CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Suck it in!"
"I can't… Cissy! You're going to break my sodding ribs if you don't—!" But Bellatrix's words were cut short as Narcissa gave one last hard pull to the corset strings, lacing her up as tight as she could. Bellatrix nearly choked on her own breath.
"Oh stop fussing, you're going to look absolutely breathtaking when I'm done," Narcissa told her with a sad smile as she tied up the laces. Yes, her sister would look gorgeous, but that wasn't what was making her heart sink. Today was the day: her wedding day, the day when Bellatrix would no longer be Ms. Black… but become Mrs. Lestrange.
For what was supposed to be a happy occasion, it was immensely heartbreaking for both of them.
"Yeah, if I'm able to stay conscious," Bellatrix muttered as she wiggled a little, trying to get comfortable. She put her hands on her stomach and made a face of disdain as she looked in the mirror. "Good god I look like a freak. No one's waist should ever be this bloody small."
Narcissa gave her a half smile, a look of understanding as she placed her hands on her sister's waist and her chin on her shoulder, looking at her reflection of the mirror. "But you look really beautiful," she told her softly. Bellatrix gave her a small smile in return, grasping her hands to put them around her waist, laying her own on top of them possessively.
"I wish this day would just get itself over with," Bellatrix told her, sighing. "I feel no need to be paraded around like some sort of prized poodle." She looked absolutely livid over her situation and Narcissa leaned up on her tip toes, kissing her on the cheek.
"Is it absolutely ridiculous to say I wish I was the one marrying you?" Narcissa whispered in her ear. Bellatrix chuckled.
"A little, yeah. You know I'm going to make a rubbish housewife. The whole house would be in shambles; you'd have a flippin' cow."
"Oh come off it, you know I'd be the housewife," Narcissa said with a giggle as she stepped back from her. She tried to smile as she started fixing the bobby pins in Bellatrix's hair, but her lips turned down into a frown almost automatically. Them together like that, forever; it was a beautiful wish that would never be.
Bellatrix caught her expression in the mirror and started sympathetically with, "Cissy…" but just then the door to Bellatrix's bedroom was opened with a bang, making Narcissa jump nearly a mile.
"Christ, what are you doing to her, you worthless girl?" Druella exclaimed, striding over to Bellatrix and pushing Narcissa out of the way roughly. The girl stumbled back, a glare on her face as her mother started fussing with Bellatrix's hair. "She's a Black, not a sodding prostitute. Why on earth would you do her hair this way?"
"Mother, the way Cissy did it is perfectly fi— OW!"
"Shut up and just do as you're told. And stand up straight! No bride in this family has ever gotten married looking like a hunchback and you won't be the first!" Druella exclaimed as she furiously started pinning Bellatrix's hair differently. The pins were jamming into her skull and Bellatrix looked like she was about to explode as she clenched her fists.
Narcissa worried that Bellatrix was going to let the anger take over so she quickly grabbed her hand, running her thumb over the back of it to try to calm her. She tugged on it a little to encourage Bellatrix to look at her, trying to convey love and support in her eyes. She feared what Bellatrix would do to their mother if she snapped. "Breathe," she mouthed to her silently, almost as an order. Bellatrix looked like she was fighting a battle inside of her but briskly nodded to her, trying to fight it for her sake.
Druella didn't notice the exchange, but she did notice their links hands. "Honestly girls, if you weren't sisters you'd look like a pair of dykes with the way you two touch each other." She looked at them disapprovingly and slapped their hands, making them untangle from each other. "We're not emotional, we're proud and strong. All this touchy-feely nonsense is beneath us and you both would do well to remember that. At least Andromeda understands that, I never see her attached to someone the way you two are. It's disgusting to look at; you are no longer children. Stop."
Bellatrix's eyes flashed and Narcissa wasn't sure what to do anymore. Touching Bellatrix had always worked as a way to ground her, at least for a little while. But they were saved by Druella finishing with her hair. "There," she said, stepping back from Bellatrix. "Now you no longer look like a cheap whore, thank heavens. It would have been terribly shameful to our family if anyone saw you like that. Narcissa, finish helping your sister get ready and I expect the pair of you downstairs as quickly as possible. Don't doddle."
Druella left the room as quickly as she came, the door closing with another slam that made Narcissa jump. But she hastily grabbed onto both of Bellatrix's hands then, standing in front of her. "Hey… are you alright?" she asked.
