average human’s Reviews > Birth Right > Status Update

"I hear there is a Narcissa Black that has taken over all of our accounts."

She stared at him flatly. His eyes raked her form, and then looked away without comment.

"And which of your informants told you that?" she asked, her tone light.

He closed the paper, making sure to fold it and lay it down so she could clearly see their son and Miss Granger making eyes at each other in front of Cornerstone books. He tilted his head at her.

"Anything interesting in the paper? I must admit, I haven't had a moment to read my copy."

She crossed to the metal chair, dragging it out with a jarring metal hum. She made a show of removing her gloves, sliding her bag off her arm, and folding herself neatly into the chair.

They stared at each other.

"Well. You've certainly caught my attention." He lifted a brow, staring down on her. She tilted her neck and his eyes darted to her skin before coming back to her. "Now, what is it you want?"

She crossed her legs, drawing his eyes, and said, "Where's the fun in that. Not in the mood for playing with your food this morning, darling?"

"I'm hoping to finish this argument with fifteen minutes to spare," he said, eyes darkening.

"Fifteen minutes?" She grinned. "Heavens, is that all you need?"

"I only need nine, but I remember that you need seven and a half."

She held his eyes with a smirk, watching a storm brew, and she mentally closed all doorways that would lead to arousal. A shiver started at her shoulders, and she stopped it before it reached her elbows.

He stood, walking around the metal table to his chair, like he was in his office about to negotiate.

"You support this?" he asked, gesturing to the picture of Miss Granger beaming at her son.

"I do."

He scoffed. "Of course you do."

She pushed a stray hair over her ear. "And you will as well. You will not interfere, Lucius." He gazed at her, eyes calculating. "Or I will end this marriage. Publicly."

He blinked slowly, giving no ground. "It seems like you already have, Ms. Black."

"You know I can do much worse."

Frowning, he turned from the table, as if gazing out a window. He tucked his hands behind his back, his grey Azkaban robes pulling across his shoulders.

"She's dangerous," he said. She lifted a brow and waited for him to continue. "She paid him no interest before the discussion of his inheritance began. And suddenly she's simpering in the streets of Diagon Alley like a lovesick puppy—"

"I've looked into her parents," Narcissa cut in. "They are a variation of Muggle Healers. They are highly wealthy and well-regarded in their chosen fields."

"Then perhaps it's the status she wants." His eyes cast down to her picture, wind blowing her curls around her and his son like a sandstorm. "She's been climbing a ladder of blood purity and social status all her life. Potter. Krum. Even Tiberius McLaggen's nephew."

"I assure you she's nothing of the sort." Narcissa paused, and then in a lower voice: "She spoke at his trial."

"Yes, I know."

"She cares for him. I can see it."

Lucius rubbed his hand down his jaw, watching his son stare with moony eyes at the Muggle-born girl he'd been orbiting for years. "Forgive me when I say I don't believe it."

"Not at all, dear," Narcissa lilted. "I've been a poor judge of character before."

She watched it land on him. His teeth ground together and he swallowed. He moved away, walking toward the back wall.

"I want to meet her."

"Meet her?" Narcissa blinked.

"At the November visitation."

She pursed her lips. "You meet her and then…? You won't stand in the way? You'll release the inheritance to him?"

Lucius sighed, eyes roving across the cracks in the stone walls.

"You must insist on marriage," he said. "You mustn't let them run off without that rock on her finger."

She studied him, feeling her pulse run away with her. Twirling the diamond around her finger, she quirked a brow. "You can't honestly be afraid of illegitimate heirs."

"I'm not. I'm afraid she'll break him into pieces and leave nothing left."

Narcissa glanced up at her husband, and found him watching the picture dance on the page. She'd seen it herself, of course. Their son's concentrated gaze. Like he'd found the sun after years of searching.

"I'll do my best," she whispered.

He looked at her, taking in her slender neck and the soft waves around her face. His eyes flickered, that soft fire that sent her reeling decades ago.

She stood. The chair clattered back.

"I must be off. Plenty to do." Her hands folded, her skirt smoothed, and her pulse tempered. "I'll schedule her for November. I'll see you in December for Christmas."

She moved to the door, knocking for the guard.

"I miss you." Murmured from across the empty room.

He stared at her, eyes begging for something she couldn't bear to give.

"I'm sure you do." A smile played at the corner of her mouth as the door opened. She caught the beginnings of his matching one before disappearing down the hall.

~*~

"Oh, Cissy! I have so much to tell you!"

