Narcissa entered the abandoned dungeon expecting to find her usual Severus
waiting. Instead she noticed he'd changed out of his usual and was wearing
a dark green t-shirt with the local punk rock superstars on the front and
black cargo pants with matching Vans sneakers. She raised an eyebrow.
"Um.Sev?" He didn't look up. "Don't call me that."
"Fine. Sorry. I forgot." She walked over to him and he stood from where he was kneeling on the platform, twirling his wand absently in one hand. "You, um, going to fight like that?" He gestured to her skirt and heels. "Err, no. I guess not." She looked sheepish.
He looked her over slowly, which made her a feel a little more uncomfortable than usual. "You might be able to wear some of Paige's clothes. You don't look like you ever eat." "That's true. I do what I have to." He blinked. "What do you mean you have to?"
She dismissed his remark. "Where is she?" "She's watching her boyfriend play Quidditch.oh, nevermind." He looked to the door.
A fair-skinned girl of height nearly equal to his strode lightly across the floor and over to the platform where Narcissa stood. Narcissa guessed she was a sixth or seventh year. Her hair was cut exactly like his, with the ends turned up a little for Barbie effect and the same raven color, just a little bit cleaner, it fell to her shoulders in the same way. Narcissa noticed she had beautifully piercing green eyes, Slytherin green to be exact. She knew Severus didn't have them and she didn't recall his former girlfriend having them, either. Paige had already changed out of her robes for the day and wore a black Adidas tank top that showed a little of a stomach she'd clearly worked for, with khaki pants, flared like the Muggle teenagers, and no shoes on her feet painted with silver. Narcissa decided this girl deserved a manicure, since she didn't have anything left to give her old friend.
Paige's infamous green eyes flickered from her father to Narcissa with a strange fire. When she spoke at last her voice was low in volume but lighter in tone, unlike his. She, too, had the ability to captive everyone present without having to raise it.
"So you must be Draco's mother."
Narcissa remembered that it was very possible Paige and her son were good friends.
"Do you still have the bruises?"
Slightly frightened, Narcissa nodded gingerly and removed her sunglasses.
"I'll let you borrow my coverup. For now.come with me. Daddy, we'll be back." Now Narcissa finally saw a little bit of innocence, traces of a little girl whose father loved her.
Paige led Narcissa down the hall, reminding her to put her glasses back on, and into the familiar reaches of her common room. Upstairs, in the same dormitory Narcissa had shared in her sixth year, Paige's bed stood off to the left. All around it were pictures of rock bands she liked and her schoolbooks were scattered on the window seat. A Prefect's badge, seemingly new, glittered on her nightstand under a lamp and a pretty silver necklace that had a snake entwined on the center for a pendant.
Paige opened her closet and Narcissa was surprised to see how much of it was Muggle. Paige had many pairs of khakis yet even more jeans and quite an assortment of t-shirts, halters, and tank tops. She was even more surprised to see not a single tube top or skirt. Under the hanging clothes was a few pairs of black boots (at least they were heeled) and seven or eight pairs of sneakers. Draco had shoes like these for his old skateboard. Tucked away in the corner was a Firebolt Diablo, the newest model of preferred broomstick. I'll buy that for him on his next birthday, Narcissa thought. As Paige searched through the assortment for something she kept from last year, Narcissa picked around her personal space. She looked at a photo on Paige's nightstand she hadn't noticed before. It was of her in the arms of a young man with light brown hair, laughing. Strewn across the desk under the frame were more pictures. She picked up one of Paige playing Muggle football in the rain, teasing a boy she'd seen before in the news. It was Potter, she believed, and she held her snarl.
The next picture comforted her. It was of her own son and Paige, playing Quidditch for Slytherin. She remembered Draco vaguely mentioning this. It was the first game Severus's daughter had played with the Diablo, and it won them the Cup that year. Little lightning bolts lined the frame, and now she recalled Draco mentioning Paige's team nickname, for being the fastest Chaser in the history of the team.
Paige startled her as she picked up a photo of Potter and Paige again, in a mock duel, with the nasty blond girl and the redhead Weasley from the cafeteria as onlookers. She handed Narcissa a pile of t-shirts and jeans, as she looked at the scene fondly. "I didn't know what kind of stuff you like to wear, but these should fit at least." She nearly smiled.
When they went back into the hall-much to Narcissa's dismay; she longed to study Paige's bedroom life more extensively-the brunette from the first picture was standing there, leaning against the wall, waiting for her. He stood immediately as she looked at him. "Erm, Paige, did you want to come play rugby with me and Fred and George? Harry said he'll play." Paige nodded. Narcissa noticed he had an acute Scottish accent. "Yeah, sure, Oliver.umm, I'll be there in a second, okay?" The boy nodded and walked back down the hall with a shy smile. Narcissa was a little sad she hadn't been introduced.
They returned to the dungeon and Paige left without a word.
"Is she always that quiet?"
"No," Severus said, tying his shoes as she found her wand. "Actually, she's got a lot to talk about, usually.she's just not used to you being around."
Narcissa smiled a little. "Good, cause I'd like to get to know her better."
"She's sweet. Once she sees that you're a friend of mine, she'll let you in, I think."
"Is she protective of you?"
"Not more than I am of her, I suppose."
This brought another detail to mind. "Is her boyfriend a Scot?"
"Oh, did you meet Wood? Yes, he is. They've been close since third year."
Narcissa thought this was cute, but she dared not ask about their future.
"He's a Gryffindor keeper. If it suits her, better him than some of my House."
He snarled as he said this, and Narcissa began to worry a little about Paige.
