Bell
There can be no light without dark
Nott manor was a quirky place the exterior brooding and haunting but the interior was whimsical and eccentric, home to a haunting whimsical family. The highly regarded, sacred twenty eight members; The Notts.
Never had there been Nott been sorted into any house other than Slytherin. Luncheons, balls and dinners where commonplace within their manor much to the youngest of the homes dismay; Arabella Nott...Bell for short.
Bell could conjure a butterfly in the palm of her hand by age four. She was an incredibly beautiful girl, who not only inherited the big brown doe eyes the Notts often had but the gift of fine magic. She was the apple of her fathers eye as well as her her brothers too; her mother was quite the opposite she seen the affections of her boys as a threat, she was envious of her daughter from the moment an ice white ringlet formed on her little head.
Life in the manor used to be lighter, it was often graced with the presence of Andromeda Black, the ex girlfriend and childhood love of her brothers life, but she had recently been disowned by her family; Bells biggest fear. Andromeda had done an unspeakable thing and fell in love with a Muggleborn. Of course Bell seen no issue with the nature of someone's blood, infact she never asked anyone that question she respected everyone regardless of their heritage something she would never admit to her mother.
Her brother, Cantankerous had recently left Hogwarts leaving her to attend her last three years without his spying eyes on her, the very thought delighted her. Hogwarts was a home away from home; though she missed the mystical wheatgrass and luscious overgrown trees when she left, long haul sleepovers with her best friends Dora, Reggie and Evan awaited her. Not only the prospect of friendship and being with her group gripped her but a certain boy with messy dark hair, glasses and an ego as large as the castle itself, but that was a secret only for her.
"Have you packed ?" Her father asked her peering over his paper as he sat across from her.
"Yes father, although I could have made a tidier job of it" she chuckled.
"Well you should have better packing skills by now darling" he pointed out as he went back to his paper. "6th year, you've done it plenty by now" he softly chuckled.
"My talents lay elsewhere father, for example" she smiled proudly as she extended her arm as a spindle of vines twisted from her elbow to her palm and displaying a large vibrant sunflower.
Her father placed the paper down and grinned wildly "beautiful" he whispered
The door swung open and in a gust her sunflower was extinguished in her hand. Her mother stood haughty and pointed. Her yellow toned blonde hair was pressed firmly into a French twist and she wore a corseted ball gown in a sickly green colour.
"Have you stocked on your potions? I won't have you making any scenes" she glared at Arabella.
"She's never made any this far Evanora!" Her father rebuffed in defence.
"Never the less!" She exclaimed boring wild brown green eyes into her husband. "She could set the school alight or freeze the entire lake! I won't have it being said that I've conceived an ...obscurity!" She hissed.
They often spoke about her as though she was invisible. Her condition was what they called it...her obscurial magic; magic with a temper and a mind of its own brought on by deep emotions like sadness, anger and fear. Sometimes it was a subtle emission like cold hands when she was sad but when Dora's elf died Arabella made it snow in her bedroom.
"I've packed my potions mother." She interrupted the brewing conflict.
"Merlin, you two make me fantasise about divorce" Cantankerous Jnr was Arabellas older brother he was a handsome young man with a plethora of heartbroken girls at his beck and call. He was funny and caring, just like their father but he definitely inherited the cold edge from their mother. "Or execution" he cheekily winked at Arabella who stifled a chuckle.
"Darling boy!" Evanora pandered at the sight of her first born and only son. "Four owls of ministers wanting you in their department, four!" Her demeanour was entirely different she was almost jolly as she went to her son, placing a hand on his cheek. "But I've told them; he's taken, Corbin is so good to get you on the governors board, he's told me about his newest venture with a very powerful wizard, he tells me he's a Lord?
"Mother...not here" Cantankerous shifted uneasily under his mothers touch.
"Corbin Yaxley is a Lord?" Her father frowned
"Tom thinks very highly of you, that's all darling" she pried ignoring the question from her husband.
"Whose Tom?" Cantankerous snr frowned
"We don't call him by that name" Cantankerous Jnr added but was barley heard.
"A wizzard that is going to make right of this wretched world! I mean honestly Arabella tell me how many mudbloods are in your year?"
"I..I'm not sur-
"Anyway" she cut her off earning a disagreeable shake of the head from Cantankerous Jnr. "He is very interested in my fathers work, we had tea only this past Tuesday, we discussed many things" she grinned
"A blood supremacist then?" Cantankerus Snr said after sipping from his China cup. Belle often wondered if it was tea or a concoction of potions to numb his senses.
"Oh Cantankerous listen to yourself! Magic is might ! and don't you dare forget it !" She snapped before leaving the three Notts in the sitting area as though they had just witnessed a tornado.
