Cygnus, Druella and Narcissa were already seated at the table. Druella was a portrait of faux happiness, Cygnus was frowning, and Narcissa merely looked confused.
"Sit," Cygnus ordered, and Bellatrix and Andromeda complied.
He considered his daughters, appraised each of them.
"I prayed for sons," he said, at last. "And thrice, God defied me and sent me daughters. I have done my best to bring the three of you up as proper ladies, as examples of what the Black family can be, in hopes that, when the time came, good Pureblood men would request your hands in marriage. And at last, at last, that wish has been granted, at least in part."
"Father," Bellatrix said, leaning towards him, over the table, "I don't want to–"
"Silence, Bellatrix." Cygnus cast his eldest daughter a disapproving glare. "Master Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, has asked for the hand of one of my three daughters. Prices have been negotiated, your dowries decided, and the decision has been made–"
"Rodolphus Lestrange–" Bellatrix began, but again she was cut off.
"The matter is settled. There will be no argument –"
'But–"
"What is it you are so eager to say, Bellatrix?" Cygnus asked, tipping his head back as though praying for patience.
"Rodolphus Lestrange is a pig," Bellatrix proclaimed. "I don't want to marry him."
"Then, Bellatrix," said Cygnus, an ugly smile forming on his face, "I would say that it is a very good thing he did not request you."
There was a pause, in which Bellatrix's face went from defiant to confused to outraged, then she burst out "Why not?"
"Apparently," Cygnus said, his face now the picture of superior revulsion, "it was a matter of your virtue being called into question."
"What?"
"Master Lestrange seems to believe you are not, shall we say, as pure a wife as he would like."
Bellatrix flushed, and she seemed at a complete loss for words. Anger was quickly gathering in her face, and she seemed about ready to murder.
"But I'm the eldest!" she protested. "If I don't get married first, people will think there's something wrong with me, and I'll never get married!"
"Perhaps you should have considered that before now," Cygnus said.
"But–"
"Not another word on the subject, Bellatrix. The point is that Rodolphus wishes to marry Andromeda."
Andromeda's jaw dropped.
"But I hardly know him!" she protested. "I don't want to get married, especially if it ruins Bellatrix's chances–"
"This is not a request!" Cygnus's face was slowly going red. "You are not being give the option to marry Rodolphus Lestrange, you are being ordered!"
"This isn't fair!" said Bellatrix, standing up and stamping her foot. "Rodolphus doesn't know anything! I'm perfectly pure!"
"This is a done deal!" Cygnus shouted, standing up to face his eldest daughter eye-to-eye. "You act the whore, and you will be treated as such!"
"I never act like a whore! Talk to him, make him take me!"
"But you said he was a pig," Narcissa pointed out.
"Shut up!"
"There will be no negotiations! If you cannot accept this, you will be locked in your bedroom until such time as you realize that you are not as desired as you believe you are!"
"Fine!" Bellatrix screamed, and fled the room, slamming the door behind her with such force that a painting fell off the wall.
"Father," Andromeda appealed, "Why would Rodolphus Lestrange want to marry me? I don't even know him very well. The last time I saw him was at the dance at the Malfoy's."
"I don't pretend to understand it," Cygnus said bitterly. "I would have been far happier not to see you married – do you realize what this will look like? Do you realize how this will scar her chances of marriage? Do you realize what people will think, that the eldest daughter of the Black family is unmarriageable? Do not complain of your own lot, Andromeda, when the rest of us have it so much worse!"
"But–"
"If you cannot stop complaining, Andromeda Black, then you may follow your sister!" Cygnus jabbed a finger in the direction of the door.
Andromeda's lip trembled. She stood up slowly, and turned for the door, walked towards it with as much dignity as she could muster, stepped outside, shut the door behind her, and crumpled.
She sank to the floor, burying her face in her hands. I can't marry Rodolphus Lestrange, I just can't!
One brief fit of tears later, Andromeda stood up, wiped her face, and made for the bedroom.
Bellatrix was waiting for her.
Barely had Andromeda stepped inside, when she was met with a blow across the face that was enough to send her sprawling on the floor.
"You little bitch!" Bellatrix shrieked, glaring at her sister with utter hatred in her eyes. "You've ruined everything!"
Even though she had cried herself all but dry just minutes before, tears prickled at Andromeda's eyes at the pain and Bellatrix's anger. "Bella, I'm sorry, I don't want to–"
"Like Hell you don't! I saw the way you looked at him at the Malfoy's party, I saw the way you danced with him! What else did you do for him to convince him to take you instead of me?"
"Nothing! I don't want to marry him, Bella,, I'd far rather you–"
"Don't lie!" Bellatrix grabbed her wand and aimed it between Andromeda's eyes. "I'll never get married if you get married first, people will think there's something wrong with me!"
"It's not my fault, Bella!"
"Maybe if you hadn't acted such a little flirt around him–"
"I never!"
"I told you not to lie!" Bellatrix's eyes had gone from displaying hatred to outright madness. "You go downstairs and tell Father that you won't marry him!"
"I tried!" Andromeda protested. "He won't listen to me!"
"Then get out!" screamed Bellatrix. "Get out of my sight, you traitorous little bitch! I never want to see you again!"
Andromeda scampered across the floor and out the door, dragging herself to her feet, and ran down the stairs, fleeing her sister's wrath. She flung herself out the doors, and fairly flew across the gardens, clambered over the wall, and dropped onto the ground on the other side. Then she was up and running flat out towards the heather, where – oh, thank you, God – Ted was sitting, reading a book.
"Teddy," she sobbed, grabbing his arm. "I'm sorry, I was wrong before, I need to go with you. I need to get out of here, and if I don't get out now, I never will! Please, let me come with you. I love you!"