This just might be the worst day of her entire life, Narcissa Black had decided. One moment, she had been sitting in the Slytherin Common Room, chatting with Iphigenia Selwyn about their last trip to Hogsmeade; the next, Lucius Malfoy, the Slytherin prefect, was telling her that she was to report to Professor Dumbledore's office immediately, and that "she had better hurry."

The entire Common Room was immediately abuzz. Apparently, more people had heard the rumors circulating the past few weeks than she had realized. Narcissa had hurried across the castle as quickly as she could, with her stomach sinking. She trudged up the steps to the headmaster's office, and she could hear raised voices - unclearly at first, but more discernibly as she reached the door.

"And just how long did you intend to let this go on before informing anyone?" Her father's voice.

Her mother's voice chimed in, "Obviously people have begun to talk already!"

"Mum, please!" And that was Andromeda. Narcissa's suspicions were right, and that gave her no pleasure whatsoever.

"Well thank Merlin, someone thought to send us an owl!

Narcissa finally pushed the door open fully and entered the room. Dumbledore's patient eyes immediately came to rest on her, as if he had known she'd been behind the door.

"Hello Mother. Father," she greeted her parents timidly. "What's going on?" Her family immediately went silent and turned toward her. "Hi Anny," she offered, her voice very small. Andromeda glared her response.

Their father was the first to speak. He smoothed his robes and drew himself up taller. "Enough of this. There'll be plenty of time to discuss it once we're home."

"Of course, since Andromeda is legally an adult, she is under no compulsion to go with you," Dumbledore pointed out gently.

"I beg your pardon?" their mother Druella gasped.

"Thank you, Professor," Andromeda said quietly, "But it's okay."

Cygnus Black crossed his arms and drew a calming breath. "If you would, Professor Dumbledore, we would prefer return home immediately via Floo. An elf can be sent to retrieve my daughters' belongings."

"Certainly, Cygnus. Floo powder is in the chalice on the mantle," Dumbledore said hospitably, gesturing toward the fireplace.

Druella wasted no time in marching to the fire and throwing in a handful of powder. Andromeda followed her without hesitation, and Narcissa glanced at her father only briefly before following at her sister's heels.

Narcissa stumbled through the fireplace and her mother caught her gently, steadying her. She coughed and dusted off her robes. "All right, Cissy?" her mother asked quietly, acknowledging her for the first time. Narcissa nodded, stepping away from the fireplace as she heard her father arriving behind her.

He came lurching through the flames, quickly finding his balance and righting himself. He dusted himself off and surveyed the room. For a long moment, he stared at his middle daughter's slightly swollen belly. His face grew even redder, and he looked up at Anny's eyes for only a moment before turning away with a scowl. "In all my years, I must admit I never expected this from any of my daughters. Still in school, and unmarried, and pregnant. And with some Muggle-born scum's child!" he bellowed. "Well, Andromeda? What have you got to say for yourself?" he growled, not even looking at her.

His daughter was shaking with emotion. Instead of answering him, she turned to face Narcissa with a deeply reddened face. "You just had to be a little snitch, didn't you?" Andromeda snarled at her little sister.

Narcissa blanched, and felt every eye in the room turn toward her. "I had nothing to do with it!" she retorted angrily.

Cygnus Black stepped toward his youngest. "You knew about this, Narcissa?" There was a subtle tremor in his voice, one that his daughters had learned to recognize as a telltale sign that he was about to lose control of his temper. Narcissa shook her head quickly, gulping, but before she could get any words out her father spoke again. "No? If you knew nothing about this, why would Andromeda believe you told us?"

"I..." she stammered.

Her father inhaled sharply, raising his hands above his head in a gesture of fury. "Did we raise you to be like this?" he shouted, pacing away from both of them before rounding on them again. "A family of traitors? A pack of venomous, undignified delinquents? Have you no sense of honor?"

Narcissa wanted to explain, and finally regained her ability to speak. "Daddy, I didn't mean..."

"ENOUGH." He regarded her with the same look he'd confer on the lowest, most repulsive mudblood, before turning away altogether.

Narcissa had never felt so guilty. She began to quietly sob, with her hands clapped over her mouth. Andromeda's face was bright red, and her glance toward Narcissa was vaguely contrite, but her expression toward her parents remained hard. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides.

Cyngus paced an entire loop around the room before he clasped his hands behind his back and approached Andromeda again. "You were foolish to try to hide this from us, Anny," he growled. "Something could have been done before there was even the possibility of it becoming public knowledge. Still, for every ailment there is a remedy." He exchanged glances with Druella, who stood slightly behind him, grim and resolute. Their exchange was an obvious agreement. "Notwithstanding your reckless and vulgar behavior, which will have to be answered for, you may not be permanently ruined."

"You want me to get rid of it," Andromeda accused flatly.

Their father raised his eyebrows. "You will get rid of it, and we will make damned sure that no one of importance is ever the wiser," he declared with finality. He turned again toward Druella, releasing a silent breath.

"No, father, I've already decided. I'm keeping the baby."

It was like someone sucked the air out of the room. Narcissa couldn't draw a breath. Their mother's mouth had fallen open. Cygnus's expression was the worst, though. His eyes were wide with disbelief, but also with fear. He turned very slowly, carefully, to look at his willful daughter as if he was suddenly seeing her with clear eyes. And what he was seeing devastated him.

"Narcissa," he said slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Andromeda, "Go to your room."

"Daddy -"

"Narcissa. Now."

She hesitated, afraid to leave her sister pitted against their parents, even as angry as she was at her. They still hadn't broken eye contact; Narcissa could swear none of them had even blinked. Andromeda finally glanced toward her out of the corner of her eye. "Go, Cissy."