Across the Moon

The Letter

I am heavily rewriting this story, so I hope I can do it some justice. Please give me feedback, as I am still far from being a great writer and would appreciate anything you have to offer!

The cool autumn light filters past dark lace curtains, the peacocks in the court sounding the arrival of morning. Narcissa watched the sun rise above the cobblestone gates, even it's early glow seeming cold from her too-empty bed. She'd been up for some time, unable to stay asleep for long these days. It wasn't that there was something disturbing her in the night, no, quite the opposite really. The house was too quiet, too big, too empty, the endless expansion of silence unnerving her at night, keeping a peaceful sleep out of reach. Oh well she thought, it's not like I'm doing anything that requires a good night's sleep anyhow.

She sighed, throwing the heavy duvet off of herself and letting the chilly air settle on her skin. She'd meant to ask the elves to start a fire before she'd headed to bed, but had been too caught up in thought. No matter, the cold made her feel more awake, more real, which she counted as a good thing. She got out of bed, purposefully avoiding her vanity mirror as she walked to the master bathroom. The white tiles were colder than the hardwood floor against her bare feet, and she figured it would be in her best health to get the house warmer. "Daisy." She called, already starting the water for the shower.

With a small pop, the house-elf appeared behind her, "Yes Mistress?"

"Light the fires downstairs and in the master bedroom." She said, without looking behind her.

"Yes Mistress, would Mistress like Daisy to prepare breakfast as well?"

She thought on it a moment but then decided that the more time she could fill with actual activity the better. Plus, Lucius would never let her cook if he was home, she might as well take advantage of the opportunity. "No, that will be all." She said, dismissing the elf.

She shed her nightgown and stepped into the shower, warmth and steam replacing the previous chill on her skin. She washed her hair and body in somewhat of a trance, thoughts of what she would make for breakfast, whether she should visit Hogsmeade, and of how Draco was doing in his studies.

He'd only left a little over a month ago, but it felt like longer. He had spent most of his Summer at Blaise's house, and even though she had longed to spend time with him, she was overjoyed that he'd made friends at school and wouldn't think to interfere. Of course, Malfoys never had a hard time attracting attention, so she wasn't surprised. However, most of the time the attention stemmed from admiration or fear of their status, rather than genuine interest in a companionship. She would know. But Blaise Zabini had no reason to use her son, being from an equally powerful pureblood family, so she hoped their friendship would last.

Still thinking, she stepped out of the shower and dried herself. She'd stopped dressing in her normally elaborate outfits, as there was no one around to see them and they only inconvenienced her in day to day activities. Instead she donned a comfortably elegant sweater and slacks and loosely braided her hair before heading to the kitchen.

She was glad for the warmth of the fire as she looked out the window over the kitchen sink and was greeted by the grey gloominess of the Manor gardens. She'd been tending to them all summer after Draco had come home complaining of bad grades (an A-) in Herbology and she had dedicated a week to helping him study. She found that she rather enjoyed the silent work, the dirt between her fingers, the subdued joy of finding a plant with new blossoms, the bees and butterflies that flocked to the sweet nectar there. But as the warmth of summer had slipped away and the chill of autumn had crept in, her garden had hibernated in preparation for snow and rain, leaving her with thorny shrubbery. One less thing to keep her pre-occupied.

Shifting her gaze back inside, she began to prepare her breakfast, deciding on a savory crepe. She watched absently as the cutlery and food flew around the kitchen, the meal preparing itself. She let out a sigh as she sat at the large table, the emptiness of the house even more apparent as she stared at the unoccupied seats. The first year Draco had gone to Hogwarts she had felt the same way, constantly unsettled by his absence. At least she'd had Lucius then, sitting quietly at the head of the table with a copy of The Prophet. But several months ago he'd become increasingly busy at the Minestry, staying at work later and being absentminded when he was home. Right now he was on another business trip to Merlin knows where, so it was just her, alone and achingly bored.

She finished her meal and levitated the dishes to the sink. Then she made her way to the Manor library and settled on the plush settee with her current book. It was one of her favorites, '1984' by George Orwell. A rather interesting interpretation of The Dark Lord's rule, though the muggles believed it to be dystopian fiction. Lucius had never been a fan of the book, saying that it painted the cause in a bad light, but she thought it to be rather nuanced. Andromeda had also liked the book, but mostly because she'd taken it's cynical look on the Dark Lord to be a protest to his leadership.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a tapping at the library window. Strange, I just sent Draco his letter it's not like him to respond so quickly. However, once she opened the window she realized the owl was not Draco's. The owl dropped the scroll into her hands, accepting the leftover biscuit she offered it before flying back out the window. She stared down at the scroll, sealed with a Hogwarts' stamp and suddenly began to panic. If not Draco, then who was writing her from Hogwarts and why? Surely Draco's Herbology grades weren't this concerning, oh but what if something had happened to him? No, surely they would have apperated if it was serious. Still, she couldn't help the slight tremor in her hands as she broke the wax seal of the scroll.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

This is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. I am writing because I am in need of a timely miracle. As you may have heard, we have had a streak of bad luck with our Defense Against the Dark Arts Profesors in the recent years. Unfortunately, our newest Profesor has faced a similar fate, deciding the job simply wasn't for him after a rather unlucky run-in with a group of pixies. I have been searching for a replacement but for some reason no one is interested, and the students are now one week behind on their lessons. I know you have experience in the area and am reaching out to you in the hope you would be willing to fill the position, even if only temporarily. If you are interested, please come to Hogwarts at your earliest convenience. I hope you and Lucius are well.

~ Albus Dumbledore

A/N: Short chapter but I'm just trying to get back into the groove of things, please review thank you!