DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, only my ideas.
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Bellatrix Black was leading the way to her compartment, her chin up high and her sisters trailing behind her. She was very pretty with long, dark curly hair flowing down her back; a face that you had to run around twice to look at and a way about her that made everyone cower in fear, but also want to talk to her. Her sister, Andromeda, looked exactly like Bellatrix, but with a kinder face and softer eyes. Narcissa, the youngest, had silky pale blonde hair, a pleasant face and she followed in Bellatrix's footsteps. They were two years apart, with Bellatrix, aged fifteen, Andromeda, aged thirteen and Narcissa, aged eleven. They were the Black sisters, a family and a horror story all in one.
Bellatrix slid the compartment door open and saw that three students were sitting there. She pointed a long, pianist finger at two and said levelly, "Out. Now." The two student's eyes widened, they squeaked and nodded as they ran over each other to get out of the compartment.
Bellatrix glared at the other one, but then, once she saw who it was, sat down next to her. "Oh, Adalia! Whatever will I do with all of these little runts running around?" she moaned. Adalia just laughed and patted her on the head. Bellatrix shook her off and then glared at her again. "Leave. I need to speak to Narcissa and Andromeda about something. Go play with Rodolphus or something." Adalia nodded curtly and left the compartment.
"Bella! Why are you so mean?" Andromeda bit when the coast was clear and they could act like feeling humans again. Bellatrix just scoffed and looked out the window. "I'm serious! Just because they're below us doesn't mean that we have to treat them like dirt!"
"Cissy," Bellatrix said sweetly. Narcissa looked up at her older sister. "What is beneath you?" Narcissa looked down at her feet.
"The floor," Narcissa replied.
"Very good. Now. What is beneath the floor?" Bellatrix asked again, this time a little more forcefully.
"Erm," Narcissa knitted her brows together, obviously doing some heavy thinking. "The . . . ground? Yeah! The ground!" Bellatrix nodded slowly and then opened her mouth to ask one final question.
"And what is the ground made of?" Bellatrix asked, trying to keep from laughing.
"I don't know, Bella!" Narcissa said, frustrated.
"Just answer the question, Cissy. What. Is. The. Ground. Made of?" Bellatrix asked through clenched teeth. Narcissa jumped at the fierceness of Bellatrix's voice, but then glared at her through narrowed eyes.
"Dirt, Bella! The ground is made of dirt!" Narcissa growled. Andromeda rolled her dark eyes and then looked at Bellatrix.
"What was the point of that, Bella?" Andromeda asked hotly. Bellatrix smiled at her younger sister and spread her arms wide.
"Imagine, my dear sister, even though it is hard for you," Bellatrix jeered while Narcissa cackled in the background, "that you are the train's floor." Andromeda's nose turned up in disgust. Bellatrix grinned even wider. "Imagination, my dear, is key," Bellatrix reminded her. Andromeda looked down at the floor and then back up at her sister. "As I was saying, imagine you are the floor and the people that are below us are the dirt. That was what my portrayal in questions was for, Andy."
"I know, Bella!" Andromeda growled, her dark eyes flashing with pure anger. "I'm not a child!"
"No. You're not as much of a child as Narcissa is!" Bellatrix said jokingly. Narcissa pouted and Andromeda was the one that laughed this time.
"Bella!" Narcissa whined. "Why are you so horrible?"
"I'm not!" Bellatrix countered, pouting like a child. "I'm just poking fun. You two should know that by now."
Bellatrix pulled Narcissa onto her lap and kissed her hair. Narcissa relaxed quietly, privately taking in the affection. Narcissa stared out the window, playing with a strand of her hair. The three Black sisters were always known for their anger at anyone beneath them, but never for their affection for each other. Each was a different person. Bellatrix was the fierce, unpredictable one. Naricssa was the cold, sensible one. Andromeda was the good one, the kind one. The one that you couldn't help but love. Each one of these things separated the sisters from each other. And yet, each one condemned each sister.
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Bellatrix Black was always known as the untouchable one. The one that if you got into her group, you were lucky and at anytime, you could be thrown out of her grace. She was sitting at the Slytherin table, her dark eyes on her youngest sister and her youngest sister only. Oh, she could feel the boys' eyes on her. There was Roldphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Abel Thomas and any other boy that was in fifth year or over. She had trained herself not to lash out at the disgusting things people called boys. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Andromeda lean across the table to talk to her. "Bella!" Andromeda breathed. Bellatrix turned her head, but that was the only recognition she gave her sister, "Bella!"
