A somewhat legal disclaimer: This fic is rated R for language and sexual situations. All characters belong to JK Rowling and all the folks at Scholastic, etc. The plot is mine as only a demented mind could come up with this stuff.
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Suddenly before my eyes
Hues of indigo arise
With them how my spirit sighs
Paint the sky with stars
Only night will ever know
Why the heavens never show
All the dreams there are to know
Paint the sky with stars
From the song "Paint the Sky with Stars" by Enya
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Chapter 2: Stars
Press Release
May 16, 2006
Severus Snape, official spokesman for the future Prince of Avalon, has issued the following terse statement to the press: "Lord Malfoy wishes to convey his regrets concerning his obscene outburst yesterday afternoon, which occurred outside Snape Manor. While he offers no excuse, his explanation is as follows, and I quote: 'I'm sorry, I was rather hung over and extremely grumpy. I apologize for any distress I caused and I humbly swear by Merlin's codpiece never to do it again.' "
Addendum from Mordecai Muffleton, Editor of the Daily Prophet: Despite repeated requests for clarification, Lord Snape did not return our Owls.
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Narcissa Malfoy surveyed the swarming throng in Diagon Alley and fought a rather suffocating sense of anxiety. While she usually loved shopping, no amount of velvet and silk could assuage the emotional upheaval she was currently experiencing. She'd gone to several shops, trying to lose herself in her spending spree, but it was utterly and completely useless.
"Things are spinning out of control," The sudden thought came with a genuine sense of melodrama.
Draco was growing closer and closer to Ginny Weasley and Narcissa feared he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.
She just couldn't figure it out. Why would he throw everything away for that Nobody Weasley Girl?
"Despite his upbringing, he has always instinctively done all the right things," she said to herself and not for the first time. So why couldn't he see how wrong this was? After all, Draco had used his intellect and cunning in dealing with He-Who-Could-Not-Be-Named-Anymore-Because-He-Was-Dead and it had brought him here . . .
On the threshold of great power.
Draco understood power . . . he had been born to it. And the best part was, he'd done it all for the right, "noble" reasons.
"Whatever that means," she thought.
Forcing herself to walk briskly, Narcissa turned a corner only to barely avoid colliding with a snarling Sirius Black.
Wonderful. The look of naked loathing on his face hit her with the force of an Unforgivable, almost dropping her to her knees. For eight years they'd managed to avoid each other, but now, of all days . . .
"Watch where you're going, Princess," he spat, as he pushed a lock of long black hair off his angular face.
She looked at him with wide-eyed shock, which seemed to take him aback somewhat. However, she recovered her composure rather quickly.
"I'm terribly sorry, Cousin," she murmured. "And I'm not a princess, you blithering idiot. I am a Duchess."
Sirius raised a faux surprised eyebrow. "Of course you're not a princess. I didn't mean it in the literal sense, Duchess." He sneered on the word "Duchess".
"Perhaps you need to go home to find your misplaced sense of irony," he added scornfully.
Ignoring him, Narcissa pushed past impatiently, feeling his dark blue eyes burning a hole in her back. She resisted the urge to turn around and regally kept walking straight ahead.
"He still hates me," she thought bitterly. "No surprises there."
Things had gone completely wrong many years ago, beginning with her marriage to Lucius Malfoy, a man Sirius Black had despised with all his being. That loathing had only intensified through the years.
Narcissa knew that the reasons for their mutual hatred had been rather complicated, so she chose not to deeply examine them. And despite her protests that she'd been powerless to stop Lucius' machinations, her cousin had steadfastly refused to believe her. They'd spoken only once, about a month after he came back from the Veil, and then they never spoke to each other again.
Until now.
Naricissa forcefully pushed Sirius Black from her mind as she entered an elegant French restaurant on the outskirts of Diagon Alley. A young witch, who immediately recognized her, guided her to her usual table. She ordered a glass of Chardonnay and waited for her lunch companion.
Several patrons took note of her and she saw some of them whispering to each other as they sent indiscreet glances in her direction. Since Lucius' disgraceful death, she was used to being the subject of gossip. Thankfully, gossip didn't bother her anymore, although in her younger days she would have been absolutely mortified.
"Is this seat taken?"
She looked up into the laughing eyes of Emile Zabini, an old "family friend".
"I believe it belongs to you, as I've been waiting for your arrival," she smiled at him.
