Chapter Twenty-Six: Sisters

It was not long after Harry's departure that the two sisters found themselves alone. Lucia and the baby were easily put to sleep in Nymphadora's old bedroom upstairs. A little herbal tea with a drop or two of Sleeping Draught had eased Lucia's worries at least for the time being. Draco and Ginny had left as soon as they were patched up, despite Narcissa's protests. In her opinion, after everything they had been through lately they ought to take some rest rather than throw themselves into the next battle. She was proud of her son, though. He now showed bravery his father never had.

When both Narcissa and Andromeda came down the stairs they had discovered Nymphadora, Andromeda's daughter, to be gone. The plan had been for her to stay here at the safe house with baby Teddy, but in the end she had been unable to let the Order she had so loyally been part of fight without her contribution.

"I'm sure she'll be all right," Narcissa comforted her sister. "She seems tough."She took the liberty of making tea for the both of them while Andromeda sank down, a defeated expression on her face, at the wooden kitchen table. She lived in a small house in a muggle area. The house was a mixture between muggle and magical interior. The difference to Malfoy Manor was grand, but Narcissa could not help feel at home here. One wall in the living room was full of pictures, some of which had both Draco and Lucia in them. Everything just breathed Andromeda, and Ted, while Malfoy Manor was so impersonal anyone could inhabit it.

"She is, but that's the problem," Andromeda sighed. "She's full of this noble sense of loyalty and out for revenge for her father's death and Mad-Eye Moody's, but she also has her son. Teddy should come first."

"I'm sure he does come first." Narcissa placed two steaming mugs of tea on the table and sat down, warming her hands around the mug. "She must have thought you'd take good care of him until she's back."

"What else can I do?" Andromeda said. "Heavens Cissy. Who would've thought both of us have a grandchild by now?" she laughed softly. "And of the most unlikely of matches. I never thought Dora to fall for, well, you know.."

"A werewolf?" Narcissa enquired, familiar with the stories about her niece and her odd choice of a husband.

"Well, yes," Andromeda agreed. "I wasn't sure at first, but he's a good man, Remus. And as for you, I'm sure you never expected Lucia to come home with Harry Potter."

"That's a fact," she sighed. 'She was betrothed to Blaise Zabini." Her eyes wandered over the pictures on the wall. Judging by their pictures being put up, she suspected her sister had grown quite close to her children over the past few months. "I'm sure she's told you that."

"She has," Andromeda nodded. "She loves Harry very much, can you see that?"

Narcissa's fingers traced the edge of her cup. "Oh yes," she sighed. "She is like you."

"In a way, yes. Only Ted wasn't 'the Chosen One', or whatever Harry goes by these days," Andromeda grimaced. "And I'm hoping Lucia's choice of love won't cost her her entire family."

"Not if I have a say in it." Narcissa stood up when she finished her tea and went over to the wall of pictures to study them. "I haven't been the mother at all I would have liked to be," she admitted. "I wish I could do it all over again."

"They're good kids, Cissy. Smart, and the heart in the right place. You must have done something right."

The sisters spent the rest of the night catching up on the years they had been apart. It was well past midnight, but no one would be able to sleep in such circumstances. Narcissa was surprised to discover it was as if they had last seen each other just yesterday. Andromeda was still the same in many ways. It was a pity they had had to miss each other for so long. They kept trying to get news on the battle, but no one could be reached. They had specific instructions from the Order not to leave the house under any circumstances, and they did not dare to take the risk. Their hope was on the wireless, but even that was unable to catch any sort of news or even a signal.

At some point during the night Narcissa went upstairs to check on Lucia and the baby. Thinking Lucia asleep, she bent over the basket little Zara was sleeping in. Oblivious to the dangers in the world outside, the baby slept peacefully. Her delicate features relaxed in sleep, the tiny fists on either side of the round little head. Narcissa pressed a gentle kiss to her head.

"Mother?"

Lucia's voice surprised her, and she turned to find her daughter awake.

"I thought you were asleep," she whispered, seating herself on the edge of the bed. Lucia laid on her side, her eyes glistening in the moonlight shining through the curtains. "How are you feeling?"

Ignoring the question, Lucia struggled to get herself up into a sitting position. It still cost her much effort. "Do you have word from Harry?"

"No, we would have woken you up in that case," Narcissa replied. She felt Lucia's forehead, despite her protests, and was pleased to find it was a lot less hot. "We haven't got word from anyone. I did bring you a bottle to feed Zara, if you feel up to it?"

"Oh yes." Lucia held out her arms, and Narcissa handed her the baby, and the bottle she had prepared downstairs.

