Summers at the Cottage, Black sisters, PG
Aug. 15th, 2005 02:46 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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femgenficathonTitle: Summers at the Cottage
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dora_the_nymph
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Prompt: 14. The smells alone would intoxicate the most rigid of people: night-blooming jasmine, the tang of salt air, and the odd sandy smell after a driving rain. Overhead, creamy, imposing clouds sailed across brilliant blue skies, and the ocean--what colors: cobalt-blue, emerald-green, turquoise-blue, and light-hazel bands of color right next to one another.--Rita Mae Brown (It lead to the inspiration, but only vaguely).
Notes: Huge thanks torayvyn2k for the spectactular beta job.
Summary: When Narcissa was five her family stayed at the beach for the first time. As she got older and her sisters went to school things changed, but at the beach most things stayed the same.
Disclaimer: These characters and some settings belong to JKR.
Words: 2441
Summers at the Cottage
When Narcissa Black was five, they went to the seaside for the first time. Her mother had insisted that they go, and her father had given in, as he always did. As there was only one beach in England entirely for magical people and it was over-run, they had come to a Muggle one.
It was cold and there were stones instead of sand. Even in the middle of July very few people went there, Muggle nor wizard. This was sure to be why Narcissa’s father had picked it, but as she was five and at the beach for the first time she thought it was amazing. Being allowed to walk around with her two older sisters (as long as they did not go anywhere near the Muggles) just made her all the more excited.
Narcissa did not want to break this rule; she had heard what Muggles do to wizards and was dreadfully afraid of them- only yesterday her Father had been telling her about the Muggles that ate witches for supper! Her sisters, however, were not the same. Bella was to start at Hogwarts in September and would show off at any given opportunity. Andra was horribly jealous and would do whatever she could to show that she was just as good as Bella, despite being a year younger.
This meant that on one slightly wet afternoon the two older girls were challenging each other to move closer and closer to a small group of Muggles who were sitting on the small, smooth rocks of the beach. They were dressed very oddly, in clothes that were definitely improper and there wasn’t a robe in sight. Narcissa was doing everything she could not to show her fear, but she was close to tears with worry for what could happen.
When she heard Bella daring Andra to run up and touch one of the Muggles, Narcissa decided that she should say something. But when she tried to explain how dangerous it was Andra seemed to screw up her courage and decided that she would go through with it.
“Why did you do that?” she wailed at Bella. Her tears had truly begun to fall now as she watched Andra approach the Muggles.
“You’re such a big cry-baby, Cissy,” Bella said, although she looked worried. “Besides, I didn’t think she would actually do it.”
As she finished speaking, Andra had finally reached the Muggles. They were speaking to her! She seemed taken aback, but quickly poked one and then started running back. When she reached the other two she ran past them and continued on down the rocks, leaving them to run after her. Narcissa was sure there had been a steep climb down here, and water, but eventually they found Andra sitting in a small tunnel crying.
For a moment Bella looked like she might gloat, but instead went over and hugged her sister. “Were they horrible? What did they try to do to you?” she asked.
Narcissa was standing back, the cave made her feel frightened and strange. She moved forward to hear what Andra had to say, though.
“They asked me for my name and where my parents were.” The girl whispered eventually. “They were smiling.”
“It was a trap then. Or they were too stupid to realise you’re better then them,” Bella insisted, but Andra simply shook her head.
Narcissa begged for them to go back to the small cottage then, as she was still feeling strange in this unknown place. When they looked out of the cave they realised the sea was all around the entrance and Bella looked at Andra strangely.
“You made the sea move,” she said with awe in her voice. “That’s big magic.”
Andra shrugged but looked slightly more cheerful. “Told you I’m as good as you are,” she joked, then climbed out and swam to a boulder, where she waited for her sisters. From the boulder they had an awful climb and Bella and Andra had to help Cissy a lot, but they got to the top. When Cissy looked down she had no idea how they had gotten to the cave in the first place. But she had to run after her sisters so could not think about it.
