"Sherbet lemon."
As the staircase emerged from the ground, Professor McGonagall made the ascent into Dumbledore's office. With three knocks on the door, she heard the familiar voice giving her permission to enter. Despite it being half past eleven at night, Dumbledore was still in his office, busy musing over some newspapers he had collected over the week.
"Please, Minerva, help yourself to some of the liquorice snaps," Dumbledore said as she walked past the serving bowl.
"Maybe later, Albus." McGonagall replied as she climbed up the final five steps before taking a seat opposite Dumbledore in the upper section of the office. "I'm here about Horace and his parties."
"Ah, I thought as much. What happened tonight?"
"Oh Albus, it's a mess! I know we've been a bit lax with monitoring Horace's Slug Club but it was all under the agreement it wasn't going to cause a scene. Now I know full well that alcohol has been served at these events, but the students are not able to control themselves. Tonight, Mr Rosier of Slytherin house damaged a few of the statues on the way back to the common room and quite frankly, we should not be putting up with this bad behaviour. We have to say something to Horace, get him to reign it in a bit."
"It's such a pity; back in our day, we were better able to keep such things under wraps. Nevertheless, I take your view into consideration Minerva. I shall speak with Horace first thing in the morning and discuss other options. I am happy for the parties to continue; however we may have to restrict the more laissez-faire style engagements to Christmas. I can't place an outright ban when plenty of our students drink far beyond their capabilities at The Three Broomsticks."
"Yes, it wouldn't look good if someone was to report to The Daily Prophet. The so-called journalists are frustrating at the best of times when there isn't a juicy story, let alone when they can smell a dismissal case on their hands."
"You may have a point but let us not worry about something that hasn't happened. If you can get me a list of attendees, I will arrange for a period of detention where some formal and sincere words can be held. I am sure we will not have a repeat performance. Was there anyone else who caused any damage?"
"There was Penelope Harpstring on the return to the Gryffindor common room, but quite a lot of them were in a state that left a lot to be desired. The most disappointing case of them all was Miss Black."
"Ah, Miss Narcissa Black of the noble house. I must say I am a little surprised to hear this. She normally keeps her head in her books, a bit like Andromeda if memory serves me correctly."
"I think it's Malfoy's influence."
"Ah," Dumbledore said, taking a hard-boiled sweet from the glass bowl on his desk. "I heard that Horace paired them together for some peer-to-peer tutoring. I suppose that may be the reason Miss Black was in Mr Malfoy's company."
"I must say, I know it's none of my business, but I am a little concerned over this partnership. Narcissa Black is an incredibly talented witch and I feel Lucius Malfoy would only become a disastrous distraction for her."
"You know how their world works, Minerva. Who are we to get involved? On paper, Miss Black and Mr Malfoy would be the perfect union. As disappointing as it may be, their lives follow a different path to ours and we can't intervene; after all, tradition is tradition."
"Oh I was not suggesting for a moment for an intervention; I merely implied a sorrowful loss for what could have been. Of course, I'm no fool Albus, I know what happens to those in their families that don't follow the rules. I just wish they could live as freely as the rest of us."
"Yes, I have a feeling that at some point in the future, many years from now, there will be a shift in beliefs and a change in how their aristocratic families operate, but for now I feel we must sit tight and let them be."
"I just hope my eyes deceived me, for Narcissa's sake."
"She may be quiet, but she is fierce. I've heard on the grapevine how she has the intelligence of her middle sister, but the wit of the eldest one. I wouldn't worry about Miss Black for a second; I see a strength and resilience that I don't often see in young people, and I am sure that will come to serve her well. No doubt she will end up with Malfoy, I feel that much is written in the stars, but I don't think she'll become a passive figure by any means. I guess time will tell. However, Lucius Malfoy may be one to watch-"
Dumbledore pushed a pile of newspapers, revealing a piece of parchment hidden underneath.
"What's this?" Minerva asked, confused.
"A letter from Alastor Moody. I've been tracking the rise of Lord Voldemort closely over the last year. People are disappearing from their homes in the dead of night, some of these being Muggles no less. I remember reading something in The Daily Prophet last year about the Dark Lord as he calls himself, but arrogantly I didn't pay too much attention to it then. He is looking to build an army of sorts to join his cause. The reason I put Malfoy's name forward is that his family is known for their views and he would be fitting of such a role."
"Should we be concerned?"
"I think we should be cautious. It is too early to tell what may or may not happen. Of course, one must not underestimate Voldemort's power; I remember Tom Riddle very well during his time here and even then, he had a sense of unsettling malevolence about him. I suggest that sooner rather than later, we will need to make all the teaching staff aware of the situation and we may have to monitor traffic between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Unfortunately, young men are the most impressionable and I feel that a few of our students would be the primary targets for any sort of dark wizard army."
"Very well. Let us hope this comes to an end before it manifests into something much bigger and more difficult to destroy."
It was obvious at breakfast that a few students were still feeling under the weather; in fact, a good handful of the Slug Club attendees hadn't managed to summon the strength to attend the Great Hall. It was a true miracle to many than Evan Rosier had woken up that morning and managed to put one leg in front of the other, never mind having managed to make his way to breakfast.
