A/N: I've been super inspired with this story lately. The problem is fitting everything in an order that makes sense, hahaha. Let's just say this has been developing organically (AKA I have no plan).

Thanks for reading!

~Naralanis


Summer was always stifling and humid at her grandparents' house. Every year, the family would gather in the large estate for at least a few weeks, spending time together when the oldest children were not at school. It was a time for togetherness and events; balls and entertaining of guests, for playing in the garden mazes and perusing the massive library.

On one particularly hot day, Narcissa Black sat on a rock, gazing at the murky waters of a pond surrounded by enchanted magnolias – the flowers glittered on the branches like pieces of glass. She had sat there prim and proper, like her Mother had taught her a Lady should, for the better part of an hour, enveloped by the scent of the trees and a blanket of boredom.

"Hiya, Cissa!"

She turned, startled by the voice, only to see her cousin and his beaming grin.

"Hiya, Reggie" she greeted back, turning back to gaze at the pond. Regulus approached, taking a seat by another rock nearby. He was nearly a full inch taller than Narcissa, besides being two years younger, thanks to his thick, unruly hair.

"What are you doing here, all by yourself?" He asked as he stretched onto his rock. Narcissa pulled a face.

"Bella and Drommie are entertaining Hogwarts guests. Grandma said I'm not allowed; I'm still too young." She explained, turning her nose up in distaste. "And Mother said I'm not allowed at the library."

Regulus looked confused. "But why?" He asked. "Mum's always telling me and Sirius to be more like you, so we become learned men or something" he joked.

Narcissa spared a smirk to the amusing thought. But her mother was Druella, not Walburga, and Druella did not care for how bookish her youngest daughter had turned out to be. In fact, Narcissa had the distinct impression her mother did not care for her at all, and she told Reggie as much.

"Ah! Nonsense!" He dismissed her with a laugh. "She's your mum; she's just being what all adults are, y'know?"

"No," Narcissa said with a frown. "I don't."

"Boring!" Regulus laughed. "You know what else sounds boring? Sitting here looking at this nasty water. There aren't even any ducks to feed here."

Narcissa merely shrugged. Her mother had forbidden her only pleasure; what else was there to do without Bella and Andy?

"Come to the creek with me and Sirius!" Her cousin suggested happily. "We might even find some Flickering Pixies! They're much more fun than sitting here all day."

Narcissa hugged her knees tight against her chest. "How far into the woods are you going?" she asked uncertain. Regulus' older brother was a bit of troublemaker – she didn't want to do anything that might displease her parents, her mother especially.

"Not far" Regulus promised. "Just up to the old ruins by the creek; remember those?"

Narcissa nodded.

"Alright." She said, daintily stepping off her rock and delicately dusting off her blue skirt. "But I'm leaving if you two go any farther."

"Sounds good to me!"

The two cousins made their way through the manicured pathways that wound through the impeccable gardens of the Black Estate, until they reached the mouth of one of the many trails their ancestors had used for hunting, generations and generations ago. Hunting what, exactly, Narcissa didn't know, but her grandfather Pollux recounted how he himself had played in those very trails as a child.

They were almost to the creek – Narcissa could hear the water running – when they finally spotted Sirius, who sat by the side of the trail upon a great big exposed root.

"Hiya, Sirius!" Called Regulus with a cheerful wave.

"Took you long enough! I was nearly growing a beard from waiting." The older brother called back before spotting Narcisa and sparing her a look of disdain. "What's the Prissy Princess doing here?"

Narcissa furrowed her brow. "Reggie invited me." She sniped. Sirius groaned.

"Reggie! This was supposed to be a manly expedition; the dangers we may face will be 'unsurmountable' and many!" He complained. "It is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for a girl!"

"We're just going to the ruins, Sirius." Regulus reasoned.

"And the word you're looking for is insurmountable." Narcissa quipped. Sirius rolled his eyes in deep annoyance.

"Whatever, All-Knowing-Majesty-of-Buzzkills. You can come, but I better not hear Madam Prissy-Pants complaining about mud on her shoes or twigs in her hair, or I'm leaving you to the werewolves!"

