Fanfiction: The Black Princess (Chapter Ten)
Title: The Black PrincessAuthor: Gamma Orionis, gamma_x_orionis
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: Bellatrix/Andromeda/Narcissa
Word Count: 16 160 thus far
Summary: Andromeda Black was named for a princess, but she is no such thing. She is a sister, a daughter, a lover, a friend, an outcast and a sinner.
Author's Notes: In progress, for a challenge on fanfiction.net. In the first few chapters, incest is not present, but it becomes clearer as the story goes on.
Warnings: Incest, femmeslash, child abuse
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Alphard!" Aunt Walburga said, when the children and Uncle Alphard trailed into the dining room. "Have you been filling those poor children's heads with your nonsensical storiesagain?"
"Nonsensical? There have been no nonsensical stories whatsoever," Uncle Alphard told his sister, all innocence.
"No nonsensical stories? I doubt that." Aunt Walburga turned on the children. "What has he been telling you five?"
"He told us about a woman getting lost in the catacombs under Paris," Lucius Malfoy spoke up immediately.
"Leave it, darling," Uncle Orion said, patting Aunt Walburga's hand. She looked as though she was going to condemn this for being the worst thing to possibly tell a group of children, but she pressed her lips into a tight line, and clenched her fists and did not say anything more, for which Andromeda was profoundly grateful.
Everyone was seated around the long dinner table, and food was served up by a veritable army of house elves, and, as usual, the conversation turned to the usual dull subjects that adults simply couldn't seem to help talking about. Andromeda busied herself with her food, pushing little piles of vegetables and meat around her plate to entertain herself. Bellatrix, similarly, seemed to have decided to eat every pea she had been served separately, and the boys on the other side of the table were muttering conspiratorially to each other. Andromeda wished she could have joined in.
"I know that many people think that the methods they use are too extreme," Cygnus was saying, "But no, they've got quite the right idea. Mudbloods deserve death, we all know that."
There was a general murmur of agreement. Andromeda sighed, chewing on a bit of turkey and listening idly.
"Surely that is a bit harsh," said Uncle Alphard. "Of course, Mudbloods aren't equal to Purebloods, everyone knows that, but killing a whole race of people for something that isn't even their fault…"
"I say," Aunt Walburga interrupted, "let the Mudbloods be. They're filth, but then, so are house elves, and we've put house elves to plenty of good use…" She snapped her fingers and a house elf scurried over to refill her glass of wine. "No, it's the blood traitors that need to be weeded out. Being born into a filthy family of Muggles is bad luck, but to be a Pureblood and throw that away…"
"Quite so, darling," agreed Uncle Orion. "What Pureblood would ever want to marry a Mudblood? Or worse, a Muggle?" He sneered, shuddering slightly.
"One who was quite mad," Cygnus said. "If the Dark Lord were to put more effort into preventing such marriages, rest assured that he would have my whole hearted support."
"Who is the Dark Lord?" Bellatrix asked suddenly.
The table fell silent, looking at her with confusion. It was rare for a child to even open their mouths at an event such as this, and rarer still for them to ask a question pertaining to what the adults were discussing.
Bellatrix scowled when her question was not answered immediately. "I asked you who the Dark Lord is!"
"He is no one who should concern a young girl like yourself," Uncle Orion told her, once he had gotten over the initial shock.
Bellatrix's eyes narrowed into slits. "I want to know!"
Andromeda looked with confusion at her older sister. Why should Bellatrix care about this so-called "Dark Lord"? Why did it matter to her? The title sounded vaguely familiar to Andromeda, but she didn't see any reason why he should interest her or Bellatrix.
"Why do you want to know, darling?" Druella asked, looking over at her eldest daughter.
"I just do!"
"There's nothing wrong with the girl having a little curiosity, you know," Uncle Alphard said.
"You would think that," Aunt Walburga muttered, glaring at her brother.
"Is no one going to tell me?" Bellatrix demanded. "If you don't, I'll just ask the teachers when I get back to school! I'll tell them you were talking about him! About how you agreed with him!"
"You will tell your teachers no such thing!" Cygnus told her, and his voice was harsh and firm.
"Why not?" asked Andromeda, eager to come to her sister's defence. Bellatrix shot her a look that very clearly said shut your mouth, Andi!, but it was too late.
