A / N : Drabble, for the Love / Like / Admire Challenge on xoxLewrahxox's Forum.

Prompt : Write a 100 or 500 word drabble in which your chosen character thinks of the person they love / like / admire. They don't have to think of the other character the whole way through, but there should at least be a reference to it.

She finds her in their father's study, in the end.

Bella is curled in a chair, buried in a book big enough to swallow her up entirely. The book has funny-looking symbols on the spine, and Cissy thinks it looks cruel somehow. (She isn't entirely convinced that book wouldn't swallow Bella whole, given the chance.)

Bella doesn't look up when Cissy enters the room . .. but a shadow passes over her forehead, and she raises the book a little higher. She is wearing what Andy calls her "thundercloud expression".

Cissy tugs her elbow to get her attention.

After five minutes of determined sleeve-plucking, Bella yields.

"What?"

Cissy smiles. "It's my birthday. I'm six."

"I know. Go away."

Cissy frowns. "No, you have to say "Happy Birthday". And give me a present."

Bella's scowl deepens. "I'll give you a Chinese burn in a minute."

Cissy blinks, unsettled.

Bella doesn't like her. Narcissa doesn't understand why. Everyone in the world likes her. They call her "darling" and pat her on the head, and laugh at her even when she isn't trying to be funny.

Bella doesn't like her at all. Bella calls her "spoilt". Bella pokes her and prods her and pinches her. When Cissy tries to be funny, she glares at her, and then glares at everyone else, as though they are stupid for laughing.

Cissy can't think of anyone in the whole world who doesn't like her. (At six years old, Narcissa has never questioned the size or scope of her world.)

Only Bella.

And Cissy can't understand why. She likes Bella, after all. Bella is bad. And bold. Bella doesn't seem to belong among pretty china and little bouquets of lavender, and she won't smile when Mother tells her to.

Narcissa finds her hypnotizing, like candle flames and the cat's claws.

(Daddy doesn't. He snaps at Bellatrix, wearing his thundercloud expression, and tells Mother to "keep her in line". He uses funny words, like "obstinate" and "belligerent", and then Bella storms off and smashes something pretty.)

Cissy eyes the book again. "I think you should read to me," she declares.

"I think you should go away."

Cissy cranes her neck, peering over Bella's shoulder. "Are there pictures?"

"No." Bella smiles slowly. "There are curses. And one day, I'm going to learn them all."

Cissy climbs into the armchair. It smells like Daddy.

"What does "sullen" mean?"

Bella's jaw tightens, and though she doesn't throw Cissy out of the chair, she looks tempted. "It means not wanting to look like a lady."

"Oh." Cissy toys with the tooth on Bella's necklace. Hesitates. "I'm going to be a lady."

"Well I'm not," Bella snaps. "I'm going to learn curses, and be angry whenever I want, and be better than all those stupid boys."

She slaps Cissy's hand away from her necklace, eyes shining fiercely - and Cissy wonders what the word is for that expression.