Author's notes: I hope you like it!

Ice Queen

The Malfoy mansion was beautiful. She had to admit that. Even on her 'bad' days, in her worst tempers, Narcissa Malfoy remained entranced by the house. During the first months of her marriage she'd had taken to wandering through it, exploring her new palace with childish glee. She would run her hands along the thick oak banisters and tiptoe barefoot through the stone hallways, amazed this magical house was finally hers.

Lucius often teased Narcissa about her sentimentality towards their house, joking that she seemed to love the mansion more than she loved him. Narcissa had always liked that joke and loved the routine kiss that followed as Narcissa convinced him who she really loved. It was contrived and slightly corny, but at the same time comfortable and sweet. Narcissa had always imagined that they'd share that joke until they were old, with their grandchildren groaning in disgust at their foolish kisses.

But then things had changed.

Narcissa couldn't put her finger on when they did. It was too gradual for that. It was just one morning, with her wishing that she hadn't woken up next to the man gently snoring beside her, one evening, with her realising that her husband hadn't made it home before ten in a while. It was a thousand and one instances in time, a thousand and one instances in which it gradually dawned on Narcissa that she was dreadfully unhappy.

And the joke, the joke that was meant to last until she was seventy, hadn't even survived a year before Narcissa was biting her lip, trying to stop herself from bitterly pointing out,

"It's not really surprising that I love the house more than you, you selfish prick!" she yelled, angrily stamping her foot in frustration. "I'm never allowed out of this place. I'm shut up in it like a tombwhile you seem to use it as a personal hotel. You only stay for a few hours for food or drink before you're gone again. In the past week I haven't seen you for more than three hours together- not that I'm complaining," she added scathingly.

A shocked and angry face stared back at her in disbelief, but as the minutes passed it didn't change, no vision came. She remained an angry, slightly strange young woman, yelling at her reflection in the mirror. It seemed that, even her imagination, Narcissa didn't quite dare yell at Lucius.

After a few moments of heavy silence Narcissa calmly smoothed her angry features and left the small bathroom. She quickly made her way to the large entrance hall, already knowing she was late.

Reaching the hall, she teetered at the doorway looking in dread at the throng of helpers that were gathered in preparation for the party tonight. They stood in little groups, huddled and whispering importantly. There were people there for everything; the flowers, food, colours, party charms, wine, music…everything. But Narcissa stood, stock still in the doorway, not sure if she was brave enough to go in.

'Narcissa, don't dawdle,' her mother told her, a hint of annoyance creeping into her sweet voice. 'Let's go into the other room, honey. That's where all the fun is.'

Narcissa didn't want to go. She looked at the big house, the giant's house, in childish awe. The entrance hall was magnificent. It had a majestic staircase of oak, which curled into the centre of the room. Guests milled around the grand entrance, their bright and beautiful dress robes contrasting with the dark timbre of the Malfoy house. There were flowers everywhere, huge white lilies in vases of swirling glass. Narcissa sniffed contentedly, smelling with excited raptures the delicate scent that floated on the air.

It was a fairytale castle, she decided. And if she stayed there long enough something amazing would happen. The little girl just knew it.

Narcissa's mother, containing her irritation at her unmoving child, smiled to the woman with the pale blue eyes. 'I'm sorry,' she said, embarrassed. 'This is her first party. She's probably just a bit shy.'

'No problem.' The tall lady looked down at Narcissa and smiled, though her eyes remained cold. Ice Queen, Narcissa thought. 'Big groups like this often intimidate me too,' the queen whispered conspiratorially. 'Come on, we'll face them together, shall we?' she asked, holding out a pale, thin hand.

Narcissa was horrified by the idea but, seeing her mother's no-nonsense look, she tremblingly reached out for the Queen's outstretched fingers. Narcissa felt a cold, vice-like grip before she was almost dragged from the hallway. Swiftly stumbling behind the Queen, she briefly registered a maze of many doors and passageways that the tall lady quickly navigated her through. It's like Thesius and the Minotaur, Narcissa thought. You'll never find your way out.

'Sorry ma'am I'm lost,' a voice admitted sheepishly. 'Where's your fireplace?'

Narcissa glanced up to see the man who had come to deliver the flowers. 'It's…' her mind flew through the many corridors and turns that lead to the sitting room. 'Oh, I'll just show you,' she said, sighing in irritation. 'It's easy to loose your way in this place.'

