Traitors
It was hours past curfew, but seventeen-year-old Bellatrix Black didn't care. Her long black hair flowed freely over her shoulders as she slipped out of the Slytherin common room and up the stone steps into the entrance hall. Her eyes, dark and wide, scanned the area quickly; finding no sign of a prefect or professor, she slid through the enormous oak doors with nary a sound save for a heavy creak as the doors closed behind her.
Safely outside, she edged along the grounds in the castle's shadow. It might have been any typical night when she was seized by a bout of insomnia – the Forbidden Forest had always been a place of refuge for Bella, never viewed as something to fear. She relished the darkness under cover of ancient trees, and the constant presence of unseen danger. She walked through the trees, lighting her wandtip when she'd gone deep enough that she was positive no one up at the school would see.
A silver wolf padded silently through the trees, stopping several feet away. Its narrow silver eyes watched her for a moment and its tail flicked back and forth nonchalantly; then it turned and headed back the way it had come. Bellatrix's face broke into a wide, breathtaking smile and she followed the beast, walking quickly enough to catch up and walk nearly alongside it. their path twisted away in the darkness, deeper into the forest than Bella normally wandered. She stuck close, her mind fixated on what would await her when they stopped walking.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure came into focus through the fog and darkness, barely illuminated by the now-fading Patronus' light. Bellatrix stowed her wand in her robes and ran forward, throwing herself into the man's arms and kissing him hard.
"You're late," Rabastan murmured against her lips.
"Malfoy wouldn't leave me alone," she replied. "He's been relentless lately, asking after Cissy every chance he gets."
"Mmmm." Rabastan claimed her mouth again, pulling her body flush with his. Bella's ravenous fingers raked through his long, dark hair. His large hands held her waist firmly, anchoring them together until she broke away gasping for breath. She snuggled against his shoulder, their faces almost level because Bella was so tall.
"Bastan, why can't I join now?" she asked. He smiled.
"You're not ready yet," he said patiently. "Almost."
Bellatrix pouted. "But I'm of age! How much more ready could I be?"
"Just graduate," he coaxed. "And then you can."
She frowned, her mood shifting at the suggestion.
"Graduate," she muttered. "Graduating means marrying. I don't want to marry someone if I don't care about them, especially when it's your brother of all people."
Rabastan sighed impatiently. "You need to make a respectable match, and better it be with someone closer to your age."
"But Rodolphus is so dull!" she complained.
"Better him than me," Rabastan insisted. "Making a respectable marriage includes not causing as much scandal as humanly possible, and scandal would definitely ensue if you married someone five years your senior straight out of school."
"Bastan, I don't care about being respectable!" Bellatrix cried. "My entire family is the definition of 'respectable'… except for Sirius, the prat," she amended. "But we are an ancient line of purebloods, and I'm joining the Dark Lord's service. What in Merlin's name could be more respectable?"
He considered her for a long moment.
"Marry Rodolphus," he said finally. Bella's eyes flashed furiously.
"Marry him," he continued, "but we'll still see each other."
She brightened. "Secretly?"
"A dirty little secret that would harm no one," he replied.
"Except me."
Rabastan's head snapped around; Bellatrix, wide-eyed, clutched at his shoulders.
Rodolphus glowered at them as he stepped closer, his wandtip garishly bright in the otherwise pitch-blackness.
"How dare you," he hissed, his narrow eyes on Bellatrix. "Sneaking round on me with my own brother, when we're supposed to be married in less than a month!"
"Rodolphus –" Rabastan cut in.
"NO!" Rodolphus exploded. "I am on track to being one of the greatest, most recognized, most feared –"
Bellatrix couldn't suppress a wild cackle of laughter. "Oh, come off it," she snapped. "You're barely of age."
He snarled. "You bring dishonor to yourself by choosing another when it is not your place to choose."
Bellatrix tore herself from Rabastan's arms and strode forward. Rodolphus raised his wand and she stopped dead.
"If you want to marry me and avoid scandal, you will lower your wand," she hissed, glaring at him.
He remained in position, holding her stare.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix cried, her wand appearing in her hand out of nowhere. Rodolphus was lifted into the air and his features distorted horribly as Bellatrix unleashed all of her anger at her parents, all of her fear and discontentment of her current situation, upon him. Rabastan watched, expressionless, as his brother screamed and flailed under the power of the spell. Satisfied after several minutes, Bellatrix lowered her wand with a sigh of relief. Rodolphus collapsed at her feet, breathing heavily.
Bella turned her back on him and kissed Rabastan. She took his hand and they headed toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest without a backward glance.
Rodolphus watched them go, pure hatred in his eyes.
Filthy traitors…