Bellatrix Black peered down the stairs. Narcissa was crying again.
Bella knew Narcissa was only a toddler, four years, while she was turning
eleven in a week, yet oftentimes Bella felt resentful of all the attention
her little sister was getting.
"What is it now?" Bella asked crossly, walking down the stone steps.
"Oh, Bella," Mrs. Black said, "It was nothing. Regulus was just playing a bit too hard."
Bella sighed. Regulus was eight, and constantly teased Narcissa. His brother, Sirius, was no better. Sirius rarely visited, and when he did, he made it a point to ignore Bella and converse only with Andromeda. Bella knew that he only visited because his parents made him.
Sirius and Regulus were her cousins, yet Bella felt no love for them. Bella rarely felt love for anyone. She and Andromeda, her older sister, used to be quite close; then Andromeda went to Hogwarts. She was the same age as Sirius; fourteen; and was sorted into Gryffindor, much to her parent's dismay.
Bella sometimes felt connected to Andromeda, as they were both quite ignored by their parents. Andromeda was ignored as she defied all their parent's principles, Bella because she had turned so different.
She used to be a sweet child, but when Narcissa was born, Bella turned bitter. Her parents never noticed until it was too late. But the reason Bella never talked to Andromeda was that Bella, although enraged, still believed her parent's beliefs, while Andromeda had left them.
"Bella?" Mrs. Black said, "Sirius is here. Would you like to talk with him? He can give you some information on Hogwarts."
"Andromeda's already told me," Bella lied.
"Well, entertain him." In a whisper she added, "Sirius has been much like Andromeda lately; perhaps you can set him back."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Alright," she said grudgingly. "Where is he?"
"He's in the sitting room. And Bella, do try to be polite?"
Bella nodded. Her mother knew that she had a tendency to be short with her cousin.
Bella walked into the sitting room and took a seat. Sirius was there, looking bored.
"So, Sirius," Bella began awkwardly, "How are you?"
Sirius shrugged. "Fine," he responded.
Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking to you out of my own free will, you know," she told him crossly.
"That's why I'm not cooperating."
Bella knocked over her chair and stormed out of the room. She passed Andromeda.
"Andromeda," Bella told her sister, "Sirius is awful. I hate him."
"I thought you always did," Andromeda told her.
Bella shrugged. "I hate him more than ever now," she responded. "If I could kill him, I would."
"What is it now?" Bella asked crossly, walking down the stone steps.
"Oh, Bella," Mrs. Black said, "It was nothing. Regulus was just playing a bit too hard."
Bella sighed. Regulus was eight, and constantly teased Narcissa. His brother, Sirius, was no better. Sirius rarely visited, and when he did, he made it a point to ignore Bella and converse only with Andromeda. Bella knew that he only visited because his parents made him.
Sirius and Regulus were her cousins, yet Bella felt no love for them. Bella rarely felt love for anyone. She and Andromeda, her older sister, used to be quite close; then Andromeda went to Hogwarts. She was the same age as Sirius; fourteen; and was sorted into Gryffindor, much to her parent's dismay.
Bella sometimes felt connected to Andromeda, as they were both quite ignored by their parents. Andromeda was ignored as she defied all their parent's principles, Bella because she had turned so different.
She used to be a sweet child, but when Narcissa was born, Bella turned bitter. Her parents never noticed until it was too late. But the reason Bella never talked to Andromeda was that Bella, although enraged, still believed her parent's beliefs, while Andromeda had left them.
"Bella?" Mrs. Black said, "Sirius is here. Would you like to talk with him? He can give you some information on Hogwarts."
"Andromeda's already told me," Bella lied.
"Well, entertain him." In a whisper she added, "Sirius has been much like Andromeda lately; perhaps you can set him back."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Alright," she said grudgingly. "Where is he?"
"He's in the sitting room. And Bella, do try to be polite?"
Bella nodded. Her mother knew that she had a tendency to be short with her cousin.
Bella walked into the sitting room and took a seat. Sirius was there, looking bored.
"So, Sirius," Bella began awkwardly, "How are you?"
Sirius shrugged. "Fine," he responded.
Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking to you out of my own free will, you know," she told him crossly.
"That's why I'm not cooperating."
Bella knocked over her chair and stormed out of the room. She passed Andromeda.
"Andromeda," Bella told her sister, "Sirius is awful. I hate him."
"I thought you always did," Andromeda told her.
Bella shrugged. "I hate him more than ever now," she responded. "If I could kill him, I would."