"Tank don't pay any mind to those who are so blinded by hate son; you're a good man." Cantankerous Snr looked at his son who didn't look back at him. He sighed fearing it may be too late. "Off to bed Belle, The Hogwarts express awaits my angel"
"Bed? But father it's not even eight yet!" Belle advised wanting to protest.
"All the more time for sleep, a girl as pretty as you needs her sleep." Her brother smiled for the first time since he entered the room.
The arguments commenced between her brother and father on her exit. Her fathers raised voice was loud enough to carry down the hall. She hated the sound of his voice so stern, he never ever raised his voice in her presence but he was becoming quicker to anger recently, even Dora had mentioned it during her recent stays at the manor.
*\
Sometimes she would race the painted ballerina as she passed the frames when she ran down the brightly coloured hallway laughing as she done so. It was a joyous sound. Even Cantankerous Jnr would feel a smile forming as he worked in his study, cigarette burning.
"No running!" He called in vane.
But she was in a hurry, she had forgotten to ask her father to sign off on her Hogsmede pass, a sanction had been placed due to an increase in dark activity.
She rushed speeding by doors until she practically skidded into the sitting area then she came to a jarring halt when she was met with cold blue eyes.
"Hello there little runner bean" The young man spoke, he was otherworldly, undeniably handsome, as though he was some haunting figment. Arabella was stunned at the sight of him unable to force a word. "Whats that you have there?" There was something about him, a disturbing aura that bled into the air. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to start running only this time away from him. She didn't think about how peculiar it was that she wanted to runaway from someone so beautiful.
"My...my Hogsmede pass" she managed, her hands shaking slightly.
"Hogsmede" he smirked "they're making you need a pass now?, aren't you a little old to need parental consent?" His smirk was unsettling and snake like.
"The troubles ...there's been a lot of attacks recently" she answered nerves building.
"But you're not at risk, you're pure blooded" he glared as he ran his chilling gaze down her frame. He got up from the sofa and stalked towards her. "They won't harm you, I'll make sure of that" Arabella was fear stricken as the unmistakable scent of dark magic twanged against her skin, he peered down at her, ice against earth. She couldn't breathe.
"Scram Bell!." Her brothers voice though alarming it brought her instant relief. "Fathers waiting" And she bolted out the room not even glancing to say goodbye or catch her bothers eye on the way out.
*\
The platform was packed it was nice to be back, she gently looked round for Evan, Dora and Reggie.
"I'm going to miss you, my girl" her dad smiled down at her. "The place is a torture without you." He sighed
"I'll be back before you can say liquid luck"she offered a side smile
"Ah but you're liquid luck personified!" He chuckled earnestly she looked up at him and couldn't help but notice how genuinely sad he looked. No one loved her as much as her father and she loved no one more than him.
The train had arrived. She threw her arms round him squeezing tightly "maybe you can come with me" she smiled.
"Oi! C'mon Nott!" A haughty voice called she turned to find regulus standing posed at the side of the train. "Hello Mr Nott" he composed himself instantly as he met eyes with her father Bell just smirked and rolled her eyes at him.
"Is it true about his brother ?" Her dad asked quietly as she collected her suitcase. "Sirius? Yeah he lives with James now, he ran away" she said sadly
"James who?" He frowned
"Potter."
"Montys son? They're a nice family, older mind" he said more to himself before snapping out of his thoughts "Don't you be getting any ideas!" Her dad warned
"And leave you? Never!" She grinned "love you!"
"I love you to the moon my sweet girl!" He replied she was half way to the train when she turned on her heels to ball back "and back again!"
She caught up to Regulus and they boarded the train. Bell glanced out the window to find her father waving and miming the act of writing a letter. She giggled and waved back nodding.
"Must be a pleasant feeling?" Regulus remarked as he watched his dear friend.
"What?" She laughed
"Having a parent that adores you"
"Have you met my mother? That crazed witch prays for my death, im sure she envies your mother, blessed with sons" she rolled her eyes and the train let out a hoot to signify its departure.
"Take it you've heard" Reggie murmured as they headed down the aisle.
Bell was at his back "yeah, but I won't say" she tried to comfort him.
"It's all on me now." They found a compartment and the pair sat across from one another.
Belle could tell he was feeling the pressure.
"If it's any consolation my mother would have me married off to Barty if it wasn't for dad!" She laughed trying to make light of the pureblood ways.
"Barty is a good man, he'd make a fine husband"
The compartment door swung open "You marry him then! Merlin you sound like your mother" Pandora Malfoy entered in her usual dramatic way. Shining white hair and pale complexion.
"Here she is" Bell smiled glad to have a bright presence in an otherwise grim environment.
"Dora" Reggie regarded her with a snarl
"Moody!" she replied "fucking hell, who replaced Reg with a dementor!?" She sat down next to him.
