Bellatrix Black knew what was expected of her. Coming from one of the noble and most ancient pureblood families, she had a legacy to carry on -- a legacy she'd never fulfill thanks to her sister's Mudblood best friend.
➳ bellatrix black x...
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CHAPTER TWO between the branches
.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·.
𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄, her back resting against the rough bark. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, dangling between the branches. In her lap, her favourite book laid open, its pages marked with an array of doodles and annotations that only she could understand.
The gentle rustle of the leaves and the occasional chirps of birds provided a soothing background noise as she turned the pages, fully engrossed in the story. The sunlight filtering through the leaves painted patterns on her arms and the book, creating a cozy sanctuary high up in the tree.
As she read, a small smile tugged at her lips, her eyes dancing across the words. Her mind was so focused on the story that she didn't notice the sound of approaching footsteps, nor did she realize she was no longer alone.
"What are you doing up in a tree, Muddy?" Bellatrix shouted up to her, yanking Juniper's concentration away from the words on the page. She looked down at the older girl, who stood with her hands on her hips at the foot of the tree trunk.
"Reading," Juniper replied, her voice tinged with irritation at being interrupted. She marked her place in the book and set it to rest in her lap, her attention now fully on Bellatrix. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, her expression challenging.
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her attitude. "You're quite the little spitfire when you want to be, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes glinting with mild amusement. She walked closer to the base of the tree, studying Juniper as she perched on the branch.
"And you're still as rude as ever," Juniper shot back, her eyes narrowing at the older girl. "Is there a reason why you're interrupting my peaceful reading time, or were you just bored?"
Bellatrix smirked at her insolence. "Maybe I was bored." She shrugged, leaning against the tree trunk. "Or maybe I just wanted to see what you were up to. Reading in a tree? Really, Muddy? Couldn't find a more comfortable spot?"
"I rather like the view from up here, actually." Juniper glanced around at the Hogwarts grounds. She could see the Gryffindor Quidditch team practicing in the Quidditch pitch, and Hagrid, the gamekeeper, was sitting outside his hut playing a whittled instrument of some kind. She glanced back down at the seventh year below her. "Would you care to come up?"
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, surprised by Juniper's invitation. "Are you asking me to climb a tree?" she asked, her tone incredulous. "Like some common Muggle child? This is peasant activity, Muddy."
Juniper shrugged and opened her book again. "Suit yourself, then."
Bellatrix huffed. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, chewing on her lip as she surveyed the branches. With an annoyed sigh, she began the ascent up the tree.
