many many thanks to BurningRosesAmongstLilies for all your help!
(Tuesday, June 20th - Wednesday, June 21st)
A violent thunderstorm lashed the valley of Hogwarts. The sky was alight with the near constant strike of lightning. Window panes rattled as thunder roared. Rain fell so heavily it obscured everything farther than an arm's length away.
The sheer fury of the storm woke many of the inhabitants of the valley, startling them from their dreams. Some would slip out of bed and look out their windows, investigating. They'd marvel at the staggering might of nature for a moment or two, before returning to their still-warm beds, content to drift back off to the realm of Morpheus. Safe, warm, and dry.
Narcissa Black had no such luxury.
She stood drenched and utterly exposed to the Scottish elements before a glorified shed that served as a cage. A cage for a beast and a snare laid for her dearest friend.
Severus - the other half of her soul - was trapped. Trapped inside the Shrieking Shack with his greatest fear and no possible way of escape.
Over the roar of the storm, she heard his screams, heard his pleas. His voice cut through the night and pierced her to the bone. And she could not get to him. It was enough to drive her to madness - Madness that for once in her life, she embraced.
The Black Family Madness burned like ice through her veins. With it, she lashed out blindly at the wards that stood between her and her Severus. It clawed its way up her throat, a mantra of save him, save him, save him, pushing her to use magics she swore she never would.
Every plea, every scream urged her faster, pushed her further into her frenzy. She threw everything she could at the blood wards, losing pieces of herself in the process. Memories, lifeblood, her magic itself - it did not matter.
Severus, her dear Severus, was trapped with a werewolf.
People did not survive such encounters, not for long. Those that did survive only managed to do so because they were able to escape. With the blood wards in place, Severus did not have that option. Narcissa didn't know what she would do if Severus did not survive-
Her face twisted into a snarl, she unleashed a particularly nasty piece of magic on the blood wards that stood between her and Severus. Dark magic. Forbidden magic. Black magic.
She lost another piece of herself for that spell; it wouldn't be the last before the night was over. But she did not care. Severus needed her. She would give up every last scrap of herself if it meant he was safe.
She could not fail him. Would not. She was Narcissa Carina Vivienne Black, of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. She bowed to no one and nothing; this ward would not keep her from him.
"Albus!" she heard behind her and the Headmaster, who had been working diligently at her side. She didn't let the newcomer distract her.
She did, however, startle when she felt someone familiar joining her; they picked up the threads of the tapestry of her magic and joined it with their own. Snapping her head to the side, her eyes confirmed what she sensed. It was her cousin, Sirius. A quick look over her shoulder and she saw the rest of his friends - sans Lupin - as well as Professor McGonagall speaking with the headmaster.
"Sirius," she greeted tersely. She recovered, and adjusted herself, mirroring his movements just as he mirrored hers. Neither leading and yet neither following in the weaving of tandem casting. There was no pattern to follow, only instinct, only magic.
"Narcissa," he returned. He was focused in a way she rarely ever saw him. She did not know why he and his friends were here, but she would not question his presence, nor his determination.
The familiarity of working with him helped steady her, bringing the Black Madness to heel. Making it a weapon at her disposal and not some feral thing beating madly in her chest. They had trained as children to cast in tandem to help calm their Madness whenever they lost control of it.
They moved as one, walking the tightrope of giving themselves over to the magic they were casting and maintaining strict control. Casting in tandem wasn't easy; you had to know your partner extremely well, lest you tangle the magic, rip the threads, and ruin the tapestry altogether. Such a fate had the potential to cause a rather nasty backlash, which could prove fatal if the snarl was bad enough.
But Narcissa knew Sirius. They had been raised together, to strengthen the ties of the Black Family. He was fiery where she was cold; impulsive where she was calculated: emotional where she was serene. They balanced each other in a way that only strengthened the threads of their tapestry.
Of all the children of the Black Family, she and Sirius were best matched in tandem casting.
Together, they made more progress in dismantling the wards than she and the Headmaster had in the hours beforehand. Cracks began to appear in the ward - hope blossomed, they'd be able to save Severus -
Putrid green light flashed from the Shack, blinding them. An agonizing scream tore through the night with enough magical force behind it that the windows exploded, doors blasted off their hinges, the walls of the Shack trembled, threatening to collapse. The blood wards kept the magical maelstrom contained for a moment – a dreadful moment suspended in time – before buckling and shattering.
The magical backlash threw them off their feet, sending them skidding through the mud, punching the air from their lungs. The force was dense enough to repel the rain, blasting it away as it had blasted them.
The weight of the magical pressure emanating from the Shack was staggering, overwhelming. Like a great beast perched on their chests, its fangs barred and centimeters from their throats. It only began to lift, to dissipate, when the scream died out.
Narcissa was the first to recover. The bone-deep mantra of save him, save him, save him thrummed in her veins, pushing her to move. "Severus," she gasped, ears ringing, skin buzzing, eyes watering.
She fumbled around on the muddy ground, trying to get her limbs to work, rain lashing her once more. Rolling to her knees was a Herculean effort. She was drained in ways that she had never before experienced - but Severus, Severus needed her.
With a groan, Narcissa pushed herself to her unsteady feet. "Severus," she said again. She stumbled towards the shack, her forward momentum pulling her into a jog, a run, a dead sprint. The blood wards were down, they were down. She could get to Severus-
Narcissa slid to a stop in the doorway. A gruesome scene lay within.
Blood was splattered in a way that spoke of a violent death. Body parts were strewn about, shredded, gnawed on. Bloody handprints were all over the walls, the floors, like someone had been flung around, had been trying to escape. The stench of death was overwhelming, it was harrowing, petrifying. But there, in the center of the room, was Severus.
Still as stone under the body of a werewolf.
Heart in her throat, Narcissa went to him, landing roughly on her knees by his side. There was so much blood, she couldn't tell if he was breathing -
"Severus, darling, please don't - don't be dead, please," she begged, scrambling to find a sign of life, any sign of life. His neck was slick with blood that flowed sluggishly from the ragged wounds on his face, making it difficult to keep her fingers steady on his neck. "Severus, please don't be dead-"
His heartbeat fluttered in the veins under her fingers, and she sobbed in relief. "Oh Severus, thank the stars above, and the earth below - you're alive."
