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Chapter Text

Summary: It is said that sisters have a close bond like no other. They're simultaneously rivals, friends, enemies, and allies, but despite all else, the shared blood coursing through their veins is of significance. This is especially true for the sisters of Wizarding London. 

Rating: T - non-graphic violence and angst.

The Sisters of House Black

December 19, 1971

"Andie, please," Narcissa begged. "You know what must happen should you continue down this path! The Praecepta Purissimum would command us to cast you aside! You are my sister - my best friend - please, I beg you to stop this mud-wallowing at once!"

Tears were staining Narcissa's porcelain-doll face as she gripped Andromeda's shoulders tight. Andromeda gave her a sad look, but didn't look willing to give in. Andromeda removed Narcissa's hands from her shoulders before sitting back on her bed, refusing to meet her gaze. Narcissa sobbed into her hands, not fully believing or understanding what had just occurred.

The two sisters had just gotten home for their Christmas Holidays, and Narcissa had been so excited to see her parents and Bellatrix again. It was her first year at Hogwarts after her eldest sister had graduated, so she had great reason to be excited. Her happiness, though, had quickly evaporated when she heard simply dreadful rumors while on the bus.

"Have you heard?" they whispered to themselves as Narcissa walked past, "Andromeda Black plays in mud."

Narcissa had been so crossed, she had nearly hexed them to the heavens, but resigned to tongue-lashing them for having spread such blatantly false rumors about her noble sister. How dare filthy half-breeds speak of a Black daughter in such a degrading manner? She wanted to go tell her sister what the half-breeds had whispered of her right then and there, but decided to hold her tongue. Andromeda had a fierce temper, and Narcissa didn't want her making a scene on the bus (though she had every right to).

So, as soon as they arrived home, Narcissa marched straight to Andromeda's room to report this matter.

To her surprise and growing horror, Andromeda didn't refute the rumors. Rather, she confirmed them - sounding relieved to have gotten it off her chest. Narcissa had felt like fainting. How could her sister betray her so?

"Say something at least," Narcissa pleaded, a deep hurt welling up in her chest. "Will you stop this nonsensical relationship with the Mudblood?"

Her sister glanced up at her from where she sat on the bed, frowning. "Cissy-" she sucked in a deep breath, "You want me to say something, but what can I say? I love him. I've loved him for a long time. It's been very challenging for me for the past year, living a double life."

"Well, do you not love me too?" Narcissa asked, "Am I not important to you as well? Would you not choose me over him in a heartbeat?" She didn't understand why this was so hard for Andromeda.

Andromeda gave her a pained look. "Are you forcing me to choose?"

Narcissa straightened in her posture, feeling slightly relieved. Surely, when forced to choose between her family and the Mudblood, Andromeda would choose her family. She would choose her sisters. For there was no closer bond than that of sisters, Narcissa was sure. And for that, she was relieved. Perhaps Andromeda no longer believed in Blood Supremacy, but that was of little importance to Narcissa at the moment.

Andromeda could secretly believe in whatever idealogy she wished, so long as it meant that Narcissa could still have her.

"Yes," Narcissa said, firmly.

Andromeda chewed her lip for a horrible, horrible minute. "Then, I'm sorry, but I love him too much to lose him," she whispered. "Even if that means losing you, sister."

Narcissa's heart dropped and grief sharper than any other threatened to overtake her. With a mangled sob, she sunk to the floor and buried her face into her hands.

"Cissy, please-don't cry," Andromeda said, now on the floor with Narcissa, "I love you. I do. But I can not believe what you believe. And I do not think you should either. Do you truly think muggles are out to kill us? Or that muggle-borns should not attend Hogwarts should they be gifted with magic?" She patted Narcissa's back lovingly, and that was almost enough to make her forget what had happened. Almost. "I do not have to choose between you and Ted. Why can I not love both of you?"