Emile Zabini, father to Blaise, sat down across from her as a waiter hurried over to greet him. Narcissa studied him covertly from under her lashes, as he reached for her hand, kissing it. He was a very handsome man, just a few years older than Narcissa. His dark hair was cut short by wizarding standards, but it suited him very nicely. He had a strong, rugged face, which belied an aristocratic ancestry almost as illustrious as that of the House of Malfoy. Narcissa could see a light dusting of gray at his temples, which complimented his eyes.
Those pale blue eyes looked at her in amusement, as he noticed her regard. "Do you like what you see?" he asked, in a deadpan tone.
Narcissa flushed.
"I won't lie to you Emile, you look very good. But then, you already know that."
Emile gave her an alluring smile. "And you, my dear, have never looked better. Widowhood suits you," he said mockingly.
"I'm enjoying it very much," she murmured as he chuckled.
"So, why did you want to see me? I thought we agreed that being lovers was ruining our friendship . . . well, that and the fact that my wife found out. Although," he added, "Perhaps now that Lucius is gone, you're getting lonely?" He raised a hopeful eyebrow at the word, "lonely."
Narcissa shook her head, smiling at his cheek. "No, Lucius was never much of a companion, so at least that much hasn't changed. And no, I didn't ask you to lunch to renew old acquaintances."
"Pity," he said sadly. "So why did you ask me here?"
"I want to talk to you about Draco."
Emile leaned back in his chair as he contemplated her with interest. "That sounds intriguing. Why would you want to talk to me about Draco? His future is secure, he's a shining star and he's richer than God. What could possibly be wrong?"
Naricssa pulled a copy of the Daily Prophet from her rather large handbag and handed it to him.
Emile whistled softly as he looked at the front page. "Oh. I see."
Splashed across the paper was a huge picture of Draco and Ginny Weasley. Draco had his arm around her, his face pressed against her slender neck. His image was intimately whispering in her ear and the headline read, "Lord Malfoy Introduces His Lady Love".
"Dreadful," commented Emile, shaking his head.
"Exactly," said Narcissa. "I don't have to tell you how concerned I am about this, do I?"
"Well, aside from the fact that it's in very bad taste, and Lucius is probably spinning in his grave, I think I see the problem. What was Draco thinking, posing for the press like that? He's showing an appalling lack of judgement. It's very undignified." He gave a graceful sniff.
Narcissa nodded in agreement. "It's bad enough that he flaunts his love life before the media, but to showcase that unsuitable woman is completely unforgivable. We have to do something about this, Emile."
"We?"
"He can't marry her, it will ruin him," she said vehemently. " The Ancient Houses will never accept her, for one thing. Her family is a disgrace to purebloods everywhere, everyone agrees with that. Draco's crown is already in jeopardy and he hasn't even begun his rule."
"But what can I do about this?"
"You're a clever man. You have connections . . . you know people with information. There has to be some way to show Draco that this union would be a disaster. Everyone has skeletons in their closets, even the Weasleys. Perhaps . . . " her voice trailed off.
"You needn't say anything else, my dear. I believe you're looking for a scandal. Hidden scandal is a specialty of mine. I'll send out a few discreet owls and see what I can scare up. But, and I have to ask this . . . what's in it for me?"
Narcissa gave a throaty laugh. "You're incorrigible, Emile Zabini. I'll get straight to the point . . . if this love affair," (here she grimaced delicately), "blows up in his face, he'll be looking for solace. Who better to be there for him than your daughter?"
"Blaise would make a wonderful Princess of Avalon," she added softly. "Don't you agree?"
Emile couldn't hide his delight. "And you'll encourage this, should his romance with the Weasley girl fail?"
"Absolutely. If you find a way to end his relationship with Ginny Weasley, I'll see to it that he turns to Blaise. They've been friends for years, after all."
"Do you have that kind of influence over your son?" Emile sounded doubtful.
"Of course I do," she lied. "He may be an adult, but he still listens to his mother."
"Consider it done then," said Emile arrogantly. "Blaise has always wanted Draco and I'm sure she'd be very happy to cooperate."
The waiter, who asked to take their order, interrupted them. They momentarily forgot the subject of their conversation as they looked over the menu. People continued to stare in their direction and Narcissa knew that they made a striking couple. Too bad their sexual chemistry had died out years ago, not that it was apparent to the onlookers.
Once their orders were taken, Emile raised a glass to her.
"Long live the Prince of Avalon," he said with enthusiasm.
"And long live Blaise Zabini, the future Princess of Avalon," Narcissa murmured quietly, as they clinked glasses.
"Draco doesn't stand a chance."
She couldn't help the triumphant smile that crossed her face at the thought.
