A/N: this chapter is dedicated to all my fellow narcissa simps and those who have been rooting for soft cottagecore narcissa x katherine <3
Me and my girl, we got this relationship
I love her so bad, but she treats me like shit
On lockdown, like a penitentiary
She spreads her lovin' all over
Narcissa removed a large golden key from her dress pocket, slowly inserting it into the matching keyhole before turning the knob to let her and Katherine into the isolated cottage.
They had decided, after Katherine's return from her Azkaban visit, that it would be wise to listen to Lucius and distance themselves from the chaos of the Manor and of the war, at least until Draco returned from his year at Hogwarts. Narcissa, confident that her son would be safe underneath Snape's watchful eye, was comfortable enough to agree to stay at her family's old vacation home on the shores of France as long as the professor promised to write with any updates.
Katherine stepped into the foyer with Achilles trampling behind her, setting down her suitcase on the hardwood floor. It was a small yet elegant cottage, with overgrown ivy on the outside brick walls and speckles of dust in the interior from years of uninhabitance. Narcissa clapped her hands together, letting the door shut behind her.
"Well, it definitely needs a bit of love and cleaning. Katherine, dear, can you find a rag and maybe some other cleaning supplies so we can at least get the dust off of the surfaces?" She asked.
Katherine nodded and stepped into the kitchen, opening up a random cabinet and grabbing a dust rag and some (probably expired) cleaner. She squealed as a mouse ran by her, Achilles immediately growling and chasing the rodent around the room.
"We should have gotten a cat." Narcissa mumbled as Katherine handed her a dust rag. She waved her wand, setting the material flying around the room cleaning every dirty surface. The house was looking better already.
It took the entirety of their first day at the cottage, but the two women had made the space a perfect home. They had changed the moth-eaten curtains to billowing sheer ones, the bedding was changed to a bright sage green, and the windows were left ajar to let in the salty air. And on the top of the fireplace, right in the center of the living room, was a framed photo of Lucius Malfoy. It was a getaway, a distraction from the events going on the world. After a trip to town to buy some groceries, Katherine was in the vintage kitchen, stirring a bowl of frosting for a batch of cupcakes that was in the oven. Narcissa walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around Katherine's waist playfully.
"You are stirring it too slow, dear." She mumbled, placing her hand on top of Katherine's. "You have to go quick or else it won't mix properly." Narcissa kept one hand on Katherine's waist, her other guiding the spoon to mix the frosting for her.
"Thanks, Cissa. I didn't know that I had moved in with an expert baker." Katherine smiled softly to herself, letting Narcissa finish the frosting just as the oven dinged to signal the baked cupcakes.
Katherine walked over to the oven, grabbing a towel before opening it and pulling out the cupcakes, the smell of strawberries and vanilla filling the room. She set them down on the countertop, Narcissa walking over with the bowl of frosting and a spatula.
"Did you bake a lot as a child?" She asked quietly, grabbing one of the cupcakes to begin frosting it delicately.
"Yeah, I did. My aunt and I made breads and cakes and cookies all the time. She didn't have a lot of money, you know. Me and Elowen came from wealth on my father's side, but my aunt was my mother's sister and the Winslows were like the Weasleys." Katherine responded, grabbing a spoon off of the counter to dip it into the frosting bowl. "What about you, Cissa. What was your family like?"
Narcissa paused for a second, an almost pained look crossing her face. "It was like any traditional Pureblood witch's childhood, I went to Hogwarts and came home for the holidays. I had two sisters, you know Bellatrix, and Andromeda-well she unfortunately is not a part of the family anymore. She married a mudblood named Ted Tonks, and they had a daughter Nymphadora. Well, mother hated that so she burned poor Dromeda off of the family tree. Bella and I got lucky, we married pure." she responded sadly, setting a newly-frosted cupcake down on a plate.
"Do you really believe in the whole blood-supremacy thing? Like, are we really better than anyone else just because we don't have any Muggle blood?" Katherine asked quietly. "I know for a fact that when I-if I get married that I'll probably end up with a half-blood or a Muggleborn."
