CHAPTER 3

"Are you planning something for my birthday?" asked Narcissa. "It's on Saturday."

"Yes, Narcissa, you've told us already," said Lucius in a bored voice.

"We'll be sure to give you all the attention you want," added Bella.

They were sprawled on the couch as usual. Bella had convinced Lucius to massage her shoulders, and she was making noises that sounded a little less than innocent.

"Bella, you sound like you're having sex with him," spat Narcissa.

"Jealous?" asked Bellatrix with a raised eyebrow.

"Now, ladies," drawled Lucius smoothly. "I won't have the Black sisters fighting over me."

Bella let out another pleasureful moan, eyeing Narcissa haughtily as Lucius continued his work on her shoulders. Narcissa crossed her arms in front of her chest with an angry huff and stomped away to her dormitory.

"Hate to see her go," muttered Lucius. "Love to watch her leave."

"Is that so, Mister Malfoy?" asked Bella, brushing his hands off her shoulders and slinking up next to him on the couch. "I would have thought you preferred tall, slender, and dark."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at her.

"And what about dear Rodolphus?" he asked sarcastically.

"Dear Rodolphus graduated last year," she said in a sultry tone. "And I have yet to have a marriage proposal from him."

Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black had never dated, nor would they ever date, but that wasn't to say they hadn't enjoyed a few nights together. After barking at his roommates to stay out of the dormitory for a while, he and Bella descended the staircase and weren't seen for the rest of the evening.

"Firewhiskey?" he asked, holding a full glass toward Narcissa, who eyed it nervously.

"I've never drank that before," Narcissa replied, wringing her hands together.

"Bottoms up, sister! It's your birthday!" said Bella, who inclined her glass toward her younger sister. "Sixteen years old today. Congratulations."

The Slytherin common room was full of the students in Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh year. In fact, the only students younger than fifteen who were present were Anne Warlow and Severus Snape. The other students kept eyeing them angrily, wanting to go over and shout at them to leave, that it wasn't their place to be in the common room as First years, but the watchful and tolerant gaze of Lucius Malfoy made them think better of it. Over the first few weeks of school, Anne Warlow had become something of Lucius's pet; she was cute and plucky and wouldn't put up with anything from other students. Lucius thought it funny that she could send even the older students scrambling with a well-aimed hex.

She was very protective of her cousin, Snape. He was half-blood, a dangerous thing to be in Slytherin, but she never let anyone near him. He seemed to resent her protection and value it at the same time. Lucius thought Snape extremely lucky to have her on his side, as he wouldn't want Anne Warlow against him.

"Want some firewhiskey, little one?" Lucius called out to her.

"No thank you, Mister Malfoy," she answered primly, and continued working on her homework with her cousin.

Lucius chuckled slightly. The party dragged on and soon most of the older Slytherins were quite drunk. Bella had holed up in a corner with another Seventh year boy, and Narcissa was half-asleep, slumped against Lucius's side.

"Narcissa," he said. "Narcissa, up!"

She sat up and looked at him with a grin.

"I find you very handsome, Lucius," she slurred.

Lucius eyed her up and down. Her blonde hair was cascading over her shoulders and her blue eyes were sparkling with too much too drink. Her fair skin was a bit rosy, and she was smiling vacantly.

"You're completely pissed," Lucius determined.

"It's possible," she said. "Why do you like my sister?"

"What do you mean?" he asked absently, swirling his glass in his hand.

"Why do you like Bella? You two are inseparable," Narcissa continued.

Lucius shrugged and took a sip.

"She's pretty and intelligent and of a good quality family," he replied.

"So am I!" Narcissa said, her lip jutting out slightly.

"You're pouting," drawled Lucius.

She sucked in her lip and huffed a sigh.

"You're jealous of your sister, aren't you?" he asked.

Narcissa nodded reluctantly.

