The rest of the evening had taken place as though nothing had happened. Narcissa cleaned Draco up and calmed him down. She also healed the cuts on her face and the bruises that were on the visible parts of her body. She had gone down stairs with Draco and apologised for her absence. She ate her food and helped Draco as well. Draco had started whimpering when he saw his Father but Narcissa soon calmed him down.
As she farewelled the guests at the end of the evening Francesca said nothing to Narcissa, but made a slight gesture of kindness which Narcissa was thankful for. Blaise had fallen asleep at dinner and his mother was carrying him out of the house. Draco had done the same. Lucius did not speak to Narcissa for the remainder of the evening.
Narcissa and Lucius stayed out of each other's way for the next couple of days. In their brief meetings in the hallways as they moved from room to room, they said barely two words to each other. When Lucius was not at work he was in his study. When Narcissa was not sleeping or eating she was in the garden or in Diagon Alley with Draco. They did not eat with each other lately. Lucius had taken all meals in his study; Narcissa had taken meals in the parlour with Draco.
A strange situation took place on one Monday afternoon though. Narcissa had been pottering around upstairs when Dobby the house elf had suddenly appeared telling her that Lucius wished to see her in his study. Narcissa had found this surprising at the present climate. Narcissa apparated down to Lucius' study and knocked on the door.
"Enter" she heard Lucius' voice from inside. Narcissa opened the large oak door; her husband was sitting behind his desk. Narcissa closed the door and said to him coldly
"You called me Lucius" she said walking forwarding and sitting in the large green armchair.
"I received a letter a moment ago…from my Mother"
Narcissa rolled her eyes. Lucius' mother, Claudia Malfoy was one of the banes of Narcissa's life. When she was eleven years old Narcissa was summoned to the Malfoy Manor as a possible wife to her 13-year-old son. In this meeting, Narcissa had been shockingly embarrassed, by Mrs Malfoy; she had commented on how the 'Black' family were not really up to standards but was the best out of a bad bunch. And worst of all on Narcissa's physical appearance. How Narcissa's hips were not wide enough to bear a son! She was only eleven! And Mrs Malfoy said this in front of Narcissa's Mother, Father and Lucius! Well Mrs Black had argued the case that Narcissa would grow through puberty. Mrs Malfoy was not convinced and she was correct Narcissa had remained as narrow as a beanpole – but she still bore a son.
"Oh…what did she want?" asked Narcissa frigidly
"She is coming for dinner. So make sure everything is ready" he said waving his hand dismissively and returning to his book
"Wait a second! She's coming today?"
"Yes" he said simply turning his page
"But I'm not ready to entertain your mother today! I have to make sure the correct dinner is being made, I have to dress up, I have to ensure the house is spic and span, or she'll have my guts for garters. AND on top of all that I have to bath Draco!" Narcissa said in a single breath
"Bath Draco? Well how long will that take?" asked Lucius furrowing his brow
"A good hour and a half. And may I just add that out of that hour and a half he is only actually IN the bath for about 10 minutes!" Lucius stared at her, his expression fixed "But of course you wouldn't know would you as you have never done this task!"
"Get a house-elf to do it!" he said
"No Lucius I wouldn't even give a house elf the task of getting my son into the bath…what time is she coming?"
Lucius looked at a piece of parchment on his desk, which must have been the letter
"Six o'clock"
Narcissa widened her eyes and jumped off her chair
"Well I'd better start now then" And she apparated away.
"Draco sweetie" Narcissa cooed hopefully. Her son was sitting on the floor of the playroom pulling off the button eyes of his toy dog "Draco…Mummy's got you a present!" she said crawling next to him. Draco turned around happily and faced his mother. "Look sweetie…chocolate" she held out a small colourful bag of chocolates just out of his reach. Draco made a grab for it but missed
"Choco" said Draco angelically
"Yes Draco, Choco…and if you are a very good boy…Mummy will give you some" Narcissa pocketed the chocolate. She held her son by pinning his arms to his sides "Come and have a bath" she whispered. Draco shook his head
"NO BATH!" he yelled
"Yes bath, come on Draco"
Draco tried to twist out of her grip and yelled
"NO BATH! NO BATH"
"Come on Draco you want to be nice a clean!"
