Floriculture

Artemisia absinthium, commonly known as common wormwood, is a herbaceous plant characterized by its pale yellow flowers, tubular in shape and clustered in spherical bent-down heads. Once abundant, it is now increasingly rare in Britain, symbolizing absence, bitter sorrow, and the reminder to not be discouraged. Despite its dwindling presence, its significance remains deep.

As the summer days gave way to the beginning of her second year at Hogwarts, Narcissa reflected on the changes around her. Lucius had spent the break honing his Quidditch skills, often dropping by to boast about his progress. His visits were a welcome distraction from the growing distance between her and her family. Andromeda, now in her fourth year, was preoccupied with her studies and an increasingly mysterious mail. Narcissa often found herself leaving food out for the owl that delivered letters to Andie hourly. The smile on Andie’s face when she read those letters made it clear that this year was special for her.

Bellatrix, in her sixth year, was often away with their father, attending meetings that left her looking smug and self-satisfied. Narcissa didn't dare ask about these gatherings. As long as Bella was content, it was enough for her. Nothing remarkable seemed to happen to Narcissa that summer, or at least nothing that felt important.

On the platform, as the familiar sight of Hogwarts Express loomed, Narcissa spotted her cousins. "Sirius," she greeted warmly. He looked well today, his wild mane tamed into a tight ponytail that seemed almost painful.

"Sit with them," her aunt ordered Sirius. Beside him was Reggie, who waved to Narcissa before hiding behind his mother.

Lucius stood beside Narcissa, his calm demeanor masking the slight irritation he felt towards Sirius. Over the summer, Lucius had become friends with Severus and Evan. Severus often complained about the antics of Sirius and his friends, which only fueled Lucius's annoyance.

Narcissa subtly tapped Lucius with her pinky, a silent request for him to restrain himself. He acknowledged her with a brief nod.

Sirius agreed to sit with them, but once they boarded the train, he quickly turned to join the Gryffindors, leaving Narcissa behind. She watched him go, disappointment and understanding in her eyes.

"Let's find a compartment," Lucius said, guiding Narcissa away from the crowd. They found Severus and Evan already settled in an empty compartment, their conversation pausing as the pair entered.

Severus glanced up. "Hello."

"Severus," Narcissa replied with a small smile. "Evan."

Evan grinned. "Ready for another year of Slytherin greatness?"

Lucius chuckled, settling into a seat beside Narcissa. "Always."

The train began its journey, and the compartment filled with the familiar chatter of students. Narcissa allowed herself to relax, momentarily pushing aside her worries. The countryside rolled past the window, a comforting sight.

"Did you practice a lot, Lucius?" Evan asked, breaking the silence. His wide eyes were filled with curiosity.

Lucius smiled, leaning back in his seat. "I did. I hope to make the Slytherin team this year."

"You'll be great," Narcissa said with a smile, she then turned to Evan. “Where’s Pandora?”

“Pandora's sitting with some friends she found. She said she's excited to catch up with them,” Evan replied.

Narcissa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? She found friends already?"

"Yeah, it seems like it," Evan confirmed. "I guess she's getting along well with them."

As the train rattled on, Narcissa found herself nestled between Lucius and Evan, with Severus sitting across from them, his face half-buried in a book on advanced potion-making. Evan, true to form, was chattering away, filling the compartment with his lively voice.

"I swear, if Slughorn mentions his 'Slug Club' one more time, I might just lose it," Evan said, rolling his eyes dramatically. "It's like, we get it, you're important."

Narcissa laughed. "Oh, come on, Evan. You know you'd love to be in the Slug Club."

Evan grinned. "Maybe, but only if I can bring you lot with me. What about you, Severus? Fancy rubbing shoulders with the elite?"

Severus glanced up from his book, his expression neutral. "I have better things to do than listen to Slughorn boast about his connections."

Lucius smirked, leaning back with an air of indifference. "I don't see the appeal either.”

Narcissa rolled her eyes playfully at them. "You boys and your priorities. Maybe I should aim for the Slug Club and show you how it's done."

"Oh, we finally found you guys," Avery said, entering the compartment with Mulciber trailing behind him. They squeezed in next to Severus, their faces alight with excitement. "Did you hear? James Potter's trying out for Gryffindor this year. So is Fortescue."

Narcissa's head snapped up at the mention of Alice Fortescue. Since last winter, they had managed to maintain a mostly civil relationship. Narcissa often found herself staring at Alice for reasons she couldn't quite understand. Even Merlin would question her antics; she always looked away before Alice could notice.

"Potter and Fortescue, huh?" Lucius said, leaning back with a smirk. "I suppose Gryffindor needs all the help they can get."

