Welcome to Until The End. We are a moderate Harry Potter role-playing site set in the Marauder's Era. Our plot is generally derived from details in the book, but as an AU site we do take liberties most anywhere we like. Those who died in the books can have a second chance at living, and those who lived are always at risk.
Tom Marvolo Riddle has long since disappeared and in his stead Lord Voldemort has risen, bringing a small army with him. The Ministry of Magic has thus far ignored the growing menace that is the Death Eaters and Albus Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to defend the wizarding community from an evil he knows is building. War is coming. Pick a side!
School's Out For Summer
The Hogwart's Express has pulled up to the station in King's Cross station and the summer holidays have officially begun. What mischeif will you get into in the warm summer sun?
*Coming Soon* - Summer Solstice Carnival
Travel by portkey to the biggest summer celebration in wizard society - The Summer Solstice Carnival! There will be food, games, prizes, fun and more!
Post by Narcissa Astrid Malfoy on Jul 1, 2018 23:09:28 GMT -8
Narcissa hadn’t only lost a child. Carina had come the farthest of all of her children, growing inside her mummy’s belly for five months before whatever curse had been placed upon them finally took their sweet baby girl, but Carina was not the first, just the strongest. The miscarriages were harder on Narcissa than they appeared for Lucius, at least in Narcissa’s mind. He was distraught over their struggles, clearly, but the toll they took on the blonde beauty were exceedingly worse. In losing Carina, Narcissa lost more than her child; she lost her husband and her marriage.
There were limited outlets for her grief. At first, sobbing day in and day out was the only thing she could do, hardly pausing to eat and only truly stopping while she slept, having cried herself to sleep of course. Lucius’ gentle touch had become a painful reminder of what they had lost, and so even the comfort of her husband’s arms was no comfort at all. After the tears ran dry and she had stared at the wallpaper for hours on end, there was only one thing left for her to do in her solitude and despair; paint.
A studio had been one of her requirements upon moving into the ancestral manor house. Narcissa had always found painting to be a way to release her emotions, whichever ones were bubbling at the surface at the time, and Lucius had made sure she had a proper place to release her creativity. She loved him even more for his efforts to create a special space for her. The studio had once been something of an oasis for her, but it had recently become more like a prison. She felt trapped by her own emotions and the only way to let out the grief was to paint her way out of the imaginary cell she had built around her. The older pieces, often bright and elegant, were hung around the walls on display but they were overshadowed and outnumbered by her more recent works which took on a much more somber tone.
For three days she had been working on this piece; a canal surrounded by buildings. The brushwork was more violent that she had been trained to use, and the colors more muted and heavily influenced by the night. Anyone familiar with the city of Venice would easily recognize the landscape Narcissa was painting but the precise location held a significance she had not intended upon first picking up her brush. Lucius had taken her to Venice to celebrate their engagement and as they floated down the canal in a captained gondola they began to plan their future together. They were planning their family.
The painting was not yet completed but her hands were cramping. She needed a break. Pulling herself away from her artwork, and away from the studio, Narcissa travelled the corridors of her home absentmindedly. Her husband was away for the day and as she often was, Narcissa was alone – aside from the servants that kept themselves out of sight until they were summoned or needed. It was isolating, being in the large manor by herself, but it was a self-imposed isolation. She was free to leave whenever she wanted; to dress in her expensive dresses, pull her hair into an intricate design, and stroll among the living. Some days it was a very appealing option. Others, not so much.
Today was more of the latter. She wore a smock covered in paint splatter over black trousers. She had put a small amount of effort into her appearance this morning, but her mascara now betrayed her secrets from hours earlier as it appeared smudged under her eyes. Her hair which had been delicately curled this morning had gone flat, flecks of grey paint clinging to the platinum blonde locks. She turned and looked out a large window to the rose garden at the back of the house, her eyes unfocused as she stared out into nothingness.
