nb-narcissablack-blog

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

“Oh come on, at least it’s about defensive and dangerous magic, animals, and plants. I thought you’d enjoy that if it had to be anything,” Narcissa replied with a smile. She had known this would not be Lucinda’s cup of tea at all--she preferred whiskey after all, as proven by the amount she poured into her coffee. Narcissa didn’t comment, nor did she really care. She was just happy to spend time with her friend. “I’ve been thinking about improvements I could do at the manor.” Narcissa did not like sitting on her hands waiting for things to happen. The better she could protect her home and her family, the happier she’d be. 

“Anyway, there are some attractive people here, which is all you really care about anyway,” she added with a sly grin. She didn’t comment on the six clubs part. Narcissa had never been a party girl exactly, although Lucinda was the person who came the closest to getting her to be one. “I’ll even let you practice some of this stuff on me later,” she added. Both she and Lucinda shared the enjoyment of sending off a particularly good curse or hex. 

She didn’t know how she let Narcissa talk her into going to this Annual Ministry Conference for Nerd-ass Nerdy Nerds, but here she was.  The coffee was bad, but the taste was made considerably better by the half a flask of whiskey she poured into the cheap paper cup.  Weren’t the nerds supposed to be the ones making the money?  That’s what the fucking professors had always implied – clearly they were wrong if they couldn’t even spring for the mid-grade cups.

This was sure to be an incredibly boring day, but there was something irresistible about a boy in glasses – or a girl in glasses.  Glasses were hot as hell, and she would enjoy watching some fine ass nerds learn about boring defense magic while Narcissa sat down and looked pretty in front of the rest of the world.

“I can’t believe this is where you take me on our adventure,” she elbowed Narcissa in the ribs.  “I’m taking you to six clubs to make up for this.”

@nb-narcissablack

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

Narcissa had always known that it was her fate to get married. Even these days, it was still the duty of a Pureblood daughter to marry another Pureblood and ‘carry on the family name’. For some reason though, she had always thought that it would be Amycus she married. Amycus she was betrothed to. She had grown accustomed to the idea and even, in her later years, to look forward to it. If she had to marry anyone, he was a good option; he was handsome, charming, and, most importantly, they were friends. She cared about him and she liked to think that he in turn cared about her. 

She was never under any illusions that Amycus loved her, at least not in that way. Especially not after he and Lucinda finally stopped being idiots and admitted that at the very least they were attracted to each other. Perhaps that was why his family hadn’t offered for her. Amycus had made his preference known. 

There was a part of the youngest Black daughter that took this personally. But it was only an emotional disappointment, nothing more. It was easily overcome, especially if there was the possibility that it could lead to the happiness of two of her dearest friends. Of course Amycus wouldn’t choose her if there was the possibility of him finding actual love. And in those circumstances, she wouldn’t want him to choose her anyway. Still, she had never really expected that the man she would marry would be Lucius Malfoy. She should have, she supposed, all things considered. But she hadn’t. 

Now she had a lifetime to get used to the idea. 

Narcissa had been on her way upstairs when she heard the knock on the door. She considered letting someone else get it--she was tired of being pleasant, of pretending an excitement over the betrothal that she didn’t feel--but she was also curious as to who was knocking at this hour. Despite it being her birthday, the celebrations were planned for later in the week as hosting events on a Monday night were difficult. It made the visitor even more intriguing. Narcissa liked to know the secrets of her household and if she went upstairs, she’d never learn anything. 

Turning back down, Narcissa moved towards the door, waving away one of the house elves who had responded to the knock. Her eyes widened and a smile rose unbidden to her lips when she saw that it was Amycus at the door. Her eyes dropped to the box in his hand. “Well I know it’s not a ring,” she teased, a wry smile twisting her mouth. She opened the door wider. “Come in?” She hoped he would. Narcissa enjoyed Amycus’ company. And of course she was curious about the gift he had brought her. 

date: december 3, 2012 location: black family manor @nb-narcissablack

This had been a long time coming. 