"One day I'm going to murder her, Cissy. Mark my words," Bellatrix said flatly, trying to breathe and calm herself. "I'll make it look like a horrible accident."
Narcissa gave her a half smile before leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips. When she pulled back she whispered, "If only." They were only words of course; Narcissa didn't really wish death upon her mother. She did hold some love for her, as minuscule as it was; she was her mother after all, and what daughter didn't hope that they would be closer with their mother? Narcissa wished more than anything that Druella would be kinder, love them all more, but she knew it was a feeble hope. They would never be close; that was a sad fact.
"Not 'if only', Cissy," Bellatrix told her seriously. "I will. One day."
Narcissa looked at her, disappointed that this was the person she was quickly becoming. "Murder isn't the answer to everything," she told her, a little angry as she stepped away from her. "It's not a joke; ending a life is…" but she trailed off, sure that Bellatrix already knew what it was like to end a life. It sickened her.
"No, Cissy, you don't understand," Bellatrix told her, grasping her hand to pull her back towards her. "With Mother and Father gone, I'd be your legal guardian. At least until you turned seventeen. Wouldn't you want that? For us to live together again, if only for a few more years?"
Narcissa looked at her like she was being ridiculous. "Aunt Walburga would be mine and Andromeda's legal guardian, not you. She's our Godmother."
"Then I'll kill her too." It was said so seriously that it shocked Narcissa.
"Bella!" she exclaimed, stepping away from her furiously. "The whole world can't revolve around you and I; you can't just kill people to have your way! And what of Sirius and Regulus? How do you think they would feel if their mother was killed? God, you don't think do you?!"
"They'd probably think I was doing them a favor," Bellatrix retorted with a smirk. But Narcissa didn't find it funny in the slightest and started to storm out of the room. She didn't get very far however, because Bellatrix grabbed her hand, once again pulling her back to her. "No, come on, Cissy. Don't leave like that."
"Death is not a joke, Bellatrix!" Narcissa shrieked. "What you're doing, what you want to do, what you've done, it's not something that can just be forgotten! Doing horrible acts like that shreds your soul apart and you wonder why you're going mental?!"
The grip on Narcissa's wrist tightened, making her wince. Bellatrix stared at her, anger in her eyes. "I was going mental long before I did anything, and you know it. Mum's the reason I'm like this, Mum is the reason we're all like this! She's only going to tear you down more; shred your soul, bit by bit, the longer you stay in this bloody house. I'd be doing it for you!"
"I never asked you to!" Narcissa screamed. "I never asked you for anything and yet you continue to parade around under a banner that says my name as you make excuses for yourself! I don't want you to kill her, Bellatrix; or anyone else! Do you hear me?! I said no!"
Bellatrix stared at her for a long time, jaw locked. Narcissa wondered if she was going to fight her on the matter, since she was usually the one in control out of the two of them. But surprisingly Bellatrix let her wrist go, shaking her head as she stepped back. "Just forget it," she mumbled as she sat down on her bed, grabbing her stockings.
Narcissa blinked. Did she really have some sort of control after all?
Maybe part of it made sense; Bellatrix was the one who said that everything she did, her whole life revolved around her. Logically, that would give Narcissa some kind of power. It was odd though, having Bellatrix not fight with her. It had become so routine in their relationship that it had become an odd comfort of sorts.
She walked over to Bellatrix, sitting down next to her as she watched her sister pull up her stockings. "I'm sorry I yelled," she said softly. "But you just… you scare me sometimes. You know that, don't you?"
"It's a kill or be killed world, Narcissa," Bellatrix told her as she fixed the bunches in her stockings. "You'll learn that when you get older."
"I'm nearly fourteen!" Narcissa protested, hating when Bellatrix made her seem unintelligent due to her age.
"Speaking of," Bellatrix said, switching the conversation as she turned to look at her. "How's Paris for you?"
"What?" Narcissa asked, suddenly confused.
"Paris," Bellatrix reiterated, a small smirk on her face as she grabbed her heels, slipping them on, "for your birthday."
Narcissa still didn't understand. "I'm not following. You know Mum would never pay for that."
"Cissy," Bellatrix said flatly, but amused. "I'm getting married." She said it like that was supposed to mean something, but Narcissa still didn't understand.
Then it hit her.
"No… no! You couldn't, you wouldn't… would you?!"
"I'm going to have more money than I'll know what to do with," Bellatrix told her with a smile, glad for the excited look on her sister's face. "What else would I want to do with it than spend it on you?"
