Daxia, full of questions and teasing quips, hadn't had the chance to speak to either of her two friends about their secretive summer once the feast was over. As soon as they'd taken their last bites of their delicious desserts Lily and James had been ushered away with Remus and the other prefects by head of Gryffindor house; Professor McGonagall.

Instead of continuing on with her interrogations (as there was no way she was believing there was no more than that) Daxia found herself linking one arm through Sirius's and another through Peter's (while Mary disappeared off to find Benji and Adiya skipped ahead to catch up with a few of the Hufflepuff girls) before beginning the trek up to their common room. Speaking the password Sirius had discovered from James to the not so welcoming portrait guarding the door to the room, The Fat Lady, they soon found themselves collapsing in front of the fire in their usual seats.

The cosy common room looked as it always had. No matter how hard the Hogwarts House Elves worked it always seemed… slouchy and, although they were the first inhabitants of the large circular room (after the new first years dropped off by the fifth year prefect earlier on), it already looked lived in and homely. Blankets and cushions were strewn haphazardly over the sofas while the fire crackled in welcome; the lights dimmed accordingly and depending on the inhabitant's wishes. Out of all the rooms in the castle it was the one which felt the most like home to the group of friends.

Remus joined them a short while later full of stories involving the naivety of the first years and Lily reprimanding James for taking advantage with his over exaggerated tales of the castle and its ghostly inhabitants. They snuggled beneath blankets and called out welcomes to arriving younger students.

They sat around the fire for what felt like hours, happy to be back in the castle, back being together as a group as they laughed and speculated about a possible development in the James and Lily relationship (leading on to other possible romances; Dumbledore and McGonagall? Nah she's too young for him! The Gryffindor ghost Nearly Headless Nick and the Ravenclaw ghost The Grey Lady? Nick would never! Peeves the Poltergeist and the caretaker's cat Mrs. Norris? Ah the wizarding world's Romeo and Juliet).

They retired to bed one by one with yawns, stretches and wishes of sweet dreams until, with the room only dimly lit by the crackling fire, it was just Daxia left. She lay, curled around a cushion on her favourite armchair, fast asleep. Her dark curls shone despite the shadows falling over her tired form. Not even Lily, arriving back from the many meetings later than expected, had dared to wake her and send her up to bed.

Due to this exhaustion following a busy September first (it was seriously a good job she had never received a prefects badge let alone a head girl's badge) she was unable to sense the boy quietly creeping up behind her. If she had caught wind of what was happening along with the prank to follow he was positive that not even he would have had the bravery to creep any closer.

Instead he had been given the opportunity to take full advantage of her peaceful slumber and he wasn't going to waste it.

Sirius Black straightened up slowly, holding his breath to ensure there was nothing to wake his best friend. Pausing for a second he found a fond grin appearing on his lips as he glanced down to her; a vulnerable, peaceful Daxia was a rare sight.

Y'know; as well as being pretty damn proud of himself for getting this far.

She stirred in her sleep and he jumped to attention. Quickly reaching for his wand he mumbled something beneath his breath and a shot of water burst from the end of his wand tip as he leant over the back of her armchair.

Spluttering in shock she jumped awake, stumbling to her feet with her own wand clutched tightly in her hand "That was pathetic!" She called after his quickly retreating form. As, laughing loudly, he ran up towards the boys' dorms her immediate anger evaporated into sheer determination "I'll get you back Black!"

"Did I hear you shouting last night?"

Daxia's eyebrows arched as she glanced up from the Charms textbook she was shoving into her bag to the questioning Lily. It was the next morning, first day back to their lessons, and she was already on the receiving end of a typical Lily Evans look. Consisting of furrowed eyebrows and a tilt of her head it was a look mainly reserved for Daxia and any over confident fourth years to bring them down a peg or two.

Totally ignoring the look, as usual, an amused grin lit up Daxia's face "Oh y'know," She replied a spring in her step as she and Lily rounded a corner and headed towards breakfast in the great hall "Black being Black by dousing me with water as I slept by the fire. The usual."

The look evolved with a roll of emerald green and a long lasting sigh "You two aren't going to start your stupid prank war up again are you?" She groaned, not wanting to be caught up in the middle again, as the duo took their seats between Adiya and Mary. She still had the scars, both mental and physical, from the last time Daxia and Sirius decided a prank war was the right way to go. Staying up late to perfect transfigurations (as those were Sirius and James' strong points therefore their biggest threat) and brewing potions (to shrink, change colour and grow hair among many, many other things) meant their previous year had been pretty sleepless and full of work despite their lack of exams.