'Thanks I'd appreciate that.'

Narcissa stood and, making sure that the house-elves continued to work, beckoned to the delivery man.

'Follow me.' She led him through the main corridor, amused to note that he didn't walk behind her but kept pace, side by side. As if they were equals.

'You're American aren't you?' she asked, after a few moments of awkward silence.

'That's right ma'am.' The man grinned at her. 'I guess my accent gave me away, huh?'

Narcissa merely smiled.

'You got a lovely place here,' he observed, whistling softly as they passed through the large stone archway that led to the main corridor. 'Now that's impressive,' he noted, nodding at a large statue of a man, standing naked and severe, in the corner of the passageway.

Narcissa tried not to roll her eyes. She'd always hated that statue. On coming in to the house a battle had been waged as to the fate of it. Narcissa had thought it was vulgar and crude, while Lucius had declared that he loved it. Needless to say, it had stayed.

Narcissa continued down the passageway but the American stayed to admire the statue. Narcissa stopped and gave a little cough, a subtle hint that he was not a guest in her house. But he didn't move. Narcissa, starting to dislike this man, suddenly had the overwhelming urge just to leave the irritating American and get back to her preparations.

But good manners and years of patience kept her in her place.

'That's somethin' special,' the American finally concluded, nodding his head once more in approval.

'Yes, it's something all right,' murmured Narcissa. Unwilling to wait any longer she started to walk away, assuming a quick pace that she hoped would deter further conversation with this American flower boy.

'See that's why I like it here.' The American ran to catch up with Narcissa and breathing heavily, continued, undeterred. 'Class,' he said brazenly. 'You Brits, you have class. Especially the ladies, I mean woo.' The American sucked air into his cheeks in an impressed fashion. 'The ladies are something special. Like you, we'd never get someone like you back at home.'

Narcissa blinked. Why is he talking to me this way?

'I mean you're a very classy lady.'

Oh no, Narcissa thought, mentally groaning. He's trying to flirt with me.

'Classy lady, classy house.' The American nodded, as if he had a point. 'Though it must get pretty lonely here, with your husband at work during the day.'

Why not just throw me over your shoulder and take me home with you, Narcissa thought, irritated. At least that would be subtler.

'I..' the American started to stay, but Narcissa cut him off quickly.

'I have to go back to the other room,' she lied, determined to end the conversation.

'I thought you were going to show me the way to your fireplace.'

'It's easy to find from here. Just go to the end of the corridor, it's the second door on your left,' Narcissa quickly informed him. She knew full well that the sitting room was nowhere near there, but she was in no mood to do this man a favour. She turned to leave, but the American hadn't finished.

'You're husband's lucky to have you,' he said nodding his head in a grave fashion. Narcissa half-expected to hear sappy music start playing in the background as he sighed, still nodding his head like one of those ridiculous muggle-dogs you saw in cars. 'You're a good woman,' he told her, wistfully.

I'm not, Narcissa thought coldly, it's just that you're less appealing than shrivelled skunk.

'Are you sure you need to go?' he asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

Narcissa was incredulous. Who the hell did he think he was? 'I have to,' she said, looking sad and sweet. She took a step closer to him and looked up, blinking her blue eyes innocently. 'It's my house-elf,' she explained in a whisper, 'I can't leave him alone for a second. You know,' she smiled her most dazzling smile, 'what servants are like.' Eyes cold, she looked pointedly at his bright pink and blue delivery uniform.

It took him a second to get it, then a blush spread across his cheeks and he took a step back. Narcissa smiled brightly, she had won.

'Well it was nice to meet you,' Narcissa concluded. 'Um, sorry what was your name again?'

'Mr Nott, and the lady beside him is Mrs Nott,' her mother informed her. 'Over there are the Lestranges and then of course there are the Malfoys.'

Narcissa listened dutifully, matching the new faces with the names she'd heard since she was a baby. The Malfoy's Christmas parties were famed as 'the' pureblood occasion of the year – though nobody would ever name it as such – so when Narcissa had heard that she would finally be allowed to go, she had spent many sleepless nights in a wound up state of anticipation.

But now, actually at the event, surrounded by endlessly talking adults and the horrible vegetable buffet, she just wished she could go and play.

