TW: This chapter contains violence in the form of the Cruciatus Curse.
The sisters gathered in the entrance hall to make the trip to Hogsmeade Station early the next morning. The caretaker checked the list of students who were going home for Christmas vs. those students who had signed up to stay at Hogwarts over the break. The caretaker checked off their names on his list of students going home, and they filed out of the castle to the carriages taking them to Hogsmeade. They arrived at the train station and boarded, searching the locomotive for an empty compartment. Narcissa noticed Lucius enter a compartment with Evan, and she was almost tempted to join him when Bellatrix said, "Cissy, in here."
Narcissa was disappointed, but followed Bellatrix anyway. She took a seat next to the window, placing her bag with the belongings she'd need over the holiday under her seat. Bellatrix took the other window seat and laid across both seats to keep Andromeda from sitting next to her. Andromeda shook her head slightly, but sat down next to Narcissa.
As they traveled southward toward London, the girls noticed a boy walk past the compartment, and he smiled at Andromeda before continuing down the hall. "Who the Merlin is he?" asked Bellatrix.
"Who?" asked Andromeda.
"The Hufflepuff bloke who just walked past us and smiled at you."
"I don't know," said Andromeda.
Narcissa observed Bellatrix's face, and she could tell Bella was trying to perform Legilimency on Andromeda. She glanced her eyes over toward her other sister, and Andromeda didn't appear to be giving anything away. Whether Andromeda was performing Occlumency or not, Narcissa didn't know.
They arrived at Platform 9 , and they grabbed their bags before disembarking the train. As Narcissa searched around for her parents, she noticed Lucius had already reunited with his. Both Abraxas and Eleanor were blond as well. They were tall, slim, and regal-looking, and it was easy to tell they wore their blood purity and their wealth proudly, as they should, or at least in Narcissa's mind.
"Cissy!" she heard Druella call.
Narcissa turned around and saw her sisters were already standing with their parents. She walked over to them, and Cygnus smiled. "Now, we can make the journey home."
"There's a Port Key set up in King's Cross. It will take us closer to our home, and you girls can hold onto us as we Apparate from there," said Druella.
The Black family arrived home, and the grand foyer was already decorated for Christmas. The family house-elves, Glitter, Daisy, and Tuffy, were dusting the garland-adorned banister. There was a magnificent tree decorated with tinsel along with red, green, gold, and silver balls. A star sat atop the tree. "Dinner will be ready soon, girls," said Druella.
"Yes, Mother," they all answered in stereo.
"Tuffy, get me bottle of Pumpkin Juice," Bellatrix demanded to her elf.
"Yes, Mistress," he answered and bowed before disappearing into the kitchen.
"Does Mistress Andromeda need Daisy to do anything for her?" asked Daisy.
"No, I'm good. Thank you, Daisy." Andromeda ascended the marble staircase to the bed chambers, as she didn't often utilize the use of the house-elves.
"Cissy, we had Glitter clean your room after you left for Hogwarts. It should be ready," said Cygnus.
"Yes, Father," said Narcissa. She climbed the staircase and quietly closed the door of her bed chamber after entering it. Nestled in between Dromeda's room and their bathroom, Narcissa's bedroom was painted a pale purple; unlike Bella's room, which was black, and Dromeda's, which was light cream, Narcissa had decided on what she considered a prettier color. Glitter had clearly done some decorating for Christmas, as there was a wreath in the window overlooking the courtyard of the Black Estate, and some red and green lights were strung overhead. A small statue of Father Christmas sat on her vanity. As Narcissa had grown older, she had been surprised that her parents had embraced the notion of Father Christmas, as she had come to discover it was largely a Muggle tradition. Granted, there weren't any portraits of the three of them with Father Christmas—Cygnus and Druella wouldn't be caught dead in a Muggle store where a photo could've be taken—but perhaps they were attracted to his green robes due their Slytherin allegiance.
Narcissa heard a crack, and Glitter had Apparated into her room. "Glitter was told to let Mistress Cissy know that dinner is being served."
"Thank you, Glitter," answered Narcissa. And with that, Narcissa went to join her family for their evening meal.
Christmas morning arrived, and when Narcissa awoke, light was peeking through the evergreen velvet curtains. Narcissa got up out of bed, pulled on her robe and slippers, and walked toward the window, moving one curtain to the side. There was a blanket of snow on the ground, and icicles covered the trees. It might have been a cliché, but it was perfect.