"Because it is our N.E.W.T. year," Daxia yawned loudly as Lily continued to speak. The redhead was the most dedicated to their studies out of the group of girls; being a muggleborn she always found their subjects incredibly interesting and continuously dived right in to learn as much about this new world as possible. She had never understood why her mates weren't as intrigued by it all as she was; everything was so fascinating and she always wanted to learn more "You and Sirius should really be studying not thinking up pranks to pull on one another. Plus I would really, really like to have some sleep this year."

Daxia narrowed her eyes "You used to be fun Evans," She grumbled; along with keeping up to date with her work Lily had always made time to have fun with her friends. Even before their sixth year they'd been the ones to charm the Marauders' wizarding chess set to make it impossible for anyone to win, they'd charmed James's hat a few winters previous to shrink every time he put it on to convince him his head was actually inflating; they'd done everything and anything to extract revenge on the boys for whenever they caused trouble for them "It's because of N.E.W.T. year that we need our prank war!" she continued on in her and Sirius's defence as Adiya sent her a supportive grin.

She had known the blonde would be the only one who would fully support any mentioning of repeating the previous year's antics. Being one of only three members left on the Quidditch team (after the others had graduated the previous year) she was one of the few people who had been able to hang around with and properly get to know the Marauders on their 'days off', chilling with Daxia and James in the changing rooms as she listened to Sirius and Peter attempt to give James over dramatic and useless tactic advice while Remus read out facts about the game to irritate their friend. Whereas Lily had always been interested in revenge when the boys did something to her first Adiya continually whispered prank suggestions to Daxia when she knew the boys weren't listening before sitting back and basking in the hilarity when it all worked out.

"Anyway," Daxia began after a few moments of silence "We need friendship and laughs these days, especially-"

"Dax," Mary warned from Daxia's other side, sat with the seventh years were very impressionable and innocent first and second years hanging on to every word the older girls were saying. After the prefects meeting the following day Remus, Lily and James had arrived back with the orders to try and not scare the younger students with news from the outside wizarding world. If there was any news (which wasn't rumour) they needed to know they would be told by teachers.

Lily nodded in agreement as Daxia smiled apologetically "Don't worry," she whispered to a particularly worried looking girl, glancing up to the head girl with wide eyes "It's all rumours anyway."

Adiya glanced back to Daxia as Lily bowed her head to read over her own charms book. As much as they all wished it was rumours the recent inclination of the attacks and killings reported in the Daily Prophet newspaper seemed to prove otherwise. Outside the comforting, protective walls of Hogwarts there seemed to be a storm brewing. A storm led by a powerful dark wizard and his gang of equally evil followers.

Their first lessons of the year provided healthy distractions for the four girls; none of which were eager to continue a conversation on the wizarding war so soon after their Hogwarts reunion. Notes were taken, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor (an ex-auror named Remy) (the seventh DADA teacher the seventh years had been introduced to in as many years) was welcomed and the Marauders (messing around in the back of the room; Sirius falling from his chair numerous times while James, Remus and Peter laughed loudly) were ignored. Mainly the new syllabus for their final year in the school was introduced; expectations were set and the fear of exams was placed.

With a scrambled brain filled with numerous lectures on the importance and severity of the year ahead Daxia led her group of friends outside once they had eaten lunch. A free afternoon spent in the crisp September air before they were snowed under too much homework to move was exactly what they needed; especially on the rare sunny Scotland day they had the luck of experiencing.

Fortunately for them the four Marauders had rushed from the classroom and had already managed to secure their regular spot beneath their favourite tree in the grounds. Just as their place in the common room the tree was a regular residence for the group of friends. A comfortable spot close enough to the castle to run and hide from any oncoming rain yet far enough away from prying professor eyes if they were up to something they weren't supposed to be.

James Potter, hair messy and glasses slightly off centre, was stood before Sirius, Remus and Peter clearly telling and retelling over exaggerated stories from his summer in an attempt to entertain his friends with a wide handsome grin stretched across his face as the girls all wandered over. Throwing a snitch – stolen from Hogwarts Quidditch supplies a few years previous – up into the air before pulling off a miraculous diving catch to retrieve it as he spoke. Peter was sat against the tree adding comments here and there, his eyes never leaving the winged golden ball, while Sirius rolled his eyes and corrected the two of them and Remus remained buried in his book.

