Inferno

"My burning sun will some day Rise"

Summer was passion.

The feeling of boiling, burning underneath robes that trapped her. The humidity crushing her lungs until she was forced to gasp for air. The glint of moisture, slowly rolling down the face of her petite, childlike sisters, of her energetic, infant cousins, of random, inconsequential strangers.

It drove Bellatrix insane.

Summer had always been her favorite season. Mother and father reached new levels of indifference towards their children and Bella would drag Andy, and sometimes Cissy when she was feeling generous, into new adventures, exploring the dark crevices of caves and mountains or the untamed jungle of the Amazon.

Never mind that the basement was as well lit as the dining room and Druella had three house elves to make sure her gardens never resembled an untamed jungle.

Fresh out of her first year of Hogwarts, Bella had escaped her sisters in favor of the silent outdoors. Andy, her favorite, could not stop her seemingly unending assailment of questions about Hogwarts. Cissy, who she could never really bring herself to love, just seemed so juvenile at four years her junior. Bella enjoyed the stillness of the outdoors in comparison. It was like everything had recognized her arrival and froze while trying to adjust to her presence. She stood in the middle of a small circle of flowers, listening as the hum of the Earth grew at her command to continue.

Without the annoyance of petty things like school or rules to restrict her, Bella felt free in summer in a way that no other season could provide. In released the primal part of her that she could barely keep caged during the other months of the year. (She could feel it deep within her bones; an ever present tiger that paced slowly, lethargic in the colder weather. She had found the end of this school year was unbearable, as the tiger slowly stretched and lowered itself, ready to pounce at the first-)

Bella removed her hair tie, relishing in the sticky dampness of her hair as it fell over the back of her neck. The sun sizzled and caressed her skin, turning her dark, turning her feral, turning her mind round and round until she collapsed on the grassy lawn. As she gazed upwards to the endless expanse of sky, she knew it would belong to her: the world. Nothing could stop her as this feeling of power pulsed slowly underneath her skin calling her to action, to the glory that she so rightly deserved, that was her birthright.

It was within her reach. She had a wand gripped in her iron fist and she would show no mercy. Except maybe to Andy, because Andy was kind but tough and would never betray her. Andy could take care of the mundane parts of ruling. Her little sister was the type who would pay attention to the petty details, like if people had enough food or how to best utilize resources. Bellatrix would take over the job of crushing those who thought to defy and rebel, and would otherwise be content to simply bask in her triumphs. The world would fall at her feet, awed and terrified of the tantalizing woman who was as graceful as she was ruthless. What was it that the ragged old hat has whispered to her only months before? "Ambitous for such a young girl. You're all fire; Be careful not to burn."

Burn. As the sun beat down, Bella threw caution to the wind. She would engulf herself in flames and raze the land until the world bent on its knees at the sight of Bellatrix Black. She saw no need to control the blaze. She would make the sun look like a candle next to her brightness. She ignored the parched feeling in her mouth, her throat's ever growing call for water, beating down any desire that would quench the inferno that grew inside her. (The tiger was coiled, aching to lunge, to attack, to tear and rip and fall its prey)

Bellatrix's ascension would take place in the summer. While the rest of the world lazed, resting in the warmth, Bellatrix would exploit their weakness and catapult herself to greatness. She could see their shocked faces as they realized that their world would never be the same. She bristled slightly at their imaginary shock. Surely they should realize that as a Black, she was entitled to the world if she demanded it. They would understand soon enough. They would see that a girl named after a star that shone so bright, that was born into royalty, was destined to turn the world into her empire.

There was time though. She could feel that her magic was still unbridled even after a years instruction. It did not leap from her the way it sometimes did Andy or Cissy, in bursts that they boasted about for days. It rippled within her, begging to be released thorough her wand. (It was the tiger that whispered to her that she was a Black, that her father could bribe someone so that the ministry would ignore a small bit of magic preformed outside of the school)

Her fingers twitched around her wand. A mixture of walnut and dragon heartstring that felt so tough and durable in her small hand. She would wait though. (She ignored the tigers roar of disgust) She needed to lay low, so that no one could interfere with her plans. It wouldn't do to have everything destroyed by some man in a suit at the ministry making a fuss over the words written on a piece of paper. She stood and stretched, allowing each muscle to loosen and tighten just enough so that she was perfectly limber. She turned on her heel and thought she might go browse through the texts in her father's library. The ones on the high shelves that he said weren't for the eyes of young ladies. (The tiger purred in satisfaction) She could wait. She could prepare. She knew it was only a matter of time now. Soon she world be ready.

(When the first leaf changed, the tiger would slink back into its cage and would begin to pace once more.)


A/N Love Bellatrix, but not crazy about this one. Reviews are appreciated and constructive criticism more so.