A thick blanket of snow covered the English countryside, and the windows of the Hogwarts Express were continually pelted with fluffy, white, flakes of snow. It was certainly coming down out there, and just in time for the Christmas holidays. Inside one compartment in particular, where the windows were uniformly frosted over, Narcissa Black sat by herself, legs outstretched and crossed at the ankle with a book in her lap. The train was mostly void of other seventh year's and the pale Slytherin felt a bit silly to be traveling home this way, but the ride was tolerate and she was looking forward to seeing her family when the train finally arrived at King's Cross station. Being the youngest of the Black sisters, most a good deal of her family had already graduated and moved onto bigger things, on top that, she was without Lucius Malfoy as well. Seventh year, thus far, had been particularly dull.

Breathing a bemused sigh into the cool air of the compartment, Narcissa turned the page of the text book in her lap. With a good deal of her friends already away on holiday, studying was one of the few things that she could do to occupy her mind during the ride. Now that NEWTs were coming up at the end of the year, Narcissa felt that she could do well to brush up on her weaker subjects. She had never been one to try all that hard when it came to school, although she was gifted in a few subjects with the help from her older sisters, Bellatrix and Andromeda. Then there was Lucius who had let her dabble in the dark arts for fun. She hadn't taken a liking to it the way he had, but she saw his (and Bellatrix's) habit as nothing more than a passing interest.

The train rolled on, its pace steady as it chugged toward London. Narcissa was looking forward to being home, wanting to see her mother and father, but most of all, Andromeda. She had always been closer to her rather than Bellatrix, the oldest. Andromeda was kind and caring, easy to talk to, and now that she was out on her own, worldly. The blonde girl was envious of her older sister and was more than curious about what life was like outside of their overbearing parents and the strictness of Hogwarts. She hoped that by the time she arrived home, Andromeda would already be there. From the other girl's last few letters, it seemed like she would have much to talk about.

In just a few hours time, the train had finished its journey and come to a stop at platform 9 ¾. As the younger students raced past her compartment, ready to be the first ones off of the train, Narcissa took her time to gather her luggage and put on her soft, fur coat. She checked her hair and lipstick in a small compact mirror before making her way out of the train and onto the platform. She was immediately greeted by a house elf whom she paid no mind as the dainty creature struggled with her heavy trunk. Instead, she beamed as she caught sight of her mother, Druella, and made her way through the crowd to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Mummy,” she greeted the older, regal, woman with a smile, “you're here already. I'm surprised.” Normally, Narcissa would have had to wait.

The two talked as they waited for the house elf, all smiles and hand gestures as they spoke about the upcoming holiday and the party over at Auntie Walburga's on Grimmauld Place. Narcissa didn't know whether the entire family would be invited, or if Sirius was still planning on being an embarrassment with that Potter boy. At the very least, it would be a chance to formally introduce Lucius to the rest of the adults in the family, and an opportunity to meet Rodolphus, Bella's new husband. Narcissa didn't know much about the man besides a few rumored whispers that he was involved with that Voldemort fellow and his fanatical ideals.

After apparating back home, Narcissa reacquainted herself with her father and did some more gossiping with her mother before showing herself to her bedroom. The house was entirely too quiet without her sisters running around and squabbling with one another. Druella had promised that would change within the hour, though, as Andromeda was set to return any moment. The blonde Slytherin was more excited than she cared to let on and could barely keep herself still as she attempted to study a bit more across the top of her plush bed. Her eyes constantly drifted to the clock on the bedside table, and Narcissa was counting down the minutes until her favorite sister arrived.

She had very nearly missed the faint popping sound that came from the kitchen, but she knew what it meant. Closing her occlumency book, Narcissa stood from her bed and smoothed down her green dress before stepping out of her room and into the hallway. She listened closely for voices, partially leaned over the railing of the second floor. The voice of Druella was distinct, as was the tittering of the house elf who must have been dealing with luggage and coats. A cat-like smile spread across the pretty seventh year's lips and she quickly took to the stairs, trying to remain lady-like as she bounded down them two at a time.