"What the hell are you doing with that?" Daxia questioned loudly and irritably, her eyes narrowing in anger as they wandered closer. As seeker on the Gryffindor team she was more than unimpressed to see James, a chaser, messing about with the Golden Snitch again.

Plus; she had been the one to steal it back in their fourth year therefore it was hers.

James smirked as he shoved the ball into his pocket "Not even sorry Dax," He called back with a wink adding "Evans," as a welcome to the girl on Daxia's right hand side subtly (well as subtle as he could be) reaching up to tame his hair while attempting to hide all evidence of the stolen Quidditch ball.

From his position stretched across the grass (not caring if he was getting wet from the dew) Sirius raised his arm in a lazy welcome, a smirk stretching across his lips when his eye locked with his best friend's "Oh, hey Dax."

Forgetting to bask in the amusing spectacle that was James Potter attempting to entice a cold and tired Lily Evans into a conversation Daxia narrowed her eyes. Bounding over to where he was sitting with Remus she ruffled Sirius's long dark hair in her own version of a welcome.

"Whoa! Hey!" He exclaimed trying to bat her away, jumping to his feet to move away from her and rectify what she'd ruined "You messed my hair up!" He whined one eye on the group of Ravenclaw sixth year girls who had been 'walking past' ever since he and the boys had taken their usual spots.

"Wow I wish I could say I was sorry Sirius," replied Daxia in a loud over-acting tone, irritatingly shrugging as she sat herself down on the emerging roots of the large tree beside an amused looking Remus, leaning back against the trunk.

Sirius glared down to her with narrowed eyes. The vulnerable, peaceful asleep Daxia was long gone "I swear to Merlin Dax," he sighed "I really hate you sometimes."

"Why? Did I ruin your chance of finally getting some?" she teased with a wink "Anyway; you don't, I know you don't," she added as he flopped down on the grass beside her with a scowl, a sigh and a misaimed punch toward her knee (smacking his knuckles on the root beside her and complaining loudly while she continued unaffected) "I'm your best friend, whether you like it or not, after Mr. Ego over there," she paused for a second to nod over to where James and Lily were actually having a conversation (something she would be finding all about later) "And you love me."

Sirius rolled his eyes, unable to stop the smile on his lips as he glanced across to her while she shuffled over to begin reading Remus's book over his shoulder. She may be irritating and, on times, scary but she really was his best friend.

After meeting James on the Hogwarts Express that very first September First Daxia was the only person he had encountered in which he felt some sort of connection to in their initial week in the castle.

Sure both James and he had introduced themselves to Remus and Peter, the two boys they had found themselves sat beside after their sorting (who the overly friendly eleven year old James had dragged into a conversation as soon as they'd sat down), but he had always been scared there was some kind of judgement there in the background. The Black family were as old and as notorious as the Lestrange family in the wizarding world as supporters of the dark arts and dedicated members of Slytherin House. Everyone knew and everyone judged.

James had pushed it all aside with ease (not being one to conform to society, preferring to judge a person on themselves rather than their blood status or family history) and Remus and Peter followed suit, especially after the sorting, but there were many in Gryffindor who didn't understand at all. To them he was a Black, unwelcome in their house and a danger to be around, particularly in his first few weeks in the common room.

That was when Daxia came in.

A shaky breath left the tiny, dark haired girl staring up to the portrait of The Fat Lady. Tugging on slightly too long sleeves she mumbled the password, almost wishing it was wrong or too quiet to be heard.

As the keeper of the Gryffindor common room sent her a warm smile she granted her access. Nerves tightened her chest as she took a second to breathe before stepping through the hole behind the portrait. It would be the first time she had entered the room alone (without her new, judgement free, awesome best friend; Lily Evans) since the sorting hat had blurted out which house she was to be inducted into for her seven years at Hogwarts.

The whispers began as soon as she was spotted.

"That's the Lestrange girl!"

"Why is she here?"

"I think the sorting hat's losing its touch."

"Everyone knows a girl like her belongs in Slytherin!"

With her fingers curled into tight fists she was ready to run. An existence sharing a stall with the ghost of the girls' loos, Moaning Myrtle, was much more appealing than seven years of glares and whispered judgements.

That was when he walked in. A fellow first year who was destined for Slytherin. Another who had, instead, been placed into the 'welcoming' arms of Godric Gryffindor by the sorting hat.

Sirius Black.