Narcissa had woken up at seven-thirty after one of the girls in the dormitory had dropped a pile of books on the floor with a loud thump. The sound was most unwelcome, akin to that of a heavy smack across her temples. In her vain efforts to feel better, she had consumed a couple of glasses of water but they had done nothing. The damage was already done.
"My goodness Narcissa, you look rough." Artemis said as she pulled on her jeans. "You didn't even get in that late; there were people that got home after you did but they look like a fresh daisy in comparison to you."
"Thank you for that observation," Narcissa replied, too busy trying to improve her appearance.
"You must have hit the wine hard. It's the worst, trust me."
"I guess I did."
"Anyway," Artemis smiled devilishly, sliding into Narcissa's peripheral vision. "How did it go last night? Anything new and interesting to report?"
"How did I know you would ask that? Sadly, there is nothing to report. I attended the party on my own, I spent some time with Lucius, but then I spent most of the time with my cousin and his friends before Slughorn wanted to shower me with compliments just before the end of the night. I left and came straight here and came to bed."
"Is that really what happened?"
"Yes," Narcissa said sternly. "I don't need to justify myself to anyone. Besides, I don't understand why people are so interested in what I'm up to. Haven't others got their own lives to worry about?"
"Alright steady on, I was just trying to have a laugh. Here-" Artemis pulled a small perfume bottle from her pocket. "-this should help you."
Narcissa took the bottle from Artemis, studying the amber-coloured liquid that sat within.
"And what is this exactly?"
"Just a little tonic to perk you up. I'm afraid I don't have anything to eradicate dark circles, but this should help you to feel a little better. You don't need to drink it; just a couple of sprays on the wrist should do. I was given this for my seventeenth birthday by my cousin who swears by it; they use it after every party, and they are always as right as rain the next day."
"I guess it can't make me feel any worse."
Narcissa sprayed once on each wrist before giving the bottle back to Artemis. She did feel some of her tiredness and nausea ebb away, enough to make walking around painless. Bending down to her chest of drawers, Narcissa pulled out a dark blue woollen jumper, pulling it over her plain white t-shirt.
"I haven't got time to fix my hair," Narcissa stated, picking up her hair oil to smooth out her locks before pulling it into a high bun. "This look is normally reserved for the bath, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers."
"I like it, a bit rough around the edges. Anyway, I think we should get a move on – Cassandra is already down there, you know what she's like. If we take too long she'll be gone."
Once the girls had put their shoes on, they began to head towards the Great Hall. The corridors were quiet for a Sunday morning, perhaps because a lot of students had been out visiting Hogsmeade and others had Quidditch practice at nine.
Upon entering the Great Hall, Narcissa spotted Evan first and foremost, looking a little sorry for himself as he hovered over his cup of water. Waving Artemis past, Narcissa sat herself down on the bench next to Evan.
"For goodness sake Evan, pull yourself together, you've got to get on a broomstick in an hour."
"Don't you start, I've already had Eleanor in my ear about it. Anyway, I presume you haven't heard, we all have to go to the Potions classroom at half past eight. I think we may have bagged ourselves a little detention."
"How do you know?"
"Slughorn was milling about the common room entrance at half-seven. Said Dumbledore would like to have a word with everyone that attended the party last night. Of course I know I'll get most of the blame; Eleanor told me about the statues. I didn't like them much anyway and I think it's a vast improvement on those macabre things, but nevertheless, I can't go unpunished. I heard we upset McGonagall, not that that is a difficult task to achieve."
Evan looked up from the table, his blank expression turning to one of bewilderment.
"Merlin's beard Narcissa, you don't look so chipper yourself. How much did you drink last night?"
"I think about five or six glasses."
"You think?"
"Well I can't be sure, I don't remember much after the third. Do I really look that bad?"
"Not as bad as some of the folk here. Just keep your head down and then maybe look to rest up today, I think you could do with it."
"Charming as ever,"
Narcissa rose from the bench, moving a few metres down where she joined her friends. As she stepped over the bench and started to sit down, Narcissa flashed her eyes to the left down the table, noticing Lucius was not yet present. She had hoped to have a quick chat with him before they went off on their own routines for the day, but it looked like her chances of doing so were slim.
"Morning Sleeping Beauty," Cassandra laughed. "I see you've gone quite casual this morning."
"Yes, I didn't expect I'd have to see that many people; as it is I think I've got a detention to attend so that will be at least thirty."
"Blimey, what on Earth happened last night?"
"It was largely uneventful until we left; Evan destroyed a few of the statues, but I'm not sure if anyone else contributed to the damage. I was too focused trying to get back to the common room."
"Seemed like it must have been a fair deal; I heard Professor McGonagall caught a few students being sick over the stairs on to people below and somebody else was caught trying to smuggle some portraits into the Hufflepuff common room. I'm not surprised they're not happy, but it does sound quite funny!"
"Yes well, I have a feeling these parties may have to change a bit. Slughorn does let it become a bit of a free for all; I think he forgets that we are still students and some of us underage at that, rather than being his adult friends."
"Ah well, at least when you leave here and we're all old and wrinkly, you've got an entertaining story to look back on."
