Lucius Hidden Son

Chapter 31 :Manners lessons...

A few minutes later, Narcissia, Draco and Gabrielle were home with all their purchases.

***

They put them in a corner of the lounge before going to the dinner room to eat their meal. Lucius was already waiting for them. He had left Harry eating in his chamber where a house elf had brought him a tray of food.

The little family had a lot of things to tell during the meal. Fortunately, Draco, Gabrielle and Narcissia were off enough time. So, Lucius had enough time to begin lessons with his little Ryry. The poor little panther had a good cold and was stuck to bed. For Lucius, it was a good occasion to learn a little more about his son. He couldn’t find a better time for this.

- « Where is Crookshanks ? I left it in the lounge before leaving.” Asked Gabrielle to her father.

- “ It is in Harry’s room. It ran there the second you left home. It hates being alone. It stays with Harry…” Explained Lucius.

- “Hoooo, I wish I could have show it to Crooshanks…” Say his daughter a little disappointed.

- “ Show it what ?” Asked Lucius with an interrogating look.

- “ The wonderful gift I bought her for her birthday, what else ! Answered Narcissia, very happy to speak about it.

- “ Really ?” Asked Lucius.

- “ I assume that you didn’t notice, do you ? “ Asked his wife.

- “ I saw that Gabrielle had beautiful earrings but I didn’t see anything else but all the boxes in the lounge.” Answered Lucius almost had a heart attack when he saw all those boxes in his lounge. His account at Gringott’s was certainly lighter since this morning.

- “You are perfectly right! Because neither of you were with us, I bought a gift for Gabrielle for each of you. The earrings are from you, Lucius!” Confirmed Narcissia cheerfully.

Having finished the lunch, she took all her family in the lounge, she was as excited as a little girl. She took the cage of the owl and showed it to Severus.

- " This owl is from your part, she will well need it in hogwarts! " Narcissia said to him.

Severus was only able to agree, he perfectly agreed with her friend, the girl would need it.

- " And here is my present! " She said while stretching out the cardboard box to Lucius who opened it and discovered a blue kitten inside.

- " A cat? " Asked Lucius, surprised because his daughter already had a cat, Crookshank.

If everybody continued to bring him animals, the Malfoy Manor would soon become the Malfoy Menagerie! Between the parrot of his wife, both cats of his daughter, both owls of Ryry and all the owls of the Manor, he could soon open a zoo! Nevertheless he held on giving his opinion in a loud voice because it would eventually again inevitably fall above him sooner or later! And then, it was necessary to be honest the small kitten was openly adorable.

- " Isn’t it adorable? " Asked him Narcissia.

For any answer, Lucius held the kitten and pet it what made hum the small ball of hairs, happy to be in the warmth and to be out of its cardboard box! At this moment, Crookshank appeared at the foot of staircases. He had heard the voice of his mistress and had gone out of Harry's room to go to find her.

- " You already have found them names? " Asked Lucius to his daughter while petting the small animal which slept half in his arms.

- " Not still … " Admitted Gabrielle.

- " Say me when you have found them ! Because if I have all these tiny creatures which roam in my Manor, I want at least to know how to call them! " He says to her funnily while petting the kitten, who was asleep.

- " Very well, I shall do it! " Answered the girl by showing the newcomer to her orange-coloured cat so that it examines it and decides to accept it or not.

After a fast examination of the tiny creature, the orange cat accepted it. Gabrielle was thus able to put the kitten on the ground, at the moment perfectly woken by the presence of the other cat, and let it play with Crookshank.

- " Are we going to tidy up your clothes ? Lucius has to resume his lessons with Ryry and we also have got a lot to do both … " Said Narcissia to her daughter without specifying to Gabrielle what she will have to do.

- " It is a very good idea. I believe that we shall do the practical exercises in common tomorrow, it will be better. Harry can get up, I think. " Said Lucius before leaving to join the room of the big ill ball of hairs whom was his son.