Narcissa had withstood an hour of countless introductions, an hour of hair fussing and cheek pinching by her parent's cooing friends.

'What a little angel,' the women would simper, red wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. 'Just absolutely sweet.' They would then peck her on the cheek, dispelling their approval with a mark of bright red lipstick. The men would let her choose their cigars, smoking being the only muggle habit that the purebloods would allow. Narcissa loved playing with the cigars, picking up the thick brown sausages and smelling them. The men would laugh and her eagerness and call her, 'a cherub.'

And so at Malfoy's annual Christmas party, with cigars and red lipstick, Narcissa gracefully entered the pureblood clan.

Though it was not all smooth sailing. Narcissa had always stood out from the rest of the Blacks. Her golden curls and baby blue eyes were a stark contrast to her family's smouldering dark looks, and a cause of some unwanted speculation.

'But she's so different from the rest of you,' some of the less tactful would say, 'she looks nothing like the other two.'

Her father would always take these slightly-too-intrusive comments in his stride. He'd simply ruffle the offensive bright blonde hair and joke: 'I'll always be able to find this one in the dark.'

Her mother however, took these remarks as personal insults. Narcissa remembered one day in Diagon Alley, a woman had started question who Narcissa resembled in their family line.

'It must be a grandparent or even a great-grandparent,' the chatty lady had said knowingly. 'Funny how these traits lie dormant for such a long time and then just pop up, generations later.' Narcissa's mother had just smiled, frostily. But all the while she'd gripped Narcissa's hand so tightly that when she'd let go, red and white marks remained long after the chatty lady had gone.

Now, finally done with 'the rounds' of guests, Narcissa fidgeted with impatience. Both her sisters had deserted her - Andromeda immediately being whisked away by her school friends and Bella vanishing, to create her own mischief.

If Narcissa had been braver she would have gone off in search of her sister. As it was, her mother's stern, watchful eye kept her in her place.

'Darling, look it's the Snapes,' her mother informed her, the tone in her voice indicating that she was anything but impressed.

'Oh dear, they saw us.' Narcissa's mother sighed. 'And…yes they are, they're coming over. Just perfect.' Wishing that she'd never made friends with Claudia at Hogwarts, Narcissa's mother quickly turned to her youngest daughter. 'Darling, remember what mummy told you about public and private. You mustn't repeat the things that are said at home about the Snapes, okay honey?'

Narcissa nodded as her Mother stretched her mouth into a determined smile.

'Claudia dear, it's been too long,' she declared brightly, before the Snapes had even reached them. 'I haven't seen you in months! You look very well, and what a lovely dress. I remember thinking…um… last year how well you looked in it. Most people can't manage orange and green… together.' She looked down. 'And this must be Severus, quite the darling I see…OW… no it's fine Claudia he didn't break the skin. It was my fault anyway I should have asked to shake his hand. So he doesn't like people touching him. How…um…eccentric. No, Cluadia I'm fine, really.' Narcissa's mother shooed off the greasy woman with a look of annoyance. She quickly turned away from the feral child and frantic mother and tried to speak to the (only slightly less offensive) husband 'Well, Oliver, how is your work going? You know, my husband was telling me only the other day that your business is flourishing. I hear that you've also moved into a new house, I'm sure that it is…'

Narcissa's mother continued her monologue, not pausing for a breath as she successfully exhausted every topic of conversation in a matter of minutes. 'Well it's been just fabulous to talk to you. You mustn't be such a stranger,' she chided, before tinkling her goodbyes and quickly pulling a surprised Narcissa into another group of talking adults. Narcissa was confused, usually it took her mother ages to talk with the grownups. What had been wrong with the Snapes?

'There's nothing wrong with them exactly. It's just, I don't see why you had to invite them,' Narcissa complained to the fireplace, where her husband's head floated in the flames.

'Well darling -' Lucius smiled patronisingly. '- Severus has just become head of the Slytherin house. I want to have connections at Hogwarts - especially with the Slytherin head, for the sake of our son.'

Narcissa, recognising the play of the maternal card, rapidly retreated to her next line of defence. 'But why the mother?' she muttered sullenly, remembering the doddery, greasy old woman with a flash of irritation.

