Finish (Line)
Sep. 4th, 2007 04:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jheti
*Ahem.*
WOE IS MY LOVE. I SHALL POSE ATOP A CAR.
#01 - Walking
"And do something about your complexion--it's like you have the consumption," she murmurs once he's finished, striding away without ever looking back.
#02 - Waltz
Her pulse is rapid and hushed in his ears, her hand warm and thrilling in his; he knows the music will be over soon.
#03 - Wishes
For it to get better, she thinks for an instant, then, blinking, blows out the candles.
#04 - Wonder
He can't stop smiling, try as he might--it's a miracle he got invited at all.
#05 - Worry
It's white wine for fish, blush wine for lamb, red wine for steak; what in the world goes with werewolf?
#06 - Whimsy
A little thrill dances down his spine as he curls her package ribbons--with his claws.
#07 - Waste/Wasteland
But once they're to the table, there are rumors and gossip and a sere expanse of dour tablecloth between them.
#08 - Whiskey and Rum
He doesn't want to be all here for the spectacle that's about to follow, even though he knows alcohol can't make it bearable, so there's nothing left for him to say but, "Cheers."
#09 - War
Her son flings down his napkin with more ferocity than any knight ever pitched a gauntlet and kicks free from the table without waiting to be excused--she hadn't even time enough to blink.
#10 - Weddings
He knows they're not yet past the ides of March, but he keeps wondering what she'd look like in summer, with an armful of daffodils and a veil over her face, his grandmother's ring shining on her hand.
#11 - Birthday
A whisper of icing she hadn't realized was still there slinks down her lips and disappears between their tongues, stale and sweet at once; his best presents are accidental.
#12 - Blessing
He relaxes against her, his warm, feral grin shining through the dark, and she knows that somewhere far off, a mouldy portrait is shrieking obscenities.
#13 - Bias
"It's true, you know, about lycanthropes," he breathes; her throat is scalded by the touch of his tongue and he's almost chuckling the words, "we are animals in the sack."
#14 - Burning
Her heart sinks in her chest; so many dreadful candles!
#15 - Breathing
Air whispers past her lips, forming non-sounds that might hold the shape of his name; the ruthless formation atop the cake gutters into smoke and stillness, and everybody claps.
#16 - Breaking
"I don't want to talk about it," growls the boy, as shards of his teacup bounce and splinter against each other.
#17 - Belief
'Two years later' means not so very much at all, she thinks, smiling bravely as she asks Remus to pass the salt.
#18 - Balloon
They drifted in, a bobbling nest of green and silver pinned to the floor by house elves' gnarled hands--his was red, startling, a shock of blood or a brilliant flower.
#19 - Balcony
Up here, with his arm around her waist--mostly hidden by the balustrade--the whispers and vicious glances are petty, pointless and far away.
#20 - Bane
There's aconite powder in his inner jacket pocket, his guarantee of civility and control; he wishes it would disappear.
#21 - Quiet
She's alone for one hushed instant, solitary queen of this mausoleum Lucius called a home, and then they scream, "Surprise!"
#22 - Quirks
She almost drops the sweater when he asks her to put it on him.
#23 - Question
"He'll come around," says Remus as she stares in the general direction of Draco's exodus; that's not what she'd asked.
#24 - Quarrel
She knows it's not an argument she can win--Bella is too quick, even dead drunk, and her aim is too good.
#25 - Quitting
Lupin's ears threaten to bleed; he's certain that right now would be a perfect time to take up smoking again.
#26 - Jump
Remus twists aside and literally skips over the silver tureen as it comes hurtling toward him.
#27 - Jester
Lupin's laughing, too, and bows, white-faced, when they applaud; Narcissa's close enough to see him trembling.
#28 - Jousting
Narcissa wonders if her napkin--perfect silk, still clean, carefully monogrammed--would do as a lady's token.
#29 - Jewel
Nothing Bella gave her was ever ugly, but her time in Azkaban turned her tastes gauche; the leaves are made of emeralds and incredibly heavy.
#30 - Just
She can only grit her teeth and smile; nothing is fair in love and war.
