Starting Point(Malfoys)

[darkreaper666]

A letter had arrived at breakfast this morning. She didn't read it. It was off Leon and she wasn't talking to him. For now. As she entered the Common Room a cheer erupted. "What?" asked Raven. "Haven't you heard Ra? You have managed to break your family's tradition!" said Sonia. Wow! Well Leon's probably annoyed with me. she thought. She smiled and sat down. What a perfect day so far. Anyway her perfect day was more than likely to be ruined very soon...

[Narcissa Black]

Ever since Lucius graduated from Hogwarts, things to Narcissa had been a little boring. She did have Severus but he spent a lot of his time with that Ravenclaw girl. As for Regulus, he was alright. He did think that he was a grown man already, but that was just Regulus. Narcissa never did spend much time around Noah and Axel.

Entering the Slytherin Common Room, she tossed her long blond locks over her shoulder. She took a lot of pride in her hair, after all it was long, shiny, and silky smooth. Why not show it off? Narcissa didn't bother paying attention to anyone else in the common room as she walked over to her favorite chair with grace.

[Severus Snape]

Severus loped into the common room with his usual no nonsense pace. He spotted Narcissa and grabbed one of the straight backed chairs that the elegant, but slightly uncomfortable, Common room seemed to have in abundance.
"Hello Narcissa, How is our dear Lucius? Moved to greater and grander things?" It had been a while since he had a chance to catch Narcissa for a chat, he almost missed the banter he had with Lucius and actually really wondered what he was doing out of school without all his usual sycophants around him, he might of actually gotten new ones!

[Axel Malfoy]

usually by this time of day, Axel knew that the common room was empty. Other students were probably at lunch, or walking around the grounds or the castle; bored and trying to find something to do. But when he got there, it seemed as if it was more crowded than normal. Axel, being the shy kid that he was, decided to make a beeline straight for his dormatory.

"Excuse me," he said quietly when he bumped into someone next to him.

[Narcissa Black]

After Narcissa crossed her legs with a sense of elegance, she glanced up as someone drew near. A light smile appeared on her face, noticing it was Severus. The other students were ignored while she focused on the skinny boy in front of her.

"Lucius is Lucius," she responded. "He is just as well as he has always been if not a little better." There was a hint of pride in her voice.

"It has been too long since we last spoke. How have you been Severus?"

[Severus Snape]

"Besides the general irritation at clumsier students? A general irritation at everyone in general... Present company excluded of course." He gave her a little bow.
"I almost miss that posturing Lucius, He wasn't so bad afterall...especially after he turned pink." He wasn't saying it to be mean or cruel, it was a little matter of fact. Severus realized in that moment he had been spending every free moment he had with Natalie. He wondered if that was being cruel to his other friends, Rosier for one. He had been rather quick to point out that Severus spent too much time with her. So had other Slytherins', but it had always seemed more like petty house rivalry and blood status rather than missing his company.

[Narcissa Black]

A small giggle escaped Narcissa, but she quickly covered it up. She shouldn't be laughing about it. Looking back on it, she did think that it was a little amusing but she wouldn't dare laugh about it if Lucius was around.

"He's not bad, you just have to be around him more." Of course, she wouldn't ever think there was anything wrong with him.

"You know, I have missed you Sev. And I don't mean that to try and make you be here longer. I've been thinking about you lately. I need your help with something."

[Severus Snape]

Severus perked up a little at this. "I'll be glad to help you, but you always seem to make it through your potions alright...or is it more along the lines of Defense against the Dark Arts?" He tried to add enough of a tilt to the words, to see if that was her true intention.
There was no lack of substance to the rumors that Severus knew a great deal of Dark Arts. It wasn't really his fault that his mother had so many crumbling tomes and books of subjects that were of obscure branches of magic, nor that he had the brains to sort out what they said as to the subject as well.
"And if I may be honest, I have missed your company too. I just thought you'd prefer the company of some of the older Slytherins, than mine." he said measuring the words and carefully adding the latter part. Just enough to make it seem touching, not to say it wasn't.

[Narcissa Black]

"Yes," she said. "I'm having a little trouble understanding." Narcissa was not stupid. There was no possible way that she would blurt out why she would need Severus' help in the middle of the common room. There were ears everywhere and she could not afford anyone knowing. Severus was smart enough to know what she wanted, and that made her admire him more.