"She's such a good baby, she'd sleep through her feedings if we didn't wake her," Narcissa said, stroking baby Zara's cheek to wake her up gently. Zara squirmed and stretched her small limbs; her cries impressive for a newborn.

"I'd prefer to feed her myself," Lucia commented, looking sadly at the bottle in her hand. It would be highly unwise, though. Lucia's strengths were less than optimal due to her illness, and by breastfeeding the baby Zara would be knocked out cold from the remainders of medicine and Sleeping Draught.

"Perhaps in a few days time?" Narcissa tried to cheer her up. She was unsure whether it would still be possible by then, though. The baby might have adjusted to formula.

Lucia did not press the matter any further, fortunately, and both women watched the baby drink greedily.

"Did you used to nurse me and Draco yourself?" Lucia asked after a while.

"Just your brother," Narcissa responded, thinking carefully of how to proceed. It might have been better if she lied, but there were already so many secrets between her and her daughter. Moments like these were a chance to improve their relationship, although that highly depended on the course of the conversation.

"Why not me?" Lucia concentrated on the baby in her arms to avoid her mother's eyes. It was obvious, however, that Narcissa's response was highly relevant. "Was it because of the delivery? Because it was harder?"

"I… yes," Narcissa finally said, aware of the hopeful tone in Lucia's readily offered suggestion. "Yes, that was it."

"But you wanted to?"

Narcissa reached out to tuck a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "Of course I wanted to." Even if she hadn't at the time, it was not a lie anymore. Most of all she wanted to change back time and fix this gap between herself and Lucia. It was a mystery now how she could have thought her second child was a curse.

"You should go to sleep, sweetheart," she kissed Lucia's forehead. "I'll take the baby downstairs to change her, it's very late."

Wrapping baby Zara in a blanket, Narcissa headed downstairs after Lucia's feeble protests. She would need her rest to recover properly. And it was hard enough to get rest while everyone was desperate for news.

She changed Zara's diaper and headed down, finding Andie putting down baby Teddy.
"Baby rush hour?" Narcissa smiled as she put Zara down in the play pen next to Teddy, tucking them both in. Baby Teddy was a few months older, making Zara look especially tiny in comparison.

"I couldn't bring myself to put him in his crib upstairs. Prefer to leave him in my sight," Andie admitted with a guilty smile. She stared intently at her grandson's sleeping form.

"He's a beautiful baby," Narcissa said, taking her sister to the kitchen as they left the babies to sleep.

"He looks like Ted. We noticed it the moment he was born. It's kind of painful, in a way. But it's also a comfort." Andromeda smiled sadly at the memory of her husband.

"Andie, shouldn't you try and get some sleep? We can't stay up all night. Or let me make you some more tea, at least."

Although Narcissa suggested it to her sister, sleep seemed the most impossible thing. As the minutes dragged forward her mind kept shifting more and more to Draco. Hearing nothing at all was alarming, but it also meant nothing was yet lost. The Dark Lord and the Death Eaters would surely announce a grand victory and make sure the whole Wizarding World knew if they won. She had never expected her husband and son to be on opposing sides when it came down to it. She thought of Lucius, too, wondering whether he had been punished or even worse for her acts. She also wondered what he thought of her at all. Whether he hated her, or secretly wished he had joined her in choosing their children over this war and everything else.

"Dora's all I have now, besides little Teddy," Andie said quietly. "If something happens to her…" Her face had paled visibly. "We should have watched her better. If we hadn't both gone upstairs someone could have stopped her."

"If she wanted to go no one could have stopped her," Narcissa said. Just as she herself could not have been stopped, no matter what she left behind. She crouched down by her sister's chair and embraced her. "She'll be all right. Surely they would have sent word otherwise?"

Her sister's worries alarmed herself as well. One side would have to win, and either way she would lose someone.

"Ted and I were happy, you know," Andie wiped away a few tears. "Twenty years of marriage is a long time. But it's not enough. It's never enough. We should have had twenty more at least."

"It's never enough," Narcissa agreed. Her head was full of many things. She thought of Severus, too, and the one night they had shared. She ought to think he would survive; he always found a way out of everything, and the Dark Lord favoured him so. His chances were higher than Lucius's. And yet she had a gut feeling that she couldn't put a finger on.

"You being here, does this mean you have left Lucius?"

Andromeda's question caught her off guard, for she barely knew the answer herself. The decision to come here was based mainly on an impulsive whim to finally openly choose her children, both children, over everything else. There had not been any time to consider Lucius at all- which might be the answer to the question.

