15th July 1967
"Narcissa, hurry up child! Black's are never late to a social event." Druella called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Coming mother!" came Narcissa's reply.
Smoothing out her navy blue ballgown for the last time, she hurried from her room and down the stairs to meet her mother, father and her two sisters in the entrance hall of their eight bedroom manor. Tonight was the Malfoy's summer ball and the Black family had been invited, sadly for Narcissa this also meant that Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga would be in attendance with their sons Sirius and Regulus. It wasn't that Narcissa hated her relatives, it was just that Aunt Walburga was her father's sister and Walburga always tried to meddle in on the way her mother raised her and her sisters. Although Druella Black was a strict mother, she was like a cuddly bear compared to the way that Walburga raised her own children.
Her cousin Sirius was only four years younger than her, she had been born in the February 1955 and Sirius in the October of 1959, but Sirius was already beginning to show how different he was to the rest of the family. He was nearly eight years of age and didn't really care much for the pure-blood view of the wizarding world. Narcissa quietly suspected that Aunt Walburga saw her eldest son as a disappointment. Regulus on the other hand despite being six years of age was the favourite son of Walburga's; for Regulus always backed up what his mother said when it came to muggleborns and filth whereas Sirius either never commented on the subject and refused to agree with his mother or locked himself in his bedroom.
"There's my youngest." Cygnus beamed.
Narcissa returned her father's smile as she stepped down from the last step and kissed her father's cheek. Bellatrix was wearing her usual sulky scowl when she was forced to attend these events that she would rather avoid, her raven haired sister was dressed in a Slytherin green silk with spaghetti straps ballgown with her mass of hair tied back into a rather messy bun which gained the disapproval of their mother. Druella had her long blonde hair elegantly tied back into a french plait whilst wearing a silver strapless ballgown with a dropped waistline which sat on her mother's hips, made of damask and wore a matching silver necklace with a simple sapphire set in the centre of the necklace and sat gracefully around her neck. Andromeda on the other hand was dressed in something quite different from a traditional ballgown. The middle sister had chosen a white off-the-shoulder taffeta mermaid style dress with her brown hair tied into a bun only hers was neater than Bella's.
"You look lovely mother!" Narcissa complimented with a smile.
"Thank you my darling, I believe you have chosen well for your dress." replied Druella.
The car pulled up onto the driveway outside and Cygnus took his wife's arm and gestured for his daughters to exit the manor and to get into the car straight away. The family were in two separate cars, one for Druella and Cygnus and the other for the three sisters. The drivers helped everyone get in and once they were all buckled up, the cars slowly pulled away from the manor and began the journey to Wiltshire. For the Black's it wasn't a long journey as they lived on the the border of Hampshire and Wiltshire so they didn't need to go far to get to Malfoy Manor.
"I cannot wait until this party is over with." Bellatrix complained.
"What's wrong with parties Bella?" asked Narcissa.
"Oh Cissy, there are more exciting things I'd rather be doing something more exciting than dancing and socialising with a bunch of stuck up people." Bellatrix replied.
"Rodolphus and his family will be there." Andromeda teased.
Bellatrix stared at Andromeda quizzically through her heavy lidded eyes which she had inherited from their mother.
"Is that so?" asked Bellatrix.
Andromeda nodded, "I'm sure you could find 'something more exciting than dancing and socialising' with Rodolphus."
"You know this party is going to be interesting."
"Only because you just found out the boy you've been sleeping with for the past year is in attendance." Narcissa retorted.
Bellatrix blinked and laughed, it was very rare if Narcissa commented on things that she considered scandalous.
"Little Cissy's getting witty!" cooed Bellatrix in a mocking tone to her voice.
"Don't patronize me Bella." snapped Narcissa.
Bellatrix laughed, "Oh Cissy you're so prim and proper. When you get a bit older you'll start to realise that mother's lesson in etiquette are rather dull. I don't want to be tied down in a loveless marriage and bear children, I want to make my own way in the world; and that includes sleeping around with whoever I goddamn please!".
Narcissa turned her attention to out of the window, wanting to end the conversation but Andromeda had different ideas.
"But do mother and father know that you're not virgin Bella?" asked Andromeda in a tone of worry.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes.
"They know I'm not, the amount of letters they've received from Slughorn because I was caught skipping lessons in a broom cupboard with some Slytherin boy and revealing way to much flesh. Father spoke to me about it when we returned home this summer, he told me that I was a disappointment to mother and that if I were to carry on these things to not do so publicly." replied Bellatrix.
"So they don't know about Rodolphus?" asked Andromeda.
"No. They never knew who I was sleeping with." Bellatrix drawled.
