"Would you like to come and see your new sister now?" asked Bellatrix's aunt Walburga. "She's very pretty," she added.
Four-year-old Bellatrix frowned. She already had one sister. Why did she need another? Andromeda was noisy and irritating enough, and took up all the attention as it was. But she supposed she would have to meet this new sister sometime, so she might as well get it over with.
"Okay," she said reluctantly, and Walburga led her and two-year-old Andromeda into their mother's bedroom.
Lying back on the bed was Druella, her mother, with newborn baby Narcissa in her arms, wrapped in blankets. When she saw the girls, Druella sat up.
"Hello, girls," she said, and Andromeda ran up to her and jumped onto the bed, snuggling up to her mother and already starting to coo at the baby. Druella smiled affectionately, but her face fell a little when she saw that Bellatrix hadn't moved from the doorway. "Don't you want to come and see your little sister, Bella?" she asked, confused.
"I can see her from here," Bellatrix informed her.
Druella laughed. "No you can't, not properly. Come closer so you can see her face!"
Warily, Bellatrix complied, going up to the bed and peeking in between the blankets at Narcissa's face. Her mother was looking at her expectantly, and Bellatrix realised that she was waiting for her to make some kind of comment.
"She's... small?" said Bellatrix uncertainly.
Her mother nodded, amused. "Yes, she is, isn't she? It's because she was born a bit early. Don't worry, though - she'll grow." Bellatrix didn't say anything else, and there was an uncomfortable silence in the room.
"She's lovely, isn't she?" Walburga encouraged, trying to relax the atmosphere a bit. Bellatrix nodded to be polite, but she didn't really think so.
Really, there was only one word to describe her new sister. Boring. She was so small, and her tiny fingers that were poking out of the blanket looked so feeble. She was fast asleep - what fun was that? - and didn't really seem to do anything. Bellatrix was sure that she was far more interesting. And yet she knew that Narcissa would be the one who was spoilt, who got all the attention, who was special, like Andromeda was now. Bellatrix was the oldest, and therefore got blamed for everything. At least Andromeda wasn't the youngest any more and would get a taste of her own medicine, Bellatrix thought bitterly. Sisters. Who needed them?
Just then, Bellatrix's father, Cygnus, arrived, saw Narcissa and scowled. He sat down on a chair by the bed and sported his usual disgruntled expression. Bellatrix guessed that it was the first time he'd seen the baby - he wouldn't take time off work for anything, even for this.
"What's wrong with you?" Druella demanded. "You look like you've got up on the wrong side of bed."
"Useless," he said. "Another girl? This is getting ridiculous." Bellatrix was confused - what was so much better about boys?
"Cygnus!" his sister scolded. "Leave her alone. It's not exactly her fault, is it?"
"And what's wrong with having three beautiful daughters anyway?" Druella asked defensively. "You haven't even looked at her properly. Let alone asked if either of us are all right. Why do you still have these stupid old-fashioned ideas?"
Bellatrix's parents seemed to have forgotten that her and Andromeda were there. Bellatrix decided to pass the time by swatting at a fly that was buzzing around annoyingly.
"Well, they'll get married off and that will be the end of the Black name!" he exploded. "I am proud of my heritage; I want it to live on for years to come! And besides, you don't get the same pride from a daughter as you do from a son," he said wistfully. That mildly annoyed Bellatrix - just because she was a girl her father wouldn't even give her the chance to make him proud. It wasn't fair. She was much more interesting than her Rosier cousins.
"Not if you're a chauvinistic pig, anyway," Druella shot back. Bellatrix didn't know what the word meant, but it was clearly offensive. She made a mental note of it and decided to use it on Andromeda the next chance she got.
"I am not a chauvinist," Cygnus protested. "If you'd lived forty years ago, you would know what a chauvinist was. I would have had things to say, and do, to those dreadful rights campaigners. They should know their place."
Druella shook her head incredulously. "You disgust me sometimes, Cygnus. But whatever. Whatever. I don't even care any more. I don't know why I bother."
Walburga decided that this was the opportune moment to remove Bellatrix and Andromeda from the room, and as they moved off down the corridor towards the playroom, Bellatrix could hear the sounds of her parents arguing becoming more distant, but, as usual, clearly not stopping.
A/N: This is for the Death Eater Childhood Competition on HPFC. It will be a multichap, although I haven't decided how long it will be yet. Updates might be a bit sporadic, but will happen. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise from HP.
OMG, I can't believe this is my 30th story!