He jerked at the sound of her crying and looked at her with wild, unfocused eyes. "Dead, she's dead," his voice was hoarse. "Tried to save her. Save him. Dead. Gone."
"Severus," she said. She petted his blood soaked hair with one hand, unable to take her other hand away from the pulse she found on his neck, needing to reassure herself that there was life in him. That he was there, and he hadn't left her. "Severus, it's okay."
Unsteady footsteps heralded the arrival of the others. She looked behind her, finding the headmaster and Professor McGonagall frozen in the doorway, horrified by the scene before them.
"Summon Madam Pomfrey," she ordered through a wavering voice. "Severus is alive but wounded. He's, he's lost a lot of blood."
They both jerked into action, their patronuses slipping from their wands before running off into the night after a few murmured words.
The professors tried to stop them, but Sirius and Potter jostled their way into the shack, followed closely by Pettigrew and Evans. The Gryffindors stood frozen, transfixed by the scene before them. Their shock soon gave way to horror and heartbreak.
Sirius keened and fell to his knees, Potter blanched and stumbled back into the Headmaster and McGonagall. Pettigrew looked on in disbelief, and Evans gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Narcissa narrowed her eyes at them, before looking back to the body of the wolf that Severus was clutching like a lifeline. Puzzle pieces fell into place in her mind - why else would Sirius and his friends come here? They didn't care for Severus. But they did care for the one friend that was missing. Who, now that she thought about it, spent an unusual amount of time out of class and in the Hospital wing each month.
"Remus Lupin," she murmured. Her dear friend whimpered upon hearing his name and her heart broke even more for Severus.
They had been friends despite their history. They had been friends. She knew what that meant to him, how deeply he cared for his friends. Knew there was nothing he would not do for the sake of a friend.
This was going to kill him.
"Oh, Severus," she said, her voice soft. She placed a kiss on his forehead heedless of the blood that stained it, trying to give him what comfort she could.
Her Madness stirred at the injustice she felt, curling around her shoulders like an insidious cat. It poisoned her sympathy, turning it to anger. How dare this happen to him. How dare he be put in such a position, where he had to kill his friend or be killed himself.
He did not deserve this. Lupin had not deserved this, as little as she liked the spineless Prefect. Neither of them deserved this tragic, ghastly fate.
Narcissa would make sure whoever caused this drowned in her anger. She would take revenge for Severus. For Remus Lupin. She would make examples of the culprits, so no one would ever dare to attack Severus again - so that no one would even think about harming him. She would make them beg for mercy long before she was through with them. Put them through everything they did to her Severus; eye for eye, cut for cut, bone for bone.
A part of her knew that her Madness was warping her perception and influencing her decision, and was thus wrong. However, that part of her was much diminished after the sacrifices she made to bring down the wards. She did not care, not in the face of the injuries and injustice before her. She would do everything in her power to right this wrong, even if it led her to bathing in death and blood.
That was the way of the Blacks afterall, and she was nothing if not a Daughter of House Black.
"How did this happen?" Potter asked, anger seeping into his voice. "Why was he here?"
Narcissa pinned him with a warning glare over her shoulder. "Don't start, Potter."
"If he was sticking his fucking nose where he shouldn't again-"
Narcissa felt what little restraint she had left snap; the rage that had been simmering reared its head within her. A bloody, feral rage that ran like ice through her veins. It froze the rainwater that clung to her hair, her skin, her robes. A harsh chill permeated the air, radiating out from her. Their breath became visible in the air, and ice advanced slowly across the floorboards. The gathered group of Gryffindors eyed her warily.
She stood, her robes audibly crackling with frost, and placed herself between Severus and the idiot boy who had tormented him from their very first day at Hogwarts. "You will place no blame on Severus, James Fleamont Potter," her voice low, warning. "You will never know the end of my ire if you do.
"He did not come here of his own free will. He was bewitched in some manner - all of Slytherin House can attest to that, as well as every portrait, ghost, Professor, and Prefect he ran past tonight. This was not his fault."
"How," Potter pressed, his stupid, idiotic Gryffindor bravery shining when it really ought not. "Snape is the most paranoid bastard alive-"
"Lord Prince is not a bastard and I'll thank you to cease from insulting him," Narcissa snapped, her eyes flashing. "But… I would like to know how this happened as well - Cousin Regulus is investigating. When I learn the identities of whoever did this… by Ryedeamn's Might I will deliver them into Bremour's Embrace, this I swear."
For a split second, for an endless age, it felt like the world had halted.
Power, heavy burning power, flooded the Shack, centered around Narcissa, nearly bringing them all to their knees.
Power that no mere humans were meant to experience.
Indiscernible whispers rattled around her head, overlapping with one another.
Tingles ran down her spine, like a hundred bees were buzzing under her skin.
And the eyes, Merlin, she could feel Their eyes on her, if only for a moment. For an eternity.
Her Oath settled on her shoulders, sinking into her skin, burrowing into her soul like a brand, the weight of it like chains.
It was dangerous to call on the Names of Power.
The sensation bled out of the Shack, leaving them panting and barely standing. Narcissa felt faint and more than a little shocked at the immediate consequence of her Oath. Nothing like that had happened when Severus swore to Protect her. Was it because she invoked two Names?
"Miss Black!" McGonagall shouted, aghast, once she regained her breath.
Narcissa blinked, recovering in a moment, and rounded on her. "I will defend Severus with all that I am until my dying breath," she said. "He is everything to me. Do you understand? Everything. There is nothing I would not do for him just as there is nothing he would not do for me. He deserves someone who will go to the ends of the earth on his behalf, and I strive to do that every day.
"Before you try to protest this further, futile as that would be, know that we are Oathbound. This is my duty and my right." She glared at them before adding grimly, "It will also be my pleasure."
