Toujours Pur
A/n: Half of this chapter is spells, and for that we do apologize, though not so sincerely. We have done research to those who may think otherwise, these incantations can be found on Harry Potter Wiki and . Please, don't curse anyone important. If you really want to commit murder, at least be a Slytherin about it. Maybe poison, it's not as easily traceable.
-Helenia Rowan-
III: Bellabitch and Narcissus
They were late, and Bellatrix was cross. As most people are aware, that is not a good combination, Bellatrix and crossness. The train would be leaving at eleven, and yet it was ten-forty-five and Druella was still fussing with Narcissa's hair.
The trunks sat at the bottom of the stairs, and Andromeda paced around them.
"You know staying still for a moment won't kill you." Bellatrix sighed, regarding her sister coldly.
"You know being nice won't kill you." Andromeda retorted with a curl of her lip.
"It might," Bella shot back with a wicked smile, "it just might."
"Bellatrix." It was Druella, calling from the open doorway of the drawing room.
Reluctantly, Bellatrix went to her, head held high, a cold defiant smirk playing at her mouth.
Druella was quick. Her hand lashed out, nails digging into the pale skin of Bellatrix's wrist. In her other hand, she clenched her wand as though it was a lifeline, and she was a drowning sailor. Bellatrix was aware of her own wand, the smooth curve of it positioned around her shoulder, hidden beneath her dress. She wanted to reach for it. The almost animalistic fear that her mother brought about was turning her blood to fire. Her heart was beating fast, as though it were a caged bird trying to fly away.
But she didn't, couldn't, show Druella how she felt. All she said, in her most calmly dangerous tone was: "Yes Mother?"
Druella's ice-blue eyes stayed cold and unreadable. Bellatrix held back the shivver that wanted to rack her spine. She imagined Narcissa, the only one of the daughters with Druella's eyes, looking so like Druella in fits of temper.
"You will keep Narcissa in line," Druella stated flatly, although the "or else" was clearly implied. "I understand your problems with Andromeda" Druella continued, "but Narcissa looks up to you. Control her, if she steps out of line, you will suffer."
Druella reached into the folds of her dress and produced a crystal vial, forcing it into Bellatrix's hand.
"If the Cruciatus Curse is not enough incentive," Druella said by way of explanation. She glared at Bellatrix. "Fail me, and both Narcissa and yourself will become unrecognizable."
Narcissa swept down the stairs right then, black dress flowing about her figure. She held herself gingerly, eyes two icy pools of hatred.
"I am ready, Mother," Narcissa spoke through clenched teeth.
Bellatrix turned and met Narcissa's eyes.
"SIRIUS IS DEAD!" Narcissa mouthed to her eldest sister, tears of angry frustration glittering behind her cool facade of indifference.
Druella ran her wand over Bellatrix, covering every last laceration and bruise.
"Do not forget what I've said," Druella warned ominously, motioning for Bellatrix to pocket the vial, which the girl did with disgust.
"Yes Mother." Bellatrix deadpanned, then preceded her sister out of the drawing room.
They made their way to King's Cross by Portkey, materializing in an alley near the station. Cygnus had sent along their trunks a minute before they arrived, and unfortunately, they'd have to lug them the rest of the way to the train, something Andromeda groaned about ceaselessly. It took a biting slap from Druella and a sharp word from Cygnus to shut her up. Bellatrix said nothing, and neither did Narcissa. Every so often, Bellatrix fingered the vial in her pocket, wondering what was in it.
When they finally walked into the station and to the appropriate barrier, Druella turned to face her daughters. She completely ignored Andromeda, choosing instead to glare at her eldest and youngest.
"Bellatrix, do not fail me," Druella reminded her eldest icily. Then her eyes flicked to Narcissa. "I hope your lesson stays with you. Destroy my glamour again, and both your sister and yourself will be punished."
