Chapter 1

When you have one sister who is a merciless terrorist, and another sister who seems uncommonly kind, where does that leave you? I'm not even the middle sister of our trio. Where does that leave me?

I'm Narcissa Black, 1 of 3 sisters. Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda. Bella is murderous by nature. Dromeda is the good one, the odd one. She really has no place in our family. And sometimes I think, I don't either.

Yes I do sometimes get irritated with Andromeda's tendencies. She loves and respects blood traitors and muggles. Why, I don't know. How in our long line of pure blood lineage, did she turn out that way? Our parents don't know what to do with her. My father once accused my mother of having an affair. He couldn't believe Andromeda was his. But there is no denying it. Bella and Dromeda look just like him. I don't. Maybe mother had an affair when she had me?

Growing up with two sisters who were as opposite as anyone could be, was difficult. Especially once we came into our magic. The day Bellatrix turned 7, she really began to make Andromeda's life a nightmare. Once I came into my own magic I was able to through subtle methods, protect my middle sister. At times when I agreed with Bellatrix's reasons for hurting her, I considered letting Andromeda fend for herself. But I couldn't help it sometimes. I always did it in an indirect way; I don't think my sisters ever knew of my involvement.

When Andromeda joined Bella at Hogwarts, things took a turn for the absolute worst. The sorting hat placed her in Ravenclaw. It had placed our cousin Sirius in Gryffindor. Our family was disgraced. Never had we been placed anywhere but Slytherin. If only they'd known what had occurred, when that same hat was placed on my head.

"I recognize your mind," said the Sorting hat. "I've seen it numerous times before, with your family and those minded like them. I'm assuming you want Slytherin?"

"Yes," I had said, surprised. "Why wouldn't I be in Slytherin?" I thought to myself.

"Why wouldn't you be in Slytherin?" the hat asked. It was reading my mind, how rude. "While you are very cunning, like most I place in that house, you have an air to you that isn't entirely befitting."

"You're wrong," I had thought indignantly.

"You think you know better than me?" it asked me. I had no response. Not a formed one anyway, the hat could obviously read every effort that was in my head. "I'm not saying there is another house better suited for you," it told me. "But I won't lie, you are difficult to place."

"Why?" I asked. Trying to peer under the hat's brim at the other first years watching me. "My entire family has been in Slytherin, why wouldn't I?"

He ended up placing me in Slytherin, because I asked him to. But before he made his verdict, he made sure to tell me that I could have benefited from Ravenclaw. My family might have preferred that to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, but they'd never be truly proud of me if I weren't in Slytherin.

Like the protective sister I was, I wanted to stand behind Andromeda when our family showed their complete disdain for her housing. But the fear that our family would hate me as much as they hated her was too strong. I did not envy my middle sister in the slightest. I was glad it wasn't me.

With Bellatrix and I being in Slytherin, we hardly saw our sister. Bellatrix had entirely excused herself from Andromeda's life. Once Andromeda was done with school, I was sure our parents would do the same. I saw her from time to time. Had impromptu run-ins with her at Quidditch matches and by the lake. But she always seemed more interested in speaking to me than I to her. Not because I hated her. I never hated her. I just didn't know how to be around her. Who's side was I on? Hers, or our parents? I did have Bellatrix to contend with. She didn't approve of me consorting with our sister.

"She'll grow up to be one of them," Bella had said. "You know this!" She was referring to our sister becoming a blood traitor. We knew that Andromeda saw nothing wrong with muggles and mudbloods. She was likely to marry one of them. Despite her blood, she was more like them than she was like us. I could have adopted my family's hatred of her. But I couldn't. I loved both of my sisters, no matter what.