Once out in Knockturn Alley, Narcissa was full of questions. "You didn't find Roddy anything, Bella? Who's that Tom guy? He looks too old to be an old Hogwarts friend. What took you guys so long?" Bellatrix remained silent, not responding at all. Regulus was the only one who noticed that she was upset and said nothing (which, for Bellatrix at the moment, was the best choice of words). Instead, he slipped his little hand into hers, the action both seeking and offering comfort. Narcissa finally took notice of her sister's silence, looking up to her with a concerned expression. "Bella? What's wrong?" For a moment, Bellatrix still did not reply, and they rounded a corner heading into Diagon Alley.
"Nothing's wrong, Cissy. No, I didn't find Rodolphus anything in Borgin and Burke's. Tom is a friend of mine, like I told you. He's going to be a very powerful wizard soon, and I expect you'll see more of him. He's a friend of Lucius', too. Have I answered all of your questions?" She looked around Diagon Alley, her expression sinking further into disgust. It was teeming with mudbloods, blood traitors, and irritating classmates from school! "Uh… Hurry up, you two! I want to drop in Quality Quidditch Supplies and get out of here before we're accused of socializing with mudbloods." She was pushing her way through a group of wizards when a young witch caught her eye in front of Gambol and Japes. She appeared to be about fifteen with an appearance close enough to Bella's own to pass for an imposter except for her gentle dark eyes and tamed brown hair. At her side was a boy around nine with handsome features and shaggy black hair. Andromeda and Sirius! If the two had been alone, it would have been one thing, but Andi was engaged in a conversation with a familiar Hufflepuff from school. The kid's name was Tonks if Bella was correct, and she recalled poking quite a bit of fun at him when he was a first year once she learned that he was muggle born. Suddenly, as Tonks leaned down to kiss Andromeda on the cheek, Bellatrix understood what Narcissa had accused the night before. She would not tolerate this treachery from her own sister!
Letting go of Regulus' hand, she marched through the crowd toward Andromeda, the entire scene feeling like slow motion. Before she had known what she was doing, her wand was drawn and Tonks suddenly lying on his rear on the cobblestone street. Andromeda had pulled Sirius behind her, standing in front of him like a mother protecting her child. Four dark eyes, one pair softer than the others, were set on the puzzled muggle born boy. "No mudblood is going to associate with my sister, Tonks. Andromeda and Sirius, go see Cissa and Reg. We're finished with this filth!"
As Tonks jumped to his feet and turned to Andromeda (while she examined his appearance, fearful of him being hurt), his eyes looked both terrified and angry. "Andromeda, don't worry. I—I'm fine. But I thought your sister knew about us!"
Before he could say more, Bellatrix had taken Andromeda's wrist and pushed her in the direction of Narcissa as Sirius was already making his way over, for he didn't need to be told anything twice by Bellatrix. Once her sister was out of earshot, Bella turned once more to Tonks. "Listen to me, Tonks. Andromeda is a Black—one of the oldest and noblest pureblood families in Britain. Her place is not with a mudblood and you know it. If you truly care about Andi, you'll let her go and never speak to her again. If she hangs around with you and ends up caring about you, she'll be disinherited or worse by our family. It isn't a fate that she deserves. She would have a better life marrying the pureblood our parents choose and forgetting all about you. Just let her go, or I'll deal with you myself, and that is a promise!" With her last threat, she turned on her heels and left Ted Tonks in the crowd of Diagon Alley. Narcissa, Sirius, Regulus and Andromeda were waiting on the other side of the street, Cissa squealing happily about how wonderful Bella was when she handled "that mudblood filth."
Andromeda, on the other hand, was not so pleased. "Bellatrix, you overstepped your boundaries. That was none of your business and you had no right to hurt Ted!" she hissed, her dark eyes sparkling with tears. "I don't want you interfering in my life!"
