Hogsmeade in the summer was a sight. It was not necessarily a pretty sight — void of the nostalgia of autumn leaves, the etherealness of snow-covered roofs of winter and the enticing smell of spring, Hogsmeade felt almost empty. The sun did not add any charm to the wizarding town, and it certainly made dressing for the occasion ostensibly harder because of the heat. Narcissa’s pale green dress certainly looked more expensive than practical, but the material was breathable enough for it to not be too much of a bother. She had come to the town in order to buy new blends of tea, squeezing in lunch with an acquaintance in as well. It was now two in the afternoon, and the blonde was on her way to the teashop.
This, as she was walking outside of her lunch spot, is where it hit her — Or rather, a child happily and accidentally lightly bumped into her legs. The witch had instinctively looked down at what had stopped her in her tracks. The child was unmistakable — Not because every child was, but because this specific, precise child had the overly familiar air of someone Narcissa had known years ago. Or perhaps, maybe, it was that blue eyes had inadvertently already spotted the father of the kid and put two and two together subconsciously. Either way, she had frozen in her tracks.
She knew, of course, that she should turn back around and leave, that nothing good could come off this encounter and that had she been able to meet her niece, she would have done so months ago ( but she couldn't, wouldn’t. Getting attached was a risk Narcissa could not afford to take when her whole family stood firmly against everything the Tonks now represented ). « It’s alright. » She spoke before she could stop herself, voice light and as reassuring as it could be, blue eyes still looking at the little girl to make sure she showed no sign of distress. The blonde had always had a soft spot for children and, regardless of the turmoil of contradicting emotions in her, supposed she could not very well leave a child ( any child ) on their own. « Where are your parents ? » Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this wouldn’t be Ted Tonks coming to collect the little girl. Maybe she was someone else’s, and Narcissa’s mind was playing a cruel trick on her.