Whether good or truly terrible, Porphyria did usually get some reaction when she talked to people, so this lingering silence was... strange. She peered at Mrs. Malfoy, finding no more reaction in her face than from her mouth.

She was – a little bewildered by this. Had she broken her somehow? Had she prodded a little too much, gone a little too far, offended her so thoroughly that she had forced November Malfoy to close off entirely and blank her, to her face, in some ladylike defence?

Well, no matter. The music would strike up again soon, surely – and until then, Porphyria wasn’t scared of silence.

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