Later that night, after Jasper Turpin had followed her back to the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Narcissa lay on her bed in the Fourth Year Slytherin Girl's dorm, chatting with Josie and eating sweets that Josie's eldest sister Carolina had sent her. Josie was currently complaining about how sister number two, Philippa, had decided the content of the letter they had sent to their mother earlier the same day.
"And then she wrote that 'we're all going to look after Gabriel', not likely!" Josie said irritated but Narcissa didn't take her eyes off the book she was reading, she was used to Josie's complaints about her siblings. Josephine Nott had three sisters and one brother and from what Narcissa had figured out, got along best with her eldest sister, Carolina. But Carolina was six years older than Josie and had recently married and didn't have as much time to write to write to her youngest sister. Philippa and Elinor, sisters two and three, were only a year apart in age and while Philippa liked to tell others what to do, the insecure Elinor usually took her side. Gabriel was his parents' pride and joy, literally, because he was the anticipated son, the heir who would continue their branch of the Nott line. "I just don't understand why we have to write a letter together, you don't write letters to your parents with your sisters, right Narcissa?" Josie asked and Narcissa hummed. "Exactly!" Josie exclaimed and sighed.
"What grade do you have in Transfiguration?" Narcissa suddenly asked and Josie looked at her surprised.
"Why do you want to know", she said, almost a bit hostile, Narcissa shrugged.
"My cousin is looking for a tutor in Trans..." Narcissa was cut off by Josie's loud squeal, the other girl practically jumping on the bed.
"Is he? Wow! Totally, I'd love to. I mean, I'm not great at Transfiguration but I'm sure I can manage, if I have such a good-looking student, of course", Josie said and smiled. Narcissa was just going to reveal to Josie that it wasn't Sirius Black who was looking for a Transfiguration teacher when an idea formed in her head. Narcissa smiled artfully.
"Tomorrow at seven o'clock in the library by the table near the Transfiguration section", Narcissa said and Josie squealed again. Narcissa knew it was mean, but the opportunity was to good to let go and she needed a good laugh.
"Thank you Cissy! Thank you!" Josie said happily and made a happy dance around the room.
"You're welcome, as long as you don't call me Cissy", Narcissa said annoyed and Josie nodded eagerly.
"I will never call you Cissy again. Thank you so much, you've really made my day, Cissy!" Josie said gleefully and Narcissa groaned. Was it even possible for Slytherins to get as ridiculously happy as Josie was right now?
"The sorting hat must've put you in the wrong house, Josie, because right now you look like a giggling Hufflepuff", Narcissa said irritated but Josie just laughed.
"You're the best Cissy, no one else on this school has such a handsome cousin... wait, I have to tell Melania and Elissa!" Josie said and Narcissa opened her mouth to tell Josie not to, but the other girl was already out of the dorm. Narcissa flew up from her bed and ran after Josie. She ran through the long, dark corridor that led to the common room. The corridor was only illuminated by torches, but they were few and far apart. "Probably to increase the creepy feeling" Narcissa thought as she arrived in the common room. She spotted Josie on the other side of the room, talking eagerly to Melania and Elissa, whom both had malicious looks on their faces. Even if Josie wasn't Narcissa's first choice when it came to friends, she refused to see Josie embarass herself in front of their two meanest classmates. Narcissa was just about to walk over to the sofa her three dorm-mates were occupying on the other side of the room when her way was blocked by Damien Vaisey. Vaisey was a tall seventh-year with very short, brown hair, a nose that had been hit by countless bludgers which had resulted in it being slightly crooked. He wasn't the brightest member in the Slytherin House, and many times Narcissa had silently wondered if it was because his mother was born a Goyle, but this year, someone had made him captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team despite his poor leader skills.
"Black", he said shortly to Narcissa, whom forced a smile.
"Vaisey, I would love to stay and chat, but I have to...", she said but Vaisey cut her off.
"Quidditch practice on Thursday, seven o'clock at the pitch", he told her coldly and Narcissa frowned.