"Fortescue's pretty good, though," Evan remarked, nudging Narcissa playfully. "Right, Cissy? You can't deny that."

Narcissa shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. She hadn’t seen her fly or even play… not that she cared enough to do so.

Lucius glanced at Narcissa, noticing her reaction. "Gryffindor won't stand a chance against Slytherin, no matter who they recruit," he said dismissively.

"Exactly," Evan agreed, casting a glance at Narcissa. "Besides, we've got the best team this year. No doubt about it."

Just as Narcissa was about to respond, a commotion erupted down the train corridor.

"What's going on now?" Lucius muttered, standing up to get a better view. Narcissa followed his gaze, her eyes widening as she saw the two groups facing off.

"Stay here, Cissa," Lucius instructed, but Narcissa ignored him, slipping past him to see what was happening.

The Slytherins were exchanging heated words with Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter. Wands were drawn.

"You think you're so brave, Black?" One of them sneered. "Running around with your Gryffindor friends. You're a disgrace."

Sirius's eyes blazed with fury. "At least I'm not a coward hiding behind his pureblood status."

Before anyone could react, punches were thrown. James lunged at them and erupted into chaos. Narcissa watched in shock as the two groups clashed, fists flying.

"Narcissa, get back!" Lucius shouted, trying to pull her away from the brawl.

But Narcissa was frozen in place, her eyes fixed on the fight. She saw Sirius take a punch to the jaw, blood trickling from his lip. His hair was so unruly now, he looked like he had a lion's mane.  Suddenly, a book was thrown to the wall near Narcissa, and she was yanked backward by Lucius, who had finally managed to pull her away from the fight.

"Are you mad?" Lucius hissed, shielding her with his body. "You could have been hurt!"

The fight continued for what felt like an eternity, until finally, a stern voice cut through the chaos.

"Enough!" The Head Girl’s authoritative tone echoed down the corridor. She pushed her way through the crowd. "What is the meaning of this?" Behind her were the prefects and the older students around the area.nThe students froze, their wands and fists lowering reluctantly. Her presence was enough to stop the fight in its tracks. "There will be consequences for this behavior."

As the students filed out, shooting daggers at each other with their eyes, Narcissa felt a mix of relief and unease. She glanced at Sirius, who was wiping blood from his lip, and then back at Lucius, who was still holding her protectively.

"Are you okay?" Lucius asked, his voice softer now.

Narcissa nodded, though her heart was still pounding. "I'm fine."

She took a step towards Sirius, her concern overriding her caution, but a group of Slytherins stepped in her way, shaking their heads. Avery and Mulciber looked at her, silently warning her to stay away.

“Cissa, let’s go,” Lucius said firmly, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. Narcissa glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with Sirius. They held each other’s gaze until the crowd swallowed him up.

As they walked back to their compartment, Lucius's grip on her arm loosened, but his protective stance remained. "You shouldn't get involved with him anymore," he said quietly. "It's not worth the trouble."

Narcissa didn't respond, her mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. She followed Lucius back to their compartment where Severus and Evan were waiting, looking curious and concerned.

"What happened?" Severus asked, his dark eyes flickering between Narcissa and Lucius.

"A skirmish with the Gryffindors," Lucius replied concisely. 

Evan leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Gryffindors are always looking for a fight. Typical."

Narcissa sat down, trying to shake off the lingering tension. She appreciated Lucius’s concern, but a part of her couldn’t forget the look on Sirius’s face. As the train rumbled on, the compartment settled into an uneasy silence. Evan started talking about the upcoming Quidditch tryouts, filling the void with his usual chatter.

"Do you think you'll make the team, Lucius?" Evan asked, nudging him playfully.

Lucius smiled, his earlier tension fading. "I've been practicing all summer. I have a good feeling about it."

Narcissa listened, half-heartedly, as the boys discussed strategies and players. Her mind kept drifting back to the fight, to Sirius, and to the complicated web of loyalties and expectations that seemed to be tightening around her.

“Narcissa, what do you think?” Severus’s voice pulled her back to the present.

“About what?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t been paying attention.

“Quidditch,” he said. “Do you think Gryffindor stands a chance this year?”

Narcissa managed a small smile. “Not against Slytherin,” she said.

As they entered the Great Hall, Narcissa took her usual spot next to Lucius, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over her. Glancing around, she noticed that her sisters were sitting far apart from each other. Andie was nestled among her friends, chatting animatedly, while Bella sat with Rabastan and his group, her expression unreadable.

It was a stark contrast to the previous year, when they had all sat together, a united front. Now, they seemed distant, each absorbed in their own world. Narcissa couldn't help but feel sadness at the sight. They were sisters, bound by blood and tradition, yet drifting further apart.

