Who: Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks
What: Sisterly...bonding??
When: The New Year's Ball
Rating: PG for language?
Status: Complete!



Narcissa Malfoy wondered why the Ministry even attempted to act as those like herself were welcomed at their stupid little 'hand extending' events. They had ruined her family's chance at a normal future and had driven Kaleigh, a formerly strong and optimistic woman, to tears on more than one occasion. Poor Teddy and Draco could lose everything and for what? Their fathers' sins? It wasn't bloody fair and Narcissa was tired of keeping up the pretenses. Oh, she had gone to the ball with Lucius alright, but only to find the Minister and give him a piece of her mind! He could have her arrested for all she cared, but she wasn't going to take this lying down. Yet, despite her mission, Narcissa, always the lady, had made damn certain to dress to the nines. Her gown was empire waisted and powder blue. Her diamonds glittered in the night and her hair hung in loose waves around her pretty face. Though she kept up on her glamour charms, Narcissa was a natural beauty who was aging well. It was a small comfort to know, despite it all, she had kept her looks.

She kissed Lucius on the cheek and told him she wanted to make the rounds. Then she slipped out, her head swiveling around as she attempted to locate that bastard Kingsley.

Andromeda Tonks, though she didn't know it, could relate to her sister at that moment. She was at the ball for its charitable efforts, not to show Ministry support. Her daughter might've been an Auror, and a Hogwarts teacher, but she couldn't respect the Ministry at that moment. Yes, she was willing to smile, and she'd dressed nicely, in a flowing green dress that not only went well with her hair and eyes but tapped into her Slytherin roots. But if asked, she'd tell anyone listening exactly what she thought of the latest moves against children and widows who certainly didn't need any added stress to their agendas.

She was contemplating that when she excused herself from the group she'd been talking to in order to run to the restroom. She was a bit tired of hearing about how wonderful their governing rule had become. Were they, really? She couldn't believe that, really. And she hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor for a reason. Andromeda was no fighter, and though she had no problem sharing her views, arguing with someone desperate to beat their ideas into her head was just painful. She needed to get away. Desperately.

"Excuse me," she murmured, attempting to side-step a woman headed right in her direction. But the woman had, perhaps, thought Andromeda was going the other direction and side-stepped the same way. Laughing slightly, Andromeda pushed back a loose strand of hair. "Sorry," she excused herself again before glancing up to see who she was doing the awkward dance with. And froze.

Narcissa had been so busy looking for Kingsley that she hadn't even noticed the mass of red and green coming straight toward her. When the blob nearly ran her over, she side-stepped out of its way only to find it still blocking her path. "Pardon me ---" The words died as she gazed up into the familiar eyes. She had seen her sister since Andi ran off, of course, just not in such an obvious manner. Usually Narcissa kept a careful watch at shared events to make sure they never ran into one another. And if she had happened to pass her on the street, Narcissa had casually kept her head high and pretended she hadn't seen. However, just then there was no escape. And what was worse? Narcissa wasn't sure she wanted one. She had missed her sister though her hurt had turned into anger as the years passed. How could Andromeda just abandon her like that? And then they all poked fun for Narcissa's loyalty to the nutty Bellatrix! That is what families did. They supported each other. Bellatrix had protected Draco even if her manner had been less than kind, but the woman before her? Narcissa didn't even know her. "Andromeda."

"Cis..." Half of the nickname had spilled out of Andromeda's mouth before she even realised she'd spoken. "Narcissa," she said, her voice much less surprised and much more even. "Good evening." How stiff did she sound? It was as if she was speaking to a complete stranger, and not the little girl she'd dressed in frilly clothes as a baby. And in some ways, the adult Narcissa was a complete stranger. She'd known her in her teens, but from the moment their mother had forbidden Andromeda to have anything to do with her sisters, she hadn't spoken to her. Not really. Bellatrix had proven to her that Andromeda was right in staying away from her. Killing Sirius and attacking Andromeda's own little girl were obviously not high on Andromeda's list of positive traits. But Cissa? What had she done? Nothing, other than staying by her family's side, as the obedient daughter she was supposed to be. The girl they'd hoped Andromeda was going to be. "How are you?" Well. It was a start.

