Bellatrix sat on the end of her new four-poster bed. The Gryffindor common room was all but deserted, classes had begun for the rest of the students and only a few sixth year stragglers remained. However Bellatrix was quite content to remain in the deserted girls dormitory.
Beside her lay a pile of new books, equipment and clothing which Digby had brought for her. The clothing however, was far from adequate.
"You can't possibly expect me to wear this!?" she ordered, examining the clothing as though it was contaminated.
"It is the fashion Miss Balaqua." He bowed, seemingly oblivious to her reaction.
"Fashion! You call this, FASHION!? Muggle clothing is not Fashion!" She yelled, as she frantically searched for anything that she liked. "Where are the robes, dresses corsets? Everything here looks so... so... ordinary."
Digby had simply nodded and disapparated on the spot.
'Bastard.'
Now however a small twang of guilt began to eat away at her for being so ungrateful. Upon looking through the rest of the items, in particular the books, she realized the elf had supplied her with more than was actually required for her lessons. One in particular which had captured her attention was labeled, 'Extreme hexes, jinx's' and curses for the Accomplished Wizard".
She plonked it onto her lap and began to read the first page.
'The Kevista Vergio spell. Allows the wizard or witch to manipulate branches and vines of medium to large trees into ensnaring enemies that stand within range. Warning: if not removed the victim will become crushed and merge with the tree.'
Below this, were several detailed images of wizards slowly being constricted by vines, before they disappeared into the trunk and resembled nothing more than twisted bark. Bellatrix wondered if the wizards soul also became part of the tree as well, if maybe this was why tree's like Whomping Willows seemed to have minds of there own.
Suddenly, Bellatrix felt something brush against her legs. She leapt to her feet, instinctively pulling out her wand and pointing it at her assassin.
"Crookshanks!" Cried a brunette teen, running over to the ginger mog and scooping it up into her arms. "Sorry, he is friendly." She added, quickly spotting Bellatrix return her wand to its holster up her sleeve.
"Nice cat." Bellatrix said dryly.
"Nice book." The girl returned, nodding at the open page of the entangled wizard. "That doesn't look like a school-"
"It's not." Bellatrix snapped, grabbing the book and stuffing it back in her bag. "It was a gift."
"Sorry, I'm Hermione granger. I don't think we've met before?" She asked wearily, dropping Crookshanks on a chair beside them and holding out her hand.
"Bellatr... Bella, just Bella and we haven't." She said, ignoring Hermione's waiting hand and collecting her things up from the floor.
"Oh, your Bella!" Hermione smiled, kneeling down and handing Bellatrix a bottle of ink that had rolled by her feet, "I wondered who you were. You're name appeared on the register in our transfiguration class."
"Right... well, thanks." She said, taking the inkbottle. "Why are you here and not in class then?" She asked rather harsher than she intended.
"Oh, Crookshanks needed some respite, according to McGonagall it's tiring for him when he keeps getting switched between a button, a pocket watch, and a fluffy hat." There was an awkward silence, as Hermione had clearly meant it as a joke, but Bellatrix had failed to find anything about her situation amusing.
Bellatrix stared at the young girl standing in front of her, irritated by her presence and her ignorance to her abrupt conversation, as a hint that she wished to be left alone. However, she couldn't help but be completely impressed by her persistence. But passed all of this, there was a certain familiarity to her, as if they had met before, only Bellatrix couldn't think who Hermione reminded her of. Something in her memory felt very…Fuzzy all of a sudden.
"So, have you been here long?" Hermione said, a little hesitantly, and Bellatrix got the feeling that she wasn't going to get very far by giving the girl the cold shoulder.
"No, just arrived." She said in the friendliest tone she could muster. "I transferred from Beaubatons, McGonagall is my guardian." It sounded like a blatant lie, like something she had rehearsed over and over to make sure it came out word perfect. Bellatrix gave a wooden smile, as she noticed Hermione's hazel eyes narrow slightly.
"Really?" Hermione said, sounding surprised, "I just mean, you don't really have much of an accent. Last year when the Beaubatons arrived for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, some of them barely understood English."
"My parents are British." Bellatrix said coolly, "we moved to France for... family reasons." She folded her arms, hoping to convey to Hermione that it was something she didn't want to discuss. She seemed to get the hint and simply nodded in understanding.
