star girl

Narcissa Black. Twenty Years old. Junior Reporter for the Daily Prophet. Order of the Phoenix

[nrcissa-black-archived]

helenarosier‌:

Nodding, Helena gave her a rueful smile, “I know exactly what you mean. The amount of people that think they can take advantage of me because I’m young is ridiculous. Though, I’ve started getting enjoyment out of proving them wrong if we’re being honest. It’s a good drive, and honestly it’s relatable,” she admitted. Helena grinned, “We’re proving that being young makes us good at our jobs,” she laughed. Giving her a contemplative hum, she nodded, “I think you’re right sometimes. A few of our department heads are really good, but there’s a lot of corruption within the Ministry that I think needs to be sorted out. Getting it done is the difficult part,” she admitted. Helena gave a hum, “We’ll do everything we can short of rigging the election to make sure he wins. If not, I’ll be our fail safe,” she murmured. Nodding, she answered, “I think you’re right unfortunately.” 

“It’s a great habit to get into, and it’s allowed me to set up boundaries which are important,” she murmured. There were some things that were unavoidable, and times that Helena had to break her own boundaries, but she tried her best to respect and adhere to them. It helped that she had Regulus to keep her honest about her own boundaries. Helena gave a nod as she answered, “That’s true honestly, especially when you’re in a public servant position.” People would take and take and take if she let them. Grinning, she said, “Well I’m glad we both agree that we should spend more time together.” Laughing, she nodded, “Yes cheers indeed.” Raising her eyebrow, Helena gave her a surprised though non judgemental look. “You did? How did it go?” she asked, genuinely curious. “I think it’s valid that you don’t trust her, but it’s interesting that she was regretful. I mean, she might be genuine in that she misses you. That can be true and you can still have good reason not to trust her. How are you feeling after meeting with her?”

Narcissa laughed. “They are so going to learn that they can’t underestimate you. You are incredible. I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of that.” She knew that people could be old fashioned, that they assumed that their age meant that they weren’t capable of doing their jobs. It was  good to prove those people wrong. She felt like she was constantly trying to prove that others were wrong. Her sisters, her boss. It got exhausting sometimes, but she knew that it would be so worth it in the end. “It’s all so deep rooted,” She agreed. “It’s like people forget that the Ministry shouldn’t be corrupted, but it has been for so long that it just seems...normal? I feel like now is our chance to show the world what the Ministry should look like. When Kingsley wins it’ll be a different story. Things will be better.” And if Rodolphus won? Well they were all screwed. At the mention of rigging, she nodded her head. “Whatever has to happen to make sure the right person is in place,” she agreed. “But he’ll win without it. I know it.”

“I feel like boundaries are not a thing at the Prophet. News is constant and if you don’t answer your phone the next one gets it, which sucks. But I need to be better at putting it down.” Narcissa had never expected to be a workaholic, but lately it seemed that she was. It was not a good habit to have, she needed to work on it. She nodded her head. “It definitely helps that you’re so nice,” she teased. “More approachable then some of them.” She clinked her glass with her in return and downed part of her drink as she questioned her about Bellatrix. “Um...okay. She practically cornered me in a coffee shop and I didn’t think that I had much of a choice to say no. But we talked. I told her that I was happy. It felt good,” she admitted. She liked that she could prove that she didn’t need them in her life. “Maybe. I just...why now? I’ve been gone since I was thirteen, I don’t understand why she would miss me now? She barely noticed me when I was there. And Andromeda hates me. And they’re close. So I just...don’t know. I’m confused. I feel all turned upside down. She didn’t act the way that I always thought that she would, you know? I’m used to Andromeda.”

[nrcissa-black-archived]

fierylily-evans‌:

Grinning, Lily nodded, “That doesn’t surprise me in the least bit. He’s never been all that keen on following the rules, Merlin none of us really were, but I think Sirius has that older brother gene and despite being the youngest of my family, I think I managed to get an older sister one,” she teased. James had always been more lenient about those things, and while Lily knew, she didn’t ever say anything. Shaking her head, Lily laughed, “Sirius could never stay mad at him long, that’s why,” she grinned. Laughing, Lily teased, “I would hope so. It would be rather rude of me at this point.” It was easier to see Narcissa as a friend these days, though she’d always be like a younger sister to her. “I do,” she murmured. 

“He should be. None of this was meant to happen, and while we knew there would be casualties in war, I just never thought he’d be the first,” she mused, her voice soft. It was hard to talk about James, and yet, it felt wrong not talking about him. Lily didn’t want him to be forgotten, or for him to be a name that everyone was afraid of saying out loud. “We can talk about him you know? I think it helps. He was such a big part of our lives and it feels wrong not bringing him up in conversation,” she admitted. They all loved him, and there was a big gap missing, and that wouldn’t be filled by avoiding his name. A warm smile formed as Narcissa spoke, and Lily gave a quiet hum, “Thank you for telling me that. I know it, but it’s nice to have it reinforced,” she admitted. Her relationship with James was something she never questioned. She never had any doubt with him. “It’s exhausting, though I’ll admit that it’s been kind of fun getting to redecorate and make the place really my own. I’ll be grateful to be done with it though. Nodding, she laughed, “It is indeed. Business is good though, especially when it’s productive,” she admitted.

