Whispers in the Wood.
It was early morning; the sun had just begun to rise above the many mountains and hills that surrounded Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, slowly turning the sky from darkness to a rosy, purple and pink.
Not that this mattered at all to Bellatrix for she could see nothing of the sky in the Slytherin common room. Instead she watched as the many darkened shapes of different creatures became slightly clearer in image under the murky water. She distinguished Mermaids and Hinkypunks as well as a few Grendilo colonies moving about past the lake view window.
Bellatrix had done this for several nights now, where instead of sleeping she had just sat by the wall high window and watched, and thought. Thought about how she had so hated being at home with her perfect younger sisters Narcissa- who was now in her third year at Hogwarts and in everyone's eyes could do no wrong, and Andromeda.
Andromeda, the middle child of the three, had begun her fifth year this term had recently been discovered by Bellatrix in the third floor broom cupboard with a muggle-born named Tonks. However disgusted Bellatrix was by her younger sisters behavior however, they had made her swear not to tell their father (Cygnus Black) until the following summer, if the relationship lasted till then. This hadn't bothered Bellatrix that much in any case, she enjoyed the fear it inflicted in them both, but lately she had neither spoken nor seen either of them for at least two weeks.
Bellatrix also sat and pondered how her father had told her, that once she left Hogwarts after her final year, this year, that she would have to marry Rudolfus Lestrange.
As far as Bellatrix knew Rudolfus was a wealthy pure blood, who had just taken up a post at the Ministry of magic rather than completing his final learning year.
She would think about Tom Riddle, about their secret. She would sit there for hours, maybe all night, and imagine the two of them running away together, where they could live happily away from all their troubles.
But Tom had refused point blank. He had stated he was never going to run away with her, he never wanted that sort of life. However the last they had spoken was in a heated dispute in greenhouse three after hours. While the rest of the school were sat eating and enjoying the Halloween feast, they had been arguing over how Tom had vanished over the summer. How he had not written to her or responded to any of her owls, she must have sent him hundreds she would think. How several muggles with the same name, Riddle, had mysteriously died and how Tom was now only answering to the name Voldermort-insisting that his friends addressed him so from now on.
Tom had accused Bellatrix of getting in the way of his plans. She was an inconvenience to him.
As she thought of this, her tired, red raw eyes tinged with the feeling of tears, but she had cried too much already so no tears came. The familiar feeling of being winded returned in her stomach, but still she did not cry. She didn't make a sound.
The lake was beginning to turn a pale musky green and the sound of other pupil's footsteps could be heard as they began to get up for the Saturday morning sunrise.
The early risers at this time could only be the Quiditch team, but still Bellatrix decided not to stick around and make casual conversation with any of them, especially as the two beaters, Crabbe and Golan McNair, were close friends with Tom.
At this she decided the best thing would be to go and see if her cousin, Sirius, was awake yet in the Gryffindor dormitory. Perhaps he could help her she thought.
Naturally the two of them never got along too well, Slytherin's and Gryffindor's never co-operated well together as it was, but Sirius had always managed to find a little bit of compassion to help Bellatrix in her times of need or distress.
As she walked out of the common room and climbed the many stone staircases up to the Gryffindor passageway she thought back to the previous summer.
Sirius had been a great help to her. Cygnus Black had just announced to Bellatrix that the marriage for next summer had been arranged and there was no going back. In her desperation she had run away to Grimauld place for three weeks, where Sirius had sat up every night till the early hours of the morning, listening to her worries, her cries and more recently her temper. Sirius had always managed to calm her down then.
However more recently her anger had been less controllable and her magic was suffering. Much to Tom and his friend's amusement.
Last transfiguration lesson she had received a Howler from her father outlining his epitomizing rage at her behaviour. She had been completely humiliated in front of the entire class, who had been speechless for a full five minutes, even Professor Dippet had been unable to teach or move for that matter. All eyes were fixated on her and her embarrassment turned quickly to fury and when she attempted to turn her Three-headed-newt into a mocking jay, it had blown up in to a cloud of blue and grey feathers.
This had served its purpose but not as she had hoped. In her mind she had wanted to perform it successfully and dumbstruck the class yet again with her abilities, but it had indeed, rebounded. In spite of that the class had become re-animated again only this time to burst into uncontrollable laughter, and at this, she collected her things and left the class.
Finally she reached the Thin Lady's portrait, which concealed the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. The Lady however, was sitting in her chair but had fallen asleep, in her hand were several empty Bustkins Dimwit Dohnut wrappers and her mouth was still covered in several layers of different chocolates and sugars.
"Ahem!" coughed Bellatrix. The Thin Lady twitched.
"AHEM!" Bellatrix coughed a little louder this time, but the Thin Lady didn't wake, instead she mumbled something about Hippogriff's stealing all the food.
"HEY!" Bellatrix shouted, giving the Thin Lady a little shake in her portrait. This apparently, was too much and the Thin Lady flumped off of her chair and onto the floor in a great heap of pink material.
"How Rude!" She proclaimed! "Don't you know better than to wake someone up?"
"Yes, yes I'm sorry!" Bellatrix replied, irritated, "I need to speak with my cousin, is he awake yet?"
The Thin lady had now regained her usually position atop her chair, however she still looked highly annoyed, "maybe he has, maybe he hasn't, maybe I don't like people who shake me awake!" she huffed.
"Look I'm sorry can you please just.."
"Oh for god sake!" the Thin lady cut her off, clearly still fuming, "if I find him will you leave me alone!?" she threatened.
