Sorry for the wait. Finals weren't kind to me.
But I hope you enjoy! :D
Don't forget to tell me what you think.
-Val
Fifth Year Part V: You're Running Away Because You Know You Can't Hide
Celeste Malfoy died the day before they were to leave Hogwarts and go home for the summer. Lucius didn't cry or express any emotion, at Hogwarts, nor as they left on the train, not even at the funeral. He stared straight ahead without saying a word to anyone, not even to tell his friends and family he was okay. Narcissa walked with him to her burial, but he wouldn't hold her hand or acknowledge her. She had hoped he would appreciate her support. The sun was bright and the weather was warmer than usual.
At the repast, the Black Family offered their condolences to Abraxas and Lucius in different ways. Cygnus preferred to offer a helping hand to the family his daughter was intended to, while Druella comforted Abraxas, while sipping glass after glass of champagne and tried to "cheer up" the grief stricken family with jokes and a smile that Narcissa thought disturbingly cheerful. Abraxas was more willing to talk no matter how pale and depressed he seemed, but Lucius simply nodded politely and stared forward. Narcissa couldn't look away from him. His sadness was evident, as much as he tried to hide it. From the corner of Narcissa's eye she saw Bellatrix and Rodolphus walking toward Lucius. Rodolphus wore simple mourning robes, while Bellatrix wore a black v-neck dress with a miniature top hat placed to the side of her head. Narcissa rolled her eyes and watched them casually approach Lucius.
"I'm sorry to hear about your Mother." Bellatrix said stiffly as if rehearsed.
"Yes." Lucius replied just as stiffly.
"We mean it, Lucius." Rodolphus said extending his hand. "We're very sorry. Mrs. Malfoy was a beautiful woman." Lucius shook his hand and nodded. "If you need anything-"
"Yeah, I know." Lucius said shortly.
"Roddy?" Bellatrix said forcing a smile on her face. "Can you get me something to drink?"
Rodolphus shot her a look as if he had a horrible smell under his nose, but he didn't protest.
"Sure, dear." He spat walking away muttering to himself. Bellatrix ignored him and sneered at Lucius. Narcissa tried to block her father's conversation so she could hear Bellatrix and Lucius speaking.
"Your Father has been quiet lately. I assumed you've-"
"Yes." Lucius replied.
"And?"
"He still stays by his opinion." Lucius said dryly.
Bellatrix nodded slowly, and placed a red polished nail to her chin. "I hope he does change his stance. You already lost you mummy, I would sure hate for you to be an orphan and you didn't even graduate yet."
"Not now Bella." Lucius said through gritted teeth.
"If not now, when? The Dark Lord is satisfied for a moment, but when your father decides to become more vocal he'll-"
"I. Get. It." Lucius stated emphasizing every word.
Bellatrix snickered and made her way to find Rodolphus. The bigger man was carrying two drinks in his hand and a sour look on his face. He met Bellatrix half way when she whispered into his ear. He shot her another annoyed glance and handed her, her drink. The two of them talked in hushed voices for several seconds until Rodolphus noticed her staring at them. He smiled politely and waved. When Narcissa realized she was still staring and she waved nervously back at them and tried to avoid looking at them, as much as she wanted to know what they were talking about, she couldn't the embarrassment again.
Narcissa excused herself from her father and made her way through the lot of people crowding the Malfoy Manor. Lucius was in her sights the more she dodged elbows and house elves carrying champagne trays. She was tempted to hug him, and pull him close to her. She wanted him to know that it was okay and she would stand by him through the hard times.
"Lucius." She said as he appeared at arm's length to him. She extended her hand to him and he shook it. He gave her a flimsy hand shake and kept his eyes down. "I'm so sorry." She said.
"She was sick," he said. "At least she's at peace." He leaned forward to kiss her hand. His lips barely touched the skin on the top of her hand and he let go almost immediately.
"If there's anything I can do-"
"Yes, I know." Lucius said. Narcissa tried to shrug off the hurt she felt for him dismissing her so quickly, but it struck her too hard.
"Are you okay?" she asked. She could've kicked herself for this blunder. His mother was dead, of course he wasn't okay. It was a rather silly question, but she didn't know what else to say.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"You don't look fine." She might as well have dug glass into his hand, it would've hurt less than to remind him of his mother's passing.
"Well I am."
"Alright." Narcissa said. She sighed and looked out into the sea of black dress robes. It had to have been lonely to be the only one truly grieving for someone you've known your entire life and no one can relate to your sorrow. Everyone paid their wishes and told the family if they needed anything they would oblige, but did they mean it? Not always, it's a loose term to give the family some sort of comfort in their sadness. The better thing would be offer their condolence and move on and wait till you leave the family's home to persist in drinking and having polite conversation.
She touched Lucius's arm and said; "Would you like to go for a walk? Perhaps we could talk- if you want I mean… you don't have to if you don't want to-"
"Sure." Lucius replied, holding his arm out to her, and she took it. They walked into the lake in silence where they laid down together on a bed of ice in what seemed like a century ago. They stood on the edge of the grass, only a nose dive into the waters. They stared into the lake absently mindedly.
"Father taught me how to skip rocks years ago." Narcissa said picking up the rock and throwing it. It skipped across the lake leaving small ripples behind in what was once a smooth body of water.
"So did mine." Lucius replied, picking up a rock and throwing it out onto the lake, contorting the water. Narcissa looked up to Lucius and leaned her head on his shoulder, running her hand soothingly down the curve of his back. For a second she thought she heard him sniff quietly and looked into his face for several seconds, awaiting the sign of grief. When she was positive it was just her imagination, she looked out onto the lake again, but kept herself aware of Lucius. She heard it again, but this time she saw a lone tear glide down his cheek and to his.
She had never seen him cry, Malfoy's after all never cry. In fact, they never showed real human emotion. They pictured themselves as all knowing gods. They never experience human emotions of jealousy, anger, hatred or even joy, because they were beyond it. They knew what was to happen next and celebrating or becoming angry about it was useless. Now the cold masquerade had fallen, it was terrifying for her. She had never seen a pureblood man so vulnerable in public. She had seen her father in a devastated manner behind the closed doors of their Manor or when he thought she wasn't looking in the safety of his office, but to see her intended so weak in front of her. It was empowering and scary all in the same second. She placed one hand on either side of his cheek and smiled.
"It's alright." She said, softly. "Just let it out."
"No." Lucius said, clenching his jaw till he frowned and swallowing his emotions.
She pulled him into a kiss slowly, holding him close to her. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly close to him. He lips didn't have their usual gentle nature to them, but replaced with a hungry lust to them. He slid his hand up to the nape of her neck, drawing loose her golden hair to lie on her shoulders. He ran his fingers through the silky yellow and worked his kisses down to her chin to her cheek. She went along with her feelings and the warm sensation that took over her body and its own movements. She wrapped an arm around his waist, dragging her nails up and down the fabric of his robes that covered his goose bumped skin. The both of them suddenly stopped when they comprehended what their actions could lead them to and the two turned their backs to each other, gathering their breaths and composure. Narcissa tried to get rid of the warm sensation by trying to remember her mother's teachings, but nothing could dry the excitement.
She turned back to him, as if he knew the cure for her newfound vibes, but he wasn't paying attention to her. Instead he stared out at the lake, not breathing a word to her. Narcissa stood in longing silence.
"I miss her." He said finally, barely above a mutter.
"I know." she said. "But I don't think she'll ever truly leave you. You'll always have memories, the things she left behind. She wouldn't want to dwell in the past and on her. She'd want you to be happy. She loved you my dear, so love her in return and let go. It will be painful, but as my Father says whenever someone dies they become guardian angels-"
"That's a fairy tale."
"I don't think so. I think someone has to look out for us. I think they'll always be there to show us the way. Believe it or not, but I think that's what gets me through."
"I'm not sure what I believe now."
"Take your time. Healing doesn't happen overnight." Narcissa said with a hand wrapped delicately around his forearm until he looked into her eyes. His gray orbs gave away the sadness and confusion that his words could never express. Narcissa's heart ached for him to feel whole again, to feel like his old self before her sickness destroyed what happiness he had.
Narcissa's summer was supposed to be one of relaxation and fun, but instead it felt like one big routine. Fatima and Rabastan spent most of their time at the Black Manor with her. It was rather lonely being the only child in the house now. With Fatima staying home for the summer she visited rather often to bright the lonesome days for her friend. Druella didn't enjoy their presence, but of course never said a word directly to them about it. The only times she would express her dislike was through snide comments to Narcissa when she departed from the room or flashing a dirty look when their backs were turned. Cygnus on the other hand enjoyed their company.
Fatima and her father became fast friends, often exchanging witty jokes and philosophical ideas that bored Narcissa because she had no input and left Rabastan to nod off at the dinner table. He expressed interest in her becoming a healer and as a present let her borrow all of his books on healing spells and potions throughout the summer months. None the less she got through them pretty fast and sent half of them back nearing the end of the summer months.
The three of them would spend their summer days doing the epitome of absolutely nothing. They would read books quietly, go to local plays or tour around the neighboring towns looking for something to occupy their time. Rabastan and Fatima spent some free time to snog while on the train or dismissing themselves off to a private corner, leaving Narcissa waiting for minutes on end. One time she became so fed up with it she left them and wandered around town by herself. When it became too dark she came back to the park where they left. Apparently they only noticed her absence several minutes earlier. Other times were different. She would daydream about how Lucius was handling his mother's death and even better she would imagine him sitting on her bed in his usual cool manner.
She would blush and grin as she imagined the pillow besides her was Lucius and he would be massaging her skin delicately and leaving behind wet kisses on the back of her neck and down her chest. These thoughts used to appear to her only at night when her mother and father had gone to sleep, but soon the fantasies began to creep into the most awkward of times. She would stare off into the distance, a smile curling on her lips and her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. She would awake from these daydreams with Druella staring at her with a glare. She would look down into her dinner plate, quickly finish and hoped to be dismissed without being drafted into another dreaded check up from her mother. She missed the company of her intended; he wasn't answering most of her owls, even the ones about her visiting him.
Despite the daydreams she was slowly becoming bitter towards him. He lost his mother, but in her own selfish way she wanted him to at least acknowledge her existence. The only letter he did respond back to was a letter written on the fresh pink parchment paper her father had bought her. It read;
"Hello, I exist.
Thank you,
Narcissa."
He seemed to have thought it was a joke and wrote back on plain parchment paper that he didn't even bother to sign.
"I know.
You're Welcome." It said.
Narcissa became so angry she threw the parchment into the fireplace and kicked a house elf down the stairs.
For a week to get out of the house she spent time at the Lestrange Manor. It was a different place since the elder Lestranges were there, but that didn't stop any oddities from occurring. A couple times she could hear Bellatrix and Rodolphus having another one of their shouting competitions and Narcissa couldn't sleep a wink. She didn't dare to tell them to keep it down in risk of being hexed accidentally. Other times she wouldn't be able to sleep and make her way to the library and walk past Rabastan's room and hear the unmistakable sounds of grunting and moaning. She began to keep a stack of books in her room and the record player put on low.
She began to understand why the elder Lestranges put a silencing charm on the outside of their bedroom. It made her wonder if they did so, so they could sleep or so they didn't have to face their "perfect" son's problems and indulgences. The more she knew them, the more she realized why the Lestrange brothers were how they were.
Hugo Lestrange presented himself to be like any respectable pureblood aristocrat, but as he became comfortable with Narcissa, his reflection was much different. He would drink practically all day like her father. The two men weren't a violent drunks, but a jolly ones. Hugo would exchange dirty jokes with his sons, curse, smoke cigars and would burp without covering his mouth or uttering "excuse me". Antebellum Lestrange, the matriarch of the family, was an odd ball herself.
Instead of spending countless hours in the vanity, sitting idly around the house, and sipping tea, she was outside under a parasol ordering the house elves around her garden, balancing the family finances, playing any song that comes to her mind with any instrument she could get her hands on or sitting around talking Quidditch plays with her sons and husband or listening to it on the radio and cursing when France loss to the Irish.
"Can you believe this, bullshit?" Antebellum screamed, to Narcissa in her husky voice as she puffed on a cigarette from her black and silver holder. "Absolute utter shit." She said slamming her fist on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. She exhaled through her nose and called into the other room.
"Hugo!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, Annie?" Narcissa smiled at the nickname he called her affectionately.
"Get me and the boys some tickets to the next Quidditch game, will you?"
"Absolutely, dear."
She turned back to Narcissa and tapped her lightly on the hand. "Oh love, did you want to go too, beautiful?"
"No, thanks." She responded back with a smile.
"You should go, you'll like it." She said.
Narcissa found her voice more calming than her mother's shrilling utterance. It was as smooth and silky as the smoke coming from the ember of her cigarette. She was a stunning woman as well. She kept her dark blonde hair past her shoulders, but gently waved back so Narcissa could see her slim face, full red lips and mesmerizing dark eyes. The Lestrange brothers looked nothing like their mother except Rabastan had his mother eyes. They dark brown almost black hair, tanned skin and Rodolphus's light brown eyes came from Hugo.
"No thank you, ma'am." Narcissa said with a smile. She leaned back in her chair and her normally tensed shoulders drooped.
"If you say so, the invitation is always open." Antebellum replied with a smile. Her smile turned to a deep glare and she kicked the table the radio was placed on. "Oh that's—" she stopped for a moment to huff through her nose. "Son of a bitch, damn Irish!"
Narcissa couldn't believe that the family that seemed so tight knit and jolly could ever be considered one of the Dark Lord's most notable and notorious followers. Bellatrix had bragged time and time again of the lives Hugo, Rodolphus and Rabastan ended at the flip of a sickle. It gave her a uneasy feeling if it was true that the man who had taught her a bedroom humor joke was a murderer and the witty woman sitting beside her knew and turned a blind eye to it. She ignored the sick feeling in her stomach and instead went back to wishing her mother could take a motherly lesson from Mrs. Lestrange.
When the week at the Lestrange Manor had ended, Narcissa felt that her whole life had come apart. The fabrics of her true happiness was coming apart and what sealed her fate was seeing her mother standing in front on the large lawn of the Black Manor with an artificial smile on her tight features. Narcissa felt her stomach turn and forced her feet to walk toward her. She had hoped at least she could look forward to an owl from Lucius, but her desk was as empty as it was before she left.
She went on to take out her anger by kicking the same house elf down the same flight of stairs.
In the last few weeks of the summer she went back into a deep depression, similar to the episode she had after Andromeda left. She wanted to at least know what was causing Lucius's head to tick. She hated not knowing, especially with him, it was torturing her and with her lack of anything fun to do over the long weeks, it was all she could think about. She laid in bed and stared up into the ceiling until she heard a knock on her door. She didn't turn her head or even look in the other direction. She couldn't work up the strength to do such a task.
"Pixie?" she heard. "Pixie, are you decent?"
She sighed with relief that it hadn't been Druella and nodded her head and said after a few seconds. "Yes, Father."
"May I come in?"
"Yes, Father."
Cygnus opened the door and quickly stepped inside. He saw Narcissa laying on her bed, staring into a wall. He sat on her bed and straightened his robes. "Pixie? What is wrong? I ask you this all the time and I don't want to nag you, but I need to know. Let me help you, Pixie. What's wrong?"
Narcissa turned her eyes to her father. Her blue orbs burned with tears and as hard as she tried to push them back, a large salty tear escaped from the corner of her eye and fell down the side of her face and stopping in her hair. "I miss him, daddy. I don't know what's wrong."
"Who Pixie? Lucius?"
Yes, Father."
"Oh Pixie.." he sighed, removing several blonde strands from her face. Narcissa sat up on her bed, sniffed and roughly wiped tears with the sleeve of her robes. Cygnus looked to the floor and smiled half way. "Pixie," He said. "As much as I wish I did, I don't have all the answers to all your worries and concerns, but I can assists in helping you find the answers you seek."
Narcissa looked up from her lavender colored robe lap and into her father's dark eyes and smiled. "What are you going to do?"
"I'll arrange a get together with Abraxas and Lucius. I'll bring you along and you two can talk, but only talk. Do you understand?"
She nodded quickly, a large smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around Cygnus's frame, realizing how bony he was. He was losing weight rapidly. She did her best to shoo away her concern and instead said into his brown colored robes; "Thank you so much daddy. I appreciate it, I really do. Thank you."
"You're so welcome, Pixie. I will owl Abraxas at once."
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left to do his task. Cygnus nor Narcissa had to wait long for a reply from Abraxas. Ever since the passing of his wife, he had been a hermit to the world and he could use the company. They were to have tea at the Malfoy Manor, on Friday, around three.
Narcissa was a mixture of nervous and excited to see her intended. The Malfoy's had stayed out of the public eye since the funeral for Celeste. She couldn't blame them, the Daily Prophet had been asking the practically royal Malfoys about her. She was in Witch Weekly often and made generous contributions for orphans. Considering that the orphanage was filled with half-bloods and otherwise, she questioned her sincerity, but despite if it was or not the mass amounts of money was beyond bountiful.
She clenched her nails into her father's arm as he walked her toward the Malfoy Manor. She spotted Abraxas Malfoy waiting with Lucius by his side. Both men looked even paler than usual and withdrawn from their current setting. Lucius had dark rims under his eyes like he hadn't slept and Abraxas looked thinner in the shoulders and the middle. Cygnus whispered to her leaned to her and said. "You see? They're still mourning. It wasn't anything personal."
"I know." Narcissa replied back in a mutter. Abraxas forced a smile on his rigid face and held his hand out toward Cygnus. Both men shook hands and glanced at their children. Narcissa held out her hand and Lucius quickly took it in his and kissed it. Not gently and slowly like he used to, but rather how he used to be. It was quick, like he wanted to get it over with. Narcissa furrowed her brow and snatched her hand back. Lucius barely noticed and returned to placing his hands behind his back and staring forward.
Abraxas looked at his son, now about his height and cleared his throat. Lucius sighed and said in a bored tone. "It's a pleasure to see you, Narcissa."
Narcissa raised a thin eyebrow and stared at him. Cygnus cleared his throat at Narcissa and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She mocked Lucius's bored tone and said. "The pleasure is all mine, Lucius."
Abraxas and Cygnus nodded in approval. "Well, shall we have a cup of tea?" he asked, leading them inside. Narcissa and Lucius trailed behind them, Narcissa glanced at Lucius who stared straight forward like he was trying to avoid Narcissa's glance. It was making her angrier that he was as adjured as he was in his owls.
The two of them sat on the other side of the small round tea table. Lucius spun his tea around with the spoon, staring into it and nodding off several times in their noiseless conversation. Narcissa's anger had reached its boiling point and without thinking she kicked him hard in the shins, causing him to jump and nearly spilling his tea. Abraxas and Cygnus glanced at the children's side of the table and investigated the sudden outburst from Lucius.
"Son," Abraxas said in a strict tone. "Are you feeling well?"
"Uh," Lucius said trying to stop the tea from falling onto his robes using his hand as a dam, until a house elf quickly cleaned up the tea with a rag and refilled his tea cup. "Yes." Lucius said, clearing his throat. "Yes, Father, my apologies."
The two men turned back around
"Erm… well," Cygnus said. "The point I was trying to make is the pureblood cause can be won if we use more efficient methods, duch as we need to get more purebloods into politics and perhaps instead of focusing on one heir we need multiple ones."
"Cygnus," Abraxas said, with a nod. "I agree with you, but you know how nasty these situations can be in court with the will being dividing up into little pieces. The Ministry does not need to handle how everything should be divided up equally."
"Mudbloods and half-bloods outnumber us twenty to one, we have to maintain our purity by whatever means necessary. That means perhaps taking extra time to divide the will and the estate. How about the eldest child gets the house and most of the money? It's a perfect compromise. Kill two birds with one stone."
"What if the eldest child is a daughter?" Abraxas asked. "Then what shall we do then?"
"The eldest son will inherit the fortune. I want to encourage my daughters to have as many children as possible so therefore there will be more pure bloods."
"It's a shame you never had a boy, Cygnus." Abraxas said with great sympathy. "How is Bellatrix? I would imagine she's doing well."
Cygnus hesitated and cleared his throat. "Oh, she's doing fine." Cygnus nodded and looked down into his tea.
"Any pitter patters of little feet coming?" Abraxas said, his thin lips curling into a grin. Cygnus shook his head.
"Neither one of them have discussed it so I assume no, but hopefully soon."
Abraxas leaned closer to Cygnus and said in a hushed voice, but still heard from the children's side of the table. Lucius seemed to be paying as much attention as Narcissa was. "I heard Hugo Lestrange was already in bed with You-Know-Who. He's already active in trying to get laws outlawing inter-blood marriages to be outlawed. He puts up a fine case, but nothing has gone through yet." Narcissa internally rolled her eyes, it was something she already knew through Bellatrix or the chattering between the Lestranges at dinner. The details were hazy and she didn't dare dwell on it in risk of either getting into a long discussion with them when all she wanted to do was listen to her new records.
"I suspect Rodolphus is in it as well and his brother. Smart, handsome lads they are. It would be a shame if the rumors were true. The Dark Lord could use that for his own will. He needs purebloods from respectable families."
Cygnus stiffened his lip and cleared his throat. "I would hope not."
"I do too. I'd hate to see smart, young purebloods be mixed up in such a nasty business. What those Lestrange brothers ought to do is get into politics perhaps become Minister or a Hogwarts governor. Not follow a psychopath whom they have no idea about. How much do they know about him anyway? Is Voldemort even his real name and is he really a pureblood? They have to be vigilant and smart. People are dying Cygnus, I have a feeling this will backfire in our faces."
Cygnus turned pale and suddenly became interested in his tea cup. "Yes. You're right Abraxas, absolutely."
Narcissa turned back to Lucius who looked like he was going to vomit, but not before giving Narcissa a kick in her shins. Narcissa leapt up from her seat and exhaled a loud squeal. The two men were too deep in their conversation to notice, except for a short glance from Cygnus. "What?" she snapped through a strained whisper, placing her hands on the table and keeping her bottom lip stiff.
"I should be asking you that question, Black." He snarled. "What was that kick for?"
"You were being a pretentious little snot!" Narcissa exclaimed softly. "You didn't answer my owls or even bother to tell me you were okay."
"I was busy." He said.
"That's a load of bullocks." said Narcissa, pointing at him using her butter knife for her biscuit. "I don't understand what your problem is, Lucius!"
"I don't have a problem!" Lucius said, slamming his fist on the table. "I've never had a problem to begin with! My mom's dead, and what's worse is-"
"You could've told me you were okay!" Narcissa snapped, throwing her napkin down over top of her biscuit and tea. "Father, Mr. Malfoy may I please be excused for a few moments."
"Sure." Cygnus said with a nod and returning back to face Abraxas. Lucius stood up and asked to be excused as well and followed behind her to the garden. Narcissa was aware of this, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was following her. She stormed out the doors of the Manor and back to the vast garden and decided to end their game of follow the leader, sitting down beside the fountain. She stuck her fingers into the cool water, running her finger tips down the slippery scales of the fish swimming in the pond and began to hum softly to them.
"Narcissa!" Lucius called.
Narcissa ignored him and stared into the fountain. "Narcissa?" he said again.
"Narcissa, can you please refrain from being spiteful? I didn't mean to hurt you." Lucius said in a sigh.
"But you have hurt me, Lucius. You have!" Narcissa said, removing her hand from the fountain. "I was worried sick."
"Sorry." He said shortly, placing his hand curled under his chin. Narcissa shot him a look and muttered under her breath, turning back to the fountain. "What now?" he exclaimed, sharply. "I said I was bloody sorry. Why don't you just drop it?"
"Why are you so cranky?" Narcissa said looking back at him with a snarl on her face. Lucius retreated back to his regular calm expression. Narcissa shot her eyebrow up and waited for him to speak, but he didn't say a word, until her hand was placed back in the fountain.
"I have a lot on my mind." He said finally.
"Tell me what's wrong, please? Maybe I can fix it." Narcissa said turning around and propping her elbows up on the fountain.
"No one can fix it. It had to be done." Lucius sighed and kicked a rock near the fountain out of view. Narcissa stepped up from the bench and touched his pale cheek so he'd look at her.
"Let me in." she muttered, walking toward him, till they were toe to toe, her hand gliding up his shoulders and through his hair. He leaned his lips towards hers. Impatiently, Narcissa pulled pressed her lips with his. He fell into her like his legs were weakened and slowly wrapped an arm around her in a sorrowful kiss. Narcissa could sense his pain and pulled him closer to her, till their bodies nearly became one.
"I know you're hurting Lucius. Tell me." She said only a centimeter apart from him.
Lucius quickly contained his composure for the sake of upholding the Malfoy manners, but his mask was cracking and inch by inch Narcissa could see the true him. The little boy who wanted someone to hold his hand and tell him, everything is going to be okay had replaced the stone faced young man. He was still as broken as he was at his mother's funeral.
"Vol-" he stopped and stared into the gravel walkway before meeting Narcissa's eyes. "You must promise never to say anything to Father. You must never speak a word, do you understand?"
"I promise."
"I-I had to save Father's life, but I regret it. I do."
"Why? What happened?" Lucius stopped and Narcissa touched his chin with the tip of her fingers. "Tell me." She mouthed, looking into his eyes as he turned away. "Look at me, dear." She said. He looked back into her blue orbs.
"Fath-Father has been making open statements against the Dark Lord and he made me join him in order to save his life." He pulled the sleeve of his robes up in order for Narcissa to see the snake exiting out of the mouth of an open skull. It was a deep, eerie black and it moved on his forearm. Narcissa shuddered when the Lestranges showed off their Marks to her and it was still as uneasy for her as it had been.
"I had to join him or he-"
"Lucius," Narcissa said covering her mouth. She saw him shake with the thought of losing the only person left in his life. Narcissa knew the Malfoy's had distant cousins, but not anyone close enough for Lucius to call real "family".
"There was no other way?" she asked.
"No." Lucius said, his voice cracking. "It's not an easy street. Your sister doesn't make it easy either. Especially when she uses the Cruciatus curse-"
"She did what? On you?" Narcissa shook her head and her fist balled. "I'll kill her. I'll kill that little bitch. Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine." He uttered, but to Narcissa he looked even more like a broken and confused child. She wasn't sure if this was the right decision in the long run. Bellatrix and Rodolphus seemed happy, but they did it by their own free will. Lucius however could choose to lose another parent and become an orphan or serve the rest of his days under Voldemort. She only hoped that things would improve, despite the bleak circumstance.
They sat in silence, staring into the ripples of the fountain and listening to the birds sing amongst themselves, unaware of their heart wrenching sorrow. She wanted to be a bird, so she could fly where ever the wind took her. She would sing sweetly and it would be a beautiful song. Maybe if they tried hard to have an animagus form, they could become birds and they could leave their broken families, their problems, worries and troubles behind. They would head for the coast and they would never have to worry about a damn thing again. However it wouldn't be that simple.
"I'm sorry." Lucius said, breaking her thoughts.
"For what?" Narcissa asked, taking an interest in his smell. The mixture of cologne and that smell of tea left on his robes enticing. Her mind started to trail off and her hands slid up and down the curve of his back and around to his chest. The muscles toned from years of Quidditch twitch under his robes at her touch. He responded by letting his hands slide down her waist and to her hip bone.
"About Marstellar, this Death Eater ordeal, I'm sorry." She watched his fingers dangle at the end of her hip and tapping gently against her robes, his fingers were rough like he desperately wanted was underneath the silk material.
"We'll get through it together." She said pressing her face against his and smiling. "All I can tell you is what Father had always told me. When you have something bad, make it good."
"Yes, but you haven't seen him and you don't want to."
"Whose him."
"Vol-The Dark Lord."
"Oh." Narcissa said, her eyes scanning his jaw and the smooth skin of his neck. "I know. I don't want you to be miserable. I want you to be happy."
"We'll get through it." Lucius said with a nod. "I've just been thinking about, what Marstellar had done to you lately, actually I've been thinking about it a lot. I feel so horrible about what I did. I didn't believe you. I should've listened and I'm sorry. I just don't want you to hold it against me. It's just when your mother put these ideas in my head, I couldn't help but think-"
"Wait, what did my mother say to you?" Narcissa interjected, taking a step back and her hands dropped from admiring him. Lucius paused and blinked several times, as if he were trying to find the right answer to her question or perhaps the answer she wanted to hear. Narcissa could feel her cheeks grow hot and her fist shake.
"She said that she found it odd that we met up together and she said you were fond of him, something like that. I wasn't in my right state of mind-"
"But she kept pushing you to believe that I had some sort of attraction to that scallywag?" she snapped.
"Yes, something along those lines."
"That-" she stopped herself from continuing any further, but instead kicked the gravel. Small rocks flew through the air, landing in various locations. "Ohhhhhhh." She hissed, stuttering on vulgar words and kicking at the ground in order to keep her composure.
"Please do not do something you'll regret." Lucius said wearily. "She's your mother."
"She's also a spiteful, bitter, villainous, vile woman! No wonder Father has ever shared a bed with her."
"Despite that, she's still your mother."
"I know, I know and that's the only reason why the bitch isn't six feet into her grave!"
"Sssh!" Lucius said, pressing her lips together with his fingers. "You shouldn't say things you don't mean."
"How would you know what I do and do not mean?"
"Believe me." Lucius emphasized. "You do not mean such things, you're only angry."
"I've been angry since I could remember!" Narcissa vented her voice rising with every word. "Ever since I could remember she's been a spiteful little witch! Sit up straight Narcissa! Be more like me Narcissa! You're a spoiled and ungrateful child Narcissa! I've been nothing, but kind to you Narcissa! She hasn't been kind, why should I be grateful for that. She has never gave me a simple compliment. You were right about one thing! She is a whore! She's a spiteful little whore! She's bitter, old and mean- she deserves everything she gets! She's a cold, evil, bitter, mean woman!" Narcissa couldn't think of anything more to say that would fit her, but she continued.
"And you know what? She isn't worth the time and energy to be killed. She isn't worth the fire it would take to burn her! Not even the words uttered to say the killing curse! She's going to die alone and cold the same way she lived and I hope she rots in it! It was one thing to ruin my childhood, force me to practice harpsichord for so many hours a day, to yell and scream at me, to make me feel like dirt for not being good enough or like her, but to ruin my engagement because I didn't want to spend time with her any more than I needed to is just cruel! It's spoiled and cruel!"
Narcissa inhaled and exhaled, but nothing could calm her down. Her face was red and her eyes madly stared off into the distance, scanning the horizon. Lucius remained in silence just in case she was in one of her lethal moods. After a minute or two, Lucius placed a hand on hers and asked.
"Feel better?"
"Yes— No—I guess. No." Narcissa said with a nod.
"Do you need a calming potion?" he asked. Narcissa shook her head and forced a smile on her face.
"No thank you." She said giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But you're sweet to offer."
Narcissa wanted to make sure she could feel all the emotions for tonight's dinner. Narcissa knew from the look on Lucius's face he was worried for not only her safety, but also Druella's. A witch or wizard didn't need her wand to effectively hurt or kill someone after all. He thanked their lucky stars potions didn't come easy to Narcissa.
Narcissa stared at her untouched plate of turkey, mashed potatoes, and baked cucumbers. Bellatrix sat beside her, talking to Rodolphus and Rabastan who looked bored to tears, sitting to the right of Cygnus and to the left was Fatima. Narcissa paying attention to the conversation, she didn't care. She didn't notice her father was pouring his fourth glass of wine or awkward look Rabastan was giving Fatima as they played footsy under the table.
She was waiting for Druella to take notice of her daughter's absence in their dinner. She wanted to grab her mother's attention this time, instead of tip toeing past her senses and praying she's not in the mood to speak to her. When she looked at that woman she imagined Druella putting ideas into Lucius's head with that acid tongue of hers. She was blasting herself in the foot, but that woman didn't care as long as it hurt her. She wanted to spite her own daughter for not obeying her every whim.
"Cissy, why are you so quiet?" Bellatrix asked leaning in to her. Narcissa looked up from her plate and looked at her sister. She had a few choice words for the temperamental hellion, but she had to fight one battle at a time. She forced a weak smile on her face and shook her head.
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh really?" Druella said loud enough for Narcissa to hear, but could easily pass as a mutter. "It's not like you're getting any curvier. You'll never keep a husband, only a dog wants a bone."
Narcissa turned to her and opened her mouth to say what was on her mind. She had been rehearsing it since she left the Malfoy Manor and revised and edited it at least ten times, but she was interrupted by Bellatrix's prattle.
"Are you sad?" she asked as Narcissa turned around with an apocryphal look of concern. "What did Luci do to you?" Before Narcissa could speak she pulled Narcissa close to her and she said in a sharp whisper. "Want me to ask the master to crucio him a few times or I could crucio him!" She said with a wide grin on her face and her eyes danced with excitement. She looked like a child in a candy store.
Rodolphus rolled his eyes and finished the rest of his glass of wine. Narcissa caught a glimpse of Cygnus's face sinking and he too finished his glass of wine and worked on the next. Her heart hit against her chest hard as she saw the despair written on his aging face.
"No." Narcissa spat, taking back her arm from her sisters grip. "No I don't. Lucius did absolutely nothing wrong, Bella. I'm not hungry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm not hungry."
"Narcissa," Druella said pretending to just take notice to the conversation. "You have to eat darling or you'll get sick. You're too skinny anyway. It's not good for bearing an heir."
"I'm only following your example, Mother." Narcissa said, letting the words glide off her tongue. The table grew quiet and their heads peaked up from their china dinner plates. Druella's eyebrows were raised so high they looked as if they were going to take flight off her face.
"What did you say, Cissy?" she asked, clenching the glass of wine in between her thin fingers.
"You never bore a son, a proper heir to the House of Black." Narcissa said staring straight forward. "I meant I'm only following your example, Mother."
"Oooooh." Rodolphus said, looking between the two women who looked almost identical with blonde hair and the same colored eyes. Druella glanced at Rodolphus and turned her gaze back to Narcissa. She tried to keep her motions calm, but Narcissa could tell on the inside she was raging.
"How dare you." She said softly. "How dare you! You will not have our guest believe you can speak to me any way you see fit. I am your mother and you will do as I say, how dare you!"
"No Mother," Narcissa said, shaking her head, but once again still not meeting Druella's cold gaze. "How dare you. You are so bitter and so spiteful that you dared to try and destroy my engagement."
"Ooooohhh." Rodolphus and Rabastan said together.
Druella's lip stiffed and she wrapped her thin fingers around her glass of wine and placed it to her lips. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said lowly.
"Oh really?" Narcissa asked, her eyes hitting her mother's finally with a cold glare. "So you mean to tell me that the reason why Lucius almost called off our engagement was for no reason? He suspected I had eyes on Benjamin Marstellar, which isn't true and after-." She stopped herself for a moment and continued. "What happened, it almost sealed our fate, because of you! You implanted it in his head, just to spite me about going to France with Father! You would cut off your nose to spite your face wouldn't you?"
"Is this true, Druella?" Cygnus asked with a concerned look on his face and his brow furrowing. He held his glass of wine in his hand, spinning the liquid goblet.
"You're lying!" Druella said slamming the glass of wine on the table, sending dark red liquid to splatter on the white table cloth. "I would do no such thing!"
Narcissa scoffed. "Really, after all the bitter things you've done in your past and you wouldn't do this?"
"No. I wouldn't. You're my daughter and I only want the best for my children."
"Oh, of course," Narcissa said, nodding her head like she sympathized with the older woman. "I'm sure if you really did care about us Andromeda would still be around or you'd at least have the common decency to make her leave like she was your daughter and not some common piece of trash! If you really wanted the best for us, Bellatrix would have actual friends and perhaps maybe be a little bit likeable to others! She took after you after all!"
Bellatrix nearly spat out her wine in Fatima's direction. Rodolphus, Rabastan and Fatima shared a silent laugh, until Bellatrix shot them all a look. "I resent that!" she snapped.
"No offense." Narcissa said dryly.
"Psh," Bellatrix scoffed. "No offense taken."
"I still love you." Narcissa said rolling her eyes.
"You are my youngest daughter, yet you are more disappointing than your mudblood-loving sister! You're an ungrateful, spoiled, bratty little, ill-natured-"
"HAVE I EVER ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING?" Narcissa screamed at her, standing up with so much force her chair fell backwards and almost hit a house elf. "HAVE I EVER ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING UNREASONABLE MOTHER?" she screamed, slamming her fist on the table. "I've never asked you for anything! Not you as a Mother or even Lucius's hand in marriage! I never asked you for anything!"
The table had gone completely silent, just the eyes of the other members at the table going back and forth between mother and daughter. Druella rose from the table, her mask of lady-like grace was slowly unraveling and the true Druella was peeking through. The Carnal Swan was rising from the ripples of the lake and spreading her wings.
"Now you listen here girl, this is my house and under my house you'll follow my rules. You will not embarrass me in front of our guest. I don't know where you got this idea girl, but this is a lie!"
"I heard it from the horse's mouth mother!"
"He's lying to you-"
"That's one hell of a lie! You never stop the lies!"
"It's not a lie! Why would I do that? You're my daughter?"
"I do not need to repeat myself Mother and you know why! You're a heartless, controlling, spiteful, cold woman! Nothing Bellatrix, Andromeda and I could ever do would satisfy you! Now I see why Father leaves for Paris now and then, to get away from you! You'd drive away a Saint to his own suicide! Some people can only take so much! Have you ever wondered what people say behind your back? About how cold and hateful you were in Hogwarts. Dru the Shrew, right?" Narcissa said, looking into her mother's icy eyes and continuing. "No one loves you, in fact no one remotely even likes you, but you know what, Mother? After everything you've done to me and everything you've done to others, I feel sorry for you-"
"You feel sorry for me?" Druella cackled. "Girl, you've lost your marbles. You're crazier than your-"
"This is my time Mother!" Narcissa growled, slamming her fist on the table so hard the glasses rattled. Her voice was so low as if demon possessed. Narcissa continued. "As much as I would like to hurt you for what you have done to me, I won't. In fact I pity you. I pity you because no one really gives a damn about you. I'll be married in two years and you'll be here all alone and I feel sorry for you."
"I don't need your pity, nor do I even want it." Druella snarled, folding her arms one over the other. "You're a disappointment, lower than the blood traitor. Not only have you openly defied your mother on more than one occasion, are spoiled rotten to the core, but you disrespect your own mother in the face of company!" Druella stopped to look ahead at Cygnus and glare. "You have nothing to say? Your daughter openly defies me, and you sit there like a lump on a log and you have nothing to say? Stop her, god damn it! Yell at her, do something, you useless-"
Cygnus looked at her and said in a smooth, collected voice; "Well Druella," he said, taking a sip from his wine. "If what Pixie has said is true, then I can understand her fury- although it was rather improper of her to bring it up in front of our guest, I can see how that would be offensive to you, Dru." He stopped to glance at the Lestranges who were laughing silently to themselves. When they saw Cygnus's serious stare their laughs ceased and both looked desperately for a distraction. Cygnus turned back to his wife. "However, my only concern is, if this accusation true or not."
Druella's eyes widened and her teeth bore like a werewolf out for blood. "You weakling of a man," she spat. "How dare you choose your spoiled little brat over your own wife!"
"That is very mature, Dru, resorting to name calling in the face of your own guilt." Cygnus said calmly placing his finger tips on both hands together. "You will no longer speak to my daughter this way. A pureblood wife is to remain neutral and passive, especially in public and she is to obey the will of her husband, if you continue to do so- Merlin help you."
"You will not make me the villain, Cygnus!"
"Then stop behaving as such, Dru."
"I am not."
"Yes, you are." Cygnus said his voice growing deep. "Since before our three daughters were born you resented motherhood and even after they were born you resented them even further. I was the one who told them stories, caught them as they fell, listened to them babble, and wipe the spittle off their chins, while you attended to your hair and make-up." Druella looked away into her almost empty glass of wine. "Look at me, Dru."
Her eyes turned to him and her jaw stiffened. "You are the villain. You'd slit your own throat, just to spite Narcissa or anyone for that matter. From now on you will do no such thing to any of my children. If I detect any sign you treating my Pixie as anything less than what she is, I will leave for Paris and I will take her with me and I will arrange the papers for our divorce."
"You wouldn't." Druella said her eyes widening with fear and anxiety. Divorce wasn't common in wizarding marriages, especially in pureblood ones. However there was a written law, if the marriage is far from the grips of saving a divorce can be granted. In pureblood marriages, divorce was unheard of. It would bring disgrace upon the wife and her upbringing would be criticized. The last pureblood divorce became so bloody, the wife ended her life with poison.
"Try me." Cygnus said with a glare.
Narcissa smiled weakly at father and attempted to sit down, but realized the chair was still lying on the dining room floor. Rodolphus flicked his wand and stood it upright. Narcissa thanked him with a nod and stared at her plate. The table was quiet for only a moment when Narcissa said in quiescent voice.
"You've never really loved me, Mother."
"Of course I do." Druella said, after a moment in a forced tone. "I love all my children- except the blood traitor."
Narcissa wanted to correct her, but she found this time to not be the time or the place. Love is everlasting, and though she did not like what Andromeda did, she could never hate her. She would always love her, but still remained resilient in her beliefs. Father missed her every day. She could see it in his big dark eyes. Narcissa had her proof. Her mother's tone forceful and absent, gave it away. She was behaving like someone asked her to eat sewage, instead of answering the question how much she loved her children. Narcissa was satisfied with her answer. She had all the proof she needed, now the only thing she could do was move on from it.
"My only hope, mum," Narcissa said. "Is that I will be a better mother than you will ever be and so the same for Bella if she wishes. I do love you despite what you have done-"
"I will not apologize for anything. Anything and everything I have done has been in your best interest. I will not talk to you until you have apologized to me for this outburst. I will not be made the antagonist by my own child under my own roof."
"I will not apologize, Mother."
"Then you are just as dead as the blood traitor!" she exclaimed, dismissing herself from the table and kicking a house elf across the dining area.
"Please say you're sorry." Bellatrix replied, sitting the stone bench by the glass doors of the menagerie. Narcissa had one of the parrots on her shoulder as she put fresh seeds into the owl and parrot cages. She enjoyed spending time in the menagerie listening to the birds sing as she fed them. Such tasks were reserved to house elves
"Why should I apologize?" she asked, turning around slightly, taking a handful of seeds from a turquoise porcelain bowel and placing it in the cage without looking. "I already told you what she did."
"Luci was only stirring up problems. He does so in the presence of the Dark Lord all the time. I don't see how-"
"Shut your mouth about him!" Narcissa snapped, glaring at her sister.
"I will not!" Bellatrix said slamming her foot down, her voice cracked with a mixture of enraged and hurt.
"I'm sorry." Narcissa said in a blank voice. "I didn't mean to make it personal." She was lying through her teeth. She still couldn't overlook her willingness to crucio him moments ago as quickly as she did in the past. She considered how many galleons it would take to hire a hit-wizard to take her down, but in the end it wasn't worth it.
"I forgive you." Bellatrix said kicking her legs out and yawning. "Ignorance is bliss."
Narcissa shot her a look, but continued feeding the birds and talking to the parrot perched on her shoulder. Bellatrix cleared her throat and continued. "The point is Cissy," Bellatrix said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You still have time with Mother to spend. About two years, correct? It's in your best interest to apologize and move on."
Usually she would receive such advice from Andromeda and Bellatrix would simply shrug her shoulders and prattle on about what she wanted to talk about. Narcissa couldn't decide if this was refreshing or scary change for her. It felt like she stepped through the looking glass and Bellatrix was changing just to mess with her head.
"I don't know, Bella." Narcissa said with a shrug. "If I give up-"
"You're not giving up, you're simply making peace. Apologize for the commotion at dinner and be done with it. She ignores your existence for a few days and then everything will be normal again. Well, at least as normal as it can be."
No one complained when Druella went on her silent treatment "punishments", they felt more like vacation. No matter what anyone did, she wouldn't say a word. Andromeda made a point to make her mad enough to get the silent treatment on several occasions to have some peace. It seemed to work, until Druella seemed to catch on.
"I do not feel sorry for what I did or said." Narcissa said in a shrug.
"It doesn't matter. Mum can hold onto a grudge until she's in her grave. Mother will simply make life worse for you if you don't apologize."
"Father said he wouldn't allow it."
"Father can only do so much without stepping on the toes of the Rosier's. Mum's side of the family can be blood sucking parasites."
"So can Father's. The Rosier's are mostly empty threats and howlers."
"True, but Father's side reserves their energy for a greater battle other than nagging frogs." Bellatrix said. "They don't care if the frogs dislike the way their daughter is treated. We have bigger fish to fry, like the blood traitors on our family tree-"
"Druella has been thinking about her happiness since day one. She doesn't give a damn about anyone else's."
"I suppose."
Narcissa looked at the parrot, finishing the seeds in her cupped hand and then turned to her sister. "Bellatrix?"
"Yes?" she asked staring at the bird cages.
"I have a sensitive question."
"Do you want a sensitive answer?"
"Sure."
"Then spill it out."
"Why haven't you and Rodolphus had any children yet? I mean, it's been a year and there's none in sight. There will be no heir to the Lestrange family. Aren't you concern?"
"I can't have children." Bellatrix said blankly with a shrug.
"What?" Narcissa questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," she said flatly, "The healer told me I can't and I shouldn't try. He said it was hereditary or something along those lines."
"Oh, I'm sorry." said Narcissa, her voice rising with sympathy.
Bellatrix frowned. "Why?"
"Doesn't that make you sad?" Narcissa asked, taking another scoop of seeds into her hand and letting the parrot feed from her hand again. The parrot whom she named Ivan, squawked a few words elusive words, before Narcissa spoke again. "I've always wanted children. I would die if I couldn't have any. It would make me feel less than a woman."
"Psh," Bellatrix scoffed. "I hate children. Snotty, crying and whiney little things and not to mention they're expensive. They're not a miracle, they're gross and the parents are worse. Every parent thinks their kid is the best thing ever. It's so tiring to listen to how little- whomever can place their blocks together. Do I even care? If you ever become a mother do not become like that. I will ban you and your brats from my home."
"Okay, okay." Narcissa sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry I asked. I didn't know you hated children this much."
"Oh, I do. Just don't tell Father. He'd never forgive me."
"There's nothing you can do if you can't have them."
"Well, he would want me to try."
"Merlin forbid you actually have to try at something that doesn't require someone writhing in agony or dying."
"I'm not that bad Cissy. You wait you'll see I'm right. If I ever had a child the house elves would pick up after him."
"That sounds splendid."
"Yes." Bellatrix exhaled and folded her arms. "Why would you want children to begin with, especially blondie's children?"
"As I said before, I've always wanted children, lots of them too."
"I don't know whether to be proud of you or commit you."
"Well that's your opinion Bellatrix. How is Rodolphus taking it?"
"He didn't seem too crushed by it. Hugo took it harder than we did."
"I can only imagine. I think it won't kill you to try, you never know you might like being a mother. I hear that children change you as a person. Children can be cute and it gives you something instead of lying around the house and doing whatever you're doing." Narcissa turned to Bellatrix who was occupying her attention by using the tip of her wand to fascinate a cage of canaries. "Bellatrix?"
"Huh?" Bellatrix said, spinning her wand lazily in a circle, resulting the cage to spin and melody of shrill cries broke through the gentile harmony. Bellatrix sneered at the twirling cage. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the horse puckey you were telling me."
Narcissa rolled her eyes and pulled Bellatrix's wand away from the spinning cage. "I believe you're scaring them."
"So?" she said raising her wand again.
"So stop it. Father won't be happy."
Bellatrix slid her wand back into her robes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You take the fun out of everything, Cissy."
Narcissa lured Ivan onto her outstretched index finger and placed him back in his cage. "Goodbye my little prince." She said locking the cage.
"So, I assume you're going to talk to Mother now?"
"Yes. I will."
"Good." She said getting up from the stone bench. "Roddy and I have to work to do in a couple of hours. I wanted to make sure nothing special happened without me."
"Thanks Bellatrix. I can always look up to you."
"I know, Cissy." She said with a wide smile.
The girls walked back into the manor, Narcissa dragged her heels into the grass to delay her fate. Rodolphus and Fatima were in an intense game of wizarding chess, one that Fatima seemed to have been wining. Rabastan watched intensely and was nodding to Fatima a few times when Rodolphus wasn't looking.
Rodolphus saw the pair cooperating from the corner of his eye. "Stop giving her the answers!" Rodolphus exclaimed, hitting his brother on the arm with a clenched fist
"Checkmate!" Fatima said pumping her fist, and slapping hands with Rabastan. "Doesn't matter I win!"
Rodolphus folded his arms and pouted and looked up to see Bellatrix. "Is everything solved out?" he asked, his expression still cold as stone.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Can you just mind your own business?" Bellatrix snapped at him. Rodolphus flipped her the bird when her back was turned to nod at Narcissa.
"Are you okay?" asked Fatima, accidentally touching hands with Rabastan, pulling away from him and turned back to Narcissa.
"We'll see. I'm going to talk to her." Narcissa said taking a deep breath and walking up the stairs. Every step she took felt heavy and caused her heart to beat harder through her chest. She gripped the banister so strong her knuckles cracked. Every possible situation went through her mind until finally she was at the top of the staircase and her mind drew a blank.
The oak door was shut as tight as it normally was, but something about the brown and gold decorated door seemed intimidating. Narcissa took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. She held her breath as she waited for a reply, however it was completely silent.
Narcissa let out another small breath and placed the side of her face to the cold door. "Mother?" she said, placing her red lips to the door.
"What?" she heard Druella croak.
"I am ready- ready to apologize for how my actions played out. That was improper of me to insult you in front of our guests. I love you, Mother and I don't want you to hate me for my anger. I have to learn to control myself. Mother, may I please come in?"
Druella remained silent behind the door. Narcissa held her breath and pressed her ears closer to the door. She heard movement in the room and felt her palms sweating through the robes she gripped tightly in her fist. She listened carefully for what seemed like hours until the sound of the lock on the door pop and the golden knob turned. The oak door creaked open. Druella's back was turned and her wand was placed on the vanity toward Narcissa. Druella stared straight forward into the vanity her graying blonde hair was hanging past her shoulders. Her blue eyes glanced to Narcissa and her lips spread into a small grin.
"Come in, my child." she said, motioning her with her long red polished fingernail.