Sisters, sisters....best friends or enemies?
Date: 1st April, 2002
Time: Late Moring/ Early Afternoon
Location: Lestrange Manor
Characters: Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrangeg
Rating: R (NC/17?) Maybe very nasty language?
Narcissa stepped out of the Floo, and brushed her robes off. She had decided to dress conservatively, and had picked a conservative gray dress. She was pleased that it ( Read more... )
Narcissa's question was one she had long anticipated. Her own involvement was thankfully minimal. She suspected it was the favor of her Lord that absolved her from being instructed to torture her sister's son. Had she been truly commanded to do so, she knew in her dark little heart she would have obeyed, but not merrily.
SHE WOULD DARE TO QUESSSTION ME?!
Forgiveness, my Lord, I beg you! She was no Death Eater, she cannot understand!
And why, Bella? Why was you sister never brought before me?
She is too gentle! Too delicate! She represents what we fight to protect! So young at heart, so innocent - she must be managed with care.
"Journal entry.... journal entry?" she mused, avoiding getting wrapped up inside her head. "You probably shouldn't have taken it very seriously. You know how I am when I get upset - I sometimes say more than I mean. Besides, it took me much time to recover from my stay in Azkaban, and then that dreadful hospital. With so little contact with anyone else, I'm afraid I was left alone with some rather... spiteful thoughts."
She took a moment to pause before addressing the issue of Draco's torture. She had hoped not to discuss Lucius more than was absolutely necessary, and suspected she would hardly be sympathetic to her own punishment endured after the Department of Mysteries. And she had borne it without complaint to her sister. She had never revealed the extent of how she herself had suffered for her failures - and the failures of others. Perhaps now was the time to open up that aspect to Narcissa. Giving a very small, involuntary shudder, she recalled the pain and terror.
"I was not involved with his punishment," she said firmly, but not defensively. With a touch of entreating softness and a hand on Narcissa's shoulder, she went on, "But hinder his pain? Narcissa, he failed. He failed the Dark Lord. And so did Lucius - and punishment was the natural consequence. Have I ever bemoaned how I was punished for Lucius' failure in the Department of Mysteries? No. Beacuse every time we are punished it is for our own betterment - to make us stronger, to help us learn."
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Narcissa moved to touch Bellatrix's arm in a small gesture, "You were punished as well? For our families faults? What logic is that? You could not help what happened. It was doomed to fail, I fear, all doomed."
She frowned, not liking the continued statements of failure, and interjected, "Punishment does not make us stronger or help us learn. It did not work with me. Punishment only made me more clever at not getting caught. And you need to know, it will NOT work with Draco. It didn't work during the war as people punished my son; it certainly won't work with him now. This you need to understand, if you truly have a care in becoming closer to him."
Narcissa stepped closer to her sister, and touched her cheek, a sad look on her face, "I don't like to think of you punished by him. Will you tell me of it? You never did before."
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She was listening without much comment. Best to let Narcissa rant for a moment, she was clearly upset. Had she never considered the sacrifices she was willing to make for her Master? Truth be told, she even gave Lucius an extra yard of credit after his stay in Azkaban. It was an honor to make such sacrifices. Surely, if she'd had her own sons, they would have understood properly. Her care to be closer to Draco was partly because he was blood, and few things mattered more. Despite his foolish associations, it wasn't as though he was rejecting his family's beliefs. Secondly, it was she who taught Occlumency to such proficiency as to resist both Snape and Dumbledore's instrusion - she knew his potential. Though he carried the Malfoy name, with the proper investment he could be an asset to the Black line.
"Absolutely not!" was her vehement reply to Narcissa's question, and in her surprise she took a step back. Changing to a softer, comforting voice, Bellatrix took Narcissa's extended hand in her own, adoring it with a quick kiss. "Such things are none of your concern, do not trouble yourself with dwelling on them."
Bellatrix remembered ever single time her Lord had drawn His wand against her. Beneath the terror and shame was the current of gratitude. Had He seen her as useless or unworthy He would have simply discarded her. Instead He was hardest on her, His favorite, and proudest of her. How could Narcissa understand the care that drove her gruesome torment? Besides, Bellatrix had no interest in discussing such unpleasantness with her delicate sister when she would certainly respond with pity. Pride and respect were the appropriate responses, that she merited such attention - and more so, that was able to endure it.
"Let's go in side then?" she suggested. "Our meal is probably hot and waiting."
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The plant, her sister's changed attitude and the liberty of a certain werewolf plagued Narcissa's mind during the delightful meal Bella had laid out for them. Narcissa nibbled slightly, and didn't comment much. She felt frustrated; the animosity between her sister and her family was clearly NOT going to change, which she realized was inevitable. But she hated the idea of being estranged any longer from her older sister. Bella was wonderful; Narcissa had forgotten how much she adored her older sister as a young girl. She had idolized her in many ways. Bella was Narcissa's brave, independent role model; unfortunately, the oppression of being the model pure-blood wife had won out and Narcissa had become exactly what she had been taught to be, all of those years by her mother. She was the example of docility and obedience, quiet support to her husband and son. She was, she realized, completely dependant on them; she also knew she was boring as hell.