"yes, but-" however the Thin lady had already left her portrait, and Bellatrix stood there waiting, listening to a few old men, playing a game of cards between portraits, whisper about how often she and Sirius had been seen together recently.
"He's my cousin!" she interjected into their conversation, both of whom looked startled, and as a result, dropped their whole pack of cards, scattering them between several portraits of Giraffes, who hastily began to nibble on them, grunting in pleasure.
"Nosey old blighters!" she mumbled to herself.
Within a few moments the Thin Lady returned. Bellatrix opened her mouth to ask about Sirius, when the Thin Lady swung open. Bellatrix took a few steps backwards and peered into the dark, concealed corridor, to see Sirius waltzing lazily through, still wearing his Gryffindor dressing gown.
"What is it now cousin?" he yawned, his eyes half shut.
"Ermm well….." Suddenly Bellatrix found it hard to breath and her eyes began to sting. Embarrassed, she covered her eyes with her silky smooth hands and sobbed.
Sirius, seeing his cousin in this state, quickly woke himself up with a shake and took his dressing gown off and chucked it back through the tunnel. He stood tall and gangly in his knitted red and yellow jumper, which Mrs. Potter had made him last Christmas. His thick, greasy hair was now shoulder length, and he still looked very tired, considering he had had more sleep in one night, than Bellatrix had had all week.
"Not this again cousin." he looked around, trying to think of somewhere they could go without being disturbed. However, the Thin Lady slammed her portrait shut, knocking Sirius to the side cutting his thoughts short, as he hastily tried to regain his balance.
"OIY! Do you mind?!" he blurted out.
"Yes! Actually I do there's a nasty draft on my behind and I'd rather SHE didn't see into the Common room!" She retorted, pointing at Bellatrix and her green and silver crest stitched on her tie.
Sirius unable to respond, simply took Bellatrix by the arm and led her down the stairs.
As they walked through the castle neither of the pair said a word. The castle was beginning to come to life a little more with each step they took. Mumbling voices and footsteps of students, teachers, and ghosts waking up and heading towards the great hall for breakfast, could be heard echoing off the grand walls.
They finally came to a stop at the edge of the dark forest. Although it was forbidden to all students, Bellatrix had never been afraid of the creatures within. Instead she had felt much more at peace amongst the darkness and the horrors enclosed, than she did inside the walls of the castle.
The castle, to her, was more of a contained area, a ruled zone. A prison. However the forest was freedom. A place where Bellatrix could make as many mistakes as she liked without the torment of being ridiculed afterwards.
"Right so come on now cousin. What's all….What's ermm…well, what's wrong?" Sirius had never been great with words but Bellatrix could feel his calming energy dripping into her, and she felt much better than she had a few moments ago.
"Well. It's Tom" she began.
"Oh its always him!" Sirius retorted, "I've told you time and time again, leave him. He's not good for you. He's not good at all for that matter!"
"He is good!" Bellatrix shouted, she could feel her temper rising. She knew Tom. "He's just…unwell at the.."
"Unwell! Are you having a laugh!?" Sirius began pacing through the tree lines apparently unaware that the forest was enveloping them in a thick fog. As a result, Bellatrix now had to break into a few strides of a jog to keep up.
" I don't think you understand Sirius! There's more to him than you think!" as she said this she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a stop.
"look at me!" she squealed.
Alarmed, Sirius stopped abruptly. There was a brief pause between them. Neither said a word. Bellatrix looked and felt as though she was about to break down at any second, her dark brown eyes swimming as tears began to fill them.
"Is there something you haven't told me cousin?" Sirius said questioningly, just above a whisper.
Bellatrix opened her mouth to reply but then they heard a noise. It was the familiar sound, of footsteps, coming from a little way ahead of their view in the fog. Whatever or whoever it was however, had had the advantage for some time now. For they would have overheard Bellatrix and Sirius' conversation while they had been completely unaware of their follower.
They both froze. Listening intently for any indication of where it was. Bellatrix and Sirius both drew out their wands instinctively from their pockets. Sirius glanced down at his cousin, she was no longer teary eyed and trembling, she was now looking much stronger. More powerful. More alive.
Bellatrixes mind began to race to who their follower could be. Could it be Tom, had he heard what they had been saying? Even worse could it be Crabbe or McNair or both? What if they had followed her in an effort to gain more trust with Tom?
*Snap! Somewhere ahead of her she could hear whoever, or whatever, it was moving slowly, just a little way ahead of her and Sirius. She listened. The rustling of dead leaves being crushed underfoot was so faint it was barely detectable but Bellatrix was certain she knew where their stalker was.
She could hear no other sound apart from her own deep, slow breaths. She felt a faint smile etch across her face. She was pleased. She had the upper hand now, as much as their follower did with them. An excitement built inside her and she raised her curved wand carefully, and pointed.
"EXPELIARMUS!" she yelled.
A flash of brilliant blue light shot from the tip of her wand. There was a cry of surprise followed quickly by a solitary thud! Her spell had found her target.
"Nice shot cousin!" exclaimed Sirius as he walked past her, tapping her on the shoulder. His dark silhouette disappeared briefly into the fog, however his footsteps were loud and obvious, so Bellatrix was not worried and she followed closely behind.
As she caught up with Sirius she saw he was knelt over an unconscious body lying limply on the floor. Unable to see who it was she stepped forward towards the victims face and peered at it.
"James…." Bellatrix gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. The tall muscular form of a well-built teenager lay quite still upon the hard ground. His eyes were shut, his mouth agape. The only indication of life was his chest calmly rising and lowering again. "But I…I thought…I didn't" She muttered breathlessly.