Bellatrix hated it when Narcissa cried. It made her boil with rage, swell with anger, burn with hatred; never at her beautiful Narcissa, however, always at the person who had caused her tears.
In the whole of her sister's life Bellatrix could only recall her crying on two separate occasions.
The first had been when Andromeda had left. Narcissa had sobbed; Bellatrix had fumed. She had wanted to go wild, she had wanted to punish Andromeda for ever daring to hurt Narcissa. But no, Narcissa had begged her not to leave and had she had complied. She had complied for Narcissa's sake. She had held her sister in her arms as great sobs wracked her delicate body and she had kept quiet.
She had said nothing, she had done nothing and remained to do so even for the next couple of nights when Narcissa had crawled into her warm bed and lay next to her, body cold and eyes wet.
Eventually her tears stopped.
The second had been when their father, Cygnus, died. Bellatrix was brutally indifferent, but Narcissa had been devastated. Bellatrix remained quiet, once again and held her sister close and stroked her soft white-blonde hair.
Narcissa had clung to her for days, never letting her out of sight, never letting her go for more than minutes at a time and Bellatrix had stayed near her, had comforted her, had consoled and calmed her and never felt bitter.
Eventually her tears stopped, again.
But now, there was a third occasion, and Bellatrix could not do anything. For it was Bellatrix who had caused Narcissa's tears to fall thrice. The bars of Bellatrix's icy cell separated them, she tried to reach out for her sister, tried to hold her, tried to console her and wipe away the tears. But she could not and Narcissa had cried harder. She had sobbed, mere feet away from Bellatrix, who was immobilised. Ashamed and full of regret.
Narcissa had slipped to her knees, grasping at the cold metal that kept her from her sister. Tears streaked from her pale blue eyes.
'Bella…' She had whispered, voice cracked and fragile.
Bellatrix had fallen to her knees, and wrapped her own hands around Narcissa's.
'Bella…' She had whispered again, tears falling harder and quicker, breathing ragged and body shaking.
Bellatrix could not speak, and she was not so sure that Narcissa's tears would ever stop.