"You what?" Lucius yelled angrily after hearing the news that his wife invited Alice to dinner, "Have you gone mad woman? Spending an entire afternoon with a muggle? Inviting her to dinner?"
Lucius had just arrived home from work. Since the second wizarding war he had been pursuing several business enterprises for the sake of having something to do with himself.
"She's really quite pleasant," Narcissa assured, "And she isn't a complete muggle in any case."
A moment later Draco arrived home from the Ministry, looking a bit weary from an undoubtedly long and overly event filled week. He entered the drawing room to see what all the commotion was about.
His father spoke, "Your mother's gone mad."
"Don't listen to him," Narcissa said quickly, "I was just telling your father…" She stopped, noticing the weary look on Draco's face, "Oh, is everything alright?" Narcissa was always concerned about her son's well-being.
"It's been a long week," he said, trying to look more energetic.
"Well, you should wash up for dinner," Narcissa said, still a bit worried. "And make sure you bring Alice with you when you're done."
Draco's face immediately perked up, "What?"
"Oh you heard me," Narcissa said firmly, "I spent the afternoon with the girl and invited her to dinner, no matter what your father wants," she flashed a nasty look at her husband.
Draco headed to his room to wash up, still in shock that his mother spent the afternoon with Alice and that it ended well-enough for an invitation to dinner. As dinner time approached he headed to the guestroom and knocked on the door. Alice opened it knowing Draco was on the other side. She had changed into a simple but stunning bell sleeve dark grey sweater dress with a scoop collared neck and tie ribbon waist. A small patch of abstract white peonies graced the lower front of the skirt. She had pulled her hair up off her neck which seemed to give her slim figure even more grace.
Before Draco could speak, Alice said smiling, "I guess it's time for dinner?" Her eyes sparkled, acknowledging that he was welcomed sight after a very interesting afternoon.
Draco smiled back at her and said curiously, "I don't know how you did it."
"Ask Fritz, if he hadn't stolen my shoe I would have never been out in the garden meeting your mother," Alice's voice grew a bit hushed as they walked down the corridor towards the grand staircase. "I quite like your mother," she said, "She has a great sense of humor."
Draco's initial shock of Alice spending the afternoon with his mother was still present, "And I'd been worried all day that you'd get into trouble."
Alice thought about how that probably would have been the case if Narcissa hadn't been so kind to her after her tumble. Instead of defending herself to Draco she said, mildly flirting, "You've been thinking about me?"
Draco felt heat rush to his cheeks, but before he could say anything they had ended the staircase and were heading into the drawing room to meet Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, who were waiting there as before, still arguing.
Lucius was not happy to see Alice, who he saw as apparently charming both his son and his wife into her grasp. For him, there was a small possibility that she was a witch.
"Hi Narcissa, good evening Mr. Malfoy," Alice said as she entered.
"Oh Alice, again, I like your style," Narcissa mused over her dress, she quickly grabbed Alice's arm to guide her into the grand dining room.
Lucius's eyes flashed over to his son's, who still looked a bit confused by his mother's acceptance of Alice. The two men followed the odd duo as they started discussing preferences of fabric by season. After sitting down in the dining room along the one end of a large mahogany table, Narcissa decided to start up the conversation.
"So Alice, what does your father do?"
"He's a financial advisor for an international firm." Noting the mild looks of confusion as to what she meant, she elaborated, "He advises people with their money and helps them invest it; another name for it is stock broker."
"Interesting," Lucius said haughtily, "Is there money to be made in that?"
"Yes, they're paid at ridiculous increments," Alice said, perhaps not hiding her contempt for salary differences. She knew she would never make half as much as her father did despite her lengthy and costly education. "About ten years ago he moved up to a VP position in the firm," she said a bit proudly. "He keeps saying he'll retire and with his assets, he should have done so ages ago, but I think he enjoys working too much."
"Sounds familiar," Narcissa remarked snidely before rolling her eyes over at her husband who still bothered getting himself involved in various business ventures.
"What do you expect us to do, sit at home all day?" Lucius said snidely, intentionally getting back at his wife.
Narcissa ignored him and asked, "And what about your mother, what did she do before she died?"
Draco shot his mother a quick glare, as if to say she was being too nosy.
