Of Boys and Knights
It was the beginning of summer but the days were already sticky hot forcing the Black sisters to find refuge in the cool rooms of the Black manor. Bellatrix Black had led the troupe to her bed chambers where they had stripped down to the minimum amount of clothing that was deemed socially acceptable. At least that was the case for Narcissa Black. She could not speak in behalf of her sisters. For example, Andromeda was currently belly up on the cold hardwood floor wearing nothing but cotton briefs and a matching t-shirt. Bellatrix had found her middle sister's idea intriguing enough to give it a try of her own and sat on the windowsill in her underwear wearing a triumphant smile. At the sight of her youngest sister on her bed, Bella gave a wild laugh.
"Cissy!" she called out in a teasing tone, tossing her dark locks over her shoulder. "Don't be such a prude. It's boiling in here! You don't have anything we all haven't seen already," said the girl with sparkling eyes. Bellatrix paused as if to reconsider her thoughts. A sly expression splashed across her sharp features before she added: "Maybe a little less than others."
Narcissa scoffed in reply. Her cheeks were busily being assaulted by splotches of red and pink. To cover her hot face with her hands was all she could do at the moment. Bellatrix teased her on a constant basis. Even though she should have been used to it by now there were many times that Bella's teasing had made the sensitive blond cry. As it was, Narcissa was doing her best to blink back the angry tears threatening to spill over.
"I'm not a prude! I'm just not…hot," protested the blond feebly, bringing up her legs underneath her. Bellatrix laughed again after avoiding a cushion Andromeda had flung at her. Narcissa sought out her other sister's sympathy by pouting in her direction but gave up when she saw the incredulous look on Andromeda's face. "Andy! You don't think I'm a prude, do you? It's such an offensive term. I won't have it!" declared Narcissa, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air.
"Oh, I don't know," drawled Andromeda as she sat up. A hand tangled in her brown hair, tousling the tresses into a bigger mess of waves and soft curls. "I don't think you're a prude or anything," she said tossing a warning glance at Bellatrix. "I just think you're a little too cautious sometimes."
"Prude," interrupted Bellatrix in a childish tone from the windowsill. She brought a leg up, adopting a position in her small underwear that obligated Narcissa to look away with a bright flush. She had no idea how she could feel so comfortable exposing herself to the world; perhaps that was a minor exaggeration from Narcissa's behalf but in all honesty, even if Bellatrix was her sister, Cissy had no desire to be a witness to her private parts in such a brash manner.
"She's a prude. There's no need to butter up the truth. It's best if she knows her flaws from the beginning. Maybe then she can fix them!" concluded Bellatrix loudly as she pointed crooked long finger at Narcissa whose expression had turned sourer and sourer with each spoken word.
"I'm not a prude!" shouted back the youngest of the sisters. The corners of her mouth sloped downwards as she collected her thoughts. "I am conservative. Mother said so! In fact," Cissy exclaimed, peeling one white stocking off. She examined her exposed leg with creased brows. Her knee looked particularly bony today and her complexion hadn't changed at all since she arrived from Hogwarts. Narcissa was as pale as she had always been despite having spent a considerable amount of time outside in the sun in the past week. "Mother said that ladies of old blood should carry themselves as such and that this new fad of uncouth behavior is rotting the very core of our generation."
Bellatrix pretended to retch on the palm of her hand and Andromeda groaned as she rolled around the floor of the bedroom, exposing half a butt cheek.
"Hilarious," spoke Narcissa slowly, frowning at her sisters. "You two go ahead and act like a pair of over sexed monkeys and see how far you get in life."
"Farther than you've gotten, I'd assume," replied Bellatrix instantly. She wore a smug smile as she drew the curtain aside despite Narcissa's squeal of horror. "Oh, Pipe down, Cissy! Who am I going to flash? The house elf doing the garden?"
