"Lucius—" Narcissa turned her head to look at the empty space next to her in bed. "Lucius…" she mouthed silently.
"He was called two hours ago," a voice echoed from the far corner of the master quarters, protected in the shadows.
"Bella," Narcissa breathed, momentarily startled. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't I pay my dear little sister a visit?" Bellatrix , the eldest Black sister stepped into the dim light of the sconces..
"Don't lie, Bella," the lady Malfoy recovered sternly. "You're not here to visit."
Bellatrix hissed in annoyance.
"Of course… the Dark Lord believed Lucius more apt for this particular raid…element of surprise and control is… more to his area of prowess." Her sister let every note of disdain hang with accentuated length, displaying her unbridled hostility toward Narcissa's husband. "So, I get to babysit."
Narcissa's mouth curled into a snarl but before she could answer, Bellatrix interrupted, "Oh Cissy, you're far too fair for such nasty looks. Besides, we wouldn't want you to do any harm to the master Malfoy's heir, now would we?"
"Go away, Bella," The lady answered quietly. "You don't want to be here, and I'm not having the child for another month."
"That's it then?" Bellatrix smiled mischievously. "You're dear husband told me you've been especially unwell as of late. He only wants to make sure you are safe," she finished with a patronizing grin.
"Go away, Bella," Narcissa repeated wearily. "I'll sleep it off until Lucius returns. Go home."
"Oh but I can't," Bellatrix was getting more and more maddeningly amused, and her black eyes glowed with excitement. "Lucius made me promise—"
"Then get out of the room!" The youngest Black sister raised her voice. "I won't rest with you watching me!"
"Tsk tsk, Cissy, you'll hurt the baby," Bellatrix pouted, making her sister swell with range. "But fine, have it your way, then…" and quickly, she swept out the room, slamming the doors behind her before Narcissa could follow through on any threat.
The lady Malfoy reluctantly settled back down against her collection of pillows, sighing with exhaustion.
"Bella…" she could find no further explanation. In her own twisted manner, Bellatrix did care for Narcissa. They were both remnants of a quickly-fading aristocracy and both knew all too well the value of their lineage. But Bellatrix, more dedicated to fighting for the rites of blood than providing for it, had passed the duty of bearing heirs to her youngest sister, who was much more finely cut for the roll than she. Still, even Bellatrix knew better than to take the pretty blonde for face-value. Narcissa was a witch on her own right and talent.
Narcissa's midsection spasmed and she turned over on her other side, groaning into the white bedcovers. The child was kicking relentlessly against her sides as it had been doing rather forcefully in the recent month.
"You had better be a boy," she murmured through clenched teeth, "because dammit, Lucius, I am not doing this again!"
The restless movement did not subside for nearly an hour and by the end of it, Lady Malfoy was too upset to sleep. Vague footsteps padded outside the bedroom door; Bellatrix was waiting for any alarm, no doubt at her wits end for some type of trouble to rouse her, but would not enter the room unless directly ordered.
"Fine then…" Narcissa murmured breathlessly, pulling herself out of bed. "I'll walk it off."
"Cissy, what are you doing?" Bellatrix gave an uncharacteristic noise of surprise when her sister appeared from inside the master chambers, curtly waiving the doors closed behind her with a sharp flick of her hand.
"There is no way I am sleeping with this!" Narcissa growled, glaring at her sister.
"Cissy, go back to bed," Bellatrix answered sharply.
"Don't tell me what to do in my house!" Narcissa raised her voice, meeting her sister's black gaze with cold blue eyes.
"Lucius would not allow this-" Bellatrix stepped forward to confront.
"Lucius isn't here!"
"No, he isn't! But he stuck me here to make sure you wouldn't do something stupid!"
Narcissa smoldered, pushing past her sister, and swept down the hall toward the main staircase.
"Don't you dare lock yourself away from me, Narcissa Black!" Bellatrix shrieked, hurrying after her; but Narcissa was already several steps down the the main stairway, headed intently to her husband's private chambers. The room was sealed and aside from Lucius, she was the only other allowed in.
