"You just spent the whole day with her," Lucius mutters under his breath, looking at where Narcissa sits on the other side of the commons room, legs tucked underneath herself. She was biting her lip as she stared down at what appeared to be an astrology textbook and her hair kept falling loose from behind her ear and tumbling into her face. "You just spent the whole day with her, you can't just intrude more onto her personal space."
All the same, however, Lucius finds himself approaching her. She doesn't look up from her textbook, though he's sure she can sense his presence. "I've been thinking," he says, looking down at the length of her neck that draws a line straight down to where he can see that she's undone the top button of her shirt, loosening the collar. It was the barest hint of skin, but Lucius loved the look of it. "The world is in a shortage of time. We should seize the opportunity and make that second date happen tonight." He moves to take the chair beside her.
"You shouldn't sit there," Narcissa says, stilling his motion. Her eyes don't break from the textbook.
"Why not?" Lucius asks, amused. He keeps his hand on the arm chair, but doesn't quite lower himself into the cushions.
"Because my sister has gotten word of the two of us and she isn't much of a fan." Her eyes finally break away from the page and he gets the full force of her cool blue eyes. "She's under the impression that you are quite the cad, Lucius, and is determined that you're going to break my heart and ruin my reputation."
Lucius sighs and sits on the arm chair. "It's true that I have a… certain notoriety. I won't deny my past, Narcissa."
"And can you provide me assurances that this 'notoriety' won't be expanded to include me, Lucius?" she asks with such a cool restraint that Lucius found himself wanting to assure her however he could. He reaches out a hand to touch hers, but Narcissa pulls away sharply. "Don't touch me here," she says softly. "If my sister sees us together again, Lucius, we're both done for."
"Then let's go somewhere more private," Lucius suggests softly, sitting back away from her.
Narcissa frowns in consideration for a moment before nodding. "Here's how it's going to happen," she says with authority. "You're going to leave here looking mightily discouraged. You're going to get us a bottle of wine, I'm sure you have a stash, and you're going to meet me in the astrology tower. I'm going to finish my homework, put it away, kiss my sister goodnight, and then slip up to the tower. Understood?"
"Wine, huh?" Lucius grins.
"You said you wanted this to be our second date. I'd hate for it to be a disappointing second date."
Lucius nods, his smile growing. "Understood, Cissa."
"You're doing a terrible job at looking discouraged, Luce. I suggest you put on a better performance or we'll never get to that second date." She made it look easy with her emotionless face, but Lucius knew the fact that because she was using her little pet name for him, it meant that she was showing him more affection than she could openly display.
Doing his part as well, Lucius transforms his face to show more of a distraught nature. "That's it, then?" he asks, raising his voice slightly so that the other students in the room could easily overhear. "One date and you're done? I thought we had a spark."
Narcissa gives him the smallest flash of a smile before going blank once again. "I'm afraid you've failed to entertain me, Lucius. I think it's best if we go our separate ways.'
Lucius stands, giving her one of his own signature scowls. "Fine, then, Narcissa. You were a tease, anyways." He wasn't sure how she would take this last comment, but he felt it a necessary one if Bellatrix was listening in on their conversation. It fit her depiction of him, at least. He turns and walks away from Narcissa, not daring to turn back. There was enjoyment in that this had turned into a bit of a game, this pursuit of Narcissa Black. It added to the thrill of it all. Not to mention how genuinely attracted he was to the girl. From her flowing golden hair to her long thin legs, she was every bit his type. And from the brief glimpse he had gotten of her when she was coming out of the lake, he knew that there were even more desirable characteristics just under her uniform.
Lucius hurries to his private room, opening up a large chest. He did, indeed, have quite the stash of alcohols and he rifles through them, trying to choose the best for the situation. He searches through his varieties, wishing he had access to the impressive winery that was his mother's pride back home. Eventually, he settles on a champagne, pulling out the bottle and smiling. It was an impressive brand and he was sure it would be up to Narcissa's tastes. He tucks it in the crux of his arm and pulls out a pair of champagne glasses as well.
