Prima
creterra ad sitim pertinet, secunda ad hilaritatem, tertia ad voluptatem,
quarta ad insaniam!*
APULEIUS
– Florida
Abraxas
Malfoy had left on his business trip with gripes and something bordering on a
migraine. His good-for-nothing son wouldn’t even deny that he’d seize the
opportunity for a party, and all Abraxas could do was admonish – caution –
alright, threaten the boy – if any of the invaluable artefacts or pieces of
furniture suffered damage, be it oh-so-small, Lucius was going to spend the
rest of the summer in a Romanian monastery, without his wand, with a dragon
guarding the door to his minuscule cell. The boy had merrily giggled at that
announcement, and Abraxas had left for the South African diamond mine he meant
to acquire, taking a large bottle of Anti-gastritis potion.
Lucius
didn’t simply want to throw a party – he had ulterior motives. Marlon had
miraculously managed to finish Hogwarts, so the Sepulture Septuplet had a
vacancy to fill, and it hadn’t taken much persuasion to make the other guys
agree on the replacement he had in mind, even though the chosen candidate was a
girl, and not just any girl, mind you, but she.
Graham hadn’t minded at all, he’d agree with everything Lucius wanted anyhow
and liked her in the first place. Evan and Horatio, being the Benjamins of the
group, hadn’t had much to say, while Damocles and Bertie were quite delighted
with the idea for aesthetic reasons.
Only
Narcissa hadn’t been interviewed regarding whether she even wanted to join,
which made Lucius more than just a little nervous. She was known for her
stubbornness, and for never having joined any
group at all. Although the Sepulture Septuplet was a very exclusive club that
many students would have died to join, it was quite possible that Narcissa
might feel less honoured than molested by the offer, which would be grievous,
and humbling for him. She was their only choice – his only choice. And since he
had no mind that they’d be known as the Sepulture Sextuplet… Oh well, he’d just
have to convince her, right?
At least
she had agreed to come after he had told her that he’d regard their deal for a
date done if she came. He had thought long about this, he had mulled over plan
after plan in his head. The one perfect date, where to take her, what to do,
how to dispel her doubts and mistrust… In the end, he had chickened out, kind
of. And also, he thought that this
scheme might yield a more lasting success. Once she got to know him better, she
might finally realise he wasn’t such a bad guy, right?
He prayed
that the party might soften her up a little. He could only hope, after
organising everything to the best of his ability, and not being picky about the
guests for a change. He had told all of his friends to bring whomever they liked,
which was a clever move. Narcissa wouldn’t have admitted that she wanted to go,
preferring to claim she merely advanced her protégé Severus, who hadn’t
protested. He was only a Second Year – not even that – he’d be a Second Year in
September, and Lucius Malfoy and his mates were the coolest kids in all
England, and he, Severus Snape, whose
own father was nothing but a shabby Muggle, would go to a party at the famous
Malfoy Manor, personally invited by Narcissa Black, who was the epitome of
‘cool’… He couldn’t believe in his own luck, honestly.
“Wow!
Look at it! Look at it!” The boy
couldn’t close his mouth, completely awed. Every window of the vast Manor was
lit by candles, fairies illuminated the trees and bushes, in the distance there
were a couple of bonfires blazing. In case somebody – blind and deaf and
completely silly – was wondering where the party was, there were real gnomes
holding up signs. Myriads of glow-worms were forming sparkling ornaments,
peacocks strutted around, and there were two giraffes with a rope drawn between
their heads and a house-elf balancing on the rope, juggling with burning pins.
“This is
– it’s unbelievable, isn’t it?” Severus whispered.
Yes.
Admittedly. Unlike Severus, she wasn’t too impressed by the party decorations
though, but the building, the estate
as such. Boy! It wasn’t as if she had never seen a stately manor before; the
country boasted hundreds of these places, and she had visited all the
interesting ones, even if they were owned by Muggles. This however – goodness, it was breathtaking! After passing a gate
house thrice the size of the house of Severus’ parents, adorned with the
imperial code of arms – a lily entwined by a snake and a dragon – they had
walked through a park-like garden for more than ten minutes, until the Manor
itself was in sight.
The
closer they had come, the more Narcissa had gaped. It was huge for a start, showing all kinds of styles in the various
extensions and remodelling. There was an ancient weir tower with a moat,
adjoining a Gothic abbey that was connected to an Elizabethan manor, which in
turn abutted a Palladian edifice and a neo-classicist mansion, the unmistakable
traces of the Great everywhere, surrounded by absolutely mindboggling gardens.
