51 Chapter 51. Price Of Perfection.
[At the same time, on Severus's side]
I quietly made my way toward the common room of Slytherin's house when I overheard Cissy talking back to some girls who had cornered her.
My initial instinct was to rush in and send them off to the Hospital Wing, but I resisted the urge to fight Cissy's battles for her. I knew she was more than capable of handling herself.
Anticipating what was about to unfold, I merged with the shadows, hiding myself from view, and waited for Cissy to show them their place, possibly with a bag of crisps in hand.
Well, I do enjoy a bit of drama from time to time.
----
[ 10 Minutes ago, Slytherin Common room]
[Narcissa's POV]
After completing my classes, I returned to my room and took a long shower. Once dressed, I left the room, heading to Slytherin's common room where Severus was supposed to be waiting for me.
Along the way, I noticed several girls glancing and murmuring about me. This had all started because of Evans leaving my room.
Most girls didn't dare say anything to my face, knowing I wouldn't hesitate to send them to the hospital wing, but some purebloods vocalized their disdain.
It was vexing and irritating; they had no right to judge who I surrounded myself with.
Despite Severus's efforts, the Slytherin house still had a few pests lingering about. Ignoring the murmurs, I reached the common room. Not finding Severus there yet, I sat on a couch near the hearth, waiting for him.
Just when I thought I'd have some quiet time, the most irritating pest decided to pester me.
"I heard you brought a mudblood into Slytherin's girl dormitory, Black," Alecto Carrow said with an ugly sneer. She and her friends blocked the hearth, standing in front of me, looking to bully someone to satisfy their twisted desires.
They had never dared to raise their voices against me before, and I couldn't understand where this newfound confidence was coming from.
"I didn't permit you to speak to me, Carrow. Take your circus somewhere else. I have no time to deal with fools."
"You!!" Alecto's face turned crimson with anger. She tightly clutched her wand, hesitating to use it on me, and her merry band of followers backed off. "You are not what you used to be, Princess. Sure, you may have been the Princess of Slytherin for the past five years, thanks to the Black family's name and Lucius Malfoy's interest in you. But now, by dating a half-blood from a fallen house and befriending a Mudblood, you have lost your throne. When your family finds out about this, they will surely appreciate me for trying to put some sense into you," Alecto said with a smile, trying to calm herself.
This fucking bitch, did she really think such provocations would work on me?
Well, It did. I am a bit quick-tempered.
"Since you dare raise your voice against me, I think I need to remind you what I did to you at last year's ball party."
Alecto paled, taking a step back as I advanced toward them.
"Don't move further away from me; you might catch fire. It would be a tragedy for the hearth since it is not meant to burn trash."
"How dare you talk to her like----"
Placing my wand just under her chin, which shut her up, I asked, "Did I talk to you?"
"No."
"I can't hear you, speak up."
"No."
"Then shut your mouth."
Turning back to Alecto, I said, "Listen carefully to me, Carrow. I never fought or wanted some imaginary throne that you think exists. Neither my family nor you have the right to decide who I surround myself with. You hesitate to use your wand, I don't. You fear the consequences, I don't. I don't mind sending you back to your home with a disfigured face. Do you think you could say the same to me?"
"Don't you fear your family?!" shouts Alecto, gaining some confidence.
Placing my wand right in front of her face, I said with pity, "Alecto, Alecto, Alecto. You don't know when to be stubborn. Do you think I would be dating Severus if I feared my parents? Do you think I would befriend Muggleborns if I feared them? A troll is more intelligent than you. I don't understand how you made it this far at Hogwarts."
"You!"
"Calm down, Darling, or you might find yourself in the care of Miss. Pomfrey soon. Engrave my words in your mind carefully, if I find you or your band of Pixies troubling anyone in this house, I will make you wish you were born as a house-elf. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Good, her goons were quicker to adapt.
"And Carrow, your answer?"
"Yes.."
"Not audible, Carrow."
"Yes!!"
"Yes?"
"Yes, Ma'am!!" Her face burned with rage, knowing that she couldn't take me on.