After seeing their girls arrive back at the cottage soaked to the skin and covered in cuts and bruises, their parents refused to let them out of their sight again. All three girls thought it would be for the best not to mention the Muggles.
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When Narcissa was seven, enough time had passed to make their previous holiday feel like an adventure she wanted to repeat. So, after much pleading, she convinced her parents to take them back to the beach. Andra had just finished her first year at Hogwarts and Bella her second. This left Narcissa feeling very lonely, so her parents gave in and agreed.
Though she had hoped that going away would mean her sisters would talk to her more, it did not work out that way. The two older girls spent hours giggling with each other and did whatever they could to exclude their younger sister.
In the end Narcissa spent most of her time by herself in the cottage until one day her parents forced Bella and Andra to take her out with them. They walked along the beach, Narcissa looking for pretty stones and shells and trying not to be jealous as her sisters giggled together without her. Then, at about midday they spotted a group of Muggles, who looked very similar to those Andra had gone up to the previous time and the girl made a passing comment about them not being so bad.
This lead to the two older girls having a blazing row. Andra stormed off and Bella spent the rest of the day with a delighted Cissy. She supposed she shouldn’t have been so happy about them arguing, but as the other girls were back to giggling together by dinner she decided it did not matter.
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By the time Narcissa was nine her parents had decided that their going to the beach was a tradition. Bellatrix and Andromeda were not quite as close as they had been before, even though they still spent a lot of time secluded away together.
They often agreed to let Narcissa come with them however, partially so they could show off to their parents how responsible they were and partially because now that the novelty of school had worn off slightly they seemed to miss their younger sister.
On one such day, as they were walking along the beach, they spotted the same group of Muggles they had seen before, a family like their own. She was past her complete fear of them now, but still felt nervous.
“Can we go back?” she asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
Andra scowled, “What, are you afraid of the Muggles or something?”
“Maybe she just doesn’t want to breathe polluted air?” Bella shot back. She had been sniping at her sister all day. “Let’s go.”
“Why are you always telling me what to do?” Andra huffed. “I don’t want to go.”
“Well, tough, I’m the oldest. I say we go, it’s stupid and dangerous to be around those creatures.”
“Well, I say there’s no problem. It’s not like we’re going to do magic and give ourselves away. Besides, what could they do?”
“Do you not remember what our parents have taught us? What if they tried to talk to us? They’re disgusting and we shouldn’t go near them, and Cissy thinks so too.”
Narcissa, who was doing her best to make herself invisible, was completely turned around by Bella’s comment.
“Well?” Andra glared down at her.
“I think it’s not safe to be around them and Father would kill us.” She eventually said in a tiny voice. She was blushing horribly and could not look into either of her sisters’ eyes.
Andra gave her a look of disgust. “You always were a goody-goody. I’m going to talk to the Muggles,” she told them, before she flounced away.
Bella looked defiant, but decided that they should wait there. Cissy knew she would never stoop as low as telling their parents what had happened, however angry she was.
Half an hour later Andra came back and said the Muggles had been quite dull anyway and Bella had nodded and accepted it as an apology before they all walked away.
They didn’t mention it or go near the Muggles again during that holiday, but Narcissa thought about that incident many times in the years to follow.
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When Narcissa was eleven, the summer before she was to start at Hogwarts, they went to the cottage again. As Bella and Andra had refused to say more then a few words to each other for weeks, their parents decided that bringing along their cousins and aunt and uncle would be a good idea.
Their aunt was a large, loud woman who Narcissa had always been afraid of, and who was married to a weedy, weak-seeming wizard. Their cousin Sirius was two years younger than Narcissa and very loud. Their other cousin, Regulus, was small, six years old and looked on Bellatrix, who was about to start her final year of school, with awe.
