Author's note: Bella is slightly OOC in this fic; please don't Crucio me! It had to be so in order for the story to work. Thanks! Enjoy; R thank you read for reading! (Like how I thanked you twice? ;])

Disclaimer: Once more, I do not own anything.

Girl Talk
A short story by Mesteria

Fourteen-year-old Andromeda Black crept out of the bathroom and over to her older sister's room. She bit her lower lip as she nudged the door open gently, worried about waking up her sister. They were on summer vacation from Hogwarts and Bellatrix Black had been taken advantage of the fact that 1) she had no classes in the morning; 2) she had no chores to do at home since the house elves took care of it; and 3) she usually had nothing to do early in the day, so she slept in each morning. It was rare to find her up before ten in the morning. But, right now, it was a little passed seven in the morning and Andromeda needed to talk to her sister. She had woken up to go to the bathroom and when she pulled down her underwear, she was surprised to find some blood. She didn't really know what it is, but she had her suspicions. She had no mother to tell her about growing up and the changes that one's body goes through, as the girls' mother had died shortly after giving birth to their youngest sister, Narcissa. Bella never really liked to talk much about anything personal and Andromeda felt awkward approaching her father about these sorts of things. During the school year, she had heard some girls talking about it, but Andy wasn't sure about anything that was happening to her.

Andy slowly made her way over to Bella's canopy bed after shutting the door carefully. Her sister was lying on her side, facing away from the door. The curtains on both windows were drawn, blocking out any form of light. Bella's side rose up and down evenly, a sure sign that she was in a deep slumber and would be very angry when Andy woke her up. Andy reached her sister's bed and leaned over, gently rocking Bella's shoulder.

"Bella," she whispered. She continued to shake her sister, using a little bit more force. She raised her voice. "Bella." There was a groan and then a pillow came flying at her head. Andy ducked just in time as the pillow flew above her. Bella dragged the covers over her head.

"What time is it?" she asked, still half-asleep. The comforter muffled her voice. Andy climbed under the covers, pulling them above her head, and laid on her side. It took a couple of seconds, but then Bella rolled over with another groan to face her sister. Her eyes were still closed. Andy thought she'd fallen back asleep, but then she asked again, "What time is it?"

"Don't worry about that," Andy urged her sister. She moved in closer to Bella. She lowered her voice. "Bella, listen to me. I woke up this morning and I went to the bathroom. And…" Andy hesitated here, watching her sister's face. Bella continued to show no emotion, keeping her eyes closed. "And… there was blood…." She let her voice trail off. She watched Bella's face, waiting for any signs that she was not sleeping.

Slowly, Bella opened her eyes. She stared back into Andy's almost-twin face. She didn't say anything at first; she seemed to be thinking about what Andy had just said. When she did finally speak up, it was not what Andy had been hoping for.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Bella asked, trying to keep her tone even.

Andy didn't know why she had expected her sister to react nicely. She had hoped that Bella would show some sympathy and talk Andy through it. But that was the Bella living inside Andy's head that she talked to, not the real-life Bella. Andy frowned at her sister and suddenly felt helpless. She felt the tears begin to form behind her eyes. She tried to make them go away, but she couldn't.

"Why are you crying?" Bella snapped. "You wake me up at… who knows what hour! Then you tell me you're on your period - like I need to know - and then you start crying! Stop it, Andy! Stop!"

Those words stung Andy. The tears only came faster and a lump rose in Andy's throat. She wiped at her eyes, but it was no use because the salty tears kept freeing themselves from her eyes. Andy sniffled and stopped wiping her eyes. Bella stared back at Andy, giving her a hard look. The only emotion Bella seemed to show, especially to her younger siblings, was anger or annoyance. Andy just wanted her sister to understand, even if it was just for a minute.

"Bella," she cried, "it's ne-never happened to me before! I don't know what to do."

Saying this seemed to change Bella's expression. Her face softened and she offered Andy an apologetic smile. She then reached out and grabbed one of Andy's hand, squeezing it. Andy looked at her sister, letting her hold her hands. It felt good to have Bella on her side. Her tears began to dry up and Bella reached out with her free hand to tuck Andy's hair behind her ear.

