"Please, Bella! I can't go alone! Please, come with me!" said Narcissa. She was standing outside the door to Bellatrix's quarters.
Does she ever shut up? She has been going on like this for half an hour! Really what I want to be doing tomorrow… going to Snivellus's house.
"No! I already told you! There is no way in hell I'm going to see him!" I yelled back.
"But I have to see him! He is the only one who can save Drac-" the sound of hysterical tears cut off the word Narcissa was about to say.
Good God, not this again!
"NO!" I yelled over her pitiful sobs.
"You HAVE to! Please!" she screamed, banging her fists on my door.
"Fine! And stop banging the door. It will break," I said, resigned.
Just what I wanted to do… Let's go skipping down to collect flowers, Bella. Let's go and skip all the way to Snape's house, Bella. Brilliant. No wonder she married Lucius. They suit each other. Sleazy and dumb.
The next day we set out towards Snape's house at Spinner's End. Just the way I wanted to spend a perfectly good day.
"What if he says no? What will I do then?" said Narcissa, dabbing her puffy eyes with a handkerchief.
I don't know… Have another son with Lucius? But no son could ever compare with Draco! He can bully and backstab but turns white at the first sign of blood… just like his mother.
"He won't say no," I replied soothingly.
If Draco dies, it's not like a disservice to the bloodlines…
"I know he will! I just know he will!" Narcissa looked positively distraught.
If you look like that he will try and draw it out so he gets something in the process. And if you were so sure he wouldn't help why did you even come?
"He will help. I'll make sure of it," I said soothingly, trying to calm her down.
When we finally got to Spinner's End, after a lot of crying and screaming, I rang the doorbell.
"Hello! What a pleasant surprise! You look well Narcissa," Snape said, even though Narcissa looked terrible. "Oh, and you Bellatrix. You look…" He turned and beckoned them into his house.
Asshole.
"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" asked Narcissa.
"I think there is. Follow me," said Snape as he walked down the hall.
He led us through the hall into what seemed like the dirtiest room I had ever laid eyes upon.
"So what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Narcissa?" Snape said.
"I have been ordered to be silent, but…" Narcissa bite her lip, "The Dark Lord has ordered Draco to do something terrible. Something he is very likely to fail…"
"And what could that be?" said Snape in pseudo-comforting voice. He edged closer to Narcissa. "You can trust me."
Good God. What the hell does he think he is doing!
"Trust!" I shrieked, perhaps a little bit too high.
Their eyes turned towards me. Way too high.
"How can we trust you? You who lived in Hogwarts while the rest of us rotted in Azkaban! You who were Dumbledore's pet for all those years! You who were so caught up teaching muggleborns that you never once thought to look for Him! You who were nowhere to be found when we did all the real fighting at the Ministry!" I shouted.
"One moment, Bellatrix, I hear Wormtail at the door," said Snape. He flicked his wand and I heard a muffled squeak and footsteps leading away into the hall. "He has taken to listening at doors recently. I don't know what he means by it."
Nice job, Snivellus. You seem to have done a wonderful firecracker charm. You must be so pleased with yourself. You're now casting spells at a first grade level!
"Now, back to what you said, Bellatrix. Do you not think the Dark Lord asked me everyone of those questions? I thought Him to be dead, just as Lucius did. Sorry, Narcissa." Narcissa looked like she was on the verge of tears… again. "I could not leave the school to fight at the ministry, for the simple fact that Dumbledore would have grown suspicious if I had left. I will say it again. The Dark Lord asked me everything you just asked me and more. Do you think He would have let me live if I had been lying?"
Damn you.
"Now, what were you going to ask me, Narcissa?" asked Snape quietly.
He can really lay it on when he wants to.
"I, well, the Dark Lord has told me not to say anything, but, oh!" sniffed Narcissa.
How long is this going to draw out? I want to be back in time for dinner.
