And the real story begins! I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter. All events that happen in this story will actually turn out like they did in the real books! So if there is an odd couple or two- which there will be- it will of course sort itself out.
"You're growing up to be a pretty little thing Narcissa." A voice snickered.
"Shut up Mulciber." Lily demanded. Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief. Mulciber scared her. His sense of humor was sick and twisted. Narcissa heard that he once used a Crucio curse on an owl to see what would happen, and the owl never recovered.
"You might not want to get involved with me Evans." Mulciber smiled. "Who knows what I'll do to you." Lily threw her head back and laughed.
"Oh you really scare me Mulciber. Almost as scared of me as you are of getting expelled I hope. Because if you get involved with me it will happen." Mulciber took a step towards Lily.
"Is that so? Sounds exciting Evans." Lily flinched. Even her tough demeanor could occasionally be seen through. "I wonder if Severus would join us in playing a little game. Or are you two no longer friends?" He licked his lips.
"Not since he started hanging out with our little group I believe. Do I scare you?" Mulciber leaned in. Narcissa whimpered and Mulciber turned to face her. The sadistic expression on his face made her tremble.
"Oye, lay off creep." Mulciber's wand flew out of his hand. The bully whipped around to face an angry Crabbe.
"Don't mess with Narcissa, got it?" He demanded.
"What's wrong Mikey, you got the hots for her too? We can share."
"Scram!" Crabbe demanded. With a grimace, Mulciber picked up his wand.
"If Avery wasn't in detention I wouldn't give up so easily." He spat, and scowling, Mulciber ran off. Narcissa took a breath. For once she was thankful for Crabbe's large size. He may be a brute, but his determination to protect Narcissa came in handy from time to time.
"Thanks Michael." Lily said. "Not even I could properly stand up to him. He's a… frightening one." Crabbe nodded his head.
"Are you okay Narcissa?" He asked, concern filling his face.
"Yes. Thank you." Narcissa said. She held her books close and lowered her gaze. "I have to study with Lily now." Crabbe's face fell.
"Right… Well, maybe we can hang out sometime."
"Yes, maybe." Narcissa turned and walked out, Lily behind her. Of course she didn't really have to 'hang out' with Crabbe did she? For whatever reason, he had been asking her to since their fourth year. It was Narcissa's fifth now- and Lily's sixth.
"What am I going to do when you graduate Hogwarts?" Narcissa asked. "I'll have to spend a whole year alone."
"You'll be fine I'm sure of it. You'll find someone else to protect you- a man perhaps." Lily hinted.
"You don't mean Crabbe?" Narcissa asked in horror. Lily shook her head.
"Oh no, although I'm sure Michael would be up to the task. There are other boys in Hogwarts however."
"There are none that are interested in the bookish Narcissa Black though." She complained.
"Now that is hardly true. You are a pretty girl you know... and I actually may know someone who finds you interesting…."
"Do you?" Narcissa asked, eager. Lily nodded. "Who is it then?" She prodded.
"I think you'll figure it out soon enough." Lily said with a knowing grin. They were outside now, and Narcissa breathed in the spring air.
"Maybe we can sit on a bench?" Narcissa suggested. "The one over by the wall near the maple trees?" Lily had no opportunity to answer, as James Potter spotted her.
Oh joy. Narcissa thought. The boyfriend. There goes our afternoon.
"Evans, up for a friendly round of Quidditch?" He asked.
"I'm going to lose." Lily said, but Narcissa could tell from her tone that the answer was yes.
"But Lily, our studying!" Narcissa cried.
"I've done most of my homework, you study." Lily told her. Narcissa sighed and trudged off with her books.
"Another time then!" Lily called. Narcissa glanced back and saw her smiling up at James.
Comb you hair why don't you Potter. She thought to herself as she sank against a tree trunk. She opened her charms book and scanned the pages. But her mind wasn't into studying at the moment. She was smart enough anyways. But she wasn't a Gryffindor. And that was a problem. It seemed that she would never truly fit in, never really be a part of the group.
In the distance she saw James tackle Lily jokingly. Sirius was tossing the quaffle into the air while Peter tried to transform it into something or other. He wasn't doing very well at it.
Little Mary Macdonald was cheering Peter on, and they all seemed to be enjoying their game. Everyone enjoyed everything in life… except for her.
Narcissa suddenly heard a sound above her. As she looked up a long pair of legs swung themselves over the tree trunk and leapt to the ground.
"Remus!" She cried. Remus Lupin was suddenly standing before her, a book on potions beneath his arm.
"Are you trying to steal my tree Narcissa?" He asked.
"Sorry." She said. Remus grinned.
"I was just teasing. Although my tease may have been a bit stiff- James seems to think that everything about me is." Narcissa allowed a small laugh.
"Can I sit?" Remus asked. Narcissa nodded.
"It's your tree." She said. Remus sat beside her and opened his book again. Narcissa caught a glimpse of the title. Potions, Charms, and Gossip. A collection of essays by Rita Skeeter.
"It's a perfectly dreadful book." Remus assured Narcissa when he caught her reading the cover. "She's some women who just started writing for various wizarding papers. I hope she doesn't get big or anything. She's an awful journalist. The only accurate part of the title is the gossip part."
"I've read a couple of her articles as well. The things she says! It's sort of angering." Remus gave Narcissa a sideways glance.
"You can get angry?" He asked.
"Of course!" Narcissa said, her face flushed. Lupin put his book on the grass and looked Narcissa right in the eyes.
"You're kind of like me, you know? Smart, quiet… sensible, which I can't say about all of my friends." Remus said this with a nod in James direction. The quaffle they were playing with earlier was now a flowerpot… a broken one at that.
"And you don't talk to very many people. Except for Lily, and sometimes one of us if we're lucky." Narcissa took a deep breath, and she felt something inside of her. How come she had never talked to Remus much? They were alike after all, weren't they? Their preference for silence, the older souls inside of them. It made Narcissa want to talk to him more. To see what else they had in common.
"You're pretty too." Remus finished.
"Wait, what?" Narcissa asked, breaking away from her inner monologue. Remus blushed.
"Do I have to say it again? I'm not a very romantic man Narcissa. And my words are few, yet meaningful. So if I talk it may be wise to listen." Remus held Narcissa's eyes and the breath she was holding in escaped.
"I like you Narcissa. You're the right kind of girl for me." Both Narcissa's jaw and her book dropped.
"Do you mean…?" Remus nodded. Narcissa turned to look at Lily who was staring back. Lily smiled as if she had planned the whole encounter herself.