Bellatrix wheeled about, facing Andromeda, a furious expression on her face. "I overstepped my boundaries? You think I crossed the line to protect my family? Andromeda Black, I was protecting you from Father's wrath if he was to find out! I was protecting Mother from the heartbreak of producing a blood traitor! I was protecting Cissy from the ridicule of having a blood traitor sister when you two go back to school next year and everyone knows of your betrayal. And I am the heartless one who interferes in your life? Have you ever considered that I want to keep our family together? Andi, please listen to me." She grabbed Andromeda's wrist, aggressively pulling her close as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Soon, the world will not be safe for mudbloods and blood traitors. So I suggest you forget Ted Tonks and move on with your life. Come on, Reg! Sirius! Cissy, let's go. I want to get something for Rodolphus and get out of here." They ducked in the little shop to their right, Regulus and Sirius rushing over to observe the new racing brooms that had just been introduced for the Christmas season. In the back, rows of Quidditch jerseys were available, each bearing different colors for the team one wished to support. Andromeda followed Sirius and Regulus to keep an eye on them and move away from her sisters, her eyes still shining with tears. Narcissa followed Bellatrix as usual, and they made their way to the back to pick through jerseys.
"So, what team does 'Dolphus like?" Narcissa asked, picking up a red and black Bulgarian National Quidditch team jersey. "Lucius likes the German team."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, picking up a light blue and tan French jersey. "No, Rodolphus likes the French, and with good reason. They easily kick the Germans' ass every year." She smiled at her sister, who knew nothing about Quidditch. Bella was actually a Bulgarian fan, mainly because she had grown up going to Quidditch matches with her father and found herself rooting for the same team as Cygnus. Andromeda and Narcissa really didn't care that much about the sport, and Bella had always made her father proud in that aspect of her life. Her parents had never had the son they so desired, but Bellatrix did her best to fill that place and had quickly become her father's pet. She ignored Narcissa's glare and, draping the French jersey over her arm, moved over to another shelf where one could buy an assortment of different Quidditch accessories, such as jewelry or trinkets. Narcissa immediately started to handle every necklace, each one (to her great disappointment) decorated with charms that resembled brooms, quaffles and snitches. There were a few trinkets that portrayed the four houses of Hogwarts, and a beautifully crafted pocket watch bearing the silver Slytherin house serpent on a background of emerald caught Bella's eye.
"That there is perfect for Quidditch players, miss," began a middle-aged witch working at the shop. "It's been charmed so that it will never break, even if it is hit by a bludger. It holds up in all kinds of weather as well."
Bellatrix turned to look at the witch once more before glancing back at the beautiful watch. "Thank you. I'll take both of these. I'd like them gift wrapped." Bellatrix handed the jersey and the watch to the little witch, who immediately summoned Bella to follow her to the front counter where she started wrapping the gifts.
"Slytherin colors okay, miss? I'm out of French." The witch asked, receiving a nod from Bella. "Oh, and that will be forty-three galleons. The jersey is eleven and the watch is thirty-two. Oh, thank you, dear." With a flick of her wand, the gifts were wrapped and the witch was tucking the money into the safe under the counter. "Have a Merry Christmas!"
Bellatrix didn't reply, only grabbed Narcissa and the others and ushered them from the shop. Andromeda and Sirius remained slightly behind the others as they pushed through the crowds in Diagon Alley, finally retreating back down Knockturn, where the general ambience was much more mellow. Witches and wizards nodded in respect to the Black family as the children passed, most of them making polite comments about how handsome Sirius and Regulus were becoming. Eventually, Bellatrix caught sight of her mother's robes several yards up the street, and the group nearly sprinted forward to catch up with Walburga and Druella.
"Bella, darling! Oh, there you kids are," began Druella as she embraced her daughters. "I see Bella and Cissa have had a good day shopping. Andi, didn't you buy anything?"
