Chris was absolutely in the zone. Atop his broom, Ravenclaw held an 80 point lead over Hufflepuff, and he was on fire. Leading scorer for the game, confidence at a high, he received the quaffle yet again from his keeper. He tore down one of the wings, being tailed by one of the Hufflepuff chasers. He nimbly dodged a stray bludger, and saw a second chaser coming towards him from the front. He increased his speed drastically, leaning forwards to make himself more streamlined, hurtling towards the front chaser. He was playing a monumental game of chicken. At the last second, he nose-dived as hard as he could, causing the two Hufflepuff chasers to crash into each other. He pulled up sharply, passing horizontally to his teammate, who lobbed the ball up to him as he continued flying towards the goal posts. He got ahead of the final defender just as the quaffle came down to him, and he punched it forcefully through the middle hoop. The bell sounded, and the commentator was heard shouting, "Another 10 points for Iverson and Ravenclaw!"
The game ended fifteen minutes later as Ravenclaw came into possession of the Golden Snitch. Another blowout. The team was the strongest that it had been since Chris and Patrick had joined, stronger than each of the previous two seasons. The team piled into their dressing room, chanting Ravenclaw songs jovially, even breaking into a round of 'There's only one Chris Iverson!'.
"Three trophies in a row, lads!" Patrick exclaimed, pulling out a crate of muggle beer for them to share around. He tossed a can to Chris, who instantly cracked it open and took a long swig.
"Cheers boys!" Chris called out, taking another drink of his beer.
"I'm not one for long speechs, lads, but I have a few words to say. It's my first season as your Captain, and you've all been a pleasure to play with so far this season. There are four games left to go, Gryffindor twice and then Hufflepuff and Slytherin once each. We're pretty much guaranteed the title again this year, but. No team in history has finished a season undefeated. That's our goal, and would be a great way to go out on top for me, Patrick and the other final years on the team. Well played again team, now let's get to that after-party!" Chris finished his speech, swigging from his beer as him team cheered and clapped joyously. They were all on a massive high.
The clock had just turned 1am, and the majority of the Ravenclaw team were heading to bed, after the post-game party. Chris and Patrick stumbled up the stairs one after the other, pretty drunk. They walked through the door to the dormitory, and both slumped down onto their beds.
"So Chris…" Patrick said, his words slurred. "Cassie Godforth was pretty into you tonight. You weren't interested in her?"
Chris paused for a moment, slightly confused. His alcohol-addled brain taking slightly longer to process information than usual. He hadn't even noticed the girl's advances. His mind was only on one person, all night. Still, Chris thought he should better play along.
"Hmm… She's not really my type, mate." Chris replied tentatively.
"Come on mate, we both know that's rubbish! Anyone is your type after a crate of beer!" Patrick retorted.
This was a little bit awkward for Chris. Patrick knew him very, very well. Should he just be honest with Patrick? Or at least partially?
"Okay mate… To be honest with you, I didn't even notice her. My mind was a bit elsewhere…" Chris said honestly.
"I knew it… You've got your eye on someone, haven't you?" Patrick whispered, trying to keep their conversation private.
"Guilty. But I'm not telling you who, so don't bother asking. I don't want to say anything because I don't know what's going on with us yet, early days." There was a pause, and Patrick didn't respond. Before too long, Chris heard Patrick's all too familiar snore, he'd fallen asleep. Chris lay awake for several hours that night, thinking about his situation. He was worried about how strong his feelings for Bellatrix might become. One of the concerning factors for him was being completely at her mercy. He had no way of contacting her; he simply had to wait for her to get in touch. For all he knew, she could have moved on, he could never hear from her again. This thought was torturous for him. Eventually, he was able to roll over and close his eyes.
Dawn broke, and Chris woke up to a skull-cracking headache. He really had drunk a lot the night before. He rolled over and checked the clock, and to his surprise, it was 1pm. It wasn't that unexpected, as he'd been awake in bed until 4.30am the night before. He rubbed his eyes, before he noticed something curious. There was another note on the pillow next to him, with his name written in Bellatrix's messy handwriting. He grabbed the note, unfolding it hastily.
'Chris, you know how to apparate, right? 5pm, Spinners End, Cokeworth. Bella x'
Chris breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that she was interested in him after all, maybe. He folded the note up, and put it with Bellatrix's other note, in his drawer. It was Sunday, and Chris knew he didn't have any lessons on Monday, so he set about packing an overnight bag. He dragged himself to the bathroom, and got in the shower, hoping to get rid of his hangover. Emerging from the shower, his head felt no better. He walked over to the basin, looking himself in the mirror. He shaved the stubble off of his face, and spiked his hair up with gel. He took a long hard look at himself in the mirror. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he was pale. Thinking about it, he felt awful.
