* BEAUTIFUL / LIAR.

                           she  knew  that  she  shouldn't  be  doing  this.  knew  that  such  relationships  lead  to  her  own  SISTER  being  disowned,  forbidden  to  be  spoken  of  again.  but  still,  the  youngest  of  the  black  sisters  couldn't  help  but  follow  her  HEART,  at  least  whilst  she  still  could.  meeting  up  with  ella  where  PRYING  EYES  couldn't  find  them,  couldn't  follow  them.  &  she  KNEW  that  the  other  didn't  like  it,  &  the  truth  was,  neither  did  she,  but  the  PROSPECT  of  being  cast  aside  by  her  family  was  too  much  for  the  blonde  to  IGNORE.  narcissa  truly  did  wish  that  things  could  be  DIFFERENT,  alas,  these  were  the  cards  that  they  had  been  dealt  &  all  they  could  do  was  PLAY  them  as  well  as  they  possibly  could,  for  as  long  as  they  possibly  could.  

                          however,  if  there  was  ONE  THING  that  she  was  certain  of,  it  was  of  her  love  for  the  other,  her  heart  had  truly  been  captured  by  ella  &  that  wasn't  something  she  could  change  even  if  she  wished  to  do  so.  ❝   i'm  awfully  sorry  that  i'm  LATE,    ❞  the  slytherin  smiled  softly,  &  anyone  would  BELIEVE  that  it  were  a  different  person  than  the  one  whom  roamed  the  castle  halls  in  the  light  of  day.  for  gone  was  the  DISDAIN,  the  glare  that  could  turn  anyone  whom  looked  in  her  direction  to  STONE.  gone  was  the  ICE  QUEEN,  softened  by  the  other  standing  before  her,  even  if  she  was  the  only  who  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  as  such.  ❝   it  was  a  little  more  DIFFICULT  to  get  away  this  evening, ❞  she  explained,  piercing  gaze  rising  to  meet  ella's  own  as  she  stepped  closer.

𝙽𝙸𝙼𝙱𝙻𝙴   𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝚂   𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴   𝙰𝙲𝚁𝙾𝚂𝚂   𝚃𝙷𝙴   𝙼𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙻𝙴.      this   place   is   a   veritable  treasure   trove   of   trinkets,   and   sooner   or   later   something’s  bound   to   catch  his   eye.   some  of   this   stuff  would   fetch   a   nice   price  down   some   of   the   seedier  muggle   pubs.   best  leave   it   ‘til  he’s   not   got   eyes   on   him.   ❛ ‘ow   many   ‘ouse  elves   does   it   take   to   clean   a   place   like  this? ❜  

@liedriven     /     sc.

                             the  perfect  MASQUERADE.  for  not  so  much  as  a  hint  of  the  DISTASTE  she  felt  bubbling  beneath  the  surface,  thrumming  'gainst  her  ribs  &  threatening  to  spill  from  her  lips,  but  it  remained  CONCEALED,   hidden  from  the  view  of  anyone  that  came  to  look  'pon  her.  ❝   enough,   ❞  simple,  clear  &  utterly  devoid  of  any  emotion,  for  the  malfoy  matriarch  didn't  particularly  wish  to  be  having  this  CONVERSATION,  but  she  would  please  her  house  guests  as  &  when  she  needed  to,  even  if  she  wished  for  them  to  be  nowhere  near  her.  

“ it’s just difficult to be certain of anything at the moment. ”

@liedriven // s.c.

                             ❝   i  KNOW,  my  darling.  –––  we  just,  we  have  to  remain  STRONG,  okay  ?  no  matter  how  DIFFICULT  it  is,  we  mustn't  let  go  of  that.  &  if  you  need  to  allow  that  mask  down,  dragon,  i  will  always  be  there  to  LISTEN,  no  matter  when,  no  matter  what.    ❞  

               THERE WASN’T MUCH SHE could say, draco wasn’t in her house, she had just been paying more attention to him now, roaming the hallways without any company. worried wasn’t the correct word for what she was, concerned might be better. horrible things happened these days. the boy’s father was locked up. she couldn’t imagine what they went through. “ i know it isn’t my place to call you in for these sorts of meetings, mrs malfoy ”

               she was supposed to have the children from her house’s parents for meetings, not parents to the slytherin children, not her old students. a student that just reminded her of the one black sister who had been completely lost under her and the school’s care. she wouldn’t see that happen again. narcissa was a bright girl when she had her education here, she probably knew what was going on with her son but it was worth checking up on, wasn’t it? “ i’ve been concerned, draco hasn’t really been acting like himself ”

@liedriven

                              she  hadn't  EXPECTED  it.  to  be  called  to  hogwarts,  especially  not  by  the  woman  currently  sat  before  her.  she  wasn't  her  son's  head  of  house,  for  the  malfoy  matriarch  had  a  far  more  DIRECT  line  of  communication  with  severus,  after  all.  ❝   you're  RIGHT,  minerva,  it  isn't,    ❞  came  her  response.  COLD,  disinterested  &  entirely VEXED  that  she'd  been  called  away  from  her  home  due  to  the  woman  being  nothing  short  of  a  NOSY  busy  body  who  didn't  have  anything  better  to  do  than  interfere  in  matters  that  didn't  CONCERN  her  in  the  slightest.   ❝   if  severus  had  any  concerns  with  my  son,  i'd  hear  of  it,   ❞  she  continued,  manicured  brow  arching,  idle  fingertips  drumming  'gainst  the  desk  before  her.  

