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☀︎☀︎☀︎
chapter twelve:
gentle warnings
☀︎☀︎☀︎
LOOKING IN HER bedroom mirror, Capella found that she did not recognise the person that stared back at her. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun, her makeup as flawless as ever and her dress was a deep blue with an almost unnoticeable but beautifully simplistic shimmer. Her expression, however, was blank.
She sighed as she resisted the urge to run a hand through her sleek hair and ruin the hours of hard work she had out into looking presentable. The last time she had been preparing for a ball it was with Leo. A small smile played on her lips at the thought. It truly had been a magical night.
A gentle knock at the door pulled her from the blissful memory "Capella, are you almost ready?"
"Cissy?" Capella called out as she scrambled to open the door. She hadn't seen Narcissa for so long. Ever since Andromeda's disownment and then her marriage to Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa had always been too busy or distraught to spend time with her cousin.
Capella threw the door open to greet a softly smiling Narcissa with a grin of her own. Narcissa had changed, Capella noted. Her posture was a little straighter, her chin a little higher up in the air and her whole demeanor a lot more refined and reserved. Marriage and official entry into pureblood society had changed her.
"You look beautiful." Narcissa remarked as she took in Capella's appearance "The Nott's will be arriving soon. Walburga is throwing a fit downstairs over your tardiness, Ellie."
"I know" Capella exhaled pitifully "I think I'm just about ready to come down." Capella felt her heart and breath quicken slightly at the idea.
"Are you sure about that?" Narcissa asked with a wry smirk "There's a huge vein practically popping out of your forehead" Capella gasped and quickly turned back around to face the mirror, inspecting every detail of her face. "You do not look as relaxed as you are trying to appear."
Capella cleared her throat "Is this the bit where you tell me all these wonderful reasons to be calm. How I should be so happy to be finally making my family proud, fulfilling my duty?"
"Of course not." Narcissa scoffed, "I'm not so naive anymore that I would believe those words."
"What do you mean?" Capella asked, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion as she twisted back to look at Narcissa. Narcissa was slightly pouting, her mouth twisted bitterly.
"You have a duty to your family." Narcissa began quietly "So did - do I", she hurriedly corrected herself as she cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'm not going to ask you if you want to go through with this because I'm not sure I want to hear the answer." Capella looked to the side, unable to make eye contact with her cousin.
"I love Lucius" Narcissa stated firmly, almost as though she was trying to convince herself "But this life... I wasn't expecting it to be how it is."
"What do you mean?" Capella's head tilted slightly to the side as she tried to analyse what Narcissa was trying to tell her. "Is everything okay, Cissy?"
"What I'm trying to say is just be careful, Capella" Narcissa looked down at Capella with pleading, frantic eyes. "This war, it changes people and not for the better. Your life may not always be joyful and I know you know this but you must know that it will not be anything you expect."
"What do you mean?" Capella shook her head in shock at what Narcissa was saying. Narcissa had always been the one who dreamt of marriage and children and the typical pureblood experience - And now she was warning Capella that it was nothing she had wanted?
"Be downstairs in five minutes." Narcissa spoke firmly, shooting Capella a warning look "I will keep her distracted but it won't work for long." Narcissa' she dress swayed gracefully around her as she briskly walked out of Capella's room, leaving the door wide open to the world. Capella could hear the festivities taking place below and her blood ran cold. This was it.
Her gaze moved to the hall and found the door of Sirius' old bedroom staring back at her. She waited and waited for him to emerge, grab her hand and keep her company on her way down to face the crowds of people awaiting her to arrive at her engagement. Or, Capella thought, even better - whisk her away to the Potters' or the new house he had apparently bought for himself with Uncle Alphred's money. But alas, the door remained closed as it had since the night he left and Capella was left bitterly alone to face her fate.
———— NOTES ————
We are back in Hogwarts next chapter - and there will be Leo and Capella content !
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