Hey, Soul Sister [Lucius/Narcissa]

Chapter Three

Just keep your eyes forward and ignore him, and it'll be fine.

Narcissa held fast to the handle of her trunk, training her focus on the crawl of the crowd in front of her and doing her best to avoid acknowledging the sight of Thorfinn Rowle lingering in the doorway of a compartment to her right, his mouth set in a smirk she could identify even from the side and at a distance, so often had she seen it twist his lips. He was, no doubt, bragging about something to whoever was in the compartment.

Find your seat and pretend he doesn't exist.

She knew that wouldn't work for long; when the Hogwarts Express arrived at the castle, trying to avoid anyone in Slytherin would be fighting a losing battle. For now, though, she could hopefully focus on her Prefect duties and distract herself from her severe irritation with her mother.

Druella had never bothered herself with trying to understand or consider her youngest daughter's feelings. She'd already had two daughters to deal with and attempt to control, and if Narcissa wasn't going to impress her parents by being the son they'd wanted, then the girl was to be treated as the hassle she'd never chosen to be and taught through intimidation to obey the strict rules of decorum for a female Pureblood in order to make the lives of those parents easier. If she was too frightened to disobey them, Cygnus and Druella needn't worry about her bringing shame to the family. Over the last few years, Narcissa had come to realize just how deeply she resented them for this treatment and had begun to speak out in her own defense more frequently, which only served to anger them, but Narcissa didn't care. She had told herself that as soon as she graduated from Hogwarts, she would leave home and the sphere of her parents' influence—that after she was of age and had completed her education, they could do nothing to her. She hadn't dared to imagine that they would go far enough as to attempt to rob her of one of the most important choices of her life. One that would impact her forever.

It's sickening.

Her heart thumped obnoxiously in her ears, and she forced in a deep breath, trying to rid herself of the irritation that had dominated her thoughts since she'd been given the news. Surely she could find something else to focus on. She strode past Thorfinn without glancing again in his direction, and she ignored the snickering that followed her past the compartment, distracting herself by staring at the shoes of a nervous-looking first-year several paces ahead of her and wondering where the Sorting Hat would place the girl.

Shortly, Narcissa reached the Prefects' carriage and stowed her trunk before settling into an empty seat with a book she doubted she would have the time or the peace of mind to focus on reading. She watched as the other Prefects sat down and searched the carriage for familiar faces, quickly spotting Gabriel Travers, the other Slytherin representative from Narcissa's year, and Dorcas Meadowes, the Gryffindor Head Girl with whom Narcissa had never gotten along particularly well, among others she recognized and a few fifth-years she didn't.

She wasn't entirely ready to resign herself to this group for the duration of the trip. Narcissa closed her book and laid it in her seat, pinning her badge to her chest before stepping out of the carriage to pace the immediate area as the train began to move. She supposed now was as good of a time as any to begin her duties. She caught sight of a few first-year stragglers still searching for seats and helped them to locate compartments with spaces still available, and soon, she began to allow herself to relax. The corridor was relatively quiet, and for a few moments, she enjoyed the peace.

"I wondered when you'd come to see me."

Narcissa froze, closing her eyes and inwardly chastising herself for moving close enough to the compartment she'd been trying to avoid for Thorfinn to catch sight of her.