It was predestined. Like the changing of seasons, like day fading into night in an endless cycle, like Alecto’s eventual spiral into insanity, and the fact that Amycus would eventually have to end up in the same situation Narcissa was now finding herself. Alone and facing the fact that he was about to marry someone he had absolutely, without a doubt, did not love. She had taken the news of the engagement better than most did, holding her head high as she told him that it would be a good match. It broke his heart in a way he couldn’t explain. He had spent his whole childhood knowing that he would end up in a loveless marriage, but he had always assumed the woman he’d be thrown with was Narcissa. Even now, as close as he was to Lucinda (dare he even say that he loved Lucinda and would’ve been content marrying her), he had thought his parents would’ve at least made an offer. They’d had their eye on her from the moment she was born. The youngest of the Black sisters and the prettiest. She would’ve been a prize for the Carrows to win. But the Malfoys must’ve made an offer sooner. 

And now he found himself standing outside her door, hands wrapped around what small gift he could give her. Even if she wasn’t going to be his wife, she was about to be a bride, and she deserved something fitting of the title. He had recently come across an enchanted emerald necklace, one that he had removed the curse on and quickly pocketed for himself. Initially, he was going to give it to Lucinda, but when news of Narcissa’s engagement had reached him, he changed his mind. Even if she didn’t wear it the day of, it would make a fine addition to her closet. 

He knocked on the door, shifted where he was standing, and waited for someone to open it, fingers running against the grain of the satin box the necklace was in. When the door was finally opened, he was relieved to see it was Narcissa herself and not her father or her mother or, Merlin forbid, the house elf. “I’ve got a present for you,” He said with a smile, holding up the box with the necklace in it. He hadn’t done a whole lot to disguise the fact that it was a jewelry type present, but sometimes it was fun to make her sweat a little, “I bet you can’t guess what it is.” 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

Narcissa had decided to take a break from her walk, sitting on the bench when Draco fell asleep in his pram. Once she was sure he was truly out, she had been able to stop the motion without him screaming. It was then that she let Bandy, who had been walking so nicely beside her, off leash to run around. 

She had gotten to her feet when she heard the dog barking. It had been an instinctive move to rise to a position of strength where she could better defend her baby if need be. Not that Narcissa thought she was about to be attacked, but she was always on the lookout for dangers towards her son. 

At the noise and the dog rushing towards her mistress, Bandy--bless her heart--came running back, barking up a storm. Narcissa was relieved when the red head came up and stopped the little white beastie from her barking. “Bandy, quiet,” she managed to order. She leaned forward to check on Draco who, miraculously, was still sleeping. She was relieved as he had had a restless night. Straightening up, Narcissa realized the woman had been speaking. She only heard the last bit, and frowned in confusion. How the conversation got to goats and cows was beyond her. 

“Goats? And cows?” 

The hardest part about living with three dogs in a two bedroom flat the the middle of the city was finding a place to get them exercise. Rory and Finn had grown up on the farm, chasing after animals and running across seemingly endless expanses of green and as a result, they tended to get sort of antsy if Maisie left them in her apartment for too long. Alistair was a little bit more comfortable, but that was probably because Maisie brought him everywhere. So finding somewhere to let her dogs run around had been top priority for Maisie when she moved into the city, and finding somewhere that wasn’t particularly crowded and let them run around off leash was little bit more difficult. 

But a couple years ago, she’d managed to find a particularly park. Secluded enough that it was rarely occupied when Maisie arrived and she could normally spend hours watching her pets play while she took photographs or worked on edits on her laptop. Today, though, someone else was sitting on the bench she usually claimed for herself. It was such a rare sight that Finn bounded up to the stranger and started trying to herd them, nipping at their heels playfully and bouncing around them to get their attention. It would’ve been embarrassing, if it hadn’t been so cute. 

Maisie ran after her dogs, the other two trailing behind her, and shouted a command that caused Finn to stop in her tracks. “Sorry about that, she’s not used to people who aren’t…me. Or, my family, I guess. Or…goats and…cows.” 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

It had been purely reactionary for Narcissa to stop the young girl who was clearly running away. A mother’s instinct that had her hand reaching out for the girl’s arm, and then crouching down to the child’s level, asking her where her mother was. There was a moment where Narcissa’s brow furrowed as she realized the girl looked familiar before the voice calling out for her confirmed it. Nymphadora. Andromeda.

Narcissa’s eyes closed for a moment against the sudden onslaught of emotions. Releasing the girl, she stood up, back straight and stiff. She was not ready for this, not ready to see her sister. She had thought at one time that it would be the three Black girls against the world. That they could conquer anything and anyone. As they grew older, though, that expectation had shifted, finally shattered by Andromeda’s leaving. Without a backward glance. With barely a word. 

