aspired / inspired

lestrange née black

[imalicelongbottom]

Unfortunate events, but to who? | December 3rd, 1978 | Alice & Bellatrix

It had been a while since Dumbledore had previously contacted Alice. But she hadn’t mind at all, less Order business meant slightly easier days, as if an Auror had easy days. At least she didn’t have to deal with the bad guys both on and off working hours. While Alice had been relieved from the short, but very needed, break, she was glad to get back into business.

She had wanted to take part on this mission, not only because it kept her occupied from worrying over Frank, but also because Alice hadn’t been doing anything Order related in weeks. And she missed it. A Muggleborn family needed their protection, her protection and there was really no way Alice would let Voldemort and his minions to get to that family. Alice knew that the Auror Department would never do this kind of work, no - you needed something to actually happen unless you were the Minister of Magic who could easily get full protection…

It had been agreed with the Primleys and her, via Dumbledore naturally, that she would apparate nearby and send a patronus to them, before walking in their house. As Alice apparated nearby the Primleys’ home, she stayed put for a few minutes. She wanted to make sure that no-one was too close to her, nor the house. Alice wasn’t sure if Voldemort had indeed ordered his followers to attack the family, but she wouldn’t doubt the danger. Dumbledore wouldn’t do this if he didn’t firmly believe that they were indeed in danger. And Alice would surely made it her personal matter to keep them safe.

When she was sure that there were no suspicious wizards, or witches, nearby, Alice prepared herself to create a patronus. She had her eyes almost closed, thinking the most happy moment in her life, and Alice had always been glad that the particular moment wasn’t hard to pinpoint. But life, more often than not, doesn’t go as planned, and Alice was brought back to this cold and dark December evening, when someone apparated too close to the Primleys’ for her liking.

The Auror let her wand stay up, but didn’t light it up - she wouldn’t give them, or was it just a one person - Alice wasn’t sure, the advance of seeing her. Quietly she made her way closer to the person, yes I was definitely just a one person, and to the house she was supposed to guard. 'Bloody Merlin. Really? My first mission in ages, and it's already put in jeopardize! They should have let me apparate inside like I suggested!' Alice thought frustrated as she became closer and closer to the person between her and the Primleys.

[bellacktrix]

Bellatrix had been practically about to come out of her skin when her Lord offered her this mission. The altercation she and Rodolphus had fought in was nearly a fortnight ago, and she had never done well with sitting still. Of course, she had done her duty, called on the proper people, but the only truly memorable moment of her week before had been that encounter with a mudblood, something that seemed like a travesty in her opinion. Needless to say, when the Dark Lord offered, she jumped at the chance. 

His words still rang in her head, and something in her chest ached to respond, to verbalize her total loyalty, to prove herself over and over again for no other reason than to please. It transformed into determination and a sloped smile on her face that had made some of the weaker beings in her group give her space. Even now, as she apparated onto snowy grass, it sat there, betraying her excitement with her task. 

The home of the family on her list was not overly large, but well kept. Bella wondered if that meant they were a proud sort and hoped they were. The proud always fought for life, and the look in their eye as she stole it from them was something that she relished. She looked over the house for a moment, taking in the placement of the windows and accessibility of exits, her wand in her palm like an extension of herself. Quietly, she cast a jamming charm on the windows of the lower floor, knowing that a jump from one of the upper would only aide her in her cause. 

Had it been earlier in the week, she probably wouldn't have bothered with this, but Bella was enjoying the anticipation, drawing it out for herself. With a smile, she started towards the house, quiet but for the crunch of snow under her shoes. She really should have simply apparated inside, but it would have ruined this feeling, this prickling of her skin spreading through her. The back of her neck tingled, and Bella stopped. 

Bella was too far into the light of the house, and her eyes were too poorly adjusted to see in the dark of the night around her. Still, something was off, and Bella's anger flared at her own paranoia. She turned back towards the door, moving faster, deciding to forgo any more build up of her own anticipation. A mudblood family would surely not result in much of a challenge, anyway. 