"Mud and twigs shall be lovely; certainly, better than dealing with you." she retorted.

Sirius didn't deign to respond, instead turning and pushing onwards through the trail. Narcissa and Regulus shared a look, then followed quietly.

The trio progressed slowly though the uneven terrain of the old hunting trail. The path was rough with mossy rocks and branches sticking into their way; the vegetation was thick, and the woods smelled heavily of eucalyptus. At some point, Narcissa noticed Sirius began to lead them away from the main trail, sending a defiant look her way as if daring her to complain. Narcissa just matched his look with an icy glare of her own.

As they sloshed through mud and slipped on rocks and roots slick with moss, Narcissa desperately wanted to say something. Her pristine white shoes were no more, utterly ruined by mud and scuffed by rocks. She could feel her socks dampen with every step. Her favourite blue skirt was stuck on an errant branch and torn, and her hair, frizzy with the thick humidity, stuck out of her ponytail every which way, sticking itself to her sweaty forehead for good measure. But at every step she missed, every gasp of surprise, Sirius would turn back to look at her, his gaze a silent dare.

Narcissa resolutely refused to give him the satisfaction.

The three cousins finally made it to the bend of the creek where the old ruins were located. They were old indeed, barely a shell of the former edifice that once stood there, centuries ago. As far as Narcissa remembered, it had been one of the first buildings erected in the estate, and later became the servants' quarters before turning to ruin during the Middle Ages.

Regulus happily splashed his way into the small stream, not a care in the world over the state of his leather shoes or neatly pressed trousers. Narcissa, for her part, bent down far more elegantly, exactly like a proper Lady should, and gathered some of the fresh, cool water to wash the sweat from her face.

"Cissa, look! Flickering Pixies!" Regulus exclaimed.

The young girl smiled. The woods of the Black Estate were filled with all sorts of wonderful little creatures, magical and otherwise. Flickering Pixies were a much friendlier type of Pixie or Doxie, with wings of gold that glowed and flickered in the dark when in flight – hence their name.

"Please, Regulus, control yourself. They're just pests, anyway." Sirius scoffed.

Regulus visibly deflated; Narcissa turned a look of disapproval to her older cousin.

"Don't listen to him, Reggie. He's the only pest for miles around." She said pointedly. Sirius made a rude gesture.

"You wound me, cousin. But fine, if you two want to bore yourselves with some dumb faeries, be my guest. That's really too bad, though, I had grand plans for this little outing." He bemoaned dramatically.

"What plans?" Regulus asked, his interest immediately piqued. Sirius waggled his brows.

"I've got something here; I think we're going to have loads of fun with it."

Regulus was on board already, giddy with anticipation. "What is it, Sirius, what is it?"

"It's nothing, Reggie. He's just having a laugh at your expense." Narcissa declared emphatically, crossing her arms.

"Oh, ye of little faith." Sirius retorted. "I've got something, alright. But, before I show it to you two, you both must solemnly swear that you shall never, ever, ever tell anyone about what you're about to see."

"I will never tell!" Regulus cried with childish enthusiasm.

"Do you swear to take this secret with you to your very grave?" Sirius demanded.

"On my honour!"

Sirius smiled at his brother, then turned to Narcissa with a raised brow. "How about you, Princess 'I've-got-a-stick-up-my-bum-and-can't-have-any-fun'?"

She glared at him viciously. "In your dreams, prat."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, turning to Regulus. "Sorry, mate. Can't do this if one of you isn't bound to secrecy."

Regulus' face fell. "Come on, Cissa!" He turned to Sirius. "Can't she just turn around or something?" he tried.

Sirius shook his head. "No can do. This is top-secret stuff."

Narcissa rolled her eyes, both at Sirius' antics and Regulus' eager, pleading look. Boys could be so stupid.

"Fine, git! I won't tell anyone. Happy?"

"Do I have your word?"

"On my honour, you have my word – and a Lady never breaks her word." She said seriously.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Sirius quipped cheerfully. He ran and jumped atop one of the big stone blocks surrounding the main construction of the ruins, pacing the flat surface in a mock-pensive state.

