Disclaimer: I just own the characters.

Review Responses:

Bonezz - Glad you didn't cry! Yep, Draco does seem to have a Death wish! LOL! The child doesn't realise what a fine line he's treading some days! Sorry about the short chapters, this one's another short one but it's quite action packed shall I say? Well, I think you'll enjoy it anyway! Isn't it strange where you can get inspiration from? Like Chinese all you can eat buffets! Thanks for reviewing!

Errisar - Don't worry I got your whole review, aren't computers annoying when they freeze without reason like that! Glad my timing's so good! It's good to take a break from essays isn't it, they fry your brain otherwise! I'm glad you felt the last chapter gave you an insight into the characters, it was meant to be a moving on kind of chapter for showing how things are and what state the characters are in before the big event in this chapter! It makes me feel better that Lucius would probably rather be dead than in Azkaban, I just thought it would be awful for him to rot in Azkaban, awful for Draco too and it would make things more difficult for Narcissa to move on. I'm really pleased you liked that scene as I'm fond of it myself. I've never studied psychology, the only explanation I can come up with for being able to demonstrate understanding is that I did study philosophy and ethics and they were both big helps in learning how to put yourself in someone else's shoes. I try to lighten the angst with some humour and the odd touch of hope, don't want my readers feeling suicidal by the time they finish reading! Yay, we won't give up on Percy! He must have his reasons! (I hope!). Hope this update didn't take too long, it's short yes but it's an important chapter! Thanks for the review!

PrincessJedi - Cissa/Sev is here! Thanks for the review!

Ann - Glad you're enjoying them and I agree Sev and Narcissa work so well together! Thanks for reviewing!

I Found a Little Courage to Call it Off

**Narcissa's Thoughts**

Chapter 11

Narcissa was a bit of a perfectionist and soon wore everyone out with her decorating but Severus stayed with her even when all the others had long ago given in. They were decorating the Drawing Room in a rich yellow and black. Severus had protested that it looked like the Hufflepuff common room but Narcissa had insisted on having the room brightly decorated. In the end, as they sat back to admire their efforts, he had to admit the woman had known what she was doing.

They had eaten a few hours before, in the kitchen to prevent Dippy from having to go anywhere near paint and risk tempting fate. They were both remarkably paint free, of course using magic to decorate was a lot cleaner than the muggle way but things could still go wrong. They had all discarded robes days before, realising that muggle clothing was more suited to the task. Narcissa was dressed in a faded pair of jeans and a pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Severus was in black trousers and a green shirt, sticking, Narcissa noticed, with his favourite colour scheme.

Having finished finally Narcissa called for coffee so that they could sit back and admire their efforts.

Dippy bounced in joyfully with the tray of coffee, at exactly the same moment Severus stood up to peruse a corner bookshelf. They met half way and the incident concluded with Severus being drenched in boiling hot coffee and Dippy squeaking mad apologies. Narcissa was merely looking on in disbelief.

"Dippy! That will be quite enough! Stop apologising!" Narcissa stepped over to Severus and helped him to his feet. "Oh dear, let's get that wet shirt off before you catch a cold."

Narcissa ignored Severus' weak protests that it was summer and he was unlikely to catch a cold as the evening was warm and began unbuttoning his wet shirt. She soon had it off him, as he had simply stood there with a slightly horrified look on his face when he had realised she was deadly serious. Narcissa handed the shirt to Dippy, "Go and clean that and dry it off and bring us some more coffee."

She glanced back at her, now shirtless, friend. **Wow. Take your time Dippy, I think I'll just enjoy the view!** Narcissa mentally slapped herself and gestured to Severus to sit down, not fully trusting her voice at that moment. There was something about the way the last dying rays of sunlight were playing across him that...**Oh don't finish that thought!**

Severus sat down, his arms folded across his bare chest, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Narcissa sat across from him and pretended to be immensely interested in the damage done to her expensive rug. Eventually she trusted her voice enough to cast a cleaning charm on the rug, leaving Severus staring at her, "Why didn't you just do that to my shirt?"

**This way I got to _remove_ your shirt?** "I didn't really think about it, it's better for the house elf to deal with these things anyway I wouldn't want to damage your shirt. I'm so sorry about Dippy, she's entirely useless but as I can't get another one I have to make do with her. Ever since Mr Potter managed to free Dobby it's just been impossible around here..." she stopped before she could babble any further. **Severus is not interested in your crises with the house elf; don't babble!**

Narcissa was saved from further embarrassment by the house elf bouncing back in again with another tray of coffee.

"Where's my shirt?" Severus asked.

"Oh, Dippy is thinking you is wanting coffee first! Then shirt!"

**You read my mind Dippy!**

"Dippy will take coffee away and do things right way round!"

The elf made to leave with the coffee tray, "Dippy, leave the coffee now you've brought it here and go and clean Severus' shirt." Narcissa began to wonder if no house elf might be better than this one.

