I was driving to work one morning when "Alone Together" by Dan + Shay came on the radio, as I was listening this little story popped into my head and has been rattling around in there ever since. Hermione and Narcissa are not my usual pairing but I had so much fun writing this. If you haven't heard "Alone Together" before I would suggest listening to it before you read the story. Happy early Valentine's Day guys, enjoy!
Hermione sighed and drummed her fingers on the table top impatiently before picking up her Motorola RAZR and flipping it open to check for a text message or missed call. There wasn't one… of course. She groaned and threw the phone back onto the table with a little more force than strictly necessary. This was officially the last time she was trying online dating. She should really have stopped three dates ago when the guy who ordered two bottles of the most expensive wine insisted, if she was such a feminist, that she pay the entirety of their bill. Or even five dates ago when another guy had turned up to a fairly fancy central London restaurant on a scooter and wearing flip flops of all things. But no, clearly she was a glutton for punishment and had talked herself into giving it just one more go. Only to have been stood up by a city banker named Dan and finding herself sat alone in a rather nice cocktail bar on a Friday night after the worst week at work. Just perfect! The bar was all exposed brick and padded leather, very trendy, although a place she wouldn't usually frequent. The people seemed friendly and it had a nice enough atmosphere, but you know, it would be more enjoyable to be here with someone else and have something to do other than peel the label off her ever warming bottle of beer.
Hermione hadn't imagined she'd find herself in this position, twenty five and still single. After the war her future had seemed set; complete her education at Hogwarts, get a job at the Ministry, marry Ronald and maybe have a child or two. But then she and Ron had broken up two years after the final battle, when their differences had become too glaring to ignore anymore, and her best laid plans went up in flames. He had moved on rather quickly with a Gryffindor girl Hermione had hardly noticed during her time at Hogwarts, her name was Fay Dunbar… she seemed nice enough. Hermione had taken some time for herself after their split; she had travelled a little, become Deputy Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, learned to drive and found her own little flat. She was happy but she had begun to feel loneliness creep into the edges of her subconscious when she sat at night reading her notes for the next day at work. She'd tried dating in the wizarding world a year or so ago only to find that most wizards weren't interested in her as a person and were only concerned with potentially bedding the Golden Girl. Then she had, against her better judgement, turned to the internet and begun dating amongst muggles. So far, with very little success. It hadn't bothered her to begin with, that she was on her own, but now that Harry had married Ginny and they were expecting their first child and Ron was buying a house with Fay, her lingering singledom had started to play on her mind.
Hermione's eyes scanned the room; the bar was bustling with mixologists all wearing crisp white shirts, braces and black bowties. Around the outside of the room were high tables with stools where couples could perch close together and share each other's company. The centre of the room was filled with tables of various sizes where groups sat laughing. Her gaze lingered on one of the high tables off in the far corner under a blue neon sign. An impeccably dressed blonde woman sat there alone sipping amber liquid delicately from a cut glass tumbler. She didn't know what it was about the woman but she caught Hermione's attention, she mostly had her back to her but she seemed familiar somehow although she couldn't put her finger on why. Something about the way she moved, something about the curve of her neck, something about the shade of her hair. As she watched a man with a cocky smirk and a sharp suit approached the woman's table and leant on the edge of the table beside her, invading her personal space obnoxiously. The blonde turned slowly towards the man and Hermione caught sight of her side profile, she would recognise that look of distain anywhere…Narcissa Black. She watched the quick exchange between Narcissa and the man, smiling subconsciously as the cock-sure look fell from his face at, what she assumed, was a particularly cutting remark from the blonde. The pureblood's trademark.
Over the years Narcissa had become an unexpectedly common feature in Hermione's life, and not the unpleasant addition she had expected the woman to be at first. During the months after the war she, Ron and Harry had spent time in copious meetings at the ministry alongside Narcissa and Draco in order to organise the terms of their pardon. Hermione had been surprised to learn how little of her husband's bigotry the Malfoy matriarch shared and how hard she had worked to try and save her son from the Dark Lord's clutches. As part of her penance the ministry had ordered that Narcissa make reparations to the people her family had wronged over the course of the war. She had asked to start with Hermione, wanting to explain her inaction during the incident with her sister at Malfoy Manor. Three months they had spent in therapy together, three months that Hermione had expected to hate every second of but had found herself leaving with a grudging understanding of the blonde. When Narcissa had divorced Lucius a year after the war Andromeda had reached out to her little sister in order to rekindle their bond. As a result the youngest Black woman became a near permanent presence at the Tonks' cottage meaning that visits to Andie and Teddy more often than not became afternoon tea with the surviving Black sisters. Hermione discovered that the woman was frighteningly intelligent and wickedly funny; she wouldn't go as far as to say that she considered Narcissa a friend but they certainly had a connection of sorts.