Bella flopped onto her bed, knocking Narcissa's stuffed hippogriff to the ground. Narcissa pouted and grabbed Hermes from the floor, smoothing out his wings.

Andromeda and Bellatrix had been home for three hours. Mother and Father had brought her along to collect them from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, taken all three girls to afternoon tea, and then retired back to Sable Hall for the evening.

Bella loved to tell Narcissa about all of her adventures at school, but now that Narcissa was mere months away from experiencing it first-hand, she was slightly bored with the conversation.

"You told me at dinner," she said, straightening her pillows from where Bella had flopped.

"But not everything." Bella grinned at her sister mischievously. "Not the most important thing."

Narcissa's eyes slid to her sister, waiting.

Bella frowned and stretched her legs out. "Maybe I shouldn't say…"

Narcissa was still for a moment before she pounced, laughing, jumping onto Bella's stomach and tickling the information out of her. Bella grinned up at the ceiling, breathless, when she pulled away. "I am betrothed."

Narcissa stared, twisting up to hover and look down on her. Bella shrugged, still smiling.

Betrothed meant married. Betrothed meant leaving Sable Hall and living elsewhere. With a boy.

"How?" Narcissa's voice cracked. "You're only fifteen."

Bella rolled her eyes. "That's late, Cissa. Mother was married to father by this age!"

"Why didn't…" Narcissa swallowed. "Why didn't we talk about this at dinner?"

"It's all getting settled. But father wrote to me last month. Told me to keep it quiet until an offer has been made."

Narcissa felt herself spinning. The day she got her sisters back… the day she would never have to be parted from them again until they all left Hogwarts… that day would be the day she lost one of them.

Bella caught sight of her face. "Oh, darling!" She curled in on Narcissa, her spindly arms wrapping tight like a spider. "You know what this means? During the summer, you don't have to come back here. You can come stay with me and my husband!"

Husband.

Narcissa's lip trembled as she burrowed into Bella's shoulder. "Do you love him?"

A pause, and then a laugh. "Oh, Merlin, no! I don't even know him! But there will be plenty of time for that! He's only thirteen. I'd never even spoken to him before father wrote."

"What if he's cruel to you?"

"Then I'll be cruel right back."

"Why would father do this?" Tears fell down her cheeks. She wanted to hold Hermes and cry for hours.

Bella turned to her, brushing her tears away. "Because it's good business, Cissy. You know that." A smile grew on her lips. "I'm the oldest Black, and he's heir to the richest, purest wizarding family Britain has ever known."

Narcissa hiccuped, hoping one day she'd be able to marry for love instead. Bella threw her arms out across the bed, like she was ready to embrace her future.

"Bellatrix Malfoy has quite a ring to it, don't you think?"

15%

The Hogwarts Express gleamed under the morning sun and bellowed its five-minute warning, jarring a group of Muggle parents seeing off their spawn. Lucius Malfoy glared at the giggling herd of Muggles as they ushered themselves safely away from the platform's edge, as if the magic train would spit fire at them. He rolled his eyes and turned his gaze back to the brick wall as another harried group of late-comers ran through with their luggage.

"Good morning, Lucius," a smooth voice said from behind him.

He turned. "Good morning, Miss Black."

She laughed, twisting her auburn hair around a finger. "I've told you to call me Andromeda. Besides," she said with a grin, "we are to be brother and sister soon."

Lucius swallowed. Yes, Merlin forbid he forget.

"Are you waiting for Greg? He's already on the train."

"No, my… my father was supposed to…" He shook his head, and turned a smile on her. "I'll give him two more minutes."

Andromeda's eyes glowed in that strange way they often did when they shared a cauldron or partnered in Charms. "Alright. Well, if you'd like to share a car with me and Caroline… I think Evan will be there too, so…"

She trailed off and spun away from him quickly, just as she had when she'd given out her Valentines last February.

"Oh!" She whipped back around. "My sister is a first year. I can't wait for you to meet her. You'll be kind to her, won't you?"

"Of course," Lucius said. "All the girls of the House of Black are my favorites."

Andromeda blushed before waving awkwardly and hurrying away. And Lucius almost wondered if it was unfair of him to tease — but she was just such an easy prey.

He'd asked his father why he had to be betrothed at thirteen. Wouldn't it have made more sense to secure the arrangement when Bellatrix was about to finish her Hogwarts years, and he was fifteen — closer to coming of age.

