InsaneJournal

Who: Narcissa Malfoy & Delilah Selwyn
What: Tea Time
Where: Malfoy Manor
When: July 5th
Rating: G.
Status: Log. Complete.



The last week had been like a dream. Delilah had ran off with Kevin to just have fun - she learned all about muggle things, met his family, immersed herself in muggle life, and saw some awesome sites along the way. She went on a rollercoaster, she saw a movie, they went to France and Italy, even, just so she could tell Narcissa what it was like, what she thought. It had been the most amazing week of her life, aside from those first four years with Marcelia and Hallam. Like a dream, like the sweetest dream one could ever have.

Which was why coming home had been so difficult. It was like the whole world found out she was a muggleborn again. Her parents were cold, distant, as always. She felt like a prisoner in her own home - it was such a stark contrast to the freedom she had felt the last week with Kevin. It caged her, made her feel like she could hardly breathe. The smiles she wore were much less genuine, strained even. She did her best, but it was a rather large slap of reality right into the face.

Aside from the fact that she had promised (and her mother had reminded her she had an obligation to), Delilah went to Malfoy Manor just to leave the house. They were just like her own parents, but she didn’t think anything could feel quite as oppressive as her own home. It was nice just to walk outside for a bit without her parents being curious as to where she was going, constantly criticizing. They knew she was going to Malfoy Manor, and she took her sweet ass time getting there, too.

Well, sort of. In fact, she mostly just lingered on the walk from civilization all the way out to where the house was situated, and then meandered down the path to their front door, taking in the garden and such. She’d been here before, of course, because Pureblood families all associated with each other and she’d played with Draco when they were very very small, but that didn’t change the sort of fascination she had with the place. After taking it all in, she finally let herself reach the front door and let out a hefty sigh before knocking.

Narcissa was in her study going over the agenda for the next WICCA meeting when Dobby announced young Miss Selwyn was at the door. She told the house elf to let Delilah in and headed to the parlour where she told Pompy to bring out tea service for two.

By the time Dobby showed Delilah in, Narcissa was settled on the couch with a fresh pot of tea and two delicate cups waiting on a low table in front of her. She rose as Delilah stepped into the room, greeting her with a genuine smile and a warm tone. "Delilah. I'm so glad you could make it. How was your trip?" She held her arms open, inviting a hug.

She followed the house elf, who she greeted warmly in private, to the parlor. When she came in, Narcissa was seated all lady like. She was very beautiful, but she reminded her of her mother a lot. The kind but sharp face, it was unnerving really. The kind of face that hated muggles, hated her if she knew what she was. It made Delilah pause for a moment before she put the smile on and hugged Narcissa genuinely. Hugs felt so good.

"My trip was lovely, thanks. I did end up in France and Italy. Beautiful, really, despite how many people were there." It had been extremely crowded. Apparently summer was a big thing for all types, muggles too. There were so many muggles, some dresses more ridiculously than she had dressed herself to meet Kevin in muggle London.

"How have you been, Mrs Malfoy?"

Narcissa noticed Delilah's pause, but she also noticed the way the girl melted into the hug. She'd done much the same at the WICCA cocktail party, and it made Narcissa curious as to why. She didn't expect she'd ever know--short of asking (unacceptable) there was no way to find out--but she made a mental note nonetheless.

"I've been well, dear, thank you for asking. Busy, with everything going on, but I'm afraid I can't make an excuse to get away again just yet." Narcissa didn't know if Delilah was aware that Pansy had moved in after Hogwarts and Draco hadn't or not, but she wasn't going to bring it up if she was unaware.

She sat back on the couch and gestured for Delilah to sit next to her as she started pouring the tea. "How do you take yours?" She prepared Delilah's the way she indicated then added added one sugar and a dash of milk to her own cup. "Where did you go in Italy? Lucius and I were in Venice and Milan recently. They're both lovely cities." They had, naturally, stuck to the wizarding areas of both as much as possible, but some of the best sights were unfortunately in areas that had been taken over by Muggles.

