Narcissa remained perched on Reinhardt's lap, watching the gears turn in his brilliant mind. She reached out, tracing the line of his jaw. "What are you thinking about, Rein?"
"I'm thinking about how to make Evelyn mine," Reinhardt replied bluntly.
Narcissa's eyes widened in sheer shock. "Why her? After everything the Malfoys have done?"
"Because she is a damn good woman," Reinhardt said, his gaze fixed on the distance. "She protects the people she cares about with a ferocity few possess. She is cunning, intelligent, and loyal to a fault. Who would want such a woman to be left out in the cold? And do you really think it was Lucius's stupid brain that came up with the idea to sell you?"
Narcissa blinked, the realization hitting her like a cold wave. "Was it not?"
"It was Evelyn," Reinhardt confirmed. "When I brought up the compound interest, I watched their faces. They were both shocked, yes, but I saw a specific kind of tension in Evelyn. I could tell it was her who calculated the risk and suggested sending you away to save the rest of the family. If a woman like that is rotting in the dirt or trash of a marriage like hers, why not bring her into my house?"
Narcissa took a moment to process the depth of Evelyn's gamble, nodding slowly as she leaned into him. "Do you need me to help you bring her in?"
"Nah," Reinhardt replied with a smirk. "For now, let her be. I'll deal with her later. Right now, my mind is on some... other things."
"What is it?" Narcissa asked, curious.
"Is Lucius's sidekicks—Lord Crabbe and Lord Goyle—actually his lovers? And more importantly... who is the top and who is the bottom?"
Narcissa burst into a fit of genuine, melodic laughter. She had expected him to be hungry for more power or more women, but the sight of the most powerful boy in the world theorizing about the Malfoy inner circle's bedroom habits was too much. "Lucius is pretty much the top, I think," she managed to say through her giggles.
"I thought so too," Reinhardt mused. "Does Parkinson belong on that list as well?"
"I don't know for sure," Narcissa replied, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. "But they are always together. It wouldn't surprise me."
"And what about Draco?" Reinhardt asked, his expression turning slightly more clinical. "Has he picked up any of Lucius's... hobbies?"
"So far, no," Narcissa said, her tone becoming a bit more concerned. "But he only ever wanders around with the younger Crabbe and Goyle. He doesn't talk to girls at all."
Reinhardt sighed, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "If Evelyn doesn't patch Draco up and guide him soon, he's going to turn out just like his father. A total loss."
"Maybe," Narcissa agreed, her heart lighter than it had been in a decade.
Status Update
Strategic Targets: Evelyn Malfoy (Mary Sera) is now a "Must Acquire" target. Information Unlocked: You have mapped the "Malfoy Secret Circle." Household Mood: Narcissa is fully relaxed and enjoying your company.
[System Notification: Darling, your 'World Deviation' meter just ticked up to 12%. It seems your theories about the Malfoy social circle are quite close to the truth. Would you like me to start monitoring Lord Parkinson's private correspondences?]
Reinhardt shifted Narcissa on his lap, his gaze steady as he looked into her eyes. "So, tell me about your sisters, Cissy."
Narcissa leaned her head against his shoulder, her voice dropping into a somber tone as she spoke of her fractured family. "I have two sisters: Bellatrix and Andromeda. For a long time, the world believed Bellatrix was a loyal soldier of the Dark Lord, married to Lestrange. They say she is on the run now, but I never believed the stories they told."
She took a shaky breath. "When I met my uncle Arcturus—who tried to save me from the Malfoys but was ultimately defeated—I asked him the truth about Bella. He told me that Bellatrix was assaulted and experimented on by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They used her, then threw the blame on her for all the atrocities they committed. It was Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix who actually helped her escape the frame-up, but I haven't known where she was hiding since then."
"Was Lucius involved in that too?" Reinhardt asked, his voice cold.
"Yes," Narcissa replied bitterly. "He was right there."
"And what about your other sister?"
"Andromeda married Ted Tonks, a muggle-born," Narcissa explained. "But after my niece, Nymphadora, was born and Bellatrix escaped, the Death Eaters were furious. They couldn't find Bella, so they took their rage out on Andromeda and Ted. Ted died in the chaos. My sister is still alive, but she struggles. Uncle Arcturus sends her and Nymphadora money secretly so the Ministry and the other Dark families don't find out. Sometimes, when Lucius was out, I would visit her and my niece in secret."
Reinhardt watched her closely. "Is your sister angry at you? Or at Bellatrix? After all, it was the Death Eaters' pursuit of your family that led to her husband's death."
"At first, I thought she would be," Narcissa admitted, looking down at her hands. "But when I finally spoke to her, Andromeda told me she felt no anger toward us. It turns out that after Nymphadora was born, she and Ted argued constantly. They were actually planning to get a divorce. On the very day Ted died, they had reached their breaking point."
"Why were they fighting so much?" Reinhardt asked, curious about this deviation from the history he thought he knew.
"During the time Andromeda was pregnant, Ted went to a party. He got drunk and had an affair that very night," Narcissa revealed. "He kept meeting the woman afterward, and Andromeda eventually found out. That is how they became so estranged. When he died, the grief was complicated by the betrayal she already felt. She doesn't blame me or Bella for what happened to him."
Reinhardt leaned back, letting out a long, slow whistle. "I don't know what to say, Cissy. I am honestly speechless."
Narcissa gave a weak, weary nod. "I was equally speechless when I found out. Our family is a garden of secrets and thorns."
System Insight
[Darling, your 'World Deviation' meter has jumped to 15%.] the System whispered in his mind. [The 'Noble' Ted Tonks being an unfaithful husband and Bellatrix being a victim of the Death Eaters rather than their general... this world is far more grey than the books ever suggested.]
Reinhardt ran a hand through his silver hair, thinking of the Black sisters. One was a hidden survivor (Bellatrix), one was a struggling single mother (Andromeda), and the one in his lap was his new CEO.
Status Update
The Black Sisters: You now have the full picture of the House of Black's internal tragedy.
New Potential Allies: Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks.
Missing Piece: Bellatrix Black's location remains the ultimate prize.