"Andi?!" said Bella, "What happened to you?!"
With a sniffle, Andromeda said, "Th-these girls were mean.."
"That's terrible!" Bella exclaimed, "Why would they be mean to someone as nice a little girl as you?"
"B-because they wanted m-my doll..." her sister said sadly, "Th-they took her, Bella!"
"I'll get your doll back, I promise," Bella comforted, "Just take me back to the park you were playing at, and I will handle it." Andromeda began to do so, but their mother first made her clean off. She re-braided young Andromeda's hair and got her new clothes. They washed the dirt off of her face, knees, and elbows, and then the two sisters left. Bella and Andi trekked back to the park and found three girls, a little bigger than Andi, maybe ten, playing with her sister's doll.
"Hey," Bella said as she approached the girls, "Aren't you girls a little old to be playing with dolls?"
"We can play with whatever we like," one of the three scoffed, and her friends laughed.
"Not when the doll isn't yours," said brave young Bella, "That's my sisters doll, now you give it back, or I will make you." The girls laughed again. They weren't afraid of little Bella. After all, she was only about as big as them.
With a sigh, Bella said, "Fine, you asked for it..." Not allowed to use magic, Bella had only her own hands to rely on. She yanked the doll from the girl holding it, then tossed it to her sister, and as they walked away, she said, "Remind us not to let you play at this park anymore. The scum here is not worth it."
Bella always stuck up for Andi. Andi was family. Family protects each other.
No one called her, "Andi," anymore. It was Andromeda. She was, after all, in her final year of schooling here at Hogwarts. Seventeen and ready for the world, Andromeda never let anyone get in her way or bring her down. This was a monumental year for not only her, but her cousin Sirius, who was starting his very first year. He'd already been sorted to Gryffindor, a very upsetting fact for the family to learn. He'd already made acquaintances. Boys called Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin had become his best mates in a short matter of time. But not everyone was his friend.
A seventh-year Slytherin named Lucius Malfoy had decided it would be fun to pick on young Sirius. He would rip Sirius's clothes, spread rumors, destroy his homework (when he did it, which he rarely did), and other cruel things. Andromeda would not hear of it.
One day, Malfoy was being particularly cruel. Him and his so-called "mates" were pushing Sirius down. Each time he stood up, he faced the embarrassment of once again being shoved to the ground and getting a faceful of dirt. They had taken his wand. Sirius was defenceless.
"Malfoy!" Andromeda shouted, "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"
"Nothing," Lucius lied calmly, stepping in Andromeda's line-of-view of Sirius to block him, "Just meeting with my friends is all, Andromeda. No need to curse."
"I'll curse all I damn well feel like!" Andromeda snapped, "And quit lying to me! You're hurting my cousin!" In the time it took to blink, she had drawn her wand and held it aimed at Lucius.
"Now, Andromeda, let's not be rash," Lucius pleaded, "We're just playing with him is all. Do not do something you will later regret.."
"Don't fret your pretty little head, Lucius," Andromeda sneered, "I won't regret this." Wordlessly, Lucius turned into a ferret. She caused him to rise and fall repeatedly, then stuck him at the top of a tree. Then she changed him back.
"Black!" Lucius fumed, "You get me down from here, I tell you, right now!"
"Hmm.. Something still isn't right.." Andromeda puzzled. "Ah, yes, I know! Langlock!" Lucius began to scream, but before a single word could escape, his tongue became glued to the roof of his mouth, silencing him. Andromeda glanced at Lucius's friends, glaring at them threateningly. Each of the boys ran in a different direction. Sirius got up and smiled at his cousin.
"I did have it under control, though," he smirked, trying to keep his new reputation as a punk. Andromeda sighed and shook her head.
Andromeda repelled anyone who wanted to injure, threaten, or just pester Sirius. Sirius was family. She'd always stick up for him.
Sirius didn't get to see Andromeda anymore. She'd been condemned as the family criminal, even burned off of the family tree. The crime: marrying a muggle. A silly crime, Sirius thought, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was now a fourth year himself, and he and his friends James, Peter, and Remus had all grown up a lot. Well, physically. Remus grew up mentally as well, but the others did not mature much. Sirius's younger cousin, Andromeda's little sister, Cissa was thirteen now, a third year. She had become very pretty with fair blonde hair and glowing grey eyes. A strand of her waves would always escape the rest of the bunch and have to be tucked behing her ear ever so delicately. That was her trademark. A person would always know it was her if she was tucking back that hair. Cissa had many boys seeking her heart; some seeked to hold it, and some to break it. Cissa never let anyone that close. Usually. She did once that year.
It was November. Cool wind blew in the open windows. Sirius was walking passed the ladies room on the first floor while on his way to lunch when he had to stop. He didn't move. Just listened. Loud, drawn-out sobs were echoing from the room. These sobs made him stop because they sounded dreadfully familiar. Lily Evans was walking passed, and Sirius, a concerned boy, had to ask her help.