“Is that her?” she called, sauntering through the sitting room, “is that Dromeda? Is she here?” Her voice was excited, and her eyes lit up as she caught sight of her older sister in the kitchen. She squealed loudly, causing her mother to frown, but Narcissa paid no mind as she ran over to wrap her arms around the dark-haired girl. They were a very proud family, but Narcissa cared very little for tradition when it came to seeing someone she loved.

After a long and possibly too tight hug, Narcissa pulled away. “Finally,” she breathed a laugh, “how long does it take to apparate? I've been here a full hour already and bored out of my mind without you,” she complained.

Faint flakes of snow pattered against the window; a lucky few stuck to the glass, others floated away on the wind, others ran streaks down the window pane as they melted -crushed between the outer, luckier snowflakes and the warmth radiating through from the interior. Andromeda Black’s gaze was locked on the scene, a small smile tugging at her lips. The snow rarely reached this far into the city, and she rarely ever got to see it from her flat –the enormously tall buildings surrounding generally guarded her beautiful little home from the weather. But the shift in the wind brought the snow to her, and she rather enjoyed watching the little play of the delicate crystals, from the comfort of her warm sitting room. Unlike her sister Bellatrix, Dromeda had never been over fond of the cold.

The flat was lovely, warmer than any place she had ever been, and felt more like home than Black Manor or Grimmauld Place or Hogwarts ever had. She loved her family, and her home, but the Manor always had a chill to it that she could never fully embrace. This little flat, though it was far from little –it might as well have been a mansion, when compared to the places some of her old Hogwarts friends were living in—and resembled her childhood home far too closely thanks to Druella’s persistence and unquestionable decorating skills, was warm and comfortable in a way she could not explain. Maybe just for the sheer fact that it was hers. Andromeda had a place of all of her own, and was finally living by herself. Cooking and cleaning for herself, although her mother had provided her with two of her own house elves, spending her days shadowing Madame Bissett, her nights enjoying the little taste of freedom. Her ‘apprenticeship’ with Madame Bissett at Twilfit and Tattlings wasn’t a job, or even a real apprenticeship. It was a hobby, that she was being allowed to indulge in; of all of her ‘hobbies,’ dressmaking was the one her mother allowed her. For a while Andromeda had hoped she could pursue her love of potions, she’d even found work at an apothecary. The job only lasted a week. A daughter of the House of Black could not be seen measuring out bat spleens in public.
She may have been living on her own, but her life was still not entirely her own.

A knock jolted her from her musings, and Andromeda glanced about the room, puzzled. A second, more urgent sounding knock forced her attention from packing. She followed the sound, the urgent knock slowly turning to a bored rhythm (that she thought she might have recognized from somewhere) as she made her way across the room. She opened the door a smidge, still apprehensive of dangers she’d been warned about, and a large boot wedged itself between it and the frame. It fidgeted, wedging the door open little by little, and she laughed, opening the door further to smile back at the sandy-haired man beaming at her. In one hand he held a basket, in the other her offered her some rather sad looking flowers— but his eager grin made up for the poor state of his offering. Her slender hand reached out, to accept the poor plants (hopefully she could revive them) when she gasped, and a concerned look furrowed across the gent’s face. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Andromeda handed him back his sad flowers, “I can’t! I’m running late as it is!”

She gave him an apologetic smile, turning back into the room. Jink, one of the house elves her mother had placed in her service, stared at her in bewilderment as the dark-haired witch fluttered back into the room, picking up scarves and jumpers and bits of fabric lying about to pack, not at all to clean up because he was there. Andromeda checked the clock and sighed, now frantically stuffing clothing into yet another suitcase. The soft thud of something being set down on her wood floors made her smile weakly, and the rougher hand passing her a rather dainty bit of lace made her cheeks burn, “I was hoping to meet Cissa and Mummy at the train…” she explained.

“Mummy?” He chuckled lightly at her, and she barely had the courage to lift her head to look at him, but, honestly, she was a bit offended by his tone.

Andromeda pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at him with a look her mother might have been proud of, “What?”

“Nothing.” He smiled at her, and she believed him. But the tall man laughed again, awkwardly this time, twisting a bit of cloth around his hand, “Actually, I sort of expected something a little more… refined? Mummy seems a little too common of a title for a woman of, what is it… ‘the Oldest and Most Notable…’”

She laughed, then felt guilty for it, “The Noble and Most Ancient House Of Black.” She corrected, and the grin he gave her looked almost proud.