The headmaster looked so disappointed it made her teeth grind, the sanctimonious bastard. McGonagall too. The gathered Gryffindors were looking at her like they had never seen her before. And perhaps they hadn't. Not really.
She could see the professors puffing up, no doubt to lecture her on morals, but Sirius broke in.
"Professors… leave it," he said, his voice emotionally wrought. She looked at him, but he was looking at the wolf clutched in Severus's unyielding embrace. "Whoever they are, they've caused the death of at least two people and inflicted a traumatic experience on another, potentially causing him to be a lycanthrope as well-" Narcissa blanched at that statement, it hadn't occurred to her – Severus, a werewolf – "They deserve the full revenge of a Black."
Narcissa mentally shook herself. It didn't matter to her one way or the other. He was still Severus. They would face whatever challenges that lay ahead together. If… if he was a lycanthrope now, he would need all the support she could give him.
"But she cannot just-"
"I can," Narcissa cut McGonagall off, pinning her with a glacial glare, growing tired of them thinking this was up for debate. "And I shall. I am a Daughter of Black, we follow the Old Ways. I am well within my legal rights to kill whoever has done this to Severus and Lupin. There is no limit on the lengths I can and will go to right this wrong. I will see that justice is done as my ancestors did."
Sirius slowly picked himself up off the floor and stood by her side. "No law is higher than the Old Ways. You know this. Once invoked, they are all that matter. And, she and Prince are Oathbound; she can do whatever she deems right by him, and no one can say otherwise. Not Lord Black, not the Minister of Magic, not the Chief Warlock. To try to stop her would surely garner the ire of the Names. You need to drop this before you offend Them."
There was a beat of silence that followed Sirius's proclamation. It was easy to forget that he had been raised as Heir Black, deeply entrenched in the Old Ways, but Narcissa was glad of it. He'd have better luck at shutting their arguments down than she would as a Gryffindor and as their friend.
"Thank you, Siri," Narcissa said, grateful for his support.
"Of course, Cissa," he said. He looked back at the body of his dead friend. "Make them regret the day their magic awoke."
She felt the Black Madness claw its way to the surface and once more she gladly embraced it. "They'll regret every ounce and scrap of magic they have learned, every breath they have taken since their birth, before I'm done with them."
"Good," he said harshly, a similar gleam of Madness in his eyes. "Good."
Madam Pomfrey entered the Shack just then, her knees giving out at the scene before her. She took it in, stifling a sob. "Oh, my boys," she said, grief in her voice. "My sweet boys."
"Madam Pomfrey," Narcissa said, gaining her attention. "Lord Prince is under the protection of the Black Family. Can I trust that no further harm will come to him in your care?"
The mediwitch blinked at her, straightening under her scrutiny. "Of course," she said, sounding nearly offended.
"Then as Daughter Black, I pass him into your care until I am able to care for him myself. House Black is grateful for your aid." Narcissa gave a deep curtsy to the mediwitch. Deeper than was necessary, but it was Severus that she was leaving in her care. Madam Pomfrey deserved all the respect and gratitude Narcissa could show her.
Realizing there was something more to her words than she was understanding just then, Madam Pomfrey nodded, wiped the tears from her face, and then set to tending to Severus.
Narcissa watched as the mediwitch spoke in a low voice to Severus, running her wand up and down his body. She knew she should leave now, go see what progress Regulus had made in discovering who was responsible for this, but she found it difficult to move. The thought of letting Severus out of her sight set her on edge. She had barely gotten to him after fighting for hours to reach his side. It felt wrong to leave without him. She wanted to make sure he was alright - that he would be alright-
"I will guard him," Sirius said to her, accurately guessing where her thoughts were heading. "I know I am no longer Family, but -"
"Aunt Walburga may have cast you out and burned your name from the Family Tree, but you are still Family to me," Narcissa interrupted him. "You will always be Family to me, Siri. You cannot take away our shared childhood. No one can."
He blinked at her in shock. "Thank you, Cissa," he said around a lump in his throat. "I will guard him, as, as a Son of Black. I will keep his life as if it were my own."
"You had better," she said, turning towards him fully and pinning him with a hard stare. "I know you have been especially antagonistic towards him, Sirius Orion, do not think that you won't fall victim to my oath should you do anything to Severus while he is unconscious."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, suitably cowed.
She maintained her hard stare, searching him for any deceit or hidden malice. Finding none, she softened and took his hand in hers to give it a brief squeeze. "Thank you, Siri," she said. "I will send someone to relieve you soon," she said. "I leave Severus in your care."
With one last look at her dear friend, she left the Shack.
》Furius Draconis II《
(Wednesday, June 21st)
Narcissa was exhausted, magically, mentally, and emotionally, but she had to see this through. She could not rest until she did.
The weight of her Oath sat on her shoulders. It dogged her every step like a gytrash nipping at her heels. Weighed her every breath as if she were 10,000 leagues under the sea. It made the hair raise on the back of her neck as if she were being stalked by something older than bones that ought not be disturbed.
Was this what it was like for Severus after he swore to Protect her?
She entered the Slytherin Dorms and was met by the entire House staring at her. She was startled momentarily, not anticipating such a greeting. She stared at the gathered students like a peryton in a Lumos beam until her cousin approached.
"Narcissa!" he greeted, faltering when he was close enough to see the blood on her hands and the state of her robes. He looked at her with a burning question in his eyes.
"Severus lives," she answered. The full story could wait until later. "Who did this?"
"Jugson and Avery."
Her anger exploded outwards, a biting chill flooded the room, ice coated the floor below her feet and built on her robes and in her hair. "Those insignificant little whelps dared? Where are they?" she asked, an ire that was not entirely her own reverberated in her voice. Regulus could feel the Black Madness curling around her, and something… more. Something dangerous, deadly, unnatural.
"Yaxley is holding them in the Dark Hall," he said, eyeing her warily.
"Revenge is mine to take on Severus's behalf," she snarled. "I have Sworn it."
Regulus shuddered involuntarily; the truth of her words rang through the common room with the power of the Names behind it.
She turned her gaze to the gathered students, aware that they hung onto every word she and Regulus spoke. They watched her warily, as if she were a predator who stumbled across their den.
