InsaneJournal

Cambina's blonde hair was cascading over her shoulders in soft curls tonight, the shaven and tattooed side of her scalp hidden beneath. She'd chosen Slytherin green for the occasion, keeping most of the tattoos covered. She'd volunteered to help with setup for the cocktail party - it earned her points with Narcissa, WICCA and her mother. She focused on the centerpiece she was working on. Even though she didn't play the proper society lady often, she knew how to do it. Entertaining, flower arranging - she had been trained how to do it and despite her often brash appearance, she was rather adept at it.

She glanced up at her mother. "Are you back to a normal work schedule? Or do they still have you taking it easy?"

"I was back on full time at the beginning of June. My caseload is back to normal, though there's nothing significant in the criminal side of the pipeline at the moment. Which is not a criticism," Dulci said, holding up a long-fingered, well-manicured hand from the centrepiece she was working on, "but in my case something of a sigh of relief. I still need both those interns, thanks." She went back to arranging the greenery around the candles; the spell had wrapped it tight and charmed it to stay, but a little fingerwork made it perfect. That was the art as she'd learnt it from her Maman and taught it to her daughter.

"Don't worry," Cambina said with an eyeroll worthy of any disgruntled student. "I can manage more than enough criticism of my department on my own." Cambina's work with the centerpieces was nearly indistinguishable from her mother's, a small point of pride. Her voice lowered slightly. "It's horrendous and frustrating. The only good thing is that we've had another one turn up dead. It makes us look like incompetent fools but honestly - I'm glad Prewett's dead. One less to catch and put back where they belong."

Fortunately the elder Mrs Prewett wasn't in the room; Dulci and Narcissa were the older ladies at this gathering. Dulci dropped her voice anyway out of habit. "I hope this has got your friend reconsidering her relationship with the other one. Bad business, vigilantism, and it never ends well. I hope you catch the culprit as well, presuming it was as it appears to be." What little she had read in the papers about it, and what little gossip had circulated among the WICCA ladies of the older generation, painted it as a mysterious disappearance followed by an equally mysterious death, one that pointed to some nefarious activity on the part of the deceased. Though it was hardly Mrs Prewett's fault at this late date what her adult sons got up to. They all knew even the best-raised child could go wild on you regardless of what you taught them.

Bina shoulders tensed and she straightened up. "I don't want to talk about her," Bina said, her voice taking on a steely tone. Gwenog was complicated and she didn't want to deal with that right now. Or discuss it at all. There were days she wanted to tell Gwen everything she felt and how guilty she felt for failing her and days she wanted to never see her again because of how much it hurt. In the meantime, she tried to be there for her when needed and took on double shifts when she wasn't shagging someone. Work yourself to exhaustion, right? Even when she wasn't on shift, she was putting in extra hours with the unforgivables. She had to be ready and she had to make Rufus proud.

Well, that was certainly a cue. "Of course," Dulci said serenely, and moved off to another table to straighten the cloth and put the centrepiece she'd finished in place. Poor Bina had really inherited her father's touchiness. It had to be difficult.

Narcissa waited a moment after Dulcinea left before joining Cambina. She had heard everything, of course, including Cambina's delightful reaction to that traitorous vigilante's death, but she have no indication she had heard. It hadn't been eavesdropping, precisely--both Cambina and Dulcinea had to have known she was just a few tables over, working on other centerpieces--but it still was impolite to mention things from a conversation she hadn't been a part of. What would she say, anyway? It seems you aren't as hopeless as I'd thought or perhaps I'm so glad to know you dislike those vigilantes as well? No, that would reveal too much. They would have to drop a few crumbs eventually if they were going to lure Cambina to the right side, but not too many, and not yet.

Now was a time for flattery, not temptation. Narcissa leaned in close, looking at the centerpiece. "Lovely work, dear. I hope you don't find it too tedious?" Narcissa did, at least when she didn't have some plot to occupy her mentally, but she would never say so.

"Not at all," Cambina said, looking up to give Narcissa a smile. The older woman was a welcome distraction from the complicated topic of Gwenog Jones and she found her shoulders relaxing, settling into posture more befitting a young lady than a paranoid Auror. "I haven't done this sort of thing in awhile, though, so I fear my skills may be a bit rusty."

“Well, your work is exquisite. I wouldn’t worry.” Narcissa turned the centerpiece, looking at it from all sides. It was very nicely done, as nicely as any of the other pieces put together that evening. It was good to know Cambina had the skills to do well as a proper society Witch. “You will have ample opportunity to practice between WICCA and the events you’ll host once you’re wed.”

Cambina nodded with an easy smile. Despite her initiative, she wasn't expecting to be married anytime soon. Such things took time and there were numerous things that would have to be done in order. "Thank you, Narcissa," she said, seeming to brighten at the compliment. "Oh, I'm sure. It'll be good to brush up on all the skills I learned as a little girl regardless. I'd hate to reflect badly on my father." Or you, went unspoken since her own mother was still within earshot though Bina was fairly certain Narcissa got the message. She was serious about this.

