With Love, || N.B.

𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚-𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓

"Now you've done it," Remus mumbled as he, Eleonora, Andromeda, and Sirius sat around the table.

Eleonora glared at him. Through Andromeda's and Sirius's obnoxious laughter, she sighed, "I feel terrible-but I'm right. Na-"

"But," Remus interrupted her. "But...You should have told her first-consulted with her. This was a bombshell dropped, Elle. You knew her past and why she didn't want to see Andromeda again. You know I'll always support you, but just give Narcissa some time."

Eleonora said no other words, only looking up when Narcissa entered the kitchen. She stood from her chair, "Narcissa, c-"

"Andromeda," Narcissa said, completely ignoring Eleonora, "it's good to see you again." She took a seat across from her sister and spooned the dishes of steaming food onto her plate. This was the first time she actively and consciously didn't sit beside Eleonora.

"It's good to see you too," Andromeda smiled.

An awkward silence clouded the table before Sirius spoke up. "Erm-Andy, how have you been? How's Nymphadora?"

"Good!" Andromeda returned to her usual perky demeanour. "She's in Auror training. Eleonora said that she's doing well."

"According to Kingsley," Eleonora specified.

Remus swallowed his bite of ham and spoke up, "And what about Ted?"

"Also good! He's at his parents' right now with Dora. He said it was alright if I left for a bit. He was actually ecstatic. He agreed I should Narcissa again," she responded.

Narcissa, eyes pointed to her plate, mumbled, "I see some of us can consult their significant others on important matters."

Eleonora said nothing, instead opting to take a deep breath.

"Sirius," Andromeda said, "what have you been doing this past year?"

Sirius snickered, "Remus," earning himself an elbow in the ribs by Remus himself. He cleared his throat before answering seriously, "Nothing much. There's a hippogriff in the backyard though, so that's taken up a lot of my time."

Andromeda stared at him, "Okay then. Still the family misfit I see."

"That's rich coming from you," Sirius snickered to the amusement of Andromeda.

Narcissa sighed, "Lots of things have been rich today, haven't they?"

After dinner, Andromeda, Sirius, and Remus retired to the drawing room, taking refuge in the warmth of the fireplace. Eleonora and Narcissa, despite the cold barrier between them, cleaned up the kitchen and the aftermath of Christmas dinner.

"Can we talk about th-"

"No," Narcissa said, cutting Eleonora off.

Eleonora's voice was strained, "Okay."

__________

After the kitchen was clean, Narcissa left immediately, leaving Eleonora by herself with a cup of tea. She went to the drawing room, poking her head in and calling for Andromeda, "Can we talk?"

Narcissa shut the door to the parlour quietly before turning to her sister. "I just want to say-"

She was cut off immediately by Andromeda's arms wrapping around her in a tight hug. "You don't have to say anything."

Tears welled in Narcissa's eyes and she hesitated before hugging Andromeda back. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen."

"It's alright," Andromeda reassured her. "It's alright. Everything worked out in the end, darling."

Narcissa pulled away, sniffling as she wiped her own tears away. She let a small chuckle escape and followed Andromeda to the love seat, sitting down beside her. "Merlin, there's so much to talk about that I don't even know where to start."

"How about the woman you've been keeping secret for the past thirty years," Andromeda giggled.

Narcissa smiled softly as shame in the form of bile crept up her throat.

Andromeda noticed immediately and took Narcissa's hand in hers. "You know she has nothing but good intentions, right?" With a tearful nod from her sister, she continued. "She visited me a while ago and we talked...Keep her, Narcissa. Cherish her. She loves you so much...and I don't think you'd be happier with anyone else."

Narcissa knew this. Her pride was screaming at her-telling her she was in the right, that Eleonora went behind her back, that she didn't deserve forgiveness. But, oh, how it was wrong. So, so wrong. In just five minutes, everything was flipped, everything had changed. She had her sister back after three decades, and she sure as hell wasn't going to lose her love.

"What should I say?" Narcissa rasped.

Andromeda smiled, squeezing her hand. "Well, after hearing that fight earlier and all your snarky remarks, I'd say you should apologise."

"I don't know how to," Narcissa said. Her voice was thick with emotion at the thought of apologising-and not in a prideful way. Anxieties of whether or not she'd be forgiven, memories of her endless and ruthless bullying, the suffocating feeling of being mad at Eleonora-everything was too much, and apologising felt impossible. "What if she won't forgive me?"

Andromeda's lips curled into a sad smile. "Narcissa...I've only spoken to Eleonora a couple of times, but I can tell how much she loves you. I can almost guarantee you that you are both in the same boat right now. Talk to her. She'll forgive you."

__________

After Andromeda left and the house was plunged into darkness, Narcissa entered her bedroom to find Eleonora in bed, reading a book. Silently, Narcissa prepared for bed, gathering her night clothes and moving to the bathroom. After emerging ten minutes later, she went to the vanity to remove her jewellery before glancing in the mirror at Eleonora.

"I'm sorry," she rasped.

Eleonora lowered her book. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Narcissa repeated and turned around to face her. "For everything."

"What do you mean 'everything'?"

It was then that Narcissa broke down, sobs choking her and chest heaving as she tried to get the breath to talk. "Everything. The relentless bullying, using you to get back at Lucius because of your blood status, tonight when I wouldn't even talk to you-you had no intention of hurting me, yet I convinced myself you did. You just want me to be happy and I'm not used to someone wanting that."

Eleonora's heart sank and she climbed out of bed and went to Narcissa, cupping her cheeks and looking her in the eyes. "Narcissa, we were teenagers. All of that is in the past. You didn't use me. I wouldn't have helped you with Lucius if I didn't want to. I chose to do that. And tonight-you had every right to be mad. I should've told you instead of springing it on you. That was wrong of me. I knew why you didn't want to see Andromeda and I should've respected that."

"You just had the guts to do something I couldn't bring myself to do," Narcissa murmured.

Eleonora planted a chaste kiss on Narcissa's lips. "Everything will be okay-you and Andromeda have made up, everything has been put back together. All that's left is to truly get Draco back, and then we can be a real family."

"Okay..." Narcissa nodded and when she spoke her words were barely above a whisper. "I hope you know how much I love you."

"And I hope you know how much I love you."

A/N: So sorry for the slow update! I've been busy with work and I've been academically suspended so now I have online classes this summer to make up for failing two others during the spring semester<33 But, I hope you enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster, there's more to come soon, literally and figuratively iykyk<3