#31 - Smirk
"Hello, Remus," she says, her mouth twisting around his name--it's the closest she's come to a smile in weeks.
#32 - Sorrow
Her lashes slipped into her eyes and made them water, and that's all it is; all things in Narcissa's world are only what they must be.
#33 - Stupidity
"He deserved it," Bella crows, with a wave of silver goblet that nearly splatters her wine on the tabletop, "good show, Cissy."
#34 - Serenade
At least they kept her age out of that damnable birthday song.
#35 - Sarcasm
"Lovely dress," he says with a sage nod, and he can't resist adding, "I heard old Black is the new black this year."
#36 - Sordid
She manages to gasp out, "What a suggestion!" and makes no move whatsoever to stop him.
#37 - Soliloquy
He hates her, his own mother, and there's never been anything whatever she could do about it; this family, her husband's family and her own, they all do, too, even Bella, she always means what she says; Remus will not come back to her, she knows, because he hates her too, and anyone would, everyone should, and why do years have to matter; no matter how many of them pass, she's still the youngest, wanted only for her looks, as pale and sweet and perfect as a funeral bouquet.
#38 - Sojourn
He knows she can't hear him--wolves and near-wolves are built to be silent in winter--so she's a wide-eyed, rosy miracle of utter astonishment when he intones, "'Though the sedge is withered by the lake, and no birds sing'" and starts, then stops, half-frozen in the gesture of not quite reaching for her; his arms slap to his sides in the stillness as he waits.
#39 - Share
And once Narcissa's started crying, she can't seem to stop; Bella reels to her feet, hands fluttering and half-wrung-together as she stutters thick, dark noises about making the ungrateful brat see reason and stay for cake as duty to his family demands--Bella's napkin, crisp and unused because she drank instead of eating, does well enough for a handkerchief.
#40 - Solitary
Remus lets go of Narcissa's hand without even a trace of regret: he understands what wanting to be alone is.
#41 - Nowhere
Narcissa slips down the garden path and lets the slushing crunch of the gravel and the dreary chill of the slate-dark sky matter more to her than anything else.
#42 - Neutral
Draco gives a great, gagging exaggeration of a cough and shakes Remus' hand like he expects to contract the plague; Draco can't bring himself to do less, and dares not attempt more with his aunt looming unsteadily just over his shoulder--he will very definitely remain standing for the rest of the evening.
#43 - Nuance
Remus must have practiced; he's figured out a proper waltz since highschool, even the reverse lockstep chasse--for which Narcissa's shins are grateful.
#44 - Near
He realizes, suddenly, that when he listens for it he can hear Narcissa's heart stammering; the giddy rhythm underscores his own delight, and he smiles full-out, not caring who sees.
#45 - Natural
And this is right, precisely because it has nothing at all to do with logic, decency, or common sense; Narcissa laughs a little into his mouth.
#46 - Horizon
He stares, unable to move, as she vanishes over the edge of the world behind the garden hill without so much as a backward glance.
#47 - Valiant
"My hero," sneers Bella with a snort and a hiccup; the folds and crennelations of her dress squelch and gargle beneath a delicate cream-of-broccoli glaze as she fishes for her wand.
#48 - Virtuous
Narcissa is never less than proper; she does the Only Sensible Thing and slaps his face as hard as she can.
#49 - Victory
He realizes he's won the argument when her serene, triumphant expression caves in--and then Remus wants to die or vomit or hit something, but instead he stands there, breathing hard through his teeth like an animal.
#50 - Defeat
There's a steadily mounting clamor and a great wailing tide of self-injury spreading from the kitchens; it seems none of the elves have been able to ascertain what, exactly, Master Draco has done with The Werewolf's present for Mistress Cissy.
And "approximate" is an adjective, except when it's a verb.
#04 - Wonder
He can't stop smiling, try as he might--it's a miracle he got invited at all.
#20 - Bane
There's aconite powder in his inner jacket pocket, his guarantee of civility and control; he wishes it would disappear.
#06 - Whimsy
A little thrill dances down his spine as he curls her package ribbons--with his claws.
