“It’s completely mental!” Narcissa shouted, her voice making even the fire back down into a nonthreatening billow.
The three girls sat in the Slytherin Common Room, plotting vindictively. The warm hands of the fire captivated the chill of the cold walls. Nearly everyone was asleep, except for these three culprits. Nixie sat cross-legged, fingering a ringlet in her hair. Vesper held a few papers in her hands and stared at Narcissa, startled by her reaction.
“Yes, well, I thought you wanted something dramatic, Cissy,” Vesper explained, tightening her ponytail.
“I do, and your plan is perfect!”
Vesper frowned, confused, “You just said it’s completely mental.”
“It is completely mental, but that doesn’t mean it’s not brilliant,” Narcissa stated, taking a sip of hot chocolate. She shrieked and yanked back the cup, spilling mounts of her drink over her legs. “Merlin’s beard! I’m burning!”
She bit her lip in an attempt to lessen the pain as her friends laughed at her.
“I think she’s a bit too excited about this,” Nixie whispered to Vesper, who handed Narcissa a few napkins.
“Excitement is an understatement,” Vesper grinned, shaking her head, her attention back to the papers she was holding.
As the girls continued giggling, the Common Room door opened and in strutted Drew, his cloak fluttering behind him. His Head Boy badge glistened in the glow of the fire as Nixie stood up and faced him.
“What’s wrong?” she questioned after kissing him affectionately.
“Nothing, just had a row with a couple of pig-headed fifth years,” he acknowledged, playing with Nixie’s hair. He loved her hair. During their first few years at Hogwarts, Nixie would always cast a straightening charm on her hair, that is, until she started dating Drew. Ever since he’d told her he loved her curls, she’d grown to love them as well.
“Anyways,” he sighed, running a hand through his wavy mane, “I’m off to bed. Night love. Night ladies.”
With a quick peck on Nixie’s cheek, he hurried past them and into the boy’s dormitory.
“I wish he’d really tell me what was bothering him,” Nixie complained as she sat down. She held out her hands in front of the fire, gazing at the flames, no doubt lost in her thoughts about Drew. “He always gets upset when he has to deal with Malfoy and his Cronnies.”
A light suddenly went off in Narcissa’s head.
“Oh my god!” she gasped, remembering what Malfoy had said to her.
“What is it, Cissy?” Vesper inquired, moving closer.
“Is it about Drew?” Nixie asked nervously, a worried and anxious feel overwhelming her.
“I can’t believe I forgot!” Narcissa wailed, covering her face. “I must have been so utterly preoccupied with this whole planning and revenge that it completely slipped my mind to tell you!”
“Tell us what?” Vesper urged.
“Spit it out, Cissy!” Nixie yelled impatiently.
“The night of my detention with Malfoy, I warned him not to insult Drew’s blood status ever again. When I said that, he told me that Drew and him had been friends up until their fourth year. I cannot believe I forgot to tell you! Nixie, you’ve got to ask Drew about this!”
Nixie didn’t utter a single word. Instead, she stood up and dragged herself over to the sofa, slumping down on the side. She bit her lip, which her friends soon realized was quivering.
“Nixie?” Narcissa asked softly, sitting down beside her friend and taking her hand in her own.
“I told him everything,” Nixie whispered quietly, frowning in distress. A small crease marked her forehead, defining the frown which was so unsuited for her face.
Vesper looked deep in thought when she asked, “What do you mean everything?”
“About myself!” Nixie burst. “I told him everything about myself and I thought he did too! How could he hide something like this from me?”
“Nixie, I’m almost positive Malfoy was only yanking my wand when he said that. That boy is filled with lies. Just wait till tomorrow morning and ask Drew.”
“And if it’s true? Then what? How will I be able to trust him after that?”
“If it’s true then…then we’ll deal with that tomorrow. Just don’t stress yourself about it.”
That night while they all lay in their beds, a different train of thought consumed each of their minds.
Will the plan work? thought Narcissa.
Is Drew really hiding something from me? thought Nixie.
Does Dmitri like me? thought Vesper.
So many questions they had. Little did they know that all their questions would soon be answered.
“You haven’t stopped worrying, have you?” Vesper asked Nixie the next morning as they made their way to the Great Hall.
“Of course not,” Nixie admitted. “But I’ve decided to replace my worry with hunger.”
Narcissa rolled her eyes. “Oh, Nixie, don’t be so dramatic. I’m telling you, Malfoy is a liar. There’s no doubt about it.”
With Narcissa’s luck, who should suddenly appear beside them if not for the one and only reprehensible rake: Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa stopped breathing. He’d heard every word, she was sure of it. His gaze rested on her and she sucked in a sharp breath, startled by the deadened look in his lifeless grey eyes, his face hardened. As quickly as he’d come, he’d gone, leaving Narcissa with nothing but a chest of heavy gasps.
“Cissy, I think he heard-"
“I know he did,” Narcissa cut in quietly, interrupting Vesper.
Trying to push what had just happened to the back of her mind, Narcissa redirected her attention back to Nixie, who still had sore baggy eyes from staying up all night. She walked both her friends to Charms, despite already being late for Transfiguration. She dreaded the idea of walking into the same room as Lucius Malfoy.
