The only chance, invisible and barely noticeable.
No no! Not to fix, but to be in time for something important.
He slides like a shadow through the bars of iron cages,
He will be able to warm his heart, easily profitable.
You will believe in him and you will break the dumb barriers.
I don't care if a worthless life can come at a cost.
After all, life without him is part of a personal hell,
Where day by day you are rapidly falling down.
Let it be given to you by fate only for the evening,
Let it be nothing more than a farce played out by someone,
Let the world inevitably turn upside down ...
The worst thing is not being able to take a chance.
Oh, how difficult it was!
Up to this point, Narcissa Black did not realize how difficult it was to get to the transfiguration room and meet as few familiar faces as possible. Just a couple of corridors, and during this short time Narcissa managed to face, it seems, with the entire sixth year of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"And why can't they sit in their living rooms? It was still not enough for someone to tell Lucius that instead of studying with Snape, she was walking briskly into the transfiguration room. "
"Hi," Narcissa nodded to another acquaintance and turned into the last saving corridor. Immediately she had to stop in surprise, because an interesting couple was talking around the corner. Narcissa had never noticed them together before. Remus Lupine himself, with a very embarrassed expression on his face, was quietly answering the question of ... Frida Zabini. When he saw Narcissa, he stared at her. This made Frida turn around and glare at the Slytherin too. Narcissa nodded to both. What else could she do in this situation? Frida raised her eyebrows in amazement, Lupine nodded behind her in the direction of the study. Narcissa understood everything and continued on her way. Zabini's surprised voice came from behind her:
"What do you have in common with Black?"
And the quiet answer:
"Nothing. What makes you think that we have something in common?"
"She said hello."
"Give it up, for sure - with you."
What Frida replied to this, Narcissa did not hear, because she quickly slipped into the office and closed the door. Her heart was pounding like crazy. She risked, took a terrible risk, but otherwise she simply could not. She needed to find out what happened to Sirius by all means. The girl took a deep breath and began pacing nervously around the office.
"I wonder what Lupine and Frida can have in common? This is really a question. How much can you talk ?!" The girl looked at her watch irritably: 14:05.
The door creaked, making her flinch. Lupine appeared in the doorway. He entered, casting a locking spell on the door. Narcissa watched his actions in surprise.
"I have a foreclosure here, so no one else seems to have to come. Sorry for being late."
He quickly crossed the room and dropped his backpack on the nearest desk.
"Well?" Narcissa said impatiently.
Lupine looked at her closely and took a deep breath.
"Yes, stop scaring me!" the girl could not stand it. "What, veritas to impose on you?"
Lupine looked down and said quietly:
"Sirius is in the infirmary."
A sharp breath escaped from Narcissa's chest.
"And? What? What's with him?"
"He had an accident," Lupine said, still staring at the floor, "don't ask what exactly. Madam Pomfrey promised that he would be well by the end of the week."
"To the end of the week?" Narcissa gasped in horror
"Yes, so don't worry. Praise Merlin, nothing serious."
Narcissa sat down, exhausted, on the nearest desk. A wave of relief from the fact that he was alive was overwhelmed by a wave of despair. Week. Recently, for the girl, this period of time has become a lifetime. And again life without him. Desperately wanted to cry. But the always restrained Narcissa Black could not afford such a luxury. Emotions are for mere mortals, not for her.
The girl took a deep breath and looked at Lupine, once again amazed today at how bad he looked. Dark circles under the eyes, elusive gaze, cautious movements. For the first time she thought that he was also a person and that he might have his own problems, worries, misfortunes.
"What happened to you?" the girl asked unexpectedly.
The question made him flinch and raise his head.
"Nothing. Where did you get it?"
"Come on. You look like you've been beaten for a couple of days without stopping. Has this something to do with Sirius?"
It would be better if she did not say this rash phrase. Always so calm and levelheaded, Remus Lupine suddenly rose and shouted:
"Yes! Connected! It's my fault for what happened to Sirius! Only me! Happy?"
He shouted it out so furiously, as if in fact he believed her to be responsible for all his misfortunes.
Narcissa jumped in surprise. She looked in amazement at how the gray-green eyes filled with pain and some kind of dull hopelessness. Now he was strikingly reminiscent of a hunted beast trapped in a trap, and it was so frightening. Outbursts of anger and irritation were inherent in Sirius or Potter, as far as Narcissa could judge from her observations. But she never expected this from this always calm young man. What's going on with him?
Lupine, pulling himself together, took a step back and turned away sharply. Sighing several times, he quietly said:
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. This is ..."