(Minor Events Happen)
#21 - Quiet
She's alone for one hushed instant, solitary queen of this mausoleum Lucius called a home, and then they scream, "Surprise!"
#31 - Smirk
"Hello, Remus," she says, her mouth twisting around his name--it's the closest she's come to a smile in weeks.
#35 - Sarcasm
"Lovely dress," he says with a sage nod, and he can't resist adding, "I heard old Black is the new black this year."
(Insert Meaningless Party Chatter)
#01 - Walking
"And do something about your complexion--it's like you have the consumption," she murmurs once he's finished, striding away without ever looking back.
(Minor Events Happen)
#05 - Worry
It's white wine for fish, blush wine for lamb, red wine for steak; what in the world goes with werewolf?
#07 - Waste/Wasteland
But once they're to the table, there are rumors and gossip and a sere expanse of dour tablecloth between them.
#26 - Jump
Remus twists aside and literally skips over the silver tureen as it comes hurtling toward him.
#47 - Valiant
"My hero," sneers Bella with a snort and a hiccup; the folds and crennelations of her dress squelch and gargle beneath a delicate cream-of-broccoli glaze as she fishes for her wand.
#27 - Jester
Lupin's laughing, too, and bows, white-faced, when they applaud; Narcissa's close enough to see him trembling.
(Awhile After That)
#14 - Burning
Her heart sinks in her chest; so many dreadful candles!
#15 - Breathing
Air whispers past her lips, forming non-sounds that might hold the shape of his name; the ruthless formation atop the cake gutters into smoke and stillness, and everybody claps.
#03 - Wishes
For it to get better, she thinks for an instant, then, blinking, blows out the candles.
(Those two are simultaneous slices of the same instant. It's the strongest image I had: Narcissa staring down the rank and file firebombs marking time's passage and trying to barter with them, resolute, superstitious, and not a little put out, but beautiful and glowing.)
#34 - Serenade
At least they kept her age out of that damnable birthday song.
(Significant Over-Dinner Bickering Happens)
#24 - Quarrel
She knows it's not an argument she can win--Bella is too quick, even dead drunk, and her aim is too good.
#16 - Breaking
"I don't want to talk about it," growls the boy, as shards of his teacup bounce and splinter against each other.
#25 - Quitting
Lupin's ears threaten to bleed; he's certain that right now would be a perfect time to take up smoking again.
#09 - War
Her son flings down his napkin with more ferocity than any knight ever pitched a gauntlet and kicks free from the table without waiting to be excused--she hadn't even time enough to blink.
#08 - Whiskey and Rum
He doesn't want to be all here for the spectacle that's about to follow, even though he knows alcohol can't make it bearable, so there's nothing left for him to say but, "Cheers."
(A Little Later)
#23 - Question
"He'll come around," says Remus as she stares in the general direction of Draco's exodus; that's not what she'd asked.
#17 - Belief
'Two years later' means not so very much at all, she thinks, smiling bravely as she asks Remus to pass the salt.
#28 - Jousting
Narcissa wonders if her napkin--perfect silk, still clean, carefully monogrammed--would do as a lady's token.
#39 - Share
And once Narcissa's started crying, she can't seem to stop; Bella reels to her feet, hands fluttering and half-wrung-together as she stutters thick, dark noises about making the ungrateful brat see reason and stay for cake as duty to his family demands--Bella's napkin, crisp and unused because she drank instead of eating, does well enough for a handkerchief.
#40 - Solitary
Remus lets go of Narcissa's hand without even a trace of regret: he understands what wanting to be alone is.
#41 - Nowhere
Narcissa slips down the garden path and lets the slushing crunch of the gravel and the dreary chill of the slate-dark sky matter more to her than anything else.
#46 - Horizon
He stares as she vanishes over the edge of the world and into the setting sun behind the garden hill.
#38 - Sojourn
He knows she can't hear him--wolves and near-wolves are built to be silent in winter--so she's a wide-eyed, rosy miracle of utter astonishment when he intones, "'Though the sedge is withered by the lake, and no birds sing'" and starts, then stops, half-frozen in the gesture of not quite reaching for her; his arms slap to his sides in the stillness as he waits.
