Hermione smiles as the blonde walks down the stairs wearing a grey robe over her baby blue satin pyjamas. The woman is adorable when she first wakes up, smiling sleepily at Hermione and allowing herself to be guided into a chair at the small table in the kitchen. They are comfortable enough now that not a word is spoken between them until Narcissa has a cup of coffee in her hand, apart from an initially mumbled 'good morning' when she first arrives.
It amuses Hermione just how much Narcissa picks up after just a few sips, the caffeine running through her veins making her hum with satisfaction.
"Better?" she asks the woman who looks up at her sheepishly, returning Hermione's smile.
Narcissa nods, and accepts the hot toast Hermione slides in front of her on a plate.
"You're spoiling me," she halfheartedly complains. "I'll get fat."
Hermione snorts. The blonde makes the same complaint every day without fail and it's ridiculous. Narcissa could put on a stone in weight and still be considered healthy, especially if some of it is muscle.
"You take a yoga or pilates class every day and you've come running with me five times in the last week," Hermione reminds her, passing the jam across the table, with a wink. She giggles when Narcissa adds a thick layer on top of the peanut butter she has already applied, ducking her head bashfully when she sees Hermione watching.
"Running? Is that what we're calling it?" Narcissa wonders. "More like stumbling along behind you, trying not to cough up a lung."
"It gets easier. You did great yesterday. Are we running this morning?"
Narcissa looks up, shaking her head emphatically. "Absolutely not! I'm still sore from yesterday and I think I pulled a muscle in my thigh."
Hermione turns concerned eyes on her housemate. "Where does it hurt?"
Narcissa stands up and spins around, pointing to the back of her thigh. "It's really high up and feels very tight this morning. Do you know any stretches that would help?"
"The ones we do for a warm up are good for the cool down too, but I know you didn't skip those because we did them together," Hermione points out, tapping her finger against her lip thoughtfully. "Let me massage it. You'll feel better in no time."
-xXx-
Narcissa nearly chokes on her toast, eyes wide. These last two weeks have confirmed what she already knew; she has a crush on the younger woman. Well, maybe it had started that way, but two weeks of being treated with such kindness and her days being lightened by Hermione's wicked sense of humour and she has slowly felt it morph into something else. Something… more.
The thought of Hermione touching her so intimately is incredibly arousing and one look at the woman in question and it's obvious Hermione knows exactly what is running through Narcissa's mind. Brown eyes sparkle deviously, one eyebrow raised in challenge.
Not one to back down, she grins. "Are you offering me a happy ending, Hermione?" she asks coyly, as she flutters her eyelashes. She's hoping to throw the woman off her game, but Hermione just grins back and Naricssa falters.
"You couldn't handle a happy ending from me," Hermione teases. "If you think running left you breathless and aching, then that would leave you comatose."
Narcissa splutters, and Hermione's grin grows impossibly wider, looking very much like the proverbial cat that got the cream. Feeling her whole body heat up, Narcissa picks up her coffee and makes a halfhearted attempt to ignore the woman sitting across the table from her.
Hermione relents, her grin softening into a gentle smile. "In all seriousness, it will probably really help. It won't take long. Fifteen minutes should probably do it and we have time before work."
Narcissa weighs up her choices. Her thigh is really bothering her and she knows it would help, but the thought of revealing herself to the younger woman has her nervous, even without thinking of the way that she will touch her. She bobs her head up and down before she can talk herself out of it further.
"Thank you, that would be great."
"Okay. Do you want to come find me in my bedroom when you're ready? You can lie on the bed, if that's alright? It'll be quicker than getting the massage table out."
"Sure," Narcissa agrees, swallowing nervously. "I'll just finish my coffee and then I'll be up."
Narcissa tries to steady her nerves as she completes the mundane task of placing her mug and plate into the dishwasher, adding the detergent tab and hitting start to run the cycle for the day.
When she gets upstairs, she pulls up short in the doorway, mouth falling open.
"What the hell are you wearing?"
