Light in Oblivion [Narcissa/Lucius, Second Wizarding War]

Chapter Nine: The Black Sisters

Narcissa,

I cannot accurately describe how wonderful it was to receive your letter. Remaining hopeful is difficult. At first, I focused easily on pleasant memories to keep my mind from the dementors, but the longer I'm here, the harder it becomes to bring anything happy to mind. It has only been a few weeks since I arrived, but it feels much, much longer. I promise to write as often as I can—though I wonder whether the Aurors will actually see that this is delivered to you. Your letter had been opened before it reached me—a gross misuse of power.

I hope you know that asking you not to visit was the last thing I wanted to do, and the idea of not being able to see or touch you is a worse punishment than anything else. We'll have letters, now, at least, and that will be enough to make certain that I have something positive to focus on while I'm here. Thank you for agreeing to stay safe. Please keep me apprised of what's happening at home, and give my love to Draco and Lara.

Yours always,

Lucius x

***

"Hmmph. Not one mention of me."

Narcissa had been too absorbed in her rereading of the letter for what must've been the thirtieth time to notice that her sister had approached and paused behind her chair. She blushed as she realized that Bellatrix had been reading over her shoulder.

"Bella..." Narcissa shook her head. She'd returned with Draco from the Mulcibers' after breakfast, and since then, Narcissa and Bellatrix had spoken very little. Bellatrix had been in the bedroom she'd been given for most of the day, and Narcissa had begun to wonder whether her sister was avoiding her. If she had been, those efforts appeared to have been abandoned, now.

"I'm only teasing you, Cissy." Bellatrix rolled her eyes, dropping into the closest seat to her sister's and drumming her fingers against the chair's arm with what looked to Narcissa like a combination of boredom and agitation.

Narcissa watched her sister carefully. Bellatrix was a bomb that could easily explode if she were to say the wrong thing. Narcissa knew her sister hated being trapped within the Manor; even in childhood, Bellatrix had never enjoyed remaining in one place for what she deemed too long when she could've been accomplishing something elsewhere. It was for her safety that she remained here, though she was clearly not enjoying it.

"I know," said Narcissa after a brief pause. "But I wish you'd ease up on him."

Bellatrix frowned. She inhaled deeply and let out the breath in a sigh. "Contrary to what you may believe, I don't exactly... hate your husband."

"You certainly make it seem that way."

"You think I wanted someone I learned Unforgivable Curses with marrying my little sister?" Bellatrix snapped.

Narcissa stared at her. Is that it? she thought. Is that why she's been so antagonistic toward him for so long? Does she think I'm in danger? Narcissa doubted that was the entire reason for her sister's behavior. She'd seen Bellatrix and Lucius struggle for power on more than one occasion, even over simple things such as seating placement at dinners—she recalled Bellatrix making a point to take the chair belonging to Lucius on her first morning at the Manor, and she realized belatedly that it had likely been a continuation of a fight started fifteen-odd years earlier, before Bellatrix's imprisonment. Narcissa imagined the bickering between the two only became worse when wands and orders were involved.

"Lucius would never hurt me," she said, shaking her head. Though she had questioned many other things over the past several weeks, she knew that much to be true beyond all doubt.