"Gather 'round, boys and girls!" He exclaimed with a flourish. "Never before has someone attempted what you're about to see today. Be very still, ladies and gentlemen, for this can be quite... Dangerous!"

In one swift motion, Sirius reached inside his sleeve, producing a wand that he then twirled in his hand with unadulterated glee. Regulus gasped; Narcissa felt the blood drain from her cheeks as she recognized their Grandfather's birch wand with its engraved handle.

They were dead.

"Where did you get that?!" She screeched.

Sirius only laughed, clearly delighted with her terror. "Let's just say dear ol' Grandpa's naps are a little too heavy after some Firewhisky." He said smugly. Narcissa was unable to formulate a response; her hands shook severely, and Sirius noticed.

"Come on, Narcissa. It doesn't bite." He laughed, twirling it in her direction. She cowered. "I'll have it back before he notices it's gone." He grinned. "Let's have some fun with it!"

"Are you insane? We're too young for wands! It could be dangerous!" Narcissa exclaimed. Regulus looked a mixture of petrified with terror and consumed with intrigue, but Sirius scowled.

"Merlin, what difference does it make? We'll get our own in a couple of years anyway. Besides, it's not like I bloody know any actual spells, do I? If I did, the first thing I'd do would be to make you shut your stupid face!"

Narcissa huffed angrily. "That's exactly why it's so dangerous! We don't know what it can do!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Nothing, that's what it can do! I don't have anything to say to make it do anything!" He barked. To prove his point, he waved Pollux's wand toward the trees above, yelling with all his might. "Abracadabra!"

Narcissa instinctively cowered in fear. However, Sirius and Regulus released peals of laughter at the green sparks the wand produced.

"You should have seen your face!" Sirius mocked her, his chest heaving with laughter.

"Another one, another one!" Clamoured Regulus, clapping his hands.

"It's not funny! Sirius, stop it, please! Stop!" Narcissa cried.

"Or what? Are you afraid I'll magically give you a personality?" Sirius retorted. "Hocus-Pocus!"

A shower of purple sparks burst from the tip of the wand, making loud popping sounds that had Narcissa covering her ears.

"Stop! Sirius!" She cried, holding back tears.

"Walla-walla, gabba-gabba, picklety-prick!" Sirius laughed, generating sparks and sounds as he waved Pollux's wand erratically in the air. Narcissa trembled at every crackle and pop, at every burst of light or twig that moved with the errant magic Sirius released.

"Sirius!"

"Alakazam!"

Narcissa had been ready to yell at her cousin one more time, but her yell was cut short before it could leave her lips as she felt a searing, slicing hot pain across her tummy.

"Ah!" She cried, falling to the ground on her knees as she clutched her abdomen tightly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Oh, come off it" Sirius scoffed, turning to face her. "You don't have to be so drama..."

The boy's words evaporated once he saw the crimson of blood spreading through the fabric of Narcissa's immaculate white blouse. Regulus noticed it as well; he ran to his cousin in a frenzy of whimpers.

"Cissa! Cissa! Oh, Godric, Cissa!"

Sirius seemed to have knocked himself out of his initial stupor. He ran towards the fallen Narcissa in panic, his eyes shining with fear and his face white as a ghost.

"Cissa! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Help!" He shouted to the emptiness of the trees. "Help! Somebody, help us!" he cried into the darkness of the woods surrounding, hearing nothing in response but the echo of his own shouts.

Narcissa cried in agonizing pain. She held her hands tightly against her abdomen, feeling the heat and moisture of the blood gushing through her tremulous fingers, oozing into the forest floor and the stream.

"It hurts! It hurts!" She sobbed as Regulus put his hands over hers in despair as she tumbled limply onto her back. She felt her hair grow damp with the water from the creek, and saw Regulus' eyes widen in despair as the movement prompted a stronger gush of blood.

"Somebody!" Sirius yelled helplessly at her side. "Wait! Tubby! Tubby, come! TUBBY!"

A squalid House-Elf appeared with a resounding crack; the creature had no time to even greet his young masters. Tubby had scarcely regained his footing when Sirius grasped his thin shoulders and shook them vigorously.

