It was early May, and the days were getting longer. The rainy weeks of April were behind them, and Narcissa and Lily spent most of their time enjoying the sunny weather. Since neither of them were studying for any exams, with OWLs behind them and NEWTs not until next year, there was little to do except to take in the sun and wait for the school year to come to a close.
Remus, James, and Sirius were all gnawing their nails each and every day, anticipating letters from the Ministry, letting them know whether or not they were accepted to the Ministry's Auror program. Only a handful of students, at most, were accepted to the program each year, and the three of them were determined to do so. Peter had toyed with the idea as well, but after attaining poor marks on his OWLs, he had decided to shoot for something more practical – Magical Law Enforcement. He had already been accepted, and so he had little to worry about in the weeks before NEWTs.
That day, a Monday, Narcissa and Lily were taking in the sun in the gardens, trying not to think about how the acceptance and rejection letters were due that day. Neither wanted to think about what would happen if the boys were rejected.
"Of course," Lily said bravely, "It's not a binding acceptance, even if they ARE accepted. They still have to wait to see if they pass their NEWTs."
Narcissa nodded. She knew this. Everybody knew it. Lily was just looking for something to say.
"Here," she said, placing the daisy chain she'd been working on absent-mindedly onto Lily's bright red hair.
Lily plucked it off and laughed, "How can you work a daisy chain at a time like this?"
"Something to do," Narcissa answered.
Lily sighed, "Well, that will be me next year," she murmured, looking towards the castle.
Narcissa looked up at her, surprised, "Really? I didn't know you wanted to be an Auror."
Lily nodded, "Oh, yeah. It's been my dream for the past few years. Professor Slughorn says I have the talent, and McGonagall says that if I slightly improve my spell work, I should have as good a chance as any. But of course, it's still a year to wait."
She looked at Narcissa quizzically, "What do you think you're going to do, after you and Remus leave school?"
"Oh," Narcissa shrugged, "I'm not sure, really. You know I'm really not a hand at magic. I may be pure-blood, but if you ask me, I'm practically a Squib. The only thing I've ever been really good at is Shield Charms. I'm sure I can find something to do, though."
"Cissa! Lily!"
The two girls looked behind them so fast their necks cricked. Three tall, lanky forms were running across the grounds towards them. James was in the lead, waving a piece of parchment in the air with a grin nearly splitting his face.
"You got in!" Lily screamed, jumping to her feet.
"We all did!" Sirius shouted, "Me, James, and Remus! Can you believe it?"
Remus was running, too, but a little ways behind the other two. His smile was just as wide as theirs were. Narcissa ran to him and hugged him. "Look," he said, out of breath, "Read it."
She laughed and took the parchment out of his hand, "The Ministry of Magic is pleased to accept Remus J. Lupin to the Ministry's Auror Training Program – I'm so proud of you!" She kissed him quickly and continued scanning the letter with a smile on her face.
"It's pending NEWT scores, of course," James explained, showing his letter to Lily, "but there's no way we're going to fail." He grinned at Sirius, "The Ministry has no idea what it's getting into, accepting all three of us, mates."
Remus looked at Narcissa, "We're going down into Hogsmeade for some drinks. Do you want to come with?"
"I can't," Narcissa said, rolling her eyes, "Lucius and my sister Bellatrix are visiting for the day. I told them I would meet them here at school in about half an hour."
Remus frowned, "Lucius is coming here? When did you find this out?"
"Morning post," Narcissa shrugged, "It's no big deal. He and Trixie will come, we'll take a walk around the grounds, I'll nod and smile when he talks about our potential 'wedding' plans, and then they'll leave. No big deal."
"I thought we agreed that if you had to see him, I would be with you," Remus said hesitantly. "I don't know if it's a good idea, if you stay here by yourself."
"Remus, I'll be fine," she answered, "He can't do anything to me on school grounds, after all. What could possibly happen?"
Remus' expression was dark.
Lily touched his arm, "Remus, I think you're taking this a little too seriously."
"You think I should leave her here with him?" he asked incredulously.
"He'll be with my sister," Narcissa replied, slightly exasperated. "It's not even as if we're going to be alone. It's Trixie, Remus."
"Not that she's much better than Lucius," grumbled Sirius. He saw Narcissa's dark look and said, "Well, it's true. She's a git."
"Be that as it may," Narcissa broke in, "she's my sister, and she'd never do anything to hurt me."
Remus hesitated.
She looked at him, her eyes warm but firm, "Go on," she said, "I'll meet up with you later."
James clapped Remus on the shoulder, "You heard the wife, mate. Let's go. I'll even buy you a round." He tucked Lily's arm under his own, and they started off towards Hogsmeade.
Sirius pulled on Remus' sleeve, "Come on," he said, "Cissa can handle herself. Right?" he asked his cousin.
She nodded.
Remus looked at her for one long minute. "I love you," he said.
Narcissa smiled, reached up, and kissed him on the lips, "I love you too. Now, go on."
Remus walked backwards, holding her hand until he could no longer reach it. Her fingers slipped from his easily. Sirius took hold of his arm and they slowly followed James and Lily. He watched as Narcissa's form grew smaller and smaller, and finally, disappeared.