“Yeah, that. You describe her as someone who’ll only accept ‘Mother’ or ‘Your Grace’ or some pompous title of the like.”

“No, that’s my Aunt Walburga. And Bella. Or, it will be soon enough.” She sighed, sorting through scarves again. Bellatrix hadn’t been married long, but their mother had been very clear of her expectations. Her own parents and Bella's new husband's had given her sister a deadline, and Andromeda knew both families were waiting with baited breath for news. She truly felt horribly for her older sister, and feared when that fate would be thrust on her. The brunette straightened her shoulders, forcing the thoughts away before her companion could question her, “I really only call her Mother when one or both of us is cross.” Then she looked up from her packing, throwing him a playful grin, “Why, do muggles call their mothers something different? We’re told to believe you all just grunt at each other in acknowledgement.”

“That sounds about right. Although, most conversations I’ve heard between you and Bellatrix have been nothing but screeches and curses and groans…”

Andromeda groaned, lightly nudging him away with her shoulder and a smile, “Again; that’s my sister, not my mother.” His laughter was soft and warm, and foreign to her in a way. There had always been laughter around her when she was growing up, but never like his, “And what do you call your mother, Ted?” She stopped with her packing, and Ted Tonks grinned at her sheepishly, struggling to force one of her suitcases closed with his bare hands. The laugh that left Andromeda seemed to startle him, and she toned the half-mad cackle so distinct of her family down to more of a giggle, “You call yours Mummy too, now don’t you?!”

“Don’t judge me,” Ted beamed, finally giving up on muggling his way through her packing, drawing his wand and magicking it closed like a sensible person, “I love my mummy!”

It was half past two by the time she convinced Ted to leave. He insisted on helping, and on making her tea; the man even deeply offended her elf by offering to make her a cup! Getting him to leave her flat was like trying to fight off a niffler invasion; he was in everything, and worried that she’d freeze to death out in the snow. After reminding him seven times that her parents really would kill her if they say her wearing his leather jacket, just to keep warm, he finally caved and let her shove him out of her door. Before she could slam it on his annoyingly amused face, he slipped another bunch of flowers into her hand. No, not another –the same ones as before, but these were bright and blooming and beautiful. He beamed, and leaned in to place a chaste kiss on her cheek, “One of those is for Narcissa. And I guess you can share them will Bellatrix and your mother too, if they’ll accept them."
As she closed the door behind him, picking up one of her suitcases, she began to wonder if they would.



“Dear, what are you wearing?” Druella Black’s voiced gasped as Andromeda landed in the center of the kitchen. After the most uncomfortable experience that was apparting, the first thing any woman wants to hear is her mother nagging about her clothes. The middle Black daughter dusted off the front of her dress, although she knew there wasn’t any dust or snow to remove. It had become habit. Her mother rushed towards her, dressed in attire far too elegant for hanging about a kitchen at this time of day, “It is most inappropriate for you to be out in such rags.”

“Mummy,” The brunette sighed, investigating her own clothes. Her dark grey dress wasn’t jewel encrusted or finely embroidered, but it wasn’t a rag! “I hardly think it’s necessary for me to dress in my finest robes to apparate from my kitchen to yours.” She rolled her eyes, handing her suitcase to a most eager elf, “I’ll change into something far more ‘lazing about the house’ appropriate now that I’ve popped in.”

“I am not enjoying that tone of yours, Andromeda,” Her mother snapped, and Andromeda sighed again, “What if the Lestranges had been here with Bellatrix--”

“At two thirty-seven in the afternoon, Mother?”

“Andromeda!” Druella Rosier Black’s voice had always been piercingly stern, even when she was speaking lightly, but it was painfully cold when scolding, “What would have happened if it had been Rodolphus and Bellatrix, with the younger brother here when you ‘popped in’? Or his parents? Or the Carrows, or Antonin –he’s in England now, on some business.” The older woman lightly took her arm, both to move Andromeda from the business at the center of the kitchen and to keep her from walking away, “What would have happened then?”

“Rabastan would have found me completely revolting, dropping his tea onto the polished floor as he disapparated away with his entire family and fortune in disgust, forever shaming us and completely destroying the House of Black?” Andromeda returned her mother’s stern look, then guiltily pulled back, lowering her gaze to the floor. The tension in her shoulders relaxed and her expression softened as her mother pulled her into a dainty embrace.

