Black Night
Part Three
Rated R
Narcissa/Rabastan, Narcissa/Lucius, Bellatrix/Severus
Narcissa hadn't returned to the apartment until early in the morning - around six, Bella supposed. She had pretended to be dismissive when Bella asked if everything was all right, but Bellatrix was fairly sure she knew what had happened, and she wouldn't forget it soon. She vowed silently to find out just how it had happened, and if necessary to kill Lucius Malfoy. No one, Ino oneI hurt her sister and got away with it.
The next time the Mark burned was four days later, and it was simply for a meeting, not for a mission. It was planning, and the Dark Lord was present. Bellatrix watched Narcissa closely, and sure enough, the first thing her sister had done was glance at Lucius, a strange look in her eyes. Bella saw the man give his head the slightest of shakes and then jerk it towards Rabastan Lestrange. Looking frightened and unsure, Narcissa had swallowed and given the smallest of nods. The frightened look became more pronounced when she noticed Bellatrix studying her carefully.
The meeting was uneventful - Rookwood had more information to be reported, but nothing out of the ordinary. Severus was still in bad shape, but he could walk now, and promised the Dark Lord that he would not be hindering on the mission which was three days away.
The meeting was quickly over, and the Dark Lord left Lucius to give orders of preparation. Bellatrix watched him carefully and noted that he was ignoring both of the sisters, speaking to Severus first, and then Avery, Crabbe and Goyle, then Rodolphus. . .Rabastan came next, and after receiving orders, instead of Disapparating like the rest, came over to take Narcissa aside and speak to her, smiling. She kissed him again, more casually, and shook her head in response to some question. She shot Bellatrix a look then, and after a moment responded to another question. Another kiss, and Rabastan vanished. Nott had already received orders, but when Lucius motioned Bellatrix forward first she hesitated, glancing at Narcissa.
But her sister seemed to be occupied, and Lucius gave her unimportant commands. She waited, listening and nodding, and when he had finished did not move. He raised his eyebrows, and she said, in a soft, unwavering voice, "If you hurt Narcissa, I will kill you."
His eyebrows raised further, clearly surprised despite himself, but the cool, unmoved expression on his face remained. He made no response.
"If you so much as lay a finger on her. . ." Bellatrix was aware her voice had started to waver now. Lucius' eyes flickered over her shoulder, and she had a feeling it was involuntary on his part. She followed his eyes, knowing, knowing that there was nowhere else that he could be looking. She looked back at him, cold-eyed, as he started to smile at her.
"And what if she lays a finger on me, little girl? Will you kill her, then?" His smile widened as something dark stirred behind her eyes. She stiffened, glanced back at Narcissa, and moved backwards to let her sister take her orders.
Lucius whispered to her, his eyes flickering back to Bella every few seconds, and Narcissa nodded slowly, and then turned to Bellatrix carefully. She glanced back at Lucius for a moment, and he just smiled, a warmer smile than she had ever seen before on his face. Narcissa joined her sister, and the two of them Disapparated.
When the apartment slid back into place Narcissa turned to Bellatrix, looking betrayed and angry and on the verge of tears.
"What did you IsayI to him?"
Bellatrix, slightly startled, replied defiantly and honestly. "I told him if he touched you he was a dead man."
"Bella!" she wailed. "How IcouldI you? I've never stopped you and Severus, and I'm older than you are, I have as much right -"
"You don't know Severus," Bellatrix hissed, anger sparking in her. "And Severus and I never -"
"I wouldn't stop you if you did - if you wanted to -"
"I saw you kiss Rabastan, you love him too, you're playing him and he's a good man. He's not as dangerous, he's -"
"Since when have you ever cared about dangerous?!" Narcissa howled, and had opened her mouth to say more when there was a loud pop from behind them. They both whirled, but the man who was standing there was possibly one of the last they had expected to see.
"Oh," Sirius said, looking extremely put out and rather startled. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I'm sorry, I just wondered if Andry was here."
