A one-shot for the Alternate Universes challenge on xoxLewrahxox's forum.

Alternate Universes

Write a 100 or 500-word drabble featuring our favorite characters in a different setting, or switch canon around to see what would have happened had things turned out differently, i.e. Voldemort winning the Second War.

Bellatrix sulked in a corner of the ballroom, glaring at anyone who would look at her. Unfortunately, the man she most wanted to glare at was completely ignoring her, too busy pleading with an old man who looked startingly like him. Bella scoffed. She could only hope that he would be more successful than she. Although Lucius did have a gift with sweet and convincing words, she had the feeling that his little tricks wouldn't work out this time.

Once more, Bellatrix silently cursed her family, and once more she slowly raised her glass of absinthe, and downed it.

Wasn't she damned to a lifetime of trying to act like a doll she wasn't, anyway?

He grabbed her arm as she was heading back from her father's study. With the news she had just received, her mood was darker than ever, and she felt the yearn to scratch the skin off his skull with her nails, to prevent him from ever touching her like this again, as if she were his belonging already.

"Fuck off, Malfoy," she snarled.

"A lady doesn't talk like this," he told her sternly, "And unfortunately for you, you are going to have to act ladylike, since I seemingly lost my last chance to end up with someone more respectful and discreet today."

Bella took a deep breath to steady her voice, glaring defiantly into his eyes.

"Indeed," she said, "Andromeda would have made a fine match for you. Sealed lips, no brain."

"But she thought she would make a better match for her equally brainless Mudblood," he replied sweetly. "What a pity, although I can't really blame her, with the example of proper behaviour for a young lady she had under her eyes. Anyway, she took away my last hope. There is one Black girl left to marry, and it is you."

"Any other family could do," Bella croaked.

"Don't you ever listen, my dear? My father doesn't want his only son to marry some girl from any other family. He wants me engaged to a Black. Maybe a poor judgement, based on glorious past when the present generation seems to be going astray, but it is not my business to question him. Mine is to make you bearable."

"So you have given up already, haven't you?" she sneered. She didn't speak the word coward, yet her eyes expressed it better than her mouth.

"Stupid you, always willing to fight for a lost cause," he sighed. "My father won't change his mind – and I have to agree that his choice is advantageous for both our families. Yours doesn't care. He is more concerned about the son he always wanted, Narcissus, and wants to marry you off as soon as possible, to make everybody forget he ever had daughters! No, my dear, we are stuck together."

They were silent for a moment.

"Why don't you fight a real war for once?" he asked brusquely. He took up his left sleeve. "Every deal has its advantages, Bellatrix."