AN: Originally I had no idea what in the world to write about, but then I thought that I would just do Bellatrix's point of view of Andromeda leaving which I wrote a long time ago, so this story is pretty similar to that one.

This was written for The Flower Language Challenge for Orchid – write about Bellatrix Lestrange

Also written for Round 8 of the Quidditch League Competition which is all about the Black family and I got Bellatrix :)

Prompts; A tap on the window, sleepless nights and "That's not what you said last night."

Word count: 1,225

Broken Ties

The woman with the untamable, curly mess of long black hair sat in a chair in the corner of the dark living room. It was the chair she always sat in – especially at night.

It was somewhere between midnight and one in the morning on September 1, 1971. The moon shined through the window and washed over the room, casting a dull, dark glow on the furniture. She loved the tint that the moon gave.

She'd seen it even for the past few weeks since she hadn't been sleeping much. And when she did, she never had a full night's sleep. Most nights, she was out doing things for The Dark Lord with Rodolphus and other nights the company her parents had was far too loud.

Sometimes she hated being a light sleeper but for the most part, it came in handy. The light thumps coming from her younger sister's room were what woke her up. Bellatrix knew right away what was going on and so she had made her way to the living room.

A tap on the window drew her attention from her thoughts. She turned her head for a minute to see and hear the pitter patter of raining knocking against the glass. In a weird way, she actually enjoyed the sound of the rain hitting the glass –it relaxed her; not that she'd tell anyone that.

She was proud to have finally been able to join Voldemort and his Death Eaters and make something of her life. She had married Rodolphus Lestrange a couple of months ago because of her parents. She would make them proud – unlike a certain 'sister' of hers.

She glanced down and her left forearm and a smile formed on her lips. Less than a month after she had left Hogwarts, the bare skin of her arm was covered with the Dark Mark.

The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts again.

She pulled her gaze from the window and turned towards the door that led into the hallway, leading to the front door. She stood up and silently made her way towards the noise.

She casually leaned against the doorframe and lit her wand, waiting as the urgent foot falls of someone in a hurry echoed along the silent corridor.

"Shouldn't you be asleep," Bellatrix told the familiar figure that had just stepped off the staircase. She raised her wand higher to cast a glow over the space and allowing her to see her sister standing in front of her.

Andromeda used her free hand to shield her eyes from the wand light. "I could tell you the same thing," a familiar voice replied.

Bellatrix lowered her wand. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Leaving is the only choice I have," Andromeda replied. "It's something I have to do."

"That's not what you said last night. But of course, you would say anything to keep Mother and Father from finding out what you're really planning on doing." Bellatrix sneered at her. "You're leaving to go see that Mudblood, aren't you?" she spat the word.

"His. Name. Is. Ted, Bella," Andromeda retorted, leaving a space between each word.

A moment of uncomfortable and awkward silence past between the sisters; Bellatrix stood with her arms tightly crossed across her chest while Andromeda just stood with her arms loosely at her sides. They stood a few feet apart, staring at the other.

"Why does it matter anyway?" Andromeda said after a while. "There's nothing going on between Ted and I anyway – but why would it matter if there was?"

Bellatrix scoffed again. "You're a Black in case you've forgotten and he's a Mudblood. Don't tell me you've forgotten everything you were taught and everything you live for?"

"You know, this blood purity crap is getting quite old," Andromeda retorted. "He's no different than you or me."

"He's a disgrace to blood purity," Bellatrix said, firmly. "You're a Black and a Pureblood, Andromeda. Why don't you start acting like it?"

What on earth was Andy thinking? Bellatrix thought.

"Just because the Black blood runs through my veins doesn't mean that I should be forced to believe in the same pathetic views the family believes in, Bellatrix," Andromeda said, standing her ground.

"Our views are pathetic?" Bellatrix almost screeched. "How can you possibly just turn your back on everything you were taught? What happened to you?" she murmured the last part mostly to herself.

Bellatrix took a breath before speaking in a louder voice. "I really hoped that you learn where your loyalties lied this past two years. I thought it was just a phase of teenage rebellion you went through that would pass. I guess I was wrong."

Andromeda just stood in the entryway, staring at her sister with her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something but wasn't sure what to say.

The two sisters stood there, glaring at one another for a few moments. Bellatrix was trying not to blow up at Andromeda because she was technically still her sister. But a part of her was sure that they hadn't been sisters for a while now. Their relationship had been strained for years now and with each passing day; it had only gotten worse and worse.

If she wants to go and wreck her life why should I stop her?

"Fine," Bellatrix spat the word, using every ounce of venom she could muster up. "Go if you must. Run off to that pathetic little Mudblood you so desperately cling to as an escape from the only world you know."

"Alright," Andromeda spoke, so softly that Bellatrix almost didn't hear her.

Bellatrix watched as Andromeda slowly backed towards the front door with her suitcase held so tightly in her hand that her knuckles were turning white.

"But just know this," Bellatrix began. "If you walk out that door, you walk out on your family. You'll be burned off the family tree and never be allowed back in this house again. You'll be going against your family. If you do that, you're no sister of mine."

Bellatrix could feel every ounce of hatred and venom in each of her own words, but she didn't care. It had to be said. If Andromeda wanted so bad to leave – she had to know the consequences of that.

"You've changed."

Bellatrix glanced to where Andromeda stood, a few inches from the door. "You're no longer the Bella I thought I knew. You're not my sister anymore and you haven't been for months now. Not since you went and got that idiotic mark and got married to that awful Lestrange."

"I've changed?" Bellatrix snorted and felt her eyes narrow. "Looks like you should be looking in a mirror, sis," her words dripping in sarcasm. "I'm doing what's right. If you knew any better, you'd join the Death Eaters too. They're going to be the winning side."

"I'll take my chances," Andromeda told her. "Besides, you're wrong about who will win, Bella."

Bellatrix scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Bellatrix shook her head. "Go on and walk out on everything you know. See if I care. But know this, from now on, we're on opposite sides."

Bellatrix put out her wand and put it away. In the pale light in the hallway, she watched as the door opened and the figure of her sister walked out.