It was nice to talk about James without crying. She was hoping that there could be more of that. “No, he wasn’t,” she agreed with a small laugh. “Well, Sirius did practically raise me, so I guess I can’t fault him too much for being a big brother,” she said with a laugh. “But it can be so frustrating sometimes,” she said, although she loved Sirius and knew that he wanted what was best for her. “Well, you are an amazing older sister,” she complimented lily with a laugh. “True,” she said. “I think the longest he was ever mad at him was like...less than a day,” she said, shaking her head. She smiled. “That would be rude of you, so i’m glad that we’re not doing that,” she said with a laugh. 

Narcissa looked down and nodded her head. “Me neither,” she said softly. She could never imagine a world without James before it had happened. But then it had and she knew that they needed to move on, and they needed to talk about James even though it was so hard. And if it was hard for her than she knew that it was ten times harder for Lily. And if Lily could do this than she could too. “I know. I want to talk about him. But I don’t want to cry all the time either,” she admitted. “But it feels wrong...not talking about him.” She liked seeing Lily smile again, lately it didn’t happen as much. They had so much happening, sometimes it was hard to smile. But they had to. “You’re welcome. Sometimes I would get so annoyed with him,” she admitted with a small laugh. “But it was endearing, how much he loved you.” She nodded her head. “I felt the same way about decorating my place. I had never had a place that was totally my own. At the manor I wasn’t allowed to decorate the way that I wanted to, it had to fit my mother’s style. And well, I did a little bit more at the Potter’s but I didn’t want to do anything too crazy. So this was the first place that was mine. So i’m glad that you’re getting to redecorate and make it how you want it to be.” She nodded her head. 

[nrcissa-black-archived]

theblackestandromeda‌:

Andromeda looked around, fearful of being overheard by any of Narcissa’s neighbors. This would be a better conversation for indoors, so she pushed herself past her younger sister into the house and then turned back around to face Narcissa, who was still on the doorstep. “It’s Ted. The Order kidnapped him.” Andromeda could feel her heart in her throat as she spoke the words – she was sure that it was true, but that didn’t stop her from feeling ill at the very thought of what he might be undergoing now. 

Andromeda knew that asking Narcissa’s help was a far-fetched option, especially considering the fact that every encounter they had had in the last few years had been so tense and unpleasant. Andromeda was the last person that Narcissa would want to help, but she was desperate. She knew that Narcissa actually seemed to like Ted, and she hoped that the fact that they were sisters would mean something, despite all that they had been through. 

Andromeda had no idea what the Order wanted with Ted. He hadn’t been involved with any of their plans, even though he knew all of them. It must be some way to strike back – Andromeda had been responsible for Lily losing her fiance, so now she was being paid back in kind. 

“They’ve kidnapped Ted and I don’t know what they want, but I can’t let anything happen to him,” she spoke again, her voice thick with emotion. Andromeda’s walls were down in a way they had never been with Narcissa. “I just–he’s not involved in any of this. Everything that’s happened is my fault, not his. I can’t let him suffer for what I’ve done.” 

When Andromeda pushed past her into her flat, she stood there frozen. For a moment she wondered if she was having a nightmare, that was the only thing that could explain Andromeda being here. In her flat. But then she turned and saw Andromeda standing there, a sight that she never thought that she would see. Every time she saw Andromeda it ended badly. Narcissa didn’t particularly want her in her flat, but she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to get her out without hearing her out for whatever this was. 

She slowly shut the door behind her and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an explanation. Andromeda had to have one. But then she said that the Order had kidnapped Ted and her eyes widened. It seemed crazy to think that they had kidnapped Ted, but she knew that the Order had been the ones to attack the fundraiser and she realized that perhaps they had had other than create chaos. But Narcissa trusted Lily, she knew that whatever Lily had done, it had been for a reason.

“I need coffee,” she finally said. She couldn’t handle an emotional Andromeda in her flat without any. “Do you want anything?” She offered, figuring that Andromeda wasn’t going anywhere until she dealt with this. “I...you can sit. Make yourself comfortable.” She may not like her sister but she could see how distraught she was and she wouldn’t do what Andromeda had done to her after James died.

“Ted...I’m sure wherever he is, he’s fine. How do you even know that he was kidnapped?” She asked her sister. “Maybe he just...needed a break. Or something. You know? Like was there a note or something? I would think if he was kidnapped then they would have left a ransom note.” 

[nrcissa-black-archived]

mary-mxcdonxld‌:

Mary nodded, agreeing with Narcissa on that point. She hadn’t seen much of the event before it had denigrated into chaos, but there was a certain air of smugness about it that irked Mary. It was as if the Death Eaters were already sure of their victory, both in the political arena and in the fighting side of the war. But the Order had Kingsley Shacklebolt as their candidate for Minister, and Mary had confidence that the public would see that Kingsley was a much better fit to lead them than Rodolphus Lestrange. 

At Narcissa’s words to let the manor burn, Mary grabbed her hand, squeezing it as she would if it had been her biological little sisters. Narcissa was as good as Mary’s sister, and she would stand by her side while she watched her childhood home go up in flames. Mary knew what a terrible place this had been for Narcissa, what horrible memories haunted her of a childhood filled with neglect and disdain. The very thought of how the Blacks had treated Narcissa and Regulus and Sirius made Mary want to run back in there and set it ablaze herself, but she stayed by Narcissa’s side instead. 