"What are you doing to yourself, boys?" Narcissa's quiet voice made him look around. The girl looked into space and suddenly suddenly turned around, dumbfounded him with a question:
"May I help you somehow?"
After this phrase, Lupine wanted to laugh hysterically. Firstly, no one would have believed that the cold and indifferent Narcissa Black could offer help so sincerely, and secondly ... Her life was going to hell right before our eyes. Who would help her herself ... but she ...
Lupine looked into the gray eyes and was once again amazed at the endurance of this fragile girl. The life of the young man himself was terrible and irreversible, but already familiar and predictable. But what was in store for Narcissa, no one would undertake to predict. But a calm gaze met him. If she was afraid, she was damn good at hiding it.
"Thank you," Lupine said sincerely, "but unfortunately there is nothing you can do to help me."
"Do you really feel guilty about the Sirius accident?"
Lupine nodded sharply. He could not tell the truth, but she seemed to be able to perceive his emotions and desperate rushes.
"Have you visited Sirius?"
The question took him by surprise. The young man shook his head and after a short pause added quietly:
"They won't let him in."
"You're afraid," the girl stated confidently, "I don't believe you couldn't get through if you wanted to."
"No! That is, yes!"! The Gryffindor finally surrendered.
"Stupid!" Narcissa responded, "Important steps cannot be postponed. It may be too late."
"I'm not sure if Sirius would want to see me," Lupine finally spoke out loud that had made it difficult for him to breathe for two long days.
For some reason, it turned out to be much easier to say this to Narcissa Black than to James, Lily, Peter. Is it strange? No, that's right.
"Nonsense!" Narcissa said confidently. "Sirius is your friend. He will never turn his back on you. You know, from all your company, he always spoke of you in a special way."
"No, they're closer to Jim."
"Potter is a partner in madness and reckless antics. And you ... Sometimes your presence did not allow Sirius to step over any framework. Not always, of course, but quite often. He once said that if it were not for you, then conscience would have taken him apart long ago into a bunch of little Sirius Blacks. He can't be mad at you. He needs you. "
Remus Lupine stared in shock at the blonde-haired girl in Slytherin uniform. My head was spinning.
"I never thought ..." he managed with difficulty.
"Of course, this, in my opinion, is not at all typical for men," Narcissa remarked cheerfully, "and, naturally, Sirius will never tell you about it aloud. Consider that I did it for him."
"Thank you," Lupine said quietly.
Narcissa noted that the hauntedness in his gaze had disappeared somewhere. Uncertainty remained, but it was no longer so frightening.
"I have to get to the infirmary," returned to Narcissus's main question.
"Not!" Lupine regained control, and his usual judgment returned to him. "How do you imagine that? They really won't let him. And imagine what Malfoy will do to you and Sirius if he finds out?"
"Why are you all in agreement?!" Narcissa cried out furiously.
"Nobody conspired. It's just that when it comes to Sirius, you completely lose your sense of reality. Think what your impulse can lead to."
Narcissa looked at the floor. Lupine is right, but what to do? He's there all alone and ...
"Rem, please come up with something," such a sudden address by name and a pleading tone made my heart flutter.
"Write a note," the young man sighed resignedly.
It was a bit different from what she had expected, but still ... The girl jumped off the desk and looked at Lupine in bewilderment.
"I took my backpack to my bedroom before dinner."
He smiled and pulled his things closer. The lace of the backpack turned out to be tied into a knot and did not want to give in, especially when trying to untie it with one hand. The other hand still bothered the young man.
"Let me help!" Narcissa suggested impatiently after watching him suffer for a couple of minutes. The girl came closer and began to deftly unravel the tightened knot with graceful fingers. Her loose hair almost touched the boy's face. It was just that the backpack remained in his lap, and Narcissa did not pay attention to how close she had come. A concentrated face, a slightly furrowed forehead, a nervously bitten lower lip. Breathing in the light scent of her perfume, Remus Lupine was once again surprised at the injustice. How can such an unearthly creature be given into the clutches of this tough person? Even if Malfoy didn't hurt her, which was unlikely in itself, he could never make her happy. After a few short conversations with this girl, Lupine clearly understood that expensive jewelry and a luxurious house could never be the criterion of Narcissa Black's happiness. Not! He remembered the picture, looking at which he had found the Tramp not so long ago.