“Andromeda, we have discussed this already,” she sighed, but the matriarch of the Black family’s words were cut short by a gleeful squeal. Andromeda looked up just in time to see the blonde bolting across the kitchen, throwing her arms around her as their mother tutted her disapproval. A painfully wide smile stretched across her face as she returned her sister’s embrace with just as much warmth.

“Finally!” Narcissa pulled away with a laugh Andromeda could not refrain from joining, “how long does it take to apparate? I've been here a full hour already and bored out of my mind without you.”

“I’m sorry, Cissa, dear,” She apologised, smiling at her little sister’s complaints. Only Narcissa could make something like whining and pouting look elegant and refined. Andromeda didn’t mind it, tried not be envious of how her sisters managed to make everything look so perfect. It was difficult though, sometimes, to be the dull one between the striking darkness of Bellatrix and the beaming light that was Narcissa. Ted admonished her for saying so, on many occasions. Suddenly, she felt her cheeks flush, “I just –sort of lost track of time.” She laughed, maybe a bit to awkwardly, and scrunched her nose at Cissa, “You know all too well how that happens, Miss ‘the party started fourty-five minutes ago but I’m not coming downstairs until the wings of my eyeliner are exactly even!’” Andromeda smirked, giving her sister’s hand a loving squeeze before releasing her.

Their mother cleared her throat in that noble way that made you forget the woman was trying to dislodge phlegm from her throat as every average person does, and Andromeda finally stepped away from her sister, careful not to let her mother see the mildly annoyed look she’d shot the younger’s way, “We are expecting Rodolphus and Bellatrix to arrive later for supper.” Andromeda felt her mother’s eyes study her sadly, and she felt oddly guilty again, “Please, be dressed by then.”

She smiled softly at her mother, somehow fighting off the urge to inform her that she was already dressed, before linking her arm in Narcissa’s. She really should not have even considered saying such a thing to her mother but her time away, she was beginning to realize, was making her bolder. Dromeda didn’t know how she should have felt about that. The elves were moving her things out of the kitchen, most of them apparating, but a younger one make for the foyer with one of her smaller bags, certainly to take it upstairs, so the middle daughter decided to follow, “Did she tell you?” Andromeda whispered, once out of their mother’s hearing range, to her little sister with a grin, “Apparently, they’re considering the other Lestrange for me.”

Only minutes in her mother’s presence and Andromeda was falling back into the proper habits of being a Black. She walked from the kitchen in long, slow strides, she held her chin higher and her shoulders lower, and took the short, unnoticeable breaths she’d been taught so long to do. But once she was sure they were completely out Druella’s sight, Dromeda beamed at Cissa, grabbing her sister’s hand and striding up the stairs. “I think she’s trying to start a collection,” she giggled to her sister, still trying to keep her voice low,“Not unlike Auntie Walburga’s elves…" Andromeda let go of her sister not but a few yards further up the stairs. Hands lifting up her skirts so as to not trip on the hems, the brunette threw her blonde sister a quick grin and sprinted the rest of the way up the stairs, "the Lestrange brothers are a little taller, though, I hear!” Andromeda called back to Narcissa, probably a bit too loudly, eager in her need to win the little race. She’d always been older and therefore quicker, less afraid of falling down or hurting herself, but she wondered if six months away from these stairs, and two full years dependent on apparating, had hindered her ability to out run her sisters. She was certainly winded by the time she reached the landing. The darker-haired witch fell to the floor outside of her bedroom door most indelicately, a wide smile on her face, breathless from exhaustion and laughter, “I am sure Mother does not want them stuffed and mounted on our walls,however, not just yet.”

Between the two of her sisters, Narcissa had never been particularly close with Bellatrix. Often, she thought it had something to do with all of the years between them, and Narcissa couldn't seem to find the time to openly care about the dark arts, or go out of her way to pick on the Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's at school. About the only thing the two did agree on was blood purity, and even then, Narcissa was nowhere near as fanatical about it as her dark-haired sister. Bellatrix was difficult to get along with, but that didn't mean that Naricssa didn't care for her oldest sister—it simply meant that she liked Andromeda more. Surely, there was no love to be lost between herself and Bella, after all, the eldest was already married off and out of the house, which only widened the disconnect between them.