'Darling,' Lucius chided gently. 'I couldn't really invite Severus without his mother could I?' Narcissa knew he was right and that was the worst part, Lucius was nearly always condescendingly right.

'Nobody will talk to her,' Narcissa pointed out, 'which means I'll be stuck with that dead weight for the whole evening.'

Lucius' head nodded in insincere sympathy and Narcissa felt her irritation levels rapidly rise. Recently, whenever Narcissa tried to talk to Lucius the conversation invariably fell into the same pattern; Narcissa the ungracious child and Lucius, glorifying the role of the patient, martyr-like parent.

'Darling, I am sorry.' Lucius, exact as clockwork, switched into his martyr role. 'It really is all my fault.'

Bastard, Narcissa thought as she let her stone cold face ease in its expression, getting ready to forgive him.

'It won't be that bad,' he decided, and with a slight sly grin added, 'Your mother is a friend of the old woman's isn't she?' Narcissa couldn't help smiling at that. Her mother had spent her whole life trying to shake that unfortunate relationship only to have it resurface, again and again.

Lucius saw the smile through the flames and knew he was off the hook. 'Am I forgiven, darling?' he asked, making a sad face that couldn't quite disguise his smug satisfaction at winning.

Narcissa sighed, resisting the urge to pull a 'Bella' and slap the smugness off his face.

'Yes,' she said, contenting herself with an insincere smile. 'Just tell me next time.'

'I did tell you.'

'Not on the same day of the party,' Narcissa clarified, the sickly sweet smile still delicately playing across her lips. 'Tell me in advance.'

'All right darling.' Lucius' head suddenly swivelled in the fire and when it turned round it had its business expression on. 'I have to go and work now,' the disembodied head informed her, before blowing a kiss. Narcissa caught the kiss in her fist and, as the head popped out of sight, quickly wiped it off on her sleeve, with a shudder.

'Darling, don't do that.' Her mother was looking down at her in disapproval.

'I can't help it. Uncle Nott's kisses are slobbery and yucky!' Narcissa whined, continuing to wipe her cheek in disgust.

Her mother smiled wryly. 'Believe me I know,' she murmured to herself. Narcissa looked up at her mother in confusion and she quickly backtracked. 'What I mean to say sweetheart, is that even if the kisses are yu… not very nice, we always wait until the person is gone before we wipe them off. Otherwise they could see and we'd hurt their feelings. Okay honey?'

Narcissa looked unhappy at this new rule. 'Even if they're really, really horrible?' she asked, frowning at the back of Uncle Nott.

'Yes,' her mother said sighing. 'Even then.'

Narcissa dutifully stopped wiping her cheek and her mother, losing interest in her daughter now that she was behaving, turned back to her group of friends. Narcissa was left, like a dead weight at her side, scuffing her polished shoes in boredom.

Then she heard a distant wild laugh, the laugh that belonged to only one person.

Narcissa slowly loosened her fingers from her mother's grasp and, making sure that her attention was still elsewhere, she followed the noise. Walking quickly away from her parents she surveyed the room, ears pricked and eyes suspicious. Like an Auror, she thought proudly.

There was the laugh again. That tiny little sound, a mixture of triumph and mirth. Narcissa followed it to an alcove covered with thick, dark green curtains. Silently, she slipped between them.

Coming out of the heavy folds, that smelled of moth-balls and musk, she found Bella, turned away from her, holding - Narcissa couldn't help gasping - a wand.

Bella heard the gasp and turned to face her younger sister. 'Cissy,' she greeted her, with grin. 'Look what I found.' At first Narcissa thought her elder sister meant the sleek willow wand in her hand, but then, following the pointed wand to the corner Narcissa spied the Malfoy house elf, cowering behind a small table.

'Bella-' Narcissa's voice was a scandalised whisper. '- you're not allowed to play with him. He's not yours.'

'So?' Bella asked, her grin widening.

'We'll get told off.'

Bella just rolled her eyes. 'Watch this,' she commanded, pulling back her sleeves and scrunching up her eyes in a concentrated frown. With various flourishes and deliberations in the air, Bella pointed the wand at the terrified elf. Sparks of blue and violet light flew at the grey creature.

At first nothing happened, but then slowly the creature's grey cheeks began to swell. The elf looked petrified and frantically felt around its face with knobbly fingers. Feeling the skin stretch and grow under its touch the creature gave a little moan of fright.

