the bottom, though he still looked self-conscious. When Narcissa started to climb, his anxiety only seemed to grow.
"Be careful," he told her. "Don't go too fast."
Narcissa slowed down for Iain's sake, although she was hardly afraid to go up a twelve-foot ladder. Once she was at the top, she got her candy cane and then one more for Iain before she turned and carefully came back down. Iain seemed to refuse his right to breathe until she was nearly at the bottom. Once she was three steps from the ground, Narcissa shot him a devious smile and waved a hand near her forehead.
"Oh, no!" she cried out dramatically. "I'm going to fall! You'd better catch me, Iain!"
This finally made Iain smile again, even though his cheeks were still rosy. "You'd better not," he warned her. "I'm not looking, Narcissa!"
Narcissa loosened her grip on the ladder, leaning far out. "Oh – oh, dear – I'm slipping!" She began to giggle, and Iain laughed, holding out his arms so that Narcissa could fall lightly into them. He quickly set her on the ground, though his grip lingered, his eyes on her face. Narcissa barely contained a satisfied smirk, knowing she'd finally made him hold her again. It had only been two days since that night on the lake, but she had sorely missed his easy and comfortable touch. He hadn't so much as brushed against her skin in the last forty-eight hours, but now his arm lingered at her waist, his face close to hers.
Until he pulled away very suddenly, clearing his throat a bit.
Narcissa pursed her lips and made a face, but her sour look quickly disappeared. Instead, she bound up next to Iain and offered him the other candy cane, which he accepted with a gentle smile.
That evening, Narcissa and Iain parted ways, and Narcissa slept in her bed in an empty dormitory until she awoke on Christmas morning. Quickly, she rose and showered, getting dressed in a pair of soft ruby red robes and brushing out her hair. Then she rushed down to the dining hall and gathered up a breakfast, which she arranged on a tray with a pitcher of pumpkin juice.
Before her sisters could arrive, Narcissa took the tray of food down to the Hufflepuff Common Room, let herself in using the trick Iain had shown her, and then carefully arranged everything in the Common Room so it would be there when he woke up.
She wouldn't get to see him for hours, but he should know she thought of him.
Happy Christmas, she wrote on a little card, which she left on the trey. After taking a moment to admire it, she left the Hufflepuff Common Room and went back to the Great Hall, where the other few remaining students were already gathered for breakfast. Narcissa only had to wait a few minutes for the doors to open and reveal two of her favorite people in the world – Andromeda and Bellatrix Black.
"Cissy!" cried out Andromeda, rushing forward to sweep Narcissa into a hug. "Oh, how I've missed you!"
Narcissa clung to her sister, doing her very best not to cry. She'd missed Andromeda desperately, and she had not seen her once since they'd parted ways at the platform before start of term. That day at the train station felt like a lifetime ago.
After pulling away from Andromeda, Narcissa turned to Bellatrix, who watched with her usual dark features. She did not rush to Narcissa, as Andromeda did, but when Narcissa faced her, she held out her arms. Narcissa jumped into them and hugged Bellatrix tightly. Her oldest sister patted her head twice in response.
"I'm so glad you're both here," said Narcissa, pulling them over to the table. They sat further away from everyone else and the banquet of breakfast food appeared. "Have you – have either of you heard from Father…?"
Bellatrix and Andromeda exchanged looks; Andromeda looked concerned. Bellatrix looked bitter.
"He has not visited me at school or written to me," admitted Andromeda, "though I do expect that he'll come to me soon if Bellatrix continues to evade him."
The oldest Black sister's darkly painted lips quirked. Her features reminded Narcissa of smoke. "I have my own affairs to tend to," said Bellatrix, unconcerned. "I do not answer to his beck and call any longer. If he wants to find me, he'll have to track me down himself." She looked over the two younger girls. "And that would be very… very unwise of him. So I suggest neither of you give him any clues as to my whereabouts, yes?"
"Of course," agreed Narcissa earnestly. She would never lead their father to Bellatrix. That would only cause trouble for everyone. "But where…?"
"In a little while," said Bellatrix, sipping from her goblet.
