AN:
Questions, comments, concerns, mistakes? Please let me know.
Special shout outs:
xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the family reunion. :)
c00k1es: Yea, I had midterms and projects due, and this update was running a little late as well, but, hopefully updates shouldn't be longer than a week apart. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter - honestly, I prefer writing it when I don't have to go off a script, and for the previous chapters, I've had to work with what goes on in the book. I'm also tremendously glad that you enjoyed the description of Azkaban. :) And, this chapter is definitely my longest by far, so I hope that pleases. Gotta give Lillian her spunk, haha, what better way to show the attitude than to see her subtly mouthing off to the crazy aunt? Lillian's relationship with Lucius isn't all sunshine and daisies, but it's not all gunpowder and metal either and coming up you get a glimpse of a Narcissa x Lillian moment. Good guesses, guess we'll just have to wait and see. ;)
Taffdog19943: Thank you for the correction! I will rectify that mistake soon, promise!
To all my reviewers: you guys rock, thank you for the encouragement, it means a lot!
To all you non reviewers: you rock too, and I'm glad you're still reading!
x
A soft squeeze of her hand brought Lillian out of the land of unconsciousness and into the world of reality; all she could recall of the rather pleasant dream she had been having, was a faint echo of a multitude of entwined laughter.
Blinking several times, she looked at the bony, tiny hand gripping her own before looking slowly to the little House Elf that Lillian was rather fond of. "Dobby?"
"Good morning Miss Lillian." He greeted, large eyes blinking owlishly up at her – it had taken her years to get the little elf to call her by her first name, not her last; and even now, he only did it in the company of no other.
"Have I overslept?" She couldn't remember anything being on her schedule that day, and Lucius and Narcissa usually let her sleep however long she wished for a good week after a visit to Azkaban – a small, unspoken gift on their part…if only they knew that for many nights after a family visit, she rarely slept.
"No, Master Malfoy requested I awaken you and urge you to dress. I do believe he is taking you with him today on his errands. Dobby has no clue just what these errands may be, so Dobby begs of you not to question."
Sitting up, body tired and aching from a rather poor nights sleep, she didn't release the little elf's hand. "Thank you, Dobby."
"Another thing, Miss Lillian," He began after beaming at her praise, "Mistress Malfoy requests you pack a bag. She has informed the Master that he is to have you back by noon and you are to dress appropriately for a social occasion."
"Do you know what the bag is for, Dobby?" Lillian questioned as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed.
He gave two shakes of his head, "I do not, Miss Lillian, Mistress Malfoy did say to make sure you pack a few days worth of supplies, however."
Confused, but knowing not to push the Elf, she gave his hand a squeeze and his cheek a soft kiss before rising from bed and heading to the bathroom attached to her bedroom. "Thank you Dobby, please, inform Master Malfoy that I'll meet in the foyer in thirty-five minutes."
"Yes, Miss Lillian," Dobby agreed with an adoring grin, "I shall bring you breakfast before you go."
"There's no need Dobby, I'm not very hungry." She never was after Azkaban; she wouldn't eat normally for a few days more, even though her trip had been four days prior, the darkness and the despair of the place still clung to her skin relentlessly.
It took her a few years to realize that it was the kind of feeling that couldn't be scrubbed away, no matter how much soap she used, no matter how raw her skin became. She would just have to wait it out – and for as long as the clinging darkness remained, her appetite would be gone.
"Is Miss Lillian sure?" The saddened note in Dobby's voice was something she had grown used to hearing, but just because she was used to it, didn't make hearing it any easier for her half-Gryffindor heart to withstand.
"I'm sure Dobby, thank you."
… … …
Thirty-five minutes later she was in the foyer awaiting Lucius, dressed in a soft green sweater and dark-wash modest jeans with warmers beneath. She wore a black, softly lined jacket gifted to her last Christmas by Narcissa, cotton gloves gifted to her from Lucius that fit her slender hands terrifically, and slender snow boots that wouldn't be deemed inappropriate or too muggle-like for any business associates met during their travels.
When Lucius arrived, he was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, tremendously pressed business slacks, shiny black business shoes, his robes hanging in neat folds around his shoulders and his cane clutched easily in his left hand. He cast a narrowed glance over his nose at her apparel, before giving a solid nod and leading the way to the fireplace in the main living area.