That was the end of the conversation from then but Narcissa suspected what her eldest sister intended to do with Rodolphus as the Malfoy's ball and with over two hundred guests in attendance tonight, Bellatrix was at more of risk of getting caught with the Lestrange boy than she was when she sneaked out after curfew whilst they were at school.
The cars pulled up outside the front doors to Malfoy Manor and the girls stepped out, admiring the tall and mysterious manor. In Narcissa's opinion, there was no house finer than the one that stood before her that showed that it was built with the Malfoy fortune many centuries ago. There was no other building that said that this building was only for Malfoys. They entered through the entrance hall with their parents and were led by a house elf through the wide corridor that led to the ballroom.
The ballroom was one of the largest rooms in the manor with a crystal chandelier glittering above the many dancing couples ;with french doors that were wide open that led to the terrace and gardens of the manor. The elf instantly led them to Abraxas and Lucius Malfoy and then departed to go and greet more guests that were arriving at the front door.
"Abraxas, thank you for the invitation." said Cygnus.
Abraxas Malfoy looked like a much older version of his son. Lucius had certainly inherited his blonde hair and grey eyes from his father, but Narcissa was still yet to see if the younger Malfoy had inherited other traits from his father.
"It's my pleasure Cygnus." Abraxas replied.
"You remember my wife, Druella?" asked Cygnus.
"Of course, you're still as beautiful as I remember Mrs Black. Your husband is a very lucky man." Abraxas complimented as he kissed Druella's hand.
"And doesn't he know it?" Druella giggled.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes as Cygnus gestured for the three of them to come forward. The three girls moved in front of their parents and curtsied to the host, which made Narcissa feel a little stupid; for they did live in the twentieth century after all but their mother had taught them to greet the host of a party with grace and curtsying was the politest way to show how grateful they were for an invitation.
"My daughters Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa." Cygnus introduced.
"Yes they are growing into such lovely young ladies." Abraxas commented.
"Thank you sir, we shall go and enjoy the party and not take up more of your time." said Druella.
"Enjoy yourselves and I hope to see you all later." said Abraxas.
As she was being led away to the drinks table by her parents, she caught Lucius's eye and gave him a warm smile and was surprised to find that her smile had been returned before the boy turned to greet the next guest who was entering the ballroom. After a few minutes of being introduced to various business associates of her father's, she saw Bellatrix sneak off to Rodolphus and the two of them exited the ballroom unnoticed. Andromeda was speaking with Sirius whilst her parents were talking with Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion.
She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see that it was Evan with her Uncle Caspian and Aunt Natalia who had just arrived for the Malfoy's ball. She hugged Evan and kissed her Uncle and Aunt on the cheek in greeting.
"You look lovely, Narcissa." said Natalia.
"Thank you, mother actually let me choose my dress." she replied.
"And you have impeccable taste my dear niece." Caspian complimented.
"She does take after her mother after all." said Druella softly.
The four of them turned and smiled as Druella joined them, Caspian giving her a hug before Druella kissed Natalia on the cheek.
"I seem to recall that father had to cap your monthly allowance." Caspian reminisced.
"It's a Rosier family trait to have expensive taste." Druella replied with a smile.
"Among other things." said a high voice.
The five turned to see that they had been joined by Walburga, who was holding a glass of champagne in her hand.
"What on earth do you mean Walburga?" asked Druella.
"Don't listen to her Druella, she's been drinking." said Caspian, trying to turn Walburga away. But the witch had other ideas.
"My brother had to settle for you and gave you a new dress or jewel every week, you had everything that you could possibly want. I spoke to a healer who confirmed your inability to produce a male heir for my brother." sneered Walburga.
Druella's face turned to pure anger, an expression that Narcissa had never seen on her mother before.
"That isn't true." hissed Druella.
"Oh I apologise, I forget about little Rigel." Walburga taunted.
Rigel? Narcissa had never heard the name Rigel in the family before.
"How dare you!" Caspian shouted.
"Evan, I think you should take Narcissa out of the room." said Natalia calmly.
"Oh let the girl hear! It's about time she stopped being kept in the dark." said Walburga.
"Kept in the dark about what?" asked Narcissa.
"Now Evan!" Natalia urged.
Before Narcissa could find out who Rigel was, she was being pulled out of the ballroom by Evan and she found herself in the entrance hall with her cousin and Lucius who had just finished greeting the last of the guests.
"Not enjoying the party?" asked Lucius.
"My mother insisted that I keep Narcissa out of the ballroom." Evan replied.
"I apologise Lucius, my Aunt Walburga is tipsy on champagne and chose to pick an argument with my mother." said Narcissa.
"Seeing as you aren't allowed in the ballroom at present, how about I give you a private tour of the manor?" Lucius suggested.
"I'd like that." Narcissa smiled.
"I'll take her from here Evan." said Lucius dismissively.