Andromeda's brows furrowed, but they all let the subject drop, and instead, Andromeda filled the silence by asking Narcissa about school, recounting her etiquette lessons, and talking about a new book she was reading. Narcissa listened eagerly, knowing she was bound for the finishing school one day. How Bellatrix had gotten out of it and still secured a rich pureblood wizard to court her, she wasn't sure.
"Had any more trouble out of Corinne?" asked Bellatrix, grinning.
Narcissa huffed. "She's a bloody maniac," she told her sisters in a whisper. "She chased me out into a blizzard!"
"What? Why?" asked Andromeda, shocked.
Narcissa's expression flickered at a self-satisfied smile. "I might've – er, danced with Lucius Malfoy at the winter ball. And flirted a bit." At this, both of her sisters laughed, and Bellatrix in particular looked delighted. Narcissa giggled as well, though her amusement ended quite suddenly when she realized she hadn't even thought about Lucius Malfoy since the beginning of break. All her thoughts had been consumed by Iain.
Narcissa bit her lip and tried to cover up her sudden change in mood.
"Simply wonderful," said Bellatrix, still chuckling darkly. "I hope she was in a fit."
"She was," said Narcissa. "I really think she might hurt me if she gets the chance, Bella."
At this, Bellatrix's chuckled faded away, and she set her darkly rimmed eyes on Narcissa. A glint of something predatory reflected in her gaze. "I would kill anyone who dared touch you, sister."
Andromeda looked over at Bellatrix, her expression was difficult to read. After a moment, she reached over and touched Narcissa's hand. "None of the staff here will let anything happen to you, Narcissa. But maybe best to stay out of her way, yeah? She graduates this year. After that, you won't have to worry about her anymore."
"I hope not," murmured Narcissa, squeezing Andromeda's fingers.
The breakfast ended a few minutes later, and the three Black sisters retreated to a outside corridor that ran parallel to the Stone Courtyard. There, they found seats near an outdoor hearth, lit a fire, and exchanged gifts. Narcissa was delighted by her gifts from her sisters, a stylish beret and glove set from Andromeda and a vial of Felix Felicis from Bellatrix.
"A little liquid luck for you," Bellatrix told her with a sly wink. "Just in case…"
"Thank you," replied Narcissa, linking arms with both of her sisters. She gave them their gifts then, starting with a beautiful stationary set for Andromeda.
"It's gorgeous!" said Andromeda, hugging the lovely box of supplies to her chest. "I absolutely love it, Cissy."
Bellatrix opened her gift, and in it, she found a silver pocket-watch; her dark eyes twinkled with joy. Bellatrix had always enjoyed carrying pocket-watches, though what her fascination with time was, Narcissa couldn't say for sure. However, the other witches of their status had always told her that pocket-watches were masculine, and she should carry a more dainty time-piece, if she must. Bellatrix had always despised that; she had some sort of affinity for keeping time on a chain, and she did not give a damn whether it was "masculine" or not. When Bellatrix had been younger, she had carried an old one of their Father's that he'd left behind in his desk. However, she'd broken it right before leaving home when she'd hurled it into a wall.
This new pocket-watch had an elegantly scripted 'B' on the front, and as with most magical things, it held a hidden purpose. "The numbers invert," Narcissa told Bella of the enchanted watch, "when there's someone nearby who means to do you harm. It will help keep you safe."
Bellatrix actually smiled, showing her teeth. The expression looked manic on her features, and Andromeda looked at her like one might look at an unfamiliar dog as it approached them.
"Thank you, Cissy," purred Bellatrix, tucking the watch away. Once it was safely in her pocket, Bellatrix looked all around them to make sure they were alone. Then she leaned forward, and the other two witches curled near her. "Now… Do you want to know where I've been?"
Narcissa and Andromeda looked at one another and then back to Bellatrix. They nodded in unison.
Bellatrix flashed them both a feral grin and then reached with one hand to her left forearm, stroking down the length of it with her fingers spread. "I have been," said Bellatrix, looking wistful and faraway, "in the company of the greatest wizard who has ever lived." Looking back to her sisters, Bellatrix slowly pulled up her robe sleeve to reveal a jet-black image stained into her skin.
Andromeda and Narcissa both gasped. "Bella, is that a tattoo?" asked Andromeda. "Father is going to kill you!"
"It's not just a tattoo," Bellatrix snapped, before her voice became dreamy again. "It's a mark… His Mark." She stroked it, her lips curling in a smile. "And it means that I have been chosen for a most glorious purpose."