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One of the things Ginny loved about Draco was his highly developed sense of adventure.
After all, he'd lived a rather audacious life in his short twenty-five years and in truth, she suspected that he was a Daredevil Junkie, rather like Harry Potter. And while Harry had always acted as if his adventures had been foisted unwillingly upon him, Draco definitely sought his life experiences out on purpose. He relished living on the edge.
As if reading her thoughts, he gave her a cocky grin.
"Worried, love?"
"Should I be? After all, I have no idea where we're going and the last time you did this, I landed in Romania, staring up the nose of a Norwegian Ridgeback. You could have warned me first, it startled the blazes out of me."
Draco shook his head. "What's the fun in warning you? You practically leapt into my lap, which was the reaction I was going for, anyway. And you got to see your brother, in the bargain."
Ginny sighed in mock aggravation.
Draco suddenly tugged on her hand to hurry her up a long sloping hill.
"We're almost there, just a bit farther," he encouraged her.
"Couldn't you have Apparated us closer to our destination?" Ginny winced at her whiny tone. She was also puffing with exertion.
Draco waved his hand dramatically. "What? And miss all this?"
She had to agree that the view was magnificent. They were walking through a wooded path and between the trees, Ginny could see the broad expanse of the ocean. Everything was lush and green and it smelled strongly of loamy earth. They'd Apparated to a secret destination and Draco had steadfastly refused to reveal where they were. "I'll tell you later," he'd murmured. "But you'll have to kiss it out of me, first."
He'd given her a bawdy look.
"Besides, from the way you're wheezing, you could use the exercise." Draco laughed as she gave him a playful push. "I have a Wheezing Weasley on my hands. Perhaps you need a Personal Trainer. I've been reading about Muggle culture and everyone who is anyone has a Personal Trainer . . . "
Ginny interrupted him. "And just who is supplying you with Muggle information?"
"Uncle Severus."
Ginny snorted. "The blind leading the blind," she remarked. "You'd have probably done better with Hermione."
"Yes, well . . . you're probably right, at that. We went to a Muggle bookstore in London and Severus picked out all sorts of boring things for me to read. I mean really . . . 'The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire'? If the Romans had been so bloody great, why did their empire fall in the first place? I thought it was dreadfully impractical so I tried to purchase a delightful little glossy . . . something called, 'Playboy Magazine'. I had to go digging for it, though . . . it was surprisingly well hidden. At any rate, Severus shoved it out of my hands faster than a shagging bunny rabbit. I told him I wanted it for the articles, but he insisted I leave it behind. Pity . . . the pictures were very educational."
Ginny stopped short. "What kind of pictures?"
"Erm . . . never you mind."
She gave him a suspicious look but left it alone.
They walked up another slight hill and as they crested its smooth peak, Draco suddenly pulled her around, facing away from the path.
"We're almost there. Now close your eyes!"
Ginny closed one eye, but kept the other one resolutely open.
Draco pretended to look hurt. "Come now! Don't you trust me? You really don't take direction very well, Weasley. I promise you . . . no pranks. You're going to love this."
She closed her eyes as he waved his hand in front of her face. He slowly turned her around, so that she was once again facing the path. Taking her hand, he gingerly led her to the bottom of the hill. She could hear what sounded like rushing water.
"Alright now . . . open them."
Ginny gasped in complete wonder. She had never seen such a spectacular waterfall in her life.
They'd come to a clearing at the bottom of a great cliff and while the trees at the top of the crag radiated a bright, green sunlight, it faded as the droplets sprayed down in a showering cascade. Ginny could see rainbow colours coming off the fine mists but where the waterfall landed in a large pool, it was rather dark.
She shivered. The darkness gave it a mysterious, almost dangerous look.
Draco peered eagerly at her face, as if he couldn't wait to see her reaction.
"Isn't it splendid, Sweetness? And there's a path that leads to the top of the cliff. I've another surprise waiting for you there."
He was practically hopping up and down with glee.
She felt a deep sense of delight creeping over her . . . this was classic Draco. His playful spirit was infectious and she fervently hoped on Nimue's Naughty Bits that this earnestness carried over to his lovemaking skills.
The thought of it prompted her to emit a low, rather un-Ginnylike growl.
Draco lifted an eyebrow. "It's only a waterfall, Gin. And that sounded remarkably kinky, by the way. A very promising start, indeed."
Ginny felt a hot pinkness advancing on her cheeks. Drat! She was going to have to learn to control her facial hues . . . he took great pleasure in making her blush, and he was currently taking it as a challenge of sorts.
