The Black Sisters
Tuesday, 8th June 1965
It was a summer day, and Andromeda woke up late, as usual. She stared at the ceiling for a long time: thinking about nothing at all, just enjoying being able to relax.
She was like that until she heard a noise; sort of a little explosion. It came from her eldest sister’s room: Bellatrix.
She jumped out of bed, avoided the big Hogwarts trunk that was in the middle of her room, still unpacked, and, barefoot, she headed through the narrow corridor of her house, which led to the place where the explosion had come from. While she was walking, still in her white pyjamas, all the portraits of her family ancestors were looking at her, always with severe eyes, as they were judging her.
Andromeda never understood that. She was as normal as her sisters, but when her ancestors looked at her, her stomach twisted a bit. Of course the portraits were always that rude (Black family was quite famous because of that), but with her… Something seemed to change.
She finally arrived at Bellatrix's bedroom. She pushed the door, and she had to narrow her eyes, because her sister had her curtains drawn, lighting up the Slytherins badges that were hung up over her black walls.
“Andy! What are you doing here?” Bellatrix asked, leg-crossed on her bed. Her black curly hair was a mess, and her dark eyes were wide open.
In front of her, there was a little brown flowerpot, and there were leaves all around the sheets which looked like they’ve got scrunched up.
“Bella, it’s just nine o’clock.” She sighed, approaching a few steps to her. “And summer has just begun. Merlin, chill down!”
“You say that because you’re just twelve. First year is never hard, but trust me when I tell you that third year is like hell” She groaned in response. “And now I’m going to start fourth.”
“Come on.” Andromeda laughed. “I’m sure you’re just being dramatic” Now she stared at the flowerpot, curious. “Anyway, what’re you trying?”
“I’m trying to do a quick-grower spell, so it will be easier to get my ingredients done for potions. But I’m crap at it!” She yelled, frustrated, clutching her fists, and her wand shaking at her right hand.
“What’s happening?” A tiny voice came from the door.
Narcissa was standing, also in her pyjamas. Her blond hair was a bit messy, but not as much as Bellatrix or Andromeda, because it was straight, not curly.
“Nothing, Cissy. Just Bellatrix, doing the dramatical act of the day.” Andromeda laughed again from her spot.
“That’s not true!” The eldest sister exclaimed, with her head in her hands.
“Come on, Bella.” Andromeda sat down next to her. “It’s not that bad. I’m sure you’ll sort it out in less than a week.”
Bellatrix sighed, and looked at her little sister.
“Thanks, Andy.”
“No problem.” She wrapped an arm around her shoulders, with a smile.
They both laughed in unison, and her laughs became stronger when Narcissa jumped on the bed to join them.
“Be careful, Cissy.” Andromeda told her ten year old sister.
“I’m being careful.” The little girl answered, as Bellatrix wrapped an arm around her, too. “Not like her.” She looked at her eldest sister with a playful smile.
“Hey! You’ll understand when you go to Hogwarts, Narcissa. Trust me, it’s not that easy.”
“No it’s not.” Andromeda agreed.
Narcissa just blanked her eyes, making her look a bit comical because of the drama. Everyone in that family was dramatic, it was something that seemed to run through their veins.
The other two sisters laughed at her expression, and when Bella moved her legs because of the laughter, Andromeda could see a notebook which was covered with brown leather. It had golden letters on the cover: Notes. It looked elegant, and really polite.
Definitely not from Bellatrix.
“Uhm, Bella. Whose notebook is this?” She asked, staring at the object.
The dark-haired girl followed her sight, stopping her laughter abruptly.
“Oh, just some notes Rodolphus lent me over the summer.”
“Rodolphus?”
“Yeah. What happens?”
Rodolphus Lestrange. A mean guy that was from their house: Slytherin. He was tall, pale-faced, and always with an arrogant attitude and nasty eyes. There were rumours that he practiced dark arts.
Andromeda hated him because he used to mess up with Ted Tonks, one of his Hufflepuf’s friends. Rodolphus and his friends used to call him “Mudblood” through the corridors.
“No, there’s nothing wrong. I just say that because he’s kind of… intimidating.” She avoided the word “mean.” She wasn’t in a mood for a fight.
“Oh, but he’s actually really nice, you know?” Bellatrix explained, enthusiastically, showing all her white teeth.
“Well…”
“I can introduce you, some day, if you want?”
“No! I mean, you don’t have to bother.” She added, quickly.
Bellatrix squinted a bit her dark eyes, just as if something suspicious had happened. Then, she decided to ignore it, and focussed on her youngest sister, who asked:
“Will I be able to meet him someday?”
