Heya all! Welcome to the long-awaited first chapter of this story, Tears of Gold. Long-awaited by me at least, the rest of you might not give a damn ^^ But I've been building up this plot for so many months now it almost doesn't quite seem real that the first chapter is going to be posted. Updates however won't come as quickly, I must tell you all now, simply because All Over Again, and all it's loyal fans have to be my priority. But still, chapter one is still quite an achievement. =)
There are a couple of things however I would like to let every body know NOW about this story, before reading and coming to flame me later. I'll say it loud and clear lol.
IN THIS STORY ANDROMEDA IS THE ELDEST BLACK SISTER NOT BELLATRIX! In other words, NON-CANON.
I'm not sure if this means I should technically put AU in the summery. Everything else in the story IS completely canon as everything I write always tries to be. Why this detail? Well mainly because for it to fit in with AOA and the plot line I'd developed, I really can't have Andy younger than Bella and thus still at school. If you have to hate me for this then I guess so be it, but I do hope that you'll be able to forgive me this one flaw and give this story a shot, never the less.
Other thing to know; this Chapter is in a way another prologue to the rest of the story in the sense that it is set four years before the next Chapter, just before Narcissa leaves for school. In Chapter 2 we will jump to the holiday before her fifth year.
That's about it really. Please tell me what you think, it's quite nerve-wracking to start an entire new story and plot line, and reviews DO make me feel lots better ;)
Loads a luv!
Lili
X x x x x x x x x
Tears Of Gold: Chapter 1
They say that time wipes away all things. Pain. Regret. Memories. And to a certain extent it's true. I remember so little about that day. The sky could have been blue, or grey or possibly even as black as the name I once called my own. The huge lump of brick in the background could have belonged to any of the pureblood families, gracing the sloping grounds as proudly as the peacocks that now parade across the grey slopes outside my window. Just as the faces that were once so sharp and sparkling, dim and blur a little more with each passing year. Every face but one. That face that, ironically enough, I remember now clearer than before. The face I did forget, until the memory was dragged kicking and screaming back to the surface.
The sun was shining, I do remember that. How could I forget? The rays glancing off a head of gold, setting it not alight but aglow. A halo for the face that could have graced an archangel.
Instead, its owner would one day condemn his soul to hell.
And mine along with it.
It was the first of July.
Cherry blossom swirled like pink snow as the wind pulled the petals playfully down from the slim elegant trees that framed the picture-perfect scene. Hundreds of ladies bustled and gossiped in pale, fluffy robes, sipping tea with one dainty finger held proudly aloof. Gentlemen discussed business and politics over French wine and aperitifs. Forty or so children of ages ranging from twelve to twenty danced and played either innocently or deliberately.
The tall sloping walls of the ironically named Black Manor gleamed pristine in the brilliant sunshine, regal and imposing as the sloping grounds that surrounded it. House-elves scuttled back and forth in contrasting sombre black save the small flash of gold where the family crest sparkled ostentatiously at their breast. Every member of the Wizarding PureBlood Elite laughed and danced and sipped under the warm summer sun. And at the very centre stood Druella Black née Rosier, the Queen amongst her court, spider at the very centre of its web.
At thirty-five Mistress Black had lost none of her youth's beauty; her hair fell like a fountain of gold, cascading curls gleaming in the sunlight and her face could have still served as a model for Botticelli's Venus. Sapphire blue robes enveloped her, more beautiful, more flattering than any other female present. And why not? No one would dare outshine the hostess of the biggest social event of the season so far. Gloves of silk adorned her slender hands, soft white ones that matched the pearls that gleamed at her throat. On a lesser woman such simplicity could have been seen as plain; on the wife of Cygnus Black, they mocked every other woman present as overdressed.
Face after face she smiled at, a dazzling flash of whiteness that never stretched wider than was fashionable, charm itself and yet lacking any warmth or feeling. Laughter bubbled from her perfectly painted lips again and again, a sweet chime of mirth more often than not for a reason she couldn't even remember. Around the ornamental gardens she floated like a butterfly in a swirl of robes, all blue and gold and pink and cream.
Who knew for how long she had danced? It may have been hours later when finally she paused beside the exquisitely presented buffet, covered in white silk, decorated with freesia and roses and the sweet sprinklings of the fallen cherry blossom. Delights beyond the lesser class's wildest imagination made up the mouth-watering spread that ranged from caviar to sugared fairy-wings; the entire fifty-foot long table worth more than a king's ransom.
Druella Black reached out to daintily pluck a crystal flute of champagne from the glittering tower, lifting it to her lips with fingers that close up could be seen to tremble very very slightly. The soft painted flesh pressed a perfect pink cupid's bow onto the rim of the glass and her eyes closed as the liquid soothed her parched and weary throat. She stood there like a fragile wraith, savouring the brief reprise from her duties before all too quickly, a familiar shiver ran down her spine.
Those eyes opened to meet the cold merciless gaze of the man she was bound to for eternity over the rim of her champagne flute. There was no pity in that gaze, no love or even affection for his wife of almost twenty years; only that familiar, cold distain.
For a moment Druella considered rebelling, turning her back on the tall dark man and sipping the sweet reviving liquid for a few seconds more. Wilder fantasies flashed through her mind; of her telling the guests that she felt faint from the sun, of escaping from the loneliness amongst many to the loneliness born of true solitude.
