Pride and Prejudice.
A Snape/Bellatrix, Narcissa/Lucius; Disclaimer: don't own it.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single pure-blooded wizard in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding wizarding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
"My dear Mr. Black," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park has been settled at last?"
Mr. Black, after folding his copy of the Daily Prophet and looking over the top of his glasses at his wife, replied that he had not.
"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. MacDougal has just Flooed, and she told me all about it."
Mr. Black readjusted his glasses and said nothing.
"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried Mrs. Black, losing her patience.
"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
This seemed to be invitation enough for Mr. Black's wife. "Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. MacDougal says that Netherfield has been purchased by a young wizard of of large fortune from the North of England; a pure-blooded Slytherin at that. Rumour is that he came down on Monday to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed to the purchase immediately. According to Mrs. MacDougal, he is to be settled by Halloween."
"What is his name?" asked Mr. Black, humouring his wife.
"Malfoy."
Mr Black asked, "Is he married or single?"
"Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; thousands of Galleons resting in Gringotts. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? How can it affect them, my dear?" asked Mr. Black.
"My dear Mr. Black," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"Oh, so that was his design in settling at Netherfield?" Mr Black teased his wife.
"Design! nonsense, how can you say that? But if the right plans were made, it is very likely that he may some way or another fall in love with one of our daughters." Mr Black raised his eyebrows in his wife's direction. "That is why you must go visit him as soon as he comes, to welcome him to the neighbourhood."
Mr. Black sighed as if he had known what was coming. "I see no reason for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better."
"Why is that?" questioned Mrs. Black.
"Well, since you, my dear, are so very pretty, Mr. Malfoy might take a fancy to you instead of one of our daughters."
Mrs. Black indulged herself in a small giggle. "My dear, you are quite the flirt, even at your own age. I may have had my day, but when a woman has three daughters, she ought to give up with her own beauty."
Mr. Black grinned at his wife and put an arm snugly around her waist. After a moment she turned to face him again. "So, will you go to see Mr. Malfoy when he settles into Netherfield?" Mr. Black only gave her a look, so she continued. "Think of your daughters. Only think what a pure-blood marriage would mean for them. Even the Rosiers are going to greet him on account of their daughter Persephone and they are particularly anti-social when it comes to newcomers. There is no way the girls and I can go if you do not first meet with him."
"Well, in that case a visit to Mr. Malfoy is unecessary. I will just owl him right now giving him consent to marry any of my daughters, though I must suggest my little Bella." Mr. Black grinned.
"Your little Bella is not so little anymore. She is almost to the age where it is inapporpriate to remain unmarried much longer. And why do you suggest her? She is not half as beautiful as Narcissa or as good-humoured as Andromeda."
"But, Bella, my dear, has wit to put them both to shame. In fact, she has wit to put even me to shame."
"Oh you have no compassion on my poor nerves."
"That is not true, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."
"Oh, you do not know what I suffer."
"Oh you will get over it, I believe, and hopefully you will see many more young pure-bloods with piles of Galleons coming into our neighbourhood."
"Well, even if twenty of them were to come, it would do us no good since you refuse to go visit them."
Mr. Black sighed in surrender. His wife beamed at him and he tightened his grip on her waist. In the twenty three years that he had been married, it seemed his wife had never quite understood him. She was of a simple-mind and possessed little wit, although her beauty had been legendary in her time. It was her single goal in life to have her three daughters respectfully married to pure-blooded wizards.
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