#10 - Weddings
He knows they're not yet past the ides of March, but he keeps wondering what she'd look like in summer, with an armful of daffodils and a veil over her face, his grandmother's ring shining on her hand.
(Some Time After That)
#19 - Balcony
Up here, with his arm around her waist--mostly hidden by the balustrade--the whispers and vicious glances are petty, pointless and far away.
#18 - Balloon
They drifted in, a bobbling nest of green and silver pinned to the floor by house elves' gnarled hands--his was red, startling, a shock of blood or a brilliant flower.
#29 - Jewel
Nothing Bella gave her was ever ugly, but her time in Azkaban turned her tastes gauche; the leaves are made of emeralds and incredibly heavy.
#50 - Defeat
There's a steadily mounting clamor and a great wailing tide of self-injury spreading from the kitchens; it seems none of the elves have been able to ascertain what, exactly, Master Draco has done with The Werewolf's present for Mistress Cissy.
(Note That Lupin's Present Remains Unopened For Some Time; More Events Occur)
#02 - Waltz
Her pulse is rapid and hushed in his ears, her hand warm and thrilling in his; he knows the music will be over soon.
#43 - Nuance
Remus must have practiced; he's figured out a proper waltz since highschool, even the reverse lockstep chasse--for which Narcissa's shins are grateful.
#44 - Near
He realizes, suddenly, that when he listens for it he can hear Narcissa's heart stammering; the giddy rhythm underscores his own delight, and he smiles full-out, not caring who sees.
(Then, They Start To Argue:)
#32 - Sorrow
Her lashes slipped into her eyes and made them water, and that's all it is; all things in Narcissa's world are only what they must be.
#48 - Virtuous
Narcissa is never less than proper; she does the Only Sensible Thing and slaps his face as hard as she can.
#33 - Stupidity
"He deserved it," Bella crows, with a wave of silver goblet that nearly splatters her wine on the tabletop, "good show, Cissy."
#49 - Victory
He realizes he's won the argument when her serene, triumphant expression caves in--and then Remus wants to die or vomit or hit something, but instead he sits there, breathing hard through his teeth like an animal.
#37 - Soliloquy
He hates her, his own mother, and there's never been anything whatever she could do about it; this family, her husband's family and her own, they all do, too, even Bella, she always means what she says; Remus will not come back to her, she knows, because he hates her too, and anyone would, everyone should, and why do years have to matter; no matter how many of them pass, she's still the youngest, wanted only for her looks, as pale and sweet and perfect as a funeral bouquet.
#30 - Just
She can only grit her teeth and smile; nothing is fair in love and war.
(The Entire Arc of Their Making Up, and Indeed, Why They Argued at All, Are Left to the Audience's Reasonings, in the Interest of Length)
#42 - Neutral
Draco gives a great, gagging exaggeration of a cough and shakes Remus' hand like he expects to contract the plague; Draco can't bring himself to do less, and dares not attempt more with his aunt looming unsteadily just over his shoulder--he will very definitely remain standing for the rest of the evening.
#11 - Birthday
A whisper of icing she hadn't realized was still there slinks down her lips and disappears between their tongues, stale and sweet at once; his best presents are accidental.
#13 - Bias
"It's true, you know, about lycanthropes," he breathes; her throat is scalded by the touch of his tongue and he's almost chuckling the words, "we are animals in the sack."
#45 - Natural
And this is right, precisely because it has nothing at all to do with logic, decency, or common sense; Narcissa laughs a little into his mouth.
(Lupin's Present Is...Different)
#22 - Quirks
She almost drops the sweater when he asks her to put it on him.
#36 - Sordid
She manages to gasp out, "What a suggestion!" and makes no move whatsoever to stop him.
#12 - Blessing
He relaxes against her, his warm, feral grin shining through the dark, and she knows that somewhere far off, a mouldy portrait is shrieking obscenities.
WOE IS MY LOVE. I SHALL POSE ATOP A CAR.
#01 - Walking
"And do something about your complexion--it's like you have the consumption," she murmurs once he's finished, striding away without ever looking back.
