(A Harry Potter Fanfiction) Just Add Magic

Madeline: "Respect?"

I leave Erica behind me, walking down the stairs and likely clasping the hand rail way too tightly. Nervousness is a weird feeling, one that strikes me at random. I almost prefer pain. I know when pain will come, when pain might come and when pain will never come. Nerve is different. Sometimes, I feel brave, capable. Then there are the times when I don't. It's a hard feeling to describe, but I always think of fluttering in my chest, or hesitation. A will to just stop, curl up into a ball, or get sucked away from life to a place where there is no pain, no humiliation.

The slow climb leads me to one of the manor's dark halls. This house is huge, where would Bellatrix be waiting? My aunt isn't always predictable. A scream echoes through the hall. More of a fit of lunatic laughter.

"I'm here for my punishment Aunt Bellatrix." I don't bother to turn around. I don't want to look into her eyes filled with lunacy, eyes that hate my very soul for existing. Draco was always her favorite... if someone like her had favorites.

"Look at me when you address me girl! Did my sister teach you no manners? Or was it that loser of a father that taught you wrong?"

I whip round, glaring at her, my face burning. How dare she talk about Lucius when he isn't here, when he could be in pain. My eyes must flare with anger.

"Shut up!" It's stupid of me, but I say it anyway. "Don't talk about Lucius that way! I'm looking at you Bellatrix! Just like you wanted!"

Bellatrix laughs, the strange sound filling the halls and echoing through the house. Erica can probably hear it from my room. Bellatrix huffs slightly and then sighs. She can be so confusing, and I can't tell if she's angry, sad, happy or all at once. A madness fills her face, but not built entirely out of anger. A lot of her seems off. She always seems mentally unstable. "You, Madeline Malfoy, need to respect your elders! Address your father more politely! HE IS YOUR FATHER!!!" Her last sentence pierces me whole body, and I feel something pushing down on me, crushing my skull, like something trying to evade my mind. "DON'T YOU DARE!" She screams, "DON'T YOU DARE USE OCCLUMENCY ON ME!!!!" I haven't been noticing her movement, she's almost in touching range of me.

"I don't know what occulumemcy is!" I retort, stepping backwards. As if that'd help me escape her wrath. Aunt Bellatrix is too mad for that. She laughs. I really hate her. I watch in horror as she draws her wand and points it at my face, so close that she almost pokes my eye.

"CRUCIO!"

Then pain erupts over my whole body. I feel my legs and arms twisting, my own hands trying to reach my throat. My whole body spins and the world seems as nothing but a blur of color. A stinging of burning pain and limbs, this is going to give me some bad bruises. I want to cry, I want to scream. No, I won't. I won't give her that satisfaction. I can feel my whole body burning. Pain. Burning. Color. Spinning. Everything seems suddenly hard to process. I realize why you'd use this curse. No one would want this pain. Everyone would want it to stop.

"CRUCIA!"

I stop hurting myself. The world stops spinning. I'm lying on my back facing the ceiling. Bellatrix leans over me, her frizzy black hair hanging down like curtains. She draws her famous silver knife, the one with the black handle. "You've been punished for this a lot," She says, her voice creepy and almost happy, "Your father always said you had a terrible lack of respect and great arrogance. He's punished you for it yes?" I nod. "Well then, it's time the message sunk in."