Author's Note: This is for the Fruit Challenge over on the HPFC forum! Reviews are greatly appreciated (:

Of Blackberries and Blacks

The happy shrieks of children echoed through the woods and the thunder of six little feet was heard, scaring away the nervous wildlife. Three girls emerged from the bushes, laughing, one-by-one.

The first was a tall beauty with her jet black curls bouncing and dark eyes flashing in delight. The second was a little younger with more innocent eyes and a wider smile. The last was clearly the youngest, with long golden hair streaming behind her and clear blue eyes.

The girls tumbled into the clearing in the woods and stopped abruptly, crashing into each other with muffled gasps and giggles. After a short pause where they caught their breath, the middle girl, Andromeda, looked around with a faint air of interest. "This is pretty," she remarked.

The youngest, Narcissa, nodded eagerly. "It's rather romantic, don't you think?"

Andromeda murmured in agreement but Bellatrix, the eldest, scoffed. "I don't see anything romantic about a bunch of dead leaves and trees."

Narcissa rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course you don't," she teased gently.

Bellatrix smirked at her and stood up, brushing the bits of leaves and dirt off her silver robes. She aimlessly wandered around the clearing, sniffing at the less-than-perfect wildlife. "It's not that special," she said dismissively, after she finished her inspection.

Andromeda shook her head vigorously. "There's a blackberry bush, Bella!"

"Well, grab a handful to go," the girl said irritably. "We'll find somewhere better."

Narcissa ignored Bellatrix and squealed. "I love blackberries!"

"And don't you think it's a sign?" Andromeda said, her voice raising in excitement. "Black sisters, a blackberry bush…."

Bellatrix snorted but nodded slowly. "Fine. This can be our special spot."

"That nobody can come in besides us," Andromeda sighed dreamily, making a space for Bellatrix beside the blackberry bush.

"That's magical!" Narcissa said with childish wonderment. "And we can come here forever and ever!"

Bellatrix grabbed a handful of berries and smashed them into her mouth, the dark purple juice dripping from her fingers. "To the Black sisters, then!"

Andromeda giggled and took a fistful of berries. "To us!"

Narcissa took a couple berries and daintily popped them into her mouth. "To us," she echoed.

The sisters sat by the blackberry bush until the sun began to set, talking and giggling and eating blackberries.

----

The next time Bellatrix came to the clearing with the blackberry bush, she was sixteen and alone. It was pitch black outside, and so she tripped over the bush and fell on her face.

She swore loudly, her voice echoing in the woods. She stood up angrily, looking around her. Her eyes finally fell on the blackberry bush and her breath caught in her throat.

Blackberries. What would Andromeda and Narcissa say if they knew she was sneaking out of the house to get the Dark Mark branded on her skin? Bellatrix sat down, sighing heavily.

She knew the answer to that. They would be horrified. Andromeda would be furious, Narcissa would cry. Bellatrix bit her lip but shook her head. It wasn't their decision. This was up to her, and she felt like this was the best thing she could possibly do. This was her destiny.

But it still hurt, Bellatrix thought. She missed Andy and Cissy. As she took a handful of blackberries, she wondered when wasthe last time she really talked to them. When she went to Hogwarts, she drifted away from them.

Bellatrix took one last handful of blackberries- Maybe it's a sign. Black sisters, blackberry bush- and stood up, clearing her head. She was on her way to fulfill her destiny. She didn't have time for nostalgic recollections.

Still, walking away from the blackberry bush was harder than it should have been.

---

The next time Andromeda came to the clearing with the blackberry bush, she was seventeen and alone. She shivered in the cold, all-encompassing darkness, but kept the grin on her face. She was going to get married.

When she saw the blackberry bush, she stopped suddenly, a feeling of guilt gnawing in her stomach. She couldn't tell Bella or Cissy about Ted. She wanted to, so much, but Bella was a Death-Eater and was just scary- how would she react if she heard if her little sister was running away with a Muggleborn? And Narcissa would give her an icy stare of disgust and turn away- and that might hurt more than Bella's insane rants.

It was better this way, Andromeda mused as she popped a few blackberries in her mouth. She loved her sisters, but they hadn't been close in a long time, and it was just better to leave without a word.

Still, Andromeda stared at the blackberry bush for several moments with tears in her eyes before she turned away.

----

The next time Narcissa came to the clearing with the blackberry bush, she was fifteen and alone. It was the middle of the afternoon, and Narcissa gently made her way through the fallen leaves, clutching a worn sketchbook.

She saw the blackberry bush and gave a bitter-sweet smile. She had sought the bush out to draw it, but she wasn't fully prepared for the flood of memories that hit her. As children, they were best friends. And now everything had changed.

Bellatrix was half-insane, sporting an evil looking tattoo on her arm. Andromeda was gone, disowned, for daring to marry a Mudblood. She missed them. She missed her care-free childhood, with days of laughter and joy and secret spots and blackberry bushes.

She was betrothed now, to a cold wizard she barely knew. In two years, she would leave her childhood home and the memories that haunted it. In two years, there would be no opportunity to remember Andromeda or the giddy little girl Bellatrix once was. In two years, innocent Narcissa Black would be gone but hardened Narcissa Malfoy would remain.

Narcissa began sketching the blackberry bush, frowning slightly in concentration. She would never be allowed to speak to Andromeda again, would never have the opportunity to have a sane conversation with Bellatrix again, would never have the chance to eat blackberries straight from the bush again. The picture would be all she has left of her childhood of dreams and secrets and innocence.

A tear blurred the ink from her pen strokes and Narcissa had to put down the sketchbook. She tried to regain control, staring hard at the blackberry bush. It just made her cry harder, remembering. Bella, Andy, Cissy. Sisters and best friends. And a wild bush of sweet, sweet blackberries.

And a secret spot where we can come forever and ever.