“Come on, let’s get you home and out of here before anyone else follows us out the window.” It was far better for Narcissa to be away from all of this, especially if the other two Black sisters decided to fight back on this assault of their home. Mary wouldn’t put it past Andromeda to bring harm to her youngest sister, and Mary wouldn’t let that happen. 

Narcissa half hoped that if the manor was gone then she could stop holding onto all of those childhood memories that she tried to get rid of. She hated them. Hated what they had done to her as a child. She could remember all of the times that she had been ignored or brushed aside for her sisters, all the times that she had disappointed her father by not acting more like Bellatrix or Andromeda. He had always thought that she was a disappointment, his last chance at a son turned out to be a daughter, and one that didn’t line up with his expectations. 

But Narcissa knew that even if the manor was gone, she would still have the memories there. And perhaps there were some good ones, playing with Sirius and Regulus, the few times that things hadn’t been terrible with her sisters. But she didn’t plan on ever coming back to this place, even if it was spared. When Mary reached out to squeeze her hand, she gave her a small smile. She was reminded of how lucky she was to have Mary. She wouldn’t have been able to get through the past few weeks without her. That was a fact. She knew that she could never thank Mary enough for it all. 

“Okay,” she agreed. She knew that it was best to get out of there, that they shouldn’t stay and watch. She had no idea where Andromeda or Bellatrix were, and she didn’t want to run into them again. Knowing Andromeda, she would come up with some way to blame her for the fire, she was sure. She loved to blame her for everything. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. It might get worse,” she said, glancing back at the house one last time.

[nrcissa-black-archived]

fervorblack‌:

“So are you Cissa.” Regulus said with a fond smile, as he pulled away from their hug. He knew that neither of them truly wanted to be here, at the Black manor of all places. But here they were all the same. He frowned at the mention of Andromeda, shaking his head. “It’s not like they put up a guest list. Seems the only stipulation was supporting Rodolphus’s political campaign, or at least being interested in it.” he said with a small shrug. “But don’t let her get to you. You’re brilliant. It’s their loss.” He gave her a comforting squeeze of the arm “What are you covering?”

“I don’t know Reg, I think that suit is way nicer than this dress,” she told him with a laugh. “Is Helena busy mingling?” She asked, knowing that she had to be around there somewhere. She wondered what was going through Regulus’s head being here. Was it as hard for him as it was for her? “I think that if they had, I would be on the keep out at all costs lists if Andromeda put it together. Which is fine, I don’t care what her royal highness says or thinks about me. I never have.” She loved Regulus for always trying to cheer her up, he was too good for them all, for all of this. “Thanks, Reg,” she said. “All of this,” she gestured to the room. “I’m supposed to report on Rodolphus’s speech, about the public's opinion about him. Want to give me a quote?” She laughed.

[nrcissa-black-archived]

belltricks‌:

It was almost too easy. The way she spoke to Narcissa. Pretending to be so civil when inside she was bursting with anger. Bellatrix had always dealt with her grief in a rather unorthodox way. Letting her hurt and pain out as anger instead of sadness. It was obvious to say that her sister didn’t want to be there. Bella could sense the unease in her. Sense the way her nerves tensed with each passing second that she stood in their home. No–this was her home now. Narcissa had forsaken her childhood when she left with Sirius. At her sister’s words she nodded. Knowing that her boss likely gave her the story because he thought it would be easy for her. After all, she was still a Black.

“I suppose they thought it would be an easy story for you,” she said, reaching for her sister and stroking her arm affectionately, “Please don’t hesitate to let me know what I can do to make things more comfortable for you.” Bellatrix smiled gently at the comment. It wasn’t exactly a secret that their father wasn’t very fond of his youngest daughter. Often showing blatant disappointment in her actions. “Yes, though ‘Meda took after Mother more than either of us. She’s very protective of her as well. Neither you or I were very close with either of our parents the way ‘Meda is with Mother. I guess that is one thing we have in common.”

It always left her a little bit unsettled when Bellatrix showed kindness to her. This Bellatrix that kept presenting herself to her was so different from the one that Sirius had told her about. That she had remembered as a child. It confused her and made her want to know more. Narcissa didn’t think that there was any fixing this, she wasn’t ever going to want to join the Black’s again, she knew that much. But it would be a lie to say that Narcissa hadn’t craved having sister’s that loved her, which was why she loved Lily and Mary so much. They had taken the role that Bellatrix and Andromeda hadn’t. But still, she found herself intrigued, although distant because she didn’t trust any of this.

“Yes,” she said in agreement, offering her the smallest of smiles when she stroked her arm. “My boss thought that it would be good for me.” And it was a big story, the Lestrange fundraiser and she couldn’t turn it down. “Oh, um, okay. Thank you.” She wouldn’t dream of it, but she supposed it was good to know. She didn’t like to think of her father and his obvious dislike of her. She had never been good enough for him, and in the end, she had decided that it didn’t matter, that she was going to live her own life and she didn’t care what he thought. “I’ve noticed,” she replied, frowning slightly. It was strange to hear Bellatrix say that she hadn’t been close to either of their parents, she had always thought that she was close with their father. “I guess it is,” she replied.  “I’ve never thought of it like that.”