But before the thoughts had done more than bring the first real smile to her brilliant blue eyes, Cygnus Black curled his beautiful lower lip in a frightening promise and reality returned in a flash. Druella's head seemed to droop; the sparkle vanished from her crystal gaze leaving it empty as a tomb. Her tall graceful figure seemed to shrink, the robes that decorated her body now almost swallowing her as completely as the familiar cold misery. Her expression transformed once more into that dead meaningless smile and she nodded her head in well-practised acquiescence.
The woman placed the glass back down on the table, half empty before breathing one last breath that almost tasted like freedom. Then she turned and disappeared back into the masses of Wizarding Pureblood Elite escaping those frightening black eyes for as long as she possibly could.
At four o clock precisely, Cygnus Black clapped his hands for silence. And silence there was, instantly. Druella caught his passionless gaze and felt her feeble heart sink a little lower before making her way gracefully to his side, white pearls gleaming brightly in a smile sweeter than honey.
The fingers she laid on her husbands arm trembled in their silken gloves, the gesture graceful and affectionate as the look in her eyes as she smiled proudly up at him. He returned neither the look nor the gesture but inclined his head, giving permission for her to speak, his tall form as dark as she was pale.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Beloved guests! "
The words sang out like sunbeams on a lake; nightingale and lark would have been put to shame.
"It is my dearest and greatest pleasure, to present to you all my husband's youngest daughter. Please; I ask you all to welcome her into your presence, on this, her eleventh birthday. "
Every eye turned to the huge white stone archway as the doors into the manor opened with smooth majestic slowness. Every head turned, either politely or curiously, to stare up the marble staircase that flowed down like a waterfall from the silhouette framed there.
It was a little figure, all in white. White lace her exquisite yet modest robes, white the tiny diamond buckled shoes that peeped out from beneath the frosted hem and white the skin that sheathed the little body as it stood in the gaping black mouth of the manor, ready to clamp down and devour her. The only colour was the rich gold of her hair, the faintest flush in her cheeks and the deep indigo of those huge eyes that stared so solemnly down at the crowd before her.
Mothers sighed in envy, the ones with sons already calculating Cygnus Black's vast fortune split three ways and fathers lifted gold-rimmed eyeglasses to stare with now complete attention as the first little foot descended the first white step. Followed by a second, a third and so forth, until finally the child stood silently on the grass. Her chin was childishly rounded but held aloof and her back was straight as an antique poker as she came to a halt, the white ribbons in her hair the only movement as they fluttered in the breeze.
Druella sighed a silent painful breath even as her painted lips formed the words and the smile that they all were waiting for.
"My husband's daughter, Narcissa Evangeline Black. "
The applause erupted so suddenly and loudly that the girl almost flinched and Druella held an anxious breath. She needn't have worried. Narcissa's chin never lowered as she sank into a curtsey that not a single lady present could rival in its grace. The soft sigh was allowed to escape as Druella glanced swiftly into her husband's and he nodded a single nod. The greatest mark of approval Cygnus Black would ever bestow on a member of the weaker sex and the sign of permission she was waiting for.
In an instant Druella was at her daughter's side, clasping the little hand in her white glove tight enough to reassure. The child swallowed and turned her deep blue eyes to her mother's, their matching colour and clarity leaving no one in doubt of the relationship between the pair. The girl was the woman in miniature, the same ethereal beauty and fragility characterised both and when Druella bent her head to kiss Narcissa gently on the cheek, the gold ringlets mingled until they were indistinguishable one from the other. Then she spoke softly in her daughter's ear
"You did very well. "
For the briefest of moment's Narcissa stared up expressionlessly into her mother's beautiful face. Then, like sunshine bursting over the curve of a hill, her coral pink lips spread into a smile that put the heavenly bodies to shame. Those sapphires sparkled with pure unrestrained delight, her mask of breeding and calm cracking to allow the natural radiance and glow to pour through. Narcissa grasped her mother's hand tightly and let out peal of tinkling laughter that seemed to light up the grounds. The riot of gold ringlets were thrown back, rosebud lips parted in breathless pleasure as she chimed out like a bell
"I did it Mama! I did it! "
No one would have noticed the ever so slightly bitter twist to Druella's answering smile, nor the sadness in those breath-taking eyes as she stroked her daughter's cheek. All they saw was the enamel coating, sleek and shining and impenetrable until the day it finally cracks. All they heard were the words that left the mother's lips, sweet and loving as they almost broke in her mouth.
"Yes you did, my darling. You were perfect. "
Standing in line, in descending order of height and age, the Black girls were a sight to catch and hold the eye.
The eldest stood to the left, her soft chocolate waves topping the next by at least three inches. Dark mahogany eyes surveyed the scene with quiet watchfulness, her posture graceful and charmingly demure as was to be expected in a girl just entering her fifteenth year.
Her gaze swept the never-ending tide of guests with a practised eye, never stopping to stare but missing nothing as they passed. Her features were flawless as only a Black's could be, her cheekbones high, her lips full but it was the girl's expression that earned her the hesitantly admiring glances; the intelligence that lurked in those deep brown eyes, the hint of steel in the clench of her jaw. Signs of strength and character, traits neither of which were encouraged in pureblood young ladies and yet…still the eye lingered.
Only when the an elf tripped on a scarlet stiletto shoe, causing the wearer to shriek louder than banshee did the girl's lips twitch, spread and then burst into an irrepressible grin that was escorted by the most engaging pair of dimples ever seen. And only then did one particular onlooker realise just how irresistible Andromeda Black could be.
