#narcissa002

Date: 9th October 1986

Who: Alice and @narcissaamaryllis​

Alice usually loved playdates. She loved notinh more than watching Neville play with his little friends. She hosted the Potters and the Weasleys a lot, although not all of the red headed children at one time. But today, the imending playdate was filling her with dread. She really did not like inviting the Malfoys over to her house. It made her anxious. Sure, she couldn’t prove anything, but she was positive her cousin, and her husband had been involved. But, these playdates looked good. Alice just kept Narcissa at arms lenght. She didn’t trust her.

She tried to not influence Neville though. He was little, and could chose her friends. Though, she was hoping that Neville wouldn’t want to be too good friends with Draco. That would just be awkward. Alice had set the parlour room up. She wouldn’t allow the Malfoys anywhere in her house, not without Frank being there anyway. There was some cake, biscuits, and pop on the side, and a pot of tea warming. She knew how to host, even if she didn’t host the highest of purebloods anymore.

“Enjoying your trains darling?” She murmured, sitting down next to her son who was playing with some enchanted trains on the floor. “Draco is coming around today? You must play nice okay?” She smiled, ruffling his hair. She just hoped the play date wouldn’t be too bad

Bellatrix had never really considered grief before. When family members had died, they had been distant, unfeeling members of the blood line. Bellatrix had done her duty - dressed in all black (as if she wouldn’t anyway), bowed her head respectfully at the funeral, and paid her respects. She had never really wondered what it might feel like to have the air sucked from your lungs, to feel like you were being punched in the chest repeatedly, to have that underlying sense of longing for justice. But then Regulus had died, alone, in a field, with no answers. No perpetrator, no magical traces by the time the aurors found him there. The muggles had messed with the site too much, they said. 

Months on, Bellatrix thought that she had accepted the fact that Regulus was gone and he wasn’t coming back. He had measured the risk and taken it, just as they all had. He had taken the mark, he had bowed to the Dark Lord. Bellatrix and Rodolphus had both accepted long ago that either of them might die at any time in the line of service - after all, they were hardly faceless soldiers by this point. Bellatrix was already becoming aware of the fighting that was going on for Rodolphus’ position while he was away, and she knew his return would not be an easy one. But Regulus - Regulus was barely out of school, he was still a child in her eyes. The little cousin that had asked for her help, that had asked her to play with him.

Lucinda’s appearance at the manor this afternoon with the mention of Sirius had brought up all Bellatrix’ feelings of grief for Regulus all over again. Now she was turning to the only other person that might get it. That might feel how she felt. Malfoy Manor rose before her, imposing over the skyline, and Bellatrix took a deep breath as she strode up towards the front door. Knocking loudly, a House Elf opened the door and Bellatrix looked down at it. “I would like to speak with my sister. Urgently.”

​Emma had been awake for nearly an hour before she felt Narcissa begin to stir beside her. A small smile came to her lips, and she moved so she could press a few kisses into the back of her lover’s shoulder. “Good morning, beautiful,” she whispered in Narcissa’s ear, letting an arm drape over the woman’s middle to pull her closer. Their stolen moments together were what kept her going, keeping her from crumbling completely under the pressure.