"Castles Crumbling"
There’s absolutely no way in hell Bellatrix Black would kill herself. Every Black and everyone that knows a Black knows that you can’t even escape your family line through death. Unfortunately, Bellatrix has become an example for the future Blacks to come.
“She did what?” I attempt to get more clarification because part of me still can’t believe what she has done yet no words seem to come out.
Only tears.
“Rita we don’t have time for your obnoxious tears we have to go and see her,” She encapsulates me in a bone-crushing hug that makes me feel as if I can’t breathe.
Narcissa eventually pulls away and I can feel a thousand different thoughts, emotions, and feelings rushing through my brain. Why would Bellatrix do something like that? That beautiful girl tried to take her beautiful life and I didn’t even notice. But worst of all,
Is it my fault that Bellatrix tried to kill herself?
No. I can’t think like that right now. It will only make the situation worse than it already is. Bellatrix needs you right now because it is just a matter of time before she loses all hope.
While I love that incredible girl she is a pain in my arse. And everyone who has ever had the pleasure to meet her knows that. Unfortunately, her radiant personality and her appealing beauty makes her utterly impossible to avoid.
Narcissa begins sprinting for the Hospital Wing and I follow her. I can tell that she is struggling to run due to me being able to easily out-run her. I slow down my pace slightly so she has a chance to catch up and she eventually does.
“Are you okay?” I want to make sure that she won’t faint or collapse on me.
“Yeah, I’ve just been running a lot today,” Her pace begins to falter and her gasping for air becomes more frequent.
“We can take a break if you need one,” I comment, hoping it will delay me from having to see Bellatrix’s frail and injured body.
“No, it’s fine” I can see some of the light fading from her eyes but each blink brings it back.
“Bellatrix needs us right now and I’m not letting my personal needs get in the way of that,” She pants more and more and I’m gravely concerned with her physical wellbeing.
We continue sprinting for what feels like forever, but we eventually make it to the hospital wing. Her sister, Andromeda, sits by her bedside holding her left hand. I can tell she’s been crying recently.
Her eyes sparkle with silver tears and her nose a bright shade of red. She’s wearing a simple black skirt with a white blouse and a pair of Mary Jane’s. Considering the weather, she got ready to see her in a rush as it is probably no more than -8 degrees outside.
Narcissa rushes over to give Andromeda a hug before settling by Bellatrix’s side. I feel every limb in my body freeze. Even if I wanted to see her I don’t think I physically could. Her usual school uniform is doused in a sticky red substance only to be easily identified as her own blood. Her arms are covered with blood-soaked white bandages.
Madame Pomfrey gives me a look before ushering me over to Bellarix’s side. She’s carrying a potion in an orange tinted glass bottle and her usual white apron is covered in blood. I hope that it’s not Bellatrix’s blood but only a fool would think that.
“Deary, don’t try and act like we all don’t see the way you and her look at each other from across the Great Hall,” She has a soft smile on her face which is comparable to the tears running down everyone else's.
I feel the heat rise up my neck displaying an array of rose across my face. I don’t know how she could possibly be this happy when everyone else is in a state of suffering, yet I’m thankful that she is for everyone else who would feel more melancholic without her smile.
I slowly walk towards Bellatrix's lifeless body. My poor girl. I stand next to her unconscious body on the opposite side of Andromeda and Narcissa. I reach and take her hand in mine.
The tears roll off of my cheeks and land on hers. Her eyes flutter and it gives away a hint that Bellatrix knows I’m in her presence. I feel her hand tighten around mine and I look in the direction of Narcissa and Andromeda to see if they notice any of this happening.
By the looks on their faces they have no sense that Bellatrix is regaining consciousness and it’s probably better if they don’t. If she doesn’t wake up today then it will just hurt them more. She’s their sister, at the end of the day, she will do more mental and physical damage to them then any of their future husbands or wives ever will.
Hopefully.
I don’t think she’ll wake up anytime soon. With everything she has put herself through in the past 24 hours. All of a sudden, Bellatrix’s eyes begin to twitch and hand once again tightens around mine even more. The only thing different this time is that instead of it just being one quick squeeze and then her grip loosening again it was one where she kept squeezing repeatedly as if to test her muscles or some other sort.
Her eyes stop twitching and she opens them. I knew I loved those dark brown pools but I never thought that I’d be so happy to see them. Both Narcissa and Andromeda also notice her opening her eyes and the immediately run over to her while I take a step back as to not interfere with the situation.
I watch as Bellatrix tries to come up with words, but it’s almost like her vocal cords are completely lost. She looks panicked like she just woke up from a terrible nightmare, but also calm to know she isn’t around anyone who will ever try to harm her in some way, shape, or form. She looks in my direction and I push myself over because I can’t run from my fears forever.
“Rita…” Her voice sounds raspy and hurt as if she has been screaming for hours at a time.
“I’m here Bella. I’m here,” I can feel the tears fall from my face faster and I have to pretend that this isn’t all my fault.
“I didn’t do it,” A mixture of mine, Andromeda’s, and Narcissa’s tears all spray across Bellatrix’s body and her bed.
“That’s okay you don’t have to explain anything to me right now,” I squeeze her hand so hard it’s more than possible that I’m causing her pain currently.
“No, I mean I didn’t try to kill myself,” She manages to wiggle her hand out of my grasp and she scrutinizes the bandages wrapped around her arms.
“Your memory can be a little foggy after something so traumatic; everything might not be clear right now,” Andromeda attempts to rationalize Bella’s thinking as I nod in agreement.
“No, I went up there to kill myself, but then I got too scared,” I can tell it brings her to shame when she says that she’s ‘too scared’ to kill herself.
A Black is never too scared to do anything.
“Bella, are you saying that someone tried to murder you and cover it up as a suicide?” Narcissa looks utterly confused about the current situation.
“That’s exactly what I am saying,” There’s no way someone would make this up as an excuse to them not falling through with their suicide.
“And I know exactly who did it,” Bellatrix takes a blood-soaked cigarette from her pocket and lights it with the tip of her wand.
“Well don’t spare us the morbid details,” Andromeda rolls her eyes at her sister’s antics.
“Odette Roses is upset with the arranged marriage to Abel,” She blows a mouthful of smoke into my face causing me to cough a small bit.
“Don’t be moronic Bellatrix, Odette is a first year and is barely pushing 150 centimeters tall,” Narcissa says with a smile shown across her enchanting face.
“Cissy, you must not laugh!” An irked noise comes from the depths of Bellatrix’s throat.
“Girls, visiting hours are over, you must go back to your common rooms. Miss Black needs more rest to help her recover,” Madame Pomfrey’s booming voice quickly silences us as we begin to make our exit.
I give Bellatrix a small yet delightful kiss on her forehead before leaving the Hospital Wing. I wonder if Bellatrix was actually telling the truth about what happened on the Astronomy Tower. Everything will be hazy after a scenario like that, so I must come back tomorrow and ask her once she starts to get her memories sorted out.
I manage to get to the Ravenclaw tower and I enter the common room but not without answering the required riddle first. I watch as my roommates sleep peacefully so they don’t fall asleep in their classes the next day. I walk over to the shared bathroom and I take off my extravagant green and purple makeup.
I then take off the silver jewelry, one of which is a necklace I happened to steal from Bellatrix’s jewelry box after we had sex. I finally changed into a pair of beetle-print pajama sets that Bellatrix bought for me after she figured out what my animagus form was. I get settled in bed and look off into the starry night.
Yet one thing's for certain.
The only star I will ever lay my eyes on again is,
Bellatrix.
And will do anything to keep it that way.