Hogsmeade's first annual Halloween Celebration seemed to have been a success. The square had filled with people well before the official start of festivities, only thinning once the children came down from their individual sugar highs and crashed, sometimes with great noise, into exhaustion. It made her glad that she had never had any children, though sometimes she did regret the lack.

The crowd milled around, enjoying the last of the music and dancing as they waited for the signal to end. Maria had been told that the planned fireworks were going to be spectacular, and she was looking forward to the play of lights in the sky.

She was watching one mother hustle her older child away when a familiar visage caught her attention. Smiling, she made her way to her old friend and stepped beside her.

"This is not the type of thing I expected you to enjoy, Narcissa."

Narcissa turned and smiled at her friend, kissing the air besides her cheeks.

"Well, Maria, you are right, but someone has to keep an eye on my children. Draco especially. Trust me," she said dryly, "I would much rather be at home watching house elves clean than be here."

Maria shuddered at the idea. Watching house elves clean? Who would willingly do that?

"Is Draco here, then? I thought he was still abroad. What in Slytherin's name could he have done to put that look on your face, dear?"

Narcissa crossed her arms and sneered at a small, screeching child. "He's been home for nearly a month, and already he and Blaise are wreaking havoc, but Draco has done much to put such a look on my face." She rolled her eyes. "Draco came dressed tonight, or should I say, did not come dressed? I was walking down the main street and saw a flash of him. How would you feel if your only son was walking around wearing nothing but a fig leaf?"

"Scandalized," she answered promptly. She had seen a glimpse of someone wearing nothing but a bit of greenery earlier and had been disgusted by the display. The only redeeming feature had been that the young man was fit enough to do the "outfit" justice, not that she noticed that sort of thing about much younger men, of course. To suggest otherwise was absurd. To learn that it was a young man from such a high-ranking family made her stomach roil.

"Despite your son's public lewdness, how has life been treating you? I really must find the time to stop by for tea, you know. It feels like an age since we had a good tea." It was perhaps the only thing she disliked about her job. She rarely had time for outside pleasures nowadays and could only assume that her schedule would only worsen as she continued to climb the ladder of success.

"Life has been fine, I suppose. Even with Draco home, nothing has changed. Blaise is doing better with him home, but other than that, there has been nothing to note. And yourself? How is work, darling?"

"Work has been work. I did have a bit of excitement last week when someone decided that coming into my office and insulting me was a good idea. It was a bit odd, actually. Tumblerose had always been pleasant before." And had tried to apologize shortly after the incident, claiming he had no idea why he had done so. It was perhaps something she should look into.

"It constantly surprises me," Maria said conversationally. "That our community tends to be like one of those mundane birds that buries it's head in the sand. Osterich?" She had never been one for animals, magical or otherwise. "It hasn't occurred to anyone that perhaps they should be wary of a new Grindelwald or Voldemort when it's quite obvious that someone new must be just over the horizon."

Narcissa grinned. "If it were anyone but you, I would say talk like that could get you into hot water. But as you're the person who leads Magical Law, I guess it is rather pointless." When she thought she saw a flash of a large, pale body, she rolled her eyes and turned to face Maria more fully.

"Do you think you have a problem in your department? One who is trying to be this new evil? You might just become very busy in the future if that's the case."

"I can't think of any of my employees who have the right talents to rise to a Dark Lord. I'm sure there's a few people who are, shall we say morally ambigous, but that's normal for any large piece of government. And perhaps necessary. There are sections of the MLE where the employees have to do things that others would find distasteful. A little moral ambiguity there is not so bad. No, I doubt anyone who works for me aspires to such great heights."

"Excellent, because the last thing our world needs is some out-of-Hogwarts tart who thinks he or she could rule the world and cure the evils with rainbows and puppies," Narcissa grinned at Maria. "Don't you agree?"

"Absolutely. The wizarding world needs a firm, experienced hand. It's too bad you never showed any interest in politics, Narcissa. You would make an excellent leader." As far as fishing expeditions went, it was fairly obvious. But she needed to know where her friend stood.

Narcissa smirked and casually looked over the bustling crowds. A particularly young mother with her child was trying to get the screaming, wriggling worm to stay in a stroller and not having any luck. Thank Salazer Draco had been well behaved in public. And Narcissa knew she herself never looked so distraught or harried in public. It was distasteful.

"Maria, you of all people should know I was not the quiet, meek wife most thought me to be. I knew politics. I could not have been a Black and married to Lucius Malfoy and not know them. No, I knew exactly what was going on and if I disagreed with something, I was sure to let Lucius know. Why get your own hands dirty when you can influence others and let them do the dirty work for you?" She smiled. "Not that I did anything so distasteful as running around in black capes and setting fire to villages. So barbaric."

"Indeed," Maria smiled, her own gaze following Narcissa's. She frowned at the mother and child, both of whom looked too young to be up this late. "I never did understand Voldemort's methods. Killing Muggles seemed like such a waste of time and energy. Of course, I suppose his psychopathic tendancies made it seem reasonable to him."

She looked away from the mother and smiled sympathetically at Narcissa. "It is disappointing that he managed to take so many from our pure-blooded families down with him. Has the Ministry finally stopped bothering you about Lucius's actions? I turned away so many requests to search the Manor after I took office that I can't help but think that a few must have slipped through."

"A few young Aurors thought to gain fame by trying to search the Manor and find any dark objects they think Lucius might have hidden away, but I could handle them myself." She smirked. "You'd think they had never seen hellhounds before. No one was injured of course, but I haven't heard from them since."

"That's good to hear." Turning away the requests had seemed like the very least she could do to help out an old friend, though sometimes she wished that it had been within her power to do more. Narcissa should not be punished for her husband's unfortunate decisions. Though, really, did her friend have to turn hellhounds loose on her Aurors? And was that why Auror Drome was reported to wet himself any time he heard a dog bark?

"I believe the fireworks are about to start. Which, unfortunately, means I need to dash, Narcissa. I have a previous appointment I simply can not miss." She leaned over and kissed the air near the blonde's cheek. "I'll owl you soon, to arrange lunch or tea."

"Oh please do, darling," Narcissa said, grinning. "With the boys over constantly I miss civilized conversation. I might just have to to interrupt your busy day once for tea sometime. Have a nice night."

Narcissa watched Maria weave through the crowds before hearing the sound of the first firework behind her. She turned away from the direction she had watched Maria walk in and rolled her eyes at the fireworks. She stopped when the Dark Mark was suddenly launched into the air. Her eyebrows shot up. Someone had better be careful if they were going to shoot off a Dark Mark when so many people were watching the area.

But when the peacock also shot up and ate the Dark Mark, her expression changed to a smirk.

Things are about to be very interesting.

[Summary]: Narcissa and Maria meet up at the Hogsmeade Festivities.