Chapter Text
“Come on,” Severus wheedled Narcissa. “It won’t be that bad- she doesn’t bite!” They were walking through the dungeons, heading towards an abandoned classroom Severus had somehow managed to secure for studying. Each of them had a Notice-Me-Not charm placed upon their person, but anxiety still niggled in Narcissa’s chest.
Narcissa scowled at him. For years, he’d been asking her to study with him and his friend, Lily Evans. For years, Narcissa had turned him down. Lily Evans, a brilliant girl in her own right, was a Muggleborn Gryffindor in their year. It wasn’t that Narcissa particularly disliked muggleborns- her family did. And for the past few years, her older sisters had been at school with her. Last year was Bella’s final year, with Andy having graduated the year before. It was only because her older sisters were gone that Narcissa agreed to practice with them at all. If Narcissa had been seen spending time with any muggleborn, Gryffindor or not, her parents would have been very, very unhappy with her.
However, over the summer Andy had gone batshit crazy, married a muggleborn named Ted Tonks, and had been promptly disowned. Druella’s anger that night was unlike Narcissa had ever seen from her mother. She’d chased Andy across the lawn to the gates, screaming and cursing her all the while. Andy had given as good as she got, and fought Druella off until she was beyond the Apparition wards. Narcissa hadn’t seen nor heard from Andy since that night- it would be far too risky to send an owl to Narcissa while she was at home.
“I still think this is a bad idea,” Narcissa said tightly. “If anyone sees-“
“I know, I know,” Severus rolled his eyes, pushing his lank hair out of his face. “If this gets back to your parents, you’ll be disowned and your mother will kill you and put your head on the wall like the House Elves. You’ve told me before!”
“Then you know how risky this is,” Narcissa hissed, anger flashing in her blue eyes. “If anyone finds out and write back to my parents, I’m dead. I’ll be disowned, like Andy, and cast out before I’ve even turned seventeen!” And then, Bellatrix would be alone to fend off their parents. She’d been named heiress after Andy had fled, and Narcissa knew that under even under normal circumstances, Bella would have been reluctant to take up that particular mantle. She simply wasn’t cut from the same cloth as the doe-eyed, soft-haired pureblood sweethearts who were expected to stay home and raise a few children whilst maintaining their manor home and throwing galas every season. (Privately, Narcissa didn’t think any of them were suited to housewifery; no Black woman truly was.) As it was, Bellatrix had crept into Narcissa’s room the night Andy had left and cried with her. They’d lost their sister, envious as they were of her newfound freedom from their parents.
Her anger seemed to have beaten through his thick skull and he remained silent as they climbed higher and higher through the castle.
“Why do you want me to study with you two so badly, anyhow?” Narcissa asked, curious despite her ire. He’d been after her for years about it.
“I think you two would get along,” he shrugged. “Plus, you two are my only friends who aren’t absolutely fucking crazy.”
Narcissa laughed despite herself. “Only you would think a Slytherin pureblood would get along with a Gryffindor muggleborn. I don’t think we’ve ever said a single word to each other.”
“You calling her a muggleborn instead of…the other word gives the idea credence,” Severus pointed out smugly. “Plus, you having never spoken to each other just means you won’t have to apologize for harassing her at some point.”
Narcissa shrugged delicately. “I’m not a bloody purist arse, unlike your crazy friends,” she pointed out. Personally, Narcissa didn’t see why Evans put up with Severus sometimes. He hung out around kids who were practically frothing at the mouth to take the Dark Mark, kids who, given half a chance, would kill Evans in cold blood to prove their commitment to the Dark Lord.
He shrugged, too, only a slight tightness in his jaw indicating he was upset with her comment. She didn’t see why; he’d just called them crazy, too, and he had to know what they valued. It wasn’t as if they ever stopped spouting off about it.
“Yeah, well,” he said, uncomfortable. “I just don’t let them get near each other.”
“Why do you like them, anyhow?” Narcissa asked. “I’m from one of the Darkest houses in magical history, and even I don’t like them.” Nothing confused her so much as to why Severus, a half-blood, willingly hung around people who thought he was their inferior. Narcissa was perfectly happy to ignore them all and breeze through school calmly, aloof as a wolf, cool as ice.
He shrugged, again, but said nothing. Just as well- his pathetic excuses for hanging around with a pack of rabid dogs might have been enough to turn her off their friendship. They continued through the castle in silence until they reached the seventh floor.
“Why in the hell couldn’t the classroom you got have been, say, three floors lower?” Narcissa grumbled. “We could have met halfway between our Common Rooms! Just because you have a crush on her doesn’t mean I should have to climb to the top of the castle!”