The rest of breakfast was relatively quiet; Narcissa was now super conscious of her early morning engagement and didn't want to be late. Once she had finished, Narcissa decided to partner up with Evan and Eleanor and head towards the potions classroom. As they made their way through the school, Narcissa kept scouting open classrooms and offshooting corridors hoping that Lucius would appear, but it seemed he was nowhere in sight. Narcissa found it odd that he hadn't been in the Great Hall for breakfast; he was always there first thing without fail.
"What do you think Narcissa?" Evan asked, dragging Narcissa away from her thoughts.
"Hm sorry?"
"You were completely away with the fairies. I was asking you what you thought of today's Quidditch match. It's us versus Gryffindor. We've been training harder and smarter this year in the hope we can top the scoreboard. It's close between our houses so it's a matter of being on top form."
Narcissa recognised that Quidditch was one of Evan's passions, like a large majority of the school, but frankly it was something that she found quite mundane. She had never understood the appeal of sport and hadn't shown a great deal of interest in any of the magical sports that took place.
"Well let's hope all that practising will come to fruition. You can't surely let yourselves be beaten by Gryffindor house for the second year on the trot."
"Trust me, we shall be trying our damned hardest. I promised my parents that I would arrange for an all-expenses paid trip if we won."
"Well fool you, Evan, I wouldn't have betted anything monetary on it."
"You're so cutting sometimes, straight to the point. Anyway, I shan't took about it anymore, I can see you look a little bored."
"Say Evan-" Narcissa was quick to change the subject. "-where was Lucius this morning? I noticed he wasn't at breakfast, that's all. I presume he was okay last night, he didn't seem like he was unwell."
"Oh he's fine. Said something about needing to do something. He'll be at detention though; he knows about that. He spoke to Slughorn privately while we all left to go to the Great Hall and we just presume it's Slughorn making a thousand apologies and asking in his indirect way for some support."
"That's a little bit vague isn't it? Needing to do something? Why are you boys always so secretive about things?"
"Hey don't shoot the messenger, I'm just telling you the very little information he provided me with. Look Narcissa, he's fine. What did you need to talk to him so urgently about anyway?"
"It's nothing, I just wanted to have a chat."
"And you say boys are the secretive ones." Evan winked at her. "I know why, Narcissa, but it's just between us. I won't say anything."
Lucius reached out across the grass, checking the time on his watch. Eight fifteen. He knew that he would have to leave soon to make sure he arrived at the Potions classroom in time, but frankly his mind was elsewhere.
He had hardly slept a wink that night. No matter how hard he tried to get to sleep, his mind was racing all night long. Eventually, he had given up, resorting to doing some late-night reading just to give his mind a rest.
As soon as the sun had risen, Lucius had got himself dressed. He hadn't got any particular plans for the day, but he felt he needed some time to himself away from the prying eyes of others.
Every time Lucius tried to think of something mundane or ordinary, his thoughts dragged him back to Narcissa; how she had lightened up the room when she had arrived at the party, how she largely stayed by his side all throughout the night, how she had kissed his cheek before sauntering off to bed. All night he had thought about her and what this meant if anything. For the first time in his life, Lucius was certain of what he wanted, and he didn't want to lose out. However, there was a small part of him that was concerned; over that summer Lucius had heard talk of a Lord Voldemort and the callings to join him in his cause to purify the Wizarding World. Amongst the Pureblood families there had been whispers, largely in agreement with this so-called Lord, and Lucius' family had been no different. There had never been a greater time to stand up for what they believed in, and until recently, Lucius had no reservations of putting himself on the front line to restore society to a former greatness. However, as his fondness for Narcissa had grown, he began to question if putting himself in such a position was wise. Lucius didn't care much for himself; he confidently assumed he would cope just fine, but he had become incredibly protective of Narcissa and wanted to ensure her safety.
After consoling Professor Slughorn, Lucius had decided to get half an hour's fresh air out by the lake. As it was early on a Sunday morning, there was not another soul out and around the area. Finding a spot not too far away from the surface of the water, Lucius set himself down on the ground, taking in the gentle breeze and the sound of the water lapping against the stones. It very much reminded him of some of the trips him and his father had undertaken during previous summer holidays. Whenever life felt busy, or stressful, Lucius would always draw himself back to these tranquil moments.
Taking hold of his watch, Lucius pressed the large golden button on the side with a particular memory in mind. A small lavender-toned cloud appeared from the watch face, the mist circling until it was brought to life with scenes of the night before. Lucius smiled as he watched the familiar scenes unfold in front of his eyes, starting with Narcissa's entrance at the Slug Club party. All night he had wondered if she had indeed been making subtle hints, or if he was grossly misinterpreting what had happened. Lucius watched as Narcissa left his side, disappearing across the room and out of sight, later returning with Evan and another glass of wine, how they all sat together at the table sharing stories from their summer and later entertained Professor Slughorn with some magic tricks. Along came the memory of Narcissa and himself leaving the party, watching Evan being practically dragged across the tiles in the end. Lucius noticed how Narcissa didn't flinch at his touch and seemed all too relaxed with the idea; in fact when they had the misfortune of bumping into a very hostile McGonagall, Lucius noted how Narcissa's grip on his arm tightened and she moved closer towards him, something he hadn't noticed in his attempt to escape a severe telling off. The final memory materialised, taking on the surroundings of the Slytherin common room and Narcissa sat down on the chair, taking off her heels. Lucius watched carefully as the memory played out before him, taking particular interest at the brief moment of silence that had taken place between them. In reality, it had perhaps had only been four or five seconds, but at the time it seemed to be much longer and even now, Lucius felt there was some underlying tension. He still felt that he had chosen the right course of action, but Lucius couldn't help but feel something in his stomach when he watched Narcissa reach up by his side and kiss his cheek. He could still remember it all; her aura, her fragrance, her soft tones as she bid him goodnight.
