So close, yet so distant (Cissy, Reggie)

[Andromeda Circe Black]

Why was I one of the chosen ones? Until the fight I could not see
The magic and the strength of my power
It was beyond my wildest dreams

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Dark wings they are descending See shadows gathering around
One by one they are falling
Every time they try to strike us down [/size][/center]

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Andromeda had not been seen in the Commons quite so often as she once had been. There were reasons for that, chief among them the fact that she was not as well treated in there as she might be. Oh she had her friends in there, Severus, Regulus and Alexander chief among them, they were Death Eaters as well which should have earned Andromeda some respite, the problem there was the fact that she wasn’t, despite the efforts of others. Still, there were some nights that she could be found by the fire reading, and this, given that she had just gotten over a bout of flu and did not need cold weather, was one of them.

Though Andromeda read, her mind was not fully on the book, that was something she needed to fix as soon as she could in all reality, she was just keeping ahead of her double workload. She would fall back a little given she was in the Commons, she had to hide that she was doing that much work. Even then Narcissa had seen notes that were not among any of those the other sixth years were learning and a look at Bellatrix’s would have shown some similarity. It was Narcissa that held Andromeda’s thoughts at the moment. She worried about her, there was a light there, as a seer, as much as she kept that secret, Andromeda could physically see it, Narcissa would put family and loved ones first before any cause. That would perhaps be significant, though Andromeda could not place her finger on why. The problem was that Bellatrix was trying to snuff that light, that along with the fact that the world Narcissa was walking into was not one in which that quality would flourish…Andromeda loved her younger sister dearly and she was scared that not only would she lose her, as soon as Andromeda struck out on her own that would have to be for Narcissa’s safety as much as it hurt, but that her younger sister would be warped. She had asked Severus to look after her and he had said that he would. It helped that he loved her as he would a sister, if not for Lily and Lucius it might have been more not that Andromeda wished any change there. She also knew their mothers had been close, two photo albums showed as much, before Eileen had married a muggle. She still had time to do what she could herself, she was not a ‘blood traitor’, or suspected to be, yet, any time she had with her younger sister was time she would cherish.

The ticking clock was almost soothing as Andromeda distractedly looked up from her page once again. Students were still coming and going and she shared a nod with Regulus. He was another who was not quite suited for where life after school would throw him, his soul was too gentle to be that of a Death Eater’s. Still, there was more to that, Regulus had come, and was still coming, to realise that in his own time. There was a gaggle of girls that had just come down from the dorms, Andromeda suspected that she had some work to do with her bed due to their efforts, quite possibly through Bellatrix’s encouragement. She gave a soft sigh at that thought, all she really wanted was sleep. Andromeda put down her book and tucked her knees up to her chest, things would be better soon, she knew, or rather she would have different problems rather than these ones that were grinding her down. She felt rather than saw her younger sister enter the room. A smile touched her lips for a brief moment as she lolled her head back to look behind the chair, her view of Narcissa and Regulus somewhat upside down, “Hai Cissy.” She looked at her sister warmly before meeting eyes with Regulus once again, “Regulus. Your studies fare well?”

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WORDS: Six hundred and sixty one
TAG: Narcissa, Regulus
LYRICS: Within Temptation
GRAPHIC: Aisy
TEMPLATE: Aisy
MUSIC:Nope
NOTES: Nope

[Narcissa Elladora Black]

we are broken - -

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W H A T M U S T W E D O T O R E S T O R E
- - our innocence[/font][/center][/i]

Narcissa sighed as she made her way towards the dungeons. The library was about to close for the night, and instead of being shooed out by the librarian, Narcissa decided to leave forty minutes before the doors were locked. She preferred doing her homework in the library, where she could seclude herself from others and actually get her things done. Not that Narcissa needed the extra studying; her markings would make any parent proud. But being that this was her O.W.L.s year, her father had put extra emphasis on the fact that if she didn't get the highest markings in all subjects, she would certainly be punished. Her father held education on a high pedestal, even if he knew his daughters would certainly never be working. What a sight that would be -- a Black doing manual labor!

She kept her Potions book clenched tightly against her chest, as though someone was about to rip it away from her. Narcissa was awful in Potions, hence why she had taken up studying so much. It was the one subject that she didn't receive the top marking, only the second highest grade. For the youngest daughter of Cyngus Black, that was absolutely unacceptable. Potions was always on her mind and the fear of disappointing her father would keep her up at night. Her sisters received high markings as well, which meant it was expected of Narcissa to do the same. So far, she had done well. Though it was obvious during her third year that Potions was a weak subject, and her father wasn't too thrilled. You see, having such a status that the Blacks did -- old money, pure blood, and a good name -- meant that they were at the top of the social ladder. A single thing that would happen, no matter how large or small, would have a ripple affect throughout the pureblood society; everyone would talk about it. Druella Black did not like bad gossip and/or attention, and having a daughter not up to par with the others would certainly create talk amongst the women of society.

Her shoes barely made a sound against the tile floors as she descended each floor. In fact, no one would even know she was walking down the corridor unless they saw her. What she hadn't expected, as she rounded the corner on the ground floor, about to descend the stairs to the dungeons, was that someone was also rounding the corner as well. Narcissa collided with the much larger boy, forcing her to stumble backwards and eventually fall on her bottom. The boy simply mumbled sorry and hurried off, leaving Narcissa there to pick herself up and brush off her skirt. She clenched her jaw, something she often did when she was upset, and simply went on her way.

“Hi Cissy.”