[attr="class","box4"]Losing Andromeda was a wound ever unhealed in Bellatrix's black heart. It left her raw and easy to anger. No mention of the middle Black sister would be abided... and further, it had caused Bellatrix to cling to the sister that remained. She could not fathom that Narcissa would betray them as their sister had--but she had never believed that Andromeda would either. After the middle Black sister had been burnt from the family tree, Trix had set about being a much better sister to Narcissa. She wrote to her--she counseled her--she paid visits to the blonde now that she was living in Malfoy Manor. There was much difference between the youngest and the eldest of Cygnus's girls, but what similarities existed Bellatrix fought to strengthen and highlight.
She would not lose Cissa, too.
It pained the woman's heart that one of the similarities that seemed to be shared between herself and the beautiful Narcissa was an inability to carry a child to term. Bellatrix had lost several of Rodolphus's heirs since their marriage. The man knew nothing of it, though. He surely believed she was intentionally preventing pregnancy. That was unfortunately far from the true. She took no measures to avoid children. The witch had no real desire for them--had no genuine maternal instinct...but she understood it was her duty. She had a responsibility to House Black, to House Lestrange, and to purist society. She did not wish to shirk that duty--even as the actual fulfillment of it would bring her no joy.
Bellatrix knew that all she lacked in maternal instinct and desire was more than made up for in her sister. Narcissa would be an excellent mother. She was a soul who knew how to love properly. Her mind did not twist over itself like Bellatrix and even Andromeda's did. There did not seem to be the madness in the blonde Black. Thank Merlin for that. Bellatrix was strong enough to carry her insanity--to control it rather than be controlled by it. She fed it and it strengthened her. She could not fathom that one day she might be cast into Azkaban and truly become lost to the darkness in her. Now, all she saw was the power of it.
There would be time later for delving into that darkness. She might find herself in the crypts tonight--raising and strengthen the children she brought back from the grave. But for now---that could all wait. She needed to pay a visit to Narcissa. No matter how much Bellatrix enjoyed her work as one of the Dark Lord's faithful, she would not disregard her duties to House Black. She would not forget Narcissa. It was in Bellatrix's mind today that she would insist the lovely witch join her on an outing. They would take tea in London perhaps---or pop over to Paris for coffee...or even a nice bottle of champagne, if Narcissa would be willing to indulge in a bit of bubbly. That always raised the spirits. One could not be sad with a flute of champagne in hand. It was utterly impossible. If Narcissa was not up for travelling, perhaps they could still indulge--even more so perhaps in drowning their woes.
Not being so forward as to apparate to her sister's home, Bellatrix instead took the floo. With practiced elegance, she stepped out of the fireplace leaving behind the mansion she shared with Rodolphus for an equally opulent estate where her sister resided with Lucius. "Narcissa, my darling, where are you?" Bellatrix called, her velvety alto carrying down the corridors.
Post by Narcissa Astrid Malfoy on Jul 2, 2018 14:29:01 GMT -8
Narcissa was lost in thought, though if asked she wouldn’t be able to describe what was happening in her mind. It was as if she had left her body on the earthly plane and her spirit had moved on. Sometimes the pretty blonde worried that she would leave this earth permanently, abandoning Lucius with their shared grief and be unable to return. Where she went was anyone’s guess, but her sister’s faint voice pulled her back into the realm of the living soon enough. Narcissa blinked, her eyes fixing on the landscape on the other side of the glass pane, then she turned her head in the direction of Bellatrix’s voice.
Cissa swallowed hard and straightened herself up, standing as tall as the pixie could with her natural height of 5’2”. She was wearing flat shoes today, which gave her nothing in the way of support for her height nor her womanly curves but Narcissa was attempting to impress no one today. Least of all her oldest sister. Her footsteps fell as soft thuds against the marble floor as she followed the voice into the lounge, knowing her sister had an affinity for dropping by via the Floo Network. The Malfoys had taken extra security processes beyond most magical households to ensure only welcomed visitors could enter their home in this manner, but the wards around the manor home were even more stringent. Cissa’s family was given full access to the Malfoy home, with the exception of her now-disgraced sister Andromeda and her filthy new family.
