Title: Well, well, well
Rating: Pg-13
Part: 1
Disclaimer: I own no one. First in a series.
A/N: I've always been interested in AU type couples and James and Narcissa really appealed to me, especially after we had them together in my rpg. So I chronicled their life through their sixth year and I plan to continue after school with the drabbles. Reviewing is very much appreciated along with constructive critiscm.
Cissa looked at the long display of brooms. All different sizes, different prices, different colours... She hated them for that very reason. Too many. Five different styles of Nimbus 1977s. One price. Good lord that was a lot of money. Cissa shifted uncomfortably, hand flying to her tender cheek. The bruising was slight, but still noticeable. All she had to do was grab a broom, pay for it, and send it to Sirius. No need to do a good job.
But Annie would and that's what made her feel so bad.
James, who was completely bored, had been strolling along the cobbled stones of Diagon Alley when he spotted a pretty blonde looking at an assortment of brooms. Blonde, hot and Quidditch? What more can you ask for? He thought, smugly.
He walked towards the store, making a pathway through the crowd, hoping she wouldn't move so he could talk to her. He needed something to take his mind off of dire issues. After coming up behind her, he smiled slightly, and in his lowest, sexiest voice, uttered the words,
"Hallo, gorgeous. Those are nice brooms, don't you think? Are you looking for a certain type of broom?"
Cissa stiffened slightly at the voice. Oh, this was just great. Absolutely spiffing. The last person she wanted to see at this very moment was James Bloody Potter. "I appreciate the compliment, sir." She responded, wondering what the look on his face would be when she finally turned around and discovering that he was hitting on her. "And yes, I am looking for a particular type, although I'm not entirely certain you're the right one to ask."
He also stiffened, recognising the venomous voice. Oh crap. All right. Why did he always hit on people he knew? He shook himself, inconspicuously, and forced a rather large grin.
"Cissa! I didn't know that was you. Sorry, I wouldn't usually hit on harpies. They're too aggressive for me. And, I know a lot about brooms because I am skilled in the art of Quidditch. Not that you would know. I hear you're a fish out of water on a broom."
He smirked, rudely, and looked at the numerous brooms and their prices.
She grinned at the tone of his voice. Oh, he was definitely kicking himself right now, she knew it.
"Well, harpy is rather harsh, don't you think, James? And no. I have flown a broom before. First year flying class. Although I'm not so sure about your skill in Quidditch. I don't want to shatter your ego too soon."Cissa sighed softly and scratched her arm. "The broom isn't for me anyway."
"No one can shatter my ego, doll. God knows everyone's tried. I seem to have this gift where I can block out the annoying voices of people who wish to hurt my precious ego. Hint hint, nudge nudge," he commented, leaning against the window, smiling at her attempts to wound him.
"By the way, who's the broom for? A boy? Lucius, perhaps?"
"Oh god no." She moaned, disgust quite evident in her voice. The five dozen roses drifted through her mind. "He can send me all the flowers he wants, but the boy isn't getting anything from me."
Cissa looked at him then, forgetting about her bruised cheek and the barbs it would bring. She was getting too annoyed with the arrogance and audacity the Gryffindor projected to care anymore. "I'm doing a favour for my sister. She seems to have lost a bet with Sirius."
He laughed at the disgust in her voice, knowing how much of a prude Lucius really was, but then stopped suddenly. The bruise she had received was in plain sight now and James was surprised that something could ruin her porcelain skin.
"Bullocks, what happened to your face? Who did that to you!" he said, truly concerned.
Cissa touched her cheek self-consciously, frowning. What was it to him whether or not her father hit her? She rolled her eyes, deciding not to take his concern seriously. "Who do you think? Why do you think? Sirius has gotten enough of these to tell you."
She made to move past him, but his tall, broader form was blocking the path. "Could you please move so I can go into the shop?" Cor, he sure was tall; she had to lean her head back to look at him properly. "Unless you're just going to block the entrance all day. But I'm really not in the mood to kick anyone to move.
Why wouldn't she tell him who hit her? Realization dawned on him, and he became upset. What if it was that prat, Rodolphus? Or Lucius? They all worked the same way. He wouldn't be surprised if they did hit her. He frowned deeply, and scrunched up his eyebrows.