Hermione chuckled as she watched the man walk away from Narcissa's table looking decidedly more deflated than when he had arrived. She grabbed her phone off the table and slid it into her handbag, slipped her bag on her shoulder, picked up her beer bottle and left her table. Her ever present curiosity compelling her to go and find out why on earth Narcissa Black was sat in a muggle bar alone on a Friday night. She slowly picked her way across the room and approached the Blonde's table from the same direction as the man had a few minutes previously, she cleared her throat.
"I thought I told you that I was not…" Narcissa began in a clipped tone before even looking in Hermione's direction, when she turned and took in the young woman's smirking face she stopped abruptly. "Oh Hermione, I thought you were somebody else."
"I couldn't help but notice that you were sitting by yourself." Hermione chuckled dryly, feeling a little awkward as she gestured towards the empty stool next to Narcissa in silent question. When the blonde nodded her consent to join her she slipped onto the seat and looked around at the man at the bar who was, not so subtly, glaring at them. "It appears that fact has drawn the attention of many a patron of this fine establishment though."
"I have to say your pick up line is far superior to the clown who was here moments ago." Narcissa drawled, a sultry smirk slipping on to her painted red lips. The comment had been a knee-jerk reaction, her mother had always taught her to establish the upper hand in a conversation from the get go. She had learned early on in life that a subtle innuendo or tongue in cheek comment was a very effective tool in achieving this goal. She felt bad for the look of alarm she had incited but she did enjoy the way the younger woman's cheeks coloured instantly at her remark.
"Oh Mer…God, no I…" Hermione stuttered, her eyes widening in horror at the insinuation that she had been coming on to the older woman. Narcissa was a beautiful woman, a fact she had noted to herself with increasing regularity over the last few months. But there was no way she would ever act on whatever it was she was feeling, the older woman was far too… intimidating. "I wasn't…"
Narcissa reached out and grasped Hermione's hand which lay on the table between them, she tilted her head so that she caught the younger woman's chocolate eyes. She knew how she was perceived and that no matter the reparations she had made after the war people were still on edge around her. She had noticed how the other woman sat more rigidly in her seat when she joined her and Andie for afternoon tea. She had noticed how she went quiet when her sister left the room to replenish their teapot or check on Teddy. "Hermione I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
"It isn't that I wouldn't come on to you." Hermione heard herself say as she got lost in Narcissa's Sapphire blue eyes. The older woman had looked so crestfallen when her joke had been poorly received that she just wanted to fix it somehow. She knew the woman had worked hard over the years to try and make her feel more comfortable in her presence and she didn't want it to appear that she was throwing that back in her face. But really? Did her mind have to go straight to mindless babbling? "I mean…look at you. You're gorgeous…stunning… no beautiful. Obviously beautiful. But I'm… me…just me and you're… you're…well you."
A deep laugh erupted from Narcissa's throat and she quickly reached up with her free hand to cover her mouth and stem the sound. Her mother would spin in her grave if she had heard her guffawing like a commoner, some conditioning was hard to break she realised as her cheeks coloured in embarrassment. But Hermione's rambling was so terribly endearing and that fading blush lit up her face so prettily, she just hadn't been able to control herself. "You're rambling dear. And for the record, I happen to think that just you would be more than adequate for anyone."
"Th…thank you. But I really didn't come over here to hit on you, I actually came over here to find out why you were in a…" Hermione paused and looked around her to make sure no one was listening in before continuing more quietly. "a muggle bar."
"That's a little disappointing." Narcissa said as she picked up her drink and brought it to her lips to take an elegant sip, looking at Hermione over the rim of the glass. "I imagine I am in a muggle bar for exactly the same reason as you."
"Well I'm actually here because a blind date stood me up." Hermione replied, ducking her head a little as she felt heat spread to her cheeks again in embarrassment. "I can't imagine that is a predicament you have ever found yourself in."
Narcissa reached over and slipped two fingers under Hermione's chin, tilting her face up to look at her again. The younger woman flinched at the coolness of her fingers, her skin having been chilled by the ice in her glass, but she didn't move away from her touch. "The man must be an idiot to stand you up."
"That's kind of you to say." Hermione swallowed thickly, for some reason she wanted to commit to memory what it felt like to have Narcissa's skin on her own. The woman had always seemed like a contradiction to her; she had hosted Tom Riddle in her home but didn't seem to believe in his cause. She had allowed the world to believe she was an ice queen while her love for her son burned like a blazing inferno. In almost every situation she was totally composed but around Andromeda she would smile and laugh freely. Right now that contradiction had become physical, the hand still holding hers was warm while the one under her chin was cold. "But this is just one more to add to the, embarrassingly long, list of catastrophically bad dates I have had over the last few years."
