Pureblood Heritage: Growing Up Lestrange

Chapter Two: Summer Balls, The Mark, Changes

July 2, 1976- The Lestrange Library

Ugh, shopping... I hate shopping with Mum! I especially hate shopping with Mum when it's for dresses. Because, then, guess what happens? Mrs. Black, along with her nieces, Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa come along too (Honestly, she has sons, but it appears she would rather have daughters.)!

Don't get me wrong, I'm really good friends with all three of 'The Sisters Black', as they are commonly known as, but come on! Dresses?! Not that Mother-dearest needs another reason to obsess over me! And dresses are just her forte. Lucky me! This is one of those times I wish I had sisters, because I'm really not into all of that girl-y girl crap. But, hey, I guess that's what having two brothers does to you, eh?

So, anyway, I suppose I should stop ranting about my induced loathing for shopping and get onto my reason for bringing it up in the first place. Two words: The Ball. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. But, Addison, there is a summer ball every year, what is so different about this one? I shall tell you:

Sirius Black.

He, for the first time ever, will be my date. I thought I would die the first time I was told. Mother had a sort of pained look when she told me about it. I'll admit, that scared me. Come to think of it... Lately, she usually gives me that pained look. I wonder what's going on?

Well, maybe I don't want to know... Who am I kidding? I need to figure this out, and soon. I'm usually not left out of the loop, and if Rod and Rab know... Well, I won't be happy.

So, dresses, I've always hated dresses. Being in pureblood society, though, means dressing up. A lot. Whether it be for regal renaissance portraits, dances, or showing off in other forms, you have to dress up. And I've loathed it, every single damn time.

Yes, I went dress shopping today. I spoke mostly to Bella and Andy, staying towards the back of our little group. It's funny, Andy is Sirius' favourite cousin, I believe, and yet we still get along pretty well. Well, at least she was in Slytherin.

Bella and I get along really well, and that's not just because by September she will be my sister-in-law, she's always just been someone I click with, you know? Even the small age gap doesn't do much to our friendship.

Narcissa Black is a different story entirely. She is, and always has been, the very essence of pink-loving girl. She's a year older than me, yet she acts like she is about four years younger. I really cannot stand people like that. They infuriate me to no end.

So, Mum dragged me along, and I got a way too fancy dress. It's black, backless, and floor length. Lucky me, again.

Sorry, but I'm just not that type of girl.

Oh, and the ball is on the tenth, I just want it to be over with. In the meantime, maybe I can figure out what's going on with Mother?

Going to mope,

Addison E. Lestrange

July 11, 1976- Some muggle park in London

I'm quite sure my life is ruined, thank you very much. The ball was last night, and, unfortunately, I know why Mum was looking at me like that, and I know why Black was my date.

For once, I hate being a pureblood. So much. This is what happened:

Rod had just knocked on my door, and I was putting on my earrings. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I called back. I was still looking in the mirror when the door opened.

"Well, for someone who hates dressing up, you do it extremely well, Addie." He said. I let very few people call me that, so he was lucky I was in a forgiving mood.

I turned to him. Rodolphus was in new black dress robes, and had his normal sly look on his face. You know, the one of someone who knows something you don't? The one that makes you want to slap the person wearing it? I never quite got how he could always seem to pull that off. And pull it off well.

"Careful, Rod, that almost sounded like a compliment." I smirked at the mock-warning.

"Of course, milady, it will never happen again," he gave a bow, causing us both to laugh a bit.

"Are you pair about ready to go? Mother is about to have a fit, and Father is tired of listening to her rant about unprepared children." Rabastan had now entered the room, looking flustered in his dark green dress robes.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I said after looking in the mirror one last time.

We walked down the curved staircase together, me front with my brothers close behind. Our parents looked up as we entered, Father nodded his head in approval, and Mother smiled slightly at us. This would be the first time I went to one of these get-together-s as an adult.

"Well, you all look lovely-" Mother began.

