A Reunion To Remember

~Chapter Seven~

Narcissa Malfoy found herself isolated in the manor more often than not, Lucius and herself only interacted peacefully in public and her son was starting to distance himself from her as the poor boy followed his father around like a lost puppy. Tonight was one of the many nights that the father and son went out and left the matriarch at home, out of sight out of mind she mused. 

It was nights like this one, rain hammering down on the manor, that Narcissa Malfoy allowed herself to be just Cissa.

Wrapped up in her eldest sister's favourite leather jacket that offered as much comfort from Bellatrix as she would ever be able to receive while she was in Azkaban, ignoring the fact the jacket was a gift from the sister she was forbidden from seeing.  

The jacket was littered with memories of the two people she loves (loved) most in the world, the two sisters who swore to protect her and both ended up leaving her to fend for herself. She was always so dependant on them as a child, they offered protection and love that her peers and parents would never be able to. Should have known better than to depend on them, the blonde thought bitterly.

On a night like this she thought of all that she lost. No more warm hugs from Andromeda after a long evening of being lectured about appearance and being a proper lady from her mother. Andy, the sister who used to dote on her night and day, had abandoned her for a mudblood. 

She thought of Bella, sent away for life but she left her younger sister long before then. The moment Bella met the Dark Lord - Tom Riddle back then - she had stopped looking at her like she was the only one in the world who mattered. When Andromeda left it really was just the two of them for a while. Watching her sister turn from the protective, and sometimes difficult but the well meaning Bella she loved, into the cruel, psychotic and heartless Bellatrix Lestrange the world feared was one of the most horrific experiences life has thrown at her yet. 

Cradling her glass of wine, strong elvish wine that she kept her own stash of so Lucius couldn't critique her for it, Narcissa pushed her grief to the back of her mind and traced her fingertips along the Slytherin green velvet box in front of her. 

A box she would deny ever existed. 

Cissa wasn't stupid, she knew that her curiosity would always get the better of her when it concerned her family. It's a hard feat to come from a house as old as the Blacks and not feel that constant pull to be near your family, it was a reason they had survived as long as they had. It was also part of the reason why her life was so miserable, the Malfoy matriarch couldn't help but obtain information that made her life even less bearable than it already was. 

Opening the box delicately her breath hitched when all the memories hit. Picture of her sisters when they were young, pictures of her cousins and cut out articles from the newspaper that featured her niece. 

That was another curse from the universe, Narcissa had always wanted a daughter or a niece that she could spoil. Of course Andy had to be the sister to have a daughter, if it were Bellatrix then she wouldn't have to fight the growing want to meet the girl. She wondered if Andromeda felt the same about her having a son.

The girl was grown now anyway, must be twenty by now and considering how their rare encounters in Diagon Alley ended ... a healthy relationship would never be achievable. 

Sighing, she took another gulp of wine. Tonight she felt Narcissa Malfoy the Ice Queen melting away and embraced Cissa Black, the girl who was always protected by her older sisters and cousin, the girl who longed for Sirius' courage and Andy's determination. She remembered the little girl who would cry when Bella had to leave for Hogwarts because she hated not being with her older sister who made her feel safe. Suddenly she was the girl who looked after Reggie when he was sad because Sirius was never the same after Hogwarts and their tight night group of five was strung apart with every passing day.