Bellatrix tensed her shoulders, a current of unseen energy playing with her long black hair, making it rise slightly off her back. The uncontrolled surged of power was caused, of course, by her hatred for her parents, and Bellatrix did all she could to get her emotions under control, to make her hair lie flat again. She looked to where Narcissa stood, stalk-still, frosty eyes promising pain or humiliation. Bellatrix almost laughed when she imagined what Narcissa would do to their dear cousin Sirius. Aunt Wallburga was the loud, fussy type, preferring wordy insults, whereas Druella was silent and deadly, and Bellatrix wondered which woman Narcissa would favor in her choice of vengeance.
Druella ran her wand one last time over both girls, forced Narcissa to stand impossibly straighter eliciting a sharp wince, and motioned them through the barrier without another word.
"Come," Bellatrix muttered, leading Narcissa down the train, lugging her trunk.
"Hey, Trixie! Trixie, darling!" The voice sent a twinge of dread through Bellatrix.
Rodolphus Lestrange was broad-shouldered and tall, with dark eyes and dark hair. He had a brutal face, a fighter's face, but not an intellegent one, or even one classically attractive. His eyes were stones in his head, sparkling with cruel, lechurous desire, but not many cogs turned in his head. He stood at the door of a compartment full of Slytherins, including his brother Rabastan and a few pureblood girls including Morana Parkinson, the fussy little thing who'd managed to make shadow of Dolores Umbridge.
"Let me help you with those," he commanded, indicating the trunks Bellatrix and Narcissa were still holding. "Come on, Trixie. Your sister can sit here too, yeah? Lucius's in his second year, they're not that far in age, and he'd love her."
"No. We'll sit somewhere else. And the next time you call me Trixie, I'll castrate you," Bellatrix replied coldly and turned her back on him.
Narcissa glared at him for good measure, adding, "stay away from my sister, I might not be able to do magic yet, but I can still shove my wand where you'd like other things to go, and I can produce sparks to accompany." Narcissa smiled sweetly and followed Bellatrix.
"You remember stupid old Rodolphus Lestrange, don't you?" Bellatrix asked her sister.
She continued without waiting for an answer: "Well he's developed an… Interest in me. Those will be the purebloods in that compartment with him, but we aren't sitting there. They're boring, and besides, I want to get this stupid glamour spell off."
Bellatrix led her sister to the end of the train, where there was an almost-empty compartment. Its only occupant was a black-haired boy with a long, hooked nose. He sat by the window, reading a Potions book.
"Help me with these," Bellatrix demanded, and obediently, the boy rose and helped her lift the trunks into the overhead compartment.
"Now get out," she ordered, and once again, he obeyed.
Bellatrix reached into her trunk, producing her cloak. Sliding open the door, she stood on tiptoes and flung the black garment over the windowpanes in the door, covering them. Then, she took her wand from beneath her dress.
"They didn't hurt you before you left, did they?" she asked, softly.
Narcissa's face remained emotionless.
"Mother was livid over the Diagon Alley incident," Narcissa murmured, which was answer of in itself. "But Bella," she continued, "you heard what Mother said. I don't want her hurting you, Bella."
"She won't. Now where did they do it? I'm allowed to use magic, let me heal you." Bellatrix soothed.
"Finite incantatem," she said firmly, directing her wand at Narcissa, breaking apart the glamour around her sister. Then she began to mutter all the healing spells she knew, making the scars, both old and new, fade away. Her face became just as pristine and beautiful as it was with glamour, and Bellatrix turned her attention to the girl's arms, making the lacerations fade to jagged white scars, and then altogether away.
"If you want I can repair the damage on your back, too," Bellatrix offered, pulling away. "If not, I should probably call Severus back in here."
Narcissa's face paled in alarm, but a deep yearning also flashed across her features, before shame turned her pale face to scarlet.
"Bella-" Narcissa began before her voice cracked. "There's something you… They…" Narcissa couldn't speak around the lump of panic and hope lodged in her throat.
"What's wrong?" Bellatrix asked, fire glowing in her eyes, "Come here. What did they do?"