Narcissa's stomach twisted with anxiety. The mark on Bellatrix's arm with heavy with black ink, a long skull with a snake twisting around it. As Narcissa watched, the image seemed to pulse. She felt as though it had an essence, and the sheer strength of it was oppressive. She swallowed tightly.
"A purpose?" she asked, looking at her sister and trying not to show her fear.
"Yes," said Bellatrix, leaning close, her eyes dancing. "Little sisters, our new Dark Lord is preparing for great things, wonderful things… a new world, shaped in the perfect silhouette of purebloods." Her fingers curled over the mark on her arm, fingernails scraping into her skin. She did not even seem to know she was doing it.
"Imagine it, Cissy," Bellatrix whispered, her eyes locked on Narcissa's, "A world with no Mudbloods."
"None? How is that possible?" asked Andromeda stiffly.
Bellatrix cocked her head in Andromeda's direction, and her lip curled. "Extermination, of course. Domination, total and complete control. We shall have it all, just like before, back when our world made sense. Purebloods will have all the power, and our family will be proud again, as it should be! All because of him – all because of Lord Voldemort."
"Lord Voldemort?" repeated Narcissa in a squeak. What a terrifying name.
"Yes!" Bellatrix gripped both of their arms, and the two younger witches jumped. Narcissa fought not to look at Andromeda or Bellatrix, because she knew her fear would read quite easily. Was this the "dark lord" Lucius Malfoy and Corinne had been referring to?
Our new lord might even make a Triwizard sport of it. That was what Lucius had said… about Mudblood hunting. Narcissa's insides felt icy with fear. She did not like change; her anxiety could not handle it. And this…? Could it all be real? She fought not to think of Iain.
"I am one of his most trusted servants," Bellatrix told them both, her eyes wild. "And he has taught me so much, sisters… We will be unstoppable. And when the time comes, the entire magical world will know of us and our immense power." She released her painful grips on their arms, and she looked at Narcissa, reaching up to stroke her youngest sister's cheek. "Don't be afraid, Cissy. I know you don't share my strength. You're not a fighter. But that's alright… because I will make certain that your part in all this is fitting for you." She looked back at Andromeda, and her expression grew less tender. "Fitting… for both of you."
Narcissa's eyes drifted down to the mark again. She could feel it looking at her; it might've been the ugliest thing she had ever seen.
"Bella, I – "
"Don't you trust me, Cissy?" asked Bellatrix, her voice soft but not tender. She looked at Andromeda. "Don't either of you trust me? After all I've done to protect you?"
"Of course we do," murmured Andromeda. "We trust you and we love you."
Narcissa nodded in agreement, and she forced herself to smile. "Whatever you think is best, Bella."
The oldest Black sister gripped their hands again in a hard squeeze. "Good girls," she praised, her voice low.
Andromeda and Bellatrix left late in the afternoon after spending most of the day with Narcissa. Bellatrix did not seem to notice how quiet her two younger sisters were for the remainder of their time together, although Narcissa suspected she might not have cared. Whatever the case, Narcissa was secretly a little relieved when her sisters said good-bye and left Hogwarts.
As soon as the doors were shut behind them, Narcissa turned and hurried through Hogwarts, looking for Iain. She found him still in the Hufflepuff Common Room, laying around on one of the couches and playing with his guitar. The moment he saw her, his face lit up and he set the guitar aside.
Perhaps it was the fear from Bellatrix's words earlier, or simply the fact that she had not seen him all day, but Narcissa could not help throwing herself into his arms for a hug as soon as he was standing. "Hello to you, too," he said with a laugh, squeezing her tight before pulling away quickly. Narcissa fought the urge to stomp her foot in protest. Hold me, you stupid oaf! she thought in a fit of temper. She could not say that, though.
Instead, she settled down with Iain on the floor in front of the fireplace, where their usual nest of blankets and pillows stayed. Oh, she was going to miss this when the term resumed. She didn't want other stupid Hufflepuffs to come back and ruin their special space together. This was for them.
"How was your visit?" asked Iain, reclining with his shoulder blades against the couch.
