The Black Queen

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He knew that his attempt at humor might not go down well with the beautiful girl standing to his right, and it appeared that he had been correct as she narrowed her eyes and began drinking as though her life depended on finishing the cup all at once. He knew that the joke really hadn’t been the thing to annoy her, but that she must think that he had betrayed her trust in telling Alice about the two of them. He hadn’t been able to help himself, he had needed to tell someone.

In an attempt rectify the situation he explained as best he could why he had told Alice and hoped, prayed even, that she would understand that he had not meant to upset her or break her trust. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made that comment. I speak before I think” he said, running a hand through his hair. When she asked him how long he had liked her for, he could see the curiosity in her eyes and the small smile that she was fighting to hold back. “I don’t know a precise measurement of time but if I had to put a date on it?” he asked, sighing slightly, “last April time maybe”.

“I wish she hadn’t, I wish she hadn’t said anything. I told her not too” he said, a little anger seeping into his voice at the thought of his best friend’s actions. She might have thought she had been doing the best thing for James but she had been very wrong and he was finding it hard to feel forgiveness for that. She had hurt Narcissa, and upset them both. “Okay” he said softly, leading the way. He didn’t look back, so as not to cause suspicion and greeted a few people along the way, as he moved towards a door at the other end of the room.

He slipped through it and into a deserted hallway. The front door of the house that led to the cold world outside was at the other end and the foot of the stairs to it’s right. He walked over and stood against the wall at the foot of the stairs as he heard the door to the hallway open and close once more. The sound of the party was abrupt and loud for only a second before it became muffled once more. As soon as she reached him, he reached out and placed his hands on her waist and pulled her in close to him. “I’m sorry, love, please forgive me”.

She was smiling a bit wider, doing her best to think back to April, wondering what she could have possibly done to draw him in. Sirius hadn’t left them by that time so there wasn’t as much fear to interact with him publicly and James and the others didn’t feel like the enemy. Still, she wasn’t sure what made him see her differently then, but whatever it was she was glad that it happened.

Narcissa could notice his anger building up and she hadn’t meant to get Alice in trouble for this...well not completely anyway. She didn’t want him to be upset or choose her over his friend, all she wanted was some clarification on why he had to spill their secret. He explained it well though, and even though his reasonings for why he told her were enough to ease her mind, Alice’s warning was still lingering. Reaching out her hand for a second, Narcissa was planning on resting it on his arm as comfort but realized that would be unwise of her and ended up placing her hand back on the counter top. ❝Look, don’t be too upset with her...both of you are on thin ice for talking. But if she’s not going to tell anyone else it’ll be fine.❞

She lingered for a few moments before walking in the same direction James had gone. She was mostly examining the party around her, wondering if she could spot Regulus having a good time anywhere and watching everyone enjoy themselves. Narcissa contemplated if coming to this was a good idea. She could have stayed home, seen James when they returned to Hogwarts instead of here and her rose coloured glasses would still be intact. When she saw him slip through the doorway she made her way over, quickly opening and closing the door behind her and hoping everyone was too busy having their own fun to notice.

As he put his hands on her waist, she took a second before carefully resting her hands on his arms, gently letting her fingers run slowly across his skin. Pushing herself up on the tips of her toes, her hands made their way up to the back of his neck to bring him in to close the gap between them. She tasted all the spiked punch on his lips as she kissed him softly to make up for the fact she couldn’t do it when he was telling her all the kind things she didn’t expect to hear.

❝I forgive you, I just...❞ Narcissa spoke as she pulled away, pausing and taking a deep breath as she avoided eye contact before saying what was on her mind. ❝I know that you’re not worried but maybe...maybe you should be?❞ her words slipped out slowly, barely even wanting to say it but knowing it had to be said. ❝We know this isn’t meant to last, at some point someone is going to get hurt and now I can’t help but worry about hurting you down the line...❞

As her palms slid over his skin, just underneath the fabric that covered the top of his chest and neck, he felt as though she were branding in, burning him with her touch. He had never felt more alive, more himself, than when he was in her arms and though he was in control for the moment, he was entirely at her mercy.

