The other day went by fairly quick. We ate breakfast and then Daisy and Blaise had other family things to do. Kayden stayed another night and let me sleep in Draco's room again.
It was now time for Kayden to go, he was shutting his trunk when Narcissa pulled Draco and I to the side.
"What's going on?" I asked seeing the concerned expression her face.
"There's a Death Eater meeting, in two hours, here," she explained while picking at her nails.
"Shit," I mumbled and bit my lip slightly.
"Say your goodbyes to Kayden you two. I'll be taking down Christmas decorations," she said and I watched her hug Kayden from the corner of my eye.
"How long has it been since one of these?" Draco asked.
"Late August was the last one,"
"We made progress on the cabinet. That's all we needed to do," Draco panicked slightly.
"And we gave Slughorn the mead that will kill Dumbledore," I added, biting my lip again.
"Right," he nodded.
We stood there at the end of the staircase, slightly panicked.
"Guess who's packed?" Buckley chuckled as he threw his arm over my shoulder.
I turned so I could give him a hug.
"Bye Buckley, I'll miss you," I told him into his chest.
Draco cleared his throat and Kayden let go of me. He didn't want to test Draco right now.
"Bye Parkinson, Malfoy," he said and gave Draco a bear hug.
Draco barely hugged him back and Kayden let him free of the bear hug.
"See you at school," Draco waved to him as he left the Manor.
As soon as we saw Kayden appaerate from the Manor, we started pulling decorations down.
Narcissa brought a box for us to throw all of the decorations in and we got all of them down from the sitting room, dining room, front room/entrance hall and staircase with the help of Ruby and Grudger.
Upstairs had no decorations and Narcissa was tiding the kitchen and other small areas up, like the hallways.
"Go get ready for the meeting," Narcissa told Draco and I. "It's in an hour,"
Draco and I rushed up the stairs and in all honesty it was easy.
For some reason, my father prefers us to wear black to his meetings and all of us Death Eaters have to look as presentable as possible.
I went to my room and saw a black dress hanging on a hanger. It was one I put up a couple days earlier just in case of this situation.
It was spaghetti strapped and tight so it accentuated all of my curves.
I threw it on and also put on a pair of black heels with my normal makeup, a red lip and beach waved, dark hair.
I was somehow ready before Draco and walked downstairs to see if Narcissa needed any last minute help.
"Narcissa?" I called as I got to the kitchen.
"Yes dear?" She asked.
"Do you need any help?"
"I'm actually just finishing up. You can just sit," she told me as she washed some last minute dishes.
"Thanks," I mumbled and sat down on one of the island seats.
"So, how long have you and Draco dated for?" Narcissa poked while casually washing the dishes.
My eyes propped wide open and after my silence she turned around and glared at me.
"Oh darling, don't stress. I'm happy for you, you seem to make Draco happy,"
I paused and looked at Narcissa in absolute shock. I could only manage to get the question that I was so desperate to know out of my mouth.
"Wha- how did you know?"
She laughed slightly before continuing on with the dishes.
"Darling, I was a teenager once too. I know the stolen glances, the times where both of you leave at the same time and aren't back for a couple minutes, the way you both look at each other. Friends don't look at friends that way," Narcissa said.
"But-"
"It started off as a theory when I saw those things that I mentioned then when I went to wake up Draco the day after we decorated the tree, you were in there too. You two were cuddling and it was the cutest thing. I didn't wake you up but from then on I knew it was confirmed," she said. "Oh and the ring he gave you. He's been wearing that ring for three years, I know it when I see it,"
I frowned and stayed silent.
This was putting her life at risk.
"You can't tell Draco you know," I insisted darkly.
She turned to me and her smile faded as well.
"Why not?"
She knew the whole truth now, I can't hold back.
"Our relationship is risky, you know that and I do. We don't want the Dark Lord hearing about this because we don't want him to know that I have apparently inherited some things from my mother. If the Dark Lord found out, your family and I will be in trouble," I explained.
Narcissa's brows furrowed and she turned to me.
"What have you inherited from your mother? Why would he hurt us for that?"
My chest pounded, I can't believe I was about to tell her this.
I felt nauseous now and scared to admit it to anyone but myself.
"Cissy, I think I love him," I breathed quietly, only loud enough for her to hear.
Narcissa's eyes widened and she smiled slightly.
"Do you know the story about Merope Gaunt, my grandmother?" I asked her, hoping it would make more sense as to why this was a dangerous situation.
"Yes,"
"So you know why my father can't love?"
"Yes,"
"Well, I thought I had inherited everything from my father, including his abilities to reject love and care. He thought so too but the more time I spend with Draco, the more love and care I feel," I spoke quietly, just in case anyone else overheard.
Just imagine if Ruby or Grudger heard me!
Or even Draco.
I would die in a hole.
You know, that's not such a bad idea.
"So your father thinks you're more like him in all aspects," She asked me.
"Yes, and if he somehow finds out I can love, he would think it's distracting me from being his right hand man and probably hurt me, Draco or anyone who knew of the relationship to begin with,"
"I see," she pondered. "Have you told him you loved him?"
Here we go, Narcissa being a mom. I love it.
"Sort of," I said, now blushing.
"Explain," she ordered.
"You know the ring I gave him for Christmas?" I asked, Narcissa nodded. "Well, if he loves me back, then he'll hear a little voice when he plays back the memories saying that I love him,"
Narcissa gave me a soft smile.