#02 - Waltz
Her pulse is rapid and hushed in his ears, her hand warm and thrilling in his; he knows the music will be over soon.
#03 - Wishes
For it to get better, she thinks for an instant, then, blinking, blows out the candles.
#04 - Wonder
He can't stop smiling, try as he might--it's a miracle he got invited at all.
#05 - Worry
It's white wine for fish, blush wine for lamb, red wine for steak; what in the world goes with werewolf?
#06 - Whimsy
A little thrill dances down his spine as he curls her package ribbons--with his claws.
#07 - Waste/Wasteland
But once they're to the table, there are rumors and gossip and a sere expanse of dour tablecloth between them.
#08 - Whiskey and Rum
He doesn't want to be all here for the spectacle that's about to follow, even though he knows alcohol can't make it bearable, so there's nothing left for him to say but, "Cheers."
#09 - War
Her son flings down his napkin with more ferocity than any knight ever pitched a gauntlet and kicks free from the table without waiting to be excused--she hadn't even time enough to blink.
#10 - Weddings
He knows they're not yet past the ides of March, but he keeps wondering what she'd look like in summer, with an armful of daffodils and a veil over her face, his grandmother's ring shining on her hand.
#11 - Birthday
A whisper of icing she hadn't realized was still there slinks down her lips and disappears between their tongues, stale and sweet at once; his best presents are accidental.
#12 - Blessing
He relaxes against her, his warm, feral grin shining through the dark, and she knows that somewhere far off, a mouldy portrait is shrieking obscenities.
#13 - Bias
"It's true, you know, about lycanthropes," he breathes; her throat is scalded by the touch of his tongue and he's almost chuckling the words, "we are animals in the sack."
#14 - Burning
Her heart sinks in her chest; so many dreadful candles!
#15 - Breathing
Air whispers past her lips, forming non-sounds that might hold the shape of his name; the ruthless formation atop the cake gutters into smoke and stillness, and everybody claps.
#16 - Breaking
"I don't want to talk about it," growls the boy, as shards of his teacup bounce and splinter against each other.
#17 - Belief
'Two years later' means not so very much at all, she thinks, smiling bravely as she asks Remus to pass the salt.
#18 - Balloon
They drifted in, a bobbling nest of green and silver pinned to the floor by house elves' gnarled hands--his was red, startling, a shock of blood or a brilliant flower.
#19 - Balcony
Up here, with his arm around her waist--mostly hidden by the balustrade--the whispers and vicious glances are petty, pointless and far away.
#20 - Bane
There's aconite powder in his inner jacket pocket, his guarantee of civility and control; he wishes it would disappear.
#21 - Quiet
She's alone for one hushed instant, solitary queen of this mausoleum Lucius called a home, and then they scream, "Surprise!"
#22 - Quirks
She almost drops the sweater when he asks her to put it on him.
#23 - Question
"He'll come around," says Remus as she stares in the general direction of Draco's exodus; that's not what she'd asked.
#24 - Quarrel
She knows it's not an argument she can win--Bella is too quick, even dead drunk, and her aim is too good.
#25 - Quitting
Lupin's ears threaten to bleed; he's certain that right now would be a perfect time to take up smoking again.
#26 - Jump
Remus twists aside and literally skips over the silver tureen as it comes hurtling toward him.
#27 - Jester
Lupin's laughing, too, and bows, white-faced, when they applaud; Narcissa's close enough to see him trembling.
#28 - Jousting
Narcissa wonders if her napkin--perfect silk, still clean, carefully monogrammed--would do as a lady's token.
#29 - Jewel
Nothing Bella gave her was ever ugly, but her time in Azkaban turned her tastes gauche; the leaves are made of emeralds and incredibly heavy.
#30 - Just
She can only grit her teeth and smile; nothing is fair in love and war.
#31 - Smirk
"Hello, Remus," she says, her mouth twisting around his name--it's the closest she's come to a smile in weeks.
#32 - Sorrow
Her lashes slipped into her eyes and made them water, and that's all it is; all things in Narcissa's world are only what they must be.
