Playing With The Boys

- Chapter Eleven -

PLAYING WITH THE BOYS

Prima creterra ad sitim pertinet, secunda ad hilaritatem, tertia ad voluptatem, quarta ad insaniam!

APULEIUS – Florida

*******

Abraxas Malfoy had left on his business trip with gripes and something bordering on a migraine. His good-for-nothing son wouldn't even deny that he'd seize the opportunity for a party, and all Abraxas could do was admonish and threaten the boy – if any of the invaluable artefacts or pieces of furniture suffered damage, be it oh-so-small, Lucius was going to spend the rest of the summer holidays in a Romanian monastery, without his wand, with a dragon guarding the door to his minuscule cell. The boy had merrily giggled at that announcement, and Abraxas had left for the South African diamond mine he meant to acquire, taking a large bottle of anti-gastritis potion.

Lucius didn't simply want to throw a party – he had ulterior motives. Marlon Crabbe had miraculously managed to finish Hogwarts, so the Sepulture Septuplet had a vacancy to fill, and it hadn't taken much persuasion to make the other guys agree on the replacement he had in mind, even though the chosen candidate was a girl, and not just any girl, mind you, but she. Graham hadn't minded at all; he'd agree with everything Lucius wanted anyhow and liked her in the first place. Evan and Horatio, being the Benjamins of the group, hadn't had much to say, while Damocles and Bertie were quite delighted with the idea for aesthetic reasons.

Only Narcissa hadn't been interviewed regarding whether she even wanted to join, which made Lucius more than just a little nervous. She was known for her stubbornness, and for never having joined any group at all. Although the Sepulture Septuplet was a very exclusive club that many students would have died to join, it was quite possible that Narcissa might feel less honoured than molested by the offer, which would be grievous and humbling for him. She was their only choice – his only choice. And since he had no mind that they'd be known as the Sepulture Sextuplet... Oh well, he'd just have to convince her, right?

At least she had agreed to come after he had told her that he'd regard their deal for a date done if she came. He had thought long about this; he had mulled over plan after plan in his head. The one perfect date, where to take her, what to do, how to dispel her doubts and mistrust... In the end, he had chickened out, kind of. And also, he thought that this scheme might yield a more lasting success, in the long term.

He prayed that the party might soften her up a little. He could only hope, after organising everything to the best of his ability and not being picky about the guests for a change. He had told all of his friends to bring whomever they liked, which was a clever move. Narcissa wouldn't have admitted that she wanted to go, preferring to claim she merely advanced her protégé Severus, who hadn't protested. He was only a second year – not even that – he'd be a second year in September, and Lucius Malfoy and his mates were the coolest kids in all England, and he, Severus Snape, whose own father was nothing but a shabby Muggle, would go to a party at the famous Malfoy Manor, personally invited by Narcissa Black, who was the epitome of 'cool'... He couldn't believe in his own luck, honestly.

"Wow! Look at it! Look at it!" The boy couldn't close his mouth, completely awed. Every window of the vast Manor was lit by candles, fairies illuminated the trees and bushes, in the distance there were a couple of bonfires blazing. In case somebody – blind and deaf and completely silly – was wondering where the party was, there were real gnomes holding up signs. Myriads of glow-worms were forming sparkling ornaments, peacocks strutted around, and there were two giraffes with a rope drawn between their heads and a house-elf balancing on the rope, juggling with burning pins.

"This is – it's unbelievable, isn't it?" Severus whispered.

Yes. Admittedly. Unlike Severus, she wasn't too impressed by the party decorations, but the building, the estate as such. Boy! It wasn't as though she had never seen a stately manor before, the country boasted hundreds of these places, and she had visited all the interesting ones, even if they were owned by Muggles. This, however – goodness, it was breathtaking! After passing a gate house thrice the size of the house of Severus' parents, adorned with the imperial code of arms – a lily entwined by a snake and a dragon – they had walked through a park-like garden for more than ten minutes until the Manor itself was in sight.

The closer they had come, the more Narcissa had gaped. It was huge for a start, showing all kinds of styles in the various extensions and remodelling. There was an ancient weir tower with a moat, adjoining a Gothic abbey that was connected to an Elizabethan manor, which in turn abutted a Palladian edifice and a neo-classicist mansion, the unmistakable traces of the Great everywhere, surrounded by absolutely mind-boggling gardens. This house – one could not possibly call it house though – and its gardens were the most magnificent thing she had ever seen, but she wouldn't want to admit her enthusiasm, even though it was hard not to gape.

