Chapter Text
Prologue
Narcissa Black. It felt good to have it as her name again. Nineteen years of being Narcissa Malfoy had left more than a few marks and after only 5 months of returning to Narcissa Black she still hadn’t gotten over how good it felt to be her again.
Cissa’s celebration of returning to herself was interrupted by the muffled singing of her cell phone. She pulled it from her pocket and immediately tossed it to the depths of the plush oversized cream chaise that dominated the corner of her Soho flat’s study. Lucius. Her ex-husband had drug the divorce out painfully. And even though it was officially official, he found ways to hassle and annoy her regularly.
Deciding she wasn’t going to waste the first 48 hours outside of the operating room she had enjoyed in weeks on him she filled her wine glass and shuffled through her work post that her assistant Ginny had forced into her hands as she left. She grabbed the oversized envelope that had piqued her interest and set off for the balcony that overlooked the busy London streets.
Pulling her jumper tighter around her lithe frame to ward off the evening October chill in the air Narcissa looked again at the bulky pale blue envelope. It had come after months and months of her finding research articles pertaining to different cases she had or the hospital had. Always highlighted and annotated with a looping scrawling script that she was now so familiar with that it warmed her heart whenever she saw it. Sometimes a simple note was found in her office post regarding something one of her teams was working on, and if it had been anyone else other than her mysterious pen pal she would have been affronted.
But this secret researcher penned only as H in every note and article had left an entire packet this time. And Narcissa was silently impressed with her restraint at waiting until she was home to open it.
Upon revealing its contents, the envelope was stuffed to the brim. The multiple highlighted and well-loved research articles tumbled out and spread over her lap. Each on a new and what appeared to be innovative surgical technique involving laser technology for cerebellum tumors. Cissa briefly scanned them, her fatigued brain beginning to light up instantly on the correlation between the articles and her Stephens case, an 8-year-old patient with an aggressive tumor in similar positioning.
A truck backfiring alerted her to how dark it had become outside. Her balcony lights had turned on at their scheduled time and Narcissa had been so captivated in the research she hadn’t realized she had been reading for almost 3 hours. Truthfully, the notes had held her attention almost more than the scholarly articles as they seemed to align directly with the Stephens case and she marveled at how H had solved it where her team had been stumped for weeks.
Cissa moved to get up and stretch, knowing that she would bypass food for her bed and hopefully sleep uninterrupted for several hours, when the dark blue stationary caught her eye.
It was small and the inside was written in a neat scrawl, the white pen used stood out sharply against the dark blue of the stationary.
Dear Dr. Black,
I hope you’re not offended by my forwardness in sending these articles to you. The Stephens case is fascinating to me and I’ve watched you speak on it several times. I found these during my course of research and wondered if you had also heard of this new technology out of the Spanish Institute?
I truly hope this research finds you well and does not offend you. I simply meant to share with you as time is of the essence here.
Apologies if I overstepped in correcting the direction of your team, but I believe what I’ve collected and proposed are your best course of survival.
All the best,
H
Narcissa was intrigued and something else churned deep within her. A warm feeling, she couldn’t fully put her finger on danced across her synapses. H had never sent a direct course of action plan before. They simply would send interesting articles and slight suggestions. This was a full-blown elite surgical plan. And Narcissa doubted even she could have developed it. She was impressed. She should have been annoyed at her team’s inability to develop this. But more than anything she was frustrated that she had no way to talk to H. Deciding that sleep was necessary after being up for the past 27 hours, Narcissa deposited the articles on her desk but kept the stationary card and retreated to her bedroom.
She resolved to find H in the morning and she had to force the thought of her mysterious pen pal to the corners of her mind to allow sleep to claim her.
Chapter 1
Cissa woke to the smell of espresso and grease. Which was odd because she was very certain dive-worthy bacon hadn’t been on her shopping list she gave to Ginny this week. Then she heard it, her sisters’ signature “whispering” which was slightly louder than you’d expect to hear school children’s voices as they raced around a park. Smiling but groaning in mock annoyance Cissa snagged her robe and made her way to the en suite to embrace her last few moments of peace.
Cissa was the youngest of the three Black sisters. She would turn 45 in the spring, as they loved teasing her about. She was only three years younger than Andromeda and barely five years below Bellatrix- and yet they had always treated her like a baby. And she was, logically she understood birth order, and truthfully at times it was rather convenient to be babied by two ferociously strong women. She was certain she wouldn’t have survived her marriage, the divorce, and certainly not having her Draco at 22 in the middle of her surgical fellowship without the two of them. They were just so meddlesome and loud, and yet they were so fiercely hers.
