Narcissa | Cassiopeia
It's alright, dear. Yes, his name was Marius. I'm afraid he isn't on the family tapestry, for the obvious reasons.
I have thought about it a lot. I was still a child, too young to make any difference. If I had objected to it? My parents weren't strict with me the way they were with Pollux, but imagine I would have heard oh, poor Cassiopeia is overwhelmed, and they'd have sent me to bed as if I were ill again. That was the usual way. And inevitably the boredom - or hunger - would have eventually made me apologise and promise I was feeling better and wouldn't make any more fuss about whatever it was I disagreed with.
So it wouldn't have done one bit of good. I did my part by spending all the time I could trying to help the poor child do magic. As I imagine you must have tried to persuade Andromeda to simply behave as she ought to.
And here is the other question. Imagine that I had spoken out, and was somehow listened to, and we had kept him. What kind of life would that have been? He couldn't have gone to Hogwarts. He'd have been a shameful secret living out of sight on the top floor somewhere. That is why, as painful as it was, I knew that my parents had done the right thing. Do you think your sister's life would be happier within the family, with all that entails? Or outside of it?
I don't think you're being disrespectful, Narcissa. You've always been perfectly pleasant to me. But I do have to disagree. I don't believe in fate, and I do believe in our family's traditions and those of wizarding society. I'm pleased that you feel comfortable here, but the idea of a 'new path' troubles me, because those words could mean practically anything.