Evan said nothing as he headed back to the ballroom and Lucius offered his arm to Narcissa, who instantly looped hers around his and allowed him to lead the way up the oaken staircase to begin their tour of the manor. Lucius didn't show her the bedrooms for they were private, but he showed her the sauna room, the walk in closet and master bathroom that were separated from the bedrooms. She instantly fell in love with the library and carefully pulled out one of the many ancient books that had belonged to the Malfoy family for centuries but yet she could still make out the writing on the aging pages. Lucius invited her to come over and read whenever she wished to which she gladly accepted. Narcissa wished she could have stayed in the library for the rest of the evening but Lucius still had to show her the music room.
The music room was almost as big as the ballroom on the floor below, there were many chaise lounge sofas around the room, a big golden harp in one corner, a cello with many flutes mounted in a glass case on the wall but it was the grand piano that took Narcissa's attention. The piano stood in the centre of the room, black and she could tell that it was cleaned and polished daily by the way it shone in the light.
"What a beautiful piano!" Narcissa gushed as they entered the music room.
"It was my mother's." said Lucius.
"Was?" Narcissa questioned as she continued to admire the piano.
"My mother died when I was eight." Lucius explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Narcissa apologised.
"No matter it was a long time ago. Would you like to play?" he asked.
Narcissa looked at him and gave him a small smile but shook her head.
"I possibly couldn't, why don't you play something?" she questioned.
"I never learned." Lucius admitted.
Narcissa smiled widely as she sat on the bench and lifted the lid that hid the keys, she gestured for Lucius to sit beside her and after a few minutes of hesitation, he accepted and sat beside her. She clicked her fingers and slowly began to play a Beethoven tune. Lucius listened intently, smiling as he watched her concentrate on playing the correct notes.
"You know this by heart?" he asked.
Narcissa nodded and continued to play, "I love the piano, the melody, the feel of the keys." she answered.
Lucius nodded but remained silent as she continued to play, the soft melody the only sound that filled the room and the corridor outside. Once she finished, she turned to Lucius and smiled.
"You remember that birthday gift I promised you?" asked Narcissa.
"I remember but I told you it was impossible to give me something that I couldn't purchase myself." Lucius replied.
"I'm going to teach you to play." she said confidently.
"Teach me?"
"To play piano."
"Piano?"
"Yes Lucius, the piano." she laughed.
She carefully took Lucius's hands and placed them on the keys and began to teach him the basics, which keys were which and when to use them. Once he had mastered that, she had him repeat a little tune that she had played. She watched as he concentrated, this was a side that she had never seen to him before; not even when they were at school together. She loved how determined he was to learn from her, it was as if the piano was one thing that he had always wanted to learn.
But before they could move onto the next step, they heard shouting from down the corridor. They both rose from the bench and rushed out of the room to see that Cygnus had discovered Bellatrix with her dress wrapped around her body and Rodolphus running past them trying to do his shirt up.
"BELLATRIX BLACK YOU STUPID WHORE!"
Bellatrix merely rolled her eyes, not caring that her father had caught her having sex in one of the guest bedrooms of Malfoy Manor. Narcissa watched as her sister disappeared back into the room to get dressed. Cygnus turned to see Lucius and Narcissa standing outside the music room, his expression softened but he still looked angry.
"Narcissa, go downstairs and find your mother. Tell your mother to get Andromeda and make your goodbyes, we are leaving. I will follow in the car with Bella." Cygnus stated.
Narcissa nodded instantly, knowing better than to argue with her father. She turned back to Lucius and the two of them walked back down the corridor and descended the stairs, making their way back into the ballroom.
"Narcissa, where have you been with Malfoy?" Andromeda sneered.
"The music room, has Aunt Walburga calmed down?"
Andromeda nodded, "Uncle Orion left with her and the boys about half hour ago."
Druella walked up to the two girls and Narcissa repeated what her father had said to her and the three thanked Abraxas once more and bade goodbye to those who it would be deemed rude to not bid goodbye too and collected their cloaks from the house elf in the entrance hall. The driver helped them all into one car and they began their journey home in silence. The entire way home, Narcissa thought of what Walburga had said about someone called Rigel, they didn't have a relative called Rigel that she knew of. But whoever Rigel was, he had some connection to her parents and the mention of him had been enough to upset and anger her mother.
They were first to reach their manor, Cygnus and Bellatrix hadn't arrived yet and they hadn't gotten into the other car at the same time as them. The three exited the car and entered the manor, with Andromeda bidding them both goodnight and sleepily walking up the staircase to her bedroom. Narcissa wasn't ready for bed yet, she needed to know who Rigel was.
"Go on Cissy, bedtime." Druella yawned.
"Mother, can I ask you something?"
