A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts.
Criminology Task 9: (dialogue) "Consent is sexy."
Word Count: 812
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.
WARNINGS: Mentions of a controlling relationship, mentions of non-consensual kissing
Thanks to Anna for beta'ing!
Enjoy!
"Consent is sexy."
Narcissa's eyes were glued on her lap, but she let out a watery chuckle when she heard Arthur Weasley's words. "You heard, then?"
She heard Arthur lower himself down on the grass beside her. The bright, sunny day contrasted sharply with her mood, but she was glad that the ground was dry. The last thing she needed was to get her robes muddy.
Arthur's hands were fluttering about—it was a nervous habit of his, one that Narcissa was fond of. The tentative friendship she'd formed with the Gryffindor in her first year had only grown stronger as the years progressed. Now her feelings toward him were stronger than she thought wise, due to the impossibility of following them through.
Good pureblood girls did not fall in love with blood traitors, no matter how adorably awkward they were.
But she was engaged to Lucius Malfoy. Arthur couldn't even exist that way with her in a fantasy.
The seventeen-year-old closed her eyes at the thought of her fiance. Lucius' behavior earlier… he knew that this was strictly a convenience marriage, but he still paraded her around on his arm, stole kisses from her between classes… and obviously Arthur had caught wind of it.
"I can't stop him," she said suddenly, firmly. "You know I can't. My family needs this marriage to work."
A flash of pain washed over Arthur's features, but it quickly disappeared. Narcissa wondered if she had imagined it. "But is it worth your happiness?" he asked her softly. "Are you just going to compromise yourself for the sake of keeping a bloodline 'pure'?"
Narcissa sighed heavily. He had good intentions, she knew, but he had never understood the world she came from, or the fact that leaving her home was harder in practice. "I can't just abandon my family."
Arthur didn't respond. He took off his glasses, cleaned them, then replaced them. "Are they really your family," he began softly, "if your happiness is taking the backseat? Family is made up of the people who care about you—it isn't determined by the blood you share."
She twisted her blonde hair in her hands—now her nervous habits were coming out. "I can't leave them. Arthur, I can't. There's too much at stake."
Arthur drew his knees up to his chest. His blue eyes held a sadness she had never seen in them before. "It's never mattered to me, you know," he whispered. "It's never mattered to me that your family is disapproving of me, or that it would be difficult to be with you. I don't care about the challenges."
Narcissa turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew. He knew how she felt, and he was telling her that he wanted the same thing… that he'd thought extensively about it…
But the things people want are rarely the things they get.
"It's not possible," she whispered, unwanted tears brimming in her eyes. "You know it's not. Listen, Arthur, you…" She took a deep, steadying breath, but all the while felt like her world was crashing down. "You will always hold a special place in my heart." Her voice broke, but she barrelled on. "But you need to move on. My future is with Lucius, and… and you need to find someone else to love."
He could do it, she knew. He could fall so in love with another girl if he let himself.
It didn't matter how much that truth hurt her.
His red hair fell into his eyes as he looked over at her. "Are you sure?"
Narcissa looked away. "I'm marrying him," she vowed. "You… you can't stop me."
She watched Arthur's hand close around a clump of grass. "Is this the end of us, then?"
His voice was even and carefully controlled, but Narcissa could hear the fear and anguish in his words.
She hung her head and pretended her heart wasn't breaking in two. "Yes."
Arthur nodded slowly, seemingly ten years older than he was when he'd sat down. He got to his feet, but before he left for the castle, he glanced down at her.
"Promise me you'll speak with him about your boundaries," he whispered. "If you have to marry the man…" He swallowed. "Fine. But you don't need to bow to him. Make sure he knows that."
Narcissa thought about what he'd said. Maybe it wasn't the girl that was sexy, like Lucius seemed to think. Maybe it was her confidence. And Arthur was right—she couldn't just lose her sense of self to please a husband she didn't want.
Things would have to change—she was going to be in charge, and she needed to make sure Lucius understood that.
But even with her new epiphany, she couldn't help but feel very, very small as Arthur Weasley, her first and closest friend, walked out of her life forever.