The Black Sisters Origins

Chapter 2: The Three Sisters

Summer of 1959, Garden of the House of Black Manor, Buckinghamshire, England

FLASHBACK...

It was the summer of 1959, one of the hottest and most humid summers in England's history. Now eight year old Bellatrix was running around in the gardens of the noble and most ancient house of Black, with her younger sisters right behind her. Six year old Andromeda was nearly catching up and four year old Narcissa was trailing behind her. 

"Lookout Bella!" chuckled Andromeda. "I'm going to get you!" 

"Hurry up then Andy!" Bellatrix laughed as she sped up. 

"Wait for me!" cried Narcissa as she ran behind them, but even she was laughing.

Even though it was terribly warm outside, they all wore pinafores all the way down to their knees, with stockings and flats. Bellatrix was dressed in black, Andromeda in grey and Narcissa in white. Bellatrix had already kicked off her shoes and taken of her stockings and was now running around freely, with her flying wildly behind her. It was no secret that their mother had already given up on Bellatrix's hair, as her dark curls were stubborn and unmanagable. Her dress was now crumpled and dirty from all the running around. It was obvious that Bellatrix was the wild and reckless child. 

Andromeda had also taken of her shoes and stockings and a few strands of hair had escaped from her hairstyle, which she brushed away from her face, but her dress remained unsullied. Narcissa on the other hand, unlike her older sisters, still looked as lovely and as pretty as a doll. Her white pinafore was clean and tidy, her hair spotless. She had a half updo and it was secured with a cute little white ribbon. It added to her young age and innocence. Her stockings and shoes were in place and as she ran, Narcissa kept smoothing out her skirt. 

"Oh Bella, Andy! Wait for me!" Narcissa cried again. Her cheeks were flushed and she was out of breath from the effort of trying to catch up with them.

And then Narcissa tripped, fell down and scraped her knees...

 She wanted to stop herself from crying but couldn't...

She immediately started crying...

Bellatrix and Andromeda were at her side at once, helping her up and brushing the dust from her white dress. 

"It hurts so much!" cried Narcissa, tears streaming down her face. 

"Oh don't cry Cissy!" said Andromeda softly, embracing her younger sister. 

"Oh it's alright Cissy! It will stop hurting soon!" said Bellatrix, rubbing soothing circles on her sister's back and trying to calm her.

Narcissa stopped crying, except for the occasional sniffle and sob here and there. 

Then she looked up at her sisters and offered them a weak smile.

"I'm alright!" she said. "It doesn't even hurt now!"

From her birth, Narcissa was always her mother's favourite, and in more ways than one... First, she was the youngest of the three daughters. Her mother adored her, and she spoilt her at every chance she could. Second, she acted like the perfect pureblood daughter should act. Even though she was still very young, Narcissa always acted like a little lady. Always properly dressed, always a smile on her face, always polite to everyone, always ready to start a coversation, always looking down upon muggles a muggleborns as was taught to her from a young age and expected of her. 

And third, there were her looks: Narcissa was beautiful, even at such a young age. She was a perfect copy of her mother, Druella Black (née Rosier). Even though she was born into the noble and most ancient house of Black, she certainly didn't look like a Black. Whereas her older sisters had both inherited the Black looks, she didn't. Narcissa was as light as Bellatrix and Andromeda were dark. Bellatrix had black curly hair and Andromeda had brown curly hair, though they both shared the same dark eyes. But Narcissa had pale skin, blue eyes and long straight blonde hair. She was beautiful, and her light looks made her beauty stand out even more. 

Many people had wondered, why the family tradition of naming people after stars or constellations was broken. As customary for the noble and most ancient house of Black, Bellatrix was named after the third brightest star in the constellation of Orion, and Andromeda was named after the constellation of the chained princess. But unlike her older sisters, Narcissa was named after a flower. Her mother had named her herself, for she loved a certain flower, a daffodil. In latin, the flower daffodil meant 'Narcissus', the symbol of eternal beauty. And Narcissa did well to be true to her namesake...

"Oh Andy, Cissy! Lets go wading in the fountain!" exlaimed Bellatrix excitedly. 

"Oh why not?" smiled Andromeda. "It's really too warm!" 

Narcissa hesitated. 

"Won't mother be angry with us for wading in the fountain?" asked Narcissa. 

"Well she won't find out will she?" smirked Bellatrix. 

"Come on Cissy!" grinned Andromeda. "It's going to be so much fun!" 

"Oh alright, alright!" said Narcissa giggling. 

She then proceeded to take off her shoes and stockings and joined her sisters, who had already climbed in the fountain, to cool off. 

The three sisters paddled and splashed in the water, oblivious to everything except themselves. 

"Oh no!" shrieked Narcissa suddenly. "My dress is wet!" 

"Oh it's alright Cissy!" said Andromeda.

"Don't worry Cissy! Your dress will dry in no time!" Bellatrix reassured her. 

Then the sisters sat down in the grass of a fresh green meadow, sitting and talking about anything and everything. Many flowers around them grew and opened up, their fragrance lingering in the air, due to the girls' underage magic. 

Absentmindedly, they started picking the flowers into little bunches, and then proceeded to braid eachothers hair. They also made flower crowns, giggling as they placed them on their heads. Bellatrix had white lilies weaved into her hair, a startling contrast between her dark curly hair and white flowers. Andromeda had roses in her hair, in the shades of pink and red, complimenting her eyes. And Narcissa had no other flowers than yellow daffodils in her hair of course. 

And they stayed like this for ages, savouring the moments of their childhood, not realising how soon it was going to be over...

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Maggie

TO BE CONTINUED...