The two little girls peered nervously at one another as they clung to the hems of their mother's robes. One was blonde, blue-eyed and beautiful. The other was red-haired, green-eyed and as lively as they come. But even she was quiet today.
"Well, well, isn't little Lily growing up? She's beautiful, Rosanna. Those eyes! Like emeralds! And her hair! So gorgeously curly and rich. You must take such care of it!"
"We do our best, Lady Druella," Rosanna Evans smiled, stroking her youngest daughter's hair proudly.
"I'm sure you do," Druella smiled back before lowering her voice, "Now tell me, how is poor Petunia? Have the Healers made any progress with her?"
"Druella!" Rosanna's voice was sharp. "Not in front of the children, if you please." Turning to her youngest daughter, she gently disengaged her hold, saying, "Lily, darling, why don't you show Narcissa the gardens? You can make some flower crowns, can't you?"
"Yes, Mummy," Lily nodded obediently, then skipped over to Narcissa and tugged impatiently at her hands, "Come on, Cissy!"
"Narcissa," the other girl protested, but she let herself be dragged outside and into a big, sprawling patch of wildflowers.
The two five year olds sat in silence for a while, each frowning in concentration as they began choosing and weaving together their chosen blooms but eventually Lily looked up.
"Here, for you, Cissy." She whispered, placing a crookedly twisted loop of deep blue cornflowers and red poppies on the blonde's head. This time, Cissy didn't protest at the use of the nickname. Instead, she raised her face and smiled tentatively back at Lily, holding out a much neater loop of white foxgloves and daises. "I made it for you," she answered.
Beaming, Lily fitted Cissy's gift on to her own head, then impulsively reached across and grabbed her hand, "Thank you, Cissy! It's beautiful!" She squealed.
There was a moment of silence while both sat back and admired their own handiwork, before, almost simultaneously, they burst out laughing.
From then on, Narcissa 'Cissy' Black and Lily Helena Evans were the best of friends.