FIC: "The Lost Prophecy About the Woman in White for bluerose16
Title: The Lost Prophecy About the Woman in White
Author/Artist: ???
Recipient's name: bluerose16
Characters/Pairings: Narcissa/Lily, McGonagall
Rating: R
Words: 6,000
Summary: A prophecy made during the First War about a son not yet born - yes, you've heard it all before, but not quite like this. As Narcissa prepares for her wedding and McGonagall seeks to stop it, Lily must decide which one of them to trust.
Warning: Gratuitously mixed-up chronology
Notes: Written for bluerose16, who wanted Narcissa/Lily and something complicated, with betrayal, trickery, double-meanings, and dramatic irony. I hope at least the pairing and the irony are fulfilled. :) Thank you to B and D for the beta work.
~ The Lost Prophecy about the Woman in White ~
1. The Woman in White
"By the power vested in me by the Wizengamot, and by the holiness of our Pure-blooded ancestors, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
The altar was really a rather oppressive place, Narcissa decided as she raised her chin and watched her new husband lean in to kiss her. She pasted on her best faux smile, the one she had been practicing her whole life, the one she almost believed in herself whenever she caught sight of it in a mirror. His lips were thin and soaked in brandy. He dispensed with conventions of chastity and probed her mouth with his tongue, and she had to concentrate on not retching. Chastity. Yes, that was a funny one.
If only his lips were softer, she found herself thinking as he carried her out of the hall. If only that abominable hair was different, coarser and curly under her hands as she pushed it down her body. Oh, let's get straight to the point, shall we? If only he was a she, and had long red hair that tickled her skin and lips that could make her forget her own name. If only…
Stop.
This was not one on those ridiculous Muggle love tragedies where people from warring sides fell in love, with men strutting across the stage in velour tights, warbling about the woman who got away. Muggles had no sense of family, loyalty, or blood; they placed too much faith in love. It was perfectly clear to Narcissa that she did not fall for a woman from the wrong side of the tracks, because that woman's kind didn't get a side. She was nothing but a filthy Mudblood.
A filthy Mudblood with a painfully talented mouth, if the truth must be told.
Narcissa sighed angrily, stepping into the carriage. This was her life. She had made her choices. And anyway, falling for a woman was never supposed to be one of them - especially not when that woman had done nothing but prey on Narcissa's vulnerabilities, exploiting her weaknesses and her doubts for the benefit of her family's enemies.
"Darling, you look exquisite," Lucius drawled in her ear, licking at her like a panting dog, and she nearly recoiled in disgust.
Oh yes, she had made her choices. She would marry, and give birth to a son, and fulfill her prophecy. It was too late now for a disgusting Muggle whore like Lily Evans to stop her.
~~~~~
2. Assassin
"The Order of the Phoenix does not kill innocent people, Lily. You should know that."
"What about guilty people, then?"
"Nor guilty people! Murder splits the soul, for Merlin's sake. You are no better than You-Know-Who himself to even think of such a thing!"
"Oh, come on, Professor, let's make an exception. Seems to be an awful lot at stake here if that prophecy is true, right? And anyway, innocent is in the eye of the beholder."
"I don't like your attitude, Lily. She has done nothing wrong yet. You have been spending entirely too much time with Mr. Potter if that's the sort of flippant, snide-"
"I'm sorry. This is just… I'm worried, is all."
McGonagall leaned across the table, her lips a thin line and her hair wound so tightly Lily feared the poor woman's eyes might pop out of their sockets from it. "Yes, as am I, but let's try to think rationally about this, all right?"
Lily sighed and nodded.
"Now, I know that Charms and Potions aren't your only gifts, Lily, which is why you are such a value to the Order. People like you. Our present conversation aside, you generally have a way with words." The older woman glared pointedly at her for a moment before continuing. "There's something soothing about you, a sort of demeanour that makes people comfortable around you."
"Thank you, but I don't see how-"
"I will hold onto this prophecy as long as I can before sharing it with the rest of the Order," McGonagall replied, her voice stern. "In the meantime, I want you to speak with Narcissa Black. See if you can't talk some sense into her."
"Talk!" Lily said incredulously. "How on earth am I supposed to get that woman to talk to me? She's a terrible person, Professor. She and her sister used to kick Muggle-borns in the halls at school. Kick!" she repeated. "Apparently we weren't even worth their time to hex like a proper wizard."
"Listen to me," McGonagall replied, her steely gaze holding Lily down. "It may not seem so to you, but my sources tell me she is wavering. The Black family is not a lost cause, not yet, and Narcissa knows she's caught in the middle. Bellatrix has already joined forces with You-Know-Who, and Regulus looks to be going down that path, but Sirius has joined the Order instead, and Andromeda is eager to help us out in any way she can. Narcissa could still go either way."
"She's engaged to a Malfoy, Professor," Lily pointed out with a sigh. "That's not something a person can just get up and walk away from. She'd have to have a pretty strong epiphany to chuck a man that powerful just to come sit around with Sirius at Order headquarters, polishing wands or some such."
"Narcissa Black is just as brilliant as you are, Lily," insisted McGonagall. "Don't underestimate her for a second, do you hear me? Never underestimate her intellect, or her talents." Lily nodded quickly, ignoring the earlier compliment, and McGonagall's voice softened again. "Such a pity that she's throwing it all away for a chance to breed."
Lily watched the older woman carefully. "What's wrong with having children?"
McGonagall sighed. "There's nothing wrong with it, but you must understand what I see, Lily - year after year, so many talented young witches running off to marry without any thought for their continued studies…" Her stern expression momentarily softened, and Lily thought the woman almost smiled. "You are like a breath of fresh air around here. Such a good student at Hogwarts, and now so eager to help the Order. Narcissa could have been just like you, you know." Her face hardened again. "She still can be. I'm certain of it."
They stared at each other across the table for a long minute before Lily dropped her eyes. "How am I supposed to convince her?" she asked.
McGonagall rose and placed a hand on Lily's shoulder, patting it reassuringly. "Just talk to her. She used to be such a good student, truly gifted at Transfiguration. I wish I could have persuaded her to take up a career, something that would have showcased her talents…" Her voice trailed off and she seemed to remember Lily's presence. "I'm not sure she has any friends, and Sirius seems to think she may not even be getting along with her sister Bellatrix these days. Lonely souls have been known to do desperate things, you know." McGonagall's face turned wistful.
"Like make friends with a Mudblood?" Lily snorted, earning McGonagall's stony glare.
"Like marry a known Death Eater," she replied icily.
"Professor," Lily sighed, "she's probably been engaged to Malfoy since the beginning of time. Having tea with her isn't going to change that."
"Talk to her," McGonagall urged again. "Just talk, Lily. If it's true that she's having doubts about her marriage, or her future as a Death Eater's wife - and I sincerely hope it is - she has no one to confide in. It may seem pointless to you, but I do not think we should give up on her so easily, especially not with this prophecy."
Lily sighed. "I don't know, Professor. Why can't you do it?"
"I have," replied McGonagall sadly. "I spent her entire seventh year trying to persuade her to go into Auror training, but she insisted her family would never allow it."
Lily was silent, mulling this over in her head. Her own family had always supported her ambitions, magical or otherwise. She couldn't imagine what her life might have been like had they not. She could be the one engaged to a Death Eater right now, or someone equally terrible who didn't mind marrying a Muggle-born, and she might have nowhere to turn for help. The very idea made her blood run cold. "But why would she listen to me now, if she wouldn't listen to you back then?" she asked.