The dimples danced to and fro as the girl bent her head to whisper into the second sister's ear, chocolate locks streaming into a mane of deepest ebony, the soft pink of the eldest's dress clashing ever so slightly with the other's amber brocade.
The heavy material clung to a form that seemed too voluptuous for a girl of thirteen years of age, hinting at curves both already forming and promising to be the downfall of every man to meet her. Rich honey skin shimmered in the sun as her fingers' lifted to forcibly push back the thick waterfall of black curls that tumbled with rebellious determination to escape from her head band. Obsidian eyes flashed back and forth, here and there, burning with a brilliant fire that both enticed and chilled the spine. Her sister's words made her glance towards the woman in the scarlet dress, a swift brilliant blaze of black fire, and those full red lips spread into a smirk of pure evil delight.
For a moment the two eldest of the sisters Black allowed themselves the small pleasure of mocking the portly lady's embarrassment, before a bright cheery chime pulled their attention back to the third and last girl in the line.
The angelic white of her coming-out robes were as flattering to the wearer as they had been when she'd walked down those marble steps. The expression however, was as different as could be.
Gone was the mask of rigid propriety every pureblood girl had literally beaten into her before the age of eleven. The cold abstraction from her pale, piquant little face had vanished leaving only the sparkle in those cornflower eyes and the glowing lust for life that seemed to radiate from her. The girl gave the impression of restrained, even repressed energy, ever fighting it's bonds. Every movement seemed to beg for more and stillness was never fully complete. Some part had to move. Had to live and see and touch and dance because there was just too much of the world she wanted to experience.
In that brief moment Narcissa Black thought life was perfect. Her first debut had been a complete success and for an eleven-year-old daughter of the House of Black, nothing else mattered for the time being.
But certain things were engrained and one of them was propriety, and so, as the next in an endless line of guests came forward to curtsey and be curtsied to, Narcissa obeyed her parent's orders and retreated once more behind the mask. The sparkle was deliberately dimmed until almost unnoticeable, the excited stuttering of her heart a secret between herself and her ribcage.
White gossamer skirts were swept aside with a regal air worthy of a queen and a tiny hand was placed delicately into the glove of yet another woman who, like her predecessors, cooed and marvelled over her beauty and manners, over her golden head to her mother.
Narcissa allowed her lips to lilt into a matching smile as her thoughts drifted wistfully once more, back to the dancing that was coming and back to the dark-haired boy who had asked for the honour of leading her into the first set. Augustus Rookwood, the little girl sighed dreamily. Simply thinking of the compliment he had bestowed on her threatened to bring back the rosy flush to her cheeks and the sparkle to her eyes but in a split second the candle was blown out as a gentle hand touched her ever so lightly on her slim shoulder.
Druella Black smiled and lilted accordingly, empty words spilling from her lips as easily as champagne as she asked after so-and-so, declared herself stunned by another's engagement and complemented the lady's robes as simply exquisite. Narcissa watched with eyes wider than a house-elves, admiring silently her mother's charm and ability to remember every single person present and their life-stories. Druella had said it was necessary. In the pureblood world, Ladies did not battle with wands but with words. No more had she said, her eyes sad even as she'd smiled at the little girl about to enter into that backbiting, cruel and uncaring world.
The lady in pink satin moved on, double chin wobbling ever so slightly as she bowed her head and curtsied one final time to Narcissa. Then the next guest came forward and the tiny girl had to resist the urge to crane her slim neck and peer up at the newcomer who towered above even her mother's delicate frame.
He was taller than any man she'd ever seen, her own father included and his powerful frame stood lean and deceptively relaxed, his careless nonchalance at odds with the stiff bloodless propriety of every one before him. Narcissa kept her face respectfully lowered to the perfectly clipped grass but could not resist sneaking a peak through her lashes as the stranger bowed over Andromeda's hand.
"Miss Black. " a voice smooth as silk and gentle as a ghost. Yet it's underlying tone was pure mockery. Narcissa watched and wondered as Andromeda's inimitable calm wavered and almost cracked. His face was turned away; all she could see was a pointed yet strong chin and jaw lightly stubbled with silver and a pair of smoothly curving lips. It was a smile she would grow to know as well as her own, yet at that moment all she think of was the puzzle of the man's years. Hair turned grey with age did not sit well on a figure so tall and leanly muscled.
Andy pulled her fingers away, and Narcissa saw they trembled in the sunlight. The man's smile deepened.
It was Bella's turn next and she placed her hand in his with a wicked grin, that promised and lured and danced out of reach and the man turned his head a little more. The raven-haired girl laughed at the man's murmur of
"Miss Bellatrix Black. Delightful as always. "
But Narcissa frowned, wondering silently how Bella knew this gentleman and of whom she spoke when she demanded eagerly
"Is he here?"
To Narcissa's surprise no word from behind her chastened Bella for her deplorable manners and lack of etiquette but she resisted the temptation to turn and meet her mother's eye. As for the gentleman, he simply laughed softly and nodded to someone behind him.
Bella's black eyes flashed at once to the next person waiting silently in line before her face lit up in a smile of deepest pleasure. The man moved aside so that he stood directly at last in her eye-line, smirking over her head into her mother's face.
"Mistress Black, my son begs your kindness and remembrance. Lucius, make your bow to the dazzling daughters of the House of Black. "
The second figure stepped forward and the thought that flashed in Narcissa's brain was that somehow, it was the first in miniature.
