Beyond a Constellation (A Lucissa Fanfic) (Prequel)

Stars Burn, Flowers Bloom

Lucius counted the minutes until his discharge from the Hospital wing. His heart swelled with excitement over the thought of him getting back on his feet and finally taking Narcissa Blackout on a date. He had spent his last night on the hospital bed, staring at the stars on the enchanted ceiling, thinking of all the date ideas he could imagine.

He liked to think of himself as a romantic man, especially for Narcissa. He wanted them to have an intimate, close date where he could let her know how he truly felt about her. He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would speed up the rising of the sun and mark his freedom with the break of day, but he couldn't.

Lucius lay awake in his bed, the way a little child awaited Yuletide morning. He imagined how it would feel to run his hands through her hair, cup her face in his hand, and have her lips on his. All seems too good to be true. With the sweet thought of Narcissa on his mind, Lucius eventually gave out.

The following morning, Madam Pomfrey was finalizing his check-up, ensuring that he was fit to resume his classes. She recommended a couple of physiotherapy sessions with her before she sent him on his way.

Lucius took a deep breath; his lungs loosened as a gust of relief flowed within him. He found Ed, Valerie, and Narcissa waiting for him just outside, glad to have him back. They rushed to the Hospital wing during their first break to fetch him.

"Welcome back, buddy!" Ed greeted. "Please tell me she didn't lay you off quidditch..."

"Oh, she did. I am under her 'supervision' or whatever that means for the next two weeks..." Lucius groaned.

"Ugh! Seriously?" Ed threw his head back in frustration, "Anyway, our next match isn't until a while later, so we should be fine." he shrugged.

Lucius looked over at Narcissa, who laced her fingers together and looked away when she caught him looking at her.

"How are you feeling today, Lucius?" Valerie asked.

"On top of the world! I am so glad I can walk again..." Lucius replied, his eyes still fixated on Narcissa, who felt slightly awkward. She wanted to talk to him and say something, but her mind was racing with everything she could say, and she found herself frozen.

"You alright, Narcissa?" Lucius called out. Her eyes widened for a moment as she dragged herself out of her mind.

"Yeah, yes. I am good; I am glad you are feeling better." she fumbled.

Lucius pressed his lips to hold back his widening smile. Valerie and Ed noticed the tension between the two and decided to let them be once again, making an excuse to head to the owlery and send out some posts to their families before their break ends.

Lucius approached Narcissa, "Hey.." he tilted his head to the side as he tried to catch her eyes.

"Hi..." Narcissa's heart raced again, and she hated how this crush made her feel. They were fine whenever they saw each other before, but nothing felt the same anymore.

"I haven't stopped thinking about you..." he began, "I stayed up all night with nothing in my head except you, and I want to take you on that date this weekend..." Lucius lifted her chin with his thumb so she looked right at him.

Narcissa's eyes met his, and she swore she felt an explosion in her guts. How was he this charming? She parted her lips to say something, but she failed. So she simply nodded, gulping. "Yeah, I'd like that..." she held her breath, and as soon as he released her, she inhaled, self-soothing as she composed herself.

"So, did you miss me?" Lucius smirked.

There it was, Narcissa chuckled and shook her head. She knew he couldn't completely let go of his cockiness; somehow, it was growing on her. It eased the tension between them; it was comfortable and the only way Narcissa knew him.