Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series.

Warnings: Mild language... again, from Bella.

Branding

Narcissa climbed the tall staircase to her room and looked down the long hallway almost mournfully. The two rooms preceding hers were now empty after Bellatrix had married and Andromeda had… left, but she wasn't thinking of that, not yet. She missed their constant company; she hated the sensation of change that bit her like cold whether every morning when she didn't wake to her sister's noisy banter. She walked past Andromeda's room quickly, forcing herself not to check, but opened Bella's door to look inside.

"Bella!" Narcissa exclaimed excitedly, running over to the bed where her sister slept. But then, her previous feelings of angst surfaced as she thought that something must be wrong. Narcissa thought her sister looked more ragged than usual. She looked almost sickly, as though she had not rested in a week, even as she slept.

Suddenly, Bellatrix stirred and blinked up at Narcissa with a grin. "Cissy!"

"Are you ok? You look dreadful! Why are you here? It's not Rodolphus, is it?" Narcissa asked in a torrent of both excitement and worry.

Bella laughed, "I'm fine; calm down. All on your own and you become a basket case? I had to talk to father and he said that you'd be home from the Malfoys' in a few hours. And, I was tired so I took a nap."

"Oh," Narcissa said, suddenly feeling silly. What could possibly hurt her sister? She sat on the edge of the bed, happy to have someone to talk to.

"So how was the old hag?" Bella asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Positively infuriating! I know the only reason Mrs. Malfoy invited me over to tea was to scrutinize me the entire afternoon; to decide if I was worthy enough for her precious son," Narcissa sighed contemptuously.

Bella shook her head in amusement, clicking her teeth disdainfully. "Lucius will never deserve you, my sister. No matter how rich he may be. Blacks are always above Malfoys."

Narcissa smiled appreciatively, even though she knew the first part of what her sister said was false. Narcissa Black was the only woman worthy enough of Lucius Malfoy, and likewise, Lucius Malfoy was the only man worthy enough of Narcissa Black.

With a yawn, Bellatrix ran a hand through her hair absentmindedly. As she did so, her sleeve fell down just enough to expose a glimpse of her forearm. Narcissa looked in confusion at the exposed skin, something like dark ink forming the beginnings of an odd tattoo. Bellatrix flopped back onto her pillow, apparently oblivious to her sister's bemused stare.

"Bella, what's that?" Narcissa asked slowly, as though worried she was treading into sensitive territory.

Bellatrix looked up at her blankly. "What's what?" she replied, though Narcissa had the strong feeling that Bella knew exactly what.

"…on your arm," Narcissa added hesitantly.

Something conflicting flashed briefly in Bellatrix's eyes; her mouth opened as though she might reply, but no explanation came as she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve absentmindedly.

Narcissa bit her lip as a feeling of dread sunk in slowly. Rather bravely, she leaned over her sister to finger the material hiding her arm. Bellatrix smacked her hand away quickly as she sat up with a jolt.

"Bella…"

With a defiant sigh, Bellatrix pulled back her sleeve in a swift movement.

Narcissa gave a small squeal of surprise, clapping her hands to her mouth. She gazed at her sister's arm in shock. The pale skin had been darkened with the unmistakable brand of skull and serpent. Something about the image made Narcissa feel squeamish, as though it was something that ought not be discussed in the open.

"Is that… oh, Bella; is that…?" Narcissa managed weakly, knowing full well what it was.

"The Dark Mark," Bellatrix murmured, staring obsessively at the magical branding.

Narcissa winced as she watched her sister trace the mark with her long fingernails, in a trance, her lips lingering centimeters away from the skull as she seemed to inhale the scent of the dark magic. Perhaps she shouldn't be so surprised, though. After all, why wouldn't Bellatrix join a gang of pride-stricken crusaders? It just came sooner than Narcissa had thought.

"And you're… one of them? Already?" she continued, hoping that Bella might say differently.

"Yes," Bellatrix breathed in fiercely. Closing her eyes, she licked the passion from her lips. "A Death Eater."

Narcissa shuddered as she stood up from the edge of the bed. She walked around Bella's room in a daze, looking for some sort of indication to this that she might have missed all the years before. The dark elegance of the room, however, simply reflected the tastes of any pureblood witch. No, foreboding hadn't resided in Bella's bedroom, but in Bella herself. Narcissa had always known it was there; but to see the inner sadism displayed so arrogantly on her sister's skin was jarring. If Bellatrix had waited, maybe just five more years, she would have realized how very much this would shift her life. But even Narcissa couldn't convince herself that her sister would have had that much reason.

"Merlin, Bella!" Narcissa shouted in exasperation.

"I'm of age, Cissy," Bellatrix retorted as if reading her sister's mind.

"Barely!"

Narcissa stalked over to the bed and stared down at her sister.

"You might as well have run off to the Dark Lord the moment you got off the Hogwarts Express!"

Bellatrix smirked up at Narcissa; she returned the look with a frown.

"Well, I couldn't just get the mark without any sort of training," Bella laughed softly.

That would explain Bellatrix's seemingly constant state of exhaustion. Narcissa felt sick as she thought of what sort of training her sister had endured.

"This isn't right, Bella," Narcissa continued.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "You disagree with maintaining the blood purity of our society?"

