Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series.

Two hooded fingers glided through the cold darkness. One ominous, the other terrifying, they were both sinister and formidable. Underneath their hoods, one bore a tightlipped, rigid expression, the other's mouth curved into a dangerous smile. The two women were challenged by no one. The filth that lined the ally, usually begging money from any sort of wealth, stirred only to look at their feet; they pointedly avoided catching the eyes of the two women. Indeed, the ally had deserted considerably since their arrival.

Narcissa Malfoy hardly took notice. She was not unused to this sort of pedestal. Her normal, haughty impassiveness was maintained at the highest level as she walked. It was only natural for the rest of the wizarding community to stoop for her; a pure-blood, a Malfoy, a Black.

Bellatrix Lestrange walked aside her sister as a complete opposite. Where Narcissa had stood chin-up, shoulders back, and dispassionate, Bellatrix seemed to lean forward as she gazed around at those still brave enough to wander about the street. Her fingers twitched around her wand. A giddy recklessness and a violent power filled her. There was no greater thrill than to have completed the Dark Lord's bidding successfully. The cowering shadows were only more proof of her success. It wasn't her sister they feared, it was her.

They walked with the wind blowing in their faces. Narcissa made a movement to keep her hood from falling off her head. Bellatrix did not; laughing as the wind swept the hood away from her head, her hair cascading down her shoulders. She was almost dancing as she walked, jeering at the witch who passed quickly, her head down. Narcissa walked slowly and coolly behind Bellatrix. She too noticed the other witch, but said nothing. Instead she stopped as the unknown witch managed a furtive but curious glance, meeting Narcissa's eyes.

Bellatrix swung around when she noticed her sister's footsteps had stopped.

"Cissy," she hissed, "Don't dawdle, the Dark Lord must know right away…"

But her voice trailed off as she noticed the witch that was now staring intently at Narcissa, as though her legs were locked, unmoving.

A slow, deadly exhilaration enveloped every feature of Bellatrix. Her fingers twirled her wand rapidly in anticipation. The Dark Lord could wait five more minutes. After all, what was the use of doing a job right if you couldn't celebrate a little…

Bellatrix sauntered back to where Narcissa and the stranger stared. She looked at her sister curiously and then back at the stranger.

Finally the stranger lifted her hood and glared straight at Bellatrix.

"Bella," she said quietly.

Bellatrix quickly masked a look of shock with a smirk. The stranger was no stranger at all. She had the same dark hair, the same dark eyes, but a filthy traitor heart.

"Andy," Bellatrix exclaimed in an unnatural, sickly sweet voice that was filled with venom, "…my dear, Sister, how long it has been."

Narcissa's eyes turned to her eldest sister. She knew the look on Bellatrix's face, but its familiarity was no comfort. There was a dangerous insanity about it, Narcissa noted, as Bellatrix's fingers were white around her wand.

"Bella," Narcissa hissed urgently, "We must leave. The Dark Lord-"

"-will be pleased to hear that we rightfully punished a blood traitor," Bellatrix whispered.

Andromeda looked into her sister's gleaming dark eyes and was strangely transfixed. She did not recognize the monster her sister had become. This deranged creature, this lunatic whom some feared as much as the Dark Lord himself, this woman could not be her beautiful Bellatrix, her sister.

Underneath her cloak, Andromeda's grip tightened around her wand. She wasn't going to be stupid, however misfortunate the little family reunion.

Narcissa shook her head swiftly as though a warning of caution to Andromeda.

Bellatrix, seeing Andromeda's movement raised an eyebrow.

"You dare challenge me, Andy?" Bellatrix said in a low, quiet voice.

Andromeda nodded, though inside she couldn't help but shiver.

Narcissa didn't dare move as though worried any movement might trigger a vicious outburst.

"Your own sister? Really, how callous," Bellatrix mocked wildly.

"You are no sister of mine," Andromeda snarled as she thought of Sirius.

As if reading her mind, Bellatrix smiled sadly. "Did I kill your favorite cousin? Was poor Sirius to weak to even put up a fight?" she simpered stroking her sister's cheek.

Andromeda's stomach turned over violently as her sister's fingers touched her face. Her skin burned at her older sister's touch. But the words stung harder.

Andromeda threw her fist into Bellatrix's face; there was a sickening crack.

Blood poured out of her nose as Bellatrix smirked. "Episky," she said, almost jeering at the ease with which she fixed her nose. "Did your mudblood of a husband teach you how to duel, Andy? Or did you just forget how to use a wand?"

Narcissa felt the air grow sharp and electric as Bellatrix purred, "I know, why don't I show you? I'm sure you won't forget after this…"

"Stupefy!"

Bellatrix danced out of the way of the spell.

"Not so easily, Andy."

Andy's brow furrowed, she thought of every injustice her sister had caused the wizarding world. A maddening thought crept into her mind; what it would be like to give her sister a taste of her own medicine…

"Expeliarmus!" she cried, gleeful as Bellatrix's wand flew out of its owner's hand.

Bellatrix teetered a little from laughter, but did not look worried in the least.

Andromeda knew that it was too easy. She knew her sister wasn't putting up a fight, yet. But a furious drive pulsed through her as she jabbed her wand under Bellatrix's chin. It was her duty to avenge all those wizards and muggles who had been tormented to death.

