Narcissa sits on her bed, brushing her hair. She had lost track long ago how many passes through her hair she had combed. She had forgotten how long she had even been combing the same long section. She had been up nearly all night, tossing and turning as she thought about Lucius. Each time she fell asleep, her thoughts turned to Lucius and the feel of his hand and lips on her body, causing a heat and pressure to build inside of her, but then her dreams would twist and she would see an image of Lucius entangled with Circe instead of her. Narcissa would wake up, covered in sweat and breathing shakily.

When thoughts of Lucius with Circe weren't plaguing her, her conversation with Bellatrix kept replaying in her head. On one hand, she believed Lucius. He hadn't said a word to make her doubt him, or given her cause… but Bellatrix had struck a nerve deep within Narcissa. She had expressed each of Narcissa's deepest fears, how vulnerable she felt taking a chance with Lucius, how she was scared of her reputation being ruined, and her greatest fear: that she truly was as cold and unloveable as everyone said.

The hairbrush pauses in her hair, Narcissa freezing. Every one of her fears. Bellatrix had hit on every one of them. Narcissa felt suspicion grow within her.

Bellatrix was trying to manipulate her. That much was certain. How she was able to manipulate her so thoroughly… well, Narcissa had a chilling idea concerning that. But now that Bellatrix's manipulation was clear in her mind, her fears concerning Lucius lightened. He hadn't lied to her. Hadn't deceived her. And she had been so cruel to him…

She leaps up, looking at the clock. She was late meeting with Lucius. She had been so caught up in her thoughts and fears that she had lost track of time. She checks herself in the mirror and swears. She looked far from her perfected persona. Narcissa groans as she contemplates making Lucius wait even longer so that she can look presentable. Taking out her wand, she quickly conjures a small blue butterfly. Smiling at the small creature, she carefully scribbles a note to Lucius to let him know she's running late but will be there soon. She kisses the corner of the note playfully and then sends the butterfly on it's way. She simply couldn't afford to leave without looking her absolute best.

Biting her bottom lip and working quickly, Narcissa chooses a light blue dress. It was a summer dress with thin straps and delicate embroidery and Narcissa hoped that Lucius wasn't planning on them going outside into the crisp weather. The fabric was too thin for the autumn chill that had decidedly settled in the air around the castle. She carefully fixes her makeup and arranges her hair before dashing out the door and down the stairs. She's halfway through the commons room when someone grabs her arm. She gasps sharply before coming to a halt, realizing how distracted she had been. She turns to see the piercing black eyes of her older sister.

"And where are you off to in such a rush?" Bellatrix asks, holding on to Narcissa's arm. "And dressed like this? You're practically indecent."

"Indecent?" Narcissa says haughtily, pulling her arm away. "It's merely a summer dress and I…" she looks away from Bellatrix, keeping her mind clear of any thoughts of Lucius. "I've been feeling down lately. I wanted… to look nice. I thought it would help my mood." She keeps her face mostly cleared of emotion but lets the smallest flicker of insecurity cross her face. It would be enough for Bellatrix to see.

"Ah," Bellatrix says. Was that a smirk of satisfaction that crossed her face? "Of course. Well, you're welcome to join Rods and I. We were going to play some wizard chess."

"Perhaps later," Narcissa says, straightening her dress. "I have some studying to do. I want to be prepared for a test in transfigurations."

"You'll have dinner with me later, then?"

Narcissa nods, allowing her this. "If I'm done studying by then."

"Mmm," Bellatrix says with a nod, waving her away and crossing the room to where Rodolphus is sitting at a table. He gives Narcissa a quick wink before Bellatrix sees but she just rolls her eyes and turns back to leave.

