Sorry, had a few personal crises jump up out of nowhere today. Will reply as Narcissa, and hopefully get a filler in as the twins. 

madameminerva:

Minerva’s gait was slow and steady,  turning back to the road with her hands in her coat pockets to keep them warm.  “He always has been a troublemaker. He was the same way when we were children. But he always found room someplace for what he thought was good or right, I have to give him that much.” Narcissa’s words echoed, and while the words themselves seemed like a usual response, they were tainted with regret as well as a motherly affection over the lost family member.   It took her a moment of reflection, but she soon remembered a detail about Narcissa that she had, for some reason, overlooked previously.

A few weeks ago her dear friend Pomona had mentioned briefly in their weekly lunch outing that one Lucius Malfoy was marrying a member of the noble house of Black.   Of course at the time it was easy for Minerva to know who it was.  After all years before the engagement she recalled the times when she would catch the two idling in the hallway conversing with each other in the brief moments before classes in their years at Hogwarts.  And it was no surprise that she would eventually marry him, it was bound to happen at some point.

However she had to admit she was jealous of the woman walking alongside her.  Did she know how much of a blessing it was to not have to choose between love and logic?  Suddenly the concept of blood purity was more understandable.  After all in a relationship with both parties having magic there would be no reason to hide that part of oneself.  At least that’s what she told herself when reflecting on how she walked out on marrying Dougal McGregor, the muggle farmer who she loved dearly in her earlier years and still felt affection towards even now.  However she couldn’t stand with the concept of living forever in hiding as her mother did, always in constant fear.  And so choosing logic over love she left him, fleeing back here to where she now called her home.  Still that decision haunted her, and as she clenched the tear-stained letter in her pocket she swallowed hard to keep tears from surfacing.  Had she really made the right decision those years ago?

Thankfully she didn’t have to answer that as Narcissa spoke up again. This time she asked about Regulus, showing even more concern.  Minerva took a deep breath to calm her nerves before answering. “Regulus has been more of a recluse at school.  While he does pay attention in class he only answers when spoken to, and he seems to shun away when someone wants to socialize with him.  Instead he indulges himself in his studies a lot, whatever studies that may be.” She replied. Regulus was always a good student in her class, but his lack of socialization between peers was concerning her.  However intervening in the situation could make it worse, and even though she was glad to hear he was at least socializing with somebody, from the tone in her voice they didn’t sound like they would be a good influence.

Narcissa hummed softly hearing the response. It seemed that each of them was getting caught up with their own private demons, as was too often the case when one went far too long without acknowledging them. It made sense to her, now, the tenacity with which Regulus acted out at home. If he was withdrawing at school, he had no other outlet. It didn’t excuse his behavior, though. This was just more proof that the Black family was only killing itself with its radical views. Still, she would go home and tout them just as she always had because that was what was expected of her. 

She was a little surprised by the revelation, though. She didn’t understand it. Why would Regulus shut himself out? He had to really be getting serious with this Death Eater business. She wanted desperately to ask the professor to at least keep an eye on him, but should she go so far? She wasn’t sure if he had the dark mark yet, but she would have to ask. Seeing that thing on Lucius’s arm was terrifying enough. She hated seeing that thing, everytime she caught a glimpse of it, her stomach turned. Narcissa was not a fan of the Dark Lord. His spread was terrifying, to say the least. He promoted blood purity, but at a much higher cost than the witch thought ought to be necessary. Lives? Why did people have to die? She could stand there at those meetings or smile and tell Lucius she was so proud of him for doing something he felt so dearly about, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that they were creating something they would look back on and regret ever having taken part in. 

