"Grandmother? Why is there a lady who looks like you on my Chocolate Frog card?"
No one asked Narcissa's permission for Bella to appear on the card. Andromeda confirmed that apparently they didn't need to; she learned that the hard way with Nymphadora. Narcissa's hackles were raised – that a company gained profit off her deceased sister's mental illness should be deemed unconscionable.
Afternoon tea in the solarium always included extra treats on the days Scorpius visited her. He held up the picture so it faced Narcissa, "See grandmother, it says Bellatrix LeStrange. Do you know her?"
Being confronted with her sister's picture after all of these years was jarring. Malfoys kept their secrets well, even better than Blacks. The Malfoys all knew someday Scorpius would uncover certain unsavory aspects of his family's history. Until such a time, all of the adults in his life had a tacit agreement that if no one spoke of a thing, then it ceased to exist.
Just like that, someday came, and Bella arose back into existence.
"Scorpius, dear, that woman looks like me because she is… was… my eldest sister," the words came out slowly, "but she died many years ago, long before you were born."
Narcissa felt a flash of pride regarding her steady tone, although she could see the imperceptible way the tea vibrated inside its cup, due to the slight tremor in her hand. She set the cup down, choosing to cross hands in her lap, ever mindful of the etiquette drilled in during childhood.
"Grandmother, the card says your sister was a fanatic follower of Lord Voldemort, received a life sentence in Azkaban at the end of the first war for the torturing Aurors, escaped 15 years later, and became known as one of the most sadistic Death Eaters during the second war. I don't understand. Why would she do that?" His innocent eyes stared up at her.
"Scorpius, my sisters and I were raised very differently than you. Our parents believed the Black family to be the best in not only Great Britain, but all of Europe. We were royalty. At a very young age Bellatrix took this to heart. She became convinced of her position as the crown princess, in line for queen. My father encouraged her charade," Narcissa paused as she considered the many ways a parent could damn their child, "allowing her to make her own laws over Andromeda, and later me. When he signed her betrothal contract with Rodolphus LeStrange, Bellatrix saw it as proof of her fairytale ending."
Narcissa reached across the table to pluck the card from Scorpius' fingers.
The glint of madness shone in Bella's eyes; the fact that the picture used came from her sister's time in prison disgusted Narcissa. To call her sister mentally unstable seemed an understatement, as it implied the witch was tipping, but had yet to fall off the cliff. Bellatrix LeStrange had taken a running start and performed a swan dive off the cliffs of insanity.
"Bellatrix was not the fairytale princess who lived happily ever after. She turned out to be the evil queen who stole other's happily ever after. She performed such foul deeds because she believed it was her right."
"I'm sorry Grandmother," Scorpius whispered in her ear as he gave Narcissa a hug.