"Well perhaps I can help you to improve your evening." Narcissa spoke silkily as she removed her hand from Hermione's face and went back to gripping her glass. "And to answer your question I am here to enjoy a nice drink without the entire wizarding world and his dog staring or throwing insults at me."
"I hate that people feel the need to treat you that way." Hermione said passionately as she scooted fractionally closer to the older woman on her stool. The movement was subconscious, she hadn't untended to invade the woman's personal space, but boy did she enjoy the thrill that chased up her spine as their knees bumped together.
"Not everyone has the capacity to forgive that you do Hermione." Narcissa smiled softly, a genuine smile this time, one that reached her eyes. Although the bushy haired woman could be a little stiff around her she had never been anything but pleasant and she was one of the few people in the world she felt like she could be herself around. She was one of the few people she didn't have to put up the uncaring façade around. "And not everyone knows me as… intimately as you do."
"If they could see you right now they'd change their mind." Hermione chuckled lightly as she looked around her again taking in the oddness of their setting. She looked to the man who had come over to speak to Narcissa earlier again, they had his full attention. Or more specifically their still joined hands had his full attention, a mischievous smirk slipped onto her face. "Looking completely at home sat amongst muggles, drinking a cocktail made by a muggle and holding hands with a muggle-born."
Narcissa pulled her hand away from Hermione's as though she had been burned, she had completely forgotten that she still had her hand clasped in her own. She didn't think she had ever physically touched the younger woman before but something had felt so natural about holding her hand. "Oh my apologies, I…"
"I didn't mind." Hermione shot out quickly as she saw the worried expression take root in the blonde woman's eyes and a blush creep on to her cheeks. It was so rare to see the woman look anything but composed that it made her feel a little giddy. "In fact I was enjoying how much it seems to annoy that…what did you call him before? Oh yes… the clown who came over to speak to you earlier."
"Oh well…" Narcissa trailed off as she looked towards the bar just in time to see the man in question snap his head in the opposite direction in a vain attempt to pretend as though he hadn't been watching them. She smirked wickedly as she grabbed one of the legs of the younger woman's stool and pulled it nearer to her own. Their thighs pressed together closely under the table and she was now near enough to lean in and whisper in her ear. "I think we may be able to do a more thorough job of annoying him, don't you?"
"I erm… yes..I…" Hermione's mind had turned to mush due to the sudden proximity of the older woman. Narcissa smelled fantastic, delicate florals layered over something more aromatic, and her breath felt intoxicating as it ghosted over the shell of her ear. She shook herself out of her sudden stupor and mentally face palmed at how stupid she had just sounded as she fell over her own words. Think Hermione, think of something to say! Her eyes drifted down to Narcissa's now empty glass. "Do you need another drink?"
"Yes please." Narcissa consented, her smirk morphing into a more sincere smile. She was genuinely enjoying herself, perhaps it was the alcohol they had both consumed, but she felt much more at ease being on her own with Hermione this evening. "I was planning on leaving after this drink but it would seem now I have a reason to stay."
"Please don't let me keep you." Hermione rushed in response, her panic blinding her to the brightness that had taken root in Narcissa's eyes. She picked at the label on her beer bottle again so that she didn't have to look at the blonde. "I'm sure you have better places to be than sat here with me."
"Hermione, I don't want to leave yet. I don't want to leave you yet." Narcissa said earnestly, she'd never realised what a low opinion of herself that Hermione had. She couldn't understand why this incredible woman couldn't recognise her own brilliance, why she couldn't see all of the astonishing qualities that the rest of the world saw. "Besides if both of us are destined to be alone this evening perhaps we should be alone together."
"Yes, we could keep each other company." The corner of Hermione's mouth pulled up into the ghost of a smile and she gestured towards Narcissa's glass. "What are you drinking?"
"A Dark and Stormy." Narcissa answered, a frown instantly marring her brow when the younger woman snorted before outright giggling. "Why are you laughing?"
Hermione shook her head as she stood up and squeezed the older woman's shoulder reassuringly. "Dark and Stormy just seems oddly fitting for you somehow."
Narcissa looked up at Hermione from under dark eyelashes and saw how the other woman swallowed thickly under her intense gaze. "If you're going to start comparing me to cocktails it's a good job I didn't order a Sex on the beach."
Hermione's brain screeched to a halt for a moment before beginning to run a mile a minute. Did Narcissa Black just flirt with her? No she can't have done, she must have misread that comment. But that look! That look would melt anyone into a puddle of want. Maybe that wasn't intentional though. Perhaps the woman had just looked at her innocently and she had read it as being sexy. Did she want Narcissa to be making a move on her? She realised that she had been stood staring at the woman with her mouth open for a full thirty seconds, she cleared her throat awkwardly."I'll be back in a moment."
