A Rose By Any Other Name

Chapter 5

The scene was appearing in front her, she didn't know why she was here. She could vividly remember this day. Boringly dull yet peaceful

Narcissa's POV
Looking out of the window, I could see a kite flying. It flapped in the wind as if it was almost waving at me. I didn't know why it should, no one ever waved at me at home, not even my father. It wasn't because he didn't love me; he was just too busy.

But then I thought was it me, maybe the spirit of my sisters. They had already left home but their spirit , the pain and the secrets they left behind remained, especially the harsh disownment of her sister Andromeda. A gail force wind overpowered it, sending it hurtling to the ground. Limply it lay; motionless against the smooth basin of the English countryside.

It was feckless

All of me was reflected in it. I was not like the rest of my family. They were like ice caps in a vast sea of ignorance and apathy, slowly melted by the harsh reality of society.

Just like the kite

They were dead

These violent delights have violent ends. The wizarding world was changing, darker times were coming. My conscience sensed a being. Something touching me on the shoulder.

"Stop touching me, go away" I asked, daring not to turn round to allow my eyes to reveal my fate. But the being didn't listen. I clapped my hands over my eyes, pleading ... begging ....

"Who are you ? What are you ? Just leave me alone !" But as I had guessed, it simply stayed put. I decided to turn around and face the truth. Standing before me, it was so simply, so plain ....

A balloon

A balloon tugging me forward, pulling me into a whole new world, a palace of nature and zen.

I followed where it led me. Out of the oak panelled doors and through into the woodland area blocking my house from the nosy view of others. My feet were bare but I didn't care; I liked the way the fish lime green grass brushed through my toes. Sun light crept through the gaps between the trees, penetrating my alabaster skin, filling my inside with a joyous sense of happiness. As I did so the wind caught up with me and blew my hair in front of my face (clouding my fickle judgement for a second)

But I was only 12. Just a child with the attention span of a goldfish. One gust couldn't hurt

Could it ?

I turned and noticed the ballon had escaped from my hand; now it floated alone, like an outcast. I remember thinking it looked like me. I always felt like I was different. My parents both had dark hair. My father Cygnus had dark brown eyes and black hair, my mother Druella had Dark brown hair and menacingly blue eyes. Both my sisters looked like them: Bellatrix (the eldest) had black curly hair and black eyes, she took after father in every way possible. And Andromeda. Well she had brown hair, not as dark as mothers, and warm brown eyes- dark yet inviting. I was the only one people questioned: Platinum blonde hair, sky blue eyes. But I never cared about this before

Maybe because I was too young, too ignorant to do anything about it.

The wind became limpid once again and no more mercurial outbursts or gails. The balloon floated back towards me and I grasped it with my long angular shaped hand. It began once again to lurch forward, this time to the left. As if it were alive

I did as it said, following closely behind it like a dog to a bone. This thing was my friend, my master!

We ran through the autumn leaves, letting tree branches hold our unoccupied hands. A clearing lay ahead and it allowed us to stop and be silent once again. But on the balloon went, it's yellow, nefarious face beckoning ms forward once more.

I disobeyed

I felt at that point like I had hurt their feelings. I never asked wether it was a boy or girl but I felt like she was a girl. She floated slowly to the ground, deflating as she went. She came down like the setting sun but unlike the sun in sky....

She never rose again

Narcissa peeled her eyelids back, staring at the white around her. Was this heaven ? She could now notice and make out the outlines of the bath and sink. How long had she been laying here: hours, days. She heard the door of the master bedroom bang shut and with that her eyes once again closed