Andromeda apparently got tired of rolling around and had bounced on Bella's bed. Narcissa glanced at her over shoulder. "I suppose you agree with Bellatrix as well?" she inquired looking surly. Narcissa had always been accustomed to having Andromeda take her side. It was the dynamic between sisters that she knew well. Bellatrix, the oldest and the most charismatic was vastly outspoken. Her brutal honesty often hurt and Andromeda was the one to soothe Narcissa's easily bruised ego with kind words and promises of contraband sweets and tea after bed time. They were also closer in age and there seemed to be an unspoken truce between them that forbid them from ever taking sides against each other.
"Oh, Cissy!" cooed Andromeda, throwing her arms and herself over Narcissa. The blond squeaked, falling over on the bed. "Don't be so pouty." Cissy's protests went unheard as they were drowned by Andy's laughter. It was hard to stay angry at Andromeda with her sparkling brown eyes and infectious laughter. "What our dearest sister meant…" Andy trailed off to stick her tongue out at Bellatrix who was now prowling the bedroom with her hands on her hips looking absolutely bored. "Is that you should explore a little. Open up your mind when it comes to certain things."
Narcissa blinked, wrapped up in Andromeda's arms. Her head rested on one of Andy's shoulders, blond hair obscuring part of her vision. What exactly was there to explore? The rest of the world outside of Hogwarts and her parents' manor held no particular interest for her, unless you counted Celestina Warbeck. She had something of a grating voice but her lyrics touched her deeply. Narcissa would often listen to her on the radio while she practiced her sewing, pretending she was at a ball wearing a pretty gown and having to make time for an endless line of suitors. Her brief moments of fantasy were enough to satisfy her need for exploration.
"I don't understand," said Narcissa slowly, raising her brows in suspicion. She had a vague sense of what Andromeda had meant but she hoped, for the sake of her already hot cheeks, that the topic of conversation wouldn't lead to such scandalous conversation. Again. "What kind of certain things?"
Bellatrix groaned as she jumped to stand on the bed. The tall girl spun around the bed post in her underwear, dark mane swishing about with her actions. "MERLIN!" she shouted as she curled one leg around the pole. "You are OBTUSE."
Narcissa gasped. Mainly she was offended that Bellatrix was using the bed post in such a manner. Although she wasn't sure why it exactly was offensive and inappropriate she had a nasty feeling that she had practice in that kind of exercise. The blond nodded sagely, her thoughts being confirmed when Bellatrix swung around once more, kicking her legs up in the process.
"I am not obtuse!" Narcissa answered in her defense. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," began the golden-haired teenage while untangled herself from Andromeda's arms. She rolled over her own sister and crawled to where Bellatrix was straddling the bed post. "That I cannot think like you and Andromeda and most girls. Those kinds of thoughts don't exist in my head. That doesn't mean I'm obtuse it just means you are being very vague and I have no idea what you're talking about!" verbalized Narcissa all in one breath. Her cheeks were brighter than before and the younger girl panted, clasping Bellatrix by the ankles. "Now come down from there before Mother sees you. Just because I called you an over sexed monkey doesn't mean you should act like one."
Andromeda snickered from where she lay on one of Bellatrix' many pillows. Picking one up, she tossed it over to Narcissa. Unfortunately, Andy put far too much trust in her baby sister and in particular, her motor skills. The pillow hit her square on the side of her head. "Ouch!" she cried grabbing the pillow clumsily from where it flopped on the mattress. "Bellatrix, I mean it!"
Bellatrix made an exasperated sound. "Fine, Cissy," stated Bella sliding down to the mattress. She snatched the pillow from Narcissa's grip and rolled over to lay by Andromeda. "You can stop worrying yourself into a right tizzy. You're so neurotic. This is exactly what Andromeda meant."
Andromeda glanced over at Bellatrix out of the corner of her eyes. Her look didn't seem to say that she agreed with Bellatrix but that she'd allow her words to remain as truth, at least for the time being. Narcissa didn't miss this little exchange but said nothing. She was too busy frowning down at her half naked sister.
"Just say what you want to say and get it over with," pronounced Narcissa with an arched brow.
Bellatrix chuckled and sat up, only to sit on the pillow she was holding. "I mean, dear sister," drawled Bella, waving a hand about. "If you just loosened up a little you'd be happier."