Narcissa squealed excitedly, jumping into her sister's arms and toppling them both over onto the bed. "Oh my god, you're going to take me to Paris?!" she exclaimed, more excited than words could ever express. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god; I love you!"
Bellatrix laughed, turning so they were both lying on their sides, facing each other. She grasped Narcissa's hand and brought it up to her lips, kissing it. "Just the two of us," she told her with a grin. "I already ran it by Rodolphus; he said it was fine if I spent the weekend with you for your birthday. To be honest I don't think he really cared much either way."
Narcissa's smile was from ear to ear and she leaned in, kissing Bellatrix with as much passion as she had in her. When they broke she whispered against her lips, "You're the best sister ever." She bit her lower lip as she grinned before leaning in and kissing her again, feeling so much that she didn't know how to express in any way but that.
Narcissa could feel Bellatrix's smile as they kissed. She ran her fingers through her hair as she pressed up against her tightly; kissing her like she was trying to devour apart of her soul. But Narcissa already knew her soul belonged to her sister; it always would. Bellatrix encouraged her to get on top of her as their tongues intertwined. Her hands roamed the curves of her sister's tiny body and she moaned quietly against her lips as she felt Bellatrix do the same.
It was almost anticlimactic in a way, the two of them tangled up on Bellatrix's bed for the last time before she was to be married. It was deeply upsetting, but it only made Narcissa feel like she had something to prove. She needed Bellatrix to know that no matter who she found herself tied down with that she would always be hers. But try as she did to prove that to her, Bellatrix stopped her hand once it slipped inside of her knickers.
For once she wanted to pleasure Bellatrix when she wasn't sick. She desperately needed that memory before watching her sister walk down the aisle, but Bellatrix didn't seem to want that memory for herself.
"No, not in these clothes, he'll know," she told her breathlessly, guiding Narcissa's hand back out. Narcissa looked hurt and Bellatrix could see that so she leaned up, kissing her tenderly before whispering, "Please don't look like that, you know I want to. My body always burns for your touch, Cissy. It's all I dream about when I close my eyes at night."
"I just…" Narcissa whispered, feeling emotional all of a sudden. "I just wanted it to be special, just once, before you're married. It's never…" but she trailed off, looking away shamefully. She knew she sounded like such an idiot.
Bellatrix closed her eyes, guilt washing over her features. Narcissa knew she shouldn't have brought it up; she knew how much Bellatrix hated to be reminded that she took things without asking when she was sick. "Hey, no," Narcissa pleaded softly, leaning down to kiss her. "I don't… mind, it's—"
"You do mind, clearly," Bellatrix told her, her face becoming sour as she tried to sit up, but Narcissa wouldn't let her. Taking her wrists in her hands she pinned her down to the mattress. Bellatrix cocked an eyebrow at her in response.
"Bella, I know you're sick. I know what I have to do to make you better when you are, and I know I'm the only one that can. I'm not complaining," she told her seriously, softening her eyes. She hated that she had to always reassure Bellatrix about this; she wished she had magical words that would rid her of her guilt. "I know it's… unorthodox and I know you feel badly about it, but please don't. I'd let you take anything you wanted from me if it allowed you to be free from your disease. I love you and that's what you do for someone you love. Please stop hating yourself for it."
Bellatrix's eyes softened as she looked up at her sister. "You don't understand," she told her softly. "I remember everything that she does. Everything she says to you. I hate the way she treats you, Cissy."
That was the first time Bellatrix completely separated herself from her disease. While Narcissa used to do the same, calling it 'the other Bellatrix', now it worried her to hear Bellatrix do the same. Narcissa had accepted that it was just a part of her sister that grew inside of her, spreading like some sort of infection. She knew it wasn't another person entirely. She's heard about things like that though; where someone would have another person sharing their body almost. They'd have different names and such and wouldn't remember what the other had done. But Bellatrix… hers wasn't like that.
"Bella, it's not… it's not someone else," Narcissa told her softly, sympathetically. "You do know that, don't you?"
Bellatrix stared up at her, her pained expression framed by her beautiful curls. Narcissa reached up and brushed one off of her face and Bellatrix took hold of her hand, stilling her. "It's easier if I pretend that it is," she told her softly. "You don't know what it's like to not know where it comes from." She paused, then revised. "Well, I guess that's not entirely true, is it? I know I can be her when I'm…" Bellatrix faltered a little and sighed, not wanting to reveal too much to her sister. "When I'm with them," she explained. "I'm passionate. It's… a passionate cause and I know I can get a bit carried away with it all. But that I understand; that I embrace and fall into completely because it allows me freedom. But around you, being that way to you? I don't know where that part of me comes from and I hate it because all I've ever wanted to do was build a better life for you; to make you feel safe and happy, and I know when I'm like that I don't make you feel either of those things."
