1st of September 1966

Platform 9 ¾ was brimming with families; mothers and father bidding farewell to their sons and daughters for another school year, younger children crying and older children comforting first years. There was a distinct separation of people, those who had chose to dress in Muggle clothing, and those who hadn't. Without consideration it seemed that the former and the latter had separated themselves on the platform.

Cygnus Black III strode immediately to the side with the 'properly dressed' people, naturally those in robes. He did this knowingly, scoffing at the Muggle-dressed as he passed them.

'Pah. They shouldn't be allowed on here dressed like that.'

His wife, Druella gave a slight nod in agreement. 'Quite right, Cygnus. Dressing like one of them is a disgrace to wizarding blood.' Her pale blue eyes pierced the crowd, falling on a Muggle-dressed mother and father fawning over their red-headed daughter. 'Prewetts!' She laughed, a cold, empty, humourless laugh. 'Pure-blood and dressed like Muggles?'

'Hmph. I bet their blood is muddy somewhere down the line.' Cygnus turned away from them, shaking his head. He was tall, good-looking, and well-built, even in his robes he gave the impression of being muscular. His face was cleanly shaven, but a shadow of dark hair remained. The hair of his head was thick, black and curly, slicked back with enormous amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, giving it an almost wet look. He wore robes of the blackest black, to match his eyes and his name.

Druella, on the other hand, had white-blonde hair that had been clipped back, strands now falling loose in the wind. She was elegant in her stance, graceful in her walk and slight in her touch. She was a most beautiful woman, looks only tarnished by the disgusted expression she usually wore upon her perfect features.

'But father… aren't the Prewett's related to us? I saw it on the family tree in Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion's house.' Their middle child, Andromeda asked. So far she'd been ignoring the conversation that had been going on between her parents, pretending to hang back a few steps in hope that she distanced herself from her family somewhat.

'They are barely related to us, Andromeda. Once upon a time they were a respectable, pure-blood family.' Cygnus stopped, they were almost at the train door now. He turned to address his family, in particular, his youngest daughter who was starting her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He knelt down in front of her for she took after her mother and was a small, petite, almost fragile girl. He put his hands on her shoulders, and smiled.

'Narcissa.' He squeezed her shoulders. 'I know you're going to make us proud. I don't need to tell you to behave, I know you will. I do, however, think you should keep an eye out on Bellatrix, you at least seem more mature than her.' Cygnus looked past Narcissa, at his eldest daughter Bellatrix, who was running the tip of her wand over her bare arms.

The small girl nodded. 'Yes, father.' It was crude to have favourites as parents, but Narcissa definitely was both Druella and Cygnus' most adored child. She was the most pampered, the most spoilt, the most cared-for, the most cherished and it showed markedly.

'Bellatrix will you behave yourself this year? And will you do something with your hair, for Merlin's sake! PUT AWAY YOUR WAND WHILST I AM TALKING TO YOU!' Druella snatched Bellatrix's wand from her hands, forcing the 15-year-old to snap out of her almost trance like state and glare at her mother. She whipped out her own wand instead, and started pointing it at Bellatrix's dark tresses, straightening them out and smoothening them. Bellatrix did not resist, but merely held her hand out impatiently which her mother eventually thrust her wand back into, not satisfied, merely defeated at the attempt she had made on Bellatrix's curls.

'Andromeda, take care of Narcissa, will you?' Cygnus asked, turning to his other dark-haired child. Sometimes it was frightening almost how alike Bellatrix and Andromeda looked, the only significant differences being that Andromeda's hair was a shade lighter, and she had a softer, more calming demeanour.

'Yes, of course.' She moved behind her younger sister and ruffled her hair slightly. Narcissa made a movement, to knock Andromeda's hand away but decided against it at the last minute, and tucked a strand of white-blonde hair behind her ear instead.

'No! I will look after Cissy.' Bellatrix had finally turned her attention to her father, and she pushed Andromeda aside to stand behind her youngest sister. Andromeda gave a look of shocked anger, and opened her mouth to say something, but her mother cut across her.

'Bellatrix, please, you can barely look after yourself.'

'Shut it, mother.'

'Bellatrix! Do not talk to you mother-'

Any further arguments were drowned out by the sound of whistles and horns, and quickened footsteps as people jogged to get on the train, heavy trunks and pets dragging behind them. Andromeda stepped on the Hogwarts Express first, followed by Narcissa who was ushered on by her father. Bellatrix followed reluctantly. Narcissa turned around to face her parents, quite anxious now the time had come to actually leave them, she looked at her father who beamed proudly at her, and her mother who even managed a weak smile of her own, before the door slammed shut and the great train rumbled to a start, leaving Narcissa without her parents for the first time in 11 years.