If he counted Harry with, it made three cats in the house … He would not miss more that two others have the big idea of being future animagi, as it, he would really have everything! Refreinant the shiver of dismay which went back up along his vertebral column, Lucius entered the room of Ryry, chasing away his feline thoughts and putting himself in search of the famous textbook which he had offered to his son for Christmas …

***

In Gabrielle's room, it was the complete mess! All the packages were put on her bed. Her mother and she were in full arrangement. They had practically ended. There were not more than swimsuits, underwear and nightdresses. All this resulted from the same store. Gabrielle would have preferred pajamas for winter but her mother had refused explaining her that the girls wore warm nightdresses in winter and nightgown in summer. Never, a girl wore pajamas! It was for the boys! Furthermore, they gave aswarmly as a pajamas, what doubted Gabrielle but refrained from comment.

They thus stopped tidying up everything in the cupboards of the blue sky room before Narcissia pulls her towards in the room where she spent most of her time to do the knitting, the embroidery, to arrange bunches of flowers, to play the piano and to sing. Both cats which had attended the arrangement also accompanied them there. The owl decided to stay on its perch, next to the desk of the girl. By entering this room, Gabrielle made the reflection that it pleased her in no way! She had the impression that she was going to spend hours and hours in this one! And she was far from being wrong!

- " Settle down on the sofa, my kitten, I return at once! " Said her mother before going out of the room.

Gabrielle thus sat down on the soft sofa of the small room. Crookshanks and the blue kitten climbed too above and settled down each on one of the uncountable multicolored pillows which recovered (it next to their mistress. Some minutes later, Narcissia returned with a book of the size of a textbook in hands. Gabrielle wondered vaguely what she intended to do with it.

- " Here we go! " Said hermother by settling down too on the sofa, at her daughter’s right because the left part had been invaded by the cats which hummed cheerfully on pillows.

Narcissia put the textbook on her knees. Throwing at it a brief blow of eye, Gabrielle recognized the cover of a textbook of herbologie but she saw badly what her mother wanted to do with this.

- " To your opinion, Gabrielle, at what do we recognize the girls of good families with regard to the others who come from families, let us say, less indeed educated or poured into the good manners? " Asked her mother to begin a reflection which would lead her to do the first exercise with her daughter.

The girl who expected in no way this kind of questions, especially with the textbook of herbologie, took two minutes to have the time to reflect and to formulate a coherent answer.

- " Hey indeed I think that we recognize a girl of good family by her attitude, her manners, the way she expresses herself, her clothing customs and also … " Answered Gabrielle who began suddenly to understand for what the textbook was going to be of use.

A usage very different from its first usage, it was certain!

- " And also? " Repeated Narcissia to encourage her to end her sentence.

- " The way she is held, is her step? " Finished the girl.

" You are perfectly right, my angel! It is completely this! " Congratulated her Narcissia, very proud of her daughter and her intelligence which was recognized in all Hogwarts.

In these words, Narcissia got up, took the textbook and made sign to her daughter to do the same.

- " It is even with this that we are going to begin! " She says to her.

She made her sign join her. She put Gabrielle in front of her and corrected her posture.

- " You always have to keep the back straight, the head high! Bring in buttocks and stomach! Here is! Completed! " Explained her mother who corrected the position of her daughter at the same time as she explained.

By being held right, Gabrielle still gained one or two inches. She had a proud look like this.

- " You are more attractive so! " Complimented her her mother.

The girl blushes under the compliment. Narcissia got closer to her daughter and put the famous textbook on her head. She had to learn to remain straight in all the conditions. At her wedding, Narcissia had to wear a diadem of more than two kilos on her head without folding or bending the head. Nevertheless she had managed to keep the royal bearing of a queen lasting all the time of the ceremony. Later, Lucius had admitted to her to have been impressed because it was rare that somebody bears this diadem which was used for the marriages in the Malfoy family since generations.

- " Try to walk by keeping the head and the back right. The book does not fall! " Explained her mother.

Sceptical, Gabrielle sketched some steps, any youngs but does not make a success. The book fell on her feets, making her skip under the pain. Narcissia looked at this show, amused by the reaction of her daughter. When she had calmed down, Gabrielle began again the exercise under the attentive eye of her mother who measured her progress with pride. This time this, Gabrielle had gone through half of the length of the roomwhen the book fell again on her feets. Sighing, she recovered in position. She would arrive there, come what may! One needed! She wanted to honour her parents and not to disappoint them.

If her mother had managed to learn it, she would arrive there also! Seeing the determination of her daughter to make to succeed, Narcissia decided to help her a little.

- " Do not look at your feet or the book will fall. Fix a running stitch before you and never leave it with your eyes, it is the secret ! Try again! " Encouraged her her mother.

