.oO () Oo.

"Thea. Thea! Get up, Thea!" A hand shook her roughly awake. Julien leaned over his three year old sister. "Mum says we're going to Diagon Alley today. Get up and get dressed." Thea obediently slid from bed, and her brother began to pick out clothes for her to wear. "Perhaps I'll get a broom; but I doubt it. Mum's got a vendetta against them, and Father said not until I'm five. Here. Wear these." He tossed the robes to her, and she dropped them clumsily to the floor. "Oh, c'mon now Thea, can you not catch them? They're bigger than you are." She hung her head contritely. "Oh, just go get dressed. I'll be outside." She nodded and inserted her thumb into her mouth. "No, Thea, stop it." Her hand fell limply to her side. "Good girl."

Narcissa Malfoy was woken by a firm poking to her right temple.

"Julien. Get out of here and leave your mother alone." Lucius' voice broke the silence.

"I want to go to Diagon Alley!"
"It's four o'clock in the morning! And why is your sister here?"

"Thea wants to go too."

"I'm sure she does, you bloody little-"

"Lucius… Stop… Julien, out." Narcissa managed to mumble at last.

"You said we'd go! You said! You said you said you said-!"

"Julien! Get the hell out before I have to get up and-" But he was already gone. Lucius fell back with a groan. "That boy. One of these days…" Narcissa rolled over and nuzzled against her husband.

"He's your son, you monster. Now kiss me and let me go back to bed." Lucius smirked, his nimble mind already forgetting about their children, and remembering the woman beside him.

"Oho, my pet, now that you're up, you're getting more than a kiss…"

Narcissa finally left the Manor at nine with Itheinna on her hip, and a totally over exuberant son running around her ankles.

"I don't want to hold you're hand, Mum!" Narcissa gave an exasperated sigh.

"Well until you learn how to apparate, Julien Matthias, you're going to have to for three seconds!" He resentfully stuck his hand into hers. Thea smiled and rested her head in the curve of her mother's neck.

When they arrived in the bustling wizarding street, Julien shot off like an arrow. "No! Julien, come back, and I'll buy you a new book!" He continued to dark among displays. "You won't get ice cream!" The boy froze. Slowly, he turned and trudged back to his mother.

"That's blackmail, Mum, and that's an eagle."

"Illegal, Julien. And I am your mother, you will listen to me."

"No, I won't." He replied defiantly.

"I'll tell your father if you continue to speak to me like this." He immediately fell silent. "That's better, darling. Shall we go visit Florean Fortescue?"

After getting their ice cream (vanilla for Itheinna, triple dark chocolate frogs with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry for Julien), they continued with their idle strolling through Diagon Alley. Julien loved it, dashing about, scattering birds, and very nearly knocking over tables of goods. It wasn't until he crashed into and elderly lady with six shopping bags that Narcissa again felt the need to exert parental control.

"Julien! Apologize to that nice lady and help her pick those thing up." The woman smiled.

"Oh, it's no trouble dear. And what's your name, young man?"

"Julien." The chocolate smeared boy replied, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"What a lovely name. And how old are you?"

"Three." He proudly held up four sticky fingers. The woman smiled indulgently. Julien frowned and studied his fingers, before quickly taking one down. "Three," He repeated with assurance.

"And is this lovely little girl here your sister?" She turned her attention to the child in Narcissa's arms.

"Oh yeah, that's Thea. But she doesn't talk." He said degradingly, eager for the attention to be back on him.

"How old is Thea, here?"

"Three, like I am." Julien said, starting to sound annoyed. "Father says she'll talk soon enough, but I think she's rather stupid, and can't." This earned him a sharp glare from his mother.

"Julien! Enough!"

"But I s'pose it doesn't matter; Father also says that now, since the Dark Lord has fallen, we won't need to learn quite as much in such a short period of time."

"And a good thing it is that he's gone too, isn't it?" The woman said. Narcissa opened her mouth, but Julien was faster.

"Not for Father." The old woman seemed utterly befuddled.

"Why ever not?"

"Julien stop-" Narcissa began desperately.

"Why, now Father has to stay locked up at home. You know my father, right? Lucius Malfoy? The Death Eater?" At that moment, Narcissa wanted to die.

"That's enough Julien," She said quietly, grabbing his wrist. "We're going home." The lady seemed to recover slightly from shock.

"Lucius Malfoy? Madam, are you aware of the horrible things that your husband has done? He- he- why, he killed my niece! You should be ashamed! To even show your face in public-" But Narcissa had dissapparated with her two children.

When they arrived back at the Malfoy Manor, Narcissa sent Thea off to play, but dragged Julien by the ear to his father's study. Lucius looked up, surprised, when he heard is wife enter.

"Back so soon?" She as practically too distraught to reply.

"Y-your son…" She pushed Julien forward. "Talk to him before I strangle him." Lucius frowned.

"Julien," His tone was stern, and the boy looked immediately contrite.

"I'm sorry Father. But it was the truth!" Lucius arched one eyebrow.

