Okay, everyone. Here's my second attempt at a chapter story...I'll warn you now, I feel that my forte is one-shots, but I actually have a thorough plot for this one, so I'm keeping the faith!

This is the concept that inspired me to write "It's Time To Say Goodbye" and the idea hasn't left for two weeks, so I decided to type it out! It, unlike my other stories, is actually on the right age line (i.e. their age differences are correct.)

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and get to the point. Basically, it's like the summary says: 14-year-old Bella needs to learn to be responsible and stop acting like a child, so she is practically forced into baby-sitting a four-year-old Regulus and a five-year-old Sirius. It's supposed to be semi-funny, but not totally, so it's a little serious. It's rated T for language, mainly Bella's mouth, so be warned. (Nothing bad, though. I won't be dropping the F-word every few lines)

This first chapter is kind of just the prologue. I'm setting up for the story's main plot.

Everyone, enjoy!

Reviews are great, constructive criticism is better!

Bellatrix Black was not what one would call a 'people person'. Surely her parents knew this. Surely they hadn't asked what she thought they just had.

"Excuse me?" Bellatrix wanted to make absolutely sure that she wasn't hearing things.

"I said," repeated her father, Cygnus, "Your uncle would like you to baby-sit this evening."

Bellatrix laughed a little, thinking that this was, perhaps, a joke her parents were playing on her. "You're not serious, right?" She looked at her mother, who was sitting with her hands in her lap, looking at the floor, and at her father, who was leaning against the fireplace mantle, staring out the window at the falling snow.

Neither her mother, nor her father, answered, but they both sighed and looked at each other. Bellatrix, feeling a little discomfited, repeated her question. "Right?"

"Bellatrix, darling…," Her mother fidgeted uncomfortably on the couch across from her. "It would be nice if you could do this…and I'm sure you'd-." Druella, however, never got to finish her sentence.

"Oh my god, you are serious!" Bellatrix shrieked. "Are you absolutely mad? Have you completely lost your mind?"

Cygnus cleared his throat impatiently and Bellatrix fell silent. "Bellatrix, I assure you that I am not mad and I am completely in my right mind. I think this…" He struggled for the right word. "…experience…would help you greatly. After all…"

All Bella heard after this was 'blah blah blah', for she tuned her father out at this point. She couldn't believe her parents were actually asking this of her. There was no way, absolutely no way, that she could do this. She really wasn't good with people, specifically little kids. She hated little kids...and she was pretty sure that little kids were afraid of her…or, at any rate, whenever she got near little kids, they'd grow silent and stare at her with fear. Her cousins were no exception. In fact, she probably hated them more than other little kids.

"Bellatrix?" Her focus was snapped back to her father as she realized that he was still talking to her. "Bellatrix, are you even listening to me?"

Not one to lie, most of the time, she shook her head. "No."

Now, it was her mother's turn to look exasperated with her. "Bellatrix, would you go wait in the hall? Your father and I need to talk."

It wasn't a question, really, more of a demand, so Bellatrix stood up and stomped her way out of the parlor and into the hallway.

xoxo

Once out in the hallway, she leaned against the door that her father had just shut and attempted to hear what was going on.

"Honestly, dear, she doesn't need to do this…" It was her mother's voice and she seemed to be trying to persuade her father.

"Like hell she doesn't. Druella, has it been lost on you that our daughter seems to be a bit of a…sociopath?"

"A sociopath? Isn't that a little harsh?"

There were footsteps behind Bellatrix and she turned to see 10-year-old Narcissa standing behind her, still in her nightgown, her blonde hair still a little tousled. She had obviously just been playing upstairs and had been alerted by the shouting. "Bella, what are Mum and Dad talking about? What's a sociopath?"

Bellatrix put her finger to her lips to quiet her sister. "It means that Mum and Dad think I'm a psycho with no friends."

Narcissa, eyes wide, just nodded solemnly and knelt down on the cold, wooden floor, listening through the crack in the bottom of the door.

"It's for her own good, Druella. She needs to learn to socialize with people. She can't go about scaring little children."

"I know, Cygnus, I know, but...she's on holiday. She shouldn't have to do this if she doesn't want to."

"That's your problem. You're too soft on them. Bellatrix needs to grow up and be responsible. I think-." But, Bella and Narcissa never got to hear what their father thought, because a third person interrupted them.

"You'll get in trouble with Mum and Dad if they catch you."

Both sisters turned to see Andromeda standing behind them, an accusatory look on her face.

"Shut your mouth, Andromeda," Bellatrix snapped at her other sister, who was still hovering a few feet away. "We won't get caught if you keep quiet."

"Well, I'm not going to keep quiet. I'm going to tell them!"

"Do that and I'll hex you to oblivion. Shut up!" It was at this point that Bellatrix leapt at Andromeda, who had just opened her mouth to call for their parents.

Narcissa afforded her squabbling sisters a nervous glance. "Guys, I think they're done talking." Neither of her older sisters seemed to hear her; now, they were both on the floor, attempting to pull each others hair. "Stop it, you two! They're coming!"

The heavy oak doors to the parlor swung open, and Cygnus and Druella walked out into the hallway to find their three daughters there. Narcissa was standing nervously to one side, while the older girls were on the floor, Bellatrix with her hand clamped over Andromeda's mouth and Andromeda, clutching a hank of Bella's hair in one of her hands.

"Get the hell off me, 'Dromeda!" The oldest shrieked, attempting to keep her hand over her sister's mouth, while also trying to pry the fingers from her hair.

Andromeda chose this moment to bite down on Bella's hand, provoking a semi-disgusted scream from the older girl.

Cygnus sighed and rubbed his temples, while Druella said, "Bella, we need to talk."

xoxo

Once again sitting on one of the horribly uncomfortable couches in the parlor and clutching the hand that still bore Andromeda's teeth marks, Bellatrix faced two angry parents.

"Bellatrix, your mother and I believe that it would be in your best interest to help your aunt and uncle out," began Cygnus, and when Bellatrix made a noise of protest, he held up his hand. "You're 14, Bella. It's time to stop acting like a child. There will be times that you'll have to do things that you may not want to. This evening, you are going to go to Grimmauld Place and you are going to watch Sirius and Regulus while Orion and Walburga are out." At this point, Bellatrix opened her mouth, an angry comment ready to be said, but her mother stopped her.

"Orion has assured us, dear, that you'll really only have to watch them for a couple of hours. You'll arrive at five o'clock and he promised that the boys would be asleep by seven. Think about it: you'll have five hours to yourself."

"Five hours? I have to stay there until midnight? Mum, that's really not-."

"Bella, you'll have most of that time to yourself, won't you?" asked her father. "I really don't see what the problem is."

The problem wasn't really in having five hours to herself. It wasn't even really that she'd have to stay until midnight. It was the prospect of being mostly alone, at night, in Grimmauld Place. She'd only been there a few times, but it had been enough time for her to notice that there were house-elf heads nailed to the walls. Something about that was just a tad bit unsettling.

"Dad, it's not really a problem…per say…" But, it seemed that her parents were no longer open to hearing her excuses.

"Bellatrix Black, you are going to do this. I don't want to hear another word."

So, she didn't speak another word. She simply nodded her head like a good little girl. After all, how bad could it possibly be?

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Well, press that little purple-ish button and tell me, please!

Were the characters too OOC? I tried to keep them all, especially Bella, just like they should be, but sometimes when I write, I get carried away. I think Bellatrix was pretty in character, though...if I do say so myself!

Anyway, like I said, I actually have a plot, so I'd love to update this story!