"Enough Dora he's had a hard summer" Bell advised. But she had a point. Regulus Blacks hair was as dark as his name, his grey eyes looked as though they hadn't slept all summer and they were adorned now with bruise coloured bags that looked so loud on his pale face.
"Hard summer!? I'd bloody rejoice if Lucy ran off with the circus!"
"He'd hex you to death if he ever heard you refer to him as 'Lucy'" Reggie glared
"Ah but he will never know!" She pinched his cheek as though he was a tiny child.
"I'm going to tell him." He sneered cheekily.
"Oh you really are a snake!" She laughed and Reggie and Bell couldn't help but laugh with her.
"Wheres Evan?" Dora asked after regaining breath.
"He's sitting with Cassius, Antonin and Issac." Reggie advised resting his head lazily against the window.
"They're two years older ?" Bell frowned "why would he want to sit with them?"
"Dunno" Reggie sighed "there's this ...sort of club thing they all joined over summer, plus Cain is prefect now so he's in a separate carriage and they had a space."
"Mulciber the torturer is a prefect !?" Dora gawked.
"You are dramatic aren't you?" Reggie sat up right to raise his brow at Dora.
"Sorry?? Have you heard the rumours about what he did to that Gryffindor MacDonald ? Or has Wulburga took to stuffing you're little pureblood ears with jobberknoll feathers?" Dora replied
"Guys" Bell sighed she often played referee when it came to her friend group. Evan was usually here to offer eyes off amusement at her dismay.
"Slytherins and Gryffindors fight it's part of the entire thing! Mary MacDonald should perfect her shield charm, he did her a favour." Reggie replied haughtily.
"There's rumours he did more than just jinx her Reg, it's vulgar and what does good old crackpot Albus do? Stamps him with a prefect badge !" Dora shook her head appalled but not surprised.
Bell stared stunned and disgusted at Regulus.
"That's a lot of nonsense !" He argued looking between the two girls. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably "I'm gonna find Evan."
"They'll have you joining that weird club. I'm surprised you're not already part of it." Dora said as Reggie stood up.
"I might just join" he smirked
"Please don't" Dora's tone shifted from amused to stark panic.
Reg and Bell analysed her for a moment. "Drama queen!" he winked at Bell before sliding the compartment door shut.
*\
Bell could sense the awkward tension in the great hall. Evan had now joined them he and Reggie had their back to the Gryffindor table but Bell and Dora had a full view of Sirius, James and Remus. Peter had his back to them.
"Is he looking over?" Reggie hissed as he pretended not to care.
"No" Belle said softly
"Yes!" Dora exclaimed waving wildly.
Evan sniggered at the situation unfolding as Bell sighed as she surrendered to the theme of her new school year.
"Don't bloody wave you silly witch!" Reggie glared. Bell grabbed her arm and placed it firmly on the table.
"Honestly! He's a great guy, you're seriously going to abandon him over blood purity !? Get a grip Reg!" Dora fumed
"Pandora!" Evan gasped as he stared astonished at her outburst.
"You don't understand!!" He got up in a temper and marched from the table and out of the hall.
"Regulus! Come back!" Bell called but it was useless.
"He's going to get us docked, spoiled little warlock!" Dora huffed. Evan got up from his seat and went after him.
"Pandora Malfoy! What has gotten into you?" Bell frowned
"Me!? It's him!" She replied defensively
"He's gone through alot this summer, he's lost Sirius and if his parents are willing to kick their eldest son to the kerb you wonder what they're like with Reg." Bell sighed feeling concerned.
"They are everything you imagine and 10x worse...which is why Reg should do a Sirius and bolt whilst he can, I mean I've thought about it."
"Dora!? You have a lovely home and your parents..."
"My father is unhinged my mother soft and Lucy would have me married off to Pucy, flint or Avery in a heartbeat" she winced
"At least with Avery you get Polly as a sister in law!" Bell chimed "she's not long married actually!"
"I heard! Hunky Arty Scamander lucky witch! Polly is a gem to be fair. So! What about Andy! Does Tank mention it?" Dora geared up for some drama. But Belle really didn't have much to say. Her brother never spoke of the missing piece in his life. Andromeda had set up her own family now, she had a little girl and she was married off to Ted Tonks. It was four years since she saw her but she wrote to her whenever there wasn't prying eyes.
Bell didn't care for judgement but she did care about Andromeda; she was like a big sister to her, lovely and kind. "I don't blame her for leaving, I just hope she's happy, that's all I care about." She said sadly.
"Quite right Bell, you're not harbouring Ill will?"
"No, I know my brother and I know my mother! They're all so stuck on pureblood ideals it's frightening."
Dumbledore took to his owl stand and the hall went quiet.