"I did buy a present for someone, Mother," Andromeda said, her voice taking on a tone too cheerful to match her true feelings. The last thing Andromeda wanted her mother and aunt to know was how upset Bella had made her—and especially not why Bella had made her cry. "I bought that thing Aunt Walburga spoke to me about this morning. I asked for a delivery later." Druella and Walburga appeared to be the only ones to grasp what Andromeda meant among the group, and nodded their heads in understanding
Walburga eyed her two young sons, her body seeming to swell with pride before she shoved packages into Bellatrix and Andromeda's arms. "You girls can help me with these," she said, handing the last one to Narcissa. "We need to get back to Grimmauld Place before Alphard and Lucretia arrive."
Sirius' eyes lit up at the sound of his uncle's name. "Uncle Alphard is coming today, Mum? What time, Mum? Will he be there when we get home? Mum?" Andromeda and Druella cast the boy warm smiles while Bellatrix quickly turned her gaze to Walburga, anxious to see her aunt yell at someone other than her. Narcissa was doing her best to stifle a laugh, and Walburga looked purely irritated.
"Sirius Orion Black! Hold your tongue, you naughty child! If you ask me another question, you'll go to your room and not see your uncle until tomorrow. As the eldest Black heir, you must learn to have pride in your heritage and family. A Black must carry himself with dignity and maturity. A Black never asks so many questions at once or shows such excitement over so trivial an occasion." She turned, her nose lifted toward the sky in her arrogance as she started to make her way at the head of the pack to the outdoor fireplace where they had Flooed in.
Sirius looked hurt, but immediately rushed to tug at Druella's robes. "But Auntie Druella, will Uncle Alphard be there when we get home?" he whispered.
Druella smiled, bending down to whisper in her nephew's ear. "He is supposed to arrive about an hour after we get home. Patience, Sirius. You don't want to anger your mother any further this afternoon."
Regulus also appeared vexed, but on an entirely different matter than what Sirius had worried about. "But Mother said that Sirius was the eldest heir to the Blacks! Bella is older than Sirius! Isn't she the eldest Black heir?" Bella, who was not about to explain the stupidity of her situation, dropped her gaze.
"Regulus, an heir to the Blacks can only be a male. Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa will marry into other pureblood families and take their names. Sirius and yourself are the remaining Black heirs, and you will have the duties of continuing the line. Druella and Cygnus did not bear any true Black heirs."
Druella dropped her gaze and looked to her precious daughters. The three girls meant everything to her, yet Walburga could never cease to belittle their existence. They were not males, but they were Blacks nonetheless.
Regulus' eyes shot to Bella and the others, seeming to understand but still feeling that it was a great injustice. "So, will Bella be Bellatrix Lestrange one day, and Cissy be Narcissa Malfoy?" Bella immediately burst into laughter, ruffling Regulus' tidy black hair in her amusement. "Who will Andi become? Andromeda Tonks?"
The blood drained from Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda's faces at his last inquiry as Walburga and Druella turned. Regulus was standing there with an innocent expression, completely unaware of the seriousness of the issue he had just awakened. Walburga appeared furious, and Druella looked as if she could faint. Bella stepped forward, clasping her hand over Regulus' mouth as she covered his mistake. "Of course not, Reg. I don't know where you get that idea. Tonks is that mudblood in Hufflepuff we talk about. Andromeda wouldn't associate with him. Andi's always had such an attraction to Mulciber's little brother. I think he likes her back, too!" She winked at Andromeda and let Regulus go, trusting that the little boy would not speak again.
Walburga and Druella sighed in relief as they stepped up to the outdoor fireplace, Cygnus and Orion already waiting there for them. Bella's lie had fooled them all, allowing the Black family to peacefully Floo back to Grimmauld Place. Once safely back in the living room, the children retreated to the girls' room upstairs, angrily slamming the door behind the last to walk in the room.
Bellatrix and Regulus took a seat on her bed as Sirius sat beside Narcissa on the other. Andromeda, however, paced over to the corner, her back turned to her family. Once they all seemed settled, Bellatrix turned to grab Regulus by the shoulders, keeping his gaze fixed on hers. "Regulus, listen to me. You must never, ever speak of Ted Tonks and Andromeda again. That's all just a matter of the past. You'll understand when you're older. Promise me you won't ever speak of him again!"