"It was fine," answered Narcissa, deciding not to mention what she'd learned from Bellatrix. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell all that to Iain, or if she did, not then. "They both gave me presents, and we got to spend a lot of time just talking. It was nice."
"Anything from your father?" Iain's fingers twitched, and he put them behind his head.
"No," said Narcissa with a sigh. "I suppose I won't hear from him. But it doesn't matter. My sisters are the only family I care for." After a moment, Narcissa shrugged and put a small smile on her face. "Anyway, I'm just glad to be here with you."
Iain's fingers seemed to twitch again behind his head, but he didn't move them. "I'm glad you're here, too." They both paused, a strangely full silence between them. Then Iain reached over and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box. "Ready for your present?" he asked with a grin.
Pleased once more, Narcissa clapped her hands together. "Oh, yes!"
"Happy Christmas," Iain told her, moving to sit cross-legged in front of her and gently handing her the gift. Narcissa knew she would love it no matter what, but Iain seemed a little nervous, so she made sure to smile at him as she opened it.
Inside the box was the most beautiful leather-bound journal Narcissa had ever seen. It had thick, well-made paper and a lovely leather cord wrapped around it. It also had Narcissa's name engraved at the bottom corner. "Oh, Iain… This is stunning!" said Narcissa, drawing her thumb over the warm material of the cover. The leather felt smooth and had the most wonderful smell.
At her genuine delight, Iain relaxed and reached over, touching the journal and turning it so that the spine faced up. "It has an enchantment," he told her. "Once you seal the journal with a drop of your blood, only you will ever be able to read what's inside. Everyone else will only see blank pages, no matter how hard they try."
Narcissa's lips parted in surprise.
"I know," said Iain softly, "you don't always have someone you can talk to about everything. You have so many wonderful things to say, and so few people in your life who can understand them. I guess – Well, I was hoping you could use this journal to finally … be honest. About anything, everything. And you never have to fear what someone will do or think, because your words will always be protected." He looked up at her, and Narcissa's heart swelled at the sight of his earnest features.
Oh, how many powerful things she felt about him. She did not think she could put it in words if she tried.
"Thank you," she whispered at last, tears pressing at the corners of her eyes as she hugged the journal to her chest. No one understood her like the wizard in front of her, and Narcissa did not know what to do about it. After a few seconds, Narcissa managed to calm her beating heart and set the journal aside.
"Here," she said. "Next yours." Tugging the rather large box out from hiding, she pushed it at Iain who gaped at it. "What on earth?" he asked. "Wait – Why is there a Chocolate Frog box on the top?"
"It goes with the gift," said Narcissa slyly. "You have to open it up first."
Iain raised a brow, plucking the Chocolate Frog box from the top of the present. After he opened it, he caught the chocolate frog, popped it in his mouth and then studied the box. "Seems like a normal box," he observed.
Narcissa rolled her eyes. "You have to look at the card, of course! That's all anyone cares about."
"Oh," said Iain, pulling out the card. "I've collected these for years. I bet I have nearly all of them. So who is on this … " he stopped once he unveiled the card, and then he laughed, looking up at Narcissa with a perplexed expression. "Narcissa, why on earth is there a picture of me on this card?"
"Read it and see!"
Chuckling, Iain turned over the card to read the back. "Iain Alasdair Stewart," he read from the back of the modified card, "is a … " He stopped again, this time choking back a surprised noise before he started again. "Iain Alasdair Stewart is a world-famous magical boat builder and ship designer who is known for his highly creative and unique vessels. Starting from modest beginnings as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Stewart went on to become the protégé of Aleksander Morikov, another famous ship builder who claimed Stewart was the best student he'd ever had. Stewart now operates his own business out of Scotland, where his boats are considered the best in all the known magical world."
"A glimpse of the future," said Narcissa softly from near his shoulder. Her eyes twinkled. "I'm quite good at Divination, you see."
Iain reached up and pushed a hand over his face, swallowing over a lump in his throat. Then he pulled the wrapping paper off his gift, which turned out to be a very fine and detailed model ship Narcissa had found in a catalogue. He laughed again, this time with a bit of a hiccup.
"Perhaps this one will float," he joked to Narcissa, his eyes shining. She leaned close from behind him and put her chin on his shoulder, smiling.
"The first of many," she whispered.
