Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's note: Was inspired by "Only if for a night" by Florence + The Machine. Epic song if you have never heard it. I lost my younger brother in 2010 in a horrific car accident so I tried to put some of my grief into this, just a tad as its not about me but Narcissa. Please read and review. No haters.
Only if for a night
Narcissa stood in the cemetery after the funeral. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She stared at the head stone over her sister's grave. The hole in her chest threatening to consume her, swallow her and force her into nothingness. The loss of Andromeda all those years ago was nothing comapared to this. Though Bellatrix has spent 15 years in Azkaban, Narcissa always knew that she would come back some day, but this...this absolute truth, the body beneath the ground she was standing on...this...this loss was too much for her to bear.
Bellatrix Pandora Black Lestrange
Toujours pur, Toujours forte, Toujours Fidele
It was over, the war was over and the entire Wizarding World was getting back on their feet. The Dark Lord had been defeated and most of his followers had been killed or arrested. Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus being some of the fallen.
She stood stock still, continuing to stare at the head stone, her sister's body laying six feet under the very soil she was standing on, her expensive heels sinking into the freshly buried earth. She was trembling with cold and sobs. She knew that one of these days Bellatrix was going to either be killed or go back to prison for what she had done, death it seemed, had been the better option. Narcissa had spent the past week reminding herself that Bellatrix had fallen in battle serving her Lord and Master, and that was the way that she would have wanted to go. But when it came right down to it, Bellatrix never wanted to die, but she had, and there was no use pretending otherwise.
"You just had to leave me…now what am I supposed to do?" Narcissa said her voice barely above a whisper.
She could almost hear her oldest sister's pur of a voice in her ear.
"Grow up Cissy; you'll be just fine without me."
Narcissa turned around almost expecting to see her sister standing there, but as she turned she saw nothing but her Husband and son standing by their Mercedes yards away from the grave. Then she noticed another figure in a long black dress and pea coat standing near a tree.
"I'm surprised that you even came." Narcissa said coldly.
"I am too." The woman said moving closer.
Andromeda Tonks moved forward to stand next to her baby sister. Even if she and Bellatrix never got along so well, they were still sisters and this was painful to Andromeda as well. To her surprise Narcissa didn't strike or curse her, on the contrary she leaned into her and began to sob uncontrollably. Andromeda cradled her baby sister in her arms for a few minutes while Lucius and Draco got into the car, unable to bare the sight of Narcissa's grief any longer. They stood, swaying on the spot as a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. Andromeda fought back her own tears and grief as she cradled her baby sister in her arms like she used to when they were children. It had all seemed a lifetime ago.
"Shhh…Cissy…it's alright…I'm here now." Andromeda cooed softly, running her fingers through Narcissa's platinum blonde hair.
"I didn't expect you to show up…how did you even know?" Narcissa asked, her sobs dying away as she looked up at her slightly taller sister.
"Harry told me…when I went to…pick up Nymphadora's body from Hogwarts." Andromeda managed to say without breaking into sobs once more.
"I'm sorry Andie…I'm sorry that your family has gone." Narcissa said truthfully.
"But you are still here…you and Draco are still here. I have nothing left. My husband is gone, my daughter is gone, and my son-in-law is gone. All I left is my grandson Teddy…and you." Andromeda said, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke.
Losing her husband had been difficult, but losing her daughter too was even more than she could bare, she had to try, she had to try to get that sense of family back, even if she left here and never spoke to Narcissa ever again, at least she could walk away knowing that she said everything that she could.
"You're right, I am still here." Narcissa said seriously looking into her sister's hazel eyes.
A silent moment passed between the two sisters as they stood there staring down at Bellatrix's grave once more.
"I'm surprised that she wanted to be buried here next to mother and father." Andromeda said breaking the silence.
"She didn't, but she doesn't have much of a choice. It is the only place fitting of such a burial." Narcissa said haughtily, her normal demeanor returning for a moment.
"True, well I guess I had better go. I need to pick up Teddy from Harry's soon." Andromeda said breaking her hold on her baby sister.
But as she turned to leave Narcissa grabbed her wrist, Andromeda looked up shocked.
"Please…will you come by to visit sometime? I could really use your company." Narcissa said.
Though she didn't say it, Andromeda knew that this was a truce, that Narcissa was accepting her back into her life once more.
"Yes, I will come to visit sometime." Andromeda replied.
And for the first time in years Narcissa actually smiled. She moved forward and hugged her now older sister then let go.
"See you later Andie." Narcissa said.
"Later Cissy." Andromeda said.
Narcissa turned and walked to her car where her husband and son were waiting for her. She got in and they drove away. Narcissa looked at her sister's figure in the wing mirror and sighed. She knew that Andromeda would come to visit, and now she could truly be herself once more. With Andromeda at her side once more she knew that Bellatrix's death wouldn't be so hard to bear anymore.