A young girl stands on the shore of the lake and, with a happy smile, makes merry faces into the lens. Her amazing hair flutters in the wind. The hem of the dress is torn, and on the knee there is a somehow glued plaster: a crooked, incomprehensible color. For some reason she is barefoot. But all these little things are barely noticeable. Everything is overshadowed by a bright happy smile. Looking at her, it seems that nothing terrible in our stupid world simply can happen until this smile goes out. A young girl ... A messenger of joy and goodness.
Lupine had never seen Narcissa Black like this. Sirius did. Remus that day, more than ever, understood his friend's affection. She was the most extraordinary girl who could ever be born. And Lupine had never seen anything more beautiful than this simple photographic picture. The secret was simple: Sirius Black saw her so amazingly beautiful and so carefree happy. The magic of love ... The solution to the essence of Narcissa Black was simple. Only a young man who looked through the lens of his camera that summer day could make her happy. No money, no dress ... Only him.
Lupine lifted his head and met his intent gaze. It turns out that the fight with the strings was over, and Narcissa had been looking at him impatiently for some time now, waiting for further action. Remus Lupine blinked to stop the hypnotic effects of those eyes and looked down at his backpack in embarrassment. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the girl was rolling impatiently from toe to heel. He began frantically rummaging through his backpack. Finally, writing materials were brought to light: a piece of parchment, a quill and an inkwell. Narcissa quickly grabbed them and settled at the nearest desk. Lupine smiled involuntarily at this impetuosity. How different she could be: cold and restrained, impulsive and impetuous, caustic and cruel, sensitive and touching. For some reason it seemed that in the conditions of her future life, one part of her nature would disappear, dissolve in dogmas and prejudices. It was insanely sorry.
Narcissa lifted her head and met his attentive gaze.
"Sorry, I forgot to say thank you," she smiled shyly.
Lupine smiled back and just waved his hand.
Narcissa lowered her head and stared at the parchment.
She wanted to write so much. To say, finally, how much she loves, how much he is needed, how important his presence is for her this last week, how ...
The girl dipped her pen into the inkwell, and neat lines lay on a blank sheet of parchment:
"Hello.
Get well soon, please.
I'm really looking forward to you.
I".
Narcissa looked at her art and grinned. Yeah! She told me everything she wanted. It was all wrong and wrong. It was just that it was important for her to see his eyes when she told him everything that burns the soul so much. No, she will say herself: with her lips, hands, heart. This should not be conveyed by a faceless note.
The girl raised her head and looked at Lupine.
"It so-so happened. The rest I hope to say when we meet."
Lupine sighed. At that moment he envied Sirius. Common sense dictated that there was nothing to envy, but his heart refused to listen to him. In front of him sat an amazing girl who ... loved. This was visible to the naked eye. For Remus Lupin himself, the path to this kingdom was closed in early childhood. The terrible fangs of the werewolf covered him once and for all. The young man knew that he was destined to live a loner. This means: no one will ever love, there will be no family. Hogwarts gave him friends, and Lupine was grateful with all his heart. All this seemed to the young boys a funny adventure. But the older Remus Lupine got, the more clearly he understood his alienation and dissimilarity. Love is faith. And no one can believe him. Remus still remembered the horror in Lily Evans's eyes when she accidentally overheard him and Jim's conversation and realized who he really was. Then Lily just ran away. It took her a while to accept. But still she is an extraordinary girl, because later she found the courage to understand Remus and tried with all her might to draw him into a normal life. Sometimes it seemed to Lupine that she cares about him even more than about Jim. But it only seemed to be. Lily had a huge heart for everyone, except for the girl who is now sitting opposite the head of Gryffindor.
Lily hated Narcissa Black. She refused to understand Sirius. And Lupine understood very well. No, he could not say that he was in love with Narcissa. He shouldn't have this feeling. He got used to it. He just envied Sirius when he realized that this contradictory heart beats only for him, for him and for him. Lupine was aware that this love would not bring anything good either to his friend or to this girl. There is nothing to envy - they take away the most important thing, a particle of themselves. But he was jealous. Because, although in the past, they had something most important, and he will never have it.
Lupine sighed as he looked at Narcissa, jumped off the desk and took the outstretched piece of paper from her hand.
"Sirius will be very happy."
Narcissa smiled.
"A week. Why am I so unlucky?"
Lupine didn't understand the question, but shrugged just in case.
Narcissa handed him a quill and inkwell.
"Thank you for everything."
"Please. If I could help you ..."
Narcissa smiled again and headed for the exit. Removing the locking spell, she turned around:
"You are a very good person, Remus. Always remember that."
With these words, the girl left the office. Lupine stared at the closed door for a moment. She said it. A few simple words, and the stone on the heart has lost some of its weight.
Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday.