Before heading to the astrology tower, he stops by the kitchens, commanding the nearest house elves with such an air of authority that the elves don't question his presence as a student. They scuttle about, preparing a tray of cheeses and fruit for him. He orders another elf to get him a blanket and a few other things for him. As soon as they've all delivered on his commands, he heads to the astrology tower.
It was much later than when he had left Narcissa, but Lucius still had time to set up the blanket and some candles before hearing the door slide quietly open. "Did you evade the terror of Bellatrix Black?" he asks, turning to see Narcissa leaning in the doorway, a small smile on his face. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Narcissa had changed out of her school uniform and into a loose black dress that moved like midnight over her skin.
"Evaded and deceived," she says with a smile. "It seems you've been busy."
"A wine is only as good as it's pairing," he smiles, popping the cork off of the bottle of champagne. "I hope you like champagne. It's a-"
"Don't tell me," Narcissa says, coming in further into the room and sinking down onto the blanket beside him. "I have an excellent nose for wines, especially sparkling. I can tell you exactly what it is before taking a sip."
Lucius smiles. "To make this fair, you're going to have to close your eyes."
"A girl is going to get suspicious of how often you have her close her eyes," Narcissa says with a smirk, but her eyes flutter shut. She reaches out and places a hand on his arm as he pours two glasses. He takes her other hand and places the glass delicately in her fingers.
"Tell me, Cissa. What are we drinking?"
Narcissa smiles softly. "Before I begin, I can already deduce a few things. First, I know you want to impress me, so this glass is going to be ridiculously expensive. But you don't want me to think that you're trying to impress me, so it's not the most expensive bottle you have with you. Hmm. From your tastes, I would venture to guess that it's french." She brings it to her nose, sniffing softly as she swirls the liquid. "I'm getting… Oh, interesting. This is a blend, isn't it? Two varieties of grapes… no. Three. Notes of white flowers and… creme, I would venture." She brings the glass to her lips and takes a small sip. "Ah," she says with a smile. "Of course." She opens her eyes and grins at Lucius. "Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Brut Gold," she says triumphantly. "And I'm sure that hint of a gold bottle behind you will prove my knowledge."
"Very good," Lucius says with a laugh, taking the bottle out so that she can confirm her guess. "I'm impressed, Cissa. I didn't know you were so knowledgeable about wines."
Narcissa smiles and takes a long sip of the champagne. "I have the highest taste in all things, Luce," she says. "Something you'll come to learn. You chose well. Anything more pompous and I would have been insulted."
"I'm glad you're satisfied," he says, leaning in close to her.
Narcissa leans her head against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "You're still going to have to convince me that I don't need to worry about your lascivious past. I don't like my emotions toyed with, Lucius Malfoy."
"I don't know how to convince you more than in action, Cissa," he says softly, tilting her chin up. "And time can only tell with that. But I can say that I am completely enamored with you. I want to know you. And I want… I want you to know me as well. In a way that I haven't wanted anyone to know me before. I can't make promises for the future, the future is so far from certain. But I do honestly believe that there is something between us. I feel oddly pulled to you. Like there's a magnet in my chest tugging me towards you."
Narcissa smiles softly. "My sister Andi believes she can see into the future," she mutters pleasantly. "She told me just the other day she had a vision of me with my son. Who knows, Lucius. Perhaps she'll be able to tell me if you're as honest as you protest."
Lucius laughs softly. "I was able to convince you enough to meet me here tonight," he says. "I consider that a success."
"You've convinced me of more than just that," Naricssa admits. She reaches up to his jaw with her fingertips and tilts his face down to hers, leaning up and kissing him gently. Lucius kisses her back, the trace of wine still on her soft lips. It was intoxicating. More intoxicating than the straight alcohol had been. His hand slides around her waist, pulling her closer.
