Trouvaille [Draco Malfoy AU]

one

Queen Narcissa blew her hot breath onto her hands and rubbed them together to keep them warm. She shoved them into the pockets of her fur coat to keep the heat from escaping her bare hands. She cursed to herself for leaving her gloves in the coach, thinking that it wouldn't be this cold.

There were almost no vendors out on the street, unlike in the summer time where you could barely hold a conversation with someone due to sellers yelling over the top of your words urging you to buy goods. In this weather, there were only beggars, children playing in the snow, and few vendors selling hot tea.

Narcissa smiled as she watched two peasant children play in the snow, laughing and having fun despite their low status. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she watched them shiver as they played, reminding her of when her son used to do the same when he was little.

The queen was adored by Europe for her kindness, she would give to the poor, talk to them and treat them like normal human beings unlike the previous royal families. Narcissa bought two knitted cardigans from a starving vendor, giving her a large tip, and walked over to the two children.

She knelt down to eye level, smiling as she handed them each a cardigan, "you children mustn't be playing outside without some warm garments. Now go on, enjoy the snow!" She encouraged.

The two children bowed, knowing of Narcissa's status and thanked her numerous times before returning to their playtime. The queen suddenly felt less cold as the warmth from doing good had taken over her. The cold winter breeze made her pale cheeks turn a bright pink the longer she walked, but the queen didn't care, she was out looking for a bride for her son.

It would be easy if the king and queen had gathered young women to a gala like old fairytales, but the royals were looking for a specific type of girl, a girl who was a witch.

They wanted a fellow pure blood witch, whom would create a pure blood grandchild gifted with the ability to perform magic. But alas, the royals would be executed if the Muggles found out they were wizards, so letting the whole of Europe know they were looking for a witch would completely destroy their cover.

Narcissa stopped in her tracks as she saw a peasant girl up ahead, pleading to people passing buy. The queen couldn't understand what the girl was saying for she was speaking entirely in French, but one could assume that she was begging for money.

Her hair was a wild mess, consisting of knotty, tight, thick curls. Her skin was freckled and dark, yet it glowed against the light of the white snow. Her malnourished body looked desperate for help, as did her pleading dark brown eyes. The girl wore knee length rags with a rope around her waist in replace of a belt to hug her waist, but the rags completely exposed her arms, shoulders and collarbones.

Narcissa shivered just at the sight of her, unable to comprehend how the girl could wear such little clothing in this sort of weather. She was too far from the knitted goods vendor to help her, but as she walked closer, Narcissa soon realised the girl didn't need warm clothes.

She wasn't shivering at all, in fact, the girl had beads of sweat on her forehead as she continued to shout and beg as if she were boiling hot. Narcissa noticed something sticking out of the peasant's large lace up boots, a wooden stick of some sort.

A wand.

How no one had noticed this was a mystery to the queen. If a Muggle had noticed it, they would question and report the girl to authorities, having her executed. Perhaps only Narcissa noticed because she was the only person who payed attention to the environment in such harsh conditions.

The girl cut off her begging as the queen walked up to her, stopping a few feet away from her, looking right into her deep brown eyes. The girl's eyes widened upon the sight of Narcissa. She curtsied and bowed her head, although she was very unsure as to why the queen was out in these conditions, especially stopping to talk to her. The peasant knew of the queen's kindness, so she hoped and prayed that Narcissa would gift her charity like she does with many other peasants.

Narcissa looked down at the peaking wand in the girl's boot. "Young lady, do you mind telling me what that is you have in your boot?"

The peasant raised an eyebrow in confusion. She had no idea what the queen was saying, for she spoke next to no English.

The girl shook her head, "Je ne comprends pas l'anglais, votre majesté." She said.

Narcissa now also looked confused, she didn't understand what the girl was saying either, but she could understand parts due to her visiting Paris often.

She furrowed her brow as she remembered words from a gala not long ago that she learned on a tour around Paris. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" She asked, pointing at the wand in the girl's boot.

The girl's eyes widened and she began to step away from the queen, afraid that her execution was imminent for being a witch. Narcissa softened her features and reached out her hands to the girl with a smile. "Please, I won't hurt you."

The girl gulped as she stepped back forward towards the queen. "W-witch." She stuttered, unsure if she had translated to English correctly.

Narcissa nodded encouragingly. She looked around her, noticing that the amount of people on he street had significantly decreased, meaning she was safe to reveal herself.

"I am too," the queen pointed to herself and nodded as she gestured to the wand, letting the girl understand hat the Queen was a witch also. The girl's jaw dropped, and she formed a smile after the shock washed away. Narcissa grinned at the beautiful girl, she felt finally at ease that she had found a rarity on a cold snowy day like this. "Come with me, please." Narcissa urged as she took the girl's hand.

The girl hesitated to follow, but soon felt herself being dragged towards the south end of the street by the queen of England, and obliged to her wishes. She felt rushes through her body, knowing that the queen had a beautiful soul, and that she would be taken to somewhere warm and safe.

Narcissa looked back at the girl, remembering a few more French words. "quel est votre nom?" She asked, waiting for the girl to reveal her name to know if she was pure blood or not.

"Clarisse Lacroix," she replied. Narcissa furrowed her brow as she tried to recognise the surname. She had heard that name many times before, but never associated with a wizarding family.

Narcissa and Clarisse finally arrived at the royal coach where two white horses were standing, waiting to be lead by the coachman, Weasley.

"We've got to get back home as quickly as possible, I think I've found Draco's bride." Narcissa urged to her coachman.

He looked at the peasant girl, then back at the queen as if she were completely insane. "You've just picked a girl off the streets your majesty! Are you sure Lucius will-"

"Lucius will be fine Arthur, it's Draco that I'm truly worried about." Narcissa sighed. She beckoned for Clarisse to enter the coach, and she followed her inside.

Her and Lucius had been searching ever since Draco turned seventeen. He turned twenty not long ago, meaning that Draco was running out of time before the Parkinsons step in and offer their daughter, which Narcissa absolutely loathed.

She knew Lucius would prefer a girl with fairer skin, and possibly blonde to continue the blonde hair gene, but after 3 years of searching, Lucius' expectations lowered. All the king wanted was a beautiful pure blood witch who had no traces of incest in their ancestry.

And Narcissa had found just that.

x

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter xoxo

translations:

  Je ne comprends pas l'anglais, votre majesté = I do not understand English, your majesty

 Qu'est-ce que c'est? = what is that?

  Quel est votre nom? = what is your name?