Title: Tidal Waves
Chapter: Two
Characters/Pairings: Lucius/Narcissa, Juliet
Spoilers/Warning: R
Summary: His proximity has always had way of affecting her; whether it's causing her to have homicidal thoughts or, more recently, giving her butterflies. - L/N at Hogwarts
Disclaimer: Not authorized, prepared, approved, licensed, or endorsed by J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any other individual or entity associated with the Harry Potter books or film. All Harry Potter logos, trademarks, names, characters, and related indicia are the property of Warner Bros., J. K. Rowling, and/or their respective owners. I do not claim any affiliation with those who own Harry Potter and would like to make it clear that no copyright infringement is intended in the publication of this story
Author's Note: This took forever. Sorry about that. But hey, there's much more Lucius in this chapter so maybe that will make up for my horrible updating practices? Maybe??

"Wow," Evan whistles as I waltz down the staircase and into the common room Thursday night. He grins and steps forward to take my arm in his. "You're absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you." I smile up at him and bat my eyelashes flirtatiously. I love compliments and I knew without a doubt my slinky emerald green dress would illicit many of them throughout the evening.

"I thought we could walk to the edge of the grounds and apparate to The Glass Slipper in London," Evan says and I'm impressed. Boys usually save The Glass Slipper for the third date because they think it will seal the deal. Little do they know I only give it up after the fourth date (but don't worry, only that bastard Ravenclaw and the cocky Gryffindor ever actually got that far).

"That sounds wonderful," I say with a giggle just as we pass Malfoy and his cronies. I notice the way his gaze slides up my legs, over my torso, and settles on my eyes. I smirk as he raises his eyebrows and dips his head signaling his approval. I glow with pleasure.

Wait a minute… Did I just say I'm glowing with pleasure because of Malfoy? Ew.

"You do know how to apparate?"

I frown. Of course I know how to apparate. Maybe not legally, but that's not the point.

The point is, is that Evan continually asks condescending questions and acts as though I'm unable to think for myself throughout the whole date. I know I may not be the brightest lumos in the dark, but I'm sure as hell not daft.

By the end of the night I'm spent. All I want to do is curl up in my bed and cuddle with my cat GiGi. Evan, on the other hand, has other plans. Yes, he paid for an expensive dinner but that doesn't mean he has the right to feel me up when we kiss goodnight. So I stomp on his foot and feign horror when my heel does some serious damage.

When Evan limps off I sigh in relief. That is, until I hear that all too familiar chuckle coming from the leather chair in front of the fire place. I breathe heavily out of my nose and turn to find Malfoy smirking at me.

"Bravo, Black." He claps softly as I sneer at him.

"He tried to feel me up," I say bluntly and turn to go up to bed.

"Well then he deserves to have all of his toes broken," Malfoy says. "I take it the date didn't go well?"

I sigh and turn back to him. "What gave it away?"

Malfoy continues to smirk as he pushes out of the chair. I take an involuntary step backwards as he waltzes right into my very personal bubble. He leans over me until our noses nearly touch and whispers, "Maybe you should stop wasting your time with incompetents like Rosier."

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow. "And how should I waste it? With egotistical jerks like you?"

Malfoy lets out a low, sarcastic chuckle. "Precisely."

"What are you playing at Malfoy?" I ask softly.

"Nothing," he breathes and inches so close I can feel the warmth of his body. My eyes flutter shut as his lips ghost over mine and nearly lean into the 'kiss' when he pulls back suddenly.

The hell?

"Well, goodnight Narcissa," he says brightly, like we hadn't just been about to kiss. I stand still, completely dumbstruck as he steps around me and begins up the steps to his dormitory. Once he's almost to the top he calls out, "Narcissa?"

I whirl around.

"Don't forget about our session tomorrow evening."

I have to resist the urge to punch him in the throat.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

The next afternoon Juliet and I have decided it's in our best interest to skip Charms and head to Wizarding London for a little shopping excursion. If I'm going to have to spend my evening with that total bastard Malfoy, then I might as well spend it looking my best. Besides, I haven't bought anything since my Galinda bikini and I'm beginning to think those little hand tremors I've been experiencing lately may be due to withdrawal; not a caffeine overdose like I'd previously believed.

"Ooh." Juliet's eyes are wide as I step out of the dressing room. She claps her hands together and nods enthusiastically. "Love the color."

