Fifteen-year-old Narcissa Black was rummaging through the Black House attic. It was her favorite pastime. She used the attic as a hide-out from her nearly abusive father, Cygnus Black and her withdrawn mother, Druella Rosier Black.
The attic was contained trunks full of old school things dating back to Phineas Nigellus Black I, old dresses from Great Aunt Something-or-other, and diaries from every female Black since the Black Family occupied Grimmauld Place.
At the moment, Narcissa was searching through a trunk of diaries and saw one with black leather binding and with silver embroidery spelling out the name Druella Rosier.
"Huh," Narcissa said to herself. "I thought only Black diaries were up here, what is Mother's doing in this old trunk? She's alive."
Narcissa started reading through the diary, laughing at her mother in her teenage years. Narcissa's laughter died when she came upon a certain passage that would change her life.
July 1, 1960
Dear Diary,
My wedding was yesterday. I married a kid, Cygnus Black. Are my parents that desperate for more money and pure blooded grandchildren that I married a prepubescent kid?! I got extremely drunk off my arse last night and I left the reception. I went to a muggle bar and hit it off with the bartender. He took me to his place and frankly we had really great sex. I woke up with his arms around me and obviously I had no idea where I was and he calmly explained everything to me. I told him I had to go before my husband's family found out, like Cygnus would care, he doesn't even know what sex is, and he gave me his phone number (whatever the bloody hell that is) and his name, Connor Ipo.
D.R.
Narcissa kept reading to see what happened with her mother and her mother's lover.
March 30, 1961
Dear Diary,
Holy Merlin! I had my baby today, I named her Andromeda. I'll let you in on a little secret, I still haven't consummated my marriage with Cygnus yet and I probably won't for a while, he's still a KID! I'm bringing little Andie to see Connor when she's a little older, she seems so fragile and small. I hope he likes her. I already love her so much.
Narcissa stopped reading, she was breathing hard, not believing her older sister was not a Black, that she herself may not be a Black. She quickly flipped to 1962, the year Bella was born. She skimmed the page and confirmed her suspicions. Bella was illegitimate as well. Scrunching her eyes up she flipped to where 1963 was and slowly opened her eyes. "I'm taking Narcissa to see Connor tonight" seemed to blare on the page. She snapped the book shut, shoved it in the trunk, and slammed the top closed, sitting on it as if to prevent the dairy from breaking out and screaming its contents to the world. Narcissa shoved the heels of her palms into her eyes. i This must be a dream--a nightmare! I can't be a half-blood!/i The door the attic banged open and Narcissa jumped off the trunk.
"Narcissa!" Bella shouted. "What are you up here for? We're going to be late for the Express!"
"I'm coming, Bella," Narcissa muttered.
"You better be packed."
"I am."
Bella left the room and made her way back down the stairs. Narcissa looked at the trunk, contemplating showing her sisters the diary. She flipped open the lid, snatched the book and ran down the stairs after her sister.
Narcissa sat in the corner of the silent compartment she shared with her sisters on the Hogwarts Express contemplating telling her sisters. Before she could make up her mind, Andromeda suddenly said, "Can I tell you guys a secret?"
"Of course," Narcissa said.
"Sure," Bella said, looking out the window.
"You can't tell anyone. Seriously. Mother and Father would disown me if they knew."
Now Bella was interested. "Tell us."
"Promise first. A sister pact," Andromeda demanded.
"Fine."
"Sure."
"You know how I disappeared a lot over the summer. Well, I met a boy and not just any boy--a muggle," Andromeda started.
Narcissa and Bella gasped, each for different reasons.
"I know, I know! But he's just so charming and sweet and I love him," Andromeda sighed, dreamily.
"Andromeda! If Mother knew..." Bella yelled.
"She won't know!" Andromeda interrupted.
"Mother would care, but not for the reason you're thinking, Bella," Narcissa piped up quietly.
"What do you know?" Bella snapped.
"I was reading her diary," Narcissa paused to pull it out of her trunk. "We're all illegitimate children. Our real father is a muggle."
She tossed the book to Bella. "Read it for yourself."
Andromeda tore the book out of Bella's hands and started to read the passage aloud. "March 30, 1961. Dear Diary, Holy Merlin! I had my baby today, I named her Andromeda. I'll let you in on a little secret, I still haven't consummated my marriage with Cygnus yet and I probably won't for a while, he's still a KID! I'm bringing little Andie to see Connor when she's a little older, she seems so fragile and small. I hope he likes her. I already love her so much. But first I have to get rid of Cygnus. I'll send him to a quidditch match, that'll keep him occupied for a while. D.R."
"So that means you're illegitimate, but that doesn't necessarily mean Narcissa and I are," Bella said, grappling onto any excuse that would mean she was a pureblood.
"Don't you think I haven't already checked!" Narcissa spat acidly. "We are not Blacks!"
"Keep it down, Cissa," Bella hissed.
"She called me 'Andie' in her diary. Why hasn't she called me by that since then?" Andromeda wondered.
"Because that would remind her of this Connor fellow," Narcissa explained. "I think she loved him."
"I wondered what happened to him," Andromeda said.
Bella, who was busy searching for non existent evidence proving she in fact was a Black, threw the book across the compartment and let out a frustrated scream.
"So, are we going to tell Mother that we know or any one for that matter?" Bella asked after she calmed down.
"I'm going to tell Ted!" Andromeda squealed.
"Who?" Bella sneered.
"My boyfriend!"
"The muggle," Bella said with pursed lips.
"Yes," Andromeda responded tersely.
"I'm going to tell Sirius," Narcissa mumbled.
"Gonna tell me what, Cis?" Sirius Black said from the doorway, his head the only part of him visible.
"Nothing," Narcissa squeaked.
"Are the rest of you hooligans around?" Bella asked, trying not to look interested.
"Miss me, Bellatrix?" Remus Lupin asked, opening the door so he could be seen.
"In your dreams, Lupin," Bella snapped, inwardly smiling that he guessed who she was talking about and that he called her 'Bellatrix'. He didn't know it, but he was the only one she would let get away with that.
"Sure," he smiled.
"Hmph."
"Why are you two always bugging these fine young ladies?" James Potter asked, opening the door wider yet so he could be seen.
"Because you lot don't have lives," Bella offered, a sarcastic smile plastered on her face.
"Because we don't like them."
"I think its quite the opposite, actually," James grinned mischievously, pulling the other two boys out of the compartment before they could defend themselves.
"What was that about? 'Quite the opposite, actually.' What does he know?" Bella grumbled.