Blackbird

Chapter 25

Andromeda woke up on Saturday morning feeling as though she had not slept in days. It took her a moment to remember why, but then her fight with Ted flashed across her mind. She'd hoped, perhaps unconsciously, that when she woke up this morning the events of yesterday would turn out to be nightmare, but this morning had come, and they were still a reality. She sat up quickly after that, looking for her robes. Remembering the cold way Ted looked at her made her feel like she was being eaten from the inside out. At least the Hufflepuff girl was safe. She supposed that was all she should really be worried about.

But that feeling in her core did not lessen, even as she stood up and made her way outside. The fifth-year girls we're just waking up as well, their yawning keep them from being quite as chatty as normal. Andromeda scanned the group, looking for Narcissa, but frowned when she could not find her. Had she already gone down to breakfast? Not likely, it wasn't even eight yet. But then that meant she was still in her room. With a quick glance at the fifth years she darted to their door. She might not get another opportunity to speak to her sister alone.

"Narcissa?" she said as carefully pushed the door open. Then she froze, her mouth opening.

Her sister was in nothing but undergarments, but that wasn't what attracted Andromeda's attention. There was a bruise right below her sister's collarbone. It was large, about the size of apple, and deep purple surrounded by green and blue patches.

Narcissa's head shot up, her face mutinous, but she paused for only a second before grabbing her robe off her dresser and slipping it over her head. Though not before Andromeda caught sight a few smaller bruises on her upper arms.

"How did you get those?" she breathed, eyes still glued where the massive bruise had been.

"Nowhere. They're nothing," her sister said, not meeting her eyes as she haphazardly grabbed items around her room and shoved them into her bag.

"That's not nothing," Andromeda said, stepping further into the room.

"I just... tripped on the stairs," Narcissa said, still not looking at her.

"Down two flights?"

Narcissa didn't answer, but her shoulders shook, like she was trying not tremble.

Andromeda stepped further into the room. "Did you go to the hospital wing?"

"No," he sister scoffed, too loudly. "It's nothing."

"Narcissa, you should really..."

"Don't you have your own problems to deal with, Meda?" Her sister looked up glaring, but before Andromeda had a chance to respond she grabbed her bag. Perhaps she should let her go, but she couldn't.

"I'm just worried about you," she said, trying to sound as soft as possible. She'd do anything if it meant Narcissa would stop acting like this.

For a moment, she thought it worked. Narcissa stopped just by the door, hesitating. Her shoulders heaved, like she was releasing something.

"Don't," she said finally, "I'm fine."

She looked at the ground as she said this, which meant she was anything but.

"If you'd just let Madame Pomfrey have quick look," she started, but Narcissa wasn't listening as she opened the door and then slammed it shut behind her.

If she really had fallen down the stairs, then why was she so afraid to go to Madame Pomfrey? Assuming stairs could even make those kind of injuries, it didn't make sense. And therein lay her answer. He sister had lied to her, again. Whatever was going on with Cissa, it was getting worse, and who knew how bad it would get before she came to her senses?