This house – one could not possibly call it a house
though – and its gardens were the most magnificent thing she had ever seen, but
she wouldn’t want to admit her enthusiasm, even though it was hard not to gape.
“Get a
grip, Severus!” she cried more harshly than necessary.
“Don’t
you think it’s unbelievable?”
“If a guy
like Malfoy’s throwing a party, it’s supposed to look like this, Severus!”
“The
giraffes!”
“I bet
he’s hiding a bunch of elephants somewhere, and of course – penguins to serve
the drinks.”
“Really?”
He gazed around intently.
“No, not really, this was a joke, for
heaven’s sake! You know how waiters always tend to resemble penguins…? Oh,
never mind now.”
They had
arrived on the terraces, where fifty people, give or take, were already sipping
their drinks, which were mixed by a rather gargantuan spider. With so many arms
and eyes to spot waving guests, he was rather quick, too. Narcissa tilted her
head. “Okay, so now this I did not
foresee, I give you that.”
She would
have been disappointed if they hadn’t been welcomed by the host himself
immediately after their arrival, and she wasn’t let down. Next thing she knew
Lucius was with them, smiling cheerfully and putting his arms around their
shoulders, chum-style. “Hey kids, welcome to the show! You’re enjoying
yourselves?”
Narcissa
beckoned at the bar. “I’m not sure how easy-going I can be in the vicinity of a
gigantic predator.”
“I
thought you liked spiders?”
“I do,
I’m just not used to have my drinks done by one.”
“If it is
of any comfort to you, this is really just a bartender from Bangkok who happens
to be an Animagus. Best Bloody Marys in the Northern Hemisphere. He’s not going
to eat you, even though you smell so good, Black!”
She
pushed his arm away, but didn’t seem too offended otherwise. “Indicating that
you’re standing too close, Malfoy.”
“Come on,
let me get you drunk, hon.”
“You know
that I’ll never be that drunk,
right?”
“Worth a
try! What about you, Snape? Want a beer? A cocktail?”
“I’ll
have what she takes, sir.”
“Cut out
that sir crap, Snape! You’re not one of the house-elves!”
“Leave
him alone, Malfoy, and bring us two glasses of champagne.”
“Back in
a minute, sweetheart!”
He left
and Severus whispered, “I’ve never had a glass of champagne in my whole life…”
“Of
course not! How old are you, not yet thirteen? Your mum’s very good not to let
you drink. Speaking of her – when do you have to be back home?”
Even in
the vague light, she could tell that he was blushing. “Oh! No special time… My
mum was actually so – uhm – distraught when I left, I dare say she hardly
noticed.”
“Well, in
that case I guess you’ll be back by ten, because I have to be home then. Unless I can convince one of the guys to
take you.”
“Take
him?” Lucius returned with some glasses and Narcissa explained the situation to
him. He grinned slyly. “Oh, that’s all taken care of. You can stay here, pal, and you
–” He glanced at Narcissa. “I’ll take you home myself.”
She
sneered. “That is such a kind offer, but I think I will decline nonetheless. I
can Apparate home on my own.”
“Of
course you can, but it wouldn’t work out that way.”
“It
wouldn’t?”
“No.
Look, I foresaw that your good parents would expect your return at such an
ungodly hour, so there’s a cauldron full of Polyjuice Potion waiting to be
honoured by one of your admirable hairs, and Marlon’s sister has actually
volunteered to drink it and impersonate you until you truly want to go. That’s when I will bring you home, we’ll mount my
broom in front of your house, fly up to your room and you two change places
again.”
“You must
be kidding!”
“Absolutely
not, my dear! You’re the reason why I’m giving this party in the first place
despite the fact that I’ll have to spend the next six weeks in a monastery.
You’re the guest of honour. I can’t let you go at ten. Impossible!”
Narcissa
tried to hide the fact that she did feel more than just slightly flattered. “I
bet your present girlfriend will be delighted to hear you say so!”
“If I had had what you call a ‘present
girlfriend’, I would of course have dumped her yesterday.”
“See,
Malfoy, that’s the reason why it’s never going to be ‘us’. I don’t approve of
your dumping rate.”
He
laughed and winked at her. “You’d prefer me dating someone else while hooking
up with you?”
She
chuckled, too. “You and I will never ‘hook up’, as you call it.”
“Why, am
I not your type?”
“Most
certainly you are not.”
“Have
another drink, Narcissa!”