One day, when they were out on the beach, Bella--who loved having someone at her beck and call--started boasting about the day they had ended up at the cave. Andra, who had not been paying much attention before, looked up and seemed about to hit something when Sirius said, “Yeah--right. Andra told me about that before. She was the one who found the cave and touched the Muggles and all that.”
Bella looked as though she had been forced to swallow poison, while Andromeda grinned smugly. “Oh dear, poor Bellatrix has her lies pointed out to her. It’s not that impressive anyway. I quite rudely poked a Muggle and then ran away like the little girl I was.”
“It was scary at the time, but not that clever, really,” Narcissa added in, despite herself.
Sirius looked excited. “Where was that cave anyway?” He asked, looking around.
Bella and Andra shook their heads in their first agreement for a month and decided it was time to head back.
The next day Bella and Andra both declared separately that they were sick of each other and would be staying at the cottage for the day. By the time either realised they were both staying the three younger children were gone.
Narcissa was sick of their bickering by this point, especially as it did not lead either to being closer to her, so was quite happy with this turn of events. Even if it did mean she was stuck for a day with an over-excited Sirius.
“Can we go to the cave?” He asked, for perhaps the fiftieth time.
Narcissa, who clearly remembered the feeling of wrongness--even six years later-- once again refused.
“You’re afraid of everything, Cissy, Andra told me,” he taunted.
“Don’t think that will work,” Narcissa replied, having grown immune to that threat by this point. Her sisters had been using it for years. “Besides, Regulus is way too young.”
“You were five,” the small boy pointed out petulantly. He was very quiet, but Narcissa saw a gleam of hope in his eyes. She gave in.
“Fine, but I warned you,” she insisted, before walking to the cliff face, already cursing herself for giving in.
As they started down the cliff-face, Narcissa wondered what kind of wandless magic Andra must have done to make this so easy before. Both her sisters did very well in school, a cause of endless worry for her as her attendance at Hogwarts loomed closer.
She was wet from the sea spray and had to help both boys more then once before they reached the boulder. It was at this point that she remembered they’d had to swim part of the way. She tried to convince Sirius they should turn back, but he insisted that both he and Regulus could swim perfectly well.
So she dove in and headed for the slit in the rock-face. It was half-filled with water, but she crawled in further then she had gone before and found that there were steps leading down to a large chamber. The odd feeling was even stronger here.
The boys reached the chamber and all three peered around nervously, careful not to touch the walls. After less then a minute Narcissa suggested they leave.
Sirius looked relieved, like he hadn’t wanted suggest it himself, “Yeah, Regulus probably shouldn’t be here,” he said, very obviously using that as an excuse.
He turned and began to climb out. Narcissa was about to follow when she saw that Regulus was still looking around and was very close to one of the walls. She went over and tried to pull him away.
“There’s something here,” he insisted, like that they should be trying to find “it”, rather then running away very fast, which was what Narcissa wanted to do.
“Where are you two?” Sirius shouted. His voice sounded strange, having been bounced through the tunnel. Regulus suddenly looked at Narcissa, as if he hadn’t realised she was there and then ran for the tunnel entrance.
When they got back to the cottage, they snuck in through the back door so they could find Bella. She could fix them up with magic as she was seventeen. When Narcissa opened the door to the room all three girls were sharing she was surprised to see that her sisters were talking like old friends.
When the girls noticed them, they moved away and started glaring at each other again; as if they did not want people to know they could still get along. Bella cast the spells to dry them and fix their clothes without a word and they all went to dinner.
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They never went back to the cottage again after that holiday. By the time they would have next gone there, two years hence, Bellatrix was already married and Andromeda had been blasted off the family tapestry, for eloping with a mudblood.
Narcissa heard a twig crack and a spell dragging her back to the present. Now Bella was the one going after her, begging her to change her mind, rethink her decision. Andra- Andromeda as she must be now- had been lost to them for years. She allowed herself a small sigh of regret, she still wished she could have spent one more summer at the cottage at the beach with her sisters.