But Alice was not fazed and liked talking about who her mother was prior to her mental illness, "She was an evolutionary biologist who studied population genetics. She actually gained a tenured position at the University of London. I was only seven when she died, but she already had me reading Darwin's The Origin of Species and I think I would have studied science too but somewhere along the line I became more interested in the history of science."
"You come from a long line of intellect then," Narcissa said, slightly impressed.
"I suppose so, now that I know my grandfather was quite bookish," Alice said. "It is nice to know that I come from a line of teachers."
"You must have read Dumbledore's biography then?" Lucius said deviously, having been the one who placed Rita Skeeter's Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore on the library's study table in hopes she would find it and read certain distasteful bits about her grandfather.
Draco shot his father a look that was equally incriminating as the one he sent to his mother earlier.
Alice now knew it was Lucius who provided the book. "The book by Rita Skeeter, self-proclaimed author and journalist extraordinaire?" She said remembering the author's self-description on the inner flap. "I did. It was actually very interesting and gave me a real sense of the magical world's social interests. I was going to ask Draco if Aberforth Dumbledore is still alive." It was obvious that Lucius's plan to insult Alice via book had backfired.
Draco looked at Alice, "He is. He was actually called into the Ministry this week. We assumed he was your grandfather."
Narcissa laughed and said defensively, "That goaty man, Alice's grandfather? Just look at Alice and you could tell he is not."
"He's sort of the opposite of his brother," Draco said rubbing a hand through his hair wearily, trying to clean up after his mother's remark.
"I should very much like to meet him though, seeing how he is my only living relative in the magical world," Alice said.
"I could take you to meet him tomorrow," Draco said.
"Willing to risk Ministry punishment Draco?" Lucius asked.
"Since when are we concerned with the Ministry's rules father?" Draco said characteristically, "Besides, we would be discrete."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Narcissa said.
Alice interjected, "It's only a passing thought. If we were caught it would be worse than all the impositions I've given you and you do need the Ministry to carry out your current research."
"She is right Draco," Narcissa said.
"If I somehow manage to get passed Monday with any recollection of it, then, well, it would be something on my to do list," Alice said, her face feigning optimism.
"Maybe you'll get lucky dear," Narcissa said optimistically, perhaps sensing for the first time Alice's awkward situation.
"Unlikely," Lucius said almost imperceptible.
Draco shot his father another incriminating look.
At this moment the feast was served and the topic was hastily changed. During the rest of the meal the conversation remained more congenial. Draco talked a little about his research, Narcissa about her gardening and even Lucius mentioned some current business prospects. It was the type of conversation Alice would have expected from a normal family dinner despite being in the wizarding world. There was a real effort on the side of the Malfoys not to say anything demeaning about muggles. Afterward, they would all end up in the drawing room with glasses of elf-made wine.
Alice and Narcissa chatted together by the fireside with Fritz the dog curled up nearby, while Draco and Lucius proceeded to discuss various topics by the wet bar. There was a moment when Draco's eyes peered over at Alice, whose form was highlighted by firelight as she happily conversed with his mother, and he noticed how right the scene felt. He definitely liked this girl and he wondered if the entire situation was different, if Alice was not a muggle, not about to get her memory erased, would she be the one? Never before has his mother approved of or even minutely liked any of the girlfriends he had brought home. Of course, his father would never be keen with the fact that she was not a pure-blood. These thoughts swirled around in his mind and before he knew it, the night had approached and Alice was excusing herself saying if she drank anymore she would lose her manners. Thanking the Malfoys and saying goodnight to Draco, Alice left for the guestroom.
"I really like this one, Draco," Narcissa said jovially, sounding like she had a little too much wine and thus was confusing the situation.
Lucius then looked sternly at Draco, "Don't think we're oblivious, and know that I don't approve."
Not expecting this remark, Draco said, "Don't assume anything father, and I wouldn't throw books at her like that."
Lucius raised his one eyebrow, "Indeed, she's smarter than she looks. Besides, only two more days and it's over."
Narcissa had gotten up from the chair and placed her delicate hand on Draco's shoulder, "I have a good feeling about the trial son, a good feeling."
Draco was momentarily speechless and wondered whether his mother was intoxicated or actually purveying some foresight.
As they each retired to their beds, Draco and Alice, though separate, had the same thoughts - If only another place and time. Their current emotions were incompatible with the situation at hand.