Regulus offered a terrified nod before tears started to stream down his face. "I promise, Bella! I'm so sorry!" He buried his head in Bellatrix' cloak, accepting the comfort of her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Andromeda finally turned to face her older sister, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Bella, you didn't have to do that. Thank you. You saved me back there. Why didn't you just let Aunt Walburga and Mother know the truth?"
"Believe it or not, I'm not as cruel as you seem to think, Andromeda. I don't want to see you make a stupid choice while you're young that you will regret. Besides, it's Christmas, and I don't want to cause trouble and tension around here when Father and Aunt Walburga use the Cruciatus Curse on you before you get kicked out into the cold. You know Mother hasn't been well lately. She doesn't need the stress, Andi. I'm worried that she's much worse off than she tells us, and bloody Walburga only makes everything worse."
"I don't always think you are cruel, Bella. I just didn't want to see you hurt Ted. You're my big sister and I'll always love you, no matter who you marry or what you do after Hogwarts. I can only hope you'll feel the same way about me." Andromeda moved over to Bella, who had just released a sniffling Regulus and pulled her into a tight embrace, obviously startling Bellatrix.
Irritated, Bellatrix pushed Andromeda away. "Oh, get a grip on yourself, Andi! Honestly, must you get this touchy all the time over miniscule matters?"
Narcissa still seemed to be pondering on some earlier words of Bellatrix's, for her expression was blank as she stared into the carpet. "Bella? Do you really think Mum is that sick? What's wrong with her?" Tears ached to form in her blue eyes, but they didn't fall. Her older sisters didn't need to see her cry like a baby.
"I don't know, Cissa. I hope it's just my imagination," Bella told her, her eyes cast down. For several months, Druella had been getting weaker and more tired easily, and her complexion was losing color. She had been to St. Mungo's a few times, but hadn't been lately, telling her daughters that it was just a cold.
While the rest of his family seemed at a loss for words and all fell silent, Sirius started making his way toward the window beside Bellatrix's bed. His eyes remained fixed on her for a moment, as if assuring himself she wasn't going to do anything to him, but when he reached the window his eyes squinted at the blinding snow covered street. Three figures were walking up the quiet street, both wearing dark cloaks as they moved up the stairs of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. "Uncle Alphard's here!" he shouted, starting to move toward the door.
Bellatrix glanced out the window nonchalantly. "Yeah, Aunt Lucretia and Uncle Ignatius are here, too. I'll bet you a galleon they're arguing about something again." Lucretia Black Prewett was Orion's sister, and she and her husband Ignatius Prewett seemed to never be able to get along with Alphard, who was Walburga and Cgynus' brother. If there ever was an older version of Sirius, it was Alphard. It seemed that the man, though forty-one years old, had never matured intellectually past the age of sixteen, and he always enjoyed spending time with his nephews and nieces. Lucretia, on the other hand, was much like her sister-in-law—proud, stern, and to the young Blacks, unfortunately lacking a sense of humor. She was, however, kinder than Walburga, and Bellatrix had to admit that she enjoyed her company.
Sirius had started to sprint down the stairs, and by the time Bellatrix and her sisters were at the door to their room, Walburga's shrieks rang through Grimmauld Place. "Sirius Orion Black! I've told you a thousand times! No running in the house! Sirius! Are you listening to me?!" Bellatrix giggled, watching Regulus suddenly stop his running down the stairs, although Sirius was apparently not listening to his mother.
