"Narcissa!" Violet called when she was standing barely three feet away. Narcissa looked down haughtily, pretending that she hadn't seen or heard the girl as she continued to eat her ice cream daintily.
"Bellatrix! How are you?"
"That's Miss Black, thank you" Bellatrix commented coolly. What the girl failed to realise was that they no longer attended Hogwarts. Socialising with people solely on the merits of their house was now moot, and although Violet came from a perfectly well respected pure blooded family, she was hardly in their class.
Violet ignored her cool comment, "Narcissa, are you not going to introduce me to your friends?"
Narcissa sighed, as much as she disliked Violet, it went against almost all of her nature to be rude. Rudeness showed bad breeding and weakness and Narcissa never showed anyone her weak points.
"Violet" she smiled "This is Bellatrix's fiancée, Mr Rodolphus Lestrange, and his friend Mr Lucius Malfoy." She paused, wondering how to introduce Violet, "Rodolphus, Mr Malfoy, this is Violet Parkinson."
Violet smiled warmly at the two gentlemen. Before her sat the two most eligible bachelors in wizarding society, and she obviously wanted to make a good impression. "Mr Malfoy" she said moving closer to him slightly, "You were on the Slytherin Quidditch team were you not?"
"Yes I was" he smiled at her, "And please, call me Lucius."
Violet shot a triumphant glare over at Narcissa, she was now on first name terms with Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa rolled her eyes and turned to join the conversation between Rodolphus and her sister.
"Bella, you do realise we're supposed to meet mother in twenty minutes for tea?"
"Oh no!" she gasped, "I completely forgot." She turned to her younger sister, "Will you be ok to get home on your own?"
"Don't worry Bella" Lucius soothed suddenly, "I will be more than happy to accompany Miss Narcissa home, after all we can't leave a young lady on her own."
"Cheers Lucius!" Rodolphus clapped him on the back as he got up to leave.
Bella followed him, waving to Narcissa as she left.
"Now Miss Black" Lucius offered her his arm "Let's get you home before it gets dark shall we?"
Narcissa looked at her watch and rolled her eyes, "Mr Malfoy", she remarked dryly "it's July, it wont get dark for another four hours."
"Well I don't want to take any risks with you of course" he countered smoothly.
Narcissa smiled at him indulgently "Well I am awfully tired" she confessed. It was the truth, and it was kind of Lucius to offer to take her home, and Narcissa didn't like to put him out. "It's very kind of you to go to this trouble Mr Malfoy" she told him sincerely.
"Nonsense, it would be appalling to leave a lady to fend for herself in the streets."
During this exchange Violet was getting increasingly annoyed, she didn't like to sit on the sidelines at the best of times, especially not when Lucius Malfoy was involved. She coughed subtly, causing Lucius to revert his attention back to her, "Violet, I trust you will be alright to get home on your own, after all, you arrived by yourself." She looked livid, much to Narcissa's amusement. She disappointedly nodded her agreement, and Lucius escorted Narcissa out into the bright sunshine of Diagon Alley.
Narcissa and Lucius chatted amicably during the rest of their walk to the fireplace at the end of Diagon Alley, keeping strictly to neutral topics such as the weather and recent parties. They both agreed that the were having the finest July they had seen for years and the Notts party the previous Easter has been a terrible crush.
"So Miss Narcissa, I do believe I saw you at the Malfoy Spring Ball this year, would I be correct?"
"Yes, I attended it with Charles Jugson, do you know him?"
"I believe so, he's cousin to Severus Snape, is he not?"
"That's right" Narcissa agreed.
"And are you still seeing him at the moment Miss Narcissa?"
"For the time being" she told him smoothly, things with Jugson would come to an end, probably sooner rather than later, her parents did not really approve of him. Admittedly he was a nice boy, from a good family, and as such he had been an acceptable dalliance for the time she had spent in school, but it would never be permitted to go any further.
They walked in silence for the rest of the walk, until it was their turn to floo home. Lucius did the honours, throwing a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace and allowing Narcissa to step into the fire. "Ravensden Hall" she said very clearly, remembering the time she had accidentally arrived at a hag's home in East Glossop. The fire swirled around her, and a second later, she was standing in the middle of the fireplace in the main hall of her home.
"Mother" she called up the stairs, "I'm home." Before turning back to the fireplace as Lucius Malfoy stepped into the hallway.
"Ahh, Narcissa" she could here her mother's voice coming from the top of the stairs behind her, a note of astonishment in her voice as she saw her companion, "And Mr Malfoy, what a pleasant surprise."
"How do you do Mrs Black" he replied politely.
She nodded politely, "Would you care to join us for a cup of tea in the garden?"
"Thank you for your kind offer but regretfully, I have urgent business in town." Her mother was visibly disappointed. "Miss Narcissa, I hope to have the pleasure of your company again soon." He nodded his goodbye to each of the women in turn before walking back into the fireplace "Serpenaven" he muttered before disappearing.
Narcissa looked over to her mother, she was looking far too excited. "Mr Malfoy!" she almost squealed in delight, "What a gentleman, to escort you home, how utterly charming" she gushed in delight.
Narcissa rolled her eyes as she walked through into the parlour "Don't plan our wedding just yet mother."
"Whose wedding?" her father asked as he looked up from where he was sitting in the armchair reading the morning paper.
"Nobody's Daddy" she replied bending down to kiss him gently on the temple.
"Welcome home 'Cissa" he smiled up at her, appraising his younger daughter, out of the three she would definitely go the furthest, she lacked Bella's temper and Andromeda's sensibilities, she would have every bachelor in the Wizarding World flocked around her once she came out. "Darling, would you sit down, there's something we need to discuss." She sat down obediently and waited for her father to begin. "Darling, as you're aware your coming out into society is about to take place, and you will be attending your first debutante balls."
"Yes Daddy" she agreed, Narcissa had been looking forward to this summer for years, she was about to enter wizarding society and hopefully attract a suitor.
"Now as you are aware Bellatrix and…" he paused for a moment, he had been about to say 'and Andromeda' however he stopped himself, "As you aware, your sister Bellatrix, was left to find her own suitor."
Rodolphus Lestrange Narcissa mused as she nodded her agreement. Her sister's fiancée was one of the most eligible bachelors in wizarding London at the moment, and Bellatrix had done well for herself in snaring him, mind you the two had always been close.
"However" her father continued, "We, I mean your mother and I, have decided to take a different course with you Narcissa." Her brow furrowed in confusion, take a different course with you, what on earth did he mean.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed her father's next words, "What I mean is princess, that I and your mother have found you a suitor, the betrothal was arranged when you were only a child."
Narcissa was shocked, it wasn't that arranged marriages were uncommon in wizarding society, in fact they took place quite frequently, it was just that she had never thought her parents would arrange one for her, after all, they hadn't for Bella or Droma.
"Narcissa darling" her mother soothed, bringing her hands to her daughters shoulders, "it's for the best, he's ever such a nice young man…"
"Who?" Narcissa asked quietly.
"What's that dear?" her mother asked, running her hand through Narcissa's curls, though Narcissa wished she would stop.
"Who is it that you have arranged for me to marry?"
Her parents exchanged a look, and suddenly Narcissa started to worry, what if it was somebody awful, oh my goodness it could be one of the Crabbe brothers.
But then her father spoke and she breathed a sigh of relief "I believe you know him, his name is Lucius Malfoy."