That was not so terribly far from the truth.
"It would seem that two of our own have foolishly attacked Lord Prince," she said, pitching her voice just enough to carry throughout the common room. "In his bewitched state, he made it as far as Hogsmeade, and was attacked by a werewolf. He survived, of course, and was not bitten. But for endangering him - a friend of House Black - I will take revenge on his behalf.
"The lingering power of my sisters has shielded you all from my own, which I assure you is every bit as ruthless as theirs. Jugson and Avery will know this, and it will be the last thing they ever know.
"Fifth Years and up, down to the Dark Hall. You will witness why you should not attack House Black and its allies. First through Fourth, remain in your dorms."
The Slytherins were quick to comply with her orders. No one dared to disobey her.
Regulus stepped closer to her and raised a privacy ward. "A werewolf?" he asked, concerned.
"A werewolf," she confirmed grimly.
"Are… are you certain he wasn't bitten?"
"No," she said. "I saw no bites on him, but that means little. He was wounded, and all it would take is a drop of the wolf's saliva to curse him. He is in the care of Madam Pomfrey now. We likely will not know if he was infected during this encounter until the next full moon."
"Merlin," Regulus breathed out. "What are the odds of a lycanthrope being in Hogsmeade anyways? And on the night that Severus was attacked like this?"
"Oh, the wolf has always been here," she said, her lip curling into a slight sneer. "Remus Lupin was the werewolf."
Regulus's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Dumbledore let a lycanthrope come here?!"
"At this moment, I care less for the questionable actions of the headmaster and more for how Lupin's death will weigh upon Severus's mind - they were friends Regulus, and Severus had to kill him. They were locked together in the Shrieking Shack by a blood ward."
"By the gods… this was planned down to the smallest detail," Regulus said.
"Are you certain only Jugson and Avery were involved in this insidious plot?" Narcissa asked. "Neither of them have ever stricken me as being smart enough to carry out a plan such as this one."
"I'm fairly certain it was just the two of them," Regulus said. "But they may have had help, intentional or otherwise. I am ashamed to admit that I inadvertently played a role in their plot."
She arched an eyebrow at him, pinning him with an icy stare. "Do tell, cousin."
"Avery came asking about potions while I was studying for OWLs - he asked if there was a potion that could recreate the effects of a boggart. I unthinkingly directed him to Moste Potente Potions."
Narcissa paled. "The Nightmare potion," she said. Their plan against Severus began to take shape in her mind's eye. "They saw his boggart and devised a plan around it - there was someone else in the Shack, or rather what was left of someone else. I'd be willing to bet they made that poor unfortunate soul look like myself…"
"You think they would go as far as that?"
"They meant for Severus to die. I have very little doubt that they would go as far as to torture him psychologically by placing a facsimile of myself in there with him… but we would need to analyse the remains of the individual to be sure."
"I'll go myself-"
"That matters little now. I have already Sworn to kill them. Any further evidence we find should either confirm or deny if someone else was involved."
"Very well. I still think we should investigate, if for no other reason than to identify the individual and give closure to their family."
Narcissa blinked at him. "Yes, of course," she said, surprised at herself for not thinking of that. She had been so focused on Severus that she had not even spared the dismembered person a second thought.
"I will see to it," he promised, giving her hand a quick squeeze.
She gave a curt nod. She would work through her apathy towards the other victim later. "Madam Pomfrey will need to know that they used the Nightmare Potion, it's not likely that it would show on a scan."
"I'll send someone to tell her," Regulus said, already moving away from her.
She grabbed hand, stopping him in his tracks. "We will need to send someone to guard him - who would you trust to do so?"
He paused to think that over seriously. "Perhaps the Lestrange twins?"
Narcissa shook her head. "Who do you trust, Heir Black? His protection is a matter of our Family. I will not have him unconscious under the care of anyone who could benefit from his misfortune."
Regulus grimaced, understanding why the Lestrange twins might not be the best choice. "Then either you or myself. Yaxley likely could be trusted - he was a great help in uncovering those fuckwits' plot. However, I can't see any benefit that could be gained from harming Severus further, not within the House nor within the ranks of the Dark Lord. Gods, the Dark Lord would sooner kill someone for attacking Severus than he would be to reward them."
"And still Jugson and Avery carried out this plot," she said darkly. "What of the muggleborns? The halfbloods? The ones Severus has protected. Would one among them not be a good choice?"
Regulus blinked. "You're a genius, Narcissa. Bevan - I know Severus had to stick his neck out for them more than once. I'll send them to the Hospital Wing."
"Thank you," she said, heartfelt. "We do not know who else might have been involved and I will not be careless with his life. Tell them that no one other than Madam Pomfrey or myself should be allowed access to Severus."
"Right, of course," he said. He hesitated a moment before asking, "If Severus is a werewolf…"
"It changes nothing," Narcissa said firmly, the pressure of the Names swelled around her.
"For you, perhaps," Regulus said, eyeing her carefully. "But if he is… he will not be able to petition Father for your hand in marriage. We may need to come up with an alternative plan."
"Like the Three Brothers, we will cross that river should we need to, no matter the cost," Narcissa said. "Now go, find Bevan and send them."
He gave a nod and darted off, leaving her to make her way down to the Dark Hall, the Names dogging her every step.
》~《
Regulus and Yaxley had Jugson and Avery kneeling in the center of the Dark Hall before Narcissa. The gathered group of Slytherins were practically hugging the walls, shying away from the anger and murderous intent that radiated from Narcissa.
"Thank you, Son of Black, Son of Yaxley," she said, her wand sparking and crackling in her hand. The air was cool around her, frost clung to her robes and covered the stones beneath her feet. The breath of those closest to her could be seen in the air. Avery and Jugson shivered where they knelt.
The boys exchanged a look before Regulus spoke. "Daughter Black, we offer our services in fulfilling your Oath to Death."
She cut him a look but shook her head. "Appreciated as that is, Heir Black, I will be acting as an extension of Power to guide them into Death's Embrace. Your aid is not needed."
