For Build the Burrow on TGS (Blue paint: Write about someone feeling sad)

Beauxbatons, Barbegazi

The shouting downstairs pulls Narcissa away from her summer Charms homework. She sets the book aside, marking her place by resting her quill between the pages, and listens, frowning.

She can't make out the words, only the voices. Father and Andromeda. That worries her. Andromeda has always been such a perfect girl; she's always kept her head down and her mouth shut. If something can cause her sister to suddenly scream loud enough for her voice to carry upstairs, it can't be good.

She strains to listen, only capturing little snippets of the conversation.

Love. Mudblood. Marry. Shame.

Narcissa bites her lower lip. She doesn't have to hear more. It's easy enough to guess.

She's seen her sister run off with that Hufflepuff boy at school. Andromeda would never admit to anything, and Narcissa was always happy to assume that it was just an unusual friendship.

Now she realizes how foolish she was to be so blind, to choose to be unaware. Andromeda has fallen in love with the boy, and now she is going to lose her family.

When she hears footsteps on the staircase, she grabs her book. Eavesdropping is a sign of bad manners. She must play her part, pretend to be unaware.

"If you walk out of this house, you will not come back! Do you hear me?" her father screams from the foot of the stairs.

Narcissa blinks back her tears. She doesn't want to lose Andromeda. With Bellatrix gone, Andromeda is the only person she has left. With a sniffle, Narcissa wipes her eyes and pretends to focus on her book. The quill trembles in her hands, and her writing looks like a hippogriff has taken over, so she decides against the illusion of homework and tries to look busy reading.

Her father doesn't come up the stairs, but Narcissa can still him rapping against the banister, no doubt waiting for Andromeda to come down again.

The door opens, and Narcissa stares pointedly at her book, turning pages and pretending to find it interesting, though the lines blur together into a long string of nonsense. Her sister sighs. "Don't pretend you haven't been listening, Cissy," Andromeda says dryly.

Narcissa looks up from her book, pursing her lips. "Well, you weren't exactly quiet," she says. "I'm sure half the country knows that you're marrying Ted Tonks by now."

"Are you angry with me?"

Narcissa shakes her head. She sets her book to the side and crosses the room to her sister, throwing her arms around her. Now, it feels safe to show her sadness. Her tears fall freely. Andromeda rubs her back, shushing her softly.

"I don't want you to leave," Narcissa whispers, pulling away.

Andromeda wipes away the tears, a sad smile on her lips. "I know. But I don't have a choice, Cissy."

"I won't have anyone," Narcissa says.

Andromeda shakes her head. "Of course you will, silly. I'll always answer you. This isn't goodbye."

Narcissa turns away, wiping furiously at her eyes. Whatever Andromeda says, Narcissa can feel the finality of this moment. Whatever happens between them, she knows things will never truly be the same.

"Will you miss me?" Narcissa asks quietly, her voice cracking.

"Every day," Andromeda says, gripping her arm and pulling her back for one last hug. "You're my favorite little sister."

Narcissa sniffles, though an almost smiles twitches her lips. "I'm your only little sister."

It's Andromeda's turn to pull away. She presses a quick kiss to her sister's cheek before nodding. "I have to go before Father decides to come up here. I'm sure I'll get an earful about how I'm trying to corrupt you."

"Are you happy, Andi? With Ted?"

Andromeda nods. "More than I've ever been."

"Then it's worth it," Narcissa says, squeezing her sister's hand one last time.

Andromeda smiles. "Be happy, Cissy," she says before slipping out the door.

Narcissa listens to her footsteps as she hurries down the stairs. Her father screams again, but Andromeda offers no response. When the door slams shut with painful finality, Narcissa tosses her book across the room and slumps on the floor, crying for her lost sister.