As soon as he was out of sight, Narcissa sighed and shook her head. She sat down on the bench to wait for Lucius and Trixie. She didn't even hear anyone approaching, nor the whispered hiss of, "Obliviate!"
"One more round!" Sirius sang, raising his empty glass into the air, "Another round for the three newest Auror candidates!"
"Quiet down," Remus muttered, "you're making a scene."
But even he could not help laughing as James slipped out of his chair in an attempt to flag down Madam Rosmerta, the pretty eighteen-year-old barmaid, as she walked by, swaying her hips as she went. In the process, his drink splattered all over Lily's uniform.
Lily met Remus' eye over the table, "I think it's time we got these two home," she said, "They're sloshed."
"I can hold my alcohol fine," James slurred, trying to get back into his chair and failing miserably, "Just give me a hand up, there's a girl – "
"How come you're not drunk, Mooney, old pal?" Sirius managed, as he slugged down another firewhiskey and stared at his friend, bleary-eyed.
"I am, a little," Remus lied. As much fun as he was having, he could not deny that the sooner they got back to school, the better he would feel. Besides, they had been there almost three hours. The sky was getting dark, and hopefully Lucius Malfoy and Trixie Lestrange would have left Narcissa alone by now.
"Come on," Lily said, "Up you get, James. Time to get going home."
The four of them managed to pay for their drinks and make a rather loopy pathway to the door, James hanging off of Lily's petite frame; Remus holding Sirius firmly by the elbow. Outside, the air had become chilly with the twilight, and Remus shivered a little with the cold. He could hardly lug Sirius; drunk as his friend was, he was practically deadweight.
"Will you look at that," James giggled, high-pitched, like a little girl, pointing at something in the vicinity of the Hog's Head Pub, "They certainly look busy."
Remus, who was trying too hard to support Sirius, did not look where he was pointing. But as he struggled, he saw Sirius' eyes widen, as if he was suddenly sobering up. The expression on his face was one of shock, or horror. Remus looked up quickly, just as Sirius shouted, "No, Mooney!"
Standing against the wall, pressed tightly against each other in a passionate embrace, was a man and a young woman. The man had silver-blonde hair the color of moonlight, and his suit was expensively cut. Lucius Malfoy.
His arms were wrapped tightly around the slender body of a girl in a Hogwarts uniform, with the distinctive silver snake of Slytherin embroidered on the front of her sweater. Her hair glowed corn silk blonde in the lamplight of the pub. She pulled away from Lucius Malfoy and licked her lips, tasting the kiss they had just shared. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
It was Narcissa.
Remus felt his legs go numb. In fact, everything in his body, from the waist down, went completely numb. He stared, open-mouthed, at the couple. He could sense Sirius and James and Lily around him, but he could not hear or see them. He stared, transfixed.
Narcissa laughed at something Lucius said, too low for anyone else to hear. It was Narcissa's laugh, like the ringing of little bells. It was Narcissa's smile. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the pub, letting the door slam behind them.
Remus dropped Sirius onto the ground and started towards the pub.
"Mooney, no!" James grabbed his arm, "It's got to be some mistake, it couldn't have been – it wasn't her."
"Then who was it?" Remus asked, finding his voice and turning on James, "I know what I saw, James, I know who it was!"
"There has to be some mistake," Lily murmured faintly, "Narcissa would never – maybe she was only acting, Remus."
Sirius picked himself up off the ground and peered into the window, "I see Lucius, but no Narcissa," he said, "Maybe we were just seeing something."
The door of the Hog's Head opened with a bang. The four of them jumped.
Trixie Lestrange was standing in the doorway, a smirk on her face.
"Waiting outside for my sister?" she asked, "I'm afraid you'll be waiting a very long time. She doesn't want to see you – any of you – again."
"You're lying!" Lily shouted, "What have you done with Narcissa?"
Trixie looked her over appraisingly, "Ah, yes. I've heard of you. Lily Evans, isn't it? Muggle-born." Her eyes swept over Lily's school uniform, covered with alcohol that James had spilled on her, "How appropriate." She turned to Sirius, who was openly glaring at her.
"My dear cousin Sirius!" she went on, ironically, "Well, I can see that seven years of magical education has done wonders for you."
"You stay out of it," Sirius muttered.
She looked right at Remus, "You must be the half-breed werewolf my sister told me she's been cavorting with all this time."
Remus' face went white.
"How dare you!" Lily screamed, pulling her wand out of her pocket.
Trixie laughed, "A sixteen-year-old Muggle girl, threatening me? You have no idea what I'm capable of, little one. I beg you not to try and find out."
She turned back to Remus, "Narcissa asked me to give you this," she said, holding out her hand.
With trembling fingers, Remus took the item she held. Clenching it in his fist, he said to her, "Get out of here. You did what you came to do."
Trixie smiled, "Have a good summer, kids."
She sauntered back into the Hog's Head, the door latching firmly behind her.
Remus opened his fingers slowly.
The diamond ring he had given Narcissa glittered in the palm of his hand.
There was a roaring sound in his ears. Behind him, as though from far away, he could hear Lily shouting, the struggling sound of James trying to restrain her, but he did not need them. He turned on his heel and walked back to the castle, clenching the diamond in his fist.