"C-cru," Andromeda stuttered, suddenly feeling weak and foolish. "Cru…"

"The spell," Bellatrix cooed softly, her teeth bared in a grin that was inches away from Andromeda, "is Crucio."

In a swift, elegant movement, Bellatrix had spun around, snatching the wand out of Andromeda's slack grip so that it was now pointed at the face of its master.

"Let's see if we can't get this right," Bellatrix mused, raising her sister's wand above her head. "I'm sure we can…"

Narcissa fidgeted on the spot but remained silent.

"CRUCIO!"

Andromeda was no longer standing; the strength of the curse knocked her over almost immediately. She writhed, gasping with horror as her own wand inflicted unimaginable pain on her body.

Bellatrix stopped for a moment, as though wondering if Andromeda was going to beg and plead. But Andromeda remained silent, her teeth gritted with a determination not to acknowledge the intensity of the curse.

Almost airily, Bellatrix started again, "Crucio…"

Andromeda tried to fight off the curse. She willed her self to ignore the fiery pain that galloped through her body. Though she struggled, twisting and turning abnormally, Andromeda's tongue was silent.

"What's the matter? Too proud to scream, Andy?" Bellatrix panted, her breasts heaving as exhilaration coursed through her.

Andromeda took advantage of the lull to pull her body off the ground enough to spit at Bellatrix.

Furious with delight, Bellatrix shrieked. "There's your spirit of fun, Andy. I knew you had a little bit of fight in you. Crucio!"

Narcissa felt her insides go numb as she stood with her eyes closed to the scene. Only her ears heard Andromeda's strangled moans and Bella's wild laughter.

Finally, Bellatrix summoned her own wand. She stroked it with an odd complacency. "Yes," she hissed to herself, "I do think this will make all the difference. CRUCIO!"

And finally Andromeda lost it, a terrible sound like nothing else emitted from her. It was as if her lungs were on fire, the scream pierced like knives. Narcissa tried to block it out.

Bellatrix gave the sobbing Andromeda a lopsided grin. "You won't forget this, will you, dear? It's much better than muggle dueling, I think. But perhaps, we should emphasize… Crucio!" she shouted, terribly, madly, cruelly.

"Protego!" the spell was shouted with out feeling, but it was enough.

Bellatrix dodged the rebounding spell, giving her wandless victim a curious look. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Narcissa's wand, still pointing at Andromeda.

"Cissy," Bellatrix sighed. "Don't be such a bore."

Narcissa could only look past her at Andromeda who was covered in a cold sweat, her kind face marred with agony, too frail (or too afraid) to stand up.

"Bella, I think you've had enough fun for today," Narcissa said in a crisp, authoritative voice.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her youngest sister, but lowered her wand with a twitch.

Narcissa stowed her own wand back in her robes. She didn't look at either of her sisters as she turned, as though undecided as to whom disgusted her more.

Bellatrix shook her head at Narcissa's passionless exit before smiling back at Andromeda. She knelt down beside her sister who made no move to get away but stared back at Bellatrix.

"Just kill me then, you witch," Andromeda whispered angrily. "Can't you just kill somebody? Must you drag it out… and then not even finish it?"

Bellatrix wiped Andromeda's hair out of her face, so that she could look properly into her eyes.

"Who would I have to talk to then?" she laughed, harshly delicate.

Andromeda shuttered as Bellatrix stroked her cheek once more. She was the obsessive feline who played with her food before eating it. She was a sinister seductress who lured her prey with a false sense of security in light of insanity. She was evil. But, Andromeda thought bitterly, Bellatrix Black was her sister.

The last time Andromeda had seen her sister was on the front page of the Daily Prophet, reporting the mass breakout of Askaban. She glared into those dark, heavy-lidded eyes with incredible ferocity as if hoping that, if she looked hard enough, maybe she would see the Bellatrix she loved. Not the monster.

Bellatrix ran her wand along the out stretched arm of her sister; it was enough to make Andromeda's blood curdle. Pain shot through her once more as dark magic ran through that wand. Her whole body felt clammy as Bellatrix leaned over her. Andromeda had the violent urge to throw up but fought it; she could not feed her sister anymore weakness.

Narcissa had stopped and gazed warily at her older sisters.

"Bella, leave her alone," she said in an unnaturally high voice.

"As you wish… Cissy," she murmured, grinning cruelly at Andromeda. "Goodbye, Andy…"

Andromeda looked up at her sister through tear-filled eyes. For less than a second, she saw something flicker behind Bellatrix's crazed expression. A faint glint of a past woman; her sister falling.

A desperate sort of pleading, almost like the innocence of a child falling into a dark pit, filled those eyes. The confidence was only in the mind; bellow it there was a certain vulnerability. Andromeda wanted to reach out and pull her falling sister out of the abyss.

But in less than a second, the image was gone as Bellatrix smirked.

Bellatrix stood up, kicked her sister in the side and threw her long black mane back and cackled loudly. She stepped over Andromeda and walked over to Narcissa. Linking arms with her, Bellatrix pushed the image of her traitorous sister out of her mind. For good. There was no use wasting another thought over it. Not when she still had her Cissy.

Thank you for reading; the next scene will be up shortly. Reviews are appreciated.