She sighed as she picked at her food, knowing that this would be her life. What kind of dismal life, she thought, compared to her radiant sister, to be defined by men? Bellatrix wasn't much different. She was defined by a crazy man, but at least she could openly show her thoughts and feelings. Narcissa wanted to change that in herself, if it wasn't too late.
"So," she remarked, "I have been toying with an idea, and I cannot do it on my own. Would you be interested in helping me, perhaps?"
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"Of course," Bellatrix smirked, setting down her coffee. "Anything you need. What do you have in mind?"
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She frowned prettily, her eyebrows knitting together in his vexation, "He doesn't know how much I hate that being for what he did to Draco."
Her face smoothed a trifle as she continued to hold her sister's gaze, "I need to know how to do them, Bellatrix. Unforgiveables. Won't you help me, please?"
She rushed on slightly, "I thought of asking you first. Lucius would be so angry with me if he knew I was interested in learning them. I knew you would be the correct person to approach."
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"The Unforgivables?" Bellatrix repeated, her lips parting in shock.
Narcissa may have been in possession of self-righteous anger, and even a potentially malicious humor - but these were not nearly enough to sustain the Unforgiveables. She could not help but think that her delicate little sister did not possess the constitution to execute the Unforgivables successfully. And what if she were to attempt to confront Fenrir all on her own?
Bellatrix was growing increasingly tired of giving even a moment's thought to how Lucius would feel about anything. If Narcissa was going to learn at all, Bellatrix did indeed believe herself to be the ideal teacher. But that was a moot point.
"Honestly Narcissa," she said in a scolding tone. "The things you get into your head. I'll not have you traipsing about after werewolves. It was one thing to have him in your home when he was properly collared, but what you ask for is simply out of the question!"
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Narcissa's eyes darkened at the idea of inflicting that much pain on Fernir. It would be just punishment. But she re-focused on her older sister for a moment, "I have never had the proper motivation. You have always been the stronger of the three of us, Bella," and Narcissa could not believe she had included Andromedia's number in her discussion, "And your focus has been paramount. Father had a clear purpose in mind for you when he encourage you so viamently to tap into your abilities. Your desire to serve the Dark Lord, and your 'relationship' with him may have begun because he could not be anything but duly impressed by your power. But does He not inspire your motivation?"
Narcissa distractedly picked at an imaginary piece of dust from the table, "I never had enough of a motivation to even attempt them before. The idea is laughable. All I wanted to do was get married, and throw grand affairs-to become 'The Lady' of society. That type of job does not stir near enough passion in myself to make someone wither on the ground in pain."
Narcissa's tone grew colder as she continued, "I have been witness to plenty of demonstrations of the curses. I just never felt that clear cold desire before now. And you honestly think I will go about hunting for him? If I were armed with the skill, that could easily become an option."
Her eyes glittered darkly again at the idea of being dressed in black and confronting the werewolf in an alley, making him wither on the ground and scream in pain, to then lean down and slice his throat with a silver knife. It almost gave her goosebumps of excitement as she met her sister's gaze. In an intense voice, powered by that vision, Narcissa breathed her request, "Help me, Bella. Teach me."
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She in no way relished the notion of equipping Narcissa to run off on a foolhardy errand she was unlikely to complete. If only Bellatrix had the time to- and there it was. If she could busy Narcissa with learning all three, she might afford herself enough time to find Fenrir herself. Or at the there least, have someone else dispose of him.
But then there was another problem: the tracking device. Having a spare wand was no trouble, she would simply do as she had done for obtaining the muggles to feed to Mr. Snuggles, use Roddy's spare wand. And then, the truest Slytherin self-interest unfurled.
Not hesitating to conceal her still bubbling anger she noted, "Even if I wanted to, instruction can only go so far, and as long as I am bound by this wretched device, it seems unlikely I would be able complete your education."
Nothing on her face gave away that she thought Lucius might be able to pull a string or two. If Narcissa could convince him, somehow, to endeavor toward her own freedom surely she could be liberated. Bellatrix also managed to hide her amusement at this new, icy thirst for blood, chomping at the bit for revenge.
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"We can begin by working through me. We could find an unlicensed wand for me to practice with. We could try at least; the key to learning is to start. Who knows? Perhaps by the time I have perfected a curse, the beast will be dispatched by someone else or even caught. I cannot predict the future, Bellatrix, but I want to be prepared, should the opportunity arise."
She sat back, and pushed her plate to the side, clearly finished with eating, "As for your device, who knows with that as well? Continue to demonstrate your 'modified' behavior, and we can petition to have it removed. When Lucius wins, and I feel assured that he will, it would be a simple thing to have you completely cleared of previous charges and have the device removed for perhaps a lesser degree of monitoring, as with myself. They just check my wand; I could have a different one stashed that would serve my more devious purposes, should I so desire. And now," she said with her eyes beginning to flash, "I do. I very much want this, Bellatrix. It is a chance for you to show me how to protect myself more. It is an excellent excuse for us to spend more time together. Not that I need any excuse, but would be so lovely to see you more than on the rare occasion."
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