"Get a grip, Severus!" she cried more harshly than necessary.

"Don't you think it's unbelievable?"

"If a guy like Malfoy's throwing a party, it's supposed to look like this, Severus!"

"The giraffes!"

"I bet he's hiding a bunch of elephants somewhere, and of course penguins to serve the drinks."

"Really?" He gazed around intently.

"No, not really, this was a joke, for heaven's sake! You know how waiters always tend to resemble penguins...? Oh, never mind now."

They had arrived on the terraces, where fifty people, give or take, were already sipping their drinks, which were mixed by a rather gargantuan spider. With so many arms and eyes to spot waving guests, he was rather quick, too. Narcissa tilted her head. "Okay, so now this I did not foresee, I give you that."

She would have been disappointed if they hadn't been welcomed by the host himself immediately after their arrival, and she wasn't let down. Next thing she knew Lucius was with them, smiling merrily and putting his arms around their shoulders, buddy-style. "Hey, kids, welcome to the show! You're enjoying yourselves?"

Narcissa beckoned at the bar. "I'm not sure how easy-going I can be in the vicinity of a gigantic predator."

"I thought you liked spiders?"

"I do, I'm just not used to have my drinks done by one."

"If it is of any comfort to you, this is really just a bartender from Bangkok who happens to be an Animagus. Best Bloody Marys in the Northern Hemisphere. He's not going to eat you, even though you smell so good, Black!"

She pushed his arm away, but didn't seem too offended otherwise. "Indicating that you're standing too close, Malfoy."

"Come on; let me get you a drink, hon."

"You know that I'll never be that drunk, right?"

"Worth a try! What about you, Snape? Want a beer? A cocktail?"

"I'll have what she takes, sir."

"Cut out that sir crap, Snape! You're not one of the house-elves!"

"Leave him alone, Malfoy, and bring us two glasses of old champagne, if you have it."

"I sure have – back in a minute, sweetheart!"

He left and Severus whispered, "I've never had a glass of champagne in my whole life..."

"Of course not! How old are you, not yet thirteen? Your mum's very good not to let you drink. Speaking of her – when do you have to be back home?"

Even in the vague light, she could tell that he was blushing. "Oh! No special time... My mum was actually so – uhm – distraught when I left, I dare say she hardly noticed."

"Well, in that case I guess you'll be back by ten, because I have to be home then. Unless I can convince one of the guys to take you back later."

"Take him?" Lucius returned with some glasses and Narcissa explained the situation to him. He grinned slyly. "Oh, that's all taken care of. You can stay here, pal, and you –" He glanced at Narcissa. "I'll take you home myself."

She sneered. "That is such a kind offer, but I think I will decline nonetheless. I can Apparate home on my own."

"Of course you can, but it wouldn't work out that way."

"It wouldn't?"

"No. Look, I foresaw that your good parents would expect your return at such an ungodly hour, so there's a cauldron full of Polyjuice Potion waiting to be honoured by one of your admirable hairs, and Marlon's sister has actually volunteered to drink it and impersonate you until you truly want to go. That's when I will bring you home; we'll mount my broom in front of your house, fly up to your room and you two change places again."

"You must be kidding!"

"Absolutely not, my dear! You're the reason why I'm giving this party in the first place despite the fact that I'll have to spend the next six weeks in a monastery. You're the guest of honour. I can't let you go at ten. Impossible!"

Narcissa tried to hide the fact that she did feel more than just slightly flattered. "I bet your present girlfriend will be delighted to hear you say so!"

"If I had had what you call a 'present girlfriend', I would of course have dumped her yesterday."

"See, Malfoy, that's the reason why it's never going to be 'us'. I don't approve of your dumping rate."

He laughed and winked at her. "You'd prefer me dating someone else while hooking up with you?"

She chuckled, too. "You and I will never 'hook up', as you call it."

"Why, am I not your type?"

"Most certainly you are not."

"Have another drink, Narcissa!"