Sleek, silver blond hair fell over his face as he bowed with grace even she could not hope to match. His robes were the deepest forest green, edged with silver thread and buttons. Beneath them his dress shirt was crisp and white and open slightly at the neck so that when he finally raised his head, she would have seen the smooth skin of his collarbone gleam had she cared to look. As it was, Narcissa could only stare into a pair of eyes that seemed in that moment to steal her soul.
Andromeda had turned half-away, cheeks still tinged with pink and a gaze like steel. Beside her Bella was staring at the boy hungrily, eyes still burning with that all-consuming fire, a wicked little half-smile curling her lips. But Narcissa didn't see that smile, not the distaste nor the almost cruel look on Abraxus Malfoy's face as his son held out a hand like silk and, without even realising, she placed her own in his. Nor did she see the look of suppressed agony on Druella Black's face as the boy brought those tiny fingers' to his lips, barely grazing the knuckles and then unleashing upon her daughter a smile that could have graced a member of the heavenly choir.
All Narcissa could do was stare, unaware that the boy still clasped her hand or that she'd allowed herself to become lost in that steel grey gaze for almost two minutes. And still he smiled, soft and innocent and beautiful until the pink seemed to steal into her cheeks under his gaze and she finally drew her hand back and looked at the ground.
"Miss Black. " she heard him say, his voice like black velvet. "My congratulations on your coming out. No first year Slytherin shall shine as bright."
Narcissa blushed a deeper pink at the compliment but it was Druella who stepped smoothly into the breach, the first hint of ice behind her laughing sweetness.
"Unfortunately Mister and Master Malfoy, my daughter will be leaving for France next week, to commence her first year at Beaxbatons Academy. "
Something flickered in those silver eyes as they paused and glided smoothly to the pale face of the woman behind her. Then he replied in that same rippling tone
"Really. Is that not a little unusual? "
It was Abraxus that answered his lilting question, with a coldly malicious smile, that widened as Druella looked away.
"Your…mother attended that same school, along with Mistress Black. "
Narcissa tore her gaze away from the younger Malfoy's suddenly expressionless face to stare curiously at her mother, who nodded to the unspoken question.
"My cousin and I spent six happy years there. " the words were sad but she held the man's mocking gaze with that dazzling smile still painted on her lips.
"I'm sure. " the smile was matched in suavity and gentleness as the man briefly closed his eyes in secret amusement. The woman's chest swelled in silent bitter anger, the same movement descending smoothly into a deeply respectful curtsey.
"I believe we must detain you no longer Mister Malfoy. Alas, so many guests means so little time with each. "
Thick blond lashes brushed silken cheeks in demure regret, but the glint in those sapphire irises they hid was not so submissive. Druella held out her gloved hand in a movement so light it seemed to caress the air and Abraxus Malfoy took it with the same matchless grace, pressing it to his lips just hard enough to feel the smirk through the thin material.
"As always, Mistress Black, you are right but my son desires to request the honour of a walk with the birthday girl. Will you not spare her to him, only for a few minutes? "
A pause and then,
"For…her…sake, perhaps? "
Still bent over her suddenly trembling fingers, two pools of silver glinted wickedly into hers. The anger, the hatred flared and stung painfully but she was not yet weak enough to give him the satisfaction of showing it. Druella faced the boy who stood so silently and so arrogantly before them, pushing back the familiar wave of grief.
The smile was as sweetly angelic as it had been all those years ago, gracing a face disturbingly similar and yet not the same. It had been the gentlest smile Druella had ever seen and with the silken tendrils of silver dancing across his features, it was like looking into a pensive. Back to a time when Evangeline Rosier lived and breathed and danced like the sunbeams and moonlight she had seemed to be fabricated from. When Bertrand de Bonnard had kissed and held and made love from sweet sunset till cruel dawn.
Before Evangeline Malfoy had bled and bruised and finally broken under the merciless hand of the very man who stood so cruel and unashamed in front of her.
Druella Black stared into the beautiful boy's face, unable to do anything but gaze hungrily at the white skin, the naturally arching brows, the lips that seemed too delicate for a boy, her heart breaking all over again as that smile shone through and shattered the darkness within it.
Then those endless silver eyes locked with hers and the spell was abruptly broken.
Abraxus Malfoy stared up at her from Evangeline's face. Indeed a face that was saved from the appearance of weakness by the few traits that did not belong to the girl she had once loved so dearly. The haughtily lifted strait nose, the commanding chin and of course the arrogance in his eyes that only a Malfoy could possess.
The illusion faded. Reality returned and Druella pulled away from Evie's tender smile and the boy who wore it like armour and wielded it like a sword . The boy who, underneath the angelic innocence, was utterly and completely his father's son.
"I'm afraid Narcissa has many people to meet and little time for her own pleasure. Next season perhaps. "
There was something similar between the smile that now curved her lips and the one that faded heartbreakingly from the younger Malfoy's face. A Rosier smile both of them, and the disappointment her words had provoked almost made her reconsider. But the flash of something else in the boy's eye was a warning she didn't need, to make her take Narcissa gently by the hand and pull her back in line, ignoring the suddenly downcast look on her daughters face as well as it's signification.
Triumph was in that smile as she held out her hand sweetly to only man she would ever hate more than her own, when a black shadow fell across Abraxus Malfoy's smirk and that hatefully familiar voice was rippling over her neck.
