Fic: How Do You Do, And Shake Hands (Bellatrix, Andromeda, Ted Tonks, PG-13)
Title: How Do You Do, And Shake Hands
Author: quietliban
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters contained therein are property of JK Rowling and her assoicated publishers. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit is being made.
Summary: Bellatrix meets Ted Tonks for the first time.
Author's Notes: A non-member submission for omniocular's February Challenge: Anytime-But-Now. I claimed the prompt: Bellatrix meets Ted Tonks for the first (only?) time. Title comes from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.
She will be dressed in black from head to toe with a white mask covering her face the first time she meets him.
-
Bellatrix sits by the lake with Rodolphus and Bertha Jorkins. She has her back against a tree and is reading a book when the sound of her sister's laughter draws her attention.
Andromeda is sitting near her in a group of fourth-years from Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Bellatrix drops her book to her lap slowly looking at her sister whose lighter hair gleams in the sun. Bellatrix has rarely seen her sister like this; smiling and laughing. She doesn't think she's seen this sort of happy carelessness since they were both younger and still allowed to play in the back garden.
Andromeda is facing a boy. The boy is wearing a Hufflepuff badge and Andromeda leans into his shoulder. She is still laughing and her cheeks are rosy. Bellatrix suddenly realizes that her hands have formed fists gripping the cover of her book so tightly that her knuckles have turned white.
"Bella?" Rodolphus calls her name softly. Bellatrix blinks at him, her eyes torn away from her sister and the Hufflepuff boy. Rodolphus' hand closes in on hers and Bellatrix relaxes feeling her protectiveness drain away.
"Yes?" she replies stretching her fingers out.
-
He will be in bed and his wife will be sleeping soundly next to him. He won't look afraid and his brown eyes will stare impassively at her.
She will grip her wand tightly, because she had not known that they were coming here. She had not known, until they had reached the gates where she recognised her sister's house.
-
Bellatrix is studying for her NEWTS in the library when she looks up to see Andromeda and her friend, Amelia Bones. They are standing in front of Madam Pince's desk, a pile of books in Amelia's hands. Andromeda looks bored and Bellatrix tries to catch her sister's eye.
She doesn't succeed, instead she watches as the Hufflepuff boy comes up to the pair. Andromeda doesn't notice him at first. She is leaning against the high desk with her eyes cast down. The boy pokes her briefly in the side and Andromeda stands up straight and tall. There is a surprise on her face. "Ted!" she exclaims, hitting his hand playfully.
Bellatrix frowns. Andromeda's expression has changed and there is colour in her cheeks. Amelia looks at them with a knowing expression. "Hey, Tonks," Bellatrix hears Amelia greet the boy over the quiet of library.
Amelia is greeted with a terse "Bones," at which she looks unimpressed. Bellatrix leans back in her chair and watches them. She catches Amelia's attention as she turns to look around the library. Bellatrix smirks and waves at her sister's friend. Amelia waves politely back before tapping Andromeda on the shoulder.
Andromeda turns to look at Bellatrix. Bellatrix smiles at her sister, but she knows it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Andromeda frowns at her, before taking Ted by the arm and out of the library.
-
"Mudblood," she will say and she will step back from the bed, as though he might dirty her blood just by sitting there, waiting there.
He will be waiting, waiting for her to do something, waiting for her to torture him, waiting for her to kill him, and she will kill him.
She will kill him for taking her sister away.
-
It is the Christmas holidays and they are at home sitting by the fire. Narcissa is curled up on the lounge asleep.
"Do you think Ted will write?" Andromeda asks staring into the flames. Her voice sounds wistful and sleepy.
Bellatrix is surprised by her question. Andromeda knows that Bellatrix doesn't approve of Ted Tonks. Bellatrix shifts on the floor and moves her shoulders against the shelf of the lounge. Narcissa's white blonde hair falls over Bellatrix's shoulder. Bellatrix caresses it gently so not to wake Narcissa up. She doesn't answer Andromeda's question.
Andromeda looks at her and Bellatrix shrugs. "Why don't you like him?" Andromeda asks.
Bellatrix meets her eyes. Andromeda looks so innocent, so young but she is nearly sixteen. Bellatrix doesn't want to hurt her little sister, but there are some things that Andromeda has to know. "He's a Mudblood," Bellatrix tells her and it sounds brutal even to her.
Andromeda gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. "No!" she cries to Bellatrix. "No, it's not true. It's not!" Andromeda's face is ashen and Bellatrix nods. "Take it back, take it back!" Andromeda is leaning over her now and Bellatrix can't do anything because it is true and Andromeda needed to know.
Narcissa's hair shortens over Bellatrix's shoulder as she wakes. Narcissa blinks up at Andromeda and Andromeda steps back. "It's not true," Andromeda tells Bellatrix. "It's not true, and even it were it wouldn't matter. I love him."
Bellatrix sits on the floor shocked staring at Andromeda's retreating back.
-
She will lift her wand and breathe in deeply. Her sister will stir in her sleep, shifting to reveal a rounded belly. She will meet his eyes and she will know what she has to do. She will know, but it will be hard. It will so hard to muster the emotion she needs and her arm will shake.
"Just do it," he will say to her lifting his hand to take his sleeping wife's.
She will look at their entwined hands and she will repeat the words to the curse over and over in her head. Her eyes will flicker to rest on her sister, who will not wake. Her sister will look peaceful and her sister will look happy.