She didn't know why she let herself be talked into such madness, but one hour later, at a quarter to ten, she was standing in her parents' hallway again, knocking on the parlour door. She made a bit of small talk, said good night, then went up to her room, opened the window, let Sherilyn Crabbe in and slipped out herself. Malfoy was hovering in front of the window and helped her to climb on the broom. He had to pull himself together to pilot his broom safely to the ground because feeling Narcissa's presence so close, sitting right behind him and clinging to his waist was confounding him profoundly. Not two minutes later, they were back in the splendid gardens of Malfoy Manor, and Lucius forced himself to appear relaxed again.

Narcissa, not used to flying and decidedly unsympathetic to the concept, was swaying slightly and grabbed for his arm once more to steady herself. He would have supported her, but she instantly shrank back again and put on a bit of a scowl. "I swear, if I find out that she's been sniffing through my stuff, I'll hold you directly responsible, Malfoy!"

"Why, is your diary full of you pining for me?"

"Do you expect an answer to your insolence?"

"What if I offered to stop making passes at you?"

"Well, I'd be extremely pleased! I thought we had agreed on so much to begin with!"

"Come, let me get you a drink and I'll tell you what we'll do."

The spider mixed some concoction of champagne, vodka, cranberry and pineapple juice; they toasted and he led her away from the crowd, which had quadrupled by now and was soundly partying. She told him once more that he wouldn't be so lucky, but he laughed and assured her that this wasn't what he had in mind at the moment. They were joined by Marlon and Graham, Damocles and Bertram, Evan and Horatio, giving her a notion that something very mischievous was to follow, and all of them went inside, past some house-elves guarding the second floor. Narcissa had been a little anxious – she didn't trust those guys – but her concerns were dispelled by Graham's genial expression.

"You really needn't worry, you know," he said under his breath and looked so candid that she had to smile. She couldn't have said why, but she was somewhat fond of the boy, although he was lacking everything that she normally required in a person. He was slow and dim-witted, his head was full of Quidditch, silly pranks and not much else, but there was an honest humility in him that must disarm her habitual contempt. It had taken her some time to acknowledge this; at first, she had thought he was just another of Lucius Malfoy's devoted mates.

She gave him a little smile. "Because you'll be looking after me, right?"

"I know that you can look after yourself. You're going to like this, I'm sure."

"What are you two whispering there?" Lucius gave Graham a strict look. "Secrecy Statute number one, Golly!"

"He only said that I can relax, Malfoy!"

IN BIBLIOTHECIS IMMORTALES ANIMAE LOQUUNTUR was written in intricate letters above an exquisitely carved door, in front of which the other boys had come to a halt, glancing at their leader and suppressing suggestive grins. Narcissa didn't perceive most of this; her curiosity was sparked off and kindled by the idea how the library of such a place might be like.

They entered and, despite herself, Narcissa goggled. This was heaven – it had to be – she had never seen such a beautiful sight! The library consisted of a suite of rooms; all the walls were covered with book shelves up to the twenty-five foot ceiling, made of mahogany and engraved crystal. They walked through the first three rooms, then got into a hall-like place with a huge cupola of tinted glass, where a group of very comfortable-looking armchairs were assembled, and then they all settled down and each grabbed one of the glasses of Firewhisky that were hovering in the air above their seats.

"I have to admit it, Malfoy – this is – this is fabulous!"

He beckoned at the portrait of a wizard with a smug, cunning face in Renaissance robes, who arched a critical brow at them. "Pay him the compliments, the library was his design."

"You've got a nerve, boy; I give you that. Abraxas will have your wand for bringing strangers here," the portrait said with unveiled glee.

"Probably, but one must set priorities, as he keeps on telling me." He turned back to Narcissa. "However, it might have slipped your notice, but our dear Crabs will not return to Hogwarts this autumn."

The other boys applauded mockingly, and Marlon feigned some solemn bows like an actor on stage. Narcissa grinned. "Well done, Marlon."

"Yes, we were all surprised," Lucius continued. "As flattering as this is to Crabs' unsuspected capacities, it leaves the rest of us in a somewhat awkward position. We are short a buddy, if you want to call it that. Now you might say that the school is full of possible candidates, but you couldn't be more wrong. We have the highest standards; we cannot accept just any rake that comes our way. Bertie, please!"