“The climb is worth it,” Severus promised, not bothering to deny his crush. “Plus, the closer you are to Gryffindor, the less likely someone who would write your parents will see you.”
“Well, the classroom had better be made of gold and spit out vials of Felix Felicis, because I won’t make this walk again if it doesn’t,” Narcissa scowled, brushing her blonde hair over one shoulder.
Severus led her to a seldom-used hallway. Narcissa wasn’t sure she’d ever been to this part of the castle before. The classrooms in current use were closer to the grand staircase, and the Headmaster’s office was a few corridors over. There was only one door along the wall- it was wooden, nondescript. In her opinion, it looked rather like a door to one of the many broom closets in the castle.
“I swear to God, Severus, if you’ve just brought me to a broom closet for a laugh, I’m going to kick you so hard you’ll never have children,” Narcissa threatened, anger flaring up in her blue eyes.
“Jesus, Narcissa, relax!” He gave her a wary look, subtly taking a step away from her. “Lily must be here already.” Why he thought that, Narcissa couldn’t guess. Flicking his wand at her, and then himself, Severus Finite’d their Notice-Me-Not charms. He grinned at her. “Ladies first,” he said smoothly, opening the door for her with a flourish.
Though her jaw didn’t drop, Narcissa did raise a delicate brow in surprise when she stepped in. It wasn’t gold or producing vials of liquid luck, but it could hardly be called a classroom. There were grand windows overlooking the forest along one wall, and warm, yellow sunlight poured in across the honey-colored wooden floors. To her right was a mostly empty space, with a padded floor and some cushions strewn across the ground. To her left was a mini-library and a little sitting area, with bookshelves that went to the ceiling, all filled with ancient leather spines. Sitting with her legs thrown over the side of one of the plush, brown leather armchairs, pouring over a book, was Lily Evans.
Evans looked up when Narcissa stepped inside. Closing the heavy tome she’d been reading, Evans swung her legs over the side, stood, and bounded over to greet her, a bright smile lighting up her heart-shaped face.
“Hi!” she chirped, far more friendly than Narcissa was used to. “I’m Lily- Sev has told me so much about you!” She held out a hand for Narcissa to shake.
Sev? Narcissa’s blue eyes slid to ‘Sev’s’ face, then back to Evans. “All good things, I hope,” she said, taking Evans’ hand. It was thin, but warm and soft-skinned. “My name is Narcissa Black.”
“Of course all good things! He’d never get away with bad-mouthing people around me,” she said, releasing Narcissa’s hand. Evans sat again, curling her legs up onto the armchair. Narcissa, suddenly feeling a bit out of her comfort zone, hesitated. Evans looked up at her, red hair made a burning flame by the sunlight. “You can sit, I don’t bite,” she teased, a half-smile lingering around her mouth.
Narcissa sat on the other armchair primly, feeling out of place as Severus sprawled out on the couch. How could they be so comfortable around each other? She felt…awkward, which was not something Narcissa normally felt, ever. She’d always been cool, aloof, elegant, a powerful girl from a powerful family. None of that mattered here, she could already tell. It had always mattered before, in the Slytherin common rooms- no one approached her, not even Severus most days. This was decidedly different.
“So,” Evans said, propping her elbow up on her armrest and leaning towards Narcissa. “What made you finally agree to study with us? Sev tells me every year that he’s been nagging you-“ (“I’m not a nag!” Severus protested from his couch.) “-and I didn’t think this year would be any different. Why now?”
Narcissa blinked in surprise at her bluntness. Nobody in Slytherin would dare be that straightforward with her, not even Severus, who was by and large Narcissa’s only friend. Intentions had to be wrangled out of people, because everyone knew they wouldn’t be given up easily.
“I…” she began delicately, then stopped. How could she do this without sounding like one of Severus’ crazy friends? “My sisters were still in school at the time,” she finally said. “My family isn’t very tolerant, you might say, of muggleborns. If word had gotten back to my parents that I was studying with you…”
“Why don’t you stand up to them?” Evans asked, raising a ginger brow at her. “If you’re so alright with us lower class citizens, why not say something?” Narcissa’s jaw did drop, this time. The thought of standing up to her parents like that…
“Lily,” Severus warned, giving Evans a sharp look. “Don’t-“
“Jesus, Sev, let me talk to her before you start on that tone of voice,” Evans snapped at him.
