Inside My Mind (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter LXI

Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, Great Britain

Sunday the 11th of July 1996

4:00 PM

Petunia watched from the window. Bella was in the backyard, sitting on the grass cross-legged. She was reading a scroll of some sort and was writing quickly on it with a quill. She leaned back, looking at it before tilting her head and writing something else on it. She had books spread out around her. Petunia knew that the girl was probably doing homework. She'd never know that Bella was doing the complete opposite.

Bella didn't interact with the Dursleys at all. She had seemed to have gotten along well with Dudley the previous summer but when he had asked her where her boyfriend was, she had screamed at him to mind his own business. Then, she had locked the door of her room and wouldn't emerge until the next day. But, now, she was much calmer after she had played an angry song on the piano. Petunia had to admit that her playing was beautiful yet the person playing the notes seemed broken somehow.

Petunia saw Bella stiffen. Bella set her books to the side, slowly and looked to the shadows near the gazebo. The gazebo was in shadows, weeping willows hanging over it and keeping it shrouded in darkness. It wasn't finished yet so they had thought it'd be best to keep it hidden until it was. Petunia's mouth fell open when a man glided from the shadows. They pulled away from him reluctantly, as if they were a part of him.

Petunia thought he looked familiar but her pale blue eyes drank in his features. He was extremely attractive. His dark hair was pulled at the base of his neck into a ponytail. The man made it look aristocratic. His dark eyes were flecked with crimson, strangely enough. He was wearing a suit and it looked extremely expensive. A wand was dangled between his fingers and Petunia stared as he looked at Bella with a look akin to hunger. Bella was glaring at him.

"Go away. I don't want to see you. You disgust me," Bella snarled. The man walked forward, almost gliding before he came to a stop in front of Bella. Bella was kneeling and he smirked at her, seeming to find amusement in that. Bella jumped up and gave him a disgusted look.

"Do I really, Anya?" he murmured, touching her cheek. Bella slapped his hand away and hissed.

"Don't call me that. How could you? How could you kill all of those innocent people?" demanded Bella. Petunia silenced her gasp. He was the one killing all of those people? The handsome man talking to her niece?

"You have no right to preach on the behalf of the innocent when you are not counted among them any longer. I killed only one person personally. Emmeline Vance. And don't pretend you didn't want her dead. You were jealous of her," the man teased. Bella hissed angrily at him again. The man walked around her, surveying her before he stopped behind her. He brushed her dark hair from her neck and leaned down and pressed his lips against the column of her neck. Bella hissed again.

"You sound angry, love."

"Angry? Tom, I'm furious. You betrayed me! And you lied to me. I see you for why you are and you've got everybody fooled. The Ministry, the students, the Order…" Bella trailed off. She stepped away from Tom and looked up to the sky with dark and haunted eyes. She spun back around, looking more frustrated than angry.

"What are you doing here? Is there a purpose other than to make me hate you even more?" Bella asked. Tom crossed his arms.