Prologue
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"Stop being so mean, Bella!" Snapped Narcissa. Her sisters had been fighting again, and Andromeda was in tears. That killed Narcissa on the inside. She hated seeing people cry.
"Stay out of it." Bellatrix snapped right back. She turned to the middle sister. "And you... Wait until Mummy finds out -"
"No! Please, please, Bella, please don't tell Mummy, she'll kill me -"
"No." Sneered Bellatrix. She looked over to the corner of the empty hall, where two Muggleborns were shaking. "She'll kill it." Bellatrix motioned to the young boy.
The girl in the corner stepped forward. As she opened her mouth, Bellatrix took three long strides towards her and shoved her against the wall.
"Don't touch her!" Exclaimed Andromeda. She ran over to her best friend, pulling her up from the corridor wall.
Personally, Narcissa liked Sherri - Andromeda's Muggleborn best friend - a lot. She was nothing like her Mum and Dad had described Muggleborns to be. Ted Tonks, her boyfriend (whom Narcissa also had taken a liking to) went to help Andromeda.
"Andromeda, you've got to stop. They're Mudbloods and you're insulting the -"
"Shut up!" Yelled Narcissa and Andromeda at the same time. Andromeda, Ted and Sherri all gave Narcissa weak smiles as a thank you for standing up to their older sister.
Bellatrix had a little fit, but marched off.
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The very next day, a dozen Howlers arrived in front of Andromeda. She knew what they were for and had tears swelling up in her eyes. They demanded that she either leave the "lesser race" or never come home.
Sherri and Ted, of course, insisted that she keep herself from anymore trouble and stop seeing them, but Andromeda wouldn't have it. The two Muggleborns agreed to let her stay with their families for as long as they may need to.
One day a couple of weeks later, Narcissa found Andromeda in an empty classroom. She was gazing, with a little smile, at a faded photograph of Sherri, Ted and herself in Hogsmeade years ago.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Narcissa finally asked, breaking the silence. It was a question that had been clouding her brain for weeks, and she just had to know.
Andromeda looked at her quizzically, so Narcissa continued. "Mummy and Dad, they don't care anymore. Not about you." That thought burned her own throat to say. She missed her happy, perfect, well put-together family.
"I know." Sighed Andromeda after a minute. "I've realized that there's people I respect more, people I love more, than Mum or Dad or even Bella. Cissy, you're different. You get it, right? This whole blood status thing, it's such a lie, it's so stupid, and I'm embarrassed to say that I used to agree with Bella's opinion on them.
Narcissa nodded slowly. This was a lesson she'd never forget.
She never thought that two different Muggleborns could get married and have children. Ted Tonks married Andromeda and Sherri got decided to tie the knot with a kind Halfblood. Narcissa became an aunt quickly after she was done at Hogwarts, and she loved her little niece, Nymphadora, whether she was Pureblood or not. Unfortunately, she had to keep everything under wraps - she loved her family back at home to death but didn't want to be excluded from the beautiful family that her sister had started. She would update Andromeda on things that were going on around the house, even if it wasn't all that interesting. Andromeda and Sherri's families stayed hidden during He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's rise to power, while Narcissa's parents were praising him. Even the Prefect - the boy she had fancied for ages - admired him.
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A few years later, Narcissa stood in front of Andromeda's house, her hands clammy and shivering. She knocked on the door and could hear a little "I'll get it!" from inside the cute little house.
The front door opened and a little girl appeared.
"Aunty Cissy!" The six year old exclaimed. Her hair turned a bright yellow and she wrapped her arms around Narcissa's waist.
"Hey, Nym-"
The little girl looked up with a stern expression and her hair started getting darker.
"Dora!" Narcissa corrected herself. "Hello, Dora!"
Nymphadora smiled again and her hair went bright again. For whatever reason, she couldn't stand her real name.
"What do you think?" Dora asked, spinning around in her big tutu and a sparkly blue shirt. "Daddy is taking me trick or treating, and I'm going to be a fairy!"
"Dora, get in here, we need to-" Andromeda walked into the room. "Oh my gosh, Sherri, get in here! Cissy, I can't believe you came!"
Narcissa went to her sister and gave her a hug.
"It's been way too long." Narcissa sighed. "Ever since the wedding, Lucius and I have been so busy."
"Don't worry about it," sighed Sherri, coming into the room. "The important thing is that you're here now. Besides, I have something to tell you two..."
"Daddy, can we go now?" Whined Dora.
Ted came out and greeted Narcissa, then took Dora's hand and leaded her out the doorway.
"So, Cissy, how have you and Lucius been ?" Asked Sherri, sitting on the couch.
Narcissa sighed. She looked up to Sherri for being so caring towards her and her husband, even if he would kill her if he could.
"Very busy with Dark Lord business." Said Narcissa sadly. "He's even getting me involved. Bella, she - " Narcissa took a deep breath, trying to keep herself together. "She got the Mark. She got his Mark."
Sherri looked at the ground sadly, and Andromeda blinked several times, as if trying to keep the tears from spilling.
"I almost didn't let Dora go out for Halloween this year." Sighed Andromeda. "It's so dangerous out there."
"Yeah, that's what Henry was saying too," said Sherri, referring to her husband. "Except, well..."
"Muggles and their families, they're getting treated so horribly when the Snatchers get them. Children, they torture children..." Sighed Andromeda
"Speaking of children..." Started Sherri.
"Lucius is always talking about all the houses they raided, all the people they - they murdered..." Said Narcissa sadly. "He's such a driven man, he's so strong, so loyal, but for all the wrong reasons, and to all the wrong people."
"Girls, I really do have to tell you something..." Said Sherri again.
"Actually, I do too. There's a reason I came..." Said Narcissa slowly.
"Yeah, what's -" Andromeda was interrupted by a screeching sound that cut through their conversation.
"Goodness, I was making tea and forgot to turn off the kettle. Cissy, would you like some?"
"Please,"
Minutes later, Andromeda was carefully carrying three mugs, gave one to Narcissa, and put one on a coaster in front of Sherri, but she looked like she was in another world.
"What were you saying?" Asked Andromeda, taking a sip of tea.
Narcissa started. "I think Sherri was talk-"
"I'm two weeks pregnant." Sherri finally blurted, tired of being interrupted.
Everything went silent. Andromeda had stopped mid-drink. Narcissa stared at her.
In Narcissa's opinion, it was cruel to bring a small, defenceless, innocent child to a world so full of evil.
As these thoughts came to her, tears slowly filled her eyes. She finally spoke, with a quiet, cracking voice that no one would have heard if the room wasn't so quiet because of Sherri's announcement.
"Me too."