"I'm not budging until you give me a straight answer, Black. Who hit you and why?" he asked, completely blocking her from entering the store. Grr. He was mad now. And his neck was hurting from looking down so much.
Cissa scowled, putting her fists on her hips. The jerk! He honestly thought he could order her about. HER! And why the hell was he putting on such an act. Acting like he actually cared.
"You mister," She bit out, poking him in the chest. "Are not the boss of me. I don't have to tell you one damn thing." The look he was giving her told her otherwise. "I don't want to talk about it. What happens between my father and myself is non of your business, alright?"
He raised his eyebrow, while rubbing his sore chest. So her father hit her...that wasn't surprising. Everyone in her family was bonkers.
"Fine. You know what? I don't care anymore. You're right, sorry for taking interest in your health and existence," he said, glaring at her sullenly.
Cissa looked down at her feet. Why would James Potter care about her 'health and existence?' Andie was the only one who ever did. She could still feel him looking down at her and she fought the urge to fidget. Looking back up at him, she stated rather matter-of-fact, "You confuse me. Annoying as hell. But you confuse me." With a sigh, she shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "Are you coming in with me or are you going to stand here getting a crick in your neck. I've never bought a broom before."
He half-smiled while rubbing his sore neck. Damn her for being so short. He grabbed onto her hand and looped her arm through his, while leading her into the Quidditch shop.
"Well, midget, you have come to the right man. Buying a broom is an intricate art that most people cannot master. But, since I do it often, I shall teach you to get the best broom for the best price. Sirius will be proud," he dictated, his eyes twinkling. It was obvious he loved brooms.
"Don't call me midget." Cissa muttered dully. She bit her lip as he led her into the cool interior of the shop. Every type of broom one could imagine lined the musty shelves plastered with winking posters of the England team. Why was it that every boy she came into contact with over the past few days made her tingle down to her toes? Maybe its because they've all been really hot. Although James does have a nice smile. Where did that come from?.
"Are you offering some type of escort service or are you helping me get a broom?" Cissa laughed. He looked like a little boy during his first visit to Honeydukes.
"Mmm, Brooms," he mumbled, grinning and doing a 360, looking at all the corners of the store. This was his second home. He winked at the owner of the store, bellowed a greeting and steered Narcissa towards the Nimbus 1977s.
"Both I guess. I am escorting you, while offering help on broom-ownerage. These were the brooms Sirius wanted, right?" he asked, pointing.
She nodded mutely, a bit unnerved by the look in his eyes. "Nimbus 1977. I guess its not that hard" She grumbled, poking at the tail end of one of the brooms. "So, which one do you think he'll like best?" Cissa glanced up at him curiously, pushing a stray lock of dark blonde hair out of her eyes. "You know his needs better than I do."
Yes, she decided. Potter was hot. And she was never going to tell him.
He smiled at her and lifted a random broom, balancing it on his fingers and doing all sorts of tests.
"Now, Ms. Black, this one here is a fine specimen. But it's overly priced. The bristles are too short and the wood feels a bit old. Not the best broom for Sirius. We need something strong, or he'll break it."
He went through some more brooms before finding the perfect one. He handed it over to Narcissa while summoning the owner, in order to pay for it.
"Now this is the perfect broom. He'll love it, seriously. Make sure you tell him I picked it out, oki doki?"
Cissa slid the gold across the counter and filled out the delivery form. She wasn't going to take that thing back with her to the house. She was hurting enough, thank you very much.
"Well, this is supposed to becoming from Andie, so I'll be sure to forward the message onto her. Or you can on your date tonight." Handing back the form and slipping the receipt in the pocket of her brown suede skirt, she glanced back at James. "Why did you help me anyway?" Cissa asked, heading out of the shop. She looked back at him over her should. "Are you coming?" Did she even expect him to follow her?
Damn, he though, I forgot about the date tonight. He looked up at her, his thoughts cut short. James stood there, not sure if her should go with her or head home to get ready for the date. After all, he would be picking up Andie in an hour or so.
"Erm, what? Oh, I helped you because I know brooms, because Sirius needs the best and because you're a cool cat, Cissa. Not much to it really."