"Now that's more like the Alecto I know. Inform all those who think like you that Narcissa Black doesn't like those who talk behind her back. Now scram!"
Four of them ran off at lightning speed, without turning back.
*Sigh*, wondered why I do have to deal with these idiots?
Just as I was about to move back to the couch, I felt two arms slip around my waist, pulling me in.
"I would have loved to see a duel. I even arranged crisps for it," a sweet, deep voice whispered into my ear. I smiled, knowing who it was. His warm breath on my neck made me feel flustered and ticklish.
"We are in the common room, Sev."
"I know," he said, pulling me closer and resting his head on my shoulder.
"It's not a place for a display of affection."
"Let them look, it's not like they don't know that we are in a relationship."
"Yeah, it did spread like wildfire. That's what I'm talking about. I don't like PDA."
"PDA?" I could hear the confusion in his voice.
"Public Display of Affection."
"Oh." His innocent realization caused me to chuckle. For an intelligent man, Severus could be a bit dense sometimes, which made him cute and innocent.
"To think you lived 16 years of your life in a muggle town, yet I know more about muggle stuff than you."
"Lily spoils you about that muggle terms and stuff."
"Oh really, and she didn't tell you about it? Remember her telling me about one time when you turned off the TV due to a make-out scene? From her stories, it is clear that you willingly avoid this genre, yet look at you now, behaving like the leads from those movies."
"Well, love makes you do stupid things."
"It does. But enough of these sweet words, let me go, or we might miss Reg's match."
"Okay. But we have to get Charlotte before." He let me go.
Charlotte had gone through a bit of change. Her trembling had stopped around me, Lily, and MacDonald, but she still remained closed off.
She reminded me of Severus when he first arrived in the first year, but she was far worse. She didn't possess the malice or anger that Severus had back then; it was just fear. She—
"Big Brother!" A loud yell cut through my thoughts, and Charlotte ran towards Severus, jumping into his arms.
It was strange to see an eleven-year-old lifted and moved around like that, but it didn't feel wrong. When I first met Charlotte, she was much skinnier and paler, but now she appeared more vibrant and healthy. It was likely due to Severus taking care of her.
"You must have been busy these days. I went to meet you, but I didn't find you, and I feared you forgot about me," Charlotte whispered.
"Sorry, I was a bit busy," Severus replied, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "And big brother will never forget about you."
Seeing Severus and Charlotte together brought immense joy to my heart. There was something about their connection that was truly special, even though I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
He was so caring about her, and for a man who was so closed off to others, he took a liking to her so soon.
"Do you want to see Regulus's match?" Severus asked.
"I.. want to, but..." Charlotte hesitated.
"Don't fear, I won't be angry. Tell me, what do you want to say? I will listen to you," Severus said gently, as if he knew what she wanted to say and encouraged her to speak up.
"I made.. a promise to a friend that we would study together," Charlotte said, her hands shaking.
With a warm smile, Severus replied, "Then it is ok, you have fun with your friend. I will meet you after the match."
"Really, promise?"
"Promise."
Charlotte gave Severus a kiss on his cheek and left to meet her friend. As soon as she left, Severus looked down at me with intrigue.
"What?"
"You didn't speak once."
"Well, I didn't want to intrude on the time between brother and sister. I like seeing you being an overprotective sweet big brother."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, really. Come on, let's go. The match should be starting by now."
[Quidditch Field]
[Severus's POV]
"It's loud,"
"It always was. You just never came to matches," Narcissa teased playfully.
"I would rather concoct a--"
"Concoct a potion. Yeah, I know. I've been hearing that since our first year. I think the reason you don't like to come to the match is that you hate Quidditch and you're bad at it," she said with a challenging smile.
"Me, bad at this stupid game?" I retorted, raising my brows in an equally challenging manner.
"You really are bad at it, Sev. I remember someone struggling to mount his broom in his first year. It was quite funny seeing you struggle; you were so pissed that day."
"Hey, it was my first time mounting a broom, it doesn't count."
