Chapter Text
The thing that made Narcissa a true member of the House of Black was her inhuman persistence in the face of adversity (which others might call stubbornness) and her inability to gauge when to rein it in. She was determined to get her retribution for her sister's crimes against her—and for every other person that Bellatrix had personally victimised over the years.
Bellatrix Black would learn her lesson.
Truly, Narcissa was a saint, considering all the pain she would spare the world.
It was the last week of the Christmas holiday. Bella spent the remaining days lazing about—much to the chagrin of their mother—in order to 'get the most out of it.'
Having reviewed her previous missteps, Narcissa was ready to step into action with her new master plan. It was multifaceted and required careful planning. She refused to let carelessness be her downfall one more time.
The first and most important step; to visit the Malfoys.
She needed Lucius on board and supporting her, otherwise the plan might blow up in her face spectacularly.
It started with a knock on a door.
The Malfoy house-elf had led her through the labyrinth of a house, to Lucius' bedroom.
Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach when the door swung open to reveal her beau. His blond hair was still sticking up at odd angles and it looked like Narcissa might have caught him at an inopportune time.
It was eight o'clock in the morning during the holidays. He had probably been sleeping in.
"Good morning, Lucius," she beamed and waltzed in.
"—Narcissa," he greeted cordially, if a bit confused.
She tip-toed up and combed a hand through his hair, attempting to untangle the mess. He stood there in silence with his hands dangling limp at the sides as she did this. She nodded in satisfaction when he finally appeared presentable. Her eyes trailed down to his sleeping wear; as presentable as he could in his current state, at least.
His dark, silk shirt had a small, embroidered peacock on the chest. It blinked at her and unfurled, displaying its beautiful green and blue feathers.
She smiled at it.
Lucius cleared his throat, diverting her attention back to him.
Narcissa sat down on the nearest available surface—his bed. He joined her.
They were alone there, sitting on his bed. It was highly inappropriate, she knew. They should have a chaperon, but she needed to speak to him alone. With a bit more forethought, it would have been obvious to her that she should have confronted him at another time and place. However, it was far too late to change course now. It would have to do.
She led a frontal assault on his lips with her own.
He let out a squeak of surprise.
She snogged him senseless; staking her claim.
It would do well to remind him how good he had it. As Druella always said; men were fickle beings that needed a tight leash so they wouldn't wander astray. Poor Lucius was only a boy after all. He could not help it if his eyes trailed after other girls. That was why it was Narcissa's duty to force his eyes onto her and only her.
Like the merpeople of old; sirens that lured and enthralled sailors. Narcissa had always admired that quality of theirs.
After rendering him speechless, she was free to divulge her own plans to him uninterrupted. It was vital that Lucius knew so he could monitor the situation from his side.
The things Narcissa Black told Lucius Malfoy would remain a secret between the two of them; she made him swear to her. At first he seemed sceptical, but seeing her conviction, he reluctantly agreed to it. He, too, had a bone to pick with Bellatrix. There were few students—especially those in their house—whose feathers had never been ruffled by her.
A smile painted his lips when Narcissa left him with a promise of mischief and vengeance interwoven together.
Mr and Mrs Malfoy's eyes trailed after her in shock as she walked past them in the dining room, heading for the front door. They had not even known she was there.
She arrived back home in a blaze of green to an empty room. The downsides of frequent Floo travel was that it really sooted the clothes. She huffed while hastily brushing her robe.
Before anyone had the chance to discover her, she retrieved some water and tapped it onto her cheeks. Narcissa sniffed loudly, getting into character. She had inherited her flair for dramatics from her mother. In her mind's eye, she could see Druella nod approvingly.
Bellatrix looked up from her Transfiguration project confusedly when Narcissa stormed into her bedroom, looking rumpled and haggard. The girl threw herself down onto her older sister's bed—face covered by her hands—and sobbed.
"What are you doing?" Bellatrix asked, dumbfounded.
It was hardly the first time she had witnessed her little sister having a neurotic episode, but it never happened in her bed . It was unexpected, especially considering the recent hostility she had faced. They were not on great terms. She was so dumbfounded that she was caught unawares and had to scramble after her toad when it attempted to leap away.
Narcissa breathed raggedly into the pillow. A muffled scream filled the air.
Bellatrix took a cautious step closer to her sister.
"What's wrong, Cissy?" she asked. Her voice was uncharacteristically soft and patient.