"What?" Bellatrix hissed, turning her dark eyes to meet her sisters matching ones. "I'm serious! What?"
"Lestrange's been staring at you this entire time!" Andromeda breathed, grinning ear to ear. Bellatrix just rolled her eyes and shok her long curls out of her face. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see," Bellatrix grinned, standing up.
She stepped away from her seat, feeling the boys' eyes on her every move. She stretched her arms high above her head and then touched her toes. She ran her long fingers through her dark hair and then ran her hands down her uniform. An idea popped into her head while she practically heard the drool dripping from the boys' mouths. She turned to her head, lowering one eyelid in a wink. One boy actually stood up, causing her to let out a low, ringing laugh. As if he would have a chance with me! She thought maliciously. As she sat down, she gave the boys one last morsel. A half smile tugging on the corner of her full lips.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Adnromeda hissed angrily. Bellatrix held a finger to her lips. Andormeda rolled her eyes and turned to the Sorting that was now taking place.
"Black, Narcissa!" the Professor called.
Narcissa, in all of her Black pride, stepped up to the stool and pulled on the Sorting hat. She let out a gasp of surprise when she heard a soft voice in her ear. Hmm, another Black girl. I wonder how many of you there are. No matter. I see you have been raised just as any other Black was. But there's something different about you. You are willing to do whatever it takes to show your family that you are worthy of the Black name, but you also want to show everyone you're different. You have a good head on your shoulders, which would probably be best in Ravenclaw. A certain charismatic quality about you that would do well in Gryffindor. But the willingness to do whatever it anything would take puts you in . . . SLYTHERIN!" The hat called loudly after a long, grueling minute.
Narcissa sighed visibly and almost ran to join her sisters at the long, glorious Slytherin table. Bellatrix nodded curtly, leaving Narcissa to feel as though the embrace between the two of them had never happened. Andromeda rushed to her younger sister and hugged her tightly. "Andy! I can't breathe!" Narcissa protested, pushing at Andromeda's arms.
"Andromeda. Put our sister down," Bellatrix said harshly. Andromeda dropped her arms and hung her head in shame. Bellatrix always made her feel like this. Like everything she did wasn't wroth anything compared to herself. Just because precious Bella was the eldest didn't mean that she was any better than her sisters.
"Do you always have to ruin our fun, Bella?" Andromeda asked sulkily. Narcissa nodded, pouting as usual.
"Yes. Now sit down!" Bellatrix hissed. Narcissa and Andromeda sat down and pouted like the prissy brats they were. Bellatrix shook her long hair out and hten turned back to see the sorting, losing interest quickly. She yawned widely, covering her mouth with her hand as she had been taught.
She could feel the cold; angry eyes of both Andromeda and Narcissa drilling into her back. She was deeply annoyed by them. What would their mother, Druella, do to either of them? Acting in this childish way in public! They were Blacks! Not little Mudbloods scraped from underneath the world's fingernails. They should know that by now! But Bellatrix could also feel another, different stare. The wolfish stare that she had been getting ever since last year. As if those pigs actually had a chance with her! She was a Black, and being a Black means being able to pick and choose harshly. "Bella!" she heard Andromeda whisper urgently.
"What?" Bellatrix snarled. Andromeda jumped and squished Narcissa.
"Ow! Andromeda!" Narcissa growled, rubbing her arm. Andromeda gave herself a small smile and then turned back to Bellatrix with innocence written in every corner of her face.
"Please don't be mad at us Bella," Andromeda pleaded her eyes wide and threatening to fill with tears. "We were just having some fun. You can't live your entire life thinking you're above everyone!"
"Yes, I can," Bellatrix snapped. She turned away from her sisters and took a meager portion of food from the golden dishes.
Bellatrix had learned long ago that manners and keeping her head up were everything she ever learned. Yes, the Slytherins were unpleasant up front, but each and everyone was so much different. Bellatrix, being the eldest girl, had to set the bar for the rest. Bellatrix needed to be unlovable, harsh toward anyone other than purebloods. Even the blood traitors would be considered beneath them. Bellatrix knew the way the wizarding world worked, you had to get on top and stay on top to survive. She was going to be the one that did it, not Narcissa and not Andromeda, they would be beneath her.