"When was it?... Hmm... Ah... Yes, it was the spring of our third year. I saw a Slytherin being dragged by a red-haired Gryffindor to the Quidditch field to practice."
"That was--" I was caught off-guard, not knowing that Cissy had witnessed Lily teaching me.
In our third year, the Marauders made fun of me for not being good at riding a broom.
Pissed off by their comments, Lily dragged me to the field and taught me until we were both exhausted.
After that initial struggle in my first year, I gave up any interest I had in Quidditch. Lily could be a bit gung-ho, but she kept teaching me until I was good enough. Though I gave up on it, I wasn't that bad, just not that good.
"Don't argue, Sev. It's okay to be bad at something,"
"Don't look so triumphant, Cissy. I WAS bad. I am good at it now. Honestly, I don't like the whole concept of this game. It's stupid. And..." Leaning close to her ear, I moved strands of her hair and spoke in a low, deep tone, "Why would I need a broom when I can take you around the sky in my arms?"
My words left Cissy blushing.
Severus- 1 Cissy-0
Pushing me away in embarrassment, she said, "You're becoming cheesier by the day, Mister."
"I wasn't trying to be. Though I don't mind being cheesy for you. And my point still stands, it is stupid, and I can win it without any issue if I was on that field."
"Oh really?" Cissy questioned with amusement.
"Yes, really. I can even tell you who is going to score next," I said, sparking a challenge.
"How about a bet, Mr. Perfectionist?" she proposed.
"If I like the rewards, I might consider, Princess," I replied with a teasing tone.
"Oh, you will."
"Might I know what these rewards are?"
Pulling me down by the hem of my shirt, Cissy whispered something into my ear, leaving me flushed crimson.
Cissy-1 Severus-1.
"Ka... Kaka..." I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure, "I like those... I mean, I like the rewards. Let's get started."
Satisfied with her victory, Narcissa nodded, looking at the field with newfound interest. The match had just taken on a whole new level of excitement for both of us.
[On the Field]
Feeling depressed and burdened as the seeker and captain, Regulus didn't perform well at the start of the match. The responsibility had taken a toll on him. He had been selected as the captain due to his seniority, as they wanted to prepare for the Newts.
Despite being younger than other players, he had pushed the team to practice rigorously and devised strategies to win. He had earned his team's trust through his skills, but now, he felt that they might have put their faith in the wrong person.
During the first fifteen minutes, the Slytherin team's performance was lackluster. Regulus was about to berate himself even more when he caught sight of Narcissa entering the stands, accompanied by Severus.
"They are here. I knew they would come. Severus always keeps his promises. Cissa would never abandon me."
Instantly, his mood lifted.
"Come on, RAB, you can't lose in front of your future brother-in-law and cousin. You have to show them just how awesome you are. Your team depends on you,"
With renewed spirit, Regulus dove down into the game, determined to give his best performance.
----
[By the stands]
{After 30 minutes}
"Slytherin will score 10 points," I said with a smirk, locking eyes with Cissy.
"How?" she whispered, amazed.
For the past thirty minutes, most of my predictions had been right.
"Magic," I replied in a hushed tone, playfully earning a push on my shoulder from Cissy.
"Come on, tell me,"
"Observation and prediction," I explained, giving in to Narcissa's cute and insistent face.
"Observation and prediction?"
"It's quite easy, you know. You have to observe a player's position and gameplay for a while. After initial observation, all you have to do is watch the ball's movements and who is responsible for those movements. Each player on the field is predictable and quite easy to study, including your cousin. That chaser in Slytherin on the east side of the field is a bit too aggressive; instead of chasing the Quaffle, she beats the other team's players. The Keeper on Gryffindor is impatient and dives in too early, and his hand movements are clumsy in defending the hoop. And your cousin, Reg, is a bit impatient and has made a few mistakes, which is totally normal since it's his first match as captain. Honestly, not only in Quidditch, but most games are quite easy to predict if you look carefully. Each game, each player, and each shot launched towards the hoop follow a pattern; you just have to find out the pattern. You can even--"
"Wait, wait. My head is spinning from hearing you. What pattern, what observation, and how are you able to see the match that clearly from here?" questioned Cissy, baffled.
