Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

18

"Did you ever celebrate Yule Riddle?" Eliza asked one night, she was wearing the diadem on her head as she wrapped presents for her court so she could still hear his voice.

"Not really" he replied as Eliza stuck a bow on top of Daphne's gift "I never had what you have with your court, they feared me and respected me, revered me in some cases but I doubt they cared for Tom Riddle as much as they cared for Voldemort"

Eliza paused in her wrapping. That sounded so unbelievably sad. Eliza didn't know how she would have turned out if she didn't have her court.

Well no, she did know didn't she?

She would have become exactly like Tom Riddle.

"Well you have me now" Eliza declared strongly and smiled as she felt a fuzzy warmth course through her. Riddle didn't acknowledge her declaration with words but he didn't need to.

Eliza went back to wrapping presents and kept up a steady flow of conversation as she basked in the warmth of Riddle's magic.

~

The 21st arrived quickly and soon Malfoy Manor descended into chaos as they prepared for the ball. Narcissa was clearly on a war path and Eliza had followed Lucius' lead for once and locked herself in her room to avoid being trampled by Narcissa's festive mania. The house elves were ridiculously busy making platters of food and setting up the main ball room. Draco had been roped into stringing up fairy lights all over the courtyard of the manor when Eliza had managed to sneak away.

Her peaceful silence was interrupted when someone knocked at her door. Pushing herself off her bed where she had been sat wrapping the last of her presents for her court she headed for the door. Eliza blinked in surprise when she saw Narcissa standing in front of her, last she had seen the Malfoy woman she had been ordering the house elves to set up the ice sculptures in the main ball room.

"Hello?" Eliza said but it sounded more like a question.

"Hello dear" Narcissa said warmly, smiling at her blatant confusion "we have a ball to get ready for"

Before Eliza even realised it she was being ushered into Narcissa's room. Narcissa didn't grab hold of her which she appreciated, instead she gently shooed her along the halls keeping up a steady stream of conversation.

"Now I know you probably already had a dress lined up for the occasion"

Eliza hadn't, she had planned on transfiguring herself one but she didn't say that to Narcissa.

"But I've always wanted another girl in the house and I have the perfect thing in mind" she continued and Eliza smiled nervously. That was the thing with Narcissa, she didn't treat Eliza like a guest or even just a cousin however many times removed. She was treated like proper, real family. It was disconcerting in all honesty.

Narcissa sat Eliza down in front of the vanity and told her to close her eyes. As Narcissa did whatever she does to her they chat. Eliza told Narcissa some stories about Draco (the time she dyed his hair bright pink in particular) that send her into uncontrollable laughter. Eliza found talking to Narcissa easy and enjoyed Narcissa's own stories about her time at Hogwarts and all the mischief she got up too. Eliza even told her about the darker moments of the years, about Quirrell in first year, the dementors. She told Narcissa about Jormy and her ongoing mission to tease Snape and Narcissa laughed at that too, and promised not to tell him.

Narcissa started on Eliza's hair then, hand braiding it instead of using cosmetic charms. She told Eliza about how she met Lucius and how they both went against their own families to get married. Lucius had been set to be betrothed to Bellatrix and instead he fell in love with the wrong sister. Eliza burst into laughter over tales of awkward dates and smiled so hard it hurt when Narcissa spoke of her own happy ending.