"Definitely not drinking that much again…" he muttered to himself, under his breath. He dressed himself, and picked up his bag. He would have to travel to Hogsmeade in order to apparate, as he knew he couldn't apparate inside the grounds. He left the dormitory and walked down the stairs into the common room. He looked over to one of the fireplaces, where Patrick and Aurora were sitting. They both saw him emerge, beckoning him over.
"Where are you off to then?" quizzed Aurora, eyeing the bag on his back.
"Oh, I'm just going to spend today and tomorrow with the parents, it'd be nice to catch up with them." He lied back to them. He didn't like lying to them, but he wasn't prepared to spoil what he had.
"Cool, catch you Monday night then!" she chirped back to him, before turning back to chat with Patrick. Chris strode across the common room and out onto the corridor.
Chris arrived at Hogsmeade, and quickly went into the local pharmacy, buying some aspirin for his headache. He stepped outside, and darted into the alleyway down the side of the building. He steadied himself, and then apparated away.
He landed precisely where he had aimed, at the crossroads turning onto Spinners End. His feet hit the floor, and he took a moment to orientate himself again. He looked around, and there was no sign of Bellatrix. He walked to the corner of the street, and waited. Five minutes passed, but then, he felt someone's arms wrap around his waist from behind him. Her hands snaked around him, and he moved his hands down to hold hers. Her hands were icy cold, he had never noticed before. Turning around to face her, she had donned an attire in the same style to the outfits she used to wear, only she had a hood covering her head. But Chris recognised her mesmerising eyes, beaming out from underneath the hood. He leaned in and gently kissed her once.
"So Bella… Why are we here?" Chris asked curiously. Before answering him, Bellatrix started to walk down Spinners End, beckoning him to follow her. Chris strode after her to catch up, before walking beside her. Bellatrix continued to lead him down the street, still without answering him, before she stopped at a door to an old house. She took out a wand, and tapped the lock 3 times. It clicked open, and she went inside, Chris following her closely. Chris shut the door behind them, and put his bag down on a chair inside the room. It was a rectangular room, with another door leading to the kitchen on the opposite side to the front door. There were two bookcases adorning the walls, along with a pair of sofas in front of a fire place and a television set. They were in a muggle town after all. The windows, however, were boarded up, and looking like they had been for some time. However something caught Chris's attention.
"Bella… Where did you get that wand from? I have your wand right here…" Chris said, pulling her wand out of his pocket, showing it to her. Chris felt very uneasy. He slipped his other hand into his pocket, and gripped the base of his own wand tightly. This was a very easy place to set up a discrete ambush. Bellatrix looked back at Chris, with a look of mischief on her face.
"Oh, this? I um, acquired it…" she said, holding up the wand, holding back a giggle. Chris looked at her in disbelief.
"Are you serious right now, Bella? Tell me you didn't… Kill someone?" Chris said in a hushed tone, his voice trembling slightly at the end. She looked back at him nonchalantly.
"Well, yeah? You took mine, I needed a replacement. Plus, I have some power back now! Foolish muggle born…" Bellatrix replied, her manner and tone of voice suggested that to her, this was no big deal. Chris however, was shocked. He wasn't sure how much power she had regained, but he was much more intimidated. He pulled out his wand, and pointed it at her.
"So now what, you've lured me here to kill me too? Is that what this is?" Chris said, with hints of anger, confusion and disappointment in his voice. Bellatrix strode over to him, causing Chris to grip his wand a little tighter.
"No no no Chris! You have it wrong… Here look, I'll put it away." She exclaimed, slightly flustered. She knew that what she'd done had made him very uncomfortable. But to her, it was just second nature. She had forgotten that he was, at his core, a kind hearted and good person. Killing wasn't in his nature. Chris hesitantly put his wand away, as well. Bellatrix looked him in the eye, and took his hands.
"I invited you here because… I wanted to see you again. My god that sounded disgusting!" she said to him, gently squeezing his slightly shaking hands. Obviously these were new feelings to her, too. And she had definitely never outwardly voiced affection towards anyone before.
"This place is safe, it's secure. We can see each other here whenever we want to see each other." She continued.
"Bella… I'm still more concerned about that fact that you've just committed another murder… A lot could have changed in the eyes of the Ministry in the time that has passed… You could have convinced them, with my help, that you were a changed person. That way you might have been free. But now… If this gets traced to you and you're found… There's nothing that can be done. You can't just go around killing people for gain…" Chris explained, stroking the backs of her hands with his thumbs as she clutched his hands.
"I've seen a side of you that I'm sure no one else has. There's more to you than just a mindless killer. I'd like to get to know that side of you more…"
Chris freed up one of his hands, and placed it on the back of her neck, stroking her beautiful curly hair. Bellatrix paused, and smiled at Chris. She loved the way he played with her hair, at one point it even made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She was willing to try for this man. Someone had finally seen that there was more to her than her exterior, and it made her feel happy, wanted.
