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"Miss Black," Professor McGonagall says. Bellatrix slouches in her chair, unwilling to meet her Head of House's eyes. "I understand that you might think this a waste of time, but this is an important meeting about your future."
A waste of time. If only McGonagall knew exactly how much of a waste this really was.
"My future," Bellatrix repeats, letting sarcasm tinge her voice. "You mean, graduate and wait for my cousin to grow up, and then marry him and bear his children? That future?"
McGonagall's brow furrows. "It was my understanding that that was essentially your plan, yes." Not that McGonagall sounds very happy that that was Bellatrix's plan. She was always nagging Bellatrix about her grades, insisting that she was capable of so much better, if only she applied herself.
Bellatrix shakes her head. "It's my uncle's plan, not mine. Sirius is three years old." Not that Sirius is the problem.
"Well, what would your plan be, Miss Black?" Professor McGonagall asks, as though she has one.
"My plan?" Bellatrix asks. "What use would any plan of mine be when I know they're going to force me into it anyways?" Well, there it was, out in the open. She had been debating telling Professor McGonagall, but she hates asking for help. That was McGonagall, she supposes. Always able to get out of you exactly what you wished she wouldn't.
McGonagall's gaze sharpens.
"Force you into it?" she asks. "You are allowed no choice in the matter?"
Bellatrix bites her lip. She could take it back, say that she was exaggerating. Being dramatic. Or she could confide in McGonagall. She doesn't seem to like Bellatrix very much, but Bellatrix knows that her professor won't
"No," she says quietly. "They'll disown me if I don't go along with it. Maybe worse." Bellatrix lets what would be worse go unsaid. Even if McGonagall doesn't care for Pureblood politics, she knows what the Black family is like. It's rather hard to miss if one pays the slightest amount of attention.
McGonagall tuts, and Bellatrix reflexively flinches in shame, but then she realizes that McGonagall is tutting at her family rather than her.
"Well, that won't do at all. I won't allow it," McGonagall declares, her nostrils flaring, as though it were that easy to defy the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
But something inside of Bellatrix's heart lightens, some chain around her heart loosening, that she hadn't realized was there. She realizes that she had been expecting McGonagall to flinch away from the thought of defying her family and helping her. It would have been an extremely reasonable and understandable position. As it is, they're both likely to end up dead.
Yet, when McGonagall says it so certainly, a thin ray of hope trickles into Bellatrix, letting her believe that maybe, McGonagall is right this time. She certainly is most of the time. Maybe with her professor's help, she'll find a way out of the darkness that threatens to engulf her when she thinks about her inevitable-- no, not inevitable, she reminds herself, not anymore-- future.