"Best to tie you to her before the other boys begin courting her," Abraxas had said. "If they ever court her," he'd muttered under his breath. He'd looked up with a frown, as if remembering his son was there. "Cygnus is a smart man. He knows that with three daughters, he doesn't have many options. I presented him with the best one."

Lucius had almost opened his mouth to ask whether it was the best option for him. Bellatrix Black was not only as charming as a feral cat, but also much crueler. But to remind his father that Andromeda was an option as well… a much more tolerable one… his father would not have appreciated such a suggestion. His father was to be obeyed, not critiqued. He always had his reasons.

Even though his timeliness left much to be admired. Lucius sighed and checked the large clock on the platform. If he didn't head for the train now, he'd be in danger of running for it.

And Malfoys never run.

He heaved his trunk into the fourth car, allowing Goyle to lift it into the overhead and stealing his seat along the way. Goyle pressed in close to Harper, much to his dismay, and Lucius cemented his place amongst the ranks by steadfastly ignoring the lot of them in favor of reading his level-three texts.

The lines for the carriages felt longer than last year's. He didn't much like waiting in lines. He skipped ahead of several people and made a beeline for Stuart Craggy, Slytherin Quidditch Captain.

"Craggy," Lucius called. The older, stockier boy turned around, straightening up when he realized who was addressing him. "I plan to try out for Bletchley's position this year. I look forward to joining the team."

Craggy lifted a thick eyebrow. "Uh, right. But Bletchley hasn't graduated. He's a seventh year."

Lucius turned to Bletchley, who stood just to Craggy's left, and gave him a smooth once over. "Oh, I'm aware. I still plan to take his position."

The small crowd around them laughed and jeered at Bletchley, who looked as though he'd like to wring his neck. Lucius tilted his head in goodbye and smirked as he joined his friends at the front of the line. He took the next carriage, jumping in with Goyle. He'd barely sat when a black shadow darted up the step.

Bellatrix Black turned her piercing eyes on Goyle. "Out," she hissed. "I want a moment with my fiancé."

Goyle gaped at her before lumbering out of the carriage. Lucius watched in terror as Bellatrix shut the carriage door and plopped down across from him. The carriage pulled away.

"So. Lucius Malfoy. My intended." Her voice was deep yet grating, like too-sweet chocolate. She stretched her arms out over the back of the carriage seat and crossed her legs at the knee like a common harlot. "What do you have to offer me besides wealth and status?"

Lucius stared at her. He'd never heard his mother talk to his father this way. "Pardon?"

She cackled, and the sound carried over the invisible creatures' hooves.

"I mean to say, what kind of person are you, Lucius Malfoy? Will you be fun and adventurous, taking pleasure in seeing the world and trying new things? Or will you be a bore like your friend Goyle? Perhaps take an interest in the secretary, like I've heard his father does?"

Lucius stared at her, his lips struggling to articulate. "I'm… sure I don't know." Her eyes gleamed at him, and before she could strike again like the viper she was proving to be, he said, "You seem to be someone who enjoys to laugh, particularly at others' expense, so I think we'll have quite a lot of fun. Boring? I've never had a boring day in my life." He winked at her, with all the confidence a thirteen-year-old boy could possess while facing down a fifteen-year-old girl. "And secretaries are for commoners. I wouldn't disgrace my family, and I'll expect you not to, either."

A smile, catlike — whiskers twitching and tail flicking — blossomed on her dark lips. And he could see why Rodolphus had offered his cloak to her during a rainy day in the courtyard.

Lucius examined her features. Her eyes weren't quite as black as pitch as he'd thought. Her hair could perhaps be seen as "romantic" instead of "wild and unruly." With her square jar, smooth skin, and curved mouth, he supposed Bellatrix Black might be something to look at.

"I'm only having one heir," she said simply. "You better hope it's a boy because I won't have a second child."

He blinked at her, his future quickly being etched into stone before his eyes. "Alright. That's… um." He'd grown up quite alone with only the house-elves for company. He hadn't truly imagined having a large family, but he knew how lonely the Manor was. "That's fine, I suppose."

"And I expect to have a nanny." She tossed her thick locks over her shoulder and stared at the castle as it grew nearer. "I can't imagine being a mother. I'll squeeze one out because it's my duty. But I don't see myself loving it."

A thousand cold rocks dropped into Lucius's stomach, filling his lungs. He pressed his lips together and said nothing. The carriage pulled to a stop. Bellatrix stood fluidly, but before she could open the latch, Lucius jumped up and held the door open for her.