She shoved her hands into her pockets, furiously twisting her engagement ring around her finger. She didn’t like where this was going, at all. She didn’t like the world into which her children would be born. But that was what Lucius and Regulus were trying to do. Improve it, in their own ways. Her slender blonde brows creased downward and her blue eyes fixed themselves on the road. She knew she shouldn’t say any more. She shouldn’t give away the reason she was so concerned for her younger cousins, that would mean endangering everything her fiancee believed in, and she would be damned if she had to tell him that news. Still, the idea of conversing frankly with someone on her doubts about the Dark Lord’s army was a tantalizing one, indeed. Maybe she could contact an old friend when she got home… 

With all the thoughts of Regulus and Sirius and the Dark Lord and these things that were held over her head, she had managed to forget exactly who it was she was talking to. While the professor was a very private woman, it was at least common knowledge that she was not a pure blooded witch. Narcissa blinked a few times as the realization dawned on her. Instantly, the deep seeded Black in her wanted to convulse and escape. She had just gone through this with that other girl no longer than a week ago, and now there was this? Narcissa’s throat tightened. She pressed her lips into a thin line. This was more important. It’s far more important to get this look at them than it is to uphold these silly views. McGonagall gave you a chance in even speaking to you, so you could do the same. 

Narcissa swallowed her prejudice. Brought herself back to the train of thought she had entertained earlier in which it didn’t matter that she was speaking to a half-blood witch. It was difficult, but not impossible with her beloved family involved. And anyway, it hadn’t mattered in school. She had respected McGonagall for being such an intelligent, strong woman, before she found out her blood status. “Thank you very much, Professor. I must admit, I wanted desperately to know about Regulus. Sirius was, at first, not that important… I’m glad I asked, though.” She added quietly. She took a breath. Offered up a sheepish look. “The Black in you is hard to push aside. I have to marvel at Sirius’s ability to disregard it and chase what he desires.” Silently, she tacked on the suffix, ‘Because it’s easy to chase what you desire when it isn’t in conflict with how you’ve been raised.’ 

Narcissa bit at her lip. Her brows slanted upward at the insides and her lips tugged downward in a small frown. She just had to know this last thing. Hopefully, the Professor understood. “You’re wise. And you see him everyday in school, right? Do you believe Regulus is in… trouble?” 

madameminerva:

As Minerva maneuvered her way through the busy streets she kept her eyes on her final destination.  After a very long day she looked forward to taking some time for herself.  With each step she took the aroma of the Sugarplum’s sweetshop grew, and a smile crept across her cheeks.   Normally she would never indulge herself into the delectable concotions that resided there, but as of recently she had been craving their chocolate covered strawberries.  Albus often teased her about it as it was known more by muggles than the wizard folk.  But they reminded her of home without bringing back the saddening thought that usually arose from such memories.

She stopped for a moment glance up at the bank known as Gringotts.  The building always had a mysterious beauty about it, both on the outside as well as in.  However she wasn’t one to frequent it unless necessary as the goblins inside had always made her feel uncomfortable with their cold demeanor. She supposed that was the good aspect of them though, as their seriousness over their jobs made them the most reliable, especially when it came to one’s finances.

While taking a moment to wipe off her glasses, which she was still adjusting to despite wearing them now for over a month, she felt the firm brush of a body knocking into her. Quickly adjusting her glasses back onto her face she turned slowly and faced the fellow woman before her.  She was both surprised and relived to see her former student Narcissa Black before her, thankful it hadn’t been some stately official or some prominent member of the Ministry of Magic.  Her former student had definitely grown into a fine woman since her past years at Hogwarts.  Narcissa had always been a good student, receiving fine marks in her classes despite being cold to her teachers as well as her fellow classmates.  But seeing her shocked and slightly scared look Minerva couldn’t help but smile inwardly, as they were both caught off guard by the event. “My apologies, Professor, I was terribly inattentive.” The former student responded in a cordial tone before turning away.

However, after a brief moment that Minerva used to regain her composure Narcissa turned back to face her, suddenly asking how her cousin, Sirius, was doing in school.  At first she was skeptical of the question, but the sincere tone in her voice over her recently lost family member intrigued her. Normally she would have dismissed her, as she knew full well the predjuce families like the Blacks held against someone like her with muggle blood running through her veins.  However under these circumstances she nodded to her, and motioned with her hand in the direction of the road, so they could walk and discuss without causing an obstruction to the other passerby.