As soon as she is out of the commons, Narcissa takes off running again, hurrying to make up for lost time. She runs all the way to the Astrology tower, pausing on the final steps to catch her breath before going around the corner. There, leaning casually against the door to the astrology tower with her little butterfly on his shoulder, was Lucius. He was so handsome, dressed in a casual black outfit. It was the first time he had dressed out of uniform to meet with her, and the dark robes did him favors, contrasting his nearly white hair and cold grey eyes. Narcissa felt her breath catch again, and she pauses for a moment to compose herself.

"Running a bit late, aren't we?" Lucius says with a smirk. The boy had a smile that was impossible to tell if it was genuine or lascivious. The butterfly flies off of his shoulder and dissolves into a swirl of blue air, its job done.

"I had to make myself presentable, didn't I?" Narcissa responds. Lucius looks her over in her outfit and his grin widens. She knew he was able to understand the subtle messages she was sending by her dress alone. If she was dressing up for him, she had forgiven him. It was as simple as that, and Lucius knew it.

"Come here, Cissa," he says, holding out a hand for her. Narcissa steps forward obediently, going to Lucius and sinking herself against him. He wraps his arms around her bare shoulders, holding her close.

"I'm sorry, Lucius," she says softly. "For my behavior all week, for not trusting you, and for making you wait all day. I've just been letting myself get eaten up by my fears, and not trusting what I've seen right in front of me… You haven't done a single thing to betray me. Not that I've witnessed, nothing that has been proven true. So I'm sorry I trusted my sister-"

"Hush, Cissa," Lucius interrupts. "She's your sister. I understand why you listened to her. I just wish you would have talked to me and let me defend myself before you shut me out."

"I know," Narcissa says, hanging her head. "I'm sorry. I was just.. hurt."

"It's okay," he says, kissing the top of her head. "You're here now. That's what matters to me. Now, are you ready for an afternoon together?"

"Actually… Lucius, before we do anything, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"Of course," Lucius says. "What is it?"

"Can we go into the classroom?"

Lucius nods and leads her into the empty classroom, taking a seat and pulling out a chair for her to sit by him. He looks at her expectantly, one of his brows bent inquisitively.

"You've been trained in legilmancy, haven't you?" Narcissa asks softly.

"Yes," Lucius says, intrigued and amused. "My father has been teaching me since I was young."

"Will you… train me?" she asks shyly. "I have a feeling… that Bella has been reading my thoughts. She knew exactly what to say to make me doubt you. Hit on each of my fears. I think she was purposefully using my fears against me, to get me to stop seeing you."

Lucius nods, reaching out and taking her hand. "Of course I'll train you," he says. "If you feel like she's getting in your head, I can teach you how to keep her out. Do you want to start now?"
Narcissa nods. "I mean, if you don't have any plans that require us immediately…"
"My plans can wait. This is important to you. But before we begin, you'll have to know a few things. Legilmancy is not easy. It's going to take a lot of work. As well as that, in order to train you, I'm going to have to try to get into your mind. That means that I may see things that you aren't going to want me to. I'll do my best not to see those private parts, but it is difficult with legitimacy. The parts that you guard the most are the ones that get targeted and it's not something I can help."

"Well," Narcissa frowns. "I suppose you'll know that I trust you, then."

Lucius leans in and kisses her, squeezing her hand. She kisses him back, taking his other hand in hers and moving closer so that their knees are pressed together. "When you're ready," he says softly after their kiss, "I want to see what protections you naturally have. I'll try to get inside your brain, and you'll try to keep me out."

Narcissa nods, sitting up, but keeping their hands intertwined. She closes her eyes, concentrating as she tries to build up the walls in her mind. "I'm ready," she says, a hint of nerves in her voice. Lucius squeezes her hands encouragingly, and she gives him a small smile, eyes still closed. After a moment, she feels a sudden presence in her mind, sliding around the corners of her mind. It's a subtle feeling and Narcissa feels certain she wouldn't be aware of him if she didn't specifically know what to look for. He presses against her wall and she feels peices of her protective barrier faltering, not used to being tested. Lucius slips past the breaks, entering her brain.

