With Love, || N.B.

𝑭𝒊𝒗𝒆

Narcissa turned back to face her peers, the eager seventh years around her turning to their significant others to talk about the upcoming Yule Ball. She turned to Lucius, smiling. "So..."

"'So', what?" Lucius asked, pausing with a spoonful of soup in front of his mouth.

Narcissa's face dropped, every hope of going to the ball with Lucius shriveling up and falling from her soul. She turned away focusing on her plate of food, trying her best to convince herself it would be okay. 'It's fine,' she told herself. 'It's fine. It'll be okay. We're not even together. Why should I expect him to take me when we haven't talked about labels?'

Narcissa shoveled food into her mouth, trying to take her mind off her current situation. As she eyed Lucius from her peripheral vision, her ears tuned into his conversation he was having with the girl across from him.

"Oi, Holly," he nodded.

"Oh, Merlin," Holly groaned, looking up from her book. "What is it, Lucius?"

"You wanna go to the ball with me?" He put a charismatic smile, trying to win her over. "You heard Dumbledore. The more, the merrier."

Holly stared at him from over her book, deep in thought. Finally, she relented, sighing. "Yeah, alright. But only 'cause I'm taking pity on you."

As Lucius made a proud fist, congratulating himself, Narcissa looked on with her mouth agape.

"Narcissa close your mouth," Lucius scoffed. "You're gonna catch flies."

"Oh, you're about to catch something alright," she mumbled angrily.

"What was that?" Lucius asked, a genuine question as he turned his head toward her.

"Nothing," she replied, sighing heavily as she stood from the table and left the Great Hall.

__________

"So," Elenora said, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice, "who do you think you're asking to the ball?"

Finch didn't respond as he took a bite of peas. He didn't need to think hard at Eleonora's question, already having an answer in mind. "Well--"

"--wait," Eleonora interrupted him, grinning. "Let me guess--him." She inclined her head to the table in front of them where a boy in blue Ravenclaw robes sat, laughing with his friends.

A pink blush crept into his cheeks as he turned around. He faced Elenora again, trying his best--and failing--to hold back a smile. "Yeah, maybe," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Eleonora snickered, arching a brow.

"I said 'yes'," he responded louder, lowering his voice immediately after. "But don't tell anyone. Please. We all know how the purebloods here feel about blood status. Can't imagine how much of a hell Malfoy would make my life if he found out I like guys--especially a pureblood guy."

"I agree Malfoy is the biggest arsehole out there," Eleonora said. "However, I think you should still ask Malcolm. He's a very nice person, and if he rejects you, I don't think he'd go around telling everyone. I'm pretty sure he despises Lucius anyway."

"Really?" Finch asked, a sheepish look on his face as he looked up at Eleonora.

"Really," she answered. "I've overheard him in class telling his friends how much he hates him."

Finch sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll ask Malcolm to the Yule Ball."

__________

Narcissa paced around her dorm. She couldn't possibly attend the Yule Ball by herself, but who would she go with? Her aim by now was to make Lucius as jealous as possible so he stand up Holly and go with her. But who would make him feel that way? Who would make Lucius feel inferior and force him to vye for Narcissa's affection?

Someone came to mind about ten seconds later. She rushed to the desk beside her bed, taking out a quill, inkwell, and parchment. After scribbling a quick note, she summoned a house elf, handing her the letter. "I need you to take this this to the Hufflepuffs' seventh year girls' dorms."

And with that, the small house elf nodded, apparating to the Hufflepuff dorms.

__________

"So then, I told that prick to shove it--Eleonora, are you even listening to me?"

"What?" Eleonora shook her head of thoughts as they entered their dorm. "Oh, yeah, sorry Pepper."

"Anyway," Pepper said, continuing. "--wait--" She wandered over to Eleonora's bed, picking up a slip of paper. "Eleonora what's this?"

She scrunched her brows together in confusion, going over to Pepper and taking the letter from her hands. Eleonora opened it carefully, scanning the line.

Meet me in the astronomy tower 12 o'clock

"Who's it from?" Pepper asked.

"I dunno," Eleonora murmured. "Guess I'm taking a trip to the astronomy tower tonight."

"You're not actually going--right?" Pepper snatched the the paper from Eleonora, scanning the words and flipping it to the back. "There's no name on here, how do you know it's not some creep?"

"Why shouldn't I go?" Eleonora retorted, taking the paper back. "Sometimes you need a little mystery in life. It'll be fun finding out who it is."

"You're insane, you know that?"

"I love you too, Pepper," Eleonora smiled, going to her dresser and picking out a pair of pajamas.

__________

Eleonora sat on the plush sofa of the Hufflepuff common room, glancing at the clock every two minutes. Time seemed to be going by slower and slower every minute.

The portrait above the fireplace of Helga herself smiled at her, amused. "And to think patience was a virtue I prided upon my students." She clicked her tongue, chuckling at Eleonora.

Eleonora flushed, trying her best to explain herself. "I--well--"

"I'm teasing you, darling," Helga grinned. "Don't fret, I'll leave you out our conversation when I talk to Pomona tomorrow."

Eleonora smiled back, relieved as the coo-coo-clock struck eleven-thirty. She hurried out of the common room, waving a quiet goodbye to the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff.

Rushing down the corridors, a chill ran down Eleonora's spine. Her feet were covered in nothing but socks as she slipped through the door leading to the astronomy tower. The energy in the room instantly felt heavier as she climbed the steps. She could feel the presence of someone else standing just around the corner.

As she climbed the last steps, the person turned around. Narcissa's dark eyes met her, desperation in her voice as she spoke. "I need your help."

Eleonora scoffed. "And why should I help you?"