Your eyes can be so cruel

Chapter 7

Minerva was still very much recovering from the events of last night. She'd barely touched her breakfast, which earned the attention of a concerned Poppy.
"Minerva dear, are you feeling okay." Minerva hadn't even noticed the witch had moved and sat in the chair beside her. Bellatrix's chair.
Minerva did however notice the whispers and wide eye glances they shot in Poppy's direction.
"You're swimming in dangerous water there Poppy, you know who's chair that is." Rolanda was the one who spoke up.
"That is the last thing on my mind at the moment." Poppy shot back before turning her attention back to Minerva.
"Oh I'm fine Poppy, honestly. I was just thinking of something s and lost myself for a moment."
"You sure?"
"Positive." Minerva returned her dear friends smile, touched by her concern though the fussing was completely unnecessary.
"Well you know where I am if you need me."
"Yes, thank you Poppy." The medi witch gently squeezed Minerva's arm just as the doors to the great hall flew open and there in all her dark and twisted glory stood the very witch that occupied Minerva's mind.
Dark eyes instantly fell on the medi witch, her brow arched.
"Who does she think she is." Poppy muttered turning her attention back to Minerva.
"I have no idea Poppy, I have no idea."

Bellatrix's eyes never once left the two witches as she neared them, Poppy determined to make a point remained seated in her chair, despite the panicked looks from the rest of the teaching staff.
"Poppy, if this is about what I said last night, it was a joke. Now stop with the suicidal wish and get back here." Rolanda not so quietly whispered.
With a huff Poppy apologised to Minerva and returned to her partner before she had an aneurysm.
Minerva brushed the apology off with a chuckle, though that soon died down when Bellatrix approached and sat beside the woman.
"Dumbledore is running late, he's in a meeting."she informed, having just left that meeting herself.
"He told me to inform you." She added.
"Thank you." Minerva said, making no eye contact whatsoever. The woman reached for the tea pot only to have Bellatrix grasp at her hand.
"What are you doing?" Minerva whispered loudly, clearly startled.
"Your hand has healed nicely"
"Well you knew that yesterday."
"Just checking, you'd be of little use if it were to drop off."
"Excuse me?" Minerva finally turned to look at the witch.
"That was never meant to happen. Physical harm is not something I'd ever intend, not towards you that is." Bellatrix made the mistake of looking at the witch, and Minerva noticed the glint of regret instantly though before she had chance to respond the woman was on her feet once more and left with not so much as a word.

Bellatrix didn't attend lunch nor dinner that day, and rarely strayed far from her classroom unless it was to chat with Dumbledore or sort out a trouble causing student. Minerva couldn't sit idly by as the woman starved herself, despite everything that happened recently. She'd like to think she had one of the elves to bring her food, but that was highly unlikely. Bellatrix kept her interaction with the elves as minimal as possible. Not that she didn't like them, just that she couldn't stand the fussing that came with them. Minerva understood that, the elves though they mean well they can be quite overbearing, and when you look at her childhood elf Kreacher he was most definitely not the overbearing fussing sort. In fact he was quite rude, she remembered the first time she'd met him, and he made it quite clear he didn't like muggleborns. Though Bellatrix and him got on like a house on fire.

The hallway was surprisingly quiet, even more so when Minerva reached the dungeons. She had considered sending an elf but realised, especially given her previous thought that was a foolish idea. Minerva wasn't entirely up for facing her neither and thought about leaving it at the foot of the door, knocking and making herself scarce though that was a cowards way out, Minerva had far too much pride to choose the cowards way out. So with a deep breath, tray in one hand, she knocked the door.
She waited a moment and nothing, so she knocked again. Shuffling could be heard along with a thud followed by a few curses. The door swung open
"I told you, I'm not- Minerva!" The woman froze, surprise written all over her face.
She didn't move, nor say anything she just stared at the Gryffindor.
"Might I come in?" Minerva asked, puzzling the woman further.
"You, you want to come in, even after yesterday?"
"I noticed you hadn't turned up to the hall at all, and if your stubborn inability to ask for help or anything for that matter is something to go by, then the chances of you eating anything at all are very slim."
Bellatrix remained silent, eyeing over the contents of the tray before turning around and walking away, leaving the door open. Minerva sighed, that was a start. The woman entered, save a knocked over chair, which Bellatrix soon sorted with her wand the classroom was pristine. And to Minerva's utter surprise there wasn't a glass of whiskey or bottle in sight.

Papers were scattered all over the desk, the dark witch however soon discarded them all into a drawer. Minerva approached, placing the tray on the desk, suddenly feeling the awkwardness of the situation. What Minerva planned on getting out of this was unclear, even to her.
"I trust your hand hasn't given you any problems?"
"No, you wouldn't even know it had been sliced." Minerva noticed the woman flinch at that.
"Good." Bellatrix finally stopped fussing around and looked at the women.
"Perhaps, if you wouldn't mind, later I might be able to do a proper examination to ensure the inside tissue is healing as nicely as the outside?"
"Yes, that's fine." Minerva found herself saying, despite the confusion of this entire ordeal.
"Won't you sit down?" The Gryffindor didn't have much say as a chair instantly pushed itself up against her, causing her balance to go and with little grace she plonked into the chair.

Something wasn't right here, this woman wasn't herself.