AN: This sequel is dedicated to surfie-aussie-chick.
I need a place where I can be warm.
Narcissa giggled as the door to the Room of Requirement opened. Sirius gave a look that plainly said he thought she was crazy and asked, "What?"
"You… you look so cute when you're concentrating."
"And I don't look cute all the other times?"
"Not really. You look like a pompous, narcissistic idiot all the time."
"You're the narcissist, Narcissa. You were named after Narcissus."
"I don't stare at myself in a mirror, or lake, or whatever…. The point is I'm not conceited!"
"Have it your way." He opened the door and pointed inside. "Ladies first."
"Then go."
The comment bounced off him. "Sensitive."
"Yes, you are." She pushed past him and said, "You're just depressed."
"I learned to Apparate when I was nine! Some people weren't so smart at nine!" He followed her in.
"I still turned out more intelligent."
"So you think," he muttered. She said nothing, just sat in a plushy black chair. He followed suit and placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. A bright orange fire burned in the fireplace, diligently doing its task of warming them. Cissy curled up and took off her cloak. Sirius grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey off the table and poured some silently in her cup, and drank the rest quickly.
"You'll turn out like your father if you continue that," she whispered, afraid of his reaction.
He gazed at her, his eyes slightly glazed from the drink. Choosing not to respond, he smiled at the apple tree that just appeared in the middle of the room. He climbed it, wrested two apples from the tree, and rested on one of the larger branches. He bit into one of the juicy red apples and tossed the other down to her. "Guess Tantalus didn't use this one."
Narcissa bit into the apple but didn't take a bite. "I never knew the story of Tantalus."
"Care to know?" She nodded.
"Tantalus was the son of Zeus and the nymph, Plouto. He was welcomed to Zeus's table. He stole nectar and ambrosia, brought them back, and exposed the secrets to the gods. He, in addition, cut up his son and gave him the gods as food." Narcissa cringed. "But the gods knew of his plan, and no one, except Demeter, who apparently didn't know, ate. She ate from the boy's shoulder. Fate, ordered by Zeus, brought- was it Pelops?- brought him back to life. The gods accused Tantalus of attempting to trick them into their old ways of feasting on human flesh. So they made him stand in a pool of water with an apple tree on top. Basically, he couldn't eat or drink. Perpetual hunger and thirst."
"What happened to the boy?"
"He was kidnapped by Poseidon and taken to Olympus to be the god's lover." He slid down the tree. "You know that muggle song Lily played? 'So close, so close and yet so far.'" (AN: My Eyes Adored You by Frankie Valli.)
"From Tantalus. So is 'tantalise'."
"Very good."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Change of subject, I'll miss you when I returned home and you go to live with the Potters again."
"Come visit."
"I can't. I'm engaged to Lucius Malfoy."
"Escape him."
She looked down meekly. "I'm not as brave as you. I never have been. I wasn't brave enough to go into Ravenclaw even." Her pale hands enclosed the olive green cup in a tight grip. Her knunkles turned whiter. "Malfoy won't hesitate to hurt me. He wants a trophy wife, and I will never be one. What will I do? I can't stay in the house all day, pretending to enjoy a life full of riches and servants, but vacant of love and affection."
"He thinks you're beautiful. That's the only reason he wants to marry you."
"Was that supposed to make me feel better?"
Afraid he made her cry, Sirius looked up quickly. But she was smiling, biting back laughter. "Ho, ho, that was funny. Make me worry, then, Cissy."
"I will."
He closed his eyes. A large bar of Honeyduke's chocolate appeared. Narcissa smiled. They locked eyes and in unison, said, "How… tantalising."