Maybe she was just drunk. A happy, flirty drunk.
Lucius wasn't sure. He didn't have a reference point from any of their lavish parties because they simply hadn't mixed. Maybe she was always like this, a bit of a tease. He couldn't blame her; he had played the very same game many times before in the hope of stealing a girl's heart, even it was only for the evening. However, he was the only person she had singled out and she had been very attentive all night. Perhaps he was right?
Frankly, Lucius didn't know what to do. It was still very early days. He had never courted formally; he was more acquainted with a fleeting month-long whirlwind romance, but even then, it hadn't been as often as people thought. For once, Lucius was completely honest with himself and he knew that he liked Narcissa, more than anyone he had ever met and for that reason, he did not want to rush things. There was something different about how he felt this time, something that made him want to make more of an effort in the morning, and work harder in his subjects, and be more mindful of what he did and what he said.
"What am I going to do?" Lucius sighed, watching as the memory dissipated.
Eight twenty. There was no more time to think about things. Getting to his feet, Lucius quickly placed his watch back on his wrist, grabbed his satchel and headed in the direction of the courtyard.
"Thank you all for your punctuality this morning, I do appreciate some of you will have sore heads and not be in the best state of mind but needs must." Dumbledore began, addressing the crowd of bleary-eyed pupils in front of him. "I have made sure that this meeting will not have come as a surprise to any of you. After all, you are all adults, or as close to it. Now, I want to start off by saying that I was young once; I understand completely the need for relaxation and a little bending of the rules. I can't say I was indeed the most well-behaved student at Hogwarts in my time, but there are behaviours that we expect to be maintained at all times. It was brought to my attention last night that there was an awful lot of noise and destruction on the return to your common rooms. There are statues that have been around for at least three centuries that have been damaged, as well as oil paintings that have been tarnished. That, of course, is not to mention that chaos some of you caused by being unable to hold back your sickness until the safety of your dormitories. I am sure in a few years' time, you will look back and laugh, but I must impress that some parents may not respond favourably to such tales of debauchery. Therefore, after consulting with Professor Slughorn, we have mutually agreed that from now all, all regular parties will be a formal dinner in line with the prestigious nature of the club. I will allow an exception at Christmas, but any other occasion must be treated as an extension of the school and thus must sit in line with our rules and expectations."
"Great-" Evan whispered to Narcissa. "-that sounds like a barrel of laughs."
"I will speak to those students who were responsible for any damage on a one-to-one basis throughout next week, but for today, Professor Slughorn will be holding a mandatory one-hour study period which must be conducted in silence. However, I am no monster; I know some of you need a bit more rest and recuperation and others have other commitments, so I request that you all return at four o'clock to commence your study. Now if there aren't any questions, I will leave you in Professor Slughorn's capable hands-"
None of the students spoke a word. Narcissa briefly looked over her shoulder, noticing a few of the party-goers looked ashen, some leaning against walls or their friends.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore clapped loudly, making most of the students jump. "Well, I shall leave you all to it. I shall see you tonight in the Great Hall for supper!"
Dumbledore made his way towards the exit, commenting on one student who looked like they were teetering on the edge of life and death. Narcissa watched him hand something over to said student before he disappeared out of the classroom. Once he was gone, everybody notably relaxed including Professor Slughorn whose face began to take on a complexion again after looking almost white.
"Well, that wasn't too bad was it folks!" Slughorn joked, although he sounded somewhat uncertain. "I am sorry for having to summon you all at this hour, but you know Dumbledore is right. I am sure you all understand. From now on, we shall focus more on getting to know each other and peer-to-peer learning!"
Evan just looked at Narcissa, rolling his eyes before stifling back a laugh. Watching Slughorn rationalise Dumbledore's rules was almost comedic; anybody who was good at reading expressions knew Slughorn was not a fan of the new 'agreement'. His tone of voice may have said one thing, but his face said something else entirely.
"Right well, I know Quidditch is on the cards for some, and others may just want a little more sleep, myself included! Please, you are all dismissed – remember to return here for four o'clock! I do have a register that Dumbledore will be in receipt of so please do not fail to attend." Slughorn said quickly, retreating into the safety of his office. At this point, most of the students started to filter out of the room, making the arduous journey back to the dormitories.
"Narcissa," Lucius appeared at Narcissa's right hand side, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Lucius," Narcissa said in reply, startled by his sudden apparition.
