The next morning Cassie awoke bright and early, anxious to check on Bella. She was also feeling somewhat worried about her parents. Her father had left so abruptly the night before and her mother had acted strange all evening. She hoped they weren't fighting about Bella. She couldn't bear the thought of her friend being sent away to continue living as a slave.
Wasting no time, she jumped out of bed, grabbed a dressing gown and hurried to Bella's room. However, she paused outside the door, wondering if she should wake her friend. The Healer had said that Bella needed to rest.
Cassie wasn't sure how long she stood there, but eventually she was joined by her father.
"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I wanted to see Bella, but I didn't know if I should wake her. Mum told me that the Healer said she needs to rest."
"Maybe we should let her sleep awhile longer," her father told her. "Your mum's still sleeping, too. How about we make breakfast and then wake them up?"
Nodding, Cassie followed her father to the kitchen. As he retrieved ingredients, she paid little attention. Her mind was still filled with worries. She didn't want her parents to be mad at each other. She didn't want to lose Bella.
"What is it, Cassie?" her father asked again, after a few moments. "You usually love cooking. I thought you would be in a good mood this morning. Aren't you happy to have Bellatrix here?"
"Of course, I'm glad she's here. I don't know how she survived so long, the way she was living. I'm just not so sure that you want her here. You ran away so fast after dinner last night."
He squeezed her shoulder and met her eyes before responding, "I had doubts about having her here. A long time ago, she did something that caused me a lot of pain. But everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, having her here makes you and your mum happy. You don't have to worry about me selling her. She has a home here for as long as she wants it."
"What did she do?"
"That's something we're going to talk about when your mum and Bellatrix get up. We promised to answer all your questions today and we will."
Cassie nodded, but remained silent as she watched her father return to preparing breakfast. She felt slightly more confident regarding Bella's safety, but something was still bothering her.
"Daddy?" she asked.
Sitting down the egg he had been about to crack, he returned his attention to his young daughter.
"Yes, honey."
"Why do you call her Bellatrix?"
"That's her name, sweetie."
"But she prefers Bella. Mum calls her Bella."
"Okay," he replied, a smiled spreading across his face, "I'll call her Bella. I'll do whatever I can to make her comfortable here."
"Thank you, Daddy," she cried, wrapping her arms around him. He beamed at her, and soon they were fixing breakfast together.
By the time the meal was prepared, neither her mother nor Bellatrix had arrived. It was unusual for her mother to sleep overly late.
"All right," her dad said, "we can't wait any longer or everything will get cold. Why don't you go see if Bella is awake and I'll check on your mum?"
Cassie hurried down the hall. This time she did not hesitate outside the door. Instead, she barged in, without even knocking. To her surprise, Bella was sitting on her bed, already dressed, looking nervous.
"How come you didn't come out?" Cassie asked her.
"I wasn't sure if I should."
Rolling her eyes, Cassie responded, "You're not a prisoner in this room. You are allowed in the rest of the house, you know."
"A slave is not entitled to just go wandering around, Cassie. I didn't want to upset your parents—especially your dad."
"Dad's okay with you being here. You need to relax. No one here wants to hurt you. There's no reason for you to be afraid of my parents."
Bella nodded, but Cassie could tell that something was still bothering her.
"What's wrong?" she pressed.
"Nothing."
"I know you better than that," Cassie snapped. "You can tell me."
"It's just that your parents promised you that we would answer your questions today—tell you everything."
"So?"
Bella's eyes watered as she spoke, "You're going to hate me when you find out the truth. You've been so kind to me. I can't stand the idea of you looking at me with disgust in your eyes."
"That's never going to happen," Cassie assured her. "I will never hate you."
"I have done horrible things—unforgivable things."
"During the war?" Cassie asked.
Wiping away her tears, Bella nodded.
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad. Nothing is unforgivable."
A smile touched Bella's lips. Cassie had no way of knowing if she truly convinced her friend of her loyalty, but at least she made her smile. It was a good start.
