Into the Night

by Abigail Belle

Roughly connected drabbles from the life of Bellatrix Black Lestrange, chronicling her journey from a respectable Pureblood girl to the Dark Lord's closest Death Eater. Written for the Drabble Challenge on the HPFC forum.

2. Big Sister

When Bellatrix first saw her second sister, she didn't like her. Andromeda, at only three, was only vaguely aware of the new presence in the home, but Bellatrix was acutely conscious of the baby, and she disliked her. Narcissa, she thought, was boring. She couldn't so much as look at her without being scolded, Now Bellatrix, you'll hurt the baby. How did you hurt a baby just by looking at it? Did the nurses think Bellatrix had the evil eye?

It was only when Narcissa turned two years old that Bellatrix was allowed to play with her. It was only then that she decided that she liked the child after all. Narcissa was like a doll, more for decoration than for use, but from the first time seven-year-old Bellatrix held the child in her arms, she decided that, worthless as she seemed to be, Bellatrix would protect her forever.

That was what big sisters did, after all.