𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚
Draco stopped what he was doing but didn't let me out of his arms. I shifted my eyes to where the voice was coming from. A shiver ran down my spine as I saw Lucius, sitting in an armchair with his leg crossed over the other one.
"You two seem to have fun," he smirked.
"I'm sorry, sir. We didn't mean to be this loud," I sent an apologising look to Lucius, which only made him chuckle.
"Draco, could you leave us for a moment?" he looked at his son.
"Of course, Father." he let go of me.
He whispered don't worry and with that, I was left alone with Lucius.
If it were my first time ever seeing Mrs. Malfoy, I would say she is the loveliest woman alive. Soft-spoken, with such a warm smile. But I couldn't think the same thing about Lucius. Even though he was nice as well, I just felt intimidated by him.
Anxiety kicked in without Draco standing next to me.
"Take a seat, my dear," he gestured to the chair in front of him.
I did as he asked. I sat with a straight back and placed my hands on my thighs, trying to look as well-behaved as I could.
Lucius was about to say something, but not a single word left his lips. A concerned look formed on his face instead.
"Are you feeling alright, Miss De Bousquet?" he asked, "You're looking a bit pale."
"Yes, of course," I let out an anxious laugh. "Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."
"Why so nervous, love?" he asked.
"I suppose, this whole situation is still a bit fresh. Draco came out of the blue with inviting me here and I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed," I explained. "At least, I'm glad he sent you a letter so I didn't come here unannounced. Nevertheless, I apologise for my sudden appearance. I do hope you don't mind my staying– because if you do, please tell me."
"Why would I mind?" he chuckled, "Draco has told us all about you. I looked upon meeting you, my dear. You're quite a clever witch, aren't you?"
I exhaled relieved, yet the bits of anxiety stayed inside my chest. His words seemed genuine, but I still felt like I barged into their home.
"Well, in that case, thank you for your honesty, Mr. Malfoy. And for letting me stay here, of course."
"My pleasure," he nodded. "I was willing to ask, are you comfortable with the room you're staying in? Is there anything you need?" he asked and rested both of his hands on his cane.
"Everything is perfect, thank you. I couldn't ask for anything more," I assured him, slowly relaxing my tensed muscles.
"If anything changes, please do let us know. We want our guests to feel as comfortable as possible."
"Of course, sir."
"Tell me, did Draco show you around?" he changed the subject.
"Yes, but I'm afraid I might still get lost," I confessed, "Everything here is absolutely beautiful, but your manor is a huge building. It's easy to lose one's way," I explained which made Lucius chuckle lowly.
"I'm sure you will get used to it with time. You have two whole months," he comforted me.
I know Lucius was trying to be nice, but his words didn't exactly soothe me. At least not in the way I was hoping.
Two whole months with the Malfoys.
All I could hope for was I wouldn't be walking on eggshells the whole time– at least when Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were around. When it came to Draco, it was impossible. We were too comfortable around each other.
I was lost in my thoughts until a house elf made me snap out.
"Dinner is ready, Master," the elf bowed his head.
"Very well, I suppose the rest is in the dining room already. Let's join them, shall we?" he suggested and got up from his chair.
I nodded and we headed to the dining room.
Finally, we sat together at the table. The elves brought the food and everyone started eating. I tried to eat slowly, taking small bites to not be seen as a messy eater.
Soon, the atmosphere became less tense, as some conversations grew.
"Your surname is quite unique, Cassiopeia," Narcissa spoke softly, "French, isn't it?"
"Yes ma'am. My dad is French. He used to live in France but moved to England after he finished his study at the Beauxbatons Academy," I replied with a smile.
"Do you go to France to visit your family, by any chance?" she questioned curiously, "It's such a beautiful country."
"I haven't been there for a while now," I confessed, "The last time I was in France was to visit my grandma, and I was about five years old. My father's been working a lot lately and doesn't seem to have much free time."
The last time I saw Grandma, she was doing very well. She was healthy, and so was my grandpa. I haven't heard from them since.
I remember how she used to tell me stories about times when she was going to the Beauxbatons Academy when I was a kid. This was the place where she met my grandpa. He was crazy about her.
Most of the Pure-bloods marry each other only to keep up with the status, but by just looking at my grandparents, you could say they truly loved each other.
I miss those times when I was a little kid and didn't have to worry about anything. Everything seemed so.. Magical. Well, you could still see all the magic in my life, but not this beautiful and innocent one. The older I got, the more I could see it.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your father's name Louis?" Lucius questioned and raised one of his eyebrows, "I think Draco mentioned something about him."
"Indeed, sir," I admitted.
"This is why you seem so familiar, dear," something clicked inside of him, "I have seen your father at the Ministry– even got to work with him some time ago," he confessed. "You look quite like him, especially your eyes."