"I can't be sure," she admitted finally, leaning against the sink. The lack of sleep was weighing down on the both of them. "It seems like it, doesn't it? Are you hungry?"

When Andromeda nodded, yet seemed too exhausted to act, Narcissa started rummaging through some cupboards to make them some sandwiches. "He's not a bad man, Lucius. I don't want you to think he is." There was ever the desire to defend her husband. Even if no one knew Lucius at all, she thought she came closest to knowing him.

"I'm too tired to think at all," Andromeda chuckled quietly. "Was he good to you, though? You were so young when I left home. Just a child. It was my main concern, you know. And then I read in the Prophet you were to marry Lucius Malfoy." Suddenly revived, Andie stood up and went to embrace Narcissa. "It was my fault, Cissy, wasn't it? They arranged it to cover up what I did?"

"It wasn't your fault." She wasn't used to hugging, so she held her sister clumsily and patted her back. "And I didn't mind much. I would have married Lucius at some point anyway, it just came a little sooner than expected. I was delighted to be his bride." Despite all, she smiled at the memory of her younger self, so eager to make the marriage work. "He was good to me, mostly. There were hard times. But there's hard times everywhere."

It was good to have someone to talk to. To talk about all the years they had missed out, and leave out no details. The babies and Lucia slept through the rest of the night, giving the sisters all the time to catch up. They sat in the small kitchen with the curtains open for a clear view, and drank litres of tea. Every five minutes or so they kept attempting to tune in on the wireless. The sun was rising and they watched it, together. The sunlight was splendid and so bright it hurt their eyes. It was almost impossible to recognise the Patronus soaring through the sky; a flash of silver through the golden sun. Slowly the lion shape came into view, not stopped by something as futile as doors and walls. Narcissa wasn't sure whose Patronus it was. Someone from the Order, undoubtedly. She clutched her sister when they stood up as the silver shape came to a halt in front of them and announced the message:

"Voldemort is dead. Harry Potter survives. Many deaths on both sides. Stay where you are."

Both women gasped and held even tighter onto each other's hands. The relief Narcissa felt upon hearing the Dark Lord was dead was indescribable. Her entire life had been centred around fearing him. Her happiness never truly blossoming because there was always a new war around the corner.

"Whose... whose Patronus was that?" she asked once they regained their breaths and let go of each other.

"Kingsley's. I wonder if he's coming to tell us more in person? And more of the Order. And Harry! Shouldn't we go over there to lend our services to the injured? You should go and tell Lucie. Harry lives!" Andromeda laughed in a beautiful moment of oblivious joy. She was full of a vivaciousness Narcissa wished she herself had more of. Adrenaline filled her sister with a new, endless energy as she began to make tea for Kingsley and whoever would come.

The joy. Narcissa could feel it too; it filled her up an made everything light as a feather. She almost floated up the stairs to wake up Lucia. Yet there was something in the back of her mind that threatened to overshadow the happiness. Many deaths, the message had said. On both sides. Draco. Lucius. Andie's daughter and son-in-law. Bella. Severus. So many names that popped up in her mind. She had no answers. The waiting was worse than before now they knew for certain there were deaths.

"What else did the message say?" Lucia demanded, following her mother down the stairs. She looked fragile in her white dressing gown, but the fever was gone. "Did it mention any names? Or a number of deaths? Are you sure Harry's alive?" She went to pick up baby Zara when they came down, clutching her to her chest.

Andromeda followed Lucia's example by picking up her grandson. "We don't know any more than what your mother's told you," she answered. "It won't be long now."

The three women moved over to the window. It seemed like hours while they waited, before finally the dark-cloaked figures of both Kingsley Shacklebolt and Charlie Weasley popped up as they apparated just outside the grounds. Andie hurried forward to unlock the doors to allow them to enter. She looked so very hopeful.

"Harry's coming," Kingsley announced, with a nod towards Lucia and the baby. Both him and Charlie looked like they came right out of battle. They were covered in bruises and cuts, and Charlie had a bandage around his arm that already had blood seeping through it. Both their faces looked grave when they turned to Andie.

"Mrs Tonks." Kingsley's tone, also, was not what one might expect from someone whose side just won the war.

Narcissa moved over to take her sister's hand.

"Perhaps we could talk in private?" he suggested with a glance towards Narcissa, who became yet more determined.

"I'm not leaving her again."

"She's staying. She's my sister," Andromeda said quietly, squeezing Narcissa's hand as she sank down on the chair. She knew what was coming. They all knew what was coming.

Kingsley inclined his head shortly in agreement as he turned his attention back to Andie and ruined her life with so few words. "We wanted to tell you in person."