[bellacktrix]

tabled truths | Nov 24, 1978 | Narcissa & Bellatrix

[mrsxnarcissamalfoy]

"I’m glad to hear it. The house looks splendid—I recognize your touch. How is Rodolphus?" She asked, her brother-in-law was good to her sister and that’s all that mattered to her. Deep down, she wished Bella had found love the same way she had with Lucius, but her sister always seemed content—she and Rodolphus got along, at the very least, though her sister was so capable of defending herself she doubted she’d have to worry about her even if they hadn’t. It was a good match, her parents had been wise to make it, she acknowledged. They done a good job for both of their daughters, Narcissa thought idly, refusing to think of their third daughter.

Narcissa couldn’t help but smile softly at the impatience plain in Bella’s voice. “Well, what was it father said? No news is good news. It means things are going according to plan, are they not?” Not that Narcissa knew the specifics of the Dark Lord’s plans, only that when they did not go as he wanted, people tended to suffer. So she was happy for the respite, especially if it meant keeping her husband and sister out of harm’s way. But Bella, she knew, craved a bit more action.

"Lucius is doing his part at the Ministry, making new contacts while keeping a firm grip on the old ones." Narcissa shrugged, hesitating as she thought of what she’d learned at the latest Sunday brunch. "Although according to Ava Greengrass, the Fawleys are in a bit of an uproar. Apparently their eldest daughter has gotten engaged to that Fenwick boy—I don’t remember his name. But considering the company he keeps, he no doubts at least supports fools like Dumbledore and—" Narcissa shrugged, letting Bella make her own conclusions, as she knew more about who was helping Dumbledore’s side of the war than Narcissa.

Narcissa froze at Bella’s words, the growing pride in her sister’s voice drowned out by the thudding of her own heart. Regulus—her little Regulus… he was so young! Too young. “He’s still in Hogwarts, can the Dark Lord truly make use of him? Wouldn’t it be more prudent of him to focus on his NEWTs, establish a career before he pledges himself so that he can be of use?” Narcissa said, trying to keep the note of desperation out of her voice, “Bella, he is so young. And right under Dumbledore’s nose? What if he’s discovered?” She frowned at the mention of their wayward cousin. If only Sirius had done his job, Regulus wouldn’t be expected to go above and beyond to prove himself. “Regulus shouldn’t be held accountable for Sirius’ mistakes. He is so different from him, so much better. I’m sure he’ll prove himself but—he’s still a child, Bellatrix.”

[bellacktrix]

"I'm sure he's fine, wherever he went for the day," Bella replied, waving offhandedly in the direction of the door. She had never understood Narcissa's preoccupation with asking after Rodolphus; surely if anything happened to him, she would be one of the first to know, after Bellatrix herself. That was the way of family. Still, after seeing the interesting relationship Narcissa and Lucius had managed to form, the kind of affection she supposed was normal for a marriage that hadn't been pre-arranged, it wasn't completely illogical for her to ask after Bella's own husband. "How's Lucius? Still spending ridiculous amounts of money on his hair?" Bella asked, thinking of her brother-in-law with a smirk that spoke of frequent teasing.

Her smirk faltered at the thought of implications of what her sister said. The Greengrass family had always roused more than a little suspicion in her. They were too quiet about where they stood, and while it had never been Bella's job to bring others to their cause, it wasn't uncommon for the subject to come up with other pureblood families, save for the Greengrass family. The Fawleys were a different beast altogether. While they haven't had a Minister in their line since around the time Bella was born, they had one or two family members in positions of power that could be dangerous for either side if the other won them, and nothing formed alliances better than a marriage. 

Some of her apprehension must have shown on her face, but she was quick to correct as such, but even as she gave her sister a reassuring smile, Bella was sure it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Don't worry, dear sister. We'll simply have to call on them. It wouldn't due to have such a public family as involved in the Ministry as the Fawleys to take sides, and it seems they're in need of a reminder," Bella told her lightly. She doubted her sister would ask what kind of reminder it would be, and Bella certainly wouldn't tell. Narcissa was to be kept from those things, if Bellatrix had her way. 

Turning towards the subject of her cousin, Narcissa's reaction made her frown. "Regulus is nearly an adult, Cissy. He can make adult decisions, and he's chosen so well. We should be celebrating, not worrying about whether or not that old fool will realize what was happening right beneath his nose!" Bella snorted and leaned back in her chair, not bothering with the triviality of remaining ladylike in the company of her sister. The idea of Dumbledore even suspecting one of his precious students was laughable, even if he knew of Regulus' ties to the following of the Dark Lord. He would be more likely to see Regulus as another Sirius than to suspect him of anything. 