Lucius stole a glance over to the corner where Bella was still busy with another student. Then, he turned his head toward the sixteen year old witch next to him. She was pretty, in a totally different way than Bella. Bella was too cold, and was waiting for Rodolphus Lestrange to marry her when she graduated; Narcissa was much warmer, and to his knowledge hadn't really dated anyone at Hogwarts. He leaned in slowly, cupping her fair face with his hand, and brought his lips to hers. For just a moment, he held them there. Just enough to make her long for more. And sooner than it had begun, he pulled away.

She lingered close to him, but he would not kiss her a second time. He was not an emotional young man. He used affection, and even sex, for his own purposes, not for the simple enjoyment of it as most young men do. He kissed her to hook her into his spell. Bella was beautiful and intelligent, yes, but she was far too tuned to his games. In fact, she played the same one herself. She hooked Rodolphus Lestrange using the same methods Lucius was now going to use on Narcissa. He was pureblood; he needed to have a wife lined up when he graduated. She had the perfect breeding, and would make the perfect wife for a Malfoy.

With a smirk, Lucius stood from the couch and drained the last few drops of his firewhiskey. He cleaned his glass with a wave of his wand and retired to his dormitory. Bella was still locked with the Seventh year Slytherin in the corner. If only Lestrange could see her now.

Potions was normally rather interesting, as creating bubbling concoctions in a cauldron never ceases to bring excitement to the classroom, but today was relegated to lengthy notes and theory. There would be no bubbling cauldrons in this class. Sirius was staring into space blankly, not paying a bit of attention to Professor Slughorn's lecture. It was actually a few minutes before he realized that someone was staring back at him.

He had been staring, rather vacantly, at the dark, auburn hair that was gathered at the nape of Anne Warlow's neck. It was lovely hair. And what jolted him from his absent staring was the realization that her potions partner, Snape, was glaring back at him, a sour expression on his face. He had greasy, black hair and cold, black eyes, and his pale face shone with oil even in the dim light of the Potions classroom. Sirius furrowed his brow at the young, sallow-skinned Slytherin and returned his stare to the front of the classroom, instead of at Anne Warlow's head.

She was so pretty and vibrant and smart. Sirius couldn't really understand how or why she and that Snape were so close. He was so odd. Even after just a few weeks of Potions with the Slytherins, Sirius could tell that Snape was simply strange. He was brilliant at Potions, but aside from his friendship with Anne, he was a loner. He tagged along behind her like a lost puppy. The bell rang, dismissing them from class, and Snape gave Sirius a dirty look as he passed them.

"That Snape. He's foul," said Sirius with a sneer.

"He's an odd kid," said James, who was watching Lily Evan's vivid red hair bounce as she walked in front of them.

"I don't like him one bit," Sirius spat.

"What's he done to you?" asked Remus, who had appeared behind them as they meandered the corridors.

"It's more that he exists, really," replied Sirius.

"He is a Slytherin," offered James.

"You don't like him because he's always with Warlow," Remus said.

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius defensively.

"I've seen you look at her," said Remus.

"Stare at her, really," James added.

"What?!" exclaimed Sirius.

"We've all noticed, mate," said James, and Peter nodded enthusiastically.

Sirius pouted for a moment as they continued toward the Gryffindor common room.

"Fine," he said. "So I like to look at Anne Warlow. And I don't like Snape."

"I don't really like him either," said James.

"I've got an idea," Sirius said, an evil grin spreading across his face. "What say we do something that will get at Snape and make a name for ourselves at the same time."

"Make a name for ourselves?" asked Remus sceptically.

"Yes, make a name for ourselves!" cried Sirius. "Do you think I'm really going to spend seven years at Hogwarts without leaving a legacy?"

James was smiling broadly.

"How?" piped Peter.

Sirius rubbed his hands together just as they reached the portrait hole to the common room.

"We'll be pranksters," he said with a smile. "Marauders."

"Marauders, eh?" said James. "I like the sound of that."

"Me too," Remus said.