Chapter 18

"She's alright, no damage from the fall" Andromeda muttered as she cast a quick charm over Narcissa unconscious form as herself and Hermione picked her up from the floor and laid her gently on the sofa. Bellatrix was very still and silently observing, still standing by the mirror.

"Right both of you upstairs, now!" Andromeda ordered without looking up as she summoned a potion bottle from her stores.

"Go! And not a sound you hear me!"

"But what if . . ." Hermione started

"Look I need to revive her, I can't do it if your both here, and I can't tell if I need to obliviate her until I can be certain she knows what she saw or not NOW GO!" she ordered one last time pointing to the door. Hermione obeyed taking Bella's hand and dragging her out the room as the dark witch continued to stare at her youngest sister.

Hermione was thankful that Andromeda had her head screwed on, she was unsure what she would have done In the situation, she was still in shock from seeing Narcissa drop to the floor without even registering someone else was there. He mind floated to who else it may have possibly been and the outcome if someone had spotted Bella such as harry. Hermione shuddered at such a thought and turned her attention back to Bellatrix. The dark witch was still silently sitting on the bed, she had not said a word or change her expression from that moment.

"Hey" Hermione whispered taking the purebloods hand stroking it lightly trying to coax her out of her thoughts.

"Rennervate" Andromeda whispered as she pointed the wand to the blondes form. Narcissa blinked her eyes open fluttering her long dark lashes as she refocused.

"Andy" she breathed, feeling a head rush and clasping her forehead as she sat up quickly. "Here take this" Andy passed the vial of green liquid.

Narcissa took the vial without question as she gathered herself together.

"I'm sorry I just blacked out, I thought I saw . . ." Narcissa's face changed at the sudden memory, she dived up from the sofa and marched towards the doorway to the stairs before Andy had even registered her sisters movement, she rushed of her seat after the blonde calling her name. "CISSY WAIT!"

Narcissa ignored her sister's plea and burst into the door. Taking in the sight in front of her.

"Hello Narcissa" Hermione greeted the blonde as she lay tucked up in bed, a book open in her lap.

"I had a rather irate floo call from my son claiming you were missing from Hogwarts and a vague explanation from the headmistress that you had taken ill. Forgive my intrusion on this unannounced visit but Draco wished me to check if you were ok and get back to him" Narcissa explained.

"I had a fever, I floo'd Andy when I felt unwell and she insisted I stay home till I felt better" Hermione concluded.

"Did she" Narcissa whispered as an afterthought. Andy appeared in the doorway scanning the room quickly before relaxing and looking towards her sister.

"You could have floo'd if you wished to know" Andromeda stated.

"I did yesterday there was no answer"

The blonde looked between the other two witches before standing.

"I shall owl Draco and let him know. I hope you're feeling better miss granger" Narcissa stated as she headed towards the door.

Andromeda trailed behind her younger sister leaving the room, she turned one last time to Hermione grabbing the door and mouthing "where is she?" Hermione lifted her hand pointing down below her as Andromeda followed the direction noticing the stray black curl sticking out from under the bed. Andromeda shoved the door shut behind her as she followed the summoning of her sister down the stairs.

Andromeda arrived to the room a few minutes later as her sister disappeared into the floo network and closed it, blocking any entry of unwanted visitors coming in unannounced as well as tightening the apparition wards to the inside of the dwelling.

"That was close" Andromeda heaved, holding her hand to her forehead, as Hermione remade the bed and pulled Bellas hand hoisting her to her feet as she pulled herself from underneath the bed. The trio gathered downstairs in the kitchen as they ate ham sandwiches for lunch, Hermione and Andy had made some small talk but Bella remained silence throughout the exchange. The wards alerted them of an invading force entering the garden area. Andromeda hesitantly stood up looking out the kitchen window into the back, she sighed before opening the small window as a small excitable owl swooped in.

