Doorway conversation
Chapter 3
Hermione tossed her flag above her head where it spiraled twice before falling into her hands. One she caught it she extended her arm and flipped it gracefully as she took smooth steps across the practice mat. She lowered her head and swayed to the violin instrumental playing in the background. Her movements flowed with her flag as if it was part of her. For improv it was quite beautiful.
It was already late, most of the teams had gone home now leaving Hermione, Coach Andromeda and the stay guardsman who where chatting outside the building.
Narcissa watched Hermione from the doorway. She was sure that the younger girl hadn’t seen her and Narcissa sensed that the lack of an audience improved her performance.
“She’s good isn’t she?” Andromeda appeared beside her sister.
Narcissa nodded, “Varsity Guard?”
“Nah.” Andromeda shook her head. “‘Mione is talented enough but she needs another year under belt first.”
Hermione began quick single tosses with her crimson flag as the music picked up, all perfectly on beat.
Narcissa watched her carefully. “Her footing needs work.”
Andromeda nodded, “Yeah Tom had issues with her last year, she kept hopping a bit for the larger tosses.”
“Tom?” Narcissa arched an eyebrow, the name seemed familiar but she couldn’t place it. She had already been on the new team for about three weeks but she hadn’t talking to a lot of people, including Hermione.
“Tom Riddle.”
“Oh.” Realization smacked Narcissa in the face. “OH.”
“Yeah.” Adromeda tried not to show her bitterness towards the man but failed.
“God that man has been stringing Bella along for years.” Narcissa grimaced.
“Sure has. If she comes to our team though they both have to obey the relationship rule.”
“Relationship rule?”
“Yep; no dating teammates unless it’s a pre existing relationship.” Adromeda explained. “You’re all coworkers as well as teammates.”
“Tell that to Severus.” Narcissa snickered.
“I’ll tell him Lilly’s married.” The sisters laughed a bit to hard and Hermione finally noticed them.
The girl caught her flag as the music came to a halt. Even from though they where on opposite sides of the room The Black sisters could see her embarrassment.
“Good job Granger! Those tosses could be a bit sharper but otherwise great! Cissa has some notes though.” Andromeda pulled Narcissa over to where Hermione was and the younger sister scowled.
Adromeda certainly had a talent for getting others to coach for her. Narcissa fixed her face before they got to Hermione as to not seem rude. “Yes well good job as Andi said.” Narcissa was determined to make this interaction as quick as possible.
Hermione looked at Narcissa expectantly.
‘Oh she’s actually talking to me.’ Hermione was surprised. She also realized that she was only speaking to her because of Andromeda.
“A few notes.” Narcissa snapped Hermione out of her thoughts. “You hop a bit on your triple tosses, your twirls where a bit blocky towards the end, and as for your final toss you where clearly off center and the nearly missed your catch.” Her voice showed little emotion as if she was reading from a list.
Hermione had to admit she was a little defensive. “Well it was improv, and I wasn’t aware I was being watched.” She crossed her arms and used all of her willpower to look Narcissa in the eyes. It’s not staring if your having a conversation. “What happened to ‘good job?’” Hermione thought she might have been pushing it with the last line, but she didn’t know how to continue to conversation. She had no knowledge of how Narcissa acted, but she seemed to be a direct woman so Hermione chose to be direct.
Narcissa smirked, “I would love to see you say that to Sev.”
Andromeda chuckled, “He would lose his shit. Lucky for you Granger, he’s mainly working with the green snakes.”
“You need a better name for the teams.” Narcissa rolled her eyes. “It sounds like an elementary soccer team.”
“As I said several weeks ago, just email me!” Andromeda sighed.
“Slytherin.”
Both sisters looked at Hermione.
“Repeat that dear?” Narcissa asked.
“Slytherin? I-it’s a name idea.” Hermione looked at Andromeda. There was no way she could look at a woman who called her ‘dear’.
“Eh it’s kind of-“ Andromeda began to protest but was cut off my Narcissa.
“I like it.”
“Really?” Hermione asked somewhat surprised. “
“Yeah really? It’s kind of silly.” Andromeda said. “I mean snakes, slither? Isn’t it a bit on the nose?”
Narcissa’s gaze hardened at her sister. The younger sister pulled out her phone and called Bellatrix who answered immediately. “Bellatrix Black.”
“Agree with me.” Narcissa said flatly.
“I- why?” Club music could be heard from the phone revealing Bella’s location.
“Just agree with me!” Narcissa’s piercing gaze didn’t leave Andromeda who looked unamused.
“Ok fine I agree with you, Narcissa is right, goodbye.” The eldest sister hung up.
“Hah!” Narcissa smirked, “Two against one, Slytherin it is!”
Adromeda produced the hardest eye roll Hermione had ever seen before muttering fine and walking away.
Narcissa looked at Hermione with an unplaceable expression. She was waiting for Hermione to start a conversation but when she didn’t the older woman shrugged. “Well goodnight Hermione.” She waited another moment for Hermione to respond but the girl seemed frozen. ‘Is she broken?’
Narcissa turned to leave. She grabbed her stuff from the wall and began to open the door to leave. She looked back over her shoulder and looked Hermione in the eyes before she smirked. “Good ideas, great guardsman, but can’t end conversations.”
“G-good bye!”
“Little late but I’ll take it.” Narcissa left the gym only to be treated by the chilly air of November. She smiled to herself but wasn’t sure why. Her phone buzzed when she got to her car.
She turned on the heat, locked her car door, and opened her messages. Andromeda had texted: Hey sis, don’t know what that whole name thing was or why ya care, but please don’t scare away my best red lion!
It was followed by another message that read: Ok I get what ya mean bout the elementary team name.
Narcissa rolled her eyes in amusement. In all honesty she didn’t know why she was so set on a new name. ‘It probably made Hermione happy.’ Immediately after thinking that Narcissa needed a reason for it. ‘Hermione’s a happiness isn’t my priority.’ She scoffed out loud. ‘But maybe she will associate that feeling with me! Then she will think positively of me. And Severus said I can’t make friends.”
She texted her sister back; I won’t.
Back in the gym Hermione was gathering her things. Leaning against her locker, she wrote down Narcissa’s notes in her notebook beside the feedback of other coaches. ‘Narcissa is an odd woman.’ Hermione thought to herself. ‘Attractive but odd. Not that odd is a bad thing. Maybe I’m just the odd one, or I missed a cue! Shit did I say good bye to her? I just froze there.’ Hermione let her head fall against the cold metal of her locker. ‘No wonder Ginny says I don’t make enough friends.’
While Hermione would admonish herself up for not speaking for the rest of the night, she would also over analyze the interaction with Narcissa. They had finally had a conversation after three weeks! They probably could have spoken sooner, in the past three days alone there had been at least twenty two opportunities- not that Hermione was counting.
She wasn’t even sure why she was so interested in talking to Narcissa. Perhaps she was just that; interesting. Her multicolored her hair, her piercing eyes, her well placed eye rolls, the way she spoke- and of course the way she preformed. Narcissa had a way about her that Hermione would only describe as interesting in the best way. Just interesting. Nothing more.
Her phone out of with a text from Ginny. “Emergency: Just heard from Ron who heard from Draco that Adromeda is making us do team building tomorrow, be prepared.” The message was followed with several emergency emoji’s.
Hermione decided that team building exercises would be hell no matter what, but definitely more tolerable if she actually got sleep. When she got home she took a few sleeping pills and did her best to get some eye. ‘Finally talked to Narcissa.’ Hermione smiled to herself before sleep finally came.