And Everything Nice

Chapter 2 - Part 2

Part 2
***
By the time she woke up, the bed was cold on either side of her and the sun shined bright through the gap in the curtain.

Yawning wide, she fumbled on the nightstand for her wand, fingers catching on the vinewood. 10:23? Merlin. She must've needed the rest to have slept that late. It was no wonder she'd woken up alone.
After slipping on a pair of loose-fitting lounge pants and sliding into her slippers, she left the room, padding down the stairs. Narcissa was seated in the dining room, Daily Prophet spread out on the table beside her plate of soft-boiled eggs and honeydew. She glanced up, smiling broadly, and with a tap of her wand, the paper folded itself neatly.
"Good morning, dear." Narcissa dipped her chin to the chair across the table. "Come sit."
"Have Theo and Draco left already?" She slid into the chair that had become hers. A plate appeared before her, her usual fair of toast with jam, scrambled eggs, and strawberries making her stomach rumble.
Narcissa reached for her tea. "They did. Draco received a last-minute owl from"—Narcissa paused for effect—"Damocles Belby. Draco left an hour ago."
Damocles Belby? Draco must've been over the moon. With a revered potioneer like Belby attached to the project, the Potions Association would, at the very least, have to give his proposal a chance.
"He was thrilled, wasn't he?" She bit into her perfectly-crisped toast and reeled in a moan. Ridiculous that toast could elicit such a reaction, but the blackberry jam Milly slathered on it was incomparable.
Narcissa's pale blue eyes gleamed. "Ecstatic. Not that he said, of course."
Of course, he hadn't. "I hope it goes well."
She was crossing everything, fingers, toes, everything.
"As do I." Narcissa set her cup aside. "As for Theo, he left shortly after Draco, just as eager, though less...enthused. Determined."
She nodded and speared a slice of strawberry. "Yesterday was challenging. I think he's eager to see the curse-breaking finished, less eager to bear witness while it happens."
And yet he considered it his cross to bear, watching while Bill dismantled the curses one by one. Granted, there were certain areas of Nott Manor that were cloaked, hidden passages and several secret rooms only a Nott could access. He could've shown Bill those and then stepped back, letting him do the rest, but no. He had to be privy to it all.
Narcissa hummed and with a delicate shove, pushed her plate aside, clearing the table. As soon as her plate vanished, she set her hands on the table, graceful fingers smoothing the place-setting. "I suppose this means I get you all to myself today, doesn't it?"
"I suppose? Until Bill gives the manor the all-clear, there isn't much for me to do, much I can do, I mean."

Her hands were tied, but once Bill was finished, there'd be cleaning and painting and—Gods, they'd need to completely restructure the manor. She'd need to purchase twin-sized beds and desks and blackboards and—
Narcissa waved a hand, batting that topic aside. "I meant we can finally discuss—"she took a deep breath, smile blinding—"the wedding. Milly."
The house elf appeared by Narcissa's chair in a snap. Her outfit of the day was a bright blue halter-dress with wedges so tall she was nearly the height of a third year. "Mistress requires Milly?"
"Would you be a dear and bring me my calendar and the binders I've left on my desk?" Narcissa requested.
Milly's blue eyes widened. "The wedding planners?"
Gone one minute, Milly reappeared the next, straining beneath the weight of three thick, brimming binders. She set them on the table, clapped her hands together, and let loose a cackle much too devious for an elf who looked that sweet. "Finally."
Milly vanished, the sound of her dastardly giggles echoing.
They'd only been engaged two months. To say finally, was a bit extreme, especially since it wasn't as if she'd put zero thought into the wedding. She had a vague idea of what she wanted. She simply hadn't sat down and put pen to paper, not with Narcissa, planner extraordinaire. There hadn't been time. Seemingly every minute of her days had been structured, filled with budgeting, teaching herself—not to mention everyone else on board— about childhood development relevant to early education, crafting lesson plans for ages varying from five to ten, and trying not to second-guess herself because Gods, who exactly did she think she was, spearheading something this important—the education and well-being of children—when she had no formal training? Not that anyone had formal training, but still...
There hadn't been time for wedding planning.
Narcissa opened the first binder and withdrew a small stack of parchment, nodding to herself. "Ah, perfect. I was thinking we'd begin with the guest list."
She scratched the side of her neck. The guest list. Sure. "All right."
Narcissa scanned the page, humming thoughtfully to herself as she reached for a quill. "I made a bit of a preliminary list, a rather rough draft, but it's something to work off." She lifted her head, pinning Hermione with a stare and a smile that together made her gulp. "I'm assuming you'll want all the Weasleys in attendance."
She pushed her plate aside. Much like Milly, her appetite had vanished. "Well, Ron, certainly. And Ginny. Bill, too."
"Miss Delacour-Weasley, as well." Narcissa checked names off her list.