"So, you better have attitudes to match. There will be an important guest there tonight, and I want all three of you to make a good impression. Alright?" Father warned.

"Who's going to be there?" I questioned.

"The Dark Lord." Was my only answer, and still, I had to fight to make my mouth stay closed. The Dark Lord? But- that would mean... I looked at Rod and Rab. Would they have to take the mark?

Would I?

These questions swum in my head as, one-by-one, we flooed to Malfoy Manner.

The Malfoy's house is pretty big, maybe even bigger than our own. And, like ours, it was obvious which house at Hogwarts every one of their members had to be in- Slytherin. Different shades of green, and silver filled the house, so it looked very much like our own. But there were differences too, like ours seemed just a bit... darker. I suppose is the word.

I was met by Bellatrix and Narcissa in the ballroom soon after we arrived. Apparently, we were a little late.

"Finally," Narcissa said, fake-exasperated.

"Yes, we were wondering when you would show your sorry ass," Bella teased, a faint smile on her face. She had just finished greeting Rodolphus.

I laughed, "Well, I figured if I looked better, I would appear less sorry."

The two women (technically, they are of age) laughed as well. Both looked elegant, Bella in dark purple and Cissy in silver to match her hair.

We spoke of little things for awhile, but I still noticed the absence of someone-

"Where's Andy?" I asked them.

Bella scowled, and Cissy's went blank. "What?"

"She has run off with that Ted Tonks person, from school. Do you remember him? He was in the year above you, like Andromeda, too."

I did remember. He was a muggle-born Hufflepuff, a prefect at that. Come to think about it, Andy had been talking to him, at the end of last year. An act of defiance, though not as rash as Sirius. She had once told me that she didn't believe in blood purity, like the rest of her family did.

And I can't say I completely disagreed with her.


Back to the present...

I looked up at Dumbledore, he was looking at me, with a pensive expression on his face.

"What is your current view of this, Addison?" He asked me kindly, knowing it was hard for me to read this to him. I had been reading what he asked of me for about two weeks. Bits of third year here, pieces of sixth year here. We had been acting much kinder toward each other because of it. He had finally gotten to what I knew was what he really wanted: my seventh year.

I paused, wanting my answer to be true, before saying, "Ability matters more..."

Damn, marriage changed me. But- for better or worse would be a matter of opinion.


Back to the past...

Still, I made a face, "Tonks?! That mudblood?!"

The two nodded sullenly. Strange what only a week could change, eh?

Anyway, I did not appreciate who walked over to me after Bellatrix and Narcissa went to talk to my brothers and Lucius. He came up from behind me, as I was getting a glass of wine. I was still trying to come to terms with the fact I might never see Andromeda again.

"Merlin, you girls talk forever, is anything ever that important, that you have to talk for over thirty minutes? Didn't you see each other about a week ago?" Black asked me.

I turned to him, wine in hand, and said, "Well, a week ago Andy was going to be here, wasn't she?"

His face visibly darkened, "True. I'll give you that, but thirty minutes? Anyway, I wanted to ask you if the reason I'm suppose to be here with you is because you asked to go with me?" Black had quite the suggestive smirk of his face.

That stupid player, I hated him. It really is too bad- I'll get to that later, can't rush things, now, can I?

I wanted to slap it off.

"You wish, Black. Like I would ever ask to go with you! Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing. So, you didn't have anything to do with this little arrangement, then?"

He shook his head, dumbfounded.

"Then why-" I began, but was cut off by someone asking for silence.

Someone was walking up the stairs, and that someone had black, curly hair, emerald robes, and pale skin. When he turned, I saw his face was elegant, and held and air of command.

My breath caught in my throat, and I heard Sirius mutter a curse and, "I knew it!"

Before I got to ask exactly what he had known, he grabbed my arm. "What-?!" I started to ask, but he continued to drag me away from the crowd that was slowly starting to converge around the Dark Lord.

"Sirius Orin Black, what the hell are you doing?" He had dragged me outside.