Leaning against the end of the bed, Hermione looked at Bellatrix for a moment, a rather perplexed expression on her face, and Bellatrix was certain Hermione was trying to see through the falseness in Bellatrix's behavior.
"Do you have the time on you?" Bellatrix asked, trying to get the brunette to focus on something else.
Hermione looked at her watch and gasped, "Shoot! Nearly 11! Sorry, I have to go, I'm late for Defense Against the Dark Arts!" She made to hastily leave the dormitory, before stopping abruptly at the door and turning back to look at Bellatrix again, "don't you have a class now?"
"McGonagall said I could settle in first." However as she said it she realized there was very little point in her moping around in the dormitory all day. Eventually, she would have to go and meet the other Gryffindor's.
Hermione merely smiled again before saying, "well, guess I'll see you later then, nice to meet you Bella." And she closed the door behind her.
For a few moments, Bellatrix stood alone in the dormitory, contemplating whether or not to go. On one hand staying in the dorm all day with nothing but the books Digby had given her, seemed like quite an enjoyable way to spend the day, but on the other, it would be stupid to fall behind with any homework given.
Grabbing a brown satchel with a green serpent hand stitched into the bags liner, she quickly stuffed it with several pieces of parchment, a silver swan quill and a bottle of ink and raced out after the brunette.
By the time she had caught up with Hermione she was just about to open the classroom door on the third floor. Hermione waited patiently and Bellatrix managed to get out an exasperated, "thanks," before she gently pushed open the door.
It was an instant reaction. As soon as the door opened Bellatrix was met with an acrid, sickly sweet smell, which burned her eyes and stung her throat as she breathed. Coughing loudly, she announced their presence to the already seated class.
"A-hem!" Bellatrix looked through watering eyes, to see that standing in front of the class beside the chalkboard was a stout woman, with hair bunched neatly around her oval face. But what surprised Bellatrix most, and made her mouth drop at the sight, was the fact she was wearing a rose pink outfit. Everything from the tweed jacket and calf length skirt, down to the tights and shoes, was pink.
"A-hem!" Came another fake cough from the professor, and Bellatrix realized Hermione had already taken her seat and she had simply been standing in the doorway, staring. "Are you lost, girl?" She asked in an overly soft voice that made Bellatrix feel as if she was suspecting something was medically wrong with her.
"No." Someone one sniggered in the far corner. "I'm new. This my next lesson."
"Oh." The professor began walking slowly towards her, "were you late for your other lesson too?" She said, a little less softly this time, and Bellatrix felt and ominous chill begin to build on the back of her neck. She was about to get into trouble.
"No, this is-"
"I do not accept tardiness, miss…?" Her toad like lips drew into a line as she paused.
"Balaqua, Bella Balaqua." Bellatrix replied in a dry voice. She was keenly aware that everyone's gaze was on her, and she could slowly feel the irritating heat of embarrassment rise through her cheeks.
The woman looked Bellatrix up and down slowly, making her feel as though she was under intense scrutiny before sharply saying, "I think a detention, aught to be enough to teach you not to be late again to my class, Miss Balaqua." She gave a fake high-pitched laugh that was patronizing to its core.
Bellatrix starred dumbfounded at the woman as she turned away and walked back to the front of the class. She would have continued to glare at her too had it not been for someone jerking on her sleeve.
She looked down and saw a scruffy black haired teen staring up at her with bright green eyes. "Sit down," he mouthed silently, and she reluctantly took the empty seat next to him.
As she got out her things as quietly as she could, so as not to draw anymore unwanted attention to her presence, the rather well built teen gently slid a folded piece of parchment over her desk. Checking to make sure the pink professor could not see, she unfolded it in her lap.
'Hi Bella! I'm Harry, the pink puff is Umbridge!'
Bellatrix allowed for a small kink to appear in the corner of her mouth, but then she read the name again...'Umbridge'... why did that name feel so familiar to her. As if a light bulb had just exploded in her mind, she recalled a short stumpy, and arguably ugly girl who always sat at the back of every lesson, completely alone, spending most of her time catching flies with one hand, and evilly plucking off their wings and watching them squirm on her desk. That girl, that very lonely and sadistic girl, had become her teacher- Delores Umbridge! Bellatrix's hand flew to her mouth in realization.
