Annabel Lee

Narcissa's Point of View

“I wonder what’s wrong,” Regulus asked as we all stared up at the door to the Girl’s Dormitory.

For the past week and a half, Annabelle had spent all her free time in our room, lying down on her bed and napping. Even when she was in class, Snape told us she was paying less attention.

“She’s been like this ever since her talk with Dumbledore,” I said sadly and Lucius put an arm around me. “She was shaken when she got back.” The look of my fellow Slytherin friends told me, however discreetly, that they were worried as well.

“What do you think they talked about?” Regulus asked and swung upside down from his chair. Guiltily, I looked down.

“I think it was about her father, right?” Lucius said looking up at the ceiling. “That was a good thing.”

“Maybe, she didn’t want to hear from the deadbeat. She said it herself that he wasn’t really there in the first place,” Snape mumbled still staring at the door. His usual cynical tone seemed more genuine today.

“Did she tell you something?” I asked drawing his attention. “Was there anything at all about her father that would even allude to Annie not wanting to see or hear from him?” I begged and he turned down to stare at the ground.

“She has a picture from when her family was together,” he mumbled refusing to look me in the eye.

“So?” Regulus asked continuing to sway his head back and forth. Snape was slightly stiff, but after a moment I said something to prompt his response.

“Don’t you want to help her?” I asked frowning. I could imagine how proud Lucius was of me for being manipulative. Snape look up at me quickly before returning to his fumbling hands.

“I don’t want him talking to her,” he admitted glaring at the floor. My heart jumped and my hand flew to covering it.

“So it wasn’t good news afterwards,” I pouted. “And we made all that fuss about him being great,” I mumbled resting my head of Lucius’s shoulder.

“We need to cheer her up somehow,” Regulus said tapping him finger on the arm rest. I imagined Annabelle as her normal-self, with her smile painted on her face and her eyes wide with delight.

“She shouldn’t be in Slytherin,” I said standing up and pacing around the room. “How does she even fit in? She’s not ambitious like Snape, or cunning like Lucius and me, or from a family like Regulus’s–!”

“You don’t know that for sure,” my handsome beau reminded me and I smiled sweetly.

“Of course, dear,” I said amiably, fluttering my eyes.

“It’s possible her father or mother were purebloods like ours. Hell they could have been his followers for all we know.”

“My family would have heard of her name if she was a pureblood,” Regulus added and finally sat straight in his chair. Snape jumped into the conversation.

“Well Annabelle’s mentioned her mother was the only one with magic. Her father’s a muggle,” Snape said staring down at his hands.

“She… she told you that?” I asked dead in my tracks. His face turned a light shade of red.

“Maybe,” he mumbled and I leaned back. Regulus tapped his knuckles.

“Evans is wrong” he said banging his fist on the arm of his chair. “There’s nothing wrong with Annabelle hanging out with us. Just look how worried we are for her.”

“Wait a minute, what the bloody hell are you guys talking about?” I asked short of breath. Everyone looked around to each other before Regulus met my gaze.

“You know…” he started and coughed looking at the side.

“No, I don’t. Spill it,” I demanded and dear Lucius put a hand on my elbow.

“Calm down, Cissa. Evans told all of us to stay away from Annabelle because we will ‘ruin’ her,” Lucius told me as delicately as he could, but I was furious none the less.

“That filthy mudblood!” I spouted sand stood up. “Wait until I get my hands on her!”

Squueeeeaaakk.

The door leading to the Girl’s Dormitory opened slowly to reveal a half-asleep Annabelle. Her hair was puffed out on the left hair, showing that she had just rolled out of bed. She looked around the room with glazed eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly pulling her hair back. Her face was slightly paler than usual. I took a deep breath and tried to push my rage down into my chest.

“Nothing, Annie,” I said walking over to her and placed a hand on her forehead. She flinched away but continued to lean lethargically against the doorway.

“Did you sleep alright?” Regulus asked with a light smile. Little Annie nodded her head and brushed some of her hair out of her face. I removed my hand and sighed.

“You’re a little warm but not so bad,” I told her and wrapped a robe around my nightgown. “I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit.”

“But uh… you’re in your pajamas,” she said after wandering to the Corinthian pillar next to Snape’s chair.

“Oh right, well, don’t worry about that,” I said waving a hand and waltzed to Lucius, kissed him, and left our Common Room. The anger I had rushed back to me with the gush of cool air. My face twisted into an unpleasant scowl and my hair bounced ferociously. I walked into the courtyard and let the air calm me down. I gazed over the porch.

