First chapter in a co-write enterprise of TrixieBlackLestrange and the-purple-black, but we'll go as Dora and Bella, respectively. This is going to be a fun ride, let me tell you...
Please read and comment freely! Reviews are love!
"Tell me what is wrong with you," pleaded the blonde witch, reaching out to touch her sister's arm. "You've been upset for the last two weeks—what's going on?"
"Cissa," began the dark-haired girl, shuffling uncomfortably as she looked down at the floor, "I—I found out two weeks ago that I...am going to have a baby."
The seventeen-year-old stared at her older sister, her eyes widening in shock. Bellatrix didn't let it rest there. "It's Father's."
A small gasp escaped the younger witch, and Bella sighed, looking up at the girl finally. "Bella," murmured the girl, lifting her hand. "May I?"
Bellatrix sighed and nodded, guiding her sister's hand to rest on her stomach. "Father wasn't exactly happy," she said, and Cissa winced. "I'm sure he didn't intend for me to conceive a child, but he's surely thrilled at the prospect of an heir," Bella said bitterly.
"Does Mother know?" Narcissa asked timidly.
"She won't even speak to me now—and I don't care!" the black-haired witch added defiantly. "She's always been horrible to me anyway. I only hope it is a boy, so that she can be properly humiliated!"
"Oh, Bella," sighed Narcissa, slipping her arms around her sister and hugging her gently. "That's awful." She drew her sister over to the couch and they sat down together, Bellatrix curling into her sister's side.
"I don't want to be a mother," Bella whispered worriedly. "Cissa, I can't—but Father threatened me if I do anything to the child."
Narcissa stroked her older sister's hair carefully, sighing. "I'll be here, I promise," she said firmly. "I won't go anywhere until you and the baby are okay."
Bellatrix smiled slightly. "Thanks," she murmured, squeezing her sister's hand.
Cissa frowned. "So when will the child be born?"
"I don't want to think about it," Bella pouted, hiding her face. "It's the beginning of April, I think. Cissa, what will I do?"
"I don't know," Narcissa answered truthfully. "But I won't leave you alone, I promise. I'll be here whenever you need me, even if it's the middle of the night."
"Thanks," the older girl whispered. "I have to put my entire life on hold because Father couldn't help getting me pregnant."
"I'm amazed he can still have children—"
Bella's cackle of laughter made the younger girl jump in surprise. "I'm surprised at you, Cissy. Of all the things you could have said, you chose—"
Cissa had already clapped her hand over her own mouth. "Don't," she breathed, her face slightly pink. "I didn't mean to sound so—Bella, stop laughing! It isn't funny!"
Bellatrix laughed, lying back on the bed and pulling Narcissa down beside her. "You make everything better," she sighed softly. "Thank you."
The younger girl embraced her sister again. "I love you, Bella," she murmured. "I'm sorry about everything."
"Of course it isn't your fault," Bellatrix answered softly, kissing her sister's blonde hair. "I love you too, Cissa. Would you stay with me now? To keep Father away?"
"Yes," Narcissa answered firmly, and the two girls snuggled close together in the large bed. They hadn't stayed in the same room for months, perhaps years.
Bellatrix closed her eyes, remembering that all the times that Dromeda had stayed in her room. A tear trickled down her cheek as she thought about their estranged third. She hated Andromeda, to be sure, but she was jealous of her too. She almost wished she could run away, but there was no escaping her fate. She had a child now; she would raise her baby to her family's standards as expected.
The next morning, Bellatrix woke to find Narcissa already gone from the room. She Summoned a robe carelessly, pulling on her shoes quickly. She was a little annoyed with her sister for leaving without telling her, but decided it didn't matter. She was almost ready to go down to breakfast when there came a knock on the door. "Come in," she said in her formal voice.
She turned, ready to defend herself against either of her parents, but it was only Narcissa. "I didn't know if you'd be going to breakfast, so I thought I'd offer you some here," Narcissa sighed. "But then Father told me that he wants to see you in his office."
Bellatrix clenched her fists, then pressed her right hand over her stomach. "I hate him."
"Are you going to eat?" Narcissa asked with a sigh.
"I couldn't," Bella muttered. "Not until I've found out what Father wants. I'll see you later."
Leaving her room, Bellatrix walked to her father's study, near enough dragging her feet in dread. She barely knocked on the door when it was flung open, her father commanding her to come in.
Bellatrix walked into the room, staring down at her father sitting at his desk. He was frowning at her, and she glared at him. "What do you want?" she said in annoyance. "You interrupted my breakfast."
"Don't be disrespectful, Bellatrix," Cygnus said coldly. "We have things to discuss concerning our child."
"My child," Bellatrix retorted. "You have no more right to this child than some common—"
"Do not speak to me that way, Bellatrix, or you will suffer," he said softly, leaning forward to look directly into her fierce black eyes. "We both know I am the father, and will decide what happens to it."
Immediately, Bellatrix determined in her heart that her father would never control the life of her child as he had controlled hers. "Who else thinks it fun to prey on his own daughter?" Bellatrix hissed, glaring at him. "You know you are the secondary, if not primary, reason that Narcissa and I are missing our third sister? You should be ashamed of yourself, Cygnus."
