Chapter Twenty Two
A/N: Thank you to Nevaeh -Rose Malfoy for reviewing the last chapter.
The next Hogsmeade weekend rolled around far quicker, perhaps because Narcissa had been longing for it with every passing moment of her free time. It was a relief to think she could go somewhere where there were strangers, people who did not know of her sister's betrayal. And hers. For just a few minutes, she could walk down a street and be invisible.
Lucius had offered to accompany her to the village, shrugging off his eager band of followers and lacing his hand through hers. They had never had a conversation about relationships or love, but there was something comfortable in the way he held her that made her feel warm inside.
They completed the usual rounds of shopping, Lucius constantly picking up little trinkets he thought she would like and handing over Galleons before she had a chance to protest. Every time she queried him, he said her smile was more than worth the gold. She was not sure she had stopped blushing since the first time, a tiny grin fixed to her face.
That was until she saw her.
At first she thought it was just her imagination playing tricks, making her see what she wanted to- or did not want to. She was still not quite sure which was true, when it came to the brunette half-hidden on the outskirts of the village. Narcissa quickly ushered Lucius along to The Three Broomsticks, claiming she had spotted a friend and wanted to catch up with them for a little while. With the assurance she would meet him later, Lucius left Narcissa alone.
She took each step slowly, as if she were walking on ice, though the spring sunshine warming her neck proved that untrue. Even without the cold, she shivered. 'I shouldn't be doing this.' she told herself. But she did it anyway.
"What are you doing here?" were the first words that left her mouth. No greetings or apologies. Just facts, as if her sister had only popped out to the shops the day that she left.
Andromeda looked down. "I wanted to see you. Why else would I be here?"
"I don't know." Narcissa stated. She could feel the venom coating her tongue as she spoke. "Perhaps you wanted to meet with your little Mudblood boyfriend. Madam Puddyfoot's is a wonderful destination this time of year, I've heard."
"Narcissa, don't." Andromeda sighed. She seemed more exasperated than hurt. Narcissa did not know if that was meant to make her feel better or worse. "All I wanted was to make sure you're alright. I worry about you."
"You worry about me?" Narcissa could not help but scoff. "You were the one who left, Andromeda. You forfeited the right to worry about me the moment you shut the door behind you."
Andromeda blinked, taken aback by her sister's bluntness. Narcissa was a sweet girl, or she had been before. It was only Bellatrix who had ever been so cruel. It seemed the eldest sister had taken a new pupil under her wing.
"Narcissa, I'm sorry." There were no other words Andromeda could think of to try and make it better. "I won't apologise for Ted- I love him, and I would do anything to be with him. But I should never have abandoned you that way. I should have found a way to not have to choose between you."
"There is no way, Meda." It was the first time Narcissa had used her sister's nickname since she had been burnt from the tapestry. Somehow, her apology had cut through the haze of anger, cleared her sister's vision. This was not just a Blood Traitor, an exile from Pureblood society. She was Andromeda. "I wish it didn't have to be this way either, but it does."
"Maybe it doesn't!" Andromeda protested. She looked so hopeful that Narcissa could not help but be taken in. "We can still find ways to see each other. I can come to Hogsmeade when you have your free weekends here, I can see you then. And before long you'll leave Hogwarts and you can do what you want, go anywhere, see anyone."
"That isn't how it works, Meda, you know that." Narcissa reasoned. Perhaps her life had been so simple once, when she had lived with Minerva, but not now. "I will remain under Aunt Walburga's control until I marry, and then I will answer to my husband. That's how it works in our circle."
"It doesn't have to be." Andromeda stated. She was growing more desperate by the moment, and Narcissa could hear it in her voice. "You can find a man who doesn't cling to traditions as if they are the only thing keeping him alive. There must be some out there."
Narcissa's mind went to Lucius, and the conversation they had when Andromeda was first exiled. She knew her aunt would never allow her to marry someone without impeccable Pureblood values. Her sister's actions had made certain of that. Still, she could not force herself to tell the truth. "Maybe I might be able to convince my husband to let me see you. You never know."
"But you're not willing to risk it for now?" It was less a question than a statement, for both young women knew the answer already.
"I'm sorry, no." Narcissa confirmed. It was physically painful to speak the words, but there was nothing to be done. "It's too much of a risk. We can try to write to each other, perhaps, if we're careful, but I can't be seen with you. I'm sorry, Meda, but I can't."
"I understand." Andromeda whispered. She reached out to wrap her arms around her sister, before either had the chance to think better of it. "I love you, Cissa, you must remember that."
"I love you, too, Meda." Narcissa admitted, glancing over her shoulder as she pulled away. A crowd of students had left The Three Broomsticks; it would not be long before Lucius came in search of her. "No matter what happens, I promise that will not change."
And with those words, Narcissa turned, striding across the courtyard towards the pub before she could change her mind. Surely it would get easier over time to be away from her sister- she would have Lucius to care for her and Professor McGonagall to keep her on the straight and narrow- but until then, she would have to endure the feeling of her broken heart splitting into tiny shards beneath her chest. Perhaps even that would get easier.
A/N: Sorry for the emotional rollercoaster! Hope you enjoyed and please review!