Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series.
Snowing
Shivering only slightly, Narcissa sipped her pumpkin juice, lazily scanning the Great Hall. Because one of the girls in her dormitory snored, Narcissa had woken early, only to find that it was snowing. There was a particular enchantment about Hogwarts when it snowed, as if the truemagic resurfaced. She enjoyed the peace of the morning as most students were probably still in their warm beds, sleeping away the Saturday. The people who did filter in to eat, however, were talking excitedly, pointing up at the enchanted ceiling with peals of delight. Across the Great Hall, Narcissa saw her sisters enter, arms linked and grinning. They were almost skipping… except that Bellatrix didn't skip. At least not in public.
"Good morning, Cissy," Andromeda sang as she slid onto the bench.
"Don't even think about it," Narcissa warned, already suspicious of their overt cheerfulness.
"Think about what?" Bella asked sweetly, far too innocent for Narcissa's liking.
She winced as Bellatrix ruffled her hair, ruining a half-hour's worth of work in three seconds.
"No," Narcissa snapped, swatting her sister's hand away.
"Oh come on, Cissy," Andromeda whined playfully. "It will be fun!"
Narcissa huffed in exasperation, "Meda. It's freezing outside."
"But it's snowing," Bella sighed happily.
Narcissa smiled in her delicately cruel sort of way. "Yes, I know. I'm perfectly content to stare up at the ceiling. All day, if need be."
"You," Bellatrix laughed, "Are such a sissy."
Narcissa blinked her eyes demurely. "Why thank you."
Andromeda snorted as Bellatrix shot back, "Sissy, with an S."
"Oh, like snakes," Narcissa continued airily, "And, may I remind you that snakes don't like the cold either; something about their blood."
Andromeda sniffed, and in a perfect impression of Bellatrix, said haughtily, "But you, little Cissy, were a Black before you were a serpent. And the Black Sisters are going to brave and triumph over the snow."
With that, Andromeda and Bellatrix grabbed either arm of their little sister and pulled her away from the table, dragging her towards the doors of the Great Hall.
"Put me down!" Narcissa whined, flailing her legs in a fruitless attempt to escape. "You haven't even eaten breakfast yet, how can you possibly be in the mood to tromp through crystallized rain and freeze your toes off?!"
Bellatrix laughed loudly and replied as if her little sister possessed all the naivety of the world, "Narcissa, really. Breakfast can wait. We're going to conquer the world."
When they finally let her down in the chilly entrance hall, Narcissa stared warily at the ominous doors to the cold outside. She thought bitterly of the fire in the common room, how she had too much homework to do, how Lucius Malfoy had been spending the past Saturdays studying in the common room, and how maybe if she saw the appropriate time, she would find herself with him, next to the fire, cuddling for warmth…
"Cissy, are you listening to me?"
Narcissa blinked back at Bellatrix and stifled a yawn. Her sisters could be so trying. But she couldn't help but smile, inwardly of course, at their thoughtfulness as she was handed a pair of mittens and a scarf. Well, Meda's thoughtfulness, most likely. She sighed dramatically and slipped the green and silver scarf around her neck and the gloves onto her hands. There was no stopping Bellatrix and Andromeda when they were being… well, stupid was the only word that came to her mind.
"I can understand yourfoolishness, Meda," Narcissa sneered as they walked outside, "But you'd think a sixth year would have grown up by now."
Bella raised an eyebrow, "Of course I've grown up, Cissy. But who ever said that meant I had to behave?"
Narcissa barely raised her wand in time to block the snowball. As she brushed imaginary snow off of her robes, Narcissa looked around at the wonderland that was at her beckoning and stifled a grin. Truth be told, she loved the snow. She loved the way it swirled from the sky and if she looked up, it seemed that stars were falling into her hands. She loved the way the crystals made her look like a nymph or a fairy as they fell in a halo on her head. She loved the thought of frolicking through the icy wind, especially with the potential idea of Lucius Malfoy waiting in the common room for her to warm her hands and take her scarf… She also loved her sisters, so obviously she wouldn't let them know this was the best idea they had had all week.
As they walked, arm in arm in arm, Narcissa listened happily to her sisters because everything felt so normal, so perfect like the snow; as if nothing could touch it even as their footprints made a path behind them. Narcissa's reverie was broken by the sound of the usual reprimands. This time, Meda was chiding Bella for pushing a first year Gryffindor into a snow bank.