Lucius paused for a moment, taking in the sight of a very different Narcissa to what he was used to. Casual, that's how he would describe it.
"You look er, relaxed-" Lucius stumbled over his words, mentally scolding himself by such a clumsy selection of words. "-I like it. It's good."
"Relaxed isn't what I'd go for, but thanks."
"Good to see you pal!" Evan interjected, reaching out and grasping Lucius' hand, shaking it. "I noticed you weren't at breakfast this morning, that's unlike you."
Narcissa was thankful that Evan had jumped in and saved her skin. The very words were on the tip of her tongue, but she felt it was too out of the blue to ask outright without coming across of nosy and direct.
"Yeah, I had to go to the owlery. Letter from home, I hadn't replied so I thought I better crack on and get one written." Lucius lied, not rousing suspicion from Evan.
"You missed a good spread, finest baked rolls and a good selection of smoked ham."
"I'm surprised you managed to make it downstairs Evan, the last time I saw you, you were climbing into the dormitory on your hands and knees."
"You know me, just need a little sleep and I'll be fine. I've seen people in this classroom that are far worse!" Evan turned to Eleanor, gesturing towards the door. "Anyway, let's not waste time chatting here. I've got to be on the pitch soon; I'm already going to get a bollocking for being late to the pre-game brief. Will you both be watching?"
"I suppose so. It's either that or retiring to bed, and frankly it's such a beautiful day that it would be a huge shame to waste it," Lucius replied. "What do you think Narcissa?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
Evan smiled, and guiding Eleanor towards the door, they started to make their way out of the classroom, leaving Lucius and Narcissa to trail behind. By this point, all the other students had already vacated the room and the immediate vicinity, giving Lucius and Narcissa some privacy.
"How are you this morning?" Lucius broke the silence. "I think you may have been suffering the aftereffects of too much wine."
"Oh I'm fine," Narcissa laughed softly. "Nothing that a good sleep wouldn't fix. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I didn't sleep much last night, but it gave me time to think, something I don't really get to do when life races by at one hundred miles an hour."
"Look, Lucius, forgive me if I'm a bit bold and upfront-" Narcissa struggled to find the right words. "Are, are we good?"
"Yes of course, why wouldn't we be?"
"Well, when I woke up, I began to recall some of the thing that happened last night and, well, I'm not sure how much is real and how much is my own fabrication, but I just wanted to apologise if I was out of turn at any point."
"Oh," Lucius tried to hide his disappointment. Maybe she had regrets – that is what it was starting to sound like. "No, you weren't, not at all."
"That's good then. It's just because obviously we work together and I didn't want any silly drunkenness to put a spanner in the works, so to speak."
"Of course not," Lucius smiled meekly, although he had lowered his head slightly so Narcissa couldn't see. "You're a smart young woman. You wouldn't want to lose sight of that."
"Good." Narcissa said again. She could feel heat rising underneath her jumper, making her feel a little warm.
That was awkward. Narcissa said to herself. Just move on, Narcissa. Talk about something else.
"So, tell me how much Evan has paid you to watch this game. I mean, he still isn't walking in a perfectly straight line so it could be fun."
"I have a bet on," Lucius pulled out a piece of paper from his trouser pocket. "Two galleons to Evan if he wins, two to me if he loses."
"I see. Well, let us hope for the sake of his own wallet that he wins. Evan seems to be a betting man and I'm not entirely convinced it is working in his favour-"
"Malfoy!" Crabbe appeared from one of the window frames, waving a letter around in his hand. "I've been waiting for you. Here, this was left for you at breakfast."
"What is this?" Lucius took the envelope from Crabbe, studying the unfamiliar handwriting on the front. His name, neatly written in the centre, was underlined with a cursive line and a heart.
"I dunno," Crabbe continued. "Secret admirer I guess. Some dark-haired sixth year from Ravenclaw came and left it with me, said that I had to give it to you urgently."
"Thanks,"
Crabbe then skulked off, swaggering as he moved across the small courtyard to the adjacent corridor.
"A secret admirer? Lucky you." Narcissa said curiously, trying to discreetly look over at the envelope.
"Yeah, maybe." Lucius went to go and place the envelope in his pocket. Although his ego felt slightly bruised, he had no interest in opening the letter. It wasn't the first time he had been the recipient of one of these love notes and he wasn't at all interested.
"Well aren't you going to open it? Aren't you curious as to who it's from?"
"Maybe later. I'm sure it can wait."
Narcissa didn't recognise the handwriting, not that it was any of her business. Lucius and her were just friends, if they could be called as such. However, she couldn't help but be bothered that somebody else was trying to infiltrate their perfect little bubble. Narcissa thought that maybe, she was just thinking into things way too much, but if what Evan said was in fact true and not just a wind up, she didn't want anyone else messing it up.
"How many of those have you had?" Narcissa asked, attempting to pass it off as an amicable interest.
"I don't know, I don't really care for them." Lucius replied. "I'm not interested in anyone at the moment."
"You don't need to justify yourself to me-"
"I do," Lucius cut Narcissa off. "Sorry, look I get teased about these enough from Crabbe and Goyle and it just gets on my nerves. I'd rather not talk about them, in fact-"
Lucius spotted a bin coming up on his left-hand side and taking the letter out, he ripped it in half and chucked it in, much to Narcissa's surprise.
