Promise to the Past | 🐾 ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ✓

25 | Turn of the Tide

"Do you think you could do it?" Hermione pleaded. "You might be our only hope." 

"I don't know," the proud witch murmured insecurely. 

Hermione never thought she'd ever see the day she'd sit down to have tea with the one and only Narcissa Malfoy. But after hearing her plan, Sirius had readily volunteered to take her back to his cousin so they could convince her to talk to her husband. 

"You're his wife!" Hermione exclaimed. "And you and your son are in danger- surely that's enough to make him turn!" 

A delicate but nonetheless bitter laugh escaped Narcissa. 

"So naive," she observed shrewdly. "Clearly you weren't raised in pureblood society." 

Hermione's back stiffened immediately, her hand subconsciously moving to cover the sleeve under which the wretched slur tainted her skin. She forcefully reminded herself she wasn't a mudblood to this witch- she was a Dumbledore. Sirius, immediately noticing the placement of her hand, felt impatience flare within him. 

"Look Cissa," he said in a firm tone. "If you truly want to reconcile with Andromeda and have the open support of the Order, you're going to need to try a lot harder to get rid of the prejudices you were raised with." 

Narcissa blinked in a surprise, caught off guard by Sirius's abrupt hardened stance. 

"Oh that wasn't an insult," Narcissa assured Hermione quickly. "Merlin, how could it be? You are a Dumbledore, after all. I merely meant it was rare to find someone raised in our circles who had such idealistic thoughts on marriages and families."     

"It doesn't quite work like that in high pureblood society, love," Sirius told her regretfully, agreeing with his cousin. "Most marriages are arranged to maintain purity. Love is a rare but happy byproduct." 

"And Lucius even more so is unlikely to change his ways. Even for his family," Narcissa said. "He was even harsher about his views than my own parents." A haunting look came over the woman before her neutral facade was smoothly slipped back into place.   

"But speaking of which," she turned back to Sirius regally. "You needn't worry about my loyalties, dear cousin. I've met Theodore, and I think he's lovely. He and Meda have a beautiful, talented daughter. Did you know she's a metamorphmagus?" 

Sirius's resolute expression broke into a small grin. "I know. She's beautiful." 

"She's a Black," Narcissa shrugged. "Of course she is."   

 "So you'll try to convince him?" Hermione asked. 

"I shall try my best," Narcissa nodded. 

"Great!" Sirius clapped. "Andromeda can bring you the safe house when you're ready. We'll see you within the hour." 

As they left the woodsy but massive cabin, Hermione caught Sirius's hands. He turned to her in surprise, looking down at their intertwined hands. 

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly. 

"For what?" His lips quirked in amusement. 

"For standing up for me back there," Hermione met his eyes. "I know she didn't even know the full extent of what she'd said to me- or at least the significance of it. But I appreciate it nonetheless."   

Sirius smiled tenderly, his fingers coming up to brush a few fluttering strands of hair out of her face. His hand lingered as he watched her contemplatively. "I know I'm not the person you're used to having at your shoulder all the time," he said with a sheepish smile. "But those boys are babies right now, so you'll just have to get used to the idea that I'm not going anywhere, and I will be doing all those things they used to do for you."