"I knew they were going to make me take the Mark! That's why he's here. Voldemort is the only one who can issue it! They want me to make up for not being in Slytherin, Lestrange! That's why they dragged me here."

It made perfect sense. "So- why am I out here again?"

"I need your help." There's something I thought I'd never hear him say.

"I know, I know, but please, Addison. I can't take that damned mark. I'll run away, like Andy. Please..." He was practically begging me.

I thought a moment, knowing that his time of escape was ticking by. "Fine."

He sighed, "Thanks..." He didn't seem to know what to say.

"Right, how did you get here?"

"Floo." Damn, you had to go through the stairway to get to the parlor.

"Well, you're seventeen, aren't you?" His birthday was in September, I think...

"Yeah, but I haven't got a license yet." Black looked sheepish.

"Why the bloody hell not?!" I whisper-yelled.

"Dear old Mum wouldn't let me, this must be why."

I weighed the options. We could chance going through the kitchens, but that would take even more time, time he needed to escape. He could run on foot, hitch a ride with a muggle, and whatnot But there weren't many muggles out here. He could use the Knight Bus, too. Again, that would take too much time. There were no brooms he could use either. Lastly, I could appairate him to where he needed to go... But that might cause me trouble as well.

Voices signaled someone was coming this way. "Addison..." Sirius said in a begging whisper.

I grabbed his forearm tightly, and soon felt the constricting sensation as we apparated to the House of Black.

When we came down on earth again, Sirius was looking at me as if he had never seen me before; a stranger.

"Did you just- risk your neck for me? You do realize you'll be in for it when you get back, right? I mean, you just helped the Black reject runaway."

"Well, jeez, Black, you're welcome." I said sarcastically. He had some nerve. I save his ass, then don't even get thanks? Ha, I don't think so.

"Er, right, thanks, Lestrange." It seemed to physically hurt him to say these words, to be indebted me. I loved it.

"Hurry up and get what you need, then tell me where you need to go." I said sternly. We were wasting time, and not, by any means out of the woods yet.

Sirius nodded to me, then ran forward, into the house. I heard a couple of pop-ing sounds, and prayed to God they would not find him. Suddenly, there was a black dog running towards me. My eyes went wide as it bounded up next to me, then turned into a man. Sirius Black, to be exact.

"No time to explain," he panted, "Know where Godric's Hollow is?" I nodded. "Take me there, quickly."

I was about to protest, when I saw someone come out of the house. This time, he grabbed my hand and I apparaited.

"Effing hell, Black, you're an animagus?" I exclaimed the moment we were in the Hollow. It was pure luck that I knew where it was. I had gone to a funeral there when I was thirteen.

"Yeah, fifth year. I'll give you that bit of information."

"Well... you better get to the Potter's, that is where you are going, right? Right, I'd better get back- so I'm not in as much trouble." I said quickly.

Sirius nodded, "Thanks again, and I hope you're not in too much trouble. You're alright, Addison, not like all the rest of them, like Andy..."

And then he was gone, running up the street to the Potter's home.

I thought for a moment, then decided on my next move. I was a Slytherin after all, I thought things through, unlike rash Gryffindors. I knew I couldn't go home, not yet, at least. I cast a patronus in a dark alley. It was, and always had been, a wolf/dog animal.

A few minutes later, I got one back. It was a raven, and said: "Leaky Cauldron. Now."

I sighed, apparaited, and met Andy at the Leaky Cauldron.

She fussed with me when I got home to her and Ted's flat later that evening. Honestly, it was probably about midnight. They set me up in their guest room, and so, that's where I'll probably stay the rest of the summer.

I had to get out of the house for some fresh air, and write to you about all of my problems. And how, just maybe, Sirius and I are no longer enemies...

I hate balls, dresses, and shopping.

One very depressed,

Addison E. Lestrange


Yes, Addie's life is changing. But will it be for better or worse?lol I'll admit, I'm not too happy with this chapter, but would still appreciate a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks to ShadowMoonDancer and CreativeTypist for the reviews!

-Catherine