In sharp contrast to her oldest sister, Andromeda was warm and caring, fun to be around and sharp-witted. Secretly, Narcissa wished that she could be more like her, earn some respect for her mind in place of admiration for her looks. However, she appreciated her sister, and was always happy to have her around. It had been tough without her at Hogwarts that year, and Narcissa was often turning her nose up at the likes of her own house simply because she had always been friends with her own family, and Lucius, of course, and she didn't wish to make new acquaintances. Hogwarts castle was lonely, which was why this holiday was turning out to be so important to Narcissa; she needed time with people she actually liked in order to get her through the rest of the year.

Smirking in return, Narcissa linked her arm with her sister. “The party doesn't start until I walk in, Dromeda, you know that.” It was the firm belief of the pale blonde that she wasn't ever late—everyone else was simply early.

As Druella cleared her throat, Narcissa did her best to listen, be polite and not run out of the kitchen with her sister. “Yes, mother,” she replied, hoping the agreement would pass for both herself and Andromeda. Getting dressed for dinner was something that Narcissa absolutely adored, and any excuse to do a little bit extra was always taken. She hoped that it would only be Bellatrix and Rodolphus joining them that evening, and that the younger Lestrange wouldn't be attending dinner as well. Before she and Lucius had become an official couple, there had been talk of setting her up with Rabstan, but Narcissa had thrown an extravagant fit, not needing to be arranged the way her oldest sister had been.

Following one of the elves from the kitchen, Narcissa stayed linked with the other girl, eyebrows raised and ears open for gossip as they walked. “They must be mad,” she whispered in return as they passed through the house, past portraits of other noble Black's and ornate statues from far away lands. The Black Manor looked more like a museum than a residence, but Narcissa had always found charm in the place. At the very least, the house still managed to feel warm, like a real family lived there, which was the complete opposite of Grimmauld Place. Sometimes, she felt extraordinarily bad for her aunt and cousins. “And like you need any help finding a boyfriend,” she added, bumping her hip playfully against Andromeda's. “Please tell me you're still with Ted.”

The subject of dating was often something that the pair discussed in their letters and Narcissa knew all about Ted Tonks, the muggle boy who had fallen for her sister. Initially, the blonde hadn't approved and had done her best to make her sister see that something like that could never work, but she didn't feel the need to stand in the way of her Andromeda's happiness. Unlike the rest of her family, love was important to her, and as long as Ted treated someone as precious as Andromeda the way she deserved, Narcissa could quell the urge to protest long enough to give the couple her blessing. All she had to do now was meet the man and ensure that he was indeed good enough for her dear sister.

As Andromeda rushed past her on the stairs, Narcissa took her time, following behind and carrying on their conversation. It wasn't until Andromeda fell at the door did Narcissa pick up her pace and she came to stand over her grinning sister. “I heard they're terribly different in size,” she mentioned, opening the door to Andromeda's bedroom and stepping over her sister to enter with a smirk. “Lucius told me that Rodolphus is big and...clumsy, and the younger one, well,” she laughed, taking a seat on Andromeda's bed, “he's thin and sneaky, like a rat and not a snake because at least,” laughing, she flopped back on the bed, “snakes are cunning. I don't think you'd want to marry him, Dromeda.”

Narcissa mentioned Ted, and Andromeda’s cheeks burned again. She wasn’t embarrassed by her relationship with him. He was wonderful, really, and she was certainly proud to be in his life. But he was a muggleborn, and a Hufflepuff and in school he’d taken classes like Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies, where she’d taken far more keenly to the finer subjects of Charms and Divination. The only point they’d had in common at school was Potions, and even there they greatly contrasted in approach. Ted Tonks loved to run and laugh and rips flowers out of the ground by their roots, courteously shaking some of the dirt off before handing them to a lady; he was practically her opposite in every way, and she couldn’t be happier with him. It shocked her, however, that Narcissa was bold enough to mention him. Here. Where there was a chance that their parents could hear! Then again, the blonde Black sister had always been braver than she was, even braver than Bellatrix. Cissa was bold, and unafraid of being so; Dromeda may have envied her sister’s boldness, but also loved her dearly for it.
Luckily, her flushed face could be played off as having been caused by the exertion from running, and not the fear and embarrassment of Narcissa’s boldness reaching their mother’s ears.

