The Raven

Chapter 9

Dark eyes studied the blonde beauty with her perfectly placed hair, creamy smooth skin and bright red luscious lips. Bellatrix noticed her beauty the first time she saw her, how could she not? The way she waltzed by, greeting everyone along her way with that smile of hers. There's a wonder her jaws don't hurt with that smile constantly in place. Her hips swayed from side to side matching the rhythm of her clicking heels as they collided with the floor. And her eyes, how could anyone possibly forget those enchanting eyes. They were the colour of forget-me-nots, which was fitting because those eyes were forever engraved in Bellatrix's mind.

"What are you staring at?" Bellatrix was so caught up in her intrusive thoughts she hadn't even realised she was staring until the very person who caused the distraction spoke up.
"You." Bellatrix admited much to the blondes surprise.
"Oh." She blinked, averting her attention to her hands then back to the ravenette.
"Is there something wrong?" Larissa gently touched her hair, praying it wasn't, she prided herself on her well kept appearance. The ravenette smiled "Not on your part. I however, have found myself fallen victim to your beauty."

The blondes eyes widen as a tint of pink makes its way to her cheeks. She was caught off guard and wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. Sure she's had a compliment here and there before but they were usually because the compliment giver wanted something in return...something Larissa wasn't willing to give. But she's not had a compliment quite as...smooth or unexpected as that. She was at a loss for words, averting her attention to the table then the boy behind the counter who'd just smashed a glass.
The owner of the shop ushered him away and began cleaning it up himself.
Larissa had never been more thankful for the clumsy boy as he carefully makes his way over with their drinks.

He placed a hot chocolate in front of her and a tall glass of iced tea in front of Bellatrix. Larissa bit the inside of her cheek as soon as she saw the drink, knowing instantly that wasn't the type of tea the woman opposite her meant.
"What the hell is this?" Bella looks at her drink then to the boy.
"It's tea like you asked for."
"That is not tea. That's an unfortunate looking drink that has no right being on this table let alone served to me."
Larissa bit back a chuckle at the boy's slightly startled expression.
"It's alright Tyler, what I believe Miss..." Larissa stopped her sentence as she realised she didn't actually know the woman's last name.
"What my friend was expecting was a hot pot of black tea leaves, and some cream to go along with it." The blonde clarifies ignoring the woman's facial expression, and arched brow.
"I don't won't cream in my tea." The ravenette quickly intervened, her face scrunched up displaying her clear distaste for the thought of cream in her tea. The blonde merely smiled as she turned her attention back to the teenager.
"Pay no attention to her, she'll have that please." The boy nods writing the new order down. Bellatrix sat back, slightly shocked by the woman who completely dismissed her rejection of the cream, and ordered it anyway. No one ever dared do such a thing to her, far to afraid of the consequences. Bellatrix quirked her brow as the thought of her pale hands wrapped tightly around that pretty little neck, as the blonde gasps for air. Oh how easy it would be. Then there was the fact the same woman had referred to Bellatrix as a friend. How very bold of her indeed.

Once the freckled boy finished writing the new order he scurried away back to work. The blonde watched after him before finally turning her attention back to her companion at hand.
Dark eyes were already on her, and for a moment Larissa felt self conscious but that soon drifted away when the woman began to smirk and her dark eyes softened.
"What?"
"So we're friends now?" The darker haired woman arched her brow. The blonde met her eyes for a moment before shifting to focus on her hot chocolate. She reached for a teaspoon and began swirling the cream around in her chocolate. Was this woman always so...frustrating? No frustrating wasn't the right word.