Narcissa's thumb traced the defined curve of her sister's cheekbone as she looked down at her. It was so rare that Bellatrix opened up to her completely and the last thing she wanted her to do was run from it. Bellatrix did feel, as much as she'd like to pretend otherwise sometimes. "I know I'll always be safe with you, Bella," she told her quietly. "You wouldn't be willing to kill for me if you thought that even a part of you could truly hurt me."
"I've hurt you, Cissy. You know that I have."
"Not really, no. Emotionally, yes. But I think I've hurt you just as much in that area. But physically... you know it's nothing that I can't handle. We grew up with Mum, remember?" Narcissa told her, trying to smile at her to lighten the mood. "You and I both know you would never come close to doing what she did to me, to both of us. Even when you're sick, you protect me because you believe me to be your property."
"You shouldn't have to be anyone's property, Narcissa. That's the point. I shouldn't treat you like you owe me something."
"I owe you everything," Narcissa told her seriously before she leaned down and kissed her again. "You've saved my life in so many ways," she breathed before she let her mouth connect with hers more fully, not wanting to hear any more protests on the matter.
It was hard, watching her sister be plagued with guilt over things she had no control over. It was hard to see Bellatrix struggle every day to stay sane. It was hard to see her shred her soul by doing unspeakable evil all in Narcissa's name. It was hard to think about how tomorrow this house would no longer hold her sister within its walls. It was hard to think that, come tomorrow, Bellatrix would be married and off living her life. It was hard to realize that her fourth year at Hogwarts and onwards she would be alone.
It was all so hard.
So Narcissa kissed her deeper, needing Bellatrix to feel something besides the guilt, besides the pain, and allow her to truly live in the moment and not think about tomorrow or the years after. Here, in this moment, they were nothing more than two people desperately in love. Whether kin or not, it didn't matter, if anything it only showed that love knew no boundaries.
As Narcissa gently squeezed her sister's breast over her wedding gown Bellatrix gasped softly, pulling her lips away for a moment before resting them on Narcissa's neck. She panted into her ear as her mouth littered her neck with kisses that were sure to leave love bites. Narcissa closed her eyes and her grip tightened on Bellatrix's hip as she let out a soft moan, her breath tickling Bellatrix's ear. She could feel Bellatrix's hand between them, sliding over her stomach slowly, teasingly.
"Do you trust me?" Bellatrix breathed into her ear.
Narcissa could feel her heart rate increase at those words. "Yes," she whispered, not hesitating for a second. She bit her lip and her fingers gripped Bellatrix tightly as her sister's hand slipped over her underwear. Even over her knickers, Bellatrix's touch seemed like fire. She opened her mouth to speak, not knowing what her intentions truly were, but Bellatrix pressed her lips to her ear and explained before she had the chance to speak.
"You wanted something special," she told her, her fingers gently teasing her over her panties. Narcissa bit her bottom lip and buried her face in Bellatrix's neck, whimpering softly as she spread her legs for her. "I won't go inside you; I won't break your hymen… okay? I just… I just want to…" Bellatrix breathed, losing her own words in the process as she slipped her fingers under the confines of Narcissa's underwear. Their groans echoed one another.
Bellatrix's touch was so unlike her own. It seemed Bellatrix already knew her body much more intimately than she ever could. "Oh my god," Narcissa breathed as her sister's fingers slipped through her wetness, circling over her clit lightly. She had never felt anything like it; this was nothing like masturbating. Every touch from Bellatrix made her blood rush through her veins, her hairs stand on end. Her hands tangled in her hair and she moaned, pressing her hips further into her sister's hand.
"You like that?" Bellatrix asked before she started kissing her neck, her teeth nipping at her sensitive flesh beneath her ear. Narcissa nodded, trying to speak but words failed her as Bellatrix increased the pressure on her clitoris. She gasped hard, digging her nails into Bellatrix's hip.
