Chapter Forty Two
Narcissa took a deep breath and swallowed the saliva that had filled her mouth. She could always taste metal at the moment, her anxiety always threatening to spill over.
She had to admit she took a small amount of pleasure knowing that for once her sister was feeling that anxiety as well.
Bellatrix was far less practised at hiding her panic than Narcissa though, and wouldn't stop biting her nails and pulling at her wild, curly hair. It was clear to anyone who saw her she was struggling.
Gringotts loomed over them as they walked quickly towards the huge, marble building.
"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea." Bellatrix said, stopping quickly, pulling Narcissa to a stop at the same time.
"What on earth do you mean?" Narcissa demanded, wondering if she'd failed before they even got to the building.
"I… what will we do if 'it' is missing?" Bellatrix asked, throwing her hands in the air, "If we don't know about it, we cannot be blamed."
Narcissa let out a bitter laugh, "Oh Bella you are being stupid! Of course we will be blamed and punished! How long do you think it will take for the Dark Lord to see that stupid rag with Potter's picture in it? And you will have to admit that you saw it and what? Didn't think it was worth investigating?"
Bellatrix dug her fingers into her scalp, feeling the skin break under the pressure from her sharp nails, "Fine, you're right, of course you are. Perfect little Narcissa is always right!"
Narcissa glared at her sister, keeping her painfully calm exterior in tact, "Oh do grow up! Or do you wish to go in there alone?"
Bellatrix shook her head, "NO! No of course not. I'm sorry; I don't know where my head is at right now."
Narcissa smiled softly, "Don't you worry. This is what I'm here for isn't it? You need to remember we're a family again."
Narcissa squared her shoulders and linked arms with her sister. She walked with Bellatrix boldly towards the ancient building. There was a sort line at the entrance, which both sisters completely ignored, walking boldly past people and aiming for the large double doors.
A few people grumbled about them pushing in the line, grumbling that was quickly silenced the moment they saw who it was.
Two of the lower ranked of Voldemort's followers stood in the space between the two sets of doors you had to walk through to get into Gringotts. They didn't object to Bellatrix and Narcissa skipping the line, instead they just mumbled an apology and held up their Probity Probes.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Bellatrix snapped, "From the pathetic, terrified, looks on your ugly little faces you know who we are."
"We… we do ma'am, of course." one of them mumbled, not daring to look Bellatrix in the eye, wishing he could just shrink back against the wall, "Just… well we gots to. Ma'am."
Bellatrix was about to snap at them again but Narcissa placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be fine." Narcissa said calmly, but firmly, "It won't take more than a minute after all."
The two men quickly waved the shiny golden rods over Bellatrix and Narcissa before waving them through, apologising again for keeping them.
Narcissa looked around the large open room and smiled. She loved how beautiful Gringotts was, always had ever since she was a little girl.
Bellatrix had never had much time for the building. She had always taken their parents view of it being ruined by being infested with goblins.
She walked haughtily over to the nearest customer service desk and pushed the elderly witch who was already there out of the way.
"Can I help you?" the goblin said with a sneer.
"Yes." Bellatrix snapped, "Yes… that's why I'm here! Oh go somewhere else will you?!" she snapped at the witch who had tapped her on the shoulder to get back to the desk she had been using.
Bellatrix flashed the witch her Dark Mark, sending her scurrying away as quickly as she was able, leaning heavily on her walking stick. Narcissa wished she could of helped the old lady, watching her as she went over to the next desk. There were plenty of free service desks that Bellatrix could of gone to, she just enjoyed making people move around her.
Narcissa looked over at the goblin, managing to match her sister's sneer.
"My name is Bogrod, how may I help you? Your Ladyship." the goblin said, his voice dripping with disdain, but he'd also seen the dark mark and the Death Eaters didn't think twice before attacking the goblins at the moment, it wasn't worth the pain being rude to them would bring.
"I need to check my vault." Bellatrix demanded.
Bogrod thought about playing it stupid, and asking which vault that would be but again he knew it wasn't worth the effort, "Please follow me Lady Bellatrix. Is your sister coming with us or does she need access to her own vault, I can call one of the others-"
"Not today." Narcissa said sharply, "I am merely accompanying my sister."
Bogrod gave them both a very hollow smile and waved them to follow him. Narcissa walked quickly over the tiled floor, her heels clacking loudly. Bogrod grabbed an old carpet bag that clattered loudly as it was loaded it into the small cart.
He gave Narcissa and Bellatrix a low, sarcastic bow before offering them his hand to help them in the cart. Both sisters looked at it as though the hand would bite them and climbed in unaided. Bogrod gave them another smile that was far closer to a sneer and muttered under his breath for a moment before he hopped into the wobbly cart.
