Chapter 19

"Mrs Malfoy" came Maria's call from outside the bathroom door "Can I speak to you?"

"Yes of course, one moment" Narcissa pulled a bathrobe on and tied her wet hair in towel. She opened the bathroom to see Maria smiling at her.

"Dida you have a nice day at the sea Narcissa"

"Lovely, thank-you"

"Where is your son?" Maria asked looking around

"Under the bed, sulking, he hates showers and baths and I forced him to have one"

"All the boys tha same. Which reminds me, I wanted to ask you to join us for dinner tonight, now I know you only pay bed and breakfast but this isa special occasion. My son is coming to visit for a few days"

"Oh…oh that's very kind but I wouldn't want to intrude" Narcissa said kindly. The woman laughed

"No no, don't be silly I like you, you are nice mannered and lady like. I think you would be nice dinner guest"

Narcissa smiled

"Thank you, its very kind of you I'd love to come" Narcissa smiled.

"Good good, well come over about six o'clock sie? It will give him time to relax after the journey. Oh I am so excited about seeing him. I masta start cooking" Maria grinned and left the room.

--

Narcissa took a look in the full length mirror. She had pulled part of her wavy blonde hair back into a pony tail and allowed the rest to fly loose over her shoulders. She had a silk summer dress on and a simple silver necklace holding the single letter 'N'. She often wore it.

She looked quite nice, her skin a little rosier than usually, probably from being at the beach all day. She appeared much healthier looking. Her silk summer dress slipped over her slight frame. Her mouth was painted with the usual red.

"Draco" she looked over at her son sitting on his bed watching his mother "Come on lets go" She held out her hand and he crawled off the bed and took it.

"Narcissa, you're ready, here you must meet my son" Maria took Narcissa's hand and pulled her into the house. Narcissa was pulled straight in front of an extremely handsome Italian man. "Narcissa this is my son Silvio. Silvio, this is Mrs Malfoy"

"Buon giorno Mrs Malfoy" he shook her hand

"Hello" said Narcissa shyly.

"And this" Maria continued "Is her son Draco"

Silvio looked down at Draco then back at Narcissa and gave a grin. He knelt right down to Draco's height to shake his hand

"Buon Giorno Draco" he said

"Mummy, what does that mean?" Draco asked tugging his mother's hand

"It means hello, darling" Narcissa laughed.

"Oh, hello" said Draco. Silvio laughed and raised himself to normal height

"Silvio come sit down, Narcissa come" Clara smiled she lead them all to the dinner table.

--

As Narcissa waited for her meal she realised she felt the feeling of being watched. She looked up and her eyes immediately met Silvio's. He had been watching her. Narcissa lowered her eyes embarrassedly, but almost immediately she felt a force more powerful than magic make her look up through her eyelashes at him. He smiled and leant forward slightly.

"I just wanted to say Mrs Malfoy, how incredibly beautiful you are"

Narcissa blushed and looked away again

"Thank you" she whispered

"No I mean it" he said more strongly. Narcissa looked over at Maria and Clara, they were fussing over dinner, Draco was with them as they gave him bits to try.

"As touched as I am, I am married" she said, not sure where this was going. It had been a very long time since anyone had flirted with her.

"I'm sorry" he held his hands in front of his face in defence "I thought you might be divorced…you're not with your husband?"

"No he's busy with work…but here's my proof" Narcissa held out her hand to reveal the beautiful wedding ring. Silvio took her hand and took one look at the emeralds. He sighed.

"I don't stand a chance do I?" he smiled. Narcissa smirked and raised her eye brows cheekily as she pulled her hand back "But please, completely innocently, you're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen"

"I'm twenty four years old"

"Sorry, the most beautiful woman, you look so young, I forget you are married and have a son"

"Well I suppose I can only take that as a compliment" she smiled. Silvio smiled back, he had a beautiful smile mused Narcissa.

"Have you seen much of Sorrento yet?"

"No, I only arrived yesterday…I took Draco to the beach today, but that's all"

"Oh, I should take you to the town, its got nice restaurants and wine bars" he said

"That's sweet of you…but I can't Draco with me to places like that, he'll just get tired and moany"

"Well my Mother and Aunt Clara will look after him; you can't come to Sorrento and miss a proper Italian meal in a restaurant"

She laughed softly

"I don't-"

"That's an excellente idea" said Clara, she swooped down and kissed Silvio on the cheek "We will look after your son and you can see the town with Silvio"

Maria placed plates of spaghetti around the table and lifted Draco into the seat next to Narcissa.

"I don't want to leave Draco as a burden-"

"A burden? Do not be silly, we love him already"

Draco seemed rather happy about all the attention.

"So, I take you out tomorrow night?" asked Silvio later that evening. He had taken Narcissa out on the balcony to talk to her.

"So soon?" asked Narcissa smiling up at Silvio. His dark brown hair was lightened slightly in the moonlight and his deep brown eyes were warm in the evening breeze. Warm brown eyes, so different to Lucius' cold grey ones.

"Why not? I won't be in Sorrento forever, and neither will you?"

"True. But Silvio, as lovely as this is it does sound very much like a date…and I am a married woman, with a child"

"And yet you still seemed eager to come with me" he said not smiling at her

"Well I…I guess I was…I-"

"Narcissa, are you alright? You don't speak about your husband very much. At dinner you seemed to be avoiding the topic of your home life"

"Silvio, who are you to question what happens in my home…my marriage is none of your business!" Narcissa said sharply turning away from him and leaning against the railings of the balcony.

Silvio paused.

"I'm sorry. You're right. It is none of my business, I just wish it was" he said softly. Narcissa closed her eyes as a silent tear fell down her cheek. She wanted to tell Silvio everything. She wanted him to hold her, tell her everything would be alright. Rescue her from the Gilded Cage and burn it. But she had only met this man a few hours ago. And he was a muggle. Feelings like this were not supposed to be.

"I'm sorry Silvio; I didn't mean to snap like that. My married life is…well its not good"

"I gathered that, you don't need to tell me about it if you don't want" Of course she could not. He was a dirty muggle. A muggle who she should not be talking to so intimately. Is that not what she had been taught all her life?

"I would…but you wouldn't understand. My life is so different to yours"

"As you wish Narcissa" he said sadly. He placed his hand on her face and wiped her tear away with his thumb. "But if he hurts you then G-d have mercy on his soul"

---

Narcissa lay in bed, the moonlight drifted over her body. Tears had been steadily falling down her cheeks since she had put Draco to bed.

She had never met anyone like Silvio. No one had ever made her feel so open. He could read her like a book, better than even the most skilled legilimens could. And yet he had no magical power. She was sinking lower than Andromeda. Andromeda married a mudblood, but at least he was a type of wizard. Silvio was nothing but a dirty muggle, the lowest scum of the earth, as she had always been taught.

And yet her heart had fluttered when he wiped her tears. When he had touched her skin. When he said she was beautiful. This was magic beyond anything she had learnt at Hogwarts or from her private library.

Narcissa sank her face lower into the pillow and cried herself to sleep.

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