McGonagall regarded her. "Because I'm just a stuffy old professor in her eyes. Try to empathise with her, maybe even sympathise, if you can manage it. You may not be her first choice as a friend, but I think she might listen to you, as a young woman who is using her magical abilities for the good of-"
"I'm not exactly using any magical abilities, Professor," Lily interrupted, rolling her eyes. "It seems I'm only good for diplomatic negotiations."
"Yes," McGonagall continued irritably, "but you're doing something with your life, Lily! Show her that there are other possibilities for women, beyond getting married and having children so young."
Lily considered this.
"She can be made to see the perils of following You-Know-Who. She can be swayed, I really do think so."
Lily leaned her elbows on the table, massaging her temples with her fingers.
"The Order is gathering again on the twenty-fifth, and I shall have to read this newest prophecy to them all at that time. See if you can't talk some sense into Narcissa before then."
"All right," Lily agreed, rising from the table with resignation. "I'll see what I can do."
McGonagall glanced back at her with a frown. "There is a chance that this prophecy, like all the others, is complete rubbish, but somehow I don't think so. I told you this already, and you need to start taking it seriously. You-Know-Who runs a highly-structured and highly patriarchal organisation. With the exception of Mrs. Lestrange-" McGonagall pronounced the name as though it physically pained her - "the only women in it have married in."
"I know, I know," Lily said sulkily.
"It would be a major victory for us if we could convince Narcissa to stop that wedding - and not only because of the prophecy."
"All right," Lily insisted, running her hands through her hair. "I said I'll see what I can do." The older woman gave her a tight smile, before turning and leaving the room. "Still think it'd be better just to kill her, though," she added under her breath. "Sounds like the soul-splitting might be worth it."
~~~~~
3. Thief
"So."
"So."
"Congratulations to the bride."
Narcissa raised her eyes from the mirror. "Why, thank you, darling. So good of you to pay your respects in person."
"What can I say?" Lily replied, glaring at the other woman. "An owl just seemed so cold."
"Indeed," Narcissa sniffed. "Everything is set for Saturday, and I really can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it." Her lips curled in a sneer. "I suppose you're here to make one last effort to stop the wedding?" Narcissa returned to her lipstick, carefully outlining her lips in dark red as Lily watched, silently seething. "Oh come now," she added with a small smile, "surely you did not come in person because you were hoping for another go, did you? You poor thing."
"Fuck you," Lily muttered.
"Oh no, little girl," Narcissa shot back, "not anymore. Perhaps you haven't heard, but my fiancé is a proper wizard, with the right blood lines, the right bank accounts, and… what on earth was that other detail? My goodness, I can't for the life of me recall it…" She put the lipstick down and chewed daintily at her bottom lip, her head tipped to the side as if in deep thought. "Oh yes, that's it." Her eyes narrowed. "A cock."
Lily closed her eyes and counted to ten. She would not let Narcissa do this again. This would not be just another night when Narcissa won and Lily lost. There had already been too many of those - culminating, of course, in the woman's stupid fucking wedding. She steeled her nerve and walked up to the bureau where Narcissa sat, placing firm hands on her shoulders and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Save that line for your husband," she murmured, "because he's the only one who'll believe that what he's got is what you want."
"What a strong grip you have," Narcissa breathed, watching the two of them in the mirror as her lips twisted into a smile. "You should go into Auror training, darling."
Lily dug her nails in deeper, pulling Narcissa's narrow shoulders back towards her. "What makes you think I haven't already?"
"Because dear old McGonagall seems to have you set up on quite another assignment, does she not? Look at her, pimping you out to Death Eaters. Is this how Dumbledore is going to bring down the Dark Lord?" She let out one of her airy laughs, those fake, annoying attempts at mirth that her set were so fond of, and Lily couldn't help but wince at the sound. "James Potter can't give you what you want - everyone knows that. Oh yes, those Auror friends of yours would just love to know that you're here begging for it from a woman, like one of my filthy servants, no less."
"Shut up, for God's sake," Lily muttered, pushing Narcissa's shoulders forward with an angry shove and walking away. "Just shut the hell up, all right?"
"Or what - you'll storm out and I'll never see you again?" Narcissa rose from her seat at the bureau and crossed to Lily, flinging the back of one hand over her forehead in mock disappointment before pausing and narrowing her eyes. "Don't tease now, Lily," she added softly.
"This isn't you," Lily said quietly, leaning against the wall. "You sound like your sister, not like yourself."
"Andromeda? Oh no, we're much too different."
"Not Andromeda," Lily said, shaking her head.
Narcissa paused, her head bowed low. "You don't know me," she said at last. "You don't know what I sound like. You are on a mission to destroy the Black family, luring us into your fold one at a time, isn't that right? I will not let you lure me anywhere." Her breath came in short bursts as her fists coiled at her sides. "We are not friends, Lily," she added, "and a Black will never be manipulated by a Mudblood, or by that mad old spinster, is that clear?"
"You wanted me," Lily fumed, grabbing Narcissa's arm and pulling her in close. "You wanted all of this."
"How is it that the greying old pussycat has you so tightly wrapped around her little finger?"
Lily paused a fraction too long, and Narcissa seeped into the cracks in her veneer.
She worked her arm free and reached out to place her index finger just under Lily's chin, tilting her head up. "I know much more than you think I do," she breathed, that maddening smile quirking at the corner of her mouth.
Lily hated that smile, and the way words like smug and arrogant seem to come alive in the curve of Narcissa's lips. If there was one thing all the Blacks had in common, it was that bloody smile. "That's doubtful," she bit out, jerking her head away from Narcissa's touch. "This is a war in which people pick sides, and you're on the wrong one. That means I know more than you."
"Astonishing logic," Narcissa drawled, and Lily's hand flew to the woman's wrist again, circling it and pressing hard. "Let me go," she ordered, and Lily stepped back a little, waiting for her to change her mind.
"Do you have somewhere to be?"
"I'm meeting my fiancé in ten minutes," she seethed, "and you should not be here when he arrives."
Lily turned her around and pressed her into the wall, knowing she had strength and conviction over this woman, and suspecting that Narcissa didn't really want her to let go anyway. Only a fool underestimated Narcissa Black, Lily had learned that much by now. She pulled up Narcissa's robe with very little ceremony, fingers desperate to touch and lips frantic to taste. She relished Narcissa's gasp, kissing her neck and breathing in the sickening vanilla scent of that long blonde hair.
"Filthy… Mudblood…" Narcissa whispered, her eyes drifting shut, but they both knew by now that insults only made Lily try harder, just like they had her whole life in the Wizarding world. There was nothing a Muggle-born couldn't do just as well as any other witch, this included, and Lily would be damned if she would let this Pure-blooded bitch get to her again.
It never took long when Narcissa was fired up like this, spitting curses and moaning her needs, with her eyes squeezed shut as though to pretend that Lily wasn't there. Lily felt an unnamed sadness as she pulled away and let Narcissa's robes drop to the floor.
"Filthy Mudblood," Lily muttered, trying to forget about her own arousal. "That's still all you see?"
Narcissa pushed her away and moved back to her bureau, her chest heaving and her perfect hair mussed at the back. "My fiancé is a proper wizard," she repeated in a carefully controlled voice, as though it was on a loop. "His blood is the purest in Europe." She glared at Lily with her hands on her hips, all ash-blonde challenge and red-nailed fury.
Lily stared at her, refusing to believe the woman was still playing this game. "Blood doesn't matter in this war," Lily reminded her.