"Avada Kedavra!" she will shout at them, but there will be nothing. The words will be dead and empty.
Author: quietliban
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters contained therein are property of JK Rowling and her assoicated publishers. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit is being made.
Summary: Bellatrix meets Ted Tonks for the first time.
Author's Notes: A non-member submission for omniocular's February Challenge: Anytime-But-Now. I claimed the prompt: Bellatrix meets Ted Tonks for the first (only?) time. Title comes from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.
She will be dressed in black from head to toe with a white mask covering her face the first time she meets him.
-
Bellatrix sits by the lake with Rodolphus and Bertha Jorkins. She has her back against a tree and is reading a book when the sound of her sister's laughter draws her attention.
Andromeda is sitting near her in a group of fourth-years from Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Bellatrix drops her book to her lap slowly looking at her sister whose lighter hair gleams in the sun. Bellatrix has rarely seen her sister like this; smiling and laughing. She doesn't think she's seen this sort of happy carelessness since they were both younger and still allowed to play in the back garden.
Andromeda is facing a boy. The boy is wearing a Hufflepuff badge and Andromeda leans into his shoulder. She is still laughing and her cheeks are rosy. Bellatrix suddenly realizes that her hands have formed fists gripping the cover of her book so tightly that her knuckles have turned white.
"Bella?" Rodolphus calls her name softly. Bellatrix blinks at him, her eyes torn away from her sister and the Hufflepuff boy. Rodolphus' hand closes in on hers and Bellatrix relaxes feeling her protectiveness drain away.
"Yes?" she replies stretching her fingers out.
-
He will be in bed and his wife will be sleeping soundly next to him. He won't look afraid and his brown eyes will stare impassively at her.
She will grip her wand tightly, because she had not known that they were coming here. She had not known, until they had reached the gates where she recognised her sister's house.
-
Bellatrix is studying for her NEWTS in the library when she looks up to see Andromeda and her friend, Amelia Bones. They are standing in front of Madam Pince's desk, a pile of books in Amelia's hands. Andromeda looks bored and Bellatrix tries to catch her sister's eye.
She doesn't succeed, instead she watches as the Hufflepuff boy comes up to the pair. Andromeda doesn't notice him at first. She is leaning against the high desk with her eyes cast down. The boy pokes her briefly in the side and Andromeda stands up straight and tall. There is a surprise on her face. "Ted!" she exclaims, hitting his hand playfully.
Bellatrix frowns. Andromeda's expression has changed and there is colour in her cheeks. Amelia looks at them with a knowing expression. "Hey, Tonks," Bellatrix hears Amelia greet the boy over the quiet of library.
Amelia is greeted with a terse "Bones," at which she looks unimpressed. Bellatrix leans back in her chair and watches them. She catches Amelia's attention as she turns to look around the library. Bellatrix smirks and waves at her sister's friend. Amelia waves politely back before tapping Andromeda on the shoulder.
Andromeda turns to look at Bellatrix. Bellatrix smiles at her sister, but she knows it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Andromeda frowns at her, before taking Ted by the arm and out of the library.
-
"Mudblood," she will say and she will step back from the bed, as though he might dirty her blood just by sitting there, waiting there.
He will be waiting, waiting for her to do something, waiting for her to torture him, waiting for her to kill him, and she will kill him.
She will kill him for taking her sister away.
-
It is the Christmas holidays and they are at home sitting by the fire. Narcissa is curled up on the lounge asleep.
"Do you think Ted will write?" Andromeda asks staring into the flames. Her voice sounds wistful and sleepy.
Bellatrix is surprised by her question. Andromeda knows that Bellatrix doesn't approve of Ted Tonks. Bellatrix shifts on the floor and moves her shoulders against the shelf of the lounge. Narcissa's white blonde hair falls over Bellatrix's shoulder. Bellatrix caresses it gently so not to wake Narcissa up. She doesn't answer Andromeda's question.
Andromeda looks at her and Bellatrix shrugs. "Why don't you like him?" Andromeda asks.
Bellatrix meets her eyes. Andromeda looks so innocent, so young but she is nearly sixteen. Bellatrix doesn't want to hurt her little sister, but there are some things that Andromeda has to know. "He's a Mudblood," Bellatrix tells her and it sounds brutal even to her.
Andromeda gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. "No!" she cries to Bellatrix. "No, it's not true. It's not!" Andromeda's face is ashen and Bellatrix nods. "Take it back, take it back!" Andromeda is leaning over her now and Bellatrix can't do anything because it is true and Andromeda needed to know.
Narcissa's hair shortens over Bellatrix's shoulder as she wakes. Narcissa blinks up at Andromeda and Andromeda steps back. "It's not true," Andromeda tells Bellatrix. "It's not true, and even it were it wouldn't matter. I love him."
Bellatrix sits on the floor shocked staring at Andromeda's retreating back.
-
She will lift her wand and breathe in deeply. Her sister will stir in her sleep, shifting to reveal a rounded belly. She will meet his eyes and she will know what she has to do. She will know, but it will be hard. It will so hard to muster the emotion she needs and her arm will shake.
"Just do it," he will say to her lifting his hand to take his sleeping wife's.
She will look at their entwined hands and she will repeat the words to the curse over and over in her head. Her eyes will flicker to rest on her sister, who will not wake. Her sister will look peaceful and her sister will look happy.
"Avada Kedavra!" she will shout at them, but there will be nothing. The words will be dead and empty.