Nothing Comes From Nothing

“Nothing comes from nothing,” sang the small girl dreamily from inside her cell.

The words sounded vaguely familiar. Narcissa stopped and turned to look at the disheveled girl. “Bella,” she called, “Who is that?”

“A Ravenclaw, I think,” Bella answered unconcerned.

“What’s her name?” Narcissa specified.

“I don’t know.”

Narcissa turned her gaze to the black-haired girl inside the cell. “I see the whiner has finally shut up.”

“I noticed. I’ll go call Crabbe to drag the body away.”

“What was her name?”

“What is it with you and names today, Narcissa? It doesn’t fucking matter what her name was! She’s dead and good riddance. She made way too much noise. Not that the other one’s much better,” Bella barked, gesturing toward the dreamy girl.

Narcissa didn’t know what had gotten into her. She remembered that tune. . . Something was familiar about that girl.

“Chocolate starts with Cho,” the dreamy girl said suddenly.

“Shut up, unless you want another Crucio, Luna!” Bellatrix yelled, raising her wand, threateningly.

“So you do know her name!”

“It came to me.”

“I don’t know what word begins with Chang. I don’t think any do.” the girl continued, unfazed by the threat.

“You. . .” Bella began, raising her wand.

“Oh, Bella let it go!” Narcissa snapped. Those words kept repeating themselves inside her head. Nothing comes from nothing. . . “I have a headache. I don’t want to hear any more screaming right now.”

That night, Narcissa lay awake in bed. Nothing comes from nothing. It was so familiar, she was sure she had heard it before, but where? Where could she have heard it? Narcissa sighed and got up to take a walk.

She walked up to Luna’s cell, and crouched down, until she was eye-level with her. The girl looked at her impassively for a moment, then she scuttled to the far corner where ‘the whiner’, Cho Chang, lay dead. Crabbe had not yet come for the body.

“Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever would.” Luna sang softly and sadly as she lifted the hair covering her friend’s eye.


Narcissa watched her, and wondered why these feelings were rising inside of her.


The next night, Narcissa still couldn’t sleep. She wandered down the halls and found herself in the dungeons, just as she had yesterday; she made for the dreamer’s cell. She sat down carefully; just outside the cell, watching the gray-eyed girl. Luna met her eyes, and started singing softly:

“Fragile and mystical shadows silently start to appear. . .”

Narcissa listened, and wondered why these feelings of pity and empathy were rising in her again.

“Lovely and lyrical, silvery miracle. . .”

She heard the voice of Bellatrix coming down the hall. Narcissa rose quickly, and took one last glance at the girl, before leaving. The girl didn’t seem surprised by the sudden departure, and continued singing:

“Charlotte’s Web.”

Narcissa froze halfway down the hall, as she realized what song that was, and remembered who last sang it to her.

“SHUT UP!” Narcissa heard Bellatrix yell, right before another Cruciatus curse was cast on the unflinching girl.

Narcissa shut her eyes tight, and tried not to hear the singing turn to screaming. She ran to her room, clinging to the walls, sobbing. She remembered. . . Her old friend. . . Possibly the only friend she had ever had. . .

“Calm down, ‘Cissa. It will be okay.”

“It won’t!” Narcissa sobbed, holding up the knife, “I’m sick of it, I can’t take it anymore!”

“You don’t want to do this, Narcissa! Trust me!” the blond girl yelled, desperately.

“It’s the only way I can be free. . . To be nothing!”

“Nothing comes from nothing! You don’t have to be free.”

Narcissa froze, looking at her. “Don’t be free?”

The girl was crying. “Please, Narcissa, stay here, don’t go.”

“I don’t even know you!” Narcissa said, angrily.

“My name’s Simone. I’m sixteen, Umm. . . Have you ever seen, ‘Charlotte’s Web?”

“What?” Narcissa demanded.

“Charlotte’s Web. It’s a movie, well, it was a book first, but it was made into a movie. It doesn’t really matter, but there was this song. . .”

“I don’t care about stupid muggle movies,” Narcissa snapped. “Stop trying to distract me!”

“I’ve got to distract you; I don’t want you to die!” The girl cried out, a tear sliding down her cheek.

It was such an overwhelming, innocent display of emotion, that Narcissa dropped the knife. “Why do you even care? What’s it to you if I died? You’re a mudblood, and possibly a Gryffindor, since you’re trying to help me, and. . . . I. . . I’m a Slytherin! I’ll probably end up killing you or your family.”

“Guess I’ll take the risk,” the girl grinned, sheepishly, looking very relieved at the knife being dropped. “Shh. . . It’s okay,” she whispered as Narcissa collapsed to the floor sobbing. “It’s okay.” She wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl, and started singing softly, “Fragile and mystical shadows. . . “

Narcissa collapsed once again into sobs. That pale slip of a girl had saved her life. For no reason. It was love, so. . . unconditional, it made her heart weep.

Narcissa and Simone held each other, staring out at the stars.

“Why am I alive, Simone?”

“‘Cause you’re supposed to do something.”

“What?”

“Live.” Narcissa smiled, and Simone kissed her softly on the lips. “Nothing comes from nothing, Narcissa. Nothing ever would.”

