Hello!

Another story involving Blacks. Mine are usually about Andromeda, and this one is too, but this time, all the Black Sisters are involved and it's actually from Narcissa's POV. I still managed to make it about Andromeda at the end, though...

Anyway, hope you enjoy ^^

Don't hesistate to review and check out my other stories, they're short expect for one of them.

PS: English is not my first language and I wrote that at midnight in one shot so...

DISCLAIMER: Anything Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I suppose...

'Remind me again why we're hiding in a secret classroom at almost midnight even though we have class tomorrow? I mean, you do know that if we get caught, we're definitely getting detention, don't you?'

Bellatrix Black was never one to do something she did not want to. Still, Narcissa, not as patient as her poker face made it seem, would have liked getting an answer to the question she has been repeatedly asking ever since Bella had brusquely woken her. Her sister, however, was apparently too busy casting spells on the door. Next to her, Andromeda, looking half-asleep, let out a loud yawn.

'Shh…', complained Bellatrix.

'Why? No one can hear us anyway…'

'Aren't you the one always telling me to be more prudent?'

'You enchanted the door, Bella, that's already prudent. Unless you messed up…'

'Of course I didn't mess up!'

'Then we can make as much noise as we want to, right?'

'Sure you can. Go on! Scream, shout… No one is gonna hear anyway.'

'Please don't.' interrupted Narcissa. 'And for the last time, why did you bring us here?' she asked once more, her annoyance echoing clear in her voice.

Bellatrix sighed. Andromeda yawned again. Despite herself, so did Narcissa. Bellatrix looked out the window. Narcissa was getting seriously miffed by then, but just as she was about to leave the room with a dramatic complaint, Bella talked.

'You know what's going on out there…' she said. Simple words they were, yet they send a shiver up Narcissa's spine and awoke Andromeda like a bucket of icy water. Suddenly alert, the sisters did not respond, but the oldest was not expecting any answers. Of course they knew that a certain Lord Voldemort was discretely rallying troops all over Great Britain, preaching for blood purity, preaching for war… Narcissa might have been forteen since only a few weeks ago, but she was not deaf to the whispers exchanged within the old families. Within her own family. Though she did not grasp all the stakes at hands, she knew that something significant was happening behind the scenes. More importantly, she knew that Bellatrix was involved in some ways or another and that scared her more than she would ever care to admit. 'It might get dangerous…' Continued the witch, 'And I can't risk any of you getting messed up in some way or another…'

As Narcissa listened, she caught a glimpse of Andromeda making a weird gesture, like if taken by sudden shivers, like if uncomfortable. Narcissa did not know why, but she had been feeling her sister acting differently since the year started. She did not say anything though. There was nothing to say just yet. Anyway, she was much too concerned by Bellatrix's grim implications.

'I've decided to teach you a few things.'

Narcissa sighed, her heart was beating fast in her chest and her breath had gotten short from apprehension. She was determined not to show it, tough. 'We have Defence classes for that, Bella…' she said as if bored. From the look Andy gave her, she knew they weren't fooled.

'They don't teach you everything in Defence, Cissy…', she said.

'They don't teach you the right things in Defence,' corrected Bellatrix. 'What are the Dark Arts anyway? It's just magic.'

'Bella…,' started Andromeda, clearly uneasy with her sister's words. Narcissa frowned. Nothing in what Bella had said should have made her uneasy though… Or should it?

'It's true, Andy, you know it,' replied her sister without hiding her annoyance. 'Anyway, what I want to teach you is not like anything you'll ever learn at school. It's not something the Ministry wants young witches and wizards to master. How would they manipulate us into loving muggles and mudbloods otherwise?'

Narcissa was growing more confused by the minute, but Andromeda suddenly looked alarmed. 'Bella,' she said. 'Is it Occlumency?'

Bella smiled, visibly proud of her sister. Andromeda, however, did not look proud. She looked on the verge of panic. 'But how do you know…?'

'I learned…' cut Bella. 'And now, I'll be teaching.'

'So you can also do Legilimency, can you?'

'That's right,' Answered the oldest witch, apparently oblivious to the dread in her sister's voice.

Not enjoying being ignored at all, Narcissa stepped up. 'Are you going to tell me what this is about or not?'

Bella smirked. 'Sure, Cissy,' She said. 'To make it simple, Occlumency is magic to protect the mind from outside invasion. Legilimency is the outside invasion.'

