Written For:
- Day 24 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Reality
- Chocolate Frog Cards: Fairy (challenge): Write about someone who can be perceived as narcissistic and vain.
- February Event: (object) Champagne, (dialogue) "What kind of hotel sells condoms?" / "My favourite kind of place."
- Word Prompt Express: machine
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/True Blood: "You disgust me." / "Perhaps I'll grow on you." / "I'd prefer cancer."
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Secret Diary: (plot/action) Sitting in the bar of a hotel, (word) Spoiled, Technology, (location) Five star hotel
Pairings/Characters: Sirius/Bellatrix (one-sided)
Word Count: 682
Reality of Family
And with the way you've been talking, every word gets you a step closer to hell.
Sirius wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole when he saw his cousin striding confidently towards him. He was sitting at the bar of the five star hotel that his parents were hosting a mixer party at. It was supposed to be a mixer of Pureblood families, so that they could attempt to get the current generation of Black sons and daughters promised off to their prospective others, but Sirius hadn't seen many other families present, other than his own and a selection of few others.
Bellatrix, who was older than him, didn't seem to mind the lack of diversity amongst the party. He had watched her dancing with both Lestrange brothers, then Regulus (who had hastily managed to escape to the bathroom, before vanishing for good). Sirius had no luck at trying to get out of the party—both of his parents were keeping an annoyingly close eye on him, especially since he had spent Christmas with the Potters.
He groaned inwardly as Bellatrix reached the bar. She snapped her fingers at the bartender, and he immediately served her up a tall glass of champagne. Sirius wanted to vomit at the way the barkeep eyed up his older cousin—the man, who had previously stood tall and elegant in his finery, was now simpering and slobbering over Bellatrix like a thirsty dog.
And he knew perfectly well that Bellatrix loved the attention. In her short black dress, she was thrusting her ample bosom over the counter, her hooded eyes glimmering at him in a come-hither manner. "Pack it in," Sirius hissed to his cousin, whilst glaring at the barkeep. "It's not like he's going to give you your drink for free—everything is catered for."
Bellatrix shrugged, and tossed her curtain of thick hair over her shoulder. "I can't help it. Anyway, I'm not here for the staff," she waved her hand at the bartender condescendingly, and he seemed to wilt before slouching off to the other side of the bar "Your mother has insisted that I come up to your room with you," she smiled at him smugly, placing her hands on top of his. Sirius snatched them back, feeling anger welling in the pit of his stomach.
Of course his deranged mother had suggested such a thing. It was the reality of this insane family. Not only would she know that Bellatrix would prevent Sirius from sneaking out of the hotel and making a run for it, but she would hope that something would happen between them. As Walburga Black had married her own cousin, she had no qualms about ensuring that her son married the purest of Purebloods, even if it meant tainting the family line with incest and genetic abnormalities.
As Bellatrix grew older, it was becoming more and more obvious that she was sharing Walburga's views. Her mother and Walburga spent many an evening discussing the filth that was anyone without pure, magical blood, and since turning seventeen, Bellatrix had been allowed to join in these visits.
"You disgust me," snapped Sirius. He drained the remainder of his drink.
"Maybe I'll grow on you," Bellatrix purred.
"I'd prefer cancer," he replied before jumping off the bar stool of which he was sitting. "I'm going to bed. By all means, come along, but you're sleeping on the couch."
"Hmm, in that case, I'll buy some condoms," Bellatrix replied merrily. Sirius was about to open his mouth to reject, but became automatically sidetracked.
"What kind of a hotel sells condoms?"
"My favourite kind of place," Bellatrix sniggered. "They have some kind of Muggle machine that dishes them out. They are obsessed with their technology," she said the word 'Muggle' like it was something much more disgusting, before heading over to the machine. "I'll meet you up there," she chided.
Sirius rolled his eyes. There was no way he would be hanging around while his creepy cousin advanced on him.
He would definitely have to make a run for it.
