Everyone is Lacking in Creativity Here...

Ch 17, Earl Grey and Friends

At exact 3:50, I grab Hadrian's hand and apparate to the given location in the letter. I know what you're thinking, but I practiced apparating beforehand, alright?! It is actually the first thing I concentrated on. It is hard the first few times, but I've noticed that the spells come easy to me. I wonder why...

The point where we land at is the driveway of the Malfoy Manor. How do I know this? Because I remember it from the movies. It's just a little way from here, that the famous albino peacocks can be heard. Lucius really does have them...! Hah! I let Hade walk by my side till we reach the front door of this formidable Mansion. And it IS formidable, as it does not look inviting at all. The gravel driveway leads to a massive three-story Mansion, with Grey as it's main color. The atmosphere is also not helping with making it look like a horror mansion. How can anyone live in that, and not turn sour?

With the December chill, there are no flowers in the barren garden leading up to the entrance. When we reach the door, a house elf opens it before I can knock. "Mistress Narcissa waits for guests in the Mirror Parlor."

We enter and I hand the elf both of mine and Hadrian's cloaks. He pops them off somewhere and leads us to the parlor. As it seems it would be a long walk, I take Hadrian in my arms, so he is not too tired. The hallways are long and barren. Mostly consisting of the occasional antique snake statue here or a too-big-for-hallway-chandelier there. Finally, we reach an open archway leading to a massive room/parlor. Two fireplaces on either side of the room, accompanying their own sitting areas. Two massive sitting nooks with wide windows, only parted with the wall in between. This room seems to be a mirror of either side, suiting its name perfectly.

On the right side of the sitting area is Narcissa. And just a little way is Draco on the lush carpet surrounded by toys. And the Dragon plushie too. Hade is awed by the huge room, but when he notices another child the same age as him, he looks just ready to launch, so I let Hadrian down, and he sprints towards Draco. He stops at a small distance from him and let's Draco notice him. When he does... I think Hadrian looked like he got a new shiny toy, because Draco has the most doe shaped grey eyes I've ever seen. He is so cute!! Hadrian just sits down in front of Draco, grabs one of the toys lying around the pair, hold it up and starts blabbering. And Draco is listening so attentively!

Noticing us, Narcissa stands to greet. "Lady Rosier-Fawley-Emrys-LeFay, thank you for accepting my invite." She seems far more welcoming as we've already established a relationship before.

"Well Met Lady Malfoy. It will be my pleasure to spend this evening with you." I walk in the room to the armchair across from her. "And that must be your son you spoke so fondly of." I look towards the now a pair of boys just blabbering to each other on the rug.

Narcissa smiles big, at the open invitation to talk about her son, "Yes! He just turned 18 months old. He has started speaking a few words too."

"Oh! That's wonderful! Hadrian just turned 17 months old himself. And he acknowledges some words and tries to speak them too. How is Draco liking that Dragon plushie?" I ask with a little smirk, mentioning our reason for contact.

She huffs a little at that, (could be called a laugh, but maybe that's just me) "He never lets it go. He really loves it. Of course, it helps that he associates it with comfort, having both mine and Lucius' signature in it." She looks towards Draco, still holding that plushie to his chest while having his own serious conversation with Hade, who is just mesmerized by Draco's white-blonde hair.

I think Tabby mentioned something like this too. Maybe I'll try it when we get back.

While both Narcissa and I delve in our talks, we don't notice the two sneaky boys going out of the room. But thankfully Narcissa had a house elf looking after them, or it would have been no short of a disaster.

-one hour later-

"It's really nice talking to someone with different views than Britain wixen, Isis."

"It's nice talking to someone other than a shop owner, a house elf or a muggle shop owner, too." She gives a smile at that response.

It was around this time I notice that we have not heard a single peep from the boys. I look over to where they last were and I see that they're gone! "Narcissa! Where are the boys?" She looks up to where I am looking abruptly and calls out, "Chipp!!" And then a pop on her left. "Where are the boys?"

The elf bows a little and says, "Master Draco and Guest are in Master Lord's Study."

Hearing this I see Narcissa pale. She stands up and starts fast-walking out the door. "Wha- Narcissa!" I go up after her. Damn this woman is fast! When I reach her, I ask "What's wrong? What did the elf mean by 'Lord's Study'??" Lucius' Study? Why would she be panicking then?

She side-glances me a little and says, "No one is allowed in that study as it could be dangerous to touch anything in there. No elf can go in or out of it either. I don't know how they got a hold of that, or even how they got in."

Oh...I think I know what "Lord" the elf might have meant. Damn that Potter Luck!