So, I've temporarily lost inspiration for my other Harry Potter fic, "Snape's Girl". I've been working on this one lately, and I'm actually liking it. It's flowing nicely in my mind. I've always wondered if Bellatrix was always as crazy as she was... You can't be born that bad, right? Well, I don't think so. You may. Difference in opinion, you know. It happens a lot... Okay, getting off track. I also like the idea of Bellatrix's daughter. Imagine the way she'll be treated. Imagine the prejudice she will face because of her mother... I can, and I'm perfectly happy to make it a story! So... Here it is!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter besides my own character and her back-story. Wish I did, but I don't.

Now that that's over, let's get started, shall we? Good. Happy Reading, Fanfic lovers!

~GharrahGirl

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BELLATRIX~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the dark of the night, a shadow can be seen moving, a young woman hidden under a dark cloak and clutching an infant to her chest. She constantly looks around, her wand ready in her hand. She approaches her house, and to everyone else, she disappears from sight completely. In reality, she's disappeared behind protective wards. The woman in question, unknown by those who may have seen her tonight, is Bellatrix LeStrange, and she is carrying her daughter of just under one year, Vanissa.
Bellatrix walks into her home, finally at ease. Behind the wards around her house, she feels somewhat safe. At least she'll be warned if anyone breaks them. She instantly goes to her daughter's room and lays her down to sleep. Poor child is exhausted from the night's activities.

For, you see, Bellatrix LeStrange just got home from a meeting with the Order of the Pheonix. I know many would not believe this, but it is true. Bellatrix had a change of heart after her daughter was born. When she was a Death Eater, she was madly in love with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She was married, yes, but she didn't care. She felt nothing for her husband. SO madly in love she was that she let You-Know-Who use her as he wished. This all changed when she found out she was in fact pregnant.
The night after finding out, she fled from her home in the cover of darkness and went to the only person she knew could protect her; Albus Dumbledore. She fled to the school grounds and up to his office. She burst through the door and collapsed to her knees. Albus stood, his wand ready, but his stance relaxed. She looked up at him and begged his forgiveness and protection. When he'd gotten her calm enough, she told him of her pregnancy and admitted who the father had to be. Although weary, Dumbledore took her into his protection and the Order.

At first, naturally, the Order members didn't trust her and were weary of her presence in the meetings. Bellatrix understood, but oh how it hurt her. Although, what hurt her isn't what you expect. What hurt young Bellatrix wasn't the cold glares nor evident distrust. No, what hurt her was the realization that it was her own fault. She had done this. Now, there she was, nineteen, pregnant, and utterly alone.

That went on for a few months, until the day came that she could not hide her pregnancy. At that point, someone finally reached out to her; Lily Potter. The woman, pregnant herself at the time, pitied the girl and reached out to her, welcomed her. James was quick to back his wife up and welcome the girl, as well. That was the beginning of her true transition. That was the beginning of her membership to the Order. Slowly, the Order members welcomed her and began to trust her. The last to do so was her very own cousin, Sirius Black. He'd known her all her life, and he knew her to be a wicked, heartless woman with no care for anybody but her precious Dark Lord. With time, though, his mind changed.

For, you see, she had changed. He came to realize that, but didn't welcome her until she came home with a newborn daughter, barely a week after Lily had her son, Harry. Bellatrix brought the daughter and revealed her name to the Order members. Her name was Vanissa, named in part for her sister. She approached Sirius first and handed her daughter to him. When he looked at that child, that innocent baby girl that, even so young, looked so like her mother, he finally forgave Bellatrix. From then on, they got to have the relationship they'd not been able to have in the past due to her wickedness, her own cruelty. As surprised as she was, she realized that she regretted not having that relationship earlier in life. From that day forward, Vanissa was a regular at the meetings, and she'd be put beside young Harry to play while they discussed possible plans of action. Of course, the Potters no longer attend the meetings. They are in hiding, for the Dark Lord is looking for them. Only their Secret Keeper knows where they are. Only Sirius, and he'd protect that secret with his life.

Now, just under a year later, here she is coming home from yet another Order meeting. She'd had to move to a safe house during a meeting of the Dark Lord's to escape, and she resides in the same house now. Although greatly lessened, her fear is constant. She fears the day she know will come eventually; the day the Dark Lord comes for her. He does not know of Vanissa, and Bellatrix hopes to keep it that way. She takes one last look at her sleeping daughter before walking from the room and to the hidden room in the home. It is protected, the door hidden from view to all but those who know where it is. Only Albus and her know where it is. For, she must keep the contents secret and safe.
If one were to stumble upon the room, they'd find that every wall is lined with hundreds of vials containing swirling mass-less silver. For, in each of those vials is a memory. None of the Order meetings, no, but memories of her daughter. Her first cry, the first time she opened her eyes, her first laugh, her first smile... Every single important memory of her daughter is stored in those vials. A single pensive stands in the middle on a stand. Daily, she comes in and brings out another memory of her daughter. She wants her daughter to always have these. She knows that she will not be with her long. No, the Dark Lord is after her. He will find her. It's only a matter of time. She looks around before setting her wand against her temple, shutting her eyes.