Narcissa shoved her away roughly. "Shut up! Shut up!" she screamed, her chest heaving. "You claim to love me, but you have chosen a filthy outsider over me! How could you, Andromeda? I could very easily tell Father and have you punished, but I refuse because I love you, Andromeda, whilst you clearly have no space left in your heart for me!"

"I do love you-"

"Liar!" she screeched.

At that moment, a set of sharp knocks interrupted the two sisters. Bellatrix's voice rang out through the room from behind the locked door, "What is going on?"

Andromeda and Narcissa exchanged glances before Narcissa rushed towards the door to open it. Bellatrix was the cleverest witch she knew; perhaps her eldest sister would be able to talk reason into her wayward one. She shoved open the door, and Bellatrix looked surprised at the sight of the very distraught Narcissa.

"Circe, what has happened?" asked Bellatrix, looking very concerned. She closed the door behind her before entering, eyeing Andromeda suspiciously. "'Dromeda, what have you done to our sister?"

Narcissa wailed before Andromeda had the chance to answer. "She has betrayed us, Bellatrix," she cried, trying and failing to cease her tears. Bellatrix always thought her silly when she cried. "She has fallen in love with that Mudblood, Ted Tonks!"

Bellatrix contorted with a type of anger that Narcissa had never seen on her sister, and she turned her gaze to Andromeda, who seemed to be cowering under it. "Is this true, Andromeda?" Her voice was low and deadly, her dark eyes gleaming malevolently.

Andromeda looked frightened but nodded boldly all the same.

Bellatrix immediately began reaching into her robes, drawing out her curved wand, and pointed it directly at Andromeda. Narcissa screamed and Andromeda began searching for her own wand to protect herself. Bellatrix disarmed her just as soon as she drew it out from her robes, and began tackling her to the ground. Andromeda clawed at Bellatrix fiercely, but Bellatrix was much stronger than her and easily overpowered her.

"Bella, stop it! Get off me!" screamed Andromeda, writhing fiercely from underneath Bellatrix's weight. She turned to Narcissa, looking helpless. "Narcissa, help me!"

Bellatrix was struggling to keep her pinned down, and she turned to Narcissa with a mad look in her eyes. "Narcissa!" she shouted sharply, "Help me hold her down!"

Narcissa had been trembling, frozen in fear. She had thought Bellatrix would scold Andromeda, or guilt-trip her, or bribe her, or something. She hadn't expected her to resort to violence immediately, and for a horrible second, Narcissa wondered if Bellatrix would murder her own sister.

Andromeda was screaming like she was certain of it, though. "Narcissa! Please!" Andromeda begged, but Narcissa couldn't move to help her even if she hadn't wanted to.

"NARCISSA, HELP ME CONTAIN HER!" shrieked Bellatrix. "NOW!"

Narcissa was crying harder now but refused to budge. Finally, Bellatrix shouted out "Petrificus Totalus!" and Andromeda instantly went still.

Her eyes were wide and pleading with Bellatrix, tears running freely from them. Though she couldn't speak, Andromeda's non-verbal pleas were practically audible. For the first time in her life, Narcissa saw Bellatrix's eyes glistening with tears. Her eldest sister slowly moved her wand to the side of Andromeda's head.

"I'm very sorry, sister," she whispered, sounding sincere, "Understand that I only do this is for your own good, dearest."

Andromeda cried harder now, perhaps knowing what Bellatrix was about to do. Narcissa had not.

"Bellatrix," Narcissa called out, her voice a soft warning. She was heartbroken with Andromeda, but she didn't want to see Bellatrix hurting her.

Bellatrix didn't pay any attention to Narcissa. A single tear ran down past her waterline, down the curve of her nose, and onto Andromeda's cheek, mixing with her own tears. Bellatrix's eyes were closed - like she was praying. "Obliviate," whispered Bellatrix, her wand pressed to Andromeda's temple.

Andromeda's eyes immediately flickered shut, and Bellatrix began performing memory-modification charms on the unconscious Andromeda. Once she was done, she moved so that she was off of her, and she looked to Narcissa - who was still weeping. Usually, Bellatrix chided Narcissa whenever she would cry. This time, though, she simply glanced at her despondently.