[nrcissa-black-archived]

mary-mxcdonxld‌:

Mary pulled her mask off now that they were outside, wanting Narcissa to be able to see her face properly. Maybe it wasn’t the wisest, considering that she was still wearing the robes, but everyone else was exiting from the opposite end of the house, and she would apparate away with Narcissa before anyone could get a good glimpse of her. She just hated to be stuck behind that mask, especially as she gazed at the girl who was a sister to her. 

“It’s the Order,” she explained needlessly – surely Narcissa had already figured that out, once Mary had revealed herself. “Lily called us together last minute. Our orders were to wreak havoc on the house but not to harm anyone, obviously. Just a retaliation for what they did to James.” It was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Not everyone in the Order was supposed to know about the real reason for the mission – only those that were involved in interrogating Ted Tonks or supporting the ones who were doing that interrogation. But Mary couldn’t help feel a little guilty for withholding this information from Narcissa. 

“Do you–do you mind what they’re doing?” It had occurred to her that Narcissa had grown up here. This was her family home just as much as it was Andromeda and Bellatrix’s. Sirius had been eager to destroy it, but Narcissa might feel differently, despite how much heartache her family had caused her. Mary wanted to be sensitive to that. 

She couldn’t believe that the Order was attacking the fundraiser. She supposed that it was a good opportunity but Narcissa just hadn’t expected it. She hadn’t been warned. Did Regulus know? Or Helena? She felt worry in the pit of her stomach. She knew that Lily would never let any of them get hurt, but things could get out of hand so quickly. And with Bellatrix and the rest of them there, she was suddenly worried for her family. She didn’t think that Bellatrix or Andromeda would take this sitting down.

Turning to Mary, she nodded her head. “I figured,” she said softly. At her explanation, she nodded. “Makes sense.” She bit down on her lip. Lily always thought of everything, and she wanted to be a part of the Order because they were the right side. They weren’t there to hurt people. The Order never wanted to hurt people. “They deserve it. It was all a little bit too perfect in there.” They had all been so smug with themselves, and perhaps Severus was right that Narcissa did hold a bias against Rodolphus. But it wasn’t her fault, she had grown up with these people, she knew them. And that was why she rejected everything that was associated with her biological family.

Mary’s question surprised her, and she looked back at the Manor. She could smell the smoke, and she thought of her father’s portrait in the entryway. It had felt like he was still there, his dominating presence, his look of dislike whenever he looked at her. It had been her home once, but it was filled with so many bad memories. So many memories that she worked to forget. And her run in with Andromeda tonight was just another one to add to the list. “No. Let it burn,” she said softly, surprised at herself. 

[nrcissa-black-archived]

theblackestandromeda‌:

Andromeda hadn’t slept a wink that night. There was no point in trying, not with her house nearly burned to the ground and her fiance taken hostage. She knew that it was the Order, and Josie and Severus had confirmed it with their own suspicions, as had Sirius with his lack of surprise that Ted was missing when he had rescued her from the fire in her fiance’s room. She couldn’t sleep, knowing that Ted wasn’t sleeping either, held hostage somewhere in retaliation for what she had done. 

Andromeda would never be able to live with herself if Ted was hurt because of what she had done. She had never meant to drag him into all of this – this was her duty, her life, her heritage, not his. She had meant to keep him safe, and yet here they were, him missing and her frantic to find him. 

She didn’t know where any of the Order members lived except for Narcissa. Her younger sister maybe wasn’t her first choice in someone to seek out, especially not after the encounter they had had the night before, but Andromeda was out of options. She had to find and rescue Ted before anything happened to him. All of this was her fault, not his. 

So here she was, before the sun even rose, pounding on the door of Narcissa’s flat. When the door was pulled open, her gaze landed on her younger sister, whose eyes were wide in surprise and panic at the fact that it was her standing on the doorstep. “I’m not here to hurt you,” she said, her voice earnest and her hands up to show that she wasn’t holding her wand. “I just need your help.” 

Narcissa was in shock seeing Andromeda standing there. Honestly Bellatrix showing up at her flat would be less surprising to her. Especially after last night. She was still emotionally exhausted from her confrontation with Andromeda, and it usually took her at least a week to get past her run ins with Andromeda, as few and far between as they were. And she liked to keep it that way. There was only so much, if any really, that she could stomach of Andromeda and she thought that Andromeda probably thought the same thing. 

She wracked her brain to try and figure out what it was that she wanted. Did she somehow blame her for what had happened at Black Manor? That made no sense, Narcissa realized after a moment. 

She let out a laugh when Andromeda said that she wasn’t there to hurt her. “Oh, i’m so glad that that’s not why you’re here,” she said sarcastically. But it startled Narcissa to realize that that had even been an option. She knew that her sisters were dangerous but she had never thought that they would come to hurt her. 

“My help?” She repeated blankly, looking at Andromeda. She did look...different. It was clear that she hadn’t slept at all the previous night for whatever reason and Andromeda didn’t have her usual haughty expression on her face. “Why do you need my help? What do you need my help with?” She didn’t know what Andromeda could possibly need her help with. Andromeda had made it abundantly clear that she didn’t need Narcissa for anything, didn’t even want to be in the same room as her.