"Let's go to breakfast," she said, after a moment's silence. "Then you can tell me all your deep dark secrets, and I can prove that I will love in spite of them."
Before Bella could reply, there was a light tapping on the door and Cassie's mother poked her head in.
"Are you two coming to eat?" she asked. "You really should. Bella, you haven't had Remus' pancakes before. I swear to you, they are the best I have ever eaten."
"I helped to make them today," Cassie added.
"Then they're bond to be extra good," her mum replied.
"Let's go," Cassie said, gently tugging on Bella's arm.
"Are you feeling okay?" her mum asked Bella, with a concerned expression on her face.
"I'm fine," Bella replied, averting her gaze.
"Then let's eat."
Cassie didn't really enjoy her breakfast. Normally, she loved her dad's pancakes as much as her mum, but that morning she could hardly taste them. It was difficult for her to focus on the trivial conversation they were having over the meal. She was anxious to get some answers. She wanted to know what they were all so afraid to tell her.
Finally, the meal ended and they moved into the living room. Cassie seated herself on the sofa between her mum and Bella. Her dad sat across from them in the cushy chair. There was nothing formal about the seating arrangement, but Cassie could sense something formal in the air.
Her father spoke first, "Cassie, we have never told you much about the war. We wanted to wait until you were older, hoping you would understand better. However, that is no longer possible. When you go back to school on Monday, Frank will have all the facts. Your mother and I feel that you need to know all the facts, as well."
Anxious to hear more, Cassie simply nodded.
"I think the best place to start is with my mother and her family," Cassie's mum continued. "She had two sisters, Bellatrix and Narcissa."
Cassie's head jerked towards Bella. Had she heard properly?
"You're my aunt?" she demanded excitedly. "We're related?"
"Yes," she replied, with a slight grin.
"Can I call you Aunt Bella?"
"Of course, you can," Bella told her, looking as though she was about to cry. "I would love that. I would be honored."
"Do you want to tell her about the early days of the war?" Cassie's mum asked Bella softly. "You know what happened better than I do. You were there."
Bella nodded.
"How much do you know about the purebloods involved in the war?" she asked Cassie.
The young girl shrugged as she responded, "I know that Voldemort wanted to create a superior race, kill all the Muggles and Muggle-borns. Most of his followers were purebloods."
Cringing at the sound of her old master's name, Bella looked down. She did not respond when Cassie finished speaking.
"Did I say something wrong?" Cassie finally asked, looking to her newfound aunt with concern.
"No, sweetie," Bella told her quickly. "It's just that name. I was never allowed to use that name. During the war very few people were brave enough to utter it."
"What did you call him?"
"I called him the Dark Lord," Bella admitted, looking down, "because I was one of his followers—a Death Eater."
"I know," Cassie told her, taking her hand. "It's not that hard to figure out. The Death Eaters are the only people that the Ministry has ever enslaved."
"How did you know that?" her mother asked in surprise.
"Library," Cassie told her with a shrug. "I've known for months."
For a few moments, the room was filled with an awkward silence. Finally, Cassie felt obligated to say something. She didn't want them to spend the rest of their lives sitting and staring.
"Please, finish your story, Aunt Bella. I've always wanted to know why you became a Death Eater, but I was afraid to ask. I didn't want to upset you."
Taking a deep breath, Bella continued, "I grew up in a family that believed strongly in pureblood supremacy. As soon as we were old enough to understand, our parents taught my sisters and me that we were better than everyone else. I don't know why, but I always believed them. Maybe I liked the idea of being superior. Maybe I was simply a child, trusting my parents. Either way, I did what they said, hated who they wanted me to hate, and befriended who they wanted me to befriend. Your grandmother was the opposite of me. She rejected everything our parents taught us. At the time, I hated her for it, but now I'm proud of her."
"Do you still think purebloods are better?" Cassie asked, innocently eyeing her.