“Just-“
“It’s alright,” Narcissa said, voice cool. “I don’t mind, Severus- really, don’t give me that look, it’s not as if everyone else in the school doesn’t know what my parents are like.” Narcissa wasn’t used to being so candid with anyone, but she felt compelled to explain herself for once in her life. She turned toward Evans, keeping her blue gaze steady. “You have obviously not heard of the Blacks obsession with blood purity, so I will tell you a little about it, if only to stop you from accusing me of not being pro-active against my family. Our family motto is Toujours Pur- it means always pure. My father is Cygnus Black, and my mother is Druella Black, nee Rosier. Both of them are from very aggressively blood purist families. Both of them are insane, and they have no love for my sisters and me. My eldest sister, Andromeda, married a Muggle-born this summer- my mother nearly killed her driving her off the property. Andy…” a small lump formed in Narcissa’s throat, but she swallowed it and pressed on. “Andy was the only one of us who dared to ever stand up to them. Bellatrix and I, we couldn’t, but Andy was the bravest of us. Anytime she spoke back at them, threw anything they’d done to us in their faces, she would be punished. I will spare you the details-“ Narcissa didn’t think Evans was quite ready to hear about her sister’s blood painting the floor of the dining room some nights, “-but rest assured, standing up to my parents is nothing like standing up to normal parents.”
Evans was silent, biting her lip in clear remorse. She cleared her throat, tucked a strand of red hair behind her ears. Severus was staring at his hands. Narcissa knew his father was something like her own, but more active in his punishments and anger.
“I…I’m sorry,” Evans said, twirling a long strand of hair between her fingers nervously. “I didn’t realize- I thought…I thought maybe they were like Black’s parents.”
“I’m assuming you mean my darling cousin, Sirius,” Narcissa said drily. “My parents and his are similar, though you might not believe it. Sirius Black is just as punished by his parents as Andy was, perhaps more so considering he’s in Gryffindor. He’s braver than us, is all.”
“Brave my arse,” Severus muttered, but Narcissa ignored him. She couldn’t help who her family was.
“Anyhow,” Narcissa drawled, feeling the need to clear the air of the awkward heaviness that pervaded them. “What on earth is this room, and why didn’t you tell me about it before, Severus?”
“This is the Room of Requirement,” Evans said, happy to latch onto another subject topic. “We found it, what, third year? Filch was after us and a room just appeared! As far as we can tell, nobody else knows about it. Not even the Headmaster.”
“And this room can become, what? Just this room? Or other things, too?” Narcissa questioned, gazing around the room in wonder.
“Anything!” Evans nodded excitedly. “I’ve been trying to figure out whats charms make this thing work for years, but it’s just too advanced,” she sighed, flopping her head against the back of her chair.
“I’ll bet Flitwick could figure it out,” Narcissa said speculatively, looking around the room. Could it turn into a pool? Could it mimic the outdoors? What were its limits? “But any teachers finding out about this room would be terrible,” Narcissa decided. “They’d close it to student access somehow.”
“Exactly,” Evans nodded fervently. “It’s such a brilliant spot, I don’t want to give it up!”
“But you’re okay with me invading your personal study area?” Narcissa questioned, quirking a brow at the other girl.
“Well, sure,” Evans shrugged. “Sev is okay with you, so you’re okay with me, too. Although, he also seems to be okay with that guy Mulciber, so I don’t know what I was thinking there.”
“I know, right?” Narcissa exclaimed, starting to feel a bit more comfortable around Evans. Lily? Were they on a first name basis? How did Gryffindors do this? “You know exactly where they’ll end up after graduation.”
“I know,” Evans said darkly, twirling her wand between her fingers. “Seriously, Sev, I don’t get it, what do you see in those guys?”
“They’re nice to me,” he defended himself, not looking too comfortable with the idea of his two only female friends ganging up against him. “It’s not like I agree with them!”
Evans rolled her eyes.
“I can have other friends, Lily, you two don’t have a claim over me or anything,” he snapped, looking angry.
“She’s not mad you have other friends, dolt, she’s mad you have prejudiced friends- prejudiced against her, mind you,” Narcissa said cooly.
“Yeah!” Evans said, crossing her arms. “I don’t care if you’ve got other friends, Sev, it’s not like that.”
“Whatever,” he grumbled, sitting up on the couch. “Can we start studying now? I don’t like this, ‘Let’s-Gang-Up-On-Severus’ thing going on.”
“Alright, fine,” Evans huffed, reaching for her bag and rummaging through it to pull out a scroll of parchment and a self-inking quill. She began to go on about what she was going to write for her History essay, and, reaching for her own bag to get her things out, Narcissa thought, ‘This might not be so bad after all.’