────── ✾ ──────
october 2003
────── ✾ ──────
Rose thought Narcissa Malfoy was scary. The woman looked like an ice sculpture with her cold exterior and empty gaze. She reminded Rose of a witch from children's stories which Narcissa sort of was ― a witch. Rose understood that the woman was never going to be her biggest fan, according to Narcissa and everyone in her family, Rose was the reason why Theo's been away.
For whatever reason, Narcissa had invited Rose to meet her at the manor. Rose thought that perhaps Druella had revealed her and Rose's meeting and now Narcissa wanted to talk about it. But she couldn't be sure so all she had to do was to wait for Narcissa to speak.
Rose nervously glanced around as she sat by a round table, Narcissa just right across her.
"Lovely day," said Rose once the silence surrounding them was too much to bear and she was feeling so uncomfortable that she thought about running away.
Narcissa just nodded before bringing her tea cup on her lips and taking a sip.
The silence between them was painful and Rose wondered what she had done to deserve all this bad treatment. The only thing she could come up with was that she was with Theo which did not please the Malfoys, especially Narcissa Malfoy.
Rose waited for Narcissa to speak. She didn't care what the woman was going to say, she just wanted her to say something.
"Okay, listen Mrs Malfoy..." Rose sighed as she started to fidget her fingers out of a nervous habit. "I understand you don't like me and I am not asking you to but you are the one who invited me here, so I bet there's a reason for it. Would you care to explain me the nature of this visit or should I just leave?"
The woman watched her without even blinking. Her gaze was still and unbothered ― Rose could turn into an owl and Narcissa wouldn't blink an eye.
"I heard about the little talk you had with my mother, and my son," Narcissa said finally. "The talk where you tried to fish information regarding my family, and the talk where you and my mother seemed to have bonded over. She told me she talked about loss and how my husband and I fear loosing Theodore."
Rose has never heard Narcissa speak more than three words.
"Yeah well you have been very vague about everything and I figured that if there's a legitimate reason why you hate me, other than me being with Theo, I would like to know it," said Rose briskly.
Narcissa shook her head lightly. "I don't hate you, Miss Venice. I just don't think you are what Theo needs."
"Really? Because when I met Theo, he was a mess. Then after being with me and my family and friends, he got better. I think I am exactly what Theo needs," explained Rose.
"I understand that you have this maternal need to protect Theo and Draco but from what? From me, and Astoria? I'm sorry but I don't see what is so wrong with them being happy in relationships."
"Oh, don't you know me well," Narcissa commented and turned to look on her right.
Rose did so too to see if there was something she was looking at but there was nothing.
"Listen if you want to be in Theo's life, you have to just face that fact that I will be there too. Now I don't know why you have something against me and I don't really give a fuck. But Theo is good and he cares for you and for your family, no matter how hard he tries to deny it."
"Now according to Druella you have lost enough people and that's why you despise me, because you think you are going to loose Theo because of me. So I will make you a promise, you won't loose him because of me but you will loose him eventually because of your own behavior if you don't get on board with this relationship. Theo loves me, face that fact and don't be a bitch to me because of it."
Narcissa slowly turned to look at Rose, her eyes still cold but there was a sense of softness in them. Softness that Rose couldn't quite explain and it actually scared her a little. Narcissa Malfoy wasn't a soft person, she was cold and vicious. At least that's the picture Rose has received.
"I am afraid to loose Theo. I have lost enough people, that's true too. Now I obviously don't appreciate that my mother had told this to you, nor do I appreciate being called a bitch but I let that slip for this one time."
"I raised Theo, he is like a son to me and I love him. I don't want to see him get hurt and I want him to have the best possible life he could have. I want him to be happy."
Rose narrowed her eyes. "And he is, with me. So why can't you just let it be? And by the way, same goes with Astoria. She makes Draco happy. I mean I don't understand why someone as sweet as Astoria can be with someone like your son, but just let them be."
Narcissa sighed and reached for a small pack on the table. She opened it and for Rose's surprise, Narcissa took out a cigarette ― she didn't take Narcissa Malfoy as a woman who smokes.
"You smoke?" Rose grimaced.
"Only when I'm not enjoying the company," said Narcissa bitterly and lit her cigarette.
Rose sighed. She wasn't insulted by Narcissa's words. She didn't care that they weren't getting along but for Theo's sake, Rose thought maybe she should just give it one more try. Be the bigger person.
"So are the only reason you don't like me because I am taking Theo away and because I am not good enough for him. I come from a different background which is not acceptable?" Rose asked coolly.
Narcissa huffed a little. "Those are some of the reasons, yes."
"Well could you tell me what else is the matter? I am not going to change myself for you or anyone but I would like to know all the reasons."
The Malfoy matriarch stayed quiet. She didn't give Rose an answer, an answer she clearly had.
"Can we have a reasonable talk? I real talk where we tell what's the matter and we come up with a solution?" Rose asked.
Narcissa pursed her lips into a thin line before giving Rose a affirmative answer.
"Let's see," she said.
Rose took in a deep breath, preparing herself to ask the question that's been bothering her for awhile now. She didn't know what the outcome of this conversation was going to be ― she was scared to know but she felt like she had no choice.
She was determined person and if something bothered her, she wanted answers.
"Is there some other reason why you don't like me? Why you don't like Astoria?" Rose asked, subtlety aside. "Because I got this crazy idea that maybe you once had another child. A child that you had lost and you feel like you are replacing that child if you would accept me or Astoria as family."
