In Love, In Death

Loud and Clear

For days on end she was fascinated. Not only did Bellatrix love the Leaders of Darkness meetings she was the first one there and the last one to leave. Constantly pouring over Dark Arts books, she found herself engrossed in poisonous potions and Unforgivable Curses. It was not just a concept, it was a lifestyle. The only cruelty the world could pay her was when it was not her turn to do the cursing, but when she was the one cursed on.

"Crucio" Bella braced herself for the incoming shocks and inevitable pain. Even though this curse was painful she thanked Slytherin that it was not the Imperius curse. Last week Malfoy had Gordan under the curse and he was forced to do the other boy's Charms homework. It was painful to watch.

Everyone marvelled at Bellatrix while she was under the Cruciatus curse. The theory was that the pain was different for everyone. Not just how much pain there was but what it felt like. Malfoy said he felt like his bones had turned to shattered glass, Carl Collins said that he felt like licks of fire were coursing up and down his limbs.

As for Bellatrix, she felt... everything.

Tingling sensations in her fingertips like her hands were held over white hot flames, bones like sludge, skin slowly peeling off a thin layer at a time. But it was not pain. Nothing she felt would ever be pain. She was a Black and a pure-blood, pain was not in her vocabulary.

Bellatrix savoured those times when she was on the cursing end of the wand. No matter who was on the recieving end of the pain, she felt no pity.

Until it came to the final meeting before Christmas. With a heart full of joy, Bella stood up invigorated and ready to practice her curses. The selection spell was cast and all jaws in the room fell slack at the name that was picked.

Narcissa. Cissy, Bella's own sister.

Both sisters looked at each other from across the room. Narcissa looked scared. Everyone, including her, could see the passion Bellatrix Black had for Unforgivable Curses and the like. So it was no surprise that where Cissy was scared, Bella was defiant.

No matter what, my darling, there is nothing more important than you. If it all comes down to keeping you and everything that makes you protected then do whatever you must. Nothing should come in the way of who you are inside.

Druella Black's voice echoed in Bella's mind. She had heard those words when she was just seven years old and she had never really taken the time to fully grasp what they meant. Now she knew. To save yourself you must do what's necessary: turn your back on people. Even family.

Bella drew her gaze away from her sister's and raised her chin. She refused to look at anyone in the room. She knew what they were thinking. Bellatrix wouldn't curse her own sister, would she?

Narcissa took several shaky steps across the room while never taking her eyes away from Bella's face. She stared and stared imploringly. Bellatrix would not meet her eyes.

"Bella..." Narcissa spoke in a tinny voice, high and scared. Her sister's heart clenched.

"You ready?" Bella said roughly.

Narcissa swallowed loudly, trying her hardest to gather her courage. The last thing she expected was this. Her sister doing the cursing was one of the things she never thought would happen.

"Crucio" Bella spoke bluntly.

Narcissa grimaced and her eyes shut immediately. The pain washed over her in thick waves of intense, tight heat. It was excruciating.

Unlike her sister, Narcissa was more than willing to speak her pain loud and clear. Her screams were  that of pure fear and heartbreak.

"STOP IT!" Lucius roared. Everyone else looked on in horror.

Malfoy pushed past Bellatrix's upraised wand and knelt next to his girlfriend on the ground. Narcissa writhed and screamed. Every limb moved like it had a mind of it's own.

With a flick  of her wrist Bella ended the curse and Narcissa's whole body went limp. Everyone, including her sister, leant forward to see if she unconscious. It was not the first time that had happened to someone.

"Narcissa... baby..." Lucius patted her blonde hair soothingly. Bella's sister's eyes lolled and her mouth was open.

Bellatrix was frozen in shock over what she had done.

Not wanting to take another look at her sister's limp and woozy body, Bella ran out of the room, her hand over her mouth.

*

Now, we need to meet. Room of Requirement. Right now.

Bellatrix wrote the message quickly on a spare piece of torn parchment and enchanted it to reach Ethan and only Ethan. What happened at the library had mended itself and now the two young lovers were back with being happily infatuated with each other.

In her shock and in her horror Bellatrix realized that there was only one person she needed to be with right now. There was only one person who could see in her the beautiful and kind-hearted person she wasn't raised to believe existed. She was still left to wonder if that side of her did in fact exist.

When the tears began to fall over what a horrible thing she had done to her own sister, despite the echoing words of her mother in her head, Bellatrix let the tears fall.

That was the last time she cried.