The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 11: My Mother Shows Off

Marie was influenced by ambition and power. 

My mother was asking for Marie's planner where she went on to write out her contact information, or rather, her aid's contact information, as she went on to describe what her daily life was like juggling various meetings.

"When you have decided, I suggest you send an owl my way. We could use some more Beauxbatons alumni in MACUSA." My mother's eyes turned to mine and she prompted us to walk together on the grounds to catch up.

With a final goodbye to my friends, my mother and I left the girls and head toward the stone pathways outside.

"I want to hear about your first day, mon ange. What classes have you had? Are your rooms nice? Who is your roommate?" 

I couldn't help but feel a growing agitation as my mother continued to pester me on how Beauxbatons was. I kept thinking that she was only being overly excited because of her wish to make me forget Hogwarts. But it was working, as the longer I talked about my classes, the happier I felt, especially when I brought up how horrible I was at fencing.

"Mon ange, you will find that neither your grand'mere nor I were very good at fencing during our days here. You just have to be more confident in order to do well in that class. That is how I did well."

We were walking in the garden now, avoiding other students who kept wanting to stop and talk to my mother. She always gave them pleasant smiles and answered their questions with many details but the moment we leave them, my mother gives me a tired sigh and goes off about one girl or other's wrong choice of red lipstick or how her accent was too thick. 

It was like I had never left Newport, being by my mother's side. I felt like she was ruining the beauty that was this school just by listening to her endless critiques.

When we reached the fountain's edge, I watched in surprise as my mother was quick to take off her shoes and sit at the overlay with her feet dangling in the cold water below.

"Come now, mon ange. Merlin knows you need this water as much as I." I did as asked and sat beside her with my legs in the water, discarding the fact that I was wearing tights. My mother took her hat off and let her head roll back to feel the sun on her face.

"All this time in London has made me become so pale. If only your father would let us come to France, life would be easier."

"Couldn't he convince MACUSA to let him switch with the french ambassador?" I asked back in response. My mother shrugged, her eyes still closed. 

"Possibly, but your father doesn't want to move here. We have so many new friends now thanks to his hard work and your brother, Damion, is busy working between the ministry and MACUSA. If we moved again, all of their work would go to waste."

I kept quiet as my mother continued to sit out for the sun. Girls were walking slowly around the massive fountain, some standing in the waters further down, splashing one another happily. 

"Your father has been promoted on the Hogwarts Board of Trusties," my mother started, gaining my interest. I had completely forgotten that my father was on that board.

"What happened?" I asked in surprise. A knowing smile appeared on her face as she opened her eyes to look my way.

"Let us just say that someone decided to send an owl to Dumbledore informing him that Mr. Malfoy has been paying people like your father to get onto the board. Paid supporters in his pocket are never a good thing, even if it is just for a simple school board." I looked at my mother daftly. 

Why would she tattle on a family friend? Especially with my Father's obsession with their family? Reading my mind, my mother went on.

"I did it because I never liked the idea of your father being in someone's pocket. And I knew that with Lucius out of office, that they would want a new parent who was younger and had enough money to benefit the school. Your father, although older than most, is the youngest father on that board and so, he was promoted to Lucius's old seat. A pretty good benefit for our family, don't you think?"