"What makes you think I'm not happy?" asked Cissy as her frown grew heavier. She glanced over at Andromeda ready to switch her interrogation to her if Bellatrix didn't answer swiftly enough.
"She didn't say you weren't happy," articulated Andromeda, rolling a strand of her hair around a finger. "She said you'd be happier if you," Andy paused to nod encouragingly at Bellatrix. Bella seemed uninterested in this tactic and merely sneered. "Were willing," continued the middle sister, sitting up and crawling over to sit by Narcissa's side. "To experiment in what most teenagers experiment with," finished the girl with long and patient pauses in between her words. Narcissa watched her for a moment out of the corner of her blue eyes. Why had Andromeda adopted that tone and pace in her speech? Did she think her stupid? She understood perfectly what they were saying—in theory.
"What Andromeda means, Cissy, because you have that little confused look on your face," explained Bellatrix gesturing at her own face with wiggling fingers. "Is that you were pouting about last term all over Hogwarts because Lucius Malfoy won't give you the time of day. Well, what we're saying is that since you've set your eyes on a git like Malfoy you're going to have to try a different approach." Andromeda reached over to poke Bellatrix on the arm. "Ow! Excuse you? I am talking here! What I'm saying Cissy, is that you can't just wait for gits like Malfoy to realize what a gift from the Gods you are. You have to show him that you are a gift from the Gods. Understood?"
That had to be the most ludicrous thing Narcissa Black had ever heard. She stared at her sister. One of her blond brows had raised midway through Bellatrix's speech. There were a lot of things that bore arguing. That Narcissa was a gift of the Gods was surely relative. Did Narcissa believe it? In a sense, she did. She felt entitled to respect. After all, she was a Black and her name was heavy with the weight privilege and gold could only provide. In the world of Magic she was a coveted name. In a matter of months she'd be considered a woman in Wizarding society, ready to be given to the highest bidder. As soon as she was wed to another pureblood, most likely a second cousin or a distant relative, she was expected to bare many children or at the very least an heir for the sake of her husband's pride. Her bloodline was worth an unimaginable amount of Galleons. Anyone who was anyone would surely not pass up on such an investment; however, was Lucius Malfoy aware of all of this?
Half of his actions made her believe he was nothing but a fool. Lucius often ran at the mouth without a second thought about the repercussions. He boasted about his family and their business. He insulted Mudbloods and Muggleborns. He preached about the supremacy of purebloods; about how the Ministry was full of disgusting Muggle lovers who wanted nothing more but to have everyone mating with the non magical folk. It was an act, which according to him, was something akin to bestiality. In short, he hated Muggles and everything and everyone that had anything to do with them. He was an extremist pureblood that had no qualms in shouting it to the winds.
Narcissa thought he was downright impudent and had a lot of growing up to do. Still, considering everything, he was the wisest choice for her. If she did not marry Lucius she'd be forced to marry someone either of lesser blood or someone who was a closer relative to her than Lucius was. Her mother had once even suggested Regulus, as they were the same age and seemed to get along well in her eyes. Narcissa shuddered at the thought. Indeed, she was fond of Reg, as she liked to call him. He was a good friend and he was kind despite his family life. He never judged her and was always there to heal her scrapped knees when she fell. Still, she couldn't bring herself to see him as a husband; to imagine him touching her as husbands touched their wives.
"I don't have to show him anything," she said resolutely. A frown had settled between her pale brows. It contrasted wildly with the childish look of her bow shaped lips. Instead of appearing intimidating she came off as endearing; in the way a grumpy child would look to their parents and older siblings. Her appearance had always been described doll like. Her Mother in particular liked to coo about it to her friends when they came over for tea. Narcissa didn't find it a compliment at all. Men didn't like dolls. Men liked women. Men liked women like Bellatrix and Andromeda who were soft and pliable. What man sought out a doll-like girl with narrow hips and big wide eyes that reminded them of a child? Surely, that's not the kind of woman they imagined they would be taking to their beds. "He should just do the smart thing and stop throwing his favors around like they're cheap pieces of scented parchment. Every day is not Valentine's Day. It's not how it works. He needs to realize that I'm the best choice for him if he wants any standing at all. Otherwise he can just continue talking out of his backside. Merlin knows he's so charming when he does that," finished Narcissa with a roll of her eyes.
