- Day 57 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Villain

- The Emotion Challenge: Nauseous

Pairings/Characters: Bellatrix, Sirius

Word Count: 485


The Villain

You're running after something that you'll never kill, if this is what you want then fire at will.

Sirius swallowed the lump in his throat as he buried his face into his pillow. He could hear his clock ticking on the bedside table. Any minute now, she would be here.

He hated it when his cousins came over to stay. Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda visited Grimmauld Place during the weekends of the summer holidays, as their parents would often go out together and leave Bellatrix in charge. Even though Bellatrix was now in her twenties and married, she still frequently came to Grimmauld Place at the weekends, much to Sirius's despair. He had hoped that once she married Rodolphus and moved out of their family home, her visits would become sparse.

But luck was not on his side, and this weekend as usual, Bellatrix had turned up on the doorstep with her sisters in tow. Narcissa had gone straight up to Regulus's bedroom to request his help on some of her summer homework, and Andromeda had tucked herself into a corner with a book, having no interest in speaking to anyone. Bellatrix, on the other hand, made herself acquainted with her position of villainous authority.

Sirius hated her. No, he loathed her. He hated the way she stood by the breakfast bar, her slender, curvy frame swathed in swatches of black lace and leather. She would lean across, her dark eyes focused on Sirius as she took long drags of her cigarettes and blew out the smoke, her dark red lips forming a perfect 'o'.

The aura she projected made Sirius shiver, and he had rushed up to bed as soon as she was distracted. As he tossed and turned in his bed, a feeling of nausea washed over him. He could hear Regulus's gentle snores from the room next door, and he knew that Narcissa and Andromeda would be asleep now.

Footsteps began to advance up the stairs, and he felt sweat running down his forehead. He pulled the blankets over his head, in some childlike hope that doing so would keep the monster away from him. He breathed in the limited oxygen that was under the duvet, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. He was sure that if he pulled the covers down and took in some fresh air, he would vomit all over the bed.

The floorboard outside his door creaked, and Sirius groaned inwardly. Bellatrix knew that the floorboard there was loose, but she still deliberately stood on it each time. It was as though she knew the fear she was inflicting upon Sirius.

He took one more deep breath as the door opened. There wasn't long left now, and he'd be able to leave this hellish place. He was terrified of her, but not just of her villainy.

He was terrified because of how much he enjoyed it.