Narcissa coughed, smoke coming out of her mouth as she did so.
"Excuse me?" Narcissa asked, bringing her shaking hand closer to her mouth to smoke.
"I had this thought. Maybe you had child before Draco or something, or after, I don't know. I asked Draco about it but he gave me nothing," explained Rose.
Rose observed Narcissa's behavior. The cold and confident woman was suddenly gone and she looked small. She looked small and scared. Rose thought that seeing Narcissa like that might give her some pleasure, some power but it didn't.
"Did you?" Rose asked nervously.
Narcissa looked down at her tea cup on the table. "That is a very rude question."
Her voice wasn't as strong as it had been before this conversation took place. She didn't look like an ice sculpture now but a fragile snowflake. She looked like a human.
"I thought it was a reasonable one. Your mother gave me the impression that there's more to you and your husband than you let me or others see. Something that might affect your opinions to certain things or people, like me," Rose explained the reasons behind her question.
"You don't know me," said Narcissa with her shaky voice. "You don't know me nor will you ever. I don't care that my husband and son have apparently made their peace with you, I won't."
Rose scoffed. "Why? What have I ever done to you?"
"You... you took Theo away," Narcissa said ― she was clearly just trying to come up with an explanation.
"Oh please. You and I both know that I didn't take Theo away," said Rose. "I think the problem is rooted somewhere with the fear of replacement. You think you would be replacing someone if you accept me."
Narcissa said nothing but looked at Rose with such a cold stare that Rose thought she might turn into a statute. The woman still looked hurt, desperate even but whatever humanity she had showed just seconds ago was now hidden behind her cold stare.
She was like a closed book and Rose couldn't read her. Rose was often good at reading people but she just couldn't make sense of Narcissa Malfoy.
"You know what? I don't want to know," said Rose and stood up. "Because it seems that whatever the reason is, you are not going to share it with me. Thank you for inviting me, let's not do this again."
Narcissa's eyes flickered by the defying look Rose was giving her. She looked like a teenage girl who was defying her mother, arguing with her for a later curfew. In a way, Rose looked a little like Andromeda if you really squinted your eyes ― the way she looked at Narcissa was the way Andromeda had looked at Druella when she informed her mother that she was in love with a muggle.
Rose frowned, noticing the lost in Narcissa's eyes.
"What?" Rose asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Narcissa gathered her thoughts, trying to get rid of the image of Andromeda's betrayal.
"How dare you speak to me like that?" Narcissa asked ― she realized she sounded just like her mother did that faithful dinner which also happened to be the last time Narcissa had seen her sister on purpose.
"Why do you care? You obviously don't care about me in any way so why should you care about the way that I speak to you? Besides, it's not like you have been too polite either," Rose said with a sarcastic tone.
"Cissa, have you seen..." Lucius Malfoy entered the room.
Rose snapped her head towards the voice and saw the man.
"Oh, I didn't know you were still here, Miss Venice. How do you do?" Lucius asked out politeness but his eyes were fixated at his wife who looked distraught.
Narcissa never looked distraught in front of anyone else than her family.
"I'm doing great," grimaced Rose. "I was actually thinking of leaving."
Lucius nodded but didn't quite register anything Rose was saying. He was too focused on his wife who was biting her tongue.
Rose turned to look at Narcissa. "Good day to you."
She stood up and gathered her belongings. Not being sure what to say or do, she just walked past Lucius Malfoy but was stopped by a hand gripping her arm. The grip wasn't tight or uncomfortable ― Rose could tell the man was worried of his wife.
He gave Rose a questionable look, a look of asking what had happened.
"I said nothing bad. Just asked a few questions," Rose said bitterly. "Not that it matters, I didn't receive any answers."
Lucius frowned, wondering what Rose had asked that made his wife so upset. However, he didn't waste time to think but let go of Rose and walked straight to Narcissa.
Rose rolled her eyes but was grateful that she was now able to leave. She walked further and was almost out of the room when she heard a loud sob coming from behind.
The sob belonged to Narcissa.
Rose thought her heart had skipped a beat ― never did she thought she would heard Narcissa Malfoy cry, she couldn't even picture her shedding a tear. The woman was an Ice Queen in her opinion. But something about the obvious agony the woman was in made Rose feel uncomfortable ― no matter how much she disliked the woman, she didn't want her to be in pain. But she knew she couldn't do anything, she didn't even know why Narcissa was upset and that was all Narcissa's fault.
Rose looked over her shoulder to see Lucius Malfoy holding his wife, whispering assurances to her. They looked sweet, in love.
It was odd to think of the Malfoys as humans.
Rose left the manor.
Theo was waiting for her just outside the grounds ― he had spent the day with Draco while Rose was with Narcissa. When she reached Theo and Draco, she said nothing to them but Theo understood her nonverbal communication.
Rose wanted to leave, it was obvious.
She wanted to leave and preferably never return or see any of the Malfoys again.
Rose was a woman of reasons and knowledge, a woman who needed explanations to situations she didn't understand. She didn't care that Narcissa didn't like her but she just wanted to know the reason. She wasn't going to change herself for whatever was behind Narcissa's dislike but she just wanted to know.
But now she had given up and besides, it wasn't like she was committed to have a good relationship with Narcissa. Many people didn't get along with their mother-in-laws.
rose and theo