"Well, I always have time to be in your company Sev. All you have to do is just appear." Other than Regulus, Severus was someone that Narcissa didn't mind being around all day. Rabastan, well, he wasn't someone she was always around. He was really the only other older Slytherin she talked to.

[Severus Snape]

Severus looked at Narcissa and put a hand to his chin, putting his fingers to his lips. he moved his fingers as he spoke "Well then, we shall kill two birds with one stone, I'll help you with your studies and in turn we will spend more time chatting and building camaraderie." He smiled, his fingers just below his bottom lip.
The smile spread a little further as he asked "Is it more of a defensive problem, or an offensive one? There are several ways around or through both." He sat back in the chair, looking almost comfortable in the elegantly stiff chair. Both is arms were around his body, his fingers of one hand resting on his chin, and his legs comfortably bent in front of him.

[Narcissa Black]

"That sounds great to me." Narcissa gave one of her more sweeter, true smiles. She knew that she could always count on Severus when she needed something.

She thought for a moment. "Well, its more of a defensive problem." She tried to figure out how she could give a little better idea of what it was that she needed. "The possible problem is that I'm just not concentrating enough of it, but then again maybe I'm not doing it right at all." That was the best thing that Narcissa could come up with to give a better hint without giving it away. She made sure that she emphasized concentrating a little while still being subtle. "Think you could help?"

[Severus Snape]

Severus considered for a moment. A branch or branches of magic that had to do with concentration and defense? Occlumency was the best answer to this question, so he answered accordingly. "It's not about concentration Narcissa, the best defense is best thought of when there are no emotions clouding the mind, you must be free of them...Concentration would be a sign of a plan or an escape route, so the offensive to it would be obvious to one that is prepared attack."
He said it quietly, his fingers still resting on his chin while he wrapped himself with his other arm.

[Narcissa Black]

"So it's just clearing the mind is all?" Narcissa raised one of her perfectly arched eyebrows. "I still need someone to practice with me, just to make sure I'm doing it right. Who knows if I'll ever need it in the real world? I have to practice it so I can do well with it. Plus, you're the only one I really trust to help me Severus."

She smiled gently. "Maybe you could help me understand my problem tomorrow? We could study together?"

[Severus Snape]

Severus smiled, he liked the idea. He could only learn theory when he was alone, actually preforming the spells would be learning them so much more clearly than they would ever be on paper or vellum. "Yes, that would be very good...I'm sure we can find an un-used classroom...or I could ask professor Slughorn for a classroom, you know how he likes to fawn over his favorites." he couldn't help but flaunting that little fact, he always felt like he had to do at least a bit of strutting,he liked the fact that he could!

[Narcissa Black]

The smile on Narcissa's face grew. "I appreciate it Sev." She honestly didn't know what she would do if she didn't have Severus around. There was no way that she could really study Occlumency on her own. Sure, she could read about it, but that was it. Being put to the test was something completely different and she only trusted Severus for something like this.

"I owe you for this." Narcissa was going to make sure that this didn't go unpaid.

[Severus Snape]

Severus waved it off, dismissing the matter for another time. "You will trust me and I will trust you Narcissa..." he thought for a moment on the memories he harbored, and felt it necessary to warn her. "I have seen things Narcissa, bore witness to cruelty. Can I trust you with that." He whispered to her, leaning in his chair toward her. Maybe that was to ambiguous to say something like that, however he had not other way of speaking about the subject other than thus.

[Narcissa Black]

"I already trust you Severus," Narcissa answered as if he should already know the answer to that. When he leaned forward, she did as well. "Of course you can trust me. I wouldn't dare tell anyone of anything. I trust you wouldn't say anything with what you see." Her voice was to a whisper. He would see that she made up with Andi before she and Ted broke up and everything that happened there.

That information could be what destroyed her if the wrong people found out. Lucius knew, but that was alright as long as he could keep it to himself. She would help him study as she learned from Severus.

[Severus Snape]

Severus nodded, covering his lips with his finger tips. "It's the best way we can both do this, we'll have our wands to each other's temple." He meant it figuratively. The prospect of learning, and honing this skill with Narcissa left him feeling a little cold. He repressed the urge to bring his legs closer to his chair legs. He forced himself to casually un wrap his arms from his thin frame, grabbing the seat of the chair and sitting up a bit straighter in it.
"I have one book in particular we should look over...I have some of the important parts of the information written in some notes... I can't take it from my home." he added the last part after some hesitation, it was his mother's book after all, where she got it from could of been anywhere.