Chapter One – Playing Dolls.
Pale legs jutted out from beneath the soft, black silk of the bed sheets, the ebony colour causing the alabaster skin to look luminous in contrast. A slight, slim frame lay suspended, slender elbows supporting the body of Bellatrix Black, thick falls of wavy black hair cascading down her back, melding with the rich dark silk until it was unclear to tell the difference between the two.
Dark eyes bore into the brilliant blue that gaze unseeingly up above her, Bella's diminutive finger running along the artificial golden glow of skin; until she reached a soft locks of honeyed blonde hair. Slowly, Bella's finger twirled around one perfect strand, watching as a few hairs gave away to the power beneath her touch. Tugging a little more forcefully, Bella watched in relish as a collection of tresses fell, gently floating towards the waiting silk below, gleaming against the small crack of sunlight that dared to seep through the closed curtains of Bella's room.
Toying with another strand of hair, dark hungry eyes sought up towards the face, one that remained pleasant mask, despite the torture it was enduring, longing for the doll to scream. But instead, Bellatrix willed herself to pretend that the doll was merely under an enchantment, that she was cursed to silence, suffering mutely as lock after lock of hair fell from her head onto black silk. She was screaming on the inside, yet was doomed to remain passive as she underwent such extreme tortures, marring her flawless beauty. Satisfied by this excuse, Bella gave another tug, one more forceful than the others, a slow, luxurious smile curling at Bella's lips.
Distantly, there was the sound of approaching footsteps, ones that Bellatrix chose to ignore, willing for the person to go away. But the soft steps stopped outside of Bella's bedroom door, a small, hesitant knock echoing through the now still room. Chew on her bottom lip, Bella contemplated the thought of feigning absence in hopes that she would be left alone. Yet, when the small, precise knock came again, it was accompanied by insistent voice on the other end. "I know you're in there Bella,"
From the other side of the imposing oak door, Narcissa Black's voice sounded thin, high. With a frustrated sigh, Bellatrix gave one last longing look towards the doll, before dumping her on the black under sheets, where she would remain until discovered by some unsuspecting house elf. Rolling over, Bella wrapped the black sheet around her bare frame, her feet silently padding towards the door.
Blue eyes peered worriedly up at her eighteen-year-old sister, long white blonde hair falling around a small angular face. Not unlike the doll's, Bella mused, crossing her arms and leaning against the frame. "What do you want?" she asked, irritated, a scowl setting into her pale features. Cautiously, Bella peered out into the hall, half expecting their mother to appear around the corner, the formidable Druella Black armed and ready to extract her daughter from the dark enclave of her bedroom. When she was satisfied that the landing was empty, Bella turned towards her youngest sister, nodding towards the shrouded room. "Come on," she muttered reluctantly, closing the door behind Narcissa.
Fifteen-year-old Narcissa Black looked out of place amongst the shadows and clutter of Bellatix's room. The white of her hair and skin glowed with their own pale inner light, blue eyes seeming too wide, giving the false pretence of innocence that made Bella feel perverse for locking such a thing away in such a dreary and morose room. Eying the scattered array of clothes, make-up, books, empty bottles and cigarette ends, Narcissa's small nose screwed up in distaste. "It's three in the afternoon," she remarked, blue gaze flickering towards the drawn curtains. Bella merely shrugged absently as she searched her cluttered vanity, looking in various glass and silver boxes, opening and closing draws. "And why does it smell like something died in here?" Narcissa continued, regarding the various heaps of half drunk bottles of wine and firewhiskey, where some clumps of unknown substances floated ominously.
"That's because something did, Cissy." Bellatrix pulled out a crumpled packet of cigarettes with a triumph look on her face, long slender fingers eagerly extracting one and placing it between the parting of her full lips. Around the cigarette, she muttered. "But I forget what." With a flourish, Bella pulled out her wand from somewhere in the folds of her silken sheet dress, the tip glowing a bright orange as she touched it to the end of her cigarette. Seductive coils rose, whilst a heavy perfumed scent wafted around the room, its force causing Narcissa to sneeze. "What is in that?" she demanded, her voice harsh and low as if fearful of being heard. The eldest Black sister shrugged, taking another deep breath, enjoying the wondrous burn that pressed against her lungs before she expelled it, slow herbal rivets seeping out from her. Eyes closed, Bella swayed slightly, a distracted smile on her face. "I forget," she muttered, not looking bothered in the slightest. "Something good."
With a horrified look on her face, Narcissa shook her head, her gaze drifting over the room, trying not to be too awed by the sight of her sister artfully smoking, where her expression seemed intimate, scandalous. Piercing blue eyes caught sight of an abandoned figure laying on the bed, an arm outstretched, as if to plea with her for help. "Is that my doll?" Narcissa's voice was sharp, enough so that Bella peeked open one heavily lid in mild interest. Following Cissy's gaze, Bella to watched the helpless doll, now half bald and looking rather pathetic. "We were just playing," there was a mocking hint to Bella's voice, patronising. Turning towards the doll, Bella cooed. "Weren't we dolly?" for a moment, Narcissa thought that her sister was expecting a genuine answer from the pitiful doll, but onyx eyes turned sharply towards her.
"What is it you want anyway?" Bella demanded, inhaling another deep drag, as if drawing strength from the toxic white stick. Narcissa watched as her sister leaned against the wall, slender shoulders looked as frail as bird wings against the rich green of the walls, a petite white leg showing against the slit of the make-shift dress that Bella had wrapped around her small frame. Cissy watched as Bella blew out another cloud of smoke, her scowl less threatening than before. Taking a deep, putrid breath of air, the blonde Black Sister plunged in.
"Mother is asking for you – Mr Lestrange and his brother are downstairs - He's getting very impatient." Narcissa added in an after thought, as if to invoke some semblance of fear within her older sister. She watched as Bella took another long breath of smoke, before flicking her wrist in a sharp, almost sensuous movement, causing a dispel of ash to fall. A lazy smile flitted across Bellatix's features, a cold, calculating look in her dark eyes. "Is father downstairs?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Andromeda?" the tone of Bella's voice made Narcissa pause, eyeing her sister carefully. There was no change about her, she still looked like the small, skinny, dark haired girl Narcissa had grown up with. She was still Bellatrix, which didn't comfort Narcissa that way it should. "Yes," she said at last, "They're all in the parlour, waiting for you."
Bellatrix remained silent, her gaze thoughtful as she took another deep inhale of her cigarette, expelling the thick coils leisurely. Finally, Bella smiled, an almost unsettling smile that still could light up her features, bringing an unadulterated joy to her. "Cissy," she said, thought her tone did not suggest of any sort of Bella's pleasure. "You may go downstairs and inform Mr Lestrange that I am obliged to keep company with another for the afternoon and with such pressing matters as they are, I simply cannot see him today."
Bella watched, amused as a pale pink bloomed across Cissy's cheeks, her eyes widening in shock as she regarded her sister. "You want me to tell them that you are with another man?" she stammered, looking horrified. "But Bella – You can't…"
"Can't I?" Bellatrix challenged, stubbing out her cigarette, an expression of ire crossing her features. "Go on," Bella urged when Narcissa made no move to leave. "I'm sure you don't want o keep Mr Lestrange waiting." Bella watched her youngest sister leave her room with great reluctance, a troubled frown between her brows. Once she was safely out of sight, did Bella reach for another cigarette, her willowy hips swaying as she also made her way out of her room, shutting the door behind her.
Lighting her cigarette, Bella crossed the landing to lean over the banister, catching a glimpse of Narcissa's pale hair disappearing around the door of the parlour downstairs. With a smirk, Bella watched and waited for the chaos to descend.