After hugging her friends goodbye (particularly Nixie, who nearly burst into tears when she saw Drew sitting in class, waiting for her) she scurried through the hallway until she reached the classroom. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door, preparing herself for a scolding from Professor McGonagall.
Instead, she heard a simple, “Ah, Ms. Black, your punctuality astounds me. Take a seat.”
Narcissa looked about the room for an empty seat and nearly choked up her tonsils when she realized there was only one, and it was next to Lucius Malfoy.
“Well what are you waiting for, Ms. Black, an invitation? Take a seat.”
“Sorry, Professor,” Narcissa muttered as she trudged towards her new prison. Now would be a fantastic time for her to melt into the floor. Any time now.
Malfoy continued to disregard her presence as she took a cautious seat beside him. The scent of his cologne was clogging her nostrils, but she had to admit, it smelled quite fascinating. She snuck a glance at him and was relieved to find that he looked like his usual self, smug and conceited. His long blonde hair was draped over his shoulders, giving off the impression of royalty.
“Now,” Professor McGonagall announced, “turn to your partner and rehearse the incantation.”
Tough luck, thought Narcissa. No force in the universe could compel her to converse with Malfoy, and she was positive he felt the same way.
“So you really think I’m a liar?” Lucius asked, interrupting Narcissa’s thoughts.
Had he really spoken to her? Or was she imagining it? No, he really had talked to her! He was staring at her intently, his blonde hair haughtily falling over his shoulders, his lips in a tight smirk, waiting for a reply.
“I-I-”
“Answer me, Narcissa. Do you think I’m a liar?”
Her mouth hung open, her expression pathetically priceless. Had he really called her Narcissa? Narcissa instead of Black?
“Y-yes, Malfoy, I do think you’re a liar. A filthy one at that.”
He smirked. “Still on about our adventure, are you? It was nearly a month ago-”
“It may have been a month ago for you but it feels just like it happened yesterday for me, so don’t you dare ridicule me you heinous creature.”
Without warning, Lucius drew out his wand from beneath his robes and muttered a spell, transfiguring his textbook into a sly skunk that now sat perched on the table. Narcissa squealed and shot daggers at Lucius with her eyes.
“Look familiar?” he asked crudely, his eyes moving from the skunk to Narcissa’s hair. “Shall we test the stench and see who the filthy one really is?” Malfoy challenged, inching towards Narcissa.
“Turn-it-back-Lucius-Malfoy,” Narcissa got out between breaths. She knew if the skunk sprayed her, Malfoy would curse her so that she wouldn’t be able to wash it off.
“Then do yourself and your idiotic friends a favor. Next time you want to call me a liar, ask that filthy half-blood your wretched questions before throwing around accusations.”
With the flip of his wand, the skunk transformed back into a book, which Lucius stuffed aggressively in his bag before dismissing himself. Narcissa sat reclusively as the classroom emptied, replaying the recent event over in he head. She’d had enough of his taunts and tantrums. She was done putting up with them.
Fists clenched, she headed back to the Common Room to meet with Nixie and Vesper before class.
“Vesper! Nixie!” she shouted as she entered. “I’ve had enough of that abominable-”
She froze upon coming across Nixie’s wet face, which was smudged with the remains of her mascara.
“What-what on earth happened?” she demanded.
“Lucius didn’t lie to you, Cissy,” Nixie cried. “He was telling the truth.”
Vesper nodded, biting her lip, “It’s true.”
Before Narcissa could question her any further, Drew burst into the Common Room, his hands clenched in agitation. He locked his painfully torn eyes on Nixie, who turned her back to him instantly, her curl’s bouncing in response. Narcissa turned to Nixie, astonishment twinkling in her blue rims. Drew walked off into the boy’s dormitory without a word.
“I think I sort of…broke up with him,” Nixie sniffled, wiping her eyes.
“Sort of?” Narcissa asked with a raised eyebrow, placing her hand on her curvy waist.
“She told him she never wanted to speak to him again,” Vesper explained, gently massaging Nixie’s shoulders.
“You were eavesdropping on us?” Nixie exclaimed, frowning at Vesper.
“No, of course not. I just happened to overhear you screaming at him. I couldn’t help myself after that,” she quickly assured, scratching her forehead.
Nixie turned to Narcissa and began explaining, “It was in the middle of their fourth year when they stopped being friends. Actually, Drew is the one who broke it off with him. Said Malfoy was a negative influence on his life.”
“Well I’m not surprised about that.”
“No, Cissy, you don’t understand. It’s because Malfoy started hanging out with the wrong people. He tried to involve Drew in his practices, and for a while, he did.”
A/N: Another chapter, woohoo! I am trying to update weekly now, as I myself have missed this story terribly. We finally see a bit of Lucius's repressed rage come to life. So please leave me with a honest and encouraging review!
What do you think will happen between Drew and Nixie?
Does Narcissa feel embarrassed for accusing Malfoy of lying?
Write a Review Wicked Lies, Wicked Love: And Just When You Thought You Knew Everything
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