"Cissy- NARCISSA!" The eldest Black sister howled in anger as the lady shut the door and it sealed before she could touch the knob. "Merlin- NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PITCH FITS AT ME!"
The door may have been sealed but Narcissa could hear Bellatrix plain and clear as she raged and stamped just outside the room.
"Fine, and I bet dear Lucius charmed the bloody place so I cant hear you from inside… well then, if you have any problems I just… won't be able to hear you. Oh what rotten luck." Bellatrix simpered.
"The baby is not due for another month",Narcissa repeated to herself, for Lucius had indeed charmed the room against unwanted ears.
"Of course, I suppose Lucius has direct access to his private quarters…" her sister continued to taunt from outside. "You know, Cissy, perhaps you were right… I really have no business here. Yes, I'll tell my brother-in-law that he's just wasting time having me here, because my little sister has no manners for someone who only wants to make sure she and her future heir are safe and unharmed."
"Oh please", Narcissa rolled her eyes, curling up in the large leather chair Lucius kept in the office for long work nights.
"Pity, I do try to be nice…" Bellatrix continued her soliloquy outside the door.
"Shut-" Narcissa was cut off when a dull pain pulsed through her lower back. When it didn't return immediately she settled back into the chair and fell asleep.
"I mean, what if it's a girl, Cissy?" Bellatrix kept on with her tirade. "Spare before heir is not how it goes…" Bellatrix paused mid-step and hissed. She'd achieved no rise from her sister and in thorough disappointment at no longer having an audience, let out a screech and pounded on the door.
"Cissy! Stop being stubborn and let me in!"
Bella continued to assail the door to no avail.
"Fine! Charms were more your area anyway, Lucius…" she mumbled, sending an angry shower of sparks at the dark mahogany wood.
Narcissa had, in fact, heard the last bit of her sister's tirade, through a heavy blanket of fatigue, but was too comfortable answer, and curled up once more when another dull pain cramped in her lower back.
The lady sighed and bit her lip, mentally noting the possibility of pre-term contractions, and did her best to relax. Perhaps they would then cease, or at least not return until Lucius arrived home. In any case, he could not be summoned while at work.
"Cissy…. you can't be asleep now…" Bellatrix interrupted her thoughts. "I know you can hear me through that door…"
Narcissa groaned in irritation and reluctantly uncurled from the chair to stand.
"Only because you won't leave me alone- Oh!"
The lady Malfoy gripped the arm of the chair as the pain returned, this time, nearly doubling her over.
"Not now…" Narcissa bit her lip, swallowing a new, rising panic, intent to make her way to the door and at least let her sister in before anything else could happen.
"There you are! Goblin's gold, Cissy-"
Bellatrix stopped cold, staring at her sister, who had gone paler than ivory.
"I thought you were done with morning sickness-"
"It isn't morning sickness!-" Narcissa hissed, leaning heavily against the doorjamb.
"You can't be serious-" Bellatrix scoffed, eying her sister carefully. The lady Malfoy could only glare in reproach and the eldest black sister cackled.
"Oh Lucius will love this! Missing the birth of his heir-"
"BELLA!" Narcissa raised her voice in fury before falling back with a cry of pain. "Bella… please-"
"Well we've got to get Mummy, and Daddy-"
"Get me back upstairs!" Narcissa hissed, grabbing her sister's arm with enough strength to make Bellatrix let out a surprised howl.
"Dammit, Cissy, that's my wand arm!"
"You won't even have that if you don't get moving!" Narcissa threatened, clenching her teeth as another bout of pain came at her, sharper, ripping through her lower abdomen.
"All right, all right!" Bellatrix huffed. "If you can make it up the stairs," she put an arm around her sister and began escort her carefully out into the main atrium and toward the stairs.
"Stop!" Narcissa gripped her sister's arm, inhaling sharply as another contraction came onto her just as the two began to climb the stairs.
Bellatrix looked down at her with a rare display of concern.
"Cissy, are you going to make it up the stairs or not?" the elder sister recovered sharply.
"I will,"Narcissa answered resolutely.
"Then we'd best get up there before Lucius gets home", Bellatrix snapped grumpily, receiving a glare from her sister before the two continued, step by step up the seemingly ever-climbing staircase.