After taking a few paces McGonagall finally answered the former student “Sirius has been doing well in his studies, but he still has the habit of causing all sorts of trouble around the school with the various pranks he and his friends like Potter like to pull.  You would think in their later years they would learn to serve as good role models rather than instigators for the younger students.”  She considered telling Narcissa of their recent exploits, which involved glue and the previous Quittidch game, but decided against it for her own sake.  “As for living with the Potter family I think he has adjusted quite nicely.”  Minerva then glanced back at Narcissa, giving her a moment to respond if need be.

Narcissa followed when the Professor swept toward the road. The good thing about actually walking in the Alley was that in spite of being so crowded, it provided a sense of privacy in that everyone was so concerned about their own affairs, they couldn’t be bothered to listen in on your conversation. People were off in their own worlds, in the alley, and she could go for that type of privacy. 

“Sirius has been doing well in his studies, but he still has the habit of causing all sorts of trouble around the school with the various pranks he and his friends like Potter like to pull.  You would think in their later years they would learn to serve as good role models rather than instigators for the younger students.” McGonagall told her, and she nodded slowly. There was a small pause before she went on to reassure Narcissa that Sirius had been adjusting well to life outside Grimmauld Place. Since he left, his room had been closed up. They never opened it or went inside of it, just pretended like it didn’t exist. The whole thing struck Narcissa as absurd. Sure, she understood the importance of blood purity, but did they have to completely erase his existence from their minds? It was so radical.

She couldn’t help but think ahead. To when she had her own children and when they were old enough to make real decisions for themselves. If her child were to fall in love with a mudblood or a muggle born, she wouldn’t know what to think. It would be mind shattering, for one, since she planned on raising her children to know better. But still. Sirius was raised to know better and he went and turned his back on everything their families taught him and was friends with the likes of that odd Remus boy, Peter- an insufferable idiot and fool, and the Potter boy. It went to show the best intentions on a parent’s part could sometimes go awry. 

She pursed her lips. “He always has been a troublemaker. He was the same way when we were children. But he always found room someplace for what he thought was good or right, I have to give him that much.” 

Growing up in the Black house was rarely boring. When they were young children, nothing was black and white and everything was fun and games. She had been closest in age to Sirius, as both of her sisters were older than her and Regulus was younger than him. They hadn’t been best of friends, but they were close. She remembered the time Andromeda had told her parents she was leaving and marrying Ted Tonks.

There was an explosive argument that she had escaped by running out to the back gardens and hiding there among the flowers to be alone and cry a little bit. She knew what that meant. She would never see her beloved sister again, and she would have to start acting as if she had never had a sister named Andromeda at all. Sirius had found her out there, and they had a very revealing conversation. It was the first time she found out exactly his views on the world, and when she tried to plead with him not to let their parents know so that they wouldn’t do to him what they had done to her sister. 

He had just said two words. “Why not?” 

That was when she knew it was going to happen sometime. Sure enough, it did after he turned sixteen. He chose the white path while she stayed on the black path, same as all the other Blacks who wanted anything at all out of life. Narcissa sighed. She lifted her head to look at the professor once more. “And his brother? I know Regulus is getting in with a bad crowd. He’s been losing himself lately. I bet he thinks he can get away with giving his own brother hell, now; Merlin knows he’s a monster at home.” She knew she was probably not making any sense. She just couldn’t not tell now that she had started talking. All these conflicting attitudes and thoughts and confusing events… She was walking a fine line and she knew it well. If she wasn’t so good at playing puppet for her family, she would have formed her own mind long ago. 

Narcissa had actually managed to get some good wedding planning in, these past few days. She had pulled herself out of the slump and was back to being on top of the world. She had been mostly avoiding Regulus, although she got the feeling that she was only as successful as she was because he was also avoiding her. She didn’t so much care, though. As long as she got to move on with her life, it didn’t matter at all. At least, so she told herself. 