This time the blonde kicked her feet aggressively into the mattress, before rolling around onto her back. Her red-rimmed eyes met her older sister's cold and foreboding ones.
"What isn't wrong? The world is bloody unfair!"
It took Bellatrix a while to coax out a comprehensible explanation and she had to call upon her emergency reserve of patience to accomplish it. Narcissa regaled a tale of rejection, horror and sorrow.
Abraxas Malfoy, in his tyrannical ways, had taken one look at his potential daughter-in-law and said she was not good enough for his son. To quote the man, "If I cannot trust you to take care of your own looks, how can I trust you with my only son?"
"—and then he called me hideous," she sniffed, using the edge of the bedsheet as a handkerchief. "So, I will never get to marry Lucius."
Bellatrix grimaced internally as she looked into those big, wet eyes. The display of hysterics made her uncomfortable, and in that moment she would have said and done anything to get it to stop.
"Bella, what am I supposed to do now? I had it all planned out in perfect detail!"
"There are—" she hesitated, eyeing her sister cautiously, hoping to formulate her sentence in the least insensitive way possible, "—other fish in the sea, Cissy. You will find somebody else."
"You mean somebody like Yaxley? Or Rowle?" she snapped, shuddering. Those boys might be enamoured with her , but the feeling was certainly not mutual. They had the names, the looks, and the money required to be on Narcissa's radar, but they could never compete with Lucius Malfoy. No one could.
Bellatrix shrugged. "Yaxley is a gentleman and not bad looking. You certainly wouldn't be left wanting for anything."
"But I do not want Yaxley! Or anyone else!" Her voice rang through the room.
"Well... there is nothing wrong with staying unmarried..!"
This statement only made Narcissa cry harder.
"I have no plans of becoming a spinster, thank you very much," she sniffed, stiffly. "I do not want to throw my life away like you seem so eager to do."
Bellatrix allowed the jab to pass without a retort given her little sister's emotional distress. She sighed wearily, knowing that those watery eyes would soon turn accusing as she remembered they were currently 'enemies' and not on speaking terms. After all, she might have had a hand in Narcissa's current predicament.
There was a tiny, miniscule part hidden away in the deepest pits of her heart that had a niggling feeling of guilt. She couldn't exactly brush it off either, since then her little sister would fuse herself to the bed and refuse to ever leave it.
She pursed her lips, letting Narcissa know of her disapproval of her antics.
"I will speak with Mr Malfoy," she said tightly. Bellatrix tried not to look her sister directly in the eyes. She looked hopeful.
"Wait, really? You will?"
"I don't want to look at those tears anymore, so if it will stop you from getting snot all over my bed, I will do it."
No sooner than the words left her lips, she was enveloped in a vice-like hug.
"Oh, thank you, Bella. Thank you! You're a lifesaver!"
"Don't worry, Cissy. Big sister will fix this."
"Thank you," she repeated, squeezing tighter. "I know you can convince anyone of anything. You're the best!"
"Don't sweat it," Bellatrix said, in a bored tone. She attempted to wriggle out of the embrace, but eventually gave up and succumbed to her fate.
Now she just had to find a way to convince old Abraxas. May fortune smile upon her. He was as stubborn as a Hippogriff.
It was the last week of the Christmas holiday, and Bellatrix Black was not 'getting the most out of it,' to Narcissa's immense amusement and satisfaction.
The Malfoys were on the board for the Winged Heart Foundation, a charity organisation for the conservation and care of magical creatures. They would be hosting a gala on the weekend to raise money and awareness for the cause. It was Bella's best shot at getting close to Mr Malfoy and 'convince' him that Narcissa should get to marry Lucius, as she had sworn she would do.
It was almost frightening how single-minded and unyielding Bellatrix could become once she set her eyes on the prize. Like a dog with a bone. If Narcissa herself hadn't been the one to wield her sister like a weapon, she would have been scared to be caught in the crosshairs.
She had spared no time and immediately signed up as a volunteer.
As a legal adult, there was nothing stopping Bellatrix from doing as she pleased, even when Druella and Cygnus voiced their scepticism. It was unlike their firstborn daughter to enlist herself in charitable work. If Narcissa had not known any better, she would have assumed that her sister was under the Imperius Curse, for the notion was so far-fetched.
Nonetheless, they had acquiesced to her wishes.
After the first day, Bellatrix had reported back that she had shared a few words with Mr Malfoy, but she needed more time to warm him up. Narcissa had warned her sister earlier that she must be very subtle, and it seemed she had actually heeded the warning. It was almost touching.
