Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything related to him.

Note: This was written for JoeCool989's "Summer Writing Camp!" challenge using the prompt write about a chance meeting between two people who have not seen each other in forever.

Warnings: Mentions of child abuse.

Rating: T

Characters: Narcissa & Andromeda

Word Count: 1008

Narcissa Malfoy moved calmly through Dragon Alley, doing her best to not let her gaze drift too far from the path she was walking, unwilling to see the closed down shops still in shambles on either side of her, results of the war that had scarcely ended. She focused on her destination, dreading the idea of having to interact with people that were bound to have animosity toward her, especially now that the Malfoy family had escaped Azkabhan for the second time after being on the Dark Lord's side. She was quite successful at her goal, until she saw someone out of the corner of her eye that could not have possibly been in Dragon Alley; Bellatrix was dead, after all. Turning to examine the person fully, she realized exactly whom she was seeing. "Andy?"

The person in question at the sound of her nickname, and Narcissa could see how tense the older woman was. "What are you doing here? I thought you were, I mean... I'd heard you didn't leave your home."

"Yes, well when your husband, daughter and son-in-law all die, leaving you the sole caregiver of an infant, you don't have the luxury of staying at home when the supplies run out.". Andromeda replied harshly, her eyes shifting around anxiously, as though searching for a place to hide while her grip tightened on the stroller that Narcissa had previously not noticed.

Narcissa did her best not to fidget in the uncomfortable situation as she had been taught that such things were improper for a lady, but she hoped that the tone of voice the response was given in was due to Andromeda being unsettled by her surroundings and not agitated specifically at her. "Maybe... I could help? I could deliver items you need from time to time so you don't have to leave?" She offered tentatively, trying to keep her voice even so that it wouldn't be realized how nervous she was. Narcissa was normally so capable of being the perfect Pureblooded wife in public, but there was just something about family that had always caused her not to have her mask wrapped so tightly around herself.

Andromeda replied with a hollow laugh. "The high-society Malfoy matriarch would really take precious time out of her busy schedule to deliver supplies to a poor shut-in Blood Traitor widow?"

"No," Narcissa admitted, "but she would be willing to rearrange that schedule to help her sister."

Andromeda studied her younger sister carefully. "Why?"

"Family has always been important to me; well, family excluding our parents. Our cousins are dead, Bella is dead, and we're all that's left. I've already spent so much time lamenting over the fact that I cut ties with you, and I would really like to mend our relationship as best as we can so we don't continue to have this distance between us."

"You seemed perfectly content to have no contact with me over the years," Andromeda shot back, rolling the stroller lightly back and forth to rock the child as a distraction from her surroundings.

Narcissa shook her head. "I was mad at you for a long time, Andy. You left me there alone with father, and I was scared. I blamed you instead of blaming him, like I should have, and that kept me from wanting to contact you. To escape Father, I convinced Lucius to request my hand in marriage so that I had a place to go rather than running off and hoping for the best. Thus, I became not only the sister of a high ranking Death Eater, but the wife of one as well. I was afraid to contact you, thinking that it might make people more aware of you, and make you a larger target. After the Dark Lord fell, when Bella went to Azkabhan, I really should have made the effort, but I let my pride get the better of me and decided I wasn't going to beg for you to talk to me. I waited for you to make the first step... but you never did."

"I didn't know how to face you. I felt horribly guilty that Bella spent so many years trying to protect us as much as she could, and when Father arranged for her to married off to Rodolphus Lestrange since he was fed up with her insubordination, I should have stepped forward to take care of you. I was so scared though, I didn't know how to face him, so I ran and tried to make a new life for myself that would give me as little contact with him as possible. I always told myself that you wouldn't be willing to talk to me since I was a Blood Traitor, muggle-lover, but that was my excuse so that I could feel justified in not making the attempt, because I was so afraid that you would not forgive me. Every time I double-check that I locked the door for the night, I hear Bella's voice telling me to take you and hide, and it reminds me that I failed you," Andromeda explained mournfully, unable to meet her sister's eyes. "Cissy, I'm so sorry."

Narcissa's reply was preempted by a loud noise that had Andromeda looking around with wide eyes, and she was reminded that she had no right to blame the elder woman as she had suffered as much as herself. Ignoring the flinch brought on when she laid her hand on Andromeda's arm, she smiled supportingly. "Why don't we Floo back to your place where it's more comfortable, and you can give me a list of what you need?"

Andromeda stared at Narcissa, as though she were trying to decide if she could trust her, but finally gave a slight nod and turned the stroller around and walked back toward the Leaky Cauldron for the Floo. Narcissa fell into step along side her, silent as she contemplated this turn of events. For all the lack of contact, she truly had missed her sister. Maybe this was her second chance.