Cissy frowned. 'You mean, you're going to go inside our minds?' Despite trusting her sister, she did not like such implications. These days in particular, Bellatrix had been distant and Narcissa did not feel as close to her as she used to.

'Yes, Cissy,' replied Bella coolly, though she could hear the shadow of something darker behind the appearances. 'But it's not a problem, right? It's not like we have anything to hide from each other, right? Andromeda?'

Andromeda frowned and for a second, there was something menacing in her eyes. Still, when she answered, it was with calm confidence. 'Of course, Bella', she said. Bella smiled, but Andromeda's next words took her by surprise. 'It's not us seeing people outside of Hogwarts anyways.' The accusation in Andromeda's voice was clear, only reinforced by the coldness in her eyes.

Narcissa's attention jumped to Bellatrix. The two sisters, less than a year apart, had always been so close that it was quite the occasion to hear any kind of provocation between them. But Bella was not as offended as she would have been two years ago. They were still inseparable two years ago. However, ever since Bella had started getting involved with people outside of Hogwarts, she had slowly started to drift away from them. As she frowned in clear disapproval, Narcissa felt a knot form in her throat. She hated to see them like this. It wasn't how they were supposed to be…

'That's irrelevant,' Snapped Bellatrix after a few seconds of tense silence. 'I'm your sister.'

Andromeda sighed and all the tension in her body seemed to flow off her body, replaced by obvious exhaustion. 'I know…' she said softly. 'I trust you.'

It was Bella's turn to relax, letting Cissy do the same. 'Good. Then let's start.'

'Pease, Bella,' pleaded Andromeda, to Narcissa's relief. 'Not tonight. We're exhausted and not ready. Let's do this tomorrow.'

'The ministry will not be waiting for you to be in your best condition to creep into your brain, honey.'

'Yes, but the ministry will not be attacking us tonight nor tomorrow and I've read about Occlumency and Legilimency and I know that it's exhausting and draining, particularly the first times. We're not going to get any work done tonight, Bella. Besides, I've barely slept yesterday and I have a test tomorrow. I'd like to go in with all my mental capacities if you don't mind.'

Narcissa caught her breath. Bellatrix did not utter a word for a minute and her body was so stiff she could have been made of stone. As seconds passed, Andromeda looked more and more uneasy. Finally she said, 'I swear, Bella. We'll do this tomorrow. Right, Cissy?'

The youngest gulped, throwing a look at her sister. Still, when she talked, it was to say the truth. 'Yeah… I'd rather we do it tomorrow too. It'll be Friday so we can sleep longer for the week-end.'

Bella looked slightly offended and her voice was definitely an octave lower when she spoke next but she agreed all the same. 'Fine. We'll do this tomorrow. Be awake at eleven.'

'Okay,' said Andromeda with a yawn of relief.

'Will be,' replied Narcissa, falling from the table where she'd been seated.

Silently, the girls moved over to the door. As Bellatrix performed the counter-spells to those she'd cast on the door, Andromeda fell on Cissy's shoulder. 'You've grown,' she said and the youngest could hear the smile in her voice.

'I'm already Bella's height.'

'No you're not,' interrupted the witch in question.

'Soon enough, Bella.' Teased Narcissa.

'Yeah, she hasn't stopped growing yet,' agreed Andromeda. 'Better be careful, Bella. Soon she'll be looking down on you.'

'Impossible,' said Bella with a smile. 'No one looks down on me.'

Andromeda smiled. 'That's true. They're standing too low, cowering in fear.'

Bellatrix laughed and her sisters followed. Still teasing each other, they tip-toed their way back to their dormitories, barely escaping Filch when they were caught by Mrs. Norris stationed outside the Slytherin common room. Still, they managed to get in before any harm could come to them. Wishing each other goodnight, they joined the respective dormitories.

As Narcissa climbed in her bed, however, she was frowning. It was Andromeda. That thoughtful expression she had when she thought no one was looking at her, as she turned to go join her classmates. Cissy could not help but feel that her sister was much more concerned by Bella's idea than she let on. But why would she? Andy and Bella had always shared everything. Narcissa had even been jealous of their bond, of how easily they understood each other, of how fiercely protective Bella was of her, of how naturally they seemed to belong together… What could Andromeda be hiding that made her so uncomfortable at the idea of her having her sister looking into her brain?