For the Battlefield Wars Round 5.
Position: Healing Cadet
Required Character: Rita Skeeter
Secondary Character: Bellatrix Lestrange
1 (word) House
3 (word) Scribble
8 (word) Money
9 (object) Parchment
11 (dialogue) "Don't you try and stop me."
12 (emotion) Shame
13 (word) Jump
Word Count: 1611
Best Laid Plans
I walked into the library as I dug into my bag searching for my money to make sure I had it. Trix and I planned to go on the Hogsmeade trip together today. She had told me about a book shop that had opened on a less-traveled street, and it even had some of the early edition journalism books I had been dying to get my hands on.
I stopped at the edge of a bookcase and watched as Bellatrix huffed and blew her bangs out of her eyes before flipping the page in her Transfiguration book. "Who does she think she is? That awful, awful woman."
"Who's an awful woman, Trixie?" I whispered in her ear as I leaned over her shoulder.
Bellatrix flinched before she saw it was only me. "Professor McGonagall. She set me twenty inches on Animagus Transformation because I was sleeping instead of working." Bellatrix closed her book and laid her head on top of it looking at me sideways. "This is not how I imagined my Sixth Year, Ri."
I pushed the chair next to her closer and sat down to lean against her side. I picked up the parchment Bellatrix had been writing on and snorted. "This scribble," I pointed at a drawing she had charmed in the corner of her parchment. "Is this supposed to be a snake eating a lion? Honey, I don't think that's how it works, though I do admire your House loyalty." I patted her shoulder. "It'll be alright, Trixie. I'm here, you know. Ri-Trix for life, yeah?"
Bellatrix sighed, then sat up pushing me back into my chair fully and away from her side. "I need to get this essay finished so I can go back to the Common Room. Was there anything you actually needed to say, or are you just here to cheer me up, Ri?" She rolled her shoulders back and stretched her arms over her head, popping her neck and back.
I smirked and set my bag on the table. "I was coming to collect you for the Hogsmeade trip, but cheering up my favorite person comes first."
Bellatrix made a show of looking around and under the table. "I don't see Avery around."
I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest with a pout. "You know I don't mean him, Trix."
"Lucius? No, that's my sister that thinks he's the best thing ever and he's a bit young besides." Bellatrix tapped her chin with her right forefinger. "Ah-ha! Must be Steve Laughalot- the new star Quidditch Captain!"
A dark haired Slytherin, with blue eyes and tired look to him, leaned his chair back and glared at us from two tables over. "I didn't do anything that you can prove, Bellatrix Black! So don't be blaming me for anything, you hear?"
"Sod off, you wanker!" My best friend grinned as she flipped him off, then turned back to me with a smirk. "So?"
My hands clenched on the strap of my bag as I glared at her. "If you can't be serious- don't make a joke! Your cousin doesn't even start here until we're gone!" I cut her off as I stood, yanking my bag off the table and onto my shoulder, "I can't be around you right now, Bellatrix. Come find me when you are ready to act your age and not your shoe size." I hissed, indignantly, as I dropped her parchment on the table.
"You can't just leave me, Rita. You're the only friend I have here," Bellatrix pleaded as she started to stand.
"Dont't! Don't you try and stop me. Don't you dare." I pushed Bellatrix away from me and stormed out of the study area and into the main library, with a sneer at Madam Pince as she started squawking about quiet in the library. "Shut up, you old hag!" I yelled as I passed her desk and and flung open the door to walk into the hall. I continued on, anger evident in my stomping form and furrowed brow. I knew that the huddle of Ravenclaws I pushed through on my way wouldn't do anything to me, but I wasn't so lucky when I slammed into a group of Gryffindors, which had me sprawled out on the floor and my bag split from the effort to avoid landing on my face. "Ouch," I hissed, as I rubbed at a sore spot on my hip. "Seriously? You're just going to walk all over my things? Damn bloody Lions." I scrambled to save my things from the lumbering prats that knocked me on my arse.
A pale hand swooped in and grabbed my ink vial while a female in sensible black dress shoes and a male with expensive dragonhide boots took stance side by side in front of me.