Narcissa clung to the sides as Bogrod sent them charging around the corners at such a speed it caused two of the wheels to lift up from the tracks.
She had always hated these cart journeys at the best of times and this was worse than normal, it was clear Bogrod was enjoying throwing the cart around the hilly tracks. Narcissa could feel herself growing sicker and sicker as she was thrown about.
Bellatrix swore loudly as they were soaked from a sudden waterfall crashing down on them. It didn't smell like pure water and was slightly rainbow coloured, despite the lack of light so far under ground but it was definitely wet.
"Sorry ma'am," Bogrob said, not even hiding the laugh in his voice, "It checks for enchantments you see."
"I'll have your job, at the very least." Bellatrix hissed dangerously at the goblin. His laugh quickly turning to a glare that Bellatrix mirrored back.
Narcissa quickly dried them both with a flick of her wand, leaving the goblin still dripping. He grumbled as it grew colder the further they sunk into Gringotts. She felt bad for leaving him wet, and wouldn't have thought twice about drying him as well but the laugh Bellatrix gave him told her it was the right thing to do.
Narcissa couldn't wait until the day came she was able to just be kind again without always thinking and worrying about how other people would view it.
It wasn't long after the waterfall that the cart finally drew to a stop, both Bellatrix and Narcissa stepping from the jerky thing onto solid ground the second they could.
Bogrod heaved the carpetbag from the cart and waved for them to follow him down a dark corridor.
"I don't know what they were thinking setting up that waterfall!" Bellatrix grumbled, "Why on earth would we be hiding anything? I ask you! The day we take full control of this place the better, the foul things are running wild and have all together far to much power. These lesser creatures are half feral still."
Narcissa nodded along carefully, freezing as they left the tunnel, seeing the huge dragon that guarded the Lestrange vault looming over them.
Lily had been horrified at the idea of dragons being kept locked away, deep under ground. Dragons needed room, they grew weak without the sun. It was horribly cruel to the poor creatures, every dragon sanctuary out there had petitioned for the dragons to be released, which had been ignored by the Goblins.
Narcissa's eyes flicked towards the Malfoy vault, it was still on this level. She'd tried to get it moved, finally seeing the cruelty through Lily's fresh eyes but the goblins had simply looked at her as though she were insane and informed her it couldn't be done. If, however, she got permission from everyone on this level not to employ a new dragon once this one died they would respect their wishes.
There was no chance of that while the Lestrange vault sat there.
Bellatrix had never cared that they used dragons. Only the best and oldest Pure-Blooded families had vaults on this, deepest level. The Lestranges, Sirius's branch of the Blacks, the Dumbledores, the Longbottoms and the Malfoys.
Bellatrix had dreamed of having a vault on this level since she was a child; her parents' vault had been on the floor above, not a place to be sniffed at, but it wasn't this floor. This was the floor where the best families had their treasures.
Bogrod shook the bag heavily, causing the dragon to shrink away in fear. Bellatrix walked quickly towards her vault, her longer legs getting her there much quicker than Bogrod was able. She glared down at him, tapping her foot impatiently.
Bogrod took his time, carefully putting down the bag, before drawing his palm across the door. A short, sharp spike appeared at the edge of the door as it swung open.
Bellatrix spotted it, as she'd been expecting it and pressed her finger against it, wincing slightly as it broke the skin.
"I shouldn't be long." Bella said, pressing her wand tip to the cut on her finger to stop the bleeding, "You will wait outside." she ordered Bogrod.
"I'll come with you." Narcissa said quickly, pressing her thumb against the spike, letting it taste her blood as well, "Two sets of eyes will be quicker than one."
Bellatrix opened her mouth to object before closing it and giving Narcissa a short nod. Normally she wouldn't have allowed Narcissa in with her, but Narcissa had successfully messed with her sister's head enough over the last twenty-four hours that Bellatrix was doubting herself over everything.
Narcissa followed Bellatrix into the vault and wasn't surprised to see it was a mess, especially compared to the neatness she was used to with the Malfoy vault.
"So, where did you put the scram sax?" Narcissa asked, looking around the shelves piled high with treasure.
"I didn't put it in myself." Bellatrix huffed, "I had it sent. It has to be here… somewhere…"
Narcissa let out a loud huff and started digging through the piles of jewels, gold and silver. The warmth flowed through her skin where it touched the treasure, warmth that would have burned white hot had she not given the vault her blood. It was one of the simplest but most effective security measures they had for these old vaults, as well as a few others.