"He seems like a nice boy."
"Have they gone off to play rugby?"
"Yes. Do they do that often?"
"Better that than something like football. Football requires the hands."
"Fine. Sorry. I forgot." She walked over to him and he stood from where he was kneeling on the platform, twirling his wand absently in one hand. "You, um, going to fight like that?" He gestured to her skirt and heels. "Err, no. I guess not." She looked sheepish.
He looked her over slowly, which made her a feel a little more uncomfortable than usual. "You might be able to wear some of Paige's clothes. You don't look like you ever eat." "That's true. I do what I have to." He blinked. "What do you mean you have to?"
She dismissed his remark. "Where is she?" "She's watching her boyfriend play Quidditch.oh, nevermind." He looked to the door.
A fair-skinned girl of height nearly equal to his strode lightly across the floor and over to the platform where Narcissa stood. Narcissa guessed she was a sixth or seventh year. Her hair was cut exactly like his, with the ends turned up a little for Barbie effect and the same raven color, just a little bit cleaner, it fell to her shoulders in the same way. Narcissa noticed she had beautifully piercing green eyes, Slytherin green to be exact. She knew Severus didn't have them and she didn't recall his former girlfriend having them, either. Paige had already changed out of her robes for the day and wore a black Adidas tank top that showed a little of a stomach she'd clearly worked for, with khaki pants, flared like the Muggle teenagers, and no shoes on her feet painted with silver. Narcissa decided this girl deserved a manicure, since she didn't have anything left to give her old friend.
Paige's infamous green eyes flickered from her father to Narcissa with a strange fire. When she spoke at last her voice was low in volume but lighter in tone, unlike his. She, too, had the ability to captive everyone present without having to raise it.
"So you must be Draco's mother."
Narcissa remembered that it was very possible Paige and her son were good friends.
"Do you still have the bruises?"
Slightly frightened, Narcissa nodded gingerly and removed her sunglasses.
"I'll let you borrow my coverup. For now.come with me. Daddy, we'll be back." Now Narcissa finally saw a little bit of innocence, traces of a little girl whose father loved her.
Paige led Narcissa down the hall, reminding her to put her glasses back on, and into the familiar reaches of her common room. Upstairs, in the same dormitory Narcissa had shared in her sixth year, Paige's bed stood off to the left. All around it were pictures of rock bands she liked and her schoolbooks were scattered on the window seat. A Prefect's badge, seemingly new, glittered on her nightstand under a lamp and a pretty silver necklace that had a snake entwined on the center for a pendant.
Paige opened her closet and Narcissa was surprised to see how much of it was Muggle. Paige had many pairs of khakis yet even more jeans and quite an assortment of t-shirts, halters, and tank tops. She was even more surprised to see not a single tube top or skirt. Under the hanging clothes was a few pairs of black boots (at least they were heeled) and seven or eight pairs of sneakers. Draco had shoes like these for his old skateboard. Tucked away in the corner was a Firebolt Diablo, the newest model of preferred broomstick. I'll buy that for him on his next birthday, Narcissa thought. As Paige searched through the assortment for something she kept from last year, Narcissa picked around her personal space. She looked at a photo on Paige's nightstand she hadn't noticed before. It was of her in the arms of a young man with light brown hair, laughing. Strewn across the desk under the frame were more pictures. She picked up one of Paige playing Muggle football in the rain, teasing a boy she'd seen before in the news. It was Potter, she believed, and she held her snarl.
The next picture comforted her. It was of her own son and Paige, playing Quidditch for Slytherin. She remembered Draco vaguely mentioning this. It was the first game Severus's daughter had played with the Diablo, and it won them the Cup that year. Little lightning bolts lined the frame, and now she recalled Draco mentioning Paige's team nickname, for being the fastest Chaser in the history of the team.
Paige startled her as she picked up a photo of Potter and Paige again, in a mock duel, with the nasty blond girl and the redhead Weasley from the cafeteria as onlookers. She handed Narcissa a pile of t-shirts and jeans, as she looked at the scene fondly. "I didn't know what kind of stuff you like to wear, but these should fit at least." She nearly smiled.
When they went back into the hall-much to Narcissa's dismay; she longed to study Paige's bedroom life more extensively-the brunette from the first picture was standing there, leaning against the wall, waiting for her. He stood immediately as she looked at him. "Erm, Paige, did you want to come play rugby with me and Fred and George? Harry said he'll play." Paige nodded. Narcissa noticed he had an acute Scottish accent. "Yeah, sure, Oliver.umm, I'll be there in a second, okay?" The boy nodded and walked back down the hall with a shy smile. Narcissa was a little sad she hadn't been introduced.
They returned to the dungeon and Paige left without a word.
"Is she always that quiet?"
"No," Severus said, tying his shoes as she found her wand. "Actually, she's got a lot to talk about, usually.she's just not used to you being around."
Narcissa smiled a little. "Good, cause I'd like to get to know her better."
"She's sweet. Once she sees that you're a friend of mine, she'll let you in, I think."
"Is she protective of you?"
"Not more than I am of her, I suppose."
This brought another detail to mind. "Is her boyfriend a Scot?"
"Oh, did you meet Wood? Yes, he is. They've been close since third year."
Narcissa thought this was cute, but she dared not ask about their future.
"He's a Gryffindor keeper. If it suits her, better him than some of my House."
He snarled as he said this, and Narcissa began to worry a little about Paige.
"He seems like a nice boy."
"Have they gone off to play rugby?"
"Yes. Do they do that often?"
"Better that than something like football. Football requires the hands."