But Narcissa surprised her this time by wavering. She swayed and reached out to the wall for support, leaning into it while fighting to maintain her disaffected facade. Her eyes rose to meet Lily's, and for a brief second the malice, the judgements, the self-righteousness disappeared, and in their place emerged a kind of sad calm. "I know," she whispered, so softly Lily could barely hear her, and Lily thought the world might have stopped turning, for all the shakiness she suddenly felt.
But a moment later it was gone, and that vindictive sneer was back on Narcissa's face. "Get out," she ordered. "And don't come back. I'm getting married." Her voice almost, but not quite, quivered on that last word. "And you, little girl, can run off and tell McGonagall that just because she never found a husband doesn't mean she can fuck it up for the rest of us."
Lily stared for a moment and then swallowed, nodding slowly, because Narcissa didn't get it, she didn't get it at all, and it wasn't about marriage or McGonagall or a fucking prophecy anymore. It was about the two of them, locked in a gilded room pulsing with more passion than Lily had ever felt in her life, and she knew beyond a doubt that she would do anything Narcissa asked her to now, anything at all, including walk away.
~~~~~
4. Vandal
Narcissa did get it, of course, much more than Lily could ever imagine, but it was rather difficult to fulfill their apparent destiny as star-crossed lovers if they perfectly understood each other.
The first time wasn't quite what Lily had expected, but that wasn't surprising, since she hadn't expected anything at all. She had expected to talk, not to kiss; to argue over the Death Eaters, not whether or not to remove her blouse. Most of all, she had expected a viper like Bellatrix, not the wistful, confused, and utterly lovely creature she found sitting on the parlour sofa - attempting to bite out insults at Lily but failing to make them sound convincing.
There was no reason for Lily to walk over to the sofa and embrace her, and even less reason for Narcissa to allow it. It wasn't a plan, it was instinct - like folding Remus up in her arms after a transformation, or letting Alice's sabre-clawed cat curl up on her lap for a stolen moment of calm.
The kiss came naturally after that, and once gentleness had been established, there was nothing for it but to move on to hungrier kisses, with parted lips and tangled tongues that grew more desperate with each passing second. It was nothing like kissing James, Lily decided early on, but she couldn't lift her mouth away. Narcissa tasted like something pale and forgotten, something that needed saving, and Lily had never felt a saviour instinct before in her life, but she felt one now.
McGonagall was right. This woman didn't have the heart of a Death Eater, and for the first time, Lily could only part her lips and agree that she might be the only one who could save Narcissa from her fate.
After that first kiss, the falling came naturally. Lily was a romantic, after all - a steel-hearted one, to be sure, but a romantic nonetheless. It should have been so much harder to remove her clothes like that, to bare herself to this woman and not feel shame or remorse, but it wasn't. It was the easiest thing she had ever done, and in hindsight, that should have told her something. About what, she didn't know - love, maybe, or just sex. Possibly about war and loss, or about loyalty and forgiveness. It was difficult to say, when Narcissa's tongue was doing that right now, and so Lily stopped thinking altogether, and just let herself slide down, let Narcissa envelop her and soothe every inch of flesh with her mouth and tongue.
It was for the good of the Order, after all, and for Sirius, too. If Narcissa could be brought over, there was still hope for Regulus. It was for the good of the Order, it was good, oh God, it was so good.
Narcissa's hair brushed over Lily's skin and the deep moan on her lips told Lily that everything would change now. The world tilted a little bit, and each piece she saw in it sat at a slightly different angle. They lay together afterwards and still it was calm when it should have been awkward, easy when it should have been the most difficult, inexplicable, and appalling situation Lily had ever found herself in.
"I just came here to talk to you," she began softly, wary of breaking the comfortable silence.
"I know."
"You… do?"
Narcissa sat up a little bit, gazing at Lily with an unreadable expression. "I figured as much." She smirked, and Lily realised her own mouth must have been gaping open a little bit in disbelief. "Oh, don't look so naïve. I know who you are, running around with my blood traitor cousin and his friends." A silky hand ran up Lily's thigh, and she gasped. "Spreading your legs for whichever one of them decides it's his turn tonight, isn't that about right?"
Lily jerked away from the touch, groping on the floor for her blouse and frantically trying to cover herself with it. "No!" she said indignantly. "What do you take me for?"
Narcissa laughed softly, her eyes running down Lily's naked body as her hand pushed the blouse aside again and stroked over Lily's stomach. "What do I take you for…?" she repeated quietly. "You just walked in off the street and took your clothes off for me, little girl," she breathed. "What should I take you for?"
Before Lily could respond, Narcissa had crawled on top of her again and straddled her, lips devouring her neck. All she could do was tilt her head back, her body completely at the mercy of this woman.
"You don't have to like me, if that's your problem," Narcissa whispered, her hair brushing over Lily's breasts as she trailed kisses down her body. "Merlin knows I don't like you. But a woman shouldn't get married without a bit of fun under her belt, wouldn't you agree?"
No, Lily thought in her head, she couldn't agree with that at all, not in principle. She had James, and Narcissa had her rich fiancé, and yes, Lily was supposed to be convincing her to abandon that fiancé and join the Order, but not like this, never like this. What would McGonagall say if she knew this was the tactic Lily had used to bring Narcissa over to their side? She had to put a stop to this.
Just not yet, not yet, oh God don't stop not yet…
"I think I could get used to you," Narcissa said quietly after the second time, Lily's hands still tangled in Narcissa's hair and her breath still coming in rapid bursts.
"My God," Lily panted. "I think I could, too." She rolled over and curled up against Narcissa, feeling inexplicably safe in her arms, and she let herself close her eyes and relax in a state of blissful calm as Narcissa's hand stroked her back. "And to think, I was going to come over here to kill you," she murmured to herself with a smile.
Narcissa's hand stopped stroking, but Lily missed the sudden tension in the body embracing hers. "You… were?" she asked lightly.
"No, no." Lily yawned, snuggling in closer. "Just a stupid prophecy… McGonagall being mad as usual… God, your skin is soft…"
The hand continued to glide over Lily's back in controlled, measured movements, but Narcissa said nothing further. Lily found herself drifting off to sleep with a feeling of calm satiation coursing through her, content in this woman's arms. She didn't notice that Narcissa lay awake for hours, eyes narrowed at the ceiling and a dozen theories and vengeful thoughts dancing through her head.
~~~~~
5. Architect
There were other nights after that, and then others. Nights and days and weekends and getaways, and Lily couldn't even remember now how they'd done it, sneaking around in the endlessly empty rooms of that big old manor where Narcissa was locked away for her engagement, stealing kisses in moments that lasted for hours.
"Tell me more about this prophecy," Narcissa would say softly as Lily's lips travelled over her collarbone.
And Lily would tell her, because as far as she was concerned she wasn't talking to a Death Eater, she was talking to Narcissa, who agreed with everything she said, and nodded in all the right places, and seemed increasingly likely to join the Order anyway, so what did it matter?
"What do you think I should do?" Narcissa would ask innocently as Lily's tongue moved over her.
And Lily would advise her to join the Order and fight with her, and with Sirius and Andromeda and all the others. It wasn't too late for the Black family, Lily would argue.
"Would we be together?" Narcissa would coo as Lily's hands moved across her skin. "You'd leave your Pure-blood boyfriend for me?"
And Lily would say yes, because any other answer was unthinkable at times like these, when all Lily's energy was focused on the slow snaking way her spine curled in pleasure when Narcissa touched her.
It was only belatedly that she realised she would soon have to report back to McGonagall on her progress in these "talks" she continued to schedule with Narcissa Black, and that this was certainly not what McGonagall had had in mind when she'd solicited Lily's help in stopping Narcissa's wedding to Lucius Malfoy.
