14 for hc meme :D
MEME RESPONSE: #14. Puppet (Manipulation Two or One Way Street)
“…and from a sociological standpoint, it does seem so interesting,” Narcissa gushed. “I’m ever so fascinated by the wix rights movement. Aren’t you?” She let her eyelashes flutter – just a little. She didn’t want it to look like she was flirting (no more than the customary, requisite flirt of a pretty young lady speaking coyly with a handsome young man of such interesting background; if she wasn’t flirting a little people would think something was wrong) but she did want to keep him both interested and off-balance.
From the slight frown on Remus Lupin’s face, she thought she had succeeded so far – or perhaps he just didn’t much care for the day’s tea (a rich black with rather a dash too much peppermint, in her opinion, but mother loved it so).
Narcissa stirred hers – needlessly, since she had added barely a pinch of sugar to her cup which had long since dissolved – and added lightly, “Of course, just reading about it in the papers is rather unsatisfying, I must admit…or perhaps you disagree? You must do so much reading in university, I suppose you are more used to drawing vigorous conclusion from plain prose…”
“Oh, er – yes, I suppose I do, but – well, there’s something to be said for hands-on research too,” Remus said, slightly flustered (there really was far too much peppermint in this blend; Narcissa made a mental note to adjust it when mother wasn’t looking). “Er, not that I object to the reading they have us do, of course…”
“No, of course not,” Narcissa agreed quickly, “it must be fascinating, that sort of intense academic study. I do wish mother thought a university education more necessary to a young lady’s future, but she’s so dreadfully proper sometimes…” She sighed gustily, a pretense; she wished for no such thing really, but thought she could engender Remus’s sympathy by playing on his apparent enjoyment of his academic pursuits. Cissy would have quite enjoyed deeper study on certain subjects, really; her only objection to university was the idea of having to follow someone else’s lead in what she was to learn, and how. She preferred taking such matters into her own hands.
“Oh, um,” said Remus. He seemed torn how to offer sympathy for her without insulting her mother, the poor dear – or maybe he was just bored with her pouting. Most men found it charming, but sometimes it did fall flat… But then putting his overly-sharp cup of tea down, the gallant werewolf mustered himself – against either the tea or her petulance, Cissy couldn’t be sure – and said, “Well I suppose it wouldn’t be improper to go and have a look, would it?”
Narcissa had to work hard to hide her triumphant grin. “Well…not if I had a proper escort to guide me,” she agreed. “That’s an excellent idea, sir! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself, really.” She fluttered her eyelashes again.