#33 - Stupidity
"He deserved it," Bella crows, with a wave of silver goblet that nearly splatters her wine on the tabletop, "good show, Cissy."
#34 - Serenade
At least they kept her age out of that damnable birthday song.
#35 - Sarcasm
"Lovely dress," he says with a sage nod, and he can't resist adding, "I heard old Black is the new black this year."
#36 - Sordid
She manages to gasp out, "What a suggestion!" and makes no move whatsoever to stop him.
#37 - Soliloquy
He hates her, his own mother, and there's never been anything whatever she could do about it; this family, her husband's family and her own, they all do, too, even Bella, she always means what she says; Remus will not come back to her, she knows, because he hates her too, and anyone would, everyone should, and why do years have to matter; no matter how many of them pass, she's still the youngest, wanted only for her looks, as pale and sweet and perfect as a funeral bouquet.
#38 - Sojourn
He knows she can't hear him--wolves and near-wolves are built to be silent in winter--so she's a wide-eyed, rosy miracle of utter astonishment when he intones, "'Though the sedge is withered by the lake, and no birds sing'" and starts, then stops, half-frozen in the gesture of not quite reaching for her; his arms slap to his sides in the stillness as he waits.
#39 - Share
And once Narcissa's started crying, she can't seem to stop; Bella reels to her feet, hands fluttering and half-wrung-together as she stutters thick, dark noises about making the ungrateful brat see reason and stay for cake as duty to his family demands--Bella's napkin, crisp and unused because she drank instead of eating, does well enough for a handkerchief.
#40 - Solitary
Remus lets go of Narcissa's hand without even a trace of regret: he understands what wanting to be alone is.
#41 - Nowhere
Narcissa slips down the garden path and lets the slushing crunch of the gravel and the dreary chill of the slate-dark sky matter more to her than anything else.
#42 - Neutral
Draco gives a great, gagging exaggeration of a cough and shakes Remus' hand like he expects to contract the plague; Draco can't bring himself to do less, and dares not attempt more with his aunt looming unsteadily just over his shoulder--he will very definitely remain standing for the rest of the evening.
#43 - Nuance
Remus must have practiced; he's figured out a proper waltz since highschool, even the reverse lockstep chasse--for which Narcissa's shins are grateful.
#44 - Near
He realizes, suddenly, that when he listens for it he can hear Narcissa's heart stammering; the giddy rhythm underscores his own delight, and he smiles full-out, not caring who sees.
#45 - Natural
And this is right, precisely because it has nothing at all to do with logic, decency, or common sense; Narcissa laughs a little into his mouth.
#46 - Horizon
He stares, unable to move, as she vanishes over the edge of the world behind the garden hill without so much as a backward glance.
#47 - Valiant
"My hero," sneers Bella with a snort and a hiccup; the folds and crennelations of her dress squelch and gargle beneath a delicate cream-of-broccoli glaze as she fishes for her wand.
#48 - Virtuous
Narcissa is never less than proper; she does the Only Sensible Thing and slaps his face as hard as she can.
#49 - Victory
He realizes he's won the argument when her serene, triumphant expression caves in--and then Remus wants to die or vomit or hit something, but instead he stands there, breathing hard through his teeth like an animal.
#50 - Defeat
There's a steadily mounting clamor and a great wailing tide of self-injury spreading from the kitchens; it seems none of the elves have been able to ascertain what, exactly, Master Draco has done with The Werewolf's present for Mistress Cissy.
And "approximate" is an adjective, except when it's a verb.
#04 - Wonder
He can't stop smiling, try as he might--it's a miracle he got invited at all.
#20 - Bane
There's aconite powder in his inner jacket pocket, his guarantee of civility and control; he wishes it would disappear.
#06 - Whimsy
A little thrill dances down his spine as he curls her package ribbons--with his claws.
(Minor Events Happen)
#21 - Quiet
She's alone for one hushed instant, solitary queen of this mausoleum Lucius called a home, and then they scream, "Surprise!"
#31 - Smirk
"Hello, Remus," she says, her mouth twisting around his name--it's the closest she's come to a smile in weeks.
