Let's not forget ourselves, good friend.

Excerpt:

Mr. and Mrs. Ignatius Prewett formally invite you to

The 711^th

Pureblood Ball.

Refreshments will be served and house elves will be on hand for the entirety of the evening.

 

 

“I can’t believe you chose white, Cissa. White is such a babyish color!” Bellatrix Black snarled at her youngest sister. Narcissa, who had been admiring her own reflection the mirror just moments before, gave her sister a snooty look, turning up her dainty nose. But when she turned back to the mirror, the excitement had gone from her eyes and she smoothed the dress self-consciously. Bella stood in the center of the room on a stool. House elves danced about her, carefully hemming and pinning her revealing midnight-blue gown. Occasionally they pricked themselves with needles, but they didn’t mind; better to prick your own finger than to prick the ankle of Mistress Bella.

 

 

“Well, Cissa, I think you look lovely.” Andromeda, dressed in a yellow tiered dress, wrapped her arms around her little sister’s neck and planted a kiss on the girl’s pale cheek. Over Cissa’s head, Andromeda shot Bella a nasty look, but said nothing. Why should she? Andromeda and Bella were hardly on speaking terms.

 

 

Cissa wriggled out of Andromeda’s hug, and stood in front of the mirror again. “Do you think Mother would dye my dress green if I asked her to?” Andromeda turned away from the scene unfolding in front of her, more than at little hurt that her little sister had shaken off her praise. Andromeda had hoped that she and Cissa might become close; Narcissa was not as cold as Bella was. But now that Cissa was on the precipice of adolescence, Andromeda felt that she was fighting a losing battle.

 

 

Bella was rifling through their mother’s jewelry box. From its depths, she extracted a heavy-looking necklace of opals and rubies and matching earrings. “What would you like, Andromeda?” Bella enquired lugubriously, addressing the middle Black sister for the first time in weeks. Cissa peered around Bella’s skirts, stoking a small pearl broach with loving fingers. The eldest sister slapped her hand away. “Stop that, Cissa! You’re much too young for jewelry. Cissa hardened her expression and replied, “Fine. I don’t care at all,” but Andromeda saw that the small girl was blinking away hurt tears.

 

 

Andromeda reached forward and plucked the large black bow from her little sister’s hair. The blonde waves fell around her shoulders. “Andromeda,” Cissa whined, “What did you do that for?”

 

 

Andromeda smiled mischievously. “Just watch.” She retied the ribbon in a jaunty bow around one shoulder of her little sister’s dress. “There!” She stood back and admired the effect. “Now your dress is white and black.” Cissa rushed forward and peered at herself in the mirror before murmuring a sound of ill-concealed delight. “Thank you, Andy,” she whispered. Andromeda was surprised to hear her sister call her “Andy”; it was a nickname that hadn’t been used since Cissa was eight, but it pleased her all the same. Andromeda returned to Bella’s side with a smile and removed a simple pair of diamond earring shaped like flowers from the jewelry box. Bella raised a carefully plucked brow.