Andromeda received a strange look from the little elf struggling with her bag. She didn’t recognize him, but, honestly, she’d paid very little mind to the elves in her parents’ household while she’d lived here –and, if asked, she could probably only remember the names of the select few who had been set to serving herself and her sisters personally. Lousey, Minda, Hoster –or was it Houster? This little elf looked remarkably like Hoster/Houster, as it stood staring at her, cowering near the doorframe –were young elves unable to apparate, she wondered? She decided she's ask Jink when she returned after Christmas. Dromeda gave the young elf a small smile, and the poor thing looked horrified by it, and she frowned. Maybe she’d spent a little too much time with only her house elves to talk to… her elves, Madame Bissett, and Ted. And Ted always treated her elves well, trying to engage them in conversation, constantly inquiring about their lives and the like. He treated them as though they were human –an odd but endearing feature of his—and as she watched the little terrified creature she began to wonder if his behaviour was beginning to rub off on her.

Her sister’s cool voice started to describe the Lestrange brothers, and it did not sound the least bit winded –which really should not have surprised her, Narcissa had always been one to not waste her energy on the little races, Bellatrix was the one who had to win everything. Andromeda always fell somewhere in the middle. Dromeda grinned up at Narcissa as the blonde elegantly stepped right over her, and sat up with a little more grace than she’d had when she’d fallen. Listening to her sister compare the two brothers, the brunette could not restrain the disgusted expression making its way onto her face.

“Ugh… I’m definitely not too interested in rats,” Andromeda cringed at the thought, resting against her doorframe –half inside of the room, half out—as she thought it over, “And though cunning they may be, snakes tend to be sneaky too! And quite… cold. Although I am rather fond of some snakes!” She had to be, the dark-haired witch was related to more than half of Slytherin house. The Blacks were likely related to Salazar Slytherin himself, in some way; members of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black had been married into just about every wizarding family in the world, and certainly every other pureblooded family in Britain. They’d married into practically every family in existence, even, in Auntie Walburga and Uncle Orion’s case, back into the Black family. Dromeda cringed again at that thought; the idea of a pureblood marriage had always made her extremely uncomfortable, knowing that every bloke of her status was her cousin, in some manner. That was largely what made Ted so appealing to her, and at the thought of her muggleborn boyfriend Andromeda smiled again, gracefully lifting herself from the floor she dusted off her gown and finally entered her old room, “I think I prefer badgers. Badgers are rather warm, and adorable. Some badgers. Or, maybe, just one badger,” she stated quietly, still afraid her mother might hear.

It felt a little odd, being back in the manor --almost as if she hadn’t been away from it for nearly half of the year. Her room looked exactly the same, felt exactly the same, it even smelled exactly the same, as it had for the entirety of Andromeda’s life; like plum and nutmeg and that distinctly ancient, but not unpleasant, scent of old parchment. Her dark eyes scanned the room around her, and she sighed, both comforted and concerned by how easy it was to feel completely at home again.

Dromeda’s eyes landed back on Narcissa, and she gave a small shrug, “I don’t necessarily want to marry anyone, dear sister,” she grimaced with a light laugh, “And I certainly do not want to marry the rat-ish likes of Rabastan Lestrange. Or that brute Dolohov. Or Amycus, or any of those others Mother has lined up for me. But it might not be about what I want, Cissa. Bella’s wants certainly did not matter.” Andromeda took the suitcase the little elf had been struggling with, and the moment the luggage was out of his hands the poor thing bolted back out of the door. It seemed terrified, and she wondered if her aunt had been spending some time around the manor recently, disciplining their elves for them. She watched it leave, and felt odd for feeling guilty for the creature. Setting the bag next to her sister, the brunette nudged her lightly with her elbow and a smirk, “Not all of us can get away with telling Mummy and Daddy what for, like you can.”