Hermione looks at her innocently, and then gazes down at the view she is giving Narcissa. She still has the vest top on that she wears with her pyjama shorts, but those she has removed, and Hermione is standing there brazenly in her underwear. Narcissa is faced with a scant piece of red lace and the long expanse of smooth skin that is Hermione's incredibly toned legs. Her mouth dries and her tongue flicks out to moisten her lips, a gesture that of course Hermione catches, much to Narcissa's dismay.
"What?" Hermione asks, with a small shrug as she has the audacity to smirk. "I don't want to get oil on my pyjama shorts. They're my favourite pair."
"And how exactly would you end up with oil on your shorts?" Narcissa demands, staring at her as she places her hands on her hips.
"It's easier if I straddle you," the brunette patiently explains. "I'll turn my back now, okay? Take off your pyjama bottoms and get on the bed. If you're shy, you can cover yourself with that." Hermione gestures to the small hand towel laying on the bed.
Narcissa silently walks over to the bed, gesturing with her finger for the woman to turn around. She strips off her pyjama bottoms and stands helplessly staring at the bed. What does she do? She's not ready to be so exposed, but she doesn't want to upset Hermione by using the towel either, considering the woman is casually sauntering around in her underwear.
"Don't overthink it," Hermione tells her gently. "Use the towel, Narcissa. It's alright."
Breathing out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding, Narcissa climbs on the bed and lays down, pulling the towel into place across her ass. "You can turn around now," she says quietly, resting her head on her arms.
The pillow smells of neroli, a scent she has only just become aware of after working at Meliora these last couple of weeks. Both Luna and Hermione have spent time teaching her about the various treatments that they offer at Meliora. Neroli is one of her favourite scents, though one that confuses her. It's sourced from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree but smells nothing like the citrus fruit itself. Still, it's become one of her favourite scents, and she tries not to acknowledge that it might just be because it's Hermione's signature fragrance.
She is pulled from her thoughts by the bed dipping down on one side, and then the soft, warm skin of Hermione's thighs resting lightly on her lower legs. The noise of a tin being unscrewed reaches her ears and then the sound of Hermione rubbing her hands together briskly.
"This is a combination of camphor, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus, clove and cinnamon. I use them in my own olive and coconut oil base, but the active ingredients are similar to Tiger Balm, if you've ever used that," Hermione informs her in the same patient manner that she explains everything to Narcissa. "It's far better to make your own so you have control over the quantities of each ingredient as well as the quality. You know exactly what goes into it."
"Why those ingredients? What do they… ah!" Naricssa squeaks when skillful hands make contact with her thighs. "What do they do?"
Hermione holds back a laugh. "Combined together they are really powerful. They have the dual sensation of being cooling but the camphor also makes it feel warm. Clove, specifically, will help with pain relief, menthol will help with inflammation, as does cinnamon."
"It smells incredible."
Narcissa relaxes as confident hands deftly work both her thighs simultaneously and she wonders what she was so worried about, until devious fingers edge higher. They work deep into her flesh and she almost moans when Hermione diligently works on the knotted muscle that has been causing her pain. The pace of her fingers slows down and it changes in an instant from functional to sensual and Narcissa wonders if Hermione is aware of what she is doing.
When Hermione's fingers skate along the crease at the top of her thighs, just dipping underneath the towel, Narcissa is mortified to feel herself get wet and squirms on the bed. Hermione's fingers run down the outside of her upper legs, across the back of her knees and then slowly drag up the inside of her thighs until they reach the place that they meet and Narcissa has to stop herself opening her legs wider in invitation. She buries her head further into the pillows using her arms to hide her now-glowing face from view.
How has this woman reduced her to a writhing pool of desire just by touching her legs? For a moment, Narcissa gets lost in thoughts of what the woman could make her feel by touching other parts of her body.
"How do you feel?" Hermione asks, interrupting her pleasant thoughts, and the blonde can hear the masked nonchalance in her voice, a slight breathlessness to her voice that isn't usually there.
Turned on is what Narcissa immediately feels like replying, but she manages to stop herself from blurting that out.
"My legs feel relaxed and tingly. The pain is much less, thank you."
Hermione hums, but doesn't stop. She keeps her touch far lighter than what can really be called a massage but Narcissa can not bring herself to mind. It feels amazing and it's been a long time since she has felt another person's hands on her in a way that isn't rough or aggressive.
