Narcissa stared at the door for a while, unsure of what to do and where to go. She felt a hand slip into her own, and tug it gently backwards. She looked around, Bellatrix was trying to lead her away from the train door and down into the carriages. Narcissa resisted, not on purpose, but out of uncertainty. Her sister stopped tugging and faced her.
'Come, Cissy.' Bellatrix pulled on Narcissa's hand once more, and this time she followed. Andromeda followed also, their trunks floating along behind her, as if pulled by invisible string. They walked a way down the carriage until they came to halt outside an almost empty compartment; almost empty that was, except for the small Hufflepuff boy sat in the corner caressing his toad. Bellatrix slid the door open forcefully, startling the young boy. She seemed to ignore him, as she directed their trunks onto the storage railings above. Bellatrix flopped down on the seat opposite the sandy-haired Hufflepuff and patted the leather beside her.
'Sit, Cissy.' Narcissa did so, and looked across at the young boy, he jumped again, startled at having caught her eye, it appeared. Narcissa frowned gently, and quirked an eyebrow at his behaviour, it certainly was very strange, perhaps he was just a shy child.
'Bella.' Andromeda was still stood in the doorway, an almost bored expression on her face. 'I'm going to find my friends.'
'Yes, whatever, Andy. I'll see you later, I suppose.' Bellatrix waved a hand at Andromeda, who shut the door behind her and walked out of sight. Narcissa watched, intrigued as to why Andromeda wasn't sitting with them.
'Why isn't Andy sitting with us?' She asked, not taking her eyes of the compartment window as a few stragglers walked past, trunks trailing behind them. It appeared odd to Narcissa because she was so used to it being the 3 of them, together, whenever the school holidays were in swing.
'She doesn't like to sit with me much, thinks my friends are horrid, she does.'
'Who does she sit with then?'
'Her own friends. Weird lot. Misfits from all the other Houses too, probably Mudbloods.' Bellatrix examined her painted black nails, where some of the colour had began to chip off. Out of focus she could see the sandy-haired young boy staring at her, as if awestruck.
'Got a toad, have you?' She asked him, still examining her nails. He didn't seem to register that he was speaking to her for a few moments until he nodded.
'Me mam bought us it, a present it was, for gettin' into 'Ogwarts.' His accent was thick, not the sort of accent you would expect from a boy who looked like he did.
'Getting into Hogwarts?' Bellatrix looked at him now, her hand dropping to her side as if she was bored of looking at it. 'Where else are you supposed to go? Are you from near Durmstrang?'
The boys face contorted with confusion, he opened his mouth to speak and shut it again, he repeated this a few times. 'No, I was supposed to go to me local comprehensive, I was, but then I got the letter, see, telling me to go to 'Ogwarts because I'm a wizard and that. Proper shock it-'
Bellatrix looked as if she had been struck on the face. 'Out!' She whipped out her wand with incredible speed and pointed it at the boy's small, tanned face. He whimpered, scrambling back as far as he could on the seat. His toad slipped out of his hands and jumped to the floor. 'Get out!' He made a movement to snatch his toad from off the floor but Bellatrix jumped up, grabbed him by the collar with one hand and flung the door open with the other. She thrust him into the corridor with incredible strength, he hit the wall of the train with a thud and slid downwards, his knees close to his chest.
'My-My toad!' He outstretched an arm, making to grab for his toad who had hopped out through the door. Bellatrix stood on his fingers and he let out a loud cry. By now people had began to emerge from the compartments all along the train, inspecting what the noise was.
'Wingardium Leviosa!' The toad flew up into the air, level with Bellatrix's wand. She gave a forceful flick, and it hit the boy in the face. He screamed, people who had crowded to watch gasped, a few laughed. He clutched his face as the toad hopped away down the corridor. No one dared move, Bellatrix had her wand pointed at the boy still, but had removed her boot from his fingers, when a hand came into view and forced her wand away and downwards. A teenage boy, around the same age as Bellatrix herself, stood in front of her. He was stood very close. Narcissa thought that Bellatrix was sure to push him away for daring to invade her personal space as much he was doing. His expression was unreadable for a moment, until a cocky smirk spread across his face.
'Causing trouble already, Bella? We've barely be on the train for 10 minutes.'
'Pah!' She huffed, sounding incredibly like Cygnus Black. 'Serves him right, doesn't it?' She moved her head to look at him, and raised it in a threatening way. 'Get out of my sight, you! Don't come near me or my sister again, or you'll be eating that toad next time.'
He staggered upwards, swept up his toad and ran out of sight, through the throng of people still gathered around. Bellatrix glowered at them.
'Show's over, alright?' The crowd thinned instantly, people mostly moving out of the way before she started attacking them. She let out a heavy sigh, blowing dark curls out of her face.
