Ch.4

Black Manor- (1965)

(Bellatrix is 15, Sirius is 8)

As a Black, being home for the holidays was not exactly the ideal form of Christmas cheer. There were few presents other than the exception of money and family heirlooms. Narcissa, the princess, was dressed up in her usual pink. Andromeda, the bookworm, was curled up in a skirt and sweater. Bellatrix, on the other hand, had on a simple black dress that showed, according to her mother, an unacceptable amount of cleavage.

"Merry Christmas Andy!" said a tiny Regulus, hugging her from behind.

Andromeda turned around to hug her baby cousin. He was getting too big to lift, so she took his hand and sat him on the couch to show him her book.

Since Narcissa was still upstairs perfecting her makeup, Bellatrix was left with the last person in the world that she would ever wish to be left with. Sirius.

"Are you enjoying your Christmas, Bellatrix dear?" asked Sirius in a sweet voice. His puppy eyes widened.

Bella bent down to her cousin height and gave him a sarcastic smile. "It going just fine until you arrived."

"What did I do?" Sirius questioned, maintain his angel-like voice.

"Just leave me alone and nobody will get hurt." Bellatrix began to head toward the dining room. She took a few steps but then turned to face her cousin once more. "I mean it Sirius."

"I won't even talk to you!" Sirius yelled as Bellatrix made the rest of her way down the hall. "I'm going to play with Andromeda because she doesn't wear dresses that make her look fat!"

Bellatrix clenched her fist, but continued walking…making another mental note to kill him later.

Sirius actually wasn't lying. He had no intention to speak to his eldest cousin. Whether or not he would do something to her...that was a whole other story.

"Andy!" Sirius called happily. The young shaggy-haired boy ran into the main sitting room and sat down next to his cousin and brother.

Andromeda handed the book to Regulus who stared at the dragon photos with amazement. "How are you, sweetie?"

"I need help," said Sirius, almost immediately. "Can you help me? You're smart."

Chuckling to herself, Andromeda smiled. "Of course, what's up?"

"I want to learn to make a snowflake." Sirius already had an idea on how to make one, but it was all part of his latest master plan.

"That's a fun idea, Sirius…we just need some parchment and scissors." Andromeda gripped Regulus' hand and stood up. "Reggie and I can get the scissors from the kitchen and you can get the parchment from the workspace."

Sirius gladly did what he was told and came back as quickly as possible. His smirk grew larger with every step.

Andromeda demonstrated by making her own snowflake. Sirius followed afterward while Andromeda helped Regulus with his.

Sirius frowned. "These scissors are too squeaky."

Just as planned, Andromeda grabbed her wand from the table and did a quickly silencing spell.

Sirius returned right back to work.

Once Sirius was done, he spoke again. "Can I go show Narcissa?" said Sirius. He was now finished with his snowflake and the plan was working.

"Sure sweetie," she replied, "I'm sure she's done with her makeup by now."

Sirius nodded, but waited to get up until he knew that Andromeda was not looking at him. Quietly, he grabbed his snowflake and the scissors, speeding out of the room.

He tiptoed into the dining room and was very pleased with what he saw on entry. Bellatrix was alone in the room. She was having a conversation with somebody whose face in the grand fireplace, a person that Sirius soon recognized to be Rodolphus Lestrange. She was also leaning against the table. Perfect.

Without a sound, Sirius crawled under the table. He set his snowflake down at his end and heading toward the end that his least-favorite cousin was standing against. When he reached her, he carefully opened the scissors and began to cut at the back of her dress. Thanks to Andromeda's silence spell, Bellatrix could not hear a thing that Sirius was doing.

After a minute or so, he was done and a large chunk of Bella's black dress was now a hole. Sirius covered his mouth to hold in his laughter at the sight of her black panties showing perfectly through the back.

He crawled out from the table as fast as he could and head back to Andromeda and Regulus. Andromeda was now holding her sleepy cousin next to the fire. "Did you show Cissy?" she asked softly.

Sirius shook his head. "I couldn't find her downstairs. I guess she's still in her room."

"Well you will have to show her later." Andromeda let go of Regulus and leaned him against the couch as he yawned. "Your mother wants us for desert."

In a few minutes, the entire Black family was at the dinner table. All of them except for Bellatrix had entered the room to take their seats. Sirius was biting his bottom lip, awaiting his cousin's arrival.

Almost on cue, Bellatrix walked in, still blushing from her conversation with Rodolphus. Just as she was about to grab the nearest chair, her mother interrupted her.

"Bellatrix," said Druella, "would you fetch the napkins from the kitchen."

Nodding reluctantly, Bellatrix turned away. The moment she did so Narcissa gasped and Druella's eyes widened. "What the devil did you do to that dress?" Druella questioned her eldest daughter in astonishment.

Bellatrix, now at the doorway turned back around, all eyes on her. "What are you talking about?"

"It's all cut up! Go upstairs and change!" Druella ordered.

As soon as Bellatrix turned back around to go upstairs there were more gasps now that all eyes were one her. Her Uncle Cygnus began to roar with laughter, Sirius followed him hysterically.

Bellatrix turned to look at the ridiculous hole on the back of her dress. She blushed as red as a tomato and immediately placed her eyes on Sirius. "I'M GONNA BLOODY MURDER YOU!" she screeched.

Sirius continued to laugh with all of the other males in the family. Bellatrix was such an easy target.