She wanted to grab her sister and make her tell, give her more reason to kill their parents, add to the storm of anger and hate that was building up inside her. But no, that wouldn't do. Narcissa was scared, and anyway, she'd reveal what they did in due time.
Narcissa shook her head with agonizing indecision and withdrew a Potions textbook, flashing Bellatrix a conflicted half-smile.
"Fine," Bellatrix sighed, reaching up and uncovering the windowpanes before continuing: "You'll tell me when you're ready."
A few hours passed in silence except for the occasional turning of a page. This suited Bellatrix just fine. She'd lived in silence, it seemed.
It shouldn't have been that way, Bellatrix knew. She'd gone off to Hogwarts, life should have been full of laughter and friends, as it was for Andromeda, but for Bellatrix it was filled with spells and potions and learning magic ahead of the class. It was midnight outings to the to the restricted section. And that was all right with her, she was moving one step closer to her freedom and that of her sister.
She never should have had anything to do with Severus Snape. He got in her way, but it was a small thing that initiated such a mutually beneficial alliance, and he asked so little of her that she let things stand as they would. She'd hex the Marauders if she caught them bothering him, and he'd fix her up after the duels that ensued. The only downside to this relationship was that it put her on the Marauders' hit-list, somewhere she was above being.
Oh yes, she missed her sister, but Bellatrix had learned the value of being alone and of being silent. So she sat, relishing the calm with her sister just there. They could make casual conversation if they wanted to, or they could just be there, together, studying their textbooks, or pretending to as they watched the countryside speed past.
When the shadows of late-afternoon stretched themselves out across the train, there came a banging at the compartment door. Severus hadn't returned, and Bellatrix assumed he was sitting elsewhere with his friend Lily and a few of her friends. The Marauders didn't wait for invitation, they barged in as though they owned the place.
"So, Bellabitch," James started, wand drawn, "you and your stupid sister Narcissus are going to get it now that I can use magic."
"Are we really?" Bellatrix asked with cool amusement, drawing her own wand and standing to face the Gryffindor boys.
"Yeah," Peter said boldly, "you gave my friend a black eye and I don't like that. Besides, you're ugly."
"And so are you," Bellatrix countered matter-of-factly, a wicked grin touching her lips. She paced the compartment, doing her best to keep Narcissa behind her as she prowled, wand raised in a combative manner. She was waiting for one of those idiots to make the first move. Then, she'd strike.
Out of the corner of her eye, Bellatrix glimpsed Narcissa closing her Potions book and standing with silent grace. Bellatrix gave Narcissa a look, but Narcissa's eyes flashed with something akin to cold fury.
"I'll bet you had a blast with those Death Eating whores," James taunted, wand aimed at Bellatrix's face.
"Oh, you know it," Bellatrix replied sardonically, staring James down. "It was the greatest."
Remus went to the door and watched out the windows. Peter and Sirius stood on either side of James. James faced Bellatrix squarely, muttering the first hex that came to mind: "Petrificus Totalus."
"Protego," Bellatrix countered, and the spells clashed in midair.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Peter shouted, and one of the trunks came flying at Narcissa.
Bellatrix tackled her sister, so that she hit the floor and it sailed over her head, hitting Remus hard, knocking the wind out of him. He sprawled out beside her.
"Expelliarmus," Bellatrix countered, and Peter's wand flew across the compartment.
"Stupify!" Sirius yelled, but Bellatrix dodged and the Stunning Spell hit the door, shattering one of its panes of glass. She was happy. A cold joy she'd only felt during the duels she'd participated in was pumping in her veins with every beat of her racing heart. She did all she could to keep the smile from her lips as she muttered a favorite spell, her foreplay so to speak: "Incarcerous!" Thick black rope spat from Bellatrix's wand, binding Peter's hands to his feet.
"Locomotor Mortis," Sirius shouted and Bellatrix was down, legs locked together.
"Damn!" she cursed. "Stupify!" She sent a jet of red light to Sirius.
