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in_the_blue) wrote2014-12-07 10:51 am
in_the_blue) wrote2014-12-07 10:51 am
Entry tags:
December 7
Why am I not surprised that half the requests I got for this December meme are for Harry Potter stories? YOU GUYS. Actually, I met so many people here through that fandom, and now I'm tempted to do an entire series reread on the New Year. Who's with me?
For today,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bitchet requested A Black Family Christmas, so here goes.
The Black Family did not approve, for the most part. There were whispers about how both of the errant children (although at this point at least one could hardly be accurately described as a child) were angling to have their names blasted right off the tapestry. “The prospect absolutely terrifies me,” Narcissa confided in the softest whisper to Bellatrix.
“At least you didn’t get sorted into bloody Gryffindor,” Bellatrix hissed back at her sister. “If it’d been me, I wouldn’t show my face at the table either.”
Narcissa’s eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure, nodding in agreement. To her, family was more important than all the gold at Gringott’s and to lose it would mean the end of everything she held dear. Bellatrix felt the same way, mostly, as far as Narcissa knew, but her eldest sister had always been a bit on the... how could she put it? The extreme side, that would do.
The both of them knew Andromeda was a lost cause, bound to not follow in the respectable family footsteps. She’d already befriended so many Muggle-borns that having her home from Hogwarts became a consistent trial. It was small wonder, as far as Narcissa was concerned, that Andromeda and Sirius were both missing from the Black family table, on Christmas of all days. It was the one time of year that both wizarding and Muggle traditions collided. Of course, the Black family ignored the holiday’s so-called “other” celebrants. If, as Muggles thought, it was the time of year for good cheer, forgiveness, and acceptance, someone was going about things the wrong way.
Narcissa knew who, but kept these observations to herself. She might have been the youngest daughter of her family, but that didn’t mean she was either stupid or belligerent. In fact, she was entirely shrewd, priding herself on understanding the intricacies of blood purity so well that she could base any argument or decision on the family motto and walk away with a win. Toujours Pur!
Narcissa’s Aunt Walburga sat just to Uncle Orion’s side, growing more visibly upset with each passing moment. “In Merlin’s name,” she practically foamed at the mouth, “where are those two?”
Narcissa pushed back her chair. “I’ll go fetch them, Aunt Walburga. They’ve probably simply lost track of time.”
Aunt Walburga muttered something that sounded suspiciously like I’ll show them how to lose track of time, but Narcissa didn’t dawdle long enough to engage her aunt. Truth be told, Walburga Black frightened her more than almost anyone else in the family, and that was saying something. It wasn’t that she disagreed with her aunt’s stance on the importance of purity so much as it was that she struggled to understand how that could supersede the importance of family. Either way, she was glad Aunt Walburga’s imperious diatribes weren’t something she had to endure on a daily basis.
Scurrying past the house-elf heads and up the stairs, Narcissa made her way to her cousin Sirius’s room. Even if she hadn’t heard the laughter making its way down the hall she’d have known where to find Sirius and Andromeda. Opening the door, she stepped in, mouth open, about to admonish the pair of them for keeping the rest of the family waiting for Christmas dinner... and stopped.
“What,” she said softly, “are you doing?”
If she’d walked in on anyone else, they’d have assumed the requisite guilty look but Narcissa had never known either Andromeda or Sirius to admit guilt over anything. Moving over, she caught sight of the mirror in her cousin’s hand.
Defiant as always, Sirius met her gaze without flinching. “Talking to my friend James.”
“Well, it’s time for supper. Your mum is about to go apoplectic from waiting on the pair of you.”
“Who’s that?” the mirror squawked.
Sirius glanced down at the mirror, making no attempt to hide it from either cousin. “My cousin, Narcissa. It looks like our time’s up, James. Happy Christmas.”
From the mirror, Narcissa heard an answering voice. “Good luck, mate. See you back at school. Happy Christmas, Andromeda.”
Andromeda grinned down at the mirror. “And to you, James. Ta.”
“And to you too, Narcissa!” The mirror went dark.
Narcissa’s eyes widened in wonderment. “Where did you get... never mind, pretend I didn’t ask. Just don’t let anyone else catch you using that. You’re too young to use unauthorized magic outside of school, Sirius.”
Sirius let out the bark of a laugh as he locked the mirror away into his trunk. “I’m not doing magic, I’m using a magical object. Those are two entirely separate things. Besides, this house is surrounded by so many spells and protections I doubt the Ministry can see or hear through these walls.”
Next to him, Andromeda stood. “Not a word, Cissy, or I’ll tell Mum how shamelessly you’ve been mooning over Lucius Malfoy.”
Narcissa blushed rather furiously, but the rise of Sirius’s eyebrows made it clear that they all had leverage over one other. To keep the peace, they would also have to keep one another’s secrets. Shaking back her long blond hair, nose in the air, Narcissa tilted her head in the direction of the door. “I believe everyone’s secrets are safe. Would you care to join the family for Christmas dinner?”
“No,” Sirius said, and smiled rather fiercely. “But I will.”
Andromeda looked at Narcissa; Narcissa looked at Andromeda. Both had to stifle their laughter.
Narcissa aimed an accusatory glance at Sirius. “Gryffindors,” she said loftily, but smiled all the way back to the table. It was Christmas day. In the spirit of the season she could forgive just about anyone and anything, up to and including her cousin.
