Ad Mortem Festinamus

"... dare to humiliate your mother and me!"

"You did that all by yourself, Papa. Nobody else cared!"

"Don't you be fresh with me, Andromeda! You are disrespectful!"

"I'm not disrespectful! You're behaving like some medieval monk, that's all!"

"Andy!" Narcissa groaned, shooting her sister an unnerved glance and finally managing to free her arm from her mother's claws.

"Engaging yourself to a muggleborn! Have you no pride at all!"

"Oh, I'm extremely proud, actually!" Andromeda's eyes gleamed dangerously. "I'm proud to be the fiancée of such a clever, talented, kind wizard!"

She jerked up her hand, flashing her plain ring right in her father's face, who pushed it away and spit, "Disgrace! Outrageous disgrace! Desecration! One thousand three hundred years of -"

"Oh, cut it out, Papa! I don't give a damn about your sacrosanct dynasty shit, you hear me?!"

Narcissa groaned once more. "Andy! In Merlin's name, tone it down!"

"You shut up, Cissy! You keep your prissy mouth right shut! Going out with the greatest jerk to walk this earth, you have no place to talk!"

Amandine Black merely whimpered, fiercely shaking her head. Narcissa laughed derisively. "I accompanied someone to some ball! I don't see any engagement rings on my hand, likely enough because I still got my five senses together!"

Cygnus whirled around and pointed at her. "And that's another thing we will talk about in due time! How could you, Narcissa! How could you accept to go out with that boy of all persons! Have you no shame!"

Before Narcissa could reply, Andy had given a raucous laughter. "But why! Isn't that what you're all about, Papa? I thought a Black girl couldn't do any better than get off with two thousand years of pureblood inbreeding! You ought to be so proud with her choice!"

"I'm not getting off with him! I -"

"Later!" Cygnus barked and returned to glare at Andromeda. "Don't change the subject! This boy is even more inappropriate than her companion, and what does my wayward daughter do? Engage herself to marry him! Ha! How silly can you be, Andromeda! How blind! Of course he wants to marry you! He is nothing, he's got nothing! Couldn't do any better than catch a Black, could he? But not with me, Missy, not with my money!"

Amandine put her hand on her husband's arm. "Chéri -"

"Nec tibi nobilitas poterit succurrere amanti, nescit amor priscis cedere imaginibus!" Andromeda wore a triumphant expression.

"Iuvenilis ardor impetu primo furit, languescit idem facile nec durat diu. Si qua voles apte nubere, nube pari! Aurum omnes victa iam pietate colunt!"

"Neminem pecunia divitem fecit! Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro!"

Cygnus snorted, addressing his wife, "He's out to get her dowry, but mark my words, he won't see a bloody knut!"

"Cygnus!" Amandine minded strong language, even in a moment like this, which was funny, Narcissa found, because the French had the world's best assortment of swear words, as far as she could tell. In this situation though, she had no mind to mull over manners. She felt sorry for her parents, just like for Andromeda, although in case of the latter, she also strongly disapproved of her behaviour towards their parents.

"Money, that's all you can think of," Andromeda hissed. "Is it so hard to believe that a guy should care for me, as a person?! That someone could want to marry me without thinking of money, or family lines, or the rest of this crap?!"

"Oh, you're pretty enough to be sure, silly as a chicken, but pretty!"

Andromeda sneered in disdain. "Stultorum infinitus est numerus, eh?!"

"That's a nice bonus for such a fortune seeker, getting himself a pretty, stupid broad that's loaded with gold! But not with my money, missy, not with my money!"

"You can keep your money, old man!"

He giggled hysterically, waved his hand and whirled around, pointing at Narcissa now and glaring. "And you, young Miss! I'm particularly disappointed with you, Narcissa! Light of my eyes, and you deceit me! You've been in the secret! You've been in league with them! It would have been your duty to inform your parents about this utter disgrace!"

