In the dark of her room the hands on the clock constantly ticking, marking the passage of time, only further irritated the blonde. All day she'd had the feeling that something was coming. She didn't know what, though it didn't feel like a bad thing. Consulting her tarot cards during the day had only increased the sense that something was going to happen when out of the cards she had picked were drawn out the The Lovers, The Chariot and Strength. Now here she was having a sleepless night and still plagued by that sense of something coming. Turning over in bed yet again she huffed out a breath and picked up her wand to aim a stunning spell at the clock. She didn't need reminding of how long the next day was taking to get here.
Dropping her new book on the floor she was in the midst of another yawn when she started with a faint cry when her house elf popped up beside the bed, startling her into moving back towards the far side of her bed. Clutching a hand over her heart she stared a the elf, watching it bow low to the ground before delivering it's message, "Mistress Narcissa you are to come at once. The Dark Lord wishes you downstairs when your sister arrives home". With the message delivered the elf curtseyed and hurried out of the room, knowing she would be called if wanted.
Staring out of the window at the cold January full moon flooding the room with it's glow she knitted her eyebrows together into a frown, What could he be wanting with her and what did he mean? He couldn't mean Andromeda, she hadn't been a Black for many years now but her other sister was in Azkaban. Obeying The Dark Lord though she rose from her bed, her silk nightdress doing nothing to ward off the chill in the room, and donned her robe before she hurried downstairs, her head was full of questions that had no answer so far.
Seeing Narcissa enter the entrance hall and join the assembled death eaters The Dark Lord moved over to her, "you will tend to Bellatrix's healing. We have a second healer here, who will tend to Rodolphus' healing". Disbelief clouded her eyes as she mutely nodded her head, though she wisely did not question him. Although she was not a death eater her family were and she knew he would not hesitate to punish one of them for her transgression. As soon as he had moved away again she called for one of the house elfs, Mushroom, "take Pineapple and prepare a room for Rodolphus, prepare my room for Bellatrix and be sure to get a supply of both healing and pain potions ready in both rooms". Turning back to the death eaters in the room she went to stand beside her husband then gasped in a breath as her sister appeared before her, Dolohov holding onto her where they had apparated together. As she stared her sister lifted her head and those familiar chocolate eyes met her own despite the length of the room being between them.
Bellatrix. Her sister was home. After fourteen years of no contact, of being told by the warden her sister didn't wish her to visit or to even owl her here she was. Without realising it she'd begun moving her feet, almost running on autopilot as the distance between them closed until finally Bellatrix was in her arms. As she held her sister she was letting her hands move over her sides, trying to believe that it wasn't a dream, but what she found had red hot anger coursing through her; Bellatrix was far too thin, she could feel how skeletal her sister was. Her anger was soon replaced though with grief as she realized her sister was shaking and was visibly flinching as soon as anyone drew closer to her.
Fighting back tears that were forming behind her eyes Narcissa found her ice queen facade hard to maintain as she slowly led Bellatrix up the stairs and into her own bedroom. Gently she positioned her near the sitting area by the fireplace to begin weaving healing spells over the brunette. Her sister's voice though made her pause and look up, "Cissy? Is it really you? It's been so long..". Letting her wand drop to the floor beside her Narcissa found her heart was breaking at seeing the fear and confusion in those dark eyes. "Come to bed Kitten, I'll heal you and you can sleep". Using the old nickname she had given her sister in childhood she hoped it would help but as she reached for Bella's hand she froze, watching as Bella shrank away from her, "Please, don't hurt me, i'll be good, I promise".
What had those guards done to her sister?
Fourteen years ago her brunette sister was happy and confident, charismatic and the life of the party. But now, she was only a shadow of who she had been. Watching the older woman pressed against the chair she smiled gently and used the same tone she had used on her son when he was an infant, "I'm not going to hurt you Kitten". Slowly those twin pools of chocolate looked up and stared at her, the confusion fading for a moment, "Cissy? The guards.. They said you wanted me dead, that I was an embarrassment". Her voice faltered as she tilted her head at the blonde. Crossing the room to her Narcissa shook her head, "No Kitten, no no no, I tried to get you home. I emptied my bank vault trying to free you and when I went to see you the warden said you didn't want any contact with me, not even by owl".
As Narcissa felt tears prickling anew she blinked as Bella pressed against her chest now, shivering despite the cold, "It's cold now". Looking up to the slightly taller woman Bella gave a half smile, "My little dove, if this is a dream then I hope it will never end. I love you". Those dark eyes were shining with love as she spoke, not sure this wasn't just a dream she was having. Those three words, small words but ones that meant everything to her, had that facade crumbling at last as for the first time in fourteen long years Narcissa let her tears flow freely down her cheeks. Even as she was crying though she gently presses her lips to Bella's in a soft loving kiss, murmuring against her sister and lover's lips that she loved her.