"Tubby! Narcissa's hurt! Go get somebody! Send help!"

"Would young Master Sirius prefer his uncle, master Cygnus, or would he rather prefer to call..."

"Just get help! NOW!" Sirius roared. Tubby seemed to just then notice Narcissa – his leathery skin blanched to an odd shade of grey, and without another word, he disappeared with another loud crack.

"Sirius!" Regulus called frightfully, kneeling by Narcissa's side and holding her head in his hands; her eyes were heavy and she looked unnaturally pale; even her lips were beginning to whiten.

"Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks!" Sirius muttered in fear, tossing his grandfather's wand aside as if it had just burned him. "Cissa! Stay awake! Please, stay awake, don't close your eyes no matter what!"

"It hurts" Narcissa sobbed, her voice weak. She felt frail; her vision was beginning to blur at the sides. "Papa, I want Papa..."

"He's coming! I promise, Cissa, I promise he's coming!" Sirius tried to reassure her, though his tone carried too much fear to be of any comfort. He angrily wiped at the tears streaming down his own face. "Where's that bloody elf? HELP! SOMEBODY!"

The response this time came in the form of multiple cracks of Apparitions echoing through the little clearing. Cygnus appeared first, his face white with fear. He was almost immediately followed by Orion, whose expression was a mixture of worry and wrath. Then came Druella with Tubby the elf, accompanied by none other than Bellatrix. Narcissa's sister went completely pale at the sight of her bloodied sister, lying limply on the mud, her head tremulously cradled in Regulus' hands.

"Cissy!" She cried in sheer panic, running towards her fallen sister. In a heartbeat, her features went from fear to fury as she turned to face Sirius with the most accusing glare he had ever received.

"What have you done to her, you filthy little beast?! I'll kill you!" She snarled, filled with anger and despair.

"It was an accident! I swear! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Narcissa!" Druella exclaimed, rushing to her daughter's side, unceremoniously dropping knee-deep into the mud with little care for her expensive robes. Bellatrix' attention was diverted at the uncharacteristic gesture coming from a generally aloof mother, enough to momentarily distract her from the murderous thoughts she harboured toward her cousin. Cygnus followed suit, also dropping to his knees to cradle Narcissa in his strong arms.

"Cissy! My angel, it's Papa. Can you hear me?" he murmured in a desperate, hushed tone.

There was no answer, only the sound of the bubbling creek running red with Narcissa's blood. Sirius felt his father's hand on his shoulder, grasping it with bruising strength, yet he could not even flinch.

"Narcissa?" Cygnus practically whimpered. "Angel?"

"Oh, Cygnus, Cygnus, her stomach! Cygnus!" Druella cried, pallid and afraid.

"Papa..." came a weak breath. Bellatrix held her sister's bloodied hands in her own. "Bella..."

"We're here, Pet, we'll take care of you. Please, don't close your eyes, please..." Bellatrix whimpered, feeling Narcissa's strength slowly drain away with the blood that tainted the little creek where the family knelt. "Please..."

"We must get her out of here, immediately. She's frail." Orion said severely. "Tubby, prepare Narcissa's chambers at once. Have someone call for Healer Fairweather at St Mungo's, now!"

He turned to Cygnus and Druella. "Take her and Bellatrix." His wrathful gaze fell upon Sirius, turning into a menacing glare that made the boy audibly gulp in fear. "I'll take care of these two."

Narcissa woke with the pounding of a headache the likes of which she had never experienced in her short life. She made an attempt of opening her eyes, but the room she found herself in was much too bright – she barely managed a blink before groaning in pain.

"She's waking up! Bella, move! Give her some room to breathe, for Merlin's sakes!" called a familiar voice.

"Cissy? Cissy, are you alright?" called another, much closer than the first.

Narcissa tried to sit up, only to be impeded by a sharp jolt of pain emanating from her abdomen. A firm hand on her shoulder pushed her back gently onto her fluffy pillows.

"Easy now. Don't try to move just yet, you'll make a right mess of your stitches." Came the second voice in gentle admonishment.