"Julien, did you say something to upset your mother?"

"N… Yes."

"Should you have done that?"

"Y… No."

"What do you have to say?"

"I'm sorry Mother."

"Very good. Now go play with your sister." He nodded and dashed off. Narcissa buried her face in her hands and sunk into her husband's lap.

"Something's has got to be done about him! Why can he be like Itheinna? Little Thea's so sweet and good and-"

"Silent?" Lucius offered helpfully. Narcissa lifted her head only for a moment to glare at him.

"He told a perfect stranger today that his father was a Death Eater," Lucius gave an exaggerated gasp.

"No. What kind of terrible father does your boy have? What man were you dense enough to marry, woman?" He asked with a sarcastic grin.

"This isn't funny! He told the woman that Thea was stupid because she won't talk." Lucius turned serious.

"I know what the Healers say, but she's three years old. She ought to have said something by now."
"She will when she's ready!" Not eager to get in an argument, Lucius pulled her closer, stroking her hair reassuringly.

"Of course, little wife. Now tell me. What time is lunch?"

"Noon. Same time it's been every day since I married you. Twenty five years ago. Why?" Lucius looked at his watch, a very old one, one she'd given him on Christmas when she was fourteen.

"Noon, you say? That's in fifteen minutes. Do you know what we could do in that time? Twice?"

…

That night, Narcissa went to tuck Julien into bed. Or rather, made sure everything was comfortable for him before he went to sleep, as he liked to say.

"Evening, Mum." He said brightly as she came in. "You smell nice tonight. Your hair looks lovely. Is that a new dress? It takes off five kilos. Not that you need to lose any weight, of course. You are so beautiful." Narcissa sat down on the side of his bed.

"I'm not letting you off that easily." But she was grinning, nonetheless.

"Fair enough. But I don't know why you've got to get so bloody worked up over every little thing, Mother. People can know the truth; we shouldn't care what they think. We should let them think. A bad reputation can be patched with gold over time. Look at Draco. Married a blood traitor, and now the world loves him. Blaise has got enough charm to make everyone forgive him. We can do the same. We've just got to find our way to do it. Lying or pretending won't help." He said patiently. She shook her hear in wonderment. He was a child prodigy, this boy she'd given birth to. Why, if he committed a crime right now, surely anyone would see he was bright enough to be tried as an adult. He was living proof of the adage her husband had been pushing all his life: "Age is only a number." Three years old, and she knew he had stolen and read more of his father's books on dark magic than she could ever dream of want to know.

"Well. That's for your father and I to worry about. Why won't you play with action figures, tease girls, rolled in much, and cry to your Mummy when you get a bruise? Like most boys your age?" Julien wrinkled his nose.

"Hardly. I don't want to be considered a garden-variety child with no thoughts beyond supper." Narcissa sighed, and scooped up her son. "What are you doing?" He cried in alarm. "Put me down!"
"No. You're still my baby boy, and while you're little enough to hold, I'm going to hold you. Stay still."

She went next to the bedroom of her baby, her daughter. "Good night, my darling," She crooned, planting a kiss on the little girl's forehead. Itheinna smiled up brightly, silently. "Oh, my sweet, I know that you're a smart little thing. I don't care if you don't speak a day in your life. You'll always be my little Thea."

.oO () Oo.

I did speak eventually, in a moment of terror, screaming for my mother when Julien held me at wand point and demanded I say something, anything. Of course, my brother was severely punished for that, but my father was really too pleased that I had said something to be truly angry. In fact, I could almost imagine him doing the same thing, if he didn't love me (or perhaps my mother) so much. I wish I could say that after that, I was an intelligent, beautiful, charming little girl who could speak as well as my brother, grew up to be his companion and best friend, became a beautiful and desired woman, had men fight over me, and lived a perfect life. But sadly, that was not the case. I was a quiet, shy baby that became a quiet, shy toddler, who grew up to be a quiet, shy girl, who eventually became the woman I am today.

I think it time to tell of another man in my life, a most unsuspected one. My father's closest friend, Severus Snape. Although I'd never hurt my father by say so, I firmly believe that my dear godfather is the most brilliant man who ever lived. But I think I hurt my father enough by saying "Sevvus" before "Dada."

Severus was one of the few people who liked me more than he liked Julien, but I have my own theory for why that is. See, he'd known my father since they were both little, and Julien was so much like him, I don't think Severus could stand being close to Julien, and going through all the drama again.

He taught me, and was patient with me, a rare thing indeed. I never did so well in school, because I was too shy to concentrate in a classroom with so many other students around. Several of my harsher teachers wrote me off as stupid, although I could always flawlessly complete my homework. They, of course, thought I copied, despite the fact I had no friends to copy off of. Severus knew I wasn't so hopeless. I always did best at potions because of his help. He taught me other things too, other secrets. He was a

Legilimens, and for some reason got it in his mind, his brilliant, brilliant mind, that I could be to. I never could quite master it. But I did learn something else, something he didn't even realize he'd taught me.