The claustrophobic hallways of Number 12, Grimmauld Place rang with shouting the moment Narcissa stepped through the front door. The dark entryway seemed unnaturally cool compared to the broiling sun outside, and would have been a relief if more quiet. Having had been alone with her thoughts on the journey into London the sudden noise startled her, although she supposed she should have been expecting it. Nearly falling flat on her face as she tripped over the hideous troll-leg umbrella stand and cursing under her breath, she quietly made her way into the narrow house. The yelling was coming from the drawing room, and without looking in she could tell that it was Sirius and Walburga – at no surprise to Narcissa.

Ducking into the kitchen she plunked herself down with a sigh onto the long benches which stretched on either side of the wooden table. For all that Bellatrix was causing a raucous more often than not and her father had a temper, her house never held the angry volume which seemed forever present in that of her aunt and uncle. Regulus dealt with it by retreating to his room whenever he could and staying quiet in order to avoid prosecution. Sirius dealt by yelling back.

Narcissa physically jumped at the sudden smack that resounded from the drawing room, and stood up in the silence that followed. A moment later the footsteps of her aunt could be heard stalking down the hall and up the many flights of stairs, and just when Narcissa had decided the woman was far enough away that she could go investigate, Sirius whirled into the kitchen with his hand pressed to the side of his face.

They stared at each other for a small moment - He seemed shocked to see her standing there, and subconsciously turned his head to hide what appeared to be a blossoming purple bruise. "Guess it makes sense that I didn't hear you come in, over that."

The blonde grimaced. "What did you say to her?"

"Many things, though honestly they all paled in comparison to her language," the boy shrugged as he sauntered over to perch himself on the bench a few feet away from Narcissa, still cradling his already-swollen face. "I think calling her a boorish hunk of lard is what made her hit me."

Narcissa's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Sirius, you can't say things like that, as we can see it'll only make her do this sort of–"

"She'll hit me anyways!" Sirius snarled, his nonchalant attitude finally cracking. His face cleared a moment later and he looked dejected, shifting his gaze to stare at his feet. "She'll always get mad at me anyways, and if I don't call her names back then it's like she wins every time."

Narcissa was still before nodding slowly, accepting his way of dealing with the situation. It wasn't her place to scold him, nor was it anyone's when he faced a mother so cruel. "I'm… sorry, munchkin." Sirius smirked a bit at the use of his old nickname. "Let me see your face?"

"It's nothing. I'll fix it."

"Mm, you haven't learned your healing charms yet kiddo, that's in two years. With Bella as my sister I've gotten very good at them. Come on."

Finally obliging, Sirius shifted towards her and lowered his hand. The bruise was deep and dark already, the swelling causing his right eye to squint. Walburga had obviously back-handed her son, for a gouge made by a gemstone-encasing ring marred the young boy's cheek, his blood seeping forth slowly. Narcissa pulled a face as she stood to gather a rag and the Essence of Dittany she knew lived in a nearby cupboard. "She really did a number on you, the old hag." For all that she was generally respectful towards the adults in her family and rarely saw eye-to-eye with Sirius, the thought of treating one's own child in such a way boiled her blood beyond compare. She saw this treatment too often, in Severus, in Lucius, in countless other peers. Besides, Gryffindor or not, he was her own cousin.

"Eh, she tends to," he muttered darkly, gingerly touching his fingertips to his skin. Narcissa sat back down beside the boy, straddling the bench to face him best, and began dabbing at the wound. She knew from experience that being gentle would do nothing to help the Dittany not sting, and so focused on getting the job done as sufficiently rather than as softly as she could.

"Sorry I'm not Andy," she murmured after a moment of silence She knew Andromeda was his favourite. "She's coming soon, as is the rest."

"Andy would have chased after her and made her madder," Sirius shrugged – he was trying valiantly to not flinch when the medication touched his angry flesh. "I just don't know why she's so angry all the time – I know I'm in Gryffindor and that you all hate me for it, but I would have thought she'd have gotten over that at least a bit by now."

"She's probably angry over being named Walburga," Narcissa smirked, and Sirius laughed, smiling properly for the first time all day. After the worst of the cut was healed up with the Dittany, she past her wand over his face and the swelling went down before her eyes. The deep purple was reduced to a pale greenish-yellow, as if the assault had happened days ago. "There, you won't be scaring anyone with that face now. At least no more than usual."

Sirius sneered back at her, however he couldn't hide his grin. "Thanks, Cissy. I should go let Reg know that he can come out of his room now."