#35 - Sarcasm
"Lovely dress," he says with a sage nod, and he can't resist adding, "I heard old Black is the new black this year."
(Insert Meaningless Party Chatter)
#01 - Walking
"And do something about your complexion--it's like you have the consumption," she murmurs once he's finished, striding away without ever looking back.
(Minor Events Happen)
#05 - Worry
It's white wine for fish, blush wine for lamb, red wine for steak; what in the world goes with werewolf?
#07 - Waste/Wasteland
But once they're to the table, there are rumors and gossip and a sere expanse of dour tablecloth between them.
#26 - Jump
Remus twists aside and literally skips over the silver tureen as it comes hurtling toward him.
#47 - Valiant
"My hero," sneers Bella with a snort and a hiccup; the folds and crennelations of her dress squelch and gargle beneath a delicate cream-of-broccoli glaze as she fishes for her wand.
#27 - Jester
Lupin's laughing, too, and bows, white-faced, when they applaud; Narcissa's close enough to see him trembling.
(Awhile After That)
#14 - Burning
Her heart sinks in her chest; so many dreadful candles!
#15 - Breathing
Air whispers past her lips, forming non-sounds that might hold the shape of his name; the ruthless formation atop the cake gutters into smoke and stillness, and everybody claps.
#03 - Wishes
For it to get better, she thinks for an instant, then, blinking, blows out the candles.
(Those two are simultaneous slices of the same instant. It's the strongest image I had: Narcissa staring down the rank and file firebombs marking time's passage and trying to barter with them, resolute, superstitious, and not a little put out, but beautiful and glowing.)
#34 - Serenade
At least they kept her age out of that damnable birthday song.
(Significant Over-Dinner Bickering Happens)
#24 - Quarrel
She knows it's not an argument she can win--Bella is too quick, even dead drunk, and her aim is too good.
#16 - Breaking
"I don't want to talk about it," growls the boy, as shards of his teacup bounce and splinter against each other.
#25 - Quitting
Lupin's ears threaten to bleed; he's certain that right now would be a perfect time to take up smoking again.
#09 - War
Her son flings down his napkin with more ferocity than any knight ever pitched a gauntlet and kicks free from the table without waiting to be excused--she hadn't even time enough to blink.
#08 - Whiskey and Rum
He doesn't want to be all here for the spectacle that's about to follow, even though he knows alcohol can't make it bearable, so there's nothing left for him to say but, "Cheers."
(A Little Later)
#23 - Question
"He'll come around," says Remus as she stares in the general direction of Draco's exodus; that's not what she'd asked.
#17 - Belief
'Two years later' means not so very much at all, she thinks, smiling bravely as she asks Remus to pass the salt.
#28 - Jousting
Narcissa wonders if her napkin--perfect silk, still clean, carefully monogrammed--would do as a lady's token.
#39 - Share
And once Narcissa's started crying, she can't seem to stop; Bella reels to her feet, hands fluttering and half-wrung-together as she stutters thick, dark noises about making the ungrateful brat see reason and stay for cake as duty to his family demands--Bella's napkin, crisp and unused because she drank instead of eating, does well enough for a handkerchief.
#40 - Solitary
Remus lets go of Narcissa's hand without even a trace of regret: he understands what wanting to be alone is.
#41 - Nowhere
Narcissa slips down the garden path and lets the slushing crunch of the gravel and the dreary chill of the slate-dark sky matter more to her than anything else.
#46 - Horizon
He stares as she vanishes over the edge of the world and into the setting sun behind the garden hill.
#38 - Sojourn
He knows she can't hear him--wolves and near-wolves are built to be silent in winter--so she's a wide-eyed, rosy miracle of utter astonishment when he intones, "'Though the sedge is withered by the lake, and no birds sing'" and starts, then stops, half-frozen in the gesture of not quite reaching for her; his arms slap to his sides in the stillness as he waits.
#10 - Weddings
He knows they're not yet past the ides of March, but he keeps wondering what she'd look like in summer, with an armful of daffodils and a veil over her face, his grandmother's ring shining on her hand.