The gathered group shifted uneasily. An oath on a single Name was powerful enough, but an oath on two?
Regulus stepped towards her in concern, "Narcissa," he said, only to be cut off by her.
"Don't, Reg. Don't. You did not see him," she hissed so only he and Yaxley could hear her. "Did not see what their ill-planned revenge wrought. I will make them regret every second of their life before I allow them to die. If I must invoke the Names to do so, then so be it. I will not shy away from Their power, not when it is for Severus."
Hesitantly, he nodded his head. He knew better than to try to protest her Oath further. He stepped away and addressed the crowd, "Let the actions of Daughter Black serve as a reminder of the might of the Black Family. We do not take insults lightly, and we repay injuries tenfold."
With one last look at her, Regulus stepped away entirely, Yaxley following. She stood alone in the middle of the Hall. She raised her wand against the two kneeling boys. They didn't even look remorseful. Had Regulus not magically silenced them, she was sure they'd be boasting about what they had done. That would have her killing them far too soon. She was drained, however. Attempting to take down blood wards was nigh impossible and yet she had tried. She wasn't even sure she had the magical energy to grant them the death they deserved.
Narcissa felt Their attention once more, prickling her skin, lingering both for eternity and a single moment. It grew until she felt something coiling around her shoulders - Power flooded her, revitalizing her with such strength that it was near painful. She breathed through gritted teeth, adjusting to the pain, to the power. Her skin buzzed, threatening to split from containing the power she borrowed.
Ryedeamn's Might indeed.
Death was subtler, but no less present. She did not notice Their presence at first; They were as cold as her own magic, but once noticed, They were undeniable. Death filled her with a never ending hunger for something beyond the material realm. They were fathomless in Their vastness, and utterly unforgiving.
Narcissa's wants and needs mingled with Theirs, the lines between herself and the Names blurred. Their presence was overwhelming and bloodthirsty and wholly focused upon Jugson and Avery who had long since lost their arrogant smirks.
"You have no one but yourselves to blame for this," her voice contained multitudes. Distorted and overlapping syllables. With a twitch of her wand, she began to fulfill her Vow.
》~《
Regulus knew his cousins to be ruthless. He knew they were not to be trifled with… but this? He had not known them to be capable of this. Least of all Narcissa - the kindest and gentlest of them all.
She had tortured Jugson and Avery to death - he didn't think he'd ever get their screams out of his mind. She had flayed them alive, methodically, and completely. She dismantled them, piece by piece - their hair first, ripped out with a spell that left their scalps bloodied. Then their nails on their hands and feet, one at a time. She pulled their teeth, plucked their eyes from their skulls, and then she started skinning them, taking off thin ribbons of skin. She never once granted them the mercy of unconsciousness, using a spell to wake them if they passed out from the pain. She cut away on them until their organs were visible - Jugson had died then. Avery followed not long after.
Their deaths had not stopped her crusade to dismantle them until nothing was left. The silence that hung in the air as Narcissa continued to cut away at their bodies was almost worse than their screams.
Blood and viscera were smeared across the Dark Hall, splattered on those gathered, drenching Narcissa's robes – how could there be so much blood?
"You are dismissed," she said, her usually smooth voice hoarse. "Remember this should you ever think to cross House Black or their allies."
The Dark Hall emptied quickly until only Narcissa, Regulus, and Yaxley remained.
"Cousin," he said, hesitant to approach her. "Do you require assistance? I can have Kreacher bring Bella if you need her."
She looked briefly at him, her blue eyes dull, before returning her gaze to where Jugson and Avery had knelt. Bits of flesh and bone and blood was all that remained. "If she is available," she agreed.
"Kreacher!" he called. It was a moment before Elf Black appeared before them with a pop.
"Master calls for Kreacher?" The elf asked, bowing low.
"Fetch Bellatrix here, if she is available," Regulus said. "The youngest Daughter Black requires her assistance."
Kreacher looked around the room, undoubtedly sensing the lingering presence of two Names of Power within the room. He bowed low once more, "Kreacher will retrieve Mistress Bellatrix," and disappeared with another pop.
Regulus turned to his captain, "You may retire if you wish, Yaxley. House Black thanks you for your assistance."
"I think you can call me Corban after all this, Black," Yaxley grunted. "And seeing as how I declared House Yaxley a friend of Lord Prince, I require no thanks."
"Regulus, then," he said. "But I thank you all the same. I doubt I would've been able to discover them without your backing."
Corban tilted his head in mild agreement. "I will stay to make sure Daughter Black receives the aid she needs, and to see what is to be done with their… remains."
"Send them to their parents," Narcissa snarled, a facsimile of the power and fury she wielded shot through Regulus and Corban, stealing the air from their lungs. "Let them see what disgraceful offspring they have bred."
Regulus and Corban shared a look. "Very well," Regulus said placatingly.
They did not have to wait long before Kreacher returned, this time with Bellatrix in tow. She only had eyes for her baby sister.
"Oh, Cissa, what happened? Talk to me, little one," she said, running a hand over Narcissa's hair, uncaring of the viscera in it.
Narcissa took in a shuddering breath. "Severus almost died," she said, becoming frantic. "Severus, I left him, oh Salazar, I need to check on him-"
"Easy, Cissa," Regulus said, stepping forward to put a hand on her shoulder. "I sent Bevan to keep an eye on him as you asked. He's not alone."
That settled her some, Bella sent him a searching look before returning her full attention to Narcissa. "It's alright, little one, it's alright," she soothed. "Reggie has your Severus well taken care of. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Jugson and Avery," Narcissa growled, an unforgiving timber in her voice that was not entirely her own. Regulus and Corban shuddered, their hearts rattling in their rib cages with the echoes of the power Narcissa had commanded. "They attacked Severus - I need to see him."
Bellatrix shot a glance at Regulus, hoping for further clarification, but Narcissa had started to move towards the exit before he could answer.
"Alright, alright," Bella said, moving with her. "We need to get the blood off of you before you go roaming the halls, little one. Come, and then we'll go see your Severus."