Fin
Author:
dora_the_nymphRating: PG
Warnings: None.
Prompt: 14. The smells alone would intoxicate the most rigid of people: night-blooming jasmine, the tang of salt air, and the odd sandy smell after a driving rain. Overhead, creamy, imposing clouds sailed across brilliant blue skies, and the ocean--what colors: cobalt-blue, emerald-green, turquoise-blue, and light-hazel bands of color right next to one another.--Rita Mae Brown (It lead to the inspiration, but only vaguely).
Notes: Huge thanks to
rayvyn2k for the spectactular beta job.Summary: When Narcissa was five her family stayed at the beach for the first time. As she got older and her sisters went to school things changed, but at the beach most things stayed the same.
Disclaimer: These characters and some settings belong to JKR.
Words: 2441
Summers at the Cottage
When Narcissa Black was five, they went to the seaside for the first time. Her mother had insisted that they go, and her father had given in, as he always did. As there was only one beach in England entirely for magical people and it was over-run, they had come to a Muggle one.
It was cold and there were stones instead of sand. Even in the middle of July very few people went there, Muggle nor wizard. This was sure to be why Narcissa’s father had picked it, but as she was five and at the beach for the first time she thought it was amazing. Being allowed to walk around with her two older sisters (as long as they did not go anywhere near the Muggles) just made her all the more excited.
Narcissa did not want to break this rule; she had heard what Muggles do to wizards and was dreadfully afraid of them- only yesterday her Father had been telling her about the Muggles that ate witches for supper! Her sisters, however, were not the same. Bella was to start at Hogwarts in September and would show off at any given opportunity. Andra was horribly jealous and would do whatever she could to show that she was just as good as Bella, despite being a year younger.
This meant that on one slightly wet afternoon the two older girls were challenging each other to move closer and closer to a small group of Muggles who were sitting on the small, smooth rocks of the beach. They were dressed very oddly, in clothes that were definitely improper and there wasn’t a robe in sight. Narcissa was doing everything she could not to show her fear, but she was close to tears with worry for what could happen.
When she heard Bella daring Andra to run up and touch one of the Muggles, Narcissa decided that she should say something. But when she tried to explain how dangerous it was Andra seemed to screw up her courage and decided that she would go through with it.
“Why did you do that?” she wailed at Bella. Her tears had truly begun to fall now as she watched Andra approach the Muggles.
“You’re such a big cry-baby, Cissy,” Bella said, although she looked worried. “Besides, I didn’t think she would actually do it.”
As she finished speaking, Andra had finally reached the Muggles. They were speaking to her! She seemed taken aback, but quickly poked one and then started running back. When she reached the other two she ran past them and continued on down the rocks, leaving them to run after her. Narcissa was sure there had been a steep climb down here, and water, but eventually they found Andra sitting in a small tunnel crying.
For a moment Bella looked like she might gloat, but instead went over and hugged her sister. “Were they horrible? What did they try to do to you?” she asked.
Narcissa was standing back, the cave made her feel frightened and strange. She moved forward to hear what Andra had to say, though.
“They asked me for my name and where my parents were.” The girl whispered eventually. “They were smiling.”
“It was a trap then. Or they were too stupid to realise you’re better then them,” Bella insisted, but Andra simply shook her head.
Narcissa begged for them to go back to the small cottage then, as she was still feeling strange in this unknown place. When they looked out of the cave they realised the sea was all around the entrance and Bella looked at Andra strangely.
“You made the sea move,” she said with awe in her voice. “That’s big magic.”
Andra shrugged but looked slightly more cheerful. “Told you I’m as good as you are,” she joked, then climbed out and swam to a boulder, where she waited for her sisters. From the boulder they had an awful climb and Bella and Andra had to help Cissy a lot, but they got to the top. When Cissy looked down she had no idea how they had gotten to the cave in the first place. But she had to run after her sisters so could not think about it.