"Because I ordered you not to tell them!" Cygnus said, and the tone of his voice made Andromeda's heart skip a beat. She had rarely heard her father sound so angry, and itnever boded well. She shrank back a little in her seat.
Bellatrix, by contrast, seemed to harden when she heard her father's anger. Her back straightened, and she glared at him, her jaw setting and her eyes narrowing.
"Fine," she said, and her voice was colder than Andromeda had ever heard it. She could tell, however - though she doubted anyone who didn't know Bellatrix as well as she did would notice this - that Bellatrix's voice was shaking a little bit, and she was struggling to hold back tears. "I won't tell them, then."
"Surely you're being a little too strict, Cygnus," Uncle Alphard put in quietly. Bellatrix shot him a watery smile in thanks, but Cygnus turned on his brother, fixing all his wrath on him.
"Do not," he snarled, "tell me how to raise my children! If you wish to raise children to have disrespect for their elders, then you should have sons and daughters of your own! You are lucky I so much as allow you into my house!"
"Don't you want me in your house, then, brother?" Uncle Alphard asked, and like Bellatrix, his voice turned calm and cold, though unlike her, it was clearly not because he was holding back tears. "Shall I go, then?"
"Please do!" snarled Cygnus.
Uncle Alphard stood up slowly from the table. "Very well, I shall, then." Then he turned on his heel and exited with all the dignity he could muster.
"Perhaps we should go as well," Abraxas Malfoy said tentatively. "It seems… this dinner party should be cut rather short…"
"Please," Cygnus muttered. "My apologies, but yes, I believe it would be best if you were all to go now."
Abraxas stood, taking the hands of his wife and son and they hurried out quickly. The Lestranges followed, leaving only the Blacks.
Aunt Walburga immediately stood and strode across the room, slapping Bellatrix across the face. "Disgraceful!" she cried. "How dare you behave in such a way? You are a Black!"
"Don't hit her!" Andromeda ordered her aunt, coming immediately to Bellatrix's defence.
"Shut up, Andi!" snarled Bellatrix. "I don't need your help!"
"Please," Druella said tearfully. "Please stop - can't we just forget all of this? Walburga, Bellatrix is only a little girl, and she need discipline, yes, but-"
"Don't play pathetic!" Cygnus told his wife. "And you, don't you dare hit my daughter!" he added to Walburga, who stepped back immediately. "I am her father, and I shall be the one who decides what punishment is suitable! Now - all of you - get out!" He gestured at Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion and their sons, and at Druella, who was clutching a trembling Narcissa against her breast. "And you two - Bellatrix, Andromeda - stay here!"
Aunt Walburga grabbed up baby Regulus from the cradle where he had been lain as they ate dinner, and Uncle Orion grabbed Sirius roughly by his shoulder, and they left just as the Malfoys and Lestranges had.
"Darling, please," Druella said, and her eyes filled up with tears. Andromeda swallowed. It was never a good sign for her mother to start crying - it usually meant that there was someone she felt needed to be manipulated. "Cygnus, my love, please, don't punish them… Bellatrix didn't know what she was saying, and Andromeda didn't do anything at all…"
"Don't you dare try to grovel to me, Druella, it's pathetic! I will punish them as I see fit! Now take Narcissa, and get out!"
"But-"
"Need I remind you," Cygnus growled, "who is the father in this family? Do you, Druella, think that you should have as much control as the father?"
"N- no," Druella whispered, twisting her hands together in her lap.
"Exactly. Now get out of my sight, you stupid- stupid- stupid woman!"
Druella left in tears, dragging Narcissa along with her, and Cygnus turned on his two older daughters.
"Stand up," he ordered Bellatrix. "You," he added, turning on Andromeda, "you stay sitting. I want you to watch this, so that you know what happens to disobedient girls."
Andromeda trembled in her seat, too frightened to disobey, watching with huge eyes as Bellatrix slowly stood up and faced her father.
The two of them looked at each other for a long time, then, with a single swift movement, Cygnus wrenched his wand from his belt and aimed it at Bellatrix.
"Crucio!"
A jet of light caught Bellatrix in her chest and she fell to the floor. Her body arched, and she screamed more loudly than Andromeda would have thought possible. Andromeda began to cry immediately, terrified for her sister. "Bella!"
"Silence!" Cygnus snarled at Andromeda, lifting his wand for a moment. "Bellatrix."
Bellatrix whimpered incoherently, her body trembling as the spell was lifted.