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He wasn’t going to pretend with her, he loved and respected her far too much to ever do such things. They both knew that he was in the wrong and though his old self would have feigned innocent and denied ever having said anything through the skin of his teeth, the new James, the James he wanted to be, refused to lie. However, seeing that she was upset and not being able to comfort her was almost too much for him. He wanted to hold her in his arms and assure her of how sorry he truly was.

“It was kind of hard to hear you with your tongue down my throat” he whispered softly, a small smile playing on his lips though he ran a finger discreetly over hers and sighed. “I know that I did, and I’m sorry for that” he said, though he wasn’t entirely. He had been filled with excitement and desperate to share his news with someone who would be able to understand his joy. “I was excited. You have no idea what you kissing me back did to me. I had wanted you from afar for quite some time and when it seemed you wanted me back I couldn’t contain myself. I couldn’t tell Sirius. I needed… I needed someone to know”.

“Alice is like my sister, I am sure she was only worried because she is protective” he said, quickly. he did not believe that Alice was truly worried about Narcissa, more for his feelings, that he wore on his sleeve and exposed too quickly at times. She knew him well. “I’m not worried Narcissa, I never have been” he assured her, taking the drink carefully from her hands and placing it on the table. “Come away from this party with me, if only for a few moments. I know that you’re upset and with all these eyes I can’t do anything. It’s driving me crazy, Narcissa”.

Narcissa scowled at his comment, narrowing her eyes at him which was probably the only look she was willing to give him with so many people around them. ❝Not funny.❞ she muttered in response, bringing her cup back up to her lips as if she were now desperately trying to finish this drink she had been so hesitant to take before. She was tapping her foot gently, knowing that as she listened to James she probably didn’t have to be so harsh on him. Just because she didn’t have anyone she could talk to about him didn’t mean the same went for him.

Her expression softened greatly and she hated that she couldn’t stay completely upset when he spoke to her like that. ❝Quite some time, huh? How long is quite some time?❞ she asked with an abundance of curiosity as a small smile cracked her annoyed facade. She wondered about if things were different, if this were something they could openly share with people how would it go. The disappearance of fear entirely, there probably wouldn’t even be any issues. But the reality that opening up about their relationship to the wrong people would result in something dreadful was something Narcissa did not want to imagine.

❝I know, I know...She made that quite clear.❞ she sighed. If Alice could still be concerned about what she might do to James even after the girls had called a truce and even started getting along then maybe she saw something Narcissa didn’t.

Glancing around the party she wondered if she should be going anywhere with him right now. He was right that she was upset and she would have preferred it if he was holding her hand tight or wrapping his arms around her but she wasn’t sure if that would make things better or worse for her. So many doubts that she’d never considered were swirling in her head, given the ability to talk freely without the fear of anyone overhearing she isn’t sure what will happen.

❝Alright, okay lets just…try not to make it obvious.❞ she told him and nudged her head discreetly for him to lead the way. She made sure to wait a good chunk of time before following behind him and she was lucky that with his height she was able to keep track of him among the crowd.

        “Pretend to hate each other, huh? So you didn’t actually hate me?” he asked with a smirk playing on his lips before he pressed them back to hers. He had never hated her and her words implied that perhaps she had never truly hated him, only pretended to do so for face value, which made him feel a little happier than he already was. As she grinned cheekily at him, informing him that it was in fact once of his most annoying traits, he leaned in and tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth, not as gently as he normally would have done but still not enough to hurt her. “From harsh to sweet in a heartbeat love, it’s hard to keep up”.

         He captured the sound of her soft giggle with his lips, hands moving up her legs as she lay on the bed beneath him. With every second that ticked by, he felt his muscles strain as his body tensed and ached with desire of the beautiful girl beneath him. He didn’t want to push her into anything, but with the possibility of being caught prodding the reckless Gryffindor within him, her hands in his hair, clutching him and the greedy moan that fell from her lips, with no thought or concern for the volume of the sound, he wanted to push. He wanted to give her a memory that would make her blush in the presence of her pureblood friends at the ball if she slipped for even a moment to think on it.

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Narcissa rolled her eyes with a grin on her face as he teased her, reaching up at the collar of his shirt and tugging him closer. ❝Shut up, I totally hated you.❞ she murmured teasingly because maybe she didn’t hate him as much as she thought she did. She certainly told herself that she did ever since Sirius left but maybe that was never truly how she felt.