By the time the rest of the young Blacks made their way to the foyer, Lucretia, Ignatius and Alphard were handing their coats to Kreacher. Just as Bellatrix remembered, Lucretia was a tall, thin woman who appeared as if her skin was spread tightly over her body, and her coal black hair was often tied in a bun just as tight. Her overall physical appearance and demeanor gave the woman an appearance of one who was wound too tightly, her corset and dress keeping her from any activities that involved breathing too much. Ignatius was similar in appearance, his dark hair and goatee showing streaks of silver and a slightly receding hairline. He was a tall man that might have been handsome in his younger years, but the years had not been kind to him. His gray eyes usually showed little to no emotion, and from as far back as Bellatrix could remember, Ignatius usually seemed quite aloof from the others with few opinions or inputs shared with the family. In the newly arrived group, Alphard was the only one that really had the personality to brighten the holidays, though his childlike happiness was overshadowed by that of the other Blacks. His russet hair (quite like Andromeda's) was starting to lose its tint from the silver starting to appear and his slightly rounded middle made him appear as any other gentleman of his age, but his sparkling eyes and wide grin made him more approachable than the others to the children. Alphard always seemed cheery, excepting the occasions when Lucretia or Walburga were harping on him about minor matters. As Sirius quickly moved forward to embrace his favorite uncle, Alphard handed him a package that he had been carrying. "Sirius! Would you help out your uncle?" He waited for Sirius' enthusiastic nod before continuing. "Here, would you please help me take these packages and put them under the tree?" Sirius took half the packages as Lucretia scoffed.
"Alphard! What do you think you're doing to the boy? They have a house elf to do that!" She looked from Walburga to Orion, as if questioning whether or not her brother would allow that treatment toward his son. Her stern gaze fell on each of the Blacks, each of whom were looking anxiously toward Alphard for his reply.
"Why, I am aware of that, Lucretia! Sirius wants to do it, though, and I don't see why it should matter. He's just putting some—" Alphard began, but he was soon stopped by an irritable Lucretia, who seemed to have lost control of her anger at this poor excuse.
"That's always been you're problem, Alphard Black! You never knew your place or recognized how important it is to be a Black!" She nearly dropped the bag she was carrying in her frustration, and didn't notice Narcissa, Andromeda and Bellatrix cringe as she raised her voice to Alphard. By this time, Alphard was starting to lose his cool demeanor as well.
"You're a fool, Lucretia—"
"Lucretia, dear, should Walburga and I show you your room?" started Druella kindly, her soft dark eyes falling to her relative. "We'll get Kreacher to take your things. You must be tired after your trip. Ignatius, why don't you follow as well?" As her voice carried throughout the room, it had the immediate intended effect. Everyone calmed themselves down, and as Kreacher took Lucretia and Ignatius' bags in his arms and began to slowly make his way up the stairs to their guest room, Druella and Walburga accompanied their newly arrived family members out of the room. Orion and Cygnus eyes one another before turning back to see Sirius and Alphard disappear into the parlor. Once they returned to the hall with the Black sisters and the two Black patriarchs, the group was generally silent until Alphard spoke.
"Well, it's certainly been a day. Oh, Bellatrix! How you've grown. You'll be graduating Hogwarts this year, no? You've become such a beautiful young woman since I last saw you." As he offered a kind smile and Bellatrix nodded her gratitude, Cygnus watched his daughters proudly. They might have not been the sons he desired, but each girl was undeniably beautiful and would make fine wives for some lucky pureblood wizards. Suddenly, Alphard turned to the other two sisters, giving them similar compliments. "Ah, and Andromeda has grown up quite a bit, as well! She's the fiery one, isn't she, Cygnus? You'll have to keep an eye on her. She's got a mind of her own, she has. You can see it in her demeanor."
Cygnus shrugged, looking from Andromeda to Bellatrix. "Well, Dromeda does have the brains, but it's Bella that's the fiery one. You don't want to anger her, do you my dear?"
Bellatrix shook her head "no" with a smirk as Alphard continued once more. "Whatever you say, Cygnus. It seems little Narcissa isn't so little anymore, either. The jewel of the Blacks, this one is. No matter what Druella says about her family tree, I'll never understand how she got that pretty complexion and that blonde hair. But I'm most surprised at my favorite little nephews. I knew the girls were beautiful—they inherited that from their mother, of course. It's Sirius and Regulus that have my sister's genes," he joked, receiving a cold glare from Orion. "They've grown much more than I had expected, and so handsome! It's hard to imagine them starting Hogwarts in a few years."