As soon as she was inside the fireplace, he waited only long enough for her to take his arm before he was throwing down the floo powder and pronouncing Diagon Alley clearly into the silent room.
They spent the next few hours making small appointments, some related to the work Lucius did for the ministry, some of it to do with the Malfoy business, and very little of it having to deal with the impending Christmas holiday.
Lillian had spent most of the day quietly, speaking to Lucius in only brief sentences in the free intervals of time where they traveled from one location to the next. She would attentively, but not blatantly, listen to the words exchanged between Lucius and those whom he would meet with – doing what she did best, melding into the background to be unobserved.
Why she accompanied him to begin with, she didn't know, could only guess it was his way of keeping her mind occupied, his way of trying to help her out of her Azkaban induced stupor. It was appreciated, though she would never say such a thing aloud; the majority of Lillian's relationship with Lucius and Narcissa was largely unvoiced – that was how it always had been, and always would be.
It was half an hour before noon, the designated time in which Lillian was to be back at Malfoy Manor, when Lucius led them into an upscale restaurant for a light snack and tea.
"Do you wish for something from the menu?" He questioned as soon as their hostess sat them at a small table secluded from the rest of patrons inhabiting the sparsely filled restaurant.
"No thank you."
His blue eyes narrowed, jaw firmed as he regarded her shrewdly, "Have you eaten at all today?" A soft demand in a tone that many elder gentlemen of high prestige had flinched upon being at the receiving end – she merely blinked.
"I had a light breakfast." She lied.
By the tightening of his fingers around his glass of water she knew he was aware of her lie, he didn't call her on it though, merely watched her until the server came to take their order.
"We'll take two breakfast teas, and a fruit platter." With a slight bow, the server took their menus, Lillian's untouched, and disappeared into the kitchen.
"I'm supposed to be having tea with Narcissa."
"I am aware." He quirked one brow at her, a silent question as to just why she felt the need to remind him.
"A light lunch usually accompanies noon tea."
"I'll be sure to remind Narcissa to have you eat," A cold promise that meant she would be watched to make sure she did, in fact, eat. "But you'll eat a few morsels now, to appease my company." His tone brooked no room for refusal. "And tea will keep you from gathering a cold."
"Of course." She murmured in agreement, holding his gaze for only a moment longer before turning her head, grey eyes falling to the floor-to-ceiling window they sat by.
It had started to flurry an hour prior, and Lillian loved the serenity that always accompanied her watching of falling snow.
… … …
Half an hour later, half a cup of tea and a few morsels of strawberries and watermelon settled in her stomach, Lillian and Lucius were stepping out of the fireplace and into the living room where Narcissa sat reading a book.
"Ah," She greeted as Lucius went to her side to place a kiss there in return greeting. "There you are. Just on time," Turning her cheek into her husband's kiss, her blue eyes resting rather gently on Lillian. "To your room Lillian, change your clothes into something socially appropriate and meet me here when you're done. Your bag has already been taken, so I do hope you haven't forgotten anything."
Nodding her head in acquiescence, Lillian made her way for the stairs, "If I have forgotten anything Aunt Narcissa, it's nothing of importance that I cannot live without for the time I am away."
Ten minutes later, her long hair brushed and neatly tamed, she re-entered the living room wearing a long sleeved, silver-blue silk dress that fell to her knees in a gentle wave and deep blue ballet flats.
Narcissa turned away from her husband to eye the collarbone neckline of Lillian's dress, the wrist-length sleeves and the flowing skirt that would fly up should Lillian have the spontaneous urge to twirl around.
Giving a soft smile in approval, she accepted her husband's hand of assistance and rose from her seat, giving his mouth a soft kiss before extending a hand for Lillian to take.
"Lucius," Lillian murmured as she followed Narcissa into the fireplace, "Would you please inform Draco that I hope he had an adequate time with the Goyle's this past weekend?"
Lucius' nod in confirmation was all she got before Narcissa was calling out the home of an older pureblood witch Lillian had met on many previous occasions.
The witch, Lady Deverity, was in her late sixties with a full body, soft hands, a full head of silver hair and the most devious brown eyes Lillian had ever before encountered. She was a woman well respected by most in the pureblood society, and though she liked to gossip just as much as the next noble woman, she was never degrading nor was she outright cruel. Lillian, for the most part, enjoyed the woman's company, for she had a rather wry sense of humor that scandalized the younger women but had Lillian hiding smiles behind teacups.