Hermione headed to the bar with Narcissa's empty glass and her own empty beer bottle, as she stood waiting to gain the attention of one of the barmen the clown from earlier sidled over to her. He didn't look much older than her, maybe thirty at the oldest, and his shirt was so tight it could easily be a size too small. He was wearing his hair in that annoyingly long, flicky style with the side swept fringe that made men look like overgrown toddlers. He leant on the bar in what she was sure he assumed was a casual manner, he stood just a little too close for comfort. "Are you with the blonde?"
"I am sitting with her, yes." Hermione rolled her eyes before continuing to read the cocktail list that was written on a whiteboard behind the bar. Hoping he would take the hint that she didn't want to talk to him and just disappear.
"No." The man snapped and tapped his middle finger on the bar, Hermione was sure that he was used to women bending to his every will. She turned her face towards him slowly, throwing him a look of distain that did little to deter his continued conversation. "Are you with the blonde?"
"The blonde's name is Narcissa by the way." Hermione almost growled in frustration, Narcissa had already told this man that she wasn't interested so what difference did it make if they were together or not. She knew she should take the high road but something about this man was infuriating and she didn't feel like doing him any favours. She wasn't going to do anything to pacify his male ego. "And I think I will allow you to come to your own conclusion on whether I am with her."
"I should have known." The man huffed as he turned and leant his back on the bar, propping himself up on both elbows and looking wistfully at Narcissa. "The best looking women are always taken or gay."
"Or in this case potentially both." Hermione quipped, she felt a little bad about lying when it involved Narcissa's personal life. But allowing this man to think she might be with the older woman was more exciting than she could really comprehend. "But did you ever think of the possibility that perhaps she just isn't interested in you."
"No not really." He sighed dragging his attention back to the bushy haired witch; he clapped her on the back a little too roughly. "Shit, she's really gorgeous. Well done."
Hermione rolled her eyes, relief flooding her as a barman approached her to take her order and the clown floated away from her to stand further down the bar. She ordered Narcissa's drink and decided to get herself a cocktail this time, she felt entirely too undignified drinking beer next to the elegant older woman. She was about to pay when she spotted a poster on the bar advertising two for one tequila shots, she didn't know what made her do it but she ordered four. Once she had settled the bill the barman slid the tray with her drinks towards her and she set off, carefully picking her way back to Narcissa.
Hermione's face broke into a smile when she got within earshot of the blonde, the older woman was singing along to the quiet music that was playing in the bar. I don't mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile; ask her if she wants to stay a while. Much to Hermione's disappointment, she stopped when the younger woman gently put the drinks tray down on the table in front of her."Were you singing along to Maroon 5?"
"Yes." Narcissa answered, a slight blush colouring her cheeks at being caught in an unguarded moment. "I find the song so beautifully romantic."
"Really?" Hermione questioned as she slipped back on to her stool and handed Narcissa her drink. "I think it's kind of a sad song."
"We have led very different lives Hermione." Narcissa smiled ruefully and ran her finger around the rim of her fresh glass. "Although you might be single right now, you have experienced genuine, real , all-consuming love. I have never had that. I have never had someone who would travel miles or stand out in the rain just to see me. I have never had anyone who would notice a broken smile."
Hermione covered Narcissa's hand with her own and gave it a firm squeeze, she wished with everything within her that the woman could find someone who could love her completely at some point. Perhaps if someone had seen her, had held her, had loved her Narcissa's life could have been different. She had begun to think over the last few years that love was simply an illusion, a destructive farce. But as she thought about what a difference the reassurance that someone was there unconditionally would have made to the course of the blonde's life a muggle quote jumped to the forefront of her mind. "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all I suppose."
"Quite" Narcissa nodded, she shook her head as though to physically dispel the sadness that had washed over her. She squeezed Hermione's hand back in an unspoken thank you. Her eyes fell upon the four small glasses, salt shaker and lime wedges that still sat on the tray that Hermione had delivered. "Well, well, well Miss Granger. Are those shots?"
"Yes, it's two-for-one tequila. What do you think? Do you feel like joining me?" Hermione asked with a mischievous grin as she placed two shots in front of the blonde before she even had chance to answer her. "I've had a rather difficult week at work; I could do with loosening up a little bit."
Narcissa eyed the younger woman, smiling internally at this new side she was seeing to the brains of the Golden Trio. "Please don't take this the wrong way Hermione but I didn't know you were capable of loosening up."
"How can I not take that the wrong way?" Hermione all but shrieked and swatted at Narcissa's arm playfully. "You essentially just called me boring."
