Chapter Six

Something was alive in the air as the white smoke clouded Platform 9 3/4, blocking the parents of the Hogwarts students from view.

Now Narcissa truly was alone. She walked through the Slytherin carriages alone, with her snowy owl, Athena, chirruping in her cage, until the reached the door of a near empty compartment, slipped inside and shut the door behind her.

The compartment was empty save for a tall, hook-nosed boy with greasy black hair. He was completely absorbed in a book, though he looked up briefly every few moments to check on his rather large barn owl. When he finally noticed her, he looked a little suspicious, but soon returned her beaming smile.

"Hey. My name's Narcissa, what's yours?"

"Hi, I'm Severus, Severus Snape. Nice to meet you."

"That book looks interesting. 'Advanced Potion Making : Grade Two'."

"I'm a seventh year, I have to take my NEWTs."

"Wow. I haven't even done my OWLs yet. I'm a third year."

"What's your surname?"

"Black."

"Any relation to Bellatrix Black. Left a year ago. Bit of a bitch."

"Yes, she's my eldest sister. My other sister, Andromeda, is in the Silver Serpents now and my cousin Regulus left last year. So it's just me really."

"Are you related to Sirius, that bully in my year?"

An awkward silence filled the room. Severus made to apologise, but Narcissa stopped him before he could.

"Sev, don't worry, it's fine. Sirius Black was disowned by his own mother last year, so in my family's eyes, I'm not. But by blood, I am, I suppose. He's my cousin."

"We don't have to talk about this. How do you like Hogwarts?"

"It's brilliant, although it can get rather lonely."

"What about your friends?"

"I don't really have any friends. I have my sisters and my cousin, so I didn't really figure I needed any."

"D'you want to be my friend?" asked a nervous Severus.

"Alright, that'd be brilliant, Sev."

"Okay, Cissy."

Another half year passed happily. Narcissa hung around with Severus a lot, learning about different spells and potions, learning how to complete them so perfectly that she wouldn't even need to try to achieve an 'O' grade. Regulus and Andromeda had been going out a lot, each making the excuse that they needed to visit Bellatrix, which to Narcissa was an obvious lie. Neither had shown that much affection to the woman before she was married, so there was no reason that they should after she was. Little did she realise that their deeds would bring about their fate.

The first to meet their fate was Regulus. Narcissa knocked before entering the Headmaster's study, to find her sisters, brother-in-law, aunt, uncle and parents gathered in the room, along with Professor Slughorn. All looked rather teary-eyed and Narcissa did not waste any time in divulging the truth.

"Narcissa. Darling, sit down." said Druella, beckoning for her daughter to sit next to her, to which Narcissa obliged, her family's tear-stained faces troubling her deeply.

"Mother, what's wrong? What's happened?" Normally, Narcissa would be reprimanded for contracting her words, but her mother let it go, considering the circumstances.

"Mother?" she asked again, this time more urgently.

"Narcissa, your cousin, Regulus, was fighting in a battle for a man named the Dark Lord, did you know that?" asked Cygnus.

"No, Father, I did not." replied Narcissa, trying to regain her composure.

"Well...Narcissa, there is no easy way to tell you this, but..." the man stopped in his tracks, looking to his wife for support.

"Narcissa...Regulus did not return from the battle. I am sorry, Narcissa...but he died."

"NO!" screamed the teenager, the hands at her mouth being soaked by the salty water from her eyes. Her choking sobs were muffled as she was pulled into her mother's arms, grasping at the silky fabric as her mother stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head, soothing the girl in her arms. Cygnus lightly patted Andromeda's shoulder as a few tears escaped her chestnut eyes, while Rodolphus did the same for Bellatrix, kissing her cheek gently.

On the return journey to the common room, Narcissa lost Andromeda. She had somehow taken a turning towards the kitchens as opposed to the dungeons, and Narcissa was soon to find out why.