She
didn’t know why she let herself be talked into such madness, but one hour
later, at a quarter to ten, she was standing in her parents’ hallway again,
knocking on the parlour door, she made a bit of small talk, said good night,
then went up to her room, opened the window, let Sherilyn Crabbe in and slipped
out herself. Malfoy was hovering in front of the window and helped her to climb
on the broom. He had to pull himself together to pilot his broom safely to the
ground because feeling Narcissa’s presence so close, sitting right behind him
and clinging to his waist was confounding him profoundly. Not two minutes
later, they were back in the splendid gardens of Malfoy Manor, and Lucius
forced himself to appear relaxed again.
Narcissa,
not used to flying and decidedly unsympathetic to the concept, was swaying
slightly and grabbed for his arm once more to steady herself. He would have
supported her, but she instantly shrank back again and put on a bit of a scowl.
“I swear, if I find out that she’s been sniffing through my stuff, I’ll hold you directly responsible, Malfoy!”
“Why, is
your diary full of you pining for me?”
“Do you
expect an answer to your insolence?”
“What if
I offered to stop making passes at you?”
“Well,
I’d be extremely pleased! I thought we had agreed on so much to begin with!”
“Come,
let me get you a drink and I’ll tell you what we’ll do.”
The
spider mixed some concoction of champagne, vodka, cranberry and pineapple
juice, they toasted and he led her away from the crowd, which had quadrupled by
now and was soundly partying. She told him once more that he wouldn’t be so
lucky, but he laughed and assured her that this wasn’t what he had in mind at
the moment. They were joined by Marlon and Graham, Damocles and Bertram, Evan
and Horatio, giving her a notion that something very mischievous was to follow,
and all of them went inside, past some house-elves guarding the second floor.
Narcissa had been a little anxious – she didn’t trust those guys – but her
concerns were dispelled by Graham’s genial expression.
“You
really needn’t worry, you know,” he said under his breath and looked so candid
that she had to smile. She couldn’t have said why, but she was somewhat fond of
the boy, although he was lacking everything that she normally required in a
person. He was slow and dim-witted, his head was full of Quidditch, silly
pranks and not much else, but there was an honest humility in him that must
disarm her habitual contempt. It had taken her some time to acknowledge this;
at first, she had thought he was just another of Lucius Malfoy’s devoted mindless mates.
She gave
him a little smile. “Because you’ll be looking after me, right?”
“I know
that you can look after yourself. You’re going to like this, I’m sure.”
“What are
you two whispering there?” Lucius gave Graham a strict look. “Secrecy Statute
number one, Golly!”
“He only
said that I can relax, Malfoy!”
In Bibliothecis Immortales Animae Loquuntur* was written in intricate letters
above an exquisitely carved door, in front of which the other boys had come to
a halt, glancing at their leader and suppressing suggestive grins. Narcissa
didn’t perceive most of this; her curiosity was sparked off and kindled by the
idea how the library of such a place might be like.
They
entered and despite herself, Narcissa goggled. This was heaven – it had to be –
she had never seen such a beautiful sight! The library consisted of a suite of
rooms, all the walls covered with book shelves up to the twenty-five foot
ceiling, made of mahogany and engraved crystal. They walked through the first
three rooms, then got into a hall-like place with a huge cupola of tinted
glass, where a group of very comfortable-looking armchairs were assembled, and
then they all settled down and each grabbed one of the glasses of Firewhiskey
that were hovering in the air above their seats.
“I have
to admit it, Malfoy – this is – this is fabulous!”
He
beckoned at the portrait of a wizard with a smug, cunning face in Renaissance
robes, who arched a critical brow at them. “Pay him the compliments, the
library was his design.”
“You’ve
got a nerve, boy, I give you that. Young Abraxas will have your wand for
bringing strangers here,” the portrait said with unveiled glee.
“Probably,
but one must set priorities, as he keeps on telling me.” He turned back to
Narcissa. “However, it might have slipped your notice, but our dear Crabs will
not return to Hogwarts this autumn.”
The other
boys applauded mockingly, and Marlon feigned some solemn bows like an actor on
stage. Narcissa grinned. “Well done, Marlon.”
“Yes, we
were all surprised,” Lucius continued. “As flattering as this is to Crab’s
unsuspected academic capacities, it leaves the rest of us in a somewhat awkward
position. We are short a pal, if you want to call it that. Now you might say
that the school is full of possible candidates, but you couldn’t be more wrong.
We have the highest standards, we cannot accept just any rake who comes our
way. Bertie, please!”