Taller, more agile and with a family who practised a tad more Dark Magic than her own Sirius Black was almost un-bully-able. Their fellow class and housemates left him alone. He didn't have to put up with the whispers and the finger pointing like she constantly did.

"Hey!" He suddenly exclaimed. Her heart jumped in a panic until she glanced up to see it wasn't her he was shouting to but them "Leave her alone okay?" He had rolled his eyes as the other students mumbled their agreements in a non committal manner. "Hi," He had continued with a warm smile on his face once he had turned to face her "I'm Sirius."

"Daxia," She replied staring up to him with admiration in her eyes. As someone destined to be ignored and pushed aside by her family (especially after the one letter she had received from her mother since her sorting) she couldn't believe how confident he could be in himself.

"Coming to join us?" He asked motioning to where three boys – who she recognised from her lessons as James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew – were sat chatting leisurely.

Knowing Lily was going to be a while writing and sending a letter back home Daxia smiled "Yeah sure."

Sirius looked up from where he was now lay to see Daxia had moved on to annoying Lily. The two girls seemed to be having some sort of heated debate over something written in one of the latter's textbooks.

He smiled to himself; remembering the shy girl he had first met in the common room. Looking back he couldn't help but compare the eleven year old Daxia with this loud mouth, over confident, prank pulling and hex shooting seventeen year old version they all knew, loved and, sometimes, feared.

He had created a monster and there was not even a tiny bit of it that he regretted. He couldn't imagine his life without Daxia in it one way or another; both unwanted by their pure-blood crazy families and wanting to fight for a different side to them (not that, he hoped, it would even come to that).

It had almost been like they had been brought together by fate; not that he would admit that out loud to anyone. She was the only one, apart from James, who was able to see the real him. Not the over-cocky ladies' man full of sarcastic remarks or flirty banter but the scared boy who'd turned up on the Potters' doorstep after running away from his abusive home, the boy who looked to his friends as his family and would fiercely protect them against anything.

They were two of a kind and he liked it.

Across from Sirius Daxia was having a tough time.

"I. Am. Going. To. Hex. You."

"That's the Lily Evans I know and love! Welcome back baby!"

Rolling emerald eyes Lily Evans was just about ready to kill her best friend. Ever since James Potter had stupidly admitted to said best friend (who, confusingly, happened to be one of his best friends also) that he had suddenly decided he fancied her all the way back in their fourth year Daxia had been relentless, determined to prove to Lily the menacing boy who was practically her brother was a good guy deep down. She had scared off Lily's boyfriend in fifth year (though Potter and his merry band of idiots did help with that one), she disapproved of the boy Lily had liked in sixth year (though, to be fair to her, she had been right) and she absolutely loathed Lily's childhood best friend, who happened to be male.

"This isn't even about James!" Daxia was whining as she attempted to pluck the potions book out of Lily's hand. Truthfully she was a little sick of the general stubbornness of her two best friends; she knew it was up to James himself to prove to Lily he had changed and was actually a good guy and just wished he would get a bloody move on "You're already Slughorn's favourite! I need best friend time!"

To be quite honest Lily did actually feel bad.

Knowing their daughter would never be able to attend the universities they had always dreamed of while aiming to take up the family trade after graduation (owning and maintaining their family run shop) Lily's parents had been piling on the pressure without even realising or meaning to. They loved and supported her with whatever she did (continually amazed by her magical stories) yet she could tell there was just something there holding them back from being as proud as they could have been if she were studying for her GCSE or A Level qualifications even if they wouldn't admit it themselves. She knew it was hard for them to understand exactly what she did when she was away at Hogwarts (especially when she was unable to perform magic of any kind away from the school when she had still been under seventeen), they wanted to brag about how brilliant she was to their friends but had to keep her good grades and talent a secret. Though she understood completely and would never blame them it was still always there nagging in the back of her mind.

Because of this she had arrived at Platform 9 ¾ on September First determined. She wasn't going to allow her friends (or the Marauders) to 'accidentally' drag her into their issues or their wars. She was going to get her head down. She was going to throw herself into her work even more than usual and be the best witch and the best daughter she could be.

Especially with the crazy dark wizard and his band of evilness appearing on the scene, growing stronger and stronger gradually over the years; she wanted to be able to protect her family, to learn all she could while still in the castle.

"James doesn't even like you anymore!"

Lily found herself frowning as she lifted her nose out of her book, the odd clenching sensation exploding into butterflies jittering through her stomach back once again "Dax I'm trying to read." was all she managed.