Narcissa and Simone never spoke again after that night. Simone got married, had a child, and died. Not by a death eater, no, but by an accident, by a spell, a simple spell, that went badly wrong.

She managed to get a lot of living done before she left though.

***
Narcissa was not able to visit Luna for several days. When she finally got a chance, Narcissa walked again to Luna’s cell. The girl looked up at her, wide-eyed, then scuttled over to the farthest corner.

“Hey,” Narcissa said, softly, trying not to frighten the girl further.

Luna’s breathing quickened, and she shut her eyes tight, her body looking as if she was preparing herself for a blow.

Narcissa’s eyes filled with tears. “Baby, what did they do to you?” She whispered. “Come back, Luna, come back.” Narcissa slid her hand between the bars. Luna made no response, except to heighten her attempt to disappear into the wall.

Narcissa slowly withdrew her hand, and stood. “I’m going to get you out of here,” she promised, not yet knowing how.

There was no response.

***
“Lucius!” Narcissa said angrily, “I don’t want another house-elf!”

“Why not? They can do so much more work.”

“I am sick of seeing those disgusting, green, things everywhere. If you insist on having them in the rest of the manor, so be it, but I do not want them near me. I want a human servant.”

“Darling, I can’t have muggles wandering about our manor, you know that!”

Narcissa looked shocked and disgusted. “Nor will I. I do, however, want a witch! For companionship, if nothing else.”

Bellatrix glanced up at her sister. “Does this have anything to do with that wench in the dungeon you keep visiting?”

“What wench?” Lucius asked.

Narcissa sighed, loudly. “Her name is Luna, and although this is about me, and my needs, it is also about her, I want her.”

“You want her?”

“Yes. Give her to me.”

“I don’t like this, Narcissa. What if she should escape?”

Bellatrix answered with a snort. “That’s not likely. She was hit with a few too many Confundus spells, when she was brought in. Permanently rattled her brain. From what I’ve heard from Ginevra, she wasn’t even that stable to begin with. Always making noise though. I had to hit her with a bunch of Crucio’s, before she’d ever shut up.” Bella thought a moment. “She’s been rather quiet the last few days, though.”

“Regardless,” Narcissa said, “I want her as my handmaid. You have that Neville, and Bella has Ginevra. I want Luna.”

Lucius looked wearily at his wife. “I’ll have to clear it, of course.”

“Yes,” Narcissa said crisply, rising from her chair. “I’ll expect an answer by nine tonight.” She walked, regally, from the room.


The next day, Lucius brought Luna to Narcissa’s room. The girl was still visibly frightened; pale and shaking all over.

“I don’t know what you plan to do with her,” her Lucius said, shaking his head. “The healer said she was unreachable.”

Narcissa knew how to reach her. “I’ll do fine. Thank you, Lucius.”

Lucius nodded, and left the room.

“Hi, honey,” Narcissa crooned softly, taking the chain off her neck. Luna immediately hurried into the corner furthest from Narcissa.

“It’s okay.” Narcissa walked over, and gently caressed the girl’s shoulder. “It’s okay, no one’s going to hurt you.”

The girl whimpered, quietly.

“Shh. . .” Narcissa whispered. She slowly lowered her caresses down, down, to gently cup a breast. The girl jumped away with another gasp. “Shh. . .” Narcissa repeated, moving back to the shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Luna still looked as if she would jump out of her skin at any moment. Narcissa didn’t want to use any sort of spell or potion to calm her down, she was bad enough from magic as she was. Something though. . .

Narcissa moved closer to the girl, ‘What the hell?’ she thought. It worked for me. . . “Fragile and mystical shadows, silently start to appear. Lovely and lyrical, silvery miracle, Charlotte’s Web.”

The girl appeared to be calming, and Narcissa continued, reaching one hand down, yet again, to cup her breast. “Carefully spinning her tracings, lacy and gracefully sheer. Over and under, the infinite wonder, of Charlotte’s Web.”

Luna’s breathing was becoming heavier and Narcissa chanced to slowly lift off the dirty dress Luna was wearing. “Why is she spinning and weaving away all night long?” Narcissa paused to kiss each tender nipple lightly. “What is she trying so hard to convey in her silent song?” She slid her hand slowly down the girl’s stomach, between the shaking girl’s legs. She rubbed softly, provoking a soft moan, as she continued:

“Sometimes when somebody loves you, miracles start to appear. And there in the warp and the woof is the proof of it, Charlotte’s Web.”

A sobbing cry escaped from the girl’s throat, as Narcissa’s hand sped up between the dreamer’s legs. “Why is she spinning and weaving away all night long?” Narcissa’s voice chocked on a sob as she continued, “What is she trying to convey in her silent song?”

Luna’s whole body began shaking violently; she grabbed Narcissa’s shoulders, and cried out, coming hard around Narcissa’s fingers.

Luna was panting, tears running down her cheeks, just like Narcissa, and she gently pulled the girl into her lap. “Sometimes when somebody loves you,” She sang softly, tears breaking her voice, “miracles somehow appear. And there in the warp and the woof is the proof of it,”

Luna’s voice joined Narcissa’s “Charlotte’s Web.”