"No try-outs?" she asked surprised. Both of the team's beaters had graduated, and they would also need a new chaser since Stacey King's parents had forbidden her from playing this year due to her recent engagement to Leonard Flint, and Stacey's mother was afraid her daughter would fall off her broom and break her nose, which would result in an ugly wedding photo.
"Crockett and Higgs will take over as beaters this year, Flint will play chaser", Vaisey said with a shrug and Narcissa opened her mouth to point out to him that Omar Flint would make a terrible chaser due to his height and broad built, and that Crockett and Higgs would probably hit each other with their bats instead of the bludgers, but closed it again.
"Your choice", she said coldly and stepped aside to continue her walk towards the other Slytherin girls.
"You will play seeker this year", Vaisey suddenly said and Narcissa spun around at the spot. Regulus had been a celebrated seeker last year and had it not been for an unfortunate bludger during the last game against Gryffindor, he would've caught the snitch and Slytherin would've won the Quidditch Cup. Ever since she was a young child, Narcissa been chaser during the quidditch games in uncle Alphard's garden along with her cousins, and had later on continued playing the same position on the Slytherin Quidditch Team.
"Are you out of your mind?" she whispered furiously to Vaisey, who was merely sneering. "I can't play seeker! I've been chaser for years, you know I'm a good chaser Vaisey!", she spat angrily. "And what about Reg? Are you kicking him off the team to make place for your friends?" she asked and Vaisey snorted.
"Regulus has grown over the summer, Cissy. He's to big to make a good seeker this year. He will take your place as chaser and you will take his as seeker. Seeker is my offer, take it or leave it", Vaisey said and Narcissa felt the anger boiling inside of her. The nerve of him!
"Fine", she spat. "But it's not my fault if Gryffindor wins the cup, again", she said and left a still sneering Vaisey behind her.
"Thursday, Black, seven o'clock!" he shouted efter her before leaving the common room. Narcissa snorted and walked over to Melania, Elissa and Josie. The two former seemed to be engaged in a conversation the latter desperately tried to be a part of. Narcissa sat down next to Melania, who immediately abandoned her conversation with Elissa and eagerly started talking to Narcissa.
"Cissy! Mother told me that your sister has managed to snatch Rodolphus Lestrange, good job!" Melania said with a fake smile and Narcissa resisted the urge to snort.
"Indeed, could I speak to Josie for a mome...", Narcissa said but Melania cut her off.
"It must be good for you as well, the Lestrange family is quite influental, and so very old. Not like the Higgs family or something, don't you think Josephine?" Melania asked, her voice laced with false sweetness. Josie jumped in her seat. Josie's mother was born a Higgs, something the Notts weren't particularly proud of, since the Higgs family was "new money" and had a very short pure bloodline. Josie looked down in her lap, shame clearly visible in her eyes. "Oh, I completely forgot!", Melania said to Josie. "Your mother is a Higgs, isn't she?" she asked and sighed dramatically. "There are so many new families these days, it's so hard to keep track on them all, don't you think?" Melania said to no one in particular, but Elissa nodded eagerly.
"Yes, so hard", she agreed and tossed her long, golden hair over her shoulder. Elissa Crouch was the only child of Cornelius Crouch, a less known member of the otherwise ambitious and successful Crouch family, and his deceased wife. Despite Cornelius Crouch not being as well known as his cousin Bartemius, he had made his own fortune by selling Quidditch Equipment by owl order. Elissa was pampered by her father, yet insecure in the company of other children and teenagers. She had a huge inheritance waiting for her in her family vault, and was quite good-looking with her golden curls and olive coloured eyes, yet she was awkward around boys and no one ever asked to accompany her to Hogsmeade. Next to her golden haired friend, Melania Parkinson didn't have much to come with in the looks department. Melania had unfortunately inherited her father's rather large nose, and along with a pair of grey eyes and reddish skin, the only Parkinson daughter wasn't exactly considered a beauty. But Melania was cunning enough to make old Salazar himself proud, and she had a way of coaxing insecure people, such as Elissa, to do as she said. Narcissa had to admit that Melania Parkinson's manipulative side was not to be underestimated.