“Thank
you, Luce. As before-mentioned, the Sepulture Septuplet sets high standards. We
expect a certain class for a start, a talent for curses, hexes and jinxes, a
sense of humour and a bent for mischievous schemes. We want a personal style,
taste doesn’t hurt, determination and nerve are a must, and the capability for
extreme secrecy. Until recently, we requested our members to be male, but we
are willing to go with the times.”
“You’re so modern, boys,” Narcissa mocked,
finally having a presentiment what this was all about.
“We have
broken one of our most important maxims by bringing you here,” Damocles said in
fake earnestness, “and thereby officially revealing the identities of our
members –”
“No
offence, boys, but everyone knows
who’s in and who’s not!”
“It was
suggested we might Obliviate you after this –”
“You’d
neither dare nor manage,” she said with a challenging smile.
“And you
are lucky to already have a patron in our midst who downright rejects tampering
with your admirable brains, who’s by the way also the one who recommended you
for the vacant position, so you needn’t worry,” Damocles went on with a grin.
Narcissa shot Lucius an incredulous, yet amused glance, while he made an
innocent face. “To cut a long story short – we want you. You are more than
welcome –”
“–
desired, more like –”
“– to
join our jolly club. You possess every quality we want in abundance,” Damocles
continued. “You are frightfully clever and talented, you have exactly the sort
of humour we’re looking for, and let’s face it, also the looks to make us look even better.”
“Being
modest, are you?”
Lucius
grinned ironically. “I flatter myself that I know you a little bit, so I have
foreseen that your first impulse would be to decline outright. You are one
proud girl – another reason why you’re so desirable for this position – and the
whole school knows that you wouldn’t want to join any society for your life. So
let me do a little advertising here. The Sepulture Septuplet is singlehandedly
the most exclusive club in all Hogwarts – not that this was going to impress
you, I merely want to explain why you want to change your mind. So, there is
hardly a student in the entire school – and certainly not in Slytherin – who
wouldn’t want to be in your place right now. And why is this so, you ask?
Because we’re having fun, dear. You
know very well how dull Hogwarts is, especially since Dumbledore’s taken the
reins. You are bored to tears, don’t you deny that. And we have the means to change this. We can entertain you in
a way that you haven’t fathomed yet. I strongly suspect that you’ve believed so
far that the only real fun in life
could be found in books – obviously I have chosen this place to meet with some
calculation. Beyond the pleasures we have to offer by becoming one of us, this
library should be a unique selling point to you. It contains two million books,
and I can grant you free access to it –”
The
portrait laughed spitefully. “Can you, boy?”
Lucius
shot him a swift, withering glance and proceeded, “Name the book you want and I
can get it for you, and as long as my father isn’t at home, you can rummage
through the books as much as you like. I’ll have one of the servants draw up a
catalogue for you, if you like –”
“You’ve
never offered that to any of us! Has he, pals?” Evan asked.
“For one,
you take as much interest in books as in sewing your own robes, Rosie, and
then, you haven’t got a figure like hers to inspire me to risk my personal
health for you.”
“I’m
allowed in the library,” Damocles said calmly. “Even by Abraxas himself.”
“If it
wasn’t for his sacrosanct bloodline, he’d extradite me for good to that
godforsaken monastery and adopt you, pal.”
“She
enjoys books even more than I do, so perhaps he’ll permit her here officially
as well.”
“No
frigging way. He’s a terrible misogynist, second only to the pope – no
intention to offend your mother, Black. Anyhow, where was I? Ah, among the many
privileges we can offer you is this library, and I expect you to particularly
appreciate something else. As you already know, we’ve been so far guys-only, so
it is only natural that every sort of flirtation among members is totally beside
the point. Join us, become one of the mates, and I can guarantee I will never
make a pass at you again.”
He winked
at her and looked expectantly, so did the others, and Narcissa felt compelled
to speak up. “Am I supposed to commit myself straight away?”
“Say yes,
darling!”
“Yeah, be
our number seven, princess!”
“Join the
club and have the time of your life, honey!”
“You
cannot let us down, precious, we’ve such high hopes in you!”
“Quit
your drab existence and discover the meaning of fun, sweetheart!”
They had
spoken in turns and now it was up to Graham, who didn’t look half as complacent
as his friends, but gave her a genuinely pleading glance. “Come on, Narcissa,
it’d be so great with you around. You wouldn’t regret it, I promise.”
