Eeep! It's my 50th story on Fanfiction! I'm so proud of myself! Also, before you read the story, I'm warning you that Bellatrix may be a bit OOC. Or a lot. But hey, somebody's gotta change our loveable insane maniac for this to be the story it is, and that's Charlie Weasley!
Okay, so you had two options. The first was to watch your own mother kill the love of your life. The second option was to save your love, no matter how much it might ruin your reputation, your family and your life. You'd be reckless and evil and selfish and irresponsible if you saved her. So it only makes sense that you pick the second option.
You run towards your mother and your love at full speed, hoping that George, Ginny and Harry won't turn around. Then, you focus all your energy into turning into your Animagus form, which is a hawk, and just before you spread your wings and fly towards her, you see a spark of fear in her eyes, and that's not natural because she's Bellatrix Lestrange, and she could face the world that's holding pitchforks and knives without feeling an ounce of fear.
As soon as you take flight as a hawk, Bellatrix sees you flap your wings, and she quickly turns into a snake and you grab her lithe, scaly body with your talons and fly away, not even caring to think about how your mother must feel that she didn't get to kill her archenemy.
No, you really don't care. Because you'll fly as far away from Hogwarts as you can to get Bellatrix away. And you know what? You're completely fine with being a criminal.
Only in the slightest, smallest sense of the word! you protest in your mind. You're a bit of a liar, too.
You're the cockier of the Weasleys, you really are. The first time you saw Bellatrix, you flipped your long red hair out of your eyes and said the only thing that seemed logical at the time.
"You're beautiful."
She probably would've just killed you on the spot, but you smirked at her when she looked surprised, because you've heard of Bellatrix Lestrange before (she's the talk of the town), and you know that she isn't like this.
"Thank you," she said, considering him, sizing him up. "I'll let you live, Weasley, but only because you have better manners than the others." With that, she let out a manic laugh before Disapparating on the spot.
She had flair, too. You'd give her that.
You gently set Bellatrix in snake form on a field near your house, because you know that your family won't be home for a while. You transform into your human self again and you turn around to look at Bellatrix, who's lying on the ground, her arms bleeding. You know not to touch her. She's bound to be mad, though you know that she secretly loves you.
"You incorrigible git! How dare you take me from a battle like that?" She rants on and on and you smile because her insults slide like butter off you.
"Aw, Bella baby, you're cute when you're angry," you say cheekily. You rarely let this side of you show around your family. This is reserved only for Bellatrix Lestrange. Because when you're around her, you can be as bad and strange and free as you want to be.
"You inferior weasel! How dare you-" You cut her off with a kiss, and when you pull back, she's looking at you with that look and you're glad that you do dare.
You've been living like this for a month in Romania. Your family is sending you letters at the dozens and you know that you have to face them eventually, but you'll never be able to look at them the same way again. No, they don't know yet, but they have to. Even though you're perfectly fine with keeping Bellatrix a secret, you know that you'll never exactly get over your guilt of that.
Bellatrix is out doing whatever she does with the dragons, and you hear that high, uncontrollable laughter from outside, and you love that laugh. You love it, you love it, you love it.
In a way, you think she's better with the dragons than you are. To be honest, she and dragons just click. Both are wild and uncontrollable and free, and you're just attracted to that freedom, aren't you?
You hear that laughter again, and you know that yeah, you are.
She's with you when you go to see your family, but you leave her in the garden as a snake, and you know that those unruly gnomes will be her next victims.
You walk into the Burrow, your hands clammy, and your freckled cheeks burning. How will you say that you're in love with Bellatrix Lestrange, who they all think is dead? None suspect that you're the one who saved her from her fate. None of your family even knows that you're an Animagus!
But you feel your confidence boost when you see the black hairs on your sweater (even though it's summer) and feel snake skin in your pocket. You can do this. Once they saw just how much you loved her, they would accept. They had to.
So you walk into the kitchen, where everyone is gathered around the table and as soon as you look at them, they stop talking and turn all their attention on you.
This is it. There's no walking out. You're going to tell them. You're going to tell them today.
"I love Bellatrix Lestrange."
They stare at you dumbly for a few seconds before Ginny says, "She's dead."
But you shake your head, a ghost of a smile on your face, and that's when they figure it out, and it's utter chaos. But you walk out because yeah, you're brave, and you're a Weasley, and you'll always stick by your family, but you've always been a little different from them. When you make it outside, where the last gnome had been, stood a proud Bellatrix, her long black hair shining in the sunlight, and at this point, you're really proud that you even managed to snag a Black from the Death Eater life to a life playing with dragons and killing gnomes for the heck of it.
You go to Shell Cottage, with snake-Bellatrix wrapped around your arm tightly. You know that Bill will probably be angry at you, but he's the brother that you shared a room with, and shared secrets with, and played Quidditch with, so you think you owe it to him to at least pay him a visit.
You knock on the door, hoping that Fleur wouldn't answer, and to your relief, she didn't. Bill stood in the doorway, looking angry but pitiful at the same time.
"Hey, Bill," you say hestitantly, and you feel Bellatrix's grip on you tighten. You know what she's thinking.
Don't be such a wimp, Weasel!
"Charlie." He nods at you, and then gestures for you to come in. You both sit at the table for five minutes, staring blankly at each other, before he finally speaks. "So, is that her?"
"Yes," you reply, and then it's silent again.
"Charlie, if you think I'm going to shut you out like the rest of the family did, you're wrong," says Bill, and you hate seeing his serious side. "But I'm asking, and I want an honest answer. Why her, of all people?"
From your arm, snake-Bellatrix bristled and snapped her head over to glare at Bill, and hissed threateningly.
Bill looked surprised, probably thinking that she wouldn't be able to understand him, but then he laughed slightly. "Vicious."
"Yeah, she's like that," you shrug. You're used to it. You're used to loving her like that.
"You've accepted her," says Bill, looking at you in a way that makes you wonder whether you should be sad or happy. "I guess I have to do the same for you two. Unless you plan on giving her up."
Even though Bellatrix threatens to bite you with her two sharp teeth, you would still reply the same way. "Never."
Bill smiles and looks relaxed. You're glad. You're back to being 'best brothers' again.
"Not that I mean this in a bad way, but you realize that you're a criminal for hiding her while she should be in Azkaban?" Bill looks more amused than serious, and you thank Merlin for that.
"Only in the slightest," you say, and as you look down at Bellatrix and feel the snake skin in your pocket, you can't say that you really care.
So, what'd you think? I personally really like this one better than the other two that I posted today! If you want to see more Charlie/Bellatrix from me, please, please review! I know that you know how bad it feels when you don't get a review, so please review, and I promise to review one of your stories (if you have one)! Please review!