"I did nothing of the sort." Narcissa chuckled endearingly at Hermione's adorable outrage. This woman would be too easy to fall for. She had only ever caught slight glimpses of this carefree, teasing version of the younger woman. It didn't seem to come out often but she had observed it fleetingly when her eyes would be drawn to the Gryffindor at parties as she talked with her friends or when she would watch her from Andromeda's kitchen window as she played with Teddy in the garden. But during their personal interactions she was formal, more reserved. "I simply meant that when I see you, you are usually all business suits and rushing off to meetings. I didn't realise that Hermione Granger had a side that impulsively bought Tequila shots on a Friday evening."
Hermione narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance at the blonde, causing the woman to laugh some more. She could get used to hearing that sound. She had never noticed the slight dimple that Narcissa had in her left cheek before, but then again she wasn't sure she had ever been this close to the woman. "There are many sides to me that you are yet to see Lady Black."
"How exciting." Narcissa husked as she leant in close to Hermione again, the younger woman smelled like Freesia's and something a little citrusy. It was one of the most pleasant scents she had ever smelled, it put her in mind of gentle rain in a summer meadow. "That drink looks more interesting than the beer you had earlier, what did you get?"
"A Harvey Wallbanger." Hermione answered, she waggled her eyebrows suggestively and caught her tongue between her teeth.
Narcissa laughed, her true laugh breaking free from her mouth for the second time this evening but this time she didn't bother to try to stifle it. A choice she quickly thanked the Gods she had made when she was rewarded with a beaming smile from Hermione. "Is that a fitting drink for you Miss Granger?"
"Unfortunately not for a while." Hermione sighed, feigning disappointment for a moment before breaking out into a laugh of her own.
"That's a shame." Narcissa said quietly, her ruby lips pulling into a sultry pout and causing Hermione's laugh to die in her throat. A not unpleasant tension settled over the table as the two women took each other in for a moment. Two powerful women, commanding in their own ways, sizing each other up and attempting to judge the next move. It felt as if there had been a cataclysmic change in their dynamic this evening and both were unsure how things were destined to end. In any other situation Narcissa would have held steadfast, forcing the other person to show their hand. But the warmth swirling in Hermione's eyes and the playful smile tugging at her lips made her decide to be the one to break the subtle stalemate. "These shots seem intriguing; do you intend to show me how to enjoy them?"
"Ye…Yes, of course. So first you get some salt on your tongue, take the shot of tequila and then bite into the lime. The idea is that the salt and lime lessen the burn of the straight alcohol." Hermione ran her tongue across the back of her hand, her eyes had fluttered shut or she might have noticed the way Narcissa's eyes followed it's path. She poured some salt on to the wet patch she had created and quickly licked the freshly deposited crystals back off her skin. She picked up one of the shot glasses and threw the tequila into her mouth, shuddering a little as it hit her throat. She plucked a lime wedge from the small plate and bit into it, sucking the juices across her slightly burning tongue. She winked at Narcissa as she threw the thoroughly drained lime haphazardly onto the tray. "Lick, sip, suck. Simple!"
"Lick, sip, suck indeed." Narcissa drawled, she was gripping her glass so tightly after the younger woman's inadvertent show that she thought it might crack in her fist. And that cheeky little wink had got her just a little bit hot under the collar but two could play that game. Narcissa reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand, the one she had just licked salt off, and lifted it to her painted lips. She held the younger woman's gaze as she slowly licked the still slightly damp patch on her hand and poured a dusting of salt across her skin. She gathered the salt on her tongue with a smirk before releasing Hermione's hand and picking up her own shot glass. The blonde managed to down the tequila without a flinch before retrieving a lime wedge and biting into it. She too threw her used lime wedge on to the tray before raising an eyebrow at her companion.
"I…I think you're supposed to use your own hand." Hermione stammered once her brain finally kicked back into gear. What? What! What a stupid thing to say! Narcissa Black essentially makes out with her hand and you say that! Sweet Merlin, she is like sex personified.
"And where is the fun in that?" Narcissa asked cockily as a salacious grin pulled at the corner of her lips. Something in her mind preened as she noticed the reaction her comment had incited in the younger witch but she was intrigued to see if she could push further. "You look very pretty when you blush."
The younger woman laughed sarcastically, her gaze drawn to her drink as she ran her fingertips over the condensation on the outside of her glass. "I think that tequila has gone straight to your head."
"Don't sell yourself short Hermione." Narcissa said as she reached out and squeezed the younger woman's bicep gently. She wasn't usually one for physical contact but something about the bushy haired witch just called out to be touched. "I used to attend a soiree every other night and believe me a copious amount of alcohol is the only way to survive them. So I can assure you that I am still very much in charge of my faculties."