“Hold on
for a minute, guys! Don’t you think I should know a bit more before finalising
any decision? You’ve mentioned some Secrecy Statute – what’s that about, for
instance? What’s expected of me? Can I resign if I don’t like it? What –”
All
right, so she had sort of suspected their agenda since she had seen with whom
she had left that party, nevertheless she was flummoxed by their proposal, and
astonished at herself for being not quite as negatory as she ought to be about
the idea as such. The Sepulture Septuplet had a Secrecy Statute? Well, Narcissa
Black had Treasured Tenets, and her
number one was ‘Never team up with anyone under any circumstances!’ What was
more – she thought these guys were true idiots – not necessarily unintelligent,
like Lucius, Bertram and Damocles, not necessarily unkind, like Graham – but
all in all childish and up to no good and… She was cross with herself for even considering their suggestion for a
single minute! There was nothing in there for her! Okay, okay – the library.
That was tempting, sure. But Malfoy had a weakness for her, hadn’t he, perhaps
she could persuade him to let her use the library anyway? Could he be
vindictive enough to decline?
While the
boys explained more to her, she tried to make up a list with the pro and cons
in her head. Being in cahoots with those jackasses – a definite con. Getting
into this marvellous library – pro. Having something to do in Hogwarts – a pro,
too, kind of. Malfoy’s word that he’d let her alone in the future – pro, if he kept it. Doing the maths, she
wasn’t happy to find two and a half pros and only one con – perhaps she should
count each of the boys individually on the jackass side.
“So
what’s it going to be, petal?” Lucius asked, dropping his usual self-confident
sneer.
“I have
to answer straight away? I can’t sleep on it?”
“If your
answer was more favourable then, we could
be talked into giving you more time, but it wouldn’t be half as much fun.”
“Excuse
me?”
“I don’t
know if I can talk the zoo into lending us those giraffes longer –”
“If they
make difficulties, we can simply steal them again!”
“Shh,
Gibbs, don’t scare her. We’ll only involve you in crimes if you want to,
Black,” Bertie Higgs said soothingly.
“For a
start, anyway,” Horatio mumbled.
“The
giraffes ought to be mandatory.”
“Why’s
that, Bertie?”
“She’s
the first newbie we’ve ever accepted. It ought to be huge. Giraffes are the
least!”
“What?”
Narcissa gazed around. “Am I supposed to balance on that rope or what? First
you try to talk me into your little club, and then you seriously expect me to
agree to something like this?!”
“Nothing
will happen to you,” Marlon said, speaking up for the first time. “I’ll watch
over you.”
“No
offence, Crabbe, but you’re not exactly the kind of safeguard I’d pick!”
“Where’s
your adventurous spirit, Black? You’ve heard rule number two – trust your
mates!”
The
whiskey tumblers had been magically refilling themselves the whole time, and
Narcissa blamed them that she gave in
at last. She said yes, ignoring every ounce of common sense inside her, and
they got to their feet again, the boys beaming, Narcissa with a wry expression.
Lucius turned to Damocles and asked, “Show us to the exit, Cle, if you please.”
“You’re
so drunk already you can’t find the exit anymore, Malfoy?!”
“Au
contraire, ma chère! You’ll soon find out that this library is well protected –
thanks to old Alexandrias there, the founder. There is only one exit, and it
keeps on changing each time one enters. Cle has worked out a system, and I’m
sure so will you once you’ve got acquainted with the place, but I myself have
never figured it out.”
She
thought he was joking, but Damocles tried three doors that only led to more,
formerly unseen rooms full of books – she felt slightly delirious about it –
finally finding the right one.
“Are you remotely
aware what a treasure this is, Malfoy?” she asked, almost breathless with
genuine enthusiasm.
“My
father keeps on preaching it at me. Maybe that’s the reason why I’ve never come
to fully appreciate it.”
“A
library to get lost in… One could read one’s whole life without coming to an
end…”
“You’re a
little bit tipsy, Narcissa, aren’t you? I’ve never seen you so sentimental!”
“I’m in awe, Malfoy, I will not deny it! And I
cannot grasp what an ignorant lout you are that you don’t take any interest in
it at all!”
“Nah,
that’s not true. I do take interest – this library spares me the annoyance to
deal with the one in Hogwarts. I simply write to our butler to send the books I
need, that’s so much easier than waiting for the borrowed books in school,
handling the old hag there, I can take out any book I like to any place I like…
I am aware that it’s brilliant.”
Whatever
she had to do next, it was worth it to befriend Malfoy, she had no more doubts.
They evaded the party crowd and took another way out – in fact, Lucius had
chosen this way to show off before sweet Narcissa and parade some of the
precious objects of art, the famous paintings, the full unrivalled splendour of
the Manor. He had vowed to leave her alone, okay, but that didn’t decrease his
wish to impress her, and he still believed that he’d find a loophole in their
agreement.