[nrcissa-black-archived]

fierylily-evans‌:

Shaking her head, Lily laughed, “I wouldn’t let you have any because you were just a kid then. Besides, I didn’t want to deal with Sirius if he found out I was letting you drink,” she teased, giving her a grin. Not long ago, Lily had seen Narcissa as a kid she needed to protect. While she still felt the overwhelming urge to keep Narcissa safe, she knew full and well that she was no longer a child, and that it was time to give her the space and respect of the adult that she was. Lily could be protective without smothering her. “You’re an adult now, so I really think it’s okay that we share a bottle of wine,” she grinned, giving her a teasing nudge. Lily gave a small hum as she mused, “You certainly aren’t that small, shy kid I first met.” 

Smiling, she nodded, “We’ll make a full night of it,” she promised. Lily missed when they had time for a proper girls night. Taking a night to drink wine, binge a tv show, and pamper herself and her friends was something she was deeply in need of. Eventually, she’d have to invite Cissa and Mary over so that they could do just that. Nodding, she smiled, “I think so too. Honestly, I don’t think I could go back there - it would feel - wrong,” she admitted. It had been their house, their home, their space, and now all she could was a massive hole whenever she was near it. “Thank you, I think he would too. Knowing James, he probably had a hand in making sure I got the perfect place, even from the other side, “she murmured. She would meet him again one day, but she still had things to do before then. “I appreciate that a lot, and I will potentially take you up on it one of these days. Unpacking is a pain,” she smiled, before giving a hum of agreement, “Busy is good. I think it helps all of us.” A laugh escaped her as she shrugged, putting her hands up in defense, “I wouldn’t lie to you, bee. You’re truly the best” she confirmed. 

Taking a sip of her own wine, Lily listened to the other girl closely. She wasn’t surprised at all by her last statement, and instead gave her a soft smile, “I wondered when we’d be having this discussion. We would be lucky to have you, Cissa. We have to go over some ground rules, and the expectations, but yes, I think you would make a great addition to the Order,” she agreed. Cissa wasn’t a child any longer, and this was her war too - Lily wouldn’t keep her from it. 

Narcissa used to be so offended when they brought up that she was younger than all of them. But now, she realized that it had been true, they had been responsible. “You know, James once slipped me a little something at a party, Sirius never knew,” she said with a fond smile as she thought of him. “Said he didn’t want me to feel left out.” It was so strange that those memories just hit sometimes, and it always made her feel strange. She didn’t know whether to smile or cry. “I guess he thought risking Sirius’s wrath was worth it,” she said, shaking her head slightly. She laughed. “True. I think I’d be really offended if you didn’t want to share a bottle of wine with me now.” She nodded her head. “That feels like so long ago, you know?” She said, biting down on her lip. 

“Good.” She liked the thought of that. It had been far too long since they had had a real girls night. It had been before James died for sure. She couldn’t even really remember the last one, sometimes it felt like things were broken down to before James died and after. Narcissa wasn’t entirely sure if that was normal, and she didn’t want to ask. Especially not Lily. She was following her lead, she wasn’t sure what was okay to talk about and what wasn’t. “Yeah,” she agreed quietly. “It’s like he should still be there.” It was hard to think of some days, how much had changed in the past few weeks since James died. She nodded her head. “I’m sure he did. He always wanted to make you happy. Above it all, he wanted you to be happy. When we used to meet for coffee I swear all he would want to talk about was you for a solid twenty minutes.” Narcissa had been so sure that  “It so is a pain. I remember being so happy when I was finished unpacking here. And I didn’t even have that much stuff.” She hadn’t had that much stuff when she moved in here, she had never had that much space, certainly not enough to fill up an entire flat. “Yeah,” she agreed softly. “I like being busy.” Narcissa laughed. “That’s what they all say,” she teased. 

It had been so nerve wracking to say those words out loud. She had been holding onto them for a while now, and finally admitting what she wanted made her stomach flip uncomfortably. Even though it was just Lily, it was...intimidating to say what she wanted out loud. Her eyes widened slightly when Lily said yes. She had been expecting more of a fight. “Really?” She asked her. “You mean that?” Narcissa couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Okay. Anything,” she told her. 

[nrcissa-black-archived]

goodoldfashioned-tonks‌:

When Narcissa laughed, Ted gave her a slightly perplexed glance, his head slightly cocked. Then, as she continued, her gave his head a slight nod, understanding. “I…alright. Yeah, that makes sense. I’m sorry…” he told her and he really was, for not being able to fix her job and make it easier, but also for whatever had transpired between her and Andromeda. “I’m glad that you did come over…it’s nice to see you when it’s not quite so…mournful, I guess.” 

Ted wasn’t what she had expected. She had assumed that any guy that was with Andromeda must be like her. But Ted wasn’t like that. She could just tell. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything,” she told him, offering him a small smile. “I’m sorry for being a bitch to you at the funeral,” she said. She paused. “I was wrong about you. I thought that you were...” she trailed off. She was unsure of what she thought that he would be like. “Well, more like Andromeda. And I was wrong.” She still didn’t understand what Ted was doing with someone like Andromeda, it was a bit confusing, really. 

