They'd Lock Me Up Given The Chance || Katrina

She was more aware of her surroundings than what her peers gave her credit for these days. Well, perhaps it wasn't so much being aware of her surroundings more than it was knowing when eyes were watching her. Cissa was good, for the most part, ignoring the other students. Of course, no one ever came right up to her and accused her of anything. No, they all knew better than that. What if word got back round to Bells? Life expectancy would most likely hit an all time low within Hogwarts. Today's set of eyes were very different, though. She could almost feel the hesitation coming off this silent observer in large waves.

It didn't take long for a familiar face to walk out from the stacks, proffering a cookie tin in Narcissa's direction. Arching one eyebrow inquisitively, Cissa decided, split second, that she really didn't care if she got caught drinking. The only time she hated drinking, even around her peers, is when students younger than herself were present. Cissa could care less about being a 'good example'. Younger students were just annoying, loud, and obnoxious. Then again, up until six months ago, Narcissa had been just like them so who knew? Maybe that was the real reason she didn't like the younger students. Right now, she wasn't face to face with a younger kid. Right now she was staring straight at Katrina Langly.

The Gryffindor wasn't a friend, not in the least, but Narcissa wouldn't exactly label her an enemy. There had always been that animosity between the two of them, and insults had definitely been tossed back and forth more times than Cissa could remember. There was something about the girl, something that bugged at Cissa and made her head turn to look upon the young woman any time she was around. Those were the feelings she knew to keep to herself.

Cissa slipped the flask back into her school bag and just stared at her for a few moments. "You know, it amazes me you would even care, Langly." Cissa replied, not yet reaching a hand out for the offered snacks. Katrina actually proved to be somewhat decent at slinging insults (even if they weren't meant full-hearted). Regardless of her inaction, Narcissa soon had one of her patented sweet girl smiles on her face making her appear inviting. Though, if someone were fooled by only a smile, they need only to look in her eyes to catch the full story. "How do I know you haven't laced these with anything? You Gryffindors are sort of crafty like that, aren't you?"

Cissa's eyes widened just the slightest bit when Kat closed the lid to her tin so quickly. Her allergy was severe enough that as a child she couldn't even be in the same vicinity as any kind of nut product. As she had gotten older, however, her reactions had become somewhat tamer. Consuming nuts of any kind, however, was still way out of the question. It was one of the few things that not many people knew about the Black girl. Then again, Narcissa as a master at only letting people see what they need to and nothing else.

"No harm done." She shrugged when Kat apologized. She would have added more, but Cissa didn't want to lose any sort of upper hand should this little chat take an unwanted turn. At this point, she really didn't see that change happening. Narcissa had noticed the tension, or was it apprehension, rising in Kat. To say she didn't enjoy making the Gryffindor girl a little perplexed and throwing her off her game a little, would be a gross understatement. It was as if the part of her brain in charge of her pleasure receptors had mingled with her flirtatious side, giving Cissa the bold confidence she now had to continue their conversation.

Cissa unfolded her arms and rested her elbows on the table once again, leaning slightly forward towards Kat. She still had her charming little smile in place, but now her smile was joined by a twinkling mischievousness in her eyes. "What can I say?" Cissa replied to Kat's question about watching her while she was in the stacks, "If I see something I might like, my interest peaks. Sometimes, I just can't tear myself away." She finished the comment by giving Kat a quick wink. In all of her romantic and, oftentimes, purely physical endeavors, Cissa had never been one to discriminate. It was a subject never broached with her family or friends, because when it came to sex, drugs, or anything else potentially harmful to a student, blood ties and blood lines always seemed to get a little skewed. The way Cissa's mind was starting to spiral out, the more the young woman realized she needed to start figuring out what it was she believed and valued. No more blindly following where she was told.

Sometime over the course of their exchange, Cissa's smile had turned genuine. It had done so without even the faintest sign of faltering, and it caught the Slytherin by surprise, though she tried desperately not to show it. She didn't know why, but just the fact Kat posed the question if the rumors were true or not, stung like being attacked by an entire beehive. She was quick to regain her composure, however, and she took a few deep breaths to try and calm the volatile and overwhelming thoughts creeping back into her mind, "The Black's are no strangers to the rumor mill. Gossip doesn't ruffle my feathers nor make me as angry as it does my eldest sister. I could care less what people think of me, but Bellatrix has this idea in her head that no one should talk about our family unless their status is equal to ours." Cissa rolled her eyes dramatically at the whole thing. Her sister did put far too much stock in what was going around in the rumor mill. Cissa, however, had always seen it as a waste of time.

