Hello everyone! I'm back once again. This chapter was delayed about a week because my girlfriend broke up with me and I was wicked depressed. But enough about my life. Here is the new chapter I hope you enjoy it :) Also I want to thank Laura from the UK for her amazing review. It absolutely made my day :). Also I honestly don't know where this all comes from either. If I had any sex life whatsoever I probably wouldn't be spending all my time writing fanfiction xD (also the girl I was dating lives 3,000 miles away). Anyway, enjoy!
Prologue
The sound of Voldemort's fists hitting the hardwood table echoed through the room, making the occupants even more aware of the silence that otherwise surrounded them. He was lecturing again, and to each of those in his presence it was obvious that the Dark Lord was particularly on edge today.
He had chosen not to address his followers concerning the events of the day prior, as he was not only furious at the situation but also humiliated by it. Even so, and even through the mysterious, vagueness that masked his true emotions, leaving his expression continuously cold and uncaring, it was clear to everyone how he was feeling on this day. He had decided, though, that he must press on with the discussion he had begun the day before.
"Am I right?" he bellowed, the table still wobbling slightly from the impact of his fists. He had just finished off what he thought was a rather encouraging speech about rising to power once again.
Voldemort studied the group of stone cold, uptight faces that stared back at him from along the sides of the long table, their eyes fixed only on him and their lips pursed tightly, none of them daring to say a thing.
The dark wizard rolled his eyes indignantly and let out a long, forced sigh, glancing over at Bellatrix's empty seat before sitting down. He lowered his head and began to rub his temples tenderly.
He never thought he could miss Bellatrix's enthusiastic outbursts and constant unnecessary flattery, but he would have given anything for a simple "Yes, my Lord," at this moment.
Where was she?He wondered, glancing over at Bellatrix's seat once again. He wondered if maybe she was injured, or even dead.
It was then that the clock struck twelve, the loud chiming startling nearly everyone apart from Voldemort, who remained completely emotionless.
"Alright, that's it. Meeting adjourned," he spoke bitterly, shooing everyone from the room.
He rested his face in his hands, shaking his head and sighing with great disappointment. In no more than a minute, the shuffling of chairs and footsteps had cleared and the room fell silent once again.
"My lord?" came a sudden quiet voice.
"What!?" Voldemort boomed, looking up at the figure and bearing his teeth.
His tight features relaxed into their usual snarl.
"Oh," he sighed. "It's you."
Narcissa stood just a few feet away, stiff as ever and clutching her small handbag to her chest… her slim frame accentuated by the vast emptiness of the room.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"I have some… information, that I believe will be of use to you." She spoke.
Voldemort looked up, this time much more interested.
"Concerning…?"
"Concerning Bellatrix… and Hermione Granger. There's something you should know about them…"
"You did WHAT!?" Bellatrix shrieked, tearing at her sister at full speed and violently slamming her against the wall.
"How could you do this to me!? I'm your sister! Your only sister!" she began. "Cissy we're not children anymore, this is serious! This isn't a game! It's my life! Just because you're upset with me doesn't mean you can go off and 'tell on me'! It doesn't work like that, you said it yourself you're an adult! Act like one!"
Bellatrix dropped her head to look at the floor and threw her wand across the room with a tormented scream. "You little-"
"He didn't believe me." Narcissa said plainly, cutting off her elder sister's sentence. She looked at Bellatrix with watery eyes, her chin turned up and away slightly, giving her a side view of her.
"He accused me of lying because he could tell I was upset with you, and that I wanted revenge."
Bellatrix let all the air out of her lungs and fell to a sitting position on the floor, burying her face in her hands and letting out a loud sob that echoed through the vacant hall. When she lifted her head, she turned away from her sister in shame, pulling a few strands of long black hair from her face as she wiped her tears away on her sleeve. The distressed witch sniffed once, looking up at the ceiling and blinking repeatedly to force back the tears.
Other than Bellatrix's quiet sniffling, the marble hallway held an eerie silence. A silence that was so empty yet so filled with rage and emotion that it struck both sisters speechless.
"I said he didn't believe me, Bella." Narcissa said after a few moments, seeing as she had not yet stopped blinking back tears. The blonde witch's facial features conveyed no recognizable emotion, but the shakiness of her voice was all anyone would need to realize how she was feeling.
Bellatrix wiped her eyes once more and turned to face her sister, a smirk slowly forming across her tormented face.
"He didn't believe you." She said in a low tone.. "He didn't believe you because he trusts me. Me and not you… because I'm important to him." Her features twisted into an expression of disturbed indignation.
"You're such a kiss-up," muttered Narcissa. She crossed her arms and leaned her shoulder against the wall, facing away from Bellatrix as if to shun her.
"Excuse me?" Bellatrix spoke through clenched teeth, suddenly very angry. You could almost visibly see the rage building inside her.
"I said you're a kiss-up!" said the younger witch louder this time. Her voice bounced from wall to wall as it echoed down the long stretch of hallway.
Bellatrix looked absolutely furious. She stared vigilantly at her sister, her face so full of hatred that she looked as if she was ready to kill at any moment.