I sent a subtle grin as a reaction and discreetly looked at Draco. He gently shook his head, signalling for me to not take his father's words to heart.
The rest of the dinner went by quickly, filled with lovely conversations and genuine smiles. It seemed like Draco was right, after all. They weren't that bad– but that doesn't mean I still wasn't anxious.
As we finished dinner, the elves cleaned up. The first one to rise from his seat was Draco.
"Meet me in an hour?" he asked and looked at me, knowing how much time I take up in the bathroom.
"Sure," I replied and saw Draco walk away.
"I should go as well," I declared and stood up, "Thank you for the dinner, it was delicious. I truly enjoyed this evening," I smiled and bowed slightly.
"Let me know if you need anything, darling," Narcissa spoke before I got to leave, "Goodnight."
"Of course, ma'am. Goodnight." I grinned for the last time and with that, left the table.
Her soft voice was such a blessing to my ears. Who would've thought that a woman who appeared to be cold on the outside, turned out to be the opposite?
As I got into my bedroom, I sat on the bed and exhaled heavily.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?" I asked myself,
No matter how many times I reminded myself about their kindness, my brain thought about all the bad things. It kept telling me how I was invading their personal space– that they were being nice just for the show.
But as for then, I decided to not believe it.
I shook away all the thoughts, trying to avoid getting a headache, and decided to take a shower.
I grabbed my pyjamas and went to the bathroom. I took off my clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the water wash away all the emotions.
After being sure no bad thoughts were there, I left the shower and jumped into my pyjamas. I brushed my teeth and looked in the mirror.
Familiar?
I always thought I looked just like my mum– always been told that we are like two droplets of water.
I couldn't see any similarity between me and my father. We were like fire and water– nothing alike. I never really felt a connection with him either. It's as if he could vanish and I wouldn't mind that. I would've been glad if anything.
I finished my night routine and after brushing my wet hair, I left the bathroom.
I decided it was time to go meet with Draco. I left my room and headed to his bedroom. I knocked on the door twice and stepped in only to see Draco sleeping. I laughed silently and stepped closer to him to take the book from his hand. I put it on the nightstand, then covered him with his quilt.
"Wanker," I whispered, shaking my head. "Sleep well."
I left the room and closed the door carefully behind me. I was about to head back to my room when I saw a pair of doors, opened slightly.
I didn't want to come out as nosy however, curiosity reached its peak. I decided to just take a look inside, but couldn't help myself when I noticed a beautiful instrument inside.
I stepped into the room to see a glorious black harp in the middle of it. I took a few steps and admired the breathtaking instrument. I ran my fingers gently through the strings causing some noise, which made me scold myself in my head immediately.
Wondering who's playing it.
"I see you've found my spot, darling," spoke a voice behind me.
I turned around to meet Narcissa's eyes.
"Good evening, Mrs. Malfoy," I said as she walked towards me, "I'm sorry for walking in here– but I noticed the doors were open and just couldn't help myself," I tried to explain myself, but she only chuckled.
"I don't mind." she stopped directly in front of me, "It's heavenly, isn't it?" she shifted her eyes to the harp.
"It truly is."
I glanced at Mrs. Malfoy and noticed the little sparks in her eyes. I couldn't even catch the moment when the corners of my lips rose.
"Are you the one who's playing it?" I questioned, her eyes now locking with mine.
"Indeed, but I can't seem to find the will to play lately," her smile dropped a bit. "Do you play any instruments, love?"
"Well, I also play the harp," I chuckled at the coincidence, "It's kind of a.. family thing. My mum used to play, too."
"Don't be coy, then. Play something." she gestured at the instrument.
"Are you sure, ma'am?" I hesitated, "I don't want to wake up anyone."
"Don't worry about it, darling." she put the silencing spell on the room, "Nobody will hear it."
I gave in and took a seat on the chair directly next to the harp. I looked at the breathtaking embellishment and admired the instrument for a few seconds, thinking about how to start.
Finally, I took a deep breath and began playing. I could feel losing myself in the sound of the harp. It felt as if nothing was around me– like everything was a hallucination. I closed my eyes and simply let go. I played out all the emotions that were so desperate to leave my body but didn't have an outlet. My body relaxed when all the feelings disappeared for a little while.
I opened back my eyes and let out a breath of relief. I felt Narcissa's hand on my back which caused me to look at her.
"That was beautiful.." she smiled with teary eyes, "Come here, love." she closed me in her arms.
The sound of her heartbeat made me feel safe, while the scent of her perfume intoxicated my head. I was terrified at the thought of her disliking me, but it turned out to be the opposite. Her actions made me believe she found me worthy of her companionship.
"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," I whispered with the most genuine smile I ever made.
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Hi guys!
This chapter is a bit longer than the other ones since I've been editing it a lot. Let me know what you think!
Kisses xx