Chapter 3) A Peculiar Convenience
Selected Listening: Into the Sea- Stuart Earl
On the day she was expected to arrive at Malfoy Manor, Anastasia stood in the den of the headmaster's suite, staring at the cozy armchairs, the colorful rug, and the boundless books and instruments she would miss in her absence. She breathed deeply to take in the scent of home—cider, cinnamon, and clove, and asked herself, Am I really doing this?
Before she could talk herself out of it, Albus appeared beside her and held out his arm. She took it begrudgingly. They apparated to the manor, twisting and curling in the air until they hit solid ground again. Her stomach wrenched. Anastasia ran to the nearest bush to vomit, and Albus waved his wand to cast the mess away.
When she looked up, she saw a wrought iron gate, through which she could see a long pathway up to a tall, austere house.
"Why didn't we use the floo, grandad?" Anastasia asked. "You know I'm horrible with side-long apparition, and it's sketchy showing up to someone's front door instead of the fireplace."
"Nonsense, people do it all the time."
"Muggles do it all the time. Not the Malfoys" she insisted.
"We're certainly not going all the way back home just to use the fireplace. Off you go then." He shooed her towards the gate.
Anastasia looked for a place where the fence would swing open, but through the grand filigree pattern, she couldn't find an entry point. She thought there might be a speaker or some manner for which to announce one's presence, but there wasn't.
"Try pushing on it," Albus suggested with a shrug.
Her father was acting unusual…Why didn't he do it if he was so smart?
"I don't know what you expect." She approached the gate and raised her hand to push on the center bars. Her hand phased right through. "Oh!" she said startled. "It's an illusion!"
Astounded, she walked through to the other side and turned to wait for Albus. He approached the gate himself and raised his hand as she had. He hit the solid metal and could not move forward.
"Not in the slightest," he remarked.
"Why'd it let me in?" Anastasia asked. "Did it know I'd be coming?"
Albus tilted his head this way and that with curiosity.
"I can only imagine the possibilities," he said musingly. "But this is where I leave you."
Anastasia pushed her hand through the bars and placed hers over his. It wasn't often they were truly apart. Usually only a few floors away, and when Albus did leave and return on his many errands throughout the school day, she wasn't knowledgeable of it.
"See you when school starts," she said worriedly.
"Have fun," he encouraged, "and bring me back a souvenir for Ireland, if you would."
Albus offered a small velvet money bag, heavy with coins, which she stuck her hand back through to accept before stuffing it into her rucksack.
They said their goodbyes, and Anastasia began the long journey down the gravel path. The dense forest merged into the Malfoy property, and slowly thinned as she came closer to the grand monolith of the manor. Topiaries representing serpents and ermines and a thousand other abstract creatures blended with rose buses of pink, red, and gold as the trees thinned. Something white twitched in the bushes. Anastasia flinched and pulled out her wand, but being without magic, she wasn't certain what she could do.
The knobby head of a peacock jetted out from the shrubbery, and he bobbled on his way, dragging his own shrub of albino plumage behind him.
"Right…peacocks…why not?" she said to herself, shook her head, and walked further to where the greenery gave way into a fine sunny lawn extending in either direction along the gravel path, which ran this way and that, connecting to various parts of the estate.
Anastasia approached the dark wooden steps and examined the entrance. The completely black house loomed over her. She felt as if she stood there much longer, the manor would absorb her into its cold shadow.
She examined the grand entrance. An ornate door faced her, cast of black wood, with various bronze designs running through it, and several odd-shaped windows that one could peak through if they were tall enough. There was no doorbell and no knocker, but a single bronze handle in the shape of a curled serpent.
Anastasia raised her small fist and knocked on the wood several times. She was certain the sound she created was too soft for anyone to hear. She tried again, but she only succeeded in bruising her hand. Again, she waited, but no one came to the door.
If it worked at the gate, why couldn't it work here?
She grabbed the handle. A magical force jolted under her hand, sparking like it would if she cast a spell with her own wand, and the door swung open.
Anastasia wandered into the entryway. Cool air of the familiar, yet not-quite comfortable scent of rosewood and earl gray tea enveloped her senses. A chandelier hanging above flickered on.
