day 24, auction 4, bellatrix on the good side
324 words by gdocs
"Bella," Andromeda is saying, sitting on Bellatrix's bed and speaking in hushed whispers. It's late, and Bellatrix knows that their family is asleep, but they can't be too careful, not with something like this. "Please," she says and Bellatrix worries her lower lip, considering everything that Andromeda has told her in the past hour.
Without even meaning to, Bellatrix drops her eyes to Andromeda's midriff. Andromeda doesn't miss the action and places her hand there, probably feeling self conscious, which is the last thing Bellatrix wants to do.
"Andy," she says, putting her hand on her sister's knee. "I can't."
"But that's the thing," Andromeda says, pushing Bellatrix's hand away. "You can. You know mother and father are wrong about the war, you know that."
Bellatrix hesitates, because she's not sure she does. She agrees that witches and wizards shouldn't have to hide away and hide who they really are from Muggles. At the same time, maybe Andromeda is right. They probably shouldn't resort to killing to achieve that goal.
And then, what Andromeda said, about Ted, about a baby…
Bellatrix doesn't think Ted's a good guy. She doesn't know him, and she honestly doesn't want to. There's something unnatural about Mudbloods — anyone with half a brain should see that.
Except —
Bellatrix trusts her sister. She trusts her sister with her life. Andromeda is probably the smartest person she knows. And if Andromeda is coming to her — is trusting her — and telling her that this isn't right, the prejudice against Muggle-borns, that she's in love with one, that she needs her older sister's help —
How is Bellatrix supposed to not believe that?
"I don't know," she says still, because how is she supposed to just reject everything their family has told them, just for what Andromeda feels.
"Bella," Andromeda says, cupping Bellatrix's face in her hands. "You don't have to. Just trust me."
And the thing is, Bellatrix does.