Bella made a point of meeting her niece's eyes when she replied, "How could I? You are a half-blood and you are one of the most beautiful and talented witches I have ever known."
Smiling, Cassie snuggled closer to her aunt, resting her head on her chest. Bella allowed herself a brief smile.
"But why did you become a Death Eater?" Cassie asked, feeling she had not received a sufficient answer and not wanting to lose her opportunity to find out.
"I did it for a lot of reasons, but none of them were good. The Dark Lord promised his followers rewards beyond our wildest dreams and great power. I wanted those things. I was always drawn to money and power. My parents believed very strongly in what the Dark Lord was doing, but they felt that they were too old to be useful to him. I wanted to make them proud. They were so hurt when your grandmother left the family. My husband was a Death Eater," her voice cracked at the mention of her husband. "He wanted me to join him. I wanted Rodolphus to love me. It seemed that becoming a Death Eater was my destiny."
"What happened to your husband? Where is he now?"
An anguished look crossed Bella's face and Cassie regretted her question. The last thing she wanted was to cause her aunt more pain.
"He's dead," Bella choked on the words. "He died when we were being trained as slaves."
"I'm sorry," Cassie said softly.
Again, silence filled the room. Cassie felt horrible for upsetting Bella and found herself afraid to say anything further.
After composing herself, Bella turned back to her young niece and continued, "What you need to know is what I did as a Death Eater. You need to know why Potter and Longbottom hate me so much; it is not without just reason. I did horrific things. I—" she broke off abruptly, tears streaming down her face.
Looking to the floor, Bella wiped away her tears. It was painful for Cassie to watch; more than anything she wanted to comfort her aunt and tell her it didn't matter. There was nothing Bella could have done to earn the suffering she had been forced to endure.
At last, Bella looked to Cassie's mum, "I'm sorry, I can't tell her. I can't look into her eyes and say the words that will make her hate me."
"It's okay," she attempted to reassure her. "I know this is hard. I wish we didn't have to do it right now, when you're so weak and still learning to trust us. We just don't have a choice. When Cassie goes back to school, Frank will know these things. Cassie needs to hear it from us."
"I know," Bella agreed.
"Maybe you should lie down. Remus and I can explain this to her. If there's anything you need to say, you can do it after you rest. You shouldn't be under this much stress so soon."
"I—I'd like to stay, if you'll allow me, of course. Cassie has done a lot for me. I'd like to be here to answer her questions. I owe her that much. I know it's not my place to request to stay and if you wish for me to leave, I'll go quietly."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you're feeling up to it," Cassie's father said. "You have a right to be here when Cassie learns the truth. Actually, it might be better for both of you, if you did stay."
"Thank you, sir."
"Remus," he told her.
She nodded.
"Okay, Cassie," her mother resumed the previous conversation. "You know that Bella was a Death Eater that she served Voldemort. You know the terrible things he did. He ordered his followers to do horrible things, too. Do you remember when I told you that Voldemort disappeared for many years and many people believed that he was dead?"
"Yes."
"Well, shortly after he disappeared a rumor reached the Death Eaters that Frank and Alice Longbottom—Neville's parents—knew where he was," her mother took a deep breath and looked sadly at Bella before continuing. "Bella, her husband, and two other Death Eaters attacked the Longbottoms trying to find their lost master. The Longbottoms were tortured to insanity. Bella and the others were sentenced to life in Azkaban."
Uncertain of what to do, Cassie looked to the floor. Next to her, she could hear Bella crying softly.
"Bella spent fifteen years in Azkaban," her mother went on, "before Voldemort returned and freed his followers. Shortly after escaping Azkaban, Bella was involved in a battle. She ended up in a one-on-one duel with our cousin, Sirius; he died in that duel. He was hit with a curse and fell to his death."
Cassie said nothing and was relieved that no one else did either. For a moment, she had been terrified that there would be more. She worried that horrible information would just continue to spill from her mother's lips until she could bear no more.