"Help me move her to the bed, Cissy," said Bellatrix hoarsely.

Narcissa nodded, and the two of them gently placed a still-unconscious Andromeda onto the bed, tucking her in like their mother would with them when they were small. Bellatrix, in a rare moment of affection, began stroking Andromeda's mousy brown curls. She looked strangely remorseful - something Narcissa never knew to be characteristic of her eldest sister.

"We shall never speak of this again," instructed Bellatrix firmly, stepping away from the bed. "I've modified and erased all memories pertaining to the Mudblood. When she awakes, she will have no recollection of him, nor of this event. She will have regained her right-minded, Pureblood senses." Bellatrix's face screwed up in disgust. "She would have to be the greatest Dunglicker in the world to continue mud-wallowing after this."

Narcissa nodded fervently and watched as Bellatrix made quick strides to exit the room. Narcissa looked back at Andromeda, feeling guilty. But sometimes, the ends justify the means. She just hoped that Bellatrix's means would be enough to keep Andromeda from straying wayward.

It was not.

Chapter Text

They say twins are two halves of the same whole.

Well, in Padma Patil's mind, while twins may be two halves of the same whole, they certainly weren't equal. The sun and the moon are two halves, no? But the moon's radiance would never quite match that of the sun's, no matter how hard she tried. In Padma and Parvati's relationship, Padma often felt that she was the moon - quiet, reserved, plain - while her sister was undeniably the sun - radiant and glorious.

And as hard as she may try, Padma would never quite achieve her sister's radiance.

Perhaps it was due to her nature, but Parvati had always been the more outgoing, popular one of the two. On their first, Parvati had very quickly made friends with every single one of their classmates by the time Padma had worked up the nerve to speak to one. By the end of the first day, all the girls wanted to be her friend, and all of the boys wanted to be her boyfriend.

That was another thing that Padma never quite understood.

Padma and Parvati were identical twins. So, they shared nearly the exact same features. From their heart-shaped faces to their full brows and lashes that protected warm, brown eyes, they were practically mirrors of each other. In fact, their parents had such a hard time remembering who was who when they were small, their mother took to marking their feet with different colors.

Yet, still, the boys seemed to fancy Parvati while completely ignoring Padma.

So despite how many times Parvati tried convincing her that being Padma was just as good as being Parvati, she refused to believe it. Sometimes, Padma felt a fit of burning jealousy from deep within her towards her sister. She would always feel guilty, of course. Parvati was her best friend - kind and crazy and loving - and Padma knew that she had no right to harbor such resentment. But it was challenging.

Especially now.

"You knew I fancied him," Padma said, her voice wavering. She was trying hard to keep the anger from her voice, but, as she mentioned, it was challenging.

Parvati huffed. "Come on, Padma," she said, rolling her eyes, "Grow up. It's not like I went and asked him to marry me. Harry asked me to the Ball. What was I supposed to do? Say, No, sorry, but my sister has a big fat crush on you; why don't you take her instead?"

Padma's lip quivered and she was trying very hard not to cry.

Almost exactly one week ago, Padma had confided in Parvati her deepest secret. I fancy Harry Potter, Padma had whispered under the covers of Parvati's dorm bed. Parvati had rolled her eyes, amused that was her sister's deepest secret. Nearly all the girls in their year, and a good portion of those not in their year, fancied Harry Potter. But still, Padma had felt happy to have shared this with her twin.

This is why, perhaps, she was so hurt when yesterday, she had come to find out that her sister, despite knowing this secret of hers, decided to let Harry take her to the Yule Ball. And Padma was hurt. Parvati could have any boy she wanted, but she just had to pick the only one that Padma fancied.

"I was going to ask him," whispered Padma. "I was going to ask him, and just before I did, you picked him."

Parvati's eyes widened in shock. "You were actually going to ask him? I thought it was just a silly crush!"