Hugs. They got her every time. Her mother never hugged her - in public, maybe, but it was a quick hug and a kiss to look good in front of the public and everything else was… Well, her mother pretended she didn’t exist and her father, though physically less abusive than he had been in the past, was still quite terrifying to Delilah. So when she got the hug from Narcissa, and it felt so warm? She melted into it, every time, and held on for as long as she could without seeming weird.

“I am going to be starting work any day now, can’t be looking like I’m lazy now can I?” She said with a laugh as she let go of the hug. “So it was nice to take a quick holiday after all the fuss of graduation and stress of NEWTS. I’m quite glad it’s all over to be honest, and excited to start working with my mother.” There was just the slightest strain in her voice at that, and she took her seat proper now and crossed one leg over the other, ladylike. She was the epitome of grace in the public eye.

“Two sugars and just a dash of cream.” She indicated at the kind of tea she liked, and took the cup from Narcissa when it was offered. A sip was taken easily, and she had to note that the tea was actually quite good. It was obvious the Malfoys took great care to even have the finest of teas for their guests. “Florence, Naples, and Rome. I visited less in France, it was just Paris and Nice, with a quick trip to see the Palace at Versailles, because someone mentioned it in passing when I was in Paris.”

Narcissa raised an eyebrow at the list of places Delilah had visited in just a week. "Quite the whirlwind tour. Did you go with anyone?"

Pompy came in then with a tray of scones and sandwiches. Narcissa sipped for the house elf to leave and then offered some to Delilah before taking a sandwich for herself.

"What are you going to be doing? I know you mentioned working with your mother, but I don't recall if you said what department you will be in."

“I did not go with anyone, no. It was nice, after so many years of being constantly around my housemates and classmates, to have a week just to myself. It made seeing everywhere quite easy, as I could just tend to my own schedule.” Of course, the visits had been quick but it was easy when you could just apparate everywhere and take the time consuming nature of traveling right out of your agenda.

Delilah took a little sandwich and ate a bit of it, stalling just the tiniest bit when asked about where she was going to work. Her mother, she was sure, was embarrassed by the department Delilah was going to be working in, but had agreed to it anyway. Delilah let out the smallest of sighs.

“I’ll be working in the security department. Mostly enchanting vaults and things like that to make sure everyone’s funds are secure.” Highly useful stuff, knowing how to do that, anyway. If there came a point when Gringotts needed to be taken over… Delilah would know how to do it, or at least in theory.

“Not glamorous, I know, but there you have it.”

"Most entry level positions aren't glamorous." Narcissa dismissed Delilah's concerns on that matter easily. She was young, and though Narcissa was certain that Marcelia could have arranged a better position for her within the bank, it would always have carried the taint of not being earned. Narcissa had never held a job, but she had started in less-than-glamorous positions in the various organizations she'd devoted her time to, and was quite familiar with the advantages of that method.

"Working your way up through an origination has certain advantages. Ones you would not have had your mother provided you with a more glamorous position." Narcissa sipped her tea as she watched Delilah's reaction. "With the right ambition, you can gain a more glamorous position before too long, and you will have far more people loyal to you if you attain it on your own merit." The way she said it left no question that she felt Delilah had the right ambition.

“You’re quite right, I know. I certainly understand the concept of working ones way up, and not getting there because it was given to you. But, still being just barely an adult I worry what others think sometimes. I feel like many of my other classmates have more respectable titles than my own, glorified security position.” She brushed off the idea of being thinking negatively of her, as she knew there were far deeper things to be ashamed of and would cause quite a few to look at her negatively for.