Narcissa did get the message, though perhaps not the one Cambina thought she was sending. It was useful to know that she would dedicate herself fully to a scheme once she committed to it, however. It was often challenging to do so, which was why so many failed when people like the Malfoys succeeded. It was a bit exhilarating to know that this match was at least against someone playing the same game.

Of course, that just made using the advantages Narcissa had all the more important. This was not a game she could afford to lose. She smiled serenely at Cambina. “I hope you don’t need too much brushing up, Cambina. I believe I’ve found the young man you should marry.”

"I think both of my parents wouldn't hesitate to turn me over their knee if I'd let all my upbringing lapse," Cambina said, a smile on her lips. She had been slightly modest before. Her parents had drilled certain things into her, both before and after the divorce, and even if she ignored them most of the time, she hadn't forgotten.

"Oh?" Cambina asked, eyebrow arching in surprise. "Given my age and.. profession.. I hadn't expected you to be successful so soon. I should have known that you could accomplish the seemingly impossible."

Well, that was a given, but Narcissa inclined her head graciously anyway. “He is a bit younger than you and his family… fell on misfortune during the war”--an understatement, but a polite lie of the sort that everyone allowed even though they knew the truth--”but he has rebuilt their reputation some. He agrees that a match with you would be ideal. Your father’s family has precisely the influence and reputation he needs to finish reestablishing his family name.” A daughter of a Sacred 28 Family, even one who wasn’t pureblood, was an ideal match for anyone who valued the old ways.

Cambina's face remained curious and serene, although her mind was reeling. There were a handful of families that had fallen on misfortune during the war and wanted to rebuild their reputation. After all, wasn't that what Lady Noir was trying to do, in her own perverted way. A bit younger. What did that mean, precisely? Cambina had expected an old widower, not some fresh faced lad just out of school. "Well, of course, I'll want my father's approval for any match." It was a given, but a potential stall tactic. "Do I know the gentleman in question?"

“I believe your father will approve.” Crispin Bulstrode had, in fact suggested Narcissa speak to the gentleman in question, so Narcissa was not at all worried on that front. “And I am led to believe you know young Mr. Rosier quite well.”

It was a very. good. thing. that Cambina was not sipping anything at the moment because she almost certainly would have spit it out at that revelation. Instead, there was a flicker of something unrecognizable in her eyes. She did, indeed, know Mr. Rosier quite well. She swallowed and her cheeks flushed ever so slightly. "We are acquainted, yes, though I hadn't even considered him a possibility."

Narcissa noted the flicker in Cambina’s eyes and the flush on her cheeks with smug satisfaction, though it didn’t show on her face. “He has made great strides in restoring the Rosier family name and tying the Rosiers to the Bulstrodes would be beneficial to both families, I believe.”

Whatever was going on across the room now required Dulci's attention, and she made her way back to the table where her daughter was flushing and Narcissa Malfoy was looking a little too smug for Dulci's taste, just in time to catch the tail end of whatever discussion they were having about--the Rosiers and the Bulstrodes. Oh, that couldn't be good. "Are we talking about young William? He seems like a very nice boy. I'm sure my father will be delighted to meet him.

"Bina, dear, I need a bit of help repairing some lace that someone seems to have torn on one of the tablecloths, if you have a moment? Your work with repairing lace is so delicate." One didn't need to be fierce all the time to defend one's offspring.

"Of course." The blush had been entirely for Narcissa's benefit as Bina tended not to care who knew about her bedmates. Cambina gave Narcissa a smile. "Once I've checked with my father, I'll be in touch about logistics and how to best proceed. But for now, I'm afraid you must excuse me. Torn lace beckons, I fear."

Before Narcissa could say much more, Dulci moved to steer her daughter away from whatever that had been.

“Of course.” Narcissa saw what Dulcinea was doing, but graciously let her intercede. There would be plenty of time to draw Cambina away from her mother’s influence later, there was no need to try to come between them now. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you."

Bina waited until they were out of earshot before turning to her mother and refraining from rolling her eyes. "I had that under control," she said quietly as she sat down to seemingly mend the lace on a tablecloth.

"I'm sure. It wasn't entirely for your benefit," Dulci said equally softly as she found the mangled bit of lace she'd spotted and showed it to Bina. "We can talk about it later but there are things you should be aware of before you consider your next steps."

Actual torn lace was a relief as Bina started working on it. She was skilled with her fingers, a finesse and dexterity that was usual for a variety of things, from mending lace, to giving her partners pleasure, to crucioing mice with precision. She sighed, focusing on the delicate work in front of her. "Such as?"

"Nothing that won't wait. Formal aspects of the marriage process. Finances and the like." As if they were taking this seriously. But what Dulci thought of the offer proper could wait. "Just because an offer is on the cards doesn't mean everything will line up perfectly. Keep that in mind."

Bina knew that. After all, this operation had been her idea. She may not have foreseen one of her friends with benefits as a potential candidate, but that didn't mean the game was over. There were ways, there were always ways. The stakes had simply gotten a little bit higher. She needed to talk to Rufus. "Don't worry, mother, I know what happens when a witch marries a wizard." If her tone was a little dismissive, she'd apologize later, but she needed to focus on the cocktail party tonight. She couldn't let this affect her tonight.