"Bella?" Narcissa tried with a rough voice, attempting to open her eyes once again. The room was far too bright still, but she could make out the forms of Bellatrix and Andromeda surrounding her. Bellatrix sat on her bed by her side, while Andromeda observed quietly at the foot of the bed. They both exchanged worried glances.

"Hiya there, Sunshine!" Andromeda quipped with a tentative grin. "How are you feeling?"

Narcissa blinked a few more times, trying to get used to the brightness of the room and the ache around her abdomen. She registered what Bellatrix had said rather belatedly.

"I'm... wait. Stiches?" She asked, trying to move her hands to her stomach to see, only to find that they were too weak and couldn't go far. Even if they did, Bellatrix gentle grip stopped her trying.

"Trust me, Cissy, it's best you don't see it."

Narcissa's eyes welled with tears. Would she be scared forever? How bad was it, exactly? Her mind was a blur. All she could remember was Sirius waving a wand... their grandfather's... then searing pain.

"Oh, Bella, look! You've made the poor girl cry!" Andromeda chastised, taking a seat at Narcissa's opposite side and running a soothing hand through her blonde locks. "Hush now, Cissy. It's not that bad" she cooed. "It just looks bad because of the stitching." She reassured.

Bellatrix huffed. "Don't lie to her, Drommie. She isn't stupid" she hissed in clear annoyance. She turned to Narcissa, holding her cheeks in her hands to make sure her sister looked directly at her.

"Listen, Cissy. It's bad, pretty bad, and it will probably scar. But it could have been much, much worse." Her eyes turned sad. "You lost a lot of blood. We could have lost you."

Narcissa sobbed, but even that hurt her stomach, which only made her cry harder. Bella hugged her tightly around her shoulders, taking care not to disturb the intricate stitching Healer Fairweather had used to close her sister's wounds.

"Oh, Pet, don't cry." She whispered gently. "It's just a few scars. You're here with us and now you have a wicked story to tell at Hogwarts one day. 'Oh, so how's your family like? Well, I once survived an assassination attempt by my own cousin, so we're a chummy bunch.'"

Narcissa let out a weak chuckle. At her side, Andromeda smiled.

"The stitches come out tomorrow, Cissy. They're just there to help you heal faster."

"Think on the bright side, Cissy. Mother will never keep you out of the library again!" Bellatrix pointed out with a grin.

The youngest Black smiled widely at the thought, but then remembered.

"Wait. What about Sirius and Regulus?"

Bellatrix eyes turned cold.

"Regulus got a stern talking to. Sirius, or whatever's left of him, is grounded for the rest of the summer. I only wish Father and Uncle had let me have a go at him – he'd be blown to bits!"

Andromeda pulled a face.

"Now, Bella, settle down. He's been punished enough." she said with a glare. Bellatrix gave her a monumental eye-roll in response.

"Has he? Has he really? I don't think he has; not until I see his guts spilling out of him like he did to Narcissa!" She clamoured angrily.

"My..." Narcissa gulped, feeling her stomach turn under the stitching in an unbearably odd sensation. "My guts were spilling out of me?"

"Of course not, sweetie. Bella is just being dramatic." Andromeda whispered, shooting Bellatrix a look of warning. The latter's silence was enough for Narcissa to question Andromeda's reassurance. "In any case, Sirius has been duly punished. He's very, very sorry for what he did. It was a terrible accident."

"Ha!" Bellatrix scoffed in a laugh that dripped with sarcasm. "Accident! Stealing an elder's wand – that's an accident. Very funny, Andy; you should go into comedy."

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Of course, stealing Grandfather's wand was an idiotic idea, but Sirius obviously didn't mean any harm."

"Well said. Stealing a wand is an idiotic idea, and Sirius is bloody full of them. Case closed." Bellatrix retorted with an air of finality. "Sometimes I wonder how we can possibly be related to someone that stupid."

"I shouldn't have gone" Narcissa said morosely. "I should have found something else to do."

"Nonsense!" Bellatrix dismissed her concerns with a smile. "But in any case, rejoice! Mum will never banish you from the library again after this."

Narcissa smiled shyly. "Speaking of the library, could I have..."