The two had just made it to the hall when the front door burst open and in streamed a number of other Blacks, Andromeda leading the away to tackle Sirius in a bear hug. He fought her off, claiming she was ruining his hair, but he laughed the whole time and eventually squeezed her back.

"Reg! Your favourite cousin is here!" Bellatrix bellowed up the stairs after plunking her bag on the floor. Walburga was already coming down to greet them and Narcissa couldn't help casting her a glare that could curdle milk. Regulus came scooting down after his mother, his face alight at the sight of his cousins.

Narcissa swept the rather small boy into her arms in a hug. "Bellatrix was referring to me, of course," she teased, knowing it was only partially true – Regulus was definitely closer to Narcissa, however he looked up to Bellatrix in something akin to awe. He laughed and Bellatrix scowled, raking him into a hug of her own and rubbing her knuckles roughly on his head so he winced.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it for dinner," Walburga drawled after hollering for her husband to join them and giving Druella a rough kiss on the cheek. "Good thing I lost track of the time. Kreature! Get these things up to their bedrooms and set the table for nine."

The sisters had always shared a room while at Grimmauld Place, partially owing to the limited number of rooms in the townhouse and also that Andromeda had been too scared of the dozens of house-elf heads as a child to sleep alone. Three single beds were usually pressed up against the wall in the rather dingy room, however when the girls were over they pushed them together to form one large bed in the centre of the floor. Being grown did nothing to stop this tradition.

"We should make a fort," Andromeda laughed, throwing the sheets over her and Narcissa's heads. "We always used to do that, remember?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, flicking the pages of her Witch Weekly's lazily. "Yes, but now we're no longer ten."

"Come off it, Bella," Narcissa laid her head in her eldest sister's lap, forcing Bellatrix to put down the magazine. "No need to act so high and mighty. Act too grown up and they'll marry you off tomorrow, remember."

Bellatrix's nose wrinkled as she began absently playing with Narcissa's hair. "They'd have to find a willing husband, first, to which I wish them good luck."

Andromeda shrugged a blanket around her shoulders and crossed her legs. "When are you planning to stop pretending that Rodolphus wouldn't marry you in a heartbeat? I overheard you two the other day from the kitchen when you were sitting in the gardens. He all but professed his undying love, as much as someone like him could."

Narcissa couldn't quite imagine what sort of conversation between her sister and Rodolphus that would have included the latter professing love. She knew the man was quite smitten with Bellatrix, but he was never really a person of many words. Besides, admitting affection to Bella was something that no one besides her sisters was ever brave enough to do.

To the blonde's surprise Bellatrix blushed ferociously. "He doesn't know what he's talking about," she muttered, dark eyes focusing intently on her braiding. "He doesn't actually want to be stuck with me forever, he just… thinks he does right now. Probably cause I'm such a good shag." It was Andromeda's turn to roll her eyes, but Bellatrix didn't see as she looked down at Narcissa. "You're much more wife material than I am, Cissy."

"Merlin, I am really growing tired of how often I am the subject of marriage conversations recently," Narcissa groaned and sat up with a huff. "And I'm the youngest! What about Andromeda? You'd make lovely 'wife material', Andy, you're much nicer than either of us." The two of them had done their best to forget the meeting they had in Hogsmeade a couple months ago, and Andromeda had seemed relieved when it appeared that Narcissa had no intention of interrogating her on what she had meant by 'rejecting how they had been raised'. However, the topic of marriage was a dangerous one, and both girls sensed it.

"I suppose I could be a good wife," the brunette said slowly. "Granted I was married to a good person."

"I agree," Narcissa nodded quickly, casting a meaningful glance at Andromeda. "Someone of loyalty, who's supportive and treats you as their equal."

"Someone of similar morals," Andromeda added quietly, gaze falling away from Narcissa's and onto her own fiddling hands.

Bellatrix looked between her sisters for a moment before shrugging. "Well, good luck with that girlies, I'll just be making the rounds of everyone's loyal and morally sound husbands then. There has to be at least one homewrecker in every generation, and I believe I'm well equipped for the job. I'll skip your husbands, of course."

"How thoughtful of you," Narcissa said dryly as she climbed under the covers in between her sisters. "Just be sure your own husband doesn't mind too much."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Oh, how excited I am for our married lives," Bellatrix sighed dreamily and waved her want to plunge the room into darkness before snuggling into Narcissa's side.