"I'd like to help you with that, Chris…" she said quietly. She drew herself closer to him, and rest her head on his chest, to which he responded by placing his arms around her, kissing the top of her head gently. He'd finally made the breakthrough with her, he thought.
"Bella... Does this mean that, you're… My girlfriend?" Chris asked, speaking slowly and hesitantly. Bellatrix looked up at him, and smirked, before looking down again.
"Well… I suppose it does… But I swear… If you give me some unbearable pet name, I will be forced to practise the cruciatus curse…" she said, jokingly. The two broke from their hug, and Chris leaned in to kiss her. They kissed for a couple of minutes, before Bellatrix stopped and spoke to him.
"I'm… going to try and cook for us, I think…" she said, nervously. Chris chuckled, but agreed with a simple nod. She turned around, and walked through to the kitchen. Chris took a seat on one of the sofas, and took a moment to take in everything that had just happened. She was like someone his own age, maybe even someone a little younger. She was well known for being crazy, and it showed. She was like a typical eighteen year old. Sometimes hyperactive and lively, but there was a soft, misunderstood side. But then there was the harsh reality of things. He was in a relationship with a Death Eater. And not just any Death Eater. One of the most renowned killers of all time. Chris would have to be extremely careful, even as his feelings grew for her. Just as Chris finished that thought, he heard a loud bang from the kitchen, followed by a sheepish-looking Bellatrix come back through the door.
"Cooking isn't… and was never my strong point…" she said, her cheeks slightly red. Chris was utterly amazed. She was embarrassed. Bellatrix Lestrange was embarrassed in front of a guy. This was not a trait that a Death Eater would show. Maybe she was human after all. Chris giggled to himself, and found it extremely cute. Her cheeks turned even redder, and she screwed her face up.
"Stop laughing at me!" she pleaded to him. Of course this caused Chris to laugh even more.
"I'm sorry… You're just so cute!" he replied. He knew this would probably push her over the edge, and to no surprise, she turned even more red. She stormed over to him, frowning viciously. She grabbed the front of his shirt with one of her hands, and gave him an evil stare.
"Y-you… Don't talk to me like that!" she snarled at him, curling her free hand into a fist and bashing it into his chest. This only gave Chris more things to laugh at. He overpowered her easily, and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her in a hug. He kissed the top of her head, and Bellatrix finally conceded defeat. She made the sort of face that a spoilt teenager would make when they didn't get their own way. Chris gently kissed the top of her head again, holding her tightly.
"Seeing as you've made a disaster of any food that might be in the house… I think it's time to educate you in muggle food" Chris said hesitantly. He didn't know how she would respond to that. Chris, even though he was half-blooded, had been brought up in a muggle environment. His mother was a witch yes, but they lived in a muggle area of Nottingham where his Dad was brought up. Thus Chris considered himself more of a muggle in that regard. But of course, Bellatrix had, or had in the past, a deep seated hatred for muggles. Heck, she had killed a muggle that same day. He didn't know how she would respond to the suggestion of muggle food. To his surprise, she didn't seem all that bothered.
"Huh, sure. As long as you sort it out though…" she said quietly, in agreement. Chris uncurled his arms from around her, and took a mobile phone from his pocket. Now he was away from Hogwarts, his electronics were back in business. He looked up the number for a local pizza place, and ordered some food. Not wanting to break their cover, he agreed to go and collect it. He hung up the phone, placing it back in his pocket. He looked over to Bellatrix, whose face had finally returned to its normal colour.
"I'm just going to walk and pick up this food, kay?" he said to her, to which she nodded. Chris put his hoodie back on, checked he had his wallet, and then left the house, closing the door on his way out. Bellatrix, now alone, had some time of her own to reflect, as Chris had done for the past few weeks. She walked through the door to the kitchen, and opened a bottle of wine that was stood on the table. She poured herself a large glass, taking a big gulp from it.
'What am I doing…' she thought to herself.
'Sneaking around with a student from Hogwarts, of all places. Is this really what I've become? Lord Voldemort would never, ever forgive me. But Chris is just so… irresistible… And he treats me well, selflessly. Throughout my whole life, not one person has ever treated me nicely. Yet he can still see through the bleak exterior to the real me… He's not judging me on what I've done in my past, only on what he can see for himself. Is this time for me to change?'
She paced the room, taking more gulps from her glass, before returning to the table and refilling it. She was searching for answers, yet she didn't even know the questions. She even began questioning herself, and her hatred for muggle-borns.
