Disclaimer: I am not JKR, therefore I own nothing.
Andromeda
My earliest memory is of my mother, holding my baby sister Narcissa in a hospital room at St. Mungo's. I was two, and I remember how big everything seemed. I remember my father swinging me up to kneel on the edge of the bed. But most of all, I remember the faces of my sister-and my mother.
Everything else is blurry compared to these two images, so clearly fixed in my mind. Narcissa was smiling up at us so serenely, so calm. My mother, well, it was the first time I'd seen any other look than anger, disapproval, or cold indifference cross her features. I've only seen it once since, and that was three years later when Bellatrix was born. I suppose it was there when she gave birth to me, but I wouldn't know. It was the look of sheer joy, the look of love.
"Oh, 'Dromeda," she breathed. "Say hi to you baby sister. Say hi to Narcissa. Isn't she beautiful?"
"Hi Narcissa," I said softly. She was beautiful. Not that you could tell from her looks. I had no doubt that she would be a looker one day, but then she just looked like a normal baby. Wide gray eyes, a small smile, chubby cheeks, and a tiny tuft of silvery blonde hair-that was all she had to offer physically. But she had a certain air of innocence, an air of wonder.
Mother brought Narcissa home a few days later. She cried a lot, so Aunt Walburga instructed my cousin Sirius and I to stay out of the adults' way. My family, the Blacks, all live together in the same house at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, making us as close-and as drama filled-as possible.
Sirius and I got along very well, playing as quietly as possible so as not to get snapped at. It was a daily challenge trying to keep Sirius out of trouble. He was a natural mischief maker, even then, and when I couldn't talk him out of one of his poorly thought-out schemes, I tagged along, a little exasperated, a little apprehensive, and a little excited.
I thrilled in watching Narcissa grow up. I clapped when she took her first step, squealed when she said her first word, and grinned as wide as she did while showing off her first tooth. I wanted to be the best big sister possible.
When Cissa was about eight months old Aunt Walburga had another son, Regulus. Sirius was fascinated by his little brother. Sometimes I'd catch him staring at Regulus in quiet wonder, and I'd drink in the sight of the two nearly identical brothers. Sirius took his role as an older brother very seriously. He constantly tried to act bigger and more responsible than he actually was, which resulted in many hilarious scenes that always ended in failure.
And baby Bellatrix followed Regulus two years later. Cissa was finally able to see emotion from Mother. I finally had the chance to appreciate it.
Our group was complete. There was me, the serious one, Sirius, the mischievous one, and Cissa was the fun one. Regulus was somewhat of a crybaby, and Bella finished by acting far superior to us all. We were whole, and our childhood was filled with adventures and swordfights and duels and just plain fun.
But something happened to us.
Something we couldn't avoid.
We grew up.