The Broken Blonde

Chapter Ninety-Six

Bellatrix stood tauntingly in the archway twiddling with her wand, her hair was just as it was back at the manor, dark bushy locks like a cloak snatching anyone who may stumble across it. Her long black ragged dress contrasted greatly with her pale sunken skin flowing inertly with the gust of wind that entered the castle. She has this eerie, yet menacing grin plastered on her thin sickly face almost resembling that of a corpse, her eyes sucked you in like a black hole as the colour was so dark it blended in with the pupils, she had one brow raised as if she found what she had been looking for.

"He isn't dead." Bellatrix yelled while she slowly began walking towards us her eyes glued to Narcissa not yet acknowledging both Draco and I, the sound of her heeled boots echoed through the corridor making me jolt every time she took a step, she was the one person I was truly afraid of.

"I'm not quite understanding what you're talking about Bella?" Narcissa spoke faintly her face looking puzzled but a small amount of guilt seeped through her expression, I glanced down to see her hands by her side slightly trembling as she took a single step forward in front of Draco.

"You know very well what I'm talking about Cissy. I haven't spent 14 years in Azkaban to watch my Lord get killed because of my own sister." Bellatrixs voice grew harsh as if shes been holding whatever was said inside of her for a long time, it was deep and rough small amounts of spit indicating how furious she was. Her hands gripped her wand so tight it looked for a second that she may in fact break it, her entire body was tense, and her expression was demonic her eye twitching with rage.

"You betray The Dark Lord for your pathetic son and a filthy half-blood. You don't want to end up like Andromeda, do you?" Though she was no longer screaming somehow her whispers were worse, strangely similar to that of Voldemorts. It pricked every part of me like a needle and the scar on my neck burnt like flames when her eyes drained of emotion struck me as soon as I was mentioned.

Bellatrix was never fond of me, I could now distinguish that it was her who held my arm in place over the cauldron the night I got anointed with the dark mark, she enjoyed watching me squirm and put up a weak fight knowing that I was too naïve to know what exactly I was getting myself into. She took advantage of that, I was like her little chew toy that she'd mess around with whenever she could, putting me up to tasks she knew I'd never be able to do until she finally got bored, had enough of me.

"Bella, please. Don't hurt the girl" My heart was thumping so loud I was sure she was able to hear it, I was too distracted by Bellatrixs stare to realised she had her wand aimed right at me. I didn't dare speak, one small move and I was sure I'd be dead, instead my head slowly turned to Narcissa whos eyes exchanged glances between Bellatrix and I weary not to push her.

"Nothing but a scum Cissy, you know better. Now, where were we?" She scowled as she made her way over to me at an agonising pace, I felt as if I were glued to the spot due to the fear that I'd die sooner if I moved even the slightest bit. Eventually I felt her fingers slowly brush against my shoulder teasingly as I strained my eyes watching her walk behind me out of sight, I felt her lingering by my shoulder as her fingers tucked my mattered hair behind my ears now leaving them exposed.

"Shame to kill someone so, pretty." I felt her hot breath on the back of my neck, her words sending shivers throughout my body, though her words in normality would be deemed a compliment right now they were nothing more than a threat. It was her way to make me feel guilty for something I wasn't able to control, she was manipulative, and it didn't surprise me that Draco did what she asked of him.

"What a waste of youth, though I suppose you'll look quite different when your laying dead on the floor" I felt her nail trail from my shoulder around the back of my neck towards the other, her lips eerily close to my skin wondering for a moment if I was going to feel sharp teeth sink my neck in attempt to steal the only useful thing I had before she got rid of me completely. I could tell she felt the pace of my breathing speed up as she got closer to my throat getting flashbacks of what happened last time, her cold hand pressed against my neck feeling for the scar her blade had once left.

"Poor Draco, foolish boy gave everything up for you." Her voice lingered as she traced her finger up and down my scar making me clench my jaw and look up towards the ceiling in spite, the mention of his name made my stomach turn realising what I was letting her do. What she said stuck with me echoing through my head, she was right he did give everything up for me and I wasn't going to leave without him knowing I would too.

I had a sudden urge to prove her wrong, she thrived off seeing me fear her and I felt cowardly but if I carried on the way I was going to meet my end quicker than I would have wanted. Steadily I raised my hand as she was too busy cackling to Narcissa and Draco to realise, I grabbed her wrist tight twisting in away from me making her shriek. She stumbled forward as I let go of her wrist giving her no time before I shoved her forward quickly retrieving my wand from my back pocket. I turned back towards her as she did me and both aimed our wands at each other not hesitating for a second to use it, I grasped it firmly and watched as a flash of bright light shot out of the end colliding with the green sparks that sprang from Bellatrixs.

I shut my eyes tight knowing exactly what would strike me if I didn't concentrate hard enough, my hand was shaking from how much pressure rested on both ends of the wands just waiting to find out which would overrule. Next moment I felt my wand jolt up now shooting up towards the ceiling indicating she must have broken the clash; I gulped a small sense of relief sprang inside of me realising that I was still alive. I paused but everything was quiet, something felt off, I only thought to open my eyes when I heard a faint crack in the pillar above.

What I saw was worse than the fate I should have met. What I saw was beyond something I could even comprehend. What I saw was Draco laying lifeless at my feet. My world was a hurricane of ice frozen in its tracks, I can tell you I have never felt emptier, wretched and cold. The one mere spark of hope was extinguished, and everything went dark, darkness not only surrounding me but inside of me like a disease that was just wating to infect anyone and everyone who was hit with a wave of grief.

Every light switched off, all but one that shone clearly over the one person I fought to keep with me. His eyes that once glinted with the slightest amount of desire was put out like a single flame leaving me with a whiff of smoke more agonising than anything I have ever felt. His lips that danced with mine and filled me up with satisfaction had now came to the end of their recital, but I still craved them more than anything knowing I'd never be able to feel their rough touch again. His dingy platinum blonde hair being the only thing that didn't change, I could still feel my fingers brush through it, the stark contrast of its colour to my skin. Though he wears the smell of blood and death like a cologne that still manages to entice me.

The lingering feeling of uncertainty finally found itself to be certain, but it was too late. I had always presumed I was the one that needed protecting, I'm the one stupid enough to risk it all not remembering that there too was someone willing to risk theirs for the sake of my protection. Death wasn't kind. I knew that. It snatched where it could, taking the young and innocent, it didn't pretend to care, didn't pretend to distinguish. It finally caught up but just took the wrong person.