Her thoughts turned a shade darker at the thought of what trials her cousin might be put through in the face of Sirius' (and Andromeda, but she refused to think on it) betrayal. "He has more ferocity in him than I believe we give him credit for. Certainly not lacking in passion, at least. He'll complete his task," Bella said firmly, because she refused to even acknowledge the possibility of failure. 

[bellacktrix]

call it our home | Nov 25, 1978 | Bellatrix & Rodolphus

[requiemdelirium]

There was a fever in a successful mission that Rodolphuscould not deny, though it manifested deep within him. It was a wave of triumphof - something. Unlike his wife and many others of their ilk, he did not wearsadistic glee like a badge of honour, though he had been known to let things slip when things got carried away. Personally, he found returning home to be something of a disappointment. These streets only reminded him of how far they still needed to go before victory was theirs. At home there was little in the way of power - if one excluded his dominion over a couple of waif-like house elves. Even that was shared with Bella. Not that he minded.

Walking with her like this was a curious thing. They could almost be out for a late night stroll as man and wife were it not for the fresh bruises that decorated their skin. Yet Rodolphus was never entirely comfortable by his wife’s side. There was always an apprehension as though he were constantly performing. When she turned to face him with her eyes aglow and some teasing comment on her tongue he felt that mix of fear and excitement within him again. From the way she turned on her heel, it made it clear she was not truly interested in his response, and so he did not bother her with one.

When she came to another stop, Rodolphus instantly understood that something was wrong. It came over her in an instant, but he felt a simultaneous pang in his stomach. His wounds were aching muscles and throbbing bruises - a cut along his cheek and one or two others on his arms - barely skin deep. As he closed the space between them in one slide and placed a hand on her arm to steady her, he felt the wet blood that clung to her sleeve, and looked up at her with concern. Amidst his concern, he gave her a narrowed look that made it apparent he had no intention of leaving her alone.

"Will the floor do?" he asked, not wanting to wait until a bench appeared. Courtesy of the late (or perhaps early) hour, there was seldom a soul around to see them, though Rodolphus remained aware of Bella’s pride. All the same; need’s must. He hoped she would be compliant for a change. "Where’s the cut?" he added, when rolling back her sleeve produced no results. Unless something disastrous had struck her, the wound would be simple to heal, though her faintness continued to alarm him.

[bellacktrix]

Bella was more annoyed than anything, now. Her own body, betraying her like this, shaking like a brittle leaf in the wind. She took it all back. It was a horrible town, the cold cutting right through her. Rodolphus' hand on her had felt impossibly warm, and she felt herself slightly leaning in to what heat he gave off. Casual touching, warmth, those were not things Bella did often, and the discomfort she felt in her own actions shortened her temper even more. "Do I look like a child?" she snapped out, giving him a hard glare. "Because I will not sit in the middle of the street as a child does whilst throwing a fit."

Closing her eyes, Bella took a deep breath and focused on calming her body. The shaking wasn't so bad, she found, as long as she remained still, but her head was light, the edges blurred slightly in her mind. Her hand reached up to clamp onto her husband's shoulder, in case he tried to do something idiotic like move while she assessed. "It can't the cut. It's barely a scratch," she answered, opening her eyes after another moment of wiggling her toes experimentally. Bella leaned forward slightly and turned her arm to show him where something had manage to cut through her sleeve, and her skin, on the outside of her upper arm. 

Looking down at it, it seemed bigger than it felt. The blood hadn't really troubled her much before; injuries were more or less normal, especially for Bella. She seemed to be lacking whatever it was that helped others avoid such circumstances, something in her that itched for blood and overshadowed things like fear. "It does seem to be bleeding a bit, though, doesn't it?" she asked, almost as if to herself. She knew next to nothing about healing, save from patching up after missions, but even she could tell it didn't look as if it was going to stop any time soon. Her hand on Rodolphus' shoulder curled tightly and then released. Leaning back on shaking legs, she supposed she had more or less done this to herself. 