Faceless days alike. Boring lessons in which the professors try in vain to grab her attention. After them - lunch, at which, contrary to common sense, she periodically glances at the opposite table in the mad hope that right now the place next to James Potter will be taken. Lessons. Sitting in the evenings in Lucius's room. Strange, incomprehensible. They hardly speak. He goes to bed with a textbook on some subject, she tries to do her homework sitting at his desk.
Whispering in the living room every time she appears ... Belinda's stupid questions from the series "So how?" ...
Everything is annoying and angry. She would like to get a magic wand and cast a couple of spells on everyone so that they disappear, dissolve. She doesn't seem to live for these few days. The expectation of the inevitable makes the heart squeeze. But the heavier the soul, the calmer her features. During these few days, she seems to be covered with an opaque mask of calmness and indifference. Young Narcissa Black conducts a dress rehearsal for her entire subsequent life.
Friday. Narcissa went down to the living room. She did not want to go anywhere and slowly but surely she was covered with complete apathy for everything that was happening. And if the morning didn't start well anyway, then Belinda McNair's hail spoiled it completely. Narcissa turned around resignedly and began to indifferently listen to lectures on the topic "How could you leave without me? Do you think I want to trudge to breakfast alone? Girlfriends don't do that ... ". The thought flashed - to ask who Belinda understands by the word "friend", but Narcissa was too lazy. She didn't want to get into a skirmish. Leaving the living room, the girl bumped into Lucius Malfoy. It was already beginning to seem like some kind of rock. Or is he just following her?
"Hi," he greeted cheerfully.
"Hi," Narcissa tried to make her voice more cheerful and noted to herself that Belinda's greeting was more sincere. She'll have to work on myself.
Lucius nodded lazily to Belinda and held out his hand to put his arms around Narcissa's waist. The girl was surprised to find that this was already becoming a familiar gesture. It's only the beginning…
The three of them headed off to breakfast. Belinda, who has never hidden her sympathy for Lucius, began to elicit his opinion about Slytherin's chances of winning the Quidditch Cup this year. Narcissa sluggishly thought that she had not noticed the love of sports behind her "friend". Yes! You need to learn to be as flexible. While carrying on a conversation that Narcissa did not understand, the three Slytherins turned into another corridor, and Narcissa stumbled because Lucius, who was hugging her, stopped abruptly. The girl looked up in surprise and saw his tense profile. Narcissa followed his gaze. Fred Zabini stood about five meters away, leaning on a wide window sill on either side of the girl sitting on it. He was furiously proving something. But Lucius stopped, of course, not because of Fred. Narcissa turned her gaze to the groom. He had already managed to pull himself together and slowly moved forward. Only the suddenly tightening hand at Narcissa's waist betrayed his feelings. However, he only released the girl when they caught up with the Zabini twins. Frida raised her eyes and, looking at her face, Fred turned sharply. A slight awkwardness, and Fred held out his hand to Lucius for a greeting. Lucius let go of Narcissa's waist and gripped the outstretched hand tightly. Then he turned to Frida and said in an even voice:
"Good morning!"
"Good!" the girl answered and looked at Narcissa.
"Hello," Narcissa said, desperate to understand the meaning of Frida's gaze.
"What can you have in common with Black?" inopportunely recalled the question addressed to Remus Lupine at the beginning of this hateful week.
"Hello," Frida answered easily, never giving Narcissa a chance to guess.
"Well, we're going to have breakfast." Lucius Malfoy broke the awkward pause.
"And we are already," Fred responded.
It was reminiscent of a highly intellectual conversation among patients at the St. Mungo's Clinic, and the department of the mentally ill. Narcissa stepped forward decisively and, nodding goodbye to Fred, interrupted this "meaningful" conversation. After a couple of steps Belinda caught up with her, and a second later Lucius wedged in between them, hugging Narcissa again around the waist. His fingers dug hard into his ribs. Narcissa barely had time to think that it was worth reminding him that he hardly needed a crippled wife, when ... Sirius Black came out of the door of the main hall, to which they had time to reach.
