As the weeks passed Hermione found herself settling quickly back into school life. To her surprise her strange friendship with Narcissa Black had begun to grow. She was smart, witty, but of course the young witch knew this and she was not the most modest person Hermione had ever met. But she found that her little faults didn't seem to matter so much. In fact, they rather amused her. She was certainly the most vain person Hermione had ever encountered, but then again she could afford to be, she was extremely beautiful. She would spend a full hour in front of the mirror at the weekends before even contemplating leaving the room. Hermione watched her one Saturday morning as she brushed and twisted and pinned her hair, trying to make it do what she wanted. Suddenly she let out a cry of frustration and let her arms flop down to her sides in defeat. Hermione couldn't help but laugh, a smile spreading across her face as the blonde glared at her reflection in the mirror. At the sound of her laughter Narcissa spun around and stared at her, a mixture of frustration and amazement adorning her face.

"You laughed," she said. The smile slid instantly from Hermione's face.

"Oh Merlin, I'm in trouble aren't I? I'm sorry I didn't mean..."

"Sorry?" Narcissa said shocked. "No! Don't be sorry. I've never heard you laugh before," she said, her expression softening. "Not genuinely. I don't think I have ever even seen you smile until now."

"I smile," Hermione muttered defensively.

"Not like that," Narcissa smirked. She turned back to the mirror as if to study herself once more, "You should smile more often," she said, looking at the dark haired witch through her reflection in the mirror. "It's rather beautiful," she added softly, making Hermione blush. She picked up the pins she had dropped and started to place them carefully in her hair once more. Hermione stood up and moved closer until she was standing behind Narcissa. She could smell the lavender in her hair, and much to her surprise, it made her heart beat a little faster. She caught her hands gently and lowered them, taking the pins from her. She removed the remaining pins from her long slivery blonde hair and let it tumble down, like silver and gold autumn leaves falling from a tree until it hung in loose curls, almost to her waist. Then, very gently, she pulled back the front and pinned it behind her head, so that just a few slim curls delicately framed her slender face.

"Like this," she said softly. "I like it like this." Narcissa's pretty pink mouth curled into a little smile as she turned around to look into her light hazel eyes.

"Only if you smile for me again," she said, making Hermione giggle. "That'll have to do," she said quietly, and taking her hand in her own, they walked down to breakfast.

They had hardly sat down at their table when a large, majestic barn owl soared overhead and dropped a letter onto Narcissa's empty plate. Narcissa broke the Black family crest and scanned the letter. As her ice blue eyes raced across the page a deep frown creased her perfectly smooth forehead, growing deeper the longer she read. A flicker of concern and curiosity danced through Hermione.

"What is it Cissy?" she asked curiously.

"Which fucked up family member is it this time?" sneered Alecto Carrow from across the table. Both Carrow twins starred snidely at them, waiting for her answer. "The blood traitor slut, or the wild drunken psycho?" Narcissa was on her feet in under a second, her wand drawn pointing directly at Alecto's throat.

"Don't you dare talk about my sisters like that!" she snarled dangerously. "They are ten times the witch you could ever wish to be," she growled. She spun on her heel and stalked out of the great hall as the teachers flocked down from the staff table to where Alecto was shaking as though she had just been plunged into an ice bath. Hermione followed.

She chased Narcissa down through the entrance hall and through the formal gardens, until finally she caught up with her behind one of the rose bushes. They walked in silence, all the way down to the lake, stopping at last the watch as the giant squid wave it's tentacles lazily above the water's clear surface.

"Narcissa, what's the matter?" Hermione asked tentatively. She turned to face her, her beautiful young face, changed by anger, bitterness, and sadness. "Are you ok?" she asked, brushing a stray strand of blonde from her eyes. "Tell me what's happened," she coaxed.

"Alecto's right," Narcissa muttered darkly. "My family is totally messed up." Hermione couldn't help but agree silently, but she kept her mouth firmly shut.

"Tell me what's happened," she said again quietly.

"My sister is marrying a mudblood," she said heavily. "And according to my parents, this is one of the worst possible crimes against our family and bloodline," she sighed. "And she is pregnant," she said defeatedly. "I'm going to be an aunt. But I will never be able to even know my niece or nephew so what does it matter?" She looked hopelessly into Hermione's eyes; her own flooded with the waters of sorrow and loss. "I may never speak to my sister again. My parents are going disown her. And even to speak to her would be a direct action against them, and then they could cast me out as well." She sighed heavily; her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I miss my sister Hermione," she said thickly. She turned, looking away from her, so that she wouldn't see the tears now rolling down her face. Hermione felt a hard stab of sadness for her. She had never appreciated just how close she had been to her sisters, and how hard it was for her to loose them both. Suddenly Hermione felt it was more important than ever to save this beautiful young girl, and who ever else possible, from the horrors that the war would bring. She stepped up close behind her and slipped her arms around Narcissa's waist, drawing her into her embrace.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into her hair. "It must be so hard." Narcissa sighed and leaned back into her.

"More than you know."

That evening the two of them sat on one of the large green sofas near the fire place in the empty common room. Narcissa's white skin seemed almost to glow in the soft yellow light of the flames, her light eyes sparkling as they gazed unfocussed into the empty air. Hermione couldn't help but feel captivated by her beauty.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly taking her slender hand in her own, tracing random patterns on her palm. Narcissa nodded and smiled weakly at Hermione, who looked down at their intertwined hands.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For being there today."

"Of course," she smiled back. "Any time."

"I feel like I can trust you," she mused. Hermione's heart sank, as her mind was suddenly flooded with her reason for being here. She withdrew her hand and looked down, avoiding the piercing gaze of the icy waters that were Narcissa's eyes.

"I can trust you Hermione," she said, "can't I?" she kept silent for a moment, and then said,

"I'll always be here for you. You know that." Narcissa chuckled.

"How very diplomatic of you," she said. "I don't think I have quite unravelled you yet," she added thoughtfully. "It's like your hiding some great secret. Something important. You are quite a mystery you know." With every word Hermione's pulse quickened; it was like a panicked bird, trapped in the cage of her ribs. Narcissa's eyes sparkled intensely as she gazed curiously at her. "Who are you Hermione Song? Who are you really?" She looked up slowly into her beautiful, pale face and said bitterly,

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."