Narcissa shook her head with her lips pressed tightly together. "No, Bella, of course I agree with the cause. It's just that… This isn't what you were destined to do."

Bellatrix threw her head back and laughed. "Oh? Then what do you expect me to do, Cissy?" Bella taunted, "Sit at home as the dutiful wife and raise children?"

Narcissa smirked at the thought; but then, thinking of the constant danger Death Eaters faced swayed her reason again. "So then don't be a mother," Narcissa pleaded. "Claim infertility and forget the idea of producing heirs."

"It's more than that, Cissy," Bellatrix argued with arched eyebrows.

"Yes! Much more! Danger, death, and corrosion of sanity!" Narcissa spat quickly. In the light of her sister's obsessive fawning over her Dark Mark, a sudden repulsion filled her.

"You speak as though I know not of these things!" Bellatrix snarled, pushing herself up off the mattress to face her sister. "Danger and death are petty sacrifices next to the glory and honor of serving the Dark Lord. And what the bloody hell do you mean by 'corrosion of sanity'? If anything the cause focuses! There is nothing more liberating than to know that you are actually doing something to clean the world of filth than merely sitting on your pampered little arse complaining over tea!"

Narcissa did not miss the angry jibe at the politics of a woman's pureblood society that she adhered to so willingly. "That's not what I meant!" she said through clenched teeth.

"Then what?" Bellatrix wondered, a rising note of hysteria in her voice. "Is it that you fear for my safety? Don't you think I can do it?"

"Of course I know you're capable," Narcissa cried, "I just think it's rather stupid of you to-"

"Damn it, Narcissa! This is exactly why I didn't tell you the moment I was given the mark," Bellatrix screamed. "Can't you be happy for me for just a moment?!"

Narcissa softened with guilt as Bellatrix's eyes welled up with hurt tears.

Her chest rising and falling in staggered breaths, Bellatrix choked out, "I finally felt that I was worth something. That I could do something worthwhile; you know I was meant for something more than frilly benefit teas. But still there are whispers of my ineptitude; that I will be weak, because I am not a man. Is it nothing that the Dark Lord trained me himself?"

Narcissa pulled her face into what she hoped was compassion. "I'm sorry Bella, it just… gave me a shock."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes.

Narcissa bit her lip and asked tentatively, "Have you… do our parents know?"

"Well, Father," Bellatrix paused, then continued on quickly, "Father is pleased, I think. He told me that I would make the family proud; that I was like the son he never had."

Narcissa smiled weakly as Bellatrix practically beamed.

"And Mother?"

Bellatrix gave a small laugh, "You know what mother would say…"

Narcissa nodded. Druella and Bellatrix had never exactly seen eye-to-eye in terms of a woman's position in society.

She watched as Bellatrix pulled the lavish comforter, a deep brooding purple, closer to her body. Bella's eyes closed and her features softened just enough so that only a sister would notice.

"There's just one thing I don't understand, Bella," Narcissa said softly, determined not to begin another argument.

"Hmm?"

"Why would you give up such a perfect life? You wouldn't have to lift a finger; you could do whatever you want without responsibility. People would adore you, or at least they'd pretend to, because you're a Black. Your life would be without pain, every luxury melting away in the palm of your hand."

At this, Bellatrix laughed a long and lofty sound that caused Narcissa a small pang as it sounded like Andromeda's laugh.

"Oh, Cissy. That's your dream, not mine. You live for predictability, I for adventure."

Narcissa frowned, because she thought it had been a universal dream.

"I want something more, or maybe, you'd see it as something less," Bellatrix sighed happily, "And I'm going to have it, too."

With a sigh, Narcissa crawled under the covers next to her sister, like she used to do when they were growing up. Suddenly the world seemed to be spinning faster, out of control. A million thoughts of future sprung into her mind. Marriage. Children. And Death. She pushed the stories of all the Death Eaters that had died within months of being branded. Narcissa wouldn't have to worry about that; Bellatrix was too good, too bad, to die.

Seeing the lines that were creasing Narcissa's forehead, Bellatrix reached over and poked her sister's nose.

"You'll see, Cissy. It will all work out perfectly. Youwill raise the next generation of purebloods, as you were meant to, and I will protect and purge our world so that they may live as you describe, with everything melting in the palm of their hands."

As Bellatrix held out her hands to complete the gesture, Narcissa saw the mark again. This time, however, Bella caught her gaze. She put her hand under Narcissa's chin and lifted her head to meet her eyes.

"It's not a mark of doom, Cissy. So don't worry," Bellatrix whispered, her voice filled with something that was fighting to break free, "It's a mark of hope."

Author's Note: Seven is a powerful magical number, and I thought that the Dark Mark is a good example of powerful magic (however dark and creepy). I hope the sister interactions made sense in this chapter. I feel that, for all her pride, Bellatrix would realize that Narcissa might not be overly keen on the idea of her sister actually becoming a Death Eater. As for why Narcissa wouldn't be so keen, well mostly the danger and it not being the respectable thing for a pureblood woman to do. I'm tired of no Andy (I miss her), so she'll probably appear in the next chapter... As always, your reading and reviewing makes my days brighter!