royal_musings | Open Post - Spring into AU's

[he's a bit rusty these days but still willing to pull him out! au / canon-ish flavors available. let me know what you'd like!]

[still a bit rusty on her voice but i'd love to play her!]

Narcissa was, no matter the engagement ring on her finger, a Black. She was loyal to her family, obviously. It had always been a bitter, but undeniable, truth that her family had been absolutely destroyed by one headstrong daughter, one stubborn, cruel choice to kick the most important people to the curb in favour of some... Muggle. Some things were unforgiveable. Andromeda was unforgivable. If you turned your back on your family, then why should your abandoned family ever care about you?

And she didn't. She really didn't. It was just curiosity, that was all. Call it a hobby. Call it an exercise in reassuring herself that Andromeda was getting her just desserts. Obviously, it was important to know where Andromeda was, with all the Black family secrets. Obviously, it was a salutary lesson to see Andromeda and her horrible little Muggle man struggling in the squalor of less magical society, cut off from all the things that made life comfortable, like house-elves and money and connections. Obviously, that was all. She didn't need to see Andromeda, or the halfblood baby. She didn't need to satisfy herself that Andi was all right. She just... had a hobby.

And that was why the youngest daughter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black slipped away sometime during the summer holidays, and why she was sitting in a little café on a Muggle street, carefully settled by a window with a good line of sight. She wasn't at all as inconspicuous as she might have liked to be - Narcissa Black was nothing if not eyecatching, and it wasn't helped by the fact that her idea of subtle Muggle attire was a wide-brimmed hat and a body-hugging gown. Still, she was extremely good at ignoring people when they were inconvenient, especially ones who weren't even wizards, and she was sipping a cup of tea, watching across the street and keeping her eyes on the pram as it moved down the street, when she realised that she'd been spotted.

The problem with being in a Muggle street, she reflected while hurriedly trying to gather together her hat, handbag, and jacket, was that one couldn't just Disapparate. She grimaced, digging through her handbag for the Muggle money that she really didn't even like to handle, and hoped that she'd been imagining it. Maybe Andi hadn't seen her, after all.

It hadn't been easy choosing her love for Ted over the loyalty and care that she held for her family. There were many mornings that Andromeda still couldn't believe she'd chosen but seeing Ted's face every morning and recently Nymphadora's little face brought it back into focus.

She couldn't say she regretted it but... it had hurt when she'd been disowned. Not that she expected anything less. The Blacks had a reputation afterall and nothing other than sheer perfection, doing as you were told and not marrying a Muggleborn would suffice.

She missed her sisters though, Narcissa most of all. Knowing them as well as she did, the last thing she planned to do was reach out. Even when all she wanted to do during those late nights and early mornings she was up with Nymphadora was reach out to Cissa.

Instead though, Andromeda honed in on the training all Blacks had since practically infancy and pushed those feelings down and focused on her little family.

Admittedly, it had taken time for her to get used to being in the Muggle world and to dress in a way that didn't make her stand out. So it wasn't difficult for her to notice a particular sister of hers, wearing a gown, at an otherwise normal Muggle cafe one afternoon.

"Cissa," she says as she walks toward her with the pram. She'd taken her time crossing the street knowing Narcissa couldn't just Disapparate around so many Muggles. Andromeda didn't know why exactly Narcissa was here but she wasn't going to let the opportunity go to waste.

"What brings you to this part of town?"

Narcissa froze, thinking several words that she would never be crass enough to say out loud. (Leave that to Bellatrix, instead)

She could, she considers, pretend to be someone else. Pretend not to know who Andromeda was, or why she was being hailed. On the other hand, who else really looked like Narcissa Black? Breeding showed through, and she couldn't imagine there was a Muggle out there with anything like her looks. Maybe she could just pretend not to hear Andromeda, and see if she could escape quickly enough that Andromeda might just... doubt the memory?

Stupid.

She sighs, and turns to face her sister, affecting a look of surprise.

"Andromeda! Fancy meeting you here. Goodness, and is that... you have a child?"

As though she wasn't extremely aware of little Nymphadora. As though a strange accident hadn't misappropriated some of the Black funds towards an anonymous purchase at several baby boutiques. That couldn't possibly have had anything to do with Narcissa, who was a proud, loyal Black and would never, ever go against the family. All of this was written in her guileless, innocent expression, which Andi probably knew her far too well to fall for.

Honestly, Andromeda was surprised to see Narcissa here of all places. She was sure her sister wouldn't dare step foot into the Muggle side of London, let alone visit a Muggle cafe.