She still felt the keen sting of betrayal, the hurt that had run through her when she realized Andromeda was not coming back. Her older sister had chosen a man over her and had not even tried to take Narcissa with her. Would she have gone? That was debatable. But Narcissa would have liked to be given the choice, or at least some consideration. As it stood, her sister had gone on to make a new family. Narcissa had kept a subtle eye on Andromeda, making sure she was updated of everything going on with her sister. 

The bitter, childish, petty part of Narcissa had wanted Andromeda to fail. It had spitefully hoped that Andromeda’s life was not the fairy tale she seemed to think it would be when she left. It was disappointed when Andromeda did not only survive cutting ties with her family but seemed to thrive. And now she had a daughter. 

“Andromeda,” she said, nodding, more than ready to make her exit.

both of andromeda’s hands were full, carrying bags full of supplies from the apothecary, her handbag slung across her shoulder and nymphadora skipping along behind her. she was simply pausing to readjust her grip on the bags when she noticed her daughter continuing on her way through the crowds of diagon alley. “shit.” she muttered quietly to herself. then “nymph!” shouted loudly, “nymphadora! come back here!” quickly, andromeda began elbowing her way through the crowds until she finally caught up with the young girl. relief flooded through her, even as she looked back at the path of chaos the pair had left behind them. “what did i tell you about running off from mummy, dora?” 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

rab-stan:

“ Earl Grey it is. ” he echoed as the waiter began to scribble down the order. “ I’ll take a coffee. Black. Thanks. ”

He offered the waiter a polite quirk of his lips that half-resembled a smile before he looked once more at Narcissa. Placing his elbows against the table, he clicked his tongue as he scrutinised her features carefully. “ Penny for your thoughts? ”

Narcissa gave a wry chuckle. “Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing,” she remarked. “Forgive me for saying so, but you do look a little tired today.” Her own eyes took his face in, searching just as his had her own moments before. She wondered what he would admit to, what part he had played in the night. Narcissa hadn’t known the details of the plan, just that there would be a large attack. She had stayed up all night waiting for Lucius’ return. 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

emiliarosier:

“Me too,” she said. “It’s really great, that you do these things.” Emilia meant it, too — while she knew that the Blacks and Malfoys both didn’t have the cleanest track records and that there was a big chance that this was just another front ( she knew these things happened, wasn’t as naive as people thought she as ), she still thought it a rather generous thing. Narcissa could just be throwing her money at clothes as well and not do anything to try and improve things for others.

“I don’t think so either. It’s a great way to get attention, to be honest,” she said, letting out a soft laugh. “At least we’ve learned other ways to communicate — how strange would it be if we just screamed every time we felt a little deprived of attention?” Emilia tried to picture it for a moment and was tired at the thought already. She wondered if she’d ever stop screaming, too. “Thank you. And that’d be nice, yes.”

Narcissa smiled, inclining her head graciously towards Emilia in acceptance of the praise. She had perfected the move by now. Narcissa knew it was wonderful of her to do things like this. She took part in charity work because she couldn’t very well just sit idly around all day. And charity work contributed to how she was seen. Her connections opened doors for both herself and her husband that might otherwise have remained closed, or at least harder to access. 

It was comments like those that reminded Narcissa just how young Emilia was. Or perhaps it had to do more with Narcissa’s maturity. Still, she smiled politely at the girl. “Yes, strange would be one word for it,” she replied. Unpleasant another. People were already quite unbearable as it was. If they thought they had the right to scream whenever they were not being given the attention they felt they were entitled to, the world would be a nightmare. 

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” she said, leading the way. She might have a glass of wine with Lucius later, but the house elves usually knew enough to put the kettle on when she got home. She smiled with satisfaction when she entered the kitchen to see the kettle just boiling. And not a house elf in sight. It was the sign of a well run household when the help could anticipate her wants and needs but still be unobtrusive to her guests. 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

bvllatriz:

Bellatrix didn’t want to be here. It was plain and simple and quite frank. She was here for appearances, to make everyone believe that she wasn’t fighting for this death from the start. They were fighting for something so wrong and so against everything that made sense that at this point in her life, Bella still didn’t understand why it was a fight. If it wasn’t for the purebloods none of them would be here. This belief that the world could go on while including a race that would never and could never understand the world around them to the fullest was just blasphemy to Bella. 

