Foretelling and farewelling
All blacks had the same hair. Andromeda and Bellatrix had the dark masses of curls. Narcissa alone had blonde, straight locks.
All blacks had the same eyes. Andromeda and Bellatrix had the steely grey eyes. Narcissa alone had eyes of blue.
All blacks were named after stars. Andromeda was named after a constellation and Bellatrix a star. Narcissa alone was named after a flower.
The narcissus flower
Can signify:
Prosperity and wealth, especially in the future
Future misfortune
Narcissa should've known.
She used to love her sisters, she really did. When they were younger, nothing could've kept them apart. Narcissa still remembers the wild stories Bella used to spin to try alleviate the boredom of the pureblood balls they were forced to attend that were only really for networking (although soon enough Bellatrix left to do that instead),and how Andromeda used to show her all the secret passages that ran through their ancestral home (ones she later used to escape)
They were two extremes, and Narcissa was caught in the middle.
The black madness started to show in Bella when she was around 13, and it only grew worse as the years passed. By the time Bellatrix was graduating Hogwarts, and off to live as “Mrs Lestrange”, she would have to admit she was slightly glad. Her sister had turned into someone she struggled to recognise, sadistic and bordering on deranged, with a fanatical obsession towards the terrorist leader so many of her friends and family seemed to admire
Andy was always her favourite. She was calmer than Bella, less unpredictable. She was wicked smart too, even by black standards, and they would spend hours talking; about theories, opinions, everything really. Until they didn't. Things were different after she left for Hogwarts.The letters slowly stopped over the course of Andromeda's first year. After returning for the summer she apologized, informing Narcissa of how busy she was.
Their relationship wasn't hostile, but it was nothing like before. There was a distance between them now that didn't change over the years, no matter how hard Narcissa tried. She eventually gave up on ever reforming the bond they once had, but still loved her sister nonetheless.
Then, one day at dinner, her father announced Andromeda's betrothal. At the time, her sister smiled and happily talked about her now upcoming wedding, before excusing herself from the table.
That was the last time she saw Andromeda.
No goodbye, no apologies, nothing.
She had abandoned her. Bellatrix was away married and Andromeda was gone.
It was Narcissa alone again.