I don't own, don't sue. Blah blah blah. This chapter kind of sucks - But there is plot development. Theres also a big long RANT at the bottom of the page as to WHY this chapter sucks. Hee hee. Anyway, enjoy :P

CHAPTER 3

During my time at school, I began to mature very quickly. Breasts began to swell underneath my robes, and although petite, I was glad to finally have fleshy globes, like Bella. My hips has begun to sway as I walked, too, and I sensed male gaze following me as I walked. My shell pink lips were full, and my hair was a gleaming mane of curls - it was no wonder I attracted the interest of boys. It was uncomfortable though, feeling the burn of eyes following me through the corridors. To one who has grown used to being ignored, being stared at is 10 times more uncomfortable than anything you can imagine. You feel vulnerable and exposed - and powerless to anything which may happen to you.

Like meeting a cousin in the halls. Bella had told me our cousin Sirius was going around the school getting into mischief, with some of his blood- traitor and mud-blood friends. I had no classes with the Gryfindors, and so had never met up with him before. But on my way to meet with Bellatrix one night, I was caught out by a lone wolf - as it were.

"Why - if it isn't little Cissa! Sirius - remember? You know me from when we were about 6. Funny we haven't bumped into each other before - isn't it?"

I stared at the dark haired boy in front of me. He was handsome, and looked somewhat like Bellatrix - only with a more chiseled jaw, and finer hair. A lopsided grin danced across his lips and his dark eyes flicked across my robes before resting on the knot of my tie.

"Not really, Sirius. We're in different houses, aren't we? That's what I would say is strange."

I spat. I had no patience for people like him. People who didn't look after their own kind. Family was important, and Sirius was a betrayer to his kin.

"Not all Blacks are cold, uncaring, Slythrin material, you know"

"You want to think where your loyalties With your blood, or elsewhere"

"Your parents have taught you well. Or are those dear old Bella's words?"

"My words are my own, Sirius."

There was a stony silence as we stared at one another. I saw my grim face reflected in his glittering, warm eyes. I glared, willing myself not to blink. The spell was only broken by a luxuriously smooth voice from behind me. A velvety drawl - which I recognised almost instantaneously.

"Bugger off to class, Black. Not that you deserve such a fine name on your mangy head."

Lucius chuckled to himself slightly, before stepping out of the shadowy corner he had been skulking in.

"Why, Malfoy? Going to have your way with my cousin?"

I felt heat rush to my cheeks, but Lucius just ran his white digits through his hair, and glowered at Sirius.

"Don't darken her reputation by admitting that she is related to you in any way, cur. Just leave us be - before I do something to you I won't regret."

"Like what, Malfoy? Set your darling Dad on me? Get over yourself. I was just going off, anyway"

Lucius snarled something after Sirius I couldn't quite catch under his breath, before turning his hypnotic gaze onto me.

"So, Narcissa...Isn't it a little late to be heading off into the library?"

"That's none of your business. Besides...you're out."

"I have important things to be getting on with. More important than you and your sisters little Dark Arts club"

"That's a secret! You shouldn't know about it..."

"You don't keep things from me, easily."

"You talk as though you're all powerful or something. You're only a year above me. What makes you so great?"

"Being a Malfoy."

I sensed no arrogance in what he said - only truth. Malfoys and Blacks were the cream of the wizarding world. "I'll see you around then...I suppose" I muttered, gazing upwards at his fine, royal features.

"Yes. I should say you will...Oh, just a word of caution, Narcissa. Your dear cousin knows about your little nightly gatherings too. I'd watch out for him. Or just make sure he understands not to fuck with you. Give my regards to your sister"

Lucius said, with a coy smirk, before disappearing just as silently as he had appeared into the shadowy corridors.

My sister had a boyfriend He was stocky, with slicked back auburn hair and a mean glint in his hazel eyes. He wasn't what I would of called handsome, but Rodolphus Lestrange was one of the Dark Arts gathering, and therefore a fine example of a pureblood. While he necked with my sister, I buried my head into dusty volumes of spells which described horrific forms of torture, and efficient killing curses, thinking of the tall, mysterious Lucius Malfoy.

I didn't want to go home. I enjoyed my time at Hogwarts immensely - of course we had already been home for Easter, Christmas and Half-Term. But Mother was getting more and more violent with Bella on every visit back home. She spent hours in the bathroom, weaving intricate charms to hide the deep gashes oh her shoulders and face, and to reduce the hard egg sized lumps on her forehead before going back to school. Mother's affection towards Andromeda was waning too, as she began to shunt her onto me when she demanded attention. I slapped at the backs of her knees with a stick I found in the garden and told her that Mummy didn't love her anymore.

"You're a fat, plain, stupid thing. It's no surprise to me that Mummy hates you now. Stop crying you filthy little goose."

Bella and I did homework together, between the beatings. Actually, Bella did less homework than pouring into her Dark Arts books , and rasping twisted hexes under her breath. I had stopped enjoying the time we spent with those book together - as the volumes she uncovered from underneath her mattress had become less secret and exciting, and more dangerous and murky. The dusty blue leather of her favourite was stained with grisly black spots - which I could only guess to be blood. She whispered ingredients for vile potions under her breath, committing the lists to memory.

"Bella?"

I whispered to her one night, at about 3 in the morning. I couldn't sleep because of the noise of the pages of her books brushing against each other.

"What? I'm busy"

She shot at me. Her voice sour.

"Don't you think you ought to go to sleep? It's terribly late..."

"These books are read more easily at night. And if it's so fucking late, why aren't you asleep?"

"I...I can't"

"Well just lie quiet then, Cissa, can't you? I have to learn this!"

"Why? It isn't even for school, or anything."

"It's more important! I've explained this! This is for glory! For cleansing of the imperfect wizard kind! We are Blacks, Narcissa - if we don't do this, no-one will. We are Tujours Pur. And never you forget it"

"I'm sorry Bella."

And with that, I turned away from my sisters scowling eyes, and sobbed quietly into my pillow.

END OF CHAPTER 3

In the next chapter, Narcissa turns 13 (I know I didn't mention her 12th birthday, but it didn't seem important. I'm going to start making bigger time jumps so I can get to the good stuff, so I might just stop mentioning ages all together. Lol.) and her life begins to get even stranger. Also, we finally get to talk the delicious Severus Snape.

RANT - WHICH YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO READ IF YOU DON'T WANT.

It's hard writing Narcissa quite as I want while she's young. I have to retain some of her child-like innocence and teenage confusion, while making her seem ruthless and cold. I also want to get across that she CAN be caring and weak though. I've always seen Lucius as the powerful one in their relationship - even though Narcissa gives him a run for his money. Trying to write the bizarre way things work out with the early stages of their relationship, along with Bella's Dark Arts obsession (which Narcissa is going to pick up soon, don't worry.) is a challenge. If I slip into OOC occasionally I'M SORRY. But I need someone to beta this for me, and harshly Hint Hint . I'm testing myself with this fic - and along with being something I want to write, it's a semi-experiment, to push my skills. I mean, you can only write so many one offs/songfics, Right?