She didn’t want to dwell too long on the subject of marriage. It was just about all her mother talked to her about now, and it was certainly the only thing Bellatrix ever mentioned in her letters, although her older sister’s words had been strangely becoming less about finding a proper match and more about building strong alliances. Bellatrix’s concerns seemed oddly militaristic, especially for a recently married woman. She was treating the whole ordeal like war, and it was certainly alarming. Andromeda popped open the clasps on the suitcase she’d lifted onto the bed, knowing she had another three she needed to sort through and unpack half of which were filled with things she really did not need to bring. A neatly wrapped parcel caught her eye the moment she opened the bag, “Oh! I also have a surprise for you!” the brunette sister gasped; she’d nearly forgotten about it, and it really was the first thing she should have taken care of upon arrival. Dromeda carefully handed Narcissa the parcel, unfolding the cloth she’d wrapped it in to keep it safe from her other belongings. She grinned down at the brilliant silver gown she had made especially for her sister. Of the three sisters, Andromeda was the one who most worried about modesty; of not appearing too haughty, of not seeming too proud of her own person over others, but Dromeda could not help but to be exceedingly proud of this. The fabric moved like water, and folded as it was the gown looked almost like a pool of pure silver inside of plain cotton wrapping, but when worn draped perfectly to the frame, and moved with as much fluidity and grace as she had always associated with her little sister. The brunette was incredibly proud of her handiwork, and for a moment could not bring herself to feel guilty for it. “This isn’t even your Christmas present… no, you’ll have to wait for that one! See, this is what you get when you have a sister who is learning from one of the finest seamstresses in the world, and who literally has nothing to do for most of her day. I can sew, I can read, I can eat –obviously,” she sighed sadly, smoothing the fabric on the sides of her gown down flat. She feared the increased inactivity of being such a homebody was starting to get to her, “and I can sleep… that’s really it. Sometimes Ted drags me out to the market, even after Jink has gone for me. He seems to think I need to experience more of the world, apparently it’s a crime to stay at home so often!”

Andromeda left the gift with the blonde and continued removing items from her bag as she gabbed. She probably should have been more concerned with prattling a bit less, but it had been so long since she’d truly spoken to her sister that Dromeda found it difficult to stop speaking once she’d started. She’d just started on summoning objects from a second bag, shuffling between necessities and needless bits of cloth from her tidying, when she found the flowers Ted had given her earlier in the afternoon. The brunette went quiet for a moment, before sending the bouquet to an empty vase she kept beside her bed.

“He sends his love,” she remarked rather offhandedly, reaching over to feel the soft petals of the once pitiful looking plants. Among all of the almost obscenely bright flowers there was a single white daisy. Andromeda removed it, handing it along to the blonde. Ted had said one of them was for Narcissa. “Oh, and insists that I just must get all of the latest, juiciest Hoggywarts gossip from you. Real life is so terribly boring, you see, nothing like life back at old Hogwarts at all!” She enthusiastically sat back down next to her sister, “You’ll see! You’ll begin to miss the mess inside of those castle walls, all of the drama and activity. The real world is not quite like that, not at all” Andromeda sighed sadly for a moment, before drawing herself back from the foolish bit of nostalgia. It was silly, really, but with Bella’s marriage and her own misadventures outside of Black Manor, Dromeda was starting to miss the bit of herself she’d left at school. As was Ted, she remembered, and smiled again, returning to her unpacking, “he wants details on the House Cup and Quidditch games, and on which professor accidentally set fire to a student first; his priorities are a little… odd. I am more interested in how you are doing. Do I need to dig up my old Arithmancy notes for you? If it’s Ellipsoid teaching the class I can get you the correct answers for all of his exams, for at least the next term; the man’s used the same exact tests for the past decade, it’s a wonder anyone manages to actually fail his class.” Andromeda scoffed; she might have been missing the antics of Hogwarts, but she certainly did not miss the needlessly boring Arithmancy class. “And how is Lucius?” She asked with a smirk, raising an inquisitive brow and waving a scarf teasingly at Narcissa.

As was the case with most young girls, Narcissa had been planning her wedding for ages. For quite a long time, and like the other women in her family, she assumed that a husband would be arranged for her, in order to keep the bloodline pure. The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black wasn't open to just anyone, and the family name had been mixed and mingled with only the most prominent wizard families throughout the United Kingdom. The notion that someone would be found for her had vanished when Narcissa met Lucius Malfoy, though. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man, and more importantly, his status would serve to impress her family, and win their approval within seconds of meeting. She considered herself lucky to be with him and not be stuck with the leftover Lestrange brother.

