Gift for the Community from Jalenstrix
Title: Touched
Summary: Narcissa visits Bellatrix in Azkaban, with Lucius waiting outside.
Prompt (portions) used:
“...through secret doors, down corridors, she'd wander them alone" (Natalie Merchant - Ophelia)
“...they don't laugh at jokes, they laugh at tragedies" (Regina Spektor - Lady)
“...Consecrate a tear for me, and ah! Do not be ashamed to cry;” (Joachim Heinrich Campe - Evening sensations)
Characters/Pairings: Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy
Genre: Drama, Angst, Humor
Rating/Warnings: PG
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 708
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
~~~
“You lack the courage of your convictions, Cissy. Always di-i-i-id.” Bella’s singsong voice echoed in the emptiness of one of Azkaban’s “visitors rooms”, which was a cell with a door that wasn’t permanently locked. She leaned forward with that manic tilt to her head she’d picked up in the last year. “That’s why you’re hiding out there.”
I swallowed delicately, my swan patronus circling around me like a dervish. “Bella, I don’t think---”
“No! Don’t think -- you think too much. Much too much too much.” She tilted her head the other way with a rapid jerk. “Hiding behind plans and perfect form and manners. And little birdies.” She waggled her fingers at my patronus, which turned to snap at her. She snapped her teeth back at it, her eyes fever-bright. “Always hiding. Never doing. Just toadying.”
Of all the nerve. “It’s your slavish devotion to that madman--”
“SHUT UP!” Her eyes were wild, her hands curled into claws. “Never say such a thing, nevernevernever. It’s not true. He was brilliant. Is brilliant. Where is your faith, little Cissy?”
I took a long breath, resisting the urge to slap her. I’d had a lot of practice -- she always knew how to irritate me when we growing up. “Enough about me. How are you holding up?”
She cackled. There was no other word for it. “Do you really care? Or is this just another role for you? Dutiful Sister suits you oh-so-well, Cissy.” She clapped her hands together twice. “Brilliant performance. The audience is amused. You may go now.”
The familiar throb behind my left eye was beginning as I slowly unclenched my jaw. “We are sisters. We are blood. Of course I care, you idiot.”
She blinked at me, then tilted her head back and forth again. “Oh, there you are, Cissy!” Her laughter cracked like breaking glass. “I wondered where you'd gone. Good to see you again.” Her bottom lip trembled for a moment. “Missed you.”
I felt the heat stinging at the corner of my eye as I reached a hand towards her. “Bella, I--”
Her slap across my wrist caught me by complete surprise.
“Traitorous Cissy,” she crooned. “Saving your own skin instead of standing up for what you know to be right when the time came.”
I’d officially had it, and displayed one of my more viciously sweet smiles. “That’s why they sorted me into Slytherin, dear, and not Gryffindor. ” I stood up and turned away, leaving her chained and hunched into her own decaying morass. “See you in a month, Bella.”
Her sickly laughter followed me down the hallway, and out of that wretched, wretched place.
Lucius was standing within the protective circling of his own swan patronus, the mass of Dementors shying away with hisses more felt than heard. The patronuses were one of our better-kept secrets -- and something to lend us light side credibility should we ever need it.
It always warmed me to remember how Lucius’s patronus changed to mirror mine shortly after we were married. Though I did miss his silvery peacock on occasion, with that glory of a tail. But then, we had plenty of real peacocks wandering around the manor. Bella had always thought they were pretentious, of course.
I felt my breathing growing ragged despite myself.
Lucius took one look at me and sighed softly as he drew me to him. “Went as well as usual, did it?”
Something finally broke inside me, with the feel of his arms around me, strong and protective and loving and mine. I knew the wetness of my tears was soaking into his shirt, and tried to pull back.
He held me against him, his fingers stroking my hair. “Shhhh, sweetheart. Just breathe with me a moment. And damn the shirt.”
A small laugh bubbled up my throat. “You know me too well.”
“Seven extraordinary years and counting.” He wiped a tear from my cheek. “Come, my love -- little Draco’s waiting for us at home.”
I swallowed and stood up straight. “You know, sometimes I’m quite thankful he doesn’t have siblings.”
Lucius laughed and pulled me closer for a quick kiss. “That’s my resilient girl.” His breath was suddenly hot in my ear. “Though perhaps we should try a bit harder for siblings, hmmmm?”
I slapped playfully at him as we apparated away.