"I think you're probably done," Hermione informs her, reluctance clear in her tone. "We'd better get ready for work. I'll turn around, okay?"
Narcissa gingerly gets up from the bed, and speaks quietly to the other woman's back. "Thank you. It feels much better."
Hermione doesn't turn around, and Narcissa is grateful to her for respecting her privacy as she replies, "I'll give you a full body massage one day. You'll love it, I promise."
Narcissa's mouth goes dry. She's not sure she will survive that, but she gamely croaks out her reply. "That sounds lovely. I'll… uh. I'll meet you downstairs once I've showered."
"No problem. I have to shower too."
The blonde stalks from the room with her pyjama bottoms in her hand and scurries quickly along the hallway, barely able to walk on trembling legs. There is no doubt in her mind at all what she will be doing in the shower, the other alternative just not an option. Working alongside Hermione while this turned on is just not possible.
-xXx-
Hermione notes the slightly sheepish look on Narcissa's face and the tinge of pink on her cheeks when she finally comes downstairs. Hermione knows exactly what was going through the woman's mind earlier. Narcissa is very easy to read.
When Hermione was massaging her, the subtle movements of Narcissa's body as she responded to her touch were a big giveaway. Narcissa might not be aware of it, but that doesn't change the undercurrent of attraction that has been building between them since she moved in.
Maybe she is aware, Hermione muses, watching as the woman gathers the things she needs and puts them into her bag, deliberately avoiding making eye contact. More than pleased that she has affected her this much, Hermione hides a grin, watching as Narcissa checks the mat for post, as has become her habit since moving in. She sorts through the letters and shoves them on the shelf next to the entrance and Hermione wonders who she is waiting to hear from that has her checking so diligently each morning. Narcissa is entitled to her privacy though, so she refrains from asking.
"Ready?" she asks casually, gesturing to the door.
Narcissa nods awkwardly, and walks towards her, slipping outside as Hermione walks out behind and locks up after them.
As has become routine now, Hermione passes her a helmet and they both get on the motorbike, easing out into the country lane and heading into town. Hermione pulls into the car park, just in time to see a redhead kissing Luna goodbye. The woman gives a cheery 'goodbye' and gets into a bright red sports car, pulling out silently onto the road.
"Luna Lovegood!" Hermione exclaims, after pulling off her helmet. "Were you just kissing Ginny Weasley?"
Luna's pale face flushes bright red and Hermione snickers. "How long has this been going on?"
"Um…" Luna struggles to talk and Hermione takes pity on her.
"You're not in trouble, Luna. Relax."
Luna glances at Narcissa who nods encouragingly, earning a strange look from Hermione.
"Since the first consult. We got talking when Ginny came to the reception desk to book her next appointment. She asked me out and I said yes," Luna explains. "I didn't think you'd mind, but I didn't bring it up because it's really new."
"And you knew?" Hermione asks Narcissa, who smirks.
"I walked in on them last week and it's probably a good job I did," Narcissa informs her gleefully as Luna gets even redder.
"Oh my god, what were you doing?!" Hermione demands with a giggle.
"I wasn't doing anything!" Luna offers her a wolfish smile, and it's anything but innocent.
"Oh, I don't think I want to know what she was doing to you, then," Hermione replies, immediately cottoning on to what isn't being said. "Well, good for you. It's been a while since you and Longbottom broke up."
"Longbottom?" Narcissa asks, voice breaking.
"That's right, Neville Longbottom. Such a nice guy, but we wanted different things in life. We're still good friends," Luna chatters on, not realising how pale the other blonde has gone.
"Excuse me," Narcissa whispers as she pushes past them and disappears into the building.
"What did I say?" Luna asks, turning to Hermione.
"Neville told you about his parents, didn't he? They worked at the bank and were targeted by the Death Eaters? The woman who did that is Narcissa's sister, Bellatrix."
"Shit. I'm so sorry. I didn't make the connection, though I guess it's obvious if I had stopped to think about it."
Hermione squeezes her shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Luna. It was me that mentioned his name first, anyway. Can you open up in a minute? I'm going to go and check on Narcissa."
