scars || sirius black

22 - give me your best shot

"Confringo!" screamed Bellatrix, darting through the trees.

Emmy hurled herself on the floor, missing the spell by an inch.

"Ventus!" she screamed and Bellatrx was sent tumbling down into a ditch, dark hair spiralling behind her.

Minutes passed and Emmy peeked her head up, panting heavily. She couldn't hear a noise from where the witch had disappeared, the Forbidden Forest suddenly deathly quiet.

Keeping low to the ground, she gripped her wand tightly and staggered over.

There was no one there.

"Bellatrix?" she called uncertainly.

Then a sharp jerk from the roots of a tree nearby sent Emmy smashing up into the evergreen branches before arching back down to earth with an almighty thud.

She could hear laughter from the ebony-haired Black that sounded scarily similar to her cousin's. In fact, the more Emmy spent time with Bellatrix, the more she realised how alike she was to Sirius.

Both restless souls, with rebel hearts and ruling emotions. Not to mention that brilliant smirk and stormy grey eyes. Except in Sirius that wildness was beautiful, in Bellatrix it was simply terrifying, specially when you were practising duelling techniques with her.

As Emmy's vision came back into focus, she groaned, and a wave of nausea hit her like a frying pan to the face.

"You're getting better, Lupin!" Bellatrix cackled, dancing around. "Now trying it like this... silencio!"

She tried to protest but not a single noise passed her lips. How on earth was she supposed to beat Bellatrix, who was already far beyond the level taught at Hogwarts in duelling with no voice?

Clawing at the dirt, Emmy ignored the throbbing pain in her body and heaved herself onto all fours, scanning her surrounding for the mad witch.

"Stupefy," Bellatrix called as if she was talking to a toddler, and a wave of molten energy hit Emmy in the side.

She whirled round and caught a glimpse of her opponent darting through the trees.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" continued Bellatrix, each spell gaining momentum and volume with every shot. Emmy leapt and dived to avoid them, desperately trying to defend herself.

For what seemed like hours, Bellatrix chased her through the woods, and she ran faster than she ever had to outpace her. But it was no use, the spells just kept on coming.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Emmy was burnt out. She was completely and utterly exhausted with a split lip, two black eyes, and scorched burns covering her body.

She collapsed at the edge of the Black Loch and whirled around to face Bellatrix, who strolled out of the trees, twirling her wand in her finger, smirking as if she'd never smirk again.

But when she opened her mouth to cast the winning blow, Emmy lost it.

The words she'd been trying to scream for ages came out, but inside, and a brilliant streak of magic shot out of her wand throwing Bellatrix backwards.

She mouthed a shrieked, in delight, as Bellatrix hauled herself off the floor and marched back.

"Well, well, little Lupin finally grew a backbone," she grinned. "Finite."

Emmy coughed and spluttered as her voice returned to her, "I can't believe you did that! You almost killed me!"

"But I didn't!" came the quick reply.