'And then there's the issue of him being so friendly with the muggles… I get the feeling that he's been brought up alongside them… He has that phone thing… He can't be a muggle surely; he's too good at magic for that-' just at that moment, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and shutting. Chris had returned with their food. He placed it onto the table in the sitting room, and Bellatrix walked into the room to join him.
"That didn't take long…" she said, rather curiously, eyeing the pizza box with interest.
"That's why they call it fast food, Bella" Chris replied, smiling slightly. He sat down on the sofa, in front of the table, and beckoned Bellatrix over. She stepped over to him, and sat down next to him. Chris opened the lid of the box, taking a slice of the pizza, which was topped with just pepperoni, keeping it simple for her.
"Try it, it's delicious!" Chris said, taking a large bite out of the slice in his hand. Bellatrix looked at the pizza, slightly untrusting, but eventually picked up a slice. She brought it to her lips and took a small bite, then another. She continued taking small bites, before becoming more comfortable.
"Oh, that is good!" she said, continuing to eat. They sat there and finished the pizza between them, chatting idly, Bellatrix sipping from her wine glass, Chris occasionally drinking from a can of beer he had opened. However once they had finished the pizza, Bellatrix asked Chris a question that caught him off guard.
"Chris, are you a m-muggle?" she said quietly, her words trembling. Chris wasn't really for that. This was potentially problematic. But he knew he couldn't lie to her. She took a deep breath, and just went for it.
"No, I'm not… Well, I am a little bit. I'm a half-blood… I did wonder when you'd ask. When I took out my phone, I saw the expression on your face change quickly…" he replied, honestly.
"Oh right… Umm…" came her awkward response. Chris however, wasn't in the mood for petty discrimination. He had to be bold with her.
"This is ridiculous. You hate muggles. I get it. I'm half muggle. So what?" he said strongly.
"You're not… Pure…" Bellatrix replied. It was a tense moment. Chris felt a full range of emotions. He didn't know whether he was angry, disappointed, or sad. Her narrow-mindedness was concerning to him.
"Bella… Let's put it this way. How have I made you feel when we've been together?" he asked calmly. She paused for a moment, before realising where he was inevitably going with this.
"You've made me feel like… No one else ever has. Pretty amazing, to be honest." She answered.
"Well then… What if I'd just told you that I was a muggle? You would have been none the wiser. A muggle would have you made you feel that good. So let me ask you this. What difference does it make whether someone is a muggle or not? Honestly?" he said.
This time, it was Bellatrix's turn to be completely caught off guard. Part of her saw a new side of things. But the other half, just urged her to show her hatred of muggles. She was confused. It surely couldn't be that simple, could it? She stood up slowly, and took another drink of wine.
"I need a moment to think about this…" she said, her voice shaking, her whole body trembling. Chris's own reaction to this took him by surprise. He stood up, and picked up his bag.
"You know what Bella? If you can't accept me because I have muggle blood in me, the fact you even have to stop and think about it… It just disgusts me. And if that's the way it is, then I'm out of here. Forget it." Chris slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked towards the door. He placed his hand on the door handle, and just as he began to open the door, Bellatrix rushed across the room.
"Chris no! You're right…" she stammered, overwhelmed by the situation. He had almost walked out on her over her own ignorance. "You're so totally right… I'm so sorry… Of course I want to be with you, whatever your blood is… Just please don't go…"
Chris paused, and slowly let go of the door handle. He allowed his bag to slide off of his shoulder, to the floor, and he turned around to face her. To his total shock, a single tear had run down her cheek. A wave of emotion rushed across him. He had changed someone. He had brought out a side in someone that not even they themself knew about. She was vulnerable, and this side of her had a strange innocentness to it. Things started to fall into place in Chris's mind. Maybe she only hated muggles so much because that's all she knew. She was brought up that way, her parents hated muggles, so so did she. Her family were all in Slytherin, so so was she. All of her peers followed Lord Voldemort, so, so did she. He stepped towards her, and slowly brought his hand to her face, wiping the tear off of her cheek.
"I'm not going anywhere…" he said softly. He held his arm out, at which point she moved closer to him, putting her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Chris placed one arm around her, and placed his other hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair gently.
Chris awoke the next morning, in an unfamiliar bed. He looked around him, before remembering where he was. Bellatrix was under the sheets next to him, curled up, breathing gently. He lay back and let out a deep sigh of content. He picked up his phone from the bedside table and checked the time. 11.15am. He put the phone back down, and rolled back over, shuffling closer to her. He put his arm over her and gently eased her towards him. She stirred slightly, slowly opening her eyes a fraction. She slowly pushed Chris onto his back, and rolled over, putting her arm over him, resting her head on his chest. She placed her leg over one of his, and held tightly on to him, closing her eyes again.
'This will do…' Chris thought happily.