How was Narcissa? Lousy. She had lost Angus to the war, her marriage was shaky, Severus was more withdrawn than usual, and her precious boys were going to suffer the rest of their lives. Still, as all good little pure-blooded girls were taught, she plastered a phony smile on her face and did a slight nod in greeting. "Very well, thank you. Yourself?"

But Andromeda had been raised around the same phony smiles. Though she rarely used them herself, she could recognise them from a mile away. "Good," she said slowly, knowing she didn't entirely mean it but that she had to be light years better than the woman in front of her. For the first time in a long time, she longed for the sort of sister she could confide in, and who would confide in her. Ted's family had meant the world to her, but they couldn't compete with having someone who knew her and the world she came from. "I... Well. I'm glad I ran into you. I want to thank you in person. For the album. It really did mean the world to me."

Narcissa's resolve broke and she had to look away to blink back the tears that threatened as Andromeda reminded her of the gifts they'd exchanged. She didn't want to admit it, but the pictures of Tonks had touched her deeply. She loved Teddy with everything she had, but he wasn't completely her blood like little Nymphadora. Seeing those photos had made Narcissa confront every lie her parents told her. So Andromeda married a blasted muggle-born! Why did she have to be disowned? Frowned upon, left out of the wills...those were some things Narcissa could accept. What she couldn't handle? Being forced to act like her big sister never existed. For that, she had stolen some photos and hid them though Lucius probably knew.

Narcissa didn't have anyone to blame for the estrangement once her parents died and that burned more than anything. She had kept up the facade and where had it landed her? Sisterless. Bellatrix might have taken care of them as best she could toward the end of the war, but Narcissa held no doubt she'd have raised her wand against them if Voldemort had asked. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Narcissa could accept that. Bella had, after all, done virtually the same to Andromeda. Still, Narcissa was not one for blood or violence and couldn't imagine lifting a finger to hurt those related to her. Yes, Sirius had betrayed them, but he was family. And their little niece? Narcissa's insides had ripped when she heard. Yet she had still sent no word to her disowned sister.

She didn't look back at her sister, but chose instead to keep her eyes focused on an expensive oil painting. She was grateful it was an object and didn't have eyes staring down on her. Narcissa was just certain everyone would read her guilty thoughts just by looking at her. "He's a handsome boy. Was a bit of a handful, but..." She allowed a small smile to cross her lips. "A mixture of Black and Malfoy will do that I suppose." She swallowed hard against the emotions and finally looked back. "She was a beauty too. Still is from what I recall." The 'she' of course referred to Dora.

"She..." Andromeda had been considering saying that her only daughter reminded her a lot of Narcissa. Self-confident where it counted, but still vulnerable and easily hurt by the right words from the right people. When she allowed herself to remain in her natural state, she even looked a bit like her aunt. But Andromeda couldn't even begin to imagine telling her sister that. Not yet. "She's smart, too. Witty and funny, but so strong. She and Draco... Well. They've really hit it off, I think." Which might have been exaggerating the slightest bit, as Draco seemed a bit reluctant, but willing.

Narcissa visibly stiffened at the reminder. It wasn't that she disapproved so much as she didn't want her only child hurt. "And how does Ted feel about that?"

They hadn't been separated quite long enough for Andromeda not to notice the slight change in posture. "He wants what's best for Dora," she replied simply. "It's something I think she's always wanted and neither of us would stop her." Even if Dora did get hurt in the process. But her daughter was nothing if not strong, and she'd recover from hurt given time. Emotional ones may take longer than physical, but she would heal. "We both just want her to be happy. Isn't that what any parent wants for their child?"

A small twitching of the lips occurred as Narcissa nodded her agreement. "Of course. I..." She had sacrificed her safety to ensure his, but she had been so focused on keeping him alive that it almost felt like she'd forgotten about his happiness. "Well, it was a long year, you see. Draco...he's better. I think. And..." She cleared her throat nervously. "I suppose your daughter has a bit to do with that."

"She didn't do anything but offer him friendship," Andromeda reasoned. "He's...well, he's a good kid." From what she'd read. She'd talked to him a few times, after all, even if she'd yet to meet her nephew in person. He was bright and witty, and even though she could sense that he'd had a horrible time of it, he seemed to be taking things in stride. "You..." she took a deep breath, "you did well, Narcissa. He's a wonderful boy who's going to become a wonderful young man. It's already obvious."