"Hello?" she said, "I hope I'm not intruding…"
"Anastasia?" Narcissa's voice echoed from the open door of the study. Anastasia shut the door behind her as Narcissa strode out to meet her.
Her godmother looked as tidy and pulled together as she had on the day of the rather stressful court hearing. She had her black and silvery-white hair swirled into a bun at the back of her head, and whisps of bangs hung around her pale, heart-shaped face. She wore a stark black robe with an asymmetrical button line that ran from her shoulder to her waist, and floral embroidery in silver beneath that ended in an A-line hem above her boots. She greeted Anastasia with a glinting, but confused smile.
"How'd you get in?" the woman asked, looking judgmentally at the door. "It was locked."
"Um…it let me in…I think…"
"And the front gate?" Narcissa pointed her finger back a step, eyes wary. "Did that—"
"Let me pass," Anastasia winced, "I'm sorry, grandad wouldn't use the floo. I hope that wasn't rude—"
Narcissa's eyes widened, and she began waving the offense away.
"Of course, not my dear. Perfectly fine. One more thing…Mopsy!"
A little elf, that Anastasia had seen once before, appeared between the two of them.
"Yes, Mistress!" Mopsy said, nearly at attention.
"Anastasia, give Mopsy an order," Narcissa instructed.
"Oh! Um…" Anastasia stared at the little elf, trying to think of something to say. She wasn't sure if she'd told anyone what to do in her life. "Uh…"
"Should Mopsy follow orders from this one, Mistress?" Mopsy asked. "Mopsy only responds to Malfoy family commands."
"Let's just…see what happens," Narcissa said.
"Do a cartwheel," Anastasia tried. "Please?"
And the little elf wailed in confusion as she performed a perfect cartwheel.
Anastasia ogled the elf. Mopsy ogled her. Narcissa clapped her hands together with a strained smile.
"Alright! Seems, the lifeline projects the family wards from Draco to you. Which is highly…convenient. No trouble at all…although I will have to ask you be careful not to use your influence over the house in front of my husband. He's quite protective of the family estate."
"Oh…" Anastasia said. She vaguely remembered Draco mentioning the transfer of wards being a possibility long ago, but never understood quite what he meant.
"Mopsy, you must never tell Lucius either, even if he asks or hints that he knows. Now, take her bags," Narcissa instructed, then looked critically at Anastasia. "Where are your bags?"
"Only this one," she said, pulling at the straps of her trusty, patchwork rucksack. "It's got an extension charm, and it's not heavy. I can take it."
"Oh," Narcissa said, cringing as she gazed between the bag and Mopsy's similar patchwork dress. "Well, I insist. Mopsy, go ahead."
Anastasia took her bag off and handed it to the elf. Mopsy skittered up the stairs, clutching the bag tightly to her chest.
"Now, I know you've been here before, but since you'll be staying, I'll give you the grand tour." Narcissa gestured to the home, and they walked into the first room, which Anastasia remembered from her first visit.
"This is the dining room. We only use it for dinner. The nook in the kitchen is for breakfast and lunch—" she led Anastasia through the dark kitchen and the small, cozy breakfast nook with another dark wood table marked by a bowl of green apples.
Narcissa continued walking and took a sharp right out of the second kitchen entryway, leading them into a small, darkened hall.
"On the left is a half-bath you can use at your leisure," she kept walking under the staircase and into the open area beyond, "This brings us through to the den, which you can also access from the front, on the right side of the staircase."
This was the room Anastasia was most familiar with. She recognized the museum-like pristine décor alongside the studded leather couches, the long, towering windows stretching from ceiling to floor looking out at the boundless garden, and the small depression in the floor where a staircase led down to the wine cellar. Narcissa noticed.
"We put a new spell on the lock, by the way, so don't get any ideas," she warned. Anastasia blushed. The drinking spree at Easter hadn't been her idea, but she had certainly gone along with it.
Anastasia traipsed behind Narcissa's skirt as she glided from room to room. The woman's perfume, that smelled distinctly of daffodils, drifted behind her.
"Up at the front again, we have another drawing room we never use. The door to the left of the staircase is the study."
Anastasia nodded as if she were taking notes.
