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february 2004
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Narcissa Druella Malfoy never expected to have lunch with her daughter's mothers. The whole concept was unnatural and odd to her. She was her daughter's mother but like the daughter had reminded her, she was only her biological mother. There were no feelings or mutual love. At least from Rosemary that is.
The Malfoy matriarch was waiting for Ellen Venice and May Hathaway to arrive. Because the whole magic thing was now out in the open, Narcissa had Appeared to Fjällbacka instead of waiting for Ellen and May to come to England. The whole thing was orchestrated by Theodore ― Rose knew of this and while she was not happy, she was happier that her mothers were dealing with Narcissa instead of her.
Narcissa was nervously fidgeting her fingers, wondering what she should say or do. She wasn't even sure why she had asked the two women to meet her. Maybe she was hoping that she could convince them to have a word with Rose and then.... she wasn't sure.
Never in million years had Narcissa thought that her daughter would hate her. The feeling was gut-wrenching. The pain it costs her, almost competes with the pain she has experienced for the past twenty-two years when thinking her daughter was dead.
"Narcissa!"
The blonde woman turned to look on her right ― her thoughts interrupted ― and saw Ellen and May approaching her. The latter one was holding a sweet smile while the red haired woman looked rather sour. Narcissa had noticed this already before ― May was the nice one while Ellen was more sceptic.
Just like Rose.
"Hello," Narcissa said.
May smiled at her. "It is good to see you, Narcissa."
"Like wise," Narcissa managed to say and turned to look at Ellen who merely managed to offer her a smile. "Shall we?" She asked and gestured the two women sit down.
Narcissa had already order herself a glass of wine to give her some courage to face the women. She didn't really have anything against May nor Ellen ― she was grateful for what they have done for Rose, taking her in and raising her with such love ― but she was also very jealous at them.
Jealousy was something Narcissa Malfoy hasn't experienced too many times ― she could count the times with one hand.
"Are you going to have anything?" Asked May when she and Ellen had ordered their lunch from the waitress.
Narcissa shook her head. "I don't think so."
Ellen frowned at Narcissa's answer. "I thought this was a lunch meeting," she said.
"I'm good, really," said Narcissa.
The air was surprisingly warm unlike some days ago. It offered some comfort to Narcissa but not enough whenever she thought about the questions and answers she was going to have to ask and receive from May and Ellen.
Narcissa wished she had asked Lucius to come with her but she's been too furious with her husband's father and has lately targeted her anger to her husband.
While May and Ellen waited for their foods, Narcissa began to nervously play with her wedding ring around her ring finger. They were stubble movements but not unnoticeable which meant that Ellen and May picked up her movements easily.
"Rose does that too," commented Ellen.
Narcissa smiled just a little. "She does?"
Ellen nodded.
"I believe we know why we are here but maybe you could say it, just to be sure," began May, well-knowing that Ellen wasn't going to continued the conversation.
Narcissa let her ring be and lifted her gaze from her fingers.
"Yes well I just..." she started, every word tasting like cold iron in her mouth. "I just thought that considering everything, maybe I should make an effort to.... God, I don't know. I never thought I would have to have a meeting like this, especially since I believed Lyra... I mean Rosemary..."
She stopped talking for a second and took a deep breath in. She exhaled slowly before continuing. "I'm here to discuss about Rosemary, that's all."
"And what would you like to discuss about?" Asked Ellen, earning a stern look from May.
"Just Rosemary," said Narcissa.
"Yes we understand that but what do you want to know about Rosie? You want medical records or to know what her first word was?" Retorted Ellen.
May sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What Ellen means is that there is a lot to cover when it comes to Rosie, so maybe give us some general direction and we can begin from there," explained May once realizing that Ellen wasn't going to go easy on Narcissa.
Narcissa nodded although she wanted nothing more than to leave. She couldn't figure out why she had thought that meeting Ellen Venice and May Hathaway was a good idea.
"Wh-what is she like?" Asked Narcissa. "I have met her several times of course but none of those times did I knew she was..."
May nodded, she knew what Narcissa meant.
"Well what do you know?" She asked.
Narcissa sighed. "She's smart. Really smart, right?"
"Understatement of the year," said Ellen but she was actually smiling now and Narcissa figured it was because of Rose ― not her.
"And she plays the piano very well? Lucius does that too, he can play almost anything without practicing. I've heard Rose play, a few times actually when she was visiting the manor," Narcissa said, a tone of sadness in her voice. "She's a lot like Lucius actually... she's nothing like me."
May frowned. "Are you sure? I mean Rosie is a lot like your husband, we've noticed that, but I believe there's more you in her than you see."
The observation warmed Narcissa's shattered heart ― she always liked the idea of having a daughter a lot like her. They would share same interests, frown at same things and laugh together.
"Thank you..." she said quietly. "I doubt she likes that though."
Ellen sighed but decided to be nice.
"She's just angry and upset," said Ellen and Narcissa turned to look at her. "Whatever she said or hasn't said, I'm afraid you have to just ignore those things. Rose is a very intelligent girl and she often uses her intelligence instead of her emotions."
Narcissa shrugged. "I guess so."
"She doesn't hate you," added May quickly.
"Oh please... she hates my guts," said Narcissa. "And I understand, I haven't exactly been too nice to her. It never really was about her, I always thought she was nice. And good for Theo. Draco sees this girl, Astoria, and she's alright too but I have never been able to bring myself to accept any young girl into the family because I was afraid I would replace Lyra..."
"It's a poor excuse but it's true. I thought I had lost my daughter, my tiny little baby and I just... I just never thought I would see her, let along know her as my foster son's girlfriend."