"Mother told me last week that the oldest McDougal daughter has married a half-blood. A half-blood! Can you imagine? But I suppouse it's not that much of a shock, really, those scottish families simply cannot hold the same class as us english do", Melania said snottily and Elissa nodded in agreement.
"You are so right, Melania", Elissa mumbled and Narcissa resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Josie, a moment, please?" Narcissa said to her friend who still was still looking down in her lap.
"Oh, but don't leave yet, Cissy. You haven't told us any details about the wedding. Have they set a date yet? I imagine your sister would like an autumn wedding, but the Lestrange men are not known for being very patient, and a year seems like a lot of time to wait, so maybe Bella will settle for winter?" Melania said and Narcissa sighed.
"No, they haven't set a date yet since they've only been courting for two weeks. And may I please speak to Josie alone now", Narcissa said coldy and Melania looked a bit taken aback.
"Oh... well, tell your sister not to order her wedding robes from Ravishing Robes, because I heard from Dalia Branstone that one of their new apprentices is a mudblood, and a Hufflepuff. Elissa, come on, let's find Stephen", Melania said and rose from the sofa before she left the common room with Elissa in tow. As soon as Melania had left the room, Narcissa turned to Josie.
"I wasn't talking about Sirius", she said to Josie who frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?" she asked and Narcissa took a deep breath.
"The cousin that needs help in transfiguration isn't Sirius, it's Regulus", Narcissa said quietly and Josie's chin almost dropped to the floor.
"I cannot believe you", she said shocked. "I know we're Slytherins and suppoused to be cunning and back-stabbing an all, but really, Narcissa? This is a bit low", Josie said and didn't bother hiding her disappointment.
"I never said it was Sirius I spoke of, that was something you just assumed", Narcissa pointed out and Josie groaned loudly.
"You knew I would think it was Sirius! What girl in her right mind would think of Regulus with Sirius around?" Josie asked and Narcissa sighed loudly.
"Listen, Josie. It was wrong of me to lead you on, but it was your fault that you jumped to conclusions so quickly", Narcissa said firmly and Josie nodded.
"Fine. I'm sorry I thought that a good-looking boy might want to spend time with me", Josie said grumpily and Narcissa rolled her eyes.
"You seriously need to stop doing this Josie", Narcissa said to the other girl.
"Do what?"
"Pitying yourself. You're always going on about what's proper for young ladies, and feeling sorry for yourself is almost as unattractive as pimples on your nose or hairy legs", Narcissa said coldly and Josie looked shocked.
"I do not pity myself! And even if I did I would have every right to, no one is ever going to want to marry me anyways. Well, maybe aside from Douglas Greengrass, but he doesn't count", Josie said and crossed her arms in a child-like manner.
"It's not a disaster to stay unmarried, you know. Witches have a much wider range of career possibilities than they did when our parents were young. You could get higher education, or start work right away after Hogwarts", Narcissa suggested and Josie snorted and shook her head.
"Work? Girls like us do not work, Cissy, girls like us marries respectable wizards and gives him children. We run the household, raise our children and tends to the needs of our husband and our in-laws. We do not work. Working is for middle-class and half-blood Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors whose gotten into their thick heads that it's a right or something. Must've gotten that idea from those mudbloods in their houses, father says they're like an infection, poisoning our society", Josie spat and Narcissa studied her friend for a moment. Josephine Nott. So insecure, and so desperate to please the parents that never wanted her and the two dorm-mates who took pleasure in ridiculing her.
"Think about it. You're good at herbology and fairly adept at potions, maybe you could become a mediwitch at Mungo's" Narcissa suggested with an unusually encouraging voice.
"A mediwitch? Like my second-cousin Gretchen who has warts on her nose?" Josie asked unimpressed. "It's easy for you to say. I bet the marriage offers will rain over you in just a couple of years. You will just have to decide whether you want a manor in Derbyshire or Kent, and if you prefer an engagement ring with sapphires or emeralds", Josie said bitterly and Narcissa suddenly felt how she became angry with the other girl.
"You're so naïve, Josie. Do you really think a fancy ring and a big house will make you happy? Just look at my mother, and your own, for that matter" Narcissa asked and rose from her seat and left a silent Josephine Nott to her own thoughts.