(Some Time After That)
#19 - Balcony
Up here, with his arm around her waist--mostly hidden by the balustrade--the whispers and vicious glances are petty, pointless and far away.
#18 - Balloon
They drifted in, a bobbling nest of green and silver pinned to the floor by house elves' gnarled hands--his was red, startling, a shock of blood or a brilliant flower.
#29 - Jewel
Nothing Bella gave her was ever ugly, but her time in Azkaban turned her tastes gauche; the leaves are made of emeralds and incredibly heavy.
#50 - Defeat
There's a steadily mounting clamor and a great wailing tide of self-injury spreading from the kitchens; it seems none of the elves have been able to ascertain what, exactly, Master Draco has done with The Werewolf's present for Mistress Cissy.
(Note That Lupin's Present Remains Unopened For Some Time; More Events Occur)
#02 - Waltz
Her pulse is rapid and hushed in his ears, her hand warm and thrilling in his; he knows the music will be over soon.
#43 - Nuance
Remus must have practiced; he's figured out a proper waltz since highschool, even the reverse lockstep chasse--for which Narcissa's shins are grateful.
#44 - Near
He realizes, suddenly, that when he listens for it he can hear Narcissa's heart stammering; the giddy rhythm underscores his own delight, and he smiles full-out, not caring who sees.
(Then, They Start To Argue:)
#32 - Sorrow
Her lashes slipped into her eyes and made them water, and that's all it is; all things in Narcissa's world are only what they must be.
#48 - Virtuous
Narcissa is never less than proper; she does the Only Sensible Thing and slaps his face as hard as she can.
#33 - Stupidity
"He deserved it," Bella crows, with a wave of silver goblet that nearly splatters her wine on the tabletop, "good show, Cissy."
#49 - Victory
He realizes he's won the argument when her serene, triumphant expression caves in--and then Remus wants to die or vomit or hit something, but instead he sits there, breathing hard through his teeth like an animal.
#37 - Soliloquy
He hates her, his own mother, and there's never been anything whatever she could do about it; this family, her husband's family and her own, they all do, too, even Bella, she always means what she says; Remus will not come back to her, she knows, because he hates her too, and anyone would, everyone should, and why do years have to matter; no matter how many of them pass, she's still the youngest, wanted only for her looks, as pale and sweet and perfect as a funeral bouquet.
#30 - Just
She can only grit her teeth and smile; nothing is fair in love and war.
(The Entire Arc of Their Making Up, and Indeed, Why They Argued at All, Are Left to the Audience's Reasonings, in the Interest of Length)
#42 - Neutral
Draco gives a great, gagging exaggeration of a cough and shakes Remus' hand like he expects to contract the plague; Draco can't bring himself to do less, and dares not attempt more with his aunt looming unsteadily just over his shoulder--he will very definitely remain standing for the rest of the evening.
#11 - Birthday
A whisper of icing she hadn't realized was still there slinks down her lips and disappears between their tongues, stale and sweet at once; his best presents are accidental.
#13 - Bias
"It's true, you know, about lycanthropes," he breathes; her throat is scalded by the touch of his tongue and he's almost chuckling the words, "we are animals in the sack."
#45 - Natural
And this is right, precisely because it has nothing at all to do with logic, decency, or common sense; Narcissa laughs a little into his mouth.
(Lupin's Present Is...Different)
#22 - Quirks
She almost drops the sweater when he asks her to put it on him.
#36 - Sordid
She manages to gasp out, "What a suggestion!" and makes no move whatsoever to stop him.
#12 - Blessing
He relaxes against her, his warm, feral grin shining through the dark, and she knows that somewhere far off, a mouldy portrait is shrieking obscenities.
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no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-06 10:59 pm (UTC)I was gonna give them to you in person but THE WORLD IS AGAINST ME and refuses to let me into my Yahoo, so I gave up and posted them on here.
You're most welcome. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 05:41 am (UTC)And also your LJ is green. Rock on Milady.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-06 11:01 pm (UTC)Yes I was tired of the grey one, green can be really excellent sometimes.