Narcissa's hands were sticky with blood as she gently moved the damp cloth over her sisters ruined back. Her heart breaking every time Bellatrix whimpered or tensed in pain, she could feel her sibling trembling under her touch and though Bellatrix hadn't told her what happened she could hazard a guess that Rodolphus was behind it. She'd healed wounds and broken bones on her sister in the past from fights with her violent brother in law, she'd also healed him from wounds inflicted by Bellatrix herself but this.. this was something completely over the line.
"How bloody fucking dare you?!"Narcissa didn't result to vile language very often, but when she did one would know the Lady Malfoy was a source to be reckoned with. Bellatrix had always had the reputation for being violent but Narcissa was just as capable as her dark sister and Rodolphus felt the stinging pain of a slicing hex down her cheek. It wasn't deep but it was enough to tell him the youngest Black would use force if he got much closer.
"Cissy.." it was Bellatrix's shaking voice that pulled the blonde's attention from where she staring with devil eyes at her brother in law. "Don't.."
"Shh, it's alright, Bella. I'm going to make it better, I just need to see what I'm dealing with. Be brave for a little while longer, ok?" Her voice had lost all its venom and bit as she has hushed the dark haired witch who was laying on her stomach bleeding over the expensive sheets on the bed, her back a mass of cuts, bruises and welts from what Narcissa could only guess was a belt. She comforted the Dark Lords first lieutenant as if she were a child, speaking to her as a mother would trying to ease the anxiety radiating from the older witch.
Rodolphus was wisely quiet as he hovered at the foot of the bed watching the prissy blonde dirty her perfect hands, he lifted his own to the slice on his cheek, it was bleeding only a little but the sting told him Narcissa was more than capable of doing more damage. He felt a stab of guilt as the blood caked and dried on Bellatrix's back was washed away to reveal the damage he himself had inflicted upon her, he'd completely lost control.. he could have killed her. "She let him fuck her. Did you know about it? The affair? Fucking whore." But his words lacked strength now, seeing what he'd done neutralised his anger.
Narcissa hushed Bellatrix when she made a soft sobbing sound and cast Rodolphus a murderous look, "don't call her that, she's not a whore. If you treated her more kindly she wouldn't have to look for affection elsewhere you damn hypocrite." The truth was, Narcissa didn't condone the affair with Antonin Dolohov at all, but Bellatrix was her sister, her best friend, her.. her everything. "This," she made a gesture with her hand to the ruined skin on Bellatrix's back, "nothing she's ever done or will do can excuse this. She made a mistake, you've made plenty, only when you're perfect yourself can you have the right to punish her this way."
The blonde went back to work, her magic was gentle as she moved her wand over the wounds, cuts and bruises, healing the smaller ones completely and doing her best on the more severe would have to heal a few days on their own the rest of the way. "Nearly done, darling." Narcissa said softly smoothing Bellatrix's hair from her face after she'd cleaned the blood off her hands. "I need to dress these, then I'll give you a potion so you can sleep awhile."
Bellatrix nodded silently and Narcissa had to wonder what else he'd done to her, part of her didn't want to know, blissful ignorance was sometimes preferable to the ugly truth.
It didn't take her long to tenderly dress the remaining few cuts, they'd heal in a day or so with more healing spells. "She's staying with me tonight, get out, you've done enough." The blonde said firmly after she'd helped her sister drink the potion and aided her in getting as comfortable as possible.
Rodolphus hesitated, glancing as his now sleeping wife with the clean white sheet draped over her, she looked helpless and tiny, though by fuck she was far from helpless, he'd crossed a line and he knew it. "I didn't mean.. I was just so fucking angry with her, I love her so much.."
"Leave." Narcissa said it more forcefully now, her material instinct still on overdrive. He left and she glanced down at her sleeping sister. Bellatrix had always protected her from their abusive father, she was the bravest person Narcissa knew but sometimes even the most brave need someone to be their shield in moments of weakness.