[nrcissa-black-archived]

helenarosier‌:

Nodding, Helena gave a hum, “With you as a writer, I have no doubt that will happen. The people have no reason not to trust you, Cissa. You report honest facts and with very little biases. You are a real reporter. Young sure, but I think I’m the last person that’s going to tell you that age makes a difference,” she teased. Helena knew she was the youngest undersecretary yet, and no one had really expected her to win, despite the fact that she did with a landslide. Shaking her head, Helena put her hand on her heart in pure emotion, “Thank you. I try my absolute best to live up to the promises I made,” she admitted. Helena stood behind her campaign, and tried to accomplish even more. Helena grinned, “It’s comforting to know I’d have your vote. Kingsley will be phenomenal, I have no doubt. He’s exactly the kind of person we need in office.” Helena wanted to see Rodolphus succeed, truly, just not now, and not like this. “That’s so frustrating. Honestly, it’s like people don’t realize we’re in the middle of a war,” she mused. 

“Of course, bee,” she murmured, giving her a small smile. Shrugging, Helena gave her a bright smile, “I leave work at the office, and make sure to leave on time so that I still have time for myself. Spending it with people I love tends to make staying sane easier too,” she teased, though she meant it. Helena had gotten better about leaving her work at a reasonable time and making time for herself and Regulus, as well as everyone else. Shaking her head, Helena gave a hum, “You always make my day brighter. I think I’d rather just forget about it. We’re having a great evening and I just want to focus on us,” she admitted, giving her a grin. Helena liked being able to drop the stress of her day and focus on the better parts of life when she could. “So tell me, anything interesting going on in your life lately?”

Narcissa appreciated the compliment. She worked hard to prove them all wrong, that just because she was young didn’t mean that she was less of a reporter than the ones who had been working for years. “Thanks. I feel like being young makes me work even harder, you know? I know so many people are skeptical of me, but I want to prove all of them wrong. I guess you could say that it drives me to be better,” she said with a smile. “Oh, yeah. We’re proving that being young doesn’t mean anything,” she said. “Sometimes I think that you are the only truthful one in the Ministry.” She would trust Helena over any of them. Perhaps it was from her years of knowing her, or just her honesty, but she knew that they were in good hands. They would be in good hands if Kingsley won as well, but she was worried. “I know. We just need to make sure that he wins and not Rodolphus.” She sighed and nodded. “I know. There’s people out there that don’t realize it I think. And some people on both sides that want to create distractions, I think,” she admitted.

“I think I need to take a page out of your book and start doing that for myself more.” She honestly tended to stay at work late, go in early. But she supposed that it was also the culture that she worked in. Her boss was on call twenty four seven, even in the middle of the night, she could count on her boss to answer his phone if breaking news was out. “I think that working in the Ministry means you have to take time for yourself,” she said. Narcissa smiled. “Good. I hope that I can make your day brighter because you make my day brighter,” she said. She looked over at her and nodded her head. “Cheers to that,” she laughed, clinking her drink against Helena with a smile. She bit her lip. “I had coffee with Bellatrix,” she admitted, biting her lip. She hadn’t told anybody about that night. She didn’t know what to think of any of it, truthfully. “It was weird. She seemed...” she paused, unsure of how to even explain it. “Regretful? I don’t know. It was weird. I don’t trust her. I don’t know what her ulterior motive was.”

[nrcissa-black-archived]

helenarosier‌:

A contemplative hum came to her lips as she added, “Thank you, luv. It would certainly be interesting,” she smiled warmly, before laughing softly and adding, “I think I’m already making history as the youngest undersecretary and acting minister. Becoming the youngest minister? People might start to think I’m an overachiever,” she teased. Shrugging, she nodded, “I don’t mind giving up the power, but I think it’s just an odd feeling. Knowing that I can do it is a comforting feat, and it’ll definitely be easier to give it up Kingsley when the time comes. Giving it up to Rodolphus would definitely hurt a bit,” she admitted. Helena gave a thoughtful hum as she nodded, “I wish that wasn’t the case, but it truly is. Both your sisters are ruthless, and it’s a shame they couldn’t take a leaf out of your book. You’re undoubtably the strongest of the Black Sisters,” she mused. 

A real smile formed as she answered, “I’m glad to hear it,” she murmured. Cissa having faith in her was comforting to say the least, and she nodded, “Exactly. We haven’t come this far just to come this far.” Grinning, she sheepishly answered, “Rogue One. It’s a Star Wars film, one of the side ones. Arguably, it’s the best one, but that’s just my opinion. We should watch it some time.” Helena hadn’t always been well versed in muggle technology and culture, but she’d gotten into it more as she’d gotten older, and the more time she’d spent in Hufflepuff. Nodding, she murmured softly, “Me too. I’ll never not be grateful for them,” she admitted. Laughing softly she sighed, “No, there’s not really anyone quite like you guys.” It was a bitter truth, and something that she wished Narcissa didn’t have to endure. “I hope so. I would love nothing more than that,” she confessed, giving her a small smile, “thank you, for saying that.” Not everyone believed their was hope for any of them, and Helena was grateful to hear someone else say it. Helena gave a soft sigh, “I know he does. I just hope he loves the real me, if he ever figures out my position. I love him, flaws and all”.

