A/N: This is possibly my favourite scene to write over and over again. It definitely needs more exploration than what I've written, but I hope you'll like it! Please leave a review! Chapters 24, 25 and the epilogue will come out later today.

WC: 1,200

Friday 25th December 1970, 10:30 AM

Narcissa is absolutely delighted. All of her presents were perfect this year. Well, as they often are, truthfully. Narcissa knows what to gift people. She has a lot of trouble finding what to gift, but once she does, she knows people will like them.

Bella laughed delighted when Narcissa explained what the present did. Sirius smiled a little when he saw the trinkets she had gotten him from Zonko's which Aunt Walburga frowned at, but quickly shut up when she saw the pair of earrings she had gotten her. Regulus and Uncle Orion got chocolate because she knew they harboured a sweet tooth. Mother and Father got some embroidered cushions. And, of course, Meda was delighted with the small mistletoe necklace that had caught her eye in the store.

Right now, Meda and her were in her sister's room, getting ready for Yule lunch. Meda was so happy with her gift she had promised to help Narcissa with her makeup. Of course, Narcissa was actually better than her sister at makeup, but she wasn't going to tell her that. It reminded her of times when they were younger and they stole their mother's makeup to play dress up.

"Which lipstick should I wear, Cissy?" Meda asks, peering into her make up bag and rummaging around.

"Something very, very red," she tells her. It'll compliment her skin tone perfectly.

Meda frowns. "That's Bella's colour usually."

"Oh, whatever. She won't hate you if you wear her colour once," Cissy says with a laugh.

Meda laughs with her. "We both know that might not be true."

"Aww, come on. You'll look lovely!" Cissy encourages.

"Fine, but if she asks, I'll say it was your fault."

"Whatever you want, sister dear," she assures her. "How, should I go for blue or grey eyeshadow?"

"What about orange?" Meda proposes. "Just to see Mother's face as you go downstairs."

"Meda!" Cissy says with a giggle. "Be serious!"

"Fine," Meda rolls her eyes, but still there is a smile on her face, "Be no fun. Wear the blue."

"What do you mean 'be no fun'. How about you wear the orange eyeshadow?"

"It wouldn't go with my necklace," Meda teases and jingles her new necklace in front of Narcissa.

"Hey! That's no fair!" she replies.

"Just put the blue eyeshadow on, Cissy. It'll go fine with your eyes as usual," Meda concludes.

They both smile at each other again, and turn to their respective make-up. She watches her sister carefully apply the colour to her lips, and then smack them together. The red makes her mouth pop, and it makes her skin seem so much paler and her hair so much darker. She's like Snow White from Snow White and Briar Rose in the fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers they used to read when they were younger.

She turns to her own makeup, taking the brush and gently lifting the colour pigments to her eyelids. The blue does go well with her eyes, as usual, but it's a soft baby blue, something for someone younger than the way she feels, but since Meda told her to wear it, she will.

Suddenly, there's a tapping at Meda's window. It's an owl, the same owl Meda has been receiving letters from the entire holiday. She rushes to the window before Meda can get up. She's determined to learn from who is writing to her sister.

"Cissy!" Meda says, but Narcissa ignores her.

The big grey owl drops a package in her hand with a letter attached to the top. A name is written on the front.

"Ana?" she says, "Who calls you Ana?"

Meda is up by her side and snatching the letter and the parcel out of her hand, but Narcissa grips tightly. "None of your business."

"Come on, Meda," she says light-heartedly, "Tell me!"

"No!" Meda insists. There is nothing about her voice that is light-hearted.

Narcissa won't let go of the package, and the wrapping – a very strange wrapping, now that she's looked at it, covered with little animals with large eyes and red noses – rips in front of their eyes.

Meda gasps and lets go of the package. Cissy has to resist the urge to let go of it too. Immediately, she knows she's crossed a line, and Meda's hurt face in front of her, her worried face, shows her that.

But, for some reason, she won't let go of the book. The title catches her eye: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It's not a title she recognises, but she's heard the name before, somewhere. But she doesn't have a lot of time to ponder on it because Meda truly snatches it out of her hand.

She glares at Cissy, but not a word is exchanged.

"What's Pride and Prejudice?" Cissy asks with a small voice.

"None of your business," Meda says, firmly, sternly, coldly.

"Just tell me," Cissy pushes, even though she knows she shouldn't. "Who is sending you that book? I want to know."

"You don't want to know," Meda says bitterly,.

"Just tell me the truth, be honest!" Cissy shouts.

"It's not important," Meda dismisses.

"Come on, Meda! Why don't you want to tell me?" she cries. And suddenly, Cissy knows. She knows where she heard the name, why she won't tell her who he is.

She gasps and takes a step back.

Meda looks up at her with big, sad eyes, tears glistening in the corners.

"A- A-" she starts, but the word won't come out.

"A Muggle-born," Andromeda says quietly, "His name is Ted."

Cissy can't say anything. The words have completely left her, and the shock of her sister's revelation leave her dumbfounded. Of course, she had gathered it was probably someone she didn't want them knowing about, some lesser Pureblood, or even a Half-blood, but a- a- she can't bring herself to say it. It goes against everything they've ever been raised to believe in.

"The other Head?" is all she's able to say.

"And I love him, so don't act so shocked," Meda says, her confidence coming back, and the tears that threatened to spill are now gone, firmly locked back up.

"You love him?" Cissy echoes, desperation in her voice.

"Don't say a thing to the rest of the family, will you?" Meda says, and it sounds more like an order.

Something's broken between them, But for some reason, Cissy nods, though her own tears flow freely down her face, ruining the little makeup she had already put up.

"Thank you," she says swiftly and leaves her room, taking the letter and the parcel with her.

Narcissa suddenly realises how much she doesn't know her sister at all. How could she not have seen something as big as this? As disastrous as this? How come she didn't manage to stop this? But for some reason, she's agreed to keep the secret, even if it's broken her heart, made a big wound deep where she thought it would never hurt. Bella was slipping out of her grasp, but Meda is truly gone.

She wipes up her makeup, reapplies and puts on a bright make smile. She's ready to go downstairs again, to go celebrate Yule.