#c: narcissa02

[tonksxandromeda]

“He.” Andromeda repeated, unable to stop the small smile that rose to her lips. She had no doubt that Narcissa was going to be a wonderful mother. It was a shame that Nymphadora wouldn’t know her cousin. She kept her features neutral, though inwardly she felt another ache in her chest at the idea that she wouldn’t be able to share any of this with her sister. To be able to help her through the pregnancy, to be able to share in the joys and pains of motherhood. She took in a shaky breath and gave a small shake of her head, dismissing the thoughts and trying to focus on the task at hand.

She nodded at the question and stepped back, slipping her wand back into her robes. “Everything looks good, he’s healthy and strong, all of his vitals look excellent.” She assured her as she sat down and took another drink of her tea. “Just make sure you’re taking care of yourself. I know it’s easier said than done but any unnecessary stress can cause stress on him if it continues. Try to rest and relax as much as you can.” She went over to one of the cupboards and looked through the items before she pulled one out, offering it over to her sister. “You don’t have to take it. But add this to your tea in the mornings, it will help with the blood pressure. It also has good nutrients for you and the baby.”

"He." She corrected quietly. "He will be here before I know it." It was something that she knew that Andromeda would likely learn for herself by running her tests, so it made sense to mention it now to save the awkwardness later down the line with having to figure out if Narcissa knew what she was having or not. That was the reason she'd give at least, and not it was something she wanted her to know but it was something that sisters should share with one another.

Unsure of what to do with herself, Narcissa simply nodded again as she adjusted her position in her seat. Out of fear of seeing something herself that was wrong, her eyes were trained on a spot on the floor off to the distance while she let Andromeda run her checks, her fingers curled around her seats edge at her sides. When Andromeda finally spoke again, Narcissa's gaze lifted. She almost laughed at the irony of her words, her features most definitely contorting. The very situation she was in at that moment could very well be considered an unnecessary stress. "Alright. But my baby, he is healthy?"

[emmaflint]

location: Madame Puddifoots status: for @nvrcissasm

Emma had meant to to write a letter to Narcissa earlier, but their schedules didn't align until today. After their tea was brought and small talk was concluded she was quick at casting a charm around them so they would not be overheard. "I am truly sorry that I have not managed to make time sooner but I have been quite busy recently. After my parents saw me talk to Rabastan at the ball for a few minutes they have tried to set up a match with the Lestrange family, but Rabastan and I are working on having that matter settled soon. Hopefully they'll realise it is not a good match. He is a great wizard, but I haven't spent much time with him in the last ten years."

[tedxtcnks-blog]

The need for monthly Prefect meetings had at first been something that Ted hadn’t been aware of before becoming a Prefect himself; although most of the time the topics were the same and nothing new was ever really discussed, they were needed. It was here that they could appeal for a change in patrolling partners or simply bring up the need to keep an eye on a particular part of the castle. He supposed that a part of them was suppose to be used for bonding within the small collection of students although that wasn’t always what happened. November came with a smaller percentage of students trying to leave the castle in the beginning of the month and an increase in traffic towards the end of it; they all knew it happened and yet the reminder to stay alert needed to be voiced. 

It was in the early morning hours that the meeting ended, breakfast in the Great Hall awaited them along with friends that may have been looking for the temporarily missing Prefects. As groups of people left with all the eagerness that a hungry teen could muster up in the morning, Ted simply scouted the groups in search of a particular blonde in green: Narcissa, surprisingly, seemed harder to find that particular morning. Yet, when Ted finally spotted the other, it was just as he was about to give up and settle with the idea of looking for her later on that day.  “Hey, do you want to meet up at the Great Hall again tonight for patrols? Or we could do the Kitchens, whichever is easier.” It was a matter of convenience for the both of them, after all, the sooner they started their rounds the sooner they could both go their own ways. 

If it had been anyone else, perhaps they would have noticed the air of irritation that seemed to cling onto the other. Yet it was far too early in the morning for Ted to pick up on a such a cue and with the need for a good cup of coffee growing stronger and stronger, the possibility of him picking up on it grew slimmer. “We’ll have to keep an eye on the hallway leading to the courtyard, I can’t believe someone thought it was a good idea to go into the Forbidden forest on a dare.” Although, he knew there was no room for him to talk on such a matter.  “What did you think about the meeting?”