Iain shifted his head just enough to look at her, their faces very close. "Thank you," he murmured, setting the box aside slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. He was so near her, it would take only the smallest of movements to close the distance between their lips. Narcissa could feel the heat from his body, the tension that filled the scant space between them. Oh, how she wanted him to kiss her. She could not even deny it now. She wanted it more than anything.
However, just when she thought he might do so – because how could he look at her like that and not kiss her? – Iain pulled away, his eyes lowering and his body curling away from hers. Hot embarrassment flooded Narcissa's cheeks, and she pulled back as well. The touch between them was lost, and it left Narcissa feeling cold.
Together, the pair looked at the fire roaring in the hearth, and they said nothing for the rest of the night.
For the next few days, every interaction between Narcissa and Iain felt strange, uncomfortable. Narcissa hated it so much. She had never, ever felt at odds with Iain this way, as if neither of them could figure out how to simply be together. Thankfully, after a few days, Iain seemed to return more to his usual self. It did not make Narcissa feel much better, though; something was still amiss, and all Iain seemed to be doing was pushing it aside.
Ignoring those moments, those sensations – it felt cruel to Narcissa. But what could she do?
After a few days of awkward tension, she was ready to give it all up. So when Iain began acting normally again, she felt she had no choice but to move with him, as if that night on the lake had never happened. As if so many of these small moments had never occurred at all.
Together, they celebrated New Years Eve. When the clock chimed midnight, they both cheered. It was a new year.
1973
"Narcissa!" exclaimed Iain suddenly, halfway through the first day of the year. His excited shout was so sudden and jarring, Narcissa knocked over her pumpkin juice.
"Iain!" she admonished. "Goodness."
"Oh, sorry," he said, handing her a napkin over her lunch plate. They were both seated at the same table they'd been eating at all break. "I just had a great idea for something we can do before everyone else returns. Come on, hurry up. I don't want to tell you in here."
"Are we going to get in trouble again?" asked Narcissa, smirking.
Iain grinned. "Only if we get caught."
Rolling her eyes, Narcissa finished eating and left the Great Hall with Iain. "Okay," said Iain, "so… have you ever been in the Prefect's Bathroom?"
Narcissa laughed, startled. "What? No! I'm not a prefect. And neither are you, idiot!"
"Did you know it has a huge swimming-pool sized bath in it?" asked Iain, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Because it definitely does. And I happened to overhear one of the Hufflepuff prefects talking about the password right before he left…"
Narcissa made a disbelieving noise. "Surely you are not suggesting – "
"We can go swimming!" exclaimed Iain, practically rocking on his heels. "Come on, Cissa! When else would we ever be able to do this? There's no prefects here right now. No one will catch us!"
"I don't have a swimming suit!" pointed out Narcissa. "What on earth would I wear?"
Iain shrugged. "We can improvise."
Narcissa raised a brow, showing that she doubted this very much. Still, Iain seemed very excited about the idea, and it DID sound fun… Narcissa hadn't been swimming in so long, since she was a very little girl. And of course, Iain loved the water.
"Oh, fine," she said at last. "But if we get caught, I'm drowning you."
"Fair enough."
The next night, late in the evening after all the rest of the castle was asleep, Iain and Narcissa sneaked up to the fifth floor and entered the Prefect's Bathroom through the portrait, which accepted Iain's stolen password (lemony fresh). The room was truly amazing, with large stained-glass portraits of mermaids on the windows and scant lighting on the walls, creating tall walls of shadows. Night had fallen, so the large open room was dimly lit and every corner was dark. Once they were inside, Iain set to work filling the giant pool-sized tub, and Narcissa ducked into one of the stalls to change into what Iain had brought her to swim in.
Several minutes later, Narcissa shyly emerged from the stall. Iain had his back to her, bent over one of the many hundreds of faucets that surrounded the large pool. Standing uncertainly, her arms over her chest, Narcissa made a noise to grab his attention.
Rising from his spot, Iain turned to face her and visibly balked.
"Do I look odd?" asked Narcissa self-consciously. She stood in front of Iain wearing one of his dark-grey t-shirts, the sleeves of which hung nearly to her elbows, the bottom near the middle of her thighs. She also had a pair of his shorts on, though they only managed to stay up because of a drawstring. These, too, were large on her and stopped below her knees. All his clothes smelled like him, and the t-shirt was surprisingly soft. She felt strange, especially knowing she was wearing Muggle clothes, but she sort of liked it. The way Iain looked at her made her, though, made her question whether or not she looked utterly ridiculous.
