I first woke in the early hours of the morning. Narcissa was sleeping at the edge of the bed with her arm hanging off, just like the time I'd brought her to the manor. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back her eyes were half open and she smiled at me.

"Hello," she greeted, voice rough. "What time is it?"

"Only four," I replied, slipping back into the warm blankets. "What are you doing all the way over there?"

She shifted away from the edge and curled up against my side. "Another old habit to break."

"From sleeping with Lucius?" I asked. In the dim light, it seemed easier to ask about difficult subjects. Part of me really didn't want to know about her marriage with him, but the rest of me wanted to know everything about her entire life.

"Mhm," she confirmed. "Don't get the wrong idea. There were no unwanted advances. But ever since Azkaban, he thrashes about in his sleep."

With morbid curiosity, I asked, "When is the last time you and he... never mind. That's none of my business."

Narcissa's hand trailed along my arm. "I don't mind telling you, but do you really want to know?"

No. Yes. "Yes."

"The evening before the Battle of Hogwarts," she said, voice hollow as she reminisced. "We hadn't been that close in years. With everything Lucius did for the Dark Lord, I felt revolted whenever I considered being intimate with him. But we needed each other that night. I was convinced Draco would die in the fighting. Lucius was terrified he'd lose both of us."

A tear trickled over the bridge of her nose, and I wiped it away with my thumb.

She smiled slightly. "I can't believe you're willing to listen to this. You used to get a pinched look on your face whenever I mentioned him."

I could feel my ears turning red. "I was jealous."

"But not now?"

"Now you're with me. You told me I don't need to be jealous. And neither do you, because I don't want anyone else."

Narcissa chewed on her lip. "I'm the last person you should be dating. You don't need to be trapped with me simply because I'm overly attached."

"Overly attached? Narcissa, I'm right there with you. I want us to be exclusive."

She sighed in relief. "That's good. I do not like sharing." With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "You're not going to make me sign a contract, are you?"

I shook my head. "We're just going to trust each other."

At that, Narcissa pulled me in for a fierce kiss that slowly softened. Then she burrowed closer, and we drifted back to sleep.

This time when I woke, everything was right with the world. Narcissa was still curled up against my side, utterly relaxed with her arm across my waist. Her breath came out in little puffs as she dreamed, eyes moving behind their lids. Seeing her like this felt like a privilege, a gift I hoped I'd never take for granted.

Crookshanks was pacing around the room, waiting to go outside for the day. He hopped onto the bed impatiently and lay down on my chest with his paws on my collarbone, purring up a storm. I happily stroked his thick fur, then watched Narcissa's eyes flutter open.

"Good morning, beautiful," she murmured. She scratched behind the half-kneazle's ears, and his eyes closed in euphoria. "And good morning to you, Hermione."

I laughed and smacked her arm as she winked at me sleepily, looking tired despite resting for most of the night.

Once Crookshanks was sure I was awake, he went to the window and pawed at the glass. I wandlessly opened it for him and shut it again only a little too hard.

"Mm, keeping up your practice?" Narcissa asked. "Talented and committed."

"Speaking of commitments, it's Friday," I said right as my alarm went off. I reached over Narcissa and deactivated it, then took advantage of the moment to kiss her. "We've only got an hour left before work," I added, starting to stand up.

Narcissa wrapped her arms around my waist and dragged me back toward the bed. "Stay here. Don't go."

Her smile was tempting, but I shook my head. "I can't miss my last day."

She tightened her arms. "Go in late, then."

"I've never been late to work," I said. "I want to be responsible."

"Responsible," Narcissa said, pretending to pout. "The only response I want is 'yes, darling, I would love nothing more than to stay in bed with you.'"

I snorted. "I don't sound like that."

"No, you're right. In actuality, you sound like this: Narcissa! Narcissa!" she cried in exaggerated breathy moans.

I tackled her to the mattress, embarrassed but laughing too hard to care. Which was a mistake, because now she had me pinned with her legs wrapped around me and her fingers drawing tantalizing circles on my skin and I supposed maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if I―

"No no no, I'm going to work on time," I insisted.

"Oh, well. I tried," she complained good-naturedly, hunting for her clothes in the bedcovers. "I should head over to the manor to get ready for work, keep everything looking normal."

"I don't mind anymore if people see us together," I said, doubts gone after our fight last night. "I'll learn to live with their reactions."

Narcissa gave me a pleased smile, then bit her lip. "It might be wiser to court each other publicly before making it obvious we're sleeping together. Just yesterday I told the press I don't have a secret lover."

"Alright, we can 'court' each other, milady," I replied, amused at how we'd switched places on privacy.

"Thank you, milady," she responded, gathering up her wrinkled robe. A silver pocket watch fell onto the bed, and I reached out to pick it up for her. Narcissa's hand shot out as if to stop me, then held still and let me look at it.

It was like the Weasley's clock, with much more morbid labels around the edge: fleeing, fighting, injured, dead, tortured, arrested, prison, and safe. With the kind of lives the Malfoys led, mortal peril must not be specific enough, I thought sadly. Lucius' hand was in the space between prison and safe. Draco's hand was fully on safe, and so was a third hand. Me. I nearly dropped it in surprise.

"When did you get this?" I asked, handing it over.

She blushed. "After our trip. Not seeing you every day was... difficult."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Same here."

"At home I have a grandfather clock like every other family has, but nowadays I'm away too often for it to be useful. I'm afraid something will happen to Lucius, too." She checked the hands before putting the watch away and added sheepishly, "That's why I haven't moved out yet. It's irrational, but I feel like as long as I'm still living there, he'll be safe. Don't you worry, though; he's staying in a separate wing of the house."

I nodded, doing my best to understand where she was coming from. I was more concerned about what Lucius might do if he got out, but I managed to feel a little bit of worry for his safety. It was possible that some of Voldemort's followers were only escaping reluctantly, feeling pressured or even coerced by the others. Maybe in my new job I could help with the investigation.

"Are you willing to spend another night away from home?" I asked. "I've got an hour of occlumency lessons after work, but I'm free after that."

Narcissa leaned in and hummed against my lips. "Hmm. What's in it for me?"

I gave her a slow kiss, full of promise. "Convinced yet?"

"To be honest, I was already hoping we'd get together tonight," Narcissa confessed with another kiss. "Now that my schedule is open, I intend to see you as often as you'll tolerate me."

"Tolerate? Narcissa, I always want to see you."