“But I think it’s valuable work, and important to have the right people in the right places.” It was a line basically fed to her by her parents, but it was true. If she were to stay with her family - forget about all the things she’d been learning about muggles and go back to her Purist ways, become a full-fledged Death Eater like her father when the time came - her position in Gringotts would be extremely useful. It was like she always had to have one foot still in that door, unable to let go of the life she had grown up with.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about what others think, dear. Those who matter will realize what you’re doing and those who don’t… well.” Narcissa put a gentle hand on Delilah’s arm, comforting her. “I know it isn’t always as easy as people tell you it should be, especially now that you’re out of school and stakes are much higher, but you will learn to disregard those who don’t matter.”

She took another sip of tea, her fingers still resting lightly on Delilah’s arm. “Your classmates may have positions that are perceived as more respectable, but they won’t move on from them very quickly.” That didn’t apply to all of Delilah’s classmates, of course, but it did for the majority of them. Delilah would work her way up through Gringotts much faster than most of their classmates would move on from their initial positions. And she would learn much more while doing it. “You will, and you’ll pick up valuable skills, too.”

Narcissa hoped Delilah felt a little better about her career choice, though she doubted Delilah wanted to dwell on it. “When do you start? Do you have any other plans for the summer? Something fun perhaps?”

Delilah wished she could forget about what other think, to not care about it. She had always cared, though. Perhaps not about the thoughts of those who didn’t matter - but her fellow Slytherins, purebloods, her family - those all mattered. It wasn’t as easy as just not thinking about it, either.

Narcissa’s hand came to comfort Delilah and there was the slightest flinch that came from the girl. Not out of disgust, but pure reaction. Delilah had been hit enough times to cause the sort of flinch one gets when someone else raises a hand near them, even in kindness. When the hand came down to comfort her, she stared at it for a moment before looking up at Narcissa with a bright smile.

“Yes, that’s very true and that’s sort of what I was aiming for. Somewhere I could start, but climb up the ladder quickly into better positions. Gringotts is very much like that, and if I’m anything like my mother…” She almost rolled her eyes. She was nothing like her mother. “I’ll be able to climb very quickly, just like she did.”

She wasn’t entirely positive when she started, and she shrugged with a bit of a laugh. “My mum is drilling me for the interview this week. I’m sure I’ll be interviewing next week and hopefully working the week after, though I’m not positive on that whole timeline.” She really just wanted to get work started right away. Keep busy. “I’ve already gone on holiday this summer, so I’ve had my fun. Now I’m just focused on work, getting my life situated, and generally being brilliant at adulthood.”

Narcissa noticed Delilah's flinch and the way she looked at her hand for a moment, but didn't say anything. Now wasn't the time. She would raise her suspicions to Delilah later, if it became appropriate. It could have just been her imagination after all--unlikely; Narcissa Malfoy wasn't given to flights of fancy but the idea had to be considered--and she didn't want to scare off Delilah just yet.

"Fun isn't something you have just one before being a serious adult, Delilah," she said instead. "It's important to keep doing fun things, even if your responsibilities keep it to things you can do in a day, rather than over a week or two." She smiled softly at the memory of some of the things she and Lucius did to have fun, both things they could tell people about and those they couldn't. "Taking time to yourself and having fun is part of being brilliant at adulthood."

Of course, Delilah did have one source of fun. But it wasn’t something she was going to share - certainly not with Narcissa Malfoy. She knew who many of the Death Eaters were, or suspected just by their association with her own father. And though she didn’t know Narcissa well, she assumed the woman would tell her mother anything she might say. So Kevin would be kept a secret, her own secret bit of joy and fun and laughter and love, the only bit of it she’d had in seven years.

“Oh no doubt I’ll find things to enjoy. I simply meant that I won’t be doing anything extravagant for a while. I actually quite like doing magic, so I think my job alone would be rather fun in that sense.” A lot of Wizards and Witches did magic and simply didn’t think about it. Delilah knew, however, that it was a gift. A curse, in some ways for her, but also a gift. A beautiful, wonderful thing that she might not have had, that maybe she shouldn’t have had. So she found it enjoyable to perform nearly anything - from simple household charms to complex magic.