The horribly loud blast of splintering wood interrupts her, and she rushes from the room and shuts the door to put the room in hiding once more. She tucks the vial into her chest for hiding. She will have one last memory to give before she dies, and she will give it. Her daughter must know what happened to her mother.

She stands silently, her wand ready, as the Dark Lord enters the room, his cloak covering his face and his wand pointing straight at her.

"Put the wand down. Do not be a fool, Bellatrix."

His cold voice sends chills down her spine, and she lowers her wand slowly, tucking it into her robe. She watches him closely, staying silent as he lowers his wand. He does not stow it away, no he is still ready to use it. He has just lowered it.

"You have not been to a meeting for near a year, Bellatrix. There are rumors..."

"I am sorry, My Lord. I have been busy."

"Busy... With the Order, no doubt."

"The Order? I haven't-"

"Do not lie to me, Bellatrix. Rodulphus has seen you meeting with your blood traitor cousin, Sirius Black. You have turned your back on me."

"My Lord, I had to. I had to."

He raises his wand, and she flinches. Moments before he casts the Killing Curse, he hears a sound. He hears the sound of a child crying. He lowers her wand, his head slowly turning toward the shut door. Bellatrix's eyes snap between him and the door before she moves slowly between it and him.

"Move aside, Bellatrix."

"My Lord... Please..."

"Move aside."

Her eyes burn as she moves to the side. He walks past her silently, the door opening in front of him. She follows him in, watching in fear as he approaches Vanissa's crib. He watches her silently before picking her up. The infant, sensing the danger of the man, squirms and cries to get free of him. Bellatrix takes a step toward them, stopping when his head snaps up to face her.

"A daughter."

"Please... Give her to me," Bellatrix begs, her voice breaking.

"It would seem that she is the reason for your sudden betrayal, Bellatrix. Why hand her over and continue to let her motivate you to fight against me when I can kill her now and eliminate that."

"No!"

She takes another step as he presses his wand against the infant's temple. She looks up at him, her eyes pleading.

"Please, My Lord. I will go with you. Just.. Just leave her here. Leave her alone. I'll go with you. I won't turn against you again. I promise. Just... Please."

He chuckles darkly and holds the child out. She hesitates before pulling Vanissa quickly from his grasp, holding her to her as she attempts to calm her. All that time, Bellatrix never took her eyes off of the Dark Lord.

"Come. Leave her."

"A moment? Just one last goodbye. I just want to lay her back down to sleep."

He leaves the room silently, and she takes that as permission. She slowly goes to the crib, her back facing the Dark Lord. She sets her daughter down and cautiously gets the vial and her wand out. She looks down at her daughter silently.

"Vanissa, Mommy loves you so much. She's doing this to protect you. Vanissa, when you see this... Please, forgive me. I have to keep you alive. I have to go with him. I have no choice. Vanissa, I will always love you. Never forget that."

She kisses Vanissa's temple before pulling that last memory from her mind and putting it in the vial. Bellatrix sets it next to her under the blanket and stows her wand back into her robes before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

She looks up to see the Dark Lord standing silently. She approaches him slowly, looking down as his intense gaze falls on her.

"Do not think your betrayal will go unpunished, Bellatrix. Be grateful I spared your life. Now, come."

He starts to walk out, his cloak making it seem more as if he's moving without walking. Bellatrix takes one last look at her daughter's bedroom before walking out of the house. As the Dark Lord grabs her arm to apparate, she pulls hers out and points it at the house.

"Morsmordre!"

Green light explodes from her wand, turning to misty glowing cloud and flying above the house. A skull with a snake coming from the mouth forms from the clouds. The Dark Mark. Albus will come for Vanissa. Only he can protect her. Only he can keep her hidden, keep her safe. The thing that even she could not do.

And there we have it, Folks! The end of the beginning of Vanissa's story. For all those wondering of her full name, as I'm not too sure I post it later on, it is Vanissa Bell LeStrange. Vanissa... The nissa part is named for her aunt Narcissa. Her middle name, of course, is after her mother. And, it's pretty obvious why her last name is what it is. Now, next chapter... What will Albus find when he gets there? What will he do with the infant Vanissa? Who can she safely stay with? Stay tuned, good readers, for all these answers will be discovered in the second chapter of Vanissa's Tale!

Thank you for reading, and I desperately hope for reviews. They always help when I'm sucking badly and don't realize it. Or when I'm doing rather well and think I'm not. Anyway, leave any type of review you'd like; Funny, rude, criticizing, praising (preferred :P), goofy, stupid, or even suggestive! Anything goes here, my friends!

~GharrahGirl