James Potter didn't even like her anymore?

She had been quite…okay very shocked when she had received an owl from Daxia over the holidays to inform her James Potter was the head boy to her head girl. She had retreated out to her garden, sat on her swing and wondered what on earth Dumbledore was playing at.

He wasn't just a Marauder but the Marauder; co-leader and founder. He once flooded the Slytherin common rooms because he was bored, persuaded a first year they weren't allowed in the Gryffindor common room until they were thirteen and had to find some other way of reaching their dorm; he and his friends had found some way of getting into the girls dorms when no other boy had been able to…

He was reckless. Annoying. Irritating.

Intelligent. Talented. Good looking.

She frowned as the thoughts entered her mind. Sure she knew he was good looking, practically every girl in the school had had the 'Black or Potter' age old debate almost as soon as they had wandered through the front doors.

She had just never admitted it to herself before him arriving at her place over summer.

"You coming then?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice, glancing up with both a blush and confusion written all over her face.

"Duties?" He asked with a frown nodding towards the door back into the castle "You remember you're head girl right?"

She huffed as she answered "Right." before taking his outstretched hand without thinking and allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"Have fu-un!" called Daxia after them with a wide grin filled to the brim with mischief and double meaning.

Ignoring her friend Lily fell into step beside James, unable to stop herself from noticing how broad his shoulders had gotten. She supposed that's what Quidditch did-

"Lily?"

She jumped, her head turning so quickly to face him her hair fell into her eyes. She frowned; 'Lily'? no Evans, Lilypad or wildly inappropriate nickname he normally, cockily, used to get her attention? "Yeah?" she replied slowly, not sure if she trusted what was about to come out of his mouth next.

This was the boy who had once stopped an entire Quidditch match just to ask her out in their fourth year, the boy who (along with Sirius) taught Peeves the Poltergeist most of his rude limericks…

Yet he had been different over summer. They had laughed and talked, bonding over their shared experiences worrying about their parents (Lily losing her father to a long battle with cancer in her second year while James endured mission after mission run by his elderly yet still determined parents). She had seen a different side to him from the moment he had appeared on her doorstep, a side she found she couldn't get out of her mind.

"I was just saying sorry about Dax," said James, still shocking her, as he rubbed the back of his neck almost nervously "I love her so much but I swear that girl doesn't have a filter!"

Lily was almost offended. She loved Daxia and knew she didn't have a filter not James Potter – Hogwarts' version. She had been about to open her mouth to argue against him but he was talking again before she could even think and she had to listen carefully in case he called her Lily once more.

"She's kind of like that younger sister who takes a liking to her brother's friend and tries her best to push them together?" He continued to tell her about her own best friend (speaking in a way Lily almost called him up on. They weren't friends and she was pretty sure he had begun this whole asking her out thing not Daxia) "I know I've acted like a git towards you these past few years but I was young and stupid," he shook his head as Lily gaped at him. Was she about to get an apology off James Potter? "I thought I was hilarious at the time but now, looking back, I can see how bloody embarrassing I was! So, I've been thinking and I'm, um, sorry yeah?"

She almost felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. Marauders didn't apologise to anyone, not even each other as far as she knew, yet here was James offering her a 'sorry' for the past few years? "I think I'll take that apology with caution thanks Potter," She answered with a small smile, a quick scan of the area telling her she was safe for now and whatever he was planning wasn't going to jump out at her at that very moment.

James laughed as he nodded his head, expecting nothing more and nothing less "Cool, figured we didn't want to continue with these duties in some sort of odd awkward manner because of the past!" he answered shoving his hands into his pocket "I think this head boy shit has really matured me y'know Evans," he continued that smirk back on his face before he reprimanded a second year for wearing a cloak indoors.

"Technically that isn't a rule Potter," She spoke up.

He shrugged "Bloody awful cloak though wasn't it? Did him a favour."

She couldn't help it. She laughed.

Narcissa Black didn't know what to do.

Chewing on her bottom lip she hugged her books to her chest as she glanced out to the tree in the Hogwarts grounds. Her cousin was there, right there, with Daxia Lestrange and all she had wanted to do was go over and speak to them.

What did it matter that they were in Gryffindor? Why did it even matter that they were disowned by both of their families? She needed them for something; couldn't she just go over and take it?