The two sisters watched in silence as the head continued to grow, layer after layer of grey skin and flesh enfolding over the creature's face, so that eventually it's eyes and mouth were completely buried in a grimacing puffy grey ball.

The creature tried to stand up, the weight of the enflamed head causing it to totter clumsily against the stone wall of the alcove. Completely blind, it groped the air for support and, walking forward, promptly fell over a small table it had been cowering behind.

Bella watched the scene amused, a cruel smile curling onto her lips. She turned back to Narcissa and after a brief pause held out the wand, an obvious challenge in her eyes. Narcissa didn't take the wand but backed away warily, suddenly wishing she'd stayed with her mother.

'Cissy,' Bella hissed, her eyes scornful.

'Bella I don't think he can breathe,' Narcissa pointed out hurriedly, trying to distract Bella's glaring gaze.

Bella turned and slowly considered the house-elf's swollen head. 'It can,' she said, unconcerned. 'It's got that huge nose.' Cruelly, she tugged at the grey nose that poked out of the mass of flesh.

The elf gave a little moan at the pinch and Bella's smile grew wider.

'It's fine,' she assured her younger sister. Narcissa looked at the house-elf and felt a mass of pity rise in her chest. She wanted to grab the wand out Bella's hand and fix the poor thing, but her arms stayed limply by her side and she didn't move a muscle. She was simply too afraid.

Narcissa had never felt the same disgust for house-elves as her family had. To Narcissa they seemed like ugly Cinderellas. Just waiting for their prince and fairy godmother to set them free.

'Can't you change him back?' Narcissa asked desperately, watching the elf struggle for breath through it's squashed, trapped nose.

Bella considered. 'Don't know.'

'Why doesn't he fix himself?' Narcissa wondered. She'd seen her own house-elf do magic countless of times. Bella looked proud, 'I told it not to,' she confessed with a smug little nod. 'It has to obey us, 'cause we're connected to the Malfoys. Third cousins or something.'

'So he has to obey us?'

'Uh-huh, but you have to address it directly and give it an order.'

Narcissa looked at the helpless-elf and suddenly had an idea. 'So how do you do that?'

'You just say its name, idiot,' Bella informed her, regarding Narcissa as if she were particularly slow.

'His name?'

Bella nodded and then suddenly looked suspcicious. 'Yeah its name,' she said slowly, 'why are you asking?'

'So what's his name again?' Narcissa cut across quickly, in a tone she hoped was light-hearted.

'I'm not telling you,' Bella said flatly. 'You'll only try and help it.'

'I won't,' Narcissa retorted, trying to look as innocent as possible.

'Will.'

'Won't.'

'Will.'

'Won't.'

'Will.'

'Won't.'

'Dobby…' a small, muffled voice emerged from the layers of skin. Both sisters turned to look in shock at the small elf, who was still struggling to stand. Bella was the first to react, her face a mask of childish fury. She pointed her wand at the elf and screamed. Red lights shot from the wand and the elf crumpled to the floor, its head rapidly shrinking to its normal size, just in time to hit the stone floor with an audible crunch.

'Dobby no!' Narcissa yelled, too late as a vase of flowers smashed over the elf's head. Furious, Naricissa swiftly cleared the pieces with a wave of her wand. 'Dobby, how many times have I told you?' she snapped, turning on the elf. 'You are not to punish yourself with my vases. There's only one witch who makes them for me and she's so old now that I'm sure she'll die any day. These vases are precious Dobby, very precious, understand?'

'Yes mistress, forgive worthless, stupid Dobby.' The elf writhed in self-loathing and looked for the nearest object to hurt himself with. Narcissa turned away in disgust, rearranging some of her white lilies into one of the two surviving vases. It's ironic, she thought, spreading the white ethereal flowers gently across the rim. One year into my marital bliss and my closest companion is a self-abusing house elf, who can't decide who he hates more, himself or me.

When Narcissa had first entered the house she had tried to be nice to Dobby. Tried to say thank you and please, if only to lighten the depressive atmosphere of the house. But Dobby flinched at every kind word and was so humble and self-deprecating that she soon lost her temper with him.

Smash

Narcissa looked behind her and saw an empty table, lilies strewn all over the floor and a glass-covered Dobby.