"And then, upstairs…" they walked to the second-floor landing. "Here we have the game room, and the library, which you've seen before."
She guided Anastasia further past the library entrance. Mid-second floor, the landing split into two corridors around a central room. "Straight down this hallway is the master bed and bath, and some additional rooms with little odds and ends…"
Narcissa took a sharp right and wound her way around to another darkened hall. Anastasia followed her to a pair of doors, spaced only a few feet away from each other.
"This room," she said, taking the knob of the rightmost room, "is yours."
The door swung open to reveal a small bedroom. The walls were covered in navy blue paper with rose and gold fleur des lis type designs. A large, dark wood wardrobe, much too large for any of Anastasia's things, sat in the corner, and a dresser of the same design at the front of the room. The full-sized bed had a pewter metal headboard and footboard, and the duvet had a navy blue and floral pattern. There was a matching nightstand and lamp, and her rucksack already sat in the center of the bed, while Mopsy straightened the duvet around it.
"It's beautiful," Anastasia said and strode to look out the window. She could see over the tops of what seemed like an endless pine forest. "Where are we? The house? In England?"
"Of course, we're in England. What do you mean?" Narcissa asked.
Anastasia cringed back in embarrassment at her godmother's tone.
"I mean, like if you were to find it on a map?" Anastasia clarified. "What city would we be close to?"
Narcissa gave her the queerest look.
"A map? Why would you need to use a map when you could apparate?" she asked. "Or use the floo, that's how I've always done it."
"Oh," Anastasia said, realizing that needing to know where things were in relation to other things was a muggle problem. Charity and Minerva had taught her to use maps from a young age. They said it's always better to know in case you need to travel by broom. It also struck her that even though Narcissa had lived in Malfoy manor for a very long time, and was a very intelligent witch, she didn't even know where she was on planet Earth…and didn't need to.
Anastasia shrugged, trying to forget her faux pas and ignore Narcissa's pitying glance. "Anyway, I really like the room."
It worked, Narcissa's expression transformed into an adoring smile.
"Well, I'm glad. I made it up for you this morning with an expansion spell…the other guest rooms really wouldn't suit you."
"You made it just for me?" Anastasia asked. "All that work for a couple of weeks?"
"Well of course I did. I want you to be comfortable during your visit. Unfortunately, I'm not as good with the plumbing…cast it all tangled when I try…which means you don't have your own washroom…" Narcissa wandered outside and gestured to the door on the left. Anastasia followed.
Narcissa opened the door to a quiet bedroom of dark wood. There was a large multi-drawered dresser at the front of the room, and a stuffed leather armchair in the corner marked by a charcoal throw blanket and a small stack of books. The bed quilt was of a deep emerald, and when Anastasia peeked into the room, she could see the door to the bath on the very left side wall. One or two tasteful quidditch posters and pennants hung about the walls.
"This is Draco's room," Narcissa explained. "He has an ensuite bath. Much easier to use than going all the way downstairs."
"Oh," Anastasia nodded and tried not to let her blush show through, "Sure…is he here?" she asked, realizing she hadn't seen Draco since entering the home.
Narcissa shook her head.
"No, we've given him free floo privileges this summer since Lucius and I are too busy with work to give him approval every time he wants to go out. He's probably at the Crabbe's or Goyle's right now, but he'll be back before dinner."
Anastasia sighed. She was still trying to decide what to say to him, how to act. It was probably best if she acted like their last encounter hadn't happened at all.
Narcissa glanced at her expression hesitantly, but before she could pry, the air behind her swirled with grey magic, and a loud pop sounded. Another house elf, this one in a nurse's apron and hat, apparated into the hall.
"Healer Malfoy, Mrs. Crummin's is having complications. Room 5."
And the elf popped away.
"Oh drat…" Narcissa stared at the spot where the elf left, "and here I thought we could start our shopping today, but duty calls."
Mopsy popped away and back with a large doctor's bag, a coat, and a hat and handed it to Narcissa.
"Settle in and make yourself at home, dear," she said, putting on her things, "I'll be back before long."
Narcissa twisted and apparated out of the house.
"Miss Anastasia interrupted Mopsy's laundry doing—" the elf reported and popped away as well.
And Anastasia was left alone in Malfoy Manor.