FAMILY MATTERS: Part 3
The Meyers Family:
Aries- 37
Eloise - 36
Makayla - 11
Michael - 7
Elias - 1
"Mummy, can I get my hair curled this time?"
"She can try sweetheart, but you know your hair doesn't like to hold curls."
Makayla frowned at herself in the mirror. "I know, but Auntie Cissa Jo and I have a fashion show coming up and I want my hair to look more like hers."
The young stylist gasped. "You're Narcissa Jo Malfoy's niece? Makayla Meyers right? You're the face of all of her youth apparel campaigns! My sister adores you!"
Eloise stifled a laugh at Makayla's expression of confusion and irritation. "Yes, my name is Makayla. Excuse me, but my mum and I were having a conversation..."
"Yes, of course, Miss Meyers! I'm terribly sorry. I will fetch you two some water." She sashayed away leaving Makayla and Eloise in a fit of giggles.
"You're famous!" Eloise gushed.
Makayla hopped out of her chair and climbed into Eloise's lap. "You know I'm a big girl right mummy? Auntie Athena says I'm a 'young lady' now."
"Is that what she said?" Eloise asked, trying to hide her amusement. "She's right, lovie. You are a young lady."
"If I'm a young lady now, doesn't that mean that you and daddy can talk to me about grown-up stuff?"
Eloise's smile dropped. "What do you mean?"
The stylist came hurrying back into the room with two bottles of water and Makayla made her way back to her own chair ignoring Eloise's question.
Eloise didn't have long to ponder Makayla's strange question before the stylists got to work. By the end of the appointment, both mum and daughter were pampered and styled to perfections. Makayla got the curls that she wanted and put an extra skip in her step so that they would bounce as much as possible.
They had a quick lunch before heading over to Narcissa Jo's fashion house. Makayla did an impromptu fitting for their upcoming show before joining her mother in the store.
"Are you going to answer my question mum?" Makayla asked as she browsed through the gowns.
"What question is that?" Eloise murmured, holding a gown up to her body. "Do you like this dress?"
Makayla ignored her. "If I'm a big girl, can't you and daddy talk to me about grownup things?"
"What grownup things are you referring to?" Eloise asked without looking up.
"Mum! I'm trying to talk to you!" Makayla shouted, stomping her foot for emphasis.
Everyone in the store froze and stared at her. "Makayla! Do not shout at me," Eloise admonished.
"I wouldn't have to shout if you would pay attention to me!" Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. "This is supposed to be our day!"
Narcissa Jo came over and placed a hand on Eloise's back. "Why don't you two talk in my office?"
Eloise nodded and took Makayla by the hand, leading her into the back of the shop. Once they were alone in Narcissa Jo's office, Eloise turned and frowned at Makayla. "What has gotten into you, young lady?"
"Tell me it's not true?!"
"Tell you what isn't true?"
"Don't play games with me! I'm not a baby." She rubbed at her tearstained face before folding her arms angrily.
Eloise sat down so she could be at eye level with Makayla. "Lovie, I can't read your mind. You have to tell me what's wrong."
"That lady that Michael saw in the park," Makayla started and Eloise felt her heart drop into her stomach. "She said that she's my mother. Tell me it's not true!" Makayla's voice trembled as she fought to keep more tears from falling.
"Oh, honey." Eloise pulled her into her arms. "We never meant for you to find out this way--"
"So it is true?!" Makayla exclaimed, pushing Eloise away.
"Sweetheart, let me explain--"
"No! I don't want to hear anything you have to say!" Her normally pale cheeks flooded with color as her anger rose. She plugged her ears and started to cry even harder as Eloise tried and failed to comfort her. And then all of a sudden she disappeared with a pop.
Eloise shrieked in alarm and then panic. Narcissa Jo came running in a moment later.
"What's going on? I heard screaming."
"I, she, Makayla--" Eloise stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"E? What's going on? Where's Makayla?"
"She disapparated!"
"What? That's impossible!"
"I know it's impossible but she just did! She was standing right here! Oh, Cissa Jo! What do we do?!" Eloise started sobbing uncontrollably.
"Calm down," Narcissa Jo said softly, rubbing her sister-in-law's back. "I'll just send Aries and mum a patronus." She waved her wand and took the seat opposite Eloise. "E? You've got to breathe. Everything's going to be alright."
"You don't know that! She's just a little girl, an untrained witch; She doesn't know how to apparate properly! She could be anywhere! She's alone and probably terrified and--Dear Merlin! What if she splinched herself? What if--"
"Eloise! You have to calm down. Come on, breathe with me." Narcissa Jo gently helped Eloise regain her composure just as Aries and Hermione arrived.