"Something to read?" Bellatrix interrupted, bending to the floor just by the bed. She re-emerged with a moderate stack of books. "I've got your favourite, Merlin knows why, Hogwarts: A History. Shall we tuck in?"

Narcissa beamed, Andromeda laughed. Bellatrix rolled her eyes, but smirked smugly as she flipped the tome open.


"Narcissa? Are you alright?"

Narcissa practically whirled on her feet to face Hermione, who stood a few paces ahead of her with a puzzled look. Clearly she had stopped walking while Hermione went on, talking to herself.

"My apologies." She said, embarrassed. "I caught up in a memory."

The two witches were making use of the last day of the Winter Holiday to do a bit of field work at the grounds of the Black Estate. Hermione had been attempting to develop a ward-tracking charm, and they were testing it in the perimeter of the main house, without much success. They had gone down a few of the old hunting trails, and Narcissa remembered taking the exact same path as a child, so many years ago. The little creek was still there, running peacefully under a thin layer of ice.

"A good one?" Hermione asked.

"Not particularly." Narcissa replied, looking in the direction she knew the old ruins would be, further down the creek they followed. She saw no reason not to share the memory with the brunette – they had been doing quite a lot of that of late. "I was injured as a child, further down this trail."

"Oh, no. What happened?" Hermione asked tentatively. "Did you fall or something?"

Narcissa could only laugh. "If only... No, no, it was a much worse ordeal. I was walking the trail with Sirius and Regulus. I must have been... eight or nine, I believe." She motioned to where the trail continued. "Sirius had stolen my grandfather's wand, you see. He just wanted to play with it, I was terrified something would happen." Her gaze darkened, her blue orbs turning a stormy grey.

"Something did happen." Hermione said. It wasn't a question. Narcissa gave one of her elegant shoulder shrugs that Hermione was coming to learn usually carried much deeper meaning.

"Indeed. He unwittingly recreated a movement to an obscure slicing curse." She gestured toward her abdomen. "Cut me straight across the navel; I had to get several stitches so the wounds would stay closed long enough for the potions to reattach my skin. I still have the scars."

"Merlin." Hermione hissed with a shiver. The Sirius of Narcissa's account seemed so much like Harry, in her opinion. Impetuous, perhaps with the best of intentions, but without thinking things through. It seemed to be a Gryffindor trait in varying degrees. "That must have been awful."

"Quite" Narcissa said. "I nearly died; Bella was furious. I believe he got the beating of a lifetime as punishment, but Bella wanted to disembowel him herself."

Hermione shuddered. Perhaps a young Bellatrix didn't truly mean to physically maim her cousin – though she had her sincere doubts – but the Bellatrix she had known would not have hesitated.

"We never got along, Sirius and I." Narcissa's look soured. "He had a nickname for me: Madam Prissy-Pants, or Prissy Princess."

Hermione scoffed in solidarity. She was no stranger to mean nicknames from boys her age. "I dare say your relationship didn't really improve after that incident, huh?"

Narcissa laughed. "Indeed, it did not."

"I had my fair share of nicknames in school." Hermione mused. "Ron certainly gave me a few before we were friends. Know-It-All was the main one. Granger-Danger and bookmite also made the rounds."

Narcissa furrowed her brows. "Know-It-All was also one of my nicknames. It took off for about a month in school, until Bella threatened everyone who bullied with bodily harm." She smiled wickedly. "In those moments, I was glad to have sisters."

"Why are kids so averse to learning?" Hermione had meant the question as a joke, but she did wonder. Why was it so bad to be knowledgeable?

"Not just kids, I'm afraid." Narcissa said sagely. "I remember the only reason I went out with Regulus was because I had nothing to do. My mother had banished me from the library."

"The horror!" Hermione quipped. "In all seriousness... why would she do such a thing? I'd think a Pure-Blood mother would like her daughters to be educated, no?"

"Educated yes. Bookish and withdrawn, absolutely not. You see, we were trained to be sociable women, with the capacity and finesse to entertain important guests and impress potential husbands. It wouldn't do for me to be socially inept because I spent all of my time reading."

