"Question Eleven... Are You A.) A Blonde or B.) A - how do you pronounce that? No-regret? Noyer-eht?"

"I think it's pronounced "nore-ette".

"I'll go with that. Doesn't matter anyway, just want to have my options in case it comes up… No, I am not "B" A Noirette, I am "A", A Blonde."

"What happens if your hair is a different color then given?"

"Pick the one that's feels the most right, I guess. Question Twelve: Girl, we all know you're a Slytherin and proud, but if you had to what would what you say is your secondary house? A.) Gryffindor, B.) Ravenclaw, or C.) Hufflepuff? I'll go with "B".

"Question Thirteen... In situations where your back is pressed up against the wall, do you A.) React instinctively, B.) Try to talk your way out of it, or C.) Think outside the box? A."

"Question Fourteen… Your opinions on The French? A.) Overhated for sure, they make for great lovers, B.) Likable in small doses, C.) No strong opinion or D.) Cheese-eating surrender monkeys, the whole lot of them. Hmmm. Debating between "A" and "B", so I'll go with "C". France makes for a fantastic vacation, though."

"Question Fifteen… Finally, it seems silly to ask, we know, but we have to ask. A.) White as bread or B.) Black as night? Well, that one doesn't require a lot of thought! "B", duh. Okay, let's see what we got!"

All of the little boxes filled in, an illustrated swirl of purple smoke filled the page of this month's edition of "Witch Weekly", carefully calculating what the right answer was. Zelda Zabini was pleasantly surprised to see the answer she had been looking for.

"How'd you do, love?" She asked, admiring the magazine's declaration of her character. Her partner on the couch next to her hadn't responded, seemingly staring at their result with absolute disbelievement. At least, that's what Zelda presumed, the magazine was held directly in front of their face.

"Well, this can't be right! I mean, they can't be serious." Zelda's complained, fingers digging into the edges of the cover.

"Well," Zelda began jokingly, "I mean, the writing staff at Witch Weekly must have put a lot of thought into this quiz, I think they're spot on myself."

With that, the magazine was flipped around to display the image of the smirking image of Bellatrix Lestrange, held up right next to the face of Zelda's friend.

"Does this look spot-on to you?" Narcissa Malfoy said, a tiny smirk betraying her attempt at being serious.

"Yeah, they really condensed the essence of your personality in one picture." Zelda chuckled. "I especially love that poutiness, Bella, real sexy."

"Oh, just you shut up, Zelda!" Narcissa ordered. "You're way more like Bellatrix then me, and I'm her sister!"

"Actually…" Zelda flipped her own results around to reveal the image of Narcissa smiling softly with a raised eyebrow to contrast her friend's current expression of dumbfoundedness. "Looks like I'm more you then you are you. Oops."

"This issue must have been jinxed improperly, that's what it is." Narcissa muttered to herself. "I really must have some strong words with whoever wrote this."

"Well, identity crisis aside, it was fun to do these like old times." Zelda said, stretching her arms and yawning.

"Yeah, I haven't taken one of these since I was sixteen!" Narcissa sighed, neatly setting the magazine on the tableside. "Being in all these trashy magazines all the time must have taken all the fun out of them. I think they must be bringing out the old stuff because of the party tonight."

"Are you sure we'll have enough time to clean the old place up?" Zelda asked, tossing her own magazine on the couch.

"Sure we will." Narcissa assured her, dusting off her dress and standing in front of a currently empty space. "This was just about killing time until the help came. And.. they should be coming….. Now!"

With a series of cracking noises, several dozen house-elves apparated into the drawing room. Zelda started, she had never seen so many in one place before.

"My parent'sestate is hosting a party tonight, and anyone who's anyone is going to be there. Guests begin to arrive half past five, so that gives us seven hours to set up." Narcissa instructed. Her tone now seemed far more business-like and matter-of-fact.

"Thankfully, the decorations are in those boxes over there, and it shouldn't take too long to set up. However, it wouldn't hurt to give the house another do-over before they arrive. Most of you will be on house duty which entails cleaning the house and the grounds, split it up amongst yourselves. The rest of you will be preparing food for the evening, best start early to prepare the trickier dishes and set up your work space. Same drill as usual for last year's Halloween party, only remember the theme of this year is "Autumn Breeze". If you have any questions, direct them to the head house-elf. If they can't answer your question, ask me. I will be going through some personal artefacts upstairs with Miss Zabini while you are all doing this and getting ready for tonight. Any questions?"

The house-elves hailing from The Black, Lestrange, Malfoy, and Rosier families all nodded in agreement. Narcissa clapped her hands and pointed to different areas of the house.

"Remember, Autumn Breeze, Autumn Breeze." Narcissa chanted. "Oh, wait, almost forgot, Dobby? Dobby? Where is that elf?"

Narcissa heard a clearing of the throat and felt a tug on her dress.

"Here, Mistress." Dobby said.