Without waiting for a single second, Gabrielle began again by following the recommendations of her mother. Even if her steps were still hesitating, Gabrielle manages to go through all the length of the room under the glance filled with pride of her mother.

- " Wonderfull ! You managed it very well! With a little of practice, you will walk like a true Lady! You have to take confidence in you and you will be the best! " Congratulated her Narcissia.

Her mother made her sign to sit down next to her to rest little. She gave her a cup of tea which an elf had just brought.

- " You were very well! Now, it is necessary for us to pass to the next exercise which asks to master that we have just made. But I am sure that you will be very well! " Began the big blonde .

- " I am already just good with this one, I do not know if I shall success there … " Said her shyly daughter between two mouthfuls of tea.

- " Never doubt your capacities, it is to show your weakness. Somebody should never can see your weaknesses or your fears, he would use it against you. " Explained her mother. Gabrielle agreed.

- " Oh! Because we are there, I am going to give you a trick. If somebody asks you an awkward question or which you do not want to answer, there is a very good means to make wait the one who has just put it to you. You take a mouthful of tea, he cannot oblige you to speak. It will give you the time to think about an answer if you have one of it or to find another question which will embarrass him. So, this person cannot oblige you to answer her because she either will not answer it. " Confided her mother on a conspirator's tone.

- " Can we also decide to change subject? " Asked her daughter.

- " Yes! A good means to change subject is to speak about time! It engages nobody and it will make, clearly to this person, understand that you are not anxious to speak about this subject, it is quite simple, no? " Answered Narcissia.

- " Indeed. What is the next exercise? " Asked Gabrielle, envious to know all that she would have to retain.

Without answering her, her mother went to a cupboard and rereleased Gabrielle's worst nightmare from it: an old pair of shoes with heels! Then, she returned towards her daughter and gave them to her.

- " The next exercise: walking with heels without falling! If you noticed, I bought you only shoes with heels. In fact, it is because we put only this kind of shoes. It is thus needed that you become used to it very quickly! " Said Narcissia by seeing her daughter threading them.

Without knowing it, she had just obliged her daughter fight her worst nightmare! This time, Gabrielle did not fortunately wear a dress, she would not thus be massacred! Getting up, Gabrielle did not make two steps that she passed by on the ground, on knees. Her mother helped her to get up and helped her to remain on her feets.

- " Your centre of gravity moved, it is not any more on the headland of your feets but towards your heels. If you lean too much on your toes, you will fall. You have to take supports on your heels. Try and walks! " Helped her Narcissia.

Giving up the urge to throw these cursed shoes through the window, Gabrielle reassembled her courage to manage to put one foot in front of the other one without stumbling. She manages to make some steps before falling again on the knees, having lost her balance.

- " Get up! If you are not capable of walking correctly, you will never do anything! "

The tone was hard but it gave the strength and the will to Gabrielle to get up and to continue. She fell again about another ten times, getting up every time with more heat and envy to succeed. Finally, she manages to cross the room without falling, the back and the head straight such as a real Lady Malfoy. Her glance fixed the small library of the room and did not move it of a millimeter. By succeeding this exercise, Gabrielle's appearance had just revealed her true nobility and the grace of the girl. Sat on her sofa, Narcissia had tears in the eyes.

Her beautiful kitten became at the moment a real lady who moved with grace and elegance. At this moment, nobody could doubt that Gabrielle was really the daughter of Lucius and Narcissia Malfoy. Unconscious of the turnover of her mother, Gabrielle returned towards her and sat down slowly in the sofa instead of collapsing inside as she made it so often in her former house. She finally had just understood what meant the name of Malfoy and all which went with. At the moment, she knew that we would forgive her no error.

If she committed one inadvertently, she would make a fool of herself. And she intended not at all to disgrace her parents or her family. She would show herself deserving of her parents and what they represented. Gabrielle took a cup of tea, waiting for the continuation of the exercises. Taking back her toughts, Narcissia took her daughter against her and kissed her. She was so proud of her!

- " Now that you are a true Lady, it remains a little more to learn! " Said cheerfully her mother.

She was going to like this part of the apprenticeship! But she knew that her daughter would succeed because she had perfectly executed the other exercises.

- " What is it ? " Asked for Gabrielle with a curious glance.

- " A Lady does isn’t only be recognized by her appearance and her manners. She is also recognized for her talents and the variety of her knowledge. " Explicited Narcissia.

- " What does she have to learn ? " Asked the girl.

- " The singing, the music, the art to compose a bouquet, how to fold a compliment and naturally, how to dance without spreading out all the time! " Finished Narcissia with touch of humor.

- " All this? " Said Gabrielle, horrified by thinking of all that she again had to learn.

- " Yes my kitten! For the dance, we shall see it with your father and Harry tomorrow. Likewise for bouquets and compliments. Today, we shall take charge only of the singing and the piano. With what do you want to begin? " Asked her mother.

- " The singing or the piano … Which one is the easiest to learn? " Asked the girl.

- " It is similar! I believe that we are going to begin with the singing. As it, when you will know how to sing as a nightingale, you can come along in the piano! " Said Narcissia before pulling her in front of said piano.

Gabrielle had already seen one, it was not the problem. The concern was that there was a world between seeing somebody playing the piano and playing it herself. Narcissia placed her daughter in front of the writing desk with a simple partition of a very known song in the wizarding world while herself sat down in the piano with the same partition as she knew how to play by heart.

- " We are going to begin with notes! You are going to go up and to lower the range as this: do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, ré, do, hummed Narcissia of a melodious voice. To you, try! ".

- " Doh, ré, mi , fa, sol, la, si, ré, do " Repeated Gabrielle of a voice very too much hight which would have broken any crystal being in the area. Fortunately for Narcissia, there was any in this room. A good precaution for the incidents …

The try of Gabrielle having made whistle for the ears of both cats, these were not asked for leaving the room by running to take refuge inthe Ryry’s bed, good shielded from the noise, under the amused glance of Lucius who knew the apprenticeship’s program planned by his wife. The only one Casimir, the unfortunate parrot of Narcissia who had landed in this room because Lucius was so to speak allergic to it, stayed in the room to listen to the voice of Gabrielle which sound like a cat in which we have just walked on the tail. This vocal performance left it speechless! Narcissia, which had get blocked ears and which had felt as ice coming down along her vertebral column while her daughter warmed the voice, decided that measures were imperative.

- " My kitten? A small advice: when you sing, bring in the stomach and the buttocks. The voice comes in the bottom from the stomach. You will have a more attractive voice as it. And do not force on the pointed, please … " Begged her almost her mother.

- " Understood! " Her daughter answered .

Gabrielle was very motivated, she had always liked singing! It was for it that without realizing it, she put too much voice(vote) in her range … She began again her range, she was also bad in spite of some improvements. Not losing hope, Narcissia made her work for another four hours. Arrived at the end of four hours, the ears of Narcissia were bleeding. Nevertheless, she was proud of her daughter. She managed at the moment to sing correctly without making whistle the ears of her auditors. With a little of training, she would manage to sing very attractive songs and to have a very beautiful voice. At the end of the singing lesson, Gabrielle's song was completely acceptable. The same Casimir, delighted to have found a partner to sing, had accompanied Gabrielle with it singing during her song.

- " I believe that your voice pleases it! Usually, it is only speaking, I had still never heard it singing previously. Congratulations! You have found an admirer! " Chuckled Narcissia, delighted with the vocal performance of her daughter.

- " I did not know that it spoke! How old is it? " Asked her daughter.

" It has only one year. Harry offered it to me for Christmas. In the fact, my small nightingale, you know that you can be on first-name terms with me, your father also moreover … " Said her mother.

Gabrielle blushes under the name of nightingale. She was much less endowed for the singing than one of these birds!

- " But Ryry and Draco always speak formally with you… " Contradicted Gabrielle.

- " Draco do it so that you learnt, normally he never do it. You speak formally with us in public or when a foreign person is at the Manor. Harry is on first-name terms with Severus too, he is your godfather, he is a part of the family … I am sure that Lucius has of to say the same thing to Ryry today. " Explained her friendly her mother.

- " Very well. I am going to try … " Accepted Gabrielle.

- " All right! Then now let us pass to the last day lesson before the dinner: the piano! I am going to teach you rudiments. Later, you will not have more than to practice. This room is permanently opened to you. Do not hesitate to come, I like to have company during my leisure activities! " Assured her the blonde woman.

Narcissia made her sign to sit down on the stool of the piano. A partition based on the desk. She knew how to read a normal partition but ignored how to read one for the piano.

- " Let us begin with the beginning. On a keyboard of piano, you have seven times all the range of notes which you just sang me right now. If you indeed notice the black keys, they are either by two, or by three. And so you spot Do. It is always to the left of the first black key when they are by two. You see? " Asked her mother who knew very well that it was a little bit delicate to explain.

- " I believe, yes. But to what are of use all the keys? " Asked Gabrielle slightly lost in front of the number of black and white keys.

- " Look, you locate the middle of the keyboard. When you found (it, you look for the beginning, that is for Do. Always to the left of the first black key. You see, here you has them all: do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do. " Explained hermother by pressing on keys while she enumerated them so that Gabrielle made well the difference between sounds.

- " To what are used the other keys then? " Asked the girl, very interested by this lesson.

She had always dreamed to learn to play the piano, but her parents did not be able to pay her lessons because it was very expensive. And now, she had her own professor at home: her own mother. It was magic!

- " The keys which I have just shown you give the " normal " sound. The more you go towards right keys, the more the sound will be high. On the contrary, more you will go towards the left more the sound will be grave. Your hands take place in the middle of the keyboard. The right hand for the high, the left for the grave. A little gift: your hands have to be round off not flattened or you risk to break yourself fingers or to have pain in hands. It seems to you more clearly? " Questioned her her mother.

- " Much more clearly! I had already read textbooks but I had understood nothing. While there, I understood everything. But how do we read the partitions? " Asked her daughter, eager to be able to begin to learn to play.

- " It is quite simple: you see that there are two lines. That of the top is the one of the sol key , all these notes are playing with the right hand. The line down is the one of the fa clef, notes are played with the left hand. For the key of sol, the first note of the line is la. For the fa clef, the first note is do. You thus see that notes are not positioned in the same way on both lines. There, you have no choice, you have to memorize the arrangement of the range on both lines. You want to try? " Asked her mother by seeing her eager at the idea of playing the piano.

- " I want! " Said the girl with a joyful voice.

Beside her, her mother laughs at so much enthusiasm. She knew that it would please her. Narcissia liked playing the piano in her spare time. Noiselessly, she took a small chair and settled down next to her daughter watching at her at first deciphering the partition then trying to play it. At the beginning, Gabrielle had difficulty in placing the fingers because she was not in the habit of moving them independently some of the others. Then, little by little the illness disappeared. She did not any more need to look at the partition then at the keyboard to play a musical note, the fingers moved of them even on the keyboard, she did not have more than to follow the partition which was in front of her and to appreciate the music which rose in the air. Casimir did not miss the opportunity to accompany Gabrielle of its singing while this one concentrated on the partition.

Arrived in the end, she was surprised to hear the parrot take back the song from the beginning and to whistle it till the end without making a single dissonance and without forgetting anything.

- " We have a good applied pupil here … " Said Gabrielle before looking at her mother.

Both roared. They left the room, happy of their day. Then, they went to the dining room where the dinner had just been served. Severus and Lucius already waited for them there. Lucius looked like satisfied with his day with Ryry, as well as Severus who had spent his in the laboratory to brew potions. After the dinner, Gabrielle wished everybody good night and went to her small brother who had not come down to have dinner because he was sick. But Harry already slept. She deposited a kiss on his cheek and went out silently of his room to join her, closely followed by Crookshanks and Yume, the name of the blue kitten which she had found while she played the piano. This name fitted it very well. She entered her room, put a nightdress and went to her bed where both accomplices already hummed in their sleep. In the passage, she petted her great brunette owl. It had silvered reflections under the light of the moon. Suddenly, Gabrielle found the name which was convenient for her owl.

- "Lune" She blew . (Moon in English)

The owl hooted its agreement. Its name pleased it. Everything went for best. By stretching out in her bed, Gabrielle thought of all which had changed in her life since her arrival the Manor . If somebody had said her a few days earlier than she would one day live in the Malfoy Manor, she would have sent him to Saint Mungo, to the psychiatry service and urgently! She fell asleep by thinking of all which waited for her the next day: the practical exercises with Ryry, Draco, her mother and her father, maybe even his godfather. A whole program!

To Be Continued…

This new chapter please you ? A little review please ? Thanks !

Bye, Eriko