"Don't tell me that. You'll never be rid of me."

"That's the idea," I responded, working my way down to her neck. Her hands slid around to my rear and held me close. I tongued a bite mark I'd given her, and she shivered in my grasp.

"Call in sick," I said, only half joking. "Stay here so we can make love all day." The term slipped out by accident. I tried not to look too apprehensive.

"All day? I think you vastly overestimate our endurance." Narcissa's tone was dry, but her eyes twinkled. "And I shouldn't miss work. I'm responsible."

"We're altogether too responsible," I complained with a relieved smile of my own.

"I'll see you later. Give Brin my regards." Narcissa gave me one last kiss before disapparating.

My last morning at work flew by. Brin had slowly won over our coworkers, and most of the people who saw him on a daily basis were respectful now. A few were even friendly. I felt confident that it would keep getting better. After he left to spend his lunch break outdoors, I munched on a sandwich while idly reading the Daily Prophet. I choked when one of the articles caught my eye.

Another Death Eater at Large

LONDON, Dec 18 – Vincent Crabbe, Sr., 44, recently joined the ranks of Death Eaters who have escaped house arrest. His distraught house elf visited the placement agency yesterday, having lost hope that her last living master would return after a week with no sign of him. Ministry officials declined to make a statement...

I read the rest of the article, which went into detail about the man's crimes, then set it down and rubbed my eyes. I just visited Crabbe's house on Monday last week, only a few days before he disappeared. What did I miss? I should've realized he was hiding something, planning something.

Then I heard Narcissa's raised voice outside my office. I got up and peeked out into the hall. One of my coworkers was standing in her way while she held a small paper bag.

"Let me pass!"

"No way," he said. "What's in the bag, Malfoy?"

"The severed head of a house elf, what do you think? And it's Black. Now get out of my way before I―"

"Sweetheart," I interrupted, "is he giving you trouble?" I crossed my arms and leaned on the doorway.

Narcissa glanced at me with surprise that transformed into a smile. "Hello, dear." She took advantage of my coworker's confusion to push past him and approach me.

"Wait," he said. "Sweetheart? You... what?"

I took Narcissa's hand and brought her into my office, leaving the door open to prevent any salacious rumors.

"Ginny is gonna kill me," I muttered under my breath. "Now some guy knows about you, and she still doesn't know."

Narcissa told me quietly, "Thank you for stepping in. I shouldn't have snapped at him. Being under investigation has me on edge. I hate people suspecting me when I haven't done anything."

"'Admit nothing. Deny everything. Make counter-accusations,'" I said, quoting a bit of CIA advice from my tradecraft manuals.

"I know." Narcissa pursed her lips, trying not to smile. "I should've claimed the bag has cookies in it and accused him of trying to steal them."

"What's actually in it?"

"Actually cookies." She handed me the bag.

"Ooh! Where did these come from?"

"Director Chang made them for all of us, for the holidays. I thought our newest Unspeakable should have some too."

I gave her a kiss and beamed at her. "You are so incredibly sweet. Thank you." I opened the bag, taking out a big chocolate chip cookie and handing another to her.

"I also got permission to give you an orientation," she said, taking a bite. "Do you want to come downstairs for the last... forty-five minutes of the break? Or we could do it after your occlumency lesson this evening."

"Let's go now!"

"Excellent. You can meet some of your new coworkers."

Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I walked beside her and gave a cheerful greeting to anyone who looked askance at me for accompanying the dark witch. The cookies we held must've made us quite an odd sight. I eagerly pressed the button for level nine.

Narcissa shook her head. "Goodness, we're not visiting a candy store. I don't have to tell you not to touch anything, right?" We stepped into the dark, torchlit hallway, alone now.

"Can I touch you?" I teased.

"By all means," she replied, voice low. She turned and slipped her hands into my robes. Grinning, I stepped closer. Then her hand came out and held up my security badge, which had just updated itself recently. "You'll need this. Oh my. Your clearance level is Secret? Someone must've given you a strong head start."

"Give that back!" I exclaimed, snatching it out of her hand. "And don't look so smug. It took me almost two weeks to pass the second test. You didn't teach me how to make a mental vault."

"Of course not. I taught you to keep secrets the best way I know how. And two weeks is exceptionally quick. But I knew you'd be good at it; you have a very well-organized mind. So let's start with that."

She picked a door and led us into the Brain Room, where several Unspeakables were working at desks. One of them was the man who'd given me my first occlumency test. He scowled when he spotted me with Narcissa, probably guessing which pureblood gave me private lessons.

Narcissa brought me to the desk of a studious-looking young man. "Mr. Higgs, have you got a moment to tell Hermione about your work in the Mind Division? She's brand new."

"Sure thing, Miss Black," he responded, standing up and holding out his hand. "Terrence Higgs, call me Terry."

"You used to be on the Slytherin quidditch team," I realized as we shook hands.

"Sure was. Seeker until I graduated and Malfoy took my place, bratty lil' runt," he said, ducking as Narcissa pretended to reach for her wand. "Honestly, neither of us stood a chance against Potter. Kid's got luck coming out of his arse."

"And skill," I insisted.

"Sure. But mostly luck. Anyways, as you might've guessed from that giant tank full o' brains over there, everything we do here revolves around the mind. Legilimency, memory, learning, intelligence analysis, you name it. I'm kinda new here, so they've got me churning through boring data and writing reports that nobody's gonna read."

"People read them, Terry," Narcissa assured him.

"Right before they use them as toilet paper, I'm sure," he replied. "What's your job, Hermione?"

"Intelligence officer," I said. "Maybe I'll be an operative. Or do research. I don't know. Can I do both?"

"Oh, definitely. Some projects have a lot of overlap. Here, let me show you the good stuff. You've got at least the lowest clearance, right?" Once he checked my badge, he ran over to someone else's desk and grabbed a paper to bring back to me. "This is how operatives format their reports."

I'd seen some reports like this about missing dementors in the Project 404 folder, but now I paid more attention to how it was written.

"Everything is connected to a project?" I asked.

"Yep. And every project falls under one of the five divisions: Mind, Time, Space, Love, and Death."

I nodded, remembering all the rooms I'd seen when we were trying to rescue Sirius here. Turning to Narcissa, I asked, "Can we see everything?"

"If we have time. How about Time next?"