"Is everything okay?" Lucius whispered, noticing her troubled expression.

Narcissa forced a smile, nodding. "It's nothing," she replied, though her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears.

"Oh, Pandora is up," Evan remarked, his fingers crossed tightly. "Not Gryffindor, not Gryffindor."

The tension in the air was palpable as they awaited the Sorting Hat's decision. When the announcement came that Pandora was sorted into Ravenclaw, Evan let out a sigh of relief, his expression animated with pride as he waved at his sister. Narcissa couldn't help but chuckle at Evan's reaction, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She watched as Pandora made her way to the Ravenclaw table, waving back at her brother with a proud grin.

"Congratulations, Pandora!" Narcissa called out, her voice carrying across the Great Hall. Pandora waved back excitedly at them, showing off her blue tie. 

"Thank Merlin," he muttered, his relief evident. "Imagine how bad dinners would be at home because someone was a Gryf–"

Before Evan could finish his sentence, Lucius nudged him, and Evan's gaze shifted to Narcissa. He seemed to falter, his words catching in his throat.

"Erm, I mean, not like it's a bad thing," he mumbled awkwardly.

Severus, ever the voice of reason, spoke up. "Ignore him, Narcissa. He tends to run his mouth first."

"It's alright, Evan," she said, giving him a reassuring nod. "I know you mean well. Sirius and I are cousins… not siblings, how he is shouldn’t… reflect me"

As the Sorting ceremony concluded, Narcissa scanned the Great Hall for her sisters. Bellatrix was engaged in an animated conversation with Rabastan, a satisfied smirk on her lips. However, Andromeda was nowhere to be seen. Narcissa's curiosity was taken, she excused herself from her friends and slipped out of the Great Hall. Following a hunch, she made her way down the corridor and spotted Andromeda standing outside, engaged in conversation with a boy she didn't recognize. 

A soft smile graced Andromeda's features as she laughed at something the boy said, her eyes sparkling with delight. Narcissa watched for a moment. It’s probably the person she writes to. She looked at him, and then his sister once more, before turning away. Andie was smart, she knew that when it came to dating, the requirements were at a bare minimum. There’s no way Andie would do something so ridiculous, right?

Narcissa’s eyes widened as the boy spotted her and she quickly ran inside the hall and sat next to Lucius. 

“Lucius, how do you know when someone is… not like us?” Narcissa said it like a whisper and this surprised the blond boy.

“Just look at the Gryffindor table,” Evan shrugged. “Again, no offense, but they have several erm those things.” 

“Mudbloods,” Lucius corrected him. “Don’t see why you’re avoiding the word, it’s what they are.”

Narcissa wasn’t really comfortable with that word, although she used to say it, she could probably say the word if pushed, it wasn’t a bad thing, but Andie would be disappointed if she said it… but Bella wouldn’t mind. 

“There are characteristics,” Severus noted as he sat closer to Narcissa. “But there’s no way to know unless someone tells you. Unless you want to cross-reference books and check every last name.”

“Just ask them how they feel about muggle-borns,” Avery chimed in. “Those who feel strongly about protecting them are either traitors or mudbloods, at least that’s what my father says.”

“So what are we meant to do with that kind of people?” Narcissa asked. 

“That little sister is something you’ll learn when you’re older,” Narcissa practically jumped when Bella whispered something to her ear out of nowhere.

Bellatrix's sudden appearance startled Narcissa, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at being caught amid such a conversation. She forced a small laugh at her sister's jest, though her discomfort lingered.

“Andromeda and I leave you and you’re suddenly surrounded by boys,” Bellatrix teased, her tone light but her eyes sharp.  

Andromeda, not Andie, Narcissa noted how Bella addressed. Her sisters were most likely having a disagreement at the moment that’s why it was all so weird. Narcissa glanced at Andromeda's empty seat. 

“I heard about the fight earlier,” Bellatrix looked at Lucius, “What happened?” 

“Potter, and his friends,” Lucius answered avoiding saying Sirius’ name. “I heard they got weeks of detention.”

“Good,” Bellatrix nodded. 

Narcissa noted how her friends had been quiet when Bella was around like they knew something about Bella that Narcissa shouldn't know about. 

“You all be good,” Bellatrix said as Rabastan came to her side. “Especially you,” Bellatrix cupped Narcissa’s face lovingly, not short of the love that she held for her sister. 

“Okay, see you around.” Narcissa smiled. 

Narcissa looked across the hall to see Andie and Sirius talking and laughing. It was weird, her sister was in the same room but she was so far away. She felt dizzy. What was happening?