Draco gave her an intense, penetrating look. "This promises to be a night we'll never forget. We'll be sleeping under the stars," he whispered enticingly. He darted his eyes nervously before adding, "Don't tell your mum, though."
Hmmm. That sounded like he had plans of his own. Was he going to seduce her?
Ginny sincerely hoped so.
Because if he didn't make his move soon, she would just have to make it for him.
"This is it," she thought with certainty. "Tonight we will finally become lovers.
She'd been afraid for months to tell him that she loved him, perhaps because such a declaration had completely ruined her relationship with Harry Potter. She was determined not to make the same mistake again.
Ginny knew that he cared for her deeply and that was enough for her. Besides . . . she was tired of him being such a gentleman.
It didn't suit him at all.
Giving him a luminous smile, she allowed him to lead her up a small path to the top of the cliff.
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As it turned out, Narcissa found that lunch had only been a temporary diversion from her distress. She'd done some more shopping once the long lunch with Emile had been over and then she'd stopped by the Parkinson's for dinner. By the time she'd Apparated home, the sun was setting over the western horizon. While thoughts of Draco had plagued her earlier, she found that her chance meeting with Sirius Black had stimulated feelings that she hadn't had in years.
She just couldn't stop thinking about him.
As she swept through the entrance of Malfoy Manor, Narcissa could feel the throbbing of a migraine coming on. Sirius would have been extremely surprised to learn that he had caused her such tremendous emotional stress, and her lunch with Emile Zabini had not helped.
It was dangerous bringing Emile into the fray. He was self-serving at heart and wouldn't hesitate to doublecross her if it gave him an advantage. Narcissa knew that she had to be very careful in her dealings with him. If Draco found out she was conspiring with Zabini, she could lose her son forever.
A house-elf stood by impassively, as she wrenched off her cloak and handed it to the small creature. She barely registered his tiny presence.
Clutching her shopping bags, she slowly climbed the massive staircase, making her way to the bedroom that she'd occupied since ending her sexual relationship with Lucius eight years previously. This had occurred right after Sirius had fallen into the Veil of Shadows. By the time she'd resorted to such a drastic measure, her husband had merely shrugged his shoulders, saying she was getting too old to pleasure him anyway. "I have plenty of willing lovers, both male and female," he'd sneered at her. "I won't even miss you."
It had been an immense relief.
She dropped her bags on the bed and walked to the window seat, gazing at the darkening heavens. Her eyes sought the familiar twinkling diamond until she found it and she smiled to herself.
As always, Sirius was the brightest star in the night sky.
She sat there for a long time, staring at the star, until the room became very dark. Muttering the Lumos spell, she debated whether or not to take a Sleeping Draught or to just allow herself to become bored sleepy.
But seeing Sirius that afternoon had made her unaccountably nostalgic, so she sought her collection of Pensieves instead.
After her marriage to Lucius went bad, she'd taken to collecting her memories in a series of Pensieves, hiding them from sight as if they were precious jewels. Immersed in her husband's cruelty, she had placed her memories in the bowls, in an effort to savor and protect them. Sometimes, when she was particularly lonely, she would secretly take them out and relive her fondest recollections: Her first Yule Ball, her sixteenth birthday party, Draco's birth, his first little steps . . .
She suddenly wanted to relive her memories . . . she wanted to see what she'd abandoned all those years ago when she'd left her family and everything she loved to marry Lucius Malfoy. Walking over to her closet, she murmured a spell and tapped her wand on a wall behind her clothing, allowing a recessed shelf to appear. Several rows of Pensieves were laid out side by side, spanning the length of her closet. The white liquid smoke created fine little swirls around each bowl.
She pulled out a particularly ornate one. It was made of dark blue marble and had a distinctive pattern of stars carved around its rim. She smiled dreamily at the beautiful artistry and brushed it off lovingly
This was the very Pensieve she wanted to see.
She hadn't accessed these memories since the night that Sirius had been taken to Azkeban, a few months after Draco had been born. That night, overcome with grief, she'd poured many childhood memories into the bowl, reliving her past with Sirius Black.
She took the Pensieve over to the window seat, and carefully put it in front of her as she sat down. Dipping her hand in the bowl, she found herself at the outskirts of her family home, and was delighted to see the old apple tree on the south side of the lawn. This had been one of her favorite hiding places as a child. In this memory, it was well into the evening and she and Sirius had sneaked out of her house to play on the grounds of the estate.