"You're just jealous because he doesn't respect your opinion!" Bellatrix shouted, standing abruptly. "But why would he? You're not even a death eater! You can't commit to him! Just like with your stupid husband! You don't even talk to him do you? Let alone sleep with him!"
Narcissa scoffed irritably, attempting to hide the pain Bellatrix's comments had really caused her.
"He only listens to you because you sleep with him."
Bellatrix's eye twitched and her face boiled bright red, but she said nothing. She was too furious for words.
"I see you with him," Narcissa spoke. "Ohh! My lord this, my lord that! I'd do anything for you. I'm your most loyal servant!" Narcissa waved her arms stupidly as she mocked Bellatrix in an exaggerated high-pitched voice.
In that moment, Bellatrix snapped. "YAAAHHH!" screamed as she whipped her dagger out of her cloak in one swift motion and chucked it at the younger witch's head.
"EEK!" Narcissa yelped, ducking just in time so that the dagger hit the wall and fell to the ground, producing a loud clanking sound as it made contact with the marble floor.
Bellatrix summoned the dagger with her wand and bolted at Narcissa, pinning her against the wall once again, this time with the knife pressed hard against her throat. "I DON'T SLEEP WITH HIM! YOU HEAR ME YOU UNGREATFUL COW!?" she shrieked. "HE TRUSTS ME BECAUSE I'M A DEDICATED FOLLOWER!"
"Yeah, more like a dedicated sex slave." Narcissa spat, her voice hoarse on account of the dagger compressing her airway. He wouldn't give a shit if you weren't such a whore! That's how you solve all your problems isn't it!? Just fuck 'em and everything will go your way! Hell, you've been doing it to me for years!"
Bellatrix's expression turned from ferocious to pain-stricken deepy wounded. She dropped the knife and backed up a few steps, staring blankly into her sister's face.
"Bella?" Narcissa asked quietly, realizing what she had just said.
Bellatrix turned around and dropped to her knees. Her face fell into her hands again and she began sobbing uncontrollably.
"…Bella?" Narcissa asked again after a minute, a few small tears rolling down her cheeks as she took a hesitant step towards her agonized sister.
"Bel I'm… sorry, I'm-"
"How could you say that to me?" Bellatrix interrupted through her sobs. "How could you be so cruel?"
Narcissa looked down at the floor, deeply ashamed by what she had done.
"I have feelings you know!" she cried, sniffling and wiping her face on her sleeve. "I'm not inhuman!"
"Did it ever occur to you that I might just not know how to deal with people?! Why do you think I'm so troubled?" She let out another pained sob. "Unlike you, I didn't have anyone to go to as a kid. I had no one. No one to show me what friendship was… what… interaction was like at all with other people. I never had any friends. All I ever had was you. You were the only one I ever truly loved or felt I could call a friend."
Bellatrix struggled to see her sister's face –as she was engulfed in a waterfall of tears.
Narcissa looked increasingly guilty as more and more her own tears began to stream down her face.
"How could you think for even a second that that's how I treat you… or that that's why we have such an intimate relationship? After all I've done for you?" The older witch continued. "And I know you think Hermione is just around for sex, but it's more than that! She cares about me! Apparently unlike you!"
Bellatrix collapsed completely on the floor and curled up into a ball, hiding her face behind her mass of black hair as her sobs became more and more ragged.
Narcissa was entirely speechless. She had never seen her sister like this before… She was always so strong, so overpowering, but it was all clear to her now. She had to be that way… especially when they were young. She was the only one who could protect young Narcissa from not only their abusive parents, but from the harshness of the world. She chose to take all the blows for her… and because of that she built up a wall, an impenetrable wall that hid her true feelings from the rest of the world and make her seem fearless. It was all because of her, all this time.
Narcissa remained silent, for she had no words. She simply listened to Bellatrix cry until she was finally able to form a coherent sentence.
"You really do care about her, don't you?" she asked quietly, her voice soft and accepting.
"What?" Bellatrix asked, momentarily ceasing her agonized cries.
"The mud-, –-er— Hermione," she sighed. "You really care about her."
Bellatrix returned to a sitting position on the floor and finally turned to face her sister. She nodded as she sniffled and wiped her face.
Narcissa approached the older witch slowly and took a seat beside her on the floor. "Come here," she said invitingly, her arms outstretched.
Bellatrix scooted closer and let her sister wrap her arms around her, and she dissolved into tears once again, her cries muffled by the fabric of the younger witch's dress.
"I love you so much, Cissy," Bellatrix choked out through her sobs.
"I know," Narcissa replied softly. "I love you too." She pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "So much… and I'm so sorry… I was just jealous…" she admitted.
Bellatrix lifted her face from the now tear stained fabric of Narcissa's dress and looked her in the eyes. Both of them had makeup running down their faces.
"I forgive you," Bellatrix cried, hugging her sister back. "I really do… and I always will…"
**Announcement! I am removing my bonus chapter so the numbering won't be so confusing. It will be available on my blog (mrs - - lovett . tumblr . com). I will make a page for it.**