Orion, who seemed to have been having a severely delayed reaction, took the opportunity of Alphard's silence to address his earlier comment. "Listen, Alphard. I don't know what you were meaning with that comment about—"
"Everyone ready for dinner? Girls, go upstairs and wash up." Druella had once again saved the day as she, Walburga, Lucretia and Ignatius descended the stairs.
"Boys, you too. You've got ten minutes," stated Walburga simply as she motioned toward her sons. None argued with their mothers, and all obeyed as they quickly made their way upstairs, hoping that Orion would not feel the need to hear his thoughts verbalized. It was the same every year and at every family gathering with the Blacks. All stood on pins and needles with one another's trust, and a slight slip could start a hateful feud, usually resulting in most of the family ganging up on a few. They certainly were not a "functional" family, and Bellatrix often wondered why they bothered to pretend to be. It was rarely an enjoyable time for them to be with the other Blacks, and mostly resulted in added stress for everyone involved.
As everyone piled into the girls' room (the boys were simply pretending to get ready for dinner), each of the young Blacks cast the others an odd look, as if waiting for someone to speak. Bellatrix occupied herself fixing her wild black locks and Narcissa began obsessively brushing her blonde hair and fixing her clothes while she observed herself in the mirror as if her reflection was mocking her. In this case, Andromeda was the first to break the silence. "It sure is nice to have the family together, isn't it?"
Bellatrix snorted, turning to glare at her younger sister as she took a seat on her bed beside Regulus, pushing Sirius aside apathetically. "Nice? Andi, you're joking. They can't even get in the door without Alphard starting some huge argument."
Sirius piped up, anger in his voice as his eldest cousin disrespected his favorite uncle. "Bella, shut up! Uncle Alphard didn't start it! Aunt Lucretia did! You guys are always blaming Uncle Alphard for stuff he didn't do. Didn't you hear him when he complimented all of you? How he could stand to say 'Bellatrix' and 'beautiful' in the same sentence without puking I'll never know—"
Before he could continue, Bellatrix had turned to pin him against the wall with a thud. Anger flashed in her dark eyes as she simply stared into her younger cousin's for a few moments without speaking. When she finally did speak, her voice was dangerously low, as if it were building energy to be released if Sirius angered her further. "Don't you ever tell me to shut up again, Sirius Orion Black. I'll curse you so bad that Walburga won't even be able to tell who you are. You're certainly not a Black, anyway, you little whiner." With her thoughts finished and Andromeda angrily approaching to pull Bella off of Sirius, Bellatrix let go and crossed to the other side of the room.
Not about to let his older cousin have the last laugh, Sirius took advantage of Andromeda's moving in front of him as protection before raising his voice in an angry reply. "That's fine if you don't think I'm a Black! I don't want to be a Black, anyway, if I'm supposed to act like the rest of you. Everyone is always making jokes about Uncle Alphard being switched with the real Black when he was born! No one ever thinks he's a Black, either, and I'm proud to be like him! One of these days, Bella, I'm going to get out of this place and make something of myself—something you'll never do!" Before he could go on, Andromeda had taken him from the room and across the hall to calm him down. This was fortunate, as Narcissa and Regulus were left trying to calm Bellatrix (who at this point had drawn her wand and was ready to hex Sirius).
"Come on, Bella! Don't let that little prat get you riled up. He likes it when you're mad," stated Narcissa plainly as she cast a glare at Andromeda in the room across the hall. "Besides, I don't see how it would be so bad to let him just run away. You've said plenty of times that he wasn't a Black—why let him soil the family name?"
Bellatrix pushed Narcissa away as she took a seat on the bed. "Because Sirius needs to grow up and accept that his name is Black and start acting like one!" Noting that Regulus moved away in a frightened manner as she spoke, Bellatrix calmed her nerves and took a deep breath.