Before Narcissa could think of an answer, Andromeda cried out in contempt, "Has your little spy failed you? Your little darling, eh? Dear, dear Cissy, always so good, always so obedient!"

Narcissa couldn't believe her own ears. She had kept her silence to do her sister a favour, and this was her reward?! "I thought it was up to you to tell them!"

"Associates in crime!" Cygnus shrieked. "My own daughters betray me!"

"Get off it! Nobody has betrayed you!"

"Tainting my dearest girl, Andromeda! Are you proud with yourself?"

"Exceedingly! I hadn't believed your dearest girl could possess something like a backbone!"

"Cygnus, Andromeda," Mrs Black tried once more, clasping her handkerchief before her breast. "We can sort zis out, entendez! I 'ave a suggestion to make. We will - 'ow do you say - put zis on ice, eh? Zis 'ole engagement. Andromeda will start 'er college in September like planned -"

"College? She's too dumb for that, obviously!"

They kept on screaming and insulting each other; more and more, Narcissa believed that this must be a nightmare. It couldn't be real. It mustn't be real. Both her father and Andromeda kept on attacking each other as well as Narcissa, who found it increasingly difficult to keep her composure. She understood that they were very upset, but she saw no justification for putting the blame on her, to let off steam on her expense, and she was scandalised with both of them.

Poor Amandine tried to soothe the parties, but except for Narcissa, no one seemed to hear her. Those two had taken each other's hands and squeezed them for comfort, and after more than two hours, Amandine seized her chance when both combatants made a quick break to get some air, and proposed a compromise. Andromeda was supposed to refrain from seeing her fiancé for one year, to find out whether their feelings for each other would last and stand up to that test. In return, her parents would promise to accept her decision after that period, whatever it would be.

Narcissa felt a rush of relief - this was the first sensible idea since they had entered the house; Cygnus stared at his wife in speechless incredulity. Andromeda faltered, her scarlet cheeks turning white, and she briefly looked to the floor. "No, Maman. That won't be possible."

"But why?" Narcissa and Amandine cried simultaneously.

"I cannot not see Ted for so long. And trust me, you don't want me to either."

"Now she's finally lost her last bit of sanity," Cygnus snapped. "Your mother offers you a unique chance for reconciliation, and you decline?! You expect us to believe that this was more than just some petty puppy love and then you -"

"I will marry Ted as soon as possible. I must. You wouldn't want it any other way." She raised her gaze, took a deep breath and went on, "A new son-in-law isn't the only thing you'll get, Maman. You'll also be a grandmother."

For a whole minute, there was deep silence. Cygnus opened and shut his mouth but no sound would come, his wife had clasped her throat and choked in shock, and Narcissa... Narcissa had closed her eyes, processing the news more speedily than their parents and seeing all the awful consequences in merciless clarity. Andromeda was pregnant - it couldn't have come any worse. In this moment, it wasn't even so important that the child's father was no pureblood. She had violated the number one of the unspoken rules. Her father would never accept any man who had been caught meddling with one of his daughters before a ring - a wedding ring! - was on her finger. Sure, Bellatrix had had her share of fun before getting married, too, but she had been clever enough to conceal that from their father. Nisi caste, saltem caute! And Amandine was a devout Catholic, did that need any further explanation?

Andy had undermined the little chance she had had to prompt their parents to accept Ted Tonks. It was all over. Their father would never forgive either of them, she would be cast out of the family with all consequences, no money, no acknowledgement of either husband or child...

She looked over to her sister, who clearly expected some sign of sympathy, but Narcissa could merely shake her head. Oh Andy... She was unspeakably sad; she didn't want to lose Andy - her favourite sister - the only person in the world that came close to a confidante. As if all this wasn't tragic enough, their bad luck swung back to strike with full force - Amandine collapsed with a last, meek whimper and fell to the floor.