"Darling, I know my son, he feels the same way. I could see it in the way he looks at you. Why don't you just tell him?"
I bit my lip and took a shaky breath.
"I'm scared I'll ruin everything,"
I was being honest, it was quite crazy I thought like this.
I know he asked me to be his girlfriend and yada yada.
But that doesn't mean he loves me.
He's just attracted to me.
Right?
Well I'm very very much attracted to him.
Narcissa sighed.
"Sometimes darling, you have to be brave. You have to take a breath and just say it but if you're not ready, that's a different story. If you're just scared, just do it. He probably feels the same,"
"Thank you Narcissa," I thanked. "For the advice,"
"Anytime darling," she smiled.
Draco walked into the room ready for the meeting as was I.
"Hey," I said casually like Narcissa and I didn't just have a conversation about how I loved him.
Narcissa looked from me to Draco and smiled sheepishly.
Draco looked at his mother suspiciously.
"What were you two talking about?" He asked.
"Girl stuff," I replied a bit to quickly.
He stared me down suspiciously next but shrugged it off.
"You two should go wait in the dining room, I'm sure the Dark Lord and the others will be here soon," Narcissa said.
Draco got up and I stayed seated for a second.
"You coming?" Draco asked as he started to walk away.
"Um- yeah," I shook my head and stood up.
We walked through the entrance hall and into the dining room.
Once we got in, we took our usual seats.
Sadly, my spot was across the table from him and not beside him. I sat beside Snape actually.
I glanced down at my Dark Mark and but my lip. I got really nervous as I haven't seen my father in a while.
Draco was staring at me.
"What?" I asked him when I looked up.
"You're just beautiful, that's all," he whispered.
I blushed and put my head down.
What the fuck?
Usually I'd just say 'I know' and move on.
Then I heard a sound from outside, it sounded like a 'whoosh' which means my father was probably here.
Narcissa always got the door for everyone and sat in later. She was smart she was, she got in with the Death Eaters without having to become one.
My father swooped into the dining hall and took a seat at the head of the table with his snake and servant by his side.
I liked Nagini, she was loyal. I just hated that Pettigrew. Nasty, filthy, disgusting rat looking ass.
"Hello father," I said confidently to Voldemort.
"Y/N," he attempted to greet me.
I peeked across the table and saw that Draco looked terrified.
Bellatrix came in next and sat next to where Narcissa was going to sit, on my fathers right hand side.
"My Lord," she greeted my father with a bow.
"Sit," he commanded.
She obeyed and spotted me across the table.
"Y/N, how's the cabinet going?" The psychotic witch asked me.
"Great, we just-" I started and Nagini hissed.
"We will talk about this during the meeting, not now," my father insisted and Bellatrix, Draco and I kept our mouths shut as we watched the rest of the Death Eaters walk in and take their place at the long, black dining table.
Once everyone sat, my father spoke.
"Glad to see everyone could make it today. We have lots to talk about. First, Y/N, Draco,"
Draco and I shot our head up and could barely look the snake like man in his eyes.
"The Vanishing Cabinet, is it repaired?" He asked.
"N- not yet my Lord," Draco told him shakily.
"When will it be ready then?" Voldemort asked.
"Soon father," I took over. "We have a plan to mend it but didn't have time to use it since the Christmas holidays came up,"
"Wonderful. What about Albus? Any further with that?"
"Yes actually. Draco had this amazing idea that we laced poison with mead and give it to one of the professors. This professor is new so I'm sure he will give it to Dumbledore," I said calmly.
"And if that doesn't work?"
"Than we'll find another way," I insisted.
I only took over because Draco looked scared shitless. If you knew Draco from school, you wouldn't recognize him now. The bully became the victim.
"You will," Voldemort confirmed.
The rest of the meeting was quite quick, we went over the disappearances, the Ministry, the attack on Hogwarts and then as soon as we were done, he disappeared himself.
All the Death Eaters left and from then on out, it was quite a quiet night.
Draco and Narcissa would barely speak and the adrenaline that I first got when my father graced us with his presence was shit pumping through my body.
Narcissa eventually went off to bed and Draco and I went to his room for a bit before I headed off to mine for bed.
"Do you think we'll get it done? The murder?" I asked Draco out of the blue.
I was putting on a pair of pajamas I grabbed from my trunk a bit over a half hour ago.
"I hope so," Draco said as I struggled to button up my last button on my shirt.
"I don't want to die," I breathed. "Fuck,"
The button was still not buttoning up.
"Come here," Draco rolled his eyes and used his middle and pointer finger to signal for me to go over there.
I walked towards him and showed him my problem.
"This stupid fucking button won't button up," I groaned.
"You are a witch you know," he said, gesturing to my wand.
"We're outside of school. I can't afford loosing any more education than I will and if you get an owl from the Ministry then it won't matter cause you can pay it off with daddy's money," I said in a 'duh' sort of tone.
Draco rolled his eyes and buttoned up the button in two seconds.
"Uh-" was the only sound that came out of my mouth as I stood there in slight anger.
Draco chuckled and laid down.
"What if we don't get it done?" He asked. "The murder?"
He knew the answer to this, but I had a feeling that he needed validation.
"Then we die," I gulped.
———————————
Hey lovies,
Can I just say how much I love the comments on the book so far.
I laughed so hard while reading them and I'm glad you're enjoying my book.
Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot x
Kisses on the bum,
❤️