A mother will do whatever is best for her children

Ages twelve to seventeen

Delphini's second year was a breeze, and so was her third. Fourth brings her home with hair dyed silver and blue, side by side with Teddy, whose hair was in an obnoxious shade of purple, Alex with her hair dyed black and red. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at that, and asked the trio, when they were in the Cottage, whose brilliant idea that had been. Teddy didn't answer, busy making his nose change to funny shapes to Scorpius, while Astoria and Draco watched.

"Allison had some magical dye leftover, so we got it from her. In my defense, I didn't think it give me blue bangs too. I just wanted silver.", Delphini shrugged, and Alex gave her a pointed look.

"I do remember hearing you discussing with Allie colour options, unless my memory fails me,", Alex said, making Delphini blush. "Hey, someone's gotta stay in your mom's good graces, right? Might as well be me."

"As if you already aren't, Alex,", pouted Delphini, and Narcissa drank her iced tea in silence. Both of them were in her good graces - the entire trio, actually -, Delphini for being a good girl despite her origins, and Alex, for growing into the role Narcissa had decided years ago nicely.

"That's not true, I rather like both of you equally. Don't fight, children.", Narcissa drank her tea, and looked at their hairs. "The silver and blue suits you, although. Alex, the same is valid for you."

Silver and blue were the colours of the star Delphini was named for, but Narcissa would only tell the girl that on her deathbed. She wondered if Delphini had somehow learned of her origins, but considering how she still acted as the bubbly child she had raised, Narcissa decided against that thought. No, it was just a coincidence, one of those odd things that happened in one's life.

During the course of summer Delphini reapplied the dye in her hair, and Alex let it fade away. Narcissa spoke nothing of it, and grew used to the smell of the dye.

After that event, fifth year came, Teddy and Alex as Prefects, and Delphini was pouting about it. Narcissa told her not to worry about it - it was just more obligations, and more obligations, especially during the O.W.L.S., was a problem. Delphini kept her pout.

Three letters appeared in her table near that time of the year where the head of houses spoke with their charges about their futures: one from Delphini, asking if Narcissa could perhaps meet her during a Hogsmeade weekend, and I promise it's nothing serious, don't worry, mom; one from Alex, asking if perhaps she could ask for help getting her into the Ministry, maybe work under the Minister or something?, as Alex had so eloquently put; and the final one, from Teddy, asking if she could borrow him some books on the Dark Arts - not because I want to be a Dark Wizard, ma'am, he had written, in a scrawl similar to Delphini's that made Narcissa wonder if bad calligraphy could be genetic, but because I want to be a DADA teacher and I thought that maybe I need to know the enemy to defend myself from it, you know?

Narcissa answered all the letters she got patiently, promising Delphini that yes, they could meet at Hogsmeade, telling Alex that she'd see if she could help her with that, wondering to herself if, perhaps, Andromeda wouldn't be able to speak with Hermione "youngest Minister in training since 1770" Granger, and telling Sissi to pack some of the more benign books on her private Dark collection, telling Teddy that, if he wanted more, all he needed was to ask. During all that, she wondered what could have possibly be the cause behind Delphini's need to meet in person.

It was no matter, however - it'd be only two weeks, and Narcissa used it to slowly probe Delphini via letters. The girl didn't budge, and as such, Narcissa could only wager it was about Delphini's future, considering her friend's letters and the timing. Still, no matter. Narcissa could play the long game as well.