"Darling, magic is something we as witches have been gifted with. It is a sacred gift, and the very existence of Muggles threatens us as a community. In the beginning, we were never supposed to let muggles find out that they lived on the same earth as witches and wizards. But then magic began marrying muggle, and suddenly we were assimilated. You surely are no stranger to the judgement and way those who do not possess our gifts look at us, fear us, secretly wish for us to perish. That is why we have blood traitors, those who do not seem to understand the dangers of letting our existence become known to the public. It is not about superiority despite many wizards-including my husband-thinking it is. It is about safety and secrecy." Narcissa explained, taking Katherine's hands in hers rubbing circles with her thumbs comfortingly, trying to ignore the evident discomfort of the air.
She was not surprised that Narcissa had inherited idealist views much like her family and Lucius. In the eyes of the pure, Katherine's own family could very well be considered blood traitors like the Weasleys or the Longbottoms. Narcissa sighed, leaning over to press a small kiss on Katherine's lips, letting her own lips linger before pulling away.
"Why don't you go take a bath and get some sleep, dear. Tomorrow we can go to the beach, maybe explore town. I will clean up the mess." She said softly. Katherine nodded, taking a cupcake before heading up the steps.
There were a few bedrooms upstairs, Katherine opting for the one with a balcony. As she stepped inside the room, it felt familiar to her. Then she remembered, the hotel room with Lucius and the balcony and the hot tub and the lustful kisses. Flopping on the bed, she let out a sigh as she stared up at the ceiling fan before grabbing a long pillow next to her, clinging on to it tightly as she closed her eyes.
She missed him.
-
The next morning, Katherine and Narcissa headed to the beautiful beach. The shores, though rocky, were still ideal in the mid-60° weather, a stark contrast to the cold rain of England. They were the only beachgoers that day, Katherine suggesting they lay down the blanket and towels in the shade of a large tree. The women looked cute, wearing billowing sundresses and cat eye sunglasses.
"I bet the water is freezing." Narcissa mumbled to herself, slipping her sundress off to reveal a red retro swimsuit underneath. Katherine blushed, taking off her dress until she was standing in a neon sporty-cut bikini of her own.
"Wow, Cissa. You look absolutely gorgeous." Katherine laughed, taking Narcissa's hand in hers to drag her towards the water. Narcissa smiled back, following her into the cold ocean.
"It is freezing, like I said before." She shivered, her toes dipping into the water not venturing any further. Katherine was already knee-deep in the ocean, splashing around playfully, Narcissa wincing as she got the freezing water splashed on her.
Katherine dived into the water to get her hair wet, coming up for air after a few moments. When she did, Narcissa had moved towards her spot, standing directly in front of her.
"I can see why Lucius liked you so much. You are so beautiful and youthful and high energy, like a phoenix. Anyone, including myself, would be enamored by you." She said quietly. Katherine grinned, wringing her hair out as she moved closer.
"I'm just saying, Cissa. If we share Lucius, Lucius can share us. Hasn't that been the intention since I moved in?"
And then Narcissa had her hands around her waist, their foreheads pressed together as they shared their first kiss of real passion. Hers were softer, more caring than kisses from Lucius. It wasn't a rough kiss, a dominating kiss, it was a kiss as equals, two women who had lost so much but found love in each other.
Narcissa was the first to pull away, smiling as she took Katherine's hands in hers squeezing them tightly. "I know it is so hard, losing Lucius. But at least I still have you." She said quietly, shivering slightly.
"Come on, let's get out of the water." Katherine suggested, the two making their way out of the ocean and on to the beach. They walked over to the blanket, sitting down on the patchwork fabric, Narcissa wrapping a towel around her and Katherine as she leaned her head against her shoulder.
The two sat together for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying their picnic and the view of the crashing waves. At one point, Katherine had ended up underneath Narcissa, the woman pressing open mouthed kisses all along her bare torso and thighs leaving marks of red lipstick on her skin, intending on continuing once they had gone back to the cottage for the night. She was so different than Lucius, a much gentler and loving partner. As soon as the sun began setting, they were headed back to the small cottage, tired from the day of swimming and activity.
As they approached the home, Katherine noticed a dark figure standing on the porch. She took a step back, putting her arm in front of Narcissa guiding her to stop. She took her wand out, whispering "lumos" to illuminate the figure. It was a man, wearing torn striped clothes, long messy hair flowing down his back. He was shaking with bruises and cuts scattered on his body, some still bleeding. Katherine almost dropped her wand at the sight, tears welling in her eyes.
A trembling, weak-looking Lucius stood on their front doorstep.
Summertime, and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras MG
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well-qualified to represent the L.B.C
A/N: sorry luci katherine stole ur girl <3