"Are you kidding, little girl?" Narcissa drawled one night, propped up on one arm with a long, thin cigarette in her other hand. "It's exactly what she had in mind. You, my darling, are nothing but a pawn in her sordid little game."
Lily blinked, waving the smoke out of her face. This was a tone she'd never quite heard before from Narcissa. "Game?"
A stream of smoke slithered through Narcissa's lips. "Sure. Let me guess - she told you to come over and 'talk' to me, right?" She laughed, and a shiver ran down Lily's spine. "I'll hand it to her, she had you pegged. You were flat on your back in seconds that first night, weren't you?"
Lily sat up. "I- what?"
"Seconds."
The smoke floated over Lily's skin and settled in dark grey patches, eating at her as her brain tried to process the conversation. "But there's a prophecy," she said slowly. "If you get married, there's-"
"One less available woman in the world. Honestly, Lily, haven't you noticed by now? She's one of those radical feminists, always trying to keep women from subjecting themselves to the supposed tyranny of men." She laughed again, tilting her head back and showing off her pale white throat. "She tried for ages to get me to postpone my marriage - halt it, even - to go off and study Transfiguration. Realise my potential, she said. Off dreaming in her ivory tower, as usual. The only potential I have in my world is here between my legs." She forced another laugh.
Lily swallowed.
"There's no prophecy, Lily. Honestly! This is all McGonagall's doing, don't you see? Set you up in a cosy arrangement with me," Narcissa continued, "and that boyfriend of yours can go off and fuck my cousin, for all McGonagall cares. She's never been supportive of your relationship with him, has she?"
"Well. No," Lily replied softly, her mind racing.
"Mm. She's living in a dream world, and you bought right into it." Narcissa took one last drag before stubbing the fag out on a sterling ashtray beside the bed. "Well, at any rate, you should probably go, darling. Lucius should be here soon."
"Lucius?" Lily gaped for another moment before shaking her head and desperately trying to pull herself together. "What's going on here? Why are you talking like this? I thought it was settled - you were coming back with me."
Narcissa rose from the bed and gathered her clothes, pausing only to tilt her head and give Lily a look of pure pity. "Oh dear. You really deluded yourself, didn't you?" She sighed and leaned over the bed, caressing Lily's cheek. "Poor thing. You have a lovely body, darling, and I've enjoyed you as much as possible, but let's not forget the basics - you are a woman, after all."
Lily's eyes widened, and she pushed Narcissa's hand away.
Narcissa pulled her camisole over her head and stepped into her skirt. "I'm sorry you're having so much trouble accepting your sexuality, little girl, but you really got in over your head here. I'm engaged to a very important man, you know. Perhaps you can take up with Andromeda." She paused, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. "I've always suspected her of being a little bit butch."
"Fuck off!" Lily cried, jumping up from the bed and hurling her jumper at Narcissa. "Have you gone completely mad?" She gestured between them. "We have a- we- you know. I thought- you wanted to be with me."
"I'm sorry, Lily, but it's McGonagall who wanted you to be with me. If you want to be angry at anyone, it should be her, not me."
Lily slumped back down onto the bed. "Professor McGonagall?" she whispered, running her hands through her hair as every conversation she'd had with the older woman about the new prophecy rattled through her head.
"Think about it," Narcissa insisted, her voice like poisoned honey in Lily's ear. "You know that prophecy is ridiculous, and this entire 'mission' of McGonagall's to stop my wedding? Well." She finished dressing and began running a comb through her long hair. "It was really illogical, don't you think? Clearly, she had an ulterior motive."
Lily rose slowly and gathered her clothes, her mind numb. "Wait." She turned back after a moment, closing her eyes against the sight of Narcissa's smooth skin and those maddening red lips across the room. "What was in it for you, then?" she asked quietly.
Narcissa was silent for a long moment, fingers idly twirling her hair as she avoided Lily's gaze. "Nothing," she said at last, her voice faraway. She lit another cigarette and watched the swirling wisps of smoke rise up to the ceiling and hang there, clouding the room in ash. Lily shivered from the sudden chill that surrounded her, and the sudden gloom that enveloped Narcissa. "Absolutely nothing."
~~~~~
6. The Lost Prophecy
The time approaches for a Woman in White from the House of Black to rise and accept her duty…
born to her shall be a son with the power to vanquish the only one the Dark Lord fears…
The son's success shall assure the Dark Lord's victory… Without the Woman in White, the Dark Lord will fall…
The time approaches for a Woman in White from the House of Black to rise and accept her duty…
The table was silent for a moment after McGonagall stopped reading, her lips pursed and her veined hands clutched around the parchment. "Thank you, Emmeline," she said as an afterthought, nodding at the woman at the far end of the crowded table. "Without her inside work, we wouldn't have access to all the new prophecies that come into the Ministry, you know."
There were a few polite coughs and murmurs of acknowledgement of Emmeline's contribution, then silence fell again. Lily looked around the room. The war was beginning to get serious, she knew that, but the thought of actually fighting You-Know-Who head on was still rather remote. She sighed, glancing at the clock. All these prophecies were getting rather tiresome. Emmeline seemed to bring a new one every other day, for God's sake.
"The Woman in White from the House of Black?" Lily said at last, chewing on her bottom lip. "Isn't that a bit… lame?"
Sirius snickered, and the others around the table followed suit, breaking into grins and winking at each other. "What's that, Lil - don't think my lovely family could defeat the 'Dark Lord'?" He lowered his voice at the name, rolling his eyes as the laughter at the table increased.
"Beware any prophecy with bad puns, eh?" James added, leaning back in his chair and grinning at Lily.
"Rather a lot of melodrama in the prophecies coming in these days, isn't there?" Remus chimed in, scratching his beard and dodging Sirius's elbow.
"The prodigal son!" James sang, and now even Emmeline was smiling sheepishly, shaking her head. "There's always something about a kid, yeah? What, are none of us good enough to defeat him - the powers that be need to wait for a new generation?" His eyes shone with amusement when he glanced back at Lily, and she laughed.
"Really, Professor," she added, turning to the older woman. "I mean, it's up to Professor Dumbledore, I suppose, since he's the only one You-Know-Who fears, but it sounds to me like this is another one to rot away on the shelf."
McGonagall paused, her eyes locked on Lily's and her expression unreadable. "Yes, I'll ask him when I get back to Hogwarts. He's got an appointment to interview a new Divination teacher next week, so perhaps we'll be able to get some insight into all these prophecies, but…" She sighed. "I hate to dismiss anything so easily." She turned to Sirius, eyes narrowed. "Didn't one of your cousins just get married?" she asked, and Lily inwardly marvelled at the woman's nerve, pretending she knew nothing about it.
Sirius shrugged. "Sure. It seems there's a wedding every month. Hard to keep track of them all when you're not on the invite list, though."
"Yes, yes." She waved her hand at him. "All right. Meeting dismissed. Thank you, Emmeline," she added, "but I think we can safely let this one go. Perhaps the next prophecy will give us a bit more to go on. See you all next week." She let her gaze rest on Lily again, who resolutely ignored the disappointment clear on the older woman's face.
Oh, sod her, Lily fumed as she left the room, her arm hooked through James's. She swatted him away as he tried to nuzzle her neck. Sod the lot of them, really. Prophecies were rubbish; McGonagall and her stupid feminist agenda were rubbish, and Narcissa sodding Black and her whinging future son were rubbish. Lily was young and in love, and she had her whole life ahead of her.
She kissed James lightly on the cheek, pushing down the nausea she felt as she walked down the lane and resolved to put this whole sordid mess behind her.