"Pig?" Hermione spoke looking at the overexcited bird as it swooped to her outstretched hand.

"Pig?" Andromeda echoed.

"Pigwidgeon, its Ron's owl" Hermione answered unwrapping the parchment tied to the owls leg. Bellatrix turned her attention to the brunette at the mention of Ron's name, a look of distaste on her face as she scowled at the parchment.

"it's from Harry- " Hermione said as she scanned down the page "he wants to come see me before I return to school tomorrow but couldn't get through the floo".

"I can open it up" Andy answered.

"I should probably see him" Hermione murmured knowing her friend would be worried otherwise.

"I'll just go hide back under the bed then shall I" Bellatrix spat sarcastically.

"You can come down the cellar with me" Andromeda instructed before Hermione or Bellatrix could protest she walked over to door.

"Come on" Andy jerked her head summoning Bella. The dark witch was sat in a defensive stance, her arms crossed stubbornly on her chest. She hmph'd as she finally stood and walked over following her sister, briefly looking back at Hermione before closing the door of the stairway she descended.

Hermione sat waiting by the fireplace, knowing the green flames would eventually erupt, which it did several minutes later as Harry Potter stepped into the room.

"Hermione" he chirped holding out his hands and pulling her into a tight hug as he swept a fine sheen of ash from his robes. The dark green auror training robes seemed slightly baggy on his thin form.

"Hi harry" Hermione smiled hugging him back. After a couple of minutes harry pulled back turning round and stepping into the sitting room taking in his surroundings.

"It's different from when me and Hagrid were here" Harry spoke quietly more to himself than anything. Hermione looked at him lost in his memories of war. Her own thoughts wandering as she realised how much everything had changed.

"He misses you" Harry said taking a seat and looking towards Hermione. "He's angry now, but give him time 'Mione he will get over it"

"Maybe Harry, but I'm tired of it. After all these years, after everything we have been through, he still has the emotional range of a teaspoon. He's still selfish, he's still petty and he still hurts me" she finished turning away. Harry nodded in silence looking down. Seven years he had spent trying to be mediator between his two best friends, but he knew something would give eventually.

"He tried to come through when we heard you were ill through Mrs Weasley yesterday, no one would tell us anything"

"Just a mild Scrofungulus bug I think, I am fine now. I'll return to school tomorrow" she answered. "Anyways why don't you tell me about auror training and I can tell you about Hogwarts" harry smiled as he began to talk about his adventures.

They had been down in the cellar for 45 minutes of almost complete silence. Andromeda sat in her oak chair as her dragon-hide gloved finger traced down the handwritten instructions of her experiment. Her auburn hair was messily clipped to the back of her head as several tendrils managed to escape, a pair of glass goggles protected her eyes as she had cautiously poured vials of various liquids into the cauldron and scribbled down and noted change to her concoction. Bellatrix had trailed along the shelves at the far side of the room, lingering with interest at teddy's playpen as she picked up various muggle toys with interest. She had finally settled at the bottom step of the stone staircase throwing a ball from the toy box she had picked up and bounced against the wall catching it lazily.

Thwack . . . . . Thwack . . . . Thwack . . . . . .

Andromeda groaned as she tried to concentrate, scribbling notes as her potion turned a turgid green. She looked up at the other witch slumped against the bottom step as she bounced the ball against the wall and back.

"Grab me some cockatrice tongue from the shelf" Andromeda instructed not looking up. Bellatrix looked up slightly confused if it was herself being summoned. After initial shock she silently stood still holding the small ball in hand as she skimmed the shelf till she found a jar correctly labelled. She sauntered to the desk placing it in front of her sister.

The silence was disrupted as Lazarus suddenly began making a fuss on his perch screeching and flapping his wings as he looked suspiciously out of his window. Both witches looked over as the owl became more alarmed and jumped from his perch as he flew towards his mistress settling and looking ruffled as the bird settled on her offered dragon hide gloved hand. A small black object plummeted to the floor through the window. Both leaned their heads forward warily as they looked at the alien object until it coughed and stretched out its wings.