If she was being honest, she was a willing participant in their meddlesome ways. Andromeda’s personal life was blissfully dull. She married her grade school boyfriend and they had been together almost thirty years now. Ted was a quiet and gentle loving force behind his vivacious flame of a wife. Andromeda was all excitement and fearsome protectiveness. She was the first to jump to their defense and also the first to hold them to their morals and demand better. A lawyer by training, she rarely practiced but headed two museums and curated all the non-profit activities in multiple NPOs across Europe. She was artistic and stunningly beautiful with long auburn hair, the signature Black pale complexion, and emerald eyes that were warm and inviting even if she was in the midst of ranting and raving.
Despite being the middle sister, she assumed the role of matriarch and mother nurturer. She and Ted had tried desperately for children and at the age of 36 they had all but given up. That attitude seemed to work because Dora was born a year later. Now at 11 she was a bright and audacious young woman whom Bella and Cissa treated equally as their own and as their assistants in mischief.
Bella was, simply put, an explosion. The eldest Black sister was fiercely protective of her younger sisters. And she showed this to the world as being bold, biting, and unpredictable. Her sisters understood this as a result of their rather brutal upbringing. The Black family was one of the wealthiest and oldest families of generational wealth in their posh London socialite circle. Her parents were cold and unemotional. Feeling that their daughters should achieve and be grateful for their opportunities rather than celebrating and loving them for their uniqueness.
Their parents passed when Cissa was only 17 and so Bella had taken over all the estates and trusts. She was the CEO of Black Enterprises and was a shrewd and ruthless businesswoman. Secretly, out of the public eye she had a slew of fiction mystery novels penned under a pseudonym that were winning prize after prize in the literary world. She was the leader of the meddling within the Black sisters. Always convincing the other to help snoop on the unknowing and unassuming third of the group and justifying it with arguments of protection and love. Her jet-black hair was in stark contrast to the signature paleness of her skin. Her eyes were storm clouds that could singe or swallow you depending on her mood. She, like them all, was lithe in frame and was the tallest of the three. She towered over most people at almost six feet tall. Andy and Cissa were barely 4 inches shorter than her but wore heels constantly. They would claim it was the fashion choice they loved, but staring Bella in her eyes when she was yelling at you had its advantages.
Andromeda and Bella had supported Cissa since she was 17 in finishing school, completing her surgical program as a young mother, and had even traveled with her to conferences to look after young Draco so Cissa could focus and hobnob with the world’s best surgeons. She wouldn’t be half the surgeon she was today without them. And yet- their meddling rattled her nerves at the best of times. She wanted her own things and wanted to share when she was ready. Rather than being hit with accusations and intruded upon.
She heard them whooping and hollering over who got which pastry she assumed they had purchased together on their way over, and she rolled her eyes affectionately. Finished in the bath she departed to join her sisters for a breakfast she hadn’t asked or even approved of in her own flat.
“I suppose those emergency keys warranted their usage on this fine morning…”. She greeted her sisters with a look of disapproval they immediately ignored.
“Well dear sister, you’ll find that I do think this warranted an emergency. You have gone AWOL and didn’t respond to any of our texts or calls last night. Truly, Cissa, I was actually worried! That is until I snuck into your bedroom and found you drooling on your pillow!”
Andromeda greeted her with her signature over the top hug that always took Cissa’s breath away at how much it felt like home and love. Andromeda kissed the side of her head and held her into her side as Cissa looked to Bella for her defense. The older woman seemed not at all apologetic and with great flair and mischief in her tone addressed her baby sister.
“Cissy. Aren’t you happy to see us?! It’s been a week with barely a text or call from my baby sister! And you’re welcome for this spread by the way!” Bella gestured to Cissa’s once immaculate and clear quartz countertop, which was now adorned with pastries, coffee, eggs, and greasy bacon.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you both, but I hardly think a few hours of me avoiding my phone warrants an emergency.”
Cissa could see that her sisters were waiting for her to elaborate as they both stayed uncharacteristically silent and still. She sighed and released, “If you must know Lucius has been non-stop texting me this week and I just couldn’t handle him anymore. I chucked my phone in the study and haven’t looked at it since.”
