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Author's Notice: Remus/Narcissa (a new one for me.) With some Remus/Lily (but just a little.) Thanks for taking a chance on this fic Remus/Narcissa is pretty much unheard of. I like this fic, it's really original. There are SO MANY CONNECTIONS and repeated phrases in here...awesome! Anyway. The song just fits. It just does.

Disclaimer: JK's

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[in the background]
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Yeah
[softly]
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Try so hard to say goodbye

She Will Be Loved--Maroon Five

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Narcissa stood next to Remus. A smile plastered on her pale. face. She looked up at him, his tired face, his grim smile, his thin hair. His eyes were set towards the sun, hers on him...all eyes on him.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, peering back at her.

"'Bout you," she said simply, not looking away, undazed. "And the sun."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, raising his glass.

"Perfection," she agreed, clinking her glass with his.

"We better head back to the castle."

"Why?" She asked, tucking her blond hair behind her ear. "It's early yet."

"Lucius will worry about you."

"But he's not my boyfriend, so it doesn't matter," she reasoned with a cool shrug. "Let's not think about that."

"You'll marry him,"Remus said casually, "very James and Lily. Lily can love whoever she pleases but she'll always go back to James...in the end."

"We don't know about the end, yet," Narcissa said, "our story is just beginning."

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"What's it like being Sirius Black's cousin?" He asked lazily. "I should think it'd be interesting."

Narcissa shrugged and took a bite of apple, "it's like anything else isn't it? All my friends...few as they are...look like they're going to pounce on him."

Remus laughed, "he's very popular."

"He is, isn't he?" She agreed and threw Remus her half eaten apple. "Here, have some, it's good for you."

"Your friends..." he said "...what school do they go to?"

"Durmstrang," she answered.

"Oh," he said, "who do you have here, then?"

Narcissa smiled her secretive smile and let one word escape from her lips, "Lucius."

"And he watches out for you, does he?" Remus asked, feeling much like an curious reporter.

"Don't know, really. I don't count on it, if that's what you mean. I watch out for myself."

"And Sirius. You have Sirius."

Narcissa just rubbed her eyes, "I do."

"You wanted to go to Durmstrang, didn't you?"

"Don't we all?" She replied sarcastically. "No--but, it's much different from here. I've visited, I've been requested to go there, I've had so many offers. It's very fancy-like, you know."

"Why don't you go, then?"

"My life is here," she said. "And that's it."

"You could make a new life at Durmstrang," Remus added.

"No," she shook her head, "I couldn't."

Remus looked baffled, "Lucius," was all he said, putting the pieces together, "is here."

"So are you."

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"That's real gold?" Remus asked, pointing to the gold bracelet on her wrist, flickering in the sunlight.

"I guess," Narcissa shrugged.

"Rich, are you?" He asked.

"Not as rich as the Malfoys," she stated.

"When you marry him you'll be a Malfoy," Remus said.

"That much is obvious."

"It's a whole other world out there," he pointed to the sun, "a whole other world."

"Away from Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"I'm not eager to leave," she said.

"I don't think we're safe here," Remus added.

"I didn't say I did either."

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Remus looked at Lily. Her green eyes fierce, her redhair tied in a messy bun. She wore the school uniform, her shoes scuffed from dancing in the hallways, in her dormitory, in the common room, everywhere--anywhere.

"You look...thrilled to see me," Remus commented sardonically in the hallway.

"Oh, I am," Lily said, in much the same tone. "You didn't tell me Narcissa was your new girl."

"I didn't think I owed it to you," Remus stated, "and we aren't dating."

"Just like me and you weren't dating?" She questioned, with a sly smile. "Your antics don't phase me..." and without skipping a beat, her tone changed, "but I do miss you."

"You're with James," Remus said logically, "James."

"Everyone's with James, aren't they? Quidditch, and the Marauders, and that pumpkin pie his Mother sends...he's a busy man."

Remus smiled, "he is."

"How could you want her?" Lily asked, switching her bookbag to her left shoulder. "She's so bloody cold, Remus. She's ice. She's hardly human. That girl belongs with Lucius, not with you."

"You're late for class."

"Am I?" She said sarcastically, she paused. "Am I still the same little girl who adored you in third year?"

"You are exactly how I remember you," he said with a fond smile.

"Are you really here?" She gave a hollow, almost cruel laugh. "Is this the Remus I loved?"

"I'm right here..." he said, "and I've never forgotten."

She let her bookbag slip off her shoulder and she threw her arms around his neck, giving him a big hug. "Lily...Lily...stop crying...Lily!"

"What?" She asked, crying anyway, her voice muffled.

"Go to class."

She laughed through her tears and rubbed her red eyes, picking up her bookbag.

"Okay...okay Remus, thank you..."

"No, Lily, thank you."

And she walked away.

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"Lily answered every question Jenkin's asked us in potions today, show off," Narcissa said. "You'd think she got her kicks from showing us all up."

"She probably does," Remus said.

"Your eyes go all weird when we talk of her," Narcissa concluded. "Any love affair?"

Remus gave her a weak smile, "we used to be good friends."

"Oh?"

"Jealous, Narcissa?" Remus asked, laughing.

"I know I'm better than her, Remus. Jealousy comes from thinking someone can be better than you...I know she can't. But why aren't you two good friends anymore?"

"Dunno," he answered, "people just grow apart, don't they? They move on. It's harder for Lily than it is for me."

"Because she's young," Narcissa told him.

"I suppose."

"Look at the sun today...my, my," she said, changing the subject, if only for his sake.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked.

"Pefection," she agreed.

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"Narcissa."

"Yes?" The blond girl turned around to see the redhead. "Oh, Lily."

"Yes, Lily," the seventeen year old snapped.

"Would you like to talk?" Narcissa asked, putting her best fake smile on and leading Lily to the water fountain, her heels clicking and clacking all the way.

"If you don't mind," Lily said, with cold politeness. "I'm going to trust you with something."

"Me?" Narcissa giggled. "Being trusted? Imagine that."

"I didn't think it'd come to this either," Lily said very quietly. "I know you and Remus have something going."

"Accusations and implications won't get you anywhere, Evans."

"I said 'I know', Black. I didn't say 'I think' or 'I believe.'"

"Go on," Narcissa said with a sigh, feeling bored already.

"I want you to know that I really loved Remus," she gave a sigh of relief, at finally saying it, Narcissa's expression softened. "but now he loves you."

Narcissa's face whitened, and she flinched, but didn't make a comment.

"It's no surprise, Narcissa. I can see it in the way he looks at you and in the way you two hold hands and laugh. I hate telling you this, because I've never thought you deserved someone as good as him. Never. But...things have changed now. You are who makes Remus happy, who makes his eyes light up, who keeps him young. You're what he needs, Narcissa. And if it can't be me, my God I hope it's somone."

Narcissa held back tears at the girl's earnest words. And she hugged her. She felt as though she understood Lily, her pain, her hurt, the girl she once was, and the girl she had now become.

"That's it," Lily said, brushing tears away, "that's all I wanted to say."

"Thank you," Narcissa said, wiping her own eyes.

"No," Lily said, "thank you."

And she walked away.

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Narcissa stood next to Remus. He held her hand tightly and both had tears sprouting from their eyes. Narcissa's from blue eyes, Remus' from brown eyes.

The wind made Narcissa's long blond hair fly, and she pulled her cloack tighter around her. There was no sun today.

Twenty one.

"Lily Potter," Narcissa said quietly, "they got her." The wind carried her voice.

They were at the graveyard. "Yes."

"Beautiful, wasn't she?" Narcissa said.

"Perfection," Remus said.

And they walked away.

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End.