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"You wanted to see me, Madam Malfoy?“
"Yes. Come closer.“
The girl, barely eighteen, a child more than a woman, approached her with an almost shy demeanour, head lowered, hands hidden in the pockets of her cloak. She looked as though she might disappear this very moment, not at all proud and confident as she had been described to her.
"Posture.“
"Have… you requested my presence to correct my posture?“
"I have requested your presence to talk about my son.“
She was certainly not at loss of words, that little Astoria, yet still avoided looking into her eyes as she sat down on the chair next to the chaiselongue, barely touching the edge of her seat, preferring to look to the floor instead, clearly nervous as one hand clenched tightly around her other to prevent it from trembling.
"Tea?“
"Thank you.“
They sat in silence for a while, looking at the cups in their hands, until Narcissa uttered a deep sigh, quietly clearing her throat. She had known the Greengrass sisters their entire lives, as well as she had known their parents her entire life, had shared a dormitory at school with the girls’ mother and often encountered their father in her own childhood home as he had once briefly been betrothed to her older sister before her betrayal.
Daphne, the elder, was often compared to Narcissa herself, as they shared several features of their appearance, including the long, blonde hair and the watery blue eyes but also in her demeanour, while Astoria, who was still fumbling with her teacup, bore an uncanny resemblance to…
"Look at me.“
The girl looked up in surprise, and for the slightest of moments, it seemed to Narcissa as though she could feel her composure slip away from her. Yes… Yes, this was indeed a young Andromeda right there, with the same sparkle in her eye, the same burning fire within her that appeared to take her great effort to contain. It was eerie.
„What is it about your son that you would like to talk to me about?“ asked Astoria now, tilting her head ever so slightly, a motion that gave her an almost cheeky look. She certainly liked to provoke, it was obvious, perhaps not quite as bluntly as Andromeda used to enjoy, but her intentions were clear enough. She was confident after all, just not very talented at hiding it.
Narcissa wasn’t having any of it. She smiled, but did not quite allow this smile to reach her eyes, would instead hold her gaze until the girl once more lowered her head, her cheeks now tainted in an ever-so-slight shade of red.
"You are not yet Lady Malfoy, Astoria. I strongly suggest you reconsider your tone.“
"Yes… Forgive me.“
Astoria… She had no idea what she was getting into. She had no idea what it meant to become Lady Malfoy, and for a brief moment, only a couple of seconds, Narcissa felt a burning desire within her to tell her the truth, to warn her about all these things nobody had warned her about those many years ago.
Certainly, times had changed since she had pledged her Lucius eternal faithfulness, and if she were given the choice, she would do so over and over again, out of nothing but fierce, unconditional love for her husband. She would gladly endure all of this over and over again if only she were given the same time to spend with him once more, if only she were once more granted to feel his touch upon her skin…
The girl could consider herself lucky. When the time had come for Narcissa herself, it had been Abraxas Malfoy to call her into her future home and she had entered Malfoy Manor as a child, not unlike Astoria in certain ways, leaving it once more only a couple of hours after, her body and soul changed entirely. She was not Abraxas Malfoy.
It had been on her alone to realise what it truly meant to be Lady Malfoy, what it truly meant to become…
If only she could spare her…
But there was no choice. Draco loved her, she knew that, and sooner or later a wedding was inevitable. He did not often confide in his mother, especially not in matters of the heart, but with Astoria, it all seemed different. The girl had this particular look to her eyes as well, an ever-so-slight sparkle whenever she appeared to think about him, a smile whenever someone mentioned his name… They both were lost souls, lost to each other. There was no choice.
Times had changed. They were no longer at war, there was no longer this darkness upon them, but Malfoy Manor had always been resistant to light. Within the walls of Malfoy Manor, time stood still, no matter how much the world outside seemed to progress.
"It’s so strange…“ murmured Astoria to herself, no longer focused on her long-empty cup of tea but allowing her eyes to wander about the drawing room, inspecting every corner of it in its very detail.
"I beg your pardon?“
"It’s strange,“ the girl repeated, turning her head to one more briefly look at her. „To… think that these walls will soon be my home.“
„You will be the Lady of this household soon. Is that strange to you as well?“
Narcissa’s response was met with silence. It wasn’t a provocative silence, not anymore, it was… different. Something about Astoria had changed within mere seconds, it was… It was as though she sensed. She allowed her hands to tremble now as her breathing fastened, that cheeky glimmer disappearing entirely from her eyes, giving way to only the slightest film of tears.
She almost felt some sort of compassion for her, remembered exactly what it was like to be in her position, what it was like to love someone so fiercely that it would nearly cause physical pain, that…
Love was not enough. It had never been enough, not for a Malfoy. It was almost like a curse… No. No, not almost. To love a Malfoy was a curse.
"It’s… it’s not easy being Lady Malfoy, is it?“ Astoria asked now, nearly silently, her voice filled with genuine fear. How could she know…? How could she possibly feel…?
"No. It is not.“
"Is… it worth it?“
"Do you love my son?“
"With all my heart.“
"You have just given yourself an answer to your own question.“
"Then… Teach me.“
There it was again, Andromeda’s presence so clear within this room. The sudden determination, the pride, the fire within. Astoria rose from her seat, smoothing out the wrinkles of her cloak with her palms, nodding as though to reassure herself, for the first time meeting her gaze directly, holding it. Those eyes… Andromeda’s eyes… Andromeda had always been the one to…
Narcissa could not stand it.
"You do not know what you are getting yourself into, Astoria.“
"No. But I do know that by morning I will.“
She would know. That she would know indeed.