Title: Good Girl
Author: Pooki Ze Great
Challenge: #4 (on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiffyfics)
Summary: "Bellatrix," Bella winced. It was never a good thing when her sister called her by her full name. She stared adoringly up at Narcissa, who already at 11 was most certainly nothing less than a Queen. "Do not EVER shed tears. For anything. Ever. You understand, Bellatrix?"
Pairing: None, really, could be pre-Narcissa/Bellatrix, depends on how you interpret it.
Rating: Meh, G or PG
Warnings: Nothing, really. Insanity.
A/N: Sorry, this isn't very good. I think I'm off-focus. Just had a craving to write. Yay!
**~*~**
Bella stared at her bloody palm.
She looked from the pavement she was on, to her skinned knees, and back to her bloody palm. There was a piece of gravel in it, and so she took it out, still entranced by the bright red river pouring from her hand and the sharp pain shooting up her arm.
Suddenly, as all five-year-old girls would, she whimpered, her bottom lip trembled, and she started to cry.
The third tear had barely started its path down her cheek when she heard slow footsteps behind her. She knew those footsteps.
She quickly jumped to her feet and span around to face the silky white-blond hair and the cold ice-blue eyes of her sister.
"Bellatrix," Narcissa said, voice twice as chilling as her eyes and hauntingly more memorable. Bella winced. It was never a good thing when her sister called her by her full name. She stared adoringly up at her big sister, who already at 11 was most certainly nothing less than a Queen. "Do not EVER shed tears. For anything. Ever. You understand, Bellatrix?" the blonde said, harsh words lashing across Bella's ears and leaving a deeper cut than any whip ever could.
"Do-you-un-der-stand?" Narcissa repeated, as if Bellatrix were an animal. Which, come to think of it, was what her family raised her to be. Cold, primitive, emotionless and without regard for the consequences her actions might have on beings lesser than herself ... yes, she had to be an animal. She had to shed this weak human mind.
Bella nodded, mutely, crying already stopped and a horribly emotionless expression on her face.
"Good," said Narcissa, using her thumb to quickly wipe away any traces of the tears from the younger girl's cheeks and regarding her in a highly appraising manner. "It doesn't matter how much it hurts at first," she said calmly, "because soon useless emotions like pain and remorse will leave you, as they have me. I am invincible to such petty things as feelings. Until then, you must never let them see you cry, and they are everywhere, believe me, so you must never cry. It's dangerous for us to be having this conversation now, they're always listening ... watching, you know." The older girl's eyes flashed with something unfamiliar, reminiscent of fear.
Bella blinked. "They?" she asked quietly. "Who are they, Cissa?"
Narcissa's eyes flashed again, this time with anger, not fear, the pale blue eyes seemingly tinted red for a second. "You must NEVER let them see you cry," she hissed.
With an unintelligble noise of frustration which told Bella quite plainly that she was simply too stupid to understand this obviously delicate situation, Narcissa strode off, long strands of hair trailing behind her along with her spotless white robes as she ventured off into the garden, as she had as long as Bella could remember, going out there and just staring at the sky while sitting at the edge of the fountain, thinking.
Arranging her face like a mask, which in truth it was, and would be until she too shed her weakness, Bella began walking back towards the house, intent on cleaning herself up before father got home. She would not disappoint; it brought shame and dishonour to the House to disappoint. No, she would make her family proud, like Narcissa and Regulus had, not like that disgusting brat Sirius she heard her Auntie complaining about, or like her oldest sister Andromeda, a disgrace to the family, she didn't live with them any longer, she'd left the past year, and she still had not seeing the error of her ways. 15 years the girl had been living, and she still had the gall to go out with a Muggle-born. Tonks. What kind of common name was THAT? Disgusting, really. Bella snorted derisively as she washed her hands off. She'd never marry scum like that. Well, not that she was thinking of marriage yet, but she was a good girl, she knew her place. Whether boys seem disgusting, weak creatures now or not, she knew she would have her marriage arranged for her and she would do it willingly and keep the family's pride intact. She would be a good girl, like Cissa.
And the next time she fell down, she did not cry.
