Break Me Like A Promise
by EMPG22HoPe
I thought that you were fine. Why did you have to hide?
Delicate bristles swept through the golden tresses of her gossamer locks.
A heavy look in her blue eyes set as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was paler than usual. Her body was thinner in the way that she had always wanted it to be, but in a way that gave her no comfort. The perfect shape of her cheekbones has sunken into a disconcerting state. She supposed that's what happened when you refused to stomach food, or stomach life, in its general state.
The youngest Black had not always been this way.
No, Narcissa Black was most likely the very sun to the moon and stars of her two elder sisters. She shone the brightest among them, being the only one with golden hair that swept down the slender frame of her back. Perhaps she was even the prettiest, if her vanity were still with her.
But these days, she refused to show her light. In fact, she had not shown any semblance of her old self in weeks now. Druella, her mother, insisted that Narcissa had simply been sick as a passing to any guests that ever visited Grimmauld Place. It was a flimsy excuse, one in which a person could easily see past through if they had known the youngest Black well. Perhaps it had been a good thing that her mother taught her never to show much of her true self towards the ever-so disparaging pure-bloods.
It all started on that one day when three sisters merely became two.
Narcissa stopped the intricately fashioned brush from sweeping her hair into place.
The brush merely looked like any ordinary Black heirloom. It was indistinguishable compared to other family materials. But it was worth more than all the galleons. It was worth memories, many that she would rather forget.
Her almond-shaped eyes glared at herself through the mirror, then at the brush.
If only she had not left.
If only she could have done something to stop her.
If only Andromeda were still here.
Three weeks ago
Andy, please don't go, Narcissa wanted to tell her.
But with every calculated glance, every wring of her fingers against her favorite dress as she watched her sister pack made it all the more difficult to say it out loud. Narcissa didn't have a plan, only that she followed Andromeda like a lost puppy to her sister's room–soon to be emptied if she didn't do something.
"Wherewill you go?"Narcissa blurted out at last, not being able to bear just standing there like a bloody fool. She was still at a loss for words after what had happened in the kitchen earlier. The declarations her sister made and the ire she's invoked against their mother.
Druella Blackhad never been more vexed in her life. The woman greatly matched the anger of which her Aunt Walburgapossessed from when Sirius ran away.
Narcissa felt like fainting.
It was just like Sirius all over again.
Hot tears stung her blue eyes as her lips trembled. She should not cry. She refusedto cry from when Sirius left. Albeit, she he hid her sobs well in the night when everyone was asleep. Merlin forbid she let her parents know that she was affected by her blood traitor cousin's mistakes. But she could not deny herself the vulnerability of seeing her sister go. At least Sirius had done them the favor of leaving before dawn. Andromeda was making it a pointfor everyone to see, to feel the gravity of her soon to be vacancy.
Her sister had always been a bit proud that way.
"You can't leave."She wiped her tears with the back of her hand profusely. "Just apologize to mum, Andy, please."
This made Andromeda stop her hands from moving things into her luggage.
Narcissa never begged. Begging meant admitting defeat; that she had no more cards to play, that she had lost all her moves in a game of chess. The only reason she would ever beg is if it's of the utmost importance, showing how her desperation refused to be caged no longer.
Vulnerability. But she didn't care if she showed weakness, if she begged, if she was desperate. She would have laid her whole life to every higher being if it meant her sister staying. If it meant that what had just happened earlier was nothing but a dream.
Andromeda finally looked at Narcissa. The woman's brown eyes swept her younger sister, taking her in, before her observance softened. She walked up to Narcissa, who stood frozen near the doorway, blocking its entire exit. A hint of a smile graced Andromeda's lips.
"I'm sorry, Cissy," Andromeda finally said, her smile fading into one of placidness. She reached up to place a hand on the younger Black's shoulder. "I can't stay here. Not after what's been going on with lately. Those poor muggles…"
"But they're just muggles!" Narcissa exploded, shoving off her sister's touch. Andromeda recoiled as though she had just been burned. "How can you put those… those… dull-witted peoplebefore your family? Before me? I am your sister! How can you leave us for them, for their safety?"