After seeing their girls arrive back at the cottage soaked to the skin and covered in cuts and bruises, their parents refused to let them out of their sight again. All three girls thought it would be for the best not to mention the Muggles.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Narcissa was seven, enough time had passed to make their previous holiday feel like an adventure she wanted to repeat. So, after much pleading, she convinced her parents to take them back to the beach. Andra had just finished her first year at Hogwarts and Bella her second. This left Narcissa feeling very lonely, so her parents gave in and agreed.
Though she had hoped that going away would mean her sisters would talk to her more, it did not work out that way. The two older girls spent hours giggling with each other and did whatever they could to exclude their younger sister.
In the end Narcissa spent most of her time by herself in the cottage until one day her parents forced Bella and Andra to take her out with them. They walked along the beach, Narcissa looking for pretty stones and shells and trying not to be jealous as her sisters giggled together without her. Then, at about midday they spotted a group of Muggles, who looked very similar to those Andra had gone up to the previous time and the girl made a passing comment about them not being so bad.
This lead to the two older girls having a blazing row. Andra stormed off and Bella spent the rest of the day with a delighted Cissy. She supposed she shouldn’t have been so happy about them arguing, but as the other girls were back to giggling together by dinner she decided it did not matter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By the time Narcissa was nine her parents had decided that their going to the beach was a tradition. Bellatrix and Andromeda were not quite as close as they had been before, even though they still spent a lot of time secluded away together.
They often agreed to let Narcissa come with them however, partially so they could show off to their parents how responsible they were and partially because now that the novelty of school had worn off slightly they seemed to miss their younger sister.
On one such day, as they were walking along the beach, they spotted the same group of Muggles they had seen before, a family like their own. She was past her complete fear of them now, but still felt nervous.
“Can we go back?” she asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
Andra scowled, “What, are you afraid of the Muggles or something?”
“Maybe she just doesn’t want to breathe polluted air?” Bella shot back. She had been sniping at her sister all day. “Let’s go.”
“Why are you always telling me what to do?” Andra huffed. “I don’t want to go.”
“Well, tough, I’m the oldest. I say we go, it’s stupid and dangerous to be around those creatures.”
“Well, I say there’s no problem. It’s not like we’re going to do magic and give ourselves away. Besides, what could they do?”
“Do you not remember what our parents have taught us? What if they tried to talk to us? They’re disgusting and we shouldn’t go near them, and Cissy thinks so too.”
Narcissa, who was doing her best to make herself invisible, was completely turned around by Bella’s comment.
“Well?” Andra glared down at her.
“I think it’s not safe to be around them and Father would kill us.” She eventually said in a tiny voice. She was blushing horribly and could not look into either of her sisters’ eyes.
Andra gave her a look of disgust. “You always were a goody-goody. I’m going to talk to the Muggles,” she told them, before she flounced away.
Bella looked defiant, but decided that they should wait there. Cissy knew she would never stoop as low as telling their parents what had happened, however angry she was.
Half an hour later Andra came back and said the Muggles had been quite dull anyway and Bella had nodded and accepted it as an apology before they all walked away.
They didn’t mention it or go near the Muggles again during that holiday, but Narcissa thought about that incident many times in the years to follow.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Narcissa was eleven, the summer before she was to start at Hogwarts, they went to the cottage again. As Bella and Andra had refused to say more then a few words to each other for weeks, their parents decided that bringing along their cousins and aunt and uncle would be a good idea.
Their aunt was a large, loud woman who Narcissa had always been afraid of, and who was married to a weedy, weak-seeming wizard. Their cousin Sirius was two years younger than Narcissa and very loud. Their other cousin, Regulus, was small, six years old and looked on Bellatrix, who was about to start her final year of school, with awe.
One day, when they were out on the beach, Bella--who loved having someone at her beck and call--started boasting about the day they had ended up at the cave. Andra, who had not been paying much attention before, looked up and seemed about to hit something when Sirius said, “Yeah--right. Andra told me about that before. She was the one who found the cave and touched the Muggles and all that.”