Only those related to the family could give blood in its pure form, otherwise they would have to bring it premixed with someone's who bore the name Lestrange. Most people, however, didn't know it even existed and as a result were badly burned the moment the touched the treasure which would also duplicate with worthless copies.
Narcissa wasn't searching for the scram sax however, she was looking for Helga Hufflepuff's cup or something that bore the Ravenclaw symbol.
She spotted the scram sax before her sister though and felt the panic rise in her throat. She hadn't looked through a tenth of the vault yet and Bellatrix couldn't see the scram sax, she would insist they went straight home.
"Ligga över." Narcissa said softly.
She reached out and caught her sister before she crashed to the ground, fast asleep. Bellatrix lay peacefully on the cold floor, her eyelids moving as she dreamt.
Narcissa hoped it was a happy dream, not that she'd remember it anyway, but that wasn't the point.
She looked so young when she slept, so innocent and calm. Where had that girl gone? The girl Narcissa and Andromeda had laughed with so often when they were little. There didn't even seem to be a trace of that girl left any more, and it was sad.
Narcissa shook her head; she didn't have time to morn the past right now, she had to find what she was looking for, the object that would help her son.
She scoured the shelves until at last she spotted Hufflepuff's cup, up on a high shelf, tucked towards the back. She knew summoning the cup wouldn't work so didn't even waste time trying. Besides it might alert the goblins to an intruder.
Instead Narcissa waved her wand intricately, muttering under her breath.
A set of sliver steps formed from the smoke pouring from the tip of her wand. She quickly climbed up the ghostly steps and grabbed the cup. It had been here for a long time, covered in a thick layer of dust. It felt magical. She couldn't explain or describe it, but it almost hummed to her.
Narcissa quickly stuffed the cup into the pocket beneath her skirt and climbed back down the quickly fading steps, having to jump the last two.
She managed to drag Bellatrix to a pile of treasure, positioning her so it didn't look like she was asleep and hopefully wouldn't realise she'd been asleep herself.
"Väcka." Narcissa said, pointing her wand at her sister, who moved slightly, "Look!"
Bellatrix jumped awake and looked around in confusion, "The scram sax?"
"Yes of course the scram sax!" Narcissa huffed, "What else have we been looking for?" she gave her sister a small laugh.
Bellatrix hurried over and ran her fingers across the smooth metal, "There is no chance this one is the fake is there?"
Narcissa looked over the perfect blade. She knew it wasn't the real one, but there really was no way to tell, not unless you were a goblin.
"I don't believe so." Narcissa said kindly, "This is so exquisite, surely it must be the real one. That disgusting mudblood must have made a fake, to try and trick the Dark Lord, to upset him. You'd think they'd have better things to do with their time!"
Bellatrix let out a deep breath, "Well that is a relief. Thank you so much for helping me to come here, I needed to know that it was all just a silly mistake."
Narcissa gave her sister's hand a tight squeeze, "I'll always be here for you, we're sisters. And now we can tell the Dark Lord that they have faked the scram sax, that the true one is safe in your vault. It's probably not even a very good fake close up!"
Bellatrix squeezed her hand back, "Come on, lets get out of here. I've had enough of goblins and their disgusting hands for one day."
"We might even get back in time for luncheon." Narcissa laughed, "I'll need a bath first though, those things always make me feel so dirty."
Bogrod was waiting outside for them, giving them a harsh glare for taking so long, and making sure that he took every turn in the cart as quickly as he could.
Bellatrix and Narcissa left him without a look, let alone a thank you.
Narcissa took a deep breath as she was heading towards the door. The two wizards were still there, waving the Probity Probes over everyone coming in, and going out.
Bellatrix was so relieved she hadn't managed to lose the scram sax, which she assumed meant that everything else was still in place, including Hufflepuff's cup that Voldemort had so lovingly entrusted her with many, many years ago. She never thought for a moment Narcissa would have taken anything.
Narcissa walked as confidently as she could towards the exit. She hadn't thought about the checks leaving, all of a sudden she was sure they would be able to detect Hufflepuff's cup.
"Sorry ma'am… ma'ams… we have to scan you again." the slightly shorter wizard said, holding up the golden stick and moving towards Bellatrix.
"Of for goodness sakes!" Narcissa snapped, pushing Bellatrix passed them, "You scanned us on the way in, what could we possibly be hiding taking out?"
"Quite right!" Bellatrix hissed, "And anything we would be taking out would be ours! You should be ashamed of yourselves. Pathetic!"
Both of the men were too scared to argue or stop the two women as they strode out of the building, taking a deep breath of cool, fresh air.
Narcissa breathed a huge sigh of relief; she was in once piece and had Hufflepuff's cup. The mission had gone better than she'd dared to hope it would.