"I don't know," Her grin widened into a full on small when Kat made the comment about her not looking like a loon, "I suppose it's one of those 'eye of the beholder' deals. But, if we are doing a comparison of loons in the family I come from? I'd harbor a safe bet I'm the sane one."

So, the little Kat had come to play after all. Cissa felt an invigorating rush of adrenaline with the response the Gryffindor had given her. It wasn't common knowledge, nor was it publicly spoken about by any parties involved, but once or twice in her sordid past, Cissa had had a fling or two with a girl. Had her sisters ever found out, there would be hell to pay, but Cissa had always been good at keeping secrets. Simply put, Narcissa Black was out to rediscover herself again, and if that meant branching out, then so be it.

Besides, the way Kat kept engaging her, Cissa couldn't help herself. "All in the action, huh? I'll have to keep that in mind." Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Narcissa knew how easy it would be to play on Kat's emotions at this particular moment. There was no secret that something had transgressed between the blonde and a female member of Slytherin house. Rumors spread like wildfire around Hogwarts, especially when it involved a Slytherin, not to mention a Slytherin and Gryffindor together. That was like hitting the gossip jackpot. However, the situation had nothing to do with Cissa, so she had stayed out of it, like she did with most situations that were none of her business. Still, that little bit of knowledge would have made it all too easy to play mind games with the young woman before her.

Oddly, and quite unlike the Narcissa Black known to most of her peers, she simply didn't feel the need to cause Kat any undue harm. If she had to go so far as to put a label on what was transpiring between the two at this moment, Cissa would say she felt some sort of attraction towards the Gryffindor. It wasn't like she hadn't ever noticed her before. In all honesty, Cissa appreciated great beauty, and Kat was certainly a great beauty.

"Well, you're far kinder than my sister. She would say my lack of willingness to seek revenge on anyone talking bad about me is a weakness unfit for the House of Black." Cissa couldn't stop the eye roll that naturally followed the statement. It was her usual response for anything Bellatrix told her, but she had hoped it would illicit a smile from Kat when she did it. "Bells has a far more dramatic nature than I do, if you couldn't tell."

It was a strange turn of events, not just talking to Kat but by talking to her the thoughts clouding Narcissa's subconscious had seemed to dissipate greatly. Funny. She hadn't had this kind of reaction when she attempted to speak to one of her sisters, or a 'friend' within her own house. If anything, talking to those closest to her made everything worse. Sadly, she knew it was a matter of time before her mentality broke for real. Cissa knew she was destined to cause a scene, or have a complete meltdown at some social event that would embarrass her sisters. The clock was merely ticking away until that happened. She had a sneaking suspicion her family knew this as well. It was why they kept their distance, or encouraged her to bottle everything up. Unfortunately for them, what they didn't know could jeopardize their family standing more than her breaking down.

Cissa was questioning her whole outlook on life. The lies she was spoon fed by her father had begun unraveling the moment he died, and her eyes had been opened to the world she was once sheltered from. She questioned the ruthless cruelty with which the Black family name had built such a high standing on, and she truly questioned whether or not she wanted to be a part of it anymore. Not that she would have much of a choice. Breaking from her thoughts once again, silently admonishing herself for trailing off in thought, Cissa looked back up at Kat and shrugged, They can do what they like. They just might have to answer to Bellatrix if any of it gets around to her. She isn't the most pleasant of people, mind you. Unless, of course, you have a problem with the rumors they spread?"

Cissa had to keep herself from bursting out with laughter at Kat's response. Sadly, the other girl had stopped herself short before calling Bellatrix some unkind name or word. Part of her almost wished Kat had gone for it, yet the woman proved herself to be tactful and go the polite route. Disappointing, but not unexpected. Cissa was used to people biting their tongues when it came to Bellatrix. It was as if they were afraid of her or something. "Well, you're kinder than I, I suppose." Cissa let out an audible sigh and leaned back in her seat once again, this time crossing her long legs in the process.