"This might come as a surprise to you, but I don't have friends. I've never found the need in having any." The blonde snaps her attention back to the woman opposite her, and for the second time since meeting her she noticed a softness to her dark eyes. Those pools of dark chocolate swirls lightened, changing colour before her very eyes. Had she not been paying attention she'd have missed the warmth radiating in her eyes as they turn a hazel brown with golden flecks amongst the mix.
"Surly you must have friends back home?" The blonde questioned, watching as the darker eyes shifted to stare out of the window.
"Nope, I think you'd find I have more...enemies than anything else. In all honesty I believe they stuck around out of fear more than anything else. Save Narcissa."
"Narcissa?"
"My sister." Silence fell upon the pair for a moment before the ravenette turned back to face the blonde.
"What no more questions?" Bella smirks at the woman's silence. Larissa smiled in response, glad to know the woman hadn't gone into a state of depression at an obviously sore subject.
"Do you want to talk about your sister?" Larissa's expression softened, her eyes giving away all the emotions lingering behind her smile.
"No, I'd much rather talk about you." Bellatrix said, once again catching the woman off guard. Any glimpse of sadness that was evident in those dark pools instantly vanished, Larissa was even doubting whether it was sadness or just her own imagination playing with her.
"Nothing interesting here I'm afraid."
"I don't believe that for a second, I've known you a very small amount of time and find you highly fascinating." Larissa swallowed at the woman's intense gaze, thankful to catch the boy approaching them from the corner of her eye.

Tyler returns with a pot of tea followed by a small jug of cream and a cup and saucer.
"Well this looks more promising."
"Thank you." The blonde smiles as the boy places her plate of cinnamon rolls down.
He carefully took the ice tea and returned to the counter. Larissa noticed Bellatrix eyeing her cinnamon rolls and with a smile she pushed the plate towards her.
"Would you like one?" Bellatrix glanced at the baked goods then back at the blonde.
"I don't mind honestly." She adds sensing the other woman's hesitation. The Ravenette hesitantly took one and examined it thoroughly before taking a small bite. She raised her eyebrows at the sweet taste mixed with cinnamon. She liked it very much, and she certainly hadn't realised how hungry she had been.
"Thank you." At that the blonde began tucking in herself.

***

The pair eventually finished, and Bellatrix was far happier with this tea than the previous one.
"Now to the reason we're really here." Bellatrix said abruptly out of the blue.
"That light you saw the other night was me. Don't ask me how or why because I don't have a clue. All I know is I'm here now, and I don't have a clue what to do about it."
Larissa remained quiet as the wheels in her mind began turning. No doubt she was also probably behind the unexplained robberies such as the historical books on Jericho.
"Yes, the answer to your next question concerning the missing trinkets is yes, those were also me. I had to see what I was up against, and where I was." She sipped the remains of her tea.
"And this place isn't as boring as I first thought. The dark secrets hidden all around, lurking in the darkest corners, very intriguing indeed." Larissa caught a glimpse of the mischievous glint in her dark eyes before it vanished.
"Yes well it does have its history, as does everywhere else." The blonde replied, sipping the remains of her hot chocolate.
"It certainly does." The ravenette eyed the blonde, watching as she slowly lowered the mug and a smile graced the ravenette's lips when she noticed the chocolate lingering in the corner of the woman's lips.

How tempting it was to remove it herself.

Bellatrix met the enchanting eyes of the blonde before tapping the side of her mouth with her slender finger, indicating to the chocolate. The blonde furrows her brows before imitating the woman, her eyes widen slightly as her cheeks turn a shade of pink at the realisation she'd had chocolate smeared on her face. The colour of her cheeks only deepen at the dark eyes staring at her.
"Do you always stare this intensely?" The blonde asks.
"No, though my eyes are easily drawn to that which I find beautiful. My apologies if it makes you uncomfortable. Though it's not entirely my fault your beauty is blinding." The blonde swallows at this, she really hadn't expected the morning to take this route.
"Are you like this with everyone you just meet?"
The dark witch smiles,
"No, I quite often kill or torture most people I meet. I've come to the conclusion however, you are far too beautiful to destroy." For the first time Larissa wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this odd woman, and had never been more thankful for her phone to ping.