She turned to him with glittering eyes. "I won't have you acting gallant around me, Lucius Malfoy." She took the door from him and stepped close — their heights matched perfectly. "The day I need you to open doors for me is the day I'll do the honorable thing and make you a widower."

Smirking, she jumped down from the carriage with a mighty thump! Lucius swallowed and descended the step evenly, pushing his long hair away from his face. Bellatrix looped an arm through his and dragged him with her towards the castle.

There were whispers as they passed. Anyone who hadn't heard of their engagement surely knew now, and he realized that was exactly what she intended. When they reached the Great Hall, Bellatrix tugged him toward her friends at the Slytherin table. He'd never sat with the older students before, and he felt himself grin. He was introduced with a girlish giggle as "my fiancé, Lucius Malfoy" to every fifth year at the table before she tugged him down to sit beside her at the center of them all. He met two Slytherin prefects and the Slytherin Beaters. Andromeda and Evan Rosier dropped into two seats across the table from them, and she looked down at her pumpkin juice when Bellatrix said to Evan, "I'm betrothed, didn't you know?"

By the time McGonagall threw open the doors and led a pack of petrified children into the Great Hall, Lucius had settled in quite nicely. He turned to watch the young ones file in, their mouths open in wonderment, and to his shock, found an older student walking with them. Perhaps someone's older sister had been called in to look after their quivering, future-Hufflepuff sibling.

She towered over the first years, walking with a trained elegance and poise that rivaled Lucius's mother and her friends. She was clearly pure-blood — and raised in high society. There was something familiar in her face. He considered for a moment if she might even be half-Veela with the way her blonde hair flowed down her back. Even from this distance, he could see her eyes were sky-blue as they looked up at the tall ceilings, as if seeing them for the first time.

Was she possibly transferring from Beauxbatons? Was that even allowed?

He watched her turn toward the Slytherin table, searching until her eyes landed on him. His heart thumped against his ribs as she smiled brightly, giving a soft wave.

His fingers twitched. He wanted to wave back—

"Merlin. Bloody tall, isn't she? You have to put her next to the rest of her lot to see it."

Lucius jerked out of whatever spell he'd fallen under, turning to find Bellatrix looking through heavy, amused eyelids at the girl. Andromeda was grinning at her, waving enthusiastically. Staring down into his goblet as the Sorting Hat began to sing, he forced his eyes away, a growing knot of dread in his stomach.

"Black, Narcissa!"

He dragged a hand through his hair and watched under drawn lids as the youngest Black sister was sorted into Slytherin. The smile burst from the girl's lips as Bellatrix clapped and hollered in joy.

Her teeth were perfect. Straight and opal.

Lucius kept his gaze on the Sorting Hat as the girl — Narcissa — raced over to the Slytherin table and squeezed in next to Andromeda. Directly across from Lucius.

"I did it!" she said breathlessly. "I can't wait to write to father!"

Even her voice was like music against his ears.

"Of course you did. No sister of mine will be a Hufflepuff." Bella raised her goblet in a toast.

Narcissa smiled brightly.

Lucius swallowed.

"Cissa." Bella looped her arm through his. "This is Lucius Malfoy. My intended."

And then her eyes landed on him, and Lucius felt the storm clouds in the enchanted ceiling shudder. She blinked quickly, and her lips parted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said softly.

She tucked a lock of platinum hair behind her ear, and he watched her fingers dance through the strands.

"Miss Black." He nodded to her in greeting.

"He calls all of us 'Miss Black,'" Andromeda said in a mock whisper, knocking her shoulder. "I tell him not to, but—"

"Lucius, darling," Bellatrix interrupted, as if Andromeda was no more than a fly in her teacup. "We must find a pure-blood husband for Narcissa. She is to be the most perfect wife. I can already see it — hosting tea and garden parties, managing a household. She's so like our mother in that way."

Narcissa batted her lashes at her sister, the praise rooting deep within her as a blush blossomed on her cheeks. As if that was all she wanted in the world. To be the perfect partner to a pure-blooded lord.

Lucius's ribs felt tight. He sipped his pumpkin juice while Bellatrix prattled and Andromeda stared into her lap.

"—truly, dear. And look at her. Isn't she stunning? We'll have her courted and engaged in no time, to be sure."

Lucius's eyes flicked to Andromeda. She had turned to watch the sorting.

Bellatrix leaned into his ear and said in a low hum, "They all say she's the prettiest of the three of us."

He turned to Bellatrix, seeing her eyes glint with something dangerous. Andromeda's attention was back on him again.

