Competition/Challenge Block
Written For: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 7); Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 2.0 (Term 3); The Houses Competition (Year 11)

Hogwarts:

Houses: R4; Slytherin Stand-In History of Magic Standard (Family) The Black Sisters; (Emotion) Ecstatic

MC4A:

Beta: Ash

Word Count: 1,444

Warning Tag: References Difficult Child Labor; Alleged Infedility

Author's Note: Bella is quite observant for being almost 6, don't you think? Already showing them Pureblood traits and that Slytherin cunning.

Of Questionable Origin

Bellatrix scanned the tea room almost in boredom while sipping at her tea. It was like a family reunion gathering in the Black Manor, yet everyone waited for the arrival of her newest sibling, who was currently being born in the nursery on the first floor.

Aunt Walburga was mingling with Aunt Lucretia and Great Aunt Melania. Grandmother Irma wheezed in the corner, confined to her pushchair and having a house-elf help her sip her tea, yet it only dribbled from her lip and down her chin. Bella cringed at the sight and looked away.

She and her sister Andromeda were the only children in the room, making Bella feel like she was sitting in a funeral home rather than her own house.

Everyone was just so old and boring.

She briefly wondered what her uncles were talking about in the smoking parlor. Bella and Andy were never allowed in there, but she knew that it really smelled when she snuck in one night through the house-elf entrance.

At least her uncles were interesting.

Bella was on the cusp of six, her sister nearly three, and they both were barely keeping patient while waiting to be granted permission to see the new baby with the other older ladies. She could barely remember when Andy was born, but she did recall being over the moon in having someone to play with, and there were a lot more old people than were present now.

Andromeda was being unlady-like lying on the floor coloring a picture instead of sitting properly and having tea. Bella didn't remember acting so inappropriate at her age, but no one seemed to notice enough to scold her for it yet.

"Hrmph. Druella's labor is taking too long," Aunt Walburga said, prompting Bella to look her way. "These other two came quite quickly."

"Mm," Aunt Lucretia hummed into her teacup.

"Do you suppose this is a sign the rumors are true?" Walburga continued unprompted. "My brother deserves far better if so."

"Pardon me, Aunt Walburga, but what sort of rumor?" Bella asked.

Andy kicked her feet in the air, humming to herself, oblivious to the conversation.

"Well, deary," Aunt Walburga said, regarding Bella. "The Blacks have never had such a long, complicated labor. It simply isn't in our genes. So, this child she's struggling with is a bad sign.

"I heard that your father has been quite involved with the Malfoy family these past months, doing whatever it is that they do with their real estate. So there's been whispers that your mother has been—"

"Oh, quiet you," Grandmother Irma rasped out. "You will not speak ill of my son and his wife. Least they are giving me grandchildren. Where are yours? Hmm?"

Aunt Walburga recoiled at the scolding, and both Bella and Andy were startled at how loud Aunt Irma could get.

Bella knew that a handsome blond man had visited the manor frequently in the last year. He and Father were conducting business, and Mother was quite fond of him based on how attentive she was to Father and their frequent guest. Bella, not knowing much, merely saw it as wooing the one who gave them money.

She knew she would woo whoever she had to when her future husband conducted business to get more money from them. It was one of the wife's duties she was learning about during her tutoring.

Aunt Lucretia stood then, smiling at Bella and Andy as she approached them.

"Come, girls. Let's go take a walk in the gardens."

"Alright," Bella said, abandoning the tea and helping her sister to her feet. "You've rumpled your dress, Andy. I told you not to lay on the floor. What would Mother think?"

She tried brushing the wrinkles out, but Andromeda squirmed away. "We see Mummy now?"

Aunt Lucretia tutted, grabbing her hand. "No, sweetie. Your mummy is still having a baby."

"She's not ready?" Andy said, her lower lip jutting out. "I miss Mummy.. ."

"I know. You can see her soon," Aunt Lucretia said.

