Author's Note: I would like to apologize for not having updated this story in way tooooooo long. Please forgive me. My life has been crazy. However, I still love Lucissa and thoroughly enjoy writing this story, so I very-much-so hope that you all will continue to read it and enjoy it. This is a long chapter for me...However, you waited long enough to deserve a long chapter. Thank you for the reviews. I hope you're all doing splendidly!

Thank you so very much! Enjoy!

The Call of the Whistle

Cygnus Black winced in exasperation as he heard something bang upstairs and his eldest daughter began screaming. From inside his closed study, on the opposite side of the manor, he sighed as he shoved business contracts haphazardly into a drawer unable to concentrate. Today was his favorite day of the year – the day his daughters boarded the train and left the manor in peace. It wasn't that he didn't sometimes miss their presence…It was just that he enjoyed his solitude and sanity, which weren't present when Bellatrix and Andromeda were home from school.

"Mother!" Bellatrix unceremoniously and unintentionally slammed her body against a large old cabinet in the hallway causing it to topple over in her haste to find her Mother. She had just spied Andromeda slipping muggle books into her trunk.

Andromeda peaked her head outside of her door with a scowl as she spotted Bella flopped over a cabinet. "Merlin's beard Bella, what are you doing?" She slowly made her way out of her bedroom as she continued to stare at Bellatrix dumbly.

"You!" Bellatrix screeched as she looked over her shoulder with a deep glare at her younger sister.

Druella Black irritatedly left her youngest daughter's room to find Andromeda standing in the hall with a bewildered expression adorning her face and Bellatrix lying atop her mother's hall dresser. "Bellatrix Black!" Her face began to turn a frightening shade between red and purple as she reached down with one hand and pulled Bellatrix up by the neck of her dress, slightly choking her in the process.

Narcissa quietly snuck out of her room and raised one perfectly sculpted blonde eyebrow as she looked to Andromeda who merely shrugged lightly at her as their Mother kept a hold on Bellatrix's dress collar while snapping her fingers on her other hand, causing the dresser and its contents to quickly rise and put themselves back in place.

Druella rounded on Bellatrix with an angry glare and a booming voice. "That is my mother's old family chest! Do you think we have time for your tantrums today?! This is your sister's first time off to Hogwarts; and you're ruining it!"

Bellatrix glared as she wiggled in her mother's unexpectedly tight grasp. "But I caught Dromeda,…"

"I don't care what you caught Andromeda doing!" Druella felt her blood boiling as she caught sight of her husband quietly walking through the downstairs hall, attempting to avoid the onslaught of hell she was dealing with upstairs. "If you think I'm going to sign your permission slip for Hogsmeade, young lady, you had better think again!" She let Bellatrix go with a slight thud as she moved towards Narcissa. "Cygnus! I know you're down there. Come and get the trunks."

Bellatrix's voice was laced with fury as she called back to her mother in a sing-song-y voice, "Too bad you already signed it!" Her bottom hit the ground with a thump as an invisible wind blew her down with a whipping sensation across her cheek. Druella continued down the hall, without taking a second glance at her eldest daughter, taking Narcissa's hand in her own and descended the staircase with Andromeda hot on their heels.

"Now Lucius, please be a perfect gentleman this year." Lucine Malfoy stood primly on the train platform alone. Her respected husband had been called away for business again. "Narcissa will begin Hogwarts this year, so you should be sweet to her. Make sure she's at home there." She smiled as she softly adjusted his jacket and patted his back lovingly.

"Of course, Mother." He smiled angelically as she beamed back at him. Secretly he thought he'd rather let the chit rot in the dungeons rather than letting her tow behind him everywhere. He grinned as he caught sight of Prima Parkinson making her way onto the train with his mates: Burnell, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Mum,…" He nodded his head towards his mates as the Rosier-Black crew made their way onto the platform at the opposite end, loud as banshees, causing both he and his mother to turn and look (with the rest of the people milling round on the platform)…

"Honestly Wally, you didn't have to come." Cygnus smiled at his younger sister, internally cringing as his wife through him murderous looks over his sister's family's presence.

"Oh Cygnus, don't be a duffer." Wallburga smiled as she let her pocket book swing from the crook of her arm. Regulus had a finger popped in his mouth as she stared wide-eyed at the people, his hand clutching at the hem of his mum's robes. Sirius on the other hand was walking tall and proud next to his uncle, inching away from the party slowly attempting to make his great escape onto the train. "They're my nieces. Of course I'd come to see them off. Odette and Evanston have after all." She let her nose raise parallel to the air, her lips pursed.