"CISSY!"
Narcissa jumped, but turned around and answered, "Come in, Bella."
Bellatrix entered the room and said, "Thank Merlin I don't have to keep up that stupid Muggle notion of Father Christmas for your sake. I don't know why Mother and Father embraced it. A man who flies around the world, giving presents to good children all over Britain and the other countries. Disgusting because of the stealing of Wizard culture for their own bloody myths. Mother says we'll be Flooing to Uncle Orion and Auntie Walburga's in an hour. We'll exchange presents and eat the Christmas feast there. Happy Christmas, by the way."
Narcissa nodded, and Bellatrix left the room. Narcissa had Glitter make her bed while she got ready for the day. She grabbed her presents and met her family in the sitting room where the fireplace was. "12 Grimmauld Place," announced Cygnus. They spun through the Floo Network before landing in the fireplace. The first person, or rather, being to greet them was Kreacher.
"Master Cygnus, Mistresses Druella, Bella, Dromeda, and Cissy," he said and bowed.
"Kreacher," Cygnus said and nodded in acknowledgment.
Orion appeared from the dining room. "Cygnus, Druella, Happy Christmas to the both of you. And Happy Christmas to three lovely young ladies."
"Happy Christmas, Uncle Orion," said Andromeda.
"Happy Christmas," said Narcissa.
Andromeda elbowed Bellatrix, and she said, "Yeah, Happy Christmas."
"Sirius, Regulus, quit running about the house and come say hello to your aunt, uncle, and cousins!" shouted Walburga. "Pleasure to see you, Cygnus, Druella. Happy Christmas."
Sirius and Regulus came into the living room, but neither of them said anything. "Well, Kreacher has dinner ready. Shall we begin?" asked Orion.
"We shall," said Druella, ushering her family into the ornate dining room. A crystal chandelier hung over the long, maple wood table, which was filled to the brim with stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, and cranberry sauce; a Christmas ham was placed in the center. Kreacher poured them each a Butterbeer before disappearing back into the kitchen. Narcissa sat in between Druella and Andromeda and waited until the adults, Bella, and Dromeda filled their places before she began to fill hers. "So, Cissy, how has your first year at Hogwarts been?" asked Orion.
"It's been going well. I'm learning a lot," said Narcissa.
"Will I go to Hogwarts?" asked Regulus.
"You and Sirius will both begin attending Hogwarts when you turn eleven like Cissy," said Walburga.
"I'm excited, but I don't want to be in Slytherin," said Sirius.
"Sirius Orion Black, you will be sorted into Slytherin like the rest of your family. If you say something like that again, I swear to Merlin, I will blast you off of the family tapestry," said Walburga.
"Oh, did we tell you that the betrothal between Bella and Rodolphus Lestrange has been finalized?" asked Druella.
"No, but that is wonderful news," said Orion. "I suppose you can work on finding Dromeda a husband next."
Andromeda hiccupped a little. "Is something wrong, Dromeda?" asked Walburga.
"No, nothing is wrong, Auntie Walburga," responded Andromeda.
"Mother and Father won't have to worry about finding Cissy a husband," Bellatrix sneered.
"Why won't we?" asked Cygnus.
"Because she found one on her own," Bella answered in a catty tone.
"Really? Who?" asked Druella. Four pairs of eyes landed on Narcissa.
"It's um…" she stuttered, "LuciusMalfoy," she slurred under her breath.
"Who, dear?" asked Cygnus.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake. It's Lucius Malfoy!" shouted Bellatrix.
"We're just mates," Narcissa defended.
"Mates who walk to breakfast together every morning. Mates who constantly make eyes at each other. Mates who hold hands. Mates who went to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party together. Mates who snog…"
"We didn't snog, Bella. We had one chaste kiss. And I thought you had gone to bed?"
"I apologize. I should have made sure Bella actually went into her dorm room," said Andromeda.
The adults were silent before Cygnus asked, "Is this true, Cissy?"
Narcissa looked down humbly. "Yes, Father."
There was a bit more silence before the adults began chuckling. "Lucius Malfoy. Well done, Cissy. Well done," said Cygnus.
"I mean, it is a little early for Cissy to be in an official courtship, but I suppose we can discuss a sort of pre-courtship with Abraxas and Eleanor," said Druella.
"Perhaps we can let them spend some time together on supervised outings until they're a bit older," said Cygnus.