She groaned softly as he tugged at her bottom lip, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt now sliding beneath the fabric and grasping at the back of his neck. ❝I thought you would be used to it by now.❞ she mused trying not to dig her nails into his skin but proving to be unsuccessful. 

        “I hope that you do” he smirked. Being around her while he couldn’t touch her or kiss her or even speak as intimately as they were used to was a challenge, but it excited him at the same time. He liked the challenge. Staring across at her, he wasn’t too concerned about who saw him looking at her or even talking with her over a table, as most of the idiots at the party were drunk and so was he. He knew that most would simply assume the alcohol had made them friendly. Glancing at the necklace, he was glad of the hand that raised to cover it and the faint smile that danced across her lips. He had made her happy, which was all that counted.

         “I’m sure that you have, you have no reason to be otherwise, do you?” he asked, confusion hitting him as he listened to her tell him how friendly she had been with people who had attended the party along with them. He wondered why she was telling him; did she think the knowledge would shock him or did she want him to praise her for her actions? None of it truly made sense until she began listing off names and spoke of Alice. His stomach dropped when she said that Alice had spoken to her about something that would interest him just as she had turned her back to him and looked out over the party. Taking a silent breath, he moved around the table slowly and came to stand beside her, also looking out at the party. 

         His hands were resting on the table behind them, one hand closer to her than the other and his pinky finger resting against hers. Inconspicuous enough. He couldn’t comfort her any other way. he had a feeling that whatever Alice had said had upset her and he was wracking his brains. Of course, the fact that she told Narcissa meant that she knew James had blabbed. “I won’t bother feigning innocence when I am not innocent at all. I was excited when you kissed me and she was the first person I saw afterwards. I’m sorry that I told her, but she wouldn’t tell a soul. You can trust her” he said quietly, only loud enough for her to hear. “What did she say to you, love?” he asked, wondering if she had said anything in particular or just that she knew.

She was satisfied knowing that he at least wasn’t pretending to have any idea what she was talking about. That probably would have made her even more bothered than she already was at the moment. Alice wasn’t a distrustful person, spilling a secret that wasn’t hers most definitely did not sound like something she would do. The fact that she’s known for so long showed that, but then why was Narcissa still on edge? Maybe just the fact that he talked made her uneasy when she trusted him not to.

Tilting her head back allowing her eyes scan the ceiling as he spoke, Narcissa let out a sigh. ❝I understand, but didn’t I specifically say not to tell anyone?❞ Most of the details of that night were a little fuzzy besides the two of them desperately grabbing at each other but making a threat if he told someone, was highly likely to come out of her mouth. ❝Couldn’t you have even given it longer than a day?❞

Narcissa turned her head to the side, still looking away from James and took a sip from her drink hoping that would relieve her of her nerves. ❝Just that she knew. Also that she’s…worried.❞ she paused for a moment, her fingers back up to the necklace this time anxiously playing with it. ❝And maybe rightfully so but you...aren’t worried, right? Of getting hurt? We know what we’re doing…❞ she said with a great deal of skepticism in her tone. Her eyes were being opened to all the possible ways she could hurt him and she didn’t want it to happen.

There were two thoughts that crossed Greer’s mind when NarcissaBlack approached her. The first was that she really should have went with Evan to get another drink. She should have known better than to give an opening for the Black girl to come and try to talk to her, though she hoped the other wouldn’t try it, not after she made it clear during the Black Gala that she didn’t want anything to do with her. And the second one was that she really wanted to punch someone. Or something. She just wanted to feel the pain of her knuckles that came with a good, strong punch.

She tilted her head. Maybe throwing the drink into Black’s face would work as well. It wouldn’t be as satisfying as the punch and the pain, but it would still be nice, seeing the other’s hair and face and clothes dripping in whatever sticky alcohol she brought to her. For a second she pictures the entire scene in front of her eyes, but when she reached for the cup with a stern, emotionless expression, she just… couldn’t do it. She was mad, but somehow not mad enough to do it. She still cared enough not to want to embarrass the other girl, and she hated herself for it, but what can you do, right?

Instead, she raised the cup almost above Black, very near her and poured the alcohol out onto the floor. A small little spill might have hit the Slytherin, but it couldn’t have been more than a couple of drops. ”I don’t want anything from you,” she said and then turned around to try to leave,hoping Cis—Black couldn’t tell that her heart was beating in her throat like crazy.