Ellen had to admit that the situation was not the easiest one. While she was glad that Rose was being truthful to herself, she did wish the young woman would have some sense in her to understand the other party's feelings.
"Of course," said May and tried to offer Narcissa a sympathetic smile.
One worry ― among many others ― May and Ellen had was the legality of all this, Rose's adoption was legal in the sense that she was not suppose to have any parents to look after her but now everything has been a lie. Now Rose had biological parents who wanted her, parents who never gave her away but she was cruelly taken from them.
"Can I ask you something?" May asked.
Ellen glanced at her partner, realizing what she was about to ask.
Narcissa nodded.
"Are you going to take her?" Asked May.
"W-what?" Narcissa said.
"No one died and everybody wanted her," explained Ellen.
"Oh..." said Narcissa and turned to look away from May and Ellen. "At first we thought about it but Draco said it will only anger her more. Besides, you are innocent in all this. It's Abraxas who made all this happen and you didn't know. If I*m being honest, my husband and I, some days we think that maybe we just go to Cambridge and take Rose but she would put on a good fight. I don't want to make her any more angry than she already is, I just want to get to know her. And not as Theodore's girlfriend but as the girl who could had been my daughter..."
Narcissa Malfoy was a sad woman ― May and Ellen could tell that even before the whole Rose fiasco ― but now she was even sadder. It was understandable and May and Ellen would actually be concerned if Narcissa wasn't a mess.
"But it has been a month now..." sighed Narcissa and turned to look at the two women. "I don't know how long I can just sit around and wait for her to make up her mind. I know that this isn't an easy decision but I don't need her to make a decision just yet. I just want to talk to her. I just want to explain everything to her now that I have had some time to understand the situation myself."
May tried to come up with the right words to say. The last time she had spoken to her daughter, Rose was not too into the idea of seeing any of the Malfoys ― especially Narcissa.
"If we get her to see you, you will let her make up her mind? And if she decides to never see you again, you will let her be?" May asked.
Narcissa swallowed but nodded. "Yes. I just really want to see her..."
"Alright," said Ellen. "We will tell her to go and see you."
"You will? What if she says no...?" Narcissa asked.
"We are her mothers. She might be an adult but we still have a say in her life," shrugged Ellen.
Narcussa's face paled. She knew May and Ellen were Rose's mothers but still hearing people say that made her heart ache.
Soon after this, the lunch was over. Narcissa thanked May and Ellen for the trouble they were about to face when confronting Rose and thanked them for raising her daughter.
Then she Apparated back home.
Her home hasn't been bright and happy in years and the truth about Lyra had made the place even darker. At first, Narcissa had been in denial. She refused to believed that her daughter was alive because it only meant that she has missed the child's entire life. Then she got upset and spent the first weeks crying in Lyra's old, unused, nursery. Now she was angry and though she knew she was suppose to be angry at Abraxas, she's been directing her anger towards her husband who was innocent in all this.
Lucius was sitting in his study, reading a book of no importance ― he just wanted to distract himself from the world which seemed to be bursting into flames around him.
"Luc?"
He turned to see his wife.
"Are you going to yell at me again?" Lucius asked.
Just before Narcissa had Apparated to Fjällbacka to meet her daughter's mothers ― it didn't get any less weird no matter how often they said it ― she had yelled at Lucius, blamed him for everything. She knew none of the things that had happened were Lucius' fault but it was easier to blame him than Abraxas who has been away ever since they last visited Fjällbacka.
Narcissa sighed and shook her head. "No... and I'm sorry. I shouldn't lash out on you."
"It's all right," said Lucius. "How did it go?"
"As well as a meeting between them could," said Narcissa and walked to her husband. "They said they will make her come and talk to us."
Lucius arched his brow. "They can do that?"
"They said yes, because they are her mothers..." sighed Narcissa and leaned against Lucius' desk. "I just had lunch with my daughter's mothers, sweet Merlin that is insane! In what world is this okay? I had lunch with muggles, and not just any muggles but the ones who raised my daughter and..."
"Cissa breathe," Lucius interrupted Narcissa, noticing how she was about to fall into a state of panic. "Breathe my love, try and breathe."
Narcissa inhaled shakily. "E-even if Rose decides to come here, that doesn't mean she will be okay with this. And I am so tired of wondering and waiting, and hoping. I still hope that she will come around and that eventually she will call me mum..."
"But she's coming here, right?" Lucius asked and Narcissa nodded.
"Then that's a step. That's a step and we are going to make the most of it. We will show her that we aren't the people she thinks we are. She seems to be somebody who appreciates honesty, so we are going to be honest with her. I don't care if I have to beg, I will have her be part of this family. She is part of our family," said Lucius, taking Narcissa's hands. "She has always been and always will."
Narcissa bit her quivering lip.
"But if she doesn't, then I don't think I can keep doing this..." she finally admitted. "This has already made our relationship with our son more complicated. Our marriage has taken a hit as well and I just can't bare to loose any more people. Not the ones whom I love and mean so much to me."
"Hey hey, you are not going to loose me. Nor Draco. It is natural for things to get a little weird and heated after something so massive as this. But we are all right love," Lucius assured. "We will be just fine. Everything will be fine. I promise."
Narcissa sighed. "That's what you said when I woke up twenty-two years ago, no longer pregnant but without a baby..."
"This is not the same. We know she's alive now," said Lucius and pressed a kiss on Narcissa's hand.
next up:
"so you kept your dead baby's room? that's not creepy at all," said rose when entering the nursery she never spent a night in.