Bella was used to injuries, after all. Bruised muscles that ached for days, burning wounds from stray hexes, and scratches that felt as if they were made by pixie's teeth were all things she had experienced before, had even relished in the time they had plagued her. It seemed now she could add blood loss to her list, and she snickered to herself, pulling at her sleeve. "Don't look so worried, darling. It just needs a bit of wrapping," Bella said haughtily, holding her hand out, waiting for him to offer a piece of his clothing. Cocking an eyebrow, she gave him an accusatory look. "Not from my own clothes, of course. This dress is one of my favorites. You can't expect me to rip something like this up, Mother would have a fit."

[bellacktrix]

Flourish and Blotts | Nov 26, 1978

[amesdiggory-deactivated20160804]

Ted should have just left — he should have ran. But the sharpness in her voice stopped him dead in his track as she threatened to kill him. He believed her, too, and in that moment, he was convinced he would never see his family again. The initial fear washed by him just as quickly, however, as he looked into Bellatrix’s eyes. There was a certain darkness to her he didn’t understand — would never be able to understand, and he pitied her for that. 

Still, this was someone who wanted him dead, as evidenced by the wand in her hand. A wrong move, a wrong word out of his mouth, and he could end up against the wall or under a pile of dusty books. So he stood, trying his hardest to ignore the frustration bubbling inside him. The nights he spent sneaking around Hogwarts to meet with Andromeda, always hiding, always in the darkness — they’d been worth it, but they had never been easy for he knew it was because of him they couldn’t be seen together in public. And he knew just as well that it was her family who had perpetuated those fears, those hateful thoughts. 

The wand remained pointed at him, but the wand wasn’t what sent chills down his spine, no. Years of living happily with his family and his friends within the comfortable quarters of his own home, Ted had almost forgotten what it felt like to be despised solely because of who he was and how he was born. Cockroach, she called him, and as much as he didn’t want to linger on her meaningless words, they cut, and he bled. Fortunately, it seemed as though Bellatrix was just as caught off-guard by his presence, and she let her guard down. He should have left then.

But if he left, he would be admitting defeat; and Merlin, he knew it was petty. “She’s happy with me, you know,” Ted began, voice low, with his hand now wrapped around his own wand. “Happier than she ever was living with you. She laughs a lot, and she has the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my life. You don’t get to see that, though, and you can’t blame anyone else for that.” It was a dangerous game he was playing, spitting venom back to Bellatrix, and despite his boldness, he found his heart beating harder than ever against its boney cage. 

A part of him, he supposed, wanted to prove to Bellatrix that he was doing something she couldn’t do. That in some, albeit seemingly arbitrary way, he was better. That despite his blood, and despite her blood, there were. “And she’s beautiful — our daughter. Your niece. She’s amazing. Loves Dromeda unconditionally. It’s not something someone like you could understand.” 

[bellacktrix]

Tonks was even more of an idiot than she had thought; anyone who dared to talk to her like this was an idiot. As if there could be any joy in a household dirtied by common filth. She wanted to hiss and stomp her foot like a child, but instead, she brought her wand back up from where it had fallen. Moving the point around in a playful circle, she spoke. "Happier with you? How could she be? Love? She is- was royalty. You think she'll ever truly be satisfied with playing housewife?" Bella let out a mad sounding giggle, twisted by the nasty expression on her face. 

She moved closer, and closer still, until there was barely a foot between them, keeping her eyes on Tonks' all the while. "You know, when Cissy told me, I almost didn't believe her. Pregnant? And with a nasty mudblood's spawn?" she taunted, low in her throat, practically spitting the insult. Her body felt like it was electric, and every pesky feeling of doubt or curiosity was washed away in the face of playing this game. She leaned forward just a little bit more, smiling beatifically at him. "Your love, your happiness, it's all temporary. She's made of a finer cloth. Even your 'daughter', my 'niece', is made of something more, something you can't even imagine." 

Bella leaned back, her head cocking to the side. Her wand itched to be used in her palm, warm and willing. She grinned, and she wondered if he could see it, what she was feeling. With a dramatic sight, she continued. "It isn't as if you'll last the war, in any case," she said, sounding almost distraught by the thought. "My poor sister, all alone in whatever halfway house you have her stashed in. Maybe your death would help her see how blind she's been."