Narcissa took a deep breath, letting a sigh pass her lips as Greer poured her peace offering all over the floor. She took a step back so that she didn’t get any of the drink all over her shoes though she could see a few drops of it on her clothes. Even though Greer didn’t seem to want to cooperate just yet, Cissa missed hearing her voice and was happy that she was able to hear it again after weeks of being ignored.

As the other girl began to walk away from her, unlike at the Gala, she didn’t let her get very far. ❝Hey, come on.❞ Narcissa called out to her, reaching out and putting her hand on Greer’s shoulder to try and stop her. She couldn’t help the way her attempt at a friendly smile had faded into a soft pout and her eyes staring up at Greer like a wounded puppy.

❝You have to talk to me sooner or later...I hate seeing you so upset and I hate that I caused it. It’s been weeks. Will you please just give me a chance here?❞ she asked with the hope that maybe they would get a chance to actually talk. Greer had run off after Narcissa rejected her confession and stopped talking to her ever since. Though she wasn’t sure what she could do to make it better. It wasn’t like she could drop James to be with Greer when she didn’t have those feelings for her but she was hoping there was anything that could make this silent treatment end quicker.

Alice followed Narcissa as they went out of the house onto the patio and found a place where there was seemingly nobody around. She wrapped her hands around herself as the cold hit her and she could feel it dampening the effects of the alcohol. It crossed her mind that this might have not been an idea as she looked around one last time to make sure nobody could hear them, but she kind of needed to do this.

“Well, ok, so I kind of know,” she said, trying to say what she had to say without being too obvious about it in case somebody accidentally heard them talking and failing at the try miserably. “That didn’t clear anything up, sorry, what I meant was please don’t be mad at him, I kind of got it out of him and he really really likes you and I guess he needed somebody to talk to about you and he can’t exactly go to, well, you know, his best friend, cause that would definitely not go well, so I know.“

She took a deep breath and tried to get her mind together. She was really not doing well, but her mind was still fuzzy and she could only hope Narcissa understood what she was trying to tell her and wasn’t going to get mad at James for this. She definitely didn’t want to get him into trouble for this. “And, well, what I am trying to say is please don’t hurt him. He’s in real deep with you, he has really strong feelings and he… well, he’s kind of like a brother to me and I would hate to see him get hurt, so please don’t hurt him.”

She squinted her eyes at Alice as she began speaking, trying to sort out the very vague statement at first. Then she continued to explain and it all made sense. She knew that the two of them were sneaking around together, James had told Alice about them even though they said that they weren’t going to tell anyone. Which was the logical thing to do because of the obvious negativity that would come from it.

❝He told you...❞ was all she managed to mutter, shaking her head and taking a long sip from her cup. Alice was trustworthy, the information certainly wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands with Alice but just the fact that he told her put Narcissa on edge. ❝When did he tell you? How long have you known?❞

Narcissa was speechless when Alice made her warning. She always felt weird about admitting it but she liked James, she liked being with him and how he made her feel so she understood the need to talk. Hurting him was the last thing on her mind. Narcissa knew that this wasn’t something that was meant to last however, she knew that from the very beginning and she was sure James knew that too. It wasn’t something they discussed obviously but it was always in the back of her mind.

❝I get that you want to look out for him but…I’m not planning on hurting him. That isn’t my intention here.❞ she responded defensively hoping that would be enough to ease Alice's worries even though they didn't necessarily ease her own. ❝He's a big boy Alice and we both knew what we were getting ourselves into with this.❞

“Yeah, well, I’ve found that the best way to assure Sirius does something is to tell him that he can’t. He’s contrary like that. Also I think he secretly kind of enjoys being a pain the ass.” Kingsley said, voice entirely fond. He was surprised to hear Narcissa talk so willingly about Sirius. After what had happened over the summer, he’d rather assumed Sirius was Taboo. Maybe literally.

He continued to root hopefully through the Cattermole’s fridge before whooping in delight and emerging with two cans of ginger ale and a smile on his face. “Found some! Want to split one? It’s pretty damn good with a cider or Fireball if you want it boozy, but I think it’s best by itself.”