"If the Dark Lord has said not to say, don't say! Don't whisper secrets around like a 10-year-old," I said to Narcissa. Sometimes she can be so immature.
"I am not Bella! Snape, the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to kill Dumbledore," moaned Narcissa.
If you call me that again in front of him, I will wring your neck!
"And you are worried that he won't be able to complete this task?" asked Snape, putting a hand on Narcissa's back. Exactly where the clasp of her bra would be.
Holy shit! Hit on my married sister, why don't you… at least wait until I'm out of the room!
"Yes! The Dark Lord is punishing him for Lucius's defeat at the ministry," whimpered Narcissa.
"If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know Narcissa," said Snape.
"Well there is one thing…" said Narcissa.
"What is that?" asked Snape.
Narcissa turned sharply, pulling her back out of Snape's reach. "An Unbreakable Vow," she murmured, "Do you agree?"
Ha Ha, Snivellus. Maybe Cissy has a brain after all…
"I do," said Snape, even though he looked a bit worried.
Get out of this one Worm!
"Bellatrix, if you would," said Narcissa.
"Of course," I said, drawing my wand.
Narcissa turned back to Snape, and she grasped his limp right hand. I touched my wand tip to their hands.
"Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?" said Narcissa solemnly.
"I will," said Snape.
I tapped my wand and a band of fire wrapped around their hands.
"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?" said Narcissa.
"I will," said Snape glumly. He was beginning to sweat.
I again sent a tendril of fire around their hands.
"And finally… will you… if it seems he cannot complete his task…" Snape was now sweating profusely, his eyes twitchy like a cornered beast. "Will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?" whispered Narcissa.
Worm your way out of this one!
"I will," said Snape nervously.
I sent one last stream of fire twisting around their hands.
"We best be off now, Narcissa," I said.
"So soon? Would you not care to join me for dinner?" asked Snape, his face the very mask of disappointment.
The way you were planning to go, Narcissa would stay the night in your bed!
"Yes, we simply must be going," I said, before Narcissa could reply. "Come along now, Narcissa we should have been at home long before now," I glowered at Snape.
Snape ushered us to the door, and Narcissa and I took our leave, apparating on the doorstep.
"Why did you have to rush us?" asked Narcissa angrily.
"He wanted you to stay the night with him! Are you blind and deaf to the world?" I answered equaling the intensity of her gaze.
"No. Bella, since you came back from Azkaban, it seems like you have lost your wits," replied Narcissa haughtily.
"Really, Cissy? My husband is in Azkaban too, but you don't see me breaking into hysterical sobbing every time his name is mentioned," I spat, drawing out the venom in my voice just as Mama had wanted us to do.
Narcissa bit back tears. "Is that so? You obviously don't care very much for Rudolphus. No wonder you never had any children," she screamed. Her face was now the very picture smugness. She thought she had bested me!
I slapped her. Narcissa's eyes widened, the red mark growing on her cheek. No one spoke, afraid to break the silence.
Suddenly Narcissa's features became ghoulish. Then she turned with as much dignity as she could muster, and stormed back to her room.
She had no right to bring that up! Not that she could talk… Her only child was a blonde-haired coward, good at talking big and acting naught.
Cissy was always getting involved with things she didn't understand. In her second year she brewed a Felix Felicis potion incorrectly, and drank it, even though it was blue instead of gold. She didn't really know how to brew it, and it was advanced, yet she still made and drank it. Then, she started flirting with Lucius… that was an accident waiting to happen.
He took a liking to her, and they got married. And then she got pregnant. The first words out of her mouth when she found out she was carrying were "wait a minute… is this going to hurt?"Good thing she had Lucius with her for support. But he was "sent away" by the Dark Lord. And even though he "pleaded" to be with her, the Master had said the matter was too pressing. But he had seen her after it was all over, and brought some sort of expensive wine and they made up. Jealousy crept upon me when she had Draco, until he grew up into such a coward.
I wish I could have children…