"Shh, love," Bellatrix breathed into her ear as she sped up the pace of her fingers. "Someone will hear you." They didn't use the silencing spell on the door, but Narcissa couldn't even begin to think about that, let alone anything else besides Bellatrix's touch. She couldn't control the sounds coming out of her mouth. She tried to purse her lips together to try to muffle them, but Bellatrix hit an amazing spot and she cried out her name involuntarily.
"Shit," Bellatrix swore, knowing Narcissa wasn't going to be able to quiet herself. She quickly rolled them over, straddling her waist as she continued to pleasure her. Her other hand slapped over Narcissa's mouth, trying to silence her. Narcissa could do nothing else but grab onto her and arch her back, whimpering beneath her. "Come on Cissy, come for me," Bellatrix encouraged, before looking over her shoulder at the closed door, paranoia setting in because of how loud Narcissa was before. But she didn't want to stop; she wanted to finish for her.
It felt like her senses were exploding. Narcissa's eyes popped open to see her sister on top of her and she desperately reached for her, pulling her forward to lie flat. She tangled her fingers in her hair as she shuddered beneath her, feeling like she was climbing a mountain of pleasure, desperately trying to reach the top so she could fall over the other side. Her moans were getting louder but they were successfully muffled by Bellatrix's hand. Her nails dug into her sister's skull as she felt her body begin to tense. Her free hand slammed down on the mattress hard as she arched her back, needing Bellatrix to increase the pressure or she was sure she was going to die.
"That's it… that's it, love…" Bellatrix encouraged in her ear. Narcissa's fingers were gripping the sheets tightly as she screamed out explicits that were drowned out by her sister's hand. She felt like she was flying; she could see stars and every inch of her body exploded in unimaginable pleasure as tears sprung to her eyes, overwhelming her. Her hands desperately grasped for Bellatrix, needing to feel her as she experienced something she couldn't believe she waited so long to feel.
There was a sound, but Narcissa's ears were ringing and she couldn't hear it. She was in her own world until suddenly Bellatrix was ripped away from her, getting off of her like she had been burned. Narcissa tried to open her eyes, her cheat heaving and her cheeks flushed, confusion washing over her.
Then fear; unmistakable terror took hold of her as Narcissa realized they were no longer alone. She should have known; nothing good had ever come to pass between her and Bellatrix without a shit-storm raining down afterwards. It was like they were cursed.
"EW! Ew, ew, ew,ew!" Andromeda shrieked, horror on her face as she witnessed the state of her two sisters. Narcissa wanted to run, but realized her legs wouldn't move. But Bellatrix was already on top of the situation, grabbing her wand quickly off the vanity and pointing it at the door. It slammed closed, locking itself behind Andromeda and she cast "muffliato" on the room.
Andromeda saw the anger and terror in Bellatrix's eyes and tried to run, but she couldn't get the door open. She was slammed up against the wall so quickly, Bellatrix's wand to her throat that it seemed like the entire ordeal went down in a blink of an eye. Narcissa felt like she couldn't breathe and she hastily fixed her dress, certain that both of their lives were about to fall apart.
"Repeat after me, Andromeda," Bellatrix started dangerously, eyes flashing in fury. "What you just saw was Narcissa having a panic attack, that's why she was flushed and short for breath. I was helping her, do you understand me?"
"You… you both are disgusting!" Andromeda shrieked, looking at them both like they were less than dirt. "God, I think I'm going to vomit…" she looked positively ill and for the first time it truly made Narcissa feel dirty for what her and Bellatrix were doing.
Bellatrix grabbed her by her dress, balling it up in her fists before she pulled her sister towards her, then slammed her violently back against the wall, making Andromeda cry out in pain. "I said do you understand me, Andromeda?!"
"Bella!" Narcissa exclaimed, watching Andromeda cough and struggle to take her next breath. "Don't hurt her!"
"She'll be lucky if I don't kill her!" Bellatrix screamed, madness in her eyes. "Look at me," she demanded to Andromeda. She slapped her face before grabbing it in her hand and forcing the other girl to look her in the eyes. "I said look at me!" she screamed.
Bellatrix's wand dug into Andromeda's throat and Narcissa was terrified that she would puncture her. She got off the bed quickly, running over to grab a hold of her arm. "Stop! Bella, please!" She couldn't bear it if she watched Bellatrix murder their own flesh and blood, no matter how much of blood-traitor she was. But Bellatrix shook her off easily, pushing her away.
Andromeda winced, terror and pain in her eyes as Bellatrix slammed her against the wall again. She coughed, struggling to breathe as she pleaded, "Please… Bellatrix, stop… you're hurting me!"