Her heart made an unthinkable somersault in my chest, hitting my ribs painfully. Or was it just Lucius squeezing his fingers even tighter? How she was waiting for this moment, how she dreamed of seeing it sooner. Native! Beloved! Narcissa tried her best not to cry from boundless tenderness and relief. He looked not quite healthy: pale, dark shadows under his eyes. The girl's heart sank. She would give everything in the world for the opportunity to throw herself on his neck now and again feel the familiar warmth of her hands, such a familiar smell: fresh foliage and the sea breeze. Sirius raised his head and stopped. His gaze barely flickered over Lucius Malfoy and settled on her. The eyes attracted, attracted, tried to say something. Narcissa swallowed. It seemed to her that an eternity had passed. In fact, only a couple of seconds. It's just wise time stopped for two desperately pounding hearts. James Potter slammed into Sirius who had stopped in the doorway, forcing him to swing forward and grab the doorframe in an effort to maintain balance. The moment collapsed. The world around was filled with faces and sounds. Potter's confused face, the pain in his ribs from the fingers squeezing her ...
"Hello," Sirius said with his lips.
The crowd of students made him finally budge.
The girl quietly replied:
"Hello!"
She wanted to say so much with this short word. He understood. The stream of students spread them in different directions. It turned out that in those few seconds they managed to create a traffic jam in both directions. Indifferent, indifferent students, hurrying some for breakfast, some for lessons, mercilessly broke the fragile connection of views and feelings.
Narcissa entered the main hall and thought that Lucius would just kill her now. After all, he warned that he would not tolerate making a fool of himself. To her surprise, as soon as they went inside, he let her go. Sitting down in her seat, Narcissa thought something was wrong. A glance at the young man confirmed the fears. He looked gloomily at his plate and did not notice anything around. After sitting like this for a couple of minutes, Lucius stood up abruptly and, having informed him that he had to go, quickly walked to the exit. Narcissa watched him go and looked at the Gryffindor table. Remus Lupine was sitting in his place, smearing breakfast on a plate, stubbornly refusing to dialogue with Lily Evans.
Sensing someone's gaze, Lily lifted her head and looked at Narcissa with dislike. She gave her an equally welcoming look and looked back at Lupine. He finally looked up. Their eyes met. It seemed to Narcissa that Lupine was now in desperate need of support. It was as if he could not decide on something, and Lily's lectures did not add to his courage. A haunted look ... Narcissa looked into his eyes and smiled.
The girl remembered a recent conversation and realized that he also remembered it. Narcissa nodded confidently. Lupine looked at her hopefully. Narcissa nodded again. It doesn't matter that she didn't know what was in store for her in a few days. Now she tried to look as confident as possible and share some of her confidence with Lupine. The young man smiled a little and put the spoon on the table. It was already a different person. Narcissa knew he was making up his mind. Remus Lupine got up and walked quickly to the exit. Narcissa watched him go and looked at Lily. Green eyes threw lightning. Narcissa smiled a victorious smile. She's stronger. She has something that will never be in this vaunted Gryffindor. A steel rod that will not allow her to break even in the most terrible moments of her future life. She will stand, she can. And she will also reward her only son with the gift of this inner strength. But all this will come later. Now Narcissa just grinned and turned to Belinda, who had been asking insistently for five minutes.
Sirius Black was confused. He knew, of course, that he would certainly meet Narcissa at breakfast. But breakfast passed and she never showed up. Sirius barely had time to relax when ... How beautiful she was. His little beloved girl. Her unearthly beauty was not spoiled even by this parody of a man, digging into her waist. Although at the sight of this picture there was a distinct desire to break his head off. Sirius had been trying to recover for several minutes. He told Sokhatom that he would catch up, and for quite a long time he himself had been staring unseeingly at the blizzard outside the window. Something strange in her gaze did not give rest in any way. What has changed since their last conversation? Then she said that she did not want to change anything. And today ... Sirius bent down and pressed his forehead against the cold glass. Not even an hour had passed since he left the infirmary, and he was already so tired. No, the injuries did not bother me anymore. There have been worse. It's just that this short period of time turned out to be difficult.
Lily tried hard to envelop him in a cocoon of care, but today it was somehow annoying. Not! He loved and appreciated Lily very much. She was a wonderful friend. Only an unwelcome thought sharpened my brain with a malicious worm: if not for her instructions all these three months, everything could have been different. Not that he blames Lily ... He has his own head on his shoulders. But only when you are sixteen, and the world is crumbling before our eyes, I really want to hear someone's advice and cowardly shift the responsibility for your actions onto other people's shoulders. This time that someone was Lily. Sirius could not help himself, irritation tugged at his soul.
And also the Sleepwalker. Sirius winced. He understood what it was like for Lupine now, but he just couldn't find the strength to come up and talk. But I've been preparing this conversation all week. Some casual jokes and light phrases designed to prove that he does not blame his friend at all and has long forgotten everything. Yeah. Forget it here when you wake up in cold sweat for several nights in a row from the sight of terrible fangs a few millimeters from your face. We need to talk. But how? Today he nodded faintly to everyone sitting at the table, but throughout the breakfast he talked only with Sokhaty. Lupine stared blankly at his plate, something squeezing in his soul. But he didn't turn and didn't speak. Heck!