"Ah," said Iain, clearing his throat and smiling at last. "No, no. You look fine."
"Are you sure?" asked Narcissa, tugging on her hair, which she had pulled into a low ponytail. It sat against one shoulder and partially covered the image on the front of the t-shirt, which read THE ROLLING STONES. "I feel so – strange!" She giggled, despite her anxiety.
At this, Iain laughed. "You don't look strange, I promise." He didn't take his eyes off her.
Flushing furiously, Narcissa wiggled under his stare for a moment. Then she squeaked and ran straight at the pool, jumping off the edge and into the water just so she could hide from him. She landed with a splash and then jumped up, laughing wildly as she pushed her wet hair off her face. She couldn't believe she was doing this, and suddenly, she felt quite exhilarated.
Iain snickered from his spot, and then he was next after her, kicking off his shoes and then – to Narcissa's complete shock – tugging off his shirt before he jumped in after her. Thank Merlin he was underwater and didn't hear the completely involuntary noise Narcissa made in response to his bare torso. As soon as he popped up in the water and pushed back his damp hair, Narcissa slapped her wet hands over her face.
"Iain! Why did you take off your top?" she shrieked, trying not to laugh.
"What?" asked Iain, confused before understanding dawned on him. "Oh, right – Oh, hell. I forgot, I'm sorry. I – What in the hell do wizards wear when they swim?"
"Swim tops!" Narcissa informed him, giggling like mad. She peeked between her fingers at him.
"Really?" asked Iain incredulously. "Muggles – well, I mean, Muggle men – they usually don't wear tops to swim. But here, I'll put mine back on – "
"No, no," said Narcissa, dropping her hands and trying desperately not to blush. "It's alright, really. I mean – er, if you normally swim that way – "
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he told her.
Narcissa bit her lip and tried to look confident. "No, I've – I've seen plenty of men without … tops on. Really." She tried desperately not to blush; she didn't want to seem immature, although she knew Iain well enough to know he wouldn't hold that against her. "Stay like you are." And alright, perhaps her reasoning was more about getting to watch him swim shirtless than anything, but whatever.
Without waiting for his response, Narcissa dove under the water and swam to the center of the pool. It took some practice to make her movements fluid again, as she hadn't swam much in her life, but she found a rhythm soon enough. When she re-emerged above the surface, she saw Iain had taken her words to heart and not replaced his top. He was now playing with the taps, pouring bubbles from some and investigating others. "Look at all these," he called to her, and Narcissa swam over.
"Bloody prefects," he muttered. "They get everythin!"
"Well, it's part of the perks," pointed out Narcissa. "I'd have been a prefect if not for stupid Helen Greengrass. She's such a goody two-shoes."
"Meanwhile," said Iain, making a face, "I have to shower in a room with twelve other blokes in the stalls all around me. Believe me, it's not a good time."
Narcissa fell into a fit of laughter at this. "At least you can get a shower. The girls in my dormitory take forever!" She swam backwards and frowned when the overly large t-shirt floated up. It wasn't revealing anything, but it was troublesome.
"Here," said Iain, moving over to her. "Just tie it, it's okay." Reaching forward, he pulled the fabric tighter around Narcissa's stomach, twisting the extra length at the end and tying it into a knot. His knuckles brushed the bare skin of Narcissa's stomach as he did so, and Narcissa felt a jolt travel through to the tops of her thighs. They both blushed.
"Thank you," said Narcissa once he was finished.
Iain quickly pulled away. After a few minutes of swimming, he asked Narcissa, "Do you lot ever play Marco Polo?"
"I have no idea what that is," Narcissa admitted, trying unsuccessfully to make herself float on her back. She landed on her feet again as Iain explained the game to her.
"Oh," she said with understanding. "We have a game similar to that! You don't call out Marco or Polo, though. Instead, the person who is 'it' has to slap the water, and the other people have to slap the water twice in response."
"Okay," said Iain, grinning. "Let's do that. You're it!"