"Come on," Bella said, letting go of Andy's hand and throwing back the covers. "I'll… help you." She glanced at Andy as her sister sat up. The sisters got out of Bella's bed. Andy heard her sister cuss under her breath as her bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor. Andy waited for her sister to walk around her bed and then together they stepped out into the hallway and walked down to the bathroom.

"You'll probably want to start off using pads your first few times," Bella explained as she squatted down by the cabinet underneath the sink. She pulled out something that was wrapped in plastic. She extended her arm and handed it to Andy. Andy gingerly took it from Bella, blushing. Bella closed the cabinet. "You just… sort of… you put it on your underwear, okay?" With that, she walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

After Andy had fixed herself, she opened the bathroom slowly. Bella was leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door, her eyes closed. When she heard the bathroom door open, she opened her eyes and pushed herself off the wall. Andy was blushing slightly and wouldn't meet her older sister's gaze.

"Andy, it happens to every woman," Bella explained, not in the mood to deal with her sister's modesty. "It's nothing to be ashamed off." Andy nodded, but still didn't fully trust her sister. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what was happening, but it was embarrassing. "Well, if that's all…." Bella's voice trailed off and when Andy provided nothing else, she turned away from her sister and began to make the short walk back to her bedroom.

"Bella, wait," Andy called out softly, stepping toward her sister. She had questions, but didn't know if Bella was going to answer them. Andy watched Bella turn around. A flash of annoyance washed over Bella's face, but Bella tried to hide it the best she could with a forced smile. Andy bit her lower lip again, not wanting to irritate her sister.

"What, Andy?" Bella asked a little too quickly and with a forced cheery tone. "Did you have questions?" She made a face, but then laughed it off. Andy regarded her.

Andy finally nodded and walked up to Bella. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just… you're the only person I have to go to. I know you hate this kind of stuff, but it's all just so new to me. I've only heard some stuff from other girls in school. And some were my age, saying that they started at twelve – sometimes younger! – and I thought that something was wrong with me."

Bella nodded as the two sisters head back to Bella's room. Bella shut the door behind them when they entered and then began to make her way over to her bed. Andy followed and crawled into the bed with Bella. They pulled the covers up their bodies and over their heads. Andy scooted closer to Bella, the pad feeling slightly odd between her legs.

"What did you want to know?" Bella asked. She seemed a little more comfortable about things now. Maybe she was actually trying to make her sister feel comfortable.

Andy thought about what she wanted to ask. She did have so many questions, but didn't want to bombard Bella with them all at once. "Well," she began slowly, "what does it mean? Like, what's the point of it?"

Bella scrunched her nose at this. Andy thought that she was going to be in for it. She wished she could take back the words she just spoke. But, instead, Bella surprised her by answering her question flat out. "It means," Bella started, "that you can have kids now. Something about having enough fat on your body to carry a baby; I don't know. I wish the governess were here to talk to you…." After Druella Black died, the girls' father needed help raising three young girls, especially baby Narcissa. He had hired a governess, who had helped raise the girls up until two years ago. She had found the man of her dreams and went off to marry him. Cygnus Black didn't hire another governess after that, as his eldest daughter was fifteen (at the time) and could now properly guide her younger sisters.

Andy was appalled by what Bella had told her about being able to conceive children. She gaped at her sister. "I don't want kids now!" she said, a touch of panic in her voice.

"Then don't have sex," Bella concluded, straight-faced. "Well, don't have sex until you're married. Because then it doesn't really matter if you're pregnant. Unless you don't want to have children." She shrugged, seeming to blow it off, but saw the look on Andy's face. She groaned. "Please do tell me you know what sex is?"

Andy blushed, the heat rising in her cheeks. She smiled and nodded, looking away from her sister. Then Andy frowned and looked back to Bella, who rolled her eyes. "I think I know!" she quickly said before Bella went off on a rampage. "I'm pretty sure I know what it is. Again, I heard some girls talking at Hogwarts. I sort of… pieced it together." Andy paused and gave her sister a curious look. "How did you learn all this stuff, Bella?"

