Love and Potions - Severus Snape x OC

Chapter 22 - Imperio

Barty Crouch Jr. was more slender than Rowan would have imagined. He had longish brown hair and a stubble filled face. It was almost as if he hadn't slept in days. Severus, who had now allowed Narcissa to hold Lucius down, was staring into Barty's soul. Rowan had since been moved into the living room, under the watch of Bellatrix Lestrange. 

"What do you need?" Bellatrix asked in a hissing tone. It didn't sound like she meant any malice by the question. If anything, she almost sounded concerned. "I'm fine, thank you," Rowan said, not even daring to meet the woman's eyes. "I'm not an idiot, child. I can tell when something is wrong," Bellatrix said as she rolled her eyes. Rowan, who decided she couldn't tell her the truth, knew she needed to tell her something. 

"It's my past, that's all. Why would you care, anyway? We aren't exactly on the same side here," Rowan said, shivering at the memories that dared to come to the front of her mind. Surprising Rowan, Bellatrix picked up a blanket from a small trunk in the Malfoy's living room and placed it around Rowan's shoulders. "I am not- I am not on anyone's side. Not anymore," Bellatrix admitted, taking a seat beside Rowan. 

Wrapping the blanket more tightly around her, Rowan tilted her head at the woman. The things Rowan had heard about her were vile and grotesque, but this was not how Rowan would describe the woman. Bellatrix was a beautiful woman on the surface, although her hair was a bit wild. She wore a long, black dress that clung to her thin frame perfectly. Vile was not how Rowan would describe Bellatrix Lestrange at all.

When Rowan didn't respond, Bellatrix sighed and continued to speak. "I wasn't always like this. I'd like to think I wouldn't be like this had it not been for my family. I wasn't as brave as Andromeda, I married a pure-blood I had no interest in. Rodolphus Lestrange is a menace and I haven't spoken to him in years," Bellatrix seemed to soften for only a moment before she stiffened back up, the shrillness returning to her voice.

"I loved someone else, you know. Someone incapable of loving anyone or rather, anything, other than power. The dark lord is now dead and I am stuck wishing I had met him as Tom Riddle," Bellatrix finished, twirling her wand in her left hand. A small portion of the scar that had been left behind by the dark mark peeked out below her sleeve. 

"Why didn't you marry someone you loved? Before Rodolphus, I mean," Rowan asked, her voice sounding as small as she herself had ever heard it. The memories of her drunken father were still on top of her mind. Bellatrix laughed quietly, shaking her head. "I'm a daughter of the Black family. Ever heard of Andromeda Black? She's Narcissa and I's sister and she married a muggle. My family wouldn't let her within one kilometer of us," Bellatrix said sadly and Rowan could tell she missed her sister deeply.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Andromeda was brave," Rowan said, but she immediately wished she hadn't. Bellatrix's face seemed confused, almost as if it had been feeling far too many emotions. "Don't pity me, girl. I married who I had to and that's my life. Spent fourteen years in Azkaban for it," Bellatrix said, scooting away from Rowan. 

"I didn't mean it like that, I swear. I should be in Azkaban for what I did, and I don't want to be pitied over it either," Rowan admitted, looking down to the floor before her. Bellatrix tilted her head, leaning in toward Rowan. Bellatrix didn't know much about comforting, so she only did what she knew she personally would want. Hesitantly, Belatrix placed a bony hand on Rowan's knee. "You don't belong in Azkaban," Bellatrix offered awkwardly, shifting in annoyance. 

"I do, Bellatrix. I killed my father two years ago and- and I'll never forgive myself," Rowan said shakily, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Bellatrix almost seemed amused at the new information. "I've never killed anyone, not yet at least. I tortured the Longbottom's for the dark lord. What'd your father do to you, anyway?" Bellatrix asked with a small nod, suddenly interested in the girl that sat before her. "He was fine until three years ago. He started to get drunk and beat my mom; she refused to use magic on him. He tried to actually hurt her once and I..." Rowan trailed off, not daring to speak any more than she already had.