"Sirius! Reg! Girls! Hurry up! Dinner is ready!" rang Druella's voice from the bottom of the stairs, and all filed out to make their way downstairs into the dining room. The big table was set for each family member and full with what was obviously too much food. But that was how the Blacks liked it—they were used to living by what they could have instead of what they needed simply because they were "practically royalty" in the wizarding world. As the Blacks took their seats, each took a moment to look around before Orion bid them to begin. As food was placed on plates, not a word was spoken, but there were a number of cold glances exchanged. Lucretia, Ignatius, Orion and Cygnus glared at Alphard, who seemed pleasantly unaware of their malice toward him (this of course irritated the others even more). Bellatrix and Narcissa exchanged sneers with Sirius while Andromeda, Regulus and Druella seemed to ignore the tension.
Finally, it was Sirius who broke the silence, much to Walburga's irritation. "Bellatrix, pass me the rolls."
Bellatrix, despite being in front of the entire family, simply stared at him for a moment as if waiting for him to speak again. "No I don't believe I will, thank you," she replied politely as she dropped her gaze nonchalantly from her cousin to her plate. Druella looked upset, and even went so far as to whisper Bellatrix' name, as if it were reprimanding enough. Everyone could feel the tension growing between the two, until Walburga spoke again.
"Sirius Orion Black!" she hissed, her expression one of fury. "Have you no more manners than a Mudblood? Act like the young man we raised!" Clearly embarrassed, she turned to Orion, who merely nodded at his son.
"Yes, Mother," Sirius replied in a monotone voice. "Bellatrix, please pass the rolls." He held out his hand and waited for Bella to respond.
She cast him another cold glare before taking the basket before her and passing the rolls to Narcissa. "Cissy, be a dear and pass these to your cousin."
Narcissa sneered, taking them and passing them to Regulus. "Would you be so kind as to pass these to your brother?"
Regulus simply looked up like a deer in headlights as he took the basket of rolls, clearly not knowing what to do with them. His cousins had not wanted to pass them to his older brother, so should he? Often he knew that what Bella and Cissa said and what they actually meant were two completely different things, and he feared doing the wrong thing and angering them.
Andromeda looked to Alphard, both of whom seemed fed up with the nonsense, then scoffed. "Give them here, Regulus," she said, taking the basket with an exasperated sigh and passing them to Sirius. "Honestly, Bella, you and Cissa can be so ridiculous sometimes," she added for her sisters to hear.
As if making an effort to cause the tensions to cease, Orion started to talk to Ignatius and Cygnus about the day's headlines in the Daily Prophet. After that, the rest of dinner was boring as usual for the young Blacks, and each were thankful when it was time to be ushered off to their rooms to put Sirius and Regulus to bed.
As Sirius was about to crawl into bed, his pajamas already on and his covers pulled down, he finally decided to speak to Bellatrix. Half shouting across the hall, the hatred in his voice was no less subtle than if he had screamed it at the top of his lungs. "Bella, you're a bloody prat. Why did you have to be so rude at dinner?"
She abruptly entered the room, Narcissa and Andromeda following. "Because I don't have to have manners around someone who isn't a Black or of noble blood. You said earlier that you weren't. Besides, you started it."
Sirius was about to respond, but Andromeda had had enough. "Look! I've had it with the two of you fighting! I can understand it better from Sirius, since he's just a kid. Now from Bella, who is of age, I can't. Both of you need to grow up, though." Her voice was stern enough to grab both Bella and Sirius' attention, though it merely angered Bella.
Her dark eyes flashed with detestation as she left the room, Cissy following behind. The two shut the door, locking Andromeda out and leaving her to share a room with her cousins. Andromeda, of course, didn't mind. She loved her sisters, but was fed up with their actions. As those in both rooms drifted off to sleep, the tensions of the day were put aside… For the moment.