❝You’ve got that right.❞ She nodded her head, knowing this far too well. How many times had she told Sirius not to do something and he immediately went and did it? ❝I don’t think he keeps that a secret though, being a pain in the ass is his favourite pastime and he wants everyone to know it.❞ Narcissa let out a sigh, knowing that she probably shouldn’t be discussing her cousin for much longer, though this could be a place for her to talk more freely than usual. 

Narcissa had spotted Greer a few times throughout the night and most of the time she was either drinking, causing trouble with Evan or both. She desperately wanted to talk to her but she wasn’t sure when there would be a good moment to do it. She didn’t want to force or rush things, of course Greer had a right to be upset but Narcissa really wanted her friend back. 

At a moment where Greer and Evan were separated, she decided to make her move. Luckily she had a few drinks in her so that made it a little easier to approach. With one drink in hand she used her free hand to tap Greer on the shoulder to get her attention. ❝You looked like you could use another drink...❞ she offered the plastic cup with a smile, hoping the girl would take the peace offering.

Feeling slightly less anxious at her sister’s more calm demeanor, she let the curtain fall closed behind her. Crossing the room to the couch where the two had spent so many days reading, she picked up the blanket she had discarded and wrapped it around herself. Opening up one side to her sister, she gave her an apologetic smile. “Of course, Cissy, I’m sad I didn’t get to see you during the party. This one was certainly … busier than they usually have been. Did you have a good time at least?”

Curling her feet up onto the couch in a manner that would have horrified her mother, she settled in. Pressing a kiss onto the top of Narcissa’s head, it felt like so many other days together in the library. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to see you as much this break. I wanted to spend more time with you and Bella. Has it been good so far without me?”

They hadn’t been home for that long really, but somehow it felt like it had been so much longer than it was. It was strange to think that this was probably one of the last times she would ever come home - ever see this place. When she breathed in, it felt shaky with the thought. Whether it was the wine or the memories that made her dizzy in that moment, Andromeda couldn’t quite be sure. But the mix of both was heady enough that she wasn’t sure she needed to 

Being with Andromeda was like a safe haven for Narcissa. Someone warm and trustworthy amongst the rest of the family who felt so cold and unreliable. Andromeda was important and the thought of her drifting away was more than she wanted to think about. ❝I had a good time.❞ she told her with a nod, ❝I mean I had to spend most of the night with Lucius but he was...more pleasant then normal. Then Rod and I hung out so that made everything better.❞

A gentle smile spread across her face as she made her way over to her sister, sitting down next to her under the blanket, cuddling up close to her. She rested her head on Andromeda’s shoulder and just took in the relaxation of it all. Narcissa wished there could have been more of this recently but this would do for now. ❝It’s alright, I forgive you. We’ve all got things going on...it would have been better with you around though. Everything is always better when you’re around.❞ she mused, her voice soft in her attempts to almost guilt her sister even though her words were true. 

Narcissa took her older sisters hand in hers, holding it gently and just allowing herself to experience this vulnerable moment. She never really liked this feeling, but her family was a special case. ❝Can I ask you something Andy?❞ she asked, keeping her eyes on their hands and staying with her head rested on her shoulder.

         He was glad that as he moved around, her eyes followed him. He had missed her since Christmas Eve, and hadn’t been expecting to see her until they got back to Hogwarts. Her presence was a pleasant surprise and a test to his will power, especially under the influence of alcohol. “You’ve trusted me with many other things” he said, placing his hands on the table top in front of him, between them. He watched as she poured herself another cup and reached over to take the ladle from her once she had finished, brushing his fingers against hers as he took it. It was an innocent move that anyone looking would mistake for an accident.

         “Very much so, free alcohol and watching my friends act like idiots? What could be more fun than that?” he said, pouring the drink into his cup and filling it to the almost brim. He couldn’t remember how many he had had, but he knew it had gone into the double digits. “I didn’t realise I would be seeing you here Narcissa. What made you decide to come?” he asked, raising the cup to his lips and taking a sip. His eyes slipped from hers and to her neck. He smiled against the rim of his cup before finishing and placing it back onto the table. “You’re still wearing it” he said quietly, gesturing with a nod of his head to the necklace resting against the base of her neck. 