Everything after that horrible second seemed to be in a haze; Narcissa could hardly recall mere fractions of this night after her mother's seizure. She had screamed and her father had screamed - some servant had been sent to fetch a Healer - half a dozen of them had coddled over Amandine trying to revive her. At some point, after Healer Smethwyk had announced that Amandine had sustained a cardiac arrest but would probably survive, Narcissa had seen Andy drag two bags along the hallway, she had stopped, embraced her little sister and said goodbye.

"Don't go, Andy! We can sort this out, we can -"

"It's over, Cissy. I got to do what I got to do. I'm sorry that I've spoilt your chances for ever going out again, but seeing whom you'd be meddling with, I dare say you ought to thank me on the long run. Tell Maman I love her. We'll keep in touch."

Narcissa cried mutely, not noticing the tears. The fear for her mother's life - the shock of Andy's pregnancy - the pain of seeing her walk out of the door, knowing she would never set her foot again in this house - and not at last her father's voiceless wrath. He was heartily attached to his wife and children, suffering as much as everyone else, and to her bad luck, Narcissa was the only one left to vent his anger and despair.

Never before he had been furious with her, not even disappointed. She had always been his darling child, and this one had no clue how to deal with this unprecedented outrage. If only he had shouted at her! But still, he wouldn't raise his voice when addressing his 'little flower', as he had always called her until this night. His reproaches were bitter and cynical, he hissed at her full of contempt and deepest disappointment, putting the full amount of blame on her. She could have prevented all this. If she had told them like she had ought to, about Andromeda's unsuitable suitor, they would have taken the proper measures to stop that unholy affair, and Andromeda would not have got pregnant, and ultimately, their mother wouldn't lie on her sickbed now, paper-white and half-dead.

In her head, she knew that nothing of this was her fault, but the frights of the night, her father's coldness and all the rest made her feel so nauseated that she couldn't grasp a rational thought. The sun had long raised before she was eventually sent to her room, with the clear announcement that she wasn't to leave it again until the end of the holidays, not for the meals, not for the piano, and certainly not for sheer entertainment either. She didn't care. The only thing that mattered now was that her mother would be well again; she'd gladly stay in this room for the rest of her entire life, if she could undo this previous night, if her mother would walk in now, rosy and lively and serene like ever.

By chance, she spotted her reflection in the mirror, sneering contemptuously. Fourteen hours earlier, she had enthused about some silly robes, had been happy with trifles like her hairdo, had taken pleasure in going out with a notorious scoundrel to flatter her own vanity. She was every bit as silly as those stupid girls she always scorned, just as superficial, just as mindless!

She undressed, throwing the precious silk garments into the fireplace, and set them on fire with her wand. Then she lied down on her bed, stared at the ceiling and willed herself to sleep, which, of course, wasn't successful. Her mind was racing over the same issues, over and over again, and the next time she looked at the clock, it was already past eleven o'clock. She got up again and rang for a servant, wanting to hear how her mother was.

"Miss Narcissa," the elf squeaked unhappily. "My good Miss Narcissa, Elsy is so, so sorry!"

"Skip that part and tell me about my mother, Elsy!"

"The Mistress isn't well, Miss Narcissa. Oh! Oh! Not at all well!"

She had been treated with sedatives and was still sleeping, bless her, and declining to be brought a breakfast tray, Narcissa locked herself in again, dully staring out of the window, but without seeing the garden, or anything in it. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, when she was disturbed in her misery. Elsy had knocked, announcing a visitor.

Nec... If you're in love, your noble background won't help you, Love won't be ruled by your ancestors' portraits!

Iuvenilis... Youthful fancy raves in the first rush of passion, but equally quick it will wane, not lasting. If you want to marry happily, choose a man equalling you!

Aurum... After the downfall of common decency, everyone worships gold.

Neminem... Money has never made anyone rich. All the world's gold does not offset liberty.

Stultorum... The number of idiots is infinite!

Nisi... Not chaste, but cautious.