We said goodbye to Terry and headed toward the door. Suddenly the back of my neck prickled and I could've sworn I felt... hatred pouring over us. My fingers touched my wand in my sleeve, but when I scanned my surroundings, everything was fine. Terry was walking away cheerfully. The people at their desks were all looking down at their work, not at us. I stared hard at my occlumency teacher, but he seemed oblivious. Someone else, then? Or had I imagined it?

"On second thought, let's skip that one," I said, a little freaked out and reluctant to return to the Hall of Prophecies. "Last time I was in there, Death Eaters attacked. Not really fond memories."

"Just as well. I keep wanting to touch the prophecies," Narcissa admitted, "but then I'd end up like Broderick Bode, believing I'm a teapot. That's the work of Project 418. Devious. Let's try the Space Division instead."

Her good humor was comforting, and I felt calmer in the Planet Room. As we walked between Mercury and Venus floating in the air, I said, "I liked Terry. He was nice for a Slytherin." Narcissa cleared her throat, and I winced. "Sorry, but most Slytherins were very unkind when I was in school."

"What can you expect when the other houses think we're evil? We learn to take care of our own and keep everyone else away."

"Are there other Slytherins down here?"

"Indeed. Chun Chang was a Slytherin. We're about to visit her. She's responsible for Project 403, all of the new security measures."

"But Cho was in Ravenclaw."

"Her mother is cleverer."

A voice ahead of us said, "Narcissa, you really think I'm clever?" Director Chang stood at the bottom of a stairway behind an open door in the dark wall.

"Of course not," Narcissa replied. "Just marginally less un-clever."

Chang laughed and led us upstairs into a hallway lined with offices. Each had a one-way window overlooking the Planet Room.

"Were you really in Slytherin?" I asked. "Wait, were you two friends at Hogwarts?"

Chang shook her head. "We weren't friends then. Narcissa can be quite prickly. I've only recently gotten a glimpse of her soft underbelly. Tell me, is her patronus a hedgehog?"

I snickered. Narcissa pursed her lips but didn't really seem to mind the teasing.

"It's true, though, I was in Slytherin for a while," Chang continued. "I came over as an exchange student from Hong Kong in fourth year and ended up staying. There are people from every house in this department, and I hope you'll keep an open mind. We try very hard to remain non-partisan. I've been the director under ministers ranging all over the political spectrum. Our job is to conduct research and deliver intelligence products, and we do it faithfully."

"Even under Voldemort?" I asked.

Chang frowned. "Those were exceptional circumstances. Some of us kept working. Others resisted." She knocked on a closed office door.

"Come in!"

Chang waved me inside and said, "Hermione, I believe you two already met in your debriefing, but this is my best friend Maria Edgecombe, a smart-mouthed Ravenclaw. She'll be your mentor once you're working here.

"You two are friends just like your daughters?" I asked, pleased by the realization.

"Cho and Marietta practically grew up together because of us," Edgecombe told me, coming over to shake my hand. "Nice to see you again, Granger. I've got your new robes, if you want them now instead of waiting."

I smiled. Edgecombe seemed warmer now that she didn't have to keep everything professional. "Sure, why not. What kind of work do you do?"

"I worked in the Department of Magical Transportation before getting forced into DEPMYS," Edgecombe told me. "I was developing an apparition map to regulate unlicensed apparition. Voldemort's stooges hoped they could use it to track people and sent me down here to develop the idea more fully. But I made sure my research was flawed until after the war ended. Then I started to like it here, so I got more involved and became an operative."

My eyes were wide with admiration as she handed me two gray robes. "Did you ever get the map working?"

"Somewhat. I've only figured out how to detect disapparation thus far, so I can see where people leave from but not where they're going. And it's horribly imprecise. All of this is part of Project 302, which is classified Secret, so don't breathe a word about it, Granger."

"Right," I said excitedly.

"Do you know how Unspeakable robes work?" she asked. When I shook my head, she lifted one and turned it inside out, then draped it over my shoulders and put the hood up. "They're reversible. Gray on the outside, invisible on the inside. Lasts about a year until the charm needs to be reapplied."

I looked down and grinned, seeing right through myself. With these robes, I wouldn't need to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak anymore. I took it off and put it back on with the gray side out. "This is really happening," I said. "I'm going to be an Unspeakable."

Narcissa reached out and held my hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"I'll make you into the best operative we've got," Edgecombe declared. "And Space is the best division. We deal with everything in physical reality. I'll help show you around. Has Black brought you to the mail room yet? We've got thousands of randomly numbered mailboxes so assets can contact us anonymously."

Chang asked, "Where are you going, Maria? You said you're working through lunch."

"Come off it, Chun. I'm mentoring my mentee."

I couldn't stop smiling, enjoying my new coworkers and my new job before it had even begun.

The rest of my workday seemed lackluster after such an exciting tour, but my last day in the Magical Creatures Department was finally over, with a lot of heartfelt goodbyes. When I apparated home, Narcissa was already there, sitting with her legs crossed in one of my armchairs, absorbed in a book.

She looked up, startled. "Oh! Dammit, I was going to make dinner for you! But some mail arrived, and I set it down on the side table and spotted this book and completely forgot what I was doing."

I stood there silently for a moment, flabbergasted by how much better this felt than the time Ron surprised me with dinner before our trip. Then I saw her worried look as she started second-guessing herself.

"A woman after my own heart," I said, giving her a huge, happy smile as I hung up my robe and set my new gray robes on the other chair. "There's just one problem."

"What's that?"

I stepped closer, the air between us thrumming with potential energy. "You're in my chair."

With a mischievous smile, Narcissa lied, "Is that right? I had no idea."

"You knew exactly what you were doing." I leaned down and propped my hands on the arms of the chair. I felt almost powerful as her eyes darkened in response.

"If you want it back," she said, planting her feet on the floor, "you'll have to take it."

"I don't know, making you give it back would be too easy." I settled down on her lap, straddling her legs. My fingers sought out the hem of her shirt.

"Deja vu," she said, unbuttoning my pants. "Weren't we sitting like this just last Friday? I had a number of fantasies about that afterward."

"You have fantasies?" I asked, enthralled by the idea. "Like what?"

Narcissa blushed but seemed intrigued too. "You want to hear about them?" She tugged my pants and underwear down until she could get a hand between my legs. "Here's a simple one for starters. Imagine I'm already single but haven't told you yet. We're sitting here, snogging each other senseless. You want me so badly that you just can't help yourself. You start grinding against me, getting wetter and wetter." She rubbed my folds as she spoke, fingers gliding forward and back while my hips rolled slowly with her motions.