"Cassie?" her mother eventually asked in a gentle voice.
But she ignored her and turned to Bella, who was still crying.
"Look at me," Cassie snapped.
Without hesitation, Bella lifted her head, showing her tear stained cheeks and terrified eyes, to meet Cassie's stare. For the first time, Cassie could think of nothing comforting to say to her.
"Is it true?"
"Yes," Bella replied weakly, fresh tears streaming down her face.
"That's enough," her mother interrupted them. "Cassie, you need time to process what you just heard. Bella, you need to rest. You should have never been put though this in your condition. I'm sorry we had to do it to you."
When no one responded to her, she rose from her seat and gently helped Bella to her feet. They left the room, Bella's whimpers still audible as they headed down the hall.
Once they were alone, her father joined her on the sofa, wrapping his arms around her. He said nothing, waiting for her to make the first move.
"No wonder you were reluctant to have her here," Cassie said at last. "Sirius was your friend. She killed your friend. She destroyed Frank's grandparents. I would have never believed that she was capable of it, but she admitted it. She looked me in the eyes and told me that it was true. I just don't understand."
"Sweetie, what Bella did was terrible, but you saw her; she regrets what she has done. I was told she didn't even mean to kill Sirius. Being reminded of what she did brought her to tears. She's not the only one who did horrific things during the wars. I did things that I'm not proud of. Things were different then. We did what we had to, in order to keep ourselves and our loved ones alive. It doesn't change who she is now. She's your aunt and she loves you."
"I love her, too," Cassie sighed. "I just don't know if I can look at her the same way."
"You would be saying the same thing about me, if you knew some of my secrets," her father sighed, "or the secrets of anyone else who fought in those wars. If it had been up to me, I would have never told you about that part of Bella's past. It was a war and we all did what we had to. We have to live with it and that should be punishment enough. Your aunt is not the same person she was then. You love the person she is now, and that's all that matters."
"She has been a really good friend to me."
"The Bella you know is the real Bella. The Bella who did those horrible things was a desperate woman with very few choices. She has paid for what she has done. She deserves a second chance, and you gave her one. It would be cruel to take that away from her now."
"I would never do that. I could never turn my back on her," Cassie said quickly. "Her past surprised me, but I still care about her. I guess, now that I have thought about it, and talked to you, I realize that I don't feel differently about her at all. She was fighting a war, trying to stay alive; I can't hold that against you. After all, you lost your best friend and you can forgive."
"Your mum said that you would forgive her."
"Do you think I'm wrong?"
"No, I'm proud of you. You can see the perils of the war more clearly than some people who lived through it."
A smile came to Cassie's face, but than a horrible though crossed her mind. Her smile faded and she felt ill.
"What's wrong?" her father asked.
"I was sharp with her," Cassie said urgently. "She was afraid that I would hate her. What if she thinks I really do hate her? What if she thinks we're going to sell her? I have to talk to her."
"Not right now," her father said, holding her back. "Bella was very upset. It was hard for her to tell you about her past. I assume she hoped you would never know. She needs to rest and recover before discussing it any further. You know how weak she is. If she's scared, your mum will take care of her."
"But I want her to know that I still love her."
"I'm sure she knows that. Bella has been very badly abused. It's hard for her to trust, but she has a strong relationship with you. Even if she's afraid of losing you, she knows deep down that you'll always love her."
"I want to tell her."
"Honey, if you go in there, you'll end up discussing her past. She's not up to that. Your mum will make sure she's all right. Let her rest for awhile and then you can talk about everything."
Grumpily, Cassie nodded.
"Good," he told her with a grin. "Now, how about I take you to Diagon Alley for the afternoon? It'll be fun. Then when we get home, you can tell Bella anything you want."
Again, Cassie nodded, although slightly more enthusiastically. Getting out of the house sounded good to her and spending quality time with her dad sounded more appealing than moping around, waiting to talk to Bella.