"Of course dear, you can talk to me about anything." Druella replied warmly.
"Did Aunt Walburga upset you?" she asked.
Druella blinked and walked over to her, running her fingers through Narcissa's hair. For the first time in her life, Narcissa saw tears beginning to gather in her mother's eyes. Her mother took hold of her hand and led her into the living room, sitting them both down on the sofa.
"Mother?"
Druella exhaled heavily, tears still beginning to form.
"Your Aunt can be rather cruel when she's been drinking Narcissa, you understand that? I don't want you to have any ill will towards your father's family." stated Druella.
"Mother, she can be cruel regardless of whether she's been drinking." she replied.
Druella chuckled a little.
"Yes she did upset me, she also angered me." Druella answered honestly.
"When she mentioned Rigel?"
Druella stiffened and went as white as a sheet but after a few minutes, she nodded.
"I hadn't realised before what good memory you have." Druella muttered.
"Who is Rigel?" asked Narcissa.
Druella sighed heavily, the kind of sigh that Narcissa knew to be that her mother was about to tell her something that had been kept secret.
"Rigel was your twin brother, Narcissa." Druella answered.
Narcissa stared at her mother in disbelief, she never remembered having a brother. The only siblings that she had ever known were Bellatrix and Andromeda. Two sisters. No brother.
"Twin brother?"
Druella nodded, the tears beginning to flow and her mother made no attempt to stop them.
"I was seven months pregnant when I went into premature labour. There was nothing that anybody could do. Rigel was already dead when I delivered him into this world, he had been dead for some time. The healers managed to keep you in there for another two months but I was kept under constant supervision." Druella whispered aloud.
Narcissa could feel her own tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, it wasn't because she was now finding out about the brother that she never knew she had; it was because of the pain that her mother had been feeling for the past twelve years.
"I'm so sorry." Narcissa whispered.
Druella cupped her face in her hands, shaking her head.
"It isn't your fault, so don't blame yourself." Druella stated.
"It's not yours either mother!" Narcissa cried.
Druella smiled a watery smile and wiped the tears away when they heard the front doors open and in stepped Cygnus and Bellatrix.
"Upstairs young lady and we'll talk about this in the morning!" Cygnus growled.
Bellatrix said nothing but stomped up the stairs, evidently careless about what had happened that night. Narcissa and Druella watched as Cygnus began to undo his tie and walked over to the drink's cabinet to pour himself a brandy. Once he had done so, he turned and was surprised to see that Narcissa was sat there.
"Get to bed Narcissa." Cygnus commanded.
Narcissa looked to her mother who was looking at Cygnus.
"I had to tell her Cygnus." said Druella in an apologetic tone of voice.
Cygnus placed his brandy on the side table and strode over to the two of them.
"About Rigel?" he questioned, a hint of hurt in his voice.
Druella nodded, fresh tears falling down her cheeks once more. Narcissa had never felt such heartbreak at her mother's hurt, she wished that there was something she could do to ease her mother's pain.
"Narcissa, we only kept it from you because we didn't want you to be hurt." whispered Cygnus.
"I'm not angry father, I'm not even upset that you hid this from me." she replied.
"You aren't?" asked Cygnus in disbelief.
Narcissa shook her head.
"I just wish there was something I could do."
Cygnus smiled warmly as he kissed his daughter's forehead.
"You're a caring young lady, I'm glad that one of my daughter's thinks of the family." said Cygnus.
Narcissa returned her father's smile and kissed her mother on the cheek, deciding that it was best if her father comfort her mother.
"Goodnight." Narcissa yawned.
"Night Cissy, sleep well." said Druella with puffy eyes.
Just as she rose from the sofa and headed for the hall, her father called her name. She turned to face him, with a quizzical look on her face.
"Cissy, don't mention Rigel to your sisters. They don't know." Cygnus requested.
Narcissa said nothing but nodded her head in understanding, once more turning in the direction of the hall and heading for her bedroom. Tonight had been one with a revelation that she wasn't quite sure what to make of. She had meant it when she had said that she wasn't angry or upset that Rigel had been kept a secret from her, but finding out that you had twin brother; that was something huge. As she entered her bedroom and dressed for bed, she thought it over more. She had never known Rigel and she never would, as her mother had said; there was nothing that anyone could have done. She climbed into bed, placing her wand underneath her pillow, coming to the conclusion that this wasn't going to change her life. As harsh and as horrible as it was, she had never known her twin brother so how could she miss something that she had never had? She was sorry for the pain that her mother felt but she had her siblings, to her Rigel was a stranger; even if they had once shared a womb.
A/N: Rigel is of my own creation within the Black family, but again I'd like to stress I make no money from writing this I just thought I'd try something different. I hope you liked this chapter so please leave a review.