It had taken Narcissa two months to finally get over her young cousin's death, which had brought her up to the end of year exam preparations. She was sat at the far end of the Slytherin table at breakfast on the morning before her final Potions prep lesson, daintily picking at her fruit salad, when a large white owl swooped into the hall, dropped a green-sealed letter in front of her and swooped back off to it's master's home, not even staying for a bite to eat. Recognising the seal as her family's, Narcissa made to open the envelope, but was interupted when her best friend of her own age, Viola Parkinson, forcefully dragged her from the room, making the hollered excuse that Slughorn would disembowel her if she was late again and he would probably give Narcissa a detention too.

They arrived just as Slughorn called out the name of Narcissa's other best friend, Carolyna Nott, meaning Viola was in time to answer her name. However, Narcissa wasn't.

"Miss Black, if you are late to my class again, I will be forced to give you a detention, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

After they had completed their potion for the day, a simple Sleeping Draught, which had been left to brew for ten minutes, Narcissa decided that, as Carolyna was watching the potion and it had to be left alone for the rest of the lesson, she could stand the suspense no longer. She slipped her hand under the table, reaching into her black leather satchel and pulling out the envelope, breaking the seal and quietly slipping out the parchment. She took a deep breath, unfolded the crease and began to read.

My darling flower Narcissa,

I am afraid that what I am writing to inform you of is in no way good news. I am sorry to have to tell you, darling, that your sister, Andromeda, has eloped with a Hufflepuff Mudblood named Theodore Tonks. Due to the serious nature of the situation and her refusal to return home with a pardon, she has been disowned by your Aunt Walburga. Hereon in, Andromeda Tonks shall not be recognised as a member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Your father has written her out of the succession and your Aunt Walburga has removed her from the family tapestries, both at Grimmauld Place and at Black Manor. Due to this, my darling, she can no longer be referred to as your sister.

Stay strong for me, ma petite fleur,

All my love,

Mama.

Time stopped. True, Narcissa had lost her sister to Rodolphus Lestrange and her younger cousin to the clutches of Death, but it wasn't the same. Even though her elder cousin had been in exactly the same position the previous year, it couldn't be more different. Andromeda had been her protector when Sirius was serving detention, her comforter when Bellatrix was on a mission for her Dark Lord, her voice of reason when Regulus was blinded by rage. And now she was gone. The only consistent person in her life, vanished as soon as her parents turned their backs.

Narcissa had been oblivious to her surroundings as her world was torn apart, her hearing blurring and sounds merging together. She was only just aware of Carolyna, Viola and Professor Slughorn bolting for her before blackness claimed her.

When Narcissa opened her eyes again, she was bolting up from a nightmare, screaming for her sister. The cluster of people in the corner of her bedroom at Black Manor all turned towards her, a dark haired figure running towards her and catching her in an embrace.

"Oh, Cissy, you scared me so much!" screamed Bellatrix, tears flowing onto her sister's shoulder. She pulled away to allow her parents to embrace their youngest daughter.

"Oh, ma petite fleur, you terrified me, I'm so sorry, darling. This was my stupid fault, darling, I feel so guilty."

"Mother, it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have been reading it in class."

"No, but I should have known that you wouldn't be able to cope with it. I am so sorry, my darling."

"I am alright, Mother. Father, are you?"

"Yes, my angel, I am. Are you?" asked her father, pulling her close to him.

"I'm fine now, Father. I have you, Mother and Bella, and Rodolphus, of course. I don't need anyone else. I know that now."

"Alright, well, Rodolphus and I…have to go and see…someone. It's merely work, it's alright. I'll see you this evening." explained Bellatrix, pulling her sister in for one more cuddle, before making her way to the door.

"Goodbye, Bella."

"Goodbye, Cissy, darling." Bellatrix and Rodolphus left the room, only to see the former pop her head back around the door again.

"Hey, Cissy? The boy that helped you up to the hospital wing when you fainted, wasn't it Rodent Boy?"

"I think so. Malfoy."

"Right. He looked really worried about you."

"Don't be stupid, Bella. Why would the great Lucius Malfoy…even care…about me?"

A/N: Massive writer's block + holidays + birthdays = no updates. Sorry! I'm trying to make them good and take longer, but I've got 13 ongoing stories and sometimes I can forget about the others. Please review and I'll concentrate on this one. Also, this story was originally going to be about Narcissa's relationship with Hogwarts, but it's now just about the most important parts of her life, so I'm changing the name.