"You are pretty hard to resist," I agreed, thoroughly enjoying this unexpected glimpse of her private thoughts.

"You tell me you can't wait any more, and you need to feel me. I surprise you by doing exactly what you asked for. As I touch you, I reveal the truth. We're free to do whatever we like now." She slipped two fingers into me and began thrusting, leaving open-mouthed kisses on the hollow of my throat. I held onto her shoulders, meeting her motions with unbridled pleasure.

"It's not enough for you. You ask for another finger. I'm more than willing to oblige." She glanced up at me for confirmation, and I nodded enthusiastically. A third finger pushed in alongside the first two, and I tensed at the feeling of stretching, then groaned as my muscles relaxed to accommodate it. The heel of her palm rubbed against me with each thrust. Pressure was building, and her smoky voice curling in my ear made every touch even more potent.

"You're insatiable," she continued, "wanting me to keep going, faster and harder." My thighs burned with exertion as I moved faster, living out the fantasy with her. "I give you what you want and meet every desire. All I want is to bring you over the edge." That edge approached rapidly. I was sweating, wearing too many clothes for this but not caring in the slightest. Then the angle of her wrist changed, driving deeper. Her fingers curled and touched a spot inside that nearly made me climb out of my skin, flooded with pleasure as an intense orgasm pulsed through my body.

I leaned against her, recovering with my mouth pressed against the side of her neck, breathing in the scent that was uniquely hers underneath everything else. I could've stayed there all evening, savoring every moment, but eventually I sat up and asked, "How did you do that?"

Narcissa just gave me a satisfied look.

I declared, "My new mission is to find that spot on you and do the same."

"Mm, I look forward to it. Did you actually like hearing what I imagined?"

"It was erotic," I answered, kissing her deeply. "And your voice... Merlin. I'm all ears whenever you want to share more. You could tell me what you want me to do to you."

"Absolutely," she agreed, nibbling my ear. "How about dinner first?"

"But you didn't get to..."

"It'll balance out in the end. And I'll want you just as much later tonight, believe me." Her mouth worked its way around my ear, and dinner seemed quite unimportant compared to how badly I wanted to touch her.

The telephone ringing next to us made me jump in shock.

I stared at the phone, struggling to think.

"Are you going to answer that, or should I?" Narcissa asked, holding up her hand like a pretend receiver. "Hello, muggle. Sorry, Hermione is otherwise occupied right now, sitting on my lap while I try very hard not to have my way with her again."

"Do not say that!" I exclaimed, knowing who it must be. "Shhhhh."

She waited with bated breath while I hastily pulled my pants back up and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Mum."

Narcissa snorted and started shaking with laughter underneath me, which was not helping matters.

"Hi, sweetie. How has your week been? Are you going on a date again, or free to talk?"

"I'm free for a short time," I said, holding a finger to Narcissa's mouth to keep her quiet. She swiped her tongue along the side of my finger and I jerked it away.

"Narcissa," I hissed, covering the phone. "You're impossible!"

My mother asked, "You sure you're free? You sound distracted."

I answered her, "Just taking care of something. I can talk."

"I'd like you to take care of me," Narcissa purred in my other ear.

My nether regions clenched in desire. "Merlin's pants, if you don't stop that I'm going to―"

"I can hear you talking to someone," my mother said. "Is your new boyfriend there? That's why I'm calling. We got cut short last week, but I was trying to ask you if it's serious enough that you might be willing to bring him home to meet us."

Narcissa was finally silent, eyes wide as she listened to our conversation.

I was sure of my answer now. "Yes, it's serious."

"Could we all have dinner together on Monday?"

My stomach churned. "I'd have to ask h―how this person would feel about that."

"Should I wait, or...?"

I started to tell her I'd call her back, but Narcissa said, "Okay."

"Wait a moment, Mum." To Narcissa, I whispered, "You're okay with this?"

She looked uneasy but nodded. "I want to meet them."

My heart was racing as I told my mother, "Okay, then. My... um... we'll both come on Monday."

"Great, I look forward to it. Does he have any food allergies or..."

Discussing logistics was quite difficult without using any feminine pronouns, but I got through it without accidentally outing myself. I hung up the phone and looked at Narcissa, who was white as a sheet.

"Wait!" she said. "Pick it back up. Tell her I'm not available to come."

"What's wrong?"

She was breathing too fast and twisting her fingers. "I keep imagining how I'd react if Draco brought home someone like me. You're only nineteen! You're a teenager, and I'm... oh fuck, what am I thinking? They're going to hate me. They'll think I'm taking advantage of you!"

I was afraid too, but her reaction made me want to be brave and supportive. "They're not going to hate you. Listen: I'll come out to them alone first, then bring you for dinner. They'll overreact, they'll calm down, and once they get to know you, they'll love you. So it's going to be fine, alright?" I held her face and rubbed my thumbs over her cheeks.

Narcissa leaned into my touch, controlling her breathing better. "Alright. Don't cancel dinner. It just seems overwhelming right now. I've had hardly a day of rest since before our mission." Her eyes fluttered shut. "I'm so tired."

The exhaustion in her voice squeezed my heart. I pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then stood up and cast a featherweight charm. Hooking my arms under her legs, I carried her against my chest to the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Taking care of you."

I set Narcissa on her feet and ended the charm, bending over to start a bubble bath. Then I undressed her, sometimes pausing to kiss the newly exposed skin. By the time she was nude, the tub was nearly full and I held her hand to help her climb in. The relaxed sigh as she sank into the hot water was music to my ears.

After giving her a towel to put behind her head, I left the room to find some candles, bringing them back and arranging them in the corners of the tub. With the overhead light off, the room was illuminated only by their warm, gentle flickering. Narcissa's face glowed in the candlelight, as beautiful as ever, tiredness and all.

I smiled and stroked her cheek. "Take as long as you like in here. I'll make dinner and bring you a plate. Do you need anything before I go?"

She caught my hand and kissed my palm, eyes shining with adoration. "This is perfect. Thank you."

Full of peaceful happiness, I made sure her wand and pocket watch were in reach before leaving the room, closing the door behind me in case she wanted privacy. The contentment stayed even while I cooked pasta, such an everyday thing that seemed more special because I would be sharing it with someone.

Once Narcissa had a plate of food, I took advantage of the free time to catch up on some housework. Then I remembered about Ginny, and quickly took out a quill and ink to start writing her a letter that seemed overdue now.