She casually shrugged her shoulders at his question as she lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. The drink wasn’t actually all that bad and she was relieved. ❝I’ll let you know when I figure it out myself.❞ she replied, still not exactly sure what it was that made her think coming to this party was a good idea. The only person here who was in her normal social circle was Regulus and it didn’t seem like the two of them were going to be spending much time together tonight.

He gestured towards the necklace and she glanced down at it with a smile. Narcissa put her hand over it, letting her fingers twiddle with it gently. ❝Of course. I barely take it off actually.❞ she mused, looking back up at him fondly. She continued to keep her voice down as she spoke though with the loud music playing through the house it wasn’t too difficult to go unheard.

Once again Narcissa broke eye contact, thinking about the conversation she had with Alice earlier that night. She was worried about how much Alice seemed to worry about her and James but she couldn’t deny the concern of Alice knowing. ❝You know I’ve been...pretty friendly at this party for the most part. Talking to people I don’t usually talk to like Frank, Kingsley...Alice.❞ she slowly walked around the table as she spoke, leaning with her back facing the table and looking out at the party rather then at James. ❝Usually Alice and I just talk about books but she had something different she wanted to talk to me about tonight that might interest you.❞

Frank nodded to her first question, “Well of course I do. It’s me, Frank. Wait.. have we..ever spoken before? Besides prefect schedules and the extra work after Julia was found.” Now he feels like he wants to become one with the wall. The wall in Cattermole’s living room away from Narcissa Black. Was he seriously drunkenly discussing scheduling with her now? What’s next, Frank? Scheduling tea time with Satan? He chastised himself.

He takes another healthy gulp from his cup and squints down at the girl. “Wine during dinner and Champagne? That sounds groovy. My mum screeches if he we drink wine during dinner. I don’t really know why. Have a taste. If you fall over, I’ll catch you.” A cheeky grin offered to Cissa, because he wasn’t actually sure if his reflexes were on point.

❝No, I don’t believe we have actually. Why is that?❞ Narcissa asked though she already knew the answer. Frank seemed like too much of a buffoon for a Head Boy that Narcissa just always waved off any thoughts of a casual chat with him. Alice somehow managed to work her way into her relatively short list of people she enjoyed talking to but Frank always seemed to miss that boat. She seemed to get along with quite a few people who liked him like Alice, Sirius and James so maybe being friendly wouldn’t be the end of the world.

❝That’s funny, my parents practically encourage it. Though more with my sisters but Andromeda is nice enough to share a few sips when nobody is looking.❞ she mused as she poured some of the drink in her cup, deciding it was time to give in and see what she was missing. ❝Alright, I’ll hold you to that. You’re a lot bigger than me after all so you could probably catch me with just one hand with no problems.❞

“Yeah, I’ve had a good time, it was fun. It’s nice to see our parents let loose a bit and we usually just sit back and enjoy the show.“ The show that was exceptional this year, seriously. This was one they would keep bringing up for a while for sure. 

Narcissa mostly did a really good job at hiding her smile at the mention of James’ name, but there was a glint in her eyes that made Alice 99% sure that Narcissa was smiling fondly. Kind of how her childhood friend smiled whenever the Slytherin girl came up.

It might have been the alcohol, Alice wasn’t sure, but when she saw that smile, she made a decision that she’s been thinking about for a while now. She knew that James probably wouldn’t want her to do this, but she had to make sure Narcissa didn’t end up hurting him, so she quickly replied to Narcissa with a, “I heard about the party, I hope everything went well and you had a good time,” and then she looked around to make sure nobody really heard them (not that it mattered, she didn’t just want to outright bring up James, but still), and asked Cissa, “Can we– can we talk, actually? Somewhere a little bit more private?”

Narcissa wished that it was possible for her parents to let loose. Even at their own party her mother was stressed to no end. Her father was able to entertain himself but it definitely was a more contained enjoyment if anything.

She was trying to keep her mind focused, even talking about the Christmas party was enough to bring her mind wandering back to being with James before it started. Merlin she really needed to stop thinking about him before she did something stupid like go looking for him. ❝The party was great. A little hiccups here and there but all in all I think that my mother’s hard work was worth it.❞ she told her with a smile.

