I've never seen a thunderstorm this bad—or heard one, either. Thunder shakes the entire house, windowpanes rattling like the breath of a dementor as lightning streaks down from the sky and rain slams against the roof. Good Godric, it sounds like Armageddon out there. I shiver and snuggle deeper into the blankets.
"Andromeda!" My door bangs open and something heavy knocks against my back, almost catapulting me onto the floor. I yelp and twist around only to see Bella grinning at me, eyes alight with excitement and hair a flyaway frenzy. "Come on, Meda, get up, let's go outside!"
"Bella, are you crazy?" It worries me that my sister, fifteen years old and two years my senior, has less common sense than I do. "Have you seen how hard it's raining and how much lightning there is? No way!"
"Oh, come ON." She grabs my arm and forcibly drags me out of bed. "Don't be a wet rag, this is too good to pass up! I've NEVER seen a storm like this!" The emotion in her voice is one I've heard very rarely; it's pure joy. "Besides, it's about time you see what life is really about. It's not about dresses and marriage and teas; it's about LIVING."
She's gone completely mental, I decide, but she's my sister and I love her and so I let myself be schlepped downstairs and out into the stormy night. I wince as rain lashes my face, the wind whipping my hair into a mess of tangles that obscures my vision. Bellatrix screams exuberantly and the skies roar back in reply. She breaks into a run, still gripping my hand, and together we bolt from the house toward the grounds, finally stopping near the small lake where we used to play as children. I want to run for the old maple near the shore but stop myself. It's not a good idea to get too near the trees.
As I gasp air into my lungs, Bella drops my hand and throws her head back, arms flung wide. "Look at it, Meda! Don't you just feel so alive?" Her lips curl into a wild grin. "It's beautiful!" Now the joy is coupled with an excitement that can only be described as savage. Thunder snarls overhead and she defiantly, madly laughs.
And as I glance up at her, it's as if I'm seeing her for the first time. Her black nightgown clings to her body, straps sodden halfway down her arms, dirt and mud and pebbles staining the hem. She looks like a wild creature of the night, and even with her hair tangled and soaked, she's beautiful. And for the first time I understand why she behaves the way she does, always testing Mother's patience and making a spectacle of herself: In this life, she feels trapped, caged. Bella has never been the time for finery and manners, but only now do I understand that it would kill her if she had to live that way. Standing out here, in this huge thunderstorm, is her way of flying.
Suddenly thunder booms so loudly it sounds like the skies are breaking open. A heartbeat later, a tongue of fire swoops down from the clouds and strikes at the edge of the woods, producing another earsplitting crack. I scream; my body takes over and I take off for the safety of the house. I haven't gone five steps, however, before Bella grabs my arm again and pulls me against her. The embrace is both protective and surprisingly warm, considering we're both out in the pouring rain.
"You don't need to be afraid, Meda." I almost don't recognize her voice, it's so gentle. "I won't let anything hurt you, not now, not ever. As long as I'm around, you don't have anything to worry about." One of her hands strokes my drenched, snarled hair. "Just listen, Meda. Breathe it in, feel it." I can hear the smile in her voice. "It's perfect."
Bellatrix taught me three things that night. One, I learned that my sister was braver than I ever could be and that she loved me more than anything. Two, I was finally forced to acknowledge (although not fear until years later) that my sister was wild, a creature that could never be tamed. And three, I learned to love standing out in a storm.