"Thank you, Luce. As before-mentioned, the Sepulture Septuplet sets high standards. We expect a certain class for a start, a talent for curses, hexes and jinxes, a sense of humour and a bent for mischievous schemes. We want a personal style, taste doesn't hurt, determination and nerve are a must, and the capability for extreme secrecy. Until recently, we requested our members to be male, but we are willing to go with the times."

"You're so modern, boys," Narcissa exclaimed, finally having a presentiment what this was all about.

"We have broken one of our most important maxims by bringing you here," Damocles said in fake earnestness, "and thereby officially revealing the identities of our members –"

"No offence, boys, but everyone knows who's in and who's not!"

"It was suggested we might Obliviate you after this –"

"You'd neither dare nor manage," she said with a challenging smile.

"And you are lucky to already have a patron in our midst who downright rejects tampering with your admirable brains, who's by the way also the one who recommended you for the vacant position, so you needn't worry," Damocles went on with a grin. Narcissa shot Lucius an incredulous, yet amused glance, while he made an innocent face. "To cut a long story short – we want you. You are more than welcome –"

"– desired, more like –"

"– to join our jolly club. You possess every quality we want in abundance," Damocles continued. "You are frightfully clever and talented, you have exactly the sort of humour we're looking for, and let's face it, also the looks to make us look even better."

"Being modest, are you?"

Lucius grinned ironically. "I flatter myself that I know you a little bit, so I have foreseen that your first impulse would be to decline outright. You are one proud girl – another reason why you're so desirable for this position – and the whole school knows that you wouldn't want to join any society for your life. So let me do a little advertising here. The Sepulture Septuplet is single-handedly the most exclusive club in all Hogwarts – not that this was going to impress you, I merely want to explain why you want to change your mind. So, there is hardly a student in the entire school – and certainly not in Slytherin – who wouldn't want to be in your place right now. And why is this so, you ask? Because we're having fun, dear. You know very well how dull Hogwarts is, especially since Dumbledore's taken the reins. You are bored to tears, don't you deny that. And we have the means to change this. We can entertain you in a way that you haven't fathomed yet. I strongly suspect that you've believed so far that the only real fun in life could be found in books – obviously I have chosen this place to meet with some calculation. Beyond the pleasures we have to offer by becoming one of us, this library should be a unique selling point to you. It contains two million books, and I can grant you free access to it –"

The portrait laughed spitefully. "Can you, boy?"

Lucius shot him a swift, withering glance and proceeded, "Name the book you want and I can get it for you, and as long as my father isn't at home, you can rummage through the books as much as you like. I'll have one of the servants draw up a catalogue for you, if you like –"

"You've never offered that to any of us! Has he, pals?" Evan asked.

"For one, you take as much interest in books as in sewing your own robes, Rosie, and then, you haven't got a figure like hers to inspire me to risk my personal health for you."

"I'm allowed in the library," Damocles said calmly. "Even by Abraxas himself."

"If it wasn't for his sacrosanct bloodline, he'd extradite me for good to that godforsaken monastery and adopt you, pal."

"She enjoys books even more than I do, so perhaps he'll permit her here officially as well."

"No frigging way. He's a terrible misogynist, second only to the pope – no intention to offend your mother, Black. Anyhow, where was I? Ah, among the many privileges we can offer you is this library, and I expect you to particularly appreciate something else. As you already know, we've been so far guys-only, so it is only natural that every sort of flirtation among members is totally out of bounds. Join us, become one of the mates, and I can guarantee I will never make a pass at you again."

He winked at her and looked expectantly, so did the others, and Narcissa felt compelled to speak up. "Am I supposed to commit myself straightaway?"

"Say yes, darling!"

"Yeah, be our number seven, princess!"

"Join the club and have the time of your life, honey!"

"You cannot let us down, precious, we've such high hopes in you!"

"Quit your drab existence and discover the meaning of fun, sweetheart!"

They had spoken in turns and now it was up to Graham, who didn't look half as complacent as his friends, but gave her a genuinely pleading glance. "Come on, Narcissa, it'd be so great with you around. You wouldn't regret it, I promise."