She scribbled back on the parchment, thinking it best to make herself seem indifferent.
'Hello Harry- I take it you're not a fan?'
Harry took the parchment from her hand under the desk and Bellatrix felt his hand, brush against her fingers, they were warm on her cold flesh and she jumped slightly at the touch. Harry gave her a reassuring smile before he too wrote his response.
'I'll see you in detention tonight!'
Bellatrix read, and this time she smiled and folded the note away and put it into her skirt pocket.
"I can't believe it. Harry, a detention already, why did you have to let her get to you like that?"
"Hermione you weren't even there!" Harry argued with Hermione for what seemed like the fourth time that afternoon.
They were sitting on a grassy verge beside the lake, deciding to show their new companion, the wonders of the castle grounds, while the weather was still nice. Of course Bellatrix had already known all that they had shown her, and besides from noticing how large a few trees had become, Bellatrix had found herself slightly bored by their tour.
Now however, she simply plucked mindlessly at the grass, as she listened to the argument.
"Yes but really, you must've realized why she was given the job in the first place?" Hermione repeated for the umpteenth time.
"Ooo! I know this one!" Ron, a tall, gangly red headed teen, had been introduced to Bellatrix after DADA, "Of course Hermione, the Ministry's put her there to make me out a liar, and a very very naughty boy for fibbing! How dare I, the great Harry Potter, make Fudgy Wudgey out to be a liar! Naughty! A har har har harrr!" Ron impersonated in a high-pitched voice that croaked in parts into its usual masculine tone. Resulting in Hermione giving him a look of disdain while Harry and Bellatrix laughed. Although Bellatrix could tell that the trio was exceedingly close, she couldn't help but shake the feeling of unease when she was introduced to Ron. He seemed nice enough, definitely a good laugh, but trustworthy? Bella didn't think so.
"It's no joke Ronald!" But Hermione looked slightly defeated at this.
"Oh give it a rest 'Mione. Besides, Harry wasn't the only one in Gryffindor to get a detention." Ron looked over to Bellatrix, "no offence of course, Umbridge is a right cow but-"
"But nothing Ron! Bella is new and did nothing wrong! Harry should've known better than to argue back in-"
"Oh for the last time, you weren't even there!" Harry rolled dramatically onto his back.
"And we're back to the beginning!" Sighed Ron, flailing his arms in an upwards-praying position. "Won't someone end this madness!?" Bellatrix heard Harry chuckle beside her, and she turned to smile down at him.
His bright emerald eyes shone back at her as he held her gaze, causing her to bite her bottom lip in embarrassment and she willed herself to look away- but not before catching a glance of a faint lightning bolt scar on his forehead, and a well defined muscular collar bone and chest peeking out under his slightly undone white shirt.
"I can end it." She said abruptly, flicking her raven curls behind her ear. "What's the time?"
Ron looked slightly crest fallen at this but smiled knowingly when Hermione answered, "nearly five."
"Greeeaaatt, one-to-one detention time with Umbridge. Can't wait." Harry got to his feet and Bellatrix followed suit.
"Just think, every cloud has a silver lining Harry." Bellatrix smiled as she passed him his bag.
"See Harry, positivity! That's what you need!" Ron winked, but Harry simply nodded glumly.
"Save us a seat at dinner yeah?" He called over his shoulder as he and Bella strode back towards the castle.
"No probs! Can't make any promises about the food though!" Ron called behind them and Bellatrix let out a quiet tut at the immaturity.
"So, what is it then?" Asked Harry, after they had finally reached the door to the DADA classroom.
"What's what?" Bellatrix raised a confused eyebrow.
"The silver lining, what is it?" He gave her a warm smile as he looked irritatingly at the door in front of them.
"Oh well, I thought that would've been obvious by now." She tried desperately to stop the kink appearing in the corner of her lips, but again those emerald eyes glinted at her under the messy mane of black locks.
"Obvious isn't my forte I'm afraid." He joked, but even Bellatrix couldn't mistake the flirtatious tone in his voice and she felt the kink turn into another embarrassed lip bite.
"At least, this time, you won't have to be here alone."
A.N: sorry for the late update everyone. Just letting you know that i have not abandoned this story, and it shall continue with much more frequent updates, (aiming for this weekend). Would love a Beta! (hint hint- please message me!) Let me know what you think, apologies for any mistakes. x