RP: All the leaves are brown...
Date: 8 September 1999
Characters: Narcissa Malfoy
Location: Malfoy Manor
Status: Private
Summary: Narcissa muses about her upcoming birthday
Completion: Complete
Narcissa lowered the cover over the keys and looked out the window beyond her piano at the failing afternoon light. The rain had eased though the wind still buffeted the trees, and Narcissa watched them dance from the safety and warmth of her music room. The shifting season reminded her she had a birthday in the offing, and she drew her gaze back inside, looking around the room and remembering last year's party and the impromptu performance and dancing. She smiled to remember her guests enjoying themselves, some of them probably surprised to do so in such a mixed group. Well, their whole world had changed.
Lucius seemed to grouse about that fact more and more every day. The opening of their antique shop was still being delayed by red tape and Ministry inspections and re-inspections of any potential merchandise, thanks to Ethan Turnkey the worthless... well, she'd leave the colorful epithets about his former friend to Lucius himself. Once upon a time it would only have taken a word in the right ear, a few Galleons (all right, a few hundred maybe) in the right pocket, to clear up any such inconvenience. Now it seemed the great house of Malfoy couldn't do something as simple as open up a little shop for love or money, and Narcissa knew it was wearing on Lucius.
Perhaps this year they could take a bit of a holiday for her birthday, the two of them - just get away from everything for a while. It might seem more for Lucius' benefit, but having a husband who wasn't such a bundle of nerves and a short temper sounded like a perfectly acceptable birthday present to Narcissa. She stood up and walked out of the room to find him and make her suggestion. As she walked past the portraits in the hallway, she also remembered that she and Lucius had talked several weeks ago about speaking to Mr. Thomas. Lucius had wanted a family portrait and perhaps a birthday was just the occasion for one.
Characters: Narcissa Malfoy
Location: Malfoy Manor
Status: Private
Summary: Narcissa muses about her upcoming birthday
Completion: Complete
Narcissa lowered the cover over the keys and looked out the window beyond her piano at the failing afternoon light. The rain had eased though the wind still buffeted the trees, and Narcissa watched them dance from the safety and warmth of her music room. The shifting season reminded her she had a birthday in the offing, and she drew her gaze back inside, looking around the room and remembering last year's party and the impromptu performance and dancing. She smiled to remember her guests enjoying themselves, some of them probably surprised to do so in such a mixed group. Well, their whole world had changed.
Lucius seemed to grouse about that fact more and more every day. The opening of their antique shop was still being delayed by red tape and Ministry inspections and re-inspections of any potential merchandise, thanks to Ethan Turnkey the worthless... well, she'd leave the colorful epithets about his former friend to Lucius himself. Once upon a time it would only have taken a word in the right ear, a few Galleons (all right, a few hundred maybe) in the right pocket, to clear up any such inconvenience. Now it seemed the great house of Malfoy couldn't do something as simple as open up a little shop for love or money, and Narcissa knew it was wearing on Lucius.
Perhaps this year they could take a bit of a holiday for her birthday, the two of them - just get away from everything for a while. It might seem more for Lucius' benefit, but having a husband who wasn't such a bundle of nerves and a short temper sounded like a perfectly acceptable birthday present to Narcissa. She stood up and walked out of the room to find him and make her suggestion. As she walked past the portraits in the hallway, she also remembered that she and Lucius had talked several weeks ago about speaking to Mr. Thomas. Lucius had wanted a family portrait and perhaps a birthday was just the occasion for one.