Part Two:
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."
Narcissa watched through her thin black veil as the small, black marble box, encrusted with silver snakes, was lowered into the ground. Her son, or the remains of him, were in the box.
I killed him. All my fault.
But nobody knew that. By the time Narcissa had gotten help, the fire had gone out...and Malfoy Manor was destroyed. Not burned to the ground, but basically uninhabitable: the rooms were charred. They'd found Draco's remains, a pile of ashes, in his bed.
Everyone at the funeral was looking at Narcissa with the deepest sympathy. Poor, brave woman: her dear husband in husband, her house destroyed, and her son dead. But she managed to keep her head held high, wearing a look similar to that of a wounded Princess Diana. So brave.
Ha! If they only knew the truth, Narcissa thought. The box sank into the ground, and she wanted to scream. My baby! The same "baby" that made her want to cry whenever she looked at him. Because she could see the horrible truth: he was going to be just like his father.
But now he was dead.
Mrs. Goyle and her sons Tristan and Gregory, a friend of Draco's, were there. So were Mrs. Crabbe and her son Vincent, another friend of Draco's. Both of their husbands were in Azkaban, too, but at least they had their sons and their homes. Mrs. Goyle and Mrs. Crabbe were supposed to be friends with Narcissa, and had both comforted her. But Narcissa didn't particularly care for them.
Narcissa saw a blond-haired girl sobbing. Must be Draco's girlfriend, Pansy, she thought. Narcissa was reminded of a younger version of herself...
She felt an arm go around her shoulder. It was her sister, Bellatrix, in a thick veil. Even though everyone at the funeral was connected to the Death Eaters, she couldn't risk being seen. Narcissa hated her sister, but she'd never revealed that. She and Bella had always been close, it had been Andromeda that had been the outcast.
The funeral party began to disperse as the box reached it's destination six feet below. Dirt was being throw on it. Narcissa's knees were trembling, as were her chin, but she kept her emotions in check...as always.
"Narcissa...I have to go back now," Bella said. "Write if you need anything, your owl knows where I am."
"Thank you." Narcissa hugged her older sister, knowing that she'd never take her up on the offer. Just go away.
There were many BANGS as the older attendees Disapperated from the funeral, and many of Draco's friends and their family's headed down the hill. Narcissa caught a glimpse of a young woman in a veil similar to her own, with straight black hair. Must be a friend of Draco's, Narcissa assumed, and she headed down the hill.
She was staying with the Crabbe's, "Just until things turn around," Ophelia Crabbe said with a wink. Her husband was going to be in the next breakout, too. It made Narcissa's stomach lurch to think about it...
The Crabbe's had thoughtfully offered to throw a small gathering after the funeral. Just some of the attendees, with some food. Though she knew she should be greeting the guests, Narcissa hid in a corner, sitting in one of the Crabbe's plush chairs. Most of the people came over to hug her or shake her hand. Poor Narcissa Malfoy...
Suddenly, the mysterious girl from the funeral appeared, with the black veil. "Oh, um...you must've been a friend of Draco's," Narcissa said. The veiled figure shook her head. "Oh...well, who are you?"
The figure removed her veil. The face...so familiar...Andromeda?
"Hello, Aunt Narcissa."
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."
Narcissa watched through her thin black veil as the small, black marble box, encrusted with silver snakes, was lowered into the ground. Her son, or the remains of him, were in the box.
I killed him. All my fault.
But nobody knew that. By the time Narcissa had gotten help, the fire had gone out...and Malfoy Manor was destroyed. Not burned to the ground, but basically uninhabitable: the rooms were charred. They'd found Draco's remains, a pile of ashes, in his bed.
Everyone at the funeral was looking at Narcissa with the deepest sympathy. Poor, brave woman: her dear husband in husband, her house destroyed, and her son dead. But she managed to keep her head held high, wearing a look similar to that of a wounded Princess Diana. So brave.
Ha! If they only knew the truth, Narcissa thought. The box sank into the ground, and she wanted to scream. My baby! The same "baby" that made her want to cry whenever she looked at him. Because she could see the horrible truth: he was going to be just like his father.
But now he was dead.
Mrs. Goyle and her sons Tristan and Gregory, a friend of Draco's, were there. So were Mrs. Crabbe and her son Vincent, another friend of Draco's. Both of their husbands were in Azkaban, too, but at least they had their sons and their homes. Mrs. Goyle and Mrs. Crabbe were supposed to be friends with Narcissa, and had both comforted her. But Narcissa didn't particularly care for them.
Narcissa saw a blond-haired girl sobbing. Must be Draco's girlfriend, Pansy, she thought. Narcissa was reminded of a younger version of herself...
She felt an arm go around her shoulder. It was her sister, Bellatrix, in a thick veil. Even though everyone at the funeral was connected to the Death Eaters, she couldn't risk being seen. Narcissa hated her sister, but she'd never revealed that. She and Bella had always been close, it had been Andromeda that had been the outcast.
The funeral party began to disperse as the box reached it's destination six feet below. Dirt was being throw on it. Narcissa's knees were trembling, as were her chin, but she kept her emotions in check...as always.
"Narcissa...I have to go back now," Bella said. "Write if you need anything, your owl knows where I am."
"Thank you." Narcissa hugged her older sister, knowing that she'd never take her up on the offer. Just go away.
There were many BANGS as the older attendees Disapperated from the funeral, and many of Draco's friends and their family's headed down the hill. Narcissa caught a glimpse of a young woman in a veil similar to her own, with straight black hair. Must be a friend of Draco's, Narcissa assumed, and she headed down the hill.
She was staying with the Crabbe's, "Just until things turn around," Ophelia Crabbe said with a wink. Her husband was going to be in the next breakout, too. It made Narcissa's stomach lurch to think about it...
The Crabbe's had thoughtfully offered to throw a small gathering after the funeral. Just some of the attendees, with some food. Though she knew she should be greeting the guests, Narcissa hid in a corner, sitting in one of the Crabbe's plush chairs. Most of the people came over to hug her or shake her hand. Poor Narcissa Malfoy...
Suddenly, the mysterious girl from the funeral appeared, with the black veil. "Oh, um...you must've been a friend of Draco's," Narcissa said. The veiled figure shook her head. "Oh...well, who are you?"
The figure removed her veil. The face...so familiar...Andromeda?
"Hello, Aunt Narcissa."