aww it's so buitful. the black sisters are the best but it's hard to find good storys about them.

one Sirius please!

"The night is chilly but Bellatrix does not tremble in the slightest, as she rushes past alleys, past yowling black cats and rumpled beggars, sniffling haughtily.

(She has gone far past the red and green strings of light and pine trees.)"

Nice introduction. It sets the mood that it's too late for Bella.

"This is the blackest night, all right. Yet it was covered in a blanket of snow, snow so white it hurt her eyes. But Bellatrix has long forgotten her childhood, her family, and merely remembers this line. She enters the dark cavern, and strides confidently toward the eerie green light at the middle."

It's nice. I kind of see a metaphor of Yin and Yang here. ;) Also, that it makes Bella uncomfortable to relish on childhood memories and innocence.

"Bellatrix obliges, and looks down at the potion. Its slow, bubbling black fluid immediately transforms.

She hurls a snowball at little Andromeda, shrieking with laughter as the younger girl tries to pummel them back, but desperately failing, and giggling along with her elder sister.

She sits there and watches Narcissa write, admiring her youngest sister's perfect fingers curve as beautiful calligraphy forms itself on the blank white parchment

-snip-

And with her family, gazing at stars and snow and remembering Christmases with light and hope and joy.

These memories come flowing back in torrents, and she blinks away tears, and in order to not face her master, she turns her head left, allowing a curtain of sleek black hair to cover her heavy-lidded brown eyes.

No, I can't do this."

I like this. You see her real hearts desire, but her corruption runs too deep, so she turns to artificial desires that are merely temporary.

"She turns back to the pot, and looks down again, her eyes hard as granite, mouth set in a straight, grim line.

She sees herself at Voldemort's knee, him smiling down at her, like he was God and she his loyal servant – him calling her his best, most faithful –

(No more Christmas and hope and light – she has gone too far-)

And glances back at the hem of his robes.

(For this is where she truly belongs.)"

Grim. Foreshadowing. Angsty. Perfect. ;) I enjoyed reading this.

"She is eleven, and lying on a single bed, Black-crested bedpost and all, when someone knocks at the closed door. It is a timid knock, hardly heard above the silence, and Andromeda knows exactly who it is. "Enter, Cissy," she says with a smile, sitting up, and the door creaks open to reveal her nine-year-old sister fully-dressed in a snow-white coat and galoshes.

Andromeda opens her eyes, trying to push her thoughts of Narcissa away, to the back of her brain, anywhere. She is no longer her sister, as Andromeda has cut ties with the Black family; therefore she is no longer a Black, no longer a pureblood fanatic like all the rest of them.

(Though she always will be.)"

Nice ties of sisterhood. I also like how you show Andromeda looking at her own imperfections, and comparing herself to her sisters. The descriptions are great.

I love this line, too:

""Come on, Andi!" She sees the miniature, seven-year-old image of Bellatrix, the one with the beautiful dark eyes.

(Like a doe's.)"

It's very contradictory to the Bellatrix we see in OotP and onward. Bella is harsh, strong, stubborn, and so unlike a doe. Yet the child she was held some kind of innocence.

"The blackest night shall darken all souls, shall be the puppeteer of every good heart. All shall welcome oblivion, at the very end; it will be a mercy from the eternal hell of purest evil."

I love this line.

"Seven-year-old Narcissa watches the snow fall – little white flakes floating downward, adding to the thick blanket of sleet upon the dirt ground. "Mummy, can I go out and see the snow?" she inquires, tugging at the hem of Druella's sleeve.

"May," Druella says sternly.

Cissy sighs – it is a pretty, breathy sound. "May I please go out and see the snow?" she repeats, emphasising on the first word. "

This is a great segment. It shows how Narcissa is already being primped for a pureblood life. I like the snow description, too. ;)

Hmm ... I don't think the word loser fits in Bella's memory, it seemed a bit off with the tone of this piece, but otherwise I adored it, you really do write the Blacks well, all of them, and you deserve lots of love for adoring them so much. :)

Thanks so much Anie. This was adorable, I love little Tonks, and it's incredibly well characterised (as always, that's your main strength), and the ending is both cute and tragic at once.

*lots of hugs*

How dare you flaunt something that Remus, my dear lover, is afraid of? lol.

Nah, I really like this - the conflicting thoughts about her sisters and the atmosphere were incredibly poignant, and I think you've done a great job characterising Narcissa.

Ooh! I love it! Asolutely, stunningly, spectacularly, brilliantly remarkable! It was perfect, a masterpiece. I really enjoy reading your work, Ani. It's always magnificent! This was a marvellous chapter, and your response to the challenge was fantastic!

Thanks,

Sharkie

xoxo

That was utterly amazing. That is one of the best Bella's I've ever seen. Good job.

Ha! Awesome again, Ani!

Superb!

Ep! J'adore that you showed Bella missing her childhood and that she was too far gone to turn back!

I think what I like the best about your writing is that you give these minor characters real personalities and show the light and the dark. Many people show Andromeda as being either fake-happy or depressed, Bella as psycho, and Cissy as...um, I don't really know, as I haven't read that many Cissy fics. XD

And ABSOLUTELY yes, you should write Sirius and Regulus chapters! Only if you want to, of course, but I'd be *thrilled* if you did! *Hint, hint*

Update?

~ Kyota

Of course you can have Lucius/Narcissa! :)

Aww, how cute! I like happy Dromeda! I also enjoyed the sharp contrast between her old life and her new one. My favorite line was "(She would never admit it, but living as a Tonks was rather difficult.)"

Most people show Andi as being thrilled to have left and perfectly content with having a modest life, but your way is so much more...realistic!

This was amazing! *Reads next chapter*

~ Kyota

Loved it! This was fantastic-her family is her desire. I LOVED that, like I said. It was sad and...well, kind of odd to call it that, but sweet. Great job!

Great chapter! You wrote all three chapters really well and I really enjoyed reading them.

Great chapter! You did a good job on the line that was previously confusing.

The only thing that was a little confusing was the tenses: the story is in the present tense but there are a few sentences which are in the past tense like in: "Yet it was covered in a blanket of snow, snow so white it hurt her eyes."

Other than that, awesome job on the three Black sisters! :D And of course, you can write Sirius & Reg, but remember that they'll always be mine (*continues endless fangirl rambling*)

- Gaby