The Boy With Black Eyes

Borgian

*IF YOU ARE A HISTORY GEEK LIKE ME THAN YOU ARE AWARE OF THE WARNING THAT IS COMING DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE NAME OF THIS CHAPTER. IF BLOOD, SEX, RITUALISTIC MAGIC, FIGHTING, AND/OR GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF A SITUATION IN WHICH CONSENT IS DUBIOUS TROUBLES YOU; DO NOT CONTINUE TO READ*

Narcissa had invited Lucius back to their room, and as soon as Nox saw underwear flying around, she left, closing and silencing the door behind her for her friend's privacy. If she asked nicely, maybe the people still in the Common Room could keep it down so she could sleep on one of the couches. 

The Slytherin House was a family like that. Very 'don't ask; don't tell', but quick to assume and even quicker to find out the answers for themselves. People had finally cemented the concept of her and Severus being an item when word got out he hadn't shagged her senseless yet. Nox was under the impression that any girl he'd pursued in the last year or so had been very, very short term. Like, less than a night. 

The full moon early in January had taken its toll on her. The peak had been early, catching her off-guard as she made her way to the Whomping Willow, and had spent the entirety of 'her cycle' chasing and killing unicorns in the Forbidden Forest before curling up in the roots of some grandiose old tree and whimpering, hiding from the giant spiders that patrolled the paths after midnight.

Wandering up the stone stairs, throwing a dove-grey robe over baby blue pajamas, she saw Severus on the couch she'd been hoping to occupy by the fire, and was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. 

Eagerly, she lay her head down in his lap, arms winding around his leg, making sure she had a secure grip on him. One hand drifted down from his Potions Quarterly, and gently stroked over her hair, the gesture enough to soothe her to sleep. 

She woke up to the soft hooting of a barn owl, perched on the bedframe above her. It dropped a red envelope in her lap before flapping through the emerald green curtains and up to the candle-lit chandelier and roosting for the next little while. She blinked a couple of times, and peered at the light fixture. Narcissa and she did not have a chandelier in their room, the ceiling was too low for that...

And then, the person in bed rolled over, hand patting over her stomach and chest before settling on her hip. Said person's hair hung in silky tresses in his face, eyelashes resting on his pale cheeks like the bristles of an artist's paintbrush, splayed out over a canvas. Her heartrate increased a little bit when she realized that Sev had carried her to his rooms, laid her down in bed, and then slipped in beside her. And to the extent of her knowledge, he had not disturbed her clothing or been otherwise untoward. She still had her housecoat on for crying out loud, and with the curtains drawn, it would have been next to impossible for his roommate to know she was here. The barn owl hootted at her from beyond the curtain, and just to humor the dumb bird, she popped the wax seal on the red envelope, and folded out the note. 

Severus.

Narcissa is joining our ranks early. Encouraging Lucius to propose to her over the Christmas season was a wonderful ploy on your part. Induction will take place at Malfoy Manor, on the third weekend of the month, beginning at sundown. Uniform required. I expect for you to be... Willing and able to perform.

The signature at the bottom of the letter was illegible. She folded up the letter, replaced the wax seal, making the bottom of it warm by smearing it with her finger for several minutes. That made the soft tallow just the littlest bit tacky. 

She'd been reading her father's mail for years. Nox knew her grandfather was dead before her father did. 

Carefully, reaching over Severus and trying not to disturb his hand on her hip, she put the red envelope on his pillow, in a place where he'd be sure not to miss it. Whatever Narcissa's 'Induction' was, it didn't sound pleasant. Maybe she'd ask her friend about it.