With the added stress of Potions, and the fact that she was knocked down did not put Narcissa in a good mood. She was quiet and would not make a sense, no, that was what Bella was for. But as she entered the common room, Narcissa was annoyed when she heard her name be called. She hated that nickname, given to her by her sisters when she was younger. It was a nickname that she could not rid herself of, no matter how many times she tried to tell others to call her Narcissa. Thankfully though, it was only a family name, but the fact that her family still called her 'Cissy' made her feel as though she was still a child. Didn't they know she was almost fifteen? The nickname was even more embarrassing now that Narcissa had been attempting to catch the eye of Lucius Malfoy, not that he would even notice the quiet Ms. Black. But the fact that her sisters used the name publicly was enough to make Narcissa's cheeks turn red from embarrassment. "Andromeda, Regulus," she greeted, turning on her heel in the direction in which her sister sat. While placing her Potions book down on the nearby table, Narcissa said quietly to her sister, "I told you not to call me Cissy while others are around." Narcissa straightened back up and smoothed her hands over her skirt before occupying the nearest chair. "What are you reading? she asked her sister as if her last comment had not occurred.

Status: complete
Words: 729
Muse: nada
Tagged: andromeda & regulus
Outfit: slytherin uniform sans cloak
Lyrics: We Are Broken - Paramore
Credit: credit for this awesome plot page goes to COLIExCHAOS[/color] @ Caution 2.0. Don't steal, and don't remove credit![/i][/font]

[Andromeda Circe Black]

Why was I one of the chosen ones? Until the fight I could not see
The magic and the strength of my power
It was beyond my wildest dreams

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Dark wings they are descending See shadows gathering around
One by one they are falling
Every time they try to strike us down [/size][/center]

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Reggie said to go ahead and post

Andromeda was also usually one that spent late nights in the library, if for different reasons than her younger sister. The library, or the courtyards around the school, were a welcome escape from the Slytherin Commons, there were a few, all too few, who made it bearable to be there but even then there were times she just had to be away. Andromeda remembered well the pressure that Narcissa was under, but then she had never had a problem, she was the brainiest girl in every class that she took, it was more than in her blood and family pressure, she intended very much to use what she was learning. It could be said that she was the wrong person to win the genealogical lottery and be one of the Black girls, but then just about every pureblood family in Britain had Black blood in their DNA, that was what she was quietly disgusted about. That was something that Narcissa didn’t know, something even Sirius or Alexander could only suspect. Severus knew, but then that was a leglimens teaching occlumency, it was always going to happen.

Andromeda knew that Narcisaa was not the best at potions, that it was her one weak spot. Privately it made her dislike the family she had as a young girl been so proud of all the more, any other family would have been proud beyond belief with Narcissa’s achievements. But the Blacks had to be the best. Oh, we’re not going to actually use that, no, we’re Blacks why should we? But we’re damn well going to rub it into your faces and woe betide any of our children that don’t live to these standards. Andromeda had done all that she herself could do to help Narcissa with that, it was what she would do as a sister, and as a friend as sisters should be. She had even passed on some of the more advanced notes that Severus had let her take from his work when she herself had needed an edge, but then she had been one of the few Slytherins who did not ‘accept him despite his mother being a blood traitor’ but liked him as a friend ought, especially when their mothers had once been close, there were likely few that he would do that for. She knew that he would if she asked him, there was that for Severus, he looked after those he did care about as few as they were. Still, Andromeda kept this quiet, partially for her own safety at the moment, she was also putting off the time that she would hurt her mother, who she loved, as she knew that she would.

Andromeda did not need to see her younger sister to know that she was nearby. Whether it was the intuition of an older sister or the old magic in her veins she didn’t know but there it was. Narcissa could go unnoticed at times, but she was a jewel to Andromeda and she knew that there would be boys who would one day see her in that way, who would harm another for slighting her just as Andromeda would. There was something feylike about old magic and it rubbed off at times, Andromeda was vindictive over those that she loved. She could tell that Narcissa was not in the best mood, that meant that someone was likely to be hexed if Andromeda found out who had put her in that state, not dark magic, or old magic or anything so dicey, just a very clear indication that she was not amused. She could not help calling her Cissy sometimes, Narcissa would always be her baby sister, however old the two of them were. She did try not to let it slip in public but it happened from time to time without her meaning it to, “Sorry Narcissa.” Andromeda neither liked nor approved of Lucius, though she was as civil as could be to him. Still, she would nudge him Cissy’s way if she could, she would make the suggestions, the implied comments, Lucius would be able to look after Narcissa in a way Andromeda knew she would not be able to, it was why she had asked Severus to look out for her. Regulus nodded at her question over his studies and to Narcissa, then lurked nearby, he was not always the most vocal but that was sometimes good in the Serpents’ Den. Andromeda tapped the book that Narcissa had put down, “You should ask Severus for help there, whisper is he’ll be teaching it soon enough.” Now there was an enigma, Severus Snape, half-blood and never hid it, engaged to be wed to a muggleborn, and yet while still a student one of the Dark Lord’s inner circle, one of his favoured, possibly exactly for that relationship with one who was so close to the Order of the Phoenix, and so close to Dumbledore. Some of the Death Eaters had been putting pressure on Slughorn to leave, he was Slytherin to the bone, Slughorn, but he was not one of Voldemort’s, there were reasons both sides would want Severus to take his place. She tapped the book that was now in her lap, “Ancient Runes, it’s somewhat of a step up from OWLs, well they all are, but this one by quite a bit more.” She shrugged, “I’m top of the class in it, of course, but more through hard work than naturally as other subjects come to me.”

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WORDS: Nine hundred and eighteen
TAG: Narcissa, Regulus
LYRICS: Within Temptation
GRAPHIC: Aisy
TEMPLATE: Aisy
MUSIC:Nope
NOTES: Nope

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

RESERVED while I am writing it. (A little slow with Reggie sorry )