'Mistress I did not mean….' Dobby cowered.

'Get out!' Narcissa snarled. 'Get out now, before I break every single little bone in your worthless body and feed your scum-flesh to the dogs.'

Dobby, not able to delay a direct order, fled - though not quickly enough to avoid the last remaining vase that Narcissa hurled at him.

Narcissa watched the house-elf scurry away, her bad temper quickly cooling as she saw the little elf try to continuously hurl himself at the walls while trying to run away from her at a break-neck speed. Bella would be proud, she thought, a slight cruel smile curling onto her lips.

'Come on Cissy!' Bella cried, pulling Narcissa away from the crumpled house-elf, 'lets go and explore, before anyone finds us here.'

Narcissa followed, happy to leave the scary place.

They escaped the groups of grownups, snaking though the brightly coloured dress robes and tiptoeing over the pairs of high heels and shiny leather shoes. Finally when they were out of the party room Bella started to laugh.

'What?' Narcissa asked, she had seen nothing that was funny.

Bella shook her head and tossed her hair impatiently. 'Nothing, come on!'

Grabbing Narcissa's hand again, she pulled them up the main oak banister and then, letting go of her sister, ran full pelt down one of the long corridors. Narcissa followed breathlessly, knowing that Bella was going to lead her into another adventure.

They ran together, shoes slapping the stone floors and voices shrieking with laughter as they raced one another through the empty passageways. Bella was always in front, stopping now and then to push the giant mahogany doors that were embedded in the stone walls.

Most of the giant doors were locked but some opened and the two girls would spill into the rooms to investigate. Very few rooms held their attention for long. Bella would poke and pry into various places before deciding, 'Next one.' And they were off again.

Then they found the master bedroom.

'Jackpot,' Bella declared, eyes wide in triumph. The bedroom was beautiful, large and spacious. Heavy woman's perfume hung on the air and there was another smell, a rich, dark smell. Narcissa recognised it as the smell of wealth.

Narcissa peered at the room warily from the doorway. The bedroom was mostly in shadows, though at the end of the large room there was a thin stream of light that illuminated a lady's dresser, filled with shiny silver and gold boxes.

Bella ran into the room and looked back at Narcissa, still teetering at the doorway. She grinned and opened one of the smallest gold boxes.

'Bella don't,' Narcissa warned in a whisper, 'it's not ours.'

'Wouldn't have left it unlocked if we weren't allowed in,' Bella reasoned, blowing gently into the small box and causing a cloud of pink powder to rise in the air. The pink particles twirled in the musky air, catching the light so that they looked like tiny golden pink fireflies. Narcissa looked at Bella, envious and afraid.

'Tell you a story, if you come in,' Bella promised.

That decided it, Narcissa rushed in and joined her sister by the treasure boxes. Entering the room she felt like she had been transported into a fairy tale. The heavy oak panelled walls and the thick, richly carpeted floors, created a sense of majesty. Narcissa could imagine the scene; she would be the princess, locked up in her bedroom, left in the dark, waiting for her prince charming to rescue her. Narcissa smoothed her imaginary skirts and gazed forlornly round the room. She experimented with giving a little sigh, all the princesses did that and then pleased with the sound tried a more dramatic one.

'What are you doing Cissy?'

Narcissa blinked out of her fantasy to find Bella looking at her, a slight scornful smile on her lips.

'Nothing,' said Narcissa quickly, she'd learnt long ago never to share her fairytales with Bella, Bella never understood. Instead Narcissa approached the dresser and, wondering if the magical room had changed her, peered warily into the mirror.

A young woman of eighteen looked back at her. Her face a perfect mask of demure obedience, as she smiled prettily. Narcissa grinned back at her reflection, almost satisfied with her disguise. She reached out for the little gold box and carefully opened it, stroking the brush across the pale, pink powder.

Narcissa had always loved dressing up, becoming something else. The idea of hiding herself, of fooling people, was a thrill.

Bella had once admitted to liking it too. 'You vanish Cissy,' she'd said coming in late one night, intoxicated with her magical exploits. 'You disappear and become an ideal, a symbol, you loose yourself.' Narcissa could still see Bella now, grinning, eyes wide and sparkling with hysteria. It had been the night of the Nicholas massacre. The only night that Bella had ever let her in to the dark world of Voldemort. The only night that Narcissa had ever allowed herself to be let in.