"Abraxus my old friend, it has been too long. "
Only for a moment did Druella eyes briefly close but Cygnus Black was reaching for Abraxus' outstretched hand and did not see. Instead that harsh forbidding countenance glanced down at the boy who now stood as arrogantly as the man, two heads white blond and two pairs of eyes that gleamed bright and beautiful in the afternoon sun. Abraxus placed his hand on his son's shoulder and gripped in meaningfully, silver gaze flickering wickedly to the woman's suddenly expressionless face.
"Cygnus; I appeal to you. Help me convince your wife to allow my son the opportunity of making himself better known to your exquisite little daughter. She frets for her guests being unattended. "
Cygnus' dark gaze moved emotionlessly over his wife's face before turning back to the silver haired man and saying deeply
"They have been attended all afternoon. They may spare her for a little while. Narcissa: " Narcissa immediately stepped forward, her sapphire gaze properly lowered and dropped into a respectful curtsey.
"Father. "
"You will take a turn with young master Lucius. You will be all that is expected of a daughter of the House of Black. Abraxus, a glass of champagne? Druella… "
The name hung ominously in the air as he stared into the woman's eyes. Her chin was high, her breast swelled, her gaze imperiously proud to the end and that challenge brought the first tiniest hint of a cruel smile to those firm lips.
"Carry on. "
Without another word the two men strolled nonchalantly in one direction and, with a mocking smile the boy held out his arm and led Narcissa triumphantly away in the other. Two huge blue eyes stared helplessly at the floor, despair and hatred battling for dominance under the shell of that unshakable self-control as another grey-eyed Malfoy sunk their deadly claws into someone she loved.
And with each elegant step away from the beautiful shadow of a woman, two Malfoy smirks widened.
Narcissa couldn't help but think his smile was really very very lovely. It curled his mouth in such a very lazily beautiful way that it reminded her of a flower unfurling it's petals in the rain. Slow and easy and yet transfixing. And when he caught her glancing up at him through her lashes the smile grew even wider. Narcissa had never felt so unsure, so oddly frightened and yet excited at the same time. The boy's eyes were pools of purest silver and seemed to steal into her mind at will. Her grip tightened self-consciously on his arm and Lucius smirked secretly.
"Where would you have us walk, Miss Black? " the question was soft and unobtrusive; he was taking pains to set her at ease. Narcissa flushed slightly but pulled herself together.
"The flowers are beautiful at this time of year, if…if you would care to see them. " she peeped up at him and again that smile set her heart beating frantically. He was only two years older than her but somehow had the manner of outclassing her dismally. For the first time that day, Narcissa felt hopelessly out of her depth. Then his soft voice made her raise her head once more.
"I would care very much. " Another dazzling smile made her blink and he led her unerringly through the throng with a grace and dexterity that left Narcissa even more stunned. A few short minutes later and the rich scent of Freesia and Lily of the Valley and Honeysuckle filled the pair's noses and Narcissa breathed in a huge sigh of delight.
Time and place were forgotten, caution thrown to the winds and manner's were momentarily discarded; the girl broke away from his arm and ran to the bursts of colour and fragrance as though greeting old friends, eyes sparkling pools of blue, lips parted in eagerness as her small fingers moved to touch each and every blossom with love.
Lucius blinked, taken aback by the complete change in the girl's demeanour as the mask of rigid propriety was cast away to reveal a breathtakingly beautiful creature with a smile that warmed the heart and a laugh that sweetened the air that separated them.
The girl suddenly recalled where and who she was and the disastrous breach of manners she had just committed. She turned around, eyes still aglow and cheeks faintly flushed as she bit her lip sheepishly at the boy she had so summarily abandoned.
Penitence there was but underneath it, a bubble of mischief threatened to escape as Lucius stared, mouth slightly agape. It was the gleam that recalled him to his senses and he frowned, unsure whether to be admiring or affronted. Then the gurgle of mirth escaped and, for the first time in his memory, he almost found himself grinning back.
"I'm sorry, truly I am! Please don't be cross; it's the flowers fault for being so lovely in sunshine! "
Lucius stared at her, his face dignified and unreadable. Those pretty lips parted in another attempt at contrition but just as her agonised expression was convincing him to relent, a flash of midnight blue caught her eye. The curls fanned through the air and sapphire eyes shone like stars in excitement before, to the younger Malfoy's complete shock she grabbed his hand and practically yanked him through the gap between two rose bushes and into the miniature Eden without so much as a word.
Lucius could barely string a sentence together as the tiny fingers pulled him impatiently further through freesias and daffodils and Magnolias, when suddenly she stopped and it took all his strength to avoid crashing into her small frame.
Sanity returned in an instant. The sneer that curled the boy's angelic face was frightening to behold but before he could let rip the blistering defamation of her morals, her behaviour and above all her character, a tiny white-gloved finger pressed urgently over his lips.
"Shhhh we'll scare it. "
The enigmatic words did nothing to assuage the furious anger but they did make the boy pause in reluctant curiosity.
"What exactly is my voice going to scare that your ridiculous galumphing about hasn't already? "
The biting sarcasm passed straight over her head, the youngest Daughter of the House of Black looked up at him with a dazzling smile before pointing eagerly at the elegant topiary she had stopped short in front of. Lucius rolled his eyes tetchily but, for Merlin knows what reason, leaned forward to scowl impatiently in the direction she was pointing in.
