Little Girls With Dreams – CISSATRIX

Lucius and Narcissa were welcoming dozens of pure-bloods in their Manor for their annual Yule Ball when a puff of green appeared in the largest fireplace along with Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Everyone in the immense marbled parlour fell silent for a few seconds until the feared couple made its way to the hosts and guests headed back to their previous task – which mainly consisted in drinking and gossiping.

Narcissa was so relieved to see her sister – as they had been quarreling the day before and she hadn't been sure she would show up at all – she ignored how her hand was so tightly wrapped around her husband's arm. Anyhow, she was used to see them making a show of their marriage. That was exactly what she was doing tonight with Lucius. That was how every pure-blood couple acted around socialites, a way of hiding behind a false picture of perfection the dark secrets that haunted almost every noble family in this country.

Her secrets were most certainly darker than most…perhaps that explained how flawlessly she had built the façade for her life. There couldn't be any cracks because there was no going back from this if someone were to find out what it was she was hiding. Even more so worrying, the Dark Lord would probably kill her on the spot for distracting his most loyal warrior in such a way.

Even if Narcissa had held some resentment towards her sister before, it all vanished when she laid her eyes on her. She had put on the most beautiful black dress with leather parts here and there that turned Narcissa's mind into a complete mess. Bellatrix immediately headed to her sister and kissed her on the cheek after letting her gaze wander on her body that was so elegantly molded by the silver gown she was wearing.

The other woman didn't fail to notice and whispered into her ear. "You look breathtaking tonight, Cissy. I bet you made every woman in this room redden with jealousy." Narcissa grinned to herself. She had seen envy in other women's eyes tonight, yes.

The blonde woman touched her sister's cheek with the back of her hand gently, a touch that was quickly executed. "I take it you are not blushing for the same reason, are you?" Bellatrix only tilted her head, amused, before she greeted Lucius.

The night was going perfectly. This wasn't a surprise as Narcissa had made sure it did herself. Well, that was until Narcissa and Lucius headed to the dancefloor to open the ball and each couple followed them one after the other. Rodolphus must have been in the bathroom at that exact same time because over her husband's shoulder, Narcissa saw her sister standing alone and being approached by another woman. Alecto Carrow offered a hand to her then and Narcissa ignored how her guts were clenching. Surely, Bellatrix wouldn't…but she did.

It was common rule among adults that only a man and a woman were to share a dance, especially for one demanding so much intimacy between both partners. Nevertheless Bellatrix took Alecto's hand and threw this old rule away with her just like that. And she had dared doing so at her own bloody party. Although Narcissa was about to flip, she had to remain calm and composed as she was the host and she couldn't fathom being looked upon at an event she had organised herself.

She did her best to not look at them twirling like they were a couple, or Alecto's arms around her sister's neck, or Bellatrix' hands holding the other woman's waist. But even when she managed to do that, Narcissa couldn't stop her ears from hearing them laugh or catching other people's gaze fixed on them like they were either brilliant or completely mental. Not only were they hurting her but they were also ruining her party.

Lucius was smart enough to notice the shift of mood in the way Narcissa was moving and suggested to the orchestra that they started playing something a little more rhythmic and less intimate. When they did, couples separated and Narcissa didn't even allow Lucius a kiss or a hug like she would have done in normal circumstances. She headed straight to her sister in the middle of the room. The two women were chatting as if what they had just done was the most ordinary thing. Narcissa was infuriated when she reached them and didn't even speak or greet Alecto. In fact, she didn't even spare them a look.

She took Bellatrix' arm forcefully and dragged her out of the room to the back kitchens. She locked the door and cast a muffliato spell around them. A house elf started to ask her something so she petrified them all on the spot. Bellatrix had now her eyebrows raised and a smile on her lips that Narcissa would have been more than happy to peel off from her face herself.

Instead of saying anything yet, she tried her best to inhale and exhale slowly.

"What the hell is happening to you?" Bellatrix laughed, which honestly was the last thing she should have done. Tears were starting to dwell her eyes and, thankfully, Bellatrix dropped that fucking smirk. "Narcissa?" She tried to touch her arm but Narcissa moved it away before she could.

"How..How dare you?" She covered her mouth with her hand, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of hearing her sob. "How dare you ruin my party like this?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes at that. Really? "You're being dramatic, Narcissa. They will whisper about it but eventually they will stop giving a fuck. At least it will give them something exciting to talk about when they'll discuss your party." Narcissa was staring at her as though she was utterly idiotic, which the blonde truly thought she was in this moment. "Why do you even care about what they think, they're-"

"Bella! This isn't…this isn't about them, can't you see?" Now she was covering her entire face with both hands. "This is about you. This has always been about you…" She was must softer now, defeated by her own truth.

Narcissa turned around, her hands on the kitchen counter. The other woman threw her arms around her, securing her in this position, which Narcissa was immensely grateful for as she found her legs trembling and ready to make her fall flat on the cold floor.

Bellatrix put her head on her shoulder and held her body against the blonde's back. "Yesterday you told me I was to stop getting possessive of you around Lucius, with whom you are fucking by the way, and today you take me to the kitchen in front of every socialite to scold me for dancing with someone else. How is this fair, Cissy?" Bellatrix's voice was filled with sadness.

"We are trying for children, Bella. Besides, he is my husband. This…this was different," she sobbed.

"The only difference was that she had a cunt, Narcissa." She really didn't get it, did she?

"Exactly, Bellatrix." She turned in her embrace then. "Do you know how…how many times I've imagined us dancing together at events like this? Do you know, Bella?" She hadn't really expected an answer so she gave her none. "When we were younger, each time that you danced with Rodolphus, I would pretend I was there with you and not him. The only thing that made the whole situation bearable was that he was your husband, and that he was a man." Bellatrix closed her eyes. "I accepted that we couldn't do this together because it was the rule and that was that. But tonight you destroyed all that and I can't…I cannot see you with her."

Bellatrix brought their foreheads together. "I'm sorry, Cissy. I am so very sorry. I never thought about that otherwise I would have never…" The rest of her sentence got caught in her throat.

"If I stay any longer, people will start whispering and I can't have that tonight. So if you'll excuse me." The older woman did not move however, making it impossible for Narcissa to reach the door.

The blonde stooped and stopped momentarily so as to kiss her sister's stomach. She then managed to pass below Bellatrix' arm and stood up again. She composed herself silently for a couple of minutes before opening the door and getting back to her guests.

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