"Lily?" Sirius said, "Are you, er, currently busy?"
"My God, Black!" Lily exclaimed, "You aren't asking me out, are you? Your best mate Potter's had his eye on me for years, and yo-..!"
"No!" Sirius interjected, "I'm not a fool."
"That could be argued..." she muttered.
"I need your help," Sirius said finally.
"Wow, the great Sirius Black requires assistance from little me?" Lily scoffed, "Is this a hidden-camera show?"
"What's a camera?" he asked.
"...Nevermind," said Lily, "What could you possible need my help with?"
"Somebody's crying in the girls room," he patted the door, "and it sounds like my cousin. Could you check?" Lily, suprised at what a caring person Sirius could be, nodded and went in. A moment later she came out and confirmed his suspition. Without a further word, Sirius himself marched into the ladies room. Cissa had locked herself in a stall. She was sobbing senselessly, a rather pitiful scene.
"Narcissa Black, what could you possibly be crying about?" Sirius asked, and Cissa, so suprised, fell to the floor. Sirius tried not to chuckle.
"I-it's nothing," Cissa said, picking herself up and wiping away the trail of tears and eye-liner that was running down her cheek.
"Must be a whole lot of nothing, to make you cry like that," he said, "Now tell me, or I'll owl your mum." Cissa, finding no other option, told her cousin her sad tale. As it turned out, her first crush, her first boyfriend, had broken her heart. She unintentionally told him the name of the boy, as well.
Outraged (and considering himself the only one allowed to hurt Cissa in any possible way), Sirius said, "Hold on one moment." He walked out of the restroom, ignored the screams of girls who were just about to enter, journied to the great hall, and went over to the Slytherin table. He found the boy who had made Cissa cry, turned him around, and punched him in the face. Sirius punched him again. And again. And again.
Sirius was happy to beat up low-lifes for Cissa. Cissa was family. Though he didn't get along with most of the members of his family tree, he'd always protect her.
She was only Cissa, Cissy, or Ciss to family. Everyone in school called her Narcissa now. At sixteen, such immature nicknames were tossed aside. After all, she had already been betrothed to a particular Lucius Malfoy, and what kind of engaged woman could call herself, "Cissa"? Her cousin, Sirius's younger brother, was fourteen. Sirius had, too, been burned from the wall after he ran away about two years ago. Narcissa felt the blow. She was now no longer to communicate with not only her older sister (who now had a child), but her cousin, the cousin who had stuck up for her years ago. She had gone from one-of-five in her generation to one-of-three. Her, Bella (Only called by her full name, Bellatrix), and Regulus were the only ones left.
Regulus was a good boy. He didn't get into trouble like Sirius or Andromeda. He kept level-headed, paid attention in class, respected others, and never got into fights. He was everything Andromeda and Sirius weren't. The family was so proud. Narcissa had always kept level-headed, paid attention, respected others, and she never got into one fight. No one was proud of her. She had Bellatrix as an older role-model, so it was just what was expected. Regulus had Sirius.
Regulus did get himself into trouble once. He had stolen from the potions master, Professor Slughorn. Regulus fancied a girl, but she never spoke to or of him. She didn't even know his name. He stole a love potion, one of the strongest he knew of. As it turned out, Slughorn checked his cabinets and their inventories daily, and when the potion was absent, all fingers pointed to Regulus until Narcissa interviened.
Slughorn had given him detention for every night for two months. The family was so ashamed that perfect Regulus had gotten into trouble. Narcissa wasn't thought of as perfect. She could take the fall.
"Professor Slughorn!" Narcissa said as she burst into his office.
"Yes, Miss Black?" said Slughorn, "Is there something I can assist you with?"
"Regulus didn't take the potion," Narcissa lied convincingly, "It was me, Sir."
"Dear, why?" he asked, "You're betrothed, I've heard, so why would you need a love potion?"
"Well, erm.." Narcissa stuttered, "It's... hard to.. talk about.."
"It's all right, dear," smiled Slughorn kindly, "You can talk to me."
"Well, I'm..." she began, then had an idea. She spit out the words. "I'm scared my fiancee won't love me." She even managed to fake a tear or two.
Slughorn, feeling bad for poor young Narcissa, gave her only one week of detention. Regulus was set free. The family had their perfect child again.
Narcissa always stuck up for Regulus. He was family. Narcissa would always, always do anything for her family, no matter the cost.
Regulus had no younger brother, sister, or cousin to protect. He was the youngest of his generation. He had to spread his family protection in a different way. He chose, once he saw what the dark side was like, to protect the whole world. Everyone, all humans, were his family. Regulus did anything for family. He died for the innocent. He died for family.