Narcissa smiled. “True,” she agreed. She was proud of everything that Helena had accomplished, but it wasn’t a surprise. She had always believed in Helena. “Oh no, you wouldn’t want that,” she teased. “What would you do if they thought that you were an overachiever?” She smiled. “You know that we’re all so proud of you, right?” She asked with a smile. “Because we are.” She looked at her thoughtfully and nodded her head. “I mean you get used to it. I couldn’t imagine having the power that you have. And you haven’t let it get to your head the way that it would with some. I’m hopeful that Kingsley will be the victor and Rodolphus can just...go back to wherever he came from,” she admitted. She didn’t think that the world would be in a good place if Rodolphus won. She didn’t want to think about the ramifications that it would create for all of them. At Helena’s compliment, she shrugged her shoulders. “They...took after my parents. I don’t know where I came from. Things would be different if they could be more like me.”

Even though she hadn’t been raised in muggle technology and culture, the Black family wouldn’t allow it, after she had run away she had thrown herself into it all as a way to get back at her family. But she had never watched Star Wars, although she wasn’t entirely sure why. “I’ve never seen that,” she admitted with a sheepish smile. “Any of them. I’m not even sure why. But we should. It would be fun,” she agreed. “I’m always looking for more movies to watch.” She knew how important it was to have people on your team, she always felt so incredibly grateful for Sirius. He saved her from her family. She offered her a sad smile and a shrug. “It is what it is, you know? I don’t need them.” Sometimes she wished things were different, but she also knew that if they were than she wouldn’t be who she was today. It was hard to rationalize. Even now, she had to believe that they had hope. That they would continue fighting because that was what James would have wanted. “How could he not? If he ever figures it out than he should see how strong you are.”

[nrcissa-black-archived]

checkmate-darling‌:

“You wouldn’t recognize it easily, though, would you? Most people don’t realize they’re biased at all,” he said with a chuckle. “Though you’re right, some Purebloods hold those standards, like Lucius Malfoy who thinks my simply being here is a disgrace, but I’m grateful to have Rodolphus and Bellatrix at my side,” he said under his breath, grabbing a champagne and taking a sip. “I know Rodolphus often is spoken of as if he wouldn’t be, but he will be. I hope tonight you see that.”

“Perhaps,” she replied. “But I pride myself on being unbiased when it comes to my job.” At the mention of Lucius Malfoy, she scrunched her nose up in distaste. Her father had wanted her to marry him. It was one of the final straws. “Well, I hope that we can start to move towards a society where we don’t care about blood status and people like Lucius Malfoy realize that they’re not special,” she replied. At the mention of Bellatrix, she bit down on her lip. “She’s quite fond of you,” she admitted. It was surprising since she knew that her sister was a purist at heart. “I hope that you’re right. I would love nothing more than being proven wrong.”

[nrcissa-black-archived]

Stellarum Lapsus Task #3

Template by @cityandking

[nrcissa-black-archived]

Narcissa had been on the phone with her boss the moment that she had walked in her flat. The report that she was writing was not what she had expected it to be. Instead of a boring recap of the Lestrange campaign fundraiser, it had turned into writing about the chaos that had ensued. Narcissa had stayed up until three before she could submit the report and then tumbled into bed, thoroughly exhausted from her encounter with Andromeda and Bellatrix. She was just...emotionally spent. She hadn’t realized that returning to her old home would make her feel the way it had.

The very persistent knocking at her front door woke her up from a sound sleep before her alarm. Narcissa turned over in bed and managed to grab her phone, frowning at the time. She groaned and willed the person away, but it didn’t seem to have any affect. “Go away,” she muttered. But the knocking didn’t stop and she rolled her eyes. Narcissa swore if it was the lady down the hall, she was going to lose it. She sat up in bed, not caring that she was just in a t-shirt and some shorts, her hair in a messy braid, as she walked from her bedroom to her front door and pushed it open. 

Andromeda. Andromeda was standing in her hallway, at her door. Looking like she hadn’t had much sleep last night, she looked at her sister in confusion. After last night, Andromeda was the last person that she expected to find on her doorstep. Was she here to blame her for the attack? To try and get another barb in? 

“What are you doing here? Are you lost?” She questioned, holding onto the doorknob. She didn’t trust Andromeda. “How-how do you know where I live?”

@theblackestandromeda​

[nrcissa-black-archived]

helenarosier‌:

Laughing, Helena shook her head, “It is, isn’t it. I never would have thought I wanted this job, and yet, the idea of giving it up soon is a little disappointing. I”ve grown rather fond of it, though I suppose being undersecretary isn’t all that different honestly. It’s the same type of job, just requires a bit more tact,” she teased. Helena would still be involved in the major decisions, and she would still be delegated major tasks, which was comforting. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t still be involved. Helena nudged her, “Anytime,” she smiled, softly. She couldn’t help but laugh as she responded, “Sometimes I think we’re going to have a good time, and then she says something and I’m reminded of how terrible she can be.” 