Her rant seemed to have caught Bellatrix and Andromeda off guard but not for long. In a matter of seconds, their laughter had filled the humid bedroom, splitting the previous existing tension into invisible shreds that dissipated into nothingness. Narcissa breathed out and smiled timidly. She didn't see the amusement. She had been completely honest about her thoughts regarding Lucius Malfoy; however, she wasn't one to contest Bellatrix when she was in a good mood. Those were rare during summer holidays as the older girl hated being locked up in a house with nothing to do. If Bellatrix wanted to laugh and think Cissy amusing then by all means she was welcome to it, at least for the time being.
"You know, Cissy," began Bellatrix forcing her sister to turn around. Narcissa felt her sister's hands on her shoulders and obeyed their tugging. It was best to go along with Bella whenever possible. She hated arguing with her for long periods of time. Sometimes it was unavoidable. They were always having ridiculous little fights over the smallest things. Bellatrix's long fingers worked dexterously with Narcissa's hair as she braided the thin golden locks. "Lucius isn't the smartest wizard I know, I'll give you that much but he has the right idea. I think Father has been too nice to these idiotic Muggle supporters. He keeps talking about diplomacy like it exists at all! What's diplomacy, Cissy, when we're forced to live in secret? Is that diplomacy? When did we agree that we were to live in secret just so the Muggles wouldn't exploit our magic? How is that fair? The Muggles get to live their lives they way they want to. They kill amongst themselves and rape and steal and start wars and what do we do? We do nothing because we're too frightened that they'll find out we even exist!"
Narcissa flinched at Bellatrix's last words. Not because she didn't agree with her, because she did in parts, but because in Bella's enthusiasm over politics she had given Cissy's braid a hard tug. Narcissa coughed and pried her hair away from Bella's hands to roll off the bed. She could feel eyes on her back. Narcissa merely pressed her hands against her stomach, feeling the ruffles of her dress between her fingers in an effort to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.
"You have a point, Bella but…" said Andromeda from Narcissa's back. Narcissa glanced over her shoulder at her sister. "I suppose Father has his reason for thinking the way he does." Andromeda sighed heavily and she too removed herself from Bellatrix's bed. She took a pillow with her and went back to lounging on the hardwood floor. Narcissa watched her warily for a moment before chancing a glance at Bellatrix. Bellatrix mouth was contorted in a grimace of disgust. Instinctively, Narcissa held her breath.
"That's because he is a big old fart and doesn't know any better!" she hissed slapping the mattress. "He thinks he's still sixteen and that high waist trousers are still in fashion! Can you trust his demented mind to decide our fates? He's old. Too old, if you ask me," finished Bellatrix haughtily, leaping from her bed. She strutted back to the windowsill to draw the curtains with a flourish. Sunlight poured into the bedroom, scaring the shadows away from the dark corners of the bedroom. Narcissa brought up a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light. She blinked until her eyes adjusted while Bellatrix continued to speak: "It's only a matter of time before the other Knights start thinking of replacing him and you know what? I hope they do. I really do."
Andromeda gasped loudly as she sat up from where she had been laying on her stomach. "Bellatrix! You can't really want that! Besides, what do you know about the Knights of Walpurgis and their politics? Father doesn't talk to us about it and Mother says girls shouldn't be involved or interested in those kinds of things." Even as Andy said such words, Narcissa detected a sort of annoyance in her voice. Almost as if she resented the fact that she didn't know what the Knights were all about save the protection of the pureblood lineage which was the only piece of information they had ever been given.
"But I do mean it, sister," argued Bellatrix, standing proudly in front of the window. Her fingers wrapped around her wide hips. Her skin was tan and it glowed in the sunlight. Narcissa wrinkled her nose. Surely, Mother wouldn't approve of not only Bella's daring stance in front of the window but at the skin tone she had adopted from sunbathing the past week. "It's the only way anything will change around here. Change. Don't you want change?"