She could almost see the wheels turning in Kat's head. Narcissa understood the power words could have any any given person, but most importantly, she understood the power behind words given meaning through gossip. Cissa wasn't an idiot. She had heard all the tall tales regarding Lucy and Kat, and she had certainly been aware when the Gryffindor had conveniently been sneaked into their house. Despite all their flaws, Slytherins were not snitches, and so no one said anything. Until, of course, Lucy had disappeared. She didn't know why, but the snide comments and remarks about the speculations as to why Lucy had left irked Cissa.

"My rumors may not upset you, but there are certain rumors that sting, aren't there, Langly?" By now, Cissa had become all too aware at the occasional set of eyes glancing their direction. She was certain there was confusion as to why the library hadn't erupted into a fit of yelled insults. She and Katrina Langly had a volatile relationship, and their arguments sometimes turned to screaming matches. If Cissa wanted to continue her current course of action with Kat, she was going to have to throw in some stinging barbs.

Cissa glanced down at her textbook nonchalantly, almost as if she had forgotten in was still there. Truthfully, the book had done nothing to her. There was no confusion over subject matter, no anger towards the subject or teacher, not even an outrage at what the history books stated. Cissa had simply had a built up of excess energy and instead of screaming out loud in a quiet library, she had chosen to slam her fist into her book. Not that she would ever admit to it, of course. "That? Oh, nothing. My mind just got the better of me for a moment. You know, studying too hard."

It was the inevitable turn these conversations took. For Cissa nearly all of her conversations, whether it be with friend or foe, seemed to take an ugly turn somewhere along the path and she ended up spewing more insults than she thought possible. It was wary game, and one she didn't particularly enjoy all the time, but what could she do? The girl had already made a name for herself being ruthless and cutthroat towards those deemed less than her. How does anyone, let alone a teenager, pull away from that stigma?

She smirked at the nursery rhyme Kat recited back to her, allowing just a slimmer of truth to slip by those prudent words. Nobody liked being talked about. That was simply human nature. Everyone craved adoration and kindness. This was why it was often so easy to find prey in a class system like that of the magical community. Everyone just wanted acceptance. The funny thing was, Narcissa had noticed, was that no one--not even those in charge-- seemed to ever gain the acceptance they so desperately craved. It was only in the past few months that the youngest Black child had decided to give up trying. What did it matter, anyways? Her whole life was to be dictated to her, and heaven help her should she choose to deviate from that path.

"There's always a kernel of truth in every rumor, Langly." Cissa's voice came out in a smooth, even tone, like silk running through your fingertips. She stood up slowly, towering her height over the young woman in front of her, but careful to avoid looking like she was leering towards her. Cissa seemed eerily calm, like a lion before pouncing, but that wasn't how this conversation was going to end. Cissa wasn't going to give any onlookers that satisfaction.

"It's hard to notice at first, you know," She took a step towards the side of the table that was the only thing separating the two women, "When someone hears a rumor or a bit of gossip, even if it isn't the first time, there's a look that comes across their face. It's hard to catch at first, but I've had years of practice staying silent and only speaking when spoken to. Being so reserve lets you become rather observant, and I've been able to recognize that look people get. Their mask breaks open for just a split second, and there it is. The hurt. The pain." She had walked around the table by now, leaning against it's edge, all the while never taking her eyes off Kat. Cissa leaned forward so that her lips were only a few inches away from Kat's ear before whispering, "There's a bit of your heart that broke when you heard that rumor, Langly. We both know it. The only question now is do you fight it, or do you let it consume you? I always thought you were stronger, but maybe I'm wrong?"

Cissa pulled back, a devilish smirk on her face which was a mere show for the people apprehensively waiting for some all-out brawl to take place. Her words were only a crack in her own mask, a piece of her true self trying to reach beyond what she had been turned into and what was expected of her. Cissa never thought she would be reaching out to Katrina Langly, not in a million years. Without skipping a beat, she continued on with the banter about her schoolbooks, brushing a long piece of hair from her shoulder, I'll keep that in mind about Care of Magical Creatures in case I get the urge to hit anymore textbooks. Hopefully, I've had my fill by now."