Warning, once again. There is incest in this chapter, although not very detailed or explicit. I can't promise it won't become detailed or explicit later. This is the last warning I will write in terms of incest. From here on out, you're warned for good. Also - there is implied abuse in this chapter. Abuse is going to be part of this story, both physical and sexual. If that bothers you, you shouldn't read this. This is the last warning I'm giving for abuse. Read at your own discretion - it's M for a reason. Anyway, I've ranted enough. Much love to my readers.

The voice of Narcissa was no longer cold and detached, as it had grown to be towards others. No, the blonde was actually quite nervous, unable to comprehend why Bella would randomly show up now. It wasn't something she could easily understand - indeed, it was something that was more than troublesome, as Bella continued to play with her younger sister's bright blonde hair.

"Cissy," she breathed, her voice cutting into the normally still air. It was an unnatural intrusion; and it was more than unsettling. Narcissa stared at her sister for a moment that seemed to drag on forever, before finally swallowing and forcing out more words that weren't just Bella's name.

"Why are you here?" The words were more cutting than she had meant to say them; far icier than what she'd intended to use as a greeting. There was so much she really wanted to say. So much to tell her, to ask her. She wanted to understand what had happened all those months ago; she wanted to understand why her only real comfort had suddenly disappeared, without so much as turning back for a second.

The dark eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange were unforgiving - so unlike the sister Cissy had once known. For a long moment, there was no answer. Only a terrible silence that lingered in the bedroom like poison.

"That's not a nice thing to say." The words of Bella were dark and detached - in no way showing any emotion towards the younger blonde Bellatrix had previously been laughing at. "I should have thought," she continued, slowly, dragging every word out so as to make sure Narcissa was hanging onto her every sound, "After me being gone so long...you would have liked a visit from me."

Maybe that much used to be true. It should have been true, considering Bella had been the only one to help Cissy in need. But now, everything seemed different; different, because Bella was married. Married to a man that was only making her madness worse.

"I don't know what else you expected from me." The blonde's chest heaved, her breath coming in short, quick pants that indicated her distress. "I can't exactly say I'm happy to see the face that left me in the dark for so long, Bella."

That apparently, was the wrong thing to say.

"Take it back," Were the older sister's next words, her wand gripped tightly in her hand as she stood from the bed and glared down at the sixteen year old beneath her. "You have no idea as to what I've been through Cissy. None. So take it back, and drop the subject. You're lucky I came back at all."

At this, everything seemed to freeze. Neither one of the Black sisters uttered a word as Bella slowly calmed herself down, her eyes becoming less dark as she finally ended up on the bed again. The older sister didn't apologize though - she never did. Not for something she could swear she was right about.

"Right," Narcissa breathed. Her nod was brief and sarcastic. "You have no idea what I've been through either Bella. You have no idea as to what you've left me here to deal with."

Bellatrix stared at her younger sister for a long moment, studying her. She studied the way Cissy breathed, how much red was pooling in her cheeks – she studied her, because she was still beautiful. But even the dark haired girl had to admit there was something heart wrenchingly different about her sister's appearance.

Cissy was staring right back. It was easy to be angry with Bella when her physical presence had been lacking; now though, she was so terrifyingly close. And every feeling, every ounce of affection she'd kept at bay for so long, was threatening to destroy her angry resolve. Why should Bella receive a warm welcome, when she'd left her for so long? Left her to deal with him, Druella, and Lucius all on her own.

Although she wasn't weak, she had never been as strong as Bellatrix. There were already tears in Narcissa's eyes as her breathing finally slowed.

"I missed you, Bella. Okay? Are you happy now? I said it. You win. You can leave again."

Narcissa had curled her hands into tightly balled fists, keeping them at her sides as she looked her sister straight in the face; she wasn't afraid of her. Even after all the two had been through, there was no way she could ever – truly – be afraid of her.

"Come here." The two words sounded thick, as if the older girl hadn't used this particular tone in a long time. Narcissa hadn't hesitated. She was in her older sister's embrace in only a second, burying herself into the only body that had ever offered her comfort. Bella stared down at the blonde, swallowing as she tried her best to disassociate herself from the situation at hand.

But she couldn't – Cissy helped her insanity. Cissy helped her find something worth being…sane for. If what they had was truly sane. And Bellatrix often doubted that. "Shh," she breathed, almost harshly, but knowing Cissy would understand. "It'll be fine. Kay? Just…my god, what has he done to you?"

Narcissa could feel her hands on her arms, her fingertips tracing the bruises hidden beneath her nightgown. "How could you not know," the sixteen year old whispered, "That once you and Andy were gone, I would be next?" Her pale blue eyes bore into Bella's darker ones – which appeared as though they were darkening even further, right before her eyes. "It doesn't matter," she shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the painful shock of her sister. "It doesn't matter. You said it yourself, that pain helps a person grow into a better person. I thought you'd –"

"Not you, Cissy." Bella cut Cissy off, harshly. "Not you. This wasn't supposed to happen to you."

They were silent again, for another long minute. Neither of them knew what to say to the other. It didn't matter though – not while Bella was really here, to help take the pain away. Not when Bella was here, to kiss her, to make things alright again, in the only sick way they knew how.

What was even sicker was how much Narcissa longed for this – for the affection. For the real, tangible love. It brought her back to their younger days. Back to the days where they were just discovering their love.

And just discovering how terrifying it would be to watch Bella go slowly mad, with no way of stopping it. There was never a way to help her. She was mad until she snapped out of it – and there was no actual trigger.

"I love you," she forced out, through a kiss that was like fire. "You can't leave again. You can't."
And once Bella had kissed her again, over and over, she nodded.

"I won't."

Remembering was hard. Remembering what had gotten them to this point was enough to make Cissy want to go insane too.