“At least, it’ll have to be fun considering who I must work with all the time.” Goblins and a Weasley - not that she minded either really, but outwardly she mustn’t show too much fondness for the latter or the former.

Narcissa nodded in approval. It was necessary to space out extravagant things, if for no other reason than they ceased to be extravagant otherwise. That Delilah understood this already spoke well of her and her future. As did her grasp of how to deal with the less-than-savory types she'd be forced to work with.

"I'm certain you'll find another opportunity to do something extravagant before too long," Narcissa said with a gentle smile. "But I'm glad you think you'll enjoy your work. It's important to find pleasure in what you do, even if the circumstances are not ideal. I think you'll do very well, dear."

Delilah was, without a doubt, someone the Malfoys wanted to keep an eye on. If Narcissa's suspicions were correct, something would have to be Done about what was happening to Delilah. If Narcissa was wrong--something that rarely happened, but that she found herself wishing for in this particular circumstance--Delilah still had a bright future ahead of her and would end up in a position with power to effect actual change.

With those thoughts in the front of her mind, Narcissa set her teacup down and looked straight into Delilah's eyes. "I'm glad you agreed to come over today, Delilah. I wanted--I hoped--you would let me mentor you. And I want you to know, if there is anything you need advice on or just need to talk about--anything at all--and you don't want your parents to know, you can tell me in complete confidence." Narcissa meant that quite sincerely. Lucius would know--there was literally nothing Lucius and Narcissa kept from each other--but it would go no further.

It was so strange hearing such kind words that had no double meaning. She couldn’t detect the slightest bit of sarcasm in Narcissa’s words, nor did she feel they were empty. Not the way her mother and father spoke to her - with veiled threats or complete lack of interest. When her mum spoke it was hollow, as if she had rehearsed what she would say. Just plain recitation of memorized words, particularly when they were alone. She just spoke to speak, not to mean anything. Not to be comforting. Nothing of that nature, everything she said was just words.

And with her father, everything he said was a threat. An ultimatum. Something of a more sinister nature, and though sometimes when he spoke it almost felt like he cared, she knew it wasn’t true. There was more to it. Maybe he could care if only… etc etc. There was no real love there. So to hear just genuine niceness exuding from Narcissa the way it was, close to the way Kevin spoke to her? It was alarming and wonderful at the same time. If Delilah weren’t such a seasoned actress, she would have burst into tears at the unexpected friendliness.

In fact, she nearly did shed a tear when Narcissa looked her straight in the eyes. The only person to meet her gaze like that was Kevin. Her father, when he did, it was to terrorize her. Her mother preferred to not look at her at all. But here was Narcissa, clearly a mother figure, someone who reminded her of her own mum from days long since past, looking at her in that way and telling her if she needed anything, Narcissa would be there for her. That she would keep everything in confidence. She could feel the wetness in her eyes and immediately looked down into her teacup, taking a sip to steady herself. “That’s very kind of you. I would be honored to have you as a mentor.”

“Then it’s settled.” Narcissa didn’t miss how quickly Delilah looked down, or the way she immediately brought the teacup up to her lips, obscuring most of her face for a moment. As covering techniques went, it wasn’t bad, and with practice, Delilah would get good enough that no one would notice, not even someone like Narcissa who was always looking for those little signs.

Still, as good as Delilah’s cover was, the fact that there was something to cover was worrisome, and as soon as there was no danger of spilled hot tea, Narcissa put her arm around Delilah’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Are you all right, dear?” Narcissa hadn’t--in her opinion--done anything extraordinary, and yet Delilah seemed on the verge of tears. “Is there anything I can do?”

She took the teacup from Delilah’s hands, set it aside, and pulled Delilah in for a proper hug. “Whatever is the matter, we can figure it out.”

Delilah thought she could handle a lot of things. She handled finding out who she was, and the turmoil she had dealt with since then - hating herself, mostly. She thought she could handle her parents withdrawing. Her mother ignoring her, her father’s abuse. After all this time, she had been fine right? Delilah made it through school, graduated, got a job - probably could have gotten a better one if her parents hadn’t forbid her joining the ministry.