He arched a brow at Bellatrix. "Not at all. You and your sister are far prettier." He sneered at the younger girl. "She's quite a hideous excuse for a Black sister."

The blush drained from her cheeks. Her lips paled as she pressed them together. And the blue eyes that had matched the sky on a perfect summer day turned to ice.

Bellatrix's laugh rang louder than the cheers of the Gryffindor table as they accepted a first year. She squeezed Lucius's arm. "Oh he's vicious, isn't he?! I just know we'll have such fun together."

Cold, wet lips brushed his cheekbone. He jumped, eyes tearing away from Narcissa, to find Bellatrix staring at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. She reached for his hand and wound her fingers between his like snakes.

He could see her younger sister's features in her now. The same aristocratic jaw, curved lips, large set eyes. A slightly broader nose. Yes, perhaps Bellatrix Black was beautiful after all.

His stomach churned. He pulled away from her, resisting the urge to wipe the skin of his cheek, and found Andromeda's steely gaze. Gone was the glow. He watched as she dipped to whisper in Narcissa's ear.

"Don't take it to heart, Cissy," Bellatrix said, as if lecturing a small child. "He and I are just playing a little game."

Bellatrix turned to chat with the other fifth years, her elbow locking his arm to her side. Andromeda pressed her lips together and avoided Lucius's eye.

And Narcissa stared him down coldly, as if she'd tear him to shreds as soon as he turned his back.

His blood sang in his veins with the pleasure of having even an ounce of her attention.

23%

Narcissa gave him a tight smile and blinked down at the chessboard. She collected the Sickles she'd won from a grumbling Evan.

Lucius's mouth opened — a reply on the tip of his tongue — before snapping shut. He swallowed and nodded to the chess pieces that were setting back up. "Care to play for Galleons?"

Narcissa's heartbeat fluttered as she tucked her Sickles into her purse. "You seem rather confident. I've bested every third and fourth year — and half of your classmates."

"And I've bested all of them, and most of the sixth years." Lucius stood. "Well?"

"I suppose," she said.

She watched his lean body move gracefully over to her, tug out the chair, and wave his hand over the chess pieces to reset. Bella sat up on the couch, a mischievous glint to her eyes.

Lucius rolled up his sleeves and stared her down.

Narcissa tore her eyes away from his bare forearms. "Shall we play for something worth more than Galleons?"

He tilted his head. "What did you have in mind?"

She crossed her ankles and leaned forward in her chair. "My sister."

Bella laughed. "I told you she knew how to play, Lucy." She laid over the arm of the couch and held her head in her hand as her eyes swept over them. "What fun."

Narcissa pressed her lips together as Lucius's gaze glided over her face, sliding down to her fingers as they rested on her queen. A warmth curled in her chest at having his full attention. It felt the same as when Miss Truesdale had singled her out for her perfect form in front of all the older debutantes.

His eyes met hers again. "She's not yours to bet."

"I'm sure my father wouldn't want to give my sister away to a boy who couldn't beat his youngest in a game of Wizard's Chess." She kept her eyes firmly on the board as she sent her first pawn to E4.

Bella giggled and flopped back on the couch. "She's not wrong."

"Drop the act," he said, low enough so only they could hear. "You're only a year and a half younger than me, and you're not as innocent as you like to pretend."

The fine hairs on the back of Narcissa's neck stood on end, and she blinked up at him. He moved his pawn to meet hers.

"Besides, this is more like Muggle's Chess. You've frozen the pieces."

"If I wanted to watch things blow up, I'd play Exploding Snap."

In a quick succession of moves, his bishop took her first knight, while his pawns disappeared just as swiftly. When she sacrificed her second knight to one of his pawns, his lips quirked.

"Hmm. You certainly give up easily, Miss Black."

She prepared to castle her rook and king, and smirked up at him. "White knights are useless to me."

His eyes flickered from a pale grey to slate, watching her carefully as she swapped her pieces.

"You know," said Bella, sitting up again, "I don't think I ever heard what Lucy gets if he wins?" Narcissa saw his eye twitch. "If Cissy wins, it's the end of the Malfoy-Black engagement." Her features fell in a mocking pout. "But if Lucius wins, what shall he have?"

"Actually," said Narcissa, "I changed my terms. I don't believe in separating two people who love each other. And that applies to my sister and I as well." She studied him for a moment. "We'll condemn him to my company forever, if I win. Set me up in a room next to yours so he has to look at me every morning." Her lips curved in a smile. "I seem to remember him calling me a 'hideous excuse for a Black' once."