"Sure, go. Tell her I'm sorry?"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Hermione assures her, holding the door open for them both to go inside. "I won't be long."
Hermione checks the kitchen and the storage room, but there is no sign of the woman. She goes on to check each of the four treatment studios, but she isn't there either. That only leaves one place and Hermione is glad that the woman feels comfortable to go there without permission. She doesn't need it, of course, and Hermione has lost count of the number of times she's told Narcissa to make herself at home, but she always feels like she is intruding.
Pushing the door labelled the 'Shrieking Shack' she jogs up the stairs and opens the door to the small studio flat.
"Narcissa?"
The blonde is sitting on her sofa, with bloodshot eyes and evidence of fresh tears on her cheeks. Hermione crosses the room without another word and sits down close to her, pulling the crying woman into her arms. Surprisingly, Narcissa melts against her, allowing herself to be held.
"Shush, it's okay, Narcissa. None of it was your fault."
Narcissa sniffles but doesn't reply, clinging on tightly when Hermione leans forwards to take a tissue out of the box on the table. She wordlessly hands it to the blonde in her arms and tightens her grip around the shaking woman. Time is endless… meaningless, as they sit there with their arms wrapped around each other, sharing warm breath and quiet heartbeats. Hermione hears her breathing even out and looks down to find Narcissa's eyes closed.
She lowers her gently down and places a cushion under her head. Pulling the throw off of the back of the sofa, she lays it over Narcissa and leans forward to kiss her forehead.
"You'll be okay, Narcissa. It will get easier," she promises the sleeping woman with a whisper.
Picking up a pen and a sticky note, she jots down a few words.
Narcissa,
Come down when you're ready, but there is no rush. If you'd rather go home then let me know and I'll take you on the bike. Hope you feel better when you wake up.
I've got a consult at 10am but will be free at 11am if you want to talk.
Hermione xx
-xXx-
When Narcissa wakes up she is disorientated. It's been a while since she had a breakdown like this, but she recognises the signs. Her eyes and head are aching, and the skin on her cheeks feels taut from dried tears. She brings a hand up to her forehead, when vague memories of soft lips kissing her there start to come to life.
Hermione had comforted her. She had held her in her arms and just let her cry, not asking or expecting her to talk, much to her relief. As always, she had become drained and sleep usually follows soon afterwards, but she hadn't expected that to happen here.
She spots the note on the table and smiles when she sees the kisses after Hermione's name. The woman cares about her, that much is clear. She gets up and heads to the fridge, helping herself to a glass of water as she stares out the window at the view over Hogsmeade.
It occurs to her that maybe she should feel embarrassed, but she dismisses that thought quickly. She knows from Draco that Hermione sometimes has panic attacks. If there is anyone that will understand her emotional outburst, then it's her. She comforted her and made her feel safe, and without asking, Hermione had understood what she needed.
She uses the small bathroom and freshens up before making her way back downstairs again with a warmth in her chest as she seeks out the brunette.
-xXx-
Hermione hears footsteps padding closer and readies a smile as Narcissa walks in through the door.
"How are you feeling now?" she asks gently, patting the seat beside her on the sofa in invitation.
"Better, thank you. I'm so sorry," Narcissa apologises as she takes the seat next to Hermione.
"No apology needed," Hermione tells her firmly. "Think of it as your initiation. I can't tell you how many times Luna or I have cried since we started working together."
"Really?"
Hermione smiles and Narcissa rolls her eyes when it's apparent this has evolved into a teaching moment. Sure enough, the tone of Hermione's voice changes and becomes more serious.
"Emotions are only damaging if you keep them wrapped up inside. It doesn't matter how you release them, but it's important that you do. If you keep them inside they will cause damage to your body and can even lead to disease."
"How else can you release them, if not by crying?" Narcissa asks curiously. If there is one thing she loathes, it's losing control.
Hermione hums. "There are lots of ways, but for me there are four things I like to do. Crying is obviously a good release. I also find focused meditation really helps me as long as I stay on top of it. Not so good for when you need immediate help. Well, not for me. I'm not disciplined enough in the moment."