But that left James free to do as he liked. He untied Peter, and he and Remus pulled him to his feet.
"Wait until the prefects hear about this!" James seethed.
Remus knelt next to Sirius and performed a quiet "Ennervate."
"They won't," Bellatrix said, smirking from her now fixed position in the middle of the compartment. James sneered and Sirius barked out a mocking laugh as he stood shakily.
"We'll report this to-" Peter began, but an icy voice cut him off.
"Drama does seem to suit you," Narcissa murmured as she stood over her sister's frozen form, "coming here to start a duel and crying when it doesn't yield the results you wished for." Narcissa tilted her head in mock acceptance. "It really is a shame that Bella took you on single-handedly and she still got three of you out in one form or another."
While the Marauders stood spluttering, Bellatrix smirked.
"She's quite right. Very clever girl, my sister. Now, Cissy. Be a dear and get Severus. He's ugly, you'll find him easily enough. Look for the nose," she said authoritatively but she gave Narcissa a look that clearly read: do-it-so-I-can-deal-with-these-Bastards-without-hurting-you.
Narcissa pressed her lips together but glided toward the door.
"What you gonna do Narcissus, get your cronies to come hex us?" James demanded. "For how many hours do they want to use you in exchange?"
"It would be a shame for them to ravish such a beauty," James continued in a baby voice, "so vain, always primping yourself just like that Narcissistic fool Narcissus, you know, the one who fell in love with himself and died trying to kiss his reflection?"
"You read?" Narcissa uttered with scathing incredulity as she tried unsuccessfully to restrain the fury boiling within. She drew back her hand, slapping James with all of her strength.
"Oi! Sirius yelled in anger, back-handing Narcissa with enough force to send her crashing into the door of the compartment. Stars swam in her vision as her head collided with glass, her body contorted at an awkward angle. But she smiled through the pain as she pictured James's face when her hand had made contact.
"So Bellabitch, you gonna finally surrender?" Sirius leered while James gingerly touched his face.
"No. I'm gonna hex you myself," Bellatrix emphasized the word "gonna", mimicking his London accent. Her voice was cold with fury as she glanced at Narcissa lying crumpled on the floor.
Bellatrix couldn't move her legs, but she could move her wand, and she did so, pointing it at Sirius and muttering "Petrificus totalus." She moved her wand to each Marauder in turn, furiously muttering the spell.
Then she turned to her sister and said, "Ennervate." Lowering her wand from the defensive stance she'd taken during the duel, and maintained although she was jinxed, Bellatrix asked, "are you all right?"
Narcissa stood up slowly, wincing slightly but holding herself with perfect posture. She reached for Bellatrix's wand, which was relinquished reluctantly.
"Finite incantatem," Narcissa intoned, remembering the theoretical instructions her DADA textbook had provided for erasing the last hex put on the target of that particular spell. She channeled her will through her sister's wand.
"Thank you," Bellatrix said gratefully, taking her wand before turning back to the Marauders and saying firmly: "Lacarnum Inflamare."
The boys exchanged looks of shock and horror as their clothes burst into blue flame. Bellatrix stood over them, pale face bathed in the eerie light of their burning, and smiled.
"See Narcissa? They call me Bellabitch for a reason. Now come on, let's get out of here. If the wrong people figure out it was me, I'll be expelled. And they won't tell, will you boys?" She grinned wickedly down at her victims.
"Reparo. Episkey." The first spell was aimed at the broken glass in the door, the second at her sister, healing any minor injuries the duel had caused her. Narcissa smiled sweetly as the Black sisters left the compartment. Bellatrix pointed her wand murmuring a spel, and their trunks floated after them. They would arrive at Hogwarts soon, and Narcissa knew that she needed to look like a perfect porcelain doll.
"Come," Bellatrix said, leading Narcissa down the train, "We'll sit with the purebloods. Don't mind Rodolphus, he's an idiot."