                              ❝   i  do  assure  you  that  my  son  is  FINE,  he  is  of  no  worry  of  yours,   ❞  clipped,  steely  &  harsh,  it  was  evident  that  the  blonde  didn't  wish  to  be  here,  for  whilst  narcissa  was  the  epitome  of  emotionless,  a  well  practised  mask  adorning  her  countenance,  cracks  had  been  appearing  as  of  late  &  she  was  doing  everything  in  her  POWER  to  ensure  that  it  remained  in  tact.  ❝   now,  will  that  be  all  ?  or  was  there  more  BUSINESS  that  you  wished  to  interfere  in  ?   ❞  came  her  questioned,  piercing  gaze  never  once  wavering  from  that  of  the  woman  sitting  'cross  from  her  as  she  spoke.

          Her demeanor became cold, expression icy. “Anything that concerns my son, concerns me,” she said flatly. Lily feared many things, but the woman in front of her was not one of them. Unlike the rest of the wizarding world, she was not blind. “And I do not think you are in any position to threaten.” A warning, a threat, all the same, she would not be frightened off.

                         ❝   is  that  a  THEORY  that  you  wish  to  test  ?  ❞  for  whilst  her  family's  REPUTATION  may  not  be  as  it  used  to,  it  wasn't  entirely  in  the  dirt  just  yet.  however,  people  UNDERESTIMATING  her  was  what  the  malfoy  matriarch  came  to  rely  'pon,  for  if  they  didn't  expect  anything  of  her,  it  was  far  EASIER  to  see  their  DEMISE,  far  easier  to  ensure  that  they  fell  &  she'd  do  as  such  with  a  smile  painted  'pon  that  of  CRIMSON  lips  &  if  the  other  woman  wished  to  CHALLENGE  her,  well,  it  wouldn’t  be  difficult  to  see  her  crumble  without  so  much  as  lifting  a  finger.

          ❛ do you really believe  i’d let anyone kill draco ? ❜  they would have to be a fool to try hurting her nephew when she was present.  but then again…  if the dark lord decided to end draco’s life, bella was unlikely to stop it.  her mind was warped and twisted, always had been but azkaban hadn’t helped.  the last shred of true compassion had been torn from her during those years in prison.  ❛ i think you’re making a big mistake cissy.  i can protect draco, severus can’t.  he’s not even loyal to the dark lord ! ❜

                                ❝   i  don't  believe  that  his  LIFE, –––  his  safety  is  atop  your  list  of  PRIORITIES,  ❞  for  the  matriarch  knew,  should  the  dark  lord  wish  to  see  her  son's  life  at  an  END,  her  sister  wouldn't  STOP  him  from  seeing  it  so.  ❝   LOYAL  to  the  dark  lord  or  NOT,  he  is  the  only  one  i  TRUST,  ❞  &  she  didn't  much  care  whether  or  not  as  such  was  a  BLOW  to  her  sister  or  not,  for  it  was  because  she  KNEW  her,  knew  what  she  was  capable  of  better  than  anyone  else,  that  her  trust  in  her  sister  remained  NON  -  EXISTENT.  

SHE’S GOOD AT THIS. eluding frenzy , minimizing doubt. for every word she says , another word dies , there on his tongue without a proper burial. it is a reminder too , albeit gentle , that he should not be so quick to question such things , things he has no control over , things that affect EVERYONE that he cares about … things that should not be tampered with if he wishes to keep them safe. 

             ❛ no i suppose it wasn’t meant to be easy , but … ❜

he turns from the window and his eyes immediately fall upon her hands , the swell beneath them , his own shaking at the thought. he lets his sleeve fall into place , obscuring the mark as he sits down beside her. every now and then , he finds it hard to remember that even though it is just them , it is NEVER JUST THEM. someone always lurking , looking , waiting to capitalize on a slip. he does not trust every single person in line to get a mark like his , and he knows it to be an intelligent truth. resting a hand atop hers , he manages a curt smile.