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As they walked up to the Sltherin common room, trailing behind the mass of Slytherins, Narcissa tripped and fell. Andromeda hung back and called for her sister's help. Bellatrix was in her own world, thinking about everything and yet nothing. Andromeda rolled her eyes and picked her crying sister up. "Shh, Cissy. It'll be okay," Andromeda comforted, grasping her sisters hand and walking with her to the common room.
They had arrived too late; the group had gone into the common room already. Narcissa stepped up to the wall and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Bella!" she yelled. Andromeda smiled at her younger sister. Everyone always thought she was so quiet. If that didn't show them how loud she could be, nothing would.
The wall melted away and let them in, revealing a furious Bellatrix. Narcissa gave a little shriek and Andromeda matched her sister. "What?! You couldn't make it here in time so you automatically think I'm going to answer?" Bellatrix asked scathingly.
"Exactly. Isn't that what sisters are for?" Andromeda spat back. Bellatrix narrowed her dark eyes and lifted her arm to slap her sister. The back of her hand left a searing red mark. Andromeda touched her cheek and then looked at her sister, sliver tears winking in her dark eyes. Bellatrix turned on her heel and stalked away from her sister. "Bella!" Andromeda screamed, blood splattering her lips. "Bellatrix!"
Narcissa had crept into the room unnoticed and was now sobbing into her sister's uniform. "Cissy, stop! You're soiling my robes!" Andromeda said crankily, stamping her foot.
"Why does Bella hate us?" Narcissa asked, pouting with tears pouring her cheeks. Andromeda rolled her eyes and sat her sister down on one of the chairs. "Ow! Andy! Stop pushing!"
"Bella does not hate us. We're her sisters! She will never hate us!" Andromeda said exasperatedly.
Family was everything to Andromeda. If she lost that she would be lost. She was different from her sisters, you couldn't tell just from a passing glance, but she was different on a bigger scale. Where Bellatrix was worried about her family's honor, Andromeda was just worried about her family coming closer together. Where Narcissa was worried about how different she was, Andromeda was worried about how she looked different from Bellatrix. Everything had to be perfect for the Slytherin princess. A rose has its thorns, but a Black Rose has so many more.
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Andromeda was lying in her bed, slowly drifting to sleep. She had done her nightly routine. Wash her face, moisturize her face, wash her hair, brush her hair one hundred times and she did it all without her best friend. She and Bellatrix had spent four years together without Narcissa. They had spent the next three just waiting for Narcissa to grow up. They were best friends, and now it seemed as though that was all over. Bellatrix had slapped her, something that had never happened before. Andromeda knew she had a temper, but had never felt it against her.
"Andromeda?" she heard a soft voice ask from the doorway. "Are you asleep?"
"No," she answered, using her wand to flick her curtains aside. It was Bellatrix. "What? Do you want to slap me again?"
"No! Please, Andy. Please just talk to me."
"Fine."
Bellatrix made her way to Andromeda's bed, sitting on the foot of it. Andromeda pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin there. Bellatrix looked back at her and then scooted back to sit next to her. "I'm sorry, Andy," Bellatrix said, knotting a piece of the bedspread.
"You never say sorry, Bella. What's the matter?" Andromeda asked, gazing at her sister with knowing eyes.
"I was thinking about all the times we spent laughing and poking fun at each other and I couldn't bear to not have that anymore," Bellatrix confessed, pulling her dark hair from her face. "I don't know what I would do without you, Andy!"
"Thnaks, Bella," Andromeda said warmly, throwing her arms around her sisters shoulders. "You know Cissy was really upset."
"Yes, I know. I could hear her from up here," Bellatrix smiled and Narcissa laughed. "What would people do if they saw the Black sisters now?"
"Probably think it was all a dream. I saw Malfoy and Lestrange talking downstairs, Lestrange looked really upset."
"I forgot to tell you! Lestrange asked me out again and Malfoy was asking about you, again!" Bellatrix said quickly.
"Will they ever get the hint that we will never choose one of them?" Andromeda asked, rolling her eyes. Bellatrix shrugged and closed her eyes and started to drift off.
"Andy?" Bellatrix muttered sleepily.
"Hm?" Andromeda answered.
"We will always be best friends. I promise," she yawned. And with that, both of the sisters fell asleep like that. Wrapped in each others arms. The two dark ones, always connected to each other whether they liked it or not.
A/N: I hope you liked the first part. It was fun to write! I love the Black sisters! Remember to Read and Review because it's like candy on Halloween, which was last night by the way!
-Ed