She was doing a great job though, at pretending. Or at least she believed so. She was in a mild black dress, hair done in a half up messy bun and her lips painted the darkest maroon she could find. It was tasteful, in the slightest hint of boredom. Bella clung to her husband’s arm as he walked and talked with various members of the death eaters, ministry officials and those who obviously were worth talking too. She usually didn’t play this roll, tucked away, holding onto her husband for comfort in such a sad time, refusing to be center of attention.

Bella was dying to do something; and that’s where Narcissa came in. She had seen her since she walked in, keeping an eye on her younger sister as the night dragged on. Finally, she just couldn’t take it anymore. After kissing her husband on the cheek and explaining she must go see her sister for a few minutes, she pried herself away from the conversation and made her way over. She went eyes on her as her heals clicked brightly on the floor. 

Once behind her sister, she clipped a long painted finger nail on the wrap and continued to walk away, as if she drag her sister away from whatever she was doing and put all of her attention on Bella. But, she was stopped and her eyes rolled as she turned around. “We’re not tangled, Cissa. Now come along, I need a drink.” She sighed, not frustrated, but already bored of standing and explaining herself. 

“Coming?” Bella asked again as she dropped her sisters’ wrap off of her finger and motioned forward as she started walking backward, giggling quietly as she waited for her sister to follow as instructed to. 

Narcissa smirked a little at her sister’s impatience. It was typical Bella. Without further protest, she fell into step with the raven haired woman. “You always need a drink,” she commented wryly. Not that Narcissa was any different. She wondered sometimes if a mild level of inebriation was a requirement for events like these. How else did so many people with so many rivalries and dislike between them get along so well?

It was certainly an interesting study in human behaviour. Narcissa would never say she was a scientist by any means, but she was a study of humanity, that was for certain. She liked to know what made people tick so she could know better how to bend them to her will. All without anyone noticing a thing. 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

alrightcvans:

Lily nodded, having heard a similar piece of advice when she had first become pregnant. Sleep, though, was far and few between for her. She rarely found herself in bed at normal hours any longer and would grab a nap whenever she could. Of course, she was also not the head of a manor, rather just the head of her household. The Potter household. Lily looked back down at the empty spot on her ring finger and couldn’t help but smile. “You’re right,” Lily laughed. “I actually have to start, uh, planning a wedding, so I’m sure all of my downtime is disappearing.” Finding it funny that Narcissa was hearing about this before even Kingsley, who she was meeting with as soon as possible to tell him the news. However, Lily just wanted to shout it from the rooftops. 

Her eyes flicked to the basket and then back to Narcissa. She knew that the older woman wouldn’t understand; couldn’t understand really. She was stuck in the pureblood mentality. In fact, she was reveling in it. Her whole world was build upon Narcissa being better than other people. Lily did appreciate, though, that she was trying. At least she wasn’t as cold hearted as some of the other purebloods surrounding her. “Well, I could never just walk by,” Lily smiled. “I’m glad everyone’s… Well, mostly everyone’s okay.”

Narcissa didn’t let her face show her surprise that Lily was not already married. She had simply assumed that she was, given the red head’s relationship with James Potter and the son the two had together. Narcissa didn’t have anything against the more modern relationships, but she knew that having a child out of wedlock was not something that would have been acceptable for her. “Congratulations,” she said smoothly. “That’s very exciting.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “If you ever need any advice or recommendations....” she trailed off with an elegant shrug. She wasn’t looking to interact more with Muggleborns, but she figured it would be good for her image to appear at least open to the idea. At least word might get around that Narcissa Malfoy wasn’t a bad person, which was what she was going for. 

“The violence was certainly...regrettable,” Narcissa nodded, her lips twisting with her inability to say more, express more. She hated the thought of her husband having to be involved in any of that. And of what had happened to the children. No matter their status, Narcissa would never approve of targeting children.

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

Narcissa looked over at the muttered comment. She wasn’t quite sure why she was here, other than that she was interested in anything that could be considered defensive these days. Though the manor had its own protections, Narcissa did not feel as if she could sit idly by and rely on others to keep her family safe. Lucius might support them, but it was Narcissa’s job to make sure their home was a stable, secure one. She had never been particularly good at Herbology, but she was fascinated by the idea that plants could be used as weapons and defences. 