She steered Narcissa into the compartment, crowded with Slytherins. Rodolphus and Rabastan sat together in the corner seats attempting to arm wrestle. Dolores and Morana had evacuated themselves; they could be heard talking shrilly with Lorina Zabini and Zofia Nott one compartment down. Alecto Carrow sat near an empty seat, cleaning her nails with a small silver stiletto. Lucius Malfoy also sat there, in the empty seat nearest the door, across from Alecto, idly flipping through a transfigurations text. Bellatrix sat down next to Alecto with a huff and snatched the stiletto from the shorter girl's grasp. Alecto twirled a piece of her long brown hair around her finger in annoyance, but did nothing more than roll her eyes in fond exasperation.
"Guess who decided to pay us a visit?" Bellatrix announced loudly, to catch their attentions, a smirk twisting her mouth cruelly. As she began to tell the story with manic glee, Narcissa sat with an heir of wary politeness next to Lucius. She folded her hands neatly and sat with back straight, shoulders aligned, and Slytherin mask in place.
"Trixie, my love! That's cold, even for you. Setting three little twats on fire? Come off it, they're not worth your time. Only Snivellus would agree with your decision." Rodolphus chided.
"Shut it, Lestrange." Bellatrix sighed, leaning forward to press Alecto Carrow's steletto to his cheek, "I have my reasons, and it isn't the place of a bumbling squib with the intelligence of a golem to question me. Now be a dear and call the prefect, will you? We were the last compartment on the train. And if anyone asked, it was… Oh I don't know, pick someone whos name starts with an R." She turned away from him boredly then, tossing the knife back to Alecto, who nodded in thanks and went back to the arduous task of shaping and filing her fingernails.
"In all the confusion," a smooth voice beside Narcissa spoke up, "you never mentioned this lovely lady."
"Not you too, Lucie. Leave off her, or I swear I'll do you in just the same. She doesn't need… That," Bellatrix snapped.
As Bellatrix turned away from Rodolphus and started in on Lucius, she missed the younger Lestrange son's look. He looked to her with admiration, with fear, with longing perhaps?
"Defensive, aren't we, Trixie?" Lucius asked in cool amusement.
"Yeah, just a bit," Bellatrix spat back, "but I also know you spent every night of your first year playing a different girl in your year in some con or other and shattering their hearts behind you like a bull shatters china. And my sister isn't going to be one of your conquests."
Lucius's hand twitched but he did not provoke Bellatrix further. Instead, his gray eyes drank in the sight of Narcissa's pale but ethereal face and with a small smile curving one side of his mouth, he let his eyes linger.
Narcissa almost opened her mouth to insult Lucius for looking at her like… She wasn't sure. His eyes remained on her face, with no hint of lust or desire. Narcissa, not sure how to react, mirrored his half-smile.
"Good evening," Lucius said simply, but courteously, inclining his head to the girl beside him. "I do not believe we've met. I am Lucius Malfoy."
Narcissa lifted one of Lucius's hands and softly kissed his palm. "Narcissa Black," she murmured with a demure lilt to her voice. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"I can assure you, the pleasure is all mine," he replied with a smile. "This is your first year at Hogwarts, I assume?"
Narcissa nodded in affirmation, then smirked slightly.
"Have you managed to rile Bella up?"
Lucius's reply was cut off when the door to the compartment was slid open and a kind-looking matron with a trolley of sweets stopped in the doorway.
"I apologize for being so late Dears, would you lot like anything off of the trolley?"
Immediately, Rodolphus and Rabastan hurried over with handfuls of coins, although Rabastan held himself with much more dignity and much less grumbling about punctuality.
"Want anything Trixie?" Rodolphus asked.
"Don't call me Trixie," came the brusque reply. Rodolphus just smirked with a licking his lips hungrily. Rabastan elbowed Rodolphus in the ribs.
"Do you want anything Bellatrix?" Rabastan questioned the girl more civilly. Bellatrix smirked and tossed a few galleons in his general direction before resuming her conversation with Alecto.