@narcissawil​

[tonksxandromeda]

Andromeda didn't even realize she'd spoke so casually about Dora until she saw the look on Narcissa's face and she tore her gaze away, looking down as she began to put things back away. It felt too easy to have a normal conversation with her sister when she saw her. As if no time had passed and they were back at Hogwarts chatting about their day. She missed her sister every day, there would always be a hole in her life where they should have been. To know that she would never know Narcissa's son, that Narcissa would never know Dora. It seemed unfair. She was eager for the change of topic and she laughed softly. "I mean it is hormones but it's completely normal, the worry and stronger emotions are normal."

Andromeda nodded, smiling softly when Narcissa agreed to keep her offer in mind. It was better than nothing, as long as her sister knew she was here for her then it was all that mattered. "I'm always happy to take a pause in my day for you." She assured her. "Take care Cissa, I'm happy for you." She opened the door for her sister, silently hoping that she would see her again soon.

~END

Narcissa's gaze rose at the mention of Nymphadora. It should have been such a normal thing for them to each share stories about their children, but the mention of the young witch only served as a reminder of a child who through no fault of their own would never know an entire side of her family. "'I'm glad to hear that the fear is at least a normal part of growing another human inside you. I think everyone just assumes I'm being hormonal, but some days it's like a freight train hitting me out of nowhere." She shook her head.

Narcissa let out a resigned sigh as she clutched the jar of leaves. "Thank you Andromeda, I am truly grateful for what you've done. And should I need to, then perhaps I will keep your offer in mind." She nodded. "I shouldn't keep you much longer though, you've probably got plenty of patients to see to and here's me hijacking your day."

[tonksxandromeda]

Andromeda was silent, though she didn't miss her sister's reaction, glad that she could alleviate some of her worries. She fought a smile at the reminder that her sister had come to her for reassurance. She'd come to her and trusted her to make sure that her son was safe, and while Narcissa might dismiss it, it meant something to her. "I can understand that. I swear with Dora if she remained still in my stomach for even a moment longer than I thought acceptable I began to panic." She admitted.

The witch felt something soften inside her and warm as she heard her sister laugh, Merlin it had been years since she'd heard that sound. She didn't expect her to take the dried leaves, relieved when she did take it. Andy shook her head. "I will never refuse to see you Narcissa. I know it wasn't easy coming here but if you ever need anything, if there's ever any concerns..." Her eyes met Narcissa's. "You can always come to me."

Narcissa gave a small nod as she glanced down at her hands resting on her stomach. It was all for him. The reason she had come here today had been for her son, but she couldn't help her mind wandering in the silence to the endless list of what if's and what would never be's. It was risky enough as it was just to share this moment with Andromeda, she knew there would certainly be no understanding if her sister or husband found out where she was, and that was before considering the fallout from her parents if they heard word. But it hurt to know that her son would always have one less aunt than he should and would never know his cousin.

Learning that her baby was healthy and strong, Narcissa visibly relaxed and let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. It was like a weight she had been carrying on her shoulders for weeks had been lifted. While she was not sure that she'd ever be able to fully trust Andromeda again, she knew that her sister wouldn't lie about the health of a child. "Good. That's really good to know." She nods. "And I am looking after myself. I can assure you most of my stress is coming from this very situation and needing to know that my boy was okay." She let out a small chuckle as she watch her sister rise and retrieve something from one of the cupboards. She paused for a moment when Andromeda held it out to her before eventually taking the item. "Thank you. Not just for this... But for everything you've done here. You could have easily refused to see me, so I appreciate it that you didn't."

[tonksxandromeda]

Andromeda merely nodded, she understood her sister’s need to draw a line in the sand. To make this seem as though she’d only come because she was a good healer. Still she couldn’t help but hope it meant a little more, that it meant her sister trusted her to always have her best interests at heart. “Five months, it will be here before you know it.” Her heart clenched at the thought that Dora would likely never know that she had a cousin, that their children would never know each other.

She set her own cup aside, taking a steadying breath as she stood. “Alright well let me just run a diagnostic and see how things look.” She murmured, pulling her wand from her healer robes. The spell was wordless as she ran a diagnostic, reading the results as they appeared before her and studying all of her levels and how things looked, quiet for a moment. “Your blood pressure is a little high.” She said softly. “Not concerning but you may want to try and find ways to avoid unnecessary stress.”