A small graceful smile spreads across her lips when Narcissa feigns surprise at her appearance.

"Fancy meeting you here as well, Narcissa," she says and looks down at little Nymphadora who was thankfully sleeping for the moment. "Yes, her name is Nymphadora." But if she had to guess, from knowing her sister as well as she did, Andromeda would guess that she already knew that.

"Are you leaving so soon? Perhaps we can have tea?"

She was sure she knew the answer before Narcissa could say it but still, she had to ask.

She should absolutely say no. Without hesitation, manners be damned. She cannot afford the loss of social capital that would come with being seen consorting with a blood traitor and her Mudblood child, or even with spending more time in this of all places. If anyone found out... if Lucius found out...

She exhales, looking down at the baby. She hasn't seen Nymphadora so close before, only at a distance. Sleeping, the little girl looks so peaceful, and absolutely precious. Her niece. Blood is blood, even if it's muddied, and family is more important than anything. And, after all, it's only one afternoon, and she isn't expected home for a few hours yet.

"...If you insist." She manages to make it sound like a great imposition. It's a small salve to her pride, being able to pretend she's being forced into it, even if Andromeda was pretty mild. And, really, she is being forced into it, isn't she? It would be so undignified to flee. She's got good manners. She can't be uncultured in front of Muggles. Et cetera, et cetera - the point is, it's not her fault she has to sit back down.

The knot in her chest unravels when Narcissa relents and manages a small nod. She settles gracefully into a seat on the other side of her sister with the pram close. Regardless of why Cissa is here, she is and Andromeda was going to take what she can get.

"How are you, Cissa?"

Other questions like: How are our parents? (Even if she didn't want to know) and How's Bellatrix? all went unsaid because she knew their feelings quite well.

Especially her oldest sisters.

Cissa settles into her seat, clearing her throat. Now that she's here, she doesn't quite know how to feel about it. There's a wild relief at things coming to a head, at Andromeda actually being here, at her whole deception unravelling.

"I..." How to answer, under the current circumstances? She wants to bring up Bellatrix, bring up their mother and father, bring up the family... but it just doesn't seem fair, right now. Not to anyone.

She half-smiles, tucking a lock of white-blonde hair back behind her ear, and keeps her eyes fixed on Nymphadora. The baby, at least, is uncomplicatedly cute. "I'm all right, I suppose. I've been studying for my NEWTs, of course. All the usual things. Lucius Malfoy is intending to propose soon, I think."

Andi watches Cissa for a moment, taking a moment to simply enjoy the time she has with her sister before they go their separate ways again. No doubt, never to be spoken about outside of this cafe.

When the waitress comes around and asks what she can get them, she orders tea with a thank you.

She smiles as she watches Cissa watch Nymphadora. "You can hold her if you'd like," she offers, motioning to the sleeping baby. "You will no doubt do an great job on your NEWTs. And you're happy with the match with Lucius?"

Though, as she asks it, she knows that happiness isn't the motivating factor in marriages for her family. Nor is it for any pureblood family. All the same, she wants her sister to be happy.

Hold her! Hold the baby, the one she has... no, let's not say watched, that sounds bad. The one she has wondered about for months, since she found out about Andi's pregnancy. For a moment, the delight shows absolutely unfeigned on Narcissa's face, and Andromeda is almost forgotten as she reaches out, with great care, to lift the baby out of the pram.

"Merlin..." She looks down at the child, breathing in deep. "She takes after her mother, anyway."

At least, she hopes so. The idea of Andi being a blood traitor is terrible enough. The idea of Andi having a Muggle daughter... unbearable. Even a halfblood would be better - and it's difficult not to want better for such a sweet little baby. She smiles down at Nymphadora, touching the baby's cheek, and then looks up, still smiling.

"And Lucius, I mean... oh, he's head over heels for me, you know. Falling all over himself. And we make a very pretty pair."

Andromeda smiles as she watches Narcissa pick the baby up and hold her. She quietly thanks the waitress when she sets her tea down before her and takes a sip from her cup.

"She does," she agrees with a smile. She had no such worries that Nymphadora would be a witch. She'd already seen the signs and knew it would only get stronger as she grew older. Her not being a witch never even crossed her mind.

Andi watches her sister with Nymphadora and allows herself a smile. She wished she could take a photo of this moment and hold onto it. She was doubtful she would ever have this time with her sister again in the future.

"You do make a very pretty pair," she agrees. "I am happy for you, Cissa. I wish you a very pleasant match and future together."