But hugs, apparently, she couldn’t handle. The kind of motherly hugs she hadn’t gotten since she was just barely ten years old. The kind she had almost never had, except for the four years the Selwyn’s had her before knowing she was muggleborn. Four amazing, wonderful years of love, which was nothing compared to the thirteen years of loneliness. And to have Narcissa holding her like that, hugging her, comforting. It was too much. It really was.

And she couldn’t hold back the little sob that escaped her, the tears that slid down her cheeks, at the last hug. “No I’m fine, really. I’m just tired and emotional, I suppose, it was a long trip and there’s just been so much to do and you know, graduating from Hogwarts… life altering changes.” She was waving it all away, backing up - she broke from the hug and stood, wiping her tears away. “Really, I’m fine.”

Narcissa stood too and gently pulled Delilah back into her arms. “Of course you are. Graduating, getting a job, wondering what life will be like without the safety and comfort of school--it’s stressful. But you shouldn’t be ashamed. Sometimes crying is exactly what you need to feel better.”

She guided Delilah back to the couch, keeping her close as she summoned Dobby and sent him to fetch some handkerchiefs. When he returned, she took one and handed it to Delilah. “You’re going to do wonderfully, dear, you are, but you mustn’t bottle it all up like this. Let yourself cry every once in a while… or find some other way to relieve stress.”

She had been hoping to make a clean getaway but it was clearly not going to happen now. With all this kindness, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to leave. It was overwhelming to feel the support of an adult like this. Once, she had gone to Healer Bones at school and spent a whole afternoon crying - right after her father had cornered her in Hogsmeade. It had been nice, to be there, but she had been too afraid to go back. Too afraid of the questions. He would tell, he would have to.

But Narcissa would tell, too, wouldn’t she? She was friends with her parents. Lucius and her father… Well, it wasn’t safe to be this way here was it?

Delilah drew back from Narcissa at the second hug. She was stupid for acting like this, so stupid for falling to pieces in front of someone who was friends with her parents. Narcissa would tell, and she would be in so much trouble. “Yes, of course. I wasn’t bottling it, I just didn’t realize how exhausted I was. Sometimes stress sneaks up on you, doesn’t it?” She replied, forcing out a smile and wiping her tears away.

“Anyway, I’m sorry to bother you with this. I should really go home and get some rest.”

“It’s not a bother, dear.” Narcissa stood as well, but this time, she guided Delilah toward the door. She would have liked to keep her here for a while, let her get whatever was bothering her out, but she could see that Delilah was uncomfortable with the idea of crying in front of Narcissa. “Let me walk you to the gate, at least. Then you can apparate straight home and get some rest.”

The door of Malfoy Manor opened itself at Narcissa’s approach, and she guided Delilah through it and down the tree-lined path to the gate. When they reached it, she made the gesture that would allow Delilah to pass straight through like the gate was smoke, and pulled her in for one last, brief hug. “Tell me how the job interview goes, all right? Oh, and if you could, tell your mother I’d love to get together sometime soon.” She kissed Delilah on the forehead and gestured to the gate. “Apparate safely and get some sleep, dear.”


“Thank you, that’s very kind.” She dabbed her face with the handkerchief she had been given, walking alongside Narcissa out the door and towards the gate. The fresh air helped get her head back on straight and she realized this had all been quite a mistake, and she was going to pay for it. It was painful to realize, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at Narcissa as they made their way to the gates that would allow her to leave and apparate home.

It was like a whole new understanding came over her when Narcissa asked her to tell her mother she’d love to get together with her. She felt like she was drowning, a rock had been tossed in her stomach. She would tell her everything that happened here and Delilah would hear all about it from her father. Handing the handkerchief back over, she smiled. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be sure to tell my mum. Have a lovely night, Mrs. Malfoy.”

She hugged her briefly this time, and stepped through the gates to apparate home.