**~*~**
R&R?? *hopeful look*
Pooks N' Jessi
Author: Pooki Ze Great
Challenge: #4 (on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiffyfics)
Summary: "Bellatrix," Bella winced. It was never a good thing when her sister called her by her full name. She stared adoringly up at Narcissa, who already at 11 was most certainly nothing less than a Queen. "Do not EVER shed tears. For anything. Ever. You understand, Bellatrix?"
Pairing: None, really, could be pre-Narcissa/Bellatrix, depends on how you interpret it.
Rating: Meh, G or PG
Warnings: Nothing, really. Insanity.
A/N: Sorry, this isn't very good. I think I'm off-focus. Just had a craving to write. Yay!
**~*~**
Bella stared at her bloody palm.
She looked from the pavement she was on, to her skinned knees, and back to her bloody palm. There was a piece of gravel in it, and so she took it out, still entranced by the bright red river pouring from her hand and the sharp pain shooting up her arm.
Suddenly, as all five-year-old girls would, she whimpered, her bottom lip trembled, and she started to cry.
The third tear had barely started its path down her cheek when she heard slow footsteps behind her. She knew those footsteps.
She quickly jumped to her feet and span around to face the silky white-blond hair and the cold ice-blue eyes of her sister.
"Bellatrix," Narcissa said, voice twice as chilling as her eyes and hauntingly more memorable. Bella winced. It was never a good thing when her sister called her by her full name. She stared adoringly up at her big sister, who already at 11 was most certainly nothing less than a Queen. "Do not EVER shed tears. For anything. Ever. You understand, Bellatrix?" the blonde said, harsh words lashing across Bella's ears and leaving a deeper cut than any whip ever could.
"Do-you-un-der-stand?" Narcissa repeated, as if Bellatrix were an animal. Which, come to think of it, was what her family raised her to be. Cold, primitive, emotionless and without regard for the consequences her actions might have on beings lesser than herself ... yes, she had to be an animal. She had to shed this weak human mind.
Bella nodded, mutely, crying already stopped and a horribly emotionless expression on her face.
"Good," said Narcissa, using her thumb to quickly wipe away any traces of the tears from the younger girl's cheeks and regarding her in a highly appraising manner. "It doesn't matter how much it hurts at first," she said calmly, "because soon useless emotions like pain and remorse will leave you, as they have me. I am invincible to such petty things as feelings. Until then, you must never let them see you cry, and they are everywhere, believe me, so you must never cry. It's dangerous for us to be having this conversation now, they're always listening ... watching, you know." The older girl's eyes flashed with something unfamiliar, reminiscent of fear.
Bella blinked. "They?" she asked quietly. "Who are they, Cissa?"
Narcissa's eyes flashed again, this time with anger, not fear, the pale blue eyes seemingly tinted red for a second. "You must NEVER let them see you cry," she hissed.
With an unintelligble noise of frustration which told Bella quite plainly that she was simply too stupid to understand this obviously delicate situation, Narcissa strode off, long strands of hair trailing behind her along with her spotless white robes as she ventured off into the garden, as she had as long as Bella could remember, going out there and just staring at the sky while sitting at the edge of the fountain, thinking.
Arranging her face like a mask, which in truth it was, and would be until she too shed her weakness, Bella began walking back towards the house, intent on cleaning herself up before father got home. She would not disappoint; it brought shame and dishonour to the House to disappoint. No, she would make her family proud, like Narcissa and Regulus had, not like that disgusting brat Sirius she heard her Auntie complaining about, or like her oldest sister Andromeda, a disgrace to the family, she didn't live with them any longer, she'd left the past year, and she still had not seeing the error of her ways. 15 years the girl had been living, and she still had the gall to go out with a Muggle-born. Tonks. What kind of common name was THAT? Disgusting, really. Bella snorted derisively as she washed her hands off. She'd never marry scum like that. Well, not that she was thinking of marriage yet, but she was a good girl, she knew her place. Whether boys seem disgusting, weak creatures now or not, she knew she would have her marriage arranged for her and she would do it willingly and keep the family's pride intact. She would be a good girl, like Cissa.
And the next time she fell down, she did not cry.
**~*~**
R&R?? *hopeful look*
Pooks N' Jessi