He wasn't sure what exactly he'd expected. Something of sufficient magnitude to warrant such a stupid, undignified romp through the Manor Gardens, however, his subconscious did demand. A house-elf suicide perhaps or an escaped Aethonon let loose from the stables. Which was why, when the reason for his ruffled, decidedly put out appearance was finally brought to light, at the tip of one gloved finger-tip, Lucius Malfoy couldn't quite believe it.
It was a butterfly.
A simple, common as they come, butterfly, sitting innocently on the vibrant green sculpture, as oblivious to the stir it had created as the girl still standing blithely at his side. Lucius for once in his young life, was completely and utterly stunned.
"Isn't it beautiful? " The question awoke the instinctive spark of breeding and he turned his head to stare blankly down at that little golden head. Sense began to slowly return, heralding a blazing tower of anger but shock still numbed the boy's highly acute brain and he found himself saying uncomprehendingly back
"It's a butterfly. "
Huge sapphire irises lifted to glow into his face, lips parted in a dazzling smile of eagerness.
"Exactly! " she breathed, before turning back to stare once more at the little blue creature with an almost hungry look.
"I would give anything to be like her. " The words sighed with longing, bursting from the heart in a moment of unguarded confidence.
The anger was growing but still curiosity furrowed his brow, repressing it a little while longer as he tried unsuccessfully to decipher her meaning.
"It is pretty. " he allowed, searching her face for a reaction, puzzled over how the loveliest girl he had ever seen could envy the creature's simple appeal. Had she no mirror? But the question had done no more than make him smirk at it's absurdity when suddenly the girl lifted her face once more to his in a mixture of reproach and amusement.
"Not because she's PRETTY. " Narcissa almost giggled, shaking her head at the boy's silliness before grasping his hand once more and pulling him closer. And Lucius found himself following almost dreamlike, waiting for her to continue. And when she did, the words floated softly over the air, so gentle and yet filled with so much almost desperate longing.
"Because she's FREE…. "
The meaning sank in and the sneer pulled his lips upwards but still the girl spoke in that same voice of yearning
"Free to live, to laugh and to cry! To fly and run and soar and never ever come down to earth! To dance and…and… "
Narcissa broke off, eyes widening as the unpleasant curl of the boy's lips reminded her just how badly she had shown herself up. Panic flooded her face, white as a sheet and agonised. Pureblood ladies did not have such foolish dreams; it was an honour to serve the husband her parents chose to bind her too. To divulge that her greatest desire was to shake of her name and its bonds forever, to this handsome stranger…It was unthinkable. Narcissa could only stare helplessly, pleading with him not to betray her.
Lucius read the thoughts streaming through her mind as though they were written on her face. Disgust at this little fool, who entertained such ridiculous notions below her station, anger at her breech of etiquette and social conduct, and self-disgust at having been beguiled by her impulsive, taking ways into actually listening to these silly fantasies; it all screamed at him to give the girl a final sneer and walk away. Let the fool lie on her own bed. When word of this discussion came to her father's ears, her departure to France would become a necessity, to escape the ensuing punishment. It would be so pathetically easy. All he had to do was leave.
Leave and ignore the desperate pleading in those huge, shining indigo eyes.
They shone almost wetly up at him, big and bright and irritatingly beautiful, the colour almost identical to the butterfly that still sat poised on flight, on the green topiary. Pride and fear battling for dominance, he could see the way she hated it. Hated the need to beg. But knowing the consequences if she didn't.
Lucius stared down into her face and briefly closed his eyes in disgruntlement. Then, to her shock he bowed with unreal grace, lifted her white hand and said
"With the greatest will in the world, it is not in my power to make you fly. However, make you dance; perhaps I can, if, Narcissa Black, you will do me the honour. "
Her fingers trembled as the perfect, full lips pressed themselves to her skin for a second longer than strictly appropriate. Soft silken tendrils of silver brushed her wrist like a caress as she flushed and stared down at his bent, white-blond head. Narcissa couldn't find her voice, it had been stolen away she thought vaguely, stolen away by steel eyes and soft, scalding breath. And by the time she found it once more, he had already taken her arm and lead her through the maze of flowers and back to the Garden Party, to where the Music was just striking up for a cotillion.
His voice, soft and purring once more made Narcissa blink, suddenly coming out of her daze and into the present.
"Shall we? "
Again those lips smiled with an angel's innocence; it was almost as though his earlier sneer had been her imagination. But the sight of couples being lead onto the open space roped off for dancing kick-started her brain into working once more. Narcissa pulled away with a regretful shake of her golden head, oblivious to the sudden frown that harded that steel gaze.
"I'm sorry, I already promised the first dance to someone else. He,… " a faint blush coloured her cheeks and the boy's expression darkened at the sight of it. "He said, he said I put the stars to shame. "
The admission was made shyly but her eyes glowed with repressed excitement and pleasure. It didn't enter Lucius' head that the reason for this was the simple fact of being the object of such a compliment rather than the identity of the one who had made it. All he knew was that she was rosy-cheeked and flushing in a way that no one but himself should have provoked. A muscle in Lucius' jaw clenched as he commented in a voice like silk.
"Obliging of him. "
Again she didn't notice the sarcasm; she was too wrapped up in thoughts of her admirer, Lucius sneered inwardly, inexplicably vicious. The girl simply flushed a little deeper and peeped shyly up at him from under her lashes.
