) Chapter Seven – Jealousy (
"Stop, stop, stop!" Snape shouted.
"What?" Bella asked, exasperated.
"You're doing it wrong again!"
"I am not!"
Snape threw his hands up and closed the distance between them in the deserted classroom. His dark eyes displayed his frustration.
"You are too, Bella, and you had better get it together! Every day that goes by is another day closer to meeting the Dark Lord. If you want to look like a bumbling idiot, be my guest. But I'm not going to waste any more time if you're not concentrating!"
"I am concentrating!" Bella snapped furiously, sparks shooting from her wand. "I am! I don't know what's wrong with me!"
"Sure you don't!" Snape spat. "I know you've been hiding something from me. Ever since school's started you've been slipping up, and these past few weeks have been worse than ever!"
Her magic had been inexplicably hard to contain for weeks now. Sometime it got much too strong, which resulted in her blowing something up in class. Sometimes it was too weak for her to do the simplest spell. It was maddening to not be in control, and she couldn't place what was wrong with her.
"You need to apply yourself, or I refuse to practice with you!" he said.
"I'm trying, I really am!"
"It's all in your mind, Bella," he said. "You have to fix whatever needs to be fixed, and then we can get back to work."
"It's not in my mind! My power levels are changing all the time and I can't control it!"
"Go to Pomfrey, then!" he spat, heading to the door. "Get checked out. When you are able to practice above the level of a first year, let me know!"
The door slammed behind him, and the sound echoed through the room. Bella stared at the door dismally.
Maybe she did know what was wrong with her.
You're lovesick, the mean part of her mind taunted.
I am not! her proud side protested.
You are too! You're angry Sirius won't go with you to the ball. You're letting it distract you.
What can I do about it? He said no—he's going with Helen Green.
Well, you can hex the bitch…
Sirius will know why I did it, and it'll make him too damn cocky. Besides, I can't be getting into any more trouble this year. I'll already be getting hell from Mother this Christmas about all my detentions.
Bella continued her inner battle all the way back to the Slytherin common room. The room was deserted, as most students were outside enjoying the sunny day in the snow. She flopped onto the leathery couch and played with her wand distractedly.
What she needed was a date to the ball. A good date. A handsome, delicious date that would make Sirius jealous and Lestrange less convinced that he was good enough for her.
But who could she bring?
She thought of the best-looking seventh years in the school. Hufflepuffs were out of the question. They were too dumb to waste her time with. Any Ravenclaws? She couldn't think of any good enough that didn't already have girlfriends. Gryffindors? Her lip curled at the thought. It would be good revenge to bring one of Sirius' buddies to the ball, but she knew that they wouldn't go with her (and she didn't have any interest in feeding their egos by asking). That left her back with her own house of Slytherin.
Lestrange was, of course, the most handsome boy. There was also Malfoy, who wasn't bad looking himself, but he was a sixth year and had asked Narcissa already. She visualized each boy she could remember, ticking them off in her mind as she came to them. She felt like there was someone she was forgetting, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Hey, Bella."
She snapped out of her thoughts and was pleasantly surprised to see her cousin Regulus throw down his wet jacket and flop down across from her. She didn't see Regulus much, as he was often with his posse and was a year behind her, but she was always comfortable with him. They seemed to understand each other, and he always went out of his way to be friendly with her.
"Hi," she responded, feeling a slow, evil grin growing on her face….
"Just got back from messing with the giant squid. A couple of us were breaking though the ice and feeding it random junk. Hey—what's that smirk about?"
"I want you to take me to Slughorn's ball."
He sat up. "Me? Really?"
"Yeah, you. Why not?"
"Well, everyone knows how you turned down Rodolphus, so we all figured you had someone special up your sleeve..."
"You're family and a pureblood, so I'd say you're special enough."
She saw him struggling with his answer, stumbling over incoherent words, so she stood up. She was not going to wait for another refusal like the one Sirius had given her.
"W-w-wait—where are you going?"
"You don't seem interested," she shrugged, "so…"
He jumped to his feet. "No, no, I am interested! Most definitely! I'm just really…flattered…you thought of me!"
Bella raised her eyebrows, feeling a familiar and welcome surge of pride. "Is that so?"
He grinned and came over. He was a couple of inches shorter than Sirius, but still had a good height to be her date.
"It's so," he said.
"Then it's a date," Bella said, swishing her hair. "I'll meet you here fifteen minutes before the party starts. I have something special for us to have before we go."
"Something special" turned out to be a bottle of firewhisky that Bella had been hiding in her trunk for a special occasion. She wasn't much of a drinker (alcohol impedes the senses and messes with reflexes), but she had stolen it from the Hog's Head last spring, and hadn't had the opportunity to have it. Now was the perfect time to sample it.
After helping Narcissa get ready and shooing her off to meet Lucius Malfoy, Bella dressed in a dress she had purposely ordered by mail the day after Sirius had refused her. She also put some waves into her long dark hair and applied some make-up. When she was done, she fished through her trunk to find the glass bottle.
"What's that?" Matilda, one of her dorm mates who was going with a fifth-year Slytherin, asked.
Regina, another roommate, came over. "That can't be what I think it is!"
"It is," Bella said smugly, standing up. "Ogden's Old Firewhisky!"
"You could get into so much trouble with that!" Matilda said, looking impressed.
Bella smirked. "Who's going to know besides us?"
After benevolently sharing a fourth of her bottle with her dorm mates, Bella slipped a shawl over her arm and strategically held the bottle beneath it. Then she made her way out to the dim green light of the common room.
Regulus was there to meet her, looking very dapper in his dress robes. His dark hair was slicked back, which showed his good facial structure. He had been pacing, but when she stepped into the room, he whirled towards the sound of the "clack" of her shoe.
