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 [i]needing[/i] 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 [i]him[/i], Dromeda.”