She had had a dress fitting earlier that day. She allowed no one to come with her. It was just her and the tailor. Bad luck if the groom saw the dress before the wedding, and Bella was busy with Death Eater duties and her parents didn’t care to come, anyway. She didn’t mind going alone. It certainly made it easier to make a choice for herself without family hanging over her shoulder trying to get her to pick their favorite. She and the woman had talked all morning about the tiniest little details. Everything on this dress had to be perfect. It was a small but crucial part of her perfect wedding. She left after sharing a bit of lunch with the tailor and putting some finishing touches on the designs they had worked on, and stepped out into the sunny Alley. 

It was a chilly afternoon. The air was brisk and playful, dancing with strands of her blonde hair and and flirting with hem of her dress. Her heels clicked staccato as she walked. With her head held high and her eyes shining, she looked every bit the part of Lucius Malfoy’s bride-to-be. By this time, the engagement had been made public. At first, it had been their wish to keep the entire affair slightly private- as in, only the most intimate friends and family members would get to know and be involved. But even intimate friends and family members talked. Not that she minded. She could bask in the envy of every other witch her age who had been trying to vie for him for his money and status. She had won him over like she was supposed to all along. 

Narcissa paused outside of Gringott’s. She would have to make a run inside; she wanted to make a deposit, and she was standing right there. She completed the transaction and wished the goblin a good day tersely. It wouldn’t do to be rude to those handling your money, even if they were just goblins. She was walking out of the building, her head down, as she buttoned her coat. She was quite more than startled when she ran into a solid body. Her head snapped up to see she had bumped into one of her old school Professors, Minerva McGonagall. Instantly, she tensed. 

McGonagall was a strict professor. If a student had been inattentive enough to run into her in the halls of Hogwarts, it would mean a quick scolding before being sent off and reminded to mind their surroundings. She half expected to hear the words out of her mouth, this time, before she remembered she wasn’t in Hogwarts, anymore, and there was no threat of points deducted from Slytherin. She took a breath. 

“My apologies, Professor, I was terribly inattentive.” The Black witch said, and stepped aside. She wasn’t going to be friendly, but cordial enough.

She paused, though. Someone else she knew went to Hogwarts, and maybe McGonagall could help her out, somehow. She glanced back to the Professor inquisitively. She couldn’t come right out and ask her about Regulus, McGonagall was head of Gryffindor house, not Slytherin. But she could ask about her other cousin and work her way toward Regulus. And honestly, though he was being systematcially wiped out of the Black family, she was curious. Curious enough to at least ask.  

“Miss McGonagall, I’m terribly sorry if I’m out of line for asking, but how is my cousin doing in school? Sirius, I mean.” Narcissa clarified. She made sure to keep her tone low, so she wouldn’t be overheard by nosey gossips. “It’s been awhile since his parents got to him so badly he left, and I can’t help but wonder… Is he at least doing well in his studies? He went to that Potter family, didn’t he?” 

Her questions rushed out before she could control them, surprising even herself with a genuine concern for Sirius’s welfare. Family had always been important to Narcissa, which was why it was so hard for her to flat out reject and push away Regulus and why she still sometimes wondered what Andromeda was doing, even if she played along with her parents and outwardly ignored them. She hoped the professor would understand her concern and not just write her off as a typical Black and dismiss her.

Merlin love that Slytherin style. <3

aderynalastor:

Everyone

Come back….

??? :o

OOC 

I’m babysitting this evening, so if you do reply, I won’t be on to read until a little later. Probably be back around ten.

What House Are You In?

Gryffindor:

[x] You are loud
[ ] You like going to school to see your friends
[ ] You’ve had more than a couple of dententions
[ ] You have lots of friends
[ ] You always have something to do on the weekends
[ ] You like to be the center of attention
[ ] You get…

Can I steal this and fill it out????? :O

Ahahah…