The boy continued to smirk, and laughed lightly, amused by Bellatrix's expression. He was short in height, but still stood as tall as Bellatrix, probably an inch or so taller. He was a slight boy, but not overly so. He was good-looking, but no one would call him handsome. He was just average. His dark auburn hair was almost to his shoulders, starting to wave at the ends, but looked well-cared for. Narcissa stared at him subconsciously for a few moments, until he peered past her sister's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. His expression turned quizzical.
'Your sister?' He asked Bellatrix, inclining his head over her shoulder.
Bellatrix did not turn around. 'Yes. The youngest and the last.'
He stepped past Bellatrix and occupied the seat where the Hufflepuff boy had previously sat, another boy followed him in and sat next to him, looking out of the compartment window as Narcissa had done. After some time Bellatrix closed the door, and returned to her seat besides her sister.
'She does not look like you, or the other one.' He spoke to Bellatrix, whilst looking at Narcissa. Narcissa felt almost uncomfortable at his gaze, and only looked into his green eyes for a second before looking downwards.
'No. She's lucky. Who wants to look like Andromeda, anyway?' Bellatrix replied, but there was no truth in her remark, for all 3 of the young Black sisters were blessed with good-looks, as were most of the Black family that they descended from.
'What's her name?'
'My name is Narcissa.' Narcissa spoke, but still did not look him in the eyes. She didn't see a slight smile spread across his face. Instead, she looked at the boy sat next to him, who still appeared not to pay any attention to any of them.
'She's very pretty, Bella.'
'She's very 11, Rodolphus.' Bellatrix twirled her wand in her fingers, looking at Rodolphus sceptically.
He laughed, a warm chuckle, and his eyes lit up. 'Bella, Bella. My affections already belong to another Black sister, you know this.'
'I had no idea you felt that way about our Andy.' The corned of Bellatrix's lip curled up into a smirk as she looked up from her wand to the auburn-haired boy. He laughed again.
'You know I don't mean her-'
'Watch your tone, she's still my sister.'
'Of course, I'm sorry. I merely meant to say… You know what I mean Bellatrix, don't play with me.'
'Oh, but it's so fun, Rod.' Bellatrix gave a fake pout. Rodolphus gave a snort, knowing that it was very true. He seemed to be lost at what to say next, until he looked as if he suddenly remember something, and opened his mouth sharply, inhaling air.
'I forgot.' He said to himself. 'This is Rabastan Lestrange, my little brother. He's starting this year too.' Rodolphus looked at Narcissa again, expecting her to say something, but she simply stared at him. The younger boy finally looked up, and at Narcissa. His expression probably mirrored her own, completely nonchalant. He was remarkably like his brother in looks, but also remarkably more handsome. His hair was shorter and straighter, and was styled into a loose side-parting.
'What house do you think you'll be in? I think I'll be in Syltherin, my whole family are.' Rabastan spoke, his voice kind with a laid-back, comfortable quality to it.
'She'll be in Syltherin, our whole family are too.' Bellatrix cut in, before Narcissa could even open her mouth to answer.
'Bella, let her talk for herself.' Rodolphus said.
'She'll talk if she wants to talk, Rodolphus, I'm not stopping her! Don't you tell me what to do, anyway.'
They bickered for a while, and then began talking about things that had happened over summer, news that they had heard or gossip about other students. Narcissa didn't pay much attention, not really knowing any of the people they were talking about, so it didn't hold much interest for her.
'I suppose I'll be in Slytherin too. I think I'd be quite ashamed if I wasn't.' As she spoke, her mind flashed to images of her house, and the old Syltherin banners that hung there in some of the rooms from her mother and father's days at Hogwarts. A sudden panic clenched in the pit of her stomach, one that had not been present previously, she supposed, because of the presence and support of her elder sisters.
'Bella.' Her voice was low, and almost urgent. Bellatrix stopped talking to Rodolphus and looked to her side, Narcissa looked at her sister's black eyes. 'What if I'm not in Syltherin?'
'Oh, Cissy, you will be.' Her voice was soft, almost tender, a rarity for Bellatrix.
'But… what if I'm not? What will mother and father say? I-' Her voice cracked slightly, and she could feel her cheeks flushing because Rodolphus and Rabastan were both watching the exchange.
'Hey…' Bellatrix took her hand again, and furrowed her brow in concern. 'You will be in Slytherin, and if not-' She gave a shrug, and shook her head. 'It doesn't matter, you're still my Cissy.' She nodded. 'My Cissy.' She repeated.
And as Bellatrix looked down at her younger sister, showing genuine concern that Narcissa knew she would not show for anyone else, she felt relieved, she felt the metaphorical hand on her stomach slacken it's grip. It was enough for her to know that to Bellatrix it didn't matter what House she ended up in.
