trying to make amends.

[bel_guerrier]

Who: Bellatrix, Narcissa... and Lucius. AND Draco. OBHMF.
What: A better meeting.. hopefully.
When: 2 November 1997
Where: Malfoy Manor.
Status: Incomplete

Comments

[augury_cissy]

A tea service sat on the table by the window, steam rising up in curls, fogging the window panes. Rain pattered against the windows in a steady rhythm, which only seemed to highlight the utter dreariness of the morning.

Narcissa missed holidays in Spain.

She frowned slightly into the mirror. With the current political climate, it would be a long time before such things were possible again. She tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear, looked up from her dressing table when her sister entered the room.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Bellatrix."

[bel_guerrier]

Bellatrix removed the hood from her head and stared across the room at her sister. Narcissa so often likened to an ornate doll, perfectly packaged and eternally detached. It was something Bellatrix admired so. She herself never had the capacity to remove herself from the goings on of life. Still, at times that very quality made Narcissa appear extremely lonely. It was in these moments Bellatrix wished to touch her sister, to remind her she was never alone.

At the moment, however, she remained in her place, just across the threshold of this room. The jewelry box was still concealed in her cloak somewhere. She would not yet bring it out. There was reconciling to be done.

"I apologize, sister," she said. This was perhaps the only person, save the Dark Lord, to whom Bellatrix would admit fault. "I behaved like a hurt child."

[augury_cissy]

Narcissa stared at Bellatrix for a long moment, perfectly manicured eyebrow still arched in an expression of cool detachment.

"Very well."

But no, she could not stay angry for long. Not at Bellatrix. Never at Bellatrix.

She sighed, folded her hands in her lap.

"I should not have thrown the biscuits out the window. That was very unlike me. I shall make you new ones shortly."

[bel_guerrier]

"Only if you insist, Cissy," she answered. "Though I was not able to eat them, I must admit it was a pleasant surprise to see you act in such a way. The biscuits served their intended purpose."

No one ever said Bellatrix was an average person.

She took a few more steps into the room, taking the time to glance around at the decor. It was very like her sister. Elegant and untouchable. Bellatrix felt she should not touch anything for fear of dirtying it.

"I do hope you are not still cross with me."

[bel_guerrier]

"This reminds me," Bellatrix said then, fingers still moving idly through her sister's hair. "Of evenings past in Bath and in your dorm at school."

At Hogwarts no one dared bother the Black sisters. Between Narcissa's icy persona and Bellatrix's mean streak, the two were very near untouchable. Most of their time was spent together, and on the occasion Narcissa ventured out with friends, Bellatrix was never far behind. She did not trust the boys there.

Many nights there were spent in Narcissa's dorm, the two of them practicing spells and toying with hair, talking about what life would be like for them in the future. Always together though. Their talks always found them together down the road.

[augury_cissy]

"Oh, my dorm." Narcissa wrinkled her nose at the memory. She had enjoyed her time at Hogwarts, certainly, but she had not been the type of girl who liked sharing a bedroom with four other girls.

For the first four years of Narcissa's schooling, she and Bella had been nearly inseparable. Narcissa had friends, of course, but blood was stronger. Blood was forever.

Well, then Bella had finished school and gone on to serve the Dark Lord, and that had put a bit of a damper on things...

"I was never fond of my dorm."

[bel_guerrier]

One corner of her mouth curved upward with the hint of a smile. She dropped her eyes from Narcissa's, returning her gaze to the fingers stroking through blond hair. Narcissa was never one to approve of anything she could not handpick. Not that Bellatrix had been fond of their surroundings at school. Hogwarts was a bleak place.

Her fingers now moved at the nape of Narcissa's neck. She did not seem to want to finish this task. Bellatrix was luxuriating in it.

"No, you weren't."

[augury_cissy]

Narcissa tilted her head forward, a sigh of pleasure escaping her lips. Such a simple pleasure, Bella's fingers in her hair, on her neck, and yet so exquisite.

And such lovely gifts too...

[augury_lucius]

Lucius had been whiling away the time happily by reading an old favorite of his, a novel by a sixteenth-century wizard named Montgomery Molblin. It was called Misanthropes and Misplacements, and was more or less a treatise on the negative impacts of Muggle influences on Wizarding society. He'd first read it when he was fourteen, and it had served to enlighten him immensely on the subject. Indeed, it had formed or cemented most of his opinions about it

[bel_guerrier]

Bellatrix felt him before she saw him. She cringed, frowning deeply seconds before Lucius entered the room. If it was possible, Bellatrix would say she could smell his slime from her place across the room. Of course he would show up now, today, of all the days at all the times for Malfoy to make his presence known.

Dark eyes glanced over at Lucius, and it pained every nerve in her body to do so. This was NOT Lucius' time. This was a sisters time. Merlin damn him. She said nothing. Instead she took a long drag of her cigarette, more than half of the stick burning away rather quickly.

[augury_cissy]

The temperature in the room seemed to cool. It had always been such when her sister and her husband were forced to be in each other's presence. Even after all these years.

Terribly annoying. Grating.

Narcissa smiled at Lucius, gestured to the combs in her hair. "Darling, you should see what Bella gave me."

[augury_lucius]

"Oh?" Lucius raised an eyebrow and turned towards Bellatrix. She did not generally make a habit of bringing anyone gifts. He wondered what the occasion was.

He turned his attention to the combs in Narcissa's hair. They were certainly well-wrought and obviously expensive, glistening with jewels rimmed in white gold. The sight of them nestled in Narcissa's platinum-blonde hair nearly made him catch his breath. He had to admit, they were perfectly suited to her.

He smiled at his wife. "You wear them very well, Cissy." He nodded again towards Bellatrix. "I must compliment you on your fine taste, Bellatrix." He did not add, and did not need to, that he had not expected such from her.

[augury_dmalfoy]

The house elf who brought the tea heralded Draco's arrival. He had not intended to interrupt his parents, whose absence usually meant they were doing something important, but upon finding the elf preparing tea for three, he assumed that his presence was expected.

The air in the room was so electric when he entered that it took him a moment to realise the source. He supposed he should have guessed sooner, nothing made a situation quite so tense as when his aunt came to visit. Especially recently.

Perhaps he should not have come, after all.

Smiling as if he had noticed nothing (for it would not do to leave again rudely, or even comment on the proceedings when he was not entirely sure what was happening), Draco stepped into the room. The elf closed the door behind him, and it was then that Draco noticed a fourth cup on the tray.

"Good morning," he said politely. "May I join you?"

[augury_cissy]

"Draco."

A genuine smile broke over Narcissa's face. The presence of her son was like a beacon of golden light, pushing all the tension away.

Well. Perhaps not quite as dramatic as all that, but still, Narcissa was pleased to see him. She stood and crossed the room, just keeping herself from patting one of his cheeks.

"Of course you may join us. Do come in."

[augury_lucius]

Ah, wonderful. Something to distract Bellatrix from her evident displeasure at having him in the room. Lucius smiled at his son and gestured towards the remaining cup.

"Yes indeed, Draco. Do come sit down and have a cup of tea."

Something about the presence of his whole family gave Lucius a sense of strength, a feeling that Bellatrix was outnumbered. And it brought a triumphant gleam to his eyes.

[augury_dmalfoy]

They seemed almost... eager to see him, his mother especially. Her smile seemed relieved as well as happy, and his father looked oddly victorious. Draco wondered if he was imagining that it was his presence that had caused such a reaction, and decided to take it as such.

In a much better mood now, he moved farther into the room and took a seat as he was bid. Picking up his teacup, he offered his aunt a smile. "Aunt Bella, I didn't know you were visiting today."