"Really, Meda, the way you talk sounds as if you feel sorry for the Gryffindor," Bella laughed, an eyebrow raised.
"No, Bella, I was just hoping that you would have saved your talents for somebody in your own year," Andromeda smiled gently.
"You can't conquer the world if you don't spread fear through all the land," Narcissa said loftily. She was mocking Bella, of course, in the same way that Andromeda had; only, Andromeda was much more practiced at it.
And they were ruling the world, Narcissa couldn't help but think. Students were scattered about the grounds of Hogwarts talking amongst themselves. But of all these, there were none who possessed the renown that they did. Bella-Meda-Cissy. As danger, unstoppable, and hypnotizing as a blizzard. And Narcissa loved every minute of it.
They were laughing as they walked. For nothing could stop the three witches from having their fun. Until a snowball flew through the air, just missing Andromeda.
"HA! I knew you couldn't hit her!" a high pitch voiced laughed from behind.
"Oh, shut up; you missed them the first two times," another voice whined. Second years, most likely.
Bellatrix froze and with her did Narcissa and Andromeda.
"Just don't kill him, Bella," Andromeda sighed wearily as they turned around.
But just as they did so, another snowball soared through the air, hitting Bellatrix right in the face. Narcissa heard Bella's low hiss of rage below Andromeda's scoff of surprise. Through narrowed eyes, Narcissa saw the culprit, frozen, his hand still raised.
Slowly, Bellatrix wiped the snow from her face, her nostrils flared.
The boy's mouth had dropped open in horror, his eyes wide with fear. Behind him, his friend laughed, "You're in it now."
Narcissa examined the group of first and second year boys, a mixture of every house but Slytherin. Obviously, or they would have recognized the Black Sisters right away. Even from the back. Well, they weren't likely to forget now, Narcissa thought with a grim satisfaction.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bellatrix run her tongue over the bottoms of her teeth dangerously.
Finally, the boy who had thrown the last snowball stammered, "I-I'm sorry B-b-bell…" He trailed off as Bellatrix walked towards him.
"It's Ms. Black to you," she sneered.
The boy nodded back swiftly.
But from the back of the group, a Gryffindor retorted, "Sheesh, we were just playing around. You know, having fun?"
"Funny," Bella shot back darkly, "Because we were just trying to do the same thing."
Narcissa was vaguely surprised that Bellatrix hadn't drawn her wand yet.
With a smirk, Bellatrix threw Andromeda a glance over her shoulder, "Just be thankful you didn't hit my sister."
The boys didn't reply, but hurried away as Bellatrix let out a menacing growl.
"Leave it to the Black sisters to ruin everybody else's fun," a boy wearing a yellow and black scarf muttered from his position on the sidelines.
Bella, her mouth in a twisted grin, sauntered over to the boy who looked as though he was a fourth or fifth year. "From someone of the likes of you, I will take that as a compliment."
The boy folded his arms across his chest. "Oh yeah? The likes of me? What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"What is your name, insolent little Hufflepuff?" Bella replied, her words laced with condescension.
The boy frowned but drew his head up to meet Bella's eyes, a defiance that surprised Narcissa. Nobody met Bellatrix with such an absence of fear. But the boy's face formed a pompous grin even Narcissa could respect. "Tonks."
"Tonks," Bella repeated with a laugh. "What a charming name."
But instead of fidgeting as Narcissa was sure Bella had hoped, Tonks only laughed back. "Yep. But you, Ms. Black, may call me Ted."
Bella hadn't even grabbed her wand yet, but Narcissa had reason enough to believe that the boy might spend the next week in the hospital wing. Next to her, Andromeda shifted uneasily, obviously thinking the same thing.
"How dare you talk to me like that, mudblood," Bella said coldly, looking down upon the Hufflepuff boy.
Ted faltered for the first time. "Oh come on, how do you know I'm not a half-blood," he said defensively.
Breathing in slowly, she sneered, "Firstly, because I am unfamiliar with your last name and your first name is disgustingly common," pausing, Bellatrix leaned into his face and then muttered, "Secondly, I make a point of recognizing the filth that litters my world, Tonks."
But Ted Tonks continued to surprise Narcissa with his resistance to give in to Bellatrix. "Oh yeah, I forgot, you purebloods know magic, so obviously you wouldn't have to bother with studying for Charms but rather pour over a hit-list for hours at a time."