Malfoy
Manor was ridiculously huge, and so were the boundaries surrounding it. The
eight kids crossed the moat and headed for the shrubbery, crossed it and went
on to the fringes of the forest on the northern side. No fires were lit here,
only the full moon and the light from their wands showed them their way, and
Narcissa felt suddenly nervous. The boys had fallen silent, and she hadn’t even
protested when Lucius had offered her his arm. After some more minutes, they
got to a clearing on a bank, and she smirked when her eyes got used to the
darkness – over there were the giraffes.
Lucius
unceremoniously let go of her arm – she faintly noticed that it was strange to
have him no longer making a pass at her at every occasion – and he muttered
some incantations, igniting a dozen fires around them. He conjured seven golden
goblets for each of the boys, then ushered Narcissa to stand in front of
Marlon, they made a circle and raised the goblets.
“My dear
friends, we’ve drunk together uncountable times, but tonight we have assembled
not only for drink but for celebrations,” Lucius said, mocking the earnest tone
of vicars and news speakers. “It is sad for us all to say goodbye to our valued
friend, our daring partner in crime, who will pass on to a higher level of
knowledge and wisdom. Vince mero curas et, quicquid forte remordet, comprime
deque animo nubila pelle tuo!* Cheers to you, Crabs, and the
fabulous times we’ve had!”
Everyone
except Narcissa had a goblet and drank from it, then passed it on to their
neighbour, only Marlon passed his on to her, and Lucius went on, “Yet we
needn’t mourn our loss for we have found the most excellent replacement. So let
us also drink to her – possibly the smartest of us all, and certainly the
lightest – here’s to you, Cissa!”
“To you!”
She
hesitantly sipped; this was some potion, no alcohol, though she didn’t
recognise the taste. It wasn’t bad though, only a little bitter, and in the
next moment, she felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her veins, which
wasn’t unpleasant either. All her doubts fell away immediately; she felt
adventurous and easy, almost a bit quirky.
Marlon
muttered quietly, “You needn’t drink it all, Narcissa. It’s pretty strong.”
“Is it –
well – dangerous?”
“It will
knock you off your feet, but not in a bad way,” Lucius said. “You needn’t drink
it though. That’s up to you.”
“Of
course she’ll drink it! She’s supposed to be one of us now!” Horatio cried.
Lucius
gave him a withering glance and hissed, “Leave her alone, Gibbs! She’ll do what
she wants!”
“It’s all
right, Lucius. I’ll drink it. I like it as a matter of fact.” And she emptied
the goblet with three big sips. For a few seconds, she thought she’d get a
heart attack, but before she had time to panic, the feeling ceased and was
replaced by sheer elation. Right now, she felt she could conquer the world. “In
vino feritas*, guys!”
The three
of them who actually understood the joke laughed, and Bertram continued, “Will
you be true to your mates?”
“Yes!”
“Will you
stick to the sacrosanct Secrecy Statute?”
“Yes!”
Originally,
the boys had planned some very solemn vows, but Narcissa had made it clear that
they shouldn’t push it too far with her. She was lucky to have negotiated the
conditions before drinking that
stuff, because right now, she would have been up to pretty much anything. They
officially welcomed her with another toast, and then the giraffes came into
play. Evan and Graham led them onto the clearing, the rope was still in place,
and Lucius pointed his wand at Narcissa. “You trust your mates, Cissa?”
“I must,
right?”
He
laughed and levitated her, slowly and gracefully, up to the rope. She found her
balance with outstretched arms, and could eventually take a look around. God,
this was so beautiful! The boys had diminished the fires on the ground for a
better effect, the moon and the stars seemed so close that she thought she
could touch them if only she stretched a little more. She could see the forest
around her, leading to a park – over there was a laurel maze, there were the
magnificent gardens, and the palatial buildings forming Malfoy Manor as such.
She could see the party guests and scurrying house-elves, tiny like insects –
in every other moment, she would have ridiculed such stale clichés, but the
drink, the situation overwhelmed her critical sense. She noticed that Lucius
had undone the spell stabilising her, but when someone on the terraces shot
firecrackers into the sky and the giraffes gave a start, she lost her balance
and fell. Marlon hadn’t lied; he caught her at once with a spell and let her
slowly hover down to the ground again.
“Silly
beasts,” Lucius ranted and kicked the giraffe next to him against its leg. The
animal didn’t wince, but retaliated at once and kicked him back, sending him to
the ground. He brandished his wand at it, but Narcissa stepped between them and
helped him up.