"If he finds out that I sent you there, then he will no doubt double down and refuse to entertain you in the slightest. You must apply discretion, Bellatrix."
"No need to worry. I know how to handle Abraxas Malfoy of all people. He is just as much of a pompous prick as any of them. Don't let the golden hair fool you."
"That is my future father-in-law you are talking about," Narcissa glowered. "Show him some respect."
"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed the complaints.
"I am serious, Bella. Swear to me that you will take your time and use your cunning instead of your wit. I cannot afford to lose his favour any more than I already have."
Bellatrix sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I solemnly swear that I will only do good." She tilted her head in a droll manner. "Happy?"
"Immensely."
Indeed, Narcissa was immensely happy, just not for the reasons that Bellatrix thought.
The second and third days went by without much fanfare.
Each day Bellatrix came back looking more and more frustrated and tired. She was not used to having to do things she didn't want to. Her immense willfulness and lack of regard for others meant that she usually did as she wanted. This might have been the first time in her life that she did something torturous and selfless—keeping someone else's happiness at mind.
However, she had an endless stream of complaints. It was music to Narcissa's ears, but the others tired of it quickly.
"Bellatrix," Druella sighed, as a woman on the verge of losing her temper. "At first, I was pleasantly surprised to see you take initiative to ingratiate yourself to polite society, but I am left wondering why you even bothered."
The girl looked at her mother, wide-eyed. "Mama, this is my first time helping set up a gala. Forgive me for struggling."
Druella shared a long-suffering look with her husband, but he considered such affairs to be a woman's domain, so he let his wife take charge when it came to steering and encouraging their daughter's interests.
As had become the norm, Andromeda elected to say nothing. But the way her eyebrows had furrowed at the news of Bellatrix' newfound pastime made it clear she suspected that a scheme was afoot.
Her endless whining failed to convince anyone that she was not being extorted to participate. It was just as well that none of the Blacks were inquisitive people; they had all learnt from a young age that curiosity was for the wicked.
On the day before the upcoming gala, Narcissa got a letter by owl post from her beloved.
Lucius had also volunteered to assist his parents in their pursuit for the perfect event; killing two birds with one stone. He could follow in his father's footsteps while simultaneously maintaining his vow of keeping an eye on the eldest Black sister.
In his letter he recounted all the suffering that Bellatrix had endured under the watchful eyes of Mr and Mrs Malfoy.
"Miss Black, what are those? Oh no, these are completely wrong. They are supposed to be scarlet, not vermillion. You must fix it—or else it will ruin the ambience."
"Oh, dear. Will the Yaxleys be offended if we seat them near the Lestranges? I hear that Logan and Ewan haven't been on speaking terms lately."
"Do you think serving rosé instead of white wine will clash with the colour scheme?"
On and on it went. Lucius wrote that he would have been amused by Bella's frustrations—for she looked on the verge of pulling out all her hair—if not for the fact that she had murderous intent in her eyes. He feared that he could wind up at the wrong end of her wand.
Narcissa wished she could have been there to see it for herself, but that could have jeopardised the whole plan, so she managed to refrain. She would have to settle for Lucius' thorough report. According to him, her sister was actually making progress. Abraxas seemed to like the girl's spirit, which was an uncommon sentiment. Most men like him would scold a young woman with such a waspish tongue and lack of regard for etiquette. Then again, most men like him had not been childhood friends with a young Walburga Black. Narcissa was sure that the man's perception of women was greatly skewed, which could be accredited to her aunt's strong personality.
As Narcissa read the last paragraph of the letter, her eyes darted over the words again and again.
Your sister has started planting ideas in my father's mind that a Black-Malfoy alliance would be advantageous. He seems to agree. I will inform you of any further development.
Love,
Lucius Malfoy.
Her heart fluttered in excitement. Her plans to ensure her future were coming along nicely. Gleeful—some might even say evil—laughter bubbled inside and threatened to spill out.
Later, on the very same day, Bellatrix beckoned her into her bedroom.
Narcissa had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling when she saw her big sister's appearance; completely unkempt. Unwanted exertion did not agree with members of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
"I have slowly but surely made Mr Malfoy warm up to me," Bellatrix said. Narcissa's eyes widened slightly in eagerness, as if she had not already received Lucius' correspondence. "I have been planting the idea in his mind that a match between our two houses would be incredibly beneficial for both parties. He thinks it's his idea, of course."