"Would you like anything?" Lucius asked Narcissa with a slight raising of an eyebrow. He smiled and withdrew a pouch of coins from his robes. Narcissa bit her lip in a very unladylike fashion. She looked like a child just then, young and innocent. On one hand, she really would love chocolate, or something else from ow trolley that she'd never seen before. But on the other, if Cygnus and Druella found out…
"Come on Cissy," Bellatrix sighed, "he's buying, he doesn't offer many girls that, especially on sweets."
Narcissa looked torn. "But Mother and Father-" she began but Bellatrix held up a hand.
"Cissy, they're not here," Bellatrix stated harshly, "they can't rule your life forever."
Bellatrix's eyes softened as Narcissa slumped her shoulders. Narcissa then remembered their present company and with a blush staining her cheeks, she sat straight again.
She hadn't noticed that Lucius had vacated his seat until she heard the door shut and Lucius sat back down next to her, laying a variety of packages in her lap. Narcissa opened her mouth, then shut it again. She covered up her surprised but shy happiness by inspecting a box of Bertie Bots Every-Flavored Bean.
The door was roughly banged open and the Marauders, minus Remus, stood there, wands out.
Peter opened his mouth to say something but the train began to slow, signaling their arrival.
Rodolphus and Rabastan shoved them out of the compartment, while Bellatrix locked the door. The Marauders would be slinking off to their own compartment to frantically throw on their robes at this point.
"Quick, Narcissa. Into your robes," Bellatrix said, diving for her own trunk to hurry into hers.
The other Slytherins rushed around to do the same. It seemed everyone on the train was rushing here and there, throwing on robes over clothes, fussing with hair, fiddling with cloaks, adjusting pointed hats.
Narcissa ran a brush through her blonde tresses and flicked a piece of invisible lint off of her black robes before following Bellatrix out of the compartment. She briefly touched the serpent amulet around her neck for luck and slowed to walk next to Lucius.
"Firs' years, fers years! Over here!" A huge form stood on the platform at Hogsmeade, holding a lamp, glowing golden.
Bellatrix grabbed Narcissa by the wrist, pulling her off to the side, whispering quickly into her sister's ear: "Go with the giant. He's not very pleasant, but that's where the first years are going, and right now you have to be a part of them. He'll take you in a boat, through the front doors and into a chamber off the Great Hall, and after that, you'll be sorted. Mother didn't tell you this, so I will: I want the Gryffindors fighting for me, the Ravenclaws doing my homework and the Hufflepuffs keeping my secrets. It's not like they'll tell. So no matter what house you end up in, you'll still be my favorite sister and I'll still love you." And with that, Bellatrix shoved her sister away, toward the giant with the lamp.
Narcissa glanced back at the knot of Slytherins to see Bellatrix smirking and Lucius's half-smile. Then she walked hurriedly to catch up to the others.
Narcissa ended up seated in a boat with Zofia Nott (the sister of sixth year Alexander Nott), the Italian girl Lorina Zabini, and Dahlia Greengrass, who also had a brother in an upper year. Narcissa found them to be quite well-mannered company; Zofia was quiet and studious, Dahlia sarcastic but friendly, and Lorina seemed to be a miniature Bellatrix, tossing her black mane of curls with a flirtatiously lethal heir.
"What house do you think you'll be put in?" Dahlia asked, shifting uncomfortably as the boat skimmed smoothly over the dark water of the lake.
"Slytherin," Narcissa and the others chorused. Zofia smiled slightly as she added: "My parents told me they would be just as proud if I were put in Ravenclaw, though."
Lorina held up a guilded mirror and began to apply blood-red lipstick.
"You lot aren't half bad," Lorina managed, trying not to smudge her lips. "I'd avoid Parkinson and Umbridge though, Zoe and I were stuck with them on the train. They're horrible." Lorina's pretty face twisted with disdain.
"Don't call me Zoe," Zofia protested half-heartedly. Narcissa and Dahlia giggled.
"Bella thinks that Umbridge's father was a toad," Narcissa put in. "And Morana is so empty headed, if Crabbe were to ask her out, she might actually say yes. But Umbridge likes her because she's rich."