"-I'd rather pretend that this didn't happen."
"Of course, I apologise." Narcissa said with genuine affection. "I overstepped the mark."
"Don't apologise. I'm more annoyed at Crabbe, if anything. He did not need to make such a public display of that; it just wasn't necessary. I shall have words with him later."
Narcissa couldn't hide the sense of satisfaction she received from Lucius binning the letter. She knew he didn't have the audacity to open it in front of her, but she dreaded the idea of him opening it later on and maybe falling victim to whatever nonsense was written inside it. Maybe what Evan said was true; maybe Lucius did have feelings for her. With that thought in mind, Narcissa felt a smile creep upon her face as she and Lucius continued their way towards the Quidditch pitch.
Lucius and Narcissa reached the Slytherin stand, seeking out what spaces were left available. Lucius spotted a few spare seats on the top row, some three or four spaces down from Crabbe and Goyle. Narcissa looked two rows below, finding Cassandra and Artemis towards the end of the row.
"I guess I'll see you later," Narcissa said, making brief eye contact with Artemis who was watching with extreme interest.
"Wait-" Lucius held his hand out before Narcissa could walk away. "-Would you care to join me? I know you're not the biggest fan and, well, you might find it a bit more interesting sat with someone who knows what's going on."
"Er, well-" Narcissa saw the hope in Lucius' face and, no matter how distracting Artemis attempted to be in the background, Narcissa couldn't deny what her heart was telling her. "Yes, I will join you."
"Excellent." Lucius smiled. He led Narcissa out of the tower and up a couple of steps, climbing over the benches at the top to take their seats. Narcissa had tried to keep her eyes facing forward, but as she took her seat on the bench, she locked eyes with Cassandra and Artemis who were both grinning and giving her various hand signals.
"Now, you're not properly dressed for the occasion." Lucius reached into his satchel, pulling out a Slytherin scarf and placing it over Narcissa's shoulders. "See, that's much better."
"Thank you," Narcissa replied, taking in the scent from the scarf.
It even smells like him.
Crabbe and Goyle, once they took their eyes away from their bag of sweets, spotted Lucius sat with Narcissa.
"Hey hey look!" Crabbe elbowed Goyle in the arm. "Malfoy's got a girlfriend!"
"I wonder if she wrote the letter and got a friend to deliver it." Goyle mused, chomping on his Scottish fudge bites.
"I don't think so. I did wonder why Malfoy wouldn't open it. Seems he already has someone."
"How long do you think this one will last?"
"I give it until after Christmas. He will want someone to take to the Christmas party. After that, he'll be on to the next one!"
Oliver Brandshaw, a fifth year from Hufflepuff, stood up to the microphone to introduce the game. Both sets of teams had filtered onto the pitch, some already taking their positions while others did loops to warm up.
"Welcome to today's Quidditch match where Slytherin will play against Gryffindor in the first match of the year. Gryffindor are currently our reigning champions having won the Quidditch tournament last year. Will Slytherin be able to make a head start this year, or will our current champions beat them to the post? There are several balls in this game, the most important being the Golden Snitch. To win the game, the Seeker from both teams must catch the Snitch-"
"Are you familiar with the balls and the point system?" Lucius turned to Narcissa to ask.
"Yes. I feel like this introduction is not one you can easily forget – he does drone on."
Lucius smiled to himself. He loved Narcissa's sharp tongue.
"Look at Evan!" Lucius pointed him out, swaying slightly from side to side on his broom. "My goodness, he looks like he's going to be sick."
"I'm sure he was told not to play today," Narcissa said disapprovingly. "I hope he doesn't make a fool of himself."
"He's just adjusting to the breeze. Once he's zooming around on the broom, he'll be focused entirely on the game."
"You seem to be quite the Quidditch enthusiast. How come you never put yourself forward to play?"
"I prefer to be a spectator. Besides, it's not really something I wanted to commit myself to. Saturday mornings written off for practice, Sunday morning games whatever the weather, not to mention the risk of injury. I guess I am just not that into sport as my peers are. Plus I like to have my spare time as my own – you never know what's around the corner."
The Quidditch game began once the chest containing all the balls was opened. The crowds began to cheer as the game set in motion, the pitch coming alive with flashes of red and green. The Gryffindor team seemed to be in top form, gaining a respectable amount of points within the first ten minutes of play. Slytherin were somewhat lagging, no doubt due to several of their players having been at the Slug Club party the night before. As always, there were a few hair-raising moments where players almost fell off their broomsticks, or narrowly missed the towers. Brandshaw kept the commentary running, even as the heavens opened, and the rain began to fall heavily on the patrons below.
"The rain seems to have sobered Evan up a bit." Lucius commented, noticing Evan was a lot steadier and in better control of his broom. "I told him a good, long hot shower would have woken him up this morning."
"You boys never listen," Narcissa retorted. "You'd rather be stubborn and say you're fine, not taking any advice given to you."
"You speak as if you've had experience."
