Cherry Wine - ON HOLD

2 : The Waiter

Chapter 2: The Waiter

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Andromeda stared at the table for much longer than one normally stared at the table. She stared long enough for the room to grow uncomfortable. She stared long enough for Nona, their house elf, to ask if anyone wanted anything to drink. She stared long enough for her mother to stand, kiss her on the head, and leave by Floo network, mumbling about her youngest daughter's overreaction. Only then did Andromeda lift her head, only to rub her forehead immediately.

"I suppose we ought to check on Cissa, hm? She's been out there for quite a while."

Bellatrix, who had been idly chipping the black polish off of her fingernails, glanced up. "No. Give her space. She has every right to be angry about this, Andi. We don't need to calm her down just yet."

"But I don't want her to sufffer," Andromeda replied softly. She moved to the bay window, pulled her knees to her chest, and watched her younger sister cry near the lake. "She doesn't deserve any of this."

"So what? This isn't an overreaction. If she wants to cry for hours, she has every damn right to do so. Why should we mess with it?"

Unlike her sister's soft gaze, Bellatrix's eyes were full of fire. She played with a long curl of her hair, making it frizzier and frizzier without realizing it.

"No. We're not letting her cry alone, Bella. Come on." Andromeda stood and grabbed her older sister by the arm, yanking her toward the door.

"Ow! Andi, easy." Bellatrix pulled out of Andromeda's grasp and rubbed her upper arm. "You've got an iron grip, I swear."

"'Strong like a lion, sly like a snake'," Andromeda quoted drily, referencing one of their father's many sayings. "We're getting Cissa and we're going out."

"Out? Out where?"

"I don't care. I think we should get out of the house for a while, though."

"Good point." Bellatrix walked across the room to a gilded mirror. It was old, one of the many heirlooms spread around the houses of the Blacks. She pulled out a tube of burgundy lipstick and applied it, giving her reflection a quick pouty face before spinning on her heel. "Let's go have some fun."

The two young women found Narcissa with her head down in her arms on the stone bench, her small body wracking with sobs. Andromeda immediately knelt down and wrapped her arms around her, while Bellatrix sat on the bench and began to stroke her blonde hair.

"Hey honey," Andromeda whispered softly, "Are you doing okay?"

Narcissa shook her head rapidly. When she looked up, streams of mascara ran down her cheeks like a river through a canyon.

"I c-c-can't," She gasped, shaking her head again. "I can't do this!"

Bellatrix rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "Merlin, Cissy, we're so sorry."

"We were wondering if you were maybe feeling up to going out," Andromeda added.

A sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob tumbled from Narcissa's lips. "Out? I look a mess!"

Andromeda wiped the tears from under her younger sister's eyes with her thumb and smiled. "There. Pretty as a posy."

Narcissa shook her head, this time actually laughing a bit. Her elder sisters exchanged looks of relief over her head as they helped her up.