-fin-
Author/Artist: ???
Recipient's name: bluerose16
Characters/Pairings: Narcissa/Lily, McGonagall
Rating: R
Words: 6,000
Summary: A prophecy made during the First War about a son not yet born - yes, you've heard it all before, but not quite like this. As Narcissa prepares for her wedding and McGonagall seeks to stop it, Lily must decide which one of them to trust.
Warning: Gratuitously mixed-up chronology
Notes: Written for bluerose16, who wanted Narcissa/Lily and something complicated, with betrayal, trickery, double-meanings, and dramatic irony. I hope at least the pairing and the irony are fulfilled. :) Thank you to B and D for the beta work.
~ The Lost Prophecy about the Woman in White ~
1. The Woman in White
"By the power vested in me by the Wizengamot, and by the holiness of our Pure-blooded ancestors, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
The altar was really a rather oppressive place, Narcissa decided as she raised her chin and watched her new husband lean in to kiss her. She pasted on her best faux smile, the one she had been practicing her whole life, the one she almost believed in herself whenever she caught sight of it in a mirror. His lips were thin and soaked in brandy. He dispensed with conventions of chastity and probed her mouth with his tongue, and she had to concentrate on not retching. Chastity. Yes, that was a funny one.
If only his lips were softer, she found herself thinking as he carried her out of the hall. If only that abominable hair was different, coarser and curly under her hands as she pushed it down her body. Oh, let's get straight to the point, shall we? If only he was a she, and had long red hair that tickled her skin and lips that could make her forget her own name. If only…
Stop.
This was not one on those ridiculous Muggle love tragedies where people from warring sides fell in love, with men strutting across the stage in velour tights, warbling about the woman who got away. Muggles had no sense of family, loyalty, or blood; they placed too much faith in love. It was perfectly clear to Narcissa that she did not fall for a woman from the wrong side of the tracks, because that woman's kind didn't get a side. She was nothing but a filthy Mudblood.
A filthy Mudblood with a painfully talented mouth, if the truth must be told.
Narcissa sighed angrily, stepping into the carriage. This was her life. She had made her choices. And anyway, falling for a woman was never supposed to be one of them - especially not when that woman had done nothing but prey on Narcissa's vulnerabilities, exploiting her weaknesses and her doubts for the benefit of her family's enemies.
"Darling, you look exquisite," Lucius drawled in her ear, licking at her like a panting dog, and she nearly recoiled in disgust.
Oh yes, she had made her choices. She would marry, and give birth to a son, and fulfill her prophecy. It was too late now for a disgusting Muggle whore like Lily Evans to stop her.
~~~~~
2. Assassin
"The Order of the Phoenix does not kill innocent people, Lily. You should know that."
"What about guilty people, then?"
"Nor guilty people! Murder splits the soul, for Merlin's sake. You are no better than You-Know-Who himself to even think of such a thing!"
"Oh, come on, Professor, let's make an exception. Seems to be an awful lot at stake here if that prophecy is true, right? And anyway, innocent is in the eye of the beholder."
"I don't like your attitude, Lily. She has done nothing wrong yet. You have been spending entirely too much time with Mr. Potter if that's the sort of flippant, snide-"
"I'm sorry. This is just… I'm worried, is all."
McGonagall leaned across the table, her lips a thin line and her hair wound so tightly Lily feared the poor woman's eyes might pop out of their sockets from it. "Yes, as am I, but let's try to think rationally about this, all right?"
Lily sighed and nodded.
"Now, I know that Charms and Potions aren't your only gifts, Lily, which is why you are such a value to the Order. People like you. Our present conversation aside, you generally have a way with words." The older woman glared pointedly at her for a moment before continuing. "There's something soothing about you, a sort of demeanour that makes people comfortable around you."
"Thank you, but I don't see how-"
"I will hold onto this prophecy as long as I can before sharing it with the rest of the Order," McGonagall replied, her voice stern. "In the meantime, I want you to speak with Narcissa Black. See if you can't talk some sense into her."
"Talk!" Lily said incredulously. "How on earth am I supposed to get that woman to talk to me? She's a terrible person, Professor. She and her sister used to kick Muggle-borns in the halls at school. Kick!" she repeated. "Apparently we weren't even worth their time to hex like a proper wizard."
"Listen to me," McGonagall replied, her steely gaze holding Lily down. "It may not seem so to you, but my sources tell me she is wavering. The Black family is not a lost cause, not yet, and Narcissa knows she's caught in the middle. Bellatrix has already joined forces with You-Know-Who, and Regulus looks to be going down that path, but Sirius has joined the Order instead, and Andromeda is eager to help us out in any way she can. Narcissa could still go either way."
"She's engaged to a Malfoy, Professor," Lily pointed out with a sigh. "That's not something a person can just get up and walk away from. She'd have to have a pretty strong epiphany to chuck a man that powerful just to come sit around with Sirius at Order headquarters, polishing wands or some such."
"Narcissa Black is just as brilliant as you are, Lily," insisted McGonagall. "Don't underestimate her for a second, do you hear me? Never underestimate her intellect, or her talents." Lily nodded quickly, ignoring the earlier compliment, and McGonagall's voice softened again. "Such a pity that she's throwing it all away for a chance to breed."
Lily watched the older woman carefully. "What's wrong with having children?"
McGonagall sighed. "There's nothing wrong with it, but you must understand what I see, Lily - year after year, so many talented young witches running off to marry without any thought for their continued studies…" Her stern expression momentarily softened, and Lily thought the woman almost smiled. "You are like a breath of fresh air around here. Such a good student at Hogwarts, and now so eager to help the Order. Narcissa could have been just like you, you know." Her face hardened again. "She still can be. I'm certain of it."
They stared at each other across the table for a long minute before Lily dropped her eyes. "How am I supposed to convince her?" she asked.
McGonagall rose and placed a hand on Lily's shoulder, patting it reassuringly. "Just talk to her. She used to be such a good student, truly gifted at Transfiguration. I wish I could have persuaded her to take up a career, something that would have showcased her talents…" Her voice trailed off and she seemed to remember Lily's presence. "I'm not sure she has any friends, and Sirius seems to think she may not even be getting along with her sister Bellatrix these days. Lonely souls have been known to do desperate things, you know." McGonagall's face turned wistful.
"Like make friends with a Mudblood?" Lily snorted, earning McGonagall's stony glare.
"Like marry a known Death Eater," she replied icily.
"Professor," Lily sighed, "she's probably been engaged to Malfoy since the beginning of time. Having tea with her isn't going to change that."
"Talk to her," McGonagall urged again. "Just talk, Lily. If it's true that she's having doubts about her marriage, or her future as a Death Eater's wife - and I sincerely hope it is - she has no one to confide in. It may seem pointless to you, but I do not think we should give up on her so easily, especially not with this prophecy."
Lily sighed. "I don't know, Professor. Why can't you do it?"
"I have," replied McGonagall sadly. "I spent her entire seventh year trying to persuade her to go into Auror training, but she insisted her family would never allow it."
Lily was silent, mulling this over in her head. Her own family had always supported her ambitions, magical or otherwise. She couldn't imagine what her life might have been like had they not. She could be the one engaged to a Death Eater right now, or someone equally terrible who didn't mind marrying a Muggle-born, and she might have nowhere to turn for help. The very idea made her blood run cold. "But why would she listen to me now, if she wouldn't listen to you back then?" she asked.