"Bellatrix!"
"Th- thank you, Father," she managed to gasp out, struggling to sit up.
"Crucio!"
Once again, Bellatrix collapsed. She twisted horribly, body bending into shapes Andromeda had never even imagined the body could bend into. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't dare cry out for fear of the same thing happening to her.
At last, after what seemed like eternity, Cygnus lifted his wand again. "What do you say, Bellatrix?"
"Th- th- thank you, F- Father!" Bellatrix sobbed, trembling.
He bent down, catching her throat in his hand. Andromeda whimpered. She hated seeing her strong big sister reduced to such a mess.
"That's right, girl," Cygnus hissed. "Now… just remember… that nothing - nothing - that happens in this house is ever told to your teachers. Is that clear?"
Bellatrix sniffed. She seemed incapable of speech - either because of pain or because of her father's hand around her throat, but she nodded.
"Good," hissed Cygnus, letting go of her. "Now…" he added, turning to Andromeda and bending down to look her in the eye. "You don't want that to happen to you, do you?" he asked, and his voice was frighteningly calm. Andromeda swallowed hard and shook her head wildly, so hard that her braids slapped across her face.
"That's right," Cygnus nodded. "And as you don't want that happening… you are going to be very… very careful not to ever disobey me the way your sister has… isn't that right?"
"Y- yes, Father," whispered Andromeda.
Cygnus straightened, then turned on his heel and strode out, leaving the two girls alone. Andromeda immediately rushed to Bellatrix's side, throwing her arms around her in an embrace, but she was pushed away.
"Don't touch me!" Bellatrix ordered her sister.
"B- but-" Andromeda's eyes filled with tears at her rejection.
"I said don't touch me!" Bellatrix picked up her skirts and flew from the room, but not before Andromeda heard her sobbing.
She, Andromeda, stood in the dining room for a long time. She was unused to being snubbed by her sister. Never before had Bellatrix turned down her company, and she had certainly never before turned down an embrace…
It was a long time before Andromeda worked up the nerve to go up to her and Bellatrix's bedroom. It didn't make any difference, though, because Bellatrix was not there when she arrived.
Andromeda undressed slowly, sliding out of her green dress and hanging it back up, then painstakingly unpicking the tight, tidy braids that Bellatrix had twisted her hair into. By the time she crawled into her bed and extinguished the lamp, it must have been past midnight, and Bellatrix still wasn't back.
"Andi?"
Andromeda jolted, sitting bolt upright at the sound of a tiny, tentative voice. She turned for the door and saw Narcissa standing there, in her little white nightdress, hands twisted in front of her.
"What is it?" Andromeda asked, perhaps a little more harshly than she had intended. Even from the distance and in the darkness, she could see Narcissa's eyes filling with tears.
"I'm s- s- scared," she whimpered. "Mummy took me out of the room… then I heard Daddy yelling… and Bella screaming… and I'm scared…"
Andromeda sighed. She pulled the blanket up around her bare chest, having given up on sleeping in her corset during the winter holidays, when food abounded, at least. "It's okay, Cissy."
"Where's Bella?"
"I- I don't know," Andromeda admitted, sighing.
"Andi?"
"What is it?"
"Can I sleep with you tonight? Please?" Narcissa asked in a tiny, tremulous voice.
Andromeda swallowed. She couldn't quite help thinking of what Bellatrix had said to her, before she went away to Hogwarts.
Good big sisters do not let their little sisters sleep in bed with them… Because it's wrong.
But Narcissa looked so little and scared… it couldn't possibly be wrong to let her share her bed. It would just be for comfort, after all…
"Yes," Andromeda said, and Narcissa came over instantly, closing the door behind her and crawling into bed with her older sister.
Perhaps Narcissa was too young to feel awkward or ashamed of Andromeda's nudity, but Andromeda felt more than ashamed enough for both of them as her younger sister cuddled against her bare breast. She had, she supposed, been expecting the younger girl to keep her distance… but, then, perhaps it wasn't so bad…
"I love you, Andi," Narcissa whispered.
It felt rather nice, really, Andromeda thought. She supposed this was what Bellatrix felt like when Andromeda cuddled up next to her. Except, usually, Bellatrix was wearing clothes…
"I love you too, Cissy," Andromeda whispered back, and, to her surprise, she wasn't lying.
Chapter Ten on fanfiction.net