"Ah, good, Dobby, very prompt of you, very prompt indeed." Narcissa said. "Now, I want you to go back to Malfoy Manor, take this magazine, put it on my desk and write me a reminder on the calendar to give Witch Weekly a piece of my mind. Then try to find Lucius, I've been trying to get hold of him all day. Got it?"

"Yes, Mistress." Dobby squeaked. Tucking the magazine under his bony arms, the house-elf snapped his fingers and disappeared into thin air. Seemingly satisfied with today's work, Narcissa marched up the stairs to perform some long-overdue fall cleaning, Zelda in tow, both of them holding boxes.

"Isn't it weird?" Zelda asked.

"Hmmm, Mum and Dad really should take better care of their house, they spend so much time at their other properties… What's weird?" Narcissa said, frowning at the carpet of dust settled all over the banister.

"Well, you know, Cissy, being back in your old childhood home." Zelda prompted, waving a spare ars about. "It's weird for me, and I only stayed the night a few times. If it wasn't for all the new pieces of art, I'd have sworn it was the '60's again."

"Well, yeah, I suppose it's bringing back a lot of… ummmmm… what's the word - 'nostalgia', being here." Narcissa conceded. "Don't think I've dropped by since my wedding reception, now that I think about it. We usually host parties and family get-togethers and things at Malfoy Manor or Orion's place, so I guess I've never really felt the need to come back."

"So you never visited your folks?" Zelda pondered. "They never come round for a cup of tea?"

"Well - I - I - you know I've been busy with - with - charity work and running the business and maintaining a good public image and the sort." Narcissa mumbled evasively. "Besides, they're with Draco now, and you don't see your mother or father much, do you?"

"If I knew who my father was I'd sure like to meet him." Zelda pointed out. "As for my mother, well, me and her check in at least every month, just to make sure the either of us haven't gone and done anything foolish."

"Where was she on the last few marriages, then?" Narcissa grinned slyly.

"Fair enough." Zelda shrugged. "Guess like her, I'm somewhat unlucky in love. But I've gotten Blaise out of it, so I can't complain. We can't all be as lucky as you, little-miss-power-couple. Never believed in fairy tales until 'Bloy' came around to dazzle us all."

"For your information, Zelda, the official name for me and Lucius' relationship is 'Lucissa.'" Narcissa lectured, observing a series of green symbols in the shape of an "x". "Not 'Nalfoy'. Not 'Lack'. Most certainly NOT 'Bloy.' Lucissa. Ah, looks like my mother already took a pass at this hall. On to the next one!"

"What about that one?" Zelda asked. Narcissa stopped dead in her tracks.

"What are you talking about?" Narcissa asked. If Zelda could see her now, she would have seen Narcissa's eyes began to dart around shiftily.

"That one, over there." Zelda pointed out a door that looked as though it belonged to a different house entirely. Unlike the formerly handsome ebony paint that adorned the other doors, this one featured a sort of color not all that dissimilar from Narcissa's hair. Unlike the others which looked fancy and imposing, this one featured several scribblings and designs on the door, making it look lived-in and inviting by comparison.

Narcissa strode forward, her finger brushing over a heart carved into the door that said "N.B + L.M. = Love".

"I forgot all about that." Narcissa muttered softly to herself, smiling a little.

"Yeah, real sweet!" Zelda said, jiggling with the doorknob to no avail. "Is that YOUR room, Narcissa? Oh my gosh, the memories really are flooding back! I'm going in! Alohomora!"

"I don't think that's so-" Narcissa began, but Zelda had already successfully casted the charm and barged her way in. The backside of the door now read;

The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened.

Enemies of The Heir, Beware!

Zelda observed that much like the door itself, Narcissa's childhood room seemed to have not changed a bit ever since she had last lived there. The walls were a dark green with black and white stripes, adorned with several posters featuring a variety of threatening and non-threatening boys, most of whom were musicians, pictures of family and friends, a bookshelf, a broken grandfather clock, and an eternally frozen poster depicting a smiling line-up of the 1963-1969 roster of The Ballycastle Bats. If the calendar was to be believed, the current date was August 6th, 1972, and last Friday Narcissa had taken her cousins Sirius and Regulus shopping for school supplies in Diagon Alley and meet up with the man who would become her husband for dinner afterwards.

"Nice posters!" Zelda proclaimed, admiring The Ballycastle Bats poster with great interest. "Oh, wow, is that the 1960-1969 lineup? Oh, man, those were good years. And this is coming from an Arrows girl! Mind, my current boyfriend is on The Wasps, so I can't really talk game with him like I want to."

"Yeah, it all fell apart when The Falcons poached McGinnis." Narcissa sighed. "He, Drake, Gordon, Brown, Grayson, Kelly, and Todd were best mates but then he left and you can't get them all in the same room for all the tea in China."

"Bloody disgraceful, the way it went down." Zelda sighed. "Oh, well. Live and let live, that's what I say. Those kids they brought in are pretty good, I guess. Say, I thought you told me you didn't like the comedy stylings of Herschel Krustofski!"

