BELLA, BELLA
"Hey Bell! Bell!" A dark figure stiffened at this name, and pulled up their hood. Black curls spilled out of it in a disarray of static and frizz. They seemed as though they could be beautiful, but their owner was far too busy with other matters than to be concerned with her calamity of curls.
"Oh come on, Bell! Don't run!" A teenage boy came chasing after the curly haired girl, his blonde hair dripping from the current downpour. The boy and girl chased throughout the alleyways, from behind buildings to winding through car lots. Finally, the girl spun around.
"Leave me alone you disgusting little creature!" A wand flew out from the security of her cloak pockets, firing a hex at the young boy. He gracefully stepped out of harm's way, his brown eyes glinting in the spell's dull glow.
"Bella. Please. I only want to talk." There was a rush of wind, a quiet yelp, and even a possible sob- and she was gone. The boy remained in the street for some time, staring at the point where she had stood before she disapparated away. Far, far away from him. So she couldn't see him. Or see the truth.
Bella looked at her reflection and grimaced. Tiny brown eyes, a crazy mess of black curls, big black glasses, a retainer- she was ugly. Once when she was all alone in the dorm room, she had used a spell that made her beautiful. And for once, she had loved her reflection. She spent an hour gazing at her beauty before the spell wore off. She cried herself to sleep that night, as she had so many other nights.
She was only a third year, her books already piling up, papers all due, quills running dry, ink pots spilling- she barely knew anything about life. Sure, she knew many spells. But how many spells must you learn before you learn good from evil? Right from wrong? Correct from incorrect choices? They could solve so much, but left an ever gaping hole of what was left to learn, that she had to learn on her own.
"Bell, we're going to be late!" Another third year, Amarantha, rushed in. She was quite a sight- with her blonde hair, silver-blue eyes, and wonderful personality, many adored her. She wasn't your everyday Slytheryn. She was cheery and brilliant at potions. She was also Bella's only friend.
"Coming," She mumbled. Rushing to her bed, she grabbed a book bag and shoved papers, books, quills, and a couple ink pot's in. Before running out, she ran back and grabbed her wand, thrusting it into her pocket. On her way down the steps, she tucked her hair behind her ear, suddenly self conscious. What if that boy Severus saw her like this? He must be appalled by her appearance.
"Accio brush," She whispered, catching the brush as it came flying towards her. Pausing in the common room mirror, she attempted to brush her hair. Amarantha came up behind her.
"Someday we should straighten it, Bells. See what it looks like. Does that sound like fun?" Ammy took Bella's book bag, and began sorting things in it.
"There. Now for your hair," With a huff and a quiet pout, Bella handed over the brush. Ammy tried once and put it down, resorting to her wand.
"Caliprus Meranthu," She said confidently. Bella's hair began to make itself more presentable, until it was able to be brushed and put back in a pony tail.
"I always wanted curly hair. But I see why people always tell me that I'm crazy to think that," Ammy chuckled. Bella smiled slightly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, before returning to frowning.
"Let's go." Bella nodded, ready to face whatever the day would throw at her.
Three steps out of the Slytheryn house dorms she was confronted by Severus. She ran into him- literally. She ran off a quiet string of apologies, but Severus only grunted slightly. With a flick of his wand all her stuff was neatly packed in her bag again, and he helped her up. Gazing at her for a moment, Bella stopped breathing. As he let go and walked away, Bella collapsed to the ground again, smiling, and blushing. Amarantha smirked and pulled her up.
"Do I hear crush, anyone?" They both laughed quietly and continued on their long journey from the dungeons to the Great Hall for breakfast before classes began.
"Hey loser! Stranger Danger! Stranger Danger!" A couple Gryffindor boys backed up against the walls, shielding their eyes from her. They then cracked up, calling her a loser, and then continuing on. Bella sighed.
About midway through the walk, a boy, Xenophilious, asked to talk to Amarantha. I nodded feebly, and she skipped off with the Ravenclaw kid.
Next thing I knew, two more Gryffindor's, Sirius and James, grabbed my arms and pulled me into the courtyard.
"Hey, Bell. What's your problem?" James crooned.
"Yeah, Bells¸ what's your issue? You know, with being human." Bella looked down, her eyes stinging with tears.
"I mean, you're pathetic! All you do is study, and then you expect people to care! You are no better than those mudbloods you see running around. Those mudblood first years who disgrace the name of Hogwarts."James wasn't usually this mean. He pointed his wand at Bella and muttered something, quietly to Sirius. He chuckled and then turned back to Bella.
"Crucio." Bella doubled over in pain, lights dancing in her eyes, every pore in her body, every muscle burning.
"Please-stop! Ow, god, please…!" Bella lay there writhing until James let up. Looking up, instead of James and Sirius, she saw two sixth years.
"You disgrace the pureblood status, you ugly piece of-" Before Regulius Black and Barty Crouch could do anything, Bella whipped out her wand and screamed at Regulius.
"Crucio! CRUCIO!" She let them bask in their pain until a first year ran by and screamed. Soon enough a Professor ran up, horrified at the two bleeding and near dead boys.
"Stop! STOP AT ONCE!" but she wouldn't. She wanted to see them dead.
"Bellatrix Lestrange, drop that wand immediately." Her eyes widened at the sound of Severus's voice. Dropping the wand and putting her hands up, she turned to face him. He lowered his wand. There were tears in her eyes.
"I'm just…" She began.
"Misunderstood." He said. "Just misunderstood."