Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series.
Rumoring
"Your sister is a heartless tart."
Narcissa's nostrils flared at the accusation. Her expression however, remained cool and unaffected as she stared from Mrs. Parkinson to the baby cradled in the woman's arms.
And your grand-daughter looks like a mandrake.
Narcissa almost let a smile slip.
Instead she replied, "Is she really? Goodness. What ever did Bella do now?"
The older, and perhaps batty, Mrs. Parkinson's tea cup paused midway between mouth and saucer.
"I was merely remarking on our conversation. You mentioned the decline of expectations for young pureblood women as though you yourself were so far removed from such scandal. I couldn't help but reflect upon your sister's complete lack of morals or social niceties."
"Oh, yes… of course," Narcissa gave a weak smile as she stifled a yawn. "Most unfortunate."
In truth, Narcissa hadn't really been paying much attention to the ramblings of a fat old woman come to match-make while her daughter-in-law still recovered from childbirth.
"Not to mention her complete lack of class!" Mrs. Parkinson snorted.
Narcissa sipped her tea through pressed lips. "I must disagree with you there, Mrs. Parkinson. Bella will be the first to tell you she has plenty of that."
"Hah!" Clearing her throat as to muffle the snort, Mrs. Parkinson said patronizingly, "Mrs. Malfoy, I don't mean to contradict you on matters of your own family, but your perceptions of Bellatrix are clearly misguided. If you've failed to notice her outlandish behavior at your last reception, capitalizing- I might add- an already tasteless outfit, surely you can not overlook the glaring issue of her failings as a pureblood wife."
Narcissa's eyes darted imperceptibly at the room's ornate clock. Only thirty minutes and already Mrs. Parkinson's visit had exhausted any possibility of amusement. Mrs. Parkinson's grand-daughter had retained interest only for a moment. And then the woman's nerve to map out Draco's future with Pansy- a horrid name, to be sure. No, Narcissa would be the only one to have such control over her son's life. When the Cause succeeded, as her husband and sister constantly assured her would happen very soon, even a Parkinson wouldn't be fit for her Draco. Narcissa hoped her cousin started producing children; she wouldn't mind a Rosier for Draco.
Narcissa's attentions shifted as Mrs. Parkinson's ranting of Bella's impropriety mounted in volume. Clearly the woman still harbored hard feelings for Bella's very public and very jeering refusal of the Parkinson's hand in marriage several years back.
"-and never mind her horrible attendance to your poor mother's monthly luncheons. I've heard rumors too of a much more sinister nature! That she's quite embodying the warrior her name paints her to be; responsible for countless incidents of mudblood terrorization, deaths even!"
"Mrs. Parkinson, while I hardly believe there's much truth behind what you're suggesting," Narcissa began, even though she knew firsthand there was indeed truth to such suggestions, "It almost seems you're sympathizing with the lower class."
"Hardly. I'm merely stating that Bellatrix's actions lack the subtlety and discretion necessary to avoid bad publicity for our world. If Bellatrix put half the effort she does in flaunting poor breeding into-"
"Poor breeding?" Bellatrix laughed as she closed the door behind her, "You aren't talking about yourself again, are you?"
"Bellatrix!" Mrs. Parkinson exclaimed with an obvious note of fear edging into her voice.
Indeed, her face paled of all color as Bellatrix sauntered from the doorway to the sitting area.
Narcissa barely withheld a smirk. Clearly the rumors about Bellatrix were only increasing in ferocity. Bella, however, had no such intentions of hiding her amusement. Her mouth spread into a wide grin, teeth showing in a way that was little less than threatening.
"Hello, Cissy," Bella said, "I didn't know you were having… company." It was a statement, not an apology by an means.
"I'm sure I must have mentioned it," Narcissa replied airily, giving a forced smile in the direction of Mrs. Parkinson.
"Must have forgotten," Bellatrix snubbed. "You don't mind if I join you, of course. Haven't had tea yet."
Bella shrugged off her travelling cloak, draping it upon the back of Mrs. Parkinson's chair.
It became very apparent to all three party members that Mrs. Parkinson did indeed mind when Bellatrix sat in the space between them. Narcissa almost groaned, knowing too well what Bellatrix was doing. Sure enough, Bella began inching her way towards Mrs. Parkinson until the older woman started to squirm. Bella took a moment to linger over Mrs. Parkinson's shoulder, breathing down her neck.
"Boo."