“Leave
her alone, Lucius. She couldn’t help it, she got scared.”
He would
have glared at the animal, if it hadn’t been for Narcissa’s enchanting smile.
“And? Did you like it?”
“Great
sight, yeah! The giraffes were somewhat unnecessary though.”
“But they
added a nice touch, didn’t they?”
“They
sure did,” she muttered and shot him a radiant smile. Realising what she was
doing, she looked away and exclaimed in a firm voice, “Come on, let’s do
something! And you must give me the recipe for that potion, Damocles. Fabulous
mix, honestly. Come, come, don’t be so lazy! So what are we going to do? Oh
dear, I forgot the kid – he must be bored out of his mind – doesn’t know
anyone, does he – send someone to look after the kid, Lucius – and now move
your lazy bottoms, guys!”
Lucius
and Damocles smirked about her enthusiasm, knowing full well what had got into
her. They had debated if they could even offer her that potion, Damocles’ own
invention. It was strictly illegal, half of the ingredients were banned, and
the inventor had had scruples about giving it to the girl. Lucius had succeeded
though, he always did, and in this special case, no one had any intention to
mess with him anyway. They all knew what Narcissa Black meant to him, they all felt
that it was partly their fault that she rejected him so thoroughly; they had
given in to his suggestion to have her join them because she was a talented,
glamorous girl, sure, but chiefly because it was she, the girl whose name Lucius would always speak in italics. And
if he wanted to bedazzle her with that potion – oh well, he’d watch over her
under all circumstances, no worries.
When she
had been standing on that rope, Gibbs and Bertie had made jokes if they could
glimpse under her skirt, receiving a harsh reprimand. Lucius himself had just
been gazing up to her, bewitched by the vision. Her blonde hair had beautifully
contrasted the otherwise dark silhouette. Her dress gown had floated around
her, making her look so utterly beautiful that it’d taken his breath. Thank
Merlin that Crabs had kept his attention, because Lucius had been far too
distraught to catch her when the giraffes broke out; he had been shocked and
angry that something could have happened to her, and that he was robbed of this
unearthly sight –
The
potion put her in the mood to party and that was what they did. They went back
to the party for a while, drank more, decided to take a short trip to the
bartender’s resident bar in Bangkok, went for a swim in the Indian Ocean, after
which Lucius yearningly envied Graham, for he was allowed to dry Narcissa’s
robes with his wand, and returned to Malfoy Manor when the sun had already
risen. There were still bunches of people everywhere, dancing, drinking,
snogging, vomiting and sleeping, and a miserable looking house-elf rushed to
his master.
“Young master
Lucius,” he sobbed and clenched his loincloth. “Strangers have broken into
Master Abraxas’ wine cellar – the precious fairy goblet’s damaged – someone’s
relieved himself on the Persian rug in the Golden Parlour – couldn’t find you,
young master – oh sir, Master Abraxas’s going to be so outraged! Several
portraits slashed – the amber cabinet’s been pushed over…”
He
wouldn’t find an end to the litany of destruction, following Lucius along,
stumbling and cowering. His master had shown a face of amusement at first, but
the longer the aggrieved elf kept complaining, the angrier he got until he
kicked the servant out of his way. “Get off me, Izzy! Come on, guys, help me
clean up, will you – Cissa, please have another drink, we’ll be right back and
I’ll take you home then.”
She was
giggling and sauntered over to the bar, trying very hard to walk straight.
“Brilliant place you’ve got yourself there, Phan,” she mumbled in the general
direction of the spider. “Excellent – great music – fabulous drinks – hey! Did
you happen to see a weird kid? Four foot eleven, I’d venture – black hair –
oddly-cut robes – rather shy? And give me one of those funny mixtures!”
To her
great surprise, the bartender transformed into his human shape, turning out to
be a handsome Asian, who gave her a radiant grin and a drink. “You’re the
girlfriend of the bloke who threw the party?”
“What?
Oh, no! No, no, no! Not my girlfriend – his boyfriend – oh, you know!
Absolutely not.”
“Good!”
His smile got even broader.
“Yeah.
Whatever – so did you see the kid? I feel kind of responsible for him.”
“Your
little brother?”
“Nah… I
just brought him here, and then I kind of forgot him… Terrible, isn’t it? I’m terrible!”
He leaned
over to her. “Oh, no… You could never be terrible.
A little – naughty – maybe?”