》~《
Bella had yet to leave her side, and for that Narcissa was deeply grateful. She was barely capable of holding herself together at the moment, propelled forward only by her frantic need to see Severus. She had to see him. Had to make sure he was okay.
Bella walked with her, arm in arm, up from the Dungeons and to the Hospital Wing. She kept up a soft commentary of what had changed and what had stayed the same since her time at Hogwarts. Meaningless babble that soothed Narcissa like little else could simply because it was her sister talking.
She still felt the Names… lingering. Clinging to her. Their close presence made it difficult to regulate her emotions, which was something she had rarely ever struggled with. They were suffocating, unsettling, aggravating. She knew not to call on Them too often, and only ever for the gravest of oaths.
And yet, she still called upon Them, because it was for Severus.
When they finally approached the Hospital Wing, not even Bella's presence could stop Narcissa's flash of anger at Evans attempting to enter. Bevan, to their credit, was resolute in denying her access.
"I am the Head Girl!" she heard Evans shout. "Bloody well move!"
"No," they said tiredly. "I don't care if you're the Minister of Magic; no one is getting in here unless they need the Matron's services."
"Bevan," Narcissa greeted, causing Evans to flinch and spin around.
"Daughter Black," Bevan said, practically melting where they stood with relief. They then registered that Bella was there as well, "Apologies, Daughters Black," they said, nodding at her. Bella waved them off. "She keeps trying to get in to see Lord Prince," Bevan explained.
"So I see," Narcissa said. She could feel her sister coiling up, ready to strike on her behalf, but she placated her with a light touch. She would handle this.
She looked down her nose at the redhead she had the misfortune of being partnered with all year long. The Names stirred at her ire, flaring uncomfortably over her skin. She could feel Them reaching tendrils towards the Gryffindor as the focus of her ire. "Pray tell, what are you doing here?"
If the look on Evans's face was any indication, she could also feel the Names. Her eyes darted around the corridor nervously, as if she could see the remaining power of the Names Themselves. "I, I, I'm worried about Severus," she said in a small voice.
Narcissa's lip curled in a sneer. "You lost the right to claim any care or worry for him the moment you told him to get lost. Remove yourself or I'll remove you."
"I've known him longer than you," Evans said, her chin jutted out defiantly, a spark of anger growing in her eyes.
"Do not test my patience," Narcissa snapped, looming over her, the Names becoming frenzied. "You tossed him aside at the first sign of hardship – you have no right to try to worm your way back into his life. You need to leave. Now."
From within the Hospital Wing, they could hear Severus calling for Narcissa. "Cissa," he moaned. "Sorry, sorry, so sorry."
Narcissa was moving before she even fully registered it, forgetting about the damn Gryffindor, and entering the Hospital Wing. She was at Severus's side in a matter of a few steps, her sister following in her wake. "Severus, my darling, I'm here, I'm alive," she soothed, sitting next to him on the bed. One hand rested on his chest while the other ran through his hair.
"Cissa," he moaned again. He leaned into her hand as she ran it through his hair. He looked simultaneously better and worse than he did when she left him. Madam Pomfrey had cleaned the blood off him and treated his wounds, but that made it all the easier to see the damage done. There were four long, ragged scratches down his face, puckered and shimmering with powdered silver. They would scar hideously, as all wounds inflicted by werewolves did.
She did not care, did not love him any less due to his wounds. But she knew having such a prominent reminder of this night would not help him heal emotionally and mentally from it.
She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, mindful of the wounds. "I'm here, my love. I'm here."
"You really do care for him," Evans said.
Narcissa cut her an icy glare, before shifting her ire to Bevan. They at least had the decency to look shamefaced, whereas Evans was utterly unrepentant.
Her sister spoke up then. "I believe you were told to leave."
"Who are you?"
"Oh, how rude of me," Bella said blandly. "Bellatrix Black, eldest Daughter Black. I believe you were told to leave."
"Why are you here?" Evans asked.
"Family matters, little lion," Bella said with a smile that was all teeth. "Lord Prince is under the protection of the Black Family and I'm here to help. Now, I am nowhere near as patient as my sister, and I'm far more inclined to hex those that annoy me, so be a good little Head Girl and run along."
"I've known Severus since we were nine, I have every right to be here."
"That matters little in comparison to what you put him through," Narcissa said, her voice just shy of scathing so as to not accidentally upset Severus. "You lost that right, Evans."
The dunce girl opened her mouth to say something more but Bella was quick to cut her off. "I told you to leave," she said, her tone brooking no room for argument. "Do not make me tell you again."
"Or what?" Evans retorted, once again showcasing how idiotic Narcissa knew her to be.
Bella's wand slipped into her hand. A hint of The Lethifold, the Dark Lord's Right Hand, came out; sinister, lethal, and unyielding. "Would you like to find out?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "Because I think I'd like to show you."
"Ladies, do not fight in my Hospital Wing, and certainly do not fight that close to my patient," Madam Pomfrey said, breaking the growing tension as she came out of her office.
"Lord Prince is under the protection of House Black," Bellatrix said, her eyes never leaving Evans, never blinking. "I am simply doing my duty as a Daughter of House Black."
Madam Pomfrey gave her an exasperated look. "You are not even supposed to be here, Miss Black. Do not give me a reason to see you ejected from the school grounds," she said sternly. She ran her wand over Severus, checking his vitals, humming at the results that populated on a floating scroll of parchment. "His heart rate and blood pressure are lower… given the fact that he has been calling for you, Narcissa, I believe your presence does him good."
"I am glad of that," Narcissa said. She continued to pass a hand through Severus's hair; it seemed to help calm him, and it helped calm her as well.
But like an itch you can't reach, Evans was still there.
"Will he be alright?" she asked.
"You are fucking stupid to still be here, irritating me," Narcissa snarled, the lingering Names surging in anger with her, making everyone but her sister take a step back. "I don't know how you two were friends as long as you were; Severus does not suffer fools easily."
"Then it's a wonder what he sees in you," Evans retorted, her voice warbling through her stupid, Gryffindorish bravado.