"I'll pour the coffee shall I?" Narcissa asked.

Severus merely nodded.

"Milk, cream, sugar?" she glanced up at him and instantly regretted doing so.

"Narcissa you are pouring coffee on the tray," he said calmly. "Milk, no sugar."

"Aah!" Narcissa suddenly noticed that the silver tray was coated in a layer of coffee, **Oh great and now I look like a fool; actually fool is too good for me in this situation, I look like a lovesick teenager!** She felt blood rise to her pale cheeks. She mopped up the spilt coffee and handed Severus a cup. She poured her own without looking at him and drank it black hoping to wake up her commonsense again. **This is Sev we're talking about! I might swoon when he enters a room but I could at least not let him see that! This is pointless, I'm simply torturing myself. I'm just his friend and somehow a polite interest in my welfare seems all the worse than when I thought he hated and couldn't forgive me.**

"Narcissa?"

She looked up, breaking out of her thoughts which were leading her down roads she had been avoiding for a long time. **Right, now is not the time to be trying to sort all that out!**

"You drifted off, are you alright?"

**With you sat there only half dressed, hell no! I'm distracted beyond belief and I'm pretty damned annoyed with myself for letting you see that!**

"I'm fine. Thank you. How are you, I mean did the coffee hurt you?"

"No, I'm alright. When you teach students like Neville Longbottom you develop a high pain threshold!"

She knew what he really meant was when you work as a Death Eater you develop a high pain threshold and her heart went out to him. She smiled weakly at his joke, all the while wishing she could stop anyone from ever hurting him again. **But he wouldn't let me. He wouldn't let anyone, particularly not me.**

She smiled sadly and tried to make conversation but could think of nothing to say and got no further than, "So..."

"So what?"

"I was just thinking that this room looks good now."

"Yes it does, where the hell has your house elf got to!?"

As if she had been listening outside the door Dippy jumped in right on cue with Severus' shirt, she passed it to Narcissa, bowed and left.

"Why's it given it to you?"

"Goodness knows, stand up!"

Severus did as he was told and held his hand out for the shirt only to find that Narcissa had slid his arm into the sleeve and was holding out the empty sleeve for his other arm, "Narcissa, I can dress myself!"

"I know, I just thought I'd admire the view up close!" she gave him a wicked smile, **so I see we've abandoned subtlety in favour of obvious innuendo, well whatever it takes!**

Severus snatched the shirt from her hands and pulled it on, "Don't tease Narcissa, you may be amused but I am not!"

She was slightly hurt by his tone at first but then figured that he had simply not taken her seriously. "Oh Sev, I'm not teasing!" She leaned in and kissed him before he could say anything else. She was shocked to find herself pushed roughly away.

"Severus?" she asked uncertainly.

"Stop it. Stop messing me around!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not your toy Narcissa. I don't take kindly to being kept around so you can have someone to admire you and give you a confidence boost when your vanity needs it, and I doubt it ever does quite frankly!"

"What?" she gasped in horror and the hurt she felt showed clearly on her flushed face.

She saw pain flicker across his eyes, "You heard me, I don't like being played with!"

"You bloody idiot!" she whispered but there was affection in it, "You complete and utter fool! You adorably modest man, I told you more than ten years ago I married the wrong Death Eater! What did you think that meant? I love you you idiot, I have for a damned long time! Why did you think I kissed you at that ministry function that Halloween? Why did you think I willingly put my life in your hands? Because I love you and I trust you," she smiled briefly before snapping, "And thanks for the vanity remarks!"

Severus looked as if he was in a severe state of shock and Narcissa couldn't stay angry, **after all I can be kind of vain, but he still shouldn't have said that.**

She smiled, "Or should I say I love you too? I heard what you said when we were at the Weasley's that night when you thought I was asleep. You were holding my hand and you told me you loved me. Did you mean it?"

"Yes," the reply was very quiet, as though he was still shocked at everything that had happened. Narcissa stepped up to him and slipped her arms around his neck kissing him again, this time without being pushed away.

Severus folded his arms around the woman and kissed her back, allowing one hand to stroke her silky hair. Eventually they broke the kiss but remained with their arms around each other both smiling a little shyly. "So what happens now?"

"Well," Narcissa grinned, "Traditionally you ask me out for dinner."

He smiled, "Alright, when are you free?"

"For you, always!" She buried her head in his shoulder and held him close, grinning like an idiot as he hugged her back.

*******

Mush and craziness galore in that chapter!

Next chapter, Narcissa has to tell Draco, what's he going to say?

As this chapter was hideously short and the next one is too I'll post it very very soon! Maybe tomorrow, but not until this one gets at least one review! Alright that's a bit harsh I'll post very very soon anyway but a review or two (or ten) would be nice!