Notes: Very AU, particularly in regards to the Black family.
Warning for sister incest.
When their wedding day dawned, Narcissa locked herself in her dressing room for three hours. No matter how her family pleaded, cajoled, and even threatened, she would not open it, and it remained impervious to unlocking charms, even the near-obsolete one that her mum had dug up out of an ancient family book in the back of the library.
"You're digging your own grave," Druella warned through the door, her voice thick with disapproval. "If you aren't out, dressed, and smiling by the time this wedding is scheduled, I swear by all the gods I will dismantle the entire wing if I have to."
Narcissa made no reply. Then again, she didn't have to. As the rest of her family finally trooped away (or so she thought), Narcissa put her head down on her dressing table and sobbed. Her crying was silent, as it always had been. In this household, you learned to keep your tears as quiet as you possibly could.
There was a loud tap at the window, and Narcissa jerked upright, heart pounding against her nightgown in fear. How on earth?
"Open the window, Cissa," her sister Bellatrix's voice drifted through. "It's blasted cold on this broom."
Springing up, Narcissa hurried to the window, fumbling with the latch and finally pulling her older sister through in a heap of skirts and a dash of freezing rain.
"How did you..." Narcissa stared at her sister in open-mouthed shock. Bellatrix smirked, letting the old broom drop carelessly to the floor.
"Didn't think about outside, did you?" Bellatrix pointed out. "Nobody else in this family has any bloody sense."
"That's not nice, Bella," Narcissa reproved her gently, scrubbing at her eyes with her handkerchief, as if that could erase the ravages of her crying spell.
"Whatever," Bella shrugged carelessly. "Now what's the problem, Cissa? I thought you liked Lucius." Her lip curled. She didn't care for the "pompous blond-haired prick," as she commonly referred to him, but she'd always supported the relationship for Cissa's sake.
"I do like him," Narcissa said, sitting back down on her favourite chair, a very poofy white one that she knew she looked striking on. "It's just..." She fumbled to a stop, biting her bottom lip. She felt like a blushing schoolgirl again, and the feeling was unpleasant.
"What?" Bellatrix demanded, pushing stray black ringlets off her face with an impatient hand. "Just what, Cissa?"
"I like you more," Narcissa whispered, feeling her cheeks heat with pink colour. She looked down at the luxuriant white carpet, too afraid to see her older sister's reaction.
"Oh, Cissa," Bellatrix breathed. Narcissa chanced a glance up, to see her sister uncomfortably close, her eyes burning into Narcissa's.
"You aren't the only one," Bellatrix whispered into Narcissa's ear. Her lips brushed Cissa's cheek, so hot it was like they branded her.
"You...what?" Narcissa stammered.
"I don't want you to marry Lucius," Bellatrix hissed, her eyes going feral for a moment and scaring her younger sister. "You should belong to me, Cissa. Only to me. But..." she sighed regretfully.
"But?" Narcissa prompted, feeling dizzy.
"Mummy and Father would never understand," Bellatrix's mouth twisted. "Society wouldn't understand. They don't understand how even sisters have...needs."
Yes, Narcissa thought, nodding almost feverishly. Exactly so. Needs...she had needs that only Bella could ever fulfill.
"So you have to marry Lucius," Bellatrix continued, and Narcissa felt her heart shatter. "You have to play the part, Cissa. But sometimes...when it's late...when no one will know..." A wicked smile curved Bellatrix's lips. "We can be together, Cissa. Like we should be."
"You promise?" Narcissa whispered, eyes naked with adoration. Bella tweaked a strand of her pale hair and smirked.
"Always," Bellatrix said, loving, as she leaned down and kissed Narcissa hard on the lips, bruising the delicate flesh. Narcissa moaned against her, her hands fluttering helplessly against her older sister's shoulders.
"Now make me proud, Cissa," Bellatrix said, drawing away from her. Narcissa blinked at her, dazed, then nodded.
In twenty minutes, Narcissa opened the door and stood there, starkly radiant in her wedding dress, her hair pinned up with pearls and silver bobs, a narcissus pinned behind her ear.
"Wedding nerves," she explained simply, and plastered a smile on her face. Her eyes sought out Bellatrix, who nodded at her, mouthing Our little secret at her.
The wedding went off without a hitch and Narcissa went demurely to Lucius's bed. But even as he kissed her and undressed her and loved her, all her thoughts were on Bellatrix.