“Only
tonight. My first time being naughty, you could say…” With some delay, she
realised that she was actually talking to that man in a rather misleading
fashion. Just because she had discarded some of her major principles tonight,
that didn’t mean that she’d need to break with all of them! She stepped back,
snatched her glass and turned around. “Excuse me. I got to find the bloke who
isn’t my boyfriend – and the one who isn’t my brother –”
She went
into the house, instinctively following the traces of chaos and the occasional
screams. She found Graham and Bertram in a smaller parlour, doing repair
spells. Behind her, three college boys ran down the corridor and out of the
house, and looking over her shoulder, she saw that they had been badly cursed.
One of them was limping and bleeding, his fellow had tentacles growing out of
every visible piece of skin, and the last one had the head of a giant ant.
“Luce’s
upstairs, kicking out some people, if you’re looking for him,” Bertram said
casually, inspecting the shattered pieces of an antique vase.
She
wanted to appear disinterested in Lucius, so she asked, “And the others?”
“Some
idiots got stuck in the library and Cle’s trying to get ‘em out. I think Evan’s
– accompanying – some unwanted guests
out, too – and I have not a clue what the rest’re doing. Merlin, this is going
to be the last time you or any of us see Luce – his father will go berserk when he comes home. He’ll just
kill him!”
“Ah, it
won’t be that bad, I’m sure.”
“You
clearly haven’t met Malfoy senior. Baaad
temper, that one!”
Some more
rampaging kids came her way when she went on looking for her ticket home,
finding him in his father’s study. Two portraits were dressing him down at
once, though he didn’t seem to listen, instead tidying the place up.
“You
useless idiot,” the left portrait ranted, “you silly son of that Teutonic
bitch! How dare you lead strangers into your forefathers’ house! How dare you
let them into your father’s study!”
“Not even
you are allowed in here!” The right
one scowled down at him, wildly gesticulating. “Shhh! Out! Get out!”
“I
believe one of them was a Mudblood even, Hector!”
“He
surely looked like one! Hey, you wayward dog there! Listen to us when we’re
talking to you!”
“You know
he never listens, Hector! That’s his
speciality!”
“I swear,
this is all his awful mother’s fault, Caesar!”
“Just a
minute, Cissa,” Lucius said when he noticed her, giving her a weak smile and
beckoning at the pictures. “And please excuse them.”
“Another
stranger! Ha! Oh boy, wait until your father hears that you’ve brought one of
your sluts into his study!”
Instead
of an answer, Lucius brandished his wand, slashing the left portrait, whose
inhabitant could duck away just so. “Leave her
out of this!”
“I’ll –
I’ll just go – yes. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
“No, I’ll
come with you right now. I needn’t do this crap anyway – I’m in trouble either
way.”
“Nothing
that could not be repaired, right?”
“Exactly!
The old man will throw a tantrum for the sake of it. He enjoys flipping, you know? And those two oafs in there will be
delighted to fill him in on the tiniest details.”
She felt
strangely sympathetic, and patted his shoulder, somewhat timidly. “By the way…
did you come across Severus? I feel a bit guilty for having abandoned him like
that.”
It turned
out that the kid had simply laid down to sleep and that Lucius had already seen
to it that he’d be taken home – that was where Marlon had gone to. Lucius was
amazingly good-humoured in the face of destruction and involuntary hermitage in
some Third World country behind the Iron Curtain, she thought, asking him about
it and seeing him grin.
“You’ve
been having fun, haven’t you?”
“Yes –”
“See,
then everything’s fine. I knew how this would turn out. It’s always, always
like that – each party’s the same in that way. And this one was supposed to be
special and celebrate our newest pal – that’s you, Cissa – so it’s totally
worth it.”
“You’re
crazy!”
“Now I’d
usually reply that I’m crazy for you, but given tonight’s events and oaths, I’m
at a loss for quick repartee.”
“Just
think of me like you think of Marlon. I’m his substitute after all!”
“Can you
grow a huge belly for that?”
“I’ll do
my best.”
“Of
course, we’ll have to obey to the Secrecy Statute, so when we’re back in school
with other students around us, I’ve got to act the usual way around you until
you’re sufficiently fat.”
“Hey! I
thought we had a deal!”
“And I
stand by that. In such a case, you simply need to remember that it’s a mere
act.”
“But it’s
always been nothing but an act!”
He
suppressed a woeful smile. “See? You’re halfway there.”
* Prima… The first goblet
is for the thirst, the second for the merriment, the third one for lust, the
forth for madness!
* In Bibliothecis… In
libraries, immortal spirits whisper.
* Vince mero… Vanquish your
sorrows with wine, defy what torments you and banish the clouds from your
heart.
* In Vino… In wine there’s
wildness.
*****
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