“Yeah, of course, Cissy.”
Andromeda didn’t like the idea. Bellatrix was just starting to choose a path which was a bit dark. People like Rodolphus were no good to her.
I guess she has always been like that. Dark. Andromeda thought, remembering the fascination her sister showed when their parents used an unforgivable curse, or when they showed her books full of macabre pictures, and she remained calm, as if the things they appeared in there were completely normal.
Bellatrix even spoke once or twice about dark arts with Andromeda, but the middle sister made clear she wanted to know nothing.
After those weird conversations, Andromeda hoped that Bellatrix would be smart enough to quit that way as soon as possible. By the moment, everything seemed a bit normal, not too extreme.
“Earth to Andy.” Bellatrix's voice came in.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“I was asking you if you wanted to have breakfast.”
“I’m too tired. I’m fine here.” Narcissa said, laying down on the bed. Her blonde hair was around her face.
“Yeah, I’m a bit tired, too.” Andy sat leg crossed, facing her oldest sister. “And your hair is a mess! You can’t go down to the living room like this!” Added with a laugh.
“Hey, my hair is fabulous.” She replied, tossing it dramatically over her shoulder.
“Come on, come here.” She grabbed her gently by the shoulders and turned her around.
Andromeda grabbed the green comb which had little silver strings from the bedside table, and started combing Bellatrix’s hair. A couple of minutes later, she felt a jerk on her hair, too.
“What’re you doing, Cissy?”
“I’m trying to comb your hair, too.” She responded, with a tone that indicated how concentrated she was.
“Be careful. Curly hair is way harder to comb than straight one.”
“Ok.”
And Bellatrix placed herself behind Narcissa, and started combing her hair too.
For the next fifteen minutes, they were combing, talking and laughing. It was just the three of them, the Black Sisters. It felt great, it felt like summer.
Summer was when they were the three of them together, which was really fine. When Andromeda thought of summer, she didn’t think about the beach, or ice cream. She thought of that perfect picture of her sisters and her, sitting comfortably in Bellatrix’s bed and talking, just in ease.
When they finished, they looked herselves in the big, circular mirror framed in silver.
Andromeda was standing in the middle, with her curly brown hair and brown eyes. She looked like Bellatrix, who was standing at her left; her hair was black, though, and her skin was a bit paler. Narcissa looked so different from both of them, with her straight and blonde hair, but her face had the same shape: sharp.
If only things could remain like this. Andromeda thought to herself, looking at the three of them in the mirror.
- · · · · · · ·
Tuesday, 1st September 1970
“Andromeda, come down stairs now!” Narcissa exclaimed out of her bedroom, before heading to the entrance hall.
“Coming!”
Andromeda was hiding her muggle albums, the ones which didn’t fit in the trunk, in a secret box under a slack strip of wood. The box had a secret code, for extreme security. It wasn’t absolutely necessary, but in her house, all precautions were little.
The albums were from Ted. They had started dating last summer, but the girl hadn’t told her family yet. A war had begun, and things like dating a non-pure blood wizard were now judged. Another thing that was badly seen in those times was possessing muggle objects, such as the albums Andromeda had hidden in that exact moment.
The curly-haired girl grabbed the big, brown trunk, and in the frame door gave a last glance to the strip that was hiding the box underneath it.
Maybe I could lend some to Sirius. Andromeda thought, as she was going down stairs.
Sirius was her favourite cousin. He was just a ten year-old bouncy kid, but she could see that, just like her, he was also a black sheep in the Black family. How ironic.
When she arrived at the entrance hall, Narcissa and Bellatrix were talking and giggling, but just as they saw her, they shut. The youngest sister had a poker face, but Bellatrix sized her with nasty eyes, and raised her chin with an arrogant attitude.
“Andromeda.” She said coldly.
Bellatrix was now taller than her, and her face was pale and almost graunt. Her eyes were like dark holes, and her hair was long and messy. That detail always remained the same.
“Bellatrix.” She responded in the same tone, also raising her chin. She was shorter, but that didn’t matter, because she wasn’t going to let her intimidate her.
Narcissa watched the scene, with her eyes darting towards her two older sisters. Andromeda wondered if she was uncomfortable, despite the fact that she looked perfectly calm, with her hands together in front of her, and the way she was standing with her back perfectly straight.
Andromeda didn’t know it, but she was right, although Narcissa was never going to let her sisters see her uncomfortable. Instead, she said in a monotone tone:
“Come on. The chauffeur's waiting for us to bring us to the station.” The blond girl said, and Andromeda swore she heard a bit of a tremble in her voice.