"Yes. Though it was probably the dress. Will you…will you be asking another young lady? "
The hint of worry behind the hesitant inquiry brought the gleam of arrogant good-humour back into his silver eyes. He looked down at her with a smirk, answering it with another.
"Who is your honey-tongued cavalier? "
Narcissa almost pouted as he deftly sidestepped the question but suppressed the childish gesture and answered with a shy smile and a blush once more.
"Augustus…Master Rookwood. " she said softly to the grass, thick golden lashes demurely lowered so that she did not see the gleam that suddenly darkened those pools of silver, didn't see the angelic smile twist momentarily into a smirk of pure triumph. And by the time she ventured to lift her gaze once more to his, the look of almost cruelty had vanished as quickly as it had come.
"Well. Then let us call him. " Lucius said smoothly, fighting back the smirk as it threatened to escape. He snapped his fingers smartly and at once a small ugly house-elf wearing the Black Family Crest appeared with a loud "pop "!
"Sir? " Lucius rolled his eyes at the repulsive little thing before saying coldly.
"Tell Master Rookwood that Master Malfoy requests his presence immediately. Bring him here. " With another snap, it had gone and Lucius turned to smile with satisfaction into Narcissa's wide-eyed expression.
They did not have to wait long. Less than a minute later a boy no older than the one beside her walked up to the waiting pair and Narcissa couldn't help but smile a glowing smile. The youth returned it charming, dark hair falling into his deep brown eyes as he held out a hand and brought her fingers to his lips.
"Miss Black. If the servant had told me the true identity of my summoned I would have come all the quicker. "
Narcissa's cheeks turned rosy but she spoke with perfect composure as she pointed out with a hopeful smile
"The first dance is just about to strike up, if you are still of the same mind as earlier. "
The sapphires sparkled eagerly and Augustus grinned back. The immediate assertion that nothing could bring him greater pleasure was almost on his lips when a sudden, gentle cough from the figure behind Narcissa, made him lift his gaze. Lucius moved his head barely an inch, once to the left and once to the right, but that, coupled with the dark promise in his steel gaze, had the apology spewing from his classmate's lips faster than a unicorn's gallop.
"Ah…well Miss Black, unfortunately I must cry pardon on this matter and beg you to give me that honour some other time. My mother has fallen prey to the heat and wishes me to attend her. I am therefore forced to leave you in Master Malfoy's capable hands. "
Darks eyes shot to the same Malfoy as he spoke, seeking approval and he was rewarded by the widest of smiles. Lucius bowed slightly to his friend, promising silently to thank him later, and Rookwood winked back at him over the girl's turned head. The dark-haired boy returned the bow and kissed Narcissa's hand once more with a flourish before disappearing into the crowds.
Lucius's smirk was filled with the arrogance of every Malfoy before him as he turned back to the golden haired girl with a gleam of triumph.
"Shall we? " he repeated with deep self-satisfaction and a dazzling flash of teeth, when suddenly her head lifted, golden curls thrown back and to his complete shock, she glared furiously up at him.
"You did that! " she accused, fists clenched in anger, eyes bright and shining with hurt and burning indignation. " You made him do it! How could you? "
Lucius glared straight back, mouth almost falling open in annoyance as the little chit actually berated him publicly.
"I did it because I wanted to dance with you. You should be flattered! "
The sneer was disdainful, the fire in those steel eyes just as deadly as he forced his voice to lower, so as to attract no more attention from the surrounding crowd. But to his horror she lashed back, just as wrathfully and just as shrilly; Lucius cringed inwardly as faces turned to stare.
"Well I'm not and I won't! "
He almost hissed back into her pale, furious face as she pulled sharply away from his vice-like grip.
"Don't be such a fool, now take my arm before the set is complete! "
Narcissa took a step back, away from the beautiful boy who now managed to look like an avenging angel in his rage. Her dark blue eyes narrowed, lower lip pouting mulishly as she lifted her chin in challenge.
"No. "
The boy's lids narrowed in turn, his lips white and pressed, a muscle quivering in his jaw as he repeated in a voice like silk.
"No? " The menace behind the single, softly spoken word almost made her wince, but Narcissa stood her ground and glared fiercely back before say louder than before.
"No. You may be able to scare away anyone else from dancing with me, but you can't force me to dance with you! "
The crowd that had now gathered seemed to gasp in shock and horror as this slip of a girl publicly refused and humiliated the heir of the richest PureBlood Family in England. Mutters crept back and forth, a few snorts of laughter quickly hushed by frantic mothers but Lucius Malfoy never removed his murderous gaze from the golden-haired chit standing opposite him. Narcissa met him look for look and finished in a voice sweeter than honey, chin lifted as proudly and triumphantly as a queen.
"That freedom, at least, I do have. "
Indigo met silver in a blaze of fire and without another word, the eleven year old gathered her skirts and swept away, the crowd parting in wonder as she went. Lucius didn't move, livid gaze still scorching the empty air she had just left, lips curled into the very deadliest of smirks.
The hoards that had gathered departed rapidly, eyeing the rigid look on the Malfoy Heir's beautiful face with obvious nervousness. The chattering and bustle resumed, the dancing gayer and more lively than ever under the brilliant summer sun. And still the thirteen year stood, still and perfect as a statue carved in stone.
Until a flash of brilliant blue fluttered gently past.
