#these moments of childhood

It’s all fun and games and pureblood extravaganza until Lucius Malfoy, aged seven and having carefully inspected Miss Bellatrix Black, decides to proclaim his findings on the young lady in question to all and sundry in the piercing voice of the very young.

Bellatrix Black is an ugly hag.

Druella Black grabs her husband’s arm, and hisses something about Bellatrix and temper.There is a moment of tense silence where no one dares move, as everyone present tries to decide which course of action would avoid beginning a blood feud between the Blacks and Malfoys.

Narcissa Black, age six and usually considered the darling of the family - always well behaved, never been a trouble in her life - surprises everyone by taking matters into her own hands and picking the cake from the side-table, lobs it straight into Lucius’ face.

My sister is the bestest, she says fiercely, you’re nothing but a – a stupid oaf!

Lucius bursts into tears and there is a flurry of activity during which Cygnus Black, poorly concealing his laughter, picks his youngest daughter up – still scowling like a young and angry tigress – and takes her out of the room. Druella wrings her hands apologizing profusely while Abraxas Malfoy struggles to keep a straight face. Bellatrix looks torn between laughter, being touched at her sister’s fierce love for her and anger over the loss of a perfectly good cake.

(The Lestrange brothers solve that particular dilemma when they start to pick pieces cake off Lucius and eat it. If a LestrangeofLestrange Place can do it, so can milady Black, Bellatrix reasons.)

Narcissa, meanwhile, bears her scolding in stoic silence and refuses to apologize to Lucius.

He’s a rude little boy and he deserved, you saw what he called Bella, papa!

Papa concedes that his youngest daughter has a point, but young ladies do not throw cakes in young gentlemen’s faces.

But he’s not a gentleman!

 Cygnus sighs and decides that there is no reasoning with Narcissa when she’s in high dudgeon over an insult to either Andromeda or Bellatrix – or for that matter him or Druella.

You’ll be sent to Gryffindor if you don’t apologize, he says in a half-hearted threat.

Narcissa returns, chin tilted high and apologizes, but with a glint in her eye that lets everyone know that she is doing this because her Papa, who is a gentleman asked her to very nicely and not at all because she means it.

It is this same fierce protectiveness for family and this wild disregard for the rules by which people play that she will carry with her into the future.

She learns, however, to disregard the rules like a ladywould.

(Narcissa Black-Malfoy requested by jjh2456)