Chapter Six

"Cousin?" The faintest sound came out of Narcissa's mouth as she mindlessly moved her left hand to her collarbone as if it would protect her character. The young man turned around and smiled with a cheap, toothy grin.

"Perfect, pretty, wonderful Narcissa – oh how you're mother has raved about you for years and years. Now I feel foolish, myself, for having you in such high regard myself. He's not like the rest of us, you know." Regelus Black leaned in on the doorway trying to seem sleek and superior, something Sirius would have easily done without knowing.

Narcissa looked at him with cold eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What are you going on about, you twit?"

Regelus looked at her with a pleased smile that made her sick and wishing she hadn't lied with such a cold tongue because Regelus knew his cousin very well, more than she would have been comfortable with. "Don't play stupid with me, Narcissa. We know you're smarter than that."

"We do?" Narcissa added, her tone dripping with bore and sarcasm.

Regelus looked coolly at her, but his smile still remained. "You know, you're the biggest scandal of the Black family no matter what Mother says about Sirius. Who cares about my foolish brother being a Gryffindor and fraternizing with Mudbloods if you're sleeping with one?"

Narcissa quickly made the space between herself and Regelus disappear. She raised a hand to strike his cheek as he grabbed her arm and started twisting it. She showed struggle in her face and when she realized it, she spat in his. Regelus let go and wiped his cheek with his sleeve and laughed maliciously as Narcissa ran through the door and down the hall.

"Why, you little brat, I must have touched a very sensitive spot! I hope you don't mind blackmail! Blackmail seems to attract whores like you!" Regelus shouted down the hall with a laugh.

Narcissa stopped and looked back. "What do you want from me? I don't have anything that you don't possess!"

"You know, I am a very nice person. Come with me to a Death Eaters meeting and I'll keep your little secret." Regelus held his arm where the sign of the dark clan had scarred him.

Narcissa looked at him and tears filled up in her eyes. She walked towards him slowly and touched his arm with one fragile finger and pulled it back, holding her hand closely to her chest.

"I thought you said – you said you wouldn't. Regelus, how could you be so – why?" Narcissa tried to screech at him, reprimand him, but her words came out as choked sobs.

"You don't understand, Narcissa. It makes me feel powerful. It's like a drug, an addiction – a good one!" Regelus had stepped forward, moving his hands as he talked. Narcissa took two steps back and she heard the noise of hearty, accomplished laughs. When she looked back, she saw the Marauders, of course. And she was glad for it. When she looked back in the direction Regelus had been, he disappeared.

"Well, well. Hello Black. You seem to be alone, dear cousin. Just innocently waiting to be the target of our next –," Sirius stopped suddenly. "James, get to the kitchens. I expect a feast in my honor. Peter, get a camera or something, Narcissa's embarrassment will be monumental! And Remus read a book or something." Sirius gave the rest of them a look to scatter.

"Sirius, honestly, I don't think this is the time, nor the pla ." Remus started.

Sirius looked at him. "Moony." It was a warning tone. Narcissa had looked away, her eyes lingering on the opposite exit.

"I must insist, Sirius, she's alone. It's not in our nature to bully people around. It's always only words or innocent pranks or Sirius, come on. We have better things to do," Remus stated, almost begging to be in any other place at any other time.

"Moony, lay off," James said, lazily, raising an eyebrow.

Remus looked at James, then Peter, then Sirius. "Don't you have homework or something? Plus, even if we do waste our breath, she'll take away points. She's a Prefect, remember?"

"And we'll earn them just as easily because we're smart and talented, Remus. Just get out of the way!" Sirius shouted as Remus made his way between the other boys and Narcissa.

Sirius looked at him, surprised and aghast in a way that almost said "Are you kidding me?" He looked as if he were going to strike the next person who touched him and then his posture softened. He walked to Moony and put a hand on his shoulder, patting him a number of times.

"We're taking a raincheck Narcissa. Have a nice day." Sirius blandly stated. Narcissa blinked and walked towards them and brushed Remus' shoulder as she headed to the Slytherin common rooms. Coral was always a wonderful person to take her frustrations out on.

A/N: Okay, this is going to be a long author's note. And a short story. You good people deserve more than an explanation and something more than apologies. What can I say? I screwed up my computer slaving away. And I lost a muse. And just tonight at ten P.M. it came back to me. It's been over a year and I've probably lost all my original readers. And I apologize. Seriously though, I came back! That kind of gets me brownie points. You have no idea how big all your reviews have made my ego. But next chapter I have confrontations. Those are good. It's sort of not that big of a surprise. It will be between two Marauders, a Marauder and Narcissa, and gasp - Narcissa and someone else. I'm a cornball and you probably might know. I again, apologize for the last chapter and I'll try to make it better. Honestly, I've forgot most of the plot I've made this story around. Also, I apologize to my betas for not sending this first, but it's just one of those things that beyond the grammar, you have to do with your gut. Thanks a lot - Alison.