"Hold on for a minute, guys! Don't you think I should know a bit more before finalising any decision? You've mentioned some Secrecy Statute – what's that about, for instance? What's expected of me? Can I resign if I don't like it? What –"

All right, so she had sort of suspected their agenda since she had seen with whom she had left that party; nevertheless, she was flummoxed by their proposal and astonished at herself for being not quite as negatory as she ought to be about the idea as such. The Sepulture Septuplet had a Secrecy Statute? Well, Narcissa Black had Treasured Tenets, and her number one was 'Never team up with anyone under any circumstances!' What was more: she thought these guys were true idiots – not necessarily unintelligent, like Lucius, Bertram and Damocles, not necessarily unkind, like Graham – but all in all childish and up to no good and... She was cross with herself for even considering their suggestion for a single minute! There was nothing in there for her! Okay, okay – the library. That was tempting, sure. But Malfoy had a weakness for her, hadn't he; perhaps she could persuade him to let her use the library anyway? Could he be vindictive enough to decline?

While the boys explained more to her, she tried to make up a list with the pro and cons in her head. Being in cahoots with those jackasses – a definite con. Getting into this marvellous library – pro. Having something to do in Hogwarts – a pro, too, kind of. Malfoy's word that he'd let her alone in the future – pro, if he kept it. Doing the maths, she wasn't happy to find two and a half pros and only one con – perhaps she should count each of the boys individually on the jackass side.

"So what's it going to be, petal?" Lucius asked, dropping his usual self-confident sneer.

"I have to answer straight away? I can't sleep on it?"

"If your answer was more favourable then, we could be talked into giving you more time, but it wouldn't be half as much fun."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know if I can talk the zoo into lending us those giraffes longer –"

"If they make difficulties, we can simply steal them again!"

"Shh, Gibbs, don't scare her. We'll only involve you in crimes if you want to, Black," Bertram Higgs said soothingly.

"For a start, anyway," Horatio mumbled.

"The giraffes ought to be mandatory."

"Why's that, Bertie?"

"She's the first newbie we've ever accepted. It ought to be huge. Giraffes are the least!"

"What?" Narcissa gazed around. "Am I supposed to balance on that rope or what? First you try to talk me into your little club, and then you seriously expect me to agree to something like this?!"

"Nothing will happen to you," Marlon said, speaking up for the first time. "I'll watch over you."

"No offence, Crabbe, but you're not exactly the kind of safeguard I'd pick!"

"Where's your adventurous spirit, Black? You've heard rule number two – trust your mates!"

The whiskey tumblers had been magically refilling themselves the whole time, and Narcissa blamed them that she gave in at last. She said yes, ignoring every ounce of common sense inside her, and they got to their feet again, the boys beaming, Narcissa with a wry expression. Lucius turned to Damocles and said, "Show us to the exit, Cle, if you please."

"You're so drunk you can't find the exit, Malfoy?!"

"Au contraire, ma chère! You'll soon find out that this library is well protected – thanks to old Alexandrias there, the founder. There is only one exit, and it keeps on changing each time one enters. Cle has worked out a system, and I'm sure so will you once you've got acquainted with the place, but I myself have never figured it out."

She thought he was joking, but Damocles tried three doors that only led to more, formerly unseen rooms full of books – she felt slightly delirious about it – before finally finding the right one.

"Are you remotely aware what a treasure this is, Malfoy?" she asked, almost breathless with genuine enthusiasm.

"My father keeps on preaching it at me. Maybe that's the reason why I've never come to fully appreciate it."

"A library to get lost in... One could read one's whole life without coming to an end..."

"You're a little bit tipsy, Narcissa, aren't you? I've never seen you so sentimental!"

"I'm in awe, Malfoy, I will not deny it! And I cannot grasp what an ignorant lout you are that you don't take any interest in it at all!"

"Nah, that's not true. I do take interest – this library spares me the annoyance of dealing with the one in Hogwarts. I simply write to our butler to send the books I need; that's so much easier than waiting for the borrowed books in school, handling the old hag there. I can take out any book I like to any place I like... I am aware that it's brilliant."

Whatever she had to do next, it was worth it to befriend Malfoy, she had no more doubts. They evaded the party crowd and took another way out – in fact, Lucius had chosen this way to show off before sweet Narcissa and parade some of the precious objects of art, the famous paintings, the full unrivalled splendour of the Manor. He had vowed to leave her alone, okay, but that didn't decrease his wish to impress her, and he still believed that he'd find a loophole in their agreement.

