The Black Sheep | George Weasley

Thirty-Nine

"This is a Malfoy heirloom. It is centuries old. Some rumor it belonged to Napoleon's adopted daughter at one point. It is tradition that a Malfoy woman would wear this necklace on her wedding day. I wasn't allowed to wear it unfortunately, as I was not yet a Malfoy. Isn't it marvelous?"

Lyra was lost of words. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She was memorized by it's beautiful and sentimental value. But she couldn't accept it. She just couldn't. There was this ache in her chest. She barely counted as a Malfoy. She has failed to be a proper Malfoy woman. She was a failure.

Her mother didn't give her time to process the necklace when she opened a much smaller box. Inside was a golden ring with intricate carvings. In the center was a large ruby. Lyra didn't know she was crying until the tear ran down her cheek. "This truly belonged to Anne Boleyn. You know how we are related to her on the Black side. Well, before she died, she gave it to her mother, where she gave it to her other daughter. And so the ring was passed down to eldest daughter, to eldest daughter since the fifteen hundreds." Her mouth smiled much more proudly. "It belongs to you now."

"B-but Aunt Bellatrix-"

"She agreed, it belonged to you. She is childless, it is only fair it goes to you."

Lyra couldn't help but think how that wasn't true. Andromeda's daughter Tonk's deserved this ring. She was the eldest daughter on the Black line.

"It's so... beautiful. All of it is so beautiful, mother. There's no word to describe the amount of thankfulness I feel. But I cannot accept these." Lyra tried to bite back more of her tears.

Her mother looked surprised. "Don't be ridiculous!" Her mother said curtly. "These are rightfully yours."

"No, they aren't." Lyra protested. "I am the worst Malfoy and definitely the worst Black. I do not deserve these heirlooms."

Narcissa quickly got up and shut her door and put up several wards. How odd that she would have to magically seal her own study to protect their privacy. When Narcissa turned back to face her daughter, she looked much more grave. She looked like she was unable to speak herself. Her eyes grew misty.

"I-I know." She said as softly as she could. Her heart hurt to admit it.

"Know what?" Lyra asked, feeling nervousness creeping up her throat. "Mother?"

"I didn't tell your father. I knew he would be far from understanding. He'd take the news with an authoritarian hand." Her mother sat down on her lounge couch. Lyra hesitantly joined her. She looked down at her hands, waiting for the shoe to drop. "You know it's wrong. You know it cannot last. When I saw you with that rodent, I was angry. So angry. I felt betrayed. But I will not go through what my mother went through. I'm not saying goodbye to you. So we are going to pretend none of that happened. You will tell him goodbye before word gets out. And you will do your duties as a Pure-blood."

"I love him." Lyra forced from her mouth.

"I loved Thomas too. But you know it's wrong. You know he isn't one of us. He is a blood-traitor. He is disgusting. He will do nothing but ruin your reputation and take you down."

"Draco is bearing a mark. He is a Death Eater. How is that better? He's just a boy, Mother."

"It just is!" Her mother took a moment to collect herself. "I am trying to protect him. You don't think I know he's a child? But the Dark Lord deems him ready."

"No, no he doesn't. This is revenge for Father's failure at the Ministry and you know it. This is no honor. It's a death sentence."

Her mother tightened her jaw. "I am handling it to make sure he's safe. Don't do anything stupid, Lyra. I cannot lose both of my children." She bit her lip as tears were rising. "I can't lose you."