"Levi!" Bellatrix walked across to the small creature sweeping it into her hand and stroking his head with her index finger.

"What on earth is it?"

"He's a pygmy dragon" Bella cooed as she lovingly petted the tiny creature.

"A pygmy . . . I thought they were only a legend?" Andromeda asked incredulously looking at the creature. She was still holding Lazarus who looked at the tiny dragon in distaste.

"Well he's real" Bellatrix chuckled with a brightened smile. Lazarus flew back to his perch as Andromeda cautiously took a step forward.

"Does it breathe fire like a dragon?" she asked in awe of the strange creature. As if on cue the small dragon sneezed as smoke flew from his nostrils. Bella nodded.

"Do you think he could produce fire embers?"

"What for?" Bella asked suspiciously eyeing up her sister who was now standing next to her fixated on her familiar. Levi hissed as the gloved hand reached out to him. Bellatrix snacked her pet away offendedly scowling at her sister.

"it's an ingredient I need for working on a salve for fiendfyre burns, it's difficult getting hold of any since the Gringotts dragon escaped" Bella thought to herself.

"If he coughs any up I'll send them for you" Bella finally answered. "What exactly do u make potions for anyways?" she asked looking over into the cauldron.

"I'm a potioneer for St Mungo's and several apocathary's" Bella seemed intrigued. Despite the time after 14 years in Azkaban and after she had heard little to no details on Andromeda except for the occasional heckle from other death eaters about the half-blood niece who was an auror.

"What was she like?" Bellatrix blurted out, Andromeda looked up slightly taken aback by the question.

"Who?"

"Your daughter . . ."

Andromeda was silent for a moment, she stared at her sister who in turn stared back, looking into such dark eyes and seeing peaked interest and thirst for important information was something Andromeda didn't expect.

"Clumsy is always the first word that comes to mind" Andromeda smiled, perching herself on her desk as she pulled the gloves off and rested her hands on the ledge. "If there was something on the floor trip worthy Dora would be the first to find it. She was messy, loud and had a heart of gold. As a child it was a nightmare in any proximity to muggle especially with her hair changing colour every 5 minutes. We did our best, she made friends easily but she did say she felt lonely at times, ted was an only child so no cousins to play with. As she grew up she fulfilled her dream of becoming an auror, marrying a man she loved and having a child. I just wished she had listened when I begged her not to go back to that school" Andromeda moved away as she wiped the tears from her eyes, her voice cracking as she finished.

Bellatrix had been listening intently, so strange to hear the story of a close relative who she had never known. Feeling a similarity of character to herself as a child and so different to her nephew. From what Andy told her, Nymphadora was a kind loving selfless person, unlike Draco who had been spoilt, whiney, and cowardice.

"Was it you?" Andy asked her tone neutral and her eyes pleading as she questioned Bella. Bellatrix looked at her sister, confused until she realised the insinuation of the question.

"Rabastan killed her, I heard him bragging to the dark lord in the forest" Bellatrix whispered. Andromeda sighed as if some weight was lifted from her shoulders. She turned to take her gloves back pulling the left hand on wiggling her fingers into the holes as she returned to her work.

"I tried to stop them"

Andromeda turned to her estrange sister.

"I didn't know until it was too late that they came to torture you. I hated you for leaving, but I promised cissy you would never be harmed" Bella confessed turning away from the staring eyes of her sister. Andromeda was stunned, not knowing what to say and suddenly distracted as an otter shaped patronus descended the stairway towards her.

"Harry wishes to see you before he leaves" Hermione's voice echoed from the silver creature.

Andy nodded to the entity and walked up the stairs leaving Bella alone. The dark which looked up towards the closed wooden door before tiptoeing up the steps and sitting on the most atop listening to the voices on the other side.

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