One Way or Another
There are heroes in evil as well as in good. -Francois De La Rochefoucauld
She watched as he effortlessly finished off his opponent, his gray eyes sweeping the area for the next one. Before he could notice her, she took in his features one last time.
How different they had ended up. Not that they had ever been similar as children, but now…the two couldn't be further apart. Despite everything and without changing the fact that she did despise him...she was, in a way, proud of him.
But there was nothing to be done now. One way or another, the war would end that night. Many families had been split because of the wars; hers was no different. And family or not, one way or another, only one of them would walk away from this.
Gray eyes met gray eyes and the rest of the battle temporarily receded. Neither spoke for what seemed like forever but was only a minute or two. Eventually, she reached up to remove her mask, letting it fall to the ground that was soaked in blood. Blood from her own friends and comrades, blood from old school mates, blood from the enemy. How ironic that for a war being fought over that very issue, the blood was all mixed, leaving one to only guess as to whether it was from friend or foe.
"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, Cousin," he spoke softly. Somehow, over all the shouts, screams and other battle sounds, she heard him clearly.
As did I. But it was inevitable. We knew that. "We both chose our paths long ago." When we were too young to have needed to do so. She brought her wand up steadily. Miraculously, her voice didn't betray her inner emotions either, though she figured that her eyes were like open windows. His were. She could clearly see the turmoil there.
"It isn't too late." He said, almost earnestly. "If he isn't already dead, Lucius will be imprisoned soon. You know this battle won't last much longer and it will be in our favor." She knew how much it must cost him to plead with her now. Her sister, should he meet her that night, would not receive that same hesitation or courtesy. Seeing she wasn't changing her mind, he tried once more. "Think of your son, Cissy. It isn't too late to fix things with him."
Oh, how I wish that were so, she thought. But Draco was better off without her now. He, too, had chosen his path. One she could never follow nor could she ever fully support. But he did have others who could and would. That would have to be enough.
"Take care of him, Sirius." She all but whispered. He still heard her and she watched the pain and acceptance cross his face.
She watched as he raised his own wand and gave her a single nod. "May the best dueler win then." His voice was filled with grim determination. You will. You have much more to live for now than I do.
She offered him a final small smirk. "You convinced me all those years ago to go out this way."
He didn't respond, his face a stony mask. In the distance she saw a flash of platinum blonde hair before it disappeared behind all the colored curses and other witches and wizards.
She fired the first curse and it began. Both gave it all they had. As they dodged, blocked and shot hexes and curses back and forth, one memory flashed before her eyes, reminding her that they had never stood a chance. The five Black children had been doomed in one way or another from the start.
Eleven year old Narcissa Black sat under the oak tree in the grounds behind her manor. Her sisters were fussing over young Regulus a little ways off as her parents and aunt and uncle watched from near the manor. Six year old Sirius, plopped down next to her.
"It's rather disgusting if you ask me." He said, ignoring the fact that Narcissa had not, in fact, asked him anything. "He's barely any younger then me and they treat him as though he's still two."
"You know Bella has that control complex. Meda just fusses over everyone. Reg is just closest right now."
Sirius shrugged. "Still." He was quick to change the subject, though Narcissa blamed that more on his lack of ability to focus on a topic for more than a minute rather then any real anger over the issue. "You all packed for Hogwarts?"
She nodded, frowning as she spotted a slight stain on her robe. She'd have one of the house elves take care of it immediately. It was one of her brand new robes. "Yes, we went to Diagon Alley last week to get all the supplies."
"Planning on being in Slytherin?"
She shot him a look. "Of course. What other house would I be in? Or you, for that matter? We do have a tradition and reputation to uphold."
The young boy's face twisted at that. He never had been one for rules or traditions. In fact, Narcissa was almost certain that he purposely set out to defy anything he could if it was required.
"Meda told me that you can't pick your house. She was almost sorted into Ravenclaw instead, she said."
Narcissa frowned. Her sister had told her that too, but refused to inform their parents or older sister.
"But she ended up a Slytherin, and that's what matters. A true Black could be nothing else." She repeated what had been ingrained in all their heads all their lives.
Her cousin didn't respond and she looked over at him. He had been favoring his left arm all day and she watched as he absently rubbed it softly.