Malfoy Manor was ridiculously huge, and so were the boundaries surrounding it. The eight kids crossed the moat and headed for the shrubbery, crossed it and went on to the fringes of the forest on the northern side. No fires were lit here, only the full moon and the light from their wands showed them their way, and Narcissa felt suddenly nervous. The boys had fallen silent, and she hadn't even protested when Lucius had offered her his arm. After some more minutes, they got to a clearing on a bank, and she smirked when her eyes got used to the darkness – over there were the giraffes.

Lucius unceremoniously let go of her arm – she faintly noticed that it was strange to have him no longer making a pass at her at every occasion – and he muttered some incantations, igniting a dozen fires around them. He conjured seven golden goblets for each of the boys, then ushered Narcissa to stand in front of Marlon, they made a circle and raised the goblets.

"My dear friends, we've drunk together uncountable times, but tonight we have assembled not only for drink but for celebrations," Lucius said, mocking the earnest tone of vicars and news speakers. "It is sad for us all to say goodbye to our valued friend, our daring partner in crime, who will pass on to a higher level of education, knowledge and wisdom. Vince mero curas et, quicquid forte remordet, comprime deque animo nubila pelle tuo! Cheers to you, Crabs, and the fabulous times we've had!"

Everyone except Narcissa had a goblet and drank from it, then passed it on to their neighbour, only Marlon passed his on to her, and Lucius went on, "Yet we needn't mourn our loss for we have found the most excellent replacement. So let us also drink to her – possibly the smartest of us all, and certainly the lightest – here's to you, Cissa!"

"To you!"

She hesitantly sipped; this was some potion, no alcohol, though she didn't recognise the taste. It wasn't bad though, only a little bitter, and in the next moment, she felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her veins, which wasn't unpleasant either. All her doubts fell away immediately; she felt adventurous and easy, almost a bit quirky.

Marlon muttered quietly, "You needn't drink it all, Narcissa. It's pretty strong."

"Is it – well – dangerous?"

"It will knock you off your feet, but not in a bad way," Lucius said. "You needn't drink it though. That's up to you."

"Of course she'll drink it! She's supposed to be one of us now!" Horatio cried.

Lucius gave him a withering glance and hissed, "Leave her alone, Gibbs! She'll do what she wants!"

"It's all right, Lucius. I'll drink it. I like it, as a matter of fact." And she emptied the goblet with three big sips. For a few seconds, she thought she'd get a heart attack, but before she had time to panic, the feeling ceased and was replaced by sheer elation. Right now, she felt she could conquer the world. "In vino feritas, guys!"

The three of them who actually understood the joke laughed, and Bertram continued, "Will you be true to your mates?"

"Yes!"

"Will you stick to the sacrosanct Secrecy Statute?"

"Yes!"

Originally, the boys had planned some very solemn vows, but Narcissa had made it clear that they shouldn't push it too far with her. She was lucky to have negotiated the conditions before drinking that stuff, because right now, she would have been up to pretty much anything. They officially welcomed her with another toast, and then the giraffes came into play. Evan and Graham led them into the clearing, the rope was still in place, and Lucius pointed his wand at Narcissa. "You trust your mates, Cissa?"

"I must, right?"

He laughed and levitated her, slowly and gracefully, up to the rope. She found her balance with outstretched arms, and could eventually take a look around. God, this was so beautiful! The boys had diminished the fires on the ground for a better effect, the moon and the stars seemed so close that she thought she could touch them if only she stretched a little more. She could see the forest around her, leading to a park – over there was a laurel maze; there were the magnificent gardens, and the palatial buildings forming Malfoy Manor as such. She could see the party guests and scurrying house-elves, tiny like insects – in every other moment, she would have ridiculed such stale clichés, but the drink, the situation, overwhelmed her critical sense. She noticed that Lucius had undone the spell stabilising her, but when someone on the terraces shot firecrackers into the sky and the giraffes gave a start, she lost her balance and fell. Marlon hadn't lied; he caught her at once with a spell and let her slowly hover down to the ground again.

"Silly beasts," Lucius ranted and kicked the giraffe next to him against its leg. The animal didn't wince, but retaliated at once and kicked him back, sending him to the ground. He brandished his wand at it, but Narcissa stepped between them and helped him up.