He quickly followed her out the store, and into the crowded street. He looked at her nervously, not knowing what else to say. Nervousness turned quickly into impatience, and he started hopping around like a child needing to go to the bathroom. At this rate, he would be late.
She didn't seem to notice his impatience. "Cool cat? I must admit, you're not that bad yourself, Jamie." She giggled, poking him in side. Okay, now you're just beginning to act weird "You okay?"
He smiled after she poked him and he slightly nudged her back while they walked down the street. "Thank you, m'lady. And yes, I'm fine. It's just, you know, I have a date..." He stopped and looked at her seriously, not really knowing why he was making this more complicated then it was.
Cissa stopped after a few feet and looked back at him. "Yes," She smiled, nodding. "You have a date with my sister at seven. It's about five right now." She chuckled. "You must take longer than her to get ready, if you're so eager to get back."
He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. It was weird. He had a date with Andie, but was spending his time with Narcissa. This could definitely lead to Drama later on. But it's not like it's serious, right? he asked himself, not really sure.
"Is it 5? I wasn't aware. That's ok, I'm in no hurry. Don't worry. Err, how are you going to get that broom to Sirius?" he asked, trying to divert her attention to something else.
She cocked her head, more blonde hair falling from the half ponytail in the back of her head. She brushed it impatiently away and resumed her pace with James'. "Sending it straight to your house; wrapped with a card." She rolled her eyes. "'To my cousin Sirius. Snape is mean. And James is nice. Love Annie.'" She recited, an amiable smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Strange, this was. She should be home helping her sister do her hair for a date with the same boy she was walking down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. It was strange, and felt … right on so many levels.
"I believe I couldn't say it better myself. Sirius will cherish that card always," he said, laughing out loud. They continued walking down a slowly emptying Diagon Alley, both lost in their thoughts. What he had realized was that he felt comfortable with Narcissa. But, then again, he felt comfortable with everyone. He pondered this, not really paying attention to anything else.
"Hey, Cissa, want something to drink? Or eat? It's almost dinnertime," he asked, his stomach grumbling.
Cissa nodded. "Whatever you want; really doesn't matter to me." She shouldn't really be walking with James. What if someone saw them and jumped to conclusions? Her stomach tightened. What if her father saw them? She shook her head at that. No, she thought. He's at home with some whore from the Hog's Head. "Fortescue's looks pretty empty, we could get an ice cream?" Ooh, she hadn't had ice cream in ages...
"Cookie dough's my favorite. Oh, with chocolate sauce... maybe some sprinkles, oh, cherries too, and caramel."
He raised his eyebrows at her choices. "Love, first of all, cookie dough is my favourite. Second of all, how do you keep your figure with the amount of stuff you put on ice cream? You're insane, you know that? Beautiful, but insane."
He then ordered himself the same thing, sans all the toppings she ordered. He liked it natural, since he could taste the actual dough much better.
She raised her eyebrows over the mountain of dessert. "You think I'm beautiful?" She asked innocently, picking the cherry off for later and shoving her spoon rather violently into her mountain of whipped cream. Why did that comment make her neck burn? It wasn't supposed to happen like that. Or is that the mutual love for cookie dough talking?
He grinned, spooned out some ice cream and shoved it into his mouth. "Obviously you're beautiful," he said, his mouth full of ice cream. After fully chewing and swallowing, he said "That bruise adds a bit of kick to your looks, you know? You've got more of a dramatic look. It's nice, actually," he said, a lot softer this time.
She looked down quickly, her cheeks heating up uncharacteristically and took another bite of ice cream. James was right. Sirius was right. She was insane. She was insane for thinking that there could be nothing better than sitting here. A normal girl and a normal guy sharing love for cookie dough and not acting like supposed archrivals. "I bet you say that to all the girls," She replied gently, softly, avoiding his eyes. They made her dizzy. James Potter and his dizzy eyes
"Actually," he said, trying to catch her eye. "None of them likes cookie dough." He ate some more then said, "Don't you think it's funny? A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, having ice cream together without fighting? It's really improbable. I don't think I've ever seen it before." She was getting nervous, he could tell. Maybe she'd stop though, since this wasn't that big of a deal. It's just ice cream after all.
