𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗|| James Potter

14.

The headlines of the prophet stand out in bold. The picture of rows of houses in flames and people running is going to haunt her forever. The silent screams that Rhea can swear she can hear ring through her ears.

'FiendFyre set aflame on a muggle neighbourhood. 63 dead and 42 injured. Signs of killing curse on four who were found away from the fire.'

Looking over at her mother who's at the end of the table, she appears unfazed as she reads through the prophet. Not one hint on her face that shows she's reading about a mass murder.

Rhea refocuses back on the paper reading further down.

'...countless wizards and witches seen disapparating leaving black clouds...'

'...witness heard them laughing and joking as they watched...'

'...unidentified...'

'...dark lord rising...'

Gulping heavily Rhea shifts in her seat. Preparing to ask her mother a question she doesn't think she really wants an answer for.

"Mother."

Receiving no response, she tries again. No hiding the urgency in her voice. "Mother."

"What?" Druella snaps. She glares at her youngest daughter for daring to interrupt her morning reading.

"Where was Bella last night?" Swallowing the bile in her throat heavily Rhea continues, "She left quite early."

"She had things to attend to," Druella looks over at Rhea, daring her to question what things Bellatrix was doing. Rhea has to get out now before she throws up in front of her mother or worse, says something that will ultimately end with a punishment.

"May I be excused, I am quite exhausted still from yesterday."

Druella simply sneers over the prophet and waves her hand towards the door. Rushing out of her seat Rhea runs to the bathroom the second she's out of her mothers sight.

All she can think about are the flames around the houses, muggles on the side crying. Children sitting on the curb in blankets shaking, staring at the fire, people holding others back from running into the fire.

And witnesses had seen them laughing. Her sister had taken– ruined people's lives and she laughed. Rhea can picture it now, goose bumps spread over her body. She knows what laugh they're talking about. That cackle her sister does and it never fails to make her seem completely deranged.

Maybe she is.

Sitting on the bathroom floor, knees pushed into her chest, hands fisting her hair as she tries to breathe. But she can't, her sister. Her Bella. Bellatrix. Her older sister. Someone's who's protected her and cared for her.

Rhea wants to deny it and say Bellatrix isn't so sick and twisted. She wants to say pureblood supremacy couldn't have driven her that far. But she can't because she knows. This is who her sister has become.

Has it always been there? Hidden behind the warmth Rhea used to seek out as a child when mother got too angry and her fury went too far. Or when she would have a nightmare.

Why does this even fucking surprise her?

It shouldn't, Rhea knows she shouldn't be surprised in the slightest. But she is. Does Narcissa know? Mother clearly does, no doubt Cissy does as well.

Narcissa acts ignorant to it, as if everything is normal, until eventually someone speaks on it. Even then she won't ever speak up on how horrible it is. Merlin, her husband would have been there last night if it hadn't been that it was his wedding night.