Bella clapped her hands together and howled. "He's going to pay for that one forever, isn't he? Never insult a Black sister, Lucy."

Her older sister's approval washed over her like a warm bath. By the time she looked back at her opponent, she realized his eyes were greyer than she'd remembered. They were a striking contrast with the shade of pink that had burst across his cheekbones.

"Really, though, Lucius," said Bella, once she'd finally calmed down. "You must make up a suite for Cissy. She'll be at the Manor all the time!'

Lucius cleared his throat as he moved his rook. "Of course your family will always be welcome."

"If he wins, I suppose I'll stay out of his hair when I come visit. Though he can't keep me from you, Bella."

Lucius took one of her pawns. "I accept, Miss Black."

Narcissa examined him as they danced around the checkered tiles, losing pieces to each other. The way his gaze flowed over the board fascinated her, and her chest burned with the desire to understand why it shifted and lingered where it did. To understand him better.

Her mother had warned her against it — that it was a talent only to put to good use, and that her sisters and her father were not playthings. But her self-control dwindled each time Lucius tilted his head to the side and watched her consider her next moves.

He took her bishop, and the smile pulling at his mouth urged her forward.

Once wouldn't hurt. Bella probed the hardest and Andromeda the longest, but only Narcissa could drift in undetected. No one would have to know.

She met his eyes, and the platinum thread inside her consciousness unwound, sliding forward and into his irises like through the eye of a needle. She slipped silently through his mind like a dancer flitting across the stage.

He was focused on the game. He knew where her king was, and he visualized scenarios on how to take it. But the movements were interrupted by flashes of smooth hands and delicate fingers.

Hers.

Drawing a deep inhale, she let her fingertips drift across her pieces, as if debating which one to choose.

The images shifted to the tint of her lips. The strands of hair falling out of her pins, and the glow of her skin in the firelight.

Narcissa was dizzy with it — with the beauty he saw. Her spine tingled as she prepared to inch forward—

A snort in the distance froze her.

"Stare-downs are her favorite intimidation tactic, Lucy. You'd better be careful."

His eyes flickered, but held firm. "I'll take my chances."

Her heart pumped faster as she paused on her queen, circling the crown with a single finger. And like gliding out of an arabesque, she pushed forward.

Just on top, like the first layer of a dream, she saw flashes of a dining room — a long, lavish table. Lucius was at the end, and her sister to his right, her diamond sparkling as she sipped her wine. But she was at his left — perhaps several years older.

Narcissa tucked her hair behind her ear, and her breath caught as his dream followed. Only it was his fingers touching her hair — his knuckles brushing across her cheek. Her dream-self smiled up at him, reaching for his hand, and her sister vanished from the table.

Flashes of stolen kisses on staircases and lingering goodbyes at fireplaces. A dress slipping from her shoulder to reveal underthings far more sophisticated than the ones she owned. Her smile as he tipped her chin to his. Her waist under his fingertips.

Her mouth was dry as she reeled her mind backward, forcing herself to remain calm as she inched out of his subconscious. When she returned, he was staring at her, looking slightly dazed.

His eyes fell to her lips.

"Ha!"

The shriek crashed over her like ice water.

"Told you," said Bella, in a sing-song voice. She turned to Goyle with a grin. "No one beats Cissy in a stare off. Personally, I have no patience for it—"

Narcissa took a shaky breath and looked down at the chessboard.

Shame unfurled in her belly, sticky and hot. That had been a mistake. She'd visited a dream she could never take part in. And she couldn't take it back.

Her entire body felt like it had been petrified as she blinked down at the pieces. She chewed on the inside of her cheek and tried to force her ribs to expand.

Lucius had no interest in her sister. He held no affection for her. And worst of all, Narcissa now knew how he felt towards her. She'd seen it in his eyes for almost three years without recognizing what it was.

"Don't tell me I've stumped you."

His voice was low, and she tensed as shivers broke across her skin. Squaring her shoulders, she reached for her pieces, quickly sacrificing her queen and clearing a path for him to corner her king. Lucius's shoulders seemed to drop in disappointment.

He tried to smile when he announced that he'd won. Bella stood quickly, complaining about how bored she was before tugging him to his feet.

Narcissa waved her wand to put away her chess pieces, her lips pressed together as Bella teased Lucius for taking so long to best her. She headed to her room with a clipped goodnight, knowing his eyes were on her.

She'd forget what she saw tonight. She would pretend it never happened. It was better this way, she told herself as she climbed into her four-poster. If she'd won, he would want to play her again and again.