"My brother and sister-in-law have children going to school, Wallburga." Druella's voice was a calm storm as she glared at the sister-in-law she'd always harbored animosity for. Her argument with Bellatrix earlier had sent her to her breaking point and someone (in this case, Wallburga) was going to get it. "You do not. In fact, your young children are making this more difficult. My husband and I should be able to bid our children farewell without having to help you with yours. After all, you don't even try and get on with our daughters."

Wallburga wore a completely gob-smacked expression as Cygnus merely tucked in his tail and turned around. Not about to get on his wife's bad side. "Why, I never….In all my life…"

"Oh can it, Dromeda!" Bellatrix's voice was rising precariously high as she and Andromeda began their bickering again.

Evanston Rosier gave his oldest nieces a withering glance, which was enough to get them to shut their mouths and straighten up. "Girls, I'm sure you've been taught better." He nodded at his brother-in-law kindly, inwardly thinking the man had no control over his family…an issue that would raise hell for his sister later.

"So who are you going to sit by on the train Cissy-Love?" Odette smiled as she held her daughter's hand in one hand and patted her niece's back soothingly.

Evan grinned widely as he looped an arm around his much smaller cousin's neck. "She'll sit with Dromeda and I Mum." He turned to look at his cousin with a cute grin. "Right Cissy?"

"Now Evan, if she wants to sit somewhere else that's okay too. I'm sure she'll want to make friends of her own now too…" Odette smiled as Druella smiled proudly beside her.

"I'll sit with Evan and Dromeda." Narcissa smiled prettily in her shirt and mary-jane's.

"Of course you will. No better place to sit. Right Andy?" He smiled kindly at the cousin that was to be his wife, who merely shrugged in return.

"I'm actually sitting with my friends Evan. Sorry, you'll both have to manage without me." She kissed her father and mother's cheeks before grabbing a small bag that had been sat on the floor. "See you at Christmas." She waved at her family with a smile before hopping on the train before any protests could be raised.

Bellatrix snorted as she rolled her eyes at Andromeda's public dismissal of Evan in front of their families. "Afraid you'll have to do without me as well Cissy. I'm off to find Roddy and Amycus. I'll see you for dinner at the Slytherin table." She gave her mother a rigid hug before embracing her father and jumping on the train.

"Oh my Goddaughter, have a nice term dear." Wallburga held her arms out to Bellatrix, a half-crazed smile on her thick face. "Now, now, that's a good girl." She nodded as Bellatrix begrudgingly let her hug her, a look of utter disgust covering her face before pulling away briskly and practically running onto the train.

"Lucius, come." Lucine smiled and waved lightly at Druella as she began walking, pulling her son along with her. "You're going to help Narcissa onto the train and sit with her." She heard his almost imperceptible groan with an irritation building in her. "And you will be nice, Lucius…So help me, if I hear one bad remark from anyone about how you've treated Narcissa at school, I can assure you that your winter break will be more miserable than a month of detention with that…Filch." She grimaced slightly before schooling her expression.

Lucius cringed at his mother's words before straightening up and half-heartedly smiling at Narcissa before genuinely smiling at Evan.

"Oh Lucine, Lucius, hello." Druella smiled as she ran a hand against her daughter's silky blonde tresses. "Are you looking forward to the school year, Lucius?" She smiled at the young man who smiled politely back at her.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Black" He turned to Evan…and Narcissa. "Want to find a train compartment?"

"Sure." Evan smiled as he took his younger cousin's hand. "Cissy's going to sit with us as well. Might as well get her used to her real peers from the start."

Lucius caught sight of his Mother's stern expression and nodded. "Certainly. A daughter of the house of Black is always welcome." He smiled charmingly causing the adults to smile and laugh approvingly.

"Alright then Narcissa." Druella bent down and smiled at her daughter, inwardly sad her youngest was leaving her nest. She was the one daughter Druella was sure would be a success. "Make sure and write to me. Have a good term, Dear. We'll visit in October to see Evan, Lucius, and Rodolphus play quidditch." She kissed her head as the train whistle blew.

"Bye Mum!" Evan pulled Cissy along with him and away from her father's arms as the second train whistle sounded, Lucius hurrying them into a compartment that was always left empty for them. Burnell was already sitting in a corner of the compartment.

The train ride had been wholly unremarkable. Narcissa had sat quietly inside the compartment, watching as the countryside soared past her and occasionally girls would filter in and out, flirting with the boys she knew so well.