"Tell me what you saw!" Bellatrix demanded. "Tell me! Crucio!"
Narcissa gasped in fear as she watched Andromeda scream, falling to the ground as Bellatrix used an Unforgivable Curse on her. "Bella, stop!" she screamed, wishing that she knew how to take the silencing charm off of the room. She'd take the punishment for what her and Bellatrix did, if only Andromeda didn't die because of it! "Stop, please stop!" she shrieked as she watched Andromeda scream in agony; like her insides were burning.
"Shut up, Cissy, I'm handling this!" Bellatrix screamed, frantic. The curse lifted from Andromeda and she lay on the ground, twitching and crying loudly, holding herself in fear as she cowered away from Bellatrix. Narcissa could feel her own tears streaming down her cheeks.
She tried to fall to Andromeda's side, needing to know that she was okay, but Bellatrix pushed her aside roughly as she knelt down in her place, grabbing Andromeda's face in her hand and forcing her to look at her again. Andromeda shook with fear, looking up at Bellatrix like she didn't know who she was anymore; like in her place stood some kind of monster.
The scary thing was, Bellatrix didn't switch. She was still very much her; this was no longer the disease. It terrified Narcissa to realize that the sweet person who just made love to her could so easily become a monster of her own will.
"What did you see, Andy? Tell me what you saw!" Bellatrix demanded, shaking her forcefully. Andromeda choked back a sob, tears running down her cheeks as she struggled to say the words.
"Nothing… I saw nothing…!" She choked a little and Narcissa was horrified to see a tiny bit of blood at the crease of her lips.
Bellatrix still held her face in her hand, eyes boring into hers as she told her seriously, "And it best stay that way. If I ever hear a whisper about it, I won't just kill you; I'll torture you mercilessly until you beg for death. Do you understand me? Even a whisper. I will not have you destroy Narcissa's life."
Andromeda nodded, crying as she shook in fear. When Bellatrix let her go she backed away from her quickly, huddling against the wall as she curled herself into a ball. Narcissa chose that moment to scramble over to her sister, trying to see if she was alright, but when she reached out to touch her, Andromeda jumped a mile and screeched, "Don't touch me!"
Bellatrix looked down at the two of them, no sense of guilt on her face in the slightest. In fact, she looked rather bored now that she had taken care of business. "Don't bother, Cissy. She'll never look at you again, not after what I just did for you."
"For me?" Narcissa screamed, getting to her feet as she pointed at Bellatrix before poking her hard in the chest. "I told you to stop with that! I never, never wanted you to do this! I would have gladly taken the punishment for our fornications before hurting our own sister!" Her tiny fists slammed into Bellatrix's chest as she choked back a sob, every inch of her being hurt because of what this had come down to.
Bellatrix took her physical anger only once before she grabbed her wrists, stilling her. "I'm sick of your ungratefulness! You may not like the way I do things, Cissy, but I'm protecting you, both of us! If you dislike it so much then feel free to walk away from all of this, I won't stop you."
Narcissa screamed in rage, tears pouring down her cheeks as she tried to hit her sister again. She struggled relentlessly against her grasp before she suddenly weakened, her resolve dissolving as she slumped forward, Bellatrix catching her in her arms.
She hated this, she hated all of this, but she knew she didn't have the strength to walk away, and what was worse was that she knew Bellatrix knew it too. Narcissa knew she had already lost Andromeda; she couldn't lose Bellatrix as well. She couldn't be alone. She didn't know how to be alone.
It was sick, honestly, the way the ceremony went on after that; so normal. But that's what their family did: sweep the indiscretions under the rug and put a smile on their faces for the rest of the world. Bellatrix and Narcissa cleaned themselves up, putting on a show like it was second nature. Andromeda struggled to act normal, but every little sound made her jump out of her skin after that. She was absolutely terrified of everything now it seemed, and it made Narcissa sick to her stomach to know that it was partly because of her that it happened.
It wouldn't be long before Narcissa would lose Andromeda forever, never speaking to her again. As an adult, part of her knew it was for the better; Andromeda wouldn't have to live in constant fear. But even after all those years, Narcissa still held some resentment for Bellatrix because of it. It didn't have to happen, it shouldn't have had to have come down to that. It sickened her to see how fast her family was torn apart.
But maybe that was the Black family curse. Happiness was something none of them would ever truly know, no matter how desperately they searched for it.
TBC...