Narcissa's wand was in her hand, the Names pressed up against her mind, igniting her Madness. She was going to make her scream -
Her wand was wrenched away by her sister. She glared at her and got an unimpressed stare in return.
She returned her attention to Evans and found her paler than the Bloody Baron - good.
"You need to leave," Narcissa said, her voice carefully controlled.
"But-"
"Lily Calvin Evans, I have killed two people on behalf of Severus, and I will kill a third if you do not leave the Hospital Wing this instant," Narcissa snapped, the air around them turning chilly. "You are intruding. Your presence is not only unwelcome, but also downright insulting, and I have only refrained from hexing you due to the fact that my sister took my wand. However, that does not preclude me from killing you with my bare hands if you are not gone by the time I count to ten. One! Two! Three!-"
The Gryffindor turned tail and ran from the Hospital Wing. Narcissa watched her leave to make sure she actually did. Bevan followed after her and shut the Hospital Wing doors behind them, likely taking up their post as guard once more. She would have to do something to thank them, and to ensure their remaining years at Hogwarts were free from harassment of their peers.
Madam Pomfrey eyed her for a moment. "I'll just ignore you said that, then."
"The Old Ways have been invoked," Narcissa tiredly dismissed. "I may do whatever I deem right by Severus, and there is no law that can stop me."
"Magical exhaustion would," the matron said primly, making Bella snort. "I don't need diagnostic spells to tell you've pushed yourself well beyond your limits. Now, I know better than to try to pry you away from Severus at this point, but will you permit me to treat you?"
"Yes, thank you," Narcissa said tiredly.
Madam Pomfrey hummed before casting spells at Narcissa. "You certainly did a number on yourself, young lady," she said, looking over the results. "I'm not sure how you're still conscious, never mind standing. I've half a mind to keep you here as a patient, but I imagine you'll protest that. Rest, no spellcasting, eat regular meals and you'll be fine in a few days."
"A few days?" Bellatrix asked.
"Yes," Madam Pomfrey said. "She nearly bled herself dry."
Bellatrix turned on her and gave her the most unimpressed look she could manage.
Narcissa ignored her. "I did what I did for Severus. It is done, so I will rest."
"Severus is dear to me," the matron said as she smoothed the covers over his chest. "Has been since he first stumbled in here, pride wounded far more than his flesh. I am glad to see he has a friend in you, Miss Black. Both of you. He gives so much of himself to those around him, he deserves someone willing to do the same."
"There is nothing I would not do for him," she said, echoing her words from earlier that morning. "Nothing."
》~《
It was some time later that Regulus appeared in the Hospital Wing. "Bevan looked properly harassed," he said by way of greeting. "When I told them to go rest, they practically bolted down the hallway. Did something happen?"
"The Head Girl happened," Bellatrix said. "When Narcissa threatened to kill her with her bare hands she wisely departed."
Regulus snorted. "I would have liked to have seen that," he said.
"If she dares to come back, you'll have a repeat performance," Narcissa said darkly, an echo of the Names curling around her. It was weaker than before, but still there.
Regulus shared a look with Bellatrix. "How long have you been awake, Cissa?" he asked hesitantly.
"I'm fine," she dismissed.
"You look like shit and I know emotionally you're a wreck," Bellatrix said bluntly, making Narcissa glare at her. "You've always been the softest of us Blacks - not saying that's a bad thing," she was quick to add when Narcissa's glare intensified. "But you have taken two lives, sister mine. I… I know the toll that takes, and I worry you will have… difficulties shouldering that burden."
"I -"
"You need to process this, or it will just be fuel for your Madness," Bellatrix continued bluntly. "I know how you dislike it, disdain it even, so do not ignore your health just to sit here. I highly doubt that would be what Severus would want."
It was no surprise to hear that Bella had killed. She was the Right Hand of the Dark Lord, after all. She may have been a Chosen because of her Family, but she had earned her titles amongst the Knights of Walpurgis.
"You are… right," Narcissa said. "On all accounts. But I don't know how to untangle this knot of emotions in my chest. It… it is too much." She wasn't even sure if she'd be able to - she may have sacrificed too much of herself to the dark magic she threw at the blood wards. Her apathy towards the dismembered person in the Shack and her willingness to kill Evans was likely a testament of that.
Bellatrix looked at her for a moment, clearly wrestling with some thought internally. Her blatant hesitation gained both Narcissa's and Regulus's full attention as it was something that so rarely happened. She tilted her head, tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair, considering the pair of them, before visibly coming to a decision in the set of her shoulders.
"Write to Andy." Bellatrix suggested softly. "She will be better able to help you with that than I. She always worked through her emotions and I have always used them to fuel my Madness."
Regulus and Narcissa looked at her in surprise. "What?" she said gruffly, crossing her arms over her chest. "She is my baby sister still, I have never been able to bring myself to think ill of her. She would jump at a chance to help you, Cissa. I know it."
"Have you… have you written to her?" Narcissa asked gently.
"No," Bella said, her tone just shy of curt.
"Do you want to?" Narcissa pressed.
"I wouldn't know what to say to her," Bellatrix admitted, pushing an agitated hand through her hair. "I… I said hurtful things to her, when she was leaving. Things I should not have said. I fear the rift between us is one that cannot be mended. Never mind- well, never mind other reasons that currently contribute to that distance," she said, a touch bitter.
They all knew by 'other things' she meant her position with the Dark Lord, who thus far had actively been working against those who were not Purebloods. Bellatrix was occasionally sent to… make examples of those who opposed the Dark Lord. With Andy married to a Muggleborn, it was not likely that she would welcome any correspondence from the eldest Daughter Black.
"I will write to her," Narcissa said, watching Bella closely. "If you wish to include a note of your own, I can send it with mine."
Bella looked away and gave a jerky nod, her jaw clenched tightly.
"Could you include a note for me?" Regulus asked tentatively. "I, I want to ask her to keep an eye on Siri. Merlin knows he needs a minder."
"Of course Reggie," Narcissa said, attempting a smile. "He was there, you know. Sirius was there at the Shack. Together, we almost had the blood wards down before… well, before Severus shattered them from the inside. He guarded Severus so I could leave to deal with Jugson and Avery."