*
Note: I have to confess, Narcissa has always been my HP fandom sweetheart. She's the first one I ever wrote fanfic for, something truly horrible years ago that's thankfully lost to the vaults of time. Revisiting something from her perspective is always going to be my pleasure.
For today,
bitchet requested A Black Family Christmas, so here goes.The Black Family did not approve, for the most part. There were whispers about how both of the errant children (although at this point at least one could hardly be accurately described as a child) were angling to have their names blasted right off the tapestry. “The prospect absolutely terrifies me,” Narcissa confided in the softest whisper to Bellatrix.
“At least you didn’t get sorted into bloody Gryffindor,” Bellatrix hissed back at her sister. “If it’d been me, I wouldn’t show my face at the table either.”
Narcissa’s eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure, nodding in agreement. To her, family was more important than all the gold at Gringott’s and to lose it would mean the end of everything she held dear. Bellatrix felt the same way, mostly, as far as Narcissa knew, but her eldest sister had always been a bit on the... how could she put it? The extreme side, that would do.
The both of them knew Andromeda was a lost cause, bound to not follow in the respectable family footsteps. She’d already befriended so many Muggle-borns that having her home from Hogwarts became a consistent trial. It was small wonder, as far as Narcissa was concerned, that Andromeda and Sirius were both missing from the Black family table, on Christmas of all days. It was the one time of year that both wizarding and Muggle traditions collided. Of course, the Black family ignored the holiday’s so-called “other” celebrants. If, as Muggles thought, it was the time of year for good cheer, forgiveness, and acceptance, someone was going about things the wrong way.
Narcissa knew who, but kept these observations to herself. She might have been the youngest daughter of her family, but that didn’t mean she was either stupid or belligerent. In fact, she was entirely shrewd, priding herself on understanding the intricacies of blood purity so well that she could base any argument or decision on the family motto and walk away with a win. Toujours Pur!
Narcissa’s Aunt Walburga sat just to Uncle Orion’s side, growing more visibly upset with each passing moment. “In Merlin’s name,” she practically foamed at the mouth, “where are those two?”
Narcissa pushed back her chair. “I’ll go fetch them, Aunt Walburga. They’ve probably simply lost track of time.”
Aunt Walburga muttered something that sounded suspiciously like I’ll show them how to lose track of time, but Narcissa didn’t dawdle long enough to engage her aunt. Truth be told, Walburga Black frightened her more than almost anyone else in the family, and that was saying something. It wasn’t that she disagreed with her aunt’s stance on the importance of purity so much as it was that she struggled to understand how that could supersede the importance of family. Either way, she was glad Aunt Walburga’s imperious diatribes weren’t something she had to endure on a daily basis.
Scurrying past the house-elf heads and up the stairs, Narcissa made her way to her cousin Sirius’s room. Even if she hadn’t heard the laughter making its way down the hall she’d have known where to find Sirius and Andromeda. Opening the door, she stepped in, mouth open, about to admonish the pair of them for keeping the rest of the family waiting for Christmas dinner... and stopped.
“What,” she said softly, “are you doing?”
If she’d walked in on anyone else, they’d have assumed the requisite guilty look but Narcissa had never known either Andromeda or Sirius to admit guilt over anything. Moving over, she caught sight of the mirror in her cousin’s hand.
Defiant as always, Sirius met her gaze without flinching. “Talking to my friend James.”
“Well, it’s time for supper. Your mum is about to go apoplectic from waiting on the pair of you.”
“Who’s that?” the mirror squawked.
Sirius glanced down at the mirror, making no attempt to hide it from either cousin. “My cousin, Narcissa. It looks like our time’s up, James. Happy Christmas.”
From the mirror, Narcissa heard an answering voice. “Good luck, mate. See you back at school. Happy Christmas, Andromeda.”
Andromeda grinned down at the mirror. “And to you, James. Ta.”
“And to you too, Narcissa!” The mirror went dark.
Narcissa’s eyes widened in wonderment. “Where did you get... never mind, pretend I didn’t ask. Just don’t let anyone else catch you using that. You’re too young to use unauthorized magic outside of school, Sirius.”
Sirius let out the bark of a laugh as he locked the mirror away into his trunk. “I’m not doing magic, I’m using a magical object. Those are two entirely separate things. Besides, this house is surrounded by so many spells and protections I doubt the Ministry can see or hear through these walls.”
Next to him, Andromeda stood. “Not a word, Cissy, or I’ll tell Mum how shamelessly you’ve been mooning over Lucius Malfoy.”
Narcissa blushed rather furiously, but the rise of Sirius’s eyebrows made it clear that they all had leverage over one other. To keep the peace, they would also have to keep one another’s secrets. Shaking back her long blond hair, nose in the air, Narcissa tilted her head in the direction of the door. “I believe everyone’s secrets are safe. Would you care to join the family for Christmas dinner?”
“No,” Sirius said, and smiled rather fiercely. “But I will.”
Andromeda looked at Narcissa; Narcissa looked at Andromeda. Both had to stifle their laughter.
Narcissa aimed an accusatory glance at Sirius. “Gryffindors,” she said loftily, but smiled all the way back to the table. It was Christmas day. In the spirit of the season she could forgive just about anyone and anything, up to and including her cousin.
*
Note: I have to confess, Narcissa has always been my HP fandom sweetheart. She's the first one I ever wrote fanfic for, something truly horrible years ago that's thankfully lost to the vaults of time. Revisiting something from her perspective is always going to be my pleasure.