Padma's cheeks heated in embarrassment, but she nodded. Harry was nice to her. Talked to her beyond what the boys in her house spoke to her, anyway. She suspected it was simply a silly schoolgirl's crush, but it certainly was the strongest crush she had ever had. Not that there was anything else to compete with...

Parvati's face softened. "Oh, Padma," she said, rubbing at the crease between her brows, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I didn't think you'd go after the one boy I've ever fancied," Padma snapped with a little more venom than she had intended, "You could have any boy that you wanted, Parvati. But I suppose you had your eyes set on Harry Potter? Gods, Parvati, you'd do anything for attention, wouldn't you?"

Parvati looked indignant. "Padma, he asked me in front of everyone. How was I supposed to reject Harry Potter? Hm? And, by the way, you said yes to Ronald Weasley when he asked you! Why would you say yes to his best friend if you liked Harry so much?"

"Because I didn't have any other choice!" Padma hissed. "You already took Harry, and I didn't want to go to the Yule Ball alone!"

Parvati puffed air into her cheeks before exhaling sharply. "Alright, well I didn't have another choice either, okay?"

And then, years of boiling and budding resentment boiled over in the span of a few seconds. "You're so selfish, Parvati! You're seriously trying to tell me you couldn't have rejected one boy? The one boy you knew your sister fancied? Oh, but I don't even know why I'm surprised. It's not like this is the first time you've been selfish."

Parvati's eyes widened. "I-"

Hot tears stung her eyes. "You have no idea how hard it is living in your twin's shadow. We're identical twins for Merlin's sake, yet you're somehow infinitely better than me. Can you even imagine what that's like?" She sniffled. "Of course not," Padma continued snidely. "You're far too selfish for that."

Parvati's face contorted with anger. "Me? Selfish?" she snapped. "You're the selfish one, Padma. Letting a boy come in between our relationship? Really? A boy? Could you be any more shallow?"

Padma rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you haven't done that before with a hundred different men?"

Parvati's fingers made their way to the crease between her brows, massaging the stress there. "Oh, it's a hundred different men now, is it? Newsflash, Padma - I don't even like men!"

The confession bubbled out of Parvati and settled in the air between the sisters.

"There, I said it!" Parvati continued, agitated. "I'm gay, Padma. I tried denying it for the longest time, going on dates with boys and whatnot. You implying that I'm boy-crazy is quite literally the most wrong you could ever be about me."

A small silence stretched between the twins.

"You're a lesbian?" Padma repeated, her voice soft.

Parvati raised a brow. "Is that going to be a problem?" She asked sharply.

Padma shook her head quickly. "Of course not. I love you. No matter what," She spoke quickly but strongly, her anger having been suddenly forgotten.

Padma suddenly saw many cracks in Parvati's seemingly perfect life. Both sisters knew that Parvati wouldn't be openly accepted in their home. While most of the Wizarding community embraced same-sex relationships, Parvati and Padma came from a conservative portion of the community. Where people would turn their noses up at you if you were not wed by the age of 25. Or if the dowry that your family provided was insufficient.

She couldn't even imagine what would be said about a girl fancying other girls! When the time comes for the girls to bring home significant others, Padma's boyfriend will be accepted while Parvati's girlfriend will be scorned. It must hurt Parvati more than Padma could imagine, knowing that she could not openly love without receiving hate in turn.

"I love you too," replied Parvati, her lips turning into a wry smile. "Now, we're identical twins, are we not? Might as well use that to our advantage."

A smile crossed Padma's face. "Are you suggesting we switch places?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Parvati said casually, looping her arm around the crook of her sister's elbow. "Come on, let's go pick out our dresses."

And as Padma followed Parvati into her wardrobe, she thought of their dynamic as twins. Sure, Parvati might be the sun, but that's not to say she's infallible. And yes, Padma might be the moon, but that's not to say she was living in the shadow of her sister's glory. Rather, she's come to realize that they balanced each other out.

Two halves of the same whole. Not exactly the same, but equal nevertheless.