Bellatrix threw the carriage door open with a start as she stood inside the doorway, her dark curls trailing down her back and her expression pinched. "Cissy, come with me and I'll help get you to the boats. Rabby is an ickle firstie too, so you can ride over to the castle in the same rower." It was at this moment that she decided to look around the carriage compartment, judging whether it was suitable company for a Black.

"Thanks for helping me, Evan…Lucius." She smiled demurely causing Burnell to look up, unaccustomed to a polite Black. "And it was nice meeting you, Burnell." She nodded once before following her impatiently awaiting eldest sister.

Burnell raised an eyebrow as the carriage door clicked to. "No one makes Bellatrix Black wait…she's bloody bonkers."

Evan snickered as Lucius himself pondered on this odd development. "Burnell, that's because no one, not even Bella, would dare cross Cissy."

"Really?" Burnell scratched his head as Lucius' stomach flipped, worried he was betrothed to the craziest Black yet. "She seemed…normal to me. No offense…" He coughed realizing that Evan himself was betrothed to the middle black sister, who he knew had taken up with a group of Hufflepuffs in their year – a very odd development for a Slytherin pureblooded princess.

"Oh no!" Evan shook his head as he stuffed his wand in his cloak pocket. "She is…actually, she's my favorite cousin. She's really sweet and normal…has normal interests and all." He nodded as Lucius felt his muscles loosen in relief. "No, it's just that Cissy is Cissy. She's the baby of the family…she's always just demanded a sort of special treatment; and everyone has always obliged."

"So, she's never pulled any lunatic stunts like Bella then?" Lucius asked as Burnell laughed into his arm.

Evan smirked and laughed as he walked with his mates towards the carraiges. "No… Although, the family first knew she was magical when Bella took her doll away from her when she was a tot… ...Black smoke whips cracked her hands. That's why no one messes with Cissy." He nodded as Lucius and Burnell both began laughing maniacally.

Narcissa stood primly at the front of the two lines that had formed inside the Great Hall facing a battered old hat on a stool. She had spotted her sisters, Evan, and Lucius all seated together at the end of one of the longest tables closest to the wall. She couldn't help the way her nose scrunched up at being so near some of the other first years she was sure Bella had referred to as nasty mudbloods. There was no way she was standing any closer to one of them, she didn't want her pureblood to get dirtied…

"And now for the sorting…" A short male teacher smiled before moving away from the pulpit.

Narcissa watched as the Sorting Hat smiled wickedly before starting it's song in a lilting tune. "I'm the Sorting Hat! And sorting shall I do. I'll sort out your ickle minds and find the place for you! Perhaps you'll go where the boldest have gone before, a place where daring and bravery lie. As a Gryffindor these will always be in supply. Or maybe you'll be a Hufflepuff where the just and loyal dwell. In Hufflepuff you'll find helping hands and caring hearts to tell. Maybe you're full of wit and clever to the core. If so, there's no better place than Ravenclaw where your talents are sure to soar. Or perhaps you're made of ambitions, determination, and a cunning spirit. Slytherin's the home for you if these are your merits. So try me on for your fit! Don't be wry, you'll be fine. I'm the Sorting Hat, and I'll know the place for you!"

Professor Merrythought's voice was clear as she clicked her tongue and looked at the lines of first years from above the parchment in front of her. "Burke, Cadmus." She called causing a slightly pudgy boy to step forward followed by "Tripe, Ariadne," "Bones, Clara," and "Simons, Harold." Narcissa could feel her nerves getting to her, wondering why her name hadn't been called yet. "Black, Narcissa."

Narcissa felt herself moving forward gracefully, her aristocratic head held high as she down on the seat primly and begrudgingly felt the old dirty hat his her blonde head. Ohho! Another Black…. She felt the sorting hat's mocking voice reverberate through her ears. There's only one place for you…yes…so unlike your sisters…yet still, you belong in the same place. Yes, that will do… "SLYTHRIN!" The hat's voice called loudly causing the Slytherin table, and especially her family to erupt in clapping.

She smirked as she sat down between Dromeda and Evan, Bella, Rodolphus, and Lucius across from her.

"Congratulations, Cissy." Andromeda smiled as she kissed her sister's forehead, an uncharacteristically sweet move. "I knew you'd be in our house."

"Of course she is." Bella smirked proudly as she nodded at her younger sister. "She is a loyal Black after all. Where else would she be?"

"Thanks." Narcissa beamed as she sat amongst her family, old friends, and new house/classmates.

AN: You know what to do - Shoot me a review! :)