"That is..." she trailed off, at a loss for words.
"Incredible?" Bellatrix smirked, pleased with herself.
"Yes, truly."
"You can thank me on your wedding day. Mr Malfoy will start talks with Father at the gala, and they will talk over the details later if he is receptive to the idea."
Narcissa grinned like an idiot as the words sank in and could feel real butterflies in her stomach. She had used her sister's misery for her own gain; but something had been gained. She and Lucius would be formally engaged. She sighed wistfully.
"Cissy, get your head out of the clouds," Bellatrix said, waving a hand in front of her sister's face.
Narcissa swatted it away, annoyed at the interruption.
"I will never understand you," Bella shook her head, exasperated.
"You do not have to understand it to be happy for me."
"No, you're right. If you are happy, so am I," she sighed and reached out to grab her sister's hands. Her voice lowered and she looked at her grimly. "If Malfoy ever hurts you in any way, shape, or form—I will hunt him down to the ends of the earth. There is no place he can hide from me."
"Lucius is a gentleman, he would never hurt me!" Narcissa gasped, offended on her beau's behalf.
"For his sake, let's hope that is true."
The younger girl rolled her eyes. Poor Lucius would have a hard time in the coming years as he would get threats from all directions to behave; as was typical tradition in their family. But Malfoy was the height of gallantry, so he had nothing to fear.
As Narcissa went to bed that night, she could barely sleep; that's how excited she was knowing what would happen the next day. Even as dreams took her, she slept fitfully and her bedspread ended in complete disarray.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and fellow aficionados of the fantastical and wondrous!" Abraxas Malfoy started, arms wide in greeting. His magnified voice boomed through the hall. Proud wizard that he was, he wore traditional, old-fashioned wizarding robes. It had silver highlights on blue textile. The heavy cloak flapped in the air as he gestured animatedly.
Everyone's attention turned to him.
"Welcome to the Winged Heart Foundation Charity Gala. I am so glad that you could all attend." He clapped his hands together with vigour. The silver on his robes lit up at the sound. "Tonight I want you all to open your minds and hearts to make way for compassion and kindness. Allow the drinks to fill you with warmth and loosen your purse strings."
The cheeky comment was met with appreciative laughter.
Abraxas went on to detail how the foundation used the donated funds to make a positive impact. Magical creatures the world over had been nurtured and preserved due to the generosity of the foundation's wealthy patrons.
"Our winged friends appreciate you tremendously. Thank you all!" He took a deep bow—the tip of his wide, pointed hat flopped forwards—before fluttering off the stage.
Applause filled the room.
Then the first course was served. The band started playing, setting a calm and relaxed atmosphere.
Narcissa's eyes trailed after the older Malfoy as he joined his family at a table nearby. Her eyes met Lucius' and they both quickly averted their gaze. A blush threatened to creep up on her.
It was embarrassing to admit, but she was giddy. Her future could be set for her that day.
She kept waiting for the moment that Abraxas would strike up conversation with her father, but the moment never seemed to arrive. Impatience gnawed at her. Time flew by as more courses were served, entertainers captivated the crowd, and speeches were delivered. When the evening neared its end without Cygnus being approached, Narcissa felt her conviction faltering. Had Bellatrix failed in her mission? Had she somehow tricked both Lucius and her?
Fortunately, it seemed that her worries were baseless.
After the dinner was finished, Abraxas Malfoy made his move. With one critical glance in their direction, he got up from his chair and beckoned for Cygnus to join him. Her father looked surprised and for a moment Narcissa thought he looked unsure of himself, before he quickly slipped the mask of haughty confidence back on. She remembered that Mr Malfoy was quite a few years older than her father and could make quite the imposing figure when he wanted to.
She shared a meaningful look with Bellatrix. The two of them excused themselves from the table, citing a need to freshen up in the toilette.
In actuality, they sneaked up behind the men who had walked over to a quieter corner of the room. Bellatrix cast a Disillusionment Charm on them, helping them stay undetected.
"Mr Malfoy, you wished to speak with me?" Cygnus inquired, looking politely perplexed.
"Indeed, I do," Abraxas nodded. "I believe you have a daughter that has caught my son's eye."
The two men gave each other appraising and shrewd looks.
"That sounds about right."
"In that case, I believe it is in both our families' best interest for us to join our houses. Imagine Malfoy wealth and influence together with Black purity and beauty; does that not sound enticing?"