"Hello!" a quiet familiar voice made me turn around.
Remus Lupine seemed to materialize from his thoughts. Haunted, with a painful gleam in his eyes, he nervously fiddled with the sleeve of his robes.
"Hello!" Sirius tried to smile.
"Glad you're getting better," Lupine shrugged his shoulder awkwardly.
"Yeah. Me too."
Everything went wrong. Where did the rehearsed jokes go? In Lupin's eyes, something slowly and uncontrollably melted away. With a catastrophic speed, the confidence conveyed by Narcissa Black's gaze evaporated.
Lupine nodded for some reason and said:
"Well, okay, I am ..."
He turned and walked quickly away.
"Stop," Sirius shouted.
A resounding voice echoed off the high walls. Lupine turned sharply.
"Wait,"! Sirius took a step forward, "well, I wanted to say that this is all nonsense."
Sirius gestured around something invisible.
"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have. I knew everything perfectly well."
He felt that he was not speaking very convincingly and coherently, but nothing else now simply did not occur to him.
Lupine walked slowly over and looked straight into the eyes. The eyes are gray-green. When he transformed, they did not change color, only expression. Sirius shook his head, driving away the memory of the last contemplation of those eyes in close proximity.
"No, Sirius, I'm dangerous. And I understand everything perfectly. I'm not eleven anymore. I know I can never ..."
"Don't even think about it!" Sirius interrupted sharply. "You can do anything. Got it? Dangerous, you say? Show at least one who, with a magic wand and a dozen spells at hand, is not dangerous. An accident can happen to anyone. We have been together for almost six years, and this is the first time it happened. How many times have each of us been in the infirmary during these six years? Eh? Everything that happened happened through my fault. Is that clear? I did a foolish thing and paid for it.
Lupine all this time did not take his eyes off his friend's face. A wave of relief and gratitude swept through him. Narcissa was right. Sirius needs him the way he is. He really said it differently from Narcissa. Still, girls are wiser. Lupine smiled faintly.
"Thanks for the note, Prong handed it over," Sirius smiled back.
"I should have carried it myself, but I was afraid," Lupine admitted.
"In vain," Sirius pushed his fist in the shoulder.
Lupine repeated his gesture, and then they tightly intertwined their right arms, and with their left they embraced like a brother. Something was imperceptibly getting better. It gave ... Hope.
Narcissa tried to delve into Belinda's question.
"What will you wear to the ball?"
"To the ball?" asked Narcissa.
"Oh Merlin! There's a ball tomorrow, and she forgot. Are you crazy? Going to the ball with one of the prettiest guys in school and doesn't remember it. Lucius invited you?"
The girl nodded automatically, thinking to herself that Lucius hadn't considered it necessary to invite her. Apparently, their joint campaign was already supposed, so he did not waste time and energy. Ball! Tomorrow! Here it is!
Narcissa turned to Belinda.
"Yes, my dress is already sewn. Who are you going with?" she wanted to divert the conversation from her person.
"Yes, I have a few suggestions, so I'm still deciding. By the way, did you see how Sirius Black fell into a stupor today when he saw us?" Belinda smiled slyly, puzzling Narcissa. "What a shame that he ended up in Gryffindor. Eh! And I still can't understand what he found in this chicken he has been hanging around with for the past few weeks. So he will probably go to the ball with her."
Belinda sighed again. Narcissa looked at her and wondered why she had never noticed Belinda's interest in Sirius? Perhaps Belinda hid it before, drawing attention to the fact that Sirius and Narcissa were communicating. Now she was clearly upset about Sirius going to the ball with some girl. Narcissa smiled again. She didn't care who Sirius was coming to the ball with. She firmly decided that he would leave with her. The girl did not know how she could do it, but in the end she was sure. She can. For the sake of her plan, she can do a lot. There is Severus and Lupine. She will think of something. Narcissa glanced back at Snape, who was just then leaving the room. She's not alone, after all.
Severus Snape wandered down the hallway towards the Slytherin dungeon for textbooks. The mood was not good. Tomorrow is a stupid school ball, and, as usual, he has no one to go with. More ridicule. No, it's better to stay in the room and read or sleep. With these thoughts, he turned the corner and saw a touching scene of fraternization between Sirius Black and Remus Lupine. Snape personally had no complaints about Lupine. He, on the contrary, periodically acted as a stopper for Potter and Black, more than once saving Snape from even greater humiliation. But who is to blame that he was now embracing the hated Gryffindor so touchingly? The Slytherin could not pass up such an opportunity.