When he saw her, his mouth slacked.
She raised her eyebrows and did a slow twirl. She was wearing a dark purple satin halter dress that plunged to a point at her back, and was very low and tight in the front, giving her the illusion of even more cleavage than she had. The dress went all the way to the floor, covering her heels that made her even taller.
It was a very grown-up dress. She had become confident in her good looks, and had no doubt that every eye would be on her at the party.
"You like?" she teased.
He cleared his throat a couple of times. "I—um—do."
"Good," she said saucily. "'Cause I have something else for you."
She pulled out the bottle of Ogden's. Regulus looked like he had died and went to heaven.
"Shall we get a little more…prepared…for the party?" she asked.
More than an hour later, Bella and Regulus were making their way to the party, Bella's shawl and empty bottle now safely back in her trunk. Bella hung onto Regulus' arm, feeling hot in the cool halls even though so much skin was exposed.
"And then I shooed—I mean, should—I mean, said," Regulus said, unable to walk a straight line and making Bella stumble with him, "'Gooo to hell!'"
Bella snorted, doubling over with laughter.
"Oh, Regulus, you're so much fuun! I'm so glad I asked you!"
Regulus stopped walking, and helped Bella regain her balance.
"What's wrong…?" she asked.
"Bella," he said, slurring his words but sounding perfectly coherent to his date, "I really like you."
"I like you too!"
"No, I mean, I really like you!"
"I reeeeally like you too!"
"I think I'm in love with you!" he blurted, cheeks flushed in the torchlight.
"Huh?"
But suddenly he was kissing her, and it took her a moment to realize it. Not thinking clearly, she allowed him to proceed without protesting. It was rather sloppy, however, and Bella was afraid he'd mess up her makeup.
She pushed him away and said, "Silly boy, let's get into the party!"
"Okay!" he said, apparently forgetting that she hadn't addressed his supposed love profession.
The party was well underway when they arrived. A live band was playing Christmas music, and couples were dancing and milling about at the punch and food tables. The room had a red glow, and firefly-like bugs were flying around flashing green lights. Bella spotted Narcissa dancing with Malfoy, looking like a little princess.
"Let's get some food!" Bella suggested. "I'm really hungry."
Regulus took her hand, and as they went to the tables, Bella scoured the room for Sirius as subtly as possible. She was very aware of how the eyes of many were following her jealously. Bella held her head high and made sure to walk as gracefully as possible.
"Here we are!" Regulus said. "I can get the food for you. What would you like?"
"Some pudding would be nice…" Bella said distractedly.
She had spotted him. Sirius was dancing slowly with that blasted Helen Green. They were wrapped in each other's arms. Bella wondered if he had seen her, but that question was banished when his eyes not-so-nonchalantly fell on her. She knew he had seen her—and he was angry.
Bella shot him a snide grin, and took the pudding from Regulus with a warm smile.
"Would you like anything else?" Regulus asked, looking eager to be of service.
"I'd like some cookies, but I don't see any over here…"
"I saw some at the table across the room when we came in. I'll get you some!"
And he was off, rushing to do his crush's will.
"You found a date, I see," a cold voice said.
She found herself face-to-face with Sirius. She was startled at how fast he had come over to her. A few meters back, Helen was rushing to catch up with him.
"It wasn't hard," Bella said coolly, trying to ignore how enticing Sirius was looking in his dress robes. If only he had been her date, and they could have slipped off early... She eyed his lips unintentionally.
"It's not hard when you're going for second-rate."
"Oh, I beg to differ," she said, knowing that staying cool would likely make Sirius more frustrated. "He is definitely not second-rate, if you know what I mean. I guarantee it. It seems his type of quality runs in the family..."
A look of horror passed over his face.
Just then, both of their dates arrived. Helen took Sirius' hand, panting and looking put-out.
"Here's your cookies, Bella," Regulus said, purposefully ignoring Sirius.
"Thank you, honey," she smiled sweetly.
It was too much for Sirius.
"You call other girls whores, but you are the biggest whore I have ever met!" he spat.
She cocked an eyebrow, delighting in how agitated he was at the sight of her with his little brother.
"You would know, wouldn't you?" she asked.
"Did you just call my date a whore, Sirius?" Regulus said, looking shocked and furious.
"Well, if the panty fits," Sirius said, breaking his staring match with Bella to look her up and down with distaste.
The verbal spar was quickly ended when a fist came from somewhere in Regulus' direction and landed straight on Sirius' nose with a horrible crunch. Blood started squirting everywhere, and Sirius howled in pain. Furious, he ignored the blood that was staining his nice clothes, and leapt at his little brother, who was more than ready for him. The two fell to the floor, doing their best to kill the other.
The dancing and music grinded to a halt as more and more partiers realized there was a fight going on and gathered around. When James Potter realized it was his best friend on the floor, he dove in to help him regardless of Lily Evans' protests.
"What's going on here?" Slughorn bellowed, pushing through the crowd.
"Regulus Black attacked his brother!" Helen exclaimed. "Sirius didn't do anything wrong!"
"So I can call you a whore and it won't be a problem?" Bella said in a low voice that only Helen could hear.
Helen turned on her. "If I was dressed the way you are and reeked of alcohol, you would have every right to call me a whore!"
Bella's teeth bared. She couldn't help herself: she slapped Helen Green. Hard.
The crowd gasped.
"Miss Black!" Slughorn gasped, distracted from the brawl on the floor from the sharp sound of the smack.
"Pardon me, Professor," she said, curtseying. "I think I've had enough fun for tonight. Thank you for the lovely party."
With that, she pushed through the crowd and left the stunned teacher to deal with the Black brothers who were brawling on the floor because of her.