"Bella! Wake up!"
Bellatrix Black rolled on her side, her eyelids still hanging slack. Usually, Bellatrix awoke at the same time every day, and she would sit up straight as a poker when she did so. This morning was no like every other morning, though. The small party her sister had thrown for her last night had been a doozy, to say the least and Bellatrix had sucked down as many chardonnays as one possibly could. Along with the pure blood that floated around her veins, there was the lingering tinge of liquor.
Her sister's face was the first thing that swam into view, along with the furnishings of her room on Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Narcissa was excited, and it shown perfectly on her prim and lovely face. Her hair was already done in big curls that framed her pale skin. Her make- up was flawless, and her dress was hanging on the back of Bellatrix's bedroom door.
It was strange to be in this house once again. Growing up here had been a good experience, for her at least. She'd enjoyed the years before she'd gone off to school. Her parents would sit with their cocktails, along with other parents mostly, while she went off to torment her parents' friends' children. Seeing Narcissa like this reminded her of a day when, a testy little ten-year-old Bellatrix sat in the garden and tugged on her sister's blond locks. She didn't know why.
Bellatrix sat up, frowning.
"Christ, Narcissa, it's early."
"No, it isn't! You've only got three hours!"
Bellatrix rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tried to open them a bit wider. Before she could do anything else to attempt to wake up, Narcissa was tugging the nightgown over her head.
"Narcissa!" She shouted, muffled by the cloth around her head. Finally the nightgown came off, and Bellatrix was left sitting on her bed in her underwear. Narcissa was gathering things now, moving around the room faster than Bellatrix could move her eyes. She took this opportunity to lie back down into the comfortable sheets and pillow of her bed. The whole place was sparkling, ready for the big event that was to happen today. Kreature had obviously been running around in haste, excited himself. Bellatrix would have to talk to him briefly, for she didn't know when she'd see him again.
"Alright Bella, up!"
Bellatrix was just about to comply with her sister's demands when her mother strode in.
Druella was just as proper as ever, though the years had gotten to her and the wrinkles around her eyes popped. Druella considered her oldest daughter for a few moments, obviously thinking the same thing as Narcissa, albeit quieter.
"What?" Barked Bellatrix. It wasn't her idea of a good time to be gawked at when she was practically naked by her family.
"Bellatrix, I won't have that tone in my house," drawled Druella loudly. "Particularly not when we have guests in our house." Bellatrix sighed, not wanting to argue with her mother.
"So, they're here then?" She said unenthused.
"Yes, they are. I expect you to be ready to see them in half an hour." Druella gave Narcissa a look that Bellatrix wasn't able to decode and strode from the room.
"So, you and mum have a secret code now?" She whipped at her sister, who was still gathering things.
"Oh, hush Bella," Narcissa finally picked up the last thing she thought she'd need, and approached Bellatrix. She pushed a button- down white shirt at her. "Put this on." She demanded, and Bellatrix complied. The shirt fit her nicely, and the sleeve stopped at her elbow. Bellatrix didn't know who this blouse belonged to, but it certainly wasn't hers. Had Narcissa raided her own closet? Bellatrix wasn't aware that Narcissa cared how Bellatrix looked to the Lestranges who were sitting downstairs at the moment. She should have known, however, for Narcissa always jumped at the change to dress something up the way she thought it should be done. She'd tried to do this for Bellatrix many times, but Bellatrix, stuck in her own ways would never let her little sister touch her with a make- up pad. For the sake of her family and friends, she had to today.
Narcissa held out a black skirt for her sister. Bellatrix stepped into it, and fastened it. It also held her body nicely. Again, before she could admire herself too long, Narcissa was wiping various skin- toned liquids and powders on her face. Bellatrix didn't bother watching this process. She didn't think the Lestranges would care the brightness and clarity of her skin. Also, Narcissa had all the practice she could get with make- up.
After another half- hour of the blond scraping and brushing at her hair, Bellatrix was deemed ready.
"I don't know why you're all fussing so much about this," Bellatrix commented as she lifted a half- filled glass of last night's chardonnay to her lips.
"Bellatrix," Narcissa stated, wide- eyed in shock. "It's your wedding day!"