"That's true enough," Dahlia sniffed, "Such a Dunderheaded marrage Crabbe and Parkinson would make."
The occupants of the boat broke out into tinkling laughter. The four girls gave each other genuine smiles. Narcissa hoped that she would have them for allies, and better yet, best friends.
"Duck," Narcissa heard the command from Hagrid's boat which was leading the others. The girls did as requested, and after a smooth, short voyage, they found themselves in an underground harbor.
"Everyone out," Hagrid shouted, and led them up an incline of rocks and pebbles, and onto the grassy lawn from which they looked up at the castle.
"I reckon he lives for this," Lorina whispered, "telling everyone what to do. He's just a servant I heard."
Narcissa daintily covered her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief as to muffle her amusement.
"Narcissa, where does your sister buy her nail polish?" Lorina questioned with a smirk. "I tried to find it, but they don't have that exact shade of blood I want at La Angelo Caduto back in Italy. There was a picture of it in this magazine my mother reads, though."
Dahlia giggled again, and Zofia rolled her eyes dramatically.
"I'm sure I could Bella to get you some," Narcissa replied laughing slightly. Bellatrix would like Lorina, no doubt about it.
As they reached the castle, Hagrid knocked on the oak doors three times with his large fist. The door was flung open and there stood an older witch wearing her black hair in a severe bun, and a stern expression adorning her face. Her eyes scanned over to Narcissa, Zofia, Dahlia ed Lorina, and a look of disapproval flashed across her features, one that didn't seem to find the other first-years.
"Thank you, Hagrid," the witch said to the giant curtly, "first years, follow me. I am Professor McGonogall transfigurations professor and deputy headmistress of Hogwarts."
As she lectured them about houses and such, Narcissa studied her new friends. All of their eyes met, and a smirk of promise circulated between the four girls, who were paying no attention at all.
The talking hat barely phased Narcissa and her little group, but most of the other first-years jumped when it began to sing. Then, Professor McGonogall began reading names off of a roll of parchment.
Narcissa paid little attention until: "Black, Narcissa."
Whispers followed Narcissa as she glided up to the stool with the mannerisms of a pureblood twice her senior. ("is that Bellabitch's sister? Do you think she'll be as mean?" they wanted to know.) She glimpsed Zofia's smile, Dahlia's slight wave, and Lorina's hair flip before the hat fell over her eyes.
"Loyal… Very loyal… And brave too, not a bad mind, quite studious… But so much ambition! A need to prove yourself! You want to share a bond with friends who understand. You want to live up to your sister's expectations. Perfection is your biggest weakness, you are afraid of being too fat, too dumb, too insignificant. Better be SLYTHERIN!"
Bellatrix smirked, as though she'd never had any doubts, and shoved Lucius aside to make room for her sister between them. Narcissa looked a little shaken by what the hat had said but smiled with a relieved sigh. One by one, she watched Dahlia, Zofia, and Lorina each get sorted into Slytherin. They slid into the seats across from her, smiling excitedly.
"You've made some good allies," Bellatrix complimented with a smirk toward the three girls. Lorina smirked back.
"What do you want," Lorina hissed, brown eyes fixed on a point over Narcissa's shoulder. Narcissa turned.
"So Narcissus," Sirius sneered, "proud to be among the slimy snakes?"
"Leave her alone," Bellatrix spat venomously, one long-fingered hand reaching for her wand as food suddenly appeared on the golden plates and drink flowed into the equally gold pitchers on the tables. Other students were beginning to give Sirius odd looks, but he seemed not to notice.
"Yes Mutt," Lorina scoffed. Zofia twirled a piece of pasta around her fork, but looked like she would rather gouge Sirius's eyes out with the metal utensil. Dahlia idly played with a piece of her blonde hair, but her green eyes promised murder. Narcissa looked at her house mates, and smiled as Sirius slunk away like the dog he was, so as to avoid being in trouble.