Huffing, Narcissa stopped in the center of the pool and put her hands over her eyes. "Alright, I'll count to ten. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." She moved her hands but kept her eyes tightly closed, listening carefully for movements in the water. Moving slowly, she extended her arms fully in search of Iain. Then she slapped the water once.
Somewhere behind her, two more slaps came. Grinning wickedly, Narcissa turned in that direction, reaching out blindly. She slapped the water again, and this time the two slaps were to her left, followed by some scrambling in the water.
"Hufflepuff is stupid!" she called out, then waited for a response. When there was none, she pouted. "Damn, I thought that would work." A muffled laugh near her right made her turn directions again and she jumped out. More splashing, which she followed. The chase was on now, and it was only a few more seconds before Narcissa jumped out and her hands landed on warm flesh. "Got you!"
Narcissa and Iain both exploded with laughter. "You tried to cheat!" he accused.
"Of course I did," said Narcissa. "Now, you're it! Close your eyes and count to ten."
Iain did as he was told, closing his eyes and counting as Narcissa tried to get as far away as possible without making too much noise. When Iain was done counting, he slapped the water. Tucked into a far corner, Narcissa responded with two slaps of her own, fighting the urge to giggle loudly. Iain started out from his spot, arms spread wide as he searched for her.
Biting her lip, Narcissa edged along the wall. The hardest thing was not laughing at the sight of Iain walking around in the water, groping at something that wasn't there. He was much longer than Narcissa, though, so he was able to cover a lot more ground than she had. Squirming away from his extended fingers, Narcissa barely kept from shrieking when he came dangerously close to her. Iain slapped the water, and Narcissa hesitated before responding.
Iain jumped close, and Narcissa hurried back, pulling her arms close to her chest and doing her best not to squeal.
Iain's lips quirked, even though his eyes were still closed. He knew she was near, and for a moment, he simply paused and listened. Narcissa took the opportunity to look at him where she hovered just nearby. Merlin's beard. How had she ever looked at him and not thought how painfully handsome he was? All he was doing was standing in front of her, his eyes closed and his expression thoughtful, and Narcissa could not bring herself to look away.
So when he reached out and grabbed her very quickly, Narcissa wasn't even able to react. Before she knew what was happening, she was ensnared in Iain's arms and pulled right against against his bare torso. Iain opened his eyes because he knew he'd caught her.
This time, neither of them laughed.
Narcissa felt her breath leave her, her eyes up on Iain's face, so near hers. He'd trapped her arms when he'd grabbed her, but his grip loosened after a few moments and she was able to lower one hand. Water sloshed around them from their movements, but Narcissa and Iain remained just where they were, still pressed up against one another in the center of the pool.
Steam from the water rose higher in the air, but it was the heat between them that burned her. Narcissa could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she was certain he must hear it, too. Energy tingled in every part of Narcissa's body, starting with her lips where they were parted to the tips of her toes under the water. Every piece of her felt alive, even as her heart threatened to come to a complete stop.
Iain's expression was, for the first time ever, quite difficult to read.
He held her still, one of his hands curled over her bare arm near her elbow, and his face lingered near hers. After a few seconds, Narcissa recognized what she saw there in his eyes – confusion, conflict. He was going to pull away again, she knew it. But, oh Merlin, she didn't want him to.
So she cheated again.
Before Iain could move away from her, Narcissa reached out with her free hand and placed her open palm against his bare torso. Iain's eyes instantly lowered, eyelids fluttering, and before he could stop her – though he did not make a motion to do so – Narcissa moved her hand down the center of his chest with painstaking slowness. Curling her fingers slightly against his skin, Narcissa took a minute step closer and dropped her fingertips all the way down Iain's stomach. The lower her hand went, the shallower his breathing became. She could see it in every movement of his muscles, the way he inhaled sharply when her hand slipped below the water.
When her fingertips brushed the hem of his shorts, Narcissa looked back up at his face again, features set.
Iain scarcely seemed to breathe. For a long moment, he didn't move at all. Then, as soon as their eyes locked again, he closed the distance between them and caught Narcissa's lips in a deep kiss, winding his arms fully around her and pulling her entire body flush against his in an exhilarating grip.
