The Price of Purity
Narcissa Malfoy walked up to the house she had grown up in. She had many memories of this place, growing up here with her sisters.
Her father had since passed away, but her mother was still alive. Narcissa had decided it was time to pay her a visit. She hadn't seen her mother in a while, and she wondered if she was lonely without her husband around. I've been feeling lonely lately just because Draco isn't around anymore.
Draco had married Astoria, and Narcissa and Lucius had decided, despite their disapproval of Astoria, they would still let Draco inherit the Manor. He stopped by to visit Lucius and Narcissa once in a while, but it wasn't the same as it used to be.
Narcissa knocked on the door and waited tensely. The door creaked open, and Narcissa found herself face-to-face with Druella Black, her mother.
"Narcissa…" Druella whispered. "Come in."
Narcissa stepped into the foreboding house and closed the door behind her.
"It's good to see you," Druella said. "You're all I have left." She gave Narcissa a brief hug. "Come, sit down. We should have a nice talk."
Narcissa took a seat at the table across from Druella. "I know I should've visited you earlier, but I just wasn't thinking about it," Narcissa admitted. "Life hasn't been the same since the war…."
"No, it hasn't," Druella agreed.
"How have you been doing, living here alone?"
"It's been hard," Druella said. "Without Cygnus… but I've been managing."
"You're welcome to come visit with Lucius and I at any time," Narcissa said. "Even with Lucius, the house feels somewhat… empty–without Draco there."
"Oh yes, I heard Draco got married," Druella said. "I was wondering about something, though." She got up and walked over to the counter behind them. Narcissa watched as Druella sifted through papers. She pulled out one of them and came back over to Narcissa, tossing the paper on the table, before sitting back down.
Narcissa picked up the paper.
Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa, disgraces his family name by marrying blood traitor Astoria Greengrass
"Is it true?" Druella asked.
"I–" Narcissa started, not knowing what to say. "Yes, Draco did marry Astoria."
"And you allowed this?"
"Lucius and I do not approve of Draco's decision to marry her!" Narcissa said defensively.
"But he made the decision anyway." Druella stated.
"Yes." Narcissa sighed.
"But he's still your son?"
"What do you mean?" Although Narcissa figured she knew exactly what her mother meant.
"You haven't disowned him… have you?"
The heat went straight to Narcissa's face. "Of course I haven't." She said shrewdly.
"Why not?" Druella challenged. "He's a blood traitor, since he married one! He should be cast out of the family!"
Narcissa's rage boiled more and more with every word her mother spoke. She abruptly stood up. "He's my son! You don't have the authority to make these decisions for my family! Not everyone disowns their own children." She felt a twinge as an image of Andromeda popped into her mind. She pushed it away guiltily.
Druella's face was aghast with shock. "Very well, but I don't want to have anything to do with your son anymore."
"Then I don't want anything to do with you anymore," Narcissa said coldly. "Consider yourself uninvited to my home for the foreseeable future." She stormed off, leaving her mother's home, probably for the last time.
A tear trickled down Narcissa's cheek as she walked through the gardens and away from the home she grew up in.