"No," said Narcissa, trying to let the anger fade, and feeling rather puzzled. "Why?"
"She's not at her house, or at your parents. I even owled Regulus, she's not at my parents' either. Ted doesn't know where she is, he Flooed to my place because she was supposed to be home three hours ago and she never showed up." The usual twist of his mouth when he mentioned his parents was still present, but less so than normally. Worry creased his young face.
"Tonks." Bella snorted derisively, overturning a chair by mistake and hastily setting it back up. Her face was starting to flush again. "That Mudblood - IGryffindorI. She could have made a respectable marriage, she could have continued the family's pure-blood." Her mouth twisted at the last word as Sirius' had when he spoke of his parents.
"Easy on the insults," Sirius said, looking offended. "Yes, he's a Muggle- born -" He stressed the last word. "You won't even bother to meet him, though. And you've barely seen your neice, she's adorable. It's been four years, you two, you ought to get over it. Yes, and he was in Gryffindor, correct, and he's probably a much nicer guy than either of you two have." He raised his hand against the furious protests that had immediately and predictably started. "OK, enough. I've got to find Andry. Any ideas?"
Bellatrix and Narcissa looked at each other and shook their heads slowly.
It was then that Lucius Malfoy appeared next to Sirius with a pop, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
He took a step forward. In the few minutes since they had seen him, he had changed into Muggle clothes - a leather jacket and crisp black trousers. His eyes were wide. "Narcissa," he said urgently, starting to move towards her. "I just -" And then he froze and broke off, because there were two wands pointed directly at his heart.
Sirius and Bellatrix both shot each other looks of surprise, but Sirius' was much breifer. His eyes darted toward Narcissa furiously as he stepped toward Lucius, the few days of Auror training he had taken so far obviously kicking in. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, looking alert, tense, and ready to hex the man in a moment's notice. He was covering Lucius' movements thoroughly - between himself and Bellatrix, there was no way that Lucius could escape.
Bella moved into the few steps' space that still separated her sister from Lucius, and in a voice like jagged steel, whispered, "Get out."
"No," Narcissa said suddenly, and Lucius seemed to sag with relief. Bellatrix and Sirius both turned to her, Sirius in obvious confusion and startlement, Bella in anger.
At the same time, Bellatrix hissed, "Narcissa - no," and Sirius said, "Narcissa - what -?"
"Don't try to stop me, Bella," Narcissa said, drawing her own wand. "Sirius - I'm sorry. Find Andry. Please find her. I - I just -"
But Sirius was nodding, his eyes dark with anger and betrayal. "She's your sister," he said in a flat, biting voice.
"I can't," Narcissa said, her voice breaking. "I can't, Sirius, I can't, I can't. I -" But she said no more. She started to move forward, shouldering past Bellatrix and staring at Sirius. She moved a step past Lucius and looked Sirius in the eye. He could see the tears glimmering in hers from so close. Lucius, looking uneasily at Sirius and even more uneasily at Bella, reached out his hand and lay it on her shoulder. She turned away from Sirius, burying her face in Lucius' leather jacket, her shoulders shaking, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders tightly. Looking up at the furious but unmoving Bellatrix, and then back at the shocked Sirius, Lucius' eyes rolled up into his head and the two of them vanished.
Bella leapt forward. "That bastard!" she hissed. "He must have had a Portkey -"
"He's a Death Eater, Bella," Sirius said, sounding dumbstruck, as if he could not process what had just happened and what was still happening. "They can't prove it, but victims said they saw - that they -"
She hesitated, very close to telling her most-hated cousin the truth, and then nodded. "I know," she said honestly, "and so does Narcissa. But she loves him. She won't keep away from him."
"Was that what you were arguing about?"
"Yes," Bella sighed. "Now, I know you hate me, and I know I hate you, Sirius. But we've got to find Andry, and we've got to get Narcissa away from Lucius Malfoy."