Helena gave her a soft smile as she answered, “I think I am. I have to believe that I am,” she murmured, before quietly adding, “Rebellions are built on hope”. A quote from one of her favorite movies, and one she always carried with her. “It is,” she agreed, knowing there was nothing else she could say to that. It was hard and it would continue to be. “Always sweets,” she promised, and she meant it. Giving her a shrug she continued, “I couldn’t imagine it either. I was grateful to have Reg and Rab. We didn’t always talk about it either, not fully, but I knew I always had them,” she admitted. Helena gave a hum, “It’s hard. I know the best parts of my brother. We’ve never been like you and your sisters. My parents made us both feel inadequate and yet, we’ve always been able to build each other up. Knowing that we’re on opposite sides of this war is - sometimes it doesn’t add up, and yet, it’s the path he was always expected to take. I guess I just thought he might choose a different one. Then again, if he had, I wouldn’t have had him for all these years,” she shrugged. It was hard to reconcile those two facts. 

“You would be an amazing Minister,” she offered. “You would make the history books again. Youngest Minister,” she teased. “I can imagine that it would suck to give the power to someone else. Especially if it’s Rodolphus. It might be easier to give it to Kingsley,” she said. “Well, you have nothing but tact. You are brilliant at your job,” she encouraged her. But Narcissa knew that the transfer of power would be different, she figured it would be like if Narcissa had done all of the hard work on a story and had to hand it over to someone else and not get the credit. That would suck. She smiled at her and nodded her head. “I can imagine. Most things that come out of her mouth are pretty awful,” she said, shaking her head. 

She nodded her head. “I believe that you are,” she said softly. But a part of her worried. “They are. We haven’t worked this hard to give up now,” she said softly. She smiled. “Where is that from, anyways?” She asked curiously, looking at Helena. She nodded. It was just shitty all around. She wished that they could go back to when they were younger and change the path of everybody. She wished that her sisters could see reason. But she also knew that that was highly unlikely, near impossible. “I’m glad that you have them,” she said, offering her a smile. “It helps. Knowing that you have people on your side.” She listened to her quietly, and nodded her head. “Nobody is like me and my sisters,” she teased gently. “Perhaps Evan will realize that he made the wrong choice one day and come back to us,” she offered. “I think that there’s hope for Evan.” At least she wanted to believe that perhaps Evan could be saved. For Helena’s sake. She didn’t wish what she was going through with Andromeda and Bellatrix on anybody, but especially not on Helena. She didn’t deserve it. She never deserved it. “He loves you,” she said. She knew that for a fact. 

[nrcissa-black-archived]

helenarosier‌:

“You will be. Honestly, you’re one of the best. You keep your stories factual and relatively unbiased, and more importantly, you’re great with people. You know how to get people to open up because you make them feel like their stories are being heard and told, not just tossed out there,” she responded, giving her a warm smile. Grinning, she shook her head, “I’ve mostly been writing up new bills. A lot of them are being written by me but being pushed through by other people. I have to keep up the front of neutrality at the very least, but I want to get as many policies in place as I can now, in case we don’t win the position,” she admitted. Shaking her head, Helena gave a hum, “I can imagine. That’s so frustrating, and honestly what a waste of time. What’s the point?” 

Smiling brightly, she nodded, “Well the offer is truly on the table. If it would help you in anyway I’m game,” she promised. Helena would love nothing more than to help Narcissa get a leg up in her career if she could. She never expected to be in a position where she could help her in this way, and she was willing to take advantage of that if it helped Narcissa reach her goals. Waving her hand, Helena laughed, “I dunno about that. Our jobs all require a lot of effort and energy,” she offered, truly meaning it. Her job was important, and time consuming, she knew that, but sometimes it was just glorified meetings and Helena had to fight her absolute best not to drown out during them. “It was refreshing and everything I needed to hear after the day I’ve had. Honestly, you always know what to say to make me feel better,” she grinned, before giving a laugh, “It will be. Honestly, it’s going to be such a good moment.” 

Narcissa smiled at Helena’s praise. “Thank you,” she said. “I try to do my best. I just want the Daily Prophet to be a newspaper that people can trust, you know? There are so many out there that are just looking to start trouble. The Prophet shouldn’t be like that. I know that i’m young, but I want to be a real reporter.” And it certainly helped that she knew what it was like to be ignored, to not be listened to. She would never do that to the people that she interviewed. She thought that all stories should be told. She listened to Helena speak and she had to smile. “I’m so proud of you,” she said. “You are exactly what we need. I wish we could vote you in for Minister. Although Kingsley will be great. We need to crush Rodolphus,” she said with a laugh. Well, the people that were behind him, at least. “It’s such a waste of time, it’s so frustrating. People are just... stupid. I guess. They think we have nothing better to do.”

“I know you would be,” she said. “Thank you,” she said .Helena was so giving, she knew that her boss would be impressed with an interview, but she wasn’t sure if she needed it yet. Perhaps eventually she would come and collect the offer. She nodded her head with a laugh. “Oh, I know. Your job seems so exhausting, I don’t know how you do it without going crazy,” she admitted. Sometimes Narcissa thought that she was losing it with all of the energy she put into her job. But that was what made nights like this so much better. They didn’t happen as often as they should but when they did, they thoroughly enjoyed them. She laughed and smiled at Helena. “Well, i’m glad that I was able to make your day better. Do you want to talk about it?” She offered, figuring that they could talk about it or they could drink. It would make the problem better either way, she hoped. She nodded her head. “It will be. The best moment.”