There is a short flash, and Black and Lupine's hands are glued to each other tightly. The guys jerked in different directions, trying to understand what happened. Lupine was the first to realize:
"Curse. Damn. Tramp, don't twitch. It won't help."
Black desperately looked around and muttered something furiously. Lupine snorted with laughter.
Snape stepped out of the shadows, enjoying his triumph.
"Touching, damn it," he said with feeling. "Straight hand does not rise to deprive others of such a spectacle."
He grinned disgustingly and walked past a nervously laughing Lupine and a frantically rushing Black.
"Snape, this is the last conscious act of your life!" growled Black in pursuit.
"Frightened! Free yourself first. " The Slytherin quickly turned the corner. A flash of light reached his peripheral vision. Someone freed the damned Gryffindors.
"Compassionate, your mother! As for the bedroom, you can go for a run, and go to school decorously in a crowd of classmates. Fortunately, there are no joint lessons today ".
With these thoughts, Snape darted from his place, urged on by the stamping of feet from the next corridor.
Lucius Malfoy walked slowly through the grounds of Hogwarts. The blizzard threw cold needles of snow in the face, and the icy wind blew to the bone. But the seventeen-year-old boy did not feel any of this. He relived the short meeting before breakfast over and over again. Frida, so beautiful, so gentle, so distant ... Lucius stopped and raised his head up. The sky threw a handful of snow in my face. Gray indifferent sky. Lucius remembered meeting Black. It was necessary to put Narcissa in her place, she should not be allowed not only to say hello, even to look in the direction of this upstart. But in the morning he did not have enough strength. The last effort was to look calm in her presence.
The ringing of the bell made Lucius flinch. The young man looked up from his thoughts and realized that he was actually going to herbal medicine. Something has changed in the schedule today. He noticed this in the morning. Lucius headed for the greenhouses. Herbalism has traditionally been carried out in conjunction with Hufflepuff. You can relax and even make fun of someone. Not Gryffindor, of course, will not answer with dignity, but sometimes he wanted to be rude with impunity.
Lucius entered the greenhouse and noticed that in the back room, where the Slytherin uniform was located, his robe was hanging alone. No wonder. Everyone has been in class for a long time. The young man put on a canvas robe over his school robes and, putting on a charming smile on his face, which was supposed to atone for his lateness in Madame Sprout's eyes, he stepped into the classroom.
As expected, everything went smoothly. He was scolded a little, but not even taken off points. Lucius knew how to be charming when he wanted to. He smiled again at the instructor as he stepped to his usual seat at the edge of the huge table. He looked at the plants in front of the students and tried to delve into the teacher's explanations. Distracted by the movement opposite. Lucius looked up at the Hufflepuffs and froze. Fred Zabini stood opposite him with a very tense look. Lucius was taken aback. Why would Fred be there, and not next to him? But shifting his gaze to Fred's neighbor, Lucius swallowed. The Ravenclaw national team goalkeeper listened attentively to Madame Sprout's explanations. Ravenclaw? Lucius glanced at the students opposite. Exactly! Belatedly, the notes in the schedule came up in my memory. In front of him were Ravenclaws, indeed, interspersed with Slytherins. Apparently, who got up how. Lucius swallowed nervously and squinted at his neighbor. So he relaxed. His heart sank somewhere in the stomach area, as soon as he saw Frida Zabini's thin fingers, nervously tapping out a rhythm on the surface of the table.
Lucius turned slowly and met her eyes.
"Hello," he breathed out dully.
"Hi," the girl agreed.
"What are we doing?"
"We are going to separate the cuttings from the Tricolor Gargle," Frida enlightened.
"Ah," Lucius drawled, taking nothing out of the explanation.
"And now pair up with a neighbor and take a tub with a plant. We all go to greenhouse number twelve, and there, at the prepared workplaces, we proceed to the task."
"We are neighbours?" Lucius asked.
"Apparently," Frida shrugged. "And this is kind of our tub."
She pointed to a wooden container with an unpresentable plant.
Lucius nodded and, throwing his backpack behind him, lifted the tub. After taking a couple of steps towards the exit, he felt the strap of his backpack slide off. An attempt to throw it back with a movement of the shoulders failed.
"Wait," Frida's voice came from behind.
Lucius paused obediently. She caught up with him and straightened the slipping backpack.
"Thank."