"Here, Miss Skeeter," a smooth voice said, and a hand entered my vision- the one that had rescued my ink. I took the vial and put it in its protected pocket in my bag, then looked at my helper.
"Narcissa. You don't have to call me Miss Skeeter... and thank you for your assistance." I put my ink back in my bag and grabbed up the rest of my things.
"RI!" I looked up to see Bellatrix running down the corridor. She slid to a stop by my side before kneeling. "Rita, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," I nodded, before standing with Narcissa's help. I looked down into the dark eyes of my best friend, still kneeling on the floor. "No thanks to you."
Bellatrix flinched back and looked up at my other protectors.
Andromeda looked down on her sister and shrugged. "I look after my own. Weasley here wouldn't understand that." She arched an eyebrow at the exclamation of indignation from Arthur Weasley. "Oh, do shut up, Weasley. I can't afford to lose brain cells this close to OWLs."
My other protector snorted. "Easy, Andromeda. Wouldn't want him to go fetch his Head of House. We all know he's not that good at his spells." Lucius shifted slightly, causing me to be hidden from view. "Go, Weasley, and take those pathetic excuses for friends with you." He glared at Molly Prewitt and Bertha Jorkins.
"What's is going on here?" Professor Slughorn's voice floated over the heads of the students as he walked up behind Weasley, Prewitt and Jorkins.
"Nothing, Professor," I said quietly. "The Gryffindors were just leaving and we were about to go to Hogsmeade for Potions ingredients."
Professor Slughorn smiled, "Well, then. Carry on!"
Prewitt glared at our group, leaning around Lucius to sneer at Bellatrix and I. "Sure thing, Professor. We're leaving now." She linked arms with Weasley and started walking towards the library, Jorkins trailed along behind them. When the door closed behind the trio, Professor Slughorn cleared his throat, then headed back the way he came from.
I heaved a sigh of relief when they were out of sight. "Thank you, Narcissa. I was worried they'd try something worse since it was Weasley and Prewitt."
Narcissa and Lucius nodded, then left to go line up to leave for Hogsmeade.
Andromeda smiled at me, then hugged me and whispered in my ear, "Be easy on my sister. She worries about you constantly, Miss Rita." She closed her eyes, then opened them again, all emotion gone from her face. "I'll see you at dinner, Bella." She turned and walked away, calm and serene.
I turned to see Bellatrix stretch up to her full height from where she had been kneeling. I saw something in Bellatrix's gaze that I had never seen before- shame. Bellatrix was ashamed. I tilted my head and looked at her, "Bellatr-"
"Please stop," Bellatrix said, voice soft and eyes cast downward. "I hate it when you call me Bellatrix. I know I don't deserve for you to speak to me kindly. Not after I let you get hurt-"
I cut her off as I shouldered my bag, "It's not your fault the Gryffindors got the jump on me. I wasn't paying attention where I was going."
Bellatrix's head shot up. "Of course it was my fault! I made you leave because I couldn't be serious."
I shook my head. "I was trying to teach you a lesson, Trix. Maybe in not the clearest of ways, but it was my fault." I put my hand out to her. "Come on. We have to actually buy ingredients for Potions now and I still want to see that book store you told me about."
Bellatrix grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug. "Don't scare me like that again, Ri. I was so worried."
"I'm sorry," I apologized as I hugged her back.
"Alright. Let's go to Hogsmeade." Bellatrix smiled and laughed as she pulled me along after her as she ran to get in line to leave.
I giggled as we ran and sent up a silent prayer. 'Please let Bellatrix and I always be close friends- even when we graduate and become adults. I don't know if I would be able to get along without her. She's my best friend and confidante and I love her like she were my own sister.'
"Hurry up! The day has just begun!" Bellatrix grinned at me over her shoulder as she pushed the door open and we crossed into the sunlight.
A/N
I'm thinking about turning this into a series. Reviews always appreciated. It helps me to decide which stories to continue and which ones to leave as is. Thank you!
~Kuro~