Narcissa's surprise flickered over her face. Yes, she had seen an odd comment here and there, but she also wasn't naive enough to not realize many didn't like her boy. She had always claimed it was jealously, but in the aftermath of the war, she knew it went far beyond that. "Oh, Andi..." Her lower lip trembled as her cold exterior crumbled.

Andromeda wasn't stupid. She knew her sister, despite the years apart, and she knew the Black family way was not to break down where others could see. "Come on," she said softly, taking Narcissa by the elbow and leading the way towards the ladies room. Even after all that time, she slipped easily into the role of protective older sister, shielding the baby of the family from the prying eyes of others.

Narcissa allowed her older sister to protect her; Andromeda always had before and she wasn't disappointing just then. "I-I'm sorry." She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and looked sadly at Andromeda. "I..." She shook her head.

"Shhh," Andromeda murmured soothingly. Almost instinctively, she reached to smooth the light blond hair off of Narcissa's face. "Still not a gray hair in sight," she teased gently. "How do you get all the looks in this family, hmm?" It was the first actual reference made to the family itself, but Andromeda didn't hold back. Not when the woman before her so obviously needed someone to lean on.

Rather than pull away, Narcissa leaned into the touch and actually laughed. "Oh, stop it. You're beautiful and you know it."

"Ah, but older," Andromeda said with a smile. "And always will be, I'm afraid." Reaching into her small evening bag, she pulled out a handful of tissues before gently dabbing at Narcissa's cheeks. "There," she said quietly. "Don't want to smudge anything."

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I just...what you said..." She reached up to catch on of Andi's hands as she wiped at Narcissa's face. "I never knew how much it would mean."

"That someone's proud of how you raised your son?" Andromeda questioned, eyebrows lifted. "Everyone ought to be telling you that. Everyone who cares, anyway. About you and Draco." Which ought to have told Narcissa something. "He's had it hard, but he's made it through all of that. That's saying something." Ever so carefully, she turned one of her hands so that it rested on Narcissa's. "And I believe that's mostly thanks to you."

"I just...what he went through and I know what everyone's saying and..." Cissa gripped Andi's hand fiercely. "Hearing it from you is just brilliant and...oh, Andi." She dropped the hand and flung herself at Andi much like she had when she was a little girl.

Despite her initial surprise, Andromeda wasn't about to pull away from the touch she'd craved for so long. Automatically, her arms wrapped tightly around the blond woman, holding her almost fiercely. "There, there," she soothed, just as she had when they were kids and one of the boys had drawn on their dolls or when Bellatrix had chopped off the hair on the cat. "It's alright." She knew anyone could walk in at any moment, and what of it? This was her little sister, come hell or high water, and she'd take care of her whenever and where ever she damn well pleased. "He's just fine. We'll all be fine, do you hear me? It's going to be okay."

Narcissa almost asked her to promise, but she had to remind herself she was no longer a child and Andi couldn't make any such promises. "I want it. I want us all to be...please, don't leave me again." She felt pathetic weeping and begging like that, but she couldn't help it. She had just faced the year from hell alone. She never wanted to go through that again.

"Oh, sweetheart," Andromeda whispered, leaning her forehead against her sister's. "I never left you, not for a minute. I love you, you know that?"

"Then w-why...you..." She sniffled and squeezed Andromeda's shoulders. "No, I understand. I would never give up my husband and child. You...you were stronger than I. Are stronger than I."

"It was never you I walked away from," Andromeda reassured, leaning back a bit to touch Narcissa's cheek gently. "It was them, you understand that, don't you?" And she wouldn't blame her if she didn't. Her baby sister had been so young when she'd shouted that if they couldn't accept Ted then they couldn't accept her. "I...I tried to write you. I don't...well, I'm not sure..." But what if she had gotten the letters? What if Andromeda had been using that glimmer of hope to blame her mother and father for so long, and it had been Narcissa's decision all those years ago to not write back? "When I got married. And when Dora was born. I... I wanted you to meet her. Both of them."

"Letters?" Looking into Narcissa's face and hearing her tone, anyone would have known she held no idea of any letters.

