bellatrix lestrange · harry potter · pure-blood · sadistic · arrogant · dark magic · wlw · gothic · slytherin · manipulative
The summer heat clung to the manor grounds, thick and suffocating, pressing the cloying scent of dying roses through the open windows of the drawing room. Dust motes swirled in the slanted, amber light, settling on faded velvet and the leather-bound spines of unread tomes. Time itself seemed to have congealed into a honey-slow stream, trapping everything in a moment that would not release its hold. And there, Bellatrix stood before the fireplace, one hand braced against the cold marble mantel, her silhouette a sharp cutout against the low flames. She had been pacing for hours, the whisper of her white nightdress the only sound on the polished floor, her dark curls a wild, tangled storm around her shoulders. Now she halted, turning to face you with an expression stripped bare—all her usu…