𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 | b. black

✧.*┊o. prologue

CHAPTER ZERO
prologue

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·.

𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐗 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 had been in love with her little sister's best friend since her 5th year. The only problem? Andromeda's best friend was a Mudblood. Skum. Filth. Stain on the perfect white tapestry of pure magical blood.

Juniper Harrison was everything that Bellatrix's parents had told her to stay away from. If her ancestry weren't enough, the fact that she was sorted into Hufflepuff of all houses put her in the sub-basement of the social hierarchy. The worst part was that Juniper was proud of her dirty blood heritage, and no matter how many times one of the pureblood bigots reminded her of what she came from, it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest.

This somehow agitated Bellatrix even more than Juniper being the brightest witch in Andromeda's year. Everything about the bubbly, blue-eyed Mudblood irritated her, but what she hated the most was that she couldn't convince herself that she was not falling more and more for her every time she greeted her with a bright smile and a cheerful—

"Hi, Bellatrix!"

"Ugh, speak of the devil," Bellatrix muttered underneath her breath. She exhaled sharply as the compartment door opened and Juniper bounced in, already changed into her school robes.

"Hi, Andy! Hi, Cissy!" Juniper waved at the Black sisters.

"Juni, hi!" Andromeda beamed at her friend and patted the spot next to her. "I saved you a seat. How was your summer?"

"It was good! My mum and dad and I went camping, and I attended archery classes for a couple weeks," Juniper said as she sat down next to her best friend.

"Archery?" Narcissa asked, frowning softly in confusion. "What's archery?"

"It's a Muggle thing," Bellatrix grumbled. She placed her elbow on the windowsill and looked out at the passing country lanes.

"Archery is where you use a bow and arrow to shoot at a target," Juniper explained. "Targets are these painted circles on wood, one inside of the other, and you try to shoot the arrow into the smallest circle in the middle. It's rather fun. I've gotten quite good at it."

"Could you teach me sometime?" Narcissa asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Sure—"

"Absolutely not, Cissy." Bellatrix sent her youngest sister a stern glare that vanished the smile from the blonde's face. "I'll be damned if I allow you to participate in such foul recreations."

The train ride to Hogwarts seemed to last an eternity to Bellatrix. She wished they'd hurry up and pull into Hogsmeade station so that she wouldn't have to see Juniper's adorable smile out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to get away from the sweet sound of her voice and the hypnotizing sparkle in her ocean orbs as she explained archery to an intrigued Narcissa.

Bellatrix tried to distract herself with other things. This was her 7th and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once she graduated, she'd find a suitable, pureblooded husband to start a family with, and she'd never see the filthy Mudblood ever again. She'd never find herself drowning in her blue eyes or feel a forbidden flutter in her stomach whenever she grinned and waved at her in the corridors between classes.

Bellatrix's hand formed a tight fist, and she shut her eyes. Even when she was trying not to think about her, Juniper still found a way to consume her every thought.

Think of something else . . . Anything else . . . Unforgivable curses. Maybe if I used one on— No! Bellatrix, you're supposed to be thinking of something that's not Andy's little Mudblood friend.

The curly-haired witch sighed and leaned her head back. She wished that Andromeda and Juniper had never become such good friends.

"Bella? Bella! Bella, wake up!"

Bellatrix's eyes shot open. She rubbed her face and looked out the window. It was dark outside, and the train had come to a stop. She must've fallen asleep.

Andromeda and Narcissa were in their Slytherin robes. She was quick to notice that Juniper wasn't in the compartment. Hopefully she was already on her way to the castle. She didn't want to have to share a carriage ride up to Hogwarts with her, too.

Bellatrix changed into her uniform and pulled on her robes. She grabbed her trunk and followed her sisters onto the platform.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Narcissa asked as they sat down in one of the self-pulling carriages. "You seem a bit . . . off."

"Is this about Juniper?" Andromeda asked nervously. "I-I know you don't like me hanging out with her, but I'm the only friend she's got. She's kind of a loner."

"Hm. Can't imagine why," Bellatrix mumbled sarcastically. Juniper Harrison was an annoying little brat that no one could tolerate being around. Bellatrix leaned her elbow onto the side of the carriage. "I hope the Sorting doesn't take too long. I'm starving."

As the year went on, Bellatrix's feelings for Juniper would only intensify. Confessions would be made in dungeon corridors, and hearts would be broken as she chose a path too dangerous for the small brunette to follow.

But time would reunite them whether Bellatrix wanted it to or not, and the love she felt for her would be what eventually led to Lord Voldemort's demise.