Andromeda bit her lip. Narcissa still remained quiet. She was never supposed to talk politics even if she itched to give some input. She knew enough from hearing the adults speak over dinner or when the women gossiped over tea. There were always tidbits of information here and there, waiting to be devoured by Narcissa's greedy ears. It wasn't much, as the women of previous generations were very old fashioned and still didn't like getting involved in such matters but it was enough to ease Narcissa's thirst for knowledge.
"I do want change," said Andromeda earnestly. Narcissa noticed a fire in them all of a sudden as Andy's jaw set. Her lips thinned out as if she was trying to keep herself from speaking. She sat by her sister, wrapping her slim arms around her. Andy patted one of Cissy's arms. She smiled at her briefly then turned her attention to Bellatrix once more. "I want it more than anything but there's a way of doing things, Bella and then there's a way of doing things."
Narcissa hummed thoughtfully, her chin placed on one of Andy's shoulders now. Bellatrix frowned had deepened and so had the color in her eyes. She tightened her hold around Andromeda's shoulder, expecting another impassive outburst from their eldest sister. Without fail, there was one, as Bellatrix kicked the armchair nearby to the ground. It clattered noisily against the floor. A nasty scratch was left on the polished hardwood and Narcissa couldn't help but gasp at it.
"You're just like Father, Andromeda. A coward!" spat Bellatrix, towering over her seated sisters. She glared at them down her nose. "People like you will never accomplish anything. That's why the cause needs someone like me. A warrior!" Her cheeks were bright and so were here eyes. They sparkled with passion and pride.
"Don't be ridiculous, Bellatrix," spoke Narcissa as she shut her eyes for a moment in frustration. "Even if you wanted to fight for the cause you would never be allowed. Or did you forget? You're a girl. Father wouldn't allow it nor would Mother."
"QUIET, CISSY!" she yelled, raising her hand. Narcissa flinched but the sure sting she thought she'd feel on one of her cheeks never arrived. As she opened her eyes, she saw Bellatrix running a hand through her dark hair. "Know your place, baby sister. You shouldn't be worrying about what I plan on doing. You should worry about YOURSELF and how you're going to snatch your little Lucius or did YOU forget? If you don't marry Lucius Malfoy, Mommy Dearest is going to put you and our baby cousin in a shack," continued Bellatrix in a deadly whisper. She had placed her wrists on her hips and bent at the waist to lean forward. She winked at Narcissa as she came to eye level. "You're going to have fuck our baby cousin and give everyone nice little pureblooded babies. I hope you're looking forward to it," finished Bellatrix in a whisper. A thrill of giggles followed her words as she straightened up.
"Bellatrix, that is enough," said Andromeda moodily.
Narcissa stared at her sister as she stood before her, one hand on the small of her back, her long legs and torso exposed to the sticky air of the room. There were times she hated her. There were times Narcissa despised her so much she wanted nothing but to claw at her until she dug deep into her chest and found her heart; a heart she was sure was shriveled up and dead; dysfunctional. This was one of those moments and Narcissa clenched her fists tightly until her nails bit into her skin. It was all she could do to stop herself from lashing out at her sister. It wouldn't end well for her and despite being reckless at times Narcissa wasn't anywhere near being stupid.
"Listen, darling baby sister," spoke Bellatrix once more. She waved a hand in the air as if to weave her thoughts together. Her eyes focused briefly on the intricate ceiling and a sluggish smile hanged loosely on the corner of her large mouth. "Your oldest sister is going to give you some advice and you'd do well to listen to it, otherwise, you know," she paused to use her hands to make a rather suggestive gesture. "You and our baby cousin but I digress—If you want to have Lucius Malfoy eating out of the palm of your hand," at this she extended her hand to demonstrate her palm. "You need to give him a little bait, just enough to keep him hungry for more. Do you understand?"
Whether Narcissa understood or not wasn't the problem. The problem now was that Narcissa did not care to listen to Bellatrix. Her hands still remained clenched tightly together. The throbbing pain in her hands kept her anger at bay and she merely stared at Bellatrix tight lipped and bright-faced. She shook her head gently as she felt Andromeda's hand on her back. Her hand massaged circles on the heated skin there.