"The governess that Daddy had hired years ago," Bella told her sister. "When I first started on my period, I didn't know who else to go to. She was supposed to be like our mother, anyway; and I was not going to Daddy! He would get so awkward when I first started to develop a chest!" Bella laughed. "I remember one time, the governess asked him for some galleons to take me shopping and he inquired for what and she told him for bras… he turned forty shades of red, I swear!" She continued to laugh loudly, but then it turned into those silent laughs. Andy couldn't help but laugh along with her sister, mainly laughing at Bella laughing so hard. She had never seen her sister so giddy.

When the girls stopped laughing, Andy smiled at her sister. She was thankful that Bella was taking this all so very well. Bella didn't smile back; instead she awaited more questions from her sister.

"Are we getting another governess?" Andy asked. She assumed that the answer would be 'no', as it had been two years since the girls' last governess.

Bella shook her head. "No, Andy. I'm taking care of you girls. That is," she added softly, looking away from Andy, "until I get married next year. Then you'll have to care of Cissy by yourself." She began to pick at the bed linens. When the governess had taken off two years ago, Cygnus had begun to think about his daughters' futures. It had dawned on him that Bellatrix would be graduating in two years and he had no idea what his daughter planned on doing. When he'd asked her, Bella had admitted (stupidly) that she wasn't quite sure either. This answer had sent Cygnus had a wild goose chase to find a proper husband for his daughter. He had found that husband in the form of Rodolphus Lestrange. Their wedding was set for next summer, right after the couple graduated from Hogwarts. Bella would turn eighteen this October.

Andy frowned at her sister's saddened face. "Are you scared?" she asked quietly.

Bella looked up with a dark look. "I'm not afraid of anything," she spat, disgusted that her sister would ask such a thing. "It's marriage, Andy. It was going to happen sooner or later. You do want to uphold the Black family name, right?" She peered at her sister closely.

Andy nodded quickly, agreeing. She knew that marriage to a respectable, pureblood wizard (preferably one whose name society knew) was expected of her and her sisters. She just didn't want to get married so young, right out of school. Andy thought of Bella's fiancée (was he considered a fiancée?) and chills ran down her spine. She shook them away and stared at Bella, who seemed lost in her own thoughts, her eyes hazy.

"I want to get married," Andy explained to her sister, as Bella's eyes met Andy's. They seemed to have cleared. "I just want to be in love. Or, at least in like—"

"Rodolphus and I like each other," Bella argued. It didn't sound convincing. "But, liking or loving someone doesn't matter. Like I said before, we have to uphold the Black family name. All three of us – you, Cissy and me – have to make proper pureblood marriages. We can't be marrying – or worse, breeding – with those filthy mudbloods and half-bloods. With that being said, Rodolphus' family is known to society and they have money. We tolerate each other. That's all that matters."

Andy frowned at her sister again. "You're always fighting," she said softly, trying to empathize with her sister. "You both scream at each other whenever you're together. Your time with him always ends in some sort of disagreement. You throw things at him – shoes, glasses, books, rocks – and he pushes you around. Granted, you push him back, but I don't call that liking each other, Bella. You obviously hate one another."

Bella laughed darkly. "Oh, but it makes the sex so much better!" she exclaimed. Then she seemed to realize what she had said and covered her mouth, trying to suppress her grin.

Andy was, believe it or not, actually surprised by her sister's last statement. She couldn't imagine committing such an intimate act with such a vile man. She wondered if maybe Bella had been pressured into doing it, not fully believing that her rebellious sister would give herself to a man of that nature willingly. "Why did you do it?" she asked, feeling angry with Rodolphus. She hoped her sister would tell the truth.