Instinctively, Mrs. Parkinson pulled Pansy closer to her chest. Bella did not miss this defense mechanism.
"Hello, Bellatrix," Mrs. Parkinson said with grimace.
Without missing a beat, Bella exclaimed, "Oh, is this your granddaughter? How lovely. You'll let me hold her, won't you?"
Bellatrix grinned encouragingly, wiggling her fingers as she held out her waiting hands. In spite of herself, Narcissa scoffed at the sheer absurdity of the request.
Mrs. Parkinson, however, did not catch on to Bellatrix's bluff, stuttering some form of protest.
"Hmm?" Bella asked, something horribly sinister about her overbearing friendliness.
"I was only remarking on Pansy's adversity towards meeting strangers," Mrs. Parkinson said.
"Be fair, I'm not so strange."
Mrs. Parkinson gave a strained guffaw as she stood quickly, moving to place Pansy back in the playpen with Draco. She then sat in a chair further away from the tea, but also further away from Bellatrix.
Trying her best not to acknowledge the blatant rudeness playing out before her eyes, Narcissa poured Bellatrix some tea, handing her the cup with a meaningful stare. Bella took the cup, looked into the liquid, then said, "Something stronger perhaps? Now that I think about it; work was an absolute killer."
Narcissa snatched the teacup peevishly, not at all amused by Bella's none too subtle implications. Mrs. Parkinson made a ridiculing noise in the back of her throat.
"Oh, Mrs. Parkinson; you can not tell me you dislike me for being extremely good at my job?"
"And what is it exactly that you do, Madame Lestrange?"
Bella ran her tongue over her lips slowly as she considered this. "But of course, I live to serve and please only my better half."
"Better half indeed. But I've heard quite a few murmurs about Rodolphus too."
"Oh? Were we talking about Rodolphus?" Bella questioned with a flare of false politeness.
Narcissa found this a very appropriate time to summon a house-elf with a quick snap of her fingers.
"Something stronger for Miss Bella, Dobby," Narcissa ordered, glaring at Bella who was too rebellious to even take tea at the appropriate time.
Bellatrix, in turn, was glaring at Dobby who cowered with a squeak.
"Dobby."
Wringing his hands, Dobby turned back to Narcissa with a low bow. "Dobby will fetch it right away, Mistress."
After the house-elf had scurried from the room, Mrs. Parkinson returned to the conversation.
"Do your little jokes amuse you so much, Bellatrix?"
"Speaking of jokes," Bella began, brushing imaginary dirt from the left sleeve of her robes as a grin formed upon her face. Narcissa cringed. She had been the unlucky audience to too many of Bella's jokes.
"Yes?" Mrs. Parkinson asked as Bellatrix chuckled to herself.
"Jokes. Yes. Speaking of jokes, Mrs. Parkinson, how is your dear son?"
Bellatrix smirked. Narcissa bit back a moan of frustration. Mrs. Parkinson stood up abruptly.
"You might have broken my poor son's heart!" the woman gasped. If that was supposed to be an insult to Bellatrix, Narcissa thought it a rather weak abuse.
"I'm sure he's among good company, Mrs. Parkinson," Bella sneered.
"How dare you; the nerve of you to even suggest-"
Bella remained seated. "Nerve, me? Never… It simply comes from being superior."
"A lot of bloody room you have to talk. When you are such a… such a…"
Bellatrix beamed expectantly. "Do tell. I love flattery."
"Such a talking point!" Mrs. Parkinson said, eyes flashing with disdain.
Bella raised an eyebrow. "That is a high compliment indeed."
"Oh don't be so high and mighty with me Mrs. Lestrange; everyone knows your marriage is an absolute shamble. And I can hardly blame your poor husband, what without a wife with the ability to dutifully bear him a child."
Bella apparently found this very amusing, throwing her head back with laughter. "A shamble? No, no, no. Rodolphus and I can be quite cordial. In fact, you might say we're downright friendly when the mood strikes us."
Color rose in the older woman's cheeks but she pressed on, "The fact remains that you wouldn't know your place in society if it was spelled out and branded on you!"
Narcissa's sharp intake of breath was muffled by Bella's low chuckle. Narcissa shot a furtive glance at her sister hoping she would leave Mrs. Parkinson's surmise without comment.
"On the contrary, Mrs. Parkinson," Bella said slowly, letting the name die in a following silence of inferiority. "I know my position in society exactly. On top."
Narcissa rubbed her temples in exasperation.