“And what does that scum of the earth want now?! You’re divorced!” Bella all but screamed.
“He seems to think now is the time to bombard me with questions about our son and mutual parenting. You know, since our son is 19 now and can do practically everything on his own, Lucius has decided to begin parenting. He also is threatening to fight me for the Marseille property.”
Cissa kissed Andy’s cheek and slid into the stool beside Bella, accepting the coffee that was passed to her and took a scalding sip. The liquid soothing her nerves as they already began firing at the mention of Lucius and his incessant presence in her life even after being legally free of him. She just wanted to live. During their marriage Lucius had been only interested in showing her off or using her family name to benefit his career. He rarely spent time with her alone or with their son. The divorce had rocked him and the subsequent loads of evidence of his many indiscretions during their marriage had been enough to expedite the divorce. The threats of going public with the information had remained threats, but she was thinking soon of using them so he would just leave her be.
“Well despite that twat, why else have you been hiding away Cissy? Finally shag a woman again? You know we support you Cissy? You’ve never needed to hide yourself away from us.” Bella sipped into her coffee, but her eyes never left Cissa’s.
Cissa blushed. It was true before Lucius, and alright if she was honest there were two or three medical conferences during her marriage where she sought some pleasure, she had secretly had dalliances with women. It wasn’t that she was ashamed or even thought her sisters would judge her. It was just simply that Cissa wanted something for herself. She wanted to come into her sexuality on her own time, tell people when she was ready, explore things on her own without the constant feedback and advice of her sisters. She knew they loved her; knew they didn’t care one way or the other as long as she found love- but if they could just let her share things on her own that would be fantastic.
“I do know that you both love me no matter what. I just wish you would believe me when I say, I’m fine. Exhausted. Not shagging anyone or doing anything warranting a home invasion.”
She sipped down more of her coffee and tried to shift aside her annoyance. Her sisters loved her, and she loved them. She was lucky. And so she let Andromeda prattle on about her gallery opening coming up and then gushed over Dora’s recent artwork and her school antics. Her niece was like a daughter to her and Cissa and Bella had taken on the wonderful task of spoiling and corrupting Andy’s daughter the instant she was born. She filled them in on Draco’s recent decision to focus on Computer Science and Data Analytics at school. She couldn’t tell you the least of what he was doing but he was happy and had invited her to dinner soon with a friend he wanted her to meet. Bella shared a scandalous rendezvous she had over the weekend and Cissa shared a look over her second coffee with Andy when Bella talked at length with minor prodding about how wonderful this woman had been. It was rare that Bella entertained a real relationship and so this unusual divulgence of admiration for her weekend bed paramour piqued Andy and Cissa’s interests. They were smart enough to not push. A cornered Bella was a destructive one.
Cissa said goodbye to her sisters and as soon as she shut her flat’s door her mind went to H. Her mysteriously intelligent penpal. Cissa pulled the dark blue stationary out of her desk drawer and read it again. Cissa just couldn’t shake this angelic human whose marginal notes in the research articles were not only brilliant but funny. The author had written things like, “Seems to have gotten lost in his own monotony here but picks up at the next section paragraph two where he finds his brain again.”
And even slight little compliments to her such as, “Your surgery in the Dudley case in 2023 mirrors this approach, it was brilliant- I watched the whole thing three times in awe each time.”
The Dudley surgery had been a 16-hour procedure. If H had really watched it that many times this person must either adore brain surgeries or might have a unique interest in the conductor behind that procedure. Cissa couldn’t shake the feeling that this correspondence was more than just a research and intellectual pursuit for H. It just felt too personal. She felt personally attached to H. She expected the notes and articles that arrived in her office or under her door three, sometimes four times a week.
It wasn’t until later that evening when Cissa finally reached her decision. She had spent all day attempting to distract her mind from H. She cleaned her flat, made a pasta dish she had read about ages ago but had never had time to attempt, she caught up on her emails, and even managed to meet Draco for a surprise coffee date near his university. And yet, her mind had constantly played and danced around H. Who was this mysterious person? The research was impeccable and Cissa had already sent a few emails to colleagues about it wanting a demonstration and to consult the full Stephens team on its potential. But it was that feeling of more that kept Cissa intrigued.
She put her wine glass on the side table and pulled out her own cream and gold stationary and began to write.