"Maybe you need to be more specific, Bella," voiced Andromeda warily. She took a fleeting look at Narcissa. "You know, use actual examples so she understands. You know Cissy. She's not very good at imagining things. No offense!" added Andy quickly raising her hands defensively. Narcissa said nothing and merely offered Andromeda a momentary look of annoyance. Starting an argument with Andromeda about her lack of imagination required more energy than she could offer. As it was, she was still trying to keep herself from scratching Bellatrix's face off or something similarly dramatic.
Bellatrix mood lightened at the prospect of sharing examples. She clapped gleefully, a cackle accompanying her actions. Bella took a seat on the floor in front of Andromeda and Cissy. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. A conspiratorial smile stretched her lips and she leaned forward. The other sisters moved their heads closer as a reflex.
"Take for example, Cissy, now let me finish before you start gasping and talking about harlots and those outdated words you like using. Just hear me out. Anyways, for example, you know Roddy and I are supposed to marry," said Bellatrix appearing delighted at the idea of marriage for once. At least that's how it seemed to Narcissa. She knew her face had adopted an incredulous look because she felt Andromeda's elbow in her ribcage. Cissy complained softly and rubbed the sore spot, still unable to speak without feeling like she'd say something awful to Bellatrix. Still, she couldn't help but wonder. Bellatrix had never seemed thrilled at the fact that she was to marry Rodolphus as soon as they graduated from Hogwarts. In fact, she had been very outspoken about it. She didn't plan on marrying, ever, or so she had said but Narcissa supposed she too had seen reason. After all, Rodolphus Lestrange was attractive and well-mannered. Their Father favored him for someone who wasn't part of the family and was, in Narcissa's eyes a perfect candidate for marriage with his generally congenial and calm personality. He'd make a good husband, she was sure.
Bellatrix didn't know how lucky she was. Narcissa glared down at her remaining stocking bitterly.
"I don't know if you noticed but Rodolphus is mine!" declared Bellatrix and placed one hand against her chest possessively. "And how did I make him mine? Simple, I made him mine!"
Andromeda groaned next to Narcissa and rolled her eyes. "Yes, perfect and detailed exampled for Narcissa, Bellatrix."
Narcissa was adequately confused. She raised a brow in question at Bellatrix's outburst before finally speaking: "Bellatrix, what are you talking about? How can you make a person yours? I pray to Morgana that you don't mean that. You are to wait until marriage. Mother says so."
Bellatrix threw her head back as another hoarse laugh emanated from her throat. She reached over and slapped Narcissa's thigh playfully. Narcissa gasped and held her legs close to her as if that would keep Bella from making another offense against her personal space.
"That's exactly the kind of thinking that's going to let Lucius get away, Cissy and you know there are other ways of making him yours than just spreading your legs," explained Bellatrix, lying spread eagle now on the floor.
Narcissa shook her head slowly. "Shut your legs!" she shouted. "I told you I didn't want to see your private bits!"
Andromeda chortled. She attempted to cover them by clamping a hand over her mouth. It wasn't very effective and she folded over with laughter that joined Bella's own raspy chuckles. Narcissa felt truly annoyed at the moment but mostly, she felt out of place. Clearly, her sisters felt comfortable enough with their sexuality that they were able to speak freely of such things to each other. Meanwhile, the mere idea procured a full body flush from Cissy, rendering her speechless and uncharacteristically sweaty.
"Cissy," whispered Andy, bumping her shoulder against one of Narcissa's. "Have you even kissed him?" she whispered playfully. Her dark brows were arched and her lips were pursed tightly as if restraining another bout of laughter from attacking her body. Narcissa crinkled her nose. An irritated groan shook her body before the blond gave in.
"No, I haven't!" she squeaked. Narcissa covered her face. "We've only held hands a few times."
Narcissa fully expected laughter at this point. She expected her sisters to burst into giggles and squeals of mirth. She expected them to point and roll around in their miniscule underwear commenting on how much of a prude she was. She expected all of that but that wasn't what happened at all. Instead, when she was brave enough to bring down her hands from her eyes, she found her sisters staring at her wide-eyed, worry circling in the warmth of their orbs.