"I've watched enough conversations to know." Narcissa pulled on the scarf, bringing it closer around her neck.
"Are you cold?"
"I'll be fine. It's a thick jumper. Please Lucius, you don't need to make a fuss-"
Narcissa's words had fallen on deaf ears; Lucius removed his blazer and draped it over Narcissa's slender frame.
"It's waterproof. We don't want you getting a chill out here."
"Thank you,"
Artemis had periodically been turning around, as if hoping to catch a moment of romance. Her timing as impeccable as ever, she had turned around at this precise moment, raising her eyebrows and smiling devilishly at Narcissa. Narcissa was all too aware of this, knowing that she would have a million questions coming her way later.
Lucius had attracted the attention of a few of the Slytherin girls as he sat there, his shirt slowly becoming more and more wet. However, several of them turned away when they saw Narcissa sat next to him, obviously wrapped up in his jacket and sat within mere inches of him. Tongues would start to waggle, Lucius knew this, but he was slowly beginning to care less. If people wanted to stare at them, they could.
"Lucius, have you got something else to wear? Your shirt is drenched." Narcissa said in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. "I can't sit here with three layers here while you only have one."
"I don't. Besides, I feel on top of the world right now. The cold won't touch me."
"Okay, well, aren't you bothered that people are staring at you?"
"Let them. I'm not interested in them. I'm watching this game, and I'm sat here with you. Nobody else matters."
Narcissa's heart warmed at the comment.
"Another ten points for Slytherin!" Brandshaw's voice boomed across the pitch, followed by a roar of cheers from the Slytherin stand.
"Well done Evan!" Lucius shouted as Evan rode past the stand.
Narcissa could feel herself developing some interest in the game taking place, if not only for seeing how passionate Lucius was in supporting it. There were very few times she had seen him truly relaxed, and this was one of those occasions.
The wind began to pick up slightly, making the game a little more challenging for the players. Those students who had the foresight to check the weather forecast beforehand had brought umbrellas with them, although they were being thrashed around whenever a strong wind blew. It was typical British weather, completely unpredictable.
Narcissa suddenly felt her hair fall forward and as she ran her fingers through her wet hair, she noticed her hairband had snapped. Normally, she would have been very precious about her appearance, but today she just didn't care. Even though it was dripping at the ends, her hair had retained its loose waves. Lucius briefly glanced at Narcissa, thinking how beautiful she was regardless.
The rumbles of thunder in the distance became increasingly louder as the thick, black clouds moved towards the Quidditch pitch. There was only ten minutes left of gameplay and it was still all to play for. Gryffindor were trailing behind by forty points and Slytherin were doing their best to latch on to their lead. There was a brief scuffle between a couple of players on the opposing teams, but after some sharp words from the respective captains, the game continued.
A sudden loud clap of thunder struck a little way behind the Slytherin stand, lighting up the sky. Everybody sat in the immediate area was startled; Narcissa, who had become engrossed in the game, jumped and reached out for Lucius' hand. She looked down at their joined hands and looked back at Lucius, blushing slightly.
"I'm so sorry." Narcissa said apologetically. "I don't like thunder. I know it's childish…"
"It's okay." Lucius said softly. "You don't have to let go."
I don't want you to let go.
"Lucius-"
I don't want you to let go.
"That's another ten points for Slytherin!"
The familiar roar of the crowd started again, drowning out the thunder that was fast approaching the pitch. Narcissa smiled, turning back towards the pitch to continue watching the game. The moment had passed and there was no way she could compete with the cheering of hundreds of fellow students.
The tension was truly building up in the final minutes of the game. With four minutes to go, Gryffindor managed to score thirty points, much to the annoyance of Slytherin house. It appeared that they had managed to gain a second wind and for a few moments, Slytherin's lead seemed to be in danger of being stolen. Both teams had everything to play for in the final three minutes and the respective Seekers focused their attention on catching the Snitch. The cheers and words of encouragement from the stands became louder and louder as the rain thrashed down, spirits seemingly unaffected by the torrential downpour. The black clouds were now looming directly over the Quidditch pitch, with the thunder and lightning regularly booming and clashing over the people below. Bright flashes of lightning would illuminate the entire pitch; it was a wonder that nobody managed to get hit. At times, Dumbledore shuffled in his seat, assessing the weather around them, and contemplated whether or not to postpone the game. However, before Dumbledore had the game to stand and make his way over to the microphone, the Gryffindor and Slytherin Seekers were hot on the Snitch's tail, zooming side by side as they both reached out to gain their prize. For a moment, the crowd fell silent, watching as the Slytherin seeker took a leap of faith, lunging forward and grabbing the Golden Snitch between his fingers.
"Alfonso Garcia has caught the Snitch! Slytherin wins the game!"
The majority of the Slytherin stand rose to their feet, jumping and cheering in celebration as the members of the Slytherin Quidditch team huddled together on the pitch, congratulating each other on their success. Lucius and Narcissa slowly rose to their feet, reluctantly letting go of each other's hand to clap at their team's success. Narcissa looked down at Artemis and Cassandra who were both pre-occupied with celebrating the win, and then Narcissa flashed her eyes down her own bench to see Crabbe and Goyle jumping around, sweets flying everywhere. It was quite heart-warming to see so many happy faces, especially on a totally unexpected first win of the academic year.