After the bath and dinner, it was surprisingly hard to convince Narcissa to let me continue doing nice things, but I was determined to help her relax after these weeks of stress. I gave her a massage as she lay face down in the center of my bed, silent aside from occasional soft groans whenever I found a knot in her muscles.

"Thank you," I said after a while.

"For what?"

"For being willing to meet my parents. I... I want everybody to know how important you are to me."

Narcissa caught my hand on her shoulder and turned her head to kiss my fingers. "I want to be part of your life. And vice versa." She breathed in suddenly and said, "Would you be willing to go to a holiday party with me tomorrow night? I assumed I'd be going alone this year. If you're really ready to be together publicly, I'd love to have you by my side."

"Okay," I agreed.

She cracked a smile. "I haven't even told you what to expect. What if it's a muggle-roasting party?"

"Is that even a thing? If you want me there, I'll come. Where are we going?"

Our first public appearance was at the Zabini's mansion, and it was not subtle. As we checked our coats at the door, I felt like I was walking into a snake's nest. A very opulent snake's nest. Apparently, only people with a high enough net worth received invitations. Purebloods and their high society friends milled around holding champagne flutes and tiny plates of hors d'oeuvres I couldn't name, in an entry hall so large it looked like a ballroom. The elegant woman on my arm looked much more at home.

Narcissa patted my hand and leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry, dear. Keep your chin up and no one will know you're nervous. Keep your guard up, too."

People started to notice us. Each expression went from calculated boredom to disbelief. Heads turned to track us as we sought out the hosts to say hello. Whispers erupted behind us, and I hoped my presence wouldn't cause too much hostility. Narcissa told me she was hoping to rekindle lost friendships and make business deals tonight.

A woman with a nasty expression on her face intercepted us. "Good evening, Narcissa. I'm surprised to see you here." She glanced over at me, and I was startled to feel her use legilimency. Her mind felt like claws digging into mine. Easy to resist, but unsettling.

"I hope you've been well," Narcissa replied. "Hermione, this is Viola Parkinson, Pansy's mother. Viola, have you met my date?"

"I have not," Parkinson replied, not even looking at me anymore. "What have you been doing with yourself all this time?"

"Oh, this and that..." Narcissa said, beginning a vague description of her work.

When I realized no one would outright address the elephant in the room, I tuned out the boring smalltalk. We moved on to greet a shifty-eyed man. He tried to read my mind too while carrying on a conversation like nothing was amiss. My ears perked up when I heard something I'd been meaning to ask about.

"And what is Draco up to these days?" the man wondered.

"He went on to study magical law, and he's excelling," Narcissa answered.

"I'm not surprised. He's a bright young man."

"Quite so. He's been staying at home to help with my divorce, and he made all the legal paperwork a hundred times easier. He'll make a fine lawyer someday."

"It'll be great to have another on our side."

"His focus is family law, not criminal law, so I'm afraid he wouldn't be much help to you," Narcissa replied. Her tone was polite, but I felt pretty sure she just insulted him by implying he was a criminal.

Similar brief conversations occurred with several more people, with all of them using legilimency―poorly―and none speaking to me directly.

"Narcissa," I hissed when we were alone. "Everyone here is out to get me!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Did someone hit you with a paranoia hex?"

"They're all trying to get into my head. What are they after?"

Narcissa laughed. "They're testing you, dear. You're new to these kinds of events. It's a bit of a hobby among these socialites, casually trying to dig up dirt on each other. This is why I wanted you to learn occlumency. The Dark Lord made legilimency fashionable―"

"Fashionable?"

"Yes. I'll bet none of them expected resistance from a pretty little Gryffindor like yourself. Are you coping alright?"

I shook off my surprise and nodded. "None of them are very good. But I'm glad I have more training under my belt. You wouldn't want all of them to know how much I want to go home and take that dress off of you."

Narcissa looked irresistible in her long, black evening gown. It had a wide sash at the waist that she'd charmed to match the red of my dress, the same one I'd worn to Bill and Fleur's wedding. I only owned a few dresses, and luckily this one had a festive color.

She gave me a sultry smile and let her eyes trail down my body. "The feeling is mutual."

I touched her chin. "Eyes up here."

Narcissa looked up at me through her long lashes. "Yes, dear."

I smiled, enjoying the feeling of being wanted. She was positively glowing from all the time we'd spent relaxing, reading and making love. Pampering her might just be my new favorite thing, especially since she returned my care in full.

She spotted someone over my shoulder and said, "Ah, here are our hosts."

The beautiful Mrs. Zabini and a man who must be her latest husband met us by a table with a veritable mountain of fruit on it. I looked around for Blaise, but didn't see him anywhere. I felt like I was the youngest person in the room.

"Lady Mal―Black!" Mrs. Zabini exclaimed, giving Narcissa a quick upper-body hug and an air kiss to each cheek. "So glad you could join us." The witch turned to me while still speaking to Narcissa. "And what a... distinct honor it is to meet your... plus one, here." We exchanged insincere smiles.

Narcissa said, "Your holiday parties are simply to die for. I wouldn't miss it."

Mrs. Zabini narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you're one of our most loyal friends."

Narcissa's nostrils flared, then her expression softened and she asked carefully, "Will we get to see your lovely daughter this evening?"

"My child insisted on dressing inappropriately and will not be joining us," Mrs. Zabini replied with gritted teeth.

"That's unfortunate," Narcissa said. "I ran into her at Twilfit and Tattings the other day when she was getting fitted for a breathtaking emerald gown. I hoped I might see the final result tonight. We spoke a little, you know. I would be proud to have raised such an intelligent and cultured individual."

I knew Narcissa well enough to know the compliments were sincere, but Mrs. Zabini turned red and looked down almost guiltily. I was definitely missing something.

When we finally parted to peruse the food tables, Narcissa muttered to me, "I hope that helped and didn't just make it worse."

Adding some shrimp to my plate, I said, "I'm pretty sure I didn't understand a word of that conversation. You made 'to die for' sound so ominous."

"Last year someone died of poison."

I froze with food halfway to my mouth.

Narcissa chuckled. "You're fine, the poisoning wasn't a surprise, really. But it's terribly inhospitable to allow a guest in your home to be murdered."

Still leery, I put the food back down. "What about that 'loyal' comment?"

"Criticising how I betrayed the Dark Lord for my son. That led me to mention her daughter, whom she has been pushing away."