"I don't!" Narcissa blurted out. "He's horrid! Bellatrix got that one for my birthday and put a permanent sticking charm on the wall. Now, is it quite all right with you if we pull out of memory lane, I've got quite a busy schedule and-"

But before Narcissa could finish her sentence and Zelda prepare her rebuttal, a gust of wind blew through the window neither woman had noticed was open, sending the curtains flying open and a gust of wind sending loose papers on Narcissa's old desk higgledy-piggledy. For some reason this seemed to set something off in Narcissa, her face turning flush and eyes becoming the size of dinner plates. The room itself seemed to become darker, a blueish-white light illuminating the silvery, almost liquid-like curtains, the view outside looking desolate and lonely.

"Alohomora Rectify." Narcissa commanded, waving her wand at the cursed window. The spell was of no use, if anything the cursed window seemed to shudder, opening and closing like some horrid mouth.

"Alohomora Rectify!" Narcissa screamed.

"Alohomora Rectify!"

"ALOHOMORA RECTIFY!"

But the spell was of no effect. Zelda stepped forward to calm her friend only for the window to go -

*Crack!*

And the cursed mirror seemed to fall away into the mists as three tuxedoed rotting hands came out of the dirt, all adorned with golden wedding rings -

"No!" Zelda cried out. "This is impossible-"

Sudden realization came to her. It IS impossible-

"Riddikulus!" Zelda bellowed.

*Crack!*

The Boggart that had been haunting the two women suddenly vanished into thin air, as though it had never been there at all. The real-life window showed a blustery shower of rain outside, dark grey clouds dominating the sky. There was a few moments of silence as the two took in what had just happened.

"DOBBY!" Narcissa yelled, catching Zelda by surprise.

*Crack!*

"Yes, Mistress Narcissa?" Dobby gulped.

"What do I keep on telling you - keep all the windows closed at all times unless I SPECIFICALLY TELL YOU OTH-ER-WISE!" Narcissa ranted furiously. She strode over to the inspiration of her Boggart's form and slammed it shut with all her might thrown into it.

"TELL ME, WHY IS THAT SO HARD FOR YOU IDIOTS TO UNDERSTAND?"

A framed photo posed on the desk, which had been wobbling as is, fell and crashed onto the floor, shattering the frame and the glass protecting it.

"They were, Mistress." Dobby explained, talking very slowly as to not upset his mistress. "But this room - 'tis been enchanted so no one can enter unless they've been in it before, very powerful magic has been performed here. We simple House-Elves could not find it before. Dobby has forgotten about this room, and as such didn't instruct anyone else to enter and close it. Should Dobby punish himself, Mistress?"

He really looked quite pitiful. Maybe it was Zelda's dumbfounded expression, maybe it was Narcissa's sense of compassion, or maybe it was the embarrassment that usually comes from losing control of one's temper, but the red in Narcissa's face drained and she visibly deflated.

"No. That isn't - that won't be necessary, Dobby." Narcissa ordered demurely. Return to your normal duties. This never happened. Don't tell anyone, especially my parents. Thank you for explaining things to me. You may leave, Dobby."

*Crack!*

Noticing the broken photograph and frame, Narcissa summoned the photograph into her palm and before levitating the broken glass and wooden pieces back onto the desk, repairing it as she did.

"Narcissa, I-" Zelda began.

"I think it's best if you leave, Zelda. Sorry for yelling." Narcissa muttered, now sending all the loose papers neatly into boxes for sorting. "See you at the party tonight."

Full of questions but knowing she'd get the answers to no more of them, Zelda picked up one of the boxes to place in the living room, gave a pitiful glance to her friend, and left.

Waiting a few moments, Narcissa picked up her box and exited the room, fully intent on moving on, but stopped right outside the door frame. She put her box down and gazed at the photo of three girls clasping each other's shoulders, one of which was her in the middle, all decked out in Slytherin Quidditch robes, laughing at something one of them had said.

Narcissa seemed to shake herself out of the stupor, folding the picture up before tucking it in her wallet, and shutting the door, vowing to never so much as look at this room again.

It's time to outgrow childish things, Narcissa thought bitterly.

Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to review, it really does make my day! ;-)

In reference to last chapter's riddle:

This character is blonde… This one really speaks for itself.

Likes their reflection a LITTLE too much… Narcissa is named for a man named Narcissus, who was a hunter in Greek mythology. He was a very beautiful young man, and many fell in love with him. However, he only showed them disdain and contempt. One day, he saw his reflection in the water and fell in love with it. He either committed suicide since he couldn't be with himself or accidently drowned while looking at himself depending on the version you read. Ain't Greek Mythology fascinating? You'd think being the son of a river god and a nymph would make him a stronger swimmer.

"Has trouble doing the "write" thing..." - I really did cheat with you guys on this one! This is in reference to what Narcissa was raised on and her environment making her have a skewed sense of right and wrong. Hopefully, she can get her act together when the chips are down!

Who's Next? Riddle Me This:

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, next one will be the character you think it is, I promise… This character is blonde… Likes their reflection a LITTLE too much… And has trouble doing the "write" thing. See you guys next time!