A white hand shot out, long elegant fingers forming a cage around the butterfly and Lucius's steel gaze finally lowered to stare expressionlessly down at it. The blue wings beat against his skin, frantically, desperately, longing to escape and return to the sky and the clouds, squirming hopelessly against his gentle iron hold.
Seconds passed. The white-blond head lifted, sleek, elegant locks gleaming in the sunshine, floating on the gentle breeze. The look on those perfect features was almost innocent, his smile soft as the white clouds above and his voice a gentle carress on the air all but drowned out by the nearby flurry of activity.
"Not for long, Narcissa Black. That I promise you. "
The pale fingers clenched. Life was snuffed out like a burning candle.
Lucius Malfoy flickered the blue mess of his perfect hands with an expression of distaste, still gazing into oblivion as the deadly lilting smirk pulled up the corners of his lips.
"Not for long. "
That night, the Sisters Black crept silently into Narcissa's room for their last Midnight Meeting. The huge four-poster bed was a sofa to all three, three slender figures sitting cross-legged on the silk duvet, none of them meeting the other's eyes.
"It's a good thing for you, Cissa, " Andromeda finally broke the heavy silence, tucking back her chocolate waves to smile determinedly at her baby sister. Narcissa couldn't answer, the lump in her throat was too big and too painful; she just nodded her golden head weakly and grasped the pillow to her chest a little tighter.
A sharp, fierce voice punctuated the heavy silence.
"How? How is this a good thing? "
Narcissa opened her mouth pleadingly but Bella had already jumped from the bed to march over to the nearby bay window, gold fingers gripping the sill so hard her knuckles were as white as the moon. She turned suddenly back, ebony curls tossed away, to stare back at the other two with eyes as large and dark and shining as the stars that framed her. The square jaw was clenched rigidly shut, white teeth gritted in the moonlight, and a gaze too bright to be anything but hurt. The tears never fell, she held them back fiercely as a lion, glaring back and forth, from one pale face to the other, iron shell on the verge of cracking.
"Why? Why do you have to go? Why do you have to leave? "
"It's not her choice, Bella. " Andy murmured softly, dark brown eyes fixed on her hands and dimples nowhere in sight.
Bella stamped her foot, choking on a silent sob and Narcissa screwed her eyes tight to hold back her own tears.
"I'm…sorry. " It was a broken whisper, forced out seconds before the golden head buried itself in the velvet cushion.
Bella let out a strangled whimper, before finally closing her dark eyes and running from the room.
Narcissa shot up to follow but Andy's white hand held her back. Those huge blue eyes turned to stare desperately into the older girls face, filled with tears and pain and guilt. Andromeda pulled the eleven year old into her arms and rocked her gently under pale sad gaze of the heavens.
The minutes ticked by slowly, when suddenly a tiny voice, muffled by the silk pyjamas her face was pressed into, floated to Andy's ears.
"Why am I always different? "
The golden head suddenly lifted, the little girls agonised gaze burning into hers.
"I'm not a star, not a Hogwarts student, I don't even look like a Black! Why can't I just be like you and Bella? "
The tears were streaming down, down pale cheeks, faster than Andy's fingers could wipe them away. Still they tried, stroking the white skin with love as she looked down at the girl she adored more than anything in the world.
"You will always, always be one of us. "
"Why am I the only flower? Why couldn't I just be like the rest of you? " the words were coming faster and more frantic, racing with the tears and the pain of loneliness. A spark of sternness returned to Andromeda's deep brown gaze and she suddenly lifted Narcissa's chin with strong fingers.
"Look at me Cissa. Look at me and listen. "
The white face swallowed but nodded; the cream one repressed a sad sigh and indicated towards the huge gold-rimmed window. Andromeda crawled on her hands and knees and pulled her younger sister to the far side of the bed, until both of them were sitting on the edge, bare feet dangling in the moonlight, one hand still holding white fingers, the other lifted towards the gold-rimmed arch of glass.
"What do you see? "
Narcissa glanced up into her sister's serious expression before hiccupping, blinking wetly and peering obediently up at the sky.
"I see the stars all shining brightly, " the little girl eventually said glumly, "With Sirius and Bella the brightest of them all. "
A sudden grip on her shoulders made Narcissa start as two warm hands gently spun her round and Andy bent down so that their heads and eyes were level.
"Exactly. And now listen to me and never forget what I'm about to say. "
The mahogany gaze was dark and sad and timeless, cream fingers slipping slowly down Narcissa's pale wrists to hold her hands lovingly. Full lips twisted and parted as she spoke softly, the words echoing for many years, many decades to come.
"The brightest stars will always burn themselves out. "
Narcissa frowned but Andy smiled, pressing the eleven year old gently down into the cushions and pulling the covers up around her with loving care.
"The princess will always dream of her prince. "
The confused "but " was cut off as the chocolate waves gleamed in the moonlight as Andromeda Black lifted her hand to gently caress her sister's cheek, eyes as old and ageless as the stars that twinkled above them.
"But the flower...the flower will always, always turn towards the sun. "
The kiss was soft and sweet as a sigh as it was pressed onto the little girl's forehead. Her iredescant lids fluttered, her eyes closed and didn't open again, until morning.
And there you are, Chapter 1 all up and running! =) Kinda. I hoped you liked it as much I actually liked writing it! I'm getting oddly addicted to these bad characters lol. Anyway, tell me what you think, pretty pretty please =)
Luv u all!
Lili
X x x x x x x x x