"Well, thank you then I guess." Hermione replied trying to fight the even deeper blush she could feel spreading across her cheeks. Why was this woman having such an effect on her this evening? "And you look beautiful this evening too. You look beautiful all of the time of course but muggle clothes seem to particularly compliment you."
Narcissa took another sip of her drink as she watched her companion shift a little in her seat and struggle to compose herself after their back and forth. A little voice in the back of her head encouraged her to carry on, to see how far she could push the Gryffindor. "Do you find women beautiful often Hermione?"
"I can't say that I do, no." Hermione answered confidently, there was something in those blue eyes that told her that Narcissa was enjoying their current exchange. That she was enjoying making her squirm. Perhaps she could turn the tables on her a little. "But then, you're not like most women I know."
"Really? How so?" Narcissa enquired, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hand. She made sure to invade Hermione's personal space just enough to let her know it was intentional.
"You're possibly one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. You know more about alchemy and potions than anyone I know, even experts in the ministry and yet you hide your brilliance from the world. You are viciously funny and yet you allow people to believe you are made of ice. You make shrewd observations about people and business and politics, yet you melt into the background in social situations as if you have no opinion at all." Hermione reeled off, her eyes darting across Narcissa's face watching for the woman's reaction to her analysis. But as ever the blonde was unreadable. Where she might usually find that infuriating, because she just had to know everything, with Narcissa it was endlessly enthralling. She was like a puzzle box she was working the edges of, just looking for that piece that would give causing the whole thing to crack open. "With my work at the ministry I suppose I'm used to women who are more forthright about their skill sets."
Narcissa slipped the tip of her little finger between her teeth and bit down on it as she observed Hermione for a moment. She hadn't realised that the younger woman had been paying that close attention to her over the years. A subtle smile tugged at the corner of her lips, so they had both been keeping tabs on one another. "I believe it is shrewd to play ones cards close to their chest."
"It has served you well up until this point." Hermione uttered, shocking herself with the softness of her voice, but she was too lost in the blue of Narcissa's eyes to pay it much mind. "I see no reason for you to change that habit now."
Narcissa leaned closer to Hermione again, she was usually entirely in control of her body but the younger woman seemed to make her well-practiced restraint slip away. Perhaps it was that ever presence determination that burned in those lovely amber eyes. "I think something can be said for having a little Gryffindor brashness now and again."
"Could I get that in writing?" Hermione laughed lightly as she mirrored the blonde's position resting her elbow on the table and her face in her palm. Their sudden intimate closeness should have felt awkward, but nothing apart from noting how incredibly long Narcissa's eyelashes were up close was registering in her mind. "I can't believe that Narcissa Black would admit that Gryffindors have admirable qualities."
"Yes well cockiness is not one of those admirable qualities Miss Granger." Narcissa said with mock snootiness but her painted lips couldn't fight her smirk at the sight of Hermione's glowing grin.
Hermione's gaze drifted to those lips and lingered for what she knew was a moment too long. When she met the older woman's eyes again there was a knowing glint poorly hidden there. Hermione knew that Narcissa was a woman who was used to having the upper hand in social settings and something in her mind implored her to try to turn the tables on her. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and noted the touch of colour that crept onto Narcissa's cheeks as she observed the action. She allowed her voice to drop to a husky whisper. "Oh I do apologise Lady Black."
"I shall let it slide this one time." Narcissa replied just as quietly, she paused for a long moment before allowing her hand to creep onto Hermione's knee under the table. The younger woman's breath caught in her throat and Narcissa's mind slipped to thoughts of other sounds her touch could incite. "But we may have to find some way for you to make it up to me."
Hermione's mind was working in over drive as she felt the feather light touch of Narcissa's hand on her knee. She knew the woman was dialling up the challenge, really testing her Gryffindor courage. And if Hermione was good at anything is was passing tests, she took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. She slid forward on her stool so that Narcissa's hand slipped higher up her thigh and their faces were little more than an inch apart. "Do you have a method in mind?"
"In fact, I think I do." Narcissa whispered so quietly she couldn't be sure that her companion had heard her words over the sounds of the bar. She could smell the tequila on Hermione's breath, she had never been a fan of hard liquor but there was something so enticing about it mixed with the younger woman's perfume and a scent that was entirely her own. Her eyes drifted down to the Gryffindor's soft pink lips and she watched as her tongue slipped out to dampen them subconsciously. Narcissa gripped Hermione's thigh none to gently and revelled in the way the woman squirmed at her touch and her lips parted in a quiet gasp. Even if she had wanted to control herself in that moment she was sure her body wouldn't have listened, she leant forward and captured Hermione's lips in a soft, lingering kiss.