Slowly, Andromeda nodded. "A few," she confessed. "I...thought you didn't want to hear from me." All those years, wasted. She should have stood up for her sister, perhaps even taken her to live with the two of them, even if she'd been kicking and screaming. She might've been saved so much heartache.

But there also would've been no Draco, and Andromeda knew her decisions hadn't been completely in vain. "I thought you agreed with them. And I didn't want to force you."

"I did. To a point --- I --- I felt that you left us. But I knew...I knew you loved him. I could see it even if I wasn't ready to understand those things between men and women." She moved away, glancing in the mirror as she did so. Fluffing her hair for lack of any other way to release her nerves, she paused to try and find a way to explain things. "I should have tried to make contact. I just...I never had that gumption you and Bel---." The name of her slain sister died on her tongue. "Sorry."

Tensing visibly, Andromeda only nodded stiffly. "Perhaps a lack of gumption isn't all bad," she said, though she had to stare at the floor to keep herself together. She knew her eldest sister hadn't approved of her. And she'd been afraid since they were children that Bellatrix's temper and curiosity for all things dark would lead to nothing good. But she'd always hoped for something better, some form of redemption. Not the woman who'd killed her fiery little cousin and nearly took her sweet daughter's life--more than once. Instead of dwelling on all of that where Narcissa could hear, however, Andromeda merely reached into her bag yet again, this time pulling out a tube of lipstick--a muggle brand Ted's mum had sent as part of her Christmas gift.

Narcissa frowned. "What's that?" She couldn't help the question that escaped. It was certainly odd looking.

Catching Narcissa's eye in the mirror, she smiled. "A bit of lip colour," she explained, demonstrating with a swipe across her bottom lip. "You'd be amazed what muggles can come up with when they have to do things without magic. I still won't use the mascara stuff, though. For the eyelashes. It looks like some instrument for torture."

Well, that was mildly interesting though Narcissa refused to say so aloud. "I still perfect some quick charms." Her words held no judgment for once. Hesitating only a moment longer, she turned to watch Andromeda paint her lips like an artist paints a canvas. "You're good at it."

"If you think that one's fascinating, you should see the way they do their eyes," Andromeda teased, though gently. "All powders and liquids. Charms are easier, I'll admit." She turned to lean against the counter, careful not to wrinkle the fabric of her gown. "Not that I had any doubt you'd master them," she added with a laugh. "You were trying them before we were even supposed to be."

"Well, a girl always had to look her best," Narcissa teased in return. As if to illustrate her point, she turned back to the mirror to freshen her own face back up. A few charms and all were perfect again. "See?" She flashed her best dainty smile.

A slightly more serious look crossed Andromeda's features, but it was accompanied with a small smile. "I've missed you. So much. Losing you..." Shaking her head, she released a slow breath. "Are we... I mean... Is this a second chance, Cissa?"

Suddenly it was all very funny. Honestly. Was she reconnecting with her long lost sister in a bloody loo. But location didn't matter and timing was thrown out the window..."Yes." Narcissa nodded firmly. "Yes...if you want...yes."

"I..." Flicking her tongue anxiously over her lower lip, Andromeda hesitated. "I love Ted, Narcissa. I've no intentions of leaving him. He's...he's stood by me through all of this. For years." When not even her own mother had. She wouldn't even consider walking away from him. "Is that... Is that going to be okay?"

The thought hadn't crossed Narcissa's mind. Clearly if Andi had any intention of leaving her muggle-born, it would have been years earlier. "Honestly? I don't care. I just want you back and..." A thought occurred to her. "Won't he hate me? And what about Draco?" She didn't dare mention Lucius as, really, some things just could never be undone.

Andromeda didn't want to put too much thought into having to accept Lucius Malfoy as her brother-in-law. But she did love Draco. She knew it already, whether she'd ever laid eyes on him or not. "He'll love you," she said easily. "Because I do. And he won't hate Draco. He's just a boy."

"A boy with a reputation," Narcissa reminded her sister though even as she said it a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Oh, darling, it really will be alright, won't it?"

Reaching out, Andromeda gave her little sister's hand a tight squeeze. "It will be. If that's what we want. And it is, isn't it?" She hoped so. She desperately hoped so.

Holding on tightly, Narcissa didn't have to think twice. "It's definitely what I want."