She nodded back. Lucius slowed down in the doorway, letting the girl go ahead, and collided with Fred. He was, it seems, terribly dissatisfied with this alignment, but refrained from objections. And he did the right thing. Otherwise, Lucius could not vouch for the outcome of the "conversation."
Entering greenhouse number twelve, he saw Frida at the farthest end of the room. Lucius made his way to her and lowered the tub to the floor between the two rubber mats for the students. Frida was already on her knees and busily laying out some tools. Lucius tossed his backpack aside and knelt in front of him.
They began to work in silence. Moreover, Frida deftly raked the ground with her brightly-gloved hands, then carefully cut off the stalk from the plant and put it in a bowl provided by Lucius. The cuttings all the time strove to jump out, and the young man tried as quickly as possible to cover the bowl with his palm in the same glove.
"You're doing great," he said.
"Yeah. Herbalism has always been easy for me."
"Unlike me."
"Unlike you. Plants need to be loved. You lack love."
"You're right," Lucius stared at her. "I miss love."
"Bring the secateurs, please. The bigger one."
Lucius held out what she asked for and, unable to resist, squeezed her fingers. It was as if an electric shock.
"Lucius, don't," the girl asked.
"Why?" he asked gloomily.
"You just don't need it, that's all."
"Whatever you say," the youth answered coldly.
"Don't be offended. You're just acting like an egoist. Do you think it's all easy for me?"
"Do you think this is easy for me?" Lucius violently slammed the bowl to the ground and crushed the lid against the emerging cuttings.
"Mr. Malfoy, be careful," Madame Sprout called out immediately.
Frida lowered her eyes and continued working:
"You know, it always seemed to me that nothing would end here. But ..." the girl chuckled nervously. "It's not your fault. It's just that we'd better somehow come to terms, and get used to it, and stop harassing each other. I can't calmly be in the main hall. I can't get a lump in my throat from your gaze. I can't sleep, because that I always think that you are about to open my door. And all this does not happen and does not happen ... And then I understand that this will never happen. It's all over, you know? It's just ... over. "
Frida said all this, looking at the floor. Lucius saw only her flaming cheek as she turned away. His heart sank and ached unbearably. He realized that now she no longer realized that she was saying all this to him. One got the impression that Frida Zabini was whispering these painful words to herself, convincing, persuading a desperately aching heart.
Lucius didn't give a damn about everything and grabbed her hand. He swiftly pulled off those stupid gloves from himself and from her, intertwined their fingers. The electric shock made him suffocate. How long had he not felt the warmth of her hands.
"Frida," a desperate whisper. "Frida! Frida!"
He could not answer her. She was right from the first to the last word. Whatever he said now, it would all be a lie. Lucius desperately wanted to Apparate at that moment somewhere on a desert island and stay there forever. After all, in his hands now was everything that he needed in life. A large tear fell on the plant with the stupid name. A second hot drop touched their intertwined hands. My heart sank.
"Don't," Lucius whispered pleadingly.
Frida pulled her hand away and worked feverishly for a while. Then she finally raised her head. Her eyes turned slightly red. And nothing else betrayed frustration.
"Have you invited Narcissa to the ball yet?"
"No," Lucius answered automatically.
He looked into those eyes, and there was nothing around.
"You're not a very considerate gentleman."
She averted her gaze, and Lucius tried to grasp the meaning of the conversation.
"What can you do as it is. Who are you going to go with?"
He tried to make his voice light-hearted. He easily picked up the secateurs, deciding to take an active part in the work.
"With Remus Lupine."
The pruner in his hand suddenly gained weight, and Lucius dropped it to the ground, hitting the fingers of the hand on which he was leaning. The blade peeled off the skin, and blood appeared on the knuckles.
"Caution!" exclaimed Frida and, taking his hand, began to pronounce some spells over the wounds. Lucius watched her actions, aloof.
"Why a Gryffindor ?!" he finally asked a completely idiotic question.
"Lucius," Frida stopped the bleeding and released his hand. "What kind of stupid prejudice? They are the same people. We are all just people, regardless of the color of the school uniform."
"He's a year younger," Lucius Malfoy shared his observation.
"So what? He's very good."
Lucius lifted the pruner from the ground and began to hack at the unfortunate plant. Frida did not comment on his work in any way. The rest of the lesson was passed in silence. Leaving the greenhouse, Lucius realized that once again life had taught a lesson. Bloody Gryffindors! He will do anything to ruin Remus Lupine's life at or after school. No matter.
The main thing is to get through the next few hours and not go crazy.