A Gryffindor and a Slytherin having ice cream together Yes, it was rather strange. "I could throw my cherries at you," She suggested with a grin, scooping up a large amount of whipped cream and examining it with a critical eye. It was then that she felt something (and she was sure that it was James' foot) rub her ankle. Cissa jumped, her spoon lifting slightly so that some of the cream smeared on the tip of her nose.
James noticed the ice cream on her nose and leaned over in order to brush it off. Since they were under an umbrella, he really couldn't see much, so he leaned over the small table a bit more. After wiping off the ice cream, he noticed how close their faces were.
Oh hell. Cissa thought. Her heart started to beat a little faster and she noticed the golden flecks in his dark eyes. Gold and green and blue and...
They were getting closer, wern't they? Or he was, Cissa couldn't think of anything else when his lips softly and gently met hers.
James cupped the side of her face, making sure it wasn't the bruised cheek. He closed his eyes and moved his lips slowly, enjoying the sensation. She tasted like chocalte and cherries and whipped cream and cookie dough. After taking it slow, James pressed a bit harder, opening his mouth slightly, which, he was happy to note, was well recieved.. The kiss was slowly becoming more serious, but also more passionate and wonderful. Sadly, his thoughts wandered from kissing Narcissa to fantasies of kissing Lily. He got so caught up in the moment, that he moaned and uttered the one word that Narcissa really did not want to hear.
Narcissa had never kissed a boy in her life. No one. Some had tried, but she'd never kissed any of them. Kissing James was...
Did he just say Lily?
Cissa pulled away so fast she almost tipped her chair over. The two of them stared at one another for the longest time, both breathing rather heavily. The look in James' eyes confirmed it and she found her eyes suddenly stinging.
"What did you just call me?" She asked hoarsely, breathlessly.
Oh. Fuck.
There was no point in trying to cover it up. She had heard him say 'Lily' loud and clear, and he was done for. She'd probably never speak to him again after this. "Listen, Narcissa, I'm really sorry... It's just that I got caught up in the moment. The kiss was so amazing and my mind wandered and-do you think you could ever forgive me? I feel like crap, I really do," he pleaded. It was a lost hope though, he knew it and so did Narcissa.
Cissa blinked rapidly God, I seriously must have a crappy life or a bad case of PMS to be crying like this all the time. "You..." She scowled, standing up. "You know what, James Potter?" She asked and slapped him as hard as she could possibly muster.
The rapidly reddning handprint on his cheek would've been rather enjoyable if her shoulder didn't start throbbing like hell. I think I ripped the seam... she thought. "Fuck you Potter." She hissed, tossing a few sickles on the table. "You know, you better be glad I'm not going to tell Andie about this. I don't even want to think about what she'd do to us. To you."
He looked at her rather guiltily, while rubbing his exceedingly reddening cheek. Potter, he thought to himself, you screwed yourself over again.
"I..don't know what to say, really," he stuttered, completely tongue tied. The usual confident, arrogant James was at a complete loss of words. He plopped down at the table and rubbed his eyes in order for him to avoid looking at her. Usually, he could probably shrug this over, maybe even talk himself out of it. Who cares if they said he had an enormous ego? But, this time, it wasn't the case. "Gods..."
"Thank you for your help," She seethed, her voice cracking. "Have a nice time thinking about the other flower..." She trailed off, grabbing her purse from under the table and stalking out of the store. Go home, hide under the covors, and wodner why she was going crazy, that was the damn plan.
James watched her leave, feeling incredibly bad himself. You want to know the worst thing? The prospect of him hurting Narcissa was leaving his mind, and the prospect of how good her ass looked in that skirt was slowly entering. ARGH! SHIT, PRONGS, CONTROL YOURSELF.
With his hormones raging, he stood up angrily, toppling over his chair and the table. He started walking in the opposite direction of Narcissa, not paying attention to the man who was yelling at him for ruining his table and dishes. Shut the bloody hell up, will you? he thought, silently cursing him. He casually looked at his watch, making sure he wasn't going to be late for his date, but unfortunately, it was too late to pick her up.
James Potter, whose life seemed almost perfect two hours ago, concluded that he just had the worst day.
So much for happy endings.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first part. Please Review :)
