Bejeweled

Andy wasn’t sure what exactly she was seeing. She’d watched the Future Death Eaters making their way towards the exit (no surprise), but a strange look on Bellatrix’s face had caught her attention. It wasn’t something Andy could even begin to identify. Maybe…unsettled? But that wasn’t quite it, there was more to it. 

She watched as Bella stopped just before the doors, not crossing the threshold, and then turn back to the party. 

Was she singing? To muggle music? 

Bellatrix made her way over to a group of Gryffindors, and…embraced Lily Evans happily. Then Remus Lupin. 

What in the seven hells was going on? 

It just kept getting more and more surreal. Her sister Bellatrix was singing along to muggle music. Dancing with Gryffindor muggle borns and blood traitors. Looking like she was having the time of her life. Something was wrong. The puzzle pieces didn’t fit together at all. 

Sure, Bella had admitted to caring for Lupin somewhat, but that didn’t mean…this. Andy had hoped that maybe it would lead to Bellatrix being a little more understanding of her choice, maybe even enough to reconcile, keeping it secret from their parents. But this was so far away from anything resembling a plausible reality that Andy couldn’t trust it for one second. 

A prank. That had to be it. Bellatrix had won Lupin’s trust and was now going to use it to do something awful to his friends. Maybe to him too, if something in their fragile friendship had gone wrong. 

Andy had to stop it. 

She excused herself from Ted and her Hufflepuff friends, all of them asking what the hell was going on with her sister, and left the Great Hall herself. She headed straight for the Slytherin Common Room, marching up to Cissy. 

“What’s going on?” Andy demanded. 

Narcissa blinked at her. “You’re talking to me for some reason?” 

“What the hell is Bellatrix about to pull?” Andy demanded again.

The whole group of Future Death Eaters was looking at her like she’d lost her mind. Andy felt like she had. This wasn’t right, if they knew Bella was about to pull something, wouldn’t they be gloating? But…no, no they were just trying to throw her off. 

“She went right up to her room after the dance,” Cissy shrugged. Then paused. “…didn’t she? I mean, she must have.” 

“No, she’s still in the Great Hall. With Lily Evans. What’s she about to pull?” Andy insisted. They had to know. This was an act!…Right? 

“Oh please,” Snape rolled his eyes. “Lily doesn’t want anything to do with Slytherins. I would know,” he sneered, still bitter as ever.  

Snape! Of course, Snape! Andy whirled around to face him. “Bellatrix is dancing with her and their little Gryffindor group. Right now. It’s clearly a set up! So if you care about her at all, you’ll come help me.” 

“Oh please,” Yaxley rolled his eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. Bellatrix left with the rest of us.” 

“But what if she didn’t?” Cissy asked with a cold tone, standing up out of her seat. “Have you seen her since we left the dance? I’m going back to the Great Hall.” 

“I’ll go. Just to see,” Snape said, standing up as well. 

“You’re wasting your time, believing this blood traitor,” Yaxley scoffed. 

The three of them made their way back to the Great Hall despite his words, only to find Bellatrix jumping to the beat with the Gryffindors and screaming the lyrics to some muggle song at the top of her lungs like every single muggle born in the room, seeming to have the time of her life. Apparently it was a popular song, though obviously Andy had never heard it before. 

Clearly, nothing horrible had happened. Yet. 

Andy felt Cissy freeze beside her, watching the scene. The look on her face was one of pure shock, though it was morphing to rage in slow motion. Her reaction was the first thing that made Andy genuinely consider that this might not be a set up after all. 

“Cissy?” she asked in a soft voice. 

Cissy didn’t react to her, didn’t even show signs of hearing Andy speak. Instead, her face went cold as ice, she turned sharply, and stormed back out of the Great Hall. Andy was torn between following Cissy and going to Bella, looking between the two. 

Though when her head turned away from her younger sister and towards her older one Andy finally realized that Snape had not stayed patiently by them. He was now being forcibly dragged away from the Gryffindor group (well, Lily Evans) by Sirius Black. They were clearly arguing, but their voices were drowned out by the loud music and abundant conversation in the rest of the hall. Most of it probably centered around the spectacle everyone was obviously watching. Everyone except Lily Evans, who was pointedly ignoring it. 

Andy made sure to get out of the way as the boys continued their spat out the door and into the halls. 

Cissy wouldn’t want to talk to her anyway. Andy went into the party, trying to move through the dancing crowd as efficiently as possible, and was glad Bellatrix wasn’t too far from the door. 

She tapped her sister on the shoulder. 

Bellatrix turned around and instantly had a hesitant expression. “Hey,” she said hesitantly. Andy noticed how Lupin’s hand came up to rest on the small of her sister’s back as he watched the interaction. 

“Hey,” Andy answered. “What…is going on?” 

“Well…you’re not the only blood traitor in the family anymore,” Bellatrix answered. There was a nervousness to her smile, but she was still clearly trying to say it proudly, shoulders straightening as she spoke. There wasn’t an ounce of dishonesty. 

Andy felt like the ground was tilting beneath her feet. Everything she thought was certain was called into question. Bellatrix, her sister Bellatrix, the most dedicated to blood purity between the three of them, the proud pureblood princess, the determined future Death Eater, the person who had berated her more than any other for dating a half-blood, Bellatrix, Bellatrix was embracing the title of blood traitor. Was dancing with muggle borns to muggle music. Clearly had something going on with half-blood, Gryffindor Remus Lupin. 

Andy wasn’t sure if she stepped forward to hug her sister, or was so off balance she simply fell into her sister’s arms. Either way, the next thing she was fully aware of was holding onto Bellatrix’s solid form, solid and real and hugging her back. She had her sister back! 

“I love you, Bella. I love you so, so much,” Andy’s voice came out a desperate whisper. 

“I love you too. I love you too,” Bella repeated into her hair.