Two Months

I step off the Hogwarts Express, dragging my trunk behind me. I scan the crowd for the familiar faces of my sisters, but no such luck. Neither of them are within sight, and unfortunately for me, cousin Evan has noticed it.

"What's wrong, Bella? Mummy and Daddy not care enough to come and get you themselves? My mother's already here." He taunts and I take advantage of the fact that my family are not here to turn and whack him painfully on the shoulder.

"Shut up, Rosier! They're just running a bit late, that's all. I've no doubt one of our horses has a stone in its shoe or something. But then, you wouldn't know about that, would you? Your family can't afford a carriage." I sneer, striding away from him just as I hear someone calling my name. "Miss Bellatrix! Miss Bellatrix!"

A flicker of relief flashes in my eyes before I muster my icy composure once more. Turning, I see my sisters' governess, Miss Skye, hurrying towards me.

"Miss Bellatrix! I had begun to wonder if I should ever find you."

"Well, you have found me now." I keep my sentences crisp and short, trying to hide the discomfort I feel at realising that the woman is alone, that not one of my family has seen fit to come and collect me from my first year at Hogwarts.

However, no matter how I try, she seems to notice. "Your sisters wanted to come and fetch you home, but Narcissa is sick with a summer cold, so your mother Lady Druella forbade her to come with me."

"And of course Mother would stay home with Cissy. Cissy, the favourite." I think, before I can stop myself. "What about Meda? Surely she wanted to come?" I ask, almost hating my younger sister for not coming to fetch me. I thought we were inseparable. Not having her here; why, it was unthinkable!

"Miss Andromeda is being punished. She broke your mother's favourite vase this morning and because of it, was forbidden to come and get you."

I nod, hiding a smile. It's good to hear someone was taking over the job of infuriating Mother while I wasn't there.

"Then we had better go. We mustn't keep my lady mother waiting." I thrust my trunk into Miss Skye's arms and stride off towards the carriage rank, where our trusted coachman, Branwell, is waiting to drive me home.

My mother is already waiting in the hall when we arrive. "Bella. You're late. I was beginning to wonder what had happened." She holds out a hand to me, imperious as always, and I drop into a stiff half-curtsy, before rising to give her cheek the merest brush with my lips.

"Forgive me, Mother. I had to take my leave of Cousin Evan." I murmur politely, hating every second. Thankfully, Meda appears at the top of the stairs just then. "Bella!" Shrieking my name, she flies headlong down them, straight into my arms. "I missed you so much!"

"Meda!" Even as my mother starts to reprimand us for not acting like girls of our rank should, I catch my younger sister around the waist and twirl her down the length of the hall, delighting in the warmth of her proximity. Nothing's changed between us, thank Merlin. We're still BellaandMeda, the way we always used to be.

Meda drags me up the stairs, chattering endlessly "Hogwarts! Tell me everything! You promised you would!"

"I want to see Cissy first. And it sounds like you've been busy enough without me." I tease, taking great delight in the face Meda pulls at me as we race down the hall and burst through the door into Cissy's room. Cissy, lying in bed, leafing listlessly through one of her endless romantic fairy tales, looks up eagerly as we bound into her room.

"Bella! You're home!"

"Of course I am, Cissy. I told you I would be!" I bend to kiss my youngest sister, before seating myself on the bed, running a hand through her cloud of golden curls.

"Meda, get the house elves to bring us some snacks. I'm famished!" I order my other sister, earning myself a glare from her.

"Tell them yourself."

"Andromeda Black, you do as I say! I'm the eldest!"

"If you're the eldest, then make me!"

"Fine!" I launch myself up from the bed, and Meda sprints away, giggling.

I chase her instantly, knowing my pounding feet and happily ragged breath mean only one thing. I have come home.