The Calm One

"Hello, Bella," Narcissa whispered, standing far enough away from the cell that she didn't have to touch the bars. Terrible memories flooded her mind, as they always did when she came to Azkaban: memories of a five-year-old Narcissa with her sister Bella holding her head underwater, a seven-year-old Narcissa with her sister Bella forcing her face against a hot stove, a nine-year-old Narcissa writhing under her sister Bella's cruciatus curse -

"Cissy," Bellatrix spat through yellow teeth. "I missed you. Come closer, so I can see you."

Narcissa took a tiny step forward.

"Oh, go on, Cissy," Sirius drawled from the next cell over. "She isn't going to bite you. Her head wouldn't fit through the bars. It's too full of her own ego."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Where's Draco?"

"I - I didn't bring him."

"Good thing, too," Sirius remarked. "Poor kid would be scared out of his mind."

"Shut up, Sirius."

"I can talk to her if I want," Sirius said. "Cissy's my family, too."

"Oh, now you care about family?" Bellatrix snapped. Narcissa took a step away from the door. "If I remember correctly, Sirius, you wanted nothing to do with your family earlier!"

"Both of you," Narcissa said, "be quiet. No, Bellatrix, I didn't bring Draco. I thought he might be frightened."

"Hah," Sirius said loudly.

"Cissy, will you please put a silencing charm on him?"

Narcissa smiled faintly. "They took my wand at the front. I can't do anything to him."

"Hah!"

(She couldn't admit it, not to anyone, but Narcissa loved watching Sirius get the best of Bellarix.)

"When I get out of here, you're the first to die, Black," Bellatrix growled.

"You and what army, eh?"

"The Death Eaters."

"What Death Eaters? They're all either dead or stuck in Azkaban with you!"

"At least I didn't bet everything on the bloody Potters!"

"In case you haven't noticed, Bella, the bloody Potters won."

A wave of coldness washed through Narcissa's body, and she looked up to see two dementors gliding toward her. "Well," she said, backing down the hallway, "I hate to break up this little family reunion, but it's time for me to go. I'll see you next month, Bella."

"Bye, Cissy!" Sirius called, sticking his hand through the bars to wave.

"Cissy, wait!" cried her sister, but Narcissa was already out the door and Apparating away.

"Well?" Lucius asked when she walked into the Malfoy Manor. "How was she?"

"Fine." Narcissa still had goosebumps all over her arms. "Bickering with Sirius Black, as usual."

Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Bickering?"

"It's the most violent they can possibly get with each other." Narcissa ran her hands over her arms to warm them up. "I'm going to have Dobby draw a hot bath."

"A hot bath?" Lucius repeated. "You realize it's the middle of July and we're drowning in heat, don't you?"

Narcissa was already walking away. "Azkaban is cold."

"Darling, wait."

She stopped.

"Come back."

She turned.

"I know you're angry." He moved to her side and wrapped her in a hug. She let him hold her for a moment before pulling away. "I'm sorry, Narcissa."

"Sorry?" Stay calm, her mother's voice was whispering in the back of her mind. Don't lose control of yourself. "You should be sorry."

"I am, so just forgive me and let's move past this."

Narcissa took a deep breath. "I do."

"Good." He pecked her lips and let her go upstairs for her bath.

Narcissa leaned back in the bathtub and counted the ripples each tear made as it splashed into the steaming water. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Count to ten, Narcissa. Hold it in, take a breath, count to ten. You're fine. No tears. Don't be weak.

But it wasn't easy.

"You know Bellatrix used to torture me as a child," Narcissa whispered to the empty bathroom. "You know she abused me. You know, Lucius, I've told you -and you make me visit her anyway, you make me relive all of it every month, because you're under the delusion that the Dark Lord will return, and you think if we stay on Bella's good side, we'll be welcomed back with open - "

"Mummy!" Draco cried, rushing into the bathroom. "Mummy, I missed you."

Narcissa reached out to stroke his blonde hair. "I missed you, too, darling," she said, and for his sake, she held back the rest of her tears.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

[Monthly Drabble-A-Thon: Malfoy Manor]

[Collect A Collection Competition: Narcissa (Marauder's Era); Location Prompt: Malfoy Manor]

[Relationship Bingo Board Challenge: A2 - Narcissa]

[Female Character Challenge: Anna Karenina - write about Narcissa Malfoy]

[30 Harry Potter Prompts: Malfoy Manor]