"Aunt Lucretia," Bella asked, holding her sister's hand now as they exited a side door. "What was Aunt Walburgea saying about Mum? Was she saying Mum fancied Malfoy? Because in my lessons it said a wife's duty is to aid in her husband's earnings, which include catering to important guests."

"Your studies aren't wrong, Bellatrix, but you should not worry about the nonsense Walburga spoke of. She will find anything to complain about or speak ill of when given the chance," Aunt Lucretia assured.

Andy went and picked some wildflowers that grew in the small clearing near the garden while Bella stayed with her aunt. She was starting to get nervous about her mum and the baby. Nervous scared and ecstatic. It was a strange hodge podge of feelings.

It wasn't long before a house-elf appeared. "Madame wishes for her children to see her now, Miss Lucretia," the elf said, bowing. "May I take the Missus' of the house?"

"Of course."

Bella's eyes lit up, and Andy squealed beside her, clapping her hands excitedly before reaching for the house-elf's hand. Flowers long forgotten on the ground.

"Come on, 'Ella! Mummy is ready!" Andy said.

She bounced up and down, unable to control her excitement. She squealed. "A new baby! A new sister!"

"Shh, Andy. You have to be quiet," Bella scolded, taking the elf's other hand. "Noise will bother Mum and sis—we don't know what it is yet."

"A sister!"

The elf quickly transported them with magic to the nursery where their mother and new sibling were. Bella saw that Mum was very tired but perked up at seeing them. Andy bounded onto the bed, cuddling right up under Mum's arm while Bella sought out the bassinet beside the bed.

The room smelled like cleaning charms and powder, barely concealing the undertone of other unpleasant smell of… whatever gross stuff that happens when a baby comes.

"My sweethearts," Mum said quietly, "I want you to meet your new sister."

Mum gestured for Bella to join her and her sister rather than peek at the bassinet. She reluctantly obliged, eager to see the baby on her mum's terms. Climbing up to her mum's other side, her mum gave a peck on Bella's forehead before reaching for the bassinet. The house-elf that brought them handed the small bundle of blankets over.

This baby was smaller than Andy was.

Bella looked at the tiny face peeking from the blanket, Andy close beside her. She had no hair on her head, or so it seemed. Andy had dark hair and eyes, Bella remembered, and her own baby picture was the same. Her little eyes were closed, so Bella didn't know what her eyes looked like.

"She has no hair," Bella commented.

"She does, sweetie. It is just very fine right now," Mum said.

"Weird."

"What's it name?" Andy asked.

"You mean, what is her name?" Mum corrected. "I named her Narcissa."

"Like a flower?" Andy smartly questioned.

"Flower?" Bella repeated. "I don't know a flower constellation."

"You both are so smart," Mum praised, adjusting some so that they could see baby Narcissa better. "It isn't a constellation. Andy is right that it is a flower called narcissus."

"It's pretty!" Andy said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "I love you, sissy!"

Andy's smile was the biggest Bella had ever seen. "This is the best day ever!"

Bella was glad that Andy was so fond of Narcissa already, she was too. Though a brother would have been nice and new and different, she would do.

"Oh, Father won't be happy, will he? Why not a constellation or star name? It's Black tradition," Bella pressed. "Why not Lyra or Aquila?"

"Or Gemimeye!" Andy supplied, happy to know what was being talked about.

"Because, Bella, flowers are just as beautiful as the stars," Mum said. "Now, enough talk about it. Enjoy your new sister before the others come to see her."

"Okay," Bella said, still fretting over the name.

Narcissa wrinkled her nose and sneezed, opening her eyes then to see Bella and Andy staring back. She had blue eyes, unlike Andy's, which darkened almost immediately. Bella started to wonder if what Aunt Walburga was trying to say was that her sister was cursed somehow…

She didn't look like the rest of the family; instead, she was the very opposite. Either way, Bella wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her sisters. It was the eldests duty to look after her younger siblings and set a good example in teaching and showing them the right ways. And that is what Bella will do, even if Narcissa is cursed.