Bella looked as though she had been forced to swallow poison, while Andromeda grinned smugly. “Oh dear, poor Bellatrix has her lies pointed out to her. It’s not that impressive anyway. I quite rudely poked a Muggle and then ran away like the little girl I was.”
“It was scary at the time, but not that clever, really,” Narcissa added in, despite herself.
Sirius looked excited. “Where was that cave anyway?” He asked, looking around.
Bella and Andra shook their heads in their first agreement for a month and decided it was time to head back.
The next day Bella and Andra both declared separately that they were sick of each other and would be staying at the cottage for the day. By the time either realised they were both staying the three younger children were gone.
Narcissa was sick of their bickering by this point, especially as it did not lead either to being closer to her, so was quite happy with this turn of events. Even if it did mean she was stuck for a day with an over-excited Sirius.
“Can we go to the cave?” He asked, for perhaps the fiftieth time.
Narcissa, who clearly remembered the feeling of wrongness--even six years later-- once again refused.
“You’re afraid of everything, Cissy, Andra told me,” he taunted.
“Don’t think that will work,” Narcissa replied, having grown immune to that threat by this point. Her sisters had been using it for years. “Besides, Regulus is way too young.”
“You were five,” the small boy pointed out petulantly. He was very quiet, but Narcissa saw a gleam of hope in his eyes. She gave in.
“Fine, but I warned you,” she insisted, before walking to the cliff face, already cursing herself for giving in.
As they started down the cliff-face, Narcissa wondered what kind of wandless magic Andra must have done to make this so easy before. Both her sisters did very well in school, a cause of endless worry for her as her attendance at Hogwarts loomed closer.
She was wet from the sea spray and had to help both boys more then once before they reached the boulder. It was at this point that she remembered they’d had to swim part of the way. She tried to convince Sirius they should turn back, but he insisted that both he and Regulus could swim perfectly well.
So she dove in and headed for the slit in the rock-face. It was half-filled with water, but she crawled in further then she had gone before and found that there were steps leading down to a large chamber. The odd feeling was even stronger here.
The boys reached the chamber and all three peered around nervously, careful not to touch the walls. After less then a minute Narcissa suggested they leave.
Sirius looked relieved, like he hadn’t wanted suggest it himself, “Yeah, Regulus probably shouldn’t be here,” he said, very obviously using that as an excuse.
He turned and began to climb out. Narcissa was about to follow when she saw that Regulus was still looking around and was very close to one of the walls. She went over and tried to pull him away.
“There’s something here,” he insisted, like that they should be trying to find “it”, rather then running away very fast, which was what Narcissa wanted to do.
“Where are you two?” Sirius shouted. His voice sounded strange, having been bounced through the tunnel. Regulus suddenly looked at Narcissa, as if he hadn’t realised she was there and then ran for the tunnel entrance.
When they got back to the cottage, they snuck in through the back door so they could find Bella. She could fix them up with magic as she was seventeen. When Narcissa opened the door to the room all three girls were sharing she was surprised to see that her sisters were talking like old friends.
When the girls noticed them, they moved away and started glaring at each other again; as if they did not want people to know they could still get along. Bella cast the spells to dry them and fix their clothes without a word and they all went to dinner.
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They never went back to the cottage again after that holiday. By the time they would have next gone there, two years hence, Bellatrix was already married and Andromeda had been blasted off the family tapestry, for eloping with a mudblood.
Narcissa heard a twig crack and a spell dragging her back to the present. Now Bella was the one going after her, begging her to change her mind, rethink her decision. Andra- Andromeda as she must be now- had been lost to them for years. She allowed herself a small sigh of regret, she still wished she could have spent one more summer at the cottage at the beach with her sisters.
Fin
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Date: 2005-08-16 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-16 04:27 pm (UTC)