Hermione stiffened for a moment, her mind screaming at her to do something…anything but just sit there like a lump. Holy fuck! Narcissa Black was kissing her, she was kissing her and she wasn't kissing her back. She should be kissing her back. She felt Narcissa begin to move away and her body swiftly kicked back into action, her hand reached out and slipped into soft blonde locks. She combed her fingers through her hair and scraped her nails across her scalp, pulling the older woman more firmly against her lips. Their mouths moved together tentatively at first until Hermione felt the hand that was still resting on her thigh slide dangerously higher and she groaned softly.
Narcissa swiped her tongue across Hermione's bottom lip, spurred on to deepen the kiss by that little sound. She preened when the younger woman quickly granted her access and their tongues rolled together like they had been doing this all of their lives. Despite all of her skills in the art of seduction Narcissa had been intimate with very few people, but she didn't need experience to know that the younger woman was an incredible kisser. She could feel her body heating up and an electric thrill shot down her spine every time Hermione's tongue brushed against her own.
Hermione felt the hand that had been resting dangerously high on her thigh slide up over her hip and settle at her waist, fingertips pressing temptingly into her skin. She fisted the blonde hair she had been caressing between her fingers and tugged, Narcissa's lips faltered and her breath stuttered at the sting. Hermione felt desire flood through her core, the thought that she had incited that reaction in this woman made her feel things she had never felt before. She had never kissed a woman and she could barely believe how different it was to all of her experiences with men. Rather than an imposing frame, stubble coated chin and clumsy hands; Narcissa was all smooth curves, soft skin and delicate, purposeful touches. This woman had barely touched her and she already knew she was ruined for anybody else now, no one else would compare. Her heart rate increased, it could well have been from excitement but the similarity to her panic attacks was so jarring that she pulled away from Narcissa's lips abruptly. Her eyes flew open, she took in the hurt expression in the blonde's eyes and she scrambled for something to fix it. Her hand slipped out of Narcissa's hair to cradle her cheek gently. "Perhaps we shouldn't be doing this here."
Narcissa smiled softly and lifted her free hand to cover the younger woman's where it sat on her cheek, she rubbed her thumb across her knuckles soothingly. She turned her face to press her kiss swollen lips against Hermione's palm before leaning in slowly until their lips were almost touching again. "Nobody else can see."
Hermione felt Narcissa's breath ghost across her lips and any reservation she'd had about her feelings melted away and she pressed their mouths together once more. This time the kiss had more urgency, gone was the tentative exploration, instead this time it felt like there was a clear destination in mind. It excited Hermione to no end to imagine where that destination might be. She tilted Narcissa's face so that she could take control of the kiss and slipped her tongue between her parted lips, their tongues met languidly and slowly. Hermione decided this time to stop thinking for once in her life and just surrender to the feeling of being entirely enveloped in Narcissa Black. Her touch, her scent, her heat, her taste; it was as exquisite as the woman always looked.
Narcissa could feel her body reacting to the younger woman in a way that she had never experienced before. Her intimate experiences were limited to her duty driven interactions with Lucius and one drunken fumble during a particularly dull yule ball with Cressida Goyle around a decade ago. She had always assumed that passion just did not live within her, but now she knew it just had not ever been awoken by anyone before. Until now, until Hermione Granger had kissed her. She didn't think she could spiral any further into her hole of longing until she felt the younger woman caught her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down on it sharply. She groaned lowly in her throat and pulled her lip from Hermione grasp revelling in the sting; she pressed their foreheads together as they breathed heavily, their breath mingling together. "Finish your drink Hermione."
"Why?" The Gryffindor asked breathlessly.
"There are two ways that tonight is going to end. First we can say goodbye and just head home…alone." Narcissa answered as she closed her eyes and rubbed the tips of their noses together affectionately. "Or second you could come home with me now and I could help you to really loosen up after your difficult week at work."
Hermione sat bolt upright on her stool, breaking her embrace with the older woman. Her eyes scanned her face as she attempted to find the answer for a question she had no idea how to ask. Her mouth moved silently before her mind developed the capacity to form any words, although not a coherent sentence. "Did you…are you…erm…"
"Yes I am implying exactly what you think I am implying." Narcissa chuckled, but rather than the confident sound from the rest of the evening it was self-conscious and laced with doubt. She picked up her second shot of tequila and downed it without the ceremony of the salt and lime to lessen the burn. She needed to feel the tingle to ground herself, to bring her back to herself. "Unless, of course, you don't want me."
"No, God no." Hermione almost shouted, she looked around frantically to make sure she hadn't drawn too much attention. She leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss to the blonde's lips before continuing more calmly, more quietly. "I want you. I want you very, very badly."