The corner of Cygnus' mouth tugged upwards in a somewhat sarcastic smile. He did not appreciate being put below the Malfoys in the pecking order in any way.
"I sense that you have a proposition at the tip of your tongue. Well, you have my attention."
"I thought I would," Abraxas smiled. "I am talking about marriage, naturally."
"So I gathered."
Malfoy's eyes crinkled as he chuckled.
"Very astute, Mr Black. They are too young to marry immediately, but we could find an ideal time in a few years when they are both out of Hogwarts."
Cygnus stared hard at Abraxas for a few moments, pondering.
"It is an interesting proposition. I do agree that our families could benefit from this; and if the two of them like each other, even better."
"Do we have a deal then?" He raised an eyebrow, holding out his hand.
Narcissa held her breath. Her father had never looked more formidable, in her eyes. He held the fate of her life in his hands.
"I believe we do," he replied evenly, reaching out with his hand as well. They shook on it.
"Good. I will have my lawyer draft up a contract and send it over to you. I am sure my son will be delighted to hear about this; Bellatrix is a fine young woman."
For a second, the world stood still. Narcissa thought her heart might have stopped beating. Gravity suddenly felt like it had become stronger; it threatened to pull her down and she had to exert all her effort to remain standing.
Cygnus froze, his hand still clasping Malfoy's. A frown marred his face.
"Wait—Bellatrix?" He tilted his head, confused. He sounded just as perturbed as Narcissa felt.
At his conversation partner's bewildered tone, Abraxas let go of Mr Black's hand, leaving it to hang awkwardly mid-air, before his brain caught up and he lowered it as well.
"What is unclear to you? Bellatrix will marry Lucius."
Behind her, Narcissa could hear her sister choking, gasping for air. Irritated at this sudden turn of events, she quickly silenced her, throwing a spell over the shoulder without even looking.
"Where have you got this hare-brained idea from?"
"I wonder at your tone, Cygnus . Bellatrix asked for this herself."
"...She asked for this? I cannot believe that."
"What do you mean?" Malfoy's tone turned brusque and irritated. "Your daughter has been angling herself to marry Lucius all week. I imagine she thinks herself subtle and coy, but it was obvious to anyone with eyes."
Cygnus blinked, uncomprehending.
"I don't..." he trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into words. "That doesn't sound like Bellatrix—at all. She would never want to marry Lucius ."
That was the wrong thing to say, for Abraxas' feathers looked quite ruffled.
"Pardon?"
"That is to say... it is my youngest daughter that has been interested in marrying your son; not the eldest," her father explained, with a bit of bite in his tone. "Are you sure you haven't mistaken them?"
"I think I can see the difference between a blonde and a brunette, Black," he huffed, turning up his nose. "It was that hoyden of yours who helped with this gala."
Narcissa ignored the rapid tapping on her shoulder, swatting it away. She had to focus on the moment at hand, to avert disaster.
Cygnus looked thoughtful.
His face changed almost imperceptibly as a thought struck him—one that fit perfectly well with what he knew of his daughters and their shenanigans.
"Of course, apologies," he cleared his throat, with a strained smile. "It seems there must have been a misunderstanding. If my daughter spoke to you of uniting our two houses, she must surely have been speaking on her sister's behalf. Narcissa is quite smitten with your boy, you see... I thought you knew that."
Abraxas inhaled deeply.
"I thought I did as well. Imagine my surprise when Bellatrix comes to me, trying to convince me of a marriage between our families, when I already thought that Lucius would marry your youngest."
The two men considered each other for a moment, both silently agreeing that they would rather not pry into the business of teenage girls.
"So, Narcissa it is?"
"Narcissa it is," Abraxas agreed. They shook hands once more and parted ways.
The girl in question grinned, even as she felt Bellatrix' hands clasping her neck from behind. The older girl was attempting to crush her windpipe, but she aggressively retaliated by poking her sister in the ribs with her wand. Bellatrix yelped as sparks shot out of it and took a step back.
She bristled and Narcissa's hair stood on end as Bella's eye twitched dangerously.
"I went through all of that for nothing ?" she screeched.
Narcissa gave her an innocent smile.
"It was not for naught. Lucius and I are engaged now... Thank you." There was an evil glint in her eyes, and she knew Bellatrix could see it. She was sure her older sister was swearing vengeance upon her as they spoke.