Lillian and Narcissa stepped out of the grand fireplace just in time to find Lady Deverity exchanging laughs with a tall dark haired man and his smiling wife, a boy a few inches taller than Lillian herself between the laughing, dark-haired couple.
Brown eyes caught grey as Lady Deverity offered Lillian a calm smile, "Ah, Lady Malfoy, Miss Black, I'm glad you could make it."
"Of course," Narcissa smiled, placing her hand to the small of Lillian's back to lead them gently forward. "We were glad to be invited."
The dark-haired family turned, and Lillian was slightly surprised to find it to be the Zabini family Lady Deverity had been laughing so amiably with – the Zabini's weren't in usual attendance at socials not related to societal parties or business events.
Mr. Zabini was a tall man, with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin. He was an outrageously handsome man, but he had always possessed an edge of darkness to his persona that suggested that though he was beautiful, he was dangerous – not a man to be trifled with by any means, for his intelligence was a deadly beast, striking, honed, and unparalleled across the globe. He was younger than Lucius but maintained a business just as powerful, if not more so, than the Malfoy's own companies.
Lady Zabini was the kind of beautiful that made strangers thick with envy. Milk chocolate waves of hair that appeared like silk, flawlessly pale golden skin and honey-gold eyes she had passed down to her son; she was the kind of beautiful that made models on the fronts of muggle magazines weep. She was a foreign beauty, Brazilian to her husband's Italian ancestry; and she was kind. In the few instances where Lillian had addressed the Lady Zabini, Lillian had been truly attuned to the words of the Lady Witch and Lillian had never known the noble lady to utter a bad word concerning any one before.
Blaise stood beside them, his gaze pinned unwaveringly to Lillian, and she wondered just what he was seeing that had his eyes narrowing, his jaw clenching in a manor she was beginning to recognize as a cross between irritation and anger.
The Zabini couple smiled politely to Narcissa, Lady Zabini's gaze falling to Lillian and turning to a gentle kind of confusion that was soon reflected in Mister Zabini's own gaze; and once again, Lillian was left to wonder just what it was they were seeing, for surely, if something had been outwardly wrong with her appearance, Narcissa would have never permitted Lillian to accompany her to Lady Deverity's.
"Narcissa, Lillian, I'm sure you've met the Zabini's and their son Blaise before." Lady Deverity began, pulling the curious attention away from Lillian – a feat Lillian was more than thankful for, even if Blaise continued to watch her through narrowed caramel-gold eyes. "Nadia, Nicolai, this is Narcissa Malfoy and her niece Lillian."
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Nicolai Zabini gave a soft bow of his head in greeting, his deep timbre of a voice the kind of sound that resonated deep inside of your chest; its faint lilt entrancing.
"Narcissa, Lillian," Nadia greeted, her slightly accented, lilting tones a sharp contrast to her husband's deep timbre, but just as enthralling.
Lillian wondered briefly just how Blaise carried no accented lilt to his words, though truthfully, it wasn't as if Lillian heard him speak in paragraph lengths on a daily basis.
"It's wonderful to meet you," Lillian murmured politely as Narcissa gave a nod in acknowledgement.
Mr. Zabini's dark gaze fell to her, just as sharp and observant as his son's gaze. "You go to school with Blaise, correct?"
"Yes sir," Lillian replied, "We're in the same House."
"Are you the one that sent the letter?" Nadia inquired with a soft smile, causing her husband to regard her in a curious fashion, her son to look at her with soft exasperation lining his expression – it was slightly bewildering to Lillian to see actual emotion on Blaise's expression but she had only a moment to dwell on the sudden emotional expression before she had to address the direct question.
"Yes ma'am," Lillian agreed, much to Narcissa's surprise. "To wish him a happy birthday, though belated the wish, I still felt it necessary to give my regards."
"Speaking of birthdays," Lady Deverity interrupted before Nadia Zabini could speak again, "Come to the tea room with me Lillian, I would like to discuss your upcoming birthday."
Upon accepting Deverity's suddenly outstretched hand, Lillian was led past the adults and her fellow Slytherin and into the empty drawing room filled with trays of pastries, platters of varying fruits and teacups waiting to be filled upon demand.
To all my reviewers, followers, first timers, and old-timers, I hope you enjoyed!
Until next time,
x