McGonagall regarded her. "Because I'm just a stuffy old professor in her eyes. Try to empathise with her, maybe even sympathise, if you can manage it. You may not be her first choice as a friend, but I think she might listen to you, as a young woman who is using her magical abilities for the good of-"
"I'm not exactly using any magical abilities, Professor," Lily interrupted, rolling her eyes. "It seems I'm only good for diplomatic negotiations."
"Yes," McGonagall continued irritably, "but you're doing something with your life, Lily! Show her that there are other possibilities for women, beyond getting married and having children so young."
Lily considered this.
"She can be made to see the perils of following You-Know-Who. She can be swayed, I really do think so."
Lily leaned her elbows on the table, massaging her temples with her fingers.
"The Order is gathering again on the twenty-fifth, and I shall have to read this newest prophecy to them all at that time. See if you can't talk some sense into Narcissa before then."
"All right," Lily agreed, rising from the table with resignation. "I'll see what I can do."
McGonagall glanced back at her with a frown. "There is a chance that this prophecy, like all the others, is complete rubbish, but somehow I don't think so. I told you this already, and you need to start taking it seriously. You-Know-Who runs a highly-structured and highly patriarchal organisation. With the exception of Mrs. Lestrange-" McGonagall pronounced the name as though it physically pained her - "the only women in it have married in."
"I know, I know," Lily said sulkily.
"It would be a major victory for us if we could convince Narcissa to stop that wedding - and not only because of the prophecy."
"All right," Lily insisted, running her hands through her hair. "I said I'll see what I can do." The older woman gave her a tight smile, before turning and leaving the room. "Still think it'd be better just to kill her, though," she added under her breath. "Sounds like the soul-splitting might be worth it."
~~~~~
3. Thief
"So."
"So."
"Congratulations to the bride."
Narcissa raised her eyes from the mirror. "Why, thank you, darling. So good of you to pay your respects in person."
"What can I say?" Lily replied, glaring at the other woman. "An owl just seemed so cold."
"Indeed," Narcissa sniffed. "Everything is set for Saturday, and I really can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it." Her lips curled in a sneer. "I suppose you're here to make one last effort to stop the wedding?" Narcissa returned to her lipstick, carefully outlining her lips in dark red as Lily watched, silently seething. "Oh come now," she added with a small smile, "surely you did not come in person because you were hoping for another go, did you? You poor thing."
"Fuck you," Lily muttered.
"Oh no, little girl," Narcissa shot back, "not anymore. Perhaps you haven't heard, but my fiancé is a proper wizard, with the right blood lines, the right bank accounts, and… what on earth was that other detail? My goodness, I can't for the life of me recall it…" She put the lipstick down and chewed daintily at her bottom lip, her head tipped to the side as if in deep thought. "Oh yes, that's it." Her eyes narrowed. "A cock."
Lily closed her eyes and counted to ten. She would not let Narcissa do this again. This would not be just another night when Narcissa won and Lily lost. There had already been too many of those - culminating, of course, in the woman's stupid fucking wedding. She steeled her nerve and walked up to the bureau where Narcissa sat, placing firm hands on her shoulders and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Save that line for your husband," she murmured, "because he's the only one who'll believe that what he's got is what you want."
"What a strong grip you have," Narcissa breathed, watching the two of them in the mirror as her lips twisted into a smile. "You should go into Auror training, darling."
Lily dug her nails in deeper, pulling Narcissa's narrow shoulders back towards her. "What makes you think I haven't already?"
"Because dear old McGonagall seems to have you set up on quite another assignment, does she not? Look at her, pimping you out to Death Eaters. Is this how Dumbledore is going to bring down the Dark Lord?" She let out one of her airy laughs, those fake, annoying attempts at mirth that her set were so fond of, and Lily couldn't help but wince at the sound. "James Potter can't give you what you want - everyone knows that. Oh yes, those Auror friends of yours would just love to know that you're here begging for it from a woman, like one of my filthy servants, no less."
"Shut up, for God's sake," Lily muttered, pushing Narcissa's shoulders forward with an angry shove and walking away. "Just shut the hell up, all right?"
"Or what - you'll storm out and I'll never see you again?" Narcissa rose from her seat at the bureau and crossed to Lily, flinging the back of one hand over her forehead in mock disappointment before pausing and narrowing her eyes. "Don't tease now, Lily," she added softly.
"This isn't you," Lily said quietly, leaning against the wall. "You sound like your sister, not like yourself."
"Andromeda? Oh no, we're much too different."
"Not Andromeda," Lily said, shaking her head.
Narcissa paused, her head bowed low. "You don't know me," she said at last. "You don't know what I sound like. You are on a mission to destroy the Black family, luring us into your fold one at a time, isn't that right? I will not let you lure me anywhere." Her breath came in short bursts as her fists coiled at her sides. "We are not friends, Lily," she added, "and a Black will never be manipulated by a Mudblood, or by that mad old spinster, is that clear?"
"You wanted me," Lily fumed, grabbing Narcissa's arm and pulling her in close. "You wanted all of this."
"How is it that the greying old pussycat has you so tightly wrapped around her little finger?"
Lily paused a fraction too long, and Narcissa seeped into the cracks in her veneer.
She worked her arm free and reached out to place her index finger just under Lily's chin, tilting her head up. "I know much more than you think I do," she breathed, that maddening smile quirking at the corner of her mouth.
Lily hated that smile, and the way words like smug and arrogant seem to come alive in the curve of Narcissa's lips. If there was one thing all the Blacks had in common, it was that bloody smile. "That's doubtful," she bit out, jerking her head away from Narcissa's touch. "This is a war in which people pick sides, and you're on the wrong one. That means I know more than you."
"Astonishing logic," Narcissa drawled, and Lily's hand flew to the woman's wrist again, circling it and pressing hard. "Let me go," she ordered, and Lily stepped back a little, waiting for her to change her mind.
"Do you have somewhere to be?"
"I'm meeting my fiancé in ten minutes," she seethed, "and you should not be here when he arrives."
Lily turned her around and pressed her into the wall, knowing she had strength and conviction over this woman, and suspecting that Narcissa didn't really want her to let go anyway. Only a fool underestimated Narcissa Black, Lily had learned that much by now. She pulled up Narcissa's robe with very little ceremony, fingers desperate to touch and lips frantic to taste. She relished Narcissa's gasp, kissing her neck and breathing in the sickening vanilla scent of that long blonde hair.
"Filthy… Mudblood…" Narcissa whispered, her eyes drifting shut, but they both knew by now that insults only made Lily try harder, just like they had her whole life in the Wizarding world. There was nothing a Muggle-born couldn't do just as well as any other witch, this included, and Lily would be damned if she would let this Pure-blooded bitch get to her again.
It never took long when Narcissa was fired up like this, spitting curses and moaning her needs, with her eyes squeezed shut as though to pretend that Lily wasn't there. Lily felt an unnamed sadness as she pulled away and let Narcissa's robes drop to the floor.
"Filthy Mudblood," Lily muttered, trying to forget about her own arousal. "That's still all you see?"
Narcissa pushed her away and moved back to her bureau, her chest heaving and her perfect hair mussed at the back. "My fiancé is a proper wizard," she repeated in a carefully controlled voice, as though it was on a loop. "His blood is the purest in Europe." She glared at Lily with her hands on her hips, all ash-blonde challenge and red-nailed fury.
Lily stared at her, refusing to believe the woman was still playing this game. "Blood doesn't matter in this war," Lily reminded her.