It was indeed her wedding day. The plans had been carefully made out, making today that big day. Bellatrix found her feelings very luke- warm. She didn't want to marry. This wasn't because she had a lover on the side, or felt that marrying would tie her down. Bellatrix just thought the practice was unnecessary. She didn't feel weak at the knees when she saw Rodolphus Lestrange. She didn't think about him day in, and day out. Of course, there was no one else she felt this way about either. The marriage hadn't really been the young couples idea, more their parents flavor. However, there was no reason to refuse, so they went along with it.
Narcissa walked down the stairs carefully, with Bellatrix at her heels. They were all in the parlor. Lucius Malfoy was there, sitting regally on one of the chairs her parents had provided. Narcissa joined her husband on the arm of the chair. Druella raised an eyebrow, but did not speak. Rodolphus and Rabastan sat together on a sofa. Bellatrix looked to him, and he looked back. No smile passed between them, but something did. There was always something when she looked at him. He'd been a good friend of hers when she was in school. Now that feeling was much different with their marriage very fast approaching. He looked cleaned up as well. Bellatrix briefly wondered on who had pulled off that miracle.
Rodolphus's mother and father stood up, his mother quickly gave Bellatrix a peck on the cheek, as did her husband. Bellatrix looked about the room. There were so many couples. Usually, it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. However, Bellatrix strongly argued the fact that she would not be shut up in her room all day.
Rabastan rose from his seat, allowing Bellatrix to sit down. She now felt part of the couples, and something occurred to her. This was her passage, in her family's eyes, to becoming a woman. She was no longer a child.
They all chatted for a long while. Mostly the parents of the couple about their new, bigger family and telling useless jokes that were laughed at. Lucius and Narcissa held their own conversation in the corner while Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan were silent. She couldn't shake the odd feeling. It was as if she were being trussed up like a Christmas duck, only to be devoured in mass.
The backyard was all set. There were white chairs and flowers and ribbons, and at the very front of the yard, closest to the house there was a white podium with various decorations, heavily accepted in green. Bellatrix had to wonder who was doing all this decoration.
She was snatched back into the view or her sister after a moment of looking out a the yard. Once again, Bellatrix was in her underwear. This time, however, her hair had been done and clipped up. Curls spilled over the up do that Narcissa had worked on. Her make- up felt like it might crack, but it looked all right on her. Now, all that was left was-
"Your dress is amazing!" Narcissa breathed, opening the closet door and lifting out Bellatrix's dress. The first thing that Bellatrix saw wrong about it was the color. White? Bellatrix hardly ever wore white, but Narcissa had protested, ("Well what are you going to wear to your own wedding? Black") and had won the argument. The sleeves went down to the very end of her wrists. They were white lace and very itchy. Bellatrix had only worn the dress once before picking it out. Narcissa thrust it at her, no longer in awe. Again, Bellatrix slid it over her head, not sure if her hair would survive the fabric skimming against it.
"My gosh, Bellatrix…" Narcissa said, smiling.
Bellatrix didn't want to look in the mirror. She didn't want to look at herself anymore. Her scalp her, her body was itchy, and her face felt like it had been sculpted.
"Let's just get it over with, Cissy."
"The ceremony was lovely, Druella."
Bellatrix watched with detached interest as people complimented her mother. Bellatrix wasn't sure how much her mother had actually done in preparation, but she didn't care. The girl looked down at the wedding ring that was searing into her finger since Rodolphus had awkwardly slipped it on. Bellatrix slipped it off, and considered it. Out on the floor, Lucius was sweeping a giggling Narcissa all about. Rabastan was dancing with some other girl, one who he didn't look too comfortable with.
She felt a hand on the small of her back and turned to see Rodolphus at her side. Once again, they looked like every other couple in the room. However, Bellatrix wore a scowl that didn't adorn the other wives faces. She was a wife. How strange.
"You look quite uncomfortable in that dress," Rodolphus said, bored, staring at the dancing couples.
"Your deductive skills are shocking."
"Well then," He started, using his hand on her back to push her toward the exit. "Let's get it off of you." She smirked up at him as Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange hurried away from the awful music and the reception tent set up in the back yard, speeding toward the house.