“Perhaps once ingested?” she said quietly. As it was, she agreed with the woman. A flower could not stop a dragon. “Unless they have the same reaction to this flower that elephants have to mice?” she added with a smirk. 

Closed for: @nb-narcissablack.

Location: The Ministry of Magic.

Date: March 28, 2018.

Miriam didn’t really know how she’d ended up in the power of magical plants panel.

She liked plants, even would say that she loved some of them (especially flowers), but that didn’t mean she particularly wanted to know everything about the magical plants that were being talked about. However, some of the information was particularly interesting, especially on the properties of some of the auras of certain flowers. Miriam, though, had really only come to hear Newt Scamander speak. Her father was a big fan and so she was as well, unable to stop her father’s influence from tainting her own likes.

However, as soon as one of the speakers announced that a pink flower could stop a dragon  from breathing fire, she scoffed and whispered under her breath, “Yea, and I can shoot fire out of my pinky. I highly doubt a little pink flower is going to make a dragon stop in it’s tracks.”

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

rab-stan:

Rab looked up and instantly his features broke into a soft smile as he put his phone faced down on the table. He had waited for her to arrive before ordering. He didn’t know what she would drink and he would’ve felt rude just ordering for himself. 

“ –Busy would be one word for it… yeah. ” he let out a slightly stubborn sigh, nodding deeply. Making eye contact with the waiter over Narcissa’s shoulder, he straightened up in his seat, one hand digging into his inner pocket. “ I’m paying. You want a coffee or something? ”

Narcissa was curious what other word Rabastan would use for it. She liked to know what made people tick, not least because it was easier to manipulate them if she did. But for the Death Eaters...well they were not all blood thirsty monsters, though Merlin knew that some of them seemed to enjoy the maiming and killing of Muggleborns a little too much. Narcissa did not get that impression from Rabastan, though. She sensed...that he was conflicted. 

“I would,” she nodded. “Except make it an Earl Grey tea, please.” 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

alrightcvans:

“Well, always good to know that you can rely on a sleeping child,” Lily said, laughing ever so slightly. Whenever Harry fell asleep, Lily knew she’d have an uninterrupted amount of time to herself. These days, those times were the only times she was actually able to work on her charms, a rarity nowadays. Her work made James and herself enough money to get by but they were still mostly living off his parents’ estate. She wished it didn’t have to be that way; wished that she could provide more for her family. “Harry turns into a log whenever he falls asleep.”

She smiled again at Narcissa’s words unsure whether they were a sign of kindness or Pureblood politeness. Did she need help though? Not really, no. But she could use a break. An escape. The Ministry surely wasn’t the best spot to be escaping the situation but Lily was desperate for anything right now. She needed to forget that the whole situation had happened.

Of course, there was one part of last night she did not want to forget. James’ proposal had her on cloud nine, even though she forgot the ring in the flurry of getting out of the house this morning. She rubbed her bare finger as though the ring had really been there for years. “I think I’m doing alright,” she said. “Just needing something to do, I suppose. I want to feel like I’m helping the cause. Those poor people at Hog’s Head… I can’t even imagine.”

Narcissa kept herself from saying, ‘Especially one who was drugged.’ She knew it could be taken the wrong way. Lucinda would understand. Lily might not. Narcissa knew full well the rumours of how Purebloods didn’t care about their children. But she had given Draco a sleeping draught to allow him to rest while his body healed. Nothing more sinister than that. “They do say that while the baby sleeps, mothers should sleep too,” she commented. “That might have been true when they were newborns, but now I find there is just too much to do.” Draco’s nap time was a welcome reprieve in her day. She had so many responsibilities that even putting him to bed for a little while alleviated some of the stress. Much as she loved her son, she was keen to take advantage of when he went to sleep to get other things done.

The cause? Narcissa wondered juts what cause Lily was speaking about. The charitable one? Or the championing the rights of the downtrodden? The Muggleborns. Not that Narcissa would be surprised if that’s what Lily meant. The redhead was a Muggleborn after all. “Well now you can say you’ve done something,” she said, gesturing towards the gift basket that someone would win. 

