Hey to all! I'm glad it seems that this story has had a good response. I'm loving it! Which is why I decided to add this little bit in now. I really like this part because I believe that it reflects a true life scenario - at least to me it does. I'm actually really liking how this story is unfolding, even though I've only really written the prologue and the first chapter of the main storyline. I think it's because it's much different to my other fic. At first I wasn't sure if I'd be able to write two DHr fics at the same time, but since they aren't really similar at all, it's worked out okay.
Anyway, on to comments:
EosRaven: I meant to respond to this sooner and didn't get to, sorry 'bout that. Thanks so much for your comments. I've noticed that you liked my other fic so I'm only too happy to see that you've taken to this one as well.
Mother Zephyr: I have addressed your first comment later on in the story (first chapter of main part) although I see where you are coming from. Once again, seeing as this wasn't my story to begin with, I thought it was only fair to base the title on the story that it is based on anyway. I do agree with you about that, although I hope it still makes sense. In regards to your second comment, good pick up! I hadn't even considered that they would be half-siblings so I will definitely make sure that there is no romance involved b/w the two... :-) To be truthful, it would have been hard to write in anyway I think.
Little Black Poko-chan: This chapter should address what you wrote... as I said before, this is my favourite chapter so far.
To everyone else who reviewed: Thank you! I hope you continue to keep reading, even though later on I may struggle to update this as often as I am now. Well, that's almost a certainty but anyway.
Here is Prologue Part 3.
21st February, 1980
8:21pm
Robert sat in his flat one cold night and looked at the door for what seemed like the hundredth time. The last month had passed extraordinarily slowly for him; ever since Narcissa had left his flat in such a rush, it seemed as if she never really existed at all. The only evidence that was left was a note written in elegant Copperplate on a piece of paper from one of his exercise books.
He had read the letter so much that he didn't need to look at it to know what it said:
Robert,
I cannot tell you how sorry I am for leaving you without a proper 'goodbye'. I wish it didn't have to be like this but unfortunately it cannot. I also wish I could explain it but it's far too complicated for you, no matter how smart I know you are.
I just want you to know that I did not think of this as a one-night-stand, as I believe the term to be, but as something that meant so much more. I have never felt that way about anyone before in my life. That may not be saying a lot considering I am only young but I can honestly say that you are like no other man I have ever been with. You are intelligent, caring and humble – in a good way; qualities that most young women would love their partners to possess. I see too many young men flaunting about their gifts as if no one else is worthy for not sharing the same talents. It is quite refreshing to see that there are men out there who are nothing like that.
You don't know how much I wish things were different. However they are not and so I must leave you this morning. I only hope that I run into you again some time in the (hopefully) not too distant future.
À la prochaine mon chéri…
Narcissa.
It hurt his heart to think about her. He wasn't sure whether to take the letter at face value or not. He could have sworn that she felt the same way as him. However, after leaving so abruptly that morning over four weeks ago, he was not sure whether it was simply a formality that she wrote the letter or not.
The trouble with love; hmph, he thought, it could a famous title for a book or a movie.
His only outlet from the hell-hole that his life had seemed to have fallen into was his studies, having made the decision years ago that dentistry was what he wanted to do in the future. Ironic as that was, he found that whilst he was at university, he could shut his mind off all things that did not concern his field of study to concentrate solely on what was in front of him. It was only when he returned to his flat – 'the scene of the crime', so to speak – that he found he could not think about anything or anyone else but Narcissa.
Even his uni friends had noticed Robert's change in character. Even though they usually only saw him during the day, having their own work to do, they picked up on the fact that he was not his usual carefree self.
His football also suffered. The coach of the university team told him that he wasn't playing as good as previous weeks and asked why. Robert couldn't bring himself to say the truth because to say 'a one night stand' would come across as extremely juvenile. Instead, he merely said that his workload had increased somewhat and that it was hard to keep up with that and football training for the coming weeks.
This did not fool the coach – a learned man in the field of love who could tell when his players were suffering from the opposite sex, yet he could not force them to open up if they did not want to. Something that Robert was not prepared to do, not at the moment.
Flicking through the channels of the old television with no comprehension of what was on, Robert wondered lazily what subjects he had the next day when he heard a knock at the door.
Startled, he got up and grudgingly walked over to see who it was.
Upon opening the door, he started as his best friend from football stood in front of him, soaking wet from being out in the rain.
"John, what are you doing here?" he asked questioningly.
John looked at him in concern. "Look Mate. You're not yourself. You haven't been for the last four weeks. I know something's killing you. You mind if I come in?"
"I guess but I'm not really into talking right now."
"You're like that at training so what difference would it make here?"
Robert grunted. John always had a knack for getting the upper hand in a discussion. Robert slowly moved aside to let him in. John moved straight for the couch, knowing that that was where Robert had sat for the last four weeks and that stealing it would annoy him to no end. His theory was correct; Robert glared at him and resigned to sit on his desk chair.
John pressed on. "Who is it?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's a female, I know."
"What makes you think that?"
