Narcissa shoved open the doors to the Black Candle and sauntered up to the bar. The pub was oddly empty. Normally by this late in the day, there would be at least a few people in here drinking their fill or making deals in a random booth, but today, it was nothing but a ghost town. In fact, the only sound to be heard inside the establishment was coming from the jukebox in the far corner of the room. It was eerie, to say the least.
"Cissy," The bartender Lochlan greeted, turning around and pouring her regularly ordered soda into a chilled glass, popping a straw into it and sliding it down to her. Lochlan was a younger guy, just a few years older than Narcissa. He was from a good family and had been working for Bellatrix since the moment he left school. He was a good talker and had this way about him that made people want to tell him everything, especially when they were drunk and if Lochlan hears something interesting, he passes that along to Bella and, just like that, peace is kept in the alley.
Narcissa caught the drink, and motioned around the empty room with her spare hand, "Where is everyone?"
"Your sister took some people with her to go check on an order," he answered matter of factly, picking up an empty glass and beginning to wipe it clean with a rag, "Makes my day a lot easier. All I have to do is stand here and look busy."
Narcissa hummed, taking a sip of her drink before leaning forward on the bar, swirling the straw around the inside of the glass with her finger, "What order? Why wasn't I invited?"
Lochlan sighed, throwing the rag over his shoulder and moving down to stand across from where Narcissa was sitting, "You know Bella doesn't involve you in that stuff. It's just–"
"Safer," Narcissa interrupted, "I know, I know." With a dramatic sigh, she folded her arms on the bar and buried her head in hole it created. Bella was always treating her like a child and it was starting to get on her nerves. She was an adult now and she had more than proved herself by running the front half of the alley smoothly. Surely, she should be involved in the more serious aspects of her sister's business or, at the very least, be made aware of what was going on. Why did everything have to be such a big secret?
Suddenly, she was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the door open and someone walking closer to her. She didn't bother to lift her head from the counter. It was probably her sister or one of her "henchmen" coming back from their mystery job and she couldn't be bothered to give them any attention at the moment.
"Mr Malfoy," Lochlan announced, sounding far more formal now than when he was speaking to her, "Can I help you with something?"
Narcissa raised her head up to see Lucius taking a seat beside her at the bar. He looked a lot neater now then when she had seen him a few days earlier, a lot less bloody too.
"I'll take a whiskey, if you have it," Lucius said, sliding a sickle across the bar to Lochlan, who nodded and quickly poured him a glass, sitting it in front of him. "Perhaps some privacy as well?"
Lochlan gave Lucius a suspicious look before glancing over at Narcissa. She gave him a slight nod to communicate that she would be okay before he turned his attention back to Malfoy. "As you wish," he said, exiting the room through a back door to allow the two of them to speak in private.
Lucius looked down at his drink, sloshing the liquid around and taking great interest in the way it moved, "So when did you get back?"
"It's your job to know everything, you tell me?" Narcissa answered quickly, alluding to all the rumors that the Malfoy's made their money more on information than legitimate business.
He slammed the glass down on the counter, causing the whiskey inside to fly out in every direction.
"Such a temper," she mocked, shaking her head at his hot-headedness. She knew he had a violent reputation but she wasn't afraid. She was confident to know that even if he wanted to hurt her, he wouldn't dare do it here. This wasn't his turf and he would be severely outnumbered.
"Just answer the question," he whispered, still looking down at the glass in his clenched fist.
Narcissa sighed, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest, "Little over a month now. Why do you want to know?"
"Like you said, it's my job to know things" he stated, finally releasing his hold on the glass and shifting his eyes up to meet hers for the first time. Looking at him, she could clearly see the mix of anger and sadness brewing inside of him. "And we used to be friends, but then maybe we're not because I haven't heard from you in over 4 years now. I didn't even know what happened until weeks later when I saw Bellatrix and she said you had gone to live with relatives in France."
Narcissa wasn't exactly sure how to answer him. They had been friends as children. Best friends, actually. They had grown up together, gone to school together, hell, they did practically everything together! They had been inseparable, but that all changed when she was sent away. She was positive that everyone would have forgotten about her by now and moved on with their lives, especially considering the fast paced life that Lucius led. Why would he hold onto the memory of a childhood friend?
"I don't know what you want me to say," she said, completely dropping her attitude, "It's not like I wanted to leave. Andromeda got married and everyone went crazy and I was on the first train out of the country the next morning. I didn't think that you would want anything to do with me. Your family was no different from mine, do you really think they would let you continue to talk to me? A girl with a blood-traitor sister?"
Lucius looked away from her with a sigh, looking forward again at the rack of liquor on the wall, "I would have found a way to talk to you."
"And how would you have done that?" she asked, more challenging him than questioning him.
"I would have figured something out. I would have gotten a different owl or maybe found some sort of charm that would have made the letters look different to an unsuspecting person. I probably would have even gone to the ministry to set up a private floo network so we could talk in private and maybe even see each other occasionally." he answered with conviction, almost as if he were trying to convince himself that he could have something to keep their special bond from breaking.
Narcissa let out a small laugh, "You haven't changed at all. You're still the same silly, ambitious boy you were before I left. So determined to do whatever you want, regardless of what everyone else says."
He glanced back at her, his lips forming a small smile, "I'm not a boy anymore, I'm a man."
"Ah, but a kind man who gives sweets to children and his money to struggling mothers," she replied with a smirk recalling the scene she watched just days earlier.
"Kind?" he said with a playful scoff, "I'm supposed to be a ruthless leader, not…kind. I should have your tongue cut out just for saying that."
He gave her a serious look for a few moments until they both broke out into laughter. They both knew his threat was only just that. To Narcissa, this all felt strangely familiar. It had been so long since she had seen him and she had to admit that it felt good to be able to laugh with him again. It almost felt like nothing changed, like the last 4 years they were just sleeping, only to wake and pick up right where they left off. She could only hope that their friendship would continue because if she were truly being honest, she could really use a friend right now.
Narcissa leaned over and laid her head on his broad shoulder, "I missed you."
"I missed you too," he sighed, bending slightly to rest the side of his head against hers.