She raised her eyebrow at the question posed to her, not exactly sure what it was that Alice would want to talk to her about, especially privately. Narcissa unintentionally mirrored Alice’s behaviour, glancing around the room to see who was around them though she wasn’t really keeping her eye out for anyone in particular and simply surveying their surroundings. ❝Sure, I guess so.❞ she replied, gesturing for Alice to follow as she looked for somewhere to go that was more secluded. Narcissa ended up finding an exit and walking with Alice out to the back patio and it seemed as though there were no party guests in sight. ❝Alright so…what do you want to talk about?❞

Alice watched as Narcissa eyed the cup of drink hesitantly, probably wondering how much she will hate it if she took a sip from it, and Alice thought the girl would find a way out of it but to her surprise, Narcissa actually tried it and it wasn’t even that bad. (Something she couldn’t actually say for sure before the girl tried it, because she herself hasn’t tried it before.)

“Happy New Year to you too,“ she smiled as she picked up her own cup and tipped it towards Narcissa before she sipped her beer. “So-so. It’s been good mostly, though. Spent a lot of time with my family and since my dad is good friends with James’ parents, we spent some time of the holidays over at the Potters too.” Alice’s voice was casual like she didn’t intentionally mention James’ name to see how the other girl reacted. “What about you? How has your break been?”

It was as though she had a mental checklist of things to happen tonight and she just marked ‘Make Awkward Small Talk’ right off. Narcissa liked Alice, surprisingly enough but somehow she always felt a little uneasy talking to her. It always felt like she shouldn’t be but it was something she couldn’t necessarily avoid.

❝That sounds like you’ve had a good time.❞ She commented as she tried the best she could to keep her expression neutral at the casual mention of James. There was a slight twitch of her lip as she tried to contain the smile that just hearing his name caused. She took another sip of her drink hoping that at least the cup would hide it for her as she attempted to keep things under control. ❝It’s been the same for me, lots of family time. We had our party taking place on Christmas Eve so it’s been a lot of being out on display as well.❞

“Most of them are bollocks really, the fizz and the sugar are a bit much, but there’s this one kind? Ginger ale? I’m rather addicted.” He admitted, hunting through the fridge to see if he could find any. Kingsley had no idea what Narcissa liked or disliked, didn’t know her very well at all when it came down to it, but he liked sharing the things he enjoyed. 

“Same here, but Clara and I always tried sneaking them in. Didn’t really work that well but then Benj brought some over as a housewarming gift or something and now Mum’s hooked too. More ginger ale for me, eh?”

Narcissa listened to him as he searched the fridge and supposed if he was being friendly she didn’t need to show off any hostility. It was a party after all, she really should be trying to get along with others rather than snapping. Otherwise what was the point of coming? ❝They have any of that in there then?❞ she asked him, coming off somewhat timid as if her curiosity about the drink was something to be embarrassed about.

❝We would get in a lot of trouble if we tried to sneak anything our parents disapproved of. I'm pretty sure that was something that Sirius did it quite often though.❞ she spoke rather casually about her cousin, almost forgetting that they weren’t supposed to be getting along but nobody here would care.

Frank turned to the source of the voice. He didn’t reallyknow Narcissa that well. Sure he knew who she was, but she wasn’t one of hismates. Drinking his cup of the mystery liquid he lifts his brows to her andmotions to it. “Drink it up. It’s fine.” He slings his cup around a bit overexaggerating the mention of the word ‘fine’ as the liquid splashes on theground. “Oh uh. Sorry. It’s quite good though. I’m pretty sure the fridge wouldhave more normal beverages. Do you not drink alcohol? Is it a pureblood partything? Did you not have spiked punch there?” He catches himself babbling andpauses to take another drink of his cup.

Narcissa glanced up and recognized the Head Boy himself Frank Longbottom. She didn’t much care for the boy, still trying to get over the multiple times (she assumes) he had swapped around the prefects doing rounds together, putting her with someone other than Regulus. 

She stepped backwards as he sloshes around the drink in his cup and ends up just barely missing getting on her clothes as it spills onto the floor. ❝Do you always ask so many questions?❞ she asked curiously, making her way around the table just in case it happened again. ❝I drink just not very often. Champagne during celebrations, a little wine during dinner, normal stuff.❞ she shrugged before giving in and pouring some of the drink into a cup. ❝There normally isn’t spiked punch there though I don’t know if that’s what I’d call this. It sort of looks like just a mix of whatever was in the liquor cabinet.❞