"NO BATH! NO BATH!" he continued to yell
"Draco! Grandmamma's coming tonight and you want to look nice"
"No I don't" he yelled
"DOBBY!" Narcissa yelled as she held her struggling toddler.
Dobby appeared "Dobby run a bath! Perfect temperature so he's got nothing to complain about!"
Narcissa was getting very tired, she had to keep holding onto Draco to stop him running of and hiding somewhere.
"Draco do you want a toy?" she asked
"Yes, toy!" shouted Draco. Narcissa put down her son
"Choose a toy" she said pointing at his toy box.
Draco ran to his box and pulled out a large toy dragon, which growled menacingly as Draco pulled it up by its tail. He then pulled up his miniature hippogriff, which flapped its wings furiously.
"My fave!" he chuckled.
"Can I see" asked Narcissa holding out her hands. Draco gave her the toys happily. Narcissa raised herself to normal height and pretended to study the toys
"Hmmm" she said and suddenly, without warning darted in the other direction as fast as she could. She ran out of the playroom and across the hallway and into the bathroom. Where the bath was run at 'perfect' temperature. She then threw the toys in.
Draco who was running behind her as fast as his little legs could carry him.
"Nooo!" he complained. And then without realising, and to Narcissa's happiness, he climbed over the ledge of the bath and fully dressed dropped into the water. Narcissa laughed and sat next to the bath "The toys are all wet" he said moaning as the dragon began coughing up hot soapy suds. Draco began to play his only little game with his toys, not realising that he had just jumped into his most hated thing. Narcissa poured a small amount of hair cleaning potion on her hand and wiped it on his hair. Then she let it foam up over the platinum hair. She washed away the suds with water from her hand.
She managed to wash Draco's face, neck and hands with soap as he sat playing his games. Suddenly Draco looked at his mother and said
"Mummy when am I gettin' choco?"
Narcissa laughed.
She was in a very good mood. She had finally found away of getting him into the bath without too much of a fuss. Perhaps next time he would take his slippers off first…
Narcissa awaited in the hall way for the other Mrs Malfoy. Narcissa tried to make her self look as 'wonderful' as possible, but Claudia had always found something to complain about. She was wearing long pale green robes, last time she wore red. Claudia said that she looked like a Gryffindor hooker. Narcissa could not believe a 60-year-old woman still thought about house colours. Draco was sitting on the staircase holding the toy dragon, who was marching back and fourth across the steps. Lucius was standing in the shadows looking at both Narcissa and Draco individually.
There was a knock at the door. Narcissa stepped forward and answered the door automatically.
In the doorframe stood a sturdy boned woman with a oval face and a large bouffant of greying ash blonde hair. She wore green emerald robes and large pearl earrings.
"Do you not even own a servant to answer your doors?" she said immediately walking in, this was her way of saying 'hello'. Narcissa kept the door open as behind Claudia scurried a little house elf pulling along a large trunk. This rather took Narcissa by surprise. Claudia gazed around the room "I see your house keeping has not improved Narcissa... Lucius!" she said seeing her son. She took his hand and pulled him towards her and kissed his cheek.
"Welcome Mother" he drawled
"Are you staying Claudia?" asked Narcissa coldly signalling at the trunk
Claudia glared at Narcissa and narrowed her grey eyes.
"Do not cheek me Narcissa Black!" (Claudia refused to use her married name) she raised her index finger menacingly "I am staying until I see necessary to leave. This house is atrocious, thanks to you and your terrible house keeping. I may not see the house elves but I know that they must be here somewhere…do you not know how to use them?" Narcissa rolled her eyes
"Claudia, would you care to come into the drawing room to wait until dinner is served?" Narcissa said trying to keep her temper
"No indeed! I wish to go to my room and freshen up, I would like a cup of tea while I am there" Claudia Malfoy headed to the stairs and was about to step up the marble when she laid eyes on Draco. Draco, who was innocently sitting on the stairs watching the scene through his big grey eyes, looked up at his Grandmother. "What is that?" said Claudia to her son.