"I didn't even know Blaise had a sister," I said, thinking back. The only Zabini I could remember was a Slytherin boy overly concerned with his appearance.

"She doesn't," Narcissa said pointedly.

It took me a moment. "Oh. Oh! I didn't realize. Blaise is... transgender?"

"Living proudly as a woman now," Narcissa confirmed. "As if a Zabini could ever be anything but proud. Which is why it's so disappointing to have Mrs. Zabini here with her bloody head in her arse." I snorted at her use of such coarse language here, then sobered again as she finished, "I hope if enough people express support, she'll come around."

"Hopefully so," I agreed, absorbing the new information. "Do you think... Do you think Draco will support you and me? Does he know yet?"

Narcissa's brow furrowed with worry. "He isn't thrilled. I had to explain some things, so he's known for a while. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. He's your son."

We looked up at the sudden sound of someone ringing a glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner will commence shortly."

Everyone started filing through double doors into the next room, which was nearly as large and filled with round tables set for a fancy meal. Narcissa led the way to a table with four other women seated at it, including Viola Parkinson. Just before we reached it, she turned to me and squeezed my hand.

"These are some of my old friends. Wish me luck?" she asked nervously.

"You can do this," I assured her. "No luck necessary. You're delightful company. Get reacquainted, and they'll wonder why they ever let you go."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "You flatter me."

"I mean every word."

Taking a deep breath, Narcissa turned to the table and said, "Hello, again, Viola. May we join you?"

"Of course," Parkinson replied through bared teeth. The others didn't say a word.

"Hermione, these wonderful witches are Amy Avery, Bridget Travers, and Renee Rookwood."

I stiffened at hearing their last names. All three were the wives of Death Eaters. Coming here tonight suddenly seemed like a terrible idea. I fell back on manners to cover my discomfort, pulling out a chair for Narcissa. She looked at me fondly and pulled out a chair for me too before sitting down. The gesture made me feel better, a little less like a stand-in for Lucius.

"I can't believe I'm sitting at a table with one of these people," Parkinson muttered.

"With one of Harry Potter's friends?" I asked, trying to assume the best.

She sneered, "I meant with a mudb—ah!"

Narcissa smiled at Parkinson, who was wincing in pain. "So sorry, Viola. I was adjusting my seat and didn't realize your leg was there."

Their eyes locked. Parkinson knew Narcissa had done it on purpose. Narcissa knew she knew. And Parkinson knew she knew she knew... oh, bother. I stopped trying to keep up, sitting back to enjoy this battle of wills under the veneer of polite society.

"Of course," Parkinson acquiesced. "Silly me, I didn't mean to get in your way."

While servers came and delivered the first course, I leaned closer to Narcissa to speak privately. "Thank you, but you know my scar is fine now."

"That's entirely beside the point, dear," Narcissa murmured. "I will not tolerate that attitude anymore, especially when someone is insulting my... hm. Girlfriend? Lover?"

"The secret lover you supposedly don't have?" I asked with a wry smile.

"The one and only," she whispered back.

Amy Avery spoke up. "Okay, I'll bite. Why in the world are you here, Miss Granger? Is this some kind of game?"

Avery was the first person to truly address me, and I was so relieved that I invited her, "Please, call me Hermione. Narcissa and I are dating. We crossed paths and discovered some shared interests, became friends, and, well..."

Narcissa continued the cover story we'd concocted before our arrival. "After my divorce, Hermione confessed she had stronger feelings for me." We gave each other sappy smiles right on cue, and she finished, "Suddenly I saw her in a new light and realized I felt the same."

"Salazar, this is sickening," Parkinson said.

Avery tilted her head. "Sickeningly sweet, maybe."

Rookwood stroked her chin but didn't say anything.

"It won't last," Travers declared. "Gryffindors are so predictable. Brave but short-sighted. Before long she'll see who you really are and go running back to that Weasley boy. You'll have to beg Lucius to take you back, if he'll even touch you after you've been sullied by this filth. I can't believe you left him. Which of us will you betray next?"

Her harsh words made me grimace. Narcissa's face turned to stone and she stopped breathing. Whatever was going on in her head was not good.

Refusing to let this one comment ruin the evening, I rested a hand on her knee under the table and said, "Narcissa hasn't betrayed Lucius. She's constantly trying to protect him. Did you hear her say a single bad thing about him in the news? I've seen who she really is, and her love for her family is one of the things I love most about her."

Narcissa gripped my hand, palm sweating, the only outward sign of her emotions roiling inside.

Travers frowned. "That's... hm." She shifted, looking to the others for guidance, but they looked a little dumbfounded. "Well... what does Draco think of the divorce?"

Narcissa said tentatively, "He knows I was unhappy, and he hopes the future will be brighter. He's keeping his name to continue the Malfoy line, knowing how much it means to his father, but he's a mama's boy through and through." That earned some smiles, and she dared to ask, "Did I hear you have some new grandchildren? Twins?"

Somehow, the ice broke. Travers started gushing about the twins, which led to a flood of input about everyone's children and jobs and financial woes and wins. And Narcissa recovered from that low point so completely that she was laughing with them, bringing me into the conversation, and looking much more at ease.

People at the other tables noticed that she'd been welcomed back into the fold. A very well-dressed wizard came over and held Narcissa's shoulder. "Lady Black, I heard you're the majority shareholder of Floo-Pow now. My company does masonry work on fireplaces. I think a partnership would be mutually beneficial. Won't you come over and have a chat?"

"Will you be alright on your own for a while?" Narcissa asked me. When I nodded, she gave me a peck on the lips and said, "I'll be right over there. Don't let them give you any grief."

She followed the wizard over to a table full of businesspeople talking and looking over papers. Lots of gold changed hands along with their handshakes. I hoped Narcissa would leave tonight with everything she hoped for and more.

All of a sudden I realized I was alone with four haughty women staring at me. There had to be something non-controversial we could talk about. Then I remembered my mother once telling me that asking for someone's advice can endear them to you.

"I've been looking for the perfect Christmas present for Narcissa," I started. "Do you ladies have any suggestions?"

"Oh! Certainly. Let's see... jewelry is always a good idea," Avery said.

"A classic," Parkinson agreed. "I happen to know Narcissa likes gold best."

"You're mistaken," Rookwood jumped in. "She definitely prefers silver."

Parkinson shook her head. "No, no. Gold is more valuable per ounce, so she finds it superior."

"I distinctly remember her telling me silver is best because it goes well with her favorite color. Gold clashes."