“Good luck with OWLs, Cissy.” Bellatrix smiled, all teeth, and unnaturally sweet.
“Thank you, Bella.” She replied, giving her a smile and heading outside.
Andromeda broke eye contact with her elder sister, and left the house.
When he entered the car, the first thing they heard was:
“Andromeda, what takes you so long?” It was her mother’s voice.
That morning she was wearing a polite bun, with her blond hair shining, and black sunglasses that were covering her brown eyes.
“Just packing a few things.” The girl lied, calmly.
“I told you to pack everything yesterday!” Her mother exclaimed, turning to see her.
“Yes, but I forgot…”
“Yes, mother.” Druella hissed to her daughter, her expression serious.
Andromeda contained a sigh, and said:
“Yes, mother, but I forgot the Charms book in the bookshelf, because I was reading it last night.” Her hands gripped strongly the fabric of her dark green skirt.
“Be more responsible. Look at your sisters. They’ve never caused trouble, and you just… Ugh.” And with that, she spun around again.
Andromeda didn’t respond. The deep cut she had in her right calf muscle was still hurting a bit. Luckily, she found the Murtlap essence she always had in her wardrobe, just in case of emergencies like that.
In the car, she thought: I should have known things were never going to stay that perfect forever. Bellatrix has always been mad about dark arts, and all that stuff. She looked at Narcissa, who was sitting to her left. I hope I don’t lose her. I can’t lose her. I want her to be safe, with me, far from all of that macabre stuff. Far from them.
At the same time, Narcissa was looking at the flashed images of houses that passed towards her window.
What am I going to do? The youngest sister thought. A war has begun, and our family, the ancient and most noble Black family has definitely picked a side, except for Andromeda. Maybe she’s right. Maybe everything related to dark arts is shit. But… is the strongest side, by now. Everybody says they’ll win. Ugh, what am I going to do? She shifted in her seat, awkwardly.
They arrived at King's Cross, and went to the 9 ¾ platform. They glanced one last time at each other.
“Well, bye Andy.” Narcissa said.
“Yeah, bye. See you in the common room, Cissy.” She laughed a bit, trying to break the tension. Narcissa’s lips almost curled up in a smile.
And they parted in different ways.
Narcissa met Lucius Malfoy, and all of her other friends. As soon as she approached him, Lucius wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a kiss.
On the other hand, at the other end of the platform, Andromeda met Ted, who wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in a tight hug.
“How was your summer?” He whispered in her ear.
“Well, good.” She replied with a laugh, head still on his shoulder. “You know how my family is.”
They parted, and looked at each other, smile on their lips.
“Hey, hello, boys!” A voice came from behind them.
It was Frank Longottom, who was wrapping an arm around Alice’s shoulders. He was a tall man, with short brown hair falling on his forehead, and with always a warm smile on his lips. Alice was shorter than him, with also short hair, hazel eyes that were always shining and the same smile as his boyfriend.
“Hi, Frank. Hi Alice.” Andromeda waved at them, smiling cheerfully.
But they didn’t have time to chat, because the whistle of the train sounded all over the platform.
“Come on, hurry up!” Hurried Ted, and they all began to run towards the nearest carriage.
A few minutes later, they were all sitting comfortably in their usual carriage. The two girls were by the window, facing each other and sharing their nervousness about the NEWTs, while Ted was explaining the latest muggle technologies to Frank, who was a pure-blood wizard, but was always keen to know about what he called “the amazing muggle things.”
“And this,” Ted began, searching in his right pocket. He extracted a rectangular, silver and brilliant object, which had what looked like a lent on the centre. “is a camera.”
“Wow.” Frank said almost above a whisper, leaning forward to see it better.
With this, they caught the girls’ attention, who also bent forward to examine the object properly.
“That’s amazing.” Alice said, fascinated, who was also a pure-blood. “How does it work?” She asked, looking at Ted.
“Like this.” He stretched out his right arm, spun the camera so the lent was facing him. “Sit behind me.” He said, visibly excited.
His friend obeyed, still not knowing what was coming.
“Smile!” Ted exclaimed, and a white flash illuminated the whole carriage.
“Wow, that was amazing!” Frank said, blinking hard. “And now what?”
“Now the picture of us is in a roll, inside the camera.”
“Can we see it?” Andromeda asked, still seeing dots.
“Nope, only when it’s full.” He said, and all of his friends groaned in response. Ted laughed. “Sorry, guys.”
Well, Andromeda thought, it’s not a bad beginning.
That was an immense relief to her, because, for some reasons, she thought that that year was going to be probably one of the hardest she had ever lived.