"What do you mean she disapparated?" Hermione asked after they had been brought up to speed on the situation. "She can't have!"
"But she did Mother Malfoy!"
"We're wasting time," Aries said seriously. "Get the family looking."
"Good call," Hermione replied with a firm nod. "I'll have Harry alert the aurors as well. Meet back here in an hour if we haven't found her by then. Cissa Jo, stay here with Eloise."
The entire Malfoy clan and their extended family were out searching for Makayla while Eloise and Narcissa Jo stayed at the fashion house just in case Makayla made her way back on her own. After a while, Eloise insisted that she needed some air and left the office. She wandered around the workshop pausing when she heard soft singing.
"This lullaby is my vow to you dear,
I'll always be there to calm your fears
I'll be there when the skies are grey,
Always helping to guide your way.
Don't be afraid, I'm always around
So sleep, my angel, safe and sound."
Eloise's heart rate quickened. "Makayla? Sweetie is that you?"
"Mummy!? Help me!" came Makayla's muffled reply.
"I'm here lovie! Where are you?!"
"I'm on top of this shelf and I can't get down! I'm scared!" She was crying again.
"I'm coming to get you! Homenum Revelio!" Eloise spotted Makayla sitting at the top of an extremely tall shelf behind a pillar. She ran over to her and waved her wand. "Mobilicorpus! " She guided Makayla's floating form gently to the ground before dropping her wand and enveloping her in a hug. "Oh, my days! You scared me!"
Makayla clung to Eloise. "I'm so sorry mummy! I didn't mean to--"
"I know, I know," she said soothingly. "Hush now, sweetheart. You're okay."
Eventually, Makayla's sobs turned into sniffles and she wiped her tears. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry," she said quietly.
"You have every right to be upset," Eloise replied with a sad smile. "We should have told you sooner."
"What exactly is there to tell me? That mean lady is my real mum?" She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"Eloise is and will always be your real mum."
Makayla and Eloise turned toward the door where Aries was standing, his face red from running.
He walked over and joined his girls on the ground. "She was the one who has been there for you since before you could remember. She changed your nappies, was there when you took your first steps, taught you how to read; I could go on for days. But, there are some things that you don't know and it's high time we filled you in."
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After alerting the rest of the family that Makayla had been found safe and sound, Aries and Eloise took her to a nice restaurant and told her about Melissa. Makayla sat quietly and listened to her father describe the situation. When he was done, she remained silent, thinking over everything that she had been told.
"Well?" Aries asked after a while. "How are you feeling? Do you want some more ice cream?"
Makayla shook her head and sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest, her brow furrowed in deep thought.
Aries and Eloise shared a look of concern.
"I know this is a lot to process--" Eloise started.
"Why didn't she want us, daddy?"
Aries sucked in a deep breath. He hadn't been prepared for such a direct question. "Well, sometimes grown-ups make bad decisions--"
"Everyone makes bad decisions," Makayla interrupted. "I don't care that she left; Honestly I don't. I'm just curious to know why."
Aries gave her a skeptical look. "You don't care that she left?"
"Not at the moment. I probably will at some point but right now I'd like to know why. If she loved you, why did she leave?"
"That's a question you'll have to ask her," Aries said with a mirthless laugh.
"She really wants to meet me?"
Eloise and Aries nodded.
"Why? I'm practically a full grown witch. Why does she all of a sudden want to meet me?"
Aries tried not to laugh at her use of the phrase 'full grown witch'. "Again, that's another question you'll have to ask her."
Makayla nodded. "Okay," she said a moment later. "When's the meeting?"
Aries looked over at Eloise. "Whenever you want it, princess. It's all up to you. You don't have to see her."
"I know. But I want to. I have questions. Is tomorrow too soon?"
Eloise tried not to take offense at her daughter's eagerness to meet Melissa and shook her head. "I'm sure we could arrange to meet them for lunch tomorrow. I'll just send an owl when we get home."
Makayla nodded again and waved over the waiter. "Can we get the bill, please?"
"Of course, miss," the waiter replied, amusement laced in his voice. "Right away."
Aries laughed. "What was that about?"
"The sooner we get home, the sooner I can write out my questions for this Melissa person."
Aries and Eloise shared another look. This situation might be extremely uncomfortable for everyone involved, but Makayla was sure to make it entertaining.
A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I have some news for you guys: After I post part 4, I'll be posting a spinoff primarily about Makayla called A Mother's Love. This was requested by some of you guys so I'm very happy to oblige :D It will be a short story about her going off to Hogwarts. The chapters won't be as long as my normal chapters but I'm hoping you guys will enjoy it! As always, please like, comment and follow my page to see when I upload new chapters! <3