Her mind flicked to the image of some small child out there who had her sister's smile, maybe some generic feature that belonged to a past ancestor. Bella herself didn't want children; training new recruits already felt too much like babysitting as it was, and they were usually over the age of seventeen. Maybe Narcissa would want her, when this was over. The girl would never be treated equally with the rest of Narcissa's children, when she had them, of course, but Bella supposed they could spare her life. Bella suffered from the same plague, having an unworthy sire. 

On second thought, maybe they should just kill her, with her mudblood father and bloodtraitor mother. Bella couldn't care less. 

Moving her eyes over the man in front of her, she made sure he saw she found him lacking. He could curse her, of course. Knock her around in their hidden little cove of books, maybe even kill her, if he was quiet, but she doubted he would. If even she was deterred by the location of this meeting, Bella imagined this nearly spineless man definitely wouldn't risk it. Bella cocked an eyebrow and gave him a brutally smug smile. "Going to kill me?" she asked, unafraid.

[frengers0]

[bellacktrix]

tabled truths | Nov 24, 1978 | Narcissa & Bellatrix

[mrsxnarcissamalfoy]

Narcissa examined her nails, waiting in the parlour for Bella’s house elf to get back to her. It was all a formality, and a bit of a silly one between family, and if Narcissa had been going to their old home she would’ve just gone through. But this was Bella’s house, her shared home with her husband and she’d never be presumptuous enough to just arrive, even if they had plans.

When the elf appeared in front of her, bowing low and squeaking out that the Floo was ready for her to use, she nodded in acknowledgement and stepped into the fireplace. Stepping out after the flames swirled around her, she dusted the bit of soot off of her robes before looking up to see her sister. She smiled widely. She and Bellatrix couldn’t look more different, they were like night and day, and yet there was an unmistakable similarity between them.

She smiled warmly at her sister’s greeting, there were few people who ever got such a warm greeting from Bellatrix, but Narcissa had known this side of her sister her whole life. “I’m well, Bella. I hope you can say the same?” She linked arms with her sister, a habit from childhood that she’d always had, as they headed upstairs.

The house elves had everything set up to perfection, though in her sister’s house Narcissa expected nothing less. She couldn’t imagine anyone, human or not, wanting to displease Bella and the elves had learned quite quickly how bad a move that was. She sat down, waiting for the elf to serve their tea. “So, Bella, do you have anything interesting to report or shall I start?” She said, a single eyebrow raised. Though she had many friends, her sister was the only one she could truly speak freely with about the others in their social circle.

[bellacktrix]

Bella gave her sister's question a wave of her hand and a quick, "Of course. I'm always just splendid." Her sister's arm in hers reminded her of walking through their childhood home, Narcissa so much shorter than her, she had been more or less holding Bella's wrist. The age difference had been so much more apparent back then, and it wasn't until Narcissa's last years in Hogwarts that Bella realized her sister had grown at all. 

Sitting across from her now, Narcissa was everything a pureblood lady should be, so far from childish in her poised posture that Bella had trouble, at times, reconciling the two in her mind, but then there would always be something, a smile or a hand gesture that made every thing click back into place. Bella rested her hand on her palm, elbow rudely rested on the dressed table between them. "It's been a relatively slow week on my end," she told her sister with badly hidden impatience. 

With a huff, Bella leaned back in her chair, letting her hand fall to the table. Her fingers tapped lightly. "I hate waiting, you know how I hate waiting, but it feels like that's all I've done recently. Tell me you have something on your end. Even whispers around the Ministry or knitting circle or whatever else will do at this point." Her tapping increased in speed. She looked out the window and then back again when she remembered something that may interest her sister.

"Regulus wants to join the fight," Bella said, a non sequitor that left her in excitement and pride. "I thought he would try and wait till he graduated, but he's been very persistent. He wants me to set up something for him, to earn the mark. Can you believe it? We may have a satisfactory cousin yet. After Sirius, who was to know." Her mouth curled in distaste as her cousin's name left her mouth. 