"It's not just them. It's my friends, too." Andromeda fired back with the same amount of fire. "They're out there getting hurt for being muggle-born by some radical group of witches and wizards trying to eliminate them for their blood."
"Oh, your mudblood friends, you mean?" Narcissa cackled humorlessly as she harshly dried off her tears from earlier. "I never would have forced you not to associate with them, but now I wish I had! I cannot believe after everything we've been through, how you're just going to end up like Sirius! You know how it made me feel. You knew what I had been like when he ran away. He's gone, and you're going too, and I just can't—"
I can't lose you, too, she wanted to say, but she choked on her words, her tears came back as they rushed once more like waterfalls. And feeling so drained, Narcissa slowly collapsed onto the floor. Her legs were like jelly as she sat down with a thud against the wood. Her hands flew to her face, covering them as her body convulsed with sobs.
Narcissa felt soft, but firm arms embrace her. She shifted to look up before she wept into Andromeda's shoulder. There was no use convincing her, that much she knew now. Once her sister made up her mind, it was very unlikely for her to go back.
"Please don't go," Narcissa whispered hoarsely, still hiding her face from her sister. "I beg of you."
For a moment, she thought she heard Andromeda choke; as though she, too, were producing fitful tears. But before Narcissa could say anything more, her sister pulled away. The elder Black kept her head down as she placed a bright, yellow brush on top of Narcissa's fallen hands on her lap.
Clutching the brush, she looked at Andromeda and watched as the woman stood, refusing to look at her any further. She made quick strides towards her luggage, shoved the last bits of her belongings before shutting its case. Her eyes caught her sister's hand shake as she took the handle, whirled around and made haste towards the open door.
Get up, she screamed at herself. Stop her.
But she didn't.
The brisk sound of her sister's footsteps was the last thing she heard before Narcissa filled the empty room with her blood-curling cries.
Narcissa howled before she threw the brush towards the mirror.
Her reflection shattered into hundreds of pieces as the mirror fell away with plinks and plunks from its stand. The sound reverberated in her room, and she watched as the pieces settled onto the maquillage of her vanity. Each glass sparkled under the morning light's glare that bled through her window.
The pieces glared at her. She glared back.
For most of those weeks, she had blamed herself for Andromeda leaving. But now, as she looked back, how she mourned as though her sister were dead—she realized she could blame herself no longer.
Her eyes whisked towards the brush, bristles lying face down beside tiny particles of the broken mirror that had tumbled off her vanity and onto the floor. It was the same brush Andromeda had given her before she walked away. Since then, she had held onto it like a talisman, wishing on it like a wishing star as though it would help bring her sister back. But the more she stared at it now, the more it merely gave her the impression that her foolishness in the past few weeks will not be rewarded with the return of her sister. Nor did it do her any good.
With a steady breath, she rose from the seat of her vanity and looked at herself through what little was left of which she could see through the broken mirror.
She will have to forget. And maybe one day, her sister will feel the utmost regret.
Prompt(s):
496. Item - Hairbrush (The Insane House Challenge)
14. Write a fic set in Marauder era (Fanfiction Resolutions Challenge)
32. Write something Hurt/Comfort (Fanfiction Resolutions Challenge)
144. Genre - Family (365 Prompts Challenge)
1. Write about a member of the Black family (May Event - Scavenger Hunt)
Character(s): Narcissa Black, Andromeda Black
Word Count: 1,551 words
AN: This is the first time I've ever written anything for a forum/prompt challenge, so I might be a tad rusty. Also, I really enjoyed writing the breakdown of Narcissa's character. I absolutely refuse to believe that Narcissa was completely heartless towards her sister. She had to pick herself up for her own sake, and may hate her still, but you better believe deeeeep down that she's always in pain whenever someone mentions Andromeda. I just have a lot of Black sisters feels (granted, Bella was not much here, but still). :'(
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review to let me know what you think. :')
EMPG22HoPe