Narcissa watched her sister carefully as she got up and made her way over to the door to summon the tea. Coming here, especially in daylight had been a risk and she wanted to avoid being seen out of fear of word getting back her husband or worse Bellatrix. Their eldest sister especially would never understand and she didn't want to have to try and explain the choice to her or to Lucius.

”This isn’t about -” she paused, shaking her head a little as she reconsidered her response. “I came because I know that you’re good at what you do.” She nodded. Everything else aside, she knew that Andromeda would do everything possible and she would do it right. "That's all I want, to make sure my baby is okay. Please." She nodded again, confirming that she was comfortable for her sister to proceed. "Just a little over five months. He's due around June time." She replied as she reached out to pick up the other cup, holding it between her hands for a moment before taking a sip.

[tonksxandromeda]

Andromeda stood for only a moment to open the door to the room, a quick wave of her wand producing a teapot and two cups. She returned with them and set the items down on the table and then sat back down across from her sister. Her expression softened at her sister's words. She didn't respond for a moment, but it meant more than Narcissa could possibly know that she'd come here to get Andromeda's opinion. That she trusted her more than any high paid healer to make sure the baby was okay.

"I'm glad you came to me." She admitted softly, offering her a warm smile. "I can run some tests and diagnostics and see how things look. Make sure the baby is okay?" She wouldn't start until she'd given her the official go ahead. As she waited she poured them both some tea, taking her own cup and taking a small drink. "How far along are you?" She could find out when she ran the diagnostic of course, but she wanted to talk to her sister, know how she was doing.

There was a time when it would have been the most natural thing in the world for the two of them to sit together in a closed room. A time when Narcissa wouldn’t have doubted for a single moment about going to Andromeda for anything, big or small. But as she watched her sister move to take a seat in front of her, the blonde was torn. Internally she felt like a caged animal, fighting against her instinct to seek out the familiar as she now walked on unfamiliar ground.

"Thank you." Narcissa replied with a slight smile. "And that's actually the reason why I'm here." Hands protectively wrapping around herself, she paused for a moment. This wasn't about her or the relationship she had with her estranged sister. The only thing that mattered was her child. "The healers say everything is good, and is as it should be. And they're the best that money can acquire, so I should trust that what they saying is true... But I don't. Not fully. It doesn't matter what they say, part of me just cannot be convinced. So perhaps against my better judgement, I've come here today because I need to know that everything's okay."

[tonksxandromeda]

Andromeda let her wand fall to her side as her sister confirmed that she was alright, relaxing. She summoned a chair and moved to sit in front of Narcissa, trying to keep her expression neutral even if inwardly she was thrilled she was here. Whatever the reason, she was glad her sister had come to her. It was a step forward, and there was no denying how her chest filled with hope.

Her expression softened at the mention of being pregnant. “I did, congratulations Cissa. I’m so happy for you.” She’d wanted to write her sister the minute she’d found out, but had decided against it. She wasn’t sure she would have wanted to hear from her and she hadn’t wanted to press. “Is everything alright with the pregnancy?” She had no doubt they’d hired the best when it came to healers for purebloods.

This was a mistake. Whatever notion that had possessed her into coming here today had since been replaced by a gnawing anxiety that she would have acted upon and fled hadn’t Andromeda entered the room when she did. For a brief moment when she pondered her sisters question, she considered excusing herself, but she knew that leaving wasn’t going to ease the very fears that had brought her here in the first place.

“Im alright, you do not have to search me for injury.” She eventually replied, her tone as soft as the shake of her head. “The reason I’m here is because - well, I assume that you are aware that I’m pregnant, right?” Given that the news had been in all the papers several months back, it was fair to assume that even Andromeda had caught wind of it. If had hadn’t been aware, well this was certainly one way to find out such news.

[tonksxandromeda]

Andromedas morning had been hectic, then again here at the hospital it had become the new normal. The work was never ending, with the war raging on it was hard for the hospital to catch up. Though a busy morning blessedly ran into a quieter afternoon, leaving her with the opportunity to catch up and not have to be quite so frantic in her work. Already she was looking forward to the end of her day and the opportunity to be at home with Ted and Dora.

When one of the healers informed her that she had a patient in her room she thanked them and grabbed blank paperwork before heading to the room. As she stepped inside she froze, her breath catching in her throat as she saw her sister. Quickly she shut the door behind her, not wanting anyone to disrupt them. “Cissa are you okay?” There was no hiding the worry in her voice, the way her eyes surveyed her sister for any injury. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t seen her sister in months, for Andy she would always care, always worry.