Sirius lowered his wand and nodded slowly.
Narcissa hadn't returned to the apartment until early in the morning - around six, Bella supposed. She had pretended to be dismissive when Bella asked if everything was all right, but Bellatrix was fairly sure she knew what had happened, and she wouldn't forget it soon. She vowed silently to find out just how it had happened, and if necessary to kill Lucius Malfoy. No one, Ino oneI hurt her sister and got away with it.
The next time the Mark burned was four days later, and it was simply for a meeting, not for a mission. It was planning, and the Dark Lord was present. Bellatrix watched Narcissa closely, and sure enough, the first thing her sister had done was glance at Lucius, a strange look in her eyes. Bella saw the man give his head the slightest of shakes and then jerk it towards Rabastan Lestrange. Looking frightened and unsure, Narcissa had swallowed and given the smallest of nods. The frightened look became more pronounced when she noticed Bellatrix studying her carefully.
The meeting was uneventful - Rookwood had more information to be reported, but nothing out of the ordinary. Severus was still in bad shape, but he could walk now, and promised the Dark Lord that he would not be hindering on the mission which was three days away.
The meeting was quickly over, and the Dark Lord left Lucius to give orders of preparation. Bellatrix watched him carefully and noted that he was ignoring both of the sisters, speaking to Severus first, and then Avery, Crabbe and Goyle, then Rodolphus. . .Rabastan came next, and after receiving orders, instead of Disapparating like the rest, came over to take Narcissa aside and speak to her, smiling. She kissed him again, more casually, and shook her head in response to some question. She shot Bellatrix a look then, and after a moment responded to another question. Another kiss, and Rabastan vanished. Nott had already received orders, but when Lucius motioned Bellatrix forward first she hesitated, glancing at Narcissa.
But her sister seemed to be occupied, and Lucius gave her unimportant commands. She waited, listening and nodding, and when he had finished did not move. He raised his eyebrows, and she said, in a soft, unwavering voice, "If you hurt Narcissa, I will kill you."
His eyebrows raised further, clearly surprised despite himself, but the cool, unmoved expression on his face remained. He made no response.
"If you so much as lay a finger on her. . ." Bellatrix was aware her voice had started to waver now. Lucius' eyes flickered over her shoulder, and she had a feeling it was involuntary on his part. She followed his eyes, knowing, knowing that there was nowhere else that he could be looking. She looked back at him, cold-eyed, as he started to smile at her.
"And what if she lays a finger on me, little girl? Will you kill her, then?" His smile widened as something dark stirred behind her eyes. She stiffened, glanced back at Narcissa, and moved backwards to let her sister take her orders.
Lucius whispered to her, his eyes flickering back to Bella every few seconds, and Narcissa nodded slowly, and then turned to Bellatrix carefully. She glanced back at Lucius for a moment, and he just smiled, a warmer smile than she had ever seen before on his face. Narcissa joined her sister, and the two of them Disapparated.
When the apartment slid back into place Narcissa turned to Bellatrix, looking betrayed and angry and on the verge of tears.
"What did you IsayI to him?"
Bellatrix, slightly startled, replied defiantly and honestly. "I told him if he touched you he was a dead man."
"Bella!" she wailed. "How IcouldI you? I've never stopped you and Severus, and I'm older than you are, I have as much right -"
"You don't know Severus," Bellatrix hissed, anger sparking in her. "And Severus and I never -"
"I wouldn't stop you if you did - if you wanted to -"
"I saw you kiss Rabastan, you love him too, you're playing him and he's a good man. He's not as dangerous, he's -"
"Since when have you ever cared about dangerous?!" Narcissa howled, and had opened her mouth to say more when there was a loud pop from behind them. They both whirled, but the man who was standing there was possibly one of the last they had expected to see.
"Oh," Sirius said, looking extremely put out and rather startled. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I'm sorry, I just wondered if Andry was here."