[bellacktrix]

Flourish and Blotts | Nov 26, 1978

[amesdiggory-deactivated20160804]

With so much going on at his house recently, it was surprisingly calming to walk through the streets of Diagon Alley, watching strangers pass by without another glance. There was a certain kind of comfort in knowing that he was practically invisible in the middle of such a large crowd, and that he was allowed to be invisible. It wasn’t that he didn’t love having the boys and girls and everyone else around, but he was no radio host. Although he felt guilty for leaving Andromeda to take care of their daughter all by herself, as he often did, he did promise her he would be back within an hour. 

Though his only goal had been to clear his head a little by wandering aimlessly around the Alley, Ted couldn’t help but stop in front of Flourish and Blotts. His childhood had been filled with picture books — the muggle kinds, of course, with still pictures and mostly non-magical stories — and he surprisingly still remembered many of those stories to this day. It would be nice, he spontaneously decided, for Dora to have more picture books to read (perhaps it would even calm their little ball of energy down for more than a few minutes at a time). 

He stepped in, overwhelmed with familiarity and fondness for the old bookshop. Maneuvering his way through the the bookstacks and the readers, he found one of the workers who suggested he take a look at the back section of the second floor (apparently, they didn’t carry many still-picture storybooks for children). What he hadn’t expected as he walked upstairs, down the long hall and turned a corner was, however, to run into a dark, albeit familiar, figure. 

Of course, Ted knew the woman in front of him all too well. After all, she was, in a more technical sense, his sister-in-law. He was never one to bring up Andromeda’s sisters in a conversation, mostly because that wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation for anyone in their home. For a split second, he thought about pretending that he never even saw the dark haired woman kneeling on the ground, but he’d already seen her, and he sure as hell knew that she at least heard him. Taking a step back, he only hoped this wouldn’t be his last day on earth. 

"Sorry," It felt difficult, and downright wrong, to begin with an apology. This woman, who he knew deep down to his bones was everything he stood against. The woman who’d hurt the love of his life. "No, I’m — I’ll go." 

[bellacktrix]

Bella turned towards the intruder with a glare to make them aware of just how unwelcome they were but stopped. There was the sound of books dropping to the ground with heavy thuds as her standing disturbed the little stacks she had made. Her hand already held her wand, almost without instruction, mindless instinct to squish the bug in front of her. Bella couldn't believe she almost didn't recognize him; that half of a second could have cost her her life had it been anyone who wasn't as worthless as the man her sister had married. 

She held her wand close to her body but aimed at the man trying to leave, retreat back into whatever hell hole he had stolen away her little sister to. "You!" was all she could manage for a second, her outrage bringing her voice up to a shout. With an angry breath, she followed it up with a snarled, "you, you stop right there or I'll kill you." The store was busy, although not as busy as the few weeks before Hogwarts started, but enough so that Bella could cast the curse and the noise of patrons below would drown it out. 

Gripping her wand tighter, she addressed him once more. "I should kill you, right here. Maybe step on you to make sure you don't survive somehow, like the cockroach you are." It felt as if every emotion she had experienced those weeks, between finding out her sister had been bedding a mudblood and then running off with him, was coming back, twice as strong. The disgust on her face felt so deeply etched, it was as if it would never leave, not after this. All the anger and betrayal just thinking of Andromeda brought up in her, it seemed to flow through her veins now, faster than both blood and poison. "I should kill you both for what you've done. How you've ruined her. My sister."

It sounded broken even to her ears, and Bella forced herself to calm. She was in a store, in the middle of Diagon Alley, and she could not help the Dark Lord from a prison cell in Azkaban, even if her actions were so incredibly justified. With a thoughtless wave of her wand, the books reorganized themselves into the uneven stacks they had originally been in. Despite her continued urge to leave him on the ground like the dirt he was, she felt a wave of questions surge up in her. Her family didn't talk about Andromeda, because it hurt Narcissa and Bella had never adept at controlling her temper. Their parents refused to even acknowledge they had a third daughter, the house so empty of any memory of Andromeda that Bella would sometimes believe she had made her up entirely. 

But she was real, and she was living, somewhere out there. Bella would never see her again, hopefully; if she did, it would end with her sister's blood on her hands. It would have to end that way. But this wasn't Andromeda. It was her mudblood husband, who had poisoned her with his beliefs and with his monstrous child, who knew where and how her sister was living, what and how she was doing, and Bella was so deeply curious, almost mad with it. With the righteous fury and curiosity warring inside her, she didn't notice as her wand dropped to point at the floor, giving Tonks the perfect escape. 

