Black's House for Little Witches

39

A/N: Hello. I intended for this to be up way sooner, but it ran away from me. This is the start of a new, (hopefully) small story arc. I hope you read and enjoy. :)

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Narcissa woke slowly to someone climbing on top of her. She peeled her eyes open to find a mop of curly, dark hair right in her vision. She hummed softly and lifted an arm to wrap around a slender form. "Sleep okay, Drommie?" she asked quietly, the edge of sleep still tinting her tone.

Andromeda nuzzled against her gently. "Hung'y, 'issy."

Ah, so Andy was little today. Or half asleep. Possibly even both. She tended to forget certain letter sounds in her speech when either of those things happened. Narcissa didn't mind. She expected it, even, after the night they had. The only reason it hadn't been worse was due to the group staying in the observatory. She was sure Andromeda's nightmares would have returned if she'd just put the girl back to bed after cleaning her up.

Andy was still looking at her. Her thumb had found its way to her mouth. Yes, Andy was truly little that morning.

"Alright, baby. Let's go see if we can find Bella and Mione." She gently pulled the girl's hand away from her mouth. "And maybe a pacifier for you, hm?"

Andromeda didn't make any effort to move. Narcissa rolled her eyes fondly. She slipped out of bed and, with a dramatic wave of her hand, levitated Andy off the mattress. Her baby burst into a fit of giggling, tossing and turning herself over in the air. At some point, she decided to pretend to swim. 

"Alright, mon amor, let's go see if we can find the other two," Narcissa said after a minute or so. She set a whining Andy down gently. "We'll find out what's for breakfast as well."

"Cakies?"

Andromeda gave her best pleading look, turning on the full force of her bright blue eyes, so similar to Narcissa's own. Still, she shook her head. "Sorry, baby, but no pancakes." They could barely be considered breakfast the way Andy ate them, drenched in syrups and whipped cream. And with the girl being so sick the night before, Narcissa didn't want to take any chances. "We'll stick to something lighter and not so indulgent this morning. Maybe tomorrow."

Her sister whined again, grumbling and angrily shuffling her feet, but eventually she settled down. "Kay, Cissy."

Narcissa kissed the top of Andy's head. "Good girl. Now let's go find Bella and Mione, yes?"

She led the way towards the first floor. With her magic bonded to Hermione's core, even without the official ritual, she could tell the girl was with Bellatrix, either in the dining room or the kitchen. She didn't quite have it pinpoint exactly like she did Bellatrix and Andromeda, but she would once they completed the bonding ritual. Bella was still finalizing the paperwork, but hopefully they would have it done soon.

In the dining room, Hermione sat at the table, writing on several pages of paper. If Narcissa had to guess, the girl was probably writing a letter to her parents. They would need to look into some solution for the girl to keep in contact with her parents other than letters. Setting up a Floo would be easiest. Hermione could come and go as she pleased.

Bellatrix was perusing mail just a few steps to the side. "Ugh, I forgot that was coming up," she mused to herself.

Narcissa frowned slightly. "What's coming up?"

"The charity ball for St. Mungo's. You know we get invited every-"

"No go!" Andromeda screeched in panic. She turned and ran out of the dining room screaming.

Bellatrix closed her eyes with a long sigh. "I didn't see her there," she stated. "I wouldn't have mentioned it. I know it's still a touchy subject for her, especially after last night and everything else that's happened."