multiversallogs | please sir, may I have some more?

Who:Narcissa, other Narcissa, Lucius, older Lucius?, Rodolphus, Bellatrix?, and anyone who meets Narcissa on the way
What: Sucking up her pride and learning to cook
Where: The Malfoy townhouse, and the streets between her home in Syriac Well and theirs in Sobek Croix
When: Some. Time. >>
Notes: None?
Warnings: None of those, either.

Despite having repairs to her kitchen completed to the point that it is functional once more, Narcissa is unwilling to tempt fate further with her efforts to feed herself something other than sandwiches. Gathering her slightly tattered pride around her like a mantle, she covers it with her cloak; the weather is cooling, and twilight is not a time of day to be out and about without an extra layer, especially when one is not entirely sure of the distance one is to travel.

Apparating would have been a sensible choice, but two things were preventing her, other than her own nausea brought on by that mode of transportation - she's never been to the townhouse, although the address is branded in her mind, and she's not clear on how well Apparation will work, here. Splinching is uncomfortable, and worse when no one is trained to put you back together again. As one who avoids discomfort where possible (unless, as is the case with these cooking lessons, her pride gets in the way), Narcissa is content enough to walk.

It's not as though anything will happen to her on these streets, she's in a very good neighbourhood.

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"I'm managing."

No, of course he hasn't. Not that's she's done anything to require worrying about, other than setting fire to things.

"Did-- did she tell you why I'm visiting?"

"I believe she mentioned cooking." He doesn't want to embarrass her; on the other hand, they've all had to make some adjustments. This isn't home, and he's coming back from work.

How the mighty have fallen.

"Yes, well. It can't hurt."

It can only help, really. She's still too thin, and sandwiches and hope aren't assisting matters.

"It certainly can't. She's done very well, for us, I'm sure she'll be a fine teacher." He always thought, in another life, she might have been good at teaching more generally, but that's a ship long-sailed.

"It must be strange for you, though. Considering."

"I did get a sense of that from her, yes."

That ship may or may not leave port for her. She's yet to truly decide, since one momentous decision had just been made before she found herself here.

"Erm. It is, rather. I try not to dwell on it, though, lest I drive myself mad."

"Did she mention..." Lucius almost hesitates, for a moment. "I've found myself something like a similar situation." He still isn't sure at all how he feels about his alternate.

She stops, even if he doesn't.

"She didn't. Are you alright?"

He stops when he notices she has. "I'm fine." Or fine enough to say so convincingly at least. "He's staying with us, though - if you see him, I'll warn you that he's a bit distressing." For a variety of reasons. "He keeps to himself a great deal, though."

"You aren't. I know you well enough to tell that, Lucius."

Not in the least because she also knows precisely how he feels.

"I'll... be aware. Thank you."

He reaches out to touch her arm. "Alright. I'm not, but I shall be." He's resolved on that point. He'd known much of his possible future already; this shouldn't change a thing.

It's simple enough to lay her hand over his for a moment.

"Of course you will."

If nothing else, Malfoys have a tendency to prevail.

Lucius smiles, though it's a bit tight. It's hard to convince himself that Malfoys always prevail with his shattered alternate living under his roof. But forewarned is forearmed. It won't happen to him.

"So, have you met my wife in person yet, or will this be the first time?"

Noted, but not commented on. She's heard enough of the future to be wary of it.

"...this will be the first time, actually. We've spoken over the CiDs a few times, but I've not had the pleasure of meeting her in person, yet."

She's both excited and apprehensive, and not just because she's there for assistance.

"No doubt it will be very strange, but I'm glad you're helping one another." They were family of a sort, and that mattered. He felt this Narcissa was more his than, say, Bellatrix was, for example.

"I'm not sure that I'm doing anything in return, to be perfectly frank."

And not for the first time she wonders what her older self will ask. It's what she would do.

"Perhaps it's just an odd sort of self-preservation," he says, considering it. "But I'm sure you know as well or better than I do that she wouldn't offer to help if she didn't wish to."

"Oh, that much I know," she replies, a hint of wry humour colouring her tone. "But I also know that I don't offer help without filing the acceptance away for calling in later."

He raises his hands with a smile. "Point taken. But I can't imagine for her asking for any favor in return that would put you in too dangerous or compromising a position." Him, yes. Her other self, unlikely.

"Neither can I, which bodes well, I suppose."

Her smile is a little more relaxed, now.

"And I will have something else to eat other than sandwiches, which is going to be perfectly wonderful."

"I can sympathize. The last place I was, before here, at least I could wire funds from Gringotts." Here, at least he'd had some previous relationships with Hellsing upon which to trade, but it wasn't at all the same thing.

"That would be incredibly useful."

She looks cagey for a moment.

"I managed to hoard a large number of those crowpearls, and exchanged them. But I'm not sure how much longer it's going to last."

"Clever," he said, approving. "Narcissa and I will help you in any way we can, of course."

"I thought so."

It's impossible not to blossom under praise, especially when it's been duly earned.

"Thank you, but I don't want to put you out. You've more than enough to deal with as it is, if the members of your household are any indication."

"Well, that's always true, but even so. You're family, and that doesn't go away because it's just inconvenient," he said, firmly. "If nothing else, if you can think of something you'd like to do, I can use some connections and see if I can help find you a place."

"That's incredibly comforting, thank you."

She's referring to both the assertion of family membership and the offer of assistance.

"The home I've moved into had a piano... I daresay I could give lessons if I truly had to."

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