She had been terrified on her first ever September First. Expectations for her were high; the year previous her sister had been accepted into the honourable Slytherin House while her cousin had been shunned for accepting the sorting hat placing him into bitter rivals Gryffindor. She had never even been away from home before, not for the extent of time Hogwarts was demanding anyway and the eleven year old version of herself just hadn't understood; why did she even have to go away for her education? Her mother was an amazing witch, why couldn't she have taught her?

That very first September First had been awful.

Until she had bumped into Daxia that is.

Sirius had been sending her welcoming and supportive grins from across the Platform out of her mother's sight. He was surrounded by people; a messy haired boy fiddling with the glasses continually sliding down his nose, a taller weary looking boy and a short plump boy, whereas Narcissa, with her sister disappearing to see her friends, had never felt more alone.

Her mother had been midway through her speech on the importance and honour behind getting into Slytherin, urging her to ask the hat to change its mind if the unthinkable happened again, when someone crashed into her bent over form.

Daxia was all hair and smile back in those days. Her curls were out of control, pulled back into a high, messy, ponytail framing a pretty featured face. Apologies had spilled from her mouth when Narcissa's mother had straightened up (Sirius caught his cousin's eye and cackled in amusement in the background) and smiles of welcome rained down towards the younger nervous looking girl.

"Here I can show her to the train if you like?" Daxia had offered as she pushed strands of flyaway hair from her forehead. Her eyebrows had dipped in confusion as she spotted Sirius waving her to stop in the distance.

Narcissa's mother hadn't been impressed. She had scowled as she spoke down to Daxia; Narcissa's owl even cowered in its cage at her tone as she ripped the young girl stood in front of her ever so innocently apart. She spoke of the Lestranges and how disappointed they were in her, how she was never welcome to another Black pure-blood Christmas party again (Narcissa had been slightly envious of Daxia at this point) and how she had brought shame on their blood status.

The young girl stood there and took it, her arms loosely connected behind her back as she nodded along with the elder witch's rant. Narcissa had looked up to her in awe as, once her mother was finished, a smile spread across Daxia's lips "Thank you for your time Mrs. Black," she had said confidently, seemingly unfazed by the previous five minutes (in the background even Sirius looked impressed and, oddly, proud) "I hope your daughter brings honour back to your family this year – good luck younger Black!" Then, with a skip in her step, she had wandered away; joining Sirius and his pals and launching into conversation filled with laughter and animation.

Just for that, very very short, moment Narcissa had wished she would be sorted into Gryffindor.

But things had, obviously, never worked out that way and she was now stood on the edge of her cousin's friendship group wishing she could just walk over and talk to them. All she wanted was a little advice…would that be so scandalous? The mudblood, Evans, wasn't even there anymore!

She huffed as she leant against the door frame. Ever since Sirius had run away from home at the start of the summer, moving in with that Potter boy, and Aunt Walburga blasted him off the Black family tree his name didn't even get mentioned. If it travelled back to her family that she had approached him and the Lestrange outcast in public…

"Cissy!"

She jumped at the sound of her name, forcing a smile to her lips as she noticed her elder sister, Bellatrix, heading her way "Hey Bella, I was just, um, looking for you," she lied thankful that Bellatrix seemed to be in a hurry and didn't notice who she was staring out to. Always the golden girl of the family Bellatrix wouldn't have taken Narcissa's wishes to speak to her cousin and his friend lightly – no matter how much she herself missed Sirius being around.

"Wanting to talk more about Lucius?" Bellatrix teased as she linked her arm through Narcissa's.

The latter let out a quiet sigh before nodding with faux enthusiasm. This was exactly what she needed advice from her cousin and his best friend for. Over the summer holidays, though she was only just going to be heading into her sixth year at Hogwarts, her mother had revealed to whom both her and her sister's arranged marriages would be; only the best for her pure-blood daughters – Lucius Malfoy and his partner in crime when he had still been in Hogwarts Rodolphus Lestrange.

Whereas Bellatrix seemed more than excited at this new development in their young lives Narcissa was unable to shift that feeling of unease heavy in her heart. Sure Lucius was handsome and intelligent and generally brilliant (in the eyes of her mother anyway) but he was older than her having left school two years previous. At least Bella's betrothed was her own age.

If she could go to Sirius he'd bring light to the situation, he'd make a joke and make her smile; he'd reintroduce her to Daxia who would (hopefully) share some information about her cousin and his friend to ease her mind about these life changing decisions…But no. Sirius had been blasted off the Black family tree and 'The Lestrange Girl' was equally looked down on within the pure-blood families….

Narcissa just didn't know what to do.

Thank you for reading!

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