I have to agree. I do look gorgeous in Robin's Egg Blue. And Cornflower Blue. And Sky Blue. Hell, I look gorgeous in any blue.

"Is it too tight?" I ask, admiring myself in the mirror.

"Shuh," Juliet scoffs. "The tighter the better. Ooh, that would look so cute with your suede mini-skirt. No, wait…"

"Cream," we say in unison.

We nod solemnly and I ask the girl helping us (i.e. our personal slave for the next hour or so) for the same sweater in cream. The girl obediently runs back to the racks as I critique the purple dress Juliet is admiring in the large mirror.

"So," Juliet says, "how was your date with Evan last night?"

"Horrid," I grumble at her reflection. "He's the most condescending person I've ever met."

She frowns. "I'm sorry Cissy."

I shrug. "It's just another one to cross off The List."

The List is literally a list of all the boys in sixth year and above currently attending Hogwarts. So far we're about half-way through the sixth years (Juliet wiped out all the Hufflepuffs herself and is doing a quick job of the Gryffindors) and not one of them has been worth more than a second date.

"Who's your next target?" Juliet asks and winks at her own reflection.

"Alistair Nott," I say resolutely. "Or maybe Andre Zabini. Or possibly Darius Vaisey."

Juliet frowns. "But those are all Malfoy's friends."

"Your point?"

"You hate Malfoy."

"Which is why he's not even on The List." He's not. I swear.

Juliet shoots me an odd look and then shrugs and turns back to the mirror. "What about the yellow dress?"

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

"Alright Malfoy," I say as I enter the potions laboratory. I slam my books down and perch myself on the edge of Slughorn's desk. "What is it that you need to work on?"

Malfoy raises his eyebrows and smirks. "Absolutely nothing."

I'm confused. "Then why did you ask me to tutor you?"

"I said I'm in need of a tutor." He chuckles and it makes my teeth clench involuntarily. "That doesn't mean I am the one in need of tutoring."

And as if on cue Greg Goyle and Billy Crabbe enter the lab. My jaw drops. It's not that Greg and Billy are all that bad. In fact, they're probably some of the nicest blokes included in The Eight Circle of Hell. I've even had a few pleasant conversations with Greg that didn't involve food or Quidditch or even beating someone up. The problem is that both of them are notoriously ill-adept at potions. I'm talking downright horrible. Last year Billy somehow managed to melt the entire potions lab. If it hadn't been for some quick wandwork, the whole dungeon would have been completely destroyed.

"'Ello Cissy," Greg says pleasantly as he takes a seat at his usual table. "You're evening going well?"

I blink.

"That's good," he says and turns to grunt at Billy.

I take a deep breath, count to ten, and stomp over to Malfoy. "This wasn't what I signed up for," I hiss.

Malfoy shrugs.

Now, I'm not really one for violence (unless you count that sample sale at Bloomingdale's last year when I punched a Muggle in the face over that pair of Chanel boots) but at this point I'm so fed up with Lucius Malfoy that it takes all my energy to keep myself from jumping over the desk to throttle the bastard.

"Malfoy," I whisper, "this was not the deal. There's no teaching them."

"I have faith in you," he says in that drawling way that I know means the complete opposite.

"I can't do this," I say. "They don't even get the simplest theories behind potion making. They care nothing for precision or for skill. You and I both know they only want flex their muscles. There's no use trying to teach people who don't want to learn. They wouldn't even be in potions if it weren't for Slughorn's pineapple addiction."

"But you care," Malfoy says and raises his eyebrows. "You care about precision and skill and theories. You care about potions."

I shake my head. "What I care about doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it?" And Malfoy smiles. Actually smiles. He doesn't smirk or grimace or sneer. He smiles. And, to be honest, it's a nice smile. "Look Narcissa, without this class these two don't have a chance at graduating. I would tutor them myself but you care about potions. You love it. You're passionate about it. And maybe, that's what they need for it to stick."

Shit.

"Fine," I sigh. "I'll do it. But under one condition."

"Anything."

"You're to be my personal assistant," I say and raise an eyebrow.

He laughs. Actually laughs in a genuinely amused way and nods. "Fine."

Hm, I think. Having Lucius Malfoy as my personal slave- Er, assistant may just make this whole situation worth it.