"Blood wards?" Bellatrix blurted. "No wonder you've exhausted yourself so thoroughly."
"Yes, well, I did not make much progress before Sirius arrived," Narcissa said.
"The pair of you always were frightening whenever you cast in tandem," Bellatrix said with a shake of her head. "I am surprised he helped, I did not think he cared for Family, or for Severus."
Regulus scoffed. "That's putting it mildly, cousin. He disdains our Family and loathes Severus."
"I'm not certain you can claim that as true any longer, Reggie," Narcissa said, her tone considering. "His actions in the Shack were not inline with someone who hates our Family, nor with someone who loathes Severus - do not mistake me, I know there is bad blood between them and they are very unlikely to ever be on good terms, but he sided with me against his friends, the Headmaster, and his Head of House."
"It was probably due to the shock of the scene, going by how you described it," Regulus dismissed bitterly. "I doubt he's had a change of heart."
"How did any of them know to be there?" Bellatrix asked, moving the conversation along. As the eldest of the Black children, she cared for them all deeply and she knew what pain had been inflicted upon Regulus by his brother. Sirius was often a sensitive subject to bring up around him.
"I ran into the Head Students and McGonagall on my way out of the castle," Narcissa said, following the new line of conversation without too much fuss. "She sent a patronus to the Headmaster, alerting him. I can only assume that Potter and Evans returned to their dorms and rallied Sirius and Pettigrew.
"They were friends with the lycanthrope who was locked in the Shack with Severus," Narcissa explained. "I am not surprised Siri's little band of friends knew of Lupin's condition, or that they knew where he transformed."
"The werewolf was a student here?" Bella asked incredulously.
"Yes," Narcissa answered. "I assume he was behind the 'haunting' of the Shrieking Shack."
"What in Merlin's name was Dumbledore thinking?" Bellatrix hissed.
"We can add that to the list of things we must deal with," Narcissa said.
"What else is there to deal with?" Bellatrix asked.
"We want to be sure there wasn't anyone else involved in this plot against Severus," Regulus explained. "It was too… methodological for Jugson and Avery to have cooked it up on their own."
"That along with the fact that they attacked Severus, the Dark Lord's Dragon makes me think that there was someone pushing them to act," Narcissa said. "They were stupid, but not so stupid as to go against the Dark Lord by attacking his Chosen."
"I see…" Bellatrix said. "I will help where I can in determining if anyone else was involved; the Dark Lord will insist upon it once he learns of this." She pursed her lips, thinking once more. "Do we… do we know, if Severus was infected?" she delicately asked.
"We do not," Narcissa said, her hold on Severus's hand tightened. "If he was, it changes nothing."
"He would not be able to petition to Father-" Regulus started.
"We keep it a secret then," Narcissa interrupted. "If we can go to school alongside a lycanthrope without knowing it for seven years, then it cannot be that difficult to hide the condition."
"But we cannot keep it a secret that he encountered a werewolf - that secret has already been aired," Regulus pointed out. "We cannot hide it from Father, especially not with the scars that Severus has now. Father and Uncle both will want to verify he was not infected before considering his petition."
"We are Oathbound," Narcissa hissed, the Names surged, pressing closely around her, They seemed… excited, frenetic. "To deny his petition is to deny his Oath. It should not matter if he is a lycanthrope or not."
Bellatrix and Regulus exchanged a worried look. "I could see Lord Black arguing that if Severus is a lycanthrope, it would go against his Oath to protect you if he went forward with his petition to marry you."
"Lord Black does not get to interpret Oaths," Narcissa said scathingly, the echo of the Names flaring with her temper, mirroring it. "They are between the Oathbound and the Names. No one else can interfere."
"That would not matter to Father, not in this" Regulus said. "Not since Andy and Sirius ran off, and not since every eligible Lord or Heir is rightfully bloody terrified of Bella. You and I are the only ones who he can marry off and for the good of our Family we must marry well," he sneered. It sounded like these were words that were often thrown at him.
"We will need an alternative plan to keep Malfoy from marrying you, should Severus be a lycanthrope," Bellatrix said softly. "You know it is never a good idea to rely on just one plan alone, Cissa."
"I know it," Narcissa said through clenched teeth. "It does not mean that I have to agree with it in this instance. I will not abandon Severus -"
"That is not what we are suggesting, dear one," Bella interrupted gently. "Far from it. if he is a lycanthrope, it simply means he cannot petition Lord Black for your hand in marriage. I'm certain we can find other avenues to pursue which could bring that outcome to fruition."
"We could just kill Malfoy," Regulus said offhandedly.
"That would have repercussions, little cousin," Bellatrix admonished sharply.
"I know," Regulus sighed, running a hand down his face. "But it would be the easiest thing to do."
"I agree," Bellatrix said. "But it is not feasible. We cannot just murder Malfoy; we need to approach that with finesse. You will need sleep before we can properly devise a plan if your best suggestion is outright murder."
"You're right," Regulus said with a huff of laughter, tinged with mild hysteria. "I do need sleep if I am to plot the downfall of House Malfoy. But it isn't something I'm comfortable leaving for too long."
"Nor I," Bellatrix quickly agreed. "But we would be little better than a broom with bent bristles at this point. The pair of you are exhausted - go and rest, I will stay with Severus."
"I do not want to leave him," Narcissa said anxiously.
"Sleep on the bed next to his then," Bellatrix said. "I doubt the Matron will mind. She did tell you to rest after all."
"I - alright," Narcissa relented. "You will wake me the moment he wakes," she demanded of her sister, pinning her with a hard stare.
"Considering the way he has been calling for you, you likely will be needed to calm him when he wakes, little one. I do not want to deal with the Dragon on a rampage if I do not have to."
"I'll take the other bed," Regulus said before Bellatrix could bully him into it.
"Good boy," Bella said with a knowing smirk.
I'll primarily be posting this over on AO3, the formatting doesn't always transfer right into the docs here :(
but here it is! let me know what you think!