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Elaine Selwyn’s funeral, and subsequent celebration of life was a well attended affair. Narcissa couldn’t decide if it was because the woman had been well liked, or if everyone wanted to give the impression that she was. There were certainly a few Purebloods that Narcissa wouldn’t have expected to see at the funeral of a woman who was well known for her pro-Muggleborn stance. Perhaps they were there to alleviate suspicions.

Did the mere act of showing up really fool the Aurors? If it did, then they were imbeciles. Narcissa was sure that just as many people were there to secretly gloat to themselves as anything else. Or to gather information. Looking around at the varied crowd, Narcissa thought this would be a good place to see who held similar opinions and thoughts to the late Ms. Selwyn. If she were so inclined. But of course she wasn’t. 

Narcissa had once been told that she seemed to float through life. The girl who told her that had meant it as an insult of course, but Narcissa hadn’t taken it as one. It was the truth, after all. She preferred to glide over problems, and remain untouched and unruffled by all. No one could accuse her of anything if her conduct and behaviour was exemplary. Not that there was anything to accuse her of. Though apparently her blood was enough to condemn her in some people’s eyes.

Sipping on a glass of wine she had been offered by a passing waiter, Narcissa looked around. She was mostly trying to figure out where Lucius had gotten to. They had paid there respects, and now she wanted to get home to Draco. There was something about funerals that reminded her of her own mortality--and more importantly, her son’s. About to move off through the crowd, someone brushed by Narcissa. She pursed her lips at the rudeness, but was willing to let it go. Until she realized that they had somehow managed to catch onto the fringe of her black wrap. 

Reaching out quickly, Narcissa placed a hand on their arm before they could move off. She didn’t want them pulling a thread loose. “Sorry, but we seem to have gotten tangled when you brushed past me,” she said, her pleasant tone no indication of her true annoyance. She held up her arm which now had several threads leading over to the other person. Had she gotten stuck on one of their buttons? A piece of jewelry? A watch? 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

luctalkalot:

“Me!” She gasped, dropping the act for a moment.  “I think you must have hit your head between now and then if you think that was my idea – if I were going to orchestrate a middle of the night triste it certainly wouldn’t have been with a gaggle of Hufflepuffs.  Although,” she shrugged allowing them one favorable aspect.  “They did bring some pretty fan-fucking-tastic weed.”

“Well some of them had their uses,” Narcissa replied with a sly smile on her lips. “Anyway, you told me to surprise you.” The blonde giggled. “You should have seen your face.” 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

emiliarosier:

“That’s wonderful!,” she said, and she meant it. While she did not dream of living a life of hosting events like those, she was very interested in charity itself, and was sure to donate to good causes on a monthly basis. “I hope the money helps — dragonpox is a devastating disease.” 

Narcissa said it wasn’t a problem and Emilia felt some weight lift off her chest. She had not expected the other to be angry, but it was a relief nonetheless. “It’s amazing how much noise can come from such a small child,” she joked, her tone lighter now and a small smile curling her lips. “It’s no problem, really — it’s all part of the job. He was a delight before it was his bedtime, anyway, so I’m not complaining at all.” 

“I’m sure it will.” Every little bit counts. That’s what was said at every fundraiser. So everyone felt as if they were contributing. Although some of the miserly amounts people donated were pitiable and certainly shouldn’t count. But it was about the end dollar amount, not what each individual gave. It was the total, greater than its parts. Narcissa wondered if the Death Eaters were the same way. By some miracle, would what they were doing turn out all right?

“Oh don’t I know,” Narcissa said with a wry smile. She shook her head, though her facial expression clearly indicated she was thinking fondly of her son. “I don’t think he would regulate his volume, even if he understood how,” she said. Draco was a bit of an imperious child already. Narcissa didn’t let him get away with everything, but that didn’t mean he liked it when she said no. “I know you’re not complaining,” she reassured Emilia kindly. “I’m sure you did a wonderful job. Would you like some tea before you leave?” 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

ヅ

ヅ for a situation that got both our muses arrested

Narcissa Malfoy was not a woman who got into trouble. Even as a young girl, she had always been careful to toe the line. She had spent her life perfecting and maintaining her image. It was easier to sail through with people thinking that she was a simple, beautiful, fragile creature that needed to be protected. Narcissa prided herself, however, on being a fist of steel underneath a silken kid glove. She was strong, and capable, but beautiful and elegant at the same time. And no one knew. 

Well, they knew now. 

