"I bet you six Galleons you can't." Andromeda narrowed her eyes challengingly.
"Okay, you're on. What do I have to get her to agree to?" Narcissa demanded.
"Hmm, I dunno….make her tell you all about snogging Rodolphus. I don't need every last detail, but make her elaborate a bit." Andromeda grinned. "Ready to lose?"
"Nope, so I hope you are." Narcissa turned and headed for the living room. "Watch and learn, big sister."
"Hi, Bella." Narcissa sat down on the sofa and snuggled against her oldest sister.
Andromeda would have given Narcissa the money simply for this: Bellatrix stiffened and looked over at Narcissa as if the blonde were a giant spider or something equally frightening. "Uh…hi, Cissy….get off." Her facial expression was a cross between pure fear and panic.
"Aww, why?" Narcissa pouted. "I don't ever see you anymore. We never spend time together." She didn't move a muscle.
"I…..okay, fine, we can talk—just gerroff me!" Bellatrix looked about ready to have a heart attack.
Narcissa shrugged and sat up. "Geez, no need to be so touchy." She crossed her arms behind her head. "So, how's Roddy?"
"Only I call him that." Bellatrix shoved Narcissa, but not hard enough to hurt her. "RODOLPHUS is doing fine, thanks. His brother is becoming a nuisance like Sirius, but other than that things really couldn't be better. Why d'you ask?"
"No reason." Narcissa shrugged. "I just know you fancy him."
"Well, obviously," Bellatrix drawled, rolling her eyes. "I'm DATING him."
"Is he a good kisser?"
Andromeda had to clamp a hand to her mouth to hide her laughter as Bellatrix flushed a deep red and almost fell off the couch. "WHAT? What kind of a question is that?"
"A pretty good one, I think." Narcissa shrugged again, unfazed. "I like to know these kinds of things. It's what Mum gossips about with her friends at those horrid parties she makes us go to."
"Um…well…that's none of your business, Cissy, so butt out!" Bellatrix was still blushing.
Bingo. Andromeda smirked as Narcissa put on her best sad face. "Please, Bella, tell me. Don't you trust me?" She sniffled.
Bellatrix looked as if she would love to have a giant black hole swallow her. "I—well, yeah, but—I mean—" She edged away from her sister.
"Tell, then! I'll tell you about Lucius…."
"I don't want to hear about that, I've seen it, thanks." Bellatrix made a revolted face. "Uh…well….fine, then. Rodolphus is a decent kisser."
Narcissa waited a few seconds and then prodded her. "And?"
"And…..what?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.
"You can't just leave it at that! I need details! Does he go strong and wild? Soft but firm? Lucius does this weird thing where he's all soft and you think 'Man, what the heck, this isn't a kiss', but then all of a sudden—BAM! I can barely breathe." Narcissa grinned. "So?"
During Narcissa's description, Bellatrix had seemed positively queasy. She grimaced. "Um….really couldn't tell you. Sorry."
"Pleeeeeease?" Narcissa did the puppy eyes again and put her arms around Bellatrix, head snuggled on her sister's shoulder. This, Andromeda knew, was her best pose. Pay dirt.
Bellatrix groaned and seemed to collapse in on herself. "All right, I'll tell you, just get the heck off of me! I—erm, well, that is—Rodolphus—" She was getting pinker by the second. "He's strong yet soft, I guess. I usually can't breathe when we kiss." She smiled softly, a very odd expression on prickly Bellatrix. "He makes me feel….alive. You know, that tingly feeling you get? Of course, then his hands start wandering, or mine do, and—"
"Okay, okay, that's enough." Andromeda stepped out of her niche and bowed to Narcissa. "I have much to learn, master. Here's your Galleons."
"Thank you." Narcissa pocketed the money, grinning, and turned to a thunderstruck Bellatrix. "We made a bet that my puppy face could get you to do absolutely anything. And it worked!"
"YOU—!" Bellatrix was on her feet, wand out, but Narcissa and Andromeda made a run for it and were safely up the stairs by the time her Stunning Spell left her wand-tip.
Yes, just another day for the Black sisters. It's a wonder all three made it to adulthood.