"Cissy," said Bellatrix seriously. She seized one of Narcissa's hands and clamped it tightly with two hands. Disturbed, Narcissa tried pulling her hand away but Bella's strength won. "Is this true? And he hasn't even tried? Not one thing?"
Narcissa could feel her own eyes widening. They burned suddenly and she turned her frightened and confused gaze to Andromeda. She sought some kind of comfort from her middle sister but found was disappointed in the fact that she found none. Instead, Andromeda looked as worried and as shocked as Bellatrix did.
"I—well, we just go on walks from time to time and we do homework together," said Cissy weakly. She looked down her nose at her hand trapped between Bellatrix's hands. Her golden lashes tickled her hot cheeks and for a moment Narcissa wondered if she really was a prude and not just conservative as her Mother had assured her for years.
"And when you're doing homework," said Andromeda inching closer to Bella and Cissy. She pressed tightly against Narcissa, squishing her between her own body and that of Bellatrix's. "He doesn't try to touch your hand or looks at you, you know, looks at you? He hasn't tried to kiss your cheek at least?"
Narcissa blinked. Her memories about the times she had spent with Lucius were foggy but she did remember certain events. "Oh, he talked about other things aside from homework," said Narcissa congenially. Andromeda and Bellatrix drew a sigh of relief and smiled at each other before Narcissa continued. "He talked about Quidditch and politics but mostly he talked about himself." Cissy pressed her lips tightly to later purse them. That Lucius Malfoy was as self-centered as they came. Narcissa didn't judge him. He was attractive and popular. He had prestige and money. He was Quidditch Captain of the Slytherin team. In other words, he had every right to brag about himself. It just seemed highly unnecessary to her for him to do it in her direction. She knew all she needed to know about him as it was. Quidditch never interested her and surely, her insistence on not expanding on the subject by keeping to monosyllables whenever possible should have clued him into the matter.
Discussing politics with him had been a pleasant surprise when he first proposed it. It soon grew into an unfortunate event. Her input about the matters regarding the Ministry of Magic and the Statute of Secrecy didn't agree with Lucius' thoughts. Not only that, he had quite bluntly remarked that as someone who was going to be a bride in the near future it wasn't proper to speak of politics as if one were knowledgeable of such male centered affairs. Narcissa had had the decency to flush then. She also had the thought to slap him across the face but managed to resist with the grace of any well bred lady.
"And?" said Andromeda and Bella simultaneously as they stared at Narcissa. She blinked again only to realize that she had grown quiet for a while; enough to raise suspicion amongst her sisters.
"That's all," she said bluntly. "There's nothing more to it. I do my homework and he does his. Sometimes we help each other but mainly I help him with his Potions assignments. He's not very good at the theory aspect of it, it seems."
"What a bore!" exclaimed Bellatrix leaning her hands behind her on the hardwood floor. She tilted her head to frown up at the ceiling. "I thought he was more interesting than that. He seems alright when we're walking around Hogwarts picking on the Mudbloods."
Narcissa rolled her eyes. Exciting, she thought sarcastically. How much fun it should be to hex unsuspecting students while the Professors weren't looking? Narcissa could never imagine such fun!
"That's a little weird," said Andy in a melodic tone, she too tilting her head and frowning into the distance pensively. "I honestly thought he was more interested in you. Isn't he wildly fascinated with blonds?"
"If his whores have anything to say about it," commented Bellatrix gruffly. "Not you, Cissy. You're obviously not one of his whores and here I was worried about your virtue and crap."
Filled with conflicting thoughts, Narcissa blinked for what seemed the umpteenth time. "Thank you for worrying," she whispered with a confused expression. Was that the proper thing to say in such a situation? She wasn't even aware what kind of situation she was in save that it felt a little awkward and that perhaps she should be more upset and offended about it than she truly was.