Hermione practically snorted. She'd never imagined Narcissa being socially inept anywhere; the woman was the picture definition of poise, grace, and tact.

"I find it hard to believe you'd be socially inept anywhere." She commented. Narcissa smiled, gracefully taking the compliment in a way that perfectly illustrated Hermione's point. The brunette laughed, looking around the wooded area.

"I was going to suggest we go a bit further to test this thing, but I think by now it's pretty clear it doesn't work." She said, looking at her wand with defeat. The charm still needed to be perfected and fine-tuned; it was going crazy with the sheer number of wards that enclosed the estate. "So, how about we just head to that gorgeous library and just settle down with a nice cuppa?"

Narcissa spared the trail a long, pensive look, as if something called her to the old ruins she hadn't visited since that fateful day. Her memory was quite strong, with a rather odd pull to the place. Shaking it off, she addressed Hermione.

"It doesn't work yet. It will. I know it will." She said with a smile. "The library sounds like a grand idea. Which reminds me, I've got something for you there."

Hermione looked puzzled, but Narcissa had already begun to walk back to the main house. With a shrug, she hastened to follow.

The two women were warmly ensconced in the massive Black Library, with invigorating cups of tea prepared by Bigsby, the House-Elf that headed the kitchens of the estate – Hermione had been pleasantly surprised when Narcissa offhandedly reassured her they were all adequately compensated for their work, in money or however else they preferred.

"Please take a seat. I won't be long." Narcissa said, leaving Hermione momentarily. The brunette took a moment to enjoy the library once more. Despite all the times she had been there, it always looked a bit different. It could look grand, cosy, eerie or comfy, all at once. The roaring fires cast dark, flickering shadows upon the built-in shelves, but enveloped her in comfortable warmth.

Narcissa returned shortly after she left, taking a seat on a plush chair facing Hermione on the other side of a coffee table by the enormous windows. She handed Hermione a black box.

"Consider it a belated Christmas gift." She said. "It was a dear favourite of mine as a child, but I believe it will be in better hands if I pass on to you.

"Narcissa, you shouldn't have." She admonished, meaning every word.

"Nonsense. You gave me a wonderful gift" Narcissa rebuked. "It was only fair for me to try to return the favour."

"You shouldn't have." Hermione repeated, running her fingers over the heavy box. "Thank you." She said gracefully.

She made quick work of the red bow that held the box closed. An object, unmistakable a book of some kind, was wrapped in thick black velvet. She carefully unfurled the velvet to reveal a title she had loved for years.

Hogwarts: A History.

She squinted to see the publication date. Her eyes widened.

"Is this... Is this..." She stuttered dumbly.

"A first edition, of sorts." Narcissa said with a grin.

"Of sorts?"

Narcissa stood, walking over Hermione's chair and kneeling daintily by her side to point out a few things on the tome. Hermione flushed with the proximity, hoping Narcissa wouldn't notice.

"You see, Bathilda Bagshot and her publisher were on a tight deadline. Because of a mix up, her publisher sent an incomplete manuscript to be printed. Only a few runs were made before they realized their mistake, but Bathilda was adamant about correcting them. So, she took a mission upon herself and added in several handwritten chapters – with the help of a few charmed quills, I imagine."

Hermione quickly flipped through the pages of the book with unbridled enthusiasm. Indeed, there were random pages and a few full chapters that were written entirely by hand. She held back a laugh of utter disbelief.

"Merlin!" She turned to look at Narcissa. "This... I can't take this, Narcissa." She said, meaning every word, as much as it pained her to admit it. This was a collector's edition, doubtlessly ludicrously expensive, not to mention exceedingly rare. The Time-Turner had been essentially a broken trinket; this was something else entirely.

Narcissa waved her off. "I've had it for a lifetime. It's in good hands. Not to mention, it would be incredibly rude to refuse a gift, Ms. Granger." She added playfully. Hermione could only laugh.

"Then I shall take it, in the name of etiquette!" She quipped. "Thank you" she said more seriously.

"You're more than welcome" Narcissa breathed, holding the brunette's hazel gaze in a way that sent an unfamiliar shiver down her spine.