Narcissa's hand glides back from his jaw and tangles in his long hair, pulling it loose from it's ribbon. Usually, this would annoy Lucius, but he was too thrilled by the touch of her hand and the taste of her in his mouth. She moans softly into his mouth and Lucius can't help but pull her in even closer, sitting her in his lap. Her glass of champagne spills as he moves her, but he doesn't mind, kissing her even deeper. His tongue seeks hers out in her mouth as his hands move slowly along her waist.
Lucius's mouth breaks from her as he moves to her neck, kissing and biting it playfully. She moans for a second time as she tilts her head back, giving him more skin to work with. He eagerly obliges, sucking softly just above where her neck meets her shoulder. This leaves a small purple bruise on her skin and he kisses it delicately before bringing her lips back to meet his.
She kisses him back hungrily, her mouth moving hard and needy against his. Her hands move to his chest, running against the fabric of his shirt and he was desperate to return the touch to her, to feel the silk of her dress in his fingertips, and the soft tenderness of her flesh underneath it.
Despite himself, however, Lucius pulls away, breaking his lips from Narcissa's. A look of surprise crosses her face and instantly makes Lucius want to dive back in to kiss her again, but he holds himself back. "If I'm going to prove to you that I'm more than my reputation, I'm going to have to restrain myself right now."
Narcissa's surprise melts into a pleased look and she places a hand on his cheek, beaming at him. She leans in and gives him a soft simple kiss before pulling back. "Do you know why I chose the astrology tower?" she asks him, the smile still on her lips.
"Why?" he asks, amused.
She pulls herself up from his lap and goes to a crank on the side of the wall. She pulls out her wand and mutters a spell. The crank lets out a low groan and then starts to move. As it works, the ceiling above their heads, the paneling folding in on itself. It reveals an enhanced view of the night sky, not a single cloud in sight and the stars shimmering brightly overhead. Lucius lets out a low breath. He had no idea that this had been up here. Astrology had never been of much interest to him, but there was something deeply moving about being here with Narcissa under the bright stars.
Narcissa slowly moves back to Lucius. He lays down and she takes advantage of this, laying on his chest.
"They're beautiful," Lucius says softly. He can see a slow smile cross Narcissa's face. He was certain he had seen her smile more in the last hour that she had been in here with him than he had accounted for before on her delicate features.
Narcissa points to a bright constellation that shimmers against the inky black sky. "The Orion constellation," she explains. "Like my uncle. And there, that star right there-" she points at a twinkling star in the midst of the constellation. "That's the star Bellatrix."
Lucius smiles as he listens to her, not wanting to interrupt.
"You can't see it from here, but Andromeda has a whole galaxy out there in the night sky," she continues with a smile. "When I was younger, I used to believe that they named all of the stars after members of my family."
"And where is the Narcissa star?" he asks, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it gently.
"There isn't one," Narcissa says softly. "I always thought I'd have to do something spectacular and then they'd name a star after me."
"Well, that simply won't do," Lucius says with a frown. "You deserve a star. How about that one? That bright, glimmering one right there." He points out to the sky and she follows his finger.
Narcissa laughs, shaking her head. "That's the north star, Lucius. I'm afraid that one is already taken."
"No, no. That's my star Narcissa. I'm afraid I won't accept anything else."
Narcissa continues to laugh, a pleasant chiming sound, and she turns on his chest so that she can kiss his lips. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, my dear," she says. "That star is already taken."
Lucius wraps his arms around her, smiling as she calls her his "dear". "You're mistaken," he says, pecking her lips. "Because that star is the star Narcissa. You can recognize it because it's the most beautiful star in the sky. Much like it's namesake."
Pushing her hair over one shoulder so that it falls to the side of Lucius's face, Narcissa leans in and kisses him again, to which he eagerly indulges. Her lips were far more rich than any wine in his mother's collection and this girl in front of him was far more beautiful than that twinkling star above them.
"I better not be wrong about you," Narcissa mutters into his lips before kissing him deeply once again.
You're not, Lucius answers to himself. You're not, Narcissa Black. I'll be everything you need. And more.
In an instant he was certain. He had found her. The girl he had been looking for, and she was far superior to anything he could have hoped for.