"Well, I have good eyesight. As I was saying--"
"Stop! I don't want to hear it. I didn't understand a single word you said. Let's just enjoy the game and cheer for Reg," she interrupted, opting to simply enjoy the match without delving into the intricacies of my predictions.
"Ok, whatever you say, but I win the bet. I hope I don't have to wait long for my reward, and honestly, I was mostly bullshitting," I said with a mischievous grin.
Well, not really.
"You are an arsehole sometimes, Severus. You made me believe all that, making me feel like a fool," Cissy playfully hit me on the shoulder and pouted.
"Hey, hey, not all of it was wrong. You can predict games. But you have to have some insight into the players and the game. While some of it was true, some goals were just a guess based on what I said. And guess what, I won. Give me my reward," I teased.
"Fine. I always uphold my promises. You can expect it later in the evening." Narcissa replied.
She then placed her head on my shoulder and enjoyed the game. After a while, she remembered something she wanted to ask me.
"Why didn't you ask Regulus to join your group?" Cissy questioned, peeking at my face from my shoulder.
"Because he is Cursed,"
"What?!!!" Cissy shouted, quickly removing her head from my shoulder, wide-eyed, startled, and confused.
Casting a modified Muffliato to hide our conversation, I explained calmly, "What I mean is he is under a curse."
"But how is he cursed? I mean, he looks fine. He is not sick. He is healthy and playing Quidditch on the field right now. If he is really cursed, why are you so calm?" Cissy asked frantically, not understanding my calm demeanor about Regulus's situation.
"It is not a curse that would affect him physically; it affects his mental state," "Huh?"
"This curse feeds on his insecurities and fears, chaining him down into submission. It manifests in his consciousness and slowly eats away his confidence, feeding him paranoia, and finally leaving him in a state of obedience to the caster of the ritual that cast the curse. It is very dark magic, and it is quite hard to break, but not impossible."
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner? We could have contacted a curse-breaker. It's been one and a half months; the curse could have gotten worse. Just why didn't you tell me, Sev? I trusted you!"
"Shh, Cissy, we are among people, and let me explain," I said, trying to calm her down, placing a hand over hers.
"You better have a good explanation for this, Mister."
"I found out about the curse yesterday, and I didn't tell you because I was not sure what type of curse it was at first. I didn't tell you till now because it was not for us to deal with. No curse breaker could break it, even if they are capable of breaking it, it would be of no use since the caster of the curse would know it instantly. No matter how many times we get the curse broken, the caster can cast it again immediately. And it is useless to break the curse."
"What do you mean it would be useless to break the curse?"
"Cissy, this curse is a sinister dark arts ritual performed to chain the victim to obedience. It requires the blood/hair of the victim. Do you know why I told you the caster of this curse can cast the curse immediately after breaking?"
"No?"
"Because as soon as the curse is broken, the caster would be alerted of the curse being removed. The ritual requires the blood of the victim but it would work even if the blood is from the parents, which the caster has plenty of."
Letting my words sink in, Cissy said, "Do you think my uncle and aunt are kidnapped?"
Shaking my head with a bit of disappointment, I replied, "No, They were the ones who cast it, or at least one of them, most likely your aunt did it."
Cissy's jaw dropped in shock at hearing my words.
"But...but why would they do this to their own son?" she questioned. "I know they are cruel but they like Regulus. He is their perfect son. He tried, he tried his hardest to show them that he was up to their standard. Then why?"
"Why would they not? From what happened this year, it would be perfect for your aunt's personality to chain her only son into obedience after the other one left. After kicking out Sirius Black, your aunt feared that her other son might want to run from the house and sully the house of Black's name. Just before you both returned, she performed the ritual."
"But how can you be so sure it was her?"