A Curse flashed across the room, but Bellatrix blocked it with practised ease. "What else do you want to talk about?" she reminded him. "I'm waiting."
"The child," Cygnus said, glaring at his oldest daughter. "No one can know you are the one who is pregnant. No one can know outside our family at all."
"I wouldn't want anyone to know I can't control myself either if I were you." Bellatrix muttered under her breath, nodding at her father's words.
"If the child is a boy, we will pass the child off as your brother," Cygnus told her.
Bellatrix gritted her teeth angrily, holding back her rage. She had been exactly right. "And if I have a daughter?" she snapped at him.
He waved his hand carelessly. "I do not care what you do with it, Bellatrix. Get rid of it."
"You are a filthy, woman-hungry bastard, and I despise you to the depths of my being." Bellatrix informed him before jumping up and striding toward the door.
Before she had reached the door, her father had caught her, pressing her against the wall. "I know you do," he laughed, his face inches from hers. "I enjoy your fury, Bella. It makes the conquest sweeter." He kissed her lips, but she refused to bend today. She would not submit when she had a child to think about.
"Well," he mused, rubbing his hands down over her hips, "there will be time later for such things. Don't forget, Bellatrix: you belong to me until I give you away." He released her, and she ran from the room without replying.
Bellatrix fell onto her bed with a small sob, wishing she could be anywhere but in her childhood home. She needed to get away, but there was nowhere to run. The door opened and Bellatrix reached for her wand. "Go away!" she screamed, more harshly than she'd intended.
Narcissa stood at the end of her bed, pale as she faced her sister's wand. "Sorry," she whispered before backing away.
"No!" Bellatrix sniffed, sitting up. "You can stay."
"Bellatrix?" Narcissa said nervously, approaching her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Do you need anything?"
"An Avada to Father's chest would make me very happy," Bellatrix answered promptly, and Narcissa squeezed her shoulder sympathetically.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I would change it all if I could. I'd stop him from hurting you, and—and—"
"Andromeda," Bellatrix whispered. "I understand her, Cissa."
Narcissa nodded reluctantly. "Me too. But I didn't want her to go."
Bellatrix buried her face in her sister's robes. "I'd beg her to come back if she hadn't gone to a Mudblood," she said bitterly. "There's no return from that."
"Yes," Narcissa agreed, holding her remaining sister carefully. "But we'll stick together, won't we?"
"Of course," Bellatrix said firmly. "You're all I've got left."
Narcissa squeezed her sister again, staying quiet until Bella had relaxed slightly. "I love you. Are you going to eat?"
Bella shook her head. "I'd be sick. But thanks."
Three o' clock in the morning began to find Bellatrix sitting on the floor in the bathroom next to the toilet. Apparently having babies made women sick, and she'd failed to remember that from watching her own mother with Cissa. She covered her face with her hands tiredly, then pulled her hands down, her eyes needing to focus on something to keep her stomach settled.
Bellatrix Black hated everything at the moment. Both her cousins thought she was a filthy slut, and Sirius had told her as much. She'd Cursed him, yes, but her father had Cursed her, and she'd consequently been ill all over him. He'd always preferred hands-on torture with her, and it satisfied her greatly that it was he who had been made a mess of this time. But now she was reduced to sitting next to a toilet because her body didn't like the idea of growing a baby inside it. Wonderful.
Her father both hated her and adored her at the moment, but her mother still avoided her. They only kept up a pretense in public, which Bellatrix was quickly disallowed from. Her baby was growing, thank Merlin, and she was fast approaching four months. She wasn't allowed outside the house, but that was okay because Narcissa kept her company and talked to her for hours on end, keeping her from going mad.
Bella only had Narcissa stay with her when she was especially desperate for her father to leave her alone, but he had walked in on them there one night. Narcissa was sitting up on the bed, very pale but exuding innocence, and Bellatrix glared at him, her left arm across her body protectively. "We were going to sleep," she snapped at him.
"Father, Bella's very tired," Narcissa said, slipping her arm around her sister's shoulders. "She needs to rest more...could you talk to her in the morning, perhaps?"
"Narcissa, leave now," he said firmly.
"Father, please," Narcissa stood her ground. "Bella hasn't felt very good at all today, and she really does need to get to sleep right away."
To both of their surprise, Cygnus left the room, and Bellatrix curled up on the bed, almost crying in relief. "Thank you, Cissa," she said in a small voice.
Narcissa sighed and curled up beside her sister, pulling the blanket over them. Bella pushed the blanket off herself, muttering that it was too hot, and Narcissa adjusted the sheets to cover Bella comfortably. "Better?" the girl asked.
"Yeah," Bellatrix murmured. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Cissy."
"Rest now," Narcissa told her sister firmly. "I'll watch out for you."
"Thanks," Bella muttered again before trying to settle down to sleep. She was very glad that Narcissa had been there to protect her from Cygnus.
