The table was set elegantly down in the basement kitchen-come-dining area. Silver and crystal shimmered in the low light distributed by candles on the brick walls. A House-Elf bustled around the kitchen, placing down last minute items of cutlery and scurrying back over to the stove to stir the pan stewing there.

Already seated at the head of the table was Aunt Walburga. She was a Black, through and through. Raven coloured hair cascaded down her back, it had been magically fixed to be straight and glossy. She had dark eyes, and a constant disdainful expression. She drummed her pale fingers on the table top gently as Narcissa and the others made their way into the kitchen and stood around the table.

'Kreacher!' She barked, her voice cold and commanding.

The House-Elf stopped stirring, whirled around and scuttled over to Walburga, he then bent so low that his long, hooked nose touched the stone-clad floor.

'You haven't took their coats! Have I taught you nothing? You are shameful. Take their coats, and do it fast.' She didn't even bother to look at the House-Elf but merely frowned and turned up her nose.

There was silence as they each handed their travelling robes to Kreacher and he hobbled out of the room, slightly overweighed by their coats. Sounds of thumping could be heard all along the wall of the basement, Kreacher was clearly punishing himself for his master.

Walburga seemed indifferent to the noises, as she finally turned to her guests and gestured with a wave of her wand and hand for them to sit down. The chairs sprang back, as if each pulled out by an invisible person and the Black family sat down.

'ORION.' She bellowed, suddenly, silver and crystal clattering on the table from the noise. Druella and Narcissa winced.

Orion popped his head around the doorway.

'Get Sirius and Regulus and sit down.' Walburga's expression did not change one bit.

Orion disappeared through the door and Alphard appeared in his place. Narcissa had seated herself next to Andromeda with Bellatrix on her other side, her mother had sat beside Bellatrix, presumably to keep a watchful eye over her. Alphard seated himself next to Cygnus, opposite Narcissa.

Walburga cleared her throat loudly. 'Cygnus, how are you?'

'Good. I am good. How are you?' He replied, looking down the table to talk to her.

'Ah, I am also well.' She nodded. She glanced at the doorway, growing incredibly impatient.

'I do like this silverware Walburga, is it Goblin made?' Druella asked, making polite and boring conversation as she picked up a silver fork.

'Naturally, Druella.' She pulled a face, as if she thought ill of Druella's question. Druella's jaw locked as she placed the fork down, then turned her attention away. Eventually, after a few awkward moments of silence Walburga cleared her throat again. 'How is Hogwarts, girls? I dare say it's gone downhill since my day, what with the current headmaster.'

Bellatrix was the one to reply, she looked up to their Aunt Walburga more than anyone else. 'Dumbledore is a farce, there's Mudbloods running riot around the castle.'

'Mm, about as much use as a chocolate fire-guard, isn't he?' Cygnus snorted.

'I'd have to say, dear family, I do disagree. Dumbledore is a fine, fine man, probably the best headm-' Alphard had begun to speak but was abruptly cut off by his sister.

'Phineas Nigellus Black was the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen!' Walburga thumped her fist on the table, sending an earthquake through the wood.

'You never let me finish, Walburga.' Alphard smiled, almost to spite his sister. 'I think Dumbledore is the finest headmaster Hogwarts has seen since our Phineas.'

Walburga shot a disgusted look at her brother. 'KREACHER.' There was a crack and the House-Elf appeared beside his master.

'Yes, master?'

'What have you being doing? Serve the food, fill the glasses, do your job otherwise I'll be mounting your head on a plaque sooner than thought.'

Kreacher looked incredibly frightened for a second until he bowed low once more, and then hurtled around the kitchen pouring wine and pumpkin juice and then serving them a great dinner. Meanwhile Orion reappeared through the doorway looking rather dishevelled as he guided Sirius and Regulus by their elbows. Rather forcefully he placed them in their chairs and took a seat at the opposite end of the table from his wife.

They began eating the food that the House-Elf had prepared for them, idle chatter floating across the table. Andromeda mostly listened, but it was at times like this, when the talk was light and pleasant and didn't involve the depressing views of her ancestors that she actually felt like she belonged in her family. She did, for the most part like them. She couldn't really help it, they were her family after all.

Narcissa remained the quietest on the table, half-way through the meal Sirius and Regulus had gotten off their chairs and started to run around the room, under the table and through people's legs. It made Andromeda laugh, and it made Narcissa smile. Bellatrix, it seemed, was going to great lengths to impress her Aunt, and kept interjecting her low opinions on the current state of Hogwarts.

'As I was saying before,' Walburga began. She paused to get everyone's attention. 'Albus Dumbledore should not be headmaster, no, not one bit. Anyone could do a better job than that old fool.'

'Pah!' Alphard slammed down his fork, after uttering the trademark Black scoff. 'Could you do any better, Walburga?'

'I'd do a damn sight better than you would. You can't even get married or produce an heir, if you weren't my brother I'd throw you out of this house instantly.' Her dark eyes flashed dangerously as she glowered at her brother, daring him to reply.

'Marriage?' A look of mock surprise etched on his face. 'You married your own cousin!'

'Erm… Second cousin.' Orion interupted.

'Who better to marry than a fellow Black?' Walburga stood up fast and the wooden chair clattered to the floor behind her. Cygnus and Alphard jumped to their feet also, Druella looked positively horrified.

'That is deranged, Walburga. You would rather marry your own relative than not marry at all?'

'NO! NO, ALPHARD. I WOULD RATHER MARRY A PURE-BLOOD THAN NOT MARRY AT ALL!'

Orion had eventually got to his feet, but instead of jumping in to defend his wife he ushered Sirius and Regulus from the room and came back to gesture for Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa to follow him. Bellatrix resisted, frowning as she looked from her Aunt to her Uncle, but eventually followed also. They walked behind him as he guided them back up the stairs and into the first-floor sitting room.

'Uncle Orion?' Bellatrix asked, when he had shut the door of the sitting room behind them in a feeble attempt to drown out the noise of screaming coming from the basement. He sunk down onto the sofa, and rubbed his weary eyes.

Bleakly he turned to his niece. 'Yes, Bellatrix?'

'Can we go to our room?'

He shook his head, not in a denying manner, more in a tired and no-longer-bothered manner. 'Of course.'

Andromeda was lingering close to the lit fire, she had picked a large leather bound book up from off the mantle piece and started flicking through the pages.

Narcissa looked at Bellatrix who jerked her head to the door, and the blonde turned to Andromeda.

'Andy?' Narcissa asked, rather timidly.

'Hmm?' Andromeda looked up from the book, looking almost startled.

'Are you coming too?'

Andromeda bit her lip and seemed to contemplate the question before shaking her head. 'No, I think I'll stay here but… thanks, Cissy.' She smiled, it was a strange sort of smile, for smiles tended to mean happiness but Andromeda's eyes looked quite sad.

'Oh.' Narcissa nodded and tried to keep the disappointment from her voice. She followed Bellatrix up the stairs a little more reluctantly than usually would.