Hear ye, hear ye, a new story is in town! Round 6 is upon us and the Harpies are still in the race! Hope you enjoy this weird little interaction that popped up in my head while looking for a pairing for Narcissa Malfoy, big big shout out to the Harpies but especially our cap, The Cinder Crown, our third chaser, theforbiddenforest, and our lovely second beater, gingerdream, for their super helpful beta!
Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, as a keeper for the Holyhead Harpies.
Prompt: Narcissa Malfoy/Charlie Weasly
Word count: 2214
There were many words to describe Narcissa Malfoy. The ones used most often were: elegant, imposing, intimidating, prejudiced, cold, distant. The one that she most prided herself in though was "mother". Narcissa would do anything for her son; she had lived her whole life trying to secure her son's happiness. She had once been misguided about what that entailed and that was the single biggest regret of her life. So, when Draco had come back from traveling the world and announced he'd eloped, she was reluctant but, at the end of the day, content to see a smile back on his face.
The aftermath of the war had been very difficult for Draco. The trauma, in addition to the struggle of coming to terms with a sexuality he'd denied himself for years, had taken a toll and, a few months after his very public, drunken break up with Astoria Greengrass, he'd packed up and left Wizarding Britain, only to return 3 years later with a Weasley on his arm.
Which brought Narcissa to a situation she'd never have expected to find herself in: having tea with the redhead that had apparently stolen her son's heart. Her cool and polite demeanor, perfected through years of being a socialite, hid her panicked mind well behind a mask of indifference. In direct contrast to her, Charlie Weasley was the epitome of ease: his legs crossed at the ankle, posture straight but confident and eyes gazing out the large windows, as if he wasn't sitting in the home of the people that had belittled and harassed his family for years.
She had to admit the man was well-behaved and seemed to be more aware of manners than his younger siblings. His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, his clothes clean and well-pressed and he'd even stood up when she'd entered the room. She had to admit it to herself, if it had to be a Weasley, her son had chosen the best one.
"So, Charlie. I'm aware you're a few years older than my Draco – enough to not have known each other at Hogwarts. How did your relationship come to be?" she asked, finally starting the conversation like a perfect hostess always should.
Charlie's smile widened and he placed his teacup on the table before speaking.
Another point for my new son-in-law.
"I'm working at the dragon reserve in Romania. Your assumption is right though, I'd never even seen Draco before he showed up as a volunteer — I'd only known what my youngest brother Ron would complain about. I didn't even recognize him in his first few days of working there; his hair might be a dead giveaway here, but we see a lot of people of Veela heritage over there. Then, one day, he came up to me to apologize. I'm sure you probably know this already, but my brother Fred died in the Battle of Hogwarts, and my older brother Bill was injured when the Death Eaters invaded the castle in Draco's sixth year. I forgave him, of course — there is no point in holding on to past sorrows, they will only weigh us down — and it all went from there."
As the wizard spoke, Narcissa could feel herself relaxing a little more with every word. His voice held a warmth when mentioning her son, a tone she recognized from herself and her late husband.
Many assumed her relationship with Lucius had been arranged and void of any feelings, like most pureblood marriages, but she was lucky enough to have truly loved him and, in return, truly been loved by him. She was delighted to see that her son had found the same level of devotion and understanding with someone.
"Draco has always been fascinated by dragons, being his namesake and all, but – as much as it may reflect badly upon us – Malfoys have never been much for volunteering."
Charlie laughed at her comment,a true laugh, without any pretense of social obligation. "That's more true than you can ever imagine. He came to the sanctuary looking for some sort of absolution, trying to drown himself in manual labor. It was a win-win situation, best case scenario being that he built a quaint life somewhere his past wouldn't find him, worst case he got eaten by a beast, and the world was better off for it. I think we both know he can be quite self-destructive and deprecating when he wants to, it took me so long to snap him out of it." Narcissa could see Charlie's eyes glaze over as he remembered the events surrounding how he met her son.
"On his third day, he actually nearly burned his hand off," he continued. "His heart was in the right place and his admiration for the dragons was palpable but he could barely remember which dragon ate what, let alone proper treatment protocols. Even if we hadn't ended up together, I'm glad he reached out to me – I doubt he would have lasted a month on his own."
Narcissa chuckled at that. Her son had always had the best intentions when it came to animals but he was more clumsy than one would suspect. "I know what you mean. We used to have peacocks when he was little and he would love to feed and pet them, but he could never understand why they would peck his fingers when he tried to touch them as they ate."
"Oh yes, I remember he told me about the peacocks. It's actually his Patronus, they are the first thing he mentions when he thinks back to his childhood. We even took in an orphaned Kneazle back home; he's quite difficult when it comes to humans but a total bleeding heart with animals and beasts. I know he didn't send you any pictures but we have an album with us, I can show you his first time a Welsh Green let him pet her. I hadn't seen him looking so light and free until that day — I think that might have been when I fell for him."
"I'd like that," Narcissa murmured fondly. For all his desire to keep in touch with her and check in to make sure she was okay, Draco rarely spoke about his own adventures in his letters, let alone send pictures.