[girlsdontlaugh]

[lyssahumana]

[bellacktrix]

tabled truths | Nov 24, 1978 | Narcissa & Bellatrix

Bella had the house elves prepare their usual collection of biscuits and tea in the drawing room on the second floor, the room that had not existed before the Lestranges' inner renovations. She thought it suited her sister; roses climbed the wallpaper like ivy, with every bloom facing the open window that served as a view for their small, neat table. Of course, Bella refused to a lift a finger, barking orders from the sitting room, but some part of her was slightly worried the little rats were running around upstairs, making a mess she would have no choice but to stare at for the next hour or two. 

With the sudden appearance of Poxy, Bella stood from her previous spot on her favorite chair. She waved her hands at the elf in dismissal, stopping the words before they left the creature's mouth. "Yes, I know, 'Mrs Narcissa Malfoy wishes to visit, Mistress,'" she said, quoting what the elf had said, many times before, in a squeaky voice she thought matched Proxy's quite well. As if she needed such an introduction for her sister to arrive. Then again, if Proxy had failed to do so, Bella would have had no choice but to punish the whole lot of them. She had often found house elves needed the reminder, on occasion. 

She moved her attention from the elf to where her sister was trying to floo in and glared at the elf. "Well, let her know to come through," she snapped. "What are you waiting for? Honestly." 

Placing a smile on her face, Bella greeted her sister. "Cissy, dear, how are you?" She sounded like their mother, how revolting. "Come, come upstairs, we'll take our tea," she added, already moving towards the staircase.

[bellacktrix]

Flourish and Blotts | Nov 26, 1978

Leather, spread tight over bound pages, warmed under her fingertips. Bella alternated between loving and hating traveling to Diagon Alley in turns. While it was a good place to get what she needed and be seen doing inane things that weren't war related, being surrounded by people reminded her brutally of Hogwarts. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as she had just as many lovely memories as she did bad, but Bella was often glad her school days were behind her and navigating crowded hallways was one of the reasons why. 

On her useless outings like these, Bella tended to browse in stores for only a few moments and then leave, only occasionally with a purchase in hand, but Flourish and Blotts was a different matter entirely. She couldn't count how many times she had come here as a child, excited to collect her new schoolbooks, but she had never gone through the stacks as she did now. Now, though, she could always find something that was old, leather cracking as it begged to be open. 

People often discarded books after they had finished reading them; it was something Bella did as well, admittedly, but the time she had spent in the library of her old home had taught her some books became temperamental if left alone for too long. It was what she was doing now, on her knees in a flurry of dust and disorganized piles of books spread around her. Her hair was tied out of her face, and she lowered her head to the open pages of the innocuous Herbology guide in her hands. 

There was a creak of the floorboards that brought her from her reverie. People usually found what they were looking for on the first floor or towards the front of the stacks upstairs. Very few actually wandered in the back where Bella was currently kneeling, and even fewer came here with a purpose other than wandering. She listened to the straggler make their way towards her and silently attempted to straighten her appearance and seem as dignified as she could while inanely opening and closing random books around her. 

[allegoryofvanity]

[bellacktrix]

call it our home | Nov 25, 1978 | Bellatrix & Rodolphus

There was a certain exhaustion that came after missions Bella was incredibly fond of. It was a weight in her bones, that could almost be considered an ache, and slowness in her step, as she limped on sore feet, connecting her to the extremities of her body. Bella felt alive, was high with it, as she was every time. She was sure her companion could see the manic grin that sat oddly on her face, but it wasn't one of her major concerns. Rodolphus had seen much worse of her, as she had of him. 

Humming to fill the silence, Bella continued to walk down the cobblestone path. In the night like this, with the majority of the nasty little vermin tucked snugly in their beds, she could almost see the beauty in this muggle town. It was disgusting, still, with dirt, grime, and some kind of oil so deeply ingrained in the cracks of the pavement, she felt she had stepped into Knockturn Alley, but she could almost see it in the way the lights were like stars. Wasn't that a muggle thing to do, creating their own stars? Her family had been named for the stars, born into it, generation after generation. It was laughable that they would even try.