"No," said Narcissa, trying to let the anger fade, and feeling rather puzzled. "Why?"
"She's not at her house, or at your parents. I even owled Regulus, she's not at my parents' either. Ted doesn't know where she is, he Flooed to my place because she was supposed to be home three hours ago and she never showed up." The usual twist of his mouth when he mentioned his parents was still present, but less so than normally. Worry creased his young face.
"Tonks." Bella snorted derisively, overturning a chair by mistake and hastily setting it back up. Her face was starting to flush again. "That Mudblood - IGryffindorI. She could have made a respectable marriage, she could have continued the family's pure-blood." Her mouth twisted at the last word as Sirius' had when he spoke of his parents.
"Easy on the insults," Sirius said, looking offended. "Yes, he's a Muggle- born -" He stressed the last word. "You won't even bother to meet him, though. And you've barely seen your neice, she's adorable. It's been four years, you two, you ought to get over it. Yes, and he was in Gryffindor, correct, and he's probably a much nicer guy than either of you two have." He raised his hand against the furious protests that had immediately and predictably started. "OK, enough. I've got to find Andry. Any ideas?"
Bellatrix and Narcissa looked at each other and shook their heads slowly.
It was then that Lucius Malfoy appeared next to Sirius with a pop, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
He took a step forward. In the few minutes since they had seen him, he had changed into Muggle clothes - a leather jacket and crisp black trousers. His eyes were wide. "Narcissa," he said urgently, starting to move towards her. "I just -" And then he froze and broke off, because there were two wands pointed directly at his heart.
Sirius and Bellatrix both shot each other looks of surprise, but Sirius' was much breifer. His eyes darted toward Narcissa furiously as he stepped toward Lucius, the few days of Auror training he had taken so far obviously kicking in. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, looking alert, tense, and ready to hex the man in a moment's notice. He was covering Lucius' movements thoroughly - between himself and Bellatrix, there was no way that Lucius could escape.
Bella moved into the few steps' space that still separated her sister from Lucius, and in a voice like jagged steel, whispered, "Get out."
"No," Narcissa said suddenly, and Lucius seemed to sag with relief. Bellatrix and Sirius both turned to her, Sirius in obvious confusion and startlement, Bella in anger.
At the same time, Bellatrix hissed, "Narcissa - no," and Sirius said, "Narcissa - what -?"
"Don't try to stop me, Bella," Narcissa said, drawing her own wand. "Sirius - I'm sorry. Find Andry. Please find her. I - I just -"
But Sirius was nodding, his eyes dark with anger and betrayal. "She's your sister," he said in a flat, biting voice.
"I can't," Narcissa said, her voice breaking. "I can't, Sirius, I can't, I can't. I -" But she said no more. She started to move forward, shouldering past Bellatrix and staring at Sirius. She moved a step past Lucius and looked Sirius in the eye. He could see the tears glimmering in hers from so close. Lucius, looking uneasily at Sirius and even more uneasily at Bella, reached out his hand and lay it on her shoulder. She turned away from Sirius, burying her face in Lucius' leather jacket, her shoulders shaking, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders tightly. Looking up at the furious but unmoving Bellatrix, and then back at the shocked Sirius, Lucius' eyes rolled up into his head and the two of them vanished.
Bella leapt forward. "That bastard!" she hissed. "He must have had a Portkey -"
"He's a Death Eater, Bella," Sirius said, sounding dumbstruck, as if he could not process what had just happened and what was still happening. "They can't prove it, but victims said they saw - that they -"
She hesitated, very close to telling her most-hated cousin the truth, and then nodded. "I know," she said honestly, "and so does Narcissa. But she loves him. She won't keep away from him."
"Was that what you were arguing about?"
"Yes," Bella sighed. "Now, I know you hate me, and I know I hate you, Sirius. But we've got to find Andry, and we've got to get Narcissa away from Lucius Malfoy."
Sirius lowered his wand and nodded slowly.
