The Madness of Bellatrix Lestrange

Chestnut

"Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply."
– Jane Austen

Brown.
Medium brown, chestnut. Rich brown.

The colour of Andie's hair, her eyes.

I'll never forget it.

If I was striking , she was simply beautiful.

We look, looked, I don't know how she looks now after all these years , but we looked identical nearly. Her features softer though, kinder.

Where mine tended to dark obsidian hers rested more moderately in the soft chestnut brown. Where my face hit sharp dramatic edges hers rounded slightly. Her eyes wider, gentler.

Maybe because they reflected her soul nature.

I miss her. With every fibre of my being...

We were sat out together under a tree having successfully convincing  some of the schools house elves to sneak some snacks. Laughing and catching up. Both of us of course in Slytherin but because of our years we didn't stay in the same rooms in the dorms, our time together was rather limited so we cherished these get aways where we could laugh and talk like we would at home curled up in each other's bed- usually mine because Andie had to share a room with Cissy. Oftentimes Sirius would interrupt and join us and that's usually when we would get in trouble for raucous laughter . Not here though, never here, he'd not leave his Gryffindor friends and be seen with us.

We were laughing and eating and she noticed my gaze, my entire attention kept drifting while she spoke.

"He can't be yours, you know. Whatever you've got planned, he will be betrothed too one day - and soon. "

"Hmm?" I replied distractedly . Lucius had just noticed me staring across the way and smiled, erasing every thought of anything my sister had spoken in the last twenty minutes.

She laughed.

"I never thought I'd see my sister - proud, fiercely independent Bellatrix Black brought to her knees by a boy- a younger one no less- three years younger! "

"He's only two nearly. My late birthday and his early one, it's just two years and a couple weeks" I snapped. And she laughed.

"If you love him..." She said choosing her words carefully, knowing what she was about to say was treasonous- to our family, our entire upbringing. "If you love him... Just be together. Refuse the match. "

I threw my orange at her. "Easier said than done darling sister. Lucky you, the middle child , the invisible one, perhaps you could get away with such nonsense. But I'm the eldest and they act as though we are monarchs; my marriage uniting two kingdoms. They'd hunt me- endlessly. I can't get away- besides it would be different if he finished school this year with me but he's got two left and I'm to be married this summer. It's not feasible. I'll have him though. "

"You can't just divorce Rod dear sister - it isn't done. "

I shrugged "Who said I cared at all about formalities. We can run away. Leave it all behind and start new lives somewhere. "

She laughed again and I glared . "Do you really think that Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy is going to forsake his families fortune to defy his parents and pureblood marriage? What you're suggesting would be the most scandalous thing to hit the Sacred -Twenty Eight in a century. Can't you just be lovers on the side like the rest of the pure bloods." She said casually, eating the last of her grapes.

"Can't darling sister" I retorted , my eyes still not leaving his . "With him it's all. I want all of him. I don't share. Won't. "

She shoved me. "You're positively out of your mind. I never would have thought the precious pureblood princess would throw away all the pomp and circumstance and run off with a boy to live among the mere commoners. I'll believe it when I see it"

"Oh, you keep watching then Andie, because that's exactly what I intend to do."

Just then Andie pinched me "Shh" .

I tore my eyes away from Lucius to see our darling little sister running towards us. I rolled my eyes "She's found us Andie. Keep your mouth shut - the little tattler will run immediately to send mother dear an owl detailing in precise exactitude  my plans. "

Little did I know just how much our darling little Cissy would ruin my dreams- though not of her own doing. And that it would be Andie, not I who would see my fairytale come true- running off with Ted Tonks, leaving it all behind. Leaving me behind.