Narcissa watched Hermione thrust her purse back into her handbag and shrug her coat on before standing up and looking at her expectantly. She smirked as the Gryffindor gestured to the door with her head. "You haven't finished your drink."
"Fuck the drink." Hermione all but growled as she entwined her fingers with the blonde, pulled her from her stool and began towing her between the busy tables towards the exit.
Narcissa just about had time to grab her own coat and handbag as she was dragged along in Hermione's eagerness for them to leave. Her heart fluttered with the thrill of being caught up in this fever that she had never allowed herself to feel before. She felt an excitement coil in the pit of her stomach at the thought that this muggle-born might be the one to show her what it really meant to let go. She leant in close to the younger woman, letting her lips brush against the shell of her ear. "Hmmm… I think I rather like it when you swear."
"Perhaps you will cause me to do it some more this evening." Hermione replied cheekily as she pulled open the door of the bar and was met with the cool February air on her heated skin. She released Narcissa's hand reluctantly as she pushed her back against the door to hold it open and gestured for the blonde to step outside first.
"Oh I do hope so." Narcissa sighed, as she brushed past Hermione in the doorway she let her fingertips trail low across the younger woman's stomach. The Gryffindor caught her retreating hand as she joined her on the frigid London street, it felt so natural to be touching the younger woman. The noise and warmth of the bar had felt like a fairy tale cocoon that had been broken open now that they were out on their own. A moment of silent consent passed between them, each giving the other the opportunity to back out but a shared shy smile was all it took to confirm that both were still one hundred percent in this. Narcissa looked over her shoulder and spotted a dark alleyway down the side of the bar that they could use to apparate from, she began to step towards it only to be pulled to a stop.
"Wait, I just need to attend to something before we leave." Hermione said as she moved them further down the street before stopping next to a bright yellow Mini Cooper. She looked around to check that they were alone on the street before letting go of Narcissa's had to produce her wand from up her sleeve.
"Is that your car?" Narcissa asked with a hint of wonder in her voice. For all of the progress she had made since the war in accepting more muggle elements into her life she had still not yet plucked up the courage to get into a car. She couldn't comprehend how those speeding metal projectiles could be in the least bit safe.
"Yes. I know I don't really need a car and I am perpetually practical, as you well know, but she is one of my few self-indulgences. I dreamed of having a yellow mini when I was a little girl, I treated myself to her when I graduated from Hogwarts." Hermione informed the blonde as she leant her back against the driver's side door and patted the bonnet affectionately. "I like to bring her when I go on dates so that I can make a swift getaway if things start to go south."
"I am very much hoping that is not what you intend to do right now." Narcissa smirked as she took a step towards the younger woman, invading her personal space.
"No, of course not." Hermione reassured as she reached out and grabbed the blonde's hand, entwining their fingers and pulling her even nearer.
"Good, because I was rather enjoying it being just you and me." Narcissa admitted as she pressed her hips against Hermione's, pinning her to her car. She bit her lip as she saw the way the younger woman's pupils dilated, her want evident in her gaze. She leant forward and pressed their lips together, getting lost in the softness of the Gryffindor's mouth for a few long moments. Before the kiss could be deepened she begun to let her lips explore; she kissed a trail along Hermione's cheek, traced the shape of her jawline and travelled down the column of her neck. The younger woman's skin was so supple under her lips but her tendons strained tight just beneath as she tilted her head to the side to give Narcissa more access. She felt drunk on lust as she tasted Hermione for the first time, her tongue lathing across the skin of her throat. She heard her groan and she smirked as she raked her teeth over the Gryffindor's fluttering pulse point.
"Ok shit. Ok, ok, ok." Hermione babbled as she pushed Narcissa away from her, she held her blue stare as her chest heaved with arousal. She pushed her hips away from her car door forcing the blonde to move with her. She combed her fingers through her wavy hair and attempted to compose herself, she rolled her shoulders and turned her attention to her car again. "Fuck.. yeah.. I..I just need to put a disillusionment charm on my car to make sure that I don't get a parking ticket. And a muggle repellent so that no-one crashes into her."
"A parking ticket?" Narcissa enquired as she slipped her arms around Hermione's waist from behind as the younger woman swished and flicked her wand until the little yellow car disappeared from view entirely.
"A fine, for parking here longer than is strictly allowed." Hermione answered as she squirmed a little at Narcissa's cold fingers making contact with the warm skin of her stomach. She turned in the woman's embrace and ghosted their lips together. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely." Narcissa husked as she tightened her hold on the younger woman and they disappeared into the night with a quiet pop.
I had so much fun writing this pairing that I might be able to be convinced to make this more than a one shot. If you have any suggestions for other songs I could use for inspiration just let me know.