"Won't one of his little adventures be at the ball tonight?" inquired Andromeda haughtily. Narcissa didn't speak then but she was appreciative of her sister's adopted tone of voice. Although she held no deep feelings for Lucius and normally she wasn't possessive of him, her pride and ego had been badly hurt during the past school term. Everyone knew he was courting her yet he was often seen kissing other girls in corners; sometimes more than just a little kissing. Narcissa flushed and rubbed the back of her fingers against a heated cheek as a frustrated sigh floated past her lips.
"Whores, Andy. Call them by their proper names," said Bellatrix, scratching her stomach. Her black hair fanned over the floor, looking like spilled ink on the dark cherry wood panels. "And yes, that Flint girl is going to be here. At least that's what Malfoy said. Now that I think about it, he did have that perverted gleam in his nasty little eyes."
Narcissa snorted and tuned out the rest of their chatter. If she paid attention to their gossip about the ball and who was going to attend her mood would surely only grow sourer than it was now. As she was still fourteen, Narcissa wasn't allowed to attend the parties of the season. She would have to wait until she turned fifteen and had her own debut. Only then could she attend the festivities, particularly those balls during the summer that only started at ten in the evening. Narcissa undid her braid slowly, running her hands through her waves while Andromeda and Bellatrix talked.
They seemed both amused and bored at the idea of spending hours dancing. Andromeda complained about the dresses and the shoes. She complained about Evan Rosier and his unwanted advances. Then she complained about the big hairstyle Mother insisted she wore. Bellatrix interjected with laughter and crass language where it was appropriate and where it wasn't either for such was her style. Her hands always moved with her words as if she plucked the vocabulary from thin air to string her sentences along. Narcissa adored these moments where everything seemed right with the world and they were nothing more but sisters. Not soon to be women with decided fates and disagreeing thoughts, just sisters who loved each other more than they could ever express; sisters who would do anything for the other without a single doubt or hesitation.
The bedroom door flew open with a bang, halting the chattering in the bedroom at once. Bellatrix had stopped mid twirl where she had been dancing a quick waltz with a long blanket. She wrapped it around herself carelessly at the sight of her mother at the door. Andromeda made a face at Narcissa before she stopped, realizing that her mother, Druella Black, was now frowning at her.
"What are you two doing?" she asked sharply. Her icy glare jumped from Bellatrix to Andromeda. Narcissa opted to keep quiet. As long as she wasn't addressed there was no need to speak. It was the way she had been raised. Children, particularly of the female variety, were to be seen not heard and speaking in advance without being personally address was considered a near unforgiveable sin. "Why are you in your under things, Andromeda?"
Andy flinched and opened her mouth to speak but faced with the upturned palm of Druella rendered her silent.
"Never mind, just get dressed. All of you. We have guests so dress accordingly," she said slowly. She stared meaningfully at Bellatrix before closing the door behind her. Andromeda breathed out loudly, slumping dramatically against Narcissa.
"Merlin, she's like a Dementor," joked Andy, standing up and picking up the bed sheets and pillows strewn across the floor. The brunette walked over to Bella's bed and dumped the items she was carrying onto the mattress. "She steps into a room and sucks the energy right out of you with just one breath."
Bellatrix cast her makeshift gown aside with one of her usual extravagant flourishes. "A walking Kiss of DEATH!" exclaimed the tallest of the sisters, throwing the doors of her wardrobe open.
"Narcissa?" called out Andromeda opening the bedroom door. "Aren't you going to get dressed?"
The blond stared up at her sister as she still sat on the floor. There was an ominous feeling crawling all over her skin and making her hairs stand on end. She secretly hoped it wasn't the Rosiers who had come over for tea and dinner. They were a common occurrence during the holidays and each time it was an unpleasant experience for Narcissa. Her cousin, Evan Rosier, was a brute with a foul and sharp tongue. He had always been one to speak his mind and he reminded Cissy of Bellatrix in a lot of ways. Evan wasn't her brother; however, so she felt no loyalty towards him nor did she feel an obligation to take his insults quietly. She frowned and stood up, stomping her way out of the bedroom.
"It better be someone interesting!" she whined as Andy pushed her out of Bellatrix's bedroom. "And whoever it is I hope they brought sweet cakes and things. People can be so rude when they come empty handed to call on others."