"Because you wouldn't be half this upset if it was study or football or anything else for that matter. So, who is it?"
Robert really didn't feel like talking but John wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.
"No one you know."
John raised one eyebrow. "Well, that's good. That means that I won't have to ignore them whenever I see them." At this Robert merely snorted. "What?" John asked.
"That's the thing. I'll never see her again. I know it," replied Robert in agitation.
"Well at least we got you talking. What do you mean, you know you won't see her again? Why is that?"
Robert got up from the chair and walked over to the kitchen table. He picked up the note, looked at it very briefly then walked back over to John.
"Here!" he shouted, shoving the note under John's nose. "I think this will give you all the answers you're looking for!"
"Settle down, Mate, I only asked." Nevertheless, John started to read the note.
Robert waited while his friend read over it, watching his every reaction to the things that were written.
"Robert," John said quietly. "I had no idea."
"Obviously not. Have you ever been on the receiving end of a one-night-stand?"
"I know I've had a couple of them, but I'm pretty sure that those times they would have felt as crap as me in the morning. So no, nothing like this."
"Then you really don't have any clue as to what I'm going through, do you?"
John sat up from the couch in frustration. "Oh for God's sake, Rob! Get a hold of yourself! You sound like you're the only person to go through a bad fucking break up! It's not even like there was a relationship to begin with!"
Robert stood up face to face with him. "DON'T you dare say that! You don't even know what it was like!"
"I'll fucking say what I want to! Okay, it may have meant something to you but you gotta realise, at some point you just have to move on with your life. Shit happens! Fuck man, it's happened to me before. Happened in second year uni." Robert raised his eyebrows. "Got you there, didn't I?" John said triumphantly. "Yeah, you didn't know that breaking up with Cara was as bad as this, did you?" Robert shook his head. "Told you. Man, I thought she was the best thing to happen to me. Thought she was the one, you know? That is, until she went to America for two months. I had no concerns because we'd been together for three years. Stupid me, really. Who would've known that she'd hook up with one of them? Told me that she didn't think it felt right. I knew the truth, couldn't have felt like that had she not met someone. I eventually got it out of her sister that that was the case. Kind of put a finalisation to it. Meant that I had to get on with my life because she wasn't coming back. Shat me to tears. Enough that I nearly quit uni because of it. Then I thought, nah, there's gotta be more to this than fucking women. So I came out of my hole and moved on."
Robert was shocked at his friend's revelation. "Why didn't you say something about it then?"
John scoffed. "Who wants to listen to someone else's problems? Everyone thinks that their problems are the worst. Well I've got news; they're not. And neither are yours, Rob. Sooner or later you're gonna havta deal with your demons before they start to really ruin you."
As much as it pained him to think it, Robert knew that John was right. The bloody psychology student could always find some way to piss him off. However he still didn't really feel like dealing with it.
He sat back down on his chair. "So you came here to preach your views to me?" he asked.
"No Mate, I've come here to try to get you to see reason before it starts to really get to you. That's not preaching; that's a mate looking out for another one."
"Look John, I know you mean well but really, I just don't really feel like dealing with it. Not at the moment, anyway. Don't worry; I'll deal with it when I'm ready to. At the moment I just don't think I can."
John walked to Robert and clapped him on the back. "I hope it's soon. I don't want to have to deal with you if you get any worse than this, that's all." John stood up to go. "I better leave you to it then, seeing as you probably don't want anyone here. At least you didn't before, anyway."
"Wait a sec, John," Robert said. "If you don't mind sharing a beer, you want to watch the game? It's not quite started yet."
John gave a wry smile. "Sure, where are they? I'll go get us a couple."
"On the bottom shelf of the fridge. I think I might have to stock up soon, though."
"Next time I'm over, I'll bring some. I think I owe you, anyway."
Throughout the football match, John told him the latest stories about his psych lecturer. He always had good stories about his psych lecturer, in fact. The guy was quite weird and John could put a hilarious spin on anything that the man said. Watching the football match as well as sharing a drink with his friend, Robert thought that it almost felt like old times – times before the thing with her. He didn't realise how much he missed this interaction with people. Maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel after all.
About an hour later, there was another knock on the door.
John looked at Robert. "You expecting any more visitors?" he asked.
"You didn't put the rest of the blokes onto me if you couldn't succeed now, did you?" Robert joked.
"No Mate, not this time," he smiled.
Robert went to the door to see who it was.
He could not have been more shocked if it was the Devil himself.
Standing outside his door, obviously quite cold from the rain, was her. The one who had haunted him for the last four weeks. The one who had rendered him a wreck until John showed up to help. The one who he was sure he had fallen in love with. Narcissa Black.
He could not speak; he could only stand there, mouth gaping and eyes fixed on her tear-stained yet beautiful face.
"Robert," she sobbed. "I'm pregnant."
Comments:
Ooh, you have to be cruel to be kind. I really love this chapter as I said above and I love the ending. My other story doesn't really have any cliffhangers so this was a pleasant change.
Thanks to everyone, I hope to get the last prologue part up soon. See ya!