❛ we must believe him then , that he can deliver what he speaks of , that i can help him do so. if only to ensure that our family is in the best possible place. ❜

                             there  was  a  part  of  her  that  KNEW  that  he  was right,  knew  that  they  must  wait  &  see.  wait  &  see  whether  or  not  the  dark  lord  would  DELIVER  on  the  promises  that  he'd  made  to  those  who  now  bore  his  mark,  brazen  'gainst  the  skin  that  it  adorned.  a  mark  that  she,  herself,  would  NEVER  don,  not  NOW,  not  ever.  however,  she  would  SUPPORT  her  husband,  her  sister,  her  friends,  if  one  was  to  call  them  as  such  now,  but  her  primary  CONCERN  would  lay  with  the  babe  that  rest  below  the  palms  of  joined  hands,  the  LIFE  that  shouldn't  ever  come  to  know  of  such  things  as  WAR,  as  the  danger  that  surrounded  them  on  a  constant  basis.  the  life  that  narcissa  would  SHIELD  from  as  such,  as  much  as  she  was  able  to.  

                            ❝   i  do  BELIEVE  that  we  must,  yes,   ❞   came  her  almost  akin  to  RESIGNED  reply,  for  she  merely  wished  to  live  a  COMFORTABLE,  peaceful  life,  to  be  the  doting,  dutiful  pureblood  wife  &  mother  that  her  parents  had  always  wanted  her  to  be.  nonetheless,  she  would  ADAPT,  she  would  find  her  place  within  this  world  &  she  would  do  what  she  must  to  ensure  that  she  &  her  growing  family  would  SURVIVE,  no  matter  what  as  such  may  come  to  entail  in  the  end.  ❝   all  i  wish  is  for  our  family  to  be  SAFE,   ❞  the  admission  was  gentle  as  it  spilled  from  CRIMSON  painted  lips,  lithe  digits  of  her  free  hand  rising  to  cup  his  cheek,  thumb  stroking  'gainst  familiar  skin.   ❝  do  PROMISE  me  that  we  will  be,   ❞   &  whilst  narcissa  wouldn't  BEG,  hand  came  to  softly  squeeze  the  one  atop  her  own,  resting  'bove  the  swell  of  her  stomach,  REMINDING  him  exactly  why  both  of  them  needed  him  to  promise  her  as  such.  

          DEEP DOWN, IT WASN’T WHAT SHE WANTED. her sister’s words, they sounded like a goodbye, and that… she couldn’t do that. not again, not after so long. the first time… IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST, she didn’t realise what she had given up until hours after she had done so. cissa, her baby sister… oh, they were worlds apart, she knew. she knew, they had grown into completely different women, and who knew if there was even A CHANCE that they may find common ground! but… that didn’t mean they shouldn’t try. “ that isn’t what i meant. ” sudden words, sharpened over time, but the ghost of a smile flickered over aged lips. she had gotten so good at it, hadn’t she? HIDING AWAY HER EMOTIONS. perhaps that was how she had managed it… the tragedy that had befallen her family, all at once. ted. nymphadora. bellatrix. compartmentalise… she had always been the strong one.

          “ cissa… i am who i am. and you are who you are. but be that as it may… YOU ARE MY SISTER. ” the only two left of the black line. how such a war had consumed their family so! “ so i think… if we have any hope of reconnecting, we must do so without expectation. start small, and go from there ———— LUNCH, perhaps? ”

                       smile  came  to  cross  her  countenance  in  SPITE  of  itself,  in  spite  of  the  TENSIONS  that  continued  to  sit  prevalent  betwixt  the  two  of  them,  for  the  other  remained  her  SISTER,  no  matter  what  had  happened.  no  matter  the  bad  blood  between  the  two.  andromeda  was  her  sister  &  that  was  something  that  the  blonde  wished  to  REGAIN,  now  more  so  than  ever.  for  losing  one  to  DEATH  &  right  before  her  very  eyes,  it  did  wonders  into  putting  such  relationships  into  a  perspective  that  she  had  REFUSED  to  view  it  from  before,  for  her  opinion  had  always  been  marred  by  the  opinion  of  bellatrix,  of  the  SHAME  that  andromeda  had  brought  'pon  their  family  all  those  years  ago.  but  she  was  GONE  &  it  was  time  to  move  on,  she  KNEW  that  now,  she  could  only  WISH  that  she'd  come  to  such  a  conclusion  before  now,  for  they'd  MISSED  OUT  on  so  many  moments,  moments  they  could  NEVER  recapture.  

                       ❝   i  do  suppose  that  lunch  would  be  ACCEPTABLE,   ❞  narcissa  came  to  agree,  for  appearing  to  seem  too  excited  by  the  notion  of  reconnection  isn't  something  that  the  malfoy  matriarch  would  ALLOW  herself  to  do.  one  would  say  that  she  was  EMOTIONLESS,  cold  hearted  &  stoic,  it  was  merely  a  result  of  feeling  far  too  much  &  concealing  as  such,  surely  something  that  even  her  sister  REMEMBERED  her  being,  a  notion  that  had  only  grown  as  she  had  done.   ❝   i  am truly  SORRY,  for  you  losses,  andromeda,   ❞  something  small.  for  she  was.  she  couldn't  IMAGINE  losing  her  family  as  her  sister  had  done,  she  would  CRUMBLE,  but  andromeda  had  always  been  the  STRONGEST  of  the  three.