"Crying and Meditation?" Narcissa confirms with a small grin, ticking them off her fingers. "What are the other two?"
Narcissa sees the mischief in the brunette's eyes before she even speaks. "I like to run, or do anything active, really. Mostly though, I like to have sex. Good sex is a fantastic release. You should try it sometime," Hermione suggests, eyes twinkling.
Narcissa narrows her eyes, lips threatening to curl up at the corners. "Are you propositioning me, Hermione?"
"Do you want me to?" Hermione asks, winking at her and laughing when Narcissa averts her eyes, a flash of heat rising instantly to her cheeks.
"If I wanted you to, you would know it," Narcissa replies, lifting her gaze again. She's grinning openly now, and Hermione feels a small flutter in her chest at the way her eyes are sparkling.
"Ooh, I'll look forward to that, then," Hermione jokes as she stands up. "Want to help me put a tincture together? My next client has insomnia."
Narcissa jumps up so enthusiastically that Hermione laughs. The woman is fascinated by the range of herbal remedies that they offer at Meliora, and is planning to start one of the classes offered at the local college to become certified in herbal medicine. It's something Hermione wholeheartedly supports, and she's happy to be even a tiny part of the change in Narcissa's outlook since they met.
"Yes, please."
Hermione takes her to the Slytherin Suite, or what she jokingly calls the Potions Lab.
"Why do all the rooms have weird names?" Narcissa asks curiously. "And what's with the seemingly random animals on each door?"
"I read it once in a children's book. It was about a bunch of kids in boarding school and the houses were all named different things and represented different strengths. I can't remember what they all meant now, but I do remember the animals that were assigned to each house and I liked it."
"Lions, snakes, ravens and badgers? That's a strange combination."
"Yeah, but the books were amazing and the kids had all kinds of adventures. I guess I like that a little bit of my childhood exists here, you know?" Hermione explains.
Narcissa scrutinises her, and Hermione knows that she can see straight past the forced smile she's wearing.
"These books are really important to you, aren't they?" Narcissa probes gently, and Hermione is grateful that she doesn't push too hard.
She nods sadly and for once doesn't hide behind the mask she wears whenever this subject comes up, allowing Narcissa to briefly see her pain.
"Yeah, they really are," Hermione replies softly. "My Mum used to read them to me before bed. I can still hear her voice when I close my eyes at night, even though her face started to fade in my memories a long time ago."
Narcissa takes her by surprise, pulling her into a tight hug, and Hermione doesn't hesitate, wrapping her arms around her too. They stand there for a moment before pulling apart, not a word spoken between them. Hermione raises a hand and cups the blonde's face, stroking her thumb against the skin of her cheek, hoping her eyes reflect her gratitude for the comfort.
Working in silence, with the exception of a few instructions from Hermione, Narcissa measures out the various liquids, combining them into one and then labels it neatly.
"There, what next?" she asks, a proud smile on her face as she passes the bottle to Hermione.
"Well, I don't mind covering the front desk if you want to slip into Luna's yoga class?" Hermione offers, glancing at the clock.
"You really don't mind?" Narcissa checks, already smiling.
"Once you've been doing it for longer, you'll be able to practise alone, like I do. For now though, it's important to learn with an instructor and Luna's brilliant. Fay and Shahana have both booked in, so if you want to go for a coffee with them afterwards, feel free."
Their friendship is very new, but Hermione wants to encourage it as much as possible. Fay and Shahana are an incredible couple, and Narcissa needs friends outside of her home and work life. Hermione willingly admits to herself that she misses the woman when she is not around. Still, it's healthy for Narcissa to get to know other people, so she smiles reassuringly.
"Thank you." Narcissa kisses her cheek as she leaves and then spins back around with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did that."
"It's fine," Hermione waves her off. "It's been an emotionally charged day so far."
"If you're sure," Narcissa replies uncertainly, staring at Hermione for a moment, before slipping out of the door.
Hermione lets out a breath, and touches her cheek, the ghost of Narcissa's lips still lingering. She really needs to get a handle on the feelings that are swirling around in her heart. Narcissa has somehow, impossibly, become a close friend and she won't lose that by asking for more.