"I know you haven't read much about me in the Prophet or in your circles and that's because I'm just not as popular as my siblings. Ginny is a Quidditch star, Ron is obviously a war hero, George and Fred had the shop, they always loved the spotlight." Charlie chuckled and it was clear to see he was close and held no ill will towards his siblings' fame.
"I, on the other hand, have never been that good with people. They never made sense to me, not like dragons did. Which is why I'm just so lucky to have met Draco, and I'm not just saying that to appease you. Although my work in the reserve is appreciated, I've never felt at ease with the other Dragonologists. I don't even think I have that many friends – especially not after the war. I hadn't realized how much I needed him until your son came into my life."
Charlie's eyes were a clear reflection of his inner thoughts — the boy had clearly not been raised having to guard himself from everyone. It was a jarring contrast to most of her associates but a welcome one.
Narcissa could clearly see the honesty on his face – him not wanting to hide it made her even more joyous. Charlie Weasley didn't view his relationship with her son as a weakness, a vulnerability; no, he was proud of it, ready to declare his love to anyone who asked. In an uncharacteristic emotional move, she reached forward and clasped his hands in his.
"Thank you. I'm sorry if I was frigid when you first came into my home yesterday. To be honest with you, I wasn't sure of your intentions at first. Eloping after such a short time of meeting each other felt like a rushed move and it was not just the possibility of Draco's regret that birthed doubts. Our name might be tarnished these days and our houses ruined but, amongst the pureblood circles, there are countless witches and wizards that would sully themselves if it guaranteed them access to the Malfoy and Black vaults. The one thing I've ever wanted was for my son to know happiness and love and I'm grateful to see he has found those in you. I'm sorry for all the suffering me and my own have caused your family – Bella's crimes haunt our people and I can never make up for it." Charlie's candidness, while easing Narcissa's doubts, also brought her great shame for what the past relationship between the two families had been. .
"I still have a lot of adjusting to do in this new world. Draco does too but he's lucky to have you by his side. I hope you're prepared for the uproar your union will cause once the papers find out and I ask you don't blame my son for any of it. You, Charles Weasley, have given my son his second chance and I will be forever in your debt for that. You are always welcome in my house and don't hesitate to reach out to me for anything you might need."
"Mrs. Malfoy-"
"Please, son, call me Narcissa, we are family now." The widow waved the formality away dismissively, once again withdrawing to a more reserved state after her big declaration but still more comfortable than at the start of their evening.
"Narcissa then." The red head nodded with a small smile. "Thank you for your kind words. I think you're overestimating my abilities but I appreciate it; let's see if you still feel the same after dinner with the whole Weasley family this Sunday."
Narcissa's terror must have been evident because it caused her son-in-law to chuckle and pat her hand sympathetically. She wasn't really sure how she hadn't figured she'd have to face the Weasleys at some point. Although Molly was not really big on pureblood traditions, she knew the Weasley matriarch would want to meet her son's new husband and his family.
Draco walked in just then, kissing his mother's cheek before pulling a chair next to Charlie. "I see you didn't wait for me to tell her, then." He laughed, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.
"I wouldn't have had to if you were here on time." Charlie scolded him playfully, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers in a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry though, Narcissa, mum's happy enough that I'm no longer a bachelor that she wouldn't care if you guys were Grindelwald's family."
Narcissa nodded silently, still too stunned to speak. Sure, Charlie's words may be reassuring but she could still vividly recall Molly Weasley's ferocious fight with her late sister. She had a hard time believing the woman would suddenly forget her son was now married to an ex-Death Eater.
"Don't worry, Mother, it will be difficult for both of us so we can keep each other company." Draco butted in, clearly sensing and understanding his mother's distress. "Come now, Charlie, we need to leave or we're going to be late — I can't have you complaining about it for the rest of the day."
With a playful slap at her son's arm, Charlie got up and tilted his head towards Narcissa in a semi-bow. "Thank you so much for the tea, Narcissa, it was lovely. As your son so rudely put it, we have another engagement to attend to. We'll owl you the details for Sunday, have a great day."
Narcissa stayed sitting as the boys left, trying to process everything. She could still hear their chatter as they walked down the hallway, the Manor's walls echoing with hushed whispers.
"How was it? Was she difficult? I know she can be scary but I swear-"
"Don't worry, Draco, it really was lovely. Your mother's sweet; she really cares for you."
"It's just, after Father's Kiss, she's a lot more protective. She's suffered more than she lets on because of the war and I'm the only family she has left."
"She has a right to be protective — trust me, after growing up with Mum, nothing phases me anymore."
"Are you sure? Because I can talk to her if-"
"Draco, stop, listen to me. Your mother seems to like me and I like her too. You have nothing to worry about, dragă, okay?"
"I'm sorry. Coming back to Britain has been harder to handle than I thought."
"It's okay. I love you."
The middle-aged witch smiled to herself as the voices faded. Draco was okay. Draco was in love. She would suffer through anything to see her son finally free from the weight of the world. She had already defied the Dark Lord for him, dinner with the Weasleys seemed more daunting but she would bear it for him. People might have a lot of terms, some of them derogatory, to describe Narcissa Malfoy but no one could ever doubt she was a good mother.