Brushing her hair from her face, Narcissa stepped into the lounge and smiled at her sister, though the expression did not meet her eyes. “Hello, sister. What a lovely surprise having you here. Come for a chat or are you delivering news?” Narcissa was more than aware of her family’s affiliations, both from the Blacks and the Malfoys. Regularly she felt a tickle of concern when Lucius wasn’t home at the expected time, and when unannounced visitors stopped by. Narcissa couldn’t handle anymore loss in her life and she grew wearing of the frequent concern. The concern showed on her face.
[attr="class","box4"]Bellatrix was not without a heart. It was perhaps a jaded, withering organ, but it existed. Damage had be wrought against it by the one she no longer spoke of. But still, a large part of it was dedicated to her sister who still lived and was acknowledged. Every time Trix laid eyes on Narcissa, she was reminded how small the woman was. While Bellatrix was of an elegant, statuesque height, the blonde Black was a petite thing. The differences in their stature further motivated Bellatrix to want to protect the other woman. It was still so easy to just think of Narcissa as her little sister--someone in dire need of protection.
The details of Narcissa's expression did not escape notice by the elder witch. Bellatrix longed to see the other woman's eyes sparkle as they once had. How long had it been since Cissa had truly smiled---had glowed with joy? Perhaps the woman's wedding to Lucius? She had been happy then certainly--or so Bellatrix believed. That was years ago now. Best not to mention it, though, as Bellatrix had no plan for how to remedy the problem. She would take their mother's approach--and simply avoid it...Druella seemed to believe that acting as if something did not exist could make it disappear all together.
Quick to assuage her sister's anxiety over her husband, Bellatrix gave a shake of her head, rambunctious curls bouncing at the action--eager to escape the confines of her hair styling charm. "No news, love, put your worries to rest. Nothing so serious. I have come only to visit." A quick flick of her eyes down Narcissa's frame and back to her face was followed by: "I had thought I might tempt you out for a bit--I'm sure it would be good for the both of us." The comment was not as cutting as it could have been. Bellatrix intentionally cushioned her tone, not wishing to hurt the feelings of her lovely sister.
Post by Narcissa Astrid Malfoy on Jul 11, 2018 21:39:17 GMT -8
Pale cheeks flushed pink with the slight embarrassment that came with being found out by your sister. Narcissa hadn’t meant to appear so worried, but she was tired and weary and unable to school her features properly in the way she had been instructed to do as a lady of House Black. In the privacy of her own home, Narcissa allowed herself to wear her heart on her sleeve, something that was rarely permitted when she was living with her mother and father. Cygnus would complain to his wife when Narcissa engaged in the occasional outburst, as it was Druella’s responsibility to attend to the children. It was every mother’s responsibility and sadly, Narcissa was not sure that she would be among those blessed enough to ever know the pain and exhaustion that came with raising a family of her own. It was a realization she encountered several times a day and she longed for a future where she could go an entire day without breaking down into tears. Today was not that day.
Catching Bella’s gaze running over her paint covered smock, Narcissa’s cheeks blushed brighter. “I should clean myself up first, I think. Do you mind?” An outing with her sister would hopefully be enough to distract her thoughts for the time being, but the effort of being a proper lady of society in front of hundreds of onlookers would be exhausting. Narcissa would sleep well tonight, having been drained of energy from plastering a convincing smile across her face for the masses. It would be worth it, and Bellatrix was generally good company. Of her two older sisters, she was the only one worth spending any time with. “Dobby!” Narcissa called, turning her head away from her sister so as to not shout in the witch’s face. A young house elf appeared, newly acquired but already a proper servant. “Fetch my sister a drink while I freshen up.” She turned her attention on her sister once again. “I’ll only be a minute.”
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