She watched as her younger self and a messy-haired Sirius Black approached the tree, breathless and laughing. As she watched the figures coming towards her, she suddenly remembered the circumstances of this memory. Her parents had been having a dinner party and she and Sirius had slipped out unnoticed. She looked at him closely and couldn't help smiling with sad affection.
He'd been a beautiful boy, although she'd been too young to notice it then. She took in his shocking black hair and eyes the colour of the sky at dusk. She longed to reach out and run her fingers through his thick tresses.
They couldn't have been more than ten at the time of this memory.
Her long blond hair was pulled back and her mother had magically created ringlet curls that framed her small face. Narcissa had hated the curls because they made her look "girly", but her mother had insisted she wear her hair like this. The young Narcissa happily pulled out her ribbons and threw them to the ground.
"Can you believe how boring grown-ups are?" said Sirius arrogantly, as they approached the tree. "What a bunch of stupid prats! They won't even spot that we're gone for another two hours, at least."
Little Narcissa nodded eagerly in agreement. "And they talk about the silliest stuff," she sniffed. "All the ladies there kept telling Mum how beautiful I am and how I'm going to be able to marry any man I want. I don't want to get married!" she wailed. "I want to live in a tree house and mum said no man would ever let me live in a tree house. So . . . that settles it. I'm never getting married." She tossed her head vehemently.
Sirius laughed mockingly at this. "Girls don't have a choice about getting married, Cissy. Don't you know anything?" His laughter had made her very angry and she pushed him hard, causing him to trip over the root of the apple tree. He sat sprawled on the ground.
"What do you know, you vile git!" she shouted at him. "Boys think they know everything! If Mum and Dad make me get married, I'll just run away. Then you'll be sorry 'cause I'll run away and never come back!"
This immediately sobered Sirius. "I'm sorry, Cissy. Don't be mad at me. Don't run away," he pleaded. He looked like he was going to cry, which moved the tiny girl's little heart. She sat down next to him.
"Would you be sad? If I left and never came back?" she asked. She already knew the answer, but for some reason, she needed to hear him say it.
"I'd be dead sad," answered Sirius. "You're my bestest friend."
Narcissa gazed at him in approval, giving him a small smile. They settled into a companionable silence.
"The stars are really pretty tonight," remarked Narcissa. "I wish we could fly up there to see them. Daddy takes me up on his broom, but he says that we can't fly close to the stars. They're too far away."
Sirius nodded in understanding.
"I found a Muggle newspaper once, when we were visiting London. I hid it from my mum 'cause she hates Muggles," remarked Sirius. "The paper said that some Muggles had flown to the moon a couple of years ago in a big aeroplane thingy. Can you believe that? If they're not as good as us, how come they figured out how to fly to the moon and we haven't?"
Narcissa had no answer for this. "I dunno, Sirius," she said finally. "Grown-ups are wrong about a lot of stuff." She was suddenly apprehensive. "I overheard Mum talking to my Dad and she said I was getting too old to be playing in the mud with you. She said that you were a bad 'fluence on me, whatever that means. What if they don't let you come over and play anymore?"
Sirius gave her a devoted look. "They can't stop us from being friends, Cissy." He lay on the ground and motioned her to lie next to him. They gazed at the stars for a while and Sirius pointed to the southeast sky.
"That's Jupiter," he told her. "Gran says it's the biggest planet in our solar system." He moved his finger down and to the left, pointing to a bright star. "And that's Sirius. It's the biggest most brightest star in the sky," he said boastfully.
Narcissa regarded the star as it twinkled and shined in the dark blanket of the sky. It seemed to change colours, the longer she stared at it.
"If your parents ever say we can't be friends anymore and you get lonely, you can always come outside to see the Sirius Star. I'll bet if you talked to it, I could hear you," he whispered.
"That way, you'll never be alone," he added.
Even now, Narcissa felt it was the loveliest thing anybody ever said to her.
She gazed at the two little figures, lying side by side, looking at the star. With a sigh, she withdrew her hand from the Pensieve, finding herself in the darkness of her lonely bedroom.
Returning to the window, she stared at the Sirius Star until her tears blurred its image.
"I'm sorry, Sirius. I'm sorry that we lost our friendship," she whispered.
Despite what he told her years ago, she had no faith that he could hear her apology.
To be continued . . .
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A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews. I read each and every one and they mean a lot to me . . . it's what keeps me working hard on this story.
And my beta, Elizabeth, is an invaluable critic and Dictionary-Extraordinaire. She keeps me from sounding stupid. Thank you, girlfriend.