A Rose By Any Other Name

Chapter 17

The news was there.

Still crawling over her goose-bumped skin, and yet refusing to sink in.

Sirius was dead !

That was it.

It was all so... final.

The Blacks were finally gone.

Dead and buried. A dynasty of destruction taken with him through the veil, and maybe that was a good thing.

Bella bathed in nonchalance as she strutted around the manor like she owned the place, leaving Narcissa feeling on edge. This was her house for god sake and yet she had never felt less at home in her life. There was an aura about her. Bellatrix. As if she was a starved animal. It's a truth well know that she had been starved of killing throughout her fourteen year long stint in Azkaban prison, but Narcissa had been hoping that would have all been sucked out by the dementors.

No such luck there !

She slumped into one of the pristine velvet chairs. Crimson: the shade of bloodlust and unavailing. A loveseat where no love was ever made. Minutes, or hours passed, she wasn't quite sure until her sisters cooling presence made itself known. The chill awoken her spirit and caused her to stare into the face of her eldest sister once more.

"Better ?" She asked, signalling to Bellatrix's less mated hair and clean skin. Bellatrix nodded and moved to sit opposite Narcissa on one of the leather couches. "So why did you do it ?"

The question needed no explaining. She knew the motives behind the inquisition.

"Because I wanted to !" she replied and Narcissa tutted, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"That's no excuse."

"Don't tell me you had a soft spot for that muggle loving fool." Bellatrix haggled, helping herself to a glass of fire whiskey: Ogdens Finest. It was Lucius' but he wasn't around to protest so at this point, that wasn't the pressing issue.

"No. But I just think there are better ways of dealing with... issues, than this. I mean come one Bella, murder."

"Where is your sense of fun Cissy ?" Bella enquired, raising an eyebrow and smirking at her outlandish remark.

"This is all just a game to you isn't it ? A silly little bit of fun because you been in time out for so long. Well pardon me for being so prude but I believe in reading to pass the time, not recreational homicide."

There was a silence amongst the seats, and the creaking age began to make an entrance. Teardrops formed in the corners of Narcissa's eyes but it was as if there was a barrier there. An iron wall barricading her emotions in, from the years of terrifying weakness. In the end it was Narcissa who plucked up the courage to break the deafening silence.

"I'm sorry if I have spoken out of turn. But this is huge for me Bella. I can't cry. Both literally and figuratively. I want to, so badly, but I know if I do, I won't ever stop. And no one is here to mop up the tears, or wipe away the sorrows. I am on my own now Bella."

'You say that as if Lucius has died !" Bella remarked, looking into her sisters eyes with her idea of cool affection.

"He might as well be in that place Bella."

'Look at me though, I'm still standing." Bellatrix cackled, swaying her hips from side to side. She was clearly drunk by this point, evidenced by the diminished amount of whiskey from Lucius' precious supply.

"But Lucius lied, you stayed loyal. I doubt the dark lord is going to waltz in and free Lucius like he did for you and Rolf. Not only is it too risky but also plain stupid. You don't save the weak ones"