Subverted Expectations

Emma Green was avoiding her.

It was subtle enough that she hadn’t even picked up on it until two days after she’d- after they’d last spoken, but now that she had noticed, it was obvious. She couldn’t see why, she’d been the one to come bother her in the first place about ‘talking about it’ or whatever. But she practically fled from any room Bellatrix was in, and if she had to be there, she surrounded herself with her friends, likely knowing that Bellatrix could not simply go up to her and talk about snogging her in front of other people. She couldn’t go talk to her at all in front of anyone else, what would people think? 

So she just had to wait for the perfect moment. It would come, she was sure- she and Emma Green ended up crossing paths so often when Bellatrix didn’t want to see her, so surely when she was actively seeking her out, she would come along sooner or later.

However, as a week passed and sooner turned into later, Bellatrix found herself growing frustrated. She was not used to not getting what she wanted- who did Emma Green think she was, anyway?

Everything about that girl was frustrating, really. Even in normal circumstances. Something about her was just off, because while she was now certain that she was muggleborn (she had all but admitted it to her), that didn’t explain how she was able to jump right into N.E.W.T classes at Hogwarts in her first year of attending. The girl clearly had a good understanding of magic, but Bellatrix had no idea where she’d gotten it.

Unfortunately, this only served to make Bellatrix want to talk to her more. She needed answers- she couldn’t just go on when she knew there was something being hidden from her. She also wanted to resume their- conversation- from the week before. Maybe she should do that first, and then interrogate her about her origins. People generally didn’t want to snog you after you yelled at them….

“Bella? I know we don’t like Gryffindors, but why are you looking over there like you’re going to murder them? Did something happen?” Cissy asked.

“Probably just thinking of new ways to hex them and make everyone’s lives miserable,” muttered Andy. 

She glared at her. “If I’m so miserable, why are you sitting with us?”

Andy immediately looked uncomfortable, which Bellatrix took to mean she preferred Bellatrix’s company, as unpleasant as it apparently was, over, say, Lucius’s, which she had to say was the only thing she’d agreed with her sister on for a good seven months.

She, too, would rather spend her time with Andy, who she was actively fighting with, than with Lucius, where she would have to listen to him talk about his father and how rich he was (not as rich as she was, just for the record- which she did occasionally rub in people’s faces, but which she did not make the center of every conversation).

He would be, realized, her brother-in-law if or when he and Cissy got married. It was better than actually being married to him, but only marginally so.

“Well, since you’re both here,” Cissy started, “We need to talk about the holidays. Mother has asked me to drag you two shopping next time we go to Hogsmeade, two weeks from now-”

“For what?” Andy frowned.

“Mother’s hosting a ball over break, and we’re expected to attend, of course.” She caught both of their surprised expressions. “Didn’t she tell you?”

“Why would mother tell me anything?” Andy huffed, sounding almost hurt for some insane reason. Personally, Bellatrix couldn’t care less if her mother wrote to Cissy instead of her- actually, she preferred it that way, because why would she want to speak to her mother? It wasn’t like she or Andy had ever been very close to her.

“Well- maybe it just slipped her mind,” Cissy said. 

“Right, she must’ve forgotten to mention it all the times she writes to us,” she snorted. “Thanks for letting us know, Cissy. You can drag us shopping for robes next Hogsmeade weekend if that’s what you want.”

Her face brightened, which made the hours Bellatrix could see ahead of her of standing bored in a waiting room almost worth it. Almost. “Excellent,” she said, trying to disguise the excitement in her voice (her sister and shopping, honestly). “Andy?” 

Andy let out a long, drawn out sigh. “What, have plans with the mudblood?” she sneered, quietly so no one would hear.

For some reason, Cissy kicked her under the table. “No,” Andy scowled. “I’ll be there, Cissy.”

A small smile quirked up at the edge of her youngest sister’s lips. Bellatrix hoped she wasn’t about to go around thinking this meant she and Andy weren’t fighting- she was still pissed at her for ignoring her warnings about the mudblood boy, and Andy still didn’t understand why she was worried about the whole thing. Unless Andy had a sudden change of heart, reconciliation wasn’t on the table.

There was movement at the Gryffindor table, and her attention was entirely taken by the sight of Emma Green getting up and heading out of the Great Hall, alone. She grinned.

“Bella?”

“Don’t wait up for me,” she muttered, already getting up to follow her. She wondered if this was too obvious- Cissy and Andy weren’t stupid, there was the chance that they would see exactly who she was chasing after- but she decided she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to let this opportunity get away from her.

Green, apparently, was heading to the library- or at least, Bellatrix could only assume that from the corridor she had taken and the fact that Green might as well have lived in the library for all the time she spent there. As most Gryffindors avoided the library, especially on a weekend, she was certain that none of her friends would be following her.

Perfect.

She sped up until she was walking directly behind Green, whose tense shoulders gave away the fact that she sensed her behind her. It took until she was at the end of the corridor to acknowledge her- she supposed that was alright. She could be patient.

“What do you want, Bellatrix?” Green asked, turning around and moving her hand down so she could draw her wand at a moment's notice.

“Finally,” she groaned. “Do you know how annoying you can be when I can’t talk to you? It’s almost as annoying as when I am talking to you.”

Green huffed. “Well, then. If that’s all-”

“That was your cue to shut up,” she muttered, slightly exasperated. Green had practically thrown herself on her last time- why couldn’t she make this easier for her? When Green didn’t move, however, she knew that wasn’t going to be case, so she took it upon herself to speed things up.

She grabbed her and practically shoved her into the wall, immediately going into the kiss, because talking about it first would be a waste of time. Kissing Green wasn’t as- relieving- as it had been last time, but it was nice. Kissing her was nice. Especially since she was sure she was starting to kiss back, responding to her-

This time, she was the one being pushed away. Green’s face, fascinatingly, was a little pale. She looked shaken. Bellatrix wasn’t sure if she should be insulted. 

“What are you doing?” demanded Green, crossing her arms across her chest and practically pouting at her.

“Getting interrupted, apparently.”

“I don’t understand you,” she snapped. “You- you bully people, you bully me, you’re a miserable, miserable person, and you’re supposed to hate me, so why do you keep- kissing me? I’m getting some very mixed signals!”

“I’m not doing it because I like you, trust me.” 

Green made an exasperated noise. “Why, then? Is this just another power trip?”

“Sure, Green. Whatever. I just need to blow off some steam, is that so hard to believe?” Green never needed to know just how much she needed to- it wasn’t like this arrangement was going to go on past this year anyway.

“I’m not going to let you just-”

“Just what, Green? You’re making this far more difficult than it needs to be.” This was one of the rare occasions where she was making some effort, but she only had so much patience. She supposed she could understand, from a logical perspective- Green was probably the type of girl who thought it meant something when she kissed her- but she was having trouble sympathizing. This wasn’t what she needed right now. She needed Green to just- help her out a bit.

Not because she liked her for her personality, or anything. She had no idea what it was about Green that drew her in so much, but it definitely wasn’t because she enjoyed talking to her, or being around her, that would be ridiculous.

Green rolled her eyes and pushed past her, practically storming off down the hallway. She considered running her down and hexing her, or something, but-

Ah, she wasn’t going to hex a girl to get her to snog her. That would be a bit much, even for her.

Whatever. It was fine. She didn’t need Green, she was just a convenient solution to an ongoing problem that she totally had handled on her own- now it was just the fact that she’d basically outright rejected her. People didn’t just- reject her. That was not okay.

She might need to spend a bit of time on Emma Green. Fine. She could do that. It wasn’t like she was going to need any help any time soon, right? Everything was going to be fine.