"What did you do this time?" She asked. His gray eyes looked over at her in surprise before realizing what he had been doing. He immediately grew defensive and his face became guarded. He didn't answer her, and continued to stare out over the grounds. She sighed. "It would be so much easier if you would just do as you're told, you know that?"
After several silent minutes, he looked back at her, the usual mischievous glint gone. "Uncle Alphard told me that being independent is good."
"Father told me we shouldn't listen to Alphard. That he isn't right in the head. Besides, is being independent really worth being beat and cursed so often?"
Sirius shrugged. The boy wasn't really sure what to think. The few times his Uncle Alphard had been allowed to watch Sirius for a few hours, they had gone to a muggle park near his house. The muggle kids he had played with hadn't been so bad.
He hadn't understood why his uncle wouldn't let him tell his parents about his trips until last year. He had gone with Aunt Druella to Kings Cross to see off Bellatrix and Andromeda. He had seen the way Bella treated the mudbloods and how her parents encouraged it. He guessed that befriending muggles was wrong, even though Uncle Alphard didn't seem to care. Then again, Meda once told him that she had befriended muggleborns before and that they weren't really so different too.
His parents didn't take kindly to his questions on the matter though. He did wish he was closer to his parents like Reggie seemed to be. But he couldn't ever seem to get anything right.
"Bella tried to teach me how to duel the other day." He proclaimed, changing the subject again. "She said that when I was older and got a wand of my own, I would get to use it to fight and win duels like Rodolphus does." Sirius wasn't particularly fond of his cousin's intended, who she was arranged to marry once Bella graduated. Rodolphus was one of the older boys who enjoyed picking on him. Which was fine, because Sirius enjoyed getting revenge, though he didn't think they ever figured out it was him who pranked them. Still, he would love to be able to duel like him.
Narcissa scowled. "Why are you so eager to duel? You can use magic for all kinds of things, not just to fight others."
Sirius grinned. "I know. I already have all kinds of ideas for once I get my wand. But dueling sounds fun too. I bet I could beat just about anyone." He boasted.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, almost amused at her young cousin's enthusiasm. "Mother says you're too mischievous for your own good."
Sirius ignored her. "Meda read me a story once of a wizard who was really powerful and won all kinds of battles. Except he died from being sick or old I think."
"What's wrong with that?"
"It's better to die in battle." Sirius said.
"We're too young to think about dieing." She said, not comfortable with that topic. Like any normal young kid, death was always the last thing on her mind. It was only something old people thought about as they reached their time. "Besides, I'd rather live as long as I can and die peacefully."
Sirius looked affronted. "But that's so boring!"
Narcissa pursed her lips, like she had seen her mother do. "Not everything is an adventure Sirius Black." She said, doing her best to sound older so her naïve younger cousin might see some sense for once in his young life.
"Sure it is. And dieing by fighting is honorable. That's what it said in that story Meda read me. If being a Black is so great, then we should die great too."
Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Now you choose to be a Black," she muttered.
Sirius continued. "Uncle Alphard said we should fight for what we believe in. If we don't, we're cowards."
With that, Narcissa could slightly agree. There wasn't anything wrong with standing up for beliefs. Her father was always telling her their family stood for certain things and they were expected to uphold those things. But for some reason, she was afraid Sirius would fight for the wrong reasons. He was too much of a wild card, as her oldest sister said.
"Fighting for what's right isn't so bad, I suppose." She relented.
Sirius looked up at her. "Then when we're older, we won't be cowards? We can die if it's important right?"
"Standing up for beliefs is important," she agreed. "Though you have to have the right ones."
Sirius seemed to ponder this, trying to take it all in. Eventually, he said in a smaller voice. "We can be a lot older first. Right, Cissy?"
Narcissa nodded. "Yes, we're too young to worry about that, I think. Now, why don't you go and save your brother before he's smothered?"
"Nah, we can leave him there. He whines too much anyway."
She felt her energy fading as it got harder and harder to defend herself against him. She could barely even get any curses out herself, concentrating only on blocking and dodging. She leapt to the side avoiding a severing hex, only to realize it had been a trick and she had no time to dodge the green light heading for her.
The last thing she saw was her cousin's gray eyes before she knew nothing but darkness.
Sirius remained for only a short minute, his eyes not leaving Narcissa Black Malfoy's body. He didn't allow himself to feel any remorse or pain anymore. There would be a time later when he might find it in himself to grieve for his lost cousin. But now was not the time. He had his true family to fight for now.