I was waiting to be picked up by my father's assistant Maria to go shopping for my outfit for the welcome dinner the Malfoy's would be throwing for us the following weekend.
As much as I disliked these state events, this one would be bearable since Draco would be there with me. He promised me we would only have to make an appearance meet the dignitaries and then we would be free to escape until the official dinner.
He promised to help me with my flying skills Mommy and Daddy said if I got better they would buy me a really good broom but they were not wasting good money if my skills were not good enough to make the house team next year. Plus I really wanted to play next year. Draco said he was going to try out and it sounded like a lot of fun.
I was really surprised when I went to Professor Dumbledore's office to meet Maria for our shopping trip to see Draco there with a very beautiful blonde woman. I could tell right away she must be his mother just because he Sort of looked like her.
"Surprise!" he said grinning at me.
I just looked at him confused.
His mother smiled down at him "You have to explain the surprise to her, darling." she said patiently, looking at me she explained "Your parents have agreed you might come with Draco and me to shop for a dress for our dinner. I have always wanted to take a young lady out shopping. I would be very pleased and honored if you would agree to come with us for the day."
I could not decide to be pleased or not. I did like the idea of going with someone besides Maria, she always hurries me and makes me feel like I have to choose the very first thing. But I felt a little embarrassed to be going out and trying on things with someone I didn't know.
It must have shown on my face because Lady Malfoy immediately pulled my arm through hers and whispered like we were two girlfriends, "You are not really going to make me go with Draco alone are you? He gets fussy and bullheaded when I want to look at dresses and accessories."
I laughed at Draco's dark look and agreed at once that we couldn't have that happen.
It was a wonderful morning. Draco was left with some male robes shop keep since Lady Malfoy said his outfit was not nearly as important as ours. He looked a little concerned about leaving us alone together.
He didn't need to worry. Parents loved me. Well, other people's parents. Sometimes I am pretty certain my parents are looking for a way to off me and make it look like an accident. Like when the bobcat shredded the drapes and at the expensive koi in the pond.
Lady Malfoy and I went to a shop called Twilfitt and Tattings. We passed by the place where I had purchased my school robes and I seemed to remember they had some really nice dresses and dress robes there but Lady Malfoy went right past it. Which seemed odd because we actually had to cross the street and go back down to reach the shop she wanted. It would have been faster to cross the street earlier.
It almost looked like she wanted the woman in the robe shop to see her and know she wasn't going in there. I guessed I was right when I heard Lady Malfoy say "The last time I was in the robe shop with Draco, darling," I looked around to see who she was calling 'darling' I was surprised to see it was me "they had some undesirables shopping there. We will purchase our items from Twilfitt and Tattings. They cater to a more exclusive clientele.
I had absolutely no idea what or who she was talking about, but I agreed her plan for a shop was the best one.
The shop was very nice and I was very glad we went there. The little witches bubbling around us brought teas and cakes and offered us foot rubs while they brought out sample after sample of material. I had not understood until now that our dresses would be made especially for us.
Narcissa turned down one color for being too common, one for going terribly with my hair. One for being made of too poor a quality material. The thread was only silver colored, not real silver, I had no idea that was even a thing. I missed out on so much shopping with Maria.
When I told Lady Malfoy about my past shopping experiences she seemed horrified. "How could anyone not simply adore being pampered and allowed to dress you up in such beautiful things?" she asked me.
I felt a little bad for Maria. "I don't mean to complain. She is my father's assistant and very busy after all. I am sure it took time out of her important work."
"Nonsense, you are far too modest. You are your father's pride and joy and her most important work is seeing to your comfort. After all, unless he has a son, it will be you who bears his heir." She looked ready to do battle on my behalf. Almost like my Aunt Karen did when she felt I was not getting my share of attention. Mother always laughed and told her to stop spoiling me so much.
Still, what she said about giving my family an heir… I blushed a deep red thinking about what she had just said. I had never thought about… that… before. I had never even kissed a boy. I knew how babies were made, but I had not thought about how I would one day be doing those things that would create one.
Lady Malfoy smiled slightly amused yet kindly at my blush and patted me on the knee. "Let's also have some jewelry sent over. Your father and mother want you to look your best, you will be meeting some very important people."
I sighed "Yes Lady Malfoy."
With a sympathetic look she asked "You don't care for these event parties?" I could not shake the feeling that everything she was doing today was some sort of exam. Like a school test. And that there absolutely were right and wrong answers.
It was alright I had been around politicians my whole life. I could usually figure out what they were after when it came to getting answers from me. And I knew when to shut up about my parents. But she did not seem to be after information about my parent's work.
"Oh, no, it is not that, it is only that I feel like an unnecessary ornament and I want to feel…" I found it hard to find the right words.
"Necessary? Dignified?" she supplied
I looked at her dumbfounded for a moment. "Yes, that is it exactly. It is like you know my own thoughts and feelings…"
"I once felt like nothing more than a pretty ornament at these events as well, Cassandra. Your day will come. Have patience." She patted my knee and I knew I had passed this part of the test.
In the end we chose an emerald green and silver material for the dress for me that did not clash with my hair. The dress design the witch tailor charmed an image of over my school robes made me look like a princess. I couldn't wait to have the real one. The material was so soft it almost felt like I would be wearing a nightgown all evening!