But Narcissa surprised her this time by wavering. She swayed and reached out to the wall for support, leaning into it while fighting to maintain her disaffected facade. Her eyes rose to meet Lily's, and for a brief second the malice, the judgements, the self-righteousness disappeared, and in their place emerged a kind of sad calm. "I know," she whispered, so softly Lily could barely hear her, and Lily thought the world might have stopped turning, for all the shakiness she suddenly felt.
But a moment later it was gone, and that vindictive sneer was back on Narcissa's face. "Get out," she ordered. "And don't come back. I'm getting married." Her voice almost, but not quite, quivered on that last word. "And you, little girl, can run off and tell McGonagall that just because she never found a husband doesn't mean she can fuck it up for the rest of us."
Lily stared for a moment and then swallowed, nodding slowly, because Narcissa didn't get it, she didn't get it at all, and it wasn't about marriage or McGonagall or a fucking prophecy anymore. It was about the two of them, locked in a gilded room pulsing with more passion than Lily had ever felt in her life, and she knew beyond a doubt that she would do anything Narcissa asked her to now, anything at all, including walk away.
~~~~~
4. Vandal
Narcissa did get it, of course, much more than Lily could ever imagine, but it was rather difficult to fulfill their apparent destiny as star-crossed lovers if they perfectly understood each other.
The first time wasn't quite what Lily had expected, but that wasn't surprising, since she hadn't expected anything at all. She had expected to talk, not to kiss; to argue over the Death Eaters, not whether or not to remove her blouse. Most of all, she had expected a viper like Bellatrix, not the wistful, confused, and utterly lovely creature she found sitting on the parlour sofa - attempting to bite out insults at Lily but failing to make them sound convincing.
There was no reason for Lily to walk over to the sofa and embrace her, and even less reason for Narcissa to allow it. It wasn't a plan, it was instinct - like folding Remus up in her arms after a transformation, or letting Alice's sabre-clawed cat curl up on her lap for a stolen moment of calm.
The kiss came naturally after that, and once gentleness had been established, there was nothing for it but to move on to hungrier kisses, with parted lips and tangled tongues that grew more desperate with each passing second. It was nothing like kissing James, Lily decided early on, but she couldn't lift her mouth away. Narcissa tasted like something pale and forgotten, something that needed saving, and Lily had never felt a saviour instinct before in her life, but she felt one now.
McGonagall was right. This woman didn't have the heart of a Death Eater, and for the first time, Lily could only part her lips and agree that she might be the only one who could save Narcissa from her fate.
After that first kiss, the falling came naturally. Lily was a romantic, after all - a steel-hearted one, to be sure, but a romantic nonetheless. It should have been so much harder to remove her clothes like that, to bare herself to this woman and not feel shame or remorse, but it wasn't. It was the easiest thing she had ever done, and in hindsight, that should have told her something. About what, she didn't know - love, maybe, or just sex. Possibly about war and loss, or about loyalty and forgiveness. It was difficult to say, when Narcissa's tongue was doing that right now, and so Lily stopped thinking altogether, and just let herself slide down, let Narcissa envelop her and soothe every inch of flesh with her mouth and tongue.
It was for the good of the Order, after all, and for Sirius, too. If Narcissa could be brought over, there was still hope for Regulus. It was for the good of the Order, it was good, oh God, it was so good.
Narcissa's hair brushed over Lily's skin and the deep moan on her lips told Lily that everything would change now. The world tilted a little bit, and each piece she saw in it sat at a slightly different angle. They lay together afterwards and still it was calm when it should have been awkward, easy when it should have been the most difficult, inexplicable, and appalling situation Lily had ever found herself in.
"I just came here to talk to you," she began softly, wary of breaking the comfortable silence.
"I know."
"You… do?"
Narcissa sat up a little bit, gazing at Lily with an unreadable expression. "I figured as much." She smirked, and Lily realised her own mouth must have been gaping open a little bit in disbelief. "Oh, don't look so naïve. I know who you are, running around with my blood traitor cousin and his friends." A silky hand ran up Lily's thigh, and she gasped. "Spreading your legs for whichever one of them decides it's his turn tonight, isn't that about right?"
Lily jerked away from the touch, groping on the floor for her blouse and frantically trying to cover herself with it. "No!" she said indignantly. "What do you take me for?"
Narcissa laughed softly, her eyes running down Lily's naked body as her hand pushed the blouse aside again and stroked over Lily's stomach. "What do I take you for…?" she repeated quietly. "You just walked in off the street and took your clothes off for me, little girl," she breathed. "What should I take you for?"
Before Lily could respond, Narcissa had crawled on top of her again and straddled her, lips devouring her neck. All she could do was tilt her head back, her body completely at the mercy of this woman.
"You don't have to like me, if that's your problem," Narcissa whispered, her hair brushing over Lily's breasts as she trailed kisses down her body. "Merlin knows I don't like you. But a woman shouldn't get married without a bit of fun under her belt, wouldn't you agree?"
No, Lily thought in her head, she couldn't agree with that at all, not in principle. She had James, and Narcissa had her rich fiancé, and yes, Lily was supposed to be convincing her to abandon that fiancé and join the Order, but not like this, never like this. What would McGonagall say if she knew this was the tactic Lily had used to bring Narcissa over to their side? She had to put a stop to this.
Just not yet, not yet, oh God don't stop not yet…
"I think I could get used to you," Narcissa said quietly after the second time, Lily's hands still tangled in Narcissa's hair and her breath still coming in rapid bursts.
"My God," Lily panted. "I think I could, too." She rolled over and curled up against Narcissa, feeling inexplicably safe in her arms, and she let herself close her eyes and relax in a state of blissful calm as Narcissa's hand stroked her back. "And to think, I was going to come over here to kill you," she murmured to herself with a smile.
Narcissa's hand stopped stroking, but Lily missed the sudden tension in the body embracing hers. "You… were?" she asked lightly.
"No, no." Lily yawned, snuggling in closer. "Just a stupid prophecy… McGonagall being mad as usual… God, your skin is soft…"
The hand continued to glide over Lily's back in controlled, measured movements, but Narcissa said nothing further. Lily found herself drifting off to sleep with a feeling of calm satiation coursing through her, content in this woman's arms. She didn't notice that Narcissa lay awake for hours, eyes narrowed at the ceiling and a dozen theories and vengeful thoughts dancing through her head.
~~~~~
5. Architect
There were other nights after that, and then others. Nights and days and weekends and getaways, and Lily couldn't even remember now how they'd done it, sneaking around in the endlessly empty rooms of that big old manor where Narcissa was locked away for her engagement, stealing kisses in moments that lasted for hours.
"Tell me more about this prophecy," Narcissa would say softly as Lily's lips travelled over her collarbone.
And Lily would tell her, because as far as she was concerned she wasn't talking to a Death Eater, she was talking to Narcissa, who agreed with everything she said, and nodded in all the right places, and seemed increasingly likely to join the Order anyway, so what did it matter?
"What do you think I should do?" Narcissa would ask innocently as Lily's tongue moved over her.
And Lily would advise her to join the Order and fight with her, and with Sirius and Andromeda and all the others. It wasn't too late for the Black family, Lily would argue.
"Would we be together?" Narcissa would coo as Lily's hands moved across her skin. "You'd leave your Pure-blood boyfriend for me?"
And Lily would say yes, because any other answer was unthinkable at times like these, when all Lily's energy was focused on the slow snaking way her spine curled in pleasure when Narcissa touched her.
It was only belatedly that she realised she would soon have to report back to McGonagall on her progress in these "talks" she continued to schedule with Narcissa Black, and that this was certainly not what McGonagall had had in mind when she'd solicited Lily's help in stopping Narcissa's wedding to Lucius Malfoy.