"I've just thought, you know what this means?" Lucius sighed as his brought his clapping to a natural end.
"What?" Narcissa responded, looking a little vacant.
"It means I owe Evan two Galleons."
The Slytherin common room was packed full of students celebrating and rallying around the Quidditch team. There was extraordinarily little space to move one step in any direction, let alone make way through the actual room. People were sat on the sofas and on the arms, others had leant against drawers and shelves and the braver people amongst the crowd were right in the centre of the room, packed tightly like sardines. Alfonso Garcia was getting the bulk of the attention, and rightly so considering his incredible victory. James Pincer, the captain, was also receiving a fair bit of attention, especially from the females in the room and it was evident that he was basking in it.
On the way back to the common room, Narcissa had briefly caught up with Cassandra and Artemis, albeit not enough time to start having any meaningful conversation. As they filtered into the common room on arrival, Lucius had managed to stay close to Narcissa and guided her off to the left-hand side of the room whilst the others veered over to the right.
"So, what did you think of the game?" Lucius asked once they had settled by the bookshelf in the corner of the room.
"Well I am happy to report I stand corrected, and I do take back what I said about the game being dull." Narcissa admitted.
"See, it makes all the difference when you attend with people who are interested."
"I guess you're right."
Narcissa went to rest her hands on her arms, realising she was still wearing Lucius' blazer. Gently removing it from her shoulders, Narcissa tentatively handed it back to Lucius; secretly, she had enjoyed wearing it and had felt incredibly cosy while doing so.
"You know, it looks good on you." Lucius said as he hung the blazer over his arm. "I think I'll make a mental note to keep this piece close by."
"It was lovely and warm, thank you. However, you look absolutely soaked and in greater need of this than me."
"I will be fine Narcissa, you don't need to worry."
Evan somehow managed to squeeze himself through the crowd, having spotted Lucius stood over in the corner of the room.
"Hey, Malfoy, you owe me some money!" Evan jeered, waving his arms in the air like an excited child.
"Here," Lucius reached into his trouser pocket, fumbling around until he found the two coins. "Don't spend it all at once."
"See Narcissa, Lucius didn't think we would win today! But yet again, I am here to prove him wrong, and we absolutely demolished the other team!"
"Congratulations Evan, you played very well." Narcissa said, giving Evan an affirming tap on his shoulder.
"Thank you little cousin! Now, once we've dried off, had some lunch and completed this silly study period, we can have a proper celebration."
"Maybe not with any more alcohol," Lucius interjected. "The old hair of the dog won't help you. Besides, you don't want to be caught causing any more damage to school property."
"You're right, maybe tonight isn't the best time to venture out to our favourite haunt. Ah well, maybe another weekend when we aren't under the watchful eye of McGonagall. That woman's like a hawk I'm telling you. Never trust anyone who shapeshifts into a cat. Anyway, I best get back to the team, I can hear Rogers calling me over. See you both later on."
Narcissa just shook her head and laughed. Evan often spoke with such conviction and precision, and then at other times he would ramble on like a typical teenage male. The contrast between the two different personas was interesting to say the least.
"He's a character," Lucius said. "We need more people like him in the world."
"Never a dull moment."
"Yes-" Lucius turned away from the crowd, facing Narcissa straight on. "-I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your company today. If you enjoyed it, we should definitely do this again."
"Yes, yes I would like that very much." Narcissa's face unmistakably lit up at the suggestion.
"Leave it with me. I will work something out. Until then, I guess I shall see you on Friday afternoon as usual."
"I guess you will."
"If you need anything beforehand, you know where I am."
Narcissa's hand gently brushed against Lucius' and under the cover of the hanging blazer, Lucius briefly took Narcissa's hand in his. This private moment was all theirs, completely undetected by the rest of the common room. Lucius was pretty certain he could have made a bolder move and have remained unseen by his peers, but that moment had not yet come.
"See you Narcissa."
With a final caress of her hand, Lucius retracted his hand and he slowly backed away before making his way through the students. Narcissa watched on until he was barely visible, blending in with the rest of the crowd.
You know Evan. I just think you may be right, you absolutely wonderful man.
AN: It didn't feel right to post this chapter without acknowledging the tragic passing of Helen McCrory. I am still feeling shocked and saddened over this news some ten days on from the announcement of her death. I had the absolute fortune and delight of meeting Helen twice; once before I became quite unwell and a second time some two years later when I was much better. I will never forget how she kind and sincere she was, and how genuine she was too. I first took note of her in Harry Potter as Narcissa Malfoy and in my mind, nobody else will ever fill that role for me. I went on to watch many of her works and in my mind she truly was one of the greatest British actresses of our time. I feel incredibly privileged and blessed to have met her and even when I was deeply unwell, her humility and kindness towards me is something that stayed with me (and even now nine years on). I have met wonderful people through being a fan of her works, as well as falling in love with so many wonderful stories and characters. Thank you Helen for being an absolute shining star - I will always be grateful for everything you have done for myself and many other people. My thoughts remain with her family and friends at this difficult time.