Tethered to the story we must tell
Chapter 1: Sorting Hat Ceremony
Nina's POV:
Sept. 1971
My best friends and I are waiting among the first years for Professor Mcgonagall to lead us into the Great Hall to be sorted. I am a Pure-Blood and my family tends to be secretive about whether or not they agree with muggleborns, half-bloods, and muggles. They know my best friends are muggleborn, and yet they haven't told me if they agree or disagree with the growing hate towards muggleborns. I don't think I would care anyway though…they are my friends and we will always be together. I am a tad bit nervous though, I don't want the sorting hat to separate us…I am not sure the house I will be in…my parents were in Slytherin and so were their parents and so on. So I guess I am leaning more towards Slytherin, but Slytherin doesn't allow muggleborns and my best friends are muggleborn.
My parents have told me about the different Pure-blood families, how I will be expected to marry a wealthy pure-blood man. I have met most of the families with respectable matches for marriage. The one thing that separates my parents from other families is that they never told me whom I had to marry. They just simply said he had to be a respectable pure-blood. My younger brother Nicholas, though, will be forced to marry into the Black family. He will marry the youngest sister, Narcissa. I was much younger when they came to sign the papers. Cygnus and Druella Black both very attractive looking people, had three daughters. Bellatrix, the eldest, Andromeda, and Narcissa, or "Cissy," the youngest. All of them had the classic "Black" looks. Bellatrix was a year older than I was. She was more advanced in her magic and she would teach me things…
*Flashback*
Anger…that's what I was feeling. The fact that my younger brother Nicholas was already getting more attention than I was. I was eight years old and my brother had just barely turned five. Nick didn't even have any idea how to do any magic yet. He could be a squib for all they know.
I was pissed. I broke a glass with my mind and mother sent me to my room. She wouldn't let me see my friends Tearra or Tammy…who we just found out had been lucky enough to be witches. According to mother somewhere down their line there were witches and wizards in their family.
The Blacks were coming over and I hoped at least she would let me play with them. The door opened a jar and I looked up to the intruder. She had long hair pulled back into a pony tail and she was very pretty. She looked no more than eight or nine. The way she held herself…she held herself with such superiority and confidence. She had big round brown eyes and thin lips.
"Hello, my name's Bellatrix Black. You must be Nina." She stuck out her hand for me to shake.
I looked at it in disgust. "If you're trying to be nice because you were told to, I am not interested." I say to her. I expected her to hit me, or use magic. Instead, she smirked.
"Not bad kid, ha, you have spite. I like that in a girl." Confused, I decided to stay silent. I don't know what to make of her now.
"I know how you feel…I do, the hate you must have towards your little brother. The anger you have towards your parents for not paying close attention to you after he came along." She has walked closer to me now. I back up trying to ignore what she's said. Eventually, I hit a wall, but Bellatrix keeps advancing.
"Focus all that negative energy." I close my eyes and ball up my fist. I'm turning red now and I feel like I'm going to explode soon. This feeling though, this powerful feeling that I am feeling. I love it. It makes me feel amazing. Alive.
I feel Bellatrix whisper in my ear, "Let it go!" and I did.
A huge ball of energy surrounded us. Quickly, very quickly, I feel Bellatrix's lips on mine. It probably never happened. Or maybe that's what she wanted me to think…
*End of flashback*
Looking back now, I still don't know whether or not Bellatrix kissed me. She's twelve now, I am eleven. I grew up so much since then. I have become quite popular with the boys in my town. I never pay them any attention though. Ever. I haven't seen Bellatrix since I was eight. I bet she's beautiful now. She's in her second year at Hogwarts, Slytherin, I think. I'll find out soon enough.
Professor Mcgonagall led us into the great hall after a long speech that I found myself zoned out on. The large golden doors open and we are led into the great hall. There are candles floating under the ceiling enchanted to look like the night sky. I hear whispers from the older students. I keep my hard cold mask on and keep my head forward.
We reach the end of the walkway and Professor Mcgonagall starts unrolling a long parchment and sits the mangy looking sorting hat on the stool.
I zone out through the whole list of "A" last names and part of the "B's" I only pay attention when Sirius Black's name gets called. That must be Bellatrix's little cousin. He's quite handsome, and he has dreamy eyes…
"GRYFFINDOR!" the sorting hat shouts a few seconds later.
Oh shit. I think. The Blacks will not be happy about this…I can almost smell a disownment down the line.
There are several shocked gasps, but Sirius is smiling proudly as he practically bounces to the Gryffindor table. 'So much for being handsome.' I thought, smirking.
Next up are my two best friends.
"Blake, Tammy!" the Professor called.
Tammy was shy, I could tell. As much as she tried to hide it, she was scared.
She walked slowly to the front of the line and up the steps to the stool, where the sorting hat was placed on her head.
It seems like forever when the sorting hat finally shouted, "Hufflepuff!" I try to control my anger. Even if I am not in Slytherin, I highly doubt that I would end up in Hufflepuff…I mean who gets sorted into Hufflepuff?
Next up is Tearra. Walking with slightly more confidence than Tammy, Tearra makes her way to the stool.
'Come on Tearra…try for at least Ravenclaw…' I think closing my eyes slightly.
I counted a total of 60 seconds before the hat made its decision.
"Gryffindor!" I bite the inside of my jaw. What the hell? The odds are definitely not in my favor…my two best friends just got sorted into the two worst houses possible. My best bet now is Ravenclaw, but I want Slytherin don't I?
"Russo, Nina!" Wow. I did not think I had been occupied in my thoughts that long. Determined to be more confident than my two friends, I walked with my head held high. Success. I made it up to the stool and the horrid looking hat was placed on my head.
'Hmmm…A Russo, eh? Talent…oh yes, a thirst to prove yourself, a brilliant mind…oh definitely. There's something else here too…oh! I see…I ought to put you in Ravenclaw…yes, but your path definitely lies with Slytherin…hmm…you will great things…it's all here in your head, yes…better be…'
"SLYTHERIN!"
There. I know I should be upset, angry; that I was not with my friends…but for some reason, hearing the hat shout Slytherin, excited me.
As I made my way to the cheering Slytherin table, a pair of large brown eyes meets me. Bellatrix. It's Bellatrix and she is very happy.
I sat across from Bellatrix as everyone is still greeting me. As I say my greetings to my fellow housemates, I see out of the corner of my eye that Bellatrix is still studying me. Her dark eyes taking in my every move, she is watching me like a hawk.
After the cheers died down, everyone was back to watching the end of the sorting ceremony.
During the feast is when Bellatrix finally took the opportunity to say what I know she had been thinking.
"Nice to see you again, Nina." It was quiet and for a second, I thought I had imagined it.
My eyes meet hers.
"It has been a while, hasn't it, Bella?" I say smirking. To my surprise, she smirks back.
"I am glad you were put into Slytherin, where the real witches and wizards belong. For a second, though, I thought you were going to be put somewhere…less suitable for your blood status, to follow your mudblood friends, maybe?"
"My mudblood friends have nothing to do with my decisions. They will not be a problem here. This is where I belong…Slytherin is where I belong and no one will stand in the way of my success here at Hogwarts." I say. Bellatrix's smirk grows wider.
"Good to know," She replies, he smirk never leaving her beautiful face. "You do realize what this means?"
I nod my head. "Of course I do."
