A/N Who doesn't like a story where we turn character perceptions on their head?

Chapter 2

It had been a few weeks since Trix and I made up, but things still weren't quite normal between us. I was beginning to trust Narcissa and Andromeda better than her. It made me sick to think that I couldn't trust my best friend anymore. Where had we gone wrong in our relationship?

Does she even notice that we aren't the same anymore? I was brought out of my musings when I reached the Library. The place our last altercation had happened. And once again, it was to retrieve her to go to Hogsmeade. I steeled my nerves and pushed my way in. There she is... I walked to the last table and sat quietly in the chair opposite her to wait for her to notice I was there.

After ten minutes of her ignoring me, I dropped my bookbag on the table.

Madam Pince glared at me and I shrugged. Bellatrix flinched and looked up, "Oh, it's just you, Rita. I'll be done in a moment. I just need a few more lines and the drying spell." She turned her attention back to her parchment as she scrawled hurriedly. Once she set her quill down, she pulled her wand and cast the drying spell on her homework. She rolled up the parchment and put it in her bag.

I watched her gather her things. As she put her homework in her bag, I stood and slung mine on my shoulder. "I'll meet you at the Great Hall, Trix. I need to find Theo and give him back his Potions homework before we head out. I just wanted you to actually be on time for once." I turned and left, not bothering to wait for her response.

I walked at a relatively slow pace until I reached the Slytherin Common Room entrance. "Viper." The bricks shifted and I walked in. "Theo, I have your assignment. A few misspellings and several punctuation errors, but I marked them. Fix those, and Slughorn'll give you an 'EE' for sure." I pulled out the parchment and handed it to the Second Year with a smile.

"Thanks!" He smiled back and ran off to his dorm room to make the changes.

"Remember, this is the last year I'll be doing revisions for you all. I need to focus on my NEWTs next year and won't have the time," I said as I turned to leave. "I need some volunteers to take over for next year. Please put your name on the parchment tacked to the wall by my room. See you all later!" I waved at the gathered Slytherins with a grin, then departed.

I skirted around a group of Gryffindor students and blended into the Ravenclaws before making a break for the Great Hall. I hissed when I felt a stinging hex graze my calf, but kept running to the open doors where I saw the gathered professors checking Hogsmeade passes. I stayed by Professor Slughorn as I waited for Trix. As I waited, I saw Molly Prewitt leave, sneering at me as she went. So you hexed me you little - My inner monologue cut short when Bellatrix came out, glancing around. She smiled when she caught sight of me and I grimaced.

"There you are, Ri. Let's go, yeah?" She linked her arm through mine when she made it to my side.

I nodded silently and walked sedately beside her, casting furtive glances at her out of the corner of my eye.

"You can stop being so weird any time now, Ri," Bellatrix said quietly as we passed a group of third years attempting to get into the sweets shop.

I stumbled, "Excuse me? I'm the one being weird?"

Bellatrix looked around us quickly, before grabbing my wrist and yanking me into an alley, away from other pedestrians.

"What the hell, Black?!" I snarled, as I tried to wrench my arm out of her grasp. "I'm not your bloody toy to be dragged through the mud!"

Bellatrix recoiled as if my words physically hit her. When she spoke, her voice was subdued. "Is that what you think of me, Rita?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to think of you anymore. You walk around like you've afraid of your own shadow. I can't... What happened to you?" I rubbed my wrist to get feeling back into it.

Bellatrix's had dropped and she wrapped her arms around her torso. "I've been chosen, Rita. He wants me in his Dark Army."

I jerked back in surprise. "What?!" I whispered fiercely.

Bellatrix's eyes were wide and she ran her hands agitatedly through her long locks. "The Blacks are a notoriously Dark family, Rita. You knew this when we became friends... The Dark Lord wants me to be marked as a follower... I don't know what to do, Rita. I'm frightened."

I frowned, then stepped forward and grabbed Trix's hands. "What about your parents? Won't they help?"

Bellatrix laughed hysterically. "They practically sold me to Him!"

"There must be something we can do!"

Bellatrix pulled away from me further. "I'm to go to him the day we leave for summer hols. There's nothing to be done to save me."

"But... Trix... did you try talking to a teacher?"

"What good would that do me? Dumbledore is a freak of nature. McGonagall only cares about her lions. Slughorn is an overweight creepy old man with a lust for the students that, quite frankly disgusts everyone. The other teachers don't care about Slytherins anyways. There is no one to turn to here, Ri. No one," Bellatrix's voice dwindled down to a whimper.

"I'll find someone! There's always one person who can help!"

"Ha!" Bellatrix sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "I doubt it, but you're welcome to try."

I glanced around warily, then pulled Bellatrix into my arms. "I'm going to help you, Trix. Promise."