I shouldn’t have let Annabelle talk to that knit-wit of a Headmaster; Merlin knows what he could have said to her. But I guess it all boils down to her father. What could have happened between those two? I thought and pressed my palms against my eyes.

“Oh, Annie,” I sighed.

“What are you doing out here?” I heard from a familiarand unwelcome voice ask.

“I’m resting, cousin” I hissed, slowly sliding my hands from my eyes. “Can’t I get some fresh air without you interrogating me?”

“Should have known you’d walk around like that in the middle of winter,” Sirius said with Pettigrew and Lupin by his side. I smiled condescendingly.

“Do stop looking at me that way, dear cousin. Some would take that as incestuous,” I mocked and the shy ones next to him blushed.

“Trust me, I would never even consider look at someone as disgusting as you. Plus, I heard your flower’s already been plucked,” he with a motion of plucking a petal. My face turned pink but I smiled none the less.

“That reminds me, where is that little tart that plays around with all you boys?” I asked smugly. As I said this to the Gryffindors, the girls in questions and Potter came along. “Speak of the devil.”

“Piss off, Black,” Potter said guiding the redhead by the hand.

“I just wanted to deliver a message to the little skag,” I said walking gracefully up to the muggleborn. She didn’t back up but I caught a flicker of fear in her eyes,

“What?” she asked bravely. I glared and let my fury come to a boil.

“I heard what you said to Snape about us being around Annie,” I said in a surprisingly cool tone. From beside her, Potter cast a glance to his obsession quickly. I guess he didn’t know.

“Yes, and?” she asked crossing her arms.

“Don’t act to superior, Mudblood. I thought you would like to know you’ve made four very powerful enemies.”

“Four?” she asked.

“Regulus, Lucius, Severus, and myself,” I listed. I heard a snort.

“Snivellus hating Lily? He would lick the bottom of her boots if she asked him to,” Pettigrew chuckled, but my eyes never left Evan’s.

“Severus?” she asked. Her voice was practically dripping with regret.

“Annabelle belongs wither her fellow Slytherin, not you. You don’t know anything about her situation. Just leave her alone,” I said mocking her own words. The mudblood’s expression of strength faltered and her lip twitched slightly.

“You know about her situation? She… told you?” she questioned me. I was a little struck as I remembered using those words not fifteen minutes earlier. I pushed it away and took an intimidating step closer.

“Trust me, Evans, she’s told me a lot more that she’s told you,” I whispered and strode away triumphantly. My temper cooled and I was able to find my way back to the Common Room. Inside, I said Lucius and Regulus grouped around Snape. He sat awkwardly in the center of the couch, eyes shut tight, his left hand rubbing his neck, and an almost smile on his face.

“What did I miss?” I asked with a deep breath, accustoming myself to the warmth of the fireplace. Lucius smirked at the look of discomfort Snape made at my comment.

“Snape and Annabelle are going as dates to the ball,” Regulus said giving our greasy friend a hard punch in the shoulder.

“What?!” I shouted. “Merlin, I miss all the good stuff!” I moaned and sprinted down to the Girl’s Dormitory and then into our room. There I found Annabelle sitting down at the edge of her bed with her hands gripping the edge of her pajamas. “He asked you?!” Annabelle looked up and nodded slowly.

“Yes.” I noticed her cheeks were red as were her lips from nervous nibbling. She started pulling at her hair.

“Hey, stop that,” I whispered brushing some of the blonde hair off her shoulders.

“Sorry,” she gasped out with faint excitement. I laughed and sat down next to her.

“I better not have to ask if you said yes or not,” I teased and she smiled and nodded her head quickly like a child.

“Of course, Cissa” she chirped. I giggled again and pet her head.

“Good, I didn’t want you breaking the poor boy’s heart,” I said shimmying off my robe. She smiled lightly, it was so great to see her happy again. “Finally, he grew a pair; I thought I was never going to see you two together as a date!” I cackled and Annabelle blushed more.

“You think it’ll be weird?” she let out quietly. I smiled and pulled her head onto my shoulder. She didn’t flinch.

“Not at all, he’s fancied you for a long time and you’ve liked him. So I think it’s the start of something very special,” I told her and then stood up. “Now come on, let’s get you dressed and ready for the day!” I said pulling at her nightshirt. She yelped and stood up running to the shower.

“I’ll do it myself!” she squeaked with a blush and when I heard the door lock I fell back on Annabelle’s bed. I rolled over and saw her grey diary peeking out from her pillow.

I’ll have to thank Severus later. He got her back to normal. At least for today.