We, and by 'we' I mean Lady Malfoy since I had no idea what I was doing, chose a pair of silver ballet flats that she assured me would be easy to wear all night. She was getting a pair of heels that looked like a queen should be wearing them. When I lightly touched my finger to the toe and murmured how beautiful they were she placed a hand on my cheek and laughed.
"When you are older we will come back and have a pair designed just for you, lovely girl." I nodded eagerly making her laugh again.
The jeweler had brought over a tray of simple but very pretty pieces for Lady Malfoy and I to look at. We decided finally on a small snake ring for Slytherin and even a necklace and bracelet set to match. It was all packaged up and sent to my parent's home to wait for me.
Before the jeweler left I asked Lady Malfoy "Should we choose something for Draco?" there was something in her eyes that was oddly disturbing for a moment when she looked at me. Like I had passed a test she didn't even know she was giving me. It made me feel weird.
"Draco will be wearing his signet ring, darling. Do you know what those are?" she was still watching me with that odd look.
"My father has an old one that belonged to his great grandfather. They show you belong to a very specific family, yes? A very old family usually?" I was sure I was pretty close.
"Yes, and usually a very powerful family. In our case that means a pureblood family." Ahh… there was that distinction again. I knew more about it now. At least a little, but I still did not understand.
Afterwards we went to a very nice restaurant for lunch. I was raised well enough to know that in these types of places one never thanks the help. That the help is actually snobbish enough to be offended by it. In the little places my parents took me to grab a quick burgers and fries, (except they called those chips here, have to remember that) at home I could show appreciation, but not here. So doing my best not to make eye contact I unfolded my napkin and placed it carefully across my lap.
Throughout lunch I would catch Lady Malfoy watching me occasionally. I was used to this. Strange adults always expect strange children to suddenly throw a tantrum or spill their water or some other horrendous mistake of manners. Not me though. I knew where my allowance came from.
"You have impeccable manners, Cassandra, so few young people do these days." I resisted sighing. This was a test. It was always a test with adults. Usually in these situations Michael would tap me with his foot under the table to let me know how to behave but now I was on my own. No one to save me.
I know it may seem silly for an eleven year old girl to want her fourteen year old cousin to come and rescue her from everything from trolls to parents of friends, but the thing you have to understand is Michael has been saving me since I was a toddler. Our parents all work in MACUSA politics and so we were left to nannies a lot. We always had each other. I needed someone and he needed someone to need him. My nannies always took the credit for how I turned out but they had very little influence over how I behaved. It was always Michael.
"Thank you Lady Malfoy. I have truly enjoyed your company today." Draco was looking anywhere but at the two of us. Even he recognized I was being evaluated.
"Please, you must call me Narcissa. I insist." Was this the test? I tried not to frown as I thought back to all of my lessons.
"That would be wonderful, Lady Malfoy, but I must…" I searched just a moment for the right words, darned all of those lessons! "decline. It would be immodest and disrespectful of me."
From her small smile I could tell I had passed her test. "As you wish, but I do hope our families become close enough that it would be neither immodest nor disrespectful to do so."
"That is my wish as well, Lady Malfoy." I smiled at her.
"You must feel free to come to me at any time with any questions you might have. I know this new life must be very confusing to you." She sounded very sincere.
Did she truly mean it? There was only one way to find out. "There is one thing that bothers me, Lady Malfoy… this whole pureblood idea…"
I knew I had said something wrong when both she and Draco tensed up. "Yes my dear… what questions do you have about it?"
"How would someone be ummm… I don't know what the word would be… how could someone not have wizard parents?" they both looked at me in surprise.
"Surely you have people at home who are mudbloods or halfbloods?" asked Lady Malfoy.
That first word sounded… I don't know, ugly, but I knew I did not like it, I knew better than to show my feelings though. "I don't think so, what is that?"
"Someone who has muggle parents, either both or one of them." explained Draco.
"But how? Marrying or having babies with no-maj is illegal! We aren't even allowed to let them know we exist! You can get executed for that, it was all over the papers last summer how a wizard had a no-maj girlfriend. She was obliviated and he was put to death!" Draco and Lady Malfoy looked at me stunned.
"They… this law actually exists in the MACUSA?" Lady Malfoy asked. "And is common enough children discuss it and the consequences?"
"Doesn't it exist here?" I asked in confusion.
Neither one said anything.
Later that night cuddling with Isis on the bed I started thinking over everything that had happened that day. I don't really know how I knew all that stuff about Lady Malfoy testing me, and how I knew I had somehow passed her tests. It seemed so unusual to think about.
Then I suddenly thought back to the day I got Isis and what the witch had said about the power of ferrets 'stealth, cunning, hunting, ingenuity, revenge and the ability to see hidden things and reasons.'
"Is that it Isis, are you the one helping me see how all of this fits together?" It seemed unlikely, but I am not usually that knowledgeable about why people do things. Perceptive, that is what my Daddy said Mommy is, perceptive, she sees things about people and situations and that is what makes her such a good lawyer.
Isis just stretched and yawned and curled up into a ball to go to sleep. I would be getting no answers from that direction