Before Bellatrix could continue to list the numerous ways she was superior to everybody, Mrs. Parkinson, because she was older and apparently approaching senile, wrinkled her nose and met Bella's eyes challengingly.
"My dear girl, I hope you aren't depending on family ties for such supremacy. I said it to your sister and I've said it many times before, between runaways and unsuccessful marriages the Blacks are dying out faster than-"
This time, Bellatrix sprung to her feet, wand pointed directly at the mouth that had dared to speak such insult.
"Bella," Narcissa hissed through clenched teeth.
With a low growl that Narcissa hoped Mrs. Parkinson didn't hear, Bellatrix lowered her wand. Clearing her throat she sneered, "Forgive me. Must have been something in the tea."
Mrs. Parkinson scowled, though underneath it was apparent she had been startled. "You did not consent to having tea, Mrs. Lestrange."
"No. But you did, did you not?"
Narcissa drew in an irritated breath as she stood to face her sister. "Bella, I know how idle tea parties wear on you, why don't you visit later?"
"Don't worry yourself, Mrs. Malfoy. I am more than prepared to leave," Mrs. Parkinson declared with a sniff.
"Yes…" Bella drawled in agreement. "Better get dear Posy back to Mummy before it gets dark out. You never know what might be lurking around in the shadows."
The moment Mrs. Parkinson had left with her granddaughter, mumbling all the while, Narcissa turned on her sister, half exasperated, half amused.
"Merlin's sake, Bella. She's on our side!"
"I don't care, that stupid old bat has never liked me."
"Bella. If you had a galleon for every stupid bat that's never liked you, you could afford to buy robes with a better fabric to skin ratio."
Bellatrix glanced down at her outfit then to Narcissa. "I think I've found the perfect ratio, thank you very much. One, I might add, that is a bit more expensive than you seem to think."
Narcissa sighed heavily. Her irritation at the afternoon's unsuccessful conclusion lessening as she stared upon her son, taking the opportunity to scoop Draco into her arms, twirling him around to greet his aunt.
"Say hello to Draco, Bella," Narcissa ordered delicately, holding her son towards her sister.
Bellatrix frowned as she glanced quickly from Draco to Narcissa. "Only if he says hi back."
"Oh come on, one little ray of kindness isn't going to kill you."
"Why take a chance?"
"Bella."
"Well, shouldn't he be able to talk by now?" Bella replied, staring cautiously as Draco gurgled.
Narcissa held Draco closer. Bellatrix's disapproval had a way of physically manifesting itself at times.
"He's only five months old!" Narcissa sighed, weary of her sister's utter lack of maternity.
"If you make excuses for him already, he'll get nowhere…"
Narcissa stopped in the middle of petting Draco's fuzzy blonde head. "I'm not making excuses."
"Oh, then maybe you can spare one. Why would you continue to have tea with that old cow after she insulted our family?"
"Bella! You hardly have room to lecture me on etiquette," Narcissa scolded, "That's the third guest you've scared away this week!"
"I'm sure it's only the second. Don't exaggerate, Narcissa. That halfblood from the Daily Prophet doesn't count."
"She certainly would have counted if she had printed half the things you hinted at!"
Bellatrix shrugged, examining her fingernails, which looked more like blood-red talons, in Narcissa's opinion.
"Obviously, though, she was afraid to," Bella drawled, "so clearly the hints worked. Besides, I never mind a little press coverage."
Narcissa bit her lip.
"I think you're getting a little careless," she said quietly.
"Do you?"
Narcissa couldn't tell if Bella was mocking her or not, so she continued.
"The Death Eaters are hardly a secret anymore… and people are beginning to suggest that disregarding your role as a pureblood woman isn't the worst of your actions against society's standards. If the Ministry catches wind, Bella," Narcissa trailed off.
"Cissy, if I'm not already on the top of the Ministry's list I'll be disappointed in myself." It had been a joke, but not a very funny one, Narcissa thought.
"Azkaban, Bellatrix," Narcissa retorted.
"Only if they can catch me."
Bellatrix's smirk irked Narcissa for some reason.
"The Parkinson's have a degree of sway with the Ministry," Narcissa noted.
Bella scoffed. "As if the old bat's family is a pristine example of law abiders and muggle-lovers. Besides, she only has it out against me because I'm disregarding my role as a pureblood woman as both she and you so delicately put it."
"Regardless, you don't need to hold high opinions of people, Bella. You only need them to reciprocate the notion."
