Honeydukes actually had seating upstairs near a fireplace where customers could drink hot chocolate during winter, and by the time the two settled there together, warmth from the fire had already begun easing away the cold lingering beneath their coats.
Snow continued drifting outside the frosted windows while Narcissa removed her gloves and wrapped both hands around the steaming cup placed in front of her.
"Try this one," she insisted while holding another chocolate toward him.
Gilderoy leaned forward slightly and bit into it from her fingers.
"…dangerously addictive," he admitted.
Narcissa looked entirely too pleased hearing that.
"I told you."
Several more sweets followed after that because Narcissa apparently considered it her personal responsibility to force him into trying everything available inside the building.
At some point she stopped even pretending the sweets were for herself and focused entirely on watching his reactions instead.
"This one too."
"Narcissa, I'm going to develop diseases."
"You're dramatic."
"You bought enough sugar to kill a small village."
"That just means we'll need another date to finish them."
Conversation eventually drifted toward work and future plans while the fire crackled warmly beside them.
"I already joined the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Narcissa revealed proudly while sipping her hot chocolate slowly. "Your suggestion actually helped me decide."
Gilderoy smiled genuinely.
"It suits you."
Narcissa's expression softened slightly after hearing that, satisfaction flickering openly across her face.
"And what about you?" she asked. "What exactly are you planning?"
"I'm thinking about joining the ICW," Gilderoy admitted. "Bellatrix received an invitation too."
Narcissa's eyes brightened immediately.
"Then take care of her," she said softly before amusement returned to her tone. "Not that Bella actually needs protecting."
Gilderoy snorted.
"I'll probably be the one needing protection."
That earned a quiet laugh from Narcissa.
"You know, Amelia told me quite a lot about the two of you, by the way."
"…Good things, I hope?"
Narcissa smirked wickedly over the rim of her cup.
"She was positively gushing."
Gilderoy internally celebrated hard enough to nearly ascend spiritually. His male pride took it far too seriously.
Narcissa suddenly leaned closer across the table, close enough that the faint warmth of her breath reached him first, while her blue eyes held his steadily beneath the firelight and the corner of her lip caught lightly between her teeth in a deliberately sultry smile.
"I expect similar treatment eventually."
For a moment, Gilderoy's mind simply stalled, not used to being the one caught off guard in situations like this, especially when he was usually the one pushing things forward in teasing exchanges.
Narcissa didn't close the distance further.
She stopped just short, intentional, close enough that their breath almost brushed but never quite met, holding him there in that suspended space before she leaned back again as if she had only come forward to deliver the line itself.
And the expression she left behind made it very clear she was pleased with what she'd done, watching him with calm amusement as though she already knew exactly the effect she had on him.
When they finally left Honeydukes later that evening, Narcissa once again paid before he could protest properly.
"You really are my sugar mommy," Gilderoy muttered under his breath as they stepped back out into the snowy streets of Hogsmeade.
"What— I— no…" Narcissa spluttered, completely unable to form a coherent sentence for perhaps the first time since he had met her.
Gilderoy actually blinked at her in surprise because, for one brief moment, all of Narcissa's perfect composure cracked apart as a bright blush spread rapidly across her cheeks as she continued stuttering.
Gilderoy immediately felt a surge of victory so satisfying he nearly grinned right there in the middle of the street.
Unfortunately, Narcissa's expression smoothed itself back into calm elegance only seconds later, the blush fading far too quickly for his liking while she lifted her chin with perfect composure again as though nothing had happened at all.
"Occlumency."
"Definitely Occlumency"
By the time they finally returned to the Hog's Head, warm light and conversation spilling back over them the moment they stepped inside, Gilderoy immediately noticed Amelia still trying to keep conversation flowing while Bellatrix—shockingly enough was genuinely attempting to participate despite clearly not being used to socializing much outside of Narcissa.
The entire scene honestly looked bizarre.
Amelia appeared animatedly mid-conversation about something while Bellatrix answered in shorter replies, though the dark-haired witch was at least trying now instead of simply glaring at everyone in silence.
Eventually the evening began winding down as more students started leaving Hogsmeade and darkness settled heavier outside beneath the snowfall. Bellatrix rose first, her dark eyes lingering briefly on Gilderoy before she turned toward the Floo, though Narcissa stepped closer before following her sister.
"Thank you for today," she said softly, and although the words themselves were simple, the small smile resting on her lips carried far more warmth than the elegant composure she usually showed others.
Then, before stepping into the green flames beside Bellatrix, Narcissa leaned forward and lightly pressed a kiss against Gilderoy's cheek.
The sisters disappeared moments later in a swirl of emerald fire, leaving behind only the crackling fireplace and the lingering scent of Floo powder.
For a brief moment, silence settled around the remaining two before Gilderoy turned toward Amelia with an apologetic expression already forming.
"Sorry, Amy" he admitted while rubbing the back of his neck lightly. "We barely even had our own date."
Amelia immediately rolled her eyes before reaching over and grabbing his hand again.
"Gil, stop apologizing," she said firmly, though her expression softened almost immediately afterward while her thumb brushed lightly across his knuckles. "We can go out together whenever we want later."
"Today was important for them too."
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