Melody | Narcissa Black

Alone

The House of Black was very big, a large mansion, in fact. In all, between its three floors, it had eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, a large dining room, a library, a study, a ballroom, a parlour, a drawing room, an attic, and downstairs kitchens, where teams of house elves had once lived. It was a house built for a large family, to entertain guests, but only Narcissa and her mother lived in the countless empty rooms now. Silence had replaced the music and laughter that had once filled the hall, most of the house elves had been sent away, and there had not been a party since Andromeda had left. She had been taken off the family tree, and Narcissa had been there to watch it. Her aunt Walburga had raised the tip of her wand to Andromeda's name, and it was a split second before she took it away again, a perfect burned circle there as if Narcissa's sister had never existed at all.

And that was when Narcissa knew she wasn't going to come back. Andromeda had committed some of the worst crimes, in the eyes of her family, and Narcissa knew that she would never see her again. Andromeda had left after a fight with both her mother and sister, and it both hurt and angered Narcissa. She had sworn that she could cope alone without Andromeda, but she was struggling. Druella was especially difficult, and had locked herself into the parlour, and she didn't know what to do. Narcissa sat alone on the velvet sofa in the hall, and listened to the tick of the clock as it seemed to echo through the empty house.

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Her grandmother came to visit a week later.

"You should get out of the house, Druella," she said. "And between you and me, there are some rumours."

"About what?" Narcissa asked.

"Oh, gossip spreads," she said mildly, but her voice had an edge. "About how loyal people are, when they don't attend parties."

"I'll go next week," Druella said, an edge to her voice too. "The Bulstrodes are having one."

"Wonderful. Perhaps you could bring Narcissa."

Druella blew smoke in perfect rings. "She's too young, Mother."

"Too young? She's almost sixteen! Druella, come. You don't want her turning out the same way as the other one," her voice dripped with distaste.

Hearing Andromeda called the other one, like she barely knew her made Narcissa feel ill.

Druella took a breath. "For God's sake Mother, do you actually aim to be cruel?"

She stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and swept from the room.

Rosanne raised thin pencilled eyebrows at Narcissa. "Well!" She said. "Your mother always can be an uptight little madam when she wants to be. We're in the middle of war, you know. And we're winning. I don't know what she means, constantly moping around the house like she does. A bit of celebration would do her good."

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Druella wasn't listening. She went to the party, and more besides. Narcissa had always loved seeing her mother dressed up for a party as a small child, and she looked much the same now – long wave of blonde hair, big blue eyes that were carefully outlined, long blue dress and musky perfume that made Narcissa sneeze. But there was something different, something in those eyes that didn't work so well anymore. Druella was tired, but of what, Narcissa did not know. What she did know was that her mother would never let her go to a dinner party, though Bellatrix had been sneaking off to them at her age. It would have been easy for Narcissa to do the same, but she didn't want to leave her mother alone. She was too afraid of what she might find upon her return.

When her mother was gone, she lay in her bed and looked up at the amber beads on her wall. She wished things were as simple as they used to be, and most of all she wished that her sisters were still here. Bellatrix hardly ever sent letters anymore, and as for Andromeda......Narcissa would never be able to send a letter to her or receive a letter from her again. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to. Enough harsh words had been exchanged on the night she left that she was sure Andromeda didn't ever want to see her again. Although.....she couldn't help but admit that she wouldn't have minded having Andromeda here, company in this big house. But nothing kept Narcissa company that night except for the silence.

She was woken by a crash downstairs. Narcissa scrambled up in bed and blearily checked the time: half past two. Late for Druella to come back.

She went down the stairs cautiously, and as she wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school yet, she held a vase like a weapon. It wasn't likely to be an intruder, seeing as Cygnus had made the house so secure, but she was anxious.

But it was Druella, bent over a broken lamp. When she saw Narcissa, she flicked her wand so it pieced itself together again and flew onto the table. She looked tired, her eyes rimmed with red, but Narcissa could tell she had been drinking.

"Oops," she said. "I'm awfully clumsy when I'm tired."

"Have you been drinking, Mother?" Narcissa asked, lowering the vase.

"What? No! It isn't polite to ask that, Narcissa," her voice sounded steady enough, but she wobbled a little in her heels. "You should be in bed anyway."

"Maybe I should help you upstairs," Narcissa said, and put the vase down. She was surprised when her mother agreed, and she helped her up to her bedroom. She hadn't been in there for years, and it was certainly more cluttered than when she had been a little girl. She helped her mother take off her heels, feeling awkward, because she wasn't sure she had ever seen her so vulnerable. It was like taking care of a child, a stark contrast between the cold, tall woman who had left for the party. Her hair was in a mess and her lipstick was all streaked, almost making her look like a little girl playing with her mother's makeup.

"Good girl," Druella said thickly. "You're a good girl, Narcissa. You would never leave me, would you? Not like Bellatrix and An – Andromeda," her voice hitched a little on her name.

"No Mother," Narcissa said quietly. "I won't leave. I promise."