The thrum of adrenaline was beginning to fade, but Bella refused to pout. Stopping abruptly and turning towards Rodolphus, she felt her grin starting to fray at the edges. With a look from his head to the tips of his shoes, she couldn't help but snicker. She knew she looked far worse, as she always did, and was even more sure she had blood running down her arm from something that hurt on her weary body, but the half-snide, half-fond comment left her mouth anyway. "You're probably just itching to go home, aren't you, darling?" 

With a shrug, she turned back in order to keep walking towards the alley they would hopefully apparate home in. Her legs were shaking under her slightly, and Bella stopped, staring at her boots in shock. Keeping her panic concealed, she looked back towards her husband. "I think I might need to sit down," she said, as calmly as possible. It was only after she said it that she realized how off it had sounded, having something so genuine leaving her lips. "My head's in a bit of a whirl, I think, from all the fun. You may have to go ahead without me, dear."

[bellacktrix]

Elladen

Elladan: Have you ever failed to help someone you cared about?

Bellatrix tended to put more responsibility on her shoulders than was strictly expected of her. As the oldest of her sisters and cousins, she had thought of herself as a leader, one who could keep her family intact, and in that, she had failed. In any other circumstance, her answer would be no, but when it came to familial duty, Bella was unforgiving, even with herself.

[bellacktrix]

Melkor / Ungoliant

Melkor: Has greed or the desire for material goods ever backfired on you?

Bella didn’t see money, thought the affluent way her family lived as nothing but the way civilized humans were meant to live. They had been given this because they were better. People who had to beg had obviously done something to make their way to the dirt beneath Bella’s shoes.

Ungoliant: Are you proud of your children or younger relatives?

Narcissa was everything a pureblood lady should be, something Bella was endlessly proud of. Her young cousin, Regulus, was also showing promise, developing into the future Black heir that Sirius wasn’t. While growing up, Bellatrix hadn’t dealt with Sirius’s eventual growth into what he should have been well, tending to treat him with a disdain that was rooted in jealousy, but the age difference was greater between her and Regulus, and the kind of relationship she had with Sirius was not repeated with her younger cousin.

[bellacktrix]

Fëanor, Aredhel & Bifur

Fëanor: Does desire tend to blind you to the consequences of your actions?

There were very few things Bellatrix actually desired in life, surprisingly. She tended to have a one-track mind about most things, and if she couldn’t manage to get what she wanted, it was only because it was an impossibility. When it came to things such as physical desire, well. Bella knew, intellectually, how others felt about her, but she could hardly dirty herself further by sinking to that. It was what her mother had done, falling prey to something so basic as physical attraction. Bella wasn’t like that, would not let herself be that, only wanted the best. And, if the best wasn’t a possibility, she just simply wouldn’t want.

Aredhel: Is listening to other people something that is important to you?

She cared about very little about what the majority of people had to say; it had always been that way, even as a child. In school, if Bella found the subject matter boring, she would even tune that out on occasion, but her sense of duty was usually a heavy motivator for her to try her best in that sense. Bellatrix only cares about the important things that come out of people’s mouths and occasionally the entertaining things.

Bifur: What is your most interesting injury, and how did it happen?

Bellatrix never saw her more violent forays into supporting blood purity as fights per se, but it wasn’t as if none of her victims fought back. It was interesting to Bella how even the most magically inclined of the mudbloods would end up fighting her with their hands, if the opportunity arose. One of her favorites had been a Slytherin girl, an Angela McPoyle, two years below her, a half-blood who reminded her a bit of herself. That night, while Bella was practicing certain spells that weren’t necessary illegal on her dear Angela, her hand had gotten too close. Close enough that Angela was able to bite her, hard enough to bleed profusely.

Bellatrix hadn’t really known what to do with the wound at the time. She wasn’t very skilled with healing, and the extent of her knowledge ended with applying bandages. Going to the hospital wing was a last resort, one she refused to sink to if she could help it. Over time, she tended to look at the scarred dents in her perfect, soft skin with something akin to pride and fondness, like a gift from the unsuspecting Angela McPoyle or battle wound she had earned in the throws of her cause. Time heals all wounds and scars fade, but Bella could still find them in the dark with her fingers.

[magdapeters-blog]