"Leave her alone, Lucius. She couldn't help it, she got scared."

He would have glared at the animal if it hadn't been for Narcissa's enchanting smile. "And? Did you like it?"

"Great sight, yeah! The giraffes were somewhat unnecessary though."

"But they added a nice touch, didn't they?"

"They sure did," she muttered and shot him another radiant smile. Realising what she was doing, she looked away and exclaimed in a firm voice, "Come on, let's do something! And you must give me the recipe for that potion, Damocles. Fabulous mix, honestly. Come, come, don't be so lazy! So what are we going to do? Oh dear, I forgot the kid – he must be bored out of his mind – doesn't know anyone, does he – send someone to look after the kid, Lucius – and now move your lazy bottoms, guys!"

Lucius and Damocles smirked about her enthusiasm, knowing full well what had got into her. They had debated if they should even offer her that potion, Damocles' own invention. It was strictly illegal, half of the ingredients were banned, and the inventor had had scruples about giving it to the girl. Lucius had succeeded though, he always did, and in this special case, no one had any intention to mess with him anyway. They all knew what Narcissa Black meant to him, they all felt that it was partly their fault that Narcissa rejected him so thoroughly, and they had given in to his suggestion to have her join them because she was a talented, glamorous girl, sure, but chiefly because it was she, the girl whose name Lucius would always speak in italics. And if he wanted to bedazzle her with that potion – oh well, he'd watch over her under all circumstances, no worries.

When she had been standing on that rope, Gibbs and Bertie had made jokes if they could glimpse under her skirt, receiving a harsh reprimand. Lucius himself had just been gazing up to her, bewitched by the vision. Her blonde hair had beautifully contrasted the otherwise dark silhouette. Her dress robes had floated around her, making her look so utterly beautiful that it'd taken his breath. Thank Merlin that Crabs had kept his attention, because Lucius had been far too distraught to catch her when the giraffes broke out; he had been shocked and angry that something could have happened to her and that he was robbed of this unearthly sight –

The potion put her in the mood to party and that was what they did. They went back to the party for a while, drank more, decided to take a short trip to the bartender's resident bar in Bangkok, went for a swim in the Indian Ocean, after which Lucius yearningly envied Graham, for he was allowed to dry Narcissa's robes with his wand, and returned to Malfoy Manor when the sun had already risen. There were still bunches of people everywhere, dancing, drinking, snogging, vomiting and sleeping, and a miserable looking house-elf rushed to his master.

"Master Lucius," he sobbed and clenched his loincloth. "Strangers have broken into Master Abraxas' wine cellar – the precious fairy goblet's damaged – someone's relieved himself on the Persian rug in the Golden Parlour – couldn't find you, Master – oh, sir, Master Abraxas's going to be so outraged! Several portraits slashed – the amber cabinet's been pushed over..."

He wouldn't find an end to the litany of destruction, following Lucius along, stumbling and cowering. His master had shown a face of amusement at first, but the longer the aggrieved elf kept complaining, the angrier he got until he kicked the servant out of his way. "Get off me, Izzy! Come on, guys, help me clean up, will you – Cissa, please have another drink, we'll be right back, and I'll take you home then."

She was giggling and sauntered over to the bar, trying very hard to walk straight. "Brilliant place you've got yourself there, Phan," she mumbled in the general direction of the spider. "Excellent – great music – fabulous drinks – hey! Did you happen to see a weird kid? Five foot two, I'd venture – black hair, oddly-cut robes – rather shy? And give me one of those funny mixtures!"

To her great surprise, the bartender transformed into his human shape, turning out to be a handsome Asian, who gave her a radiant grin and a drink. "You're the girlfriend of the bloke who threw the party?"

"What? Oh, no! No, no, no! Not my girlfriend – his boyfriend – oh, you know! Absolutely not."

"Good!" His smile got even broader.

"Yeah. Whatever – so did you see the kid? I feel kind of responsible for him."

"Your little brother?"

"Nah... I just brought him here, and then I kind of forgot him... Terrible, isn't it? I'm terrible!"

He leaned over to her. "Oh, no... You could never be terrible. A little – naughty – maybe?"