Narcissa had long ago realised that everybody hid, everybody was playing a part. Though, unlike her husband and sister, Narcissa had never needed a crude mask to loose herself. She always hid in plain site, where it was the most fun.

And now, gently applying the powder to her cheeks, Narcissa surveyed the dressing table with anticipation of her next disguise. Who did she want to be?

'A Princess,' Bella declared, 'but she was an ugly princess and so nobody ever wanted to marry her.'

'That can't be right,' Narcissa whined, 'ugly people get married all the time. Look at the Notts.'

Bella seemed irritated with the interruption and scowled. 'Fine, she smelled too.'

'What like?'

'Like one hundred chamber pots that hadn't been cleaned for a thousand years.'

Narcissa wrinkled her nose. 'Why didn't she wear perfume? Like this.' Narcissa held up a bottle with red flowers on it and opening the top, liberally sprinkled the liquid all over her outfit. 'See,' she said beaming, 'now I smell like roses.'

'They hadn't invented perfume in those days, stupid.' Bella said scathingly.

'Why couldn't she use magic?'

'Because in those days ugly people had their wands broken,' Bella told her, grinning at the horrified look on her little sister's face. Satisfied that there would be no more interruptions she carried on with her story.

'But then one day, this HUGE giant came to the kingdom.' Bella leaped onto the four-poster bed that was in the middle of the room and jumped on it excitedly.

'He was as big as this,' Bella said, bouncing high and stretching her hands up to indicate the size.

Narcissa got up from the dresser and tried to join Bella on the bed.

'No!' Bella yelled, annoyed. 'You're the princess, stupid. And you're not tall like the giant, you're just ugly.'

'Am not,' Narcissa muttered rebelliously.

'Are too,' Bella retorted.

'Am not.'

'Are to.'

'Am not.'

'Are to,'

'Am not.'

'ARE TOO.' Bella yelled, jumping ferociously on the bed so that the crimson covers rippled and flexed under her feet. 'Now go into the wardrobe and find something for the princess to wear,' she ordered.

Narcissa looked at the big oak wardrobe and suddenly felt very afraid, 'I can't,' she whispered, 'I'll get told off.'

'Do it Cissy!' her sister declared imperiously. 'Or the big nasty giant will eat you.'

Narcissa reached out and touched the brass handle of the wardrobe experimentally, nothing happened. Steeling her courage Narcissa pulled strongly on the handle. The door opened and revealed a magnificent closet of brightly coloured dressrobes.

Narcissa looked at them critically, they were all beautiful, all well made, but for a party like this, the first party that she would singly host as a Malfoy, she needed something special. The three robes that Narcissa had bought for the occasion seemed very nice, but they were just too…pretty. Narcissa had been playing the baby doll part for far too long, letting herself take the role of the blue-blinking-eyed innocent. Tonight would be different.

Narcissa threw the new garments to the floor and delved deeper into her magically-enlarged wardrobe. She quickly sorted through her closet passing through stunning robes of black satin, red velvet and …that was it. Narcissa knew the moment she saw the dress robe that it was perfect.

The dress was very different from the style that Narcissa usually wore. In fact she had a sneaking suspicion that the dress actually belonged to Lucius' late mother. Narcissa reached into the wardrobe and pulled the light-blue silk dress into the light.

It was lovely, with a plunging neckline and tailored waist. The skirts of the robe billowed out slightly, different layers of indigo, turquoise and assure smoothly seemed to tumble over each other, mixing to create shades of subtlety and elegance. It wasn't the most beautiful of the robes in the wardrobe, nor the most extravagant but somehow it was just right.

Narcissa let the dress fall over her, the fabric whispered as it settled around her form. Facing the mirror Narcissa smiled.

An imposing lady smiled back through the glass. It was a very different smile from theone that she was used to seeing on that face. Narcissa studiedit with fascination. It was charming and captivating, not the usual blushing flutter of lips but a steadyandconfident curl accompanied with cold blue, piercing eyes.

Narcissa and her image shared a knowing look. 'Ice Queen,' she decided.

Author's notes: If you managed to readthis all the way through congratulations! Please review, even if you didn't like it, in fact especially if you didn't like it because it would help me to know where I can improve. Though I'm not against complimentsgrins.