Narcissa lets out a gasp as she feels a memory surfacing, pulled out without her summoning it. She squeezes Lucius's hands sharply as the memory plays out. Narcissa frowns, uncomfortable, as she recognizes the memory to be her dream from the night before. Lucius's thumb runs across her hand as he sees the image of the two of them intertwined. In the dream, they're in Narcissa's bed, tangled up together. It's a mix of skin and kisses, with the two quickly losing clothing. Before it escalates, however, Narcissa is snapped back away from the embrace and becomes a spectator, stuck, watching Circe take her place in bed. Lucius continues on, unencumbered of who he is with.

Overwhelmed by this visitation, Narcissa slams against Lucius's presence in her mind, forcing him out. She couldn't bear to see another minute of it, and she couldn't bear to have him see any more, either.

Once Lucius has been evicted from her memory, Narcissa turns away from him, her face running with tears once again. "Cissa…" Lucius says gently, but Narcissa shakes her head, too emotional to speak. Lucius pulls her to him, picking her off of her chair and placing onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Oh, Cissa. I'm sorry."

"It was just a dream," Narcissa says coldly, trying to cover for the emotions that are clear in her tears.

Lucius gently brushes the tears from her face, tilting her chin up so that he can give her a tender kiss. "I know that was hard to watch… but I'm glad that I was able to see fully what was going on in that head of yours. And I'm going to do everything in my power to prove to you that that will never happen. I won't hurt you like that. Ever."

"You're distracting from teaching me," Narcissa says but she's comforted by his words and her tears have dried from her eyes. She pulls him into a kiss, reaching up and tangling a hand in his hair.

"Whose the one distracting now?" Lucius asks with a smile, kissing her back indulgently.

Narcissa moves on his lap, shifting from his comforting grasp so that she can straddle him. Her dress rides high on her thighs as she wraps her legs around him. She wraps her arms loosely around his neck, kissing the corner of his mouth delicately. "How do I keep you out next time?" she mutters into her kiss.

Lucius's arms circle around her waist, holding her close. Narcissa feels him back again in her mind. "Focus on my presence," he tells her, catching her lips with his and kissing her deeply. "Feel me in your mind. The more you can become aware of someone when they're trying to gain access to your mind, the easier it will be to keep them out."

Narcissa feels him intensely, both his body pressed against hers and his thought slipping into the crevices of her mind. Rather than trying to keep him out, however, she finds herself inviting him in even further into her mind, letting him read the string of half-thoughts spilling through her head. Lucius… She thinks as she mirrors her own thought, moaning his name into his ear, "Lucius."

He responds hungrily, kissing her even deeper as his presence spreads through her mind. His hand… the smell of him… more… he was everywhere, but she needed more… Her thoughts pulse through her, matching the intense throbbing of her heart. She finds herself reaching her thoughts out for him, pressing against the edges of his mind. She finds a solid wall there, much stronger than her own weak defenses, but Lucius tears down his own defenses to let her in. Their consciousnesses start to mix, thoughts spilling into each other. Mixed in with her present thoughts of Lucius were now his own thoughts: she could see glimpses of her own image, flashes of how he sees her, his thoughts about her. Her skin, her lips, the feel of her hair brushing against his skin.

How could anyone think this girl was cold? Lucius's thoughts race through her mind. She's so beautiful, so inviting and intoxicating… I'll prove to her that her fears are unwarranted. I'll show her that we belong together, that I'll never hurt her, that…

Narcissa tangles her hands desperately in his hair, kissing him almost violently, the need to have him even closer a consuming affair. She reaches for the buttons on his dark cloak at the same time that Lucius's hands go to the straps of her dress, the same thought on both of their minds. Lucius stands, still holding her in his arms, and brings her to the teacher's desk, sliding her on top of it. I need you. Narcissa couldn't tell if the thought was hers, Lucius's, or both of theirs at the same time, but it didn't matter. A decision had been made and they both knew it. Narcissa sits on the desk and her hands go to the straps tying her dress and she loosens them, letting the dress fall down. Lucius reaches for her, pulling the dress up over her head and setting it aside on a nearby chair.