Bella rolled over on her back and pulled down the covers, exposing her head. Andy surfaced her head from beneath the covers as well. Bella shrugged, staring at the ceiling. "He's not so bad," she said. "We wanted to test it out before our wedding. It was all harmless. It meant nothing." She glanced over at Andy. "We did it once when he was really angry over something. It was… different. I actually preferred it. We were both more into it."

Andy gave Bella a quizzical look, not fully understanding. "So, you fight with him on purpose? To have better sex?"

Bella laughed and shook her head. "No. No; those fights are real, not planned," she explained. "We actually don't have sex much anymore. Not with each other, anyway. We both wanted to experiment a little more before vowing our loyalty to each other. He hooks up with other girls a lot, but I usually only hook up with other guys if I'm too drunk to know what I'm doing." She stopped, already having said too much to her little sister.

Andy listened to her sister speak, feeling sorry for Bellatrix. She would never tell her older sister; no, that would just upset Bella. But, Andy couldn't help feeling like her sister was just constantly looking for something to make her feel complete. Andy wondered if it stemmed from loosing their mother at a young age or perhaps the governess running off. She knew not to ask her sister why she did the things she did; Bella was usually a private person. Andy was still surprised that Bella was talking to her this long about things – and it was almost willingly.

"Daddy's looking for a husband for you," Bella spoke after their slightly awkward silence. She looked at Andy, interested to see her reaction.

Andy's eyes widened. "But I… but I'm only fourteen! How do you know for certain? Did he tell you?" Andy was curious to know how Bella had found out. She could very well be making it up, wanting to scare Andy because perhaps she herself was scared but wouldn't admit it.

"I heard him talking the other day in the study," Bella explained. "When that business colleague was over. Apparently, he has a son that's only a year older than you. He goes to Durmstrang." She stopped and seemed to hesitate. "They're coming for dinner sometime soon, though I'm not sure when."

"But why now?" Andy asked, not really expecting a solid answer back from Bella. "I'm just fourteen – I have years to find a husband. A right husband; a perfect husband."

Bella shook her head. "No, you don't," she said. "Daddy's scared, Andy. He doesn't want us to graduate and then just be living at home, not doing anything. Working isn't really expected of us and I honestly think that Daddy doesn't want us working, anyway." She sighed and looked down at her hands. She fiddled with the engagement ring (promise ring?) on her ring finger. Andy had never seen her without the ring off, despite her seemingly unaffectionate relationship with Rodolphus. Bella took a deep breath and looked back up at Andy. "Daddy is doing this for our good own. If we're not going to be working, then the only other option – besides sitting around, wasting our lives away – would be finding a proper man to become a husband and start making our own families." She shrugged. "It's expected. There are traditions that need to be upheld; I won't tell you that again. You need to understand it."

Andy thought about what Bella had just said. This whole conversation, all because she had some questions about being on her period. What a drag it all was. She had used to wish every night that she'd grow up faster because being a grown up looked like fun; you could do anything you wanted, set your own rules. But, now after having talked to her sister, she wanted to stay young – maybe even reverse in age. Being an adult didn't sound like so fun after all.

Andy sighed and removed herself from Bella's bed. Bella watched her sister leave and head for the door. "Don't worry about it too much," Bella called out as her sister reached the door. Andy turned around. "We'll think of something to make him hate you. Maybe dress you up in something revolting or maybe pretend your personality is revolting. Oh! You could act like a real snob, like you're better than everyone. Which, you are – well, not just you, but all of us." She smiled smugly. "Or you could talk about how much you've been around and imply that you don't intend to be faithful in marriage." She laughed at the latter.

Andy smiled at her sister's antics. She turned around and opened the door. As she was leaving, she looked over her shoulder at her sister, who was twirling the ring around her finger again. "Thanks, Bella," Andy said sincerely. Bella looked up, studied her sister and then nodded. Andy gave her a smile and then left the room, closing the door. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door gently, letting out a shaky breath. Inside the bedroom, Bella leaned her head against the backboard of her bed and closed her eyes. Each sister tried to hold back, but they both could not fight the stream of the tears that pooled at the bottom of their eyes and slipped silently down their cheeks.