Bella rolled her eyes. "She shouldn't be spreading rumors about me in the first place."
"You shouldn't be listening at doors," Narcissa said pointedly, "And I think it was a bit more than idle gossip."
"Rumors, hardly a bit of truth…" Bella said, her mouth slowly turning smug, "I've done far worse than that."
Narcissa stroked the back of Draco's head as he started to cry.
"Shhh," she cooed, aware of her sister's persistent stare. Narcissa brushed a nagging feeling away; Bellatrix didn't understand. Bellatrix couldn't understand.
"Please don't cry, Draco," she murmured into his cheek. Narcissa hadn't realized how tired she felt until her son's tears dripped upon her lips, wearying her instantly. She felt a powerful urge to tell Bellatrix off, for something- anything. Draco continued to wail and Bella chuckled. "Shut up, Bellatrix. This isn't as easy as it looks!" Narcissa snapped, simultaneously silencing both son and sister.
Narcissa caught Bella's frown out of the corner of her eye. "I wasn't laughing at you."
Narcissa snorted derisively, clutching Draco tighter. "Oh no, never. I'm sorry if I can't live up to your lofty expectations, Bella.
A moment of tension surged between them then dissipated, unseen, but not gone.
"And have I lived up to yours?" Bella mocked, "Do I make you proud, Narcissa?"
"Most the time you make me sick." She had said it reflexively in a moment of anger, but regretted the words as they slipped off her lips.
Bella walked away from Narcissa and Draco.
"I didn't mean that so harshly," Narcissa mumbled.
"Oh no, never."
Bellatrix collapsed on the sofa with a sigh. Narcissa mimicked the sound as Bella propped her dirty boots on the armrest.
"Get over yourself, Cissy," Bella muttered, closing her eyes. "Nothing a house-elf can't clean."
Narcissa didn't even bother to tell Bella it was the utter lack of manners that distressed her the most.
On cue, there was a squeak at the door as Dobby scuttled across the room, bottle in one hand, wine glass in the other.
"Dobby apologizes for the delay, Miss Bella," the house-elf panted as he rushed to hand Bellatrix her glass. As he did so with shaky hands, the dark liquid sloshed from the glass onto Bellatrix's lap. Dobby gave a yelp of terror that turned into a whimper as Bellatrix hissed in rage.
"Then again, Narcissa, with the incompetence of your staff it's hard to say," Bella snarled, sending Dobby to the floor with the back of her hand. Dobby scurried from the room as fast as possible, issuing incoherent apologies at the top of his shrill voice. "Stupid varmints," she muttered, cleaning the damage with a flick of her wand.
Narcissa paid her sister's fluctuating moods no mind. Instead, she gazed fondly at Draco and then not so fondly at Bellatrix whose eyes were closed once more. She gave her son a devious grin. Silently, she padded over to the sofa with Draco pressed to her chest. Lifting him under his arms, Narcissa kissed his feet and then a final kiss to the forehead. Slowly, she lowered Draco until he was planted, all fours, on Bella's stomach. Thankfully, Bella did nothing more than give a yell of surprise.
After the initial shock at such an unfriendly greeting, Draco crawled his way towards Bella's neck. Narcissa realized that, in the future, she would have to teach her son to not be so trusting of his aunt. Still, she couldn't repress a smile.
"See, Bella. It's fine, he doesn't even bite."
"Well Draco might not, but I can't say the same about his Auntie Bella."
Narcissa considered the potential danger behind this statement minimal; Bellatrix practically winced as Draco's hand planted itself on her cheek. Narcissa's heart warmed as Draco's fist curled around a strand of Bella's hair, pulling it towards his mouth. Bellatrix almost smiled. No, she had smiled, Narcissa told herself, even if for just a moment. She didn't care what others thought and what braver ones said. Narcissa believed in Bella; she had to.
"Be careful with that witch," Bella murmured, though not so much to Draco as to herself, "I've heard the most terrifying things about that Bellatrix Lestrange."
Author's Note: I am so sorry it's been forever since the last update! To clear up any confusion, I never planned to end the story with Andromeda leaving (ugh, how horribly sad!). Unfortunately, my laptop decided to break and it has taken this long to recover my files from the dark abyss. I'm toying around with a few one-shots ideas that will hopefully be posted soon as well as the workings of a new story. Of course I shall continue updating this story as frequently as I can! Thanks so much for your reviews and patience!