In the next moment Bellatrix's wand was pressed into Ted's throat. "No, Teddy, usually I can just smell them. You see, once you catch scent of rotting filth, it's hard to forget until the source is… eradicated."
Ted flinched as Bella's wand seared his skin.
Narcissa wrinkled her nose at the odd smell.
"Bella," Andromeda said quietly, placing her hand on her sister's wrist, "Let the mudblood go. You only flatter him by wasting your attention on him."
With a hiss of annoyance, Bellatrix brought her wand down in a slash. "You're lucky my sister is so generous. Next time we meet, I will not be so forgiving of your impurities."
Rubbing his throat, Ted muttered, "I'm lucky that the lust for physical brutality isn't genetic."
Narcissa glared at Tonks. Bellatrix spat at his feet. Andromeda crossed her arms and said, "Leave."
Narcissa turned her gaze on Bella, who was still staring at the receding form of the mudblood, an unpleasant look on her face.
"They're getting more uppity every year," she growled, clutching her wand.
Andromeda laughed "As are you, Bella."
Bellatrix leveled her sister with a glare.
"I only meant that you should have the sense not to attack a mudblood in a clearing for the entire world to see when the castle has so many empty corridors."
"Let the world see then," Bellatrix spat angrily.
Narcissa sighed as she kicked at the snow. She hated when her sister got like this; it only acknowledged the insecurity of everything they had built their lives upon.
Andromeda grasped Bella's arm suddenly and leaned her head against Bella's shoulder. "One little insolent boy, Bella. What harm can he do?"
And Bellatrix breathed out slowly and smiled down at Andromeda, because Andromeda could always calm Bella down. It was a skill Narcissa envied.
"You are absolutely and completely naïve, Andy," Bella teased, poking her sister in the nose. "Just wait until they start breeding."
Narcissa wrinkled her nose at the thought but resolved to link her arm through Andromeda's saying with a contemptuous sniff, "Well, they'll be the ones suffering because they won't have the likes of us."
Andromeda broke away suddenly and spun around in the snow, laughing as she shouted to the skies, "Yes! And let the whole world be jealous!"
"Don't worry, they are. Cissy has made sure of it," Bella joked as she ran up to Andromeda.
Narcissa had a feeling there was a hidden insult in her eldest sister's words. Looking around to make sure no one would see, she ran up behind Bellatrix and jumped on her back, sending them falling, into the snow.
"Oh! My robes; you better not have messed up my hair!" Bellatrix mocked her little sister, throwing a handful of snow into her face.
"Bella, that was mean!" Narcissa whined as she shoved her sister in retaliation.
Sticking out her tongue, Bella waved her wand, enchanting a torrent of snowballs to pelt poor Cissy.
"Stop it! OW!" Narcissa giggled hysterically as a particularly violent snowball hit her squarely in the chest. "Bella! Stop your stupid snowballs or I'll owl mother and let her know just why you got detention for skipping Transfiguration last Friday."
Andromeda laughed knowingly as the snowballs stopped immediately.
"Shut up, Meda," Bella snapped peevishly. "Mother wouldn't care if I clarify that I was just securing my engagement."
"That's a nice way of saying you were shagging Lestrange in a broom closet," Andromeda noted wisely, a smug smile on her face.
In a matter of seconds, Andromeda was pulled roughly into the snow between her sisters. As they all fell into a fit of hysterical laughter, giddy because of the snow, because of life, Narcissa was filled with a warmth despite her icy, soaked robes. Narcissa sighed happily. Andromeda's eyelashes had collected snowflakes that were reflected glisteningly in her chocolate eyes. Bellatrix's dark features contrasted perfectly with the snow white world, making her seem somehow Blacker. And Narcissa knew her hair was shinning like glimmering icicles around her head. Together, they were an unstoppable force of nature.
Bella was the dark skies above, oppressive and inescapable. Meda was the purest quiet as the snow fell from the sky to the ground. Narcissa was the ice princess, brilliant and gleaming white within the twirls of the sky and the snow. For all the depth of Blackness of Bella, the undiscovered anger of Meda, and the arrogance from power of Cissy, they were pristine and untouchable. Holy, only in the sense of mangled philosophy and the religion they had built themselves. They were snow angels.
Author's Note:Sorry for the slight delay; I was in fact frolicking in the snow myself! I'm sorry if this had no apparent purpose other than to say 'I love Bellatrix', because I just couldn't have her vulnerable for more than one chapter. Well, Friday's the 25th of December... so, expect a very Black white Christmas!