Bellatrix hugged her daughter to her breast, making shushing noises as she jostled her back and forth. Across the room stood her husband, Rodolphus, her sister, Narcissa, and her sister's husband, Lucius, all with matching grim expressions.
She couldn't deal with this. So long she'd been yearning to go out and serve her Lord but she had a daughter now, a daughter who needed her . . . and a Lord who needed her too. How could she chose between them?
They were all going to Hogwarts and she needed to stay and she wanted to but at the same time she couldn't.
"Bella," Rodolphus began cautiously as though speaking to some feral cat on the street who could strike at any moment. "You should stay here."
Bellatrix shook her head, no, but regardless hugged the baby in her arms closer. The baby gurgled but didn't cry, no, she hardly ever cried. Such a quiet little thing it had nearly worried she and Rodolphus at first. But, no, there was nothing wrong with their little star; she was just quiet; born a little early but perfectly fine.
Blonde curls were already visible on the baby's head (a Rosier gene just like Narcissa's hair) and Bella smoothed her hand over them, breathing deeply.
"Bella," her husband persisted. Beside him Cissy quivered while Lucius just looked plain irritated.
She shook her head again, unable to speak just yet. The witch had to go and fight beside her Lord and her husband and her family but to leave her little star behind . . .
Bellatrix had finally reached the crossroads in her life and she had no idea what to choose. She loved her sister and her husband dearly but what it really came down to was Lord Voldemort and her daughter, the two most important people in her life.
"I have to go," she whispered, finally finding her voice.
"Bella," Narcissa began, always the voice of reason. "If you go who's going to look after your daughter?"
Bellatrix glared at her, unhappy that she'd added yet another problem to the boat load.
Her Lord needed her and she would certainly come but what to do with her daughter?
"I say we just drop her off with one of the house elves and go," Lucius suggested, clearly disinterested as he flicked his wand absentmindedly.
Everyone there looked at him with poorly concealed horror.
"You can't leave a baby all alone with a house elf in the time of war!" Narcissa protested aghast. "What if we don't come back?"
"Don't be silly, Cissy, of course, we're coming back," Bella interjected with an overconfident roll of her eyes.
Judging by the looks of everyone else in the room they didn't share her sentiment with the same amount of confidence.
"Cissy's statement is a valid one, Bella, we very well may not come back," Rodolphus told her softly in that way of his that always seemed to settle an argument or an upcoming one with her. "We need someone to look after her that should still be able to do so if the worst should happen."
Narcissa shifted where she was standing nervously and Bella eyed her suspiciously. "Cissy?"
"Well, there is someone," she began hesitantly, not really meeting her gaze, "someone who would likely help if we asked nicely enough, and I don't think she'll be fighting because I suspect she's already got a babe to look after while its parents go to Hogwarts."
Rodolphus and Lucius looked at her, utterly confused but Bella's eyes narrowed, already getting an idea of who she was talking about by just the tone of her voice. "Cissy . . ." she began, tone warning. "Who is this person?"
Once again the blonde woman shifted in a nervous fashion. "Andromeda."
Bellatrix let out a feral snarl making everyone around her jump slightly and the baby in her arms to let out a cry of protest. She ignored this.
"How can you even think that blood traitor suitable for the job?" she demanded, voice dangerously low. "And what if you're wrong and that pup's parents are still there? I suspect the wolf will go to the battle but that halfblood'll probably stay with her pup. She's an auror, Narcissa!"
"She won't be there," Cissy responded with the utmost certainty.
"Oh really, and why not?"
"Because you're not staying," she replied softly. "She's going to go to that battle because she loves Remus Lupin and you're going to go because . . ." she left the sentence hanging; no one ever spoke of Bella's rather absurd love for Voldemort (unless of course you were Snape) and that was not about to change.
Bella hissed, getting out through gritted teeth, "Be that as it may, I am not leaving my daughter alone with that blood traitor."
Bellatrix's blood boiled at the thought. She could never trust Andromeda with something as precious as her daughter, no; her sister had lost her trust a long time ago.
"Bella . . ." Cissy tried to reason but came up blank with anything more to say.
A silence fell over the group and she hugged her daughter even closer, careful not to crush her though.
"I know where we can take her," Rodolphus said suddenly, causing everyone in the room to spin around and face him.
"Where?" Bella asked, her eyes wide with hope.
"Just an old friend of mine, they'll take very good care of her," Rodolphus assured her for behind Bella's hopeful look was one of doubt and worry.
Bellatrix bit her lip uncertainly, glancing down at the baby. The flaxen hair Cissy so swooned over grabbing her attention like always. This was her daughter, something she'd never thought she'd have, and yet there was nothing to mark her as her own. The hair, the eyes all nothing like either she or Rodolphus, yet Bellatrix knew without a doubt she was hers.
Could Bellatrix give her up, just like that? There was a chance she and her husband wouldn't return (not that she'd ever admit it) and she'd never get to see just how much this baby was like them, despite the looks. If Bellatrix stayed then perhaps she would be able to see.
But, no, she could never do that. Not when her Lord (her love) was out there fighting a battle that Bellatrix could help him win.
After a pause she handed the baby to her husband after a gesture from him to do so. Rodolphus gave her a soft, comforting smile, aware of how much this pained her even if the others weren't, and then he was gone. Span around on the spot and dissaperated before she could take one last look at that daughter of hers. And that pained her more than she would care to admit. Maybe because at that moment she knew, knew that it would be the last time she looked on her little star.
Bellatrix Lestrange had never had good foresight and she inwardly cursed herself for its inconvenience now. For even if Bella had gone to the future and seen what was about to happen she still would have gone to Hogwarts anyhow.
With a sigh, she spun on her feet and dissipated to Hogsmeade and Lucius and Narcissa followed suit.