"Are you kidding, little girl?" Narcissa drawled one night, propped up on one arm with a long, thin cigarette in her other hand. "It's exactly what she had in mind. You, my darling, are nothing but a pawn in her sordid little game."
Lily blinked, waving the smoke out of her face. This was a tone she'd never quite heard before from Narcissa. "Game?"
A stream of smoke slithered through Narcissa's lips. "Sure. Let me guess - she told you to come over and 'talk' to me, right?" She laughed, and a shiver ran down Lily's spine. "I'll hand it to her, she had you pegged. You were flat on your back in seconds that first night, weren't you?"
Lily sat up. "I- what?"
"Seconds."
The smoke floated over Lily's skin and settled in dark grey patches, eating at her as her brain tried to process the conversation. "But there's a prophecy," she said slowly. "If you get married, there's-"
"One less available woman in the world. Honestly, Lily, haven't you noticed by now? She's one of those radical feminists, always trying to keep women from subjecting themselves to the supposed tyranny of men." She laughed again, tilting her head back and showing off her pale white throat. "She tried for ages to get me to postpone my marriage - halt it, even - to go off and study Transfiguration. Realise my potential, she said. Off dreaming in her ivory tower, as usual. The only potential I have in my world is here between my legs." She forced another laugh.
Lily swallowed.
"There's no prophecy, Lily. Honestly! This is all McGonagall's doing, don't you see? Set you up in a cosy arrangement with me," Narcissa continued, "and that boyfriend of yours can go off and fuck my cousin, for all McGonagall cares. She's never been supportive of your relationship with him, has she?"
"Well. No," Lily replied softly, her mind racing.
"Mm. She's living in a dream world, and you bought right into it." Narcissa took one last drag before stubbing the fag out on a sterling ashtray beside the bed. "Well, at any rate, you should probably go, darling. Lucius should be here soon."
"Lucius?" Lily gaped for another moment before shaking her head and desperately trying to pull herself together. "What's going on here? Why are you talking like this? I thought it was settled - you were coming back with me."
Narcissa rose from the bed and gathered her clothes, pausing only to tilt her head and give Lily a look of pure pity. "Oh dear. You really deluded yourself, didn't you?" She sighed and leaned over the bed, caressing Lily's cheek. "Poor thing. You have a lovely body, darling, and I've enjoyed you as much as possible, but let's not forget the basics - you are a woman, after all."
Lily's eyes widened, and she pushed Narcissa's hand away.
Narcissa pulled her camisole over her head and stepped into her skirt. "I'm sorry you're having so much trouble accepting your sexuality, little girl, but you really got in over your head here. I'm engaged to a very important man, you know. Perhaps you can take up with Andromeda." She paused, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. "I've always suspected her of being a little bit butch."
"Fuck off!" Lily cried, jumping up from the bed and hurling her jumper at Narcissa. "Have you gone completely mad?" She gestured between them. "We have a- we- you know. I thought- you wanted to be with me."
"I'm sorry, Lily, but it's McGonagall who wanted you to be with me. If you want to be angry at anyone, it should be her, not me."
Lily slumped back down onto the bed. "Professor McGonagall?" she whispered, running her hands through her hair as every conversation she'd had with the older woman about the new prophecy rattled through her head.
"Think about it," Narcissa insisted, her voice like poisoned honey in Lily's ear. "You know that prophecy is ridiculous, and this entire 'mission' of McGonagall's to stop my wedding? Well." She finished dressing and began running a comb through her long hair. "It was really illogical, don't you think? Clearly, she had an ulterior motive."
Lily rose slowly and gathered her clothes, her mind numb. "Wait." She turned back after a moment, closing her eyes against the sight of Narcissa's smooth skin and those maddening red lips across the room. "What was in it for you, then?" she asked quietly.
Narcissa was silent for a long moment, fingers idly twirling her hair as she avoided Lily's gaze. "Nothing," she said at last, her voice faraway. She lit another cigarette and watched the swirling wisps of smoke rise up to the ceiling and hang there, clouding the room in ash. Lily shivered from the sudden chill that surrounded her, and the sudden gloom that enveloped Narcissa. "Absolutely nothing."
~~~~~
6. The Lost Prophecy
The time approaches for a Woman in White from the House of Black to rise and accept her duty…
born to her shall be a son with the power to vanquish the only one the Dark Lord fears…
The son's success shall assure the Dark Lord's victory… Without the Woman in White, the Dark Lord will fall…
The time approaches for a Woman in White from the House of Black to rise and accept her duty…
The table was silent for a moment after McGonagall stopped reading, her lips pursed and her veined hands clutched around the parchment. "Thank you, Emmeline," she said as an afterthought, nodding at the woman at the far end of the crowded table. "Without her inside work, we wouldn't have access to all the new prophecies that come into the Ministry, you know."
There were a few polite coughs and murmurs of acknowledgement of Emmeline's contribution, then silence fell again. Lily looked around the room. The war was beginning to get serious, she knew that, but the thought of actually fighting You-Know-Who head on was still rather remote. She sighed, glancing at the clock. All these prophecies were getting rather tiresome. Emmeline seemed to bring a new one every other day, for God's sake.
"The Woman in White from the House of Black?" Lily said at last, chewing on her bottom lip. "Isn't that a bit… lame?"
Sirius snickered, and the others around the table followed suit, breaking into grins and winking at each other. "What's that, Lil - don't think my lovely family could defeat the 'Dark Lord'?" He lowered his voice at the name, rolling his eyes as the laughter at the table increased.
"Beware any prophecy with bad puns, eh?" James added, leaning back in his chair and grinning at Lily.
"Rather a lot of melodrama in the prophecies coming in these days, isn't there?" Remus chimed in, scratching his beard and dodging Sirius's elbow.
"The prodigal son!" James sang, and now even Emmeline was smiling sheepishly, shaking her head. "There's always something about a kid, yeah? What, are none of us good enough to defeat him - the powers that be need to wait for a new generation?" His eyes shone with amusement when he glanced back at Lily, and she laughed.
"Really, Professor," she added, turning to the older woman. "I mean, it's up to Professor Dumbledore, I suppose, since he's the only one You-Know-Who fears, but it sounds to me like this is another one to rot away on the shelf."
McGonagall paused, her eyes locked on Lily's and her expression unreadable. "Yes, I'll ask him when I get back to Hogwarts. He's got an appointment to interview a new Divination teacher next week, so perhaps we'll be able to get some insight into all these prophecies, but…" She sighed. "I hate to dismiss anything so easily." She turned to Sirius, eyes narrowed. "Didn't one of your cousins just get married?" she asked, and Lily inwardly marvelled at the woman's nerve, pretending she knew nothing about it.
Sirius shrugged. "Sure. It seems there's a wedding every month. Hard to keep track of them all when you're not on the invite list, though."
"Yes, yes." She waved her hand at him. "All right. Meeting dismissed. Thank you, Emmeline," she added, "but I think we can safely let this one go. Perhaps the next prophecy will give us a bit more to go on. See you all next week." She let her gaze rest on Lily again, who resolutely ignored the disappointment clear on the older woman's face.
Oh, sod her, Lily fumed as she left the room, her arm hooked through James's. She swatted him away as he tried to nuzzle her neck. Sod the lot of them, really. Prophecies were rubbish; McGonagall and her stupid feminist agenda were rubbish, and Narcissa sodding Black and her whinging future son were rubbish. Lily was young and in love, and she had her whole life ahead of her.
She kissed James lightly on the cheek, pushing down the nausea she felt as she walked down the lane and resolved to put this whole sordid mess behind her.
-fin-