In return, Narcissa reaches to him, quickly working him out of his shirt and letting it drop to the ground, less careful with his clothing. She reaches for his pants, undoing his belt. Before she is able to slide it out from the loops, however, Lucius stops her hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing it.

"Are you sure about this?" Lucius asks her softly.

Yes, she thinks as she says, "You know I am, Lucius." She smiles at him and pulls him closer, taking her hand back and slowly sliding his belt from his pants. She traces her fingers along the hem of his pants along his skin, leaving a path of goosebumps under her touch. He was gorgeous standing there, striking as ever, and his athletic body was even more impressive now that she could run her hands along each muscle and curve of taunt skin. "I need you."

Lucius smiles back at her, leaning down and kissing her deeply. "I need you, too, Cissa. My beautiful little star."

"I'm here," Narcissa tells him, unbuttoning his pants and pulling him until he's at the very edge of the table. She looks up at Lucius, a coy, mischievous look playing with her features. "Inches away from you. If you need me so much… I suggest you do something about it."

A wild grin spreads across his features and he leans in to her, kissing her deeply. His hands roam along her body, making short work of her bra. He slides it off of her without breaking from her lips for a second. Narcissa can feel his pleasure and excitement ringing in her head and it doubles her own anticipation. Every touch was filled with a tingling sensation of her own skin and the echoing of gratification from Lucius. Their connection was amplified with the bridge of their consciousnesses still combined.

With a purposeful smile, Lucius lays Narcissa down on the table. She shivers from the slight chill of the room and the anticipation of their interaction. Lucius slowly kisses down her body, his tongue swirling around the heart-shaped bruise he had given her on the chest a week ago. She moans desperately, a hand reaching for him and tangling in his hair. Her back arches with pleasure as his mouth reaches her breast, kissing and biting it sharply. His hands move up her hips to her waist and his tongue flicks across her breast playfully.

Narcissa's thoughts were a blur of white noise and intoxication and she knew that Lucius could feel every bit of pleasure he was giving her. He lowers further down her body, taking the delicate fabric of her underwear in his teeth and sliding it down her legs. She could feel a tingle in her body as Lucius finishes removing his own clothing as well. He takes Narcissa's hips and slides her to the edge of the desk.

Standing above her and looking down at her, Lucius leans down and kisses her softly. "Are you ready?" he asks her.

"Hurry up and get inside me, Lucius," Narcissa commands desperately, her voice weak but urgent.

"So impatient," Lucius laughs, but she could feel his desire as strongly as she could feel her own. He reaches between her legs and strokes her lightly and Narcissa's back arches for a second time, a loud moan escaping her lips. Unwilling to delay for even a second longer, Lucius pushes inside her, holding onto her hips as he enters her.

Flashes of red spark in Narcissa's eyes and she grabs on to Lucius's arm, needing to feel something to stabilize herself. He pulls back before pushing inside her again, the second entry moving easier. Narcissa feels her body pulse, moving with each of his thrusts. She looks to Lucius, seeing his face tense with enjoyment. Their mixed thoughts were overwhelming and yet somehow akin as they both become engulfed in the experience of sex. Lucius worked inside of her with an eagerness, leaning in every once in a while to press desperate kisses on Narcissa's lips. She returns them with intensity, her body short of breath but insistent for more.

She could feel Lucius reaching a climax, in both his body and his mind, and could feel her own body surging to meet him, and when he releases inside her, she feels his climax meet her own. Her mind was a swirl of colors and emotions and her eyes glaze over with rapture. She lets out a whimper, pulling Lucius to her and kissing him deeply. She could feel a stirring of an emotion in his mind, a feeling more than lust, more than satisfaction. He looks down at her and Narcissa smiles at him, believing fully that they belonged together. They were meant for each other.