Bella struggled from day to day with her illness and just dealing with her parents in general. She avoided anyone else, including her cousins' family. They really didn't think too highly of what had happened between Bellatrix and her own father, but they didn't threaten to disown anyone, and Bellatrix thought that was a good sign.
Narcissa was almost always by her side, and if she wasn't, she was merely a house-elf away. Bellatrix was eternally grateful for everything Narcissa did and protected her from and provided for her. She avoided everyone that she could, speaking to Narcissa, and her father only when she had to.
One day, Bellatrix was walking toward the garden when she came face to face with her mother in one of the corridors. The older witch looked at her as if she were a filthy Mudblood. "You," she said bitterly to her eldest. "You have been the bane of my existence since the day you were born."
"Sorry to mess up your perfect life," Bellatrix said coldly, rubbing a hand gently over her swollen stomach. "You should have cared about us more, loved us more. You should have been there when we needed you!"
"I doubt you will turn out any better," Druella said cruelly. "—and you have no business talking about love, Bellatrix. You know nothing about the subject!"
Bellatrix glared at her mother in a growing fury. "Because you never taught us how! You never loved me, and only ever loved Andromeda, who left you because you weren't worthy of her! Narcissa reminds you of your failure to produce an heir because she looks more like your old family! Why do I have to pick up the slack? It isn't my fault that Father chose me—"
Druella glared right back at her daughter, uncontrollable anger rushing over her. "You don't deserve to be loved," Druella hissed spitefully. "Both your other sisters were so much better than you—shame you were born at all."
"You bitch!" Bellatrix shrieked in fury. "I hate you. I'll always hate you!"
A spell burst from Druella's wand, throwing Bellatrix to the floor. The younger witch screamed out in fright and pain, terrified for her child. "My baby!" she cried, reaching one hand toward her mother as she was blinded by desperate tears. "Please!"
"I will destroy that child," Druella hissed, performing a second Curse, "and you will truly understand being a disappointment."
"Mum!" Bellatrix shrieked through her pain, unable to think of anything but her unborn child. "Mum, please!"
Minutes later, Druella left her daughter curled up in a heap on the floor, sobbing. Bellatrix was struggling to get above the pain so she could go get help when a door opened down the hall and someone walked in. Bella wanted to hide, but she couldn't, forcing herself to be silent.
It wasn't until Bellatrix saw her blonde sister come into view that she sobbed softly, "Cissa, help me. Please. Mother tried to kill the baby—I need help."
Narcissa ran to her suffering sister, then levitated her out of the hall back to her room. "Oh, Bella," Cissa sighed, all flustered as she sent an owl for the family Healer.
Bellatrix was curled up on her side, still crying into the sheets of the bed. "I should have known she would try something like that!" she berated herself. "If anything happens to my baby—oh, Cissa!"
"It's going to be okay, Bella," Narcissa said softly, stroking the older girl's black hair. "The Healer will be here soon. You and the baby will be all right."
"Where were you?" Bella sobbed afresh. "I needed you!"
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you," Narcissa murmured, taking her sister's hand in hers. "But I'm here now."
Bellatrix squeezed her sister's hand, biting back her first few responses. She would not say hurtful, angry words to her only sister—enough insults had been handed out in their home already that day.
Narcissa squeezed her hand in return, not speaking until she'd gone and brought the Healer into the room. "She's just been Cruciated, and the baby—I don't think there were protections on it."
By this time, Bellatrix had calmed to her sullen, silent mask, merely watching the other two. The Healer approached her hesitantly, but Bellatrix willingly submitted to the exam without a complaint. It was her own child in danger, after all.
"The child will be fine, Ms. Black," the Healer said to Bellatrix. "I can only warn you to put protections on the child, and to go about recovery in the usual way."
"All right," Narcissa said, once again holding Bella's hand firmly in hers. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."
"Of course," the Healer answered, walking toward the door. "Don't hesitate to owl me: I wish to keep you all alive and well as long as possible."
"Which is your job," Narcissa answered, frowning at the witch as Bellatrix stared off into space again. "I'm sure we will soon have need of you again." The Healer left quickly, and Narcissa rolled her eyes.
She helped her sister sit up, helping her drink the anti-Crucio potion they always kept handy around the house. Bella was very quiet, and Narcissa merely held her sister close once she'd drank the potion.
Finally, Bellatrix whispered, "She'll do it again. She wants the baby to die. I can't let it happen—what do I do, Cissa?"
"Tell Father."
"I can't," Bellatrix breathed. "He can't know—"
"You are carrying his child: he will protect you," Narcissa said firmly. "Mother cannot be allowed to do this, Bella. Father will stop her."
Bella sighed, then nodded. "I hate this."
Narcissa hugged her sister carefully, kissing her head. "I love you—I do want to be an auntie, you know."
"Ha!" said Bellatrix, a small grin growing onto her face. "Lucky you." She curled up against her sister, begging to rest before their conversation with their father. Narcissa promised not to leave her side until they both knew Bella and the child would be protected from her mother. Bella soon fell into a troubled sleep filled with thoughts of her unborn child and her estranged sister.