WHERE: St. Mungo's WHO: Narcissa & @tonksxandromeda

Arriving at St. Mungo's, it hadn't taken Narcissa long to navigate her way through the never ending hallways and in to one of the private patient rooms she knew that Andromeda would be looking after. Years of being conscious of finding ways to avoid her sister in public places meant that the blonde was aware of the general area of the hospital that Andromeda worked in, but with a few non-direct questions -because she'd never dream of asking outright where she could find her sister- Narcissa was able to find her way.

It was a terrible idea for her to come here, even now as she sat in one of the available seats in the small room, she was on the edge of convincing herself to just get up and leave and pretend that the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Nails digging in to her own palms, she was just about to stand, deciding to indeed leave, when the door opened.

"Hello Andromeda." She finally said after a moments pause.

[emmaflint]

"You know I ran into Lucius recently. I reminded him to buy you some presents so I hope he's been doing a good job with that." Emma laughed. She was truly happy for her friend and that Lucius seemed to in love with her. It was what Narcissa deserved, especially with the hand she'd been dealt of her sister turning out to be an embarrassment to the family and abandoning them, she knew how hard that had been for Narcissa. "Once again, you're right. It definitely wasn't a good idea." She didn't regret it, she couldn't. "I have to tell Thorfinn, right?"

"Oh I imagine we absolutely will." Narcissa chuckled, offering a small nod. By no means was she belittling any of the problems either her or her friend were facing, they were very real in the here and now. But it was a good way of reassuring herself when things seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel - that one day somewhere down the line, she would look back and laugh. "Ahh..." She wrinkled her nose, tilting her head to the side. "Well that doesn't seem like it was a very good idea...And not just because you're seeing someone else. But because it's Sethos of all people." She wouldn't say anything, of course. No matter what the secret, Narcissa would always keep anything her friend told her to herself.

[emmaflint]

"I wonder if we are going to say the same thing about our problems now, in a couple of years time." Emma wondered, chuckling as well. At Narcissa's next words she rolled her eyes, sighing. It was a pretty accurate description of her parents mindset. Men had less pressure and more time to find a wife, while women were considered old by thirty. "I may have kissed him. For a while." She wouldn't tell anyone but Narcissa, knowing the blonde would keep her secret.

"Oh agreed. It's almost embarrassing to look back now at how life ending we thought our problems were at the time." Narcissa chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course. Becuse every man deserves a young wife when he himself can be middle aged or decrepit." She rolled her eyes. Yes she may have conformed to such old fashioned views by following the path set out by her parents, but even she could see where those ideals were ridiculous. "Ah... Dare I even ask what happened?"

[emmaflint]

"I wish I could go back in time and tell myself how easy I had it back then." Emma agreed. Life had been simpler and significantly less complicated back then. "Apparently they are convinced he has more time because he is a man. I apparently have an expiration date." Her parents could be so old fashioned. "Apparently my body didn't get the memo that I'm supposed to hate him."

"Oh, ain't that the truth. Knowing what we know now, our teenage problems were so trivial." Narcissa chuckled. Not that she had a particularly difficult life to contend with, but certainly the world they lived in was far simpler when they were younger. "You know, I still don't understand why they've decided to bypass your brother and let him go off and do whatever he wants." She shook her head. "Oh? And how do we feel about that?"

[emmaflint]

"Oh I've definitely had my hands full. I wish we would still be teenagers. Would make life a hell of a lot easier." She sighed before she leaned back in her chair. Emma was relieved that Narcissa didn't hold it against her. "They should focus on my brother instead, but apparently they got it into their head that I'm to be married first. My parents don't know I'm with someone else. And if that doesn't complicate matters enough, Sethos is back in town. Permanently."

"Please, there is absolutely nothing to apologise for Emma. It sounds like you've had your hands full and it's not like when we were teenagers when either of us had a monopoly of free time to spend together." Narcissa shook her head, waving a hand dismissively. The last thing her friend ever had to do was apologise for being busy. "Gosh, your parents must be desperate to set up a match if they're grasping at anyone who talks to you for more than a few minutes. I have a lot of time for Rabastan, but fingers crossed that you can both sort that out if it's what neither of you want."