Narcissa gasped at the sensation, her hands jumping up and looping around his neck as Iain's lips parted hers. For the first time ever, she felt someone else's tongue brush her own. The sensation was electric, so jarring to her senses that Narcissa's fingers curled at the base of his hairline on the back of his neck. One of the Iain's hands moved up to thread through her hair, the other at the base of her spine, high under the t-shirt which had become loose again. Just the feeling of his hand on her bare skin made Narcissa press against him, and suddenly, she could think of nothing else but feeling as much of him as possible.
For a split-second, their lips parted and Narcissa felt a shaky breath escape her, a noise she could not suppress before Iain crushed her to him again, his fingers tight at her warm waist. It was an intense grip, but Narcissa wanted it, did not mind in the slightest if imprints were left there. Panting against the kiss, Narcissa let herself curl into every movement of his hands. Her own fingers jumped over his naked torso, desperate for the feel of his skin, gripping and squeezing whatever she could find.
Oh, how sore Abigail would be to lose him, Narcissa thought in the back of her mind. If he'd ever kissed Abigail even half as well as he kissed Narcissa now, Abigail would be miserable without him.
Iain dropped both his hands to grip Narcissa's hips, pulling his lips away from hers only to drop them to her neck, where her hair stuck to her skin in wet swirls of white-blond. As soon as she felt his mouth against her throat, Narcissa's lips parted and she arched forward, desperate for more. Iain responded with a groan of his own, and the next time he tugged her against him, she could feel every hard inch of him.
This brought a new shock of sensations to Narcissa's body, much of which was reacting in a way it never had before. No boy had ever kissed her and made her want more. The way Iain kissed her, held her, moved his hands over her skin - Merlin, it made her want everything.
Reaching for him, Narcissa brought his face up to hers again and their lips crashed together, a distressed noise coming from Iain when Narcissa gripped the waistband of his shorts to tug him closer. A dangerous sort of pressure seemed to be building inside of her, and all Narcissa could think of was getting Iain as close to her as possible, feeling him against her.
Suddenly, Narcissa felt a wall of cool tile against her shoulder blades, and she realized Iain had picked her up and moved her around to the high wall at the head of the pool. His arm jumped behind her head to brace it from the wall, but his other was looped at her waist, tugging her higher so their faces were level. As soon as Narcissa felt herself pressed against the wall, she instinctively brought up her legs and wrapped them around Iain's waist.
"Oh," she exhaled gripping Iain's bicep as she felt his hardness again, this time pressed right up against her. Iain's mouth found hers once more, and Merlin, her body felt like it was a thousand degrees. That feeling intensified monumentally when she rolled her hips against Iain's in an instinctive bid to draw him closer, to relieve the pressure in her lower stomach and groin. The friction was almost unbearable, and Narcissa whimpered.
"Fuck," breathed Iain in a strained voice she'd never heard from him before. His free hand moved to the wall beside Narcissa's head and curled there, and for the first time since that first kiss, his eyes lifted to hers and they looked directly at one another.
Narcissa could not imagine how she looked, what Iain saw when he looked at her, but the mental image of Iain's flushed face, the darkness in his eyes, the way his lips remained parted – that would never leave her, she knew. It would remain forever engraved in her brain, the most secret and private part of her. He was trembling, she realized; so was she.
Leaning forward, Narcissa slipped one hand behind his neck and tugged him closer, pressing her mouth to his slowly and tugging on his lower lip as she did so. His response was to rock against her, sending a fresh jolt of pleasure through her entire body. Oh, how she needed this –
But then Iain's hands disappeared from her waist, and without warning, the intense heat pulled away from her. Narcissa opened her eyes to see Iain staring at her, looking almost angry, his chest still heaving as Narcissa's was.
His expression was stricken, as if someone had just given him the most dire news. Narcissa's heart cracked and splintered at how upset he looked.
"God damn it!" he exclaimed, startling her before he tugged himself away. Before Narcissa even knew what was happening, Iain moved away from her and pulled himself up out of the pool, water dripping down and leaving a trail behind him as he disappeared into one of the shower rooms without looking back.
Narcissa stayed where she was, frozen. A few minutes went by, and Iain did not return. Tears sprang to the corners of her eyes. The heat faded and disappeared. All Narcissa felt now was the rapidly cooling water and her own trembles.
"What have I done…?" she whispered to herself, sinking lower into the water as tears streamed down her cheeks.