"Now all we have to do is work on finding Dromeda a husband."
"If I may interrupt, but you should probably focus on Bella and Rodolphus," said Walburga. "There's plenty of time to worry about Dromeda and Cissy."
"I suppose you're correct," said Cygnus, taking a sip of Butterbeer. "We haven't even discovered the Malfoys' feelings on the matter."
The conversation drifted away from the girls and steered toward the family's mutual hatred of the Minster of Magic, Nobby Leach, and Albus Dumbledore, as everyone felt having a Mudblood as the top Wizarding official and a Mudblood lover as Headmaster of Hogwarts brought shame to the name of Wizardry. The post dinner event involved exchanging presents with each other, and then Bellatrix and Narcissa played with Regulus while Andromeda spent time with Sirius, as she always did during visits. Soon after, Cygnus, Druella, and the girls were preparing to Floo home. "Always a pleasure, Cygnus, Druella," said Orion.
"The pleasure is ours," said Cygnus.
"You'll have to tell us what Abraxas and Eleanor say," said Walburga.
"I'll send him an owl first thing tomorrow morning," said Cygnus.
"A union between a Black and a Malfoy would make front page news of The Daily Prophet for weeks," said Druella excitedly.
Narcissa leaned closer to Andromeda and Bellatrix and said, "I'm only eleven, and Lucius and I have only kissed once. Aren't Mother and Father overreacting?"
"We warned you that Mother and Father would be thrilled to see one of us marry Lucius Malfoy, and you're the lucky girl," said Andromeda. "Thank Merlin you might get to marry someone you actually like."
Once they Flooed home, Narcissa went to her room to start preparing for bed. She heard someone enter the bed chamber and, assuming it was Glitter, turned around greet her, only to find Bellatrix pointing her wand at her. "I brought up Lucius Malfoy to try to get you into trouble, and Mother and Father couldn't be more thrilled for you. I have done everything for this family, and I am doing everything to preserve the purity and honor of the Black family. But you continue to be the favorite, their beloved baby."
"Bella, I don't understand. It isn't my fault Lucius Malfoy took notice of me."
"Perhaps not. But you most definitely enjoy his attention. And Mother's and Father's as well."
"Well, I won't apologize for it. You're just jealous that I might get to marry someone I care about someday, while you don't get that privilege."
Bella's eyes widened before she yelled, "CRUCIO!"
Narcissa hit the floor, and the sensation of being burned alive went through her entire body. She cried out in agony, in terror, in frustration, and in desperation as Bellatrix continued the torture. "Bella, stop! PLEASE STOP!"
"Expelliarmus!" The excruciating pain ceased as Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand into Druella's. Narcissa sat up, tears pouring down her cheeks, and she looked over toward her older sister and mother. "Bellatrix Druella Black, we do not use Unforgivable Curses unless it's on Muggles, Mudbloods, Squibs, half-breeds, or blood traitors. We do not use Unforgivable Curses on family members unless they fall into one of those categories. And with the Mudblood Minister of Magic, it's more difficult to deal with this kind of issue. You would be tried as a juvenile witch, so you probably wouldn't face life in Azkaban without parole, but underage magic use could get you expelled from Hogwarts. Now, go get ready for bed."
Bellatrix stormed out of the room, past where Cygnus, Andromeda, and even the house-elves had gathered outside Narcissa's bed chamber. Druella looked at Andromeda, and she made herself scarce as well, ushering the house-elves to follow her. "The Ministry will be notifying us soon. We'll have to either pay them off or alter their memories. Dumbledore's as well," said Cygnus.
"I know," acknowledged Druella. The couple heard Narcissa weeping, so Druella approached her, crouched down to her level, and asked, "Cissy, are you all right?"
"I…Bella…Mum…pain…" was all she could muster right now.
"Cissy, when is your birthday?" asked Druella.
"23 June, 1955," Narcissa answered.
"What is your house-elf's name?" asked Cygnus.
"Glitter."
"Bella hasn't appeared to drive her mad," whispered Cygnus to Druella.
"Still, Bella has been getting more difficult in regard to her behavior as she's gotten older," said Druella as she stood. "But we need to make sure Cissy doesn't remember this. Nor Dromeda."
Cygnus took his daughter's hand and sat her down on her bed. "Father…" Narcissa cried.
"It's okay, Cissy. Mother will make it all better."
Druella pulled out her wand, pointed it at Narcissa, and chanted, "Obliviate."