Narcissa was distant.
Cool, calm, collected. Cool, calm, collected. She had repeated the mantra to herself, several times today. Cool, calm, collected. She had been told it oftimes gave her a blank, vacantly polite air. What it that Bella said it was, in her succinct manner? She thought for a moment. 'Dumb blond.' Charming Bella, that's why the men throw themselves at your feet. That's probably why this one has thrown himself at mine.
She rolled her eyes. Merlin's beard it was HARD being cool, calm and collected all day. She sneered. Bella was a fucking liability at the best of times and downright lethal when she put her mind to it. Andi was smart, sweet and funny; essentially the sane version of Bella, everyone was in love with her. They were older, stronger, smarter, sexier. She had to put up with them everyday, and all that was left to Cissy was to be the precious china doll.
'When they look at you Cissa darling, they must see perfection. They must know that perfection does exist, it lives in you. You must breathe it, be it, sleep it, dream it. Protect and train your heart, because it might betray you, and what will happen to you then?' Her mother's words echoed in her mind. 'Your sisters… They will bring the Blacks down to their knees.' Druella had tried everything, from threatening, to cajoling, to Unforgivable Curses. But both of Narcissa's sisters were headstrong and stubborn, so it was left to her to soften their edges and reassure Druella that she was not a parenting failure. So Druella was hardest on her. 'You will shine Cissa. You will be perfection.'
Cissy schooled her face to poise once more, the mask settling over her delicate features like water over a smooth stone. Perfect Narcissa. Picture perfect Narcissa. More like emotionless, dry, vapid, boring, shallow, cold little Narcissa! She wanted to scream and tear her hair out.
And suddenly all the fury drained out of her in an instant. Why, she thought miserably, why do I do this to myself? I can't even feel anything anymore. She sighed before she trained her expression into polite courtesy then slowly descended the stairs to where her blond betrothed and his family stood waiting.
This had better be useful someday.