"Didn't I tell you everything follows a pattern, you just have to predict. When Sirius Black was suspended, your aunt and uncle were called by the headmaster. On observing both of their outbursts and reaction to Sirius Black's suspension, it was clear your aunt was crazier than your uncle. So it is more likely, no, it is her,"
"Okay. But why did you say we can't help him? From all the information you have about the curse and your talents in dark arts, you can surely remove the curse and help him counter it," She pleaded.
"I can, but I won't," I said, looking directly into her eyes.
"Why?! Why won't you help him?!" she roared in anger.
Ignoring the daggers that Cissy was shooting at me, I elaborated,
"Because we are the reason he is suffering."
"Huh? I don't understand. Please don't speak in riddles, Severus. I am not in the right state of mind to solve your riddles. Tell me why you are not willing to help him?"
"Your aunt performed the ritual a bit incorrectly. The curse was cast, but the caster was not determined. The binding wasn't fulfilled. Due to the nature of the curse, the caster of the curse was decided to be the people that Regulus trusts the most and doesn't want to lose. The people whom he fears would abandon him. People whom he loves and cares about. The curse took the form of ego inside him, always compelling him to please us."
"Why would he think that we would abandon him? What does it have to do with you not wanting to remove the curse?"
"How did you feel when Andromeda left? How did you feel when Bellatrix was slowly descending into madness?"
"Weak, insignificant, and abandoned," Cissy answered weakly, remembering the times when she wept herself to sleep and woke up in tears. She lost her only pillars of support back then, leaving her feeling worthless.
Seeing her sadness, I pulled her into a hug. Hoping it would shield her pain a bit.
As she placed her head on my shoulder, I began to explain softly, "Now, Reg is feeling the same. From a young age, he has been trying to be the perfect son for his parents. Always striving to meet their expectations, seeking their affection and approval, he consciously craves their validation. Initially, his brother was his support in the hellish household, but that changed when he was sorted into Slytherin. Sirius Black, that mutt, started alienating Reg. The distance between them grew, along with his insecurities. When Sirius Black left the house, it shattered Reg, and he wanted to cling to the people who were still in his life."
I took a long breath and continued, despite knowing how much it pained Cissy to hear it.
"These insecurities and the curse created doubt in his mind. Even if I removed the curse, the insecurities won't disappear; they would slowly consume him from within, trapping him in his own consciousness. Even if I obliterate the insecurities and his memories of the curse, his subconscious mind will remember his patterns and lead him back to his old self. It is not our battle to fight; it is his, and we can only support him and make him feel that we are not leaving. We have to be his pillars of support, not his sword. He has to win this battle himself. I know how he feels; escaping the prison he built requires his own efforts. Until he triumphs over himself, removing the curse would be futile. It's a battle between man and self. I promise I will remove it once Reg gains the trust and confidence he lost."
I knew how Regulus felt because I, too, have built a prison to escape the pain and anger I felt, fearing the shadow it would cast over my path that shined so brightly.
But my prison was built by me, I was the prisoner and its guard. For it was my struggle. Even now, I can feel the ugly side of me hidden, waiting to destroy the joy I built around myself, but it was my battle to fight.
With Reg, it wasn't. He didn't ask for this. They weren't his feeling nor they were his thoughts. He didn't deserve it. This wasn't his battle to fight. Not in this way.
After a long silence, Cissy whispered in a muffled tone, "I understand, I do. Isn't there any way we can speed up this process? I don't want him to suffer. I know you told me we have to make him feel that we are his support, but I don't think it would be easy or quick to achieve."
"I never said I don't have any other way," I said, summoning an artifact that I found in the second vault.
"There is!"
"Yes. Look here, this locket is an artifact that functions mostly like the luck potion. It provides the person with the utmost confidence and surrounds their thoughts with positivity. It will also counter the effects of the curse as long as it is worn. With this and our support, he would recover. Take this and give it to him after he wins the match," I said, pushing the locket into her hands.
Pushing the locket back into my hand, Narcissa said, "You should give it to him. He considers you his brother. I think he would be happier receiving it from you," with a genuine smile.
