- Day 48 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Box
- The Emotion Challenge: Fascinated
Pairings/Characters: Walburga, Bellatrix
Word Count: 705
The Grimoire
If you could only see the beast you've made of me, I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free.
Bellatrix was fifteen when she was called to her Aunt's private chamber. When she entered the dim study, Walburga was sitting behind a solid oak desk, her long, clawed fingers entwined in front of her. Her dark eyes watched Bellatrix as she advanced upon the desk. "Take a seat, dear," she insisted, and Bellatrix sat down in the uncomfortable chair opposite the desk.
"You wanted to see me, Aunt Walburga?" Bellatrix questioned, arching a thick, dark brow. She couldn't help but feel like she was in some kind of trouble, even though she highly doubted that to be the case. It was common knowledge that Walburga favoured Bellatrix over her other two nieces—Cygnus often even joked that she preferred Bellatrix over her own sons.
"Yes, child," Walburga said. "Tell me; do you know what a Grimoire is?"
"Of course," Bellatrix answered. "An ancient spellbook."
Walburga's eyes flashed. "Clever, as always, Bellatrix. Grimoires are generally rare in our world, and many haven't been newly created for centuries. The ones that exist are passed down through important families," Walburga puffed out her chest proudly as she spoke. "Like ours."
"You mean..." Bellatrix's eyes widened, and she watched Walburga waved her fingers in a come-hither motion, in the direction of a shelving unit in the corner. A large, dusty wooden box slid off the shelf and soared towards the desk, landing with a thud. Walburga cleared the air of the dust, and reached into the breast of her robes for something.
It was an ornate key on a long, silver chain. She used the key to unlock the box, and Bellatrix gasped as Walburga carefully pulled out a thick, leather-bound book.
She rested it on top of the box and opened it carefully, placing a fingertip on the yellowing page. Bellatrix leaned forward, fascinated by the musty old book, and read a list of names, all written in black ink. Cassandra Black, Hesper Black, Elladora Black, Cassiopeia Black. The very last name was about a third down the page: Walburga Black.
Dates were listed beside the names, too. Besides Cassandra Black was 1771. "That's when the Grimoire was written?" Bellatrix asked, glancing up at Walburga.
Walburga nodded. "Your ancestor Cassandra started the Grimoire, but she didn't write this entire book. Spells and potions have advanced over time. She passed the Grimoire on to her niece, Hesper, who added to it. Hesper then passed it to her niece, Elladora," Walburga gave a small, dark chuckle. "The things that she wrote in it are definitely interesting. Elladora passed it on to my Aunt Cassiopeia, who passed it on to me," she paused, and flipped the book towards the back, where there were a series of blank pages. "And now I'm passing it on to you, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix blinked up at Walburga. "Me?" she whispered. "Why me? Why not Regulus?"
Walburga rolled her eyes and scoffed. "My sons are not worthy of this kind of magic. What's in here is dark, Bellatrix. I would never offer something like this to Sirius, and Regulus could not handle it. There's no one else who I trust more to use and add to this book than you," she licked her lips. "One day, when you have had your fill of the power that Grimoire has to offer, you will pass it on."
Bellatrix felt a whole mixture of emotions - dumbfounded, shocked, but most of all, fascinated. She wanted nothing more than to rush to her bedroom and pour over the contents of the Grimoire. "I don't know what to say," she replied quietly.
"It is far better for the Grimoire to be passed on to a woman, rather than the pathetic men of our family," sniggered Walburga cruelly. "There is a reason that the women from the House of Black rise up as matriarchs, you know," she added, a sneer playing on her lips.
Bellatrix scooped the Grimoire up in her arms, and returned Walburga's smile. "Thank you, Aunt Walburga."
"You're welcome," Walburga replied. "I know that you will do great things with that book."