I looked around at the women. "What's her favorite color?" It seemed like such a basic thing, something I should've known, and I felt jealous of their knowledge.

"Gray, like Draco's eyes," Avery said.

"No, the blue of her own eyes," Parkinson corrected.

"It's emerald green, of course," Travers declared.

"Black," Rookwood stated simply.

My lips parted, but I was too bewildered to say anything. Four women, four different answers. Three of them started arguing while Travers spoke to me.

"Get her a silver necklace. You can't go wrong with that. Just make sure it's expensive. I'm sure whatever pittance you make at your little ministry job isn't enough for anything really nice, but do your best."

"My little―" I broke off, fuming. "My little ministry job helped countless house elves achieve rights they've never had before!"

Travers rolled her eyes. "No wonder Lady Black is so overzealous about them nowadays, with you feeding her all that nonsense. House elves were doing just fine before you came along."

"Being vulnerable to abuse is not fine. And Narcissa changed without any help from me. If she were here right now she'd tell you just how bloody ignorant you are!"

"Not with that kind of language, she wouldn't!" Travers replied, aghast. "Lady Black never swears."

Never swears? I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it, that was just so absurd. A hand settled on my back as Narcissa returned to the table.

"Enjoying ourselves?" she asked. "It's nice to hear you laughing."

Rookwood spoke up, "Settle this for us, would you? Your favorite color is black, right?"

Narcissa took a sip of her wine, keeping a straight face as she said, "Brown. Like Hermione's eyes."

I laughed again, well aware she was lying just to mess with them, and she winked at me. None of them knew everything about Narcissa. Didn't she tell me she loved the flower necklaces Draco made as a little boy more than any jewelry? It occurred to me that she'd never once given me anything really expensive. Daffodils, a wand she crafted herself, poems, free cookies. She would most appreciate a thoughtful gift, not an expensive one. Or a thoughtful gesture...

I tuned in to the conversation again and realized the subject had shifted to husbands, and the mood was darkening.

"And hers is gone as well, without even a note to say goodbye," Avery was saying.

Parkinson observed, "Lucius must be one of the last Death Eaters in custody at this point."

Narcissa glanced down and checked her pocket watch compulsively. "Yes. It's killing me. I'm certain it's only a matter of time before he disappears too."

Rookwood bit her lips and looked away, fidgeting. I watched her in my peripheral vision, wondering if she might know something.

"I'm worried," Travers declared. "It's not like them at all."

Such sentiments still surprised me, and I couldn't hide it in time.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, you Potter acolyte," she sneered. "You think they're off somewhere killing muggles as per? Really. Who would go to all that trouble without the Dark Lord looking over our shoulders?"

All that trouble. My fists clenched, but then I noticed Rookwood had slipped away from the table without a word. She was following a man out of the room through a wide doorway.

"Please excuse me," I said. "I need to use the lavatory."

I went through the doorway and into a long hallway just in time to see the man step into a room and close the door behind him. Rookwood paused outside for a second before she moved on, looking at a few doors before finding an open one and slipping through. When I got closer, I heard the sound of water and realized the man was simply using the loo. Maybe she hadn't been following him.

I tried to look casual while passing the room she disappeared into. It was dark in there. Curiosity and suspicion drove me onward. I stopped at the edge of the doorway and tried to look in.

I jumped at the sound of a voice, thick with tears, asking, "Here to mock me?"

My eyes adjusted and I saw Renee Rookwood sitting on the floor with her legs drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. I was too surprised to say anything.

"Don't just stand there. Go ahead and say what you're thinking," she taunted. "My husband is a Death Eater, evil and heartless and so forth. Of course he left me behind. It isn't a surprise."

My chest constricted as she started sobbing. I stepped into the room hesitantly and kneeled next to her.

"Everyone keeps saying that, but it's not true," Renee cried. "There's something wrong. The other wives in that room are the only ones who believe me. The investigators think I'm crazy. That Daily Prophet reporter made me sound paranoid and, and, and... naive for believing there was foul play."

I rested my hand on her shoulder, at a loss. "I'm... I'm sorry." Renee kept sobbing. I was probably the last person she wanted comfort from, but she was so upset, I couldn't just do nothing. I wrapped my arms around her and said again, "I'm sorry."

She pushed against me for a few seconds, then lost all tension and cried into my shoulder. I held her for a few minutes, rocking a little, wondering how in the world I'd ended up here with another Death Eater's wife in my arms.

Quiet footsteps came to the door, and I looked up to see Narcissa there. She squinted into the dark, and then her eyes softened. She pressed a hand to the doorframe and rested her head there, waiting quietly.

Renee was crying too hard to notice anything. "Is it so crazy," she asked, hiccuping, "to think he would never leave me? He loves me. I know he does. Is it foolish to believe he would never abandon me like that?"

A tear trickled down my face. I held Narcissa's gaze as I answered, "No. It's not foolish at all."

Renee gradually calmed down. She took steadier breaths and sat up straighter, wiping her eyes. "Thank you for saying that," she said with some effort. "Whether or not you really believe it." As she recovered, she stiffened and stood up awkwardly, putting some distance between us.

Narcissa took that opportunity to come in, casting lumos to light up the room. She reached out to Renee and said, "Let me see to your face before you come back to the table." She held the woman's chin and started casting small, delicate spells to fix her smudged makeup, murmuring, "You don't have to go through this alone. All of us are here for you. I'm here, whether or not you want me around."

"You betrayed the Dark Lord. We only pushed you out because we thought you'd turn your back on us too," Renee said.

"Never. We made our real friends in Slytherin," Narcissa replied, finishing the makeup. "He was never a friend to any of us."

Suddenly there was loud banging somewhere in the distance. Shouts and screams followed, making my heart race. Narcissa and I drew our wands from our dresses and stood back to back, looking up and down the hallway as people started fleeing out of the dining room.

"Move, now!" Narcissa shouted, leading the way into the hall and shielding Renee with her body while I ran alongside them, guarding our backs. We were deep in the interior of the mansion. I hoped we wouldn't need to fight our way out.

Other guests were following us, running awkwardly in their evening gowns and suits. The screaming had stopped, but everyone was still panicking. We reached an exterior door just as an announcement echoed through the mansion.

"Everyone, stay calm and proceed to the front hall. We're here under the authority of the ministry to investigate possible unlawful activity. There is no need for violence. If you see an auror, follow their instructions. No one may leave the building."

