Delighted To Love You: A Dramione Story

Part 3: Chapter 5

After a few minutes, her sobs reduced to sniffles and she pulled away, crawling back into her chair and drawing her knees to her chest. Aries sat on the floor next to her chair and held her hand.

"Athena doesn't hate you. If anything, she's jealous of you."

Narcissa Jo's eyes widened in disbelief. "Jealous of me? Why would Athena be jealous of me?"

Aries was pensive for a moment and then sighed. "Do you know why you're so special to me?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know if you know this or not but mum and dad let me name you."

"They did?"

He nodded. "They had you almost exactly a year after my real mother and father died." He was staring out the window now, his mind far away as he reminisced on that horrible time.

"You weren't planned according to dad so you were kind of like a little miracle for all of us; Like the first sunny day after the rain season. Dad brought me in to see you and you just smiled up at me. Your little face made me genuinely happy for the first time in a very long time.

"So when mum asked me if I wanted to name you, I spent a long time just staring at you, and your smile made me feel warm inside and happy, the same way my real mother and father made me feel when they were alive. So I named you after them. Narcissa for my mother, and Jo for my father."

He looked over at Narcissa Jo and gave her a soft smile. "Mum said it was fitting because Narcissa means daffodil. Daffodils are spring flowers that symbolize new beginnings and that's what you were for me, for all of us really; A new beginning."

"Wow. I've always wondered why you called me your little daffodil," she replied pensively.

"Yeah, you were such a happy baby and you clung to me, like I clung to you. You wonder why Athena has such a hard time with you?

"When you were a little girl, and even more so now, people are drawn to you. You're like a ray of sunshine. You bring happiness to everyone around you just by being you. Ironically, even though you were named after my mother, you're so much like your Gramma Jean.

"My mother, according to dad, was quiet and calculating. She was kind hearted but not visibly so. Athena is more like her. It's unnatural for her to verbally express her feelings and positivity. You have to be patient with her. I know she can say hurtful things but she really does love you. I'm not excusing her behavior. I'm just saying you shouldn't allow her to cloud your sunshine."

He stood up and kissed her on her forehead. "I'm going to go downstairs and make sure this little party you guys are planning doesn't get out of hand."

Narcissa Jo's eyes widened. "You know?"

Aries laughed. "Duh. I'm not stupid."

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"Taylor don't!" Athena shrieked as her best girlfriend did a backflip off of the couch.

Taylor Nott landed on her feet with a wide smile. "I told you Athena it's easy! Try it."

"I'm perfectly fine with both of my feet on the ground thank you very much."

"Is she flipping again?" Thomas Nott, Taylor's twin brother asked as he entered the room with Marco Zabini and Scorpius. "She's been driving mum crazy with that ever since she went to that muggle gymnastics camp with our cousin."

Taylor stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Whatever! You're just mad that it's made me a better quidditch player than you."

Marco laughed. "That sounds like a challenge Tommy boy," he said clapping Thomas on the shoulder. "Should we go out and play a quick game? We all have our brooms."