Narcissa had been sent to meet with Peter Pettigrew. As someone who was officially unaffiliated, her doing so would draw the least amount of suspicion if they were seen together, even momentarily. Narcissa had not intended to tarry in the young man’s company. She knew he was useful to the Dark Lord, but she found him distasteful all the same. Perhaps if he had seemed to be committed to the Dark Lord’s cause, or any beliefs at all, she would feel differently. But really, he just seemed scared. She could sympathize, but up to a point. 

It was bad luck really that someone had chosen that day and that time to try to steal Narcissa’s purse. She had been caught by surprise, too focused on making her way towards Peter to notice the individual getting too close in the already crowded street. When her purse had been grabbed, she cried out, eyes meeting Peter’s. There was a message for him from the Dark Lord inside, and it could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. 

What Narcissa got into trouble for was the hex she cast in public. It had caught the person square in the back. Peter had then jumped at the man, throwing a few punches before retrieving Narcissa’s purse and bringing it back to her. She and Peter had been brought in as a formality, and for questioning. 

When they were released, Narcissa made sure to smile and thank the members of the DMLE for their diligence and thoroughness. “Looks like you get to be hero for a day, Peter,” she said with a wry smile before moving off on her own way. Lucius would be waiting and she had to let him know what had happened before he heard about it from some other source. The gossips would be sure to make it sound worse than it had been. 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

rab-stan:

Rabastan looked up, following her gaze over his shoulder until he saw the queue piling up once more. He didn’t want to inconvenience her, so he considered declining all together, but she almost seemed persistent when she repeated herself. There was an urgency that he couldn’t say no to.

“ –If you’re sure you have the time. ” he mused lightly with a nod, hoisting his bag over his shoulder once more. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he gave her one more look over with a small beam. “ The cafe on the fifth floor, they have the best coffee. ”

With that, he left her and joined the masses shuffling towards the nearest elevator. It wasn’t even until he had got into the lift and entered the coffee shop that he wondered why she hadn’t mentioned Lucius to him, leaving him with a chilling uncertainty about the night before more so than ever.

Five minutes later, as promised, Narcissa had closed up the table to go meet with Rabastan. Let people worry that they had missed their opportunity to participate and win for a bit. It would only make them more eager when she returned. 

She smiled as she spotted Rabastan. This time it was he who was sitting and her approaching. “Thank you for waiting,” she said. “I’m sure you have a busy day.” Narcissa looked guiltily at her brother-in-law, hoping she wasn’t keeping him from anything important. Narcissa understood keeping a strict schedule, though hers could occasionally be more flexible than the working witch's’ or wizard’s. 

[nb-narcissablack-blog]

“Talking to yourself again, Evan?” Narcissa asked, a wry smile on her face. She had noticed her cousin and had been making her way over to say hello on her way into Diagon Alley when he had spoken. She could see the contempt clearly on his face. Sometimes, she had to agree. 

“Ants,” she agreed. “Or sheep perhaps, cattle.” They followed the crowd, followed where they were led. Narcissa wondered what their world would be like now if people simply refused to accept what was going on. Rather than leaving it to the Death Eaters and those that opposed them, what would happen if normal citizens took their heads out of the sand and became involved? 

Narcissa was not a fan of this war, and wanted it to be over quickly. She did not see the need for the bloodshed and mayhem, aside from it providing amusement to those causing it. Narcissa appreciated order, logic, beauty. The world was losing it in the face of the chaos and fear that The Dark Lord was wielding. Narcissa believed in his vision of a better world, though. She had to.

DATE: March, 2018 Location: Outside the leaky cauldron Starter: 001  Open to all.

Evan Rosier had never been a firm believer in fate. It had always seemed like the lazy persons way out of doing something which required effort. If something were to get done, you had to do it yourself. Pave your own path, so to speak. It was this thinking that brought him to people watch. To stand in the streets with nothing but a cigarette and to feel the mood of the streets. Lately, the streets had a tension which was almost palpable. Familiar faces passed by, and Evan averted his gaze as they did. He wasn’t here to catch up with people whose names he could not remember. 

Ants. He thought bitterly, watching people move together in an organized flow. That’s all his peers were. Ants moving together without even knowing why. They just did, without caring why.”Fucking ants.” He exclaimed, before realizing he was no longer alone. “These people. They’re all fucking ants.”