The door in front of us burst open and several aurors came in.

"Hermione?"

"Neville?"

"What are you doing here?"

The aurors beside him weren't interested in talking. They pushed our fleeing group back, herding us toward the main hall.

Neville walked next to me. "Are you here undercover or something?"

"I'm here for the party!" I replied, still riled up. "We were just having dinner. What's going on?"

"You heard the announcement, right? We're here to enforce the law and make sure no one is funding any illegal ventures."

"Illegal ventures?" Narcissa asked, tone mocking.

Another auror said, "You of all people should be familiar with the concept," and gave her a push into the main hall.

"Keep your hands off her," I growled.

"Don't make this worse, Miss Granger," he replied. "We know you're not with these people. Just wait a minute and we'll get permission for you to go home."

"I'm not going anywhere without Narcissa!"

He looked between us in confusion. "Suit yourself."

Someone took Neville away to work with a more unruly group. A few partygoers had been stunned when fleeing and had to be carried into the hall. One man had a bloody nose. Narcissa glared at everyone from the ministry, sinking into a foul mood. The room smelled of fear and sweat. Way too much time passed before someone came by and explained what would happen next.

An elderly woman approached us and said, "I'm from the ministry's accounting department, here to review all of the financial activity here tonight."

"That is completely unnecessary," Narcissa said angrily.

The accountant raised her eyebrows and shot back, "Excuse me, Unspeakable, but your own department informed us that large sums of money would be changing hands at this event."

"For private business deals! You have NO RIGHT to come in here and―"

"Do you see this warrant?" She took out a scroll and flicked it in the air to unroll it. "You bet your bum we have a right. You're all going to list every transaction you've made here tonight, and no one leaves until every knut is accounted for and proven legitimate."

"Let's see," Narcissa fumed, accepting a quill and parchment. "Five million galleons to my favorite crime rings, four million to..."

"Not helping your case," I said. I touched her shoulder and she quieted down, quill scratching the page with violent strokes. "Should I be worried?"

"Hermione, most dear, I'm not guilty," she told me, trembling slightly.

"I believe you," I replied when I recognized our code phrase. "I've got your back, okay?"

Her eyes roved over my face as if searching for doubt, then she let out a breath. "I believe you too."

For a while, that was enough to soothe her nerves. When the lists of transactions were done, a team of accountants worked in the corner of the room while everyone waited, speaking in tense, quiet voices. Aurors consulted with the accountants, getting preliminary findings and bringing people out of the room to speak to them individually.

The auror who had pushed Narcissa approached her again, and I had to stop myself from stepping between them. He didn't make a move to pull her away, just goaded her.

"Your totals are higher than the average person in here."

"Of course they are!" she snapped. "I haven't seen most of these people in months! I have several new business interests and a lot of catching up to do."

"I have a feeling you won't see these people again for a long time."

Narcissa was no longer responding to my touch. I tried again to calm her as minutes ticked by, but she'd gone deep to some place I couldn't reach. I was extremely worried about her. One by one, most guests were being dismissed as their lists of transactions were approved, while some were disarmed, chained up, and taken away. Finally, the pushy auror came up to Narcissa again, this time with her list in hand.

She stopped shaking, and that seemed somehow even worse. Before he opened his mouth, she said with deadly calm, "See? Squeaky clean."

He didn't hand the paper back right away. "We found what you're hiding. Do you want to cooperate with us and make a deal, or do this the hard way?"

She didn't even blink. "You're bluffing. Or someone has deceived you."

They glared at each other in a standoff until he balled up the paper and tossed it at her feet, walking away without another word.

Narcissa stooped over to pick up the paper and unfold it. There were checkmarks all down the list, and Approved was stamped at the bottom. Her fist tightened, crumpling it again.

"Come on, you're free to go," I said, hating what they'd put her through. "Let's get our coats."

"Take me to the manor," she said, shaking uncontrollably again. It felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown. "Now."

I summoned our coats on our way out the front doors. Then I wrapped my arms around her and apparated to the front gate of the manor. Last time I was here, snatchers led me through. This time, I led Narcissa through, mentally preparing to comfort her. I was not prepared for the rage that came next.

She tore away from me and slashed her wand through the air, blasting a hedge with a fireball. "Those motherfuckers! Raiding a holiday dinner? Rounding us up?!"

"Narcissa―"

"I'm sick of this! They want trouble? I'll GIVE them trouble!" She cast another fireball, and hedges on either side of us roared with flames.

"Stop it!" I cast aguamenti, but the fire was so hot that the water boiled away.

Narcissa's eyes met mine and they were wild, dangerous. They were Bellatrix's eyes, delighting in destroying things and being destroyed.

Lightning flashed out of her wand and made the metal gate erupt in sparks as pieces flew off. "If they're going to be suspicious no matter what I do, why keep myself on a leash? Why bother?!" She whipped her wand again and lightning struck a fountain, making its stone border explode into fragments.

"Narcissa!"

"Why not show them what I'm really capable of?!"

"Please, stop!"

"I could break, if that's what they want," Narcissa snarled. More lightning crackled, splitting the air. "I could break." I stood quietly, crying at the sight of her like this. Then she fell to her knees, dress billowing around her. The static electricity dissipated. I waited, afraid that what seemed like a mild raid to me had been the last straw for her.

"I have too much to lose," Narcissa whispered in the sudden calm. She looked around at the smoldering hedges, seeming more upset than angry now. "Damn it, look at this." She covered her face.

"Forget about it," I said, kneeling and embracing her. "It's nothing irreplaceable." She trembled with contained emotion, and I hoped for some way to help. "What can I do?"

She touched my cheek gently, as if she might break me by accident. "Come to bed," she requested. "If you're willing."

I understood. I understood that she needed an outlet for her energy, and I was willing. In her room in the manor, I sought to give her that release. She mostly spoke with her body, asking and demanding and pulling me against her. I listened and followed her body's guidance until she was screaming, then she turned that focused intensity onto me. When we were both gasping, spent, she pressed her face against my back and held me, legs intertwined with mine, one arm nestled between my breasts. Closer, closer, as if she couldn't stand for there to be any space between us.

Nightmares plagued me that night, full of dangerous undercurrents gaining strength around us, fueled by someone's raw hatred. In a half-awake state, my fears seemed so real. Build up your defenses, Brin saw in the stars. I would take every moment of peace we could get over this next week and hope it was enough to keep us from being torn apart by whatever was coming.