"Only tonight. My first time being naughty, you could say..." With some delay, she realised that she was actually talking to that man in a rather misleading fashion. Just because she had discarded some of her major principles tonight, that didn't mean that she'd need to break with all of them! She stepped back, snatched her glass and turned around. "Excuse me. I got to find the bloke who isn't my boyfriend – and the one who isn't my brother –"

She went into the house, instinctively following the traces of chaos and the occasional screams. She found Graham and Bertram in a smaller parlour, doing repair spells. Behind her, three college boys ran down the corridor and out of the house, and looking over her shoulder, she saw that they had been badly cursed. One of them was limping and bleeding, his fellow had tentacles growing out of every visible piece of skin, and the last one had the head of a giant ant.

"Luce's upstairs, kicking out some people, if you're looking for him," Bertram said casually, inspecting the shattered pieces of an antique vase.

She wanted to appear disinterested in Lucius, so she asked, "And the others?"

"Some idiots got stuck in the library and Cle's trying to get 'em out. I think Evan's – accompanying – some unwanted guests out, too, and I have not a clue what the rest're doing. Merlin, this is going to be the last time you or any of us see Luce – his father will go berserk if he comes home. He'll just kill him!"

"Ah, it won't be that bad, I'm sure."

"You clearly haven't met Malfoy senior. Baaad temper, that one!"

Some more rampaging kids came her way when she went on looking for her ticket home, finding him in his father's study. Two portraits were dressing him down at once, though he didn't seem to be listening, instead tidying the place up.

"You useless idiot," the left portrait ranted, "you silly son of that Teutonic bitch! How dare you lead strangers into your forefathers' house! How dare you let them into your father's study!"

"Not even you are allowed in here!" The right one scowled down at him, wildly gesticulating. "Shhh! Out! Get out!"

"I believe one of them was a Mudblood even, Hector!"

"He surely looked like one! Hey, you wayward dog, there! Listen to us when we're talking to you!"

"You know he never listens, Hector! That's his specialty!"

"I swear, this is all his awful mother's fault, Cesar!"

"Just a minute, Cissa," Lucius said when he noticed her, giving her a weak smile and beckoning at the pictures. "And please excuse them."

"Another stranger! Ha! Oh boy, wait until your father hears that you've brought one of your sluts into his study!"

Instead of an answer, Lucius brandished his wand, slashing the left portrait, whose inhabitant could duck away just so. "Leave her out of this!"

"I'll – I'll just go – yes. I'll wait for you downstairs."

"No, I'll come with you straight away. I needn't do this crap anyhow – I'm in trouble either way."

"Nothing that could not be repaired, right?"

"Exactly! The old man will throw a tantrum for the sake of it. He enjoys flipping, you know? And those two oafs in there will be delighted to fill him in on the tiniest details."

She felt strangely sympathetic, and somewhat timidly patted his shoulder. "By the way... did you come across Severus? I feel a bit guilty for having abandoned him like that."

It turned out that the kid had simply laid down to sleep and that Lucius had already seen to it that he'd be taken home – that was where Marlon had gone to. Lucius was amazingly good-humoured in the face of destruction and involuntary hermitage in some Third World country behind the Iron Curtain, she thought, asking him about it and seeing him grin.

"You've been having fun, haven't you?"

"Yes –"

"See, then everything's fine. I knew how this would turn out. It's always, always like that – each party's the same in that way. And this one was supposed to be special and celebrate our newest buddy – that's you, Cissa – so it's totally worth it."

"You're crazy!"

"Now I'd usually reply that I'm crazy for you, but given tonight's events and oaths, I'm at a loss for quick repartee."

"Just think of me like you think of Marlon. I'm his substitute after all."

"Can you grow a huge belly for that?"

"I'll do my best."

"Of course, we'll have to obey to the Secrecy Statute, so when we're back in school with other students around us, I've got to act the usual way around you until you're sufficiently fat."

"Hey! I thought we had a deal!"

"And I stand by that. In such a case, you simply need to remember that it's a mere act."

"But it's always been nothing but an act!"

He suppressed a woeful smile. "See? You're halfway there."

*******

Prima... The first goblet is for the thirst, the second for the merriment, the third one for lust, the forth for madness!

In bibliothecis... In the libraries, immortal spirits have their say. From: Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia

Vince... Vanquish your sorrows with wine, defy what torments you and banish the clouds from your heart.

In vino... In wine there's wildness.

*******