Seeing her smile and honesty, I didn't refuse, "Okay."
"Where did you find this artifact, Severus?"
"It's a secret for now,"
Seeing my expression, Cissy decided not to question me further, but I knew her mind was not calm; it kept coming up with conspiracies about how I got the artifact.
Deciding it would be best to change the topic, I asked, "What do you want to be, Cissy?"
This was a question I had wanted to ask for a long time.
For me, my goal was clear. From a young age, I wanted to discover the boundaries of magic and research it further. I knew Lily wanted to research magic as well, focusing on healing and charms, which suited her nature.
But in Cissy's case, I didn't read her mind or discuss it with her.
"Huh? What do you mean, what do I want to be? Didn't I tell you I will follow you on your mission?" replied Narcissa, confused about why I was asking her this question.
"Sigh, Cissy, it's okay to have a goal of your own. From a young age, you have always followed and done things for others. It's okay to be selfish, it's okay to have a desire to strive for, and it's okay to be your own person. Just because we are a couple, you don't have to make your world revolve around me. I am not like your parents. Despite my mission to remove the enigma in the Wizarding world, I want to research magic, and possibly science now."
"I don't have to ?" Whispered Cissy quietly, the concept of self-importance was foreign to her.
Cissy's parents ingrained in her the notion that her value derived from the benefits she provided to others.
They never allowed her the chance to develop her own sense of worth.
"Yes, you don't have to. I'll support you in any endeavor you choose. There's no need to answer me right away. You'll figure it out along the way, but remember, you are worth a lot," I honestly said, looking directly into her eyes.
Her heart raced in response to my words, and as I gazed into her captivating eyes, I found myself lost in them.
She tugged me closer by my shirt's hem and kissed me passionately, expressing all her emotions in that single moment.
Cissy-2, Severus-1.
"Thank you for caring for me the way I never did," Cissy said, pulling away from the kiss with a smile.
"Always,"
As the match neared its end, no one noticed the couple lost in their own little world.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Slytherin emerged victorious.
"SLYTHERIN WON!!!!!!!"
"WOOWW!!!!"
"YEAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"
The champions soared through the air, celebrating their triumph with a victory dance.
"Let's go greet the champions, Severus. I believe you have a present for the captain,"
"Okay, let's go."
------
[ Slytherin's players' room ]
Narcissa and I entered the room where players were allowed to rest, and from a distance, Reguspotted us and hurried over.
"Did you see that, Cissa, Severus? We won, I won. I did an awesome swirl in the air and caught the golden snitch," Reg boasted happily, pleased to see his cousin and me.
"Congratulations, Reg. I would have hugged you, but you reek," teased Cissy playfully.
"Congratulations, Reg. It was an amazing performance."
Despite being engrossed in conversation, both Cissy and I kept an eye on the end of the match.
Rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, Reg said, "Thanks, I was hoping that I performed well."
"You did excellent, Reg. I'm proud of you, and I know Severus is too. He even got you a present," Cissy said, nudging me forward.
"Oh, yes, the present. Come a bit closer to me,"
Regulus eagerly moved toward me, curious about what I had gotten him.
I placed the elegant black and green locket around Regulus' neck, activating the artifact silently.
Regulus looked down at the locket, clearly impressed.
"This looks expensive. Are you sure it's okay for me to have it?" he asked hesitantly.
"It's absolutely fine. It's a token of recognition for your first win as captain," I assured him. Then, turning towards the other team members who stared at Regulus with envy, I announced loudly, "Victory celebration party at the Three Broomsticks is on me! Enjoy it to the fullest!"
"Yeaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
"Hell Yeah!!!!!!"
"Regulus, your brother-in-law is awesome.!!!!!!"
"Severus is the best!!!"
Regulus' teammates surrounded him, taking him away from Cissy and me to celebrate with him.
"Was that necessary? I didn't think you were the party type," Cissy teased.
"Let him enjoy his time. It's not like a party would cost me much. I said I would pay for it, not attend it."
-------
Support me at patreon.com/supes.
Don't forget to leave some stones.