Jalenstrix/Claw/24pts
Summary: Narcissa visits Bellatrix in Azkaban, with Lucius waiting outside.
Prompt (portions) used:
“...through secret doors, down corridors, she'd wander them alone" (Natalie Merchant - Ophelia)
“...they don't laugh at jokes, they laugh at tragedies" (Regina Spektor - Lady)
“...Consecrate a tear for me, and ah! Do not be ashamed to cry;” (Joachim Heinrich Campe - Evening sensations)
Characters/Pairings: Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy
Genre: Drama, Angst, Humor
Rating/Warnings: PG
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 708
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
~~~
“You lack the courage of your convictions, Cissy. Always di-i-i-id.” Bella’s singsong voice echoed in the emptiness of one of Azkaban’s “visitors rooms”, which was a cell with a door that wasn’t permanently locked. She leaned forward with that manic tilt to her head she’d picked up in the last year. “That’s why you’re hiding out there.”
I swallowed delicately, my swan patronus circling around me like a dervish. “Bella, I don’t think---”
“No! Don’t think -- you think too much. Much too much too much.” She tilted her head the other way with a rapid jerk. “Hiding behind plans and perfect form and manners. And little birdies.” She waggled her fingers at my patronus, which turned to snap at her. She snapped her teeth back at it, her eyes fever-bright. “Always hiding. Never doing. Just toadying.”
Of all the nerve. “It’s your slavish devotion to that madman--”
“SHUT UP!” Her eyes were wild, her hands curled into claws. “Never say such a thing, nevernevernever. It’s not true. He was brilliant. Is brilliant. Where is your faith, little Cissy?”
I took a long breath, resisting the urge to slap her. I’d had a lot of practice -- she always knew how to irritate me when we growing up. “Enough about me. How are you holding up?”
She cackled. There was no other word for it. “Do you really care? Or is this just another role for you? Dutiful Sister suits you oh-so-well, Cissy.” She clapped her hands together twice. “Brilliant performance. The audience is amused. You may go now.”
The familiar throb behind my left eye was beginning as I slowly unclenched my jaw. “We are sisters. We are blood. Of course I care, you idiot.”
She blinked at me, then tilted her head back and forth again. “Oh, there you are, Cissy!” Her laughter cracked like breaking glass. “I wondered where you'd gone. Good to see you again.” Her bottom lip trembled for a moment. “Missed you.”
I felt the heat stinging at the corner of my eye as I reached a hand towards her. “Bella, I--”
Her slap across my wrist caught me by complete surprise.
“Traitorous Cissy,” she crooned. “Saving your own skin instead of standing up for what you know to be right when the time came.”
I’d officially had it, and displayed one of my more viciously sweet smiles. “That’s why they sorted me into Slytherin, dear, and not Gryffindor. ” I stood up and turned away, leaving her chained and hunched into her own decaying morass. “See you in a month, Bella.”
Her sickly laughter followed me down the hallway, and out of that wretched, wretched place.
Lucius was standing within the protective circling of his own swan patronus, the mass of Dementors shying away with hisses more felt than heard. The patronuses were one of our better-kept secrets -- and something to lend us light side credibility should we ever need it.
It always warmed me to remember how Lucius’s patronus changed to mirror mine shortly after we were married. Though I did miss his silvery peacock on occasion, with that glory of a tail. But then, we had plenty of real peacocks wandering around the manor. Bella had always thought they were pretentious, of course.
I felt my breathing growing ragged despite myself.
Lucius took one look at me and sighed softly as he drew me to him. “Went as well as usual, did it?”
Something finally broke inside me, with the feel of his arms around me, strong and protective and loving and mine. I knew the wetness of my tears was soaking into his shirt, and tried to pull back.
He held me against him, his fingers stroking my hair. “Shhhh, sweetheart. Just breathe with me a moment. And damn the shirt.”
A small laugh bubbled up my throat. “You know me too well.”
“Seven extraordinary years and counting.” He wiped a tear from my cheek. “Come, my love -- little Draco’s waiting for us at home.”
I swallowed and stood up straight. “You know, sometimes I’m quite thankful he doesn’t have siblings.”
Lucius laughed and pulled me closer for a quick kiss. “That’s my resilient girl.” His breath was suddenly hot in my ear. “Though perhaps we should try a bit harder for siblings, hmmmm?”
I slapped playfully at him as we apparated away.
Jalenstrix/Claw/24pts