It didn't seem as though Andromeda wanted him either, which was a good thing. Lucius talked of him being just dreadful and from what Narcissa herself had heard of the other sibling, that family was sparse in the way of looks, charms, and brains. In spite of the recent marriage of her oldest sister, Narcissa still thought that Bellatrix could have done better. When she had been at Hogwarts, there were plenty of boys after her and the family name, but she had gone and settled. Honestly, the young blonde resented her for it.

Andromeda was different, though. She wouldn't be settling for anyone and although Ted Tonks' veins ran filled with tainted blood, he made her sister happy and that was all Narcissa could ask for. Andromeda meant so much to her that she could have gone and married a Hippogriff and Narcissa would have found a way to celebrate. “It doesn't matter if you want to get married,” she retorted with an airy laugh, “you have to. It's your duty.” She spoke with more than a hint of sarcasm then, and although she was traditional, being forced into marriage was archaic and unnecessary.

When the older girl mentioned a surprise, Narcissa sat up, very much interested. “What is it?” she asked, grinning as she poked lightly through her sister's suitcase on the bed. From the bag, the brunette produced a parcel and placed it in her hands, the weight of it was light and Narcissa wondered what it could be. Before she asked another question, Andromeda was already unwrapping the paper, folding it back to produce a gorgeous, silver-colored dress. The fabric managed to sparkle in the low light, twinkling like a bright star and Narcissa couldn't believe that such a piece was for her.

“You made this?” she asked, bouncing off of the bed and over to the mirror with the silky dress, holding it up to her body over her clothes. She turned from side to side, inspecting the garment from all angles. “This is beautiful,” she turned back to her sister, who was continuing to unpack. “Thank you.” She may have been rich, but Narcissa had manners, and this gift, which wasn't even for Christmas, was incredibly thoughtful. “I'll have to get you something extra before the holiday. Perhaps something that will get you out of that house more often!”

Narcissa called out to one of the many elves that were scurrying their way around the manor and handed the dress off to the creature with instructions to put it in a safe place in her room. The blonde knew that such an incredible gift could be entrusted with the help, even if she didn't like that their grimy hands would be on the fabric. She saw them less as sentient beings and more as mobile features of the house, the little odds and ends that kept things running smoothly. Narcissa never really had picked a favorite, but the one she had given her dress to had been following her around since she had been small. If the bug-eyed creature hadn't been in the house, things simply wouldn't have been the same.

Turning back to Andromeda, Narcissa accepted the flower from her sister. “When do I get to meet Ted?” she asked, tucking the daisy behind her ear. The white petals and yellow center matched nicely with her white-blonde hair and she examined herself in the mirror once more before coming back to sit on the bed as her older sister talked of actually missing Hogwarts. Personally, Narcissa couldn't wait to be out of that place, and she hoped that she wouldn't have to see it again for as long as she lived. At this point in her life, the castle was just stifling and stagnant, something she had grown bored with. Then again, when none of her friends were around, even the most fun of activities and places could have come across as dull.

“I would love your notes, Dromeda,” Narcissa nodded. “The class is at the crack of dawn and I simply can't stay away with that old bag droning on and on...and on, and on, and on.” She giggled softly and made herself comfortable, ready to give the dark-haired woman the rundown on the current state of the school. “Gryffindor is set to win the House Cup again. I swear, it's been rigged by Dumbledore. Quidditch is fine, Slytherin has won most of their matches even if they do look sort of pathetic without Malfoy out there as seeker. Trelawney set fire to the Divination's room a few months ago, something with tea leaves. Don't ask me how something wet could just spontaneously combust that way, but that woman managed to make it happen. Honestly, it's kind of a mess.”

Batting playfully at the scarf in her face, Narcissa breathed a happy sigh. “Lucius is...lovely.” She flopped back on the bed once more, smiling as she thought of him. “He writes me all the time, can't wait for me to graduate so we can get married and travel. He's set to get a job at the Ministry with his father.” It was quite the accomplishment and Narcissa couldn't have been more proud of her boyfriend. “You'll get to see him at Auntie's party.”