DISCLAIMER: Not mine.


Summary: Bellatrix celebrates her birthday.


Andromeda made sure her daughter knew how loved she was on her birthday. She showered her with love and praises more than material goods.

Bellatrix never played quidditch after she left. It just brought back too many memories.


"Behind every mask, is a face, and behind that is a story."

Bellatrix lay on her bed, her dark hair sprawled over the silk pillow case, her dark eyes staring at the ceiling as her mother yelled for her to come down. She slowly dragged herself out of bed, and stepped in to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection for some time before turning on the taps of her bathtub. She slipped out of her nightgown and into the bath tub, resting her head on its edge, her body submerged in the warm water and pretty bubbles. She lay there for a while, thinking of the world around her. She scraped the dried blood off her fingers, from the night before. She smiled at the thought of the little mudblood's face as she shoved her against a wall. She heard her mother scream again, so she stepped out of the tub, water dripping from her body. She wrapped a robe around her and dried her hair with a flick of her wand. She twisted it into a braid before trudging down the stairs.

"Morning Bella," chirped Andromeda

"Mornin'," she replied.

"What took you so long?" asked her mother.

"I was getting ready."

Druella nodded almost imperceptibly as her father walked in. The three girls rose as he greeted them with a shake of his head. He held a yellow letter in his hand. He threw it on the table, just in front of Bellatrix.

"What is this?" he spat.

Bellatrix glanced at the letter;

Happy Birthday, Love.

~R.L

"A letter."

"Don't you use that tone, young lady," Druella warned.

"You've been seeing someone?" asked Cygnus rather flustered.

"So what if I have?"

Cygnus glared at his oldest daughter while Druella asked calmly "Descent?"

"Muggleborn," she replied seriously.

Narcissa dropped her fork and Andromeda chanced a glance at Bellatrix who wasn't looking at her, but their parents remained expressionless.

"I'm only joking."

Druella didn't look convinced.

"Oh Mother. Andy,tell them I'm joking."

Andromeda however, took a little time to reply because her mind was preoccupied with worry of what her parents would say if they knew she liked watching a certain brown haired muggle born boy play quidditch.

"She's….she's just joking."

"It wasn't funny."

"Honestly Mother, I'm not that stupid."

"Who is it then?" asked her father tentatively.

"A Lestrange."

Her mother noticeably relaxed, and her father got up, planted a kiss on her forehead and whispered a birthday wish before apparating to work.

"Your presents are upstairs Bella. Happy Birthday," her mother said matter-of-factly.


"Come on then, start opening them," Bella ordered.

"They're your presents, Shouldn't you?"

"For Merlin's sake, just open them."

They set to work, opening present after present. The Malfoys had sent her an emerald ring, the Lestranges had sent her a golden anklet with silver bells, the Notts had sent her the classics, and the Travers had sent her a pretty silver tiara. Her aunt and cousins had sent her a deep green gown and several chocolate frogs. Her parents had gifted her a deep red ruby necklace and Narcissa had given her a set of hair accessories that were truly beautiful.

"Don't open it now," whispered Andromeda to her, handing her a box.

Bellatrix nodded and shook the box. She grinned widely. Perfect, it was a broom polishing kit. Only Andromeda could be so thoughtful. She whispered a quick thanks to her before glancing at the last package. It was a tiny one, packed in silver paper with just two letters on it 'RL'.

Andromeda took the hint immediately. "Cissy, let's get started on the holiday homework."

"I don't have any."

"You can help me with mine."

"How can I help?"

"Cissy, stop being so adamant. It's not becoming."

"Fine," she grumbled.

Bellatrix heard the two bickering all the way down the stairs. When she was sure she could no longer hear them, she opened the little package and her heart fluttered to find a beautiful silver heart shaped locket, with two pictures of them inside it. She allowed herself to smile a bit.

Bellatrix wasn't too fond of birthdays. Waste of time, she thought. But this had been different, he had sent her a sweet gift, he would take her out tonight. This wasn't so bad. Because beneath it all, beneath the cold cruel person she pretended to be, beneath the heartless mudblood hating girl she wanted to be, beneath the indifferent cool Black she needed to be, beneath the farce, she was just another teenage girl. Just another teenage girl, glad that her boyfriend remembered her birthday. Just another teenage girl, in love with a teenage boy.

"Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you'll realize they were the big things."


A/N: Yeah, I don't think Bellatrix was always completely mad or evil. Nobody is born that way.

Anyway, tell me what you think. (: