Chapter Twenty Eight

A/N: Thank you to SunPotion7961, Nevaeh -Rose Malfoy and kpop1392as for reviewing.

The morning of the Yule Ball dawned crisp and peaceful, a blanket of snow draping over the grounds of the castle, making it seem almost like an illustration in a book of fairytales. Narcissa sat at her window, watching as the sun painted the landscape pink and orange and fiery red, before finally allowing its pale beauty to shine through. It all seemed so peaceful here, so serene; it was difficult to remember the night's grand festivities were only as the result of a festival of bloodshed.

Her gown hung in pride of place on the front of her armoire, the emerald satin seeming to glow in the early light. She had chosen green not only because it suited her colouring well- though of course that was one of her greatest concerns- but also as tribute to Slytherin House, where she suddenly would have attended, had things not gone awry in the awful way that they had. Still, there was a sense of unity with those people, her fellow Purebloods, that she had never quite experienced at Beauxbatons. She felt more a member of their small community than she did her own.

Andromeda had knocked on her door early in the morning, gushing over plans to ready themselves for the ball. It was so very unlike Andromeda, who usually could not care less about her appearance as long as her face was clean and hair brushed, that Narcissa had to blink a couple of times before she could answer. She could not pretend, however, that she had not hoped this would happen. After all, any time she could spend with her sister was precious to her.

"Oh, Cissy, it's beautiful!" Andromeda breathed, running her hands along the soft fabric of the gown. "It'll suit you perfectly."

"Mother helped me to choose it." Narcissa responded, wincing a little when she saw her sister flinch. The last time Andromeda had seen her mother had been the same day that Narcissa had last seen her father; it was an occasion they would both much rather forget.

"She always did have good taste, especially when it came to you." Andromeda allowed, her voice seeming distant, as if she were speaking of a historical figure instead of her own mother. True, the girl had no grudge against Druella- she had made her decision to stay where she was just as Narcissa had made the decision to leave- but the fact was, she did not know the woman anymore. "Then again, it was never difficult to make you look beautiful. You're like a little china doll."

"Thank you very much." Narcissa replied, her voice edged with sarcasm. She took the gown from her sister's hands, disappearing behind the curtains of her bed.

"I ought to get ready myself, really." Andromeda called, her eyes flitting towards the door. "We aren't all like you, with only a spritz of perfume to make us look perfect. Some of us actually need the time."

"Trying to impress someone, are you?" A smile was spreading slowly across Narcissa's face, but it soon faded, when her only answer was the sound of the door closing firmly on its hinges.

Narcissa felt a shiver of unease run through her body, though she did not quite know why. There was something about Andromeda keeping secrets from her, even after all these years they had spent apart, that put her on edge.

The jade silk of Narcissa's skirt whispered across the floor as she walked, as graceful as the young woman who wore it. Her golden hair was wound intricately atop her head and held in place by emerald hairpins, which shimmered in the light of the torches lining the walls. Her mother's aim had been achieved tenfold; she would not have looked out of place as an illustration herself.

Not that she cared much about impressing her date for the evening. Edric Toubeau was the distant descendent of the famed Boniface Toubeau, a junior member of the French Ministry and, according to her mother, 'a perfectly wonderful and eligible young man'. True, Druella was extremely sensitive to her daughter's feelings, but she was still a Pureblood born and raised, and the importance of bloodlines had certainly not been lost with her marriage.

When she finally reached the doors to the ballroom, Edric was deep in conversation with a few of his friends. Quite a few young men from the nearby towns had been invited to the night's events, mostly for the sake of evening the numbers a little, and aside from a pitiful display of flirting with some of the older girls, they did not seem interested in the Yule Ball whatsoever.

Narcissa clenched her fists, digging her nails lightly into her palm with the effort of keeping silent, and began to make her way towards Edric. But before she had the chance to reach him, another young man stepped into her path. The girl's palm fell open, her mouth curving into a smile.

"Are you alright?" she questioned gently, taking in the blond boy's wide eyes and open mouth.

Lucius chuckled a little and dragged his eyes back up to meet her own, finally pulled back to reality. "I'm fine, thank you. You look… incredible."

"You don't look too bad, either." Narcissa laughed. "But not a thread of Slytherin green in sight."

The young man reached up to straighten his silver tie, smirking softly. "Not tonight. You, on the other hand, seem determined to join our ranks. Slytherin seems to suit you."

"I suppose it's in my blood." She ought to have been flattered that he had realised her intentions, but Narcissa's voice had turned distant by then, her eyes fixed on the girl chuckling with her companions, draped head to toe in jewel-encrusted velvet. "I don't recognise her."

"Margaret Yaxley." Lucius sighed, his voice heavy with boredom. "My mother insisted. She's quite the matchmaker, since I'll be leaving Hogwarts at the end of the year."

"I know the feeling." Narcissa responded, glancing over her shoulder to where Edric was still deep in conversation with his pals. "Don't get me wrong, my mother would never force me into anything, but she certainly doesn't mind nudging me in the 'right direction'. After all, I'm only sixteen, but… well, most of the Sacred Twenty-Eight are based in Britain, and I live in France. It'll take double the efforts to marry me off it would take the girls at Hogwarts."

"I doubt it'll even take you half the efforts." Lucius commented in return, his gaze so intense that her cheeks began to flame. "France or not, you're the most eligible girl in Europe. Even if you don't realise it."

It took a few moments for Narcissa to even consider a response, and by the time she had done so, the trumpets had begun to sound, beckoning the Champions to take their places in the procession. And so the two of them split apart, Narcissa to Edric and Lucius to Margaret, each trying their best to keep to themselves that they would far rather be dancing with each other.

A/N: So, quite a few hints of the future here! Please review!