Narcissa frowned, gently wiping a cool damp cloth across Bellatrix's forehead. Half asleep, Bellatrix turned into the touch, whimpering softly. Narcissa bit her lip, anger boiling inside her. It had been several days since the Dark Lord had broken Bellatrix and the others out of Azkaban, and her condition had not improved, despite Narcissa's near constant attention. She had arrived with a fever, weak and malnourished. It was all Narcissa could do to help Bellatrix keep down a meager amount of soup and the potions she needed to heal.

The bedroom door opened, and Narcissa glanced over her shoulder. Lucius stood in the doorway, looking hesitant.

"How is she?" he asked.

Narcissa turned to the basin on the nightstand and cleaned the washcloth, irritation growing. "No improvement. She's rarely awake, and when she is, she still rarely knows where she is." With a flick of her wand, she changed the water in the basin. "The Dark Lord should have razed Azkaban to the ground."

"In due time, I'm sure," Lucius said. He paused. "I'm sure she will be fine if you were to leave her for a few hours - "

"Out! Get out, unless you want to be cursed!" Narcissa snapped, jumping to her feet and spinning around to face him. "I am not leaving her side! Not while she's still like this!"

Lucius cleared his throat, nodded sharply, and left. Narcissa glared at the closed door until Lucius's footsteps could no longer be heard. She sat back down in her chair, debating which curse would be most satisfying.

Bellatrix shivered. She cracked her eyes open, peering up at her with a glazed look. "Cissy...?"

Narcissa placed a hand on top of Bella's head, brushing her thumb gently across her forehead. It was burning hot, uncomfortable to the touch. "I'm here, Bellatrix."

"What...?" Bellatrix swallowed. Her gaze was unfocused.

Tired of answering the same questions, knowing Bellatrix would forget again, she said only, "Don't worry. You're safe."

"Cold..." Bella grasped weakly at the covers, struggling to pull them higher.

"I know, Bella, I'm sorry. I'm doing all I can." Narcissa soothed, pulling another blanket up from the foot of the bed and tucking it under Bella's chin. Despite being huddled under three thick blankets, Bellatrix shivered. "Perhaps it would be better to add more wood to the fire..."

"Fire...?" Bella furrowed her eyebrows. "There's no fires here... Wouldn't help anyway... Not with them..." She coughed. "Throat hurts..."

Narcissa helped her drink another potion and coaxed her to drink a bit of water, worried when Bellatrix took only a few sips before refusing to drink more.

"There's no Dementors here," Narcissa said. "I promise. I won't let them near you, never again."

Bellatrix trembled, staring at the ceiling. Narcissa wasn't sure Bellatrix had heard her at all.

"When the Dementors come, leave me," Bellatrix rasped.

"Those foul creatures here. I'm not going anywhere."

"They'll be back...always back...promise me..."

Bellatrix weakly clasped her hand, staring at her with pleading eyes. Narcissa hesitated, torn. Was it better to continue with reassurance or to make the promise? What would calm her sister more?

"Cissy, please..."

Narcissa pressed a kiss to Bella's forehead. "You're safe here. I promise."

Bellatrix's eyes lost focus once more, though her agitation did not seem to subside. Narcissa felt a pang of regret. Maybe she should have made that promise instead...

The door opened. Aggravated, Narcissa twisted around in her chair, snapping, "I've told you, Lucius, I'm not leaving - "

Alecto Carrow stood frozen in the doorway, grasping the frame in a white knuckled grip, staring at Bellatrix with wonder and disbelief. She swallowed hard.

"I don't believe it. He were tellin' the truth," she breathed.

Narcissa frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"What yeh think I'm doing here?" Alecto said, but with her gaze still locked on Bellatrix it lacked her usual bite. She took an unsteady step forward. "How long...?"

"A few days," Narcissa said stiffly. She had never approved of Bellatrix's infatuation with Alecto, who was crass and simple-minded. But for the first time, she appreciated the depth of Alecto's feelings for her sister.

Alecto glanced at her sharply. "You should have told me."

"I had no idea you still cared for her," Narcissa said, brushing her off. "I assumed you had moved on."

Alecto's glare turned icy cold. "Bullshit. Yeh knew. Yeh just don't care. Always cared more about yerself when it came to Bella's happiness."

"How dare you - !" Narcissa snarled, but Bellatrix groaned and shifted, and Alecto rushed to the bed, ignoring Narcissa entirely.

"Bella?" Alecto said softly, brushing away strands of hair plastered to Bellatrix's forehead.

Bellatrix cracked open her eyes. She peered up at Alecto, looking dazed. "Who...who are you...?"

Alecto forced a pained smile. "It's me, Bella. Alecto."

"Alecto...?" Bella swallowed. "You...you shouldn't be...you can't be..."

Pain and insecurity flashed through Alecto's eyes. "If you want me to go..."

Bellatrix grabbed Alecto's arm, her eyes wide. "You have to. Before they come back. They can't catch you, please - "

She struggled to sit up, and Alecto and Narcissa grasped her shoulders and forced her back down, pinning her to the mattress.

"You're safe, Bella, no one is going to be taking anyone away," Narcissa said firmly. "You're upsetting her, Alecto, leave - "

Frantic, Bellatrix fought against them, grabbing Alecto's arm. "No! Don't leave, please!"

Alecto soothed her gently. "It's alright. I ain't going anywhere, I promise yeh."

At that, Bellatrix settled down, her eyes sliding shut. Her grip on Alecto loosened, but she did not let go.

"Stay...please..."

Alecto sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Bella's hair. "I will."

"Missed...you..." Bella's breathing evened out, and she slipped off to sleep.

"Oh, Bella, me Bella..." Alecto sounded choked. "I missed yeh too..."

Narcissa watched Alecto for a moment, debating with herself. After a moment, she flicked her wand, conjuring a cot in the corner of the room, deliberately unlike the comfortable single bed that she had summoned for herself on the other side of Bellatrix's. She might be forced to accept Alecto's presence, but she did not have to like her.

Alecto watched her curiously.

"You may stay. We will take shifts sleeping. She needs to take this potion again in an hour. It must be taken every four hours. This potion - " She rattled off more instructions, repeating them two or three times, sometimes to Alecto's frustration ("I know how ter tend a fireplace"), but she listened intently, and eventually Narcissa was forced to accept that Alecto was capable of taking care of Bellatrix for a few hours while she slept.

Narcissa paused. "Who told you - "

"Lucius. He was worried about yeh."

She frowned, annoyed that Lucius had gone behind her back, but she appreciated the help Alecto offered and his concern. Alecto's attention was back on Bella, seemingly uninterested with any reply from Narcissa.

Exhaustion bearing down on her, Narcissa moved around to her small bed and crawled under the covers. Alecto stretched out on the bed beside Bellatrix, watching her with a gaze more soft and tender than Narcissa had believed her capable of and felt a twinge of regret that she had not sent for Alecto the moment Bellatrix had arrived.

Satisfied that Bellatrix was in good hands, she drifted off into a fitful sleep.