Twirling the dark strand of hair around my finger was always far more interesting than any topic of conversation I had to endure. Granted, it was virtually the identical argument each time- and I had no intention of ever paying attention. In my current situation, I was much like the tiny mollusk creature that had barely caught my gaze in the land beyond the window pane; fighting to stay beneath the shaking leaf from the gardenias that were ceaselessly pelted by large droplets of rain. Nothing else mattered to it in the world preceding a perpetual death grip on life and the inability to convince oneself to let it go. I wiped the tiny pinprick feeling of my rain from my cheeks in the form of spittle as strayed from flapping lips; supplemented with the thunderous voice of my father screaming incessant complaints about my behaviour… more-or-less.

I looked up at him, the giant oaf. In the presence of this madman, we were all captive until he had his own way: a way more commonly referred to as "the hard way". Who would've thought that someone whose mouth was so small could scream so loud?

I felt the sting of his hand on my cheek before I saw it coming. The strength put into that one movement made me lurch over the table, the only thing saving my head from hitting the wooden surface being a conveniently placed hand of mine. "Pay attention when I am speaking to you, child! You are in this house- this house of pure lineage- and you will respect it as such!"

"Purity?" I laughed, mainly to myself. I looked back up at the looming figure. "Do you not see the black stains on the wall? They weren't put there because they committed acts of purity."

My mother made a sound that closely resembled the shrill squeak of a mouse, clutching a hand to her heart. It was nothing more than theatrics of a broken mind- the mind of a person whose incapability of doing much of anything else came to light. "They are nothing to us anymore. They will not stain our bloodline any further." She then set about muttering the family motto under her breath; her fingers twitching to burn out my image as well.

The man's lips turned into a straight line. "Your behaviour is unacceptable to be in this family- it's impure."

"You know full well I have no eyes for those of tainted blood, father. I understand and treasure the pure line that our family has created over the generations. So why pester me about it?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he flustered about in his head, trying to debate which argumentative piece would be most effective. "You spend far too much time dawdling about school for me not to be concerned about what you're doing."

It was relatively true, in a sense. I was not the most proficient of learners in Hogwarts- not the greatest, but not the worst. The worst would probably have been that Myrtle girl who ended up not being able to save her own ass and found herself subsequently in the girls' bathroom plumbing system for the rest of eternity.

"I'm out of school now. I have no need for others anymore."

"Then you will marry; just as we have implored yo-"

"No."

"What did you say?" The faint sound of the mouse-woman came from somewhere behind my father once again. I could see my father before me again, the face becoming so red that he could have sat in the garden between the tomatoes and no creature could tell the difference. I couldn't help but smile maliciously at the thought of them nibbling at his face, breaking open the skin and removing the obscene masks he called 'expressions'. A faint bubble of laughter escaped from between my lips, pale against the growing redness of my cheek.

"You think this is funny?!" His hand rose again, this time stopped by the quick action of the wand in my hand pointing at his throat before he could even raise it in the perfect striking position. "What are you-?"

"You will not strike me again," I threatened, my eyes burning with anger and resentment for the man before me- the man I was supposed to admire and respect.

"You cannot use magic against me, your father."

The squeaking mother turned into a howling dog, hurling obscenities and threats of rage in my direction. From an outside view, it was no wonder that I was deemed insane. I had to live with this daily, weekly, yearly. It would erode the minds of any person- regardless of purity.

I laughed a vile tone as I stepped forward. "I am of age. I can use magic in any way that I want."

"You will learn your place."

"Maybe one day, but not right now."

"You are a woman. You will find yourself in the presence of a man and know that you are to follow his every whim; like a woman should!"

I chuckled, backing away. "I don't think so."

I turned quickly on my heels, storming towards the door, hearing the roaring voices of my parental guardians screaming after me. It was one voice in particular that caught my attention from the stairwell, hiding behind the edge of the top landing. A head of black and white hair peering over the top, staring down at me with dark, concerned eyes.

"Bellatrix…."

Well, shit.