"That is my son Draco, Mother, remember? Draco stand up!" Draco turned his eyes to his father but did not move. Narcissa walked forwards
"Draco stand up so Grandmamma may see you" she said softly. Draco stood up on his little legs.
"I see the boy is insolent like yourself Narcissa." Claudia took out a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles from her clutch bag. She examined Draco through the lenses, she nodded to herself "Yes, the boy looks uncannily like you did when you were his age Lucius. Pray how old is he?"
"He is three years of age" said Lucius
"Almost four" added Narcissa
Claudia nodded and pursed her lips
"Well, I have never really been fond of children" she said haughtily and brushed past Draco up the stairs.
The three sat at the table, Draco was ordered, by Claudia, to eat alone in the nursery
Claudia sneered at the, usually adored; food with an expression that so reminded Narcissa of Lucius that she smiled in silent laughter.
"What are sniggering at Narcissa?" she said coldly
"Nothing Claudia"
"Lucius, does your wife know no sense of propriety? I am Mrs Malfoy to you, and don't you forget it."
Narcissa smiled and felt strangely brave "With us both being called Mrs Malfoy, it could be rather confusing" Claudia flared her nostrils but before she could answer back, Narcissa spoke again "For instance if we had both been called Claudia, or Narcissa it would be very difficult to differ who is speaking to whom? Wouldn't you agree Lucius?"
Lucius looked ready to breath fire
"I shall remain calling you by your Christian name, you however need to learn your manners." She made a sound that sounded like 'phuit' "Lucius, why do you let your wife wear where such tacky cheaply made robes, she looks like a mudblood"
Narcissa dropped her fork noisily
"How dare you call me that!" said Narcissa "Will you stop referring to me in the third person and as a mudblood!"
"Hold your tongue Narcissa Black!"
A strange silence swept over the dinner table
"Forgive me Lucius, I seem to have lost my appetite," Narcissa got up from the table and left the room slamming the door behind her.
The nerve of the woman! Thought Narcissa furiously. How dare she insult her like that, her clothes were neither cheap nor tacky and a mudblood? Her blood was as pure as the driven snow. Merlin! If she did not approve of Narcissa then why did she let Lucius marry her? Really…the sense of the woman! Any pureblood family would have literally killed to have to have their daughter married to Lucius Malfoy! There were many other suitors she could have chosen for him, with even larger dowries.
Narcissa pulled her hair out of the elegant knot she wore it in she liked the feeling of it slip down her neck and back. Narcissa felt that her hair was her best feature by far, she felt it a shame to wear it up all the time. But it is unheard of, for a married pureblood woman, to wear it loose, like a savage woman, in public. Narcissa held her robes above her ankles as she walked up the marble stairs sullenly. The stairs where a few days ago she had slipped in her rush to get to her son and cut her lip and chin. Where a patch of blood a lay. Where the house elves had cleaned it up urgently before the guests saw it. Narcissa stood still next to the spot. A few days ago she had been a timid little creature who had feared her husband in every way a woman could fear someone. But had the blow she had felt made her in someway mentally stronger. If Claudia had come a few days earlier would Narcissa have answered back so rudely in front of her husband? Narcissa thought not. She continued up the flight of steps.
Narcissa stepped into the nursery, where Draco sat at his little table eating his food, solitary save a single house elf in the corner.
"Hello darling" she said to her son. Draco looked up from his meal he smiled a little smile.
"Hello Mummy" he said
"Nice food?"
Draco nodded happily and stuck his fork into a potato.
Narcissa sat down next to him and stroked his soft blonde hair; she used to do this when he was a baby and it comforted her to do so still. Narcissa liked sitting in the nursery with Draco. It was a pleasant room. In the day the sun shone through and lit the creamy white walls making it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. At night the room was still not dingy but airy and comfortable. It was a nice place to stop and think for a while, the only noise coming from Draco's chatter and laughter. Happy sounds, from the heart. No lies or deceit touched those sounds, they were pure, a pure as the blood in their veins.