Sub Rosa

Chapter 9 – Garden Party

They apparated from the grounds together, Severus in frock coat and emerald green cape, Kathryn in a variegated jade green gown her mother’s designer had created for her.

Severus had raised an eyebrow at her fashionable ensemble and she had merely smiled in return, tucking her hand into his arm as they walked. Her cane was unchanged, she wasn’t joking about how terrible she was at transfiguration.

She had braced herself for the long walk to the front gate of the school, but Severus walked slowly and evenly and she wasn’t too tired by the time they reached a point where they could Apparate.

She had trusted herself to his skill and let him lead the way, as this was her first time at the Manor. He had a light touch at apparating and she wasn’t even dizzy when they arrived.

The Manor was huge, elegant and costly scr screamed wealth and privilege, but unlike Kathryn’s childhood home, it had no warmth. The gardens were perfect with no bush untrimmed or weed allowed to pollute its purity. It was picture postcard perfect, but again there was no feeling of warmth or welcome, just a cool formality. Kathryn could not picture a child playing here. Draco made more sense to her now, looking at this place.

Narcissa swept up to them, regal in purple and silver, with black snakes twined around the hem. Her long black hair and blue eyes were her only her resemblance to her cousin, Sirius, she had none of his warmth or mischief, she was cool and arrogant.

She assessed Kathryn’s clothes and frowned as she catalogued price, design and maker with a practiced eye. Kathryn knew that she would pass the test, her mother had impeccable taste and Kathryn knew the frown was for not being able to sneer.

“Mrs. Malfoy, a pleasure.” She nodded, as to an equal, and watched Narcisslor lor slightly. “Is that a Trouville dress? Quite lovely.” She added, making nice with the viperish woman.

“Yes, thank you, Miss Leblanc and yours, I don’t recognize the designer.” Kathryn smiled, keeping her claws firmly sheathed.

“It’s by Madam Reveille, I’m not surprised you don’t recognize her style, she only works for a few families.” None of which included the Malfoys, she thought savagely.

“Ah yes, I recall her being mentioned.” Narcissa looked about ready to explode and Severus interrupted smoothly.

“You look well Narcissa, how are you these days.” Given the opportunity to wilt and look womanly, Narcissa brightened visibly.

“It has been terrible, dear Severus, you cannot know the agonies I experience knowing my beloved Lucius is being so foully slandered.” She was the perfect Neo-Raphaelite heroine.

“You are a pillar of strength Narcissa.” He replied with such conviction, that Kathryn almost tripped as they were led inhe phe party. He was an incredible actor.

From that point on it was meet and greet, nod and smile, compare lineages, discuss the latest fashions, the latest gossip and who was getting married to whom.

She smileeetleetly, if distantly, at everyone present and inwardly seethed at the nasty cng rng remarks they directed at Severus. It was obvious they felt his lineage, while ancient, was diluted by his lack of fortune, though by many people’s standards he would be rather well off. She was finally detached from Severus by Narcissa and led to a chair.

“Kathryn, I mall yll you Kathryn, since we are family after all, yes?” Without giving Kathryn a chance to answhe whe was already on to the next sentence. “I hope you will forgive how forward I am being, but I simply must tell you how thrilled we all were to hear that a Pure-blood of such a good family had been hired to teach the Defense class.”

Kathryn smiled sweetly at Narcissa, justmothmother had taught her.

“I am very much enjoying teaching, far more than I thought I would. Your son is quite talented.” She said it as though Draco was the only child she taught at all, because in Narcissa’s eyes he would be.

“He is the pride of my life.” Narcissa replied and how she said it, with cool consideration and no brightening of eyes or warming of her skin, was all Kathryn needed to hear to tell her that Narcissa Malfoy had no love for her son. They spoke briefly of Draco’s progress and Narcissa asked after him with the same perfunctory interest that she would have shown asking about any piece of valued property.

Kathryn suppressed the wave of pity that washed over her for Draco. The fact of his mother’s obvious disinterest didn’t change how great a danger he was to Severus. That it was more important to her to preserve Severus than it was to help Draco came as a bit of a surprise. Work before family wasn’t a choice she had ever had to make before. Though, honestly, Harry was family too.

Ten min minutes of quiet conversation with Narcissa was enough to make her want to lunge across the wrought iron table and strangle the life out of the catty bitch. Kathryn was forced to listen to the unbearable whining of the woman about her husband’s plight intermixed with political commentary that was both inaccurate and poorly reasoned. Kathryn could feel a headache coming on just from having to keep silent, nod and smile.

Severus appeared beside her like magic and passed her a glass of something that glowed softly blue. She drank it without a second thought; the scent of it warning her that what looked like Blue Moon tea was, in fact, a pain potion. She smiled as she drank it and turned to thank Severus, who bowed and departed.

“You are a very kind woman, Kathryn.” Narcissa muttered as Severus disappeared among the guests.

“You surprise me, Narcissa, I had always thought myself practical.” Kathryn watched her hostess with a bland expression, not in the least surprised that she missed the sarcasm of the comment entirely.

“Well, to put up with Severus requires such kindness on your part. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I adore Severus dearly.” Yeah sure, Kathryn thought. ”But even I must admit that he is no prize, his ugliness and foul temper are legendary.” Narcissa was leaning forward now, trying to look intimate and friendly, so Kathryn matched her posture, while imagining twenty different ways to disembowel her hostess with the teaspoon in her hand.

“Well, Narcissa dear, there are certain compensations you know.” A demon of mischief possessed Kathryn’s soul at that moment, the slurs and insults she had ignored all day finally catching up to her. She imbued the sentence with a great deal of meaning and lowered her voice to a soft purr.

“Compensations?” Narcissa looked baffled.

“Well, certainly you know the correlation between a man’s nose and um, other parts, dear.” Kathryn smiled; a shark’s grin really.

“Oh? OH!” Narcissa wasn’t the brightest candle in the chandelier, but she inferred rather well. Kathryn gave her a wicked smile, looked up at her through demure lashes and allowed Narcissa to fill in the blanks for herself. Her conclusions were completely false, but Kathryn felt no need to correct her.

Narcissa rushed off soon after to spread the delicious bit of gossip and Kathryn felt very smug indeed. Insult her fri wou would they?

By the time an hour was over, Severus had a reputation as a veritable god of sex and Kathryn was feeling revenged. She just hoped her sense of humor wouldn’t bite her on the ass.