Bellatrix Black stared anxiously through the sitting room window, tapping her fingers impatiently against the glass pane.
"Bella, stop it!", hissed Andromeda, her dark brown eyes lingered briefly on her elder sister, before returning to the latest edition of Witch Weekly.
Bellatrix grunted angrily in response, but ceased her tapping almost immediately, "Sorry", she muttered, though her tone was unconvincing.
"Go find something to do", snapped Andromeda, who had been growing increasingly impatient with her elder sister, since she had begun her widow side vigil almost three hours ago, " your making me nervous".
"But if mother sees ..."
"She won't", interrupted Andromeda, her eyes were now fixed on her elder sister, who had just sunk into an armchair by the window. "And I promise I'll keep watch", she added reluctantly.
"And that worked so well last time", Bella muttered sarcastically, as she glanced nervously at the grandfather clock in the far left corner of the room.
Andromeda rolled her eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you? That was Cissy, not me!"
"Likely story", replied Bella, clearly uninterested in her younger sister's excuses.
"I swear it was, Bella! Do you honestly think I would turn you in to mother?"
"Perhaps", smirked Bellatrix, her dark eyes turned swiftly toward that of Andromeda's, who quickly returned her gaze to the magazine, trying to hide her discomfort at being "searched" by Bella. She knew Bella's talents in legilimency were limited, but nonetheless, the thought of her inner most desires being revealed to her elder sister made her cringe. Bella snorted, clearly amused at her sister's reaction, "smart move Andy, then you do have something to hide?"
Andromeda squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, "I thought father forbid you to do it to us", she had attempted to sound threatening but she knew she had created the opposite effect.
Bella raised herself slightly in her seat, returning her gaze to the window, "And so what if he has?"
Andromeda glanced at her elder sister nervously, "Please don't Bella, it scares me, and I know it scares Cissy too."
Bellatrix made no reply, but instead slumped back into the arm chair, and raised her head toward the ceiling, scanning the elaborate chandelier above. Andromeda embraced the silence, and returned her full attention back to the article she had been reading on how to brew the perfect love potion. However, it was not long until her peace was once again disturbed. Andromeda turned her head swiftly toward the window, ready to once again rouse on her sister for her persistent tapping, but to her surprise Bella was still slumped on the arm chair, her arms hanging loosely at her sides.
"Wha..?"
"Shhhh", hissed Bellatrix, and a smile spread across her face, as she spotted the source of the tapping.
Bella jumped up from her chair, and rushed forward to the window, flinging it open. A small black owl came scooting in, causing Andromeda to shriek and leap to the ground.
"Honestly", snorted Bella, as she caught the small owl in her hand and attempted to untie the piece of parchment from around the owl's leg. Andromeda jumped up quickly, brushing her long honey brown locks from her face.
"Stupid bird", she muttered, but Bellatrix took no notice of Andromeda as she hastily unravelled the parchment, her dark eyes immediately darting to the signature at the bottom of the note.
"It's him!"
Struggling to hide her curiosity, Andromeda walked cautiously toward Bellatrix, "What does it say?"
Bella made no response, but instead her eyes scurried across the parchment, and Andromeda watched as a huge grin spread across her elder sister's face. Sighing, and slightly annoyed, Andromeda turned her back to Bellatrix, and instead focussed her attention on the now open window, scanning the garden for any sign of Venedict Yaxley, for she had no doubt that the letter had been from him.
"Tonight at six", beamed Bella, as she folded the note, placing it neatly in her pocket, "So I'll need you to cover for me again."
"Can't", replied Andromeda, as she turned back to face her sister.
Bella paused, "What do you mean?" she demanded,
"We're having guests, mother would never buy it", Andromeda bit her lip, trying to suppress a smirk, as much as she loved and wanted the best for her elder sister, she in no way approved of her late night meetings with mysterious older men.
"Who?"
"The Lestrange's".
Bella let out a loud groan, and Andromeda couldn't help but allow for a large grin to etch its way upon her face. "It could be worse", she offered.
Bella grunted at Andromeda's meagre offer of condolence. But before she could reply further, the door nearest to their right creaked open and a young teenage girl, with long blonde hair came striding in.
"Mother wanted me to come fetch you", she said simply, as she surveyed her eldest sister, "She's in the dining room, and Aunt Walburga's here as well, she wants to ... Whose owl is that?" the girl's gaze had drifted from that of her sister, and she was now pointing toward the small black owl who was sitting on the windowsill, pecking at the remnants of string left on it's leg.
"A friend's", replied Bellatrix, making no attempt to hide her annoyance at Narcissa's sudden appearance.
Narcissa paused, eyeing her two sisters suspiciously before stating, "Aunt Walburga and Mother are waiting for you in the dining room, Bella", with that she turned on her heel, and walked abruptly from the room.
"Nosey little arse" Bella hissed after her.
Andromeda said nothing, but instead ushered the small black owl outside, and slammed the window closed behind it. The sun was beginning to set, and she wondered how much longer it would be till she would be forced to endure, yet another of her mother's pre-dinner party lectures on dining etiquette.
"What's bloody Aunt Walburga want this time?"muttered Bella from the other side of the room, where she was now attempting to fix her hair in the reflection of a flower vase.
"I don't know, but good luck", replied Andromeda, who knew full well that a visit from Aunt Walburga was never good news.
"Thanks", mumbled Bella, "Hey Andy?",
Andromeda rolled her eyes, immediately recognising what the tone in Bellatrix's voice inferred, "Yes".
"Would you do me a favour?"
"Depends", said Andromeda suspiciously, she had learnt early on in life never to agree to do anything for Bellatrix Black unless you knew the whole story.
"Could you send him a reply, say I can't make as I'm sick, or something that sounds believable?"
Andromeda sighed, "You owe me."