house of black

chapter 11: a silver lining

The Black Family Home 1973

After completing her seventh year of Hogwarts, Narcissa couldn't think of a place she wanted to return to more. Being the last daughter at her parents home made her a target of their scrutiny and anger. They seemed to forget that she was no longer a child of ten but a young woman only a whisper away from eighteen. They talked at her about how she looked, how she behaved, how long she slept, how little. But nevertheless, she continued her demure performance for her fathers sake and endured her parents screeching.

Something that had piqued her interest was that Lucius and his father Abraxas were due to dine with them tonight. She knew this was peculiar because firstly, Lucius had not told her about it and secondly, her father was in a foul mood over the state of the house and because Bellatrix had refused to be in attendance.

Cygnus had fixed that by inviting his sister with her cousins, Sirius and Regulus who were also home for the Summer. Her aunt would be eager to flaunt her baby Slytherin boy, and Narcissa would be shunned from conversation. Not that she could do much about it (or cared). With Lucius in her family home for the first time she would have many other things on her mind.

Her room, although clean on a regular basis, was scrubbed meticulously with clean sheets and dusted drapes.

'What do you need clean sheets for?' her mother had scolded as the elves had stripped her bed.

'Because.' Narcissa had answered vaguely.

'Yes?' her mother had continued. 'I don't know what you expect clean sheets to do for you Narcissa.'

'Because I intend to wash my hair, and I don't wish to rest it on dirty satin.' she lied. A game she quite enjoyed and played often after Andromeda left. Lying to her parents faces and seeing just how much she had to widen her eyes or tremble her lip to get them to believe her.

'Ah. Of course darling girl, go then.' Her mother said, retreating into her room with another headache and a bottle of firewhisky.

And Narcissa did. She washed her hair and combed it again and again until it shone like spun gold. But when she turned around and glanced in the mirror, she thought- she could have sworn she saw Andromeda standing there. Didn't she do this, that summer day all those years ago? For Ted?

Suddenly Narcissa didn't feel quite so beautiful anymore, and the thought of someone she loved attending her dinner made her feel sick to her stomach.

She tore open her bedroom door and ran to the top of the stairs, holding her white robe around her.

"Father I don't think-" she called.

"Ah, early Abraxas, and you too Lucius." Came her fathers voice from the doorway.

"It's good to see you Cygnus, was that your daughter I heard?" Abraxas asked and Narcissa hurried away from the stairs, heart pounding in her ears. She could smell Lucius' cologne from here, it made her head swim.

She hurried feverishly to her bedroom and closed the door, resting her back against it. Lucius Malfoy in her house, with her parents. How she wished that they were half as refined as the Malfoys, but alas... She was quite sure her father was actually going mad.

"Cissy" Came a whisper from the other side of the door, causing her to yelp quietly.

"Lucius?" she said softly.

"Let me in, come on. I told my father I'd come to check that he hadn't scared you off."

"I'm not properly dressed-" she insisted.