Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm only borrowing it.
He'll come tonight. She's heard it a thousand times. Father talked about it with his friends, in hushed voices in the study, and mother mentioned it while giving orders to the houselves. She's excited and nervous, because today has the potential to change her live, she's sure of that.
She throws one last look in the mirror before leaving her room. She looks good, and she knows it. She's wearing a dark burgundy gown tonight and it matches her eyes and hair, both the last tone before black, just with a touch of brown. She can see the snow outside and she hates it. Snow is something she can't like. Her sisters and cousins love it, of course, but for her snow represents a purity and whiteness she'll never have. She rips her thoughts away, to other things.
It is the annual Black family ball tonight and she will be its queen.
Ever since she was first allowed to visit this function three years ago she has enchanted the visitors. Admiring looks from the men, jealous glances from the women and she seemed oblivious to all of it. That was what made her truly special. It was one of the first things she learned. Act as if you're not aware of all this, then you'll be admired even more.
She enters the room her sisters share. She moved out of there, two years ago, when she turned fifteen. Now she is older and about to enter the second half of her last year at Hogwarts. Then the "Queen of Slytherin" will leave the castle. She smiles at her sisters. They are so different from her. Little Narcissa, barely fourteen looks adorable in robes of the frilliest pink. The old ladies will be cooing over her the whole evening.
But Bella knows that Cissy is more than a little girl. She first saw it in her eyes. They are of the coldest blue, the colour of ice. But, other than Bella, her eyes can fill with love and friendly laughter. Still, there is something about Narcissa that will harden over time, because Bella does not need to be a Seer to know that the future won't be easy.
Andromeda seems bored. She is wearing dark blue and looks quite beautiful, but she does not have Bella's air of might and mystery or Narcissa's shy, yet charming looks.
"You look wonderful, Bella", Narcissa says.
"Thank you, dear. The two you look great too. But maybe you should go done now. I think the ball has already started."
They jump up and leave. They have just waited for her to come. She, of course, won't go until later, when everybody is there. She'll make an entrance, as she always does. It's the way life works and at the moment being admired is the only thing she gets out of life.
Later one, she finally walks down the stairs into the ballroom, feeling like a queen. She smiles graciously at the many stares she earns.
Then she sees him. His eyes are snakelike and evil, and he doesn't stare at her the same way the others do, but there is something around him that reminds her of her, only it is much, much more intense. She sees that while she might be the Queen of Slytherin, he'll be Lord of the World. She looks him straight in the eye. Cold gazes meet. Red meets Black, gazes made out of ice. Neither blinks and he seems quite impressed. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Rodolphus, her fiancée coming towards her, but he is there before.
He bows slightly and kisses her hand. "It's an honour meeting you, Miss Black." His voice is cold, love- and passionless. But still it's filled with so much, with promises of power, might and a different future.
She knows that this moment will decide over her future. She looks him in the eye, again, infuriated by the power he shows. She courtesies, their hands still linked. "Pleasure and honour are on my side, milord."
He pulls her up and the whole room which has before been watching the exchange now starts moving again.
He offers her his arm and she accepts. "I'd ask you to dance", he says, "but I don't dance. Still, I was jut visiting your drawing room, and perhaps, Miss Black, I could interest you in a game of chess."
She recognizes Rodolphus's voice. He doesn't sound happy: "You'll have a hard time there, mylord, our Bella here is an excellent player. No one has beaten her so far." He grabs her around the waist and pulls her towards him.
She is annoyed at her fiancée. "Well, maybe you will manage beating me", she smiles. Quietly she hisses towards Rodolphus: "Jealousy doesn't suit you. Go amuse yourselves." There is something in her voice that makes him obey. He leaves and they continue on towards the drawing room."
"I'll give white to you, Miss Black. I prefer playing the dark side."
"But you should know milord; I don't play for the light. With these words she waved her wand over her figures, turning them a shade of brown resembling her hair."
He chuckles: "I bow to you, Miss Black, for your choice of words, sides and colours."
They played for more than an hour, almost evenly matched. He only manages to get the upper hand when he removed her rook with his queen. "She is the most important figure", he says